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Summer skincare, hair & beauty haul + The Ordinary mini review

It's been ages since I've done a beauty haul and yet there are so many new products that I've recently purchased and haven't talked about. This haul is spread over a couple of months and I didn't include everything I bought because it might seem like I'm sick-in-the-head-crazy about beauty products, which I probably am but oh well! It's a beauty haul people and we're here to have fun! 

BTW - Sign up to my email list at the bottom of this post if you want a chance to win monthly beauty giveaways! I want to be able to stay in touch with you guys and share some of my hauls as wells. :) 

SHOPPERS DRUG MART BEAUTY HAUL

Since the Shoppers closest to me renovated their Beauty Boutique to include Chanel, I have been obsessed! Not just me, but also Diana (bff & WoahStyle beauty editor). We find ourselves at the store at least once a week to see what's new. The best part - the cosmeticians have an incredible range of knowledge and have been able to answer our questions on retinoids, liquid peels and help colour match us in our fave new Chanel foundation. Coincidentally both Diana and I are both No. 30.

SKINCARE
Trying to keep my textured skin under control is always a challenge but I'm getting there. I picked up a few cream cleansers recently, which I'll be talking about in an upcoming post, as well as this scrub by Soap & Glory called Scrub Your Nose In It, which is excellent for the t-zone and keeping blackheads away. I also got a new hand cream because I'm always applying it after I wash my hands. This one by Nuxe has lots of essential oils and is super hydrating without being greasy.

LIP & FACE COLOUR
Lipstick is the one thing I can never be without. I feel naked and ugly without it so I always have at least three in my bag. The new Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses are amazing and I couldn't resist picking up another shade, 754 Opulence, a rich burnt red with gold shimmery. I also grabbed a similarly toned Rouge Coco Lipstick in the shade 418 Misia. On the recommendation of a peer, I picked up Revlon's Matte Balm in the shade Standout, a burnt berry shade. It's a comfortable wearing matte lipstick that's highly pigmented. Finally, I couldn't resist this pretty coral blush by Bourjois in the shade 41 Healthy Mix. It smells really nice and the colour is like a healthy glow on the cheeks. 

MASCARA
One of my readers recently recommended Chanel's Le Volume mascara so I picked it up and have been using it since! It separates and lengthens my lashes and creates really nice volume. I also got the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara in the waterproof formula because I've heard so many great things! Both mascaras are clump, flake and smudge free.

PERFUM
L'eau Chanel No.5 is feminine and sophisticated and makes me so happy when I wear it. It's a lighter, contemporary version of the iconic No.5. I got one of those refillable perfum sprays by Travalo to go with it because I rather not carry around a full bottle in my purse.

ACCESSORIES
Sali Hughes, beauty editor extraordinaire and my personal beauty hero, wrote about the Chanel compact in her book Pretty Honest. I couldn't get it out of my mind so I picked it up and now it feels like the ultimate luxury item in my beauty bag. Apparently they're hard to track down so buy it if you see it! While I was at it, I got yet another makeup brush to add to my collection. This Chanel foundation brush is great for blending my lightweight foundations. 

Sephora Beauty Haul

HAIR
I became obsessed with my hair after I signed on as a Clairol brand ambassador for their Natural Instincts campaign. I learned how to style my hair differently and get softer, prettier waves. I also started brushing my hair *gasp* so I picked up Drybar's Super Lemon Drop brush! I have thick, wavy, frizzy hair so I never brushed it between shampoo's because I didn't want to disrupt my curls and introduce frizz. Well, turns out brushing it ain't so bad after all! I've been spraying a little bit of Drybar's Sparkling Soda Shine Mist on the ends of my hair to smooth it out. 

PERFUM
During the last VIB Rouge sale I finally got Tom Ford's Soliel Blanc perfum. I'd been wanting it for ages but it's pricey so I waited months until the sale came around. I'm so happy it's finally mine!

LIP & FACE COLOUR
I also got Tata Harper's Volumizing Lip & Cheek Tint in Very Popular, a warm rose shade. I love it as a blush because the colour is builable and hydrating on the skin so it looks like a really nice healthy glow. It's also 100% natural and non-toxic.

Finally I couldn't leave Sephora without picking up Dior's new Lip Pomade. One of my readers told me it was really good so I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype. Stay tuned for a drug store dupe on this one!

THE ORDINARY

Just like everyone else I was curious to try The Ordinary's line of skincare. I picked up the High-Spreadability Fluid Primer, which is silicone based and sucks so bad, I could easily call it the worst primer ever! I used it a few times and each time it left my makeup patchy and streaky by the end of the day. It's actually worse than not wearing primer at all if you can believe it! It's also not a stable formula so it's begun to thicken considerably in the bottle since I bought it last month. If exposure to air is why the formula has begun to spoil, the company really should have put it in a pump bottle.

One item I do like from this brand is the 100% Plant-Derived Squalane. It's super hydrating and doesn't irritate my skin at all, even the skin on my chest which is hyper sensitive to oils and serums. My skin feels really nice and plump after using this product. For $8 a bottle, I would highly recommend it!

I also enjoy their Advanced Retinoid 2%. My skin reacts very well to retinoids and really took a liking to this one. It left my textured skin feeling super smooth and radiant looking. Normally I use this by going a few days on and a few days off to give my skin a break.

In the mornings I've been following up with their Vitamin C Suspension 23%. It left my skin feeling smooth and my complexion looking even.

Finally, I got the Hand Chemistry cream from their Chemistry Brand line. While I like the emollient properties of this cream, I can't stand the smell. It retails for $7 for a 30mL tube and I'd much rather splurge twice the amount to get the hand cream from Nuxe.  If you can stand the smell of this cream, you'll probably enjoy Hand Chemistry.

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