WIN! Urban Decay De Slick

Happy Sunday, internet!  Today's WIN! product is Urban Decay De Slick Oil-control Makeup Setting Spray.  This is not a new product on the market by any means, but it's a recent discovery for me. 

Urban Decay De Slick Oil-control Makeup Setting Spray, $41.00/6oz

The past few months I've been trying out several primers as I tend to get oily skin part-way through the day and then my foundation ends up basically melting off my face.  And with the ridiculous heat we've been experiencing lately, it's just not a good look.  So, I've found a few cream/lotion primers that work well under foundation, but they just weren't cutting it under the lighter products, like my tinted moisturizer.  Yes, I know, the whole point of a tinted moisturizer is that you're not supposed to have to wear all that extra stuff like primer and powder.  But that just doesn't work for me.

So, I was in Sephora picking up a few things, and realized I was about $20 off the 500 point gift on my Sephora card.  I decided to pick up a few travel-sized products that I'd been wanting to test to make up the difference, and one of them was De Slick.  I'd heard a lot about the Urban Decay setting sprays, I know a lot of people swear by the All Nighter one, so I was excited to give this a try.  I'd also read that it's much more effective if you spray it both under and over your makeup.

I won't lie - the main reason why I hadn't tried this previously is that it's not the cheapest product on the market.  But it is definitely worth it, in my opinion.  I've tried it under all types of face makeup - foundation, BB cream, tinted moisturizer - and they all stay in place all day with this stuff!  I wouldn't say there was a huge difference compared to my regular primer for foundation, so I probably wouldn't use this for that, but it was a huge help for the tinted moisturizer.

To apply, I spritzed it 4 times over my clean and moisturized face and let it dry before applying my makeup.  I then sprayed it 4 more times after I was completely finished my makeup.  I've heard some people say it doesn't do as well overtop of powder, but it seems to work fine for me.

Long story short (too late, I know) - if you're in the market for an easy-to-use primer, give this one a try!  You can also get the travel-sized bottle for under $20 if you're not sure about it.  But if you're anything like me, you'll probably be going back to purchase the full-size within a week.

My Birthday Presents :)

Hey internet!  How's it hangin'?  I'm feeling particularly productive at the moment as it is my first day of my summer schedule at work, and I got home at 4:30 this afternoon!  What is this craziness?  It's like I can actually get things done during the day!  So, in celebration of my not-procrastinating-by-sitting-around-watching-TV-and-not-actually-doing-what-I'm-supposed-to-be-doing-and-instead-actually-doing-things, I thought I'd give you all a quick run down of what I got for my birthday last week.

First off, I took the week off from work and headed up to BF's cottage with my parents, which was amazing.  It was their first time there, and I think my mom would move in right now if she could.  Dad spent the whole time golfing, so I know he had fun.  For the actual long weekend, my friends from university all came up to hang out, which was great.  Honestly, I would've been happy just having everyone there for my birthday, but because my friends are so wonderful, they got me presents, too!

I feel like I should start by saying that everything kind of followed one of two themes - either related to this blog, or with my upcoming trip to LA with BF to visit our friends in September.

So, the gang from university has always gone together to get group presents for each other.  This dates back to our days in first year when we couldn't afford to buy the birthday person a beer let alone a decent present on our own.  Over the years, we've all gotten some pretty stellar present.  My personal favourite is still the GPS they got me the year I got my first car.  Everyone refused to drive with me until I had one because I have the absolute worst sense of direction in the world.  But this year, they decided to prove that yes, they DO follow my blog, and they got me some re-stock on a few items that I raved about in a previous post - the Soap and Glory Clean On Me body wash, and The Righteous Butter body butter!  I was very happy with this because I'm almost out of the body wash, and it meant I had a whole new tub of body butter to sniff while getting a slight buzz from the amazing scent.  As a bonus, they also got me the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Lipgloss in Clear.  Seriously, I cannot get over the freaking amazing names for these products! 

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Lipgloss (Clear)

Now, when this stuff says "lip plumping", it actually means "I'm gonna make your lips tingle to much you'll think you kissed a metal pole in the middle of winter".  I actually just put some on as I was typing this so that I'd have the full effect.  I'm pretty sure it doesn't so much make your lips bigger as it does make you sit there pretending to look like a duck because your lips feel so weird.  That being said, it's pretty cool stuff.  And makes for an interesting conversation after a few glasses of wine...

My friends also got me a gift card to go buy more stuff for my blog.  They know me and my shopping habits so well :).

BF's mom and dad decided to get me a present, too, this year, which was really very kind of them.  I got a text message from CF while I was sitting in class (with no internet) the weekend before my birthday.  She asked for a list of present ideas, but they had to follow very specific guidelines - it had to be makeup, had to be cottage-themed, and had to be easy for BF's dad to pick up on his own at the mall.  This turned out to be quite the challenge, as I had no idea what "cottage-themed" makeup was, and I was trying to look everything up on my iPhone in the middle of class while attempting to not draw attention to myself so I didn't get called out by the professor.

Anyway, I gave her a few suggestions, and they ended up getting me a gorgeous NARS eyeshadow duo in Eurydice that I'd been eyeing (haha, get it?) for months, as well as a Sephora Classic Angled Brush that I needed...well, okay, maybe not needed, but definitely wanted.

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Eurydice (how gorgeous is that purple?)

Sephora Classic Angled Brush

And last, but certainly not least, my parents got me a very cool book called "642 Things To Write About".  I've really been trying to get back into writing, it's something I've not done since high school.  So, I saw this book and immediately thought it would make a great subject for another blog!  I've actually written one entry for it already, feel free to check it out: http://642days.blogspot.ca/.  My goal was to write one entry for it a day, but until I finish my last school assignment for the semester, that is definitely not going to happen.  But soon!

But my big present from my parents was...surfing lessons while I'm in LA!  I've been talking about learning to surf for the last decade, at least.  I'm not sure what it is, maybe my only real connection to my Californian birth, or maybe it's an unhealthy obsession with Gidget (it's true, I have a thing for Moondoggie).  But either way, I'm so excited that I'll finally get to cross this off of my bucket list!  Now I just have to spend the next 2 months practicing swimming so I don't drown in the Pacific Ocean.

So that was my birthday rundown!  Big thanks to all of my wonderful friends and family who made it such a great day.  I wish everyday was my birthday!  And really, it's not just because of the presents...

June GLOSSYBOX!

I'm back from vacation!  Sorry, I know I was supposed to be blogging everyday I was away, but quite honestly, sitting on the dock with a beer was far more important at the time.  But I'm back now, so you can all breathe a sigh of relief.  And what did I find when I arrived home last night?  My June GLOSSYBOX!  Woo!

It's like getting a surprise birthday present, that wasn't really a surprise and I actually had to pay for...but I was still excited to see what was inside!

Here's what I got:

Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser - Have skin that can't make up it's mind?  Achieve the clean you want, without disturbing natural moisture your skin needs - more balanced skin in just 2 weeks! Full size!  200mL/$9.99

Can't say I was super excited for this one.  My skin is ridiculously sensitive when it comes to cleansers and it took me quite a few years to find a good fit with the one I'm using currently.  Plus, drug store brands like Biore are notorious for having alcohol and harsh chemicals in their cleansers, which I try to avoid using.  This one might be getting passed on to one of my friends...

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch sunscreen Lotion SPF 55 - Ultra-light and fast absorbing, the voted #1 best-feeling sunscreen by Canadian Dermatologists.  Contains HELIOPLEX which provides photostable UVA/UVB protection.  88mL/$15.99

This is actually my favourite type of sunscreen and I've been using it for a few years, so I was a little disappointed to see this in my box - mainly because I'm already so familiar with the product.  But, it's a nice size to throw in my purse and I don't have any of the SPF 55 (I usually go with the 30).

Wella Professionals Ocean Spritz - Free your hair with irresistible chunky texture achieving that matte, carefree beachy hair look. Available exclusively in salons. Full size!  150mL/$16.99

This looks pretty cool, and I like any products that claim to make hair "chunky"...that makes it sounds so attractive...  Planning on trying this one out tonight, so we'll see how it performs!

Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex - Advanced micro-fillers instantly smooth the look of fine lines.  The anti-aging formula, wih a BioPeptide and B3 complex, hydrates and improves the appreance of deep lines in just 14 days!  50mL/$30.99

 

Okay, I know I just had a birthday, but I really don't think I need to be using such a heavy-duty anti-wrinkle cream.  And what the hell is BioPeptide?  I don't think I want any of that anywhere near my face.  This one is going straight to my mom for her to try.

Cover Girl Flipstick-Blendable Lip Duo - NEW!  This double ended lipcolour stick has a side for shimmer, and a side for colour.  Blend shades together to create endless lip looks.  Full size!  3.8gr/$12.50

Holy man, this is a dark colour!  I had to specify my skin tone when I signed up for this and I have no clue what they were thinking when they sent this.  No way I'd actually be able to wear it.  My mom, however, likes dark lip colours, so this one might be going to her, too.

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor - Get ready for the shave fir for a goddess.  Our first women's razor created with 5 blades hugs every curve to get virtually every hair even bikini hair.  An ultra-close shave and incredible Venus smoothness.  Full size!  1 kit/$13.43

I already have one of these, but it's kind of old, so looks like I'll be replacing it sooner than I thought!  Heck, just this alone in the box pretty much pays for the monthly fee.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - Pore Strips are the deepest way to clean your pores.  In just one use, you remove a week's worth of build up dirt - and it only takes 10 minutes (isn't that great?!)  8ct/$9.99

I remember using these as a teenager with my friends when we did at-home "facials" (which pretty much involved washing out face, using one of these, and a Walmart-brad face mask).  But, I still have them in my skincare regimine, because they really do make your pores feel cleaner.  Who knows whether they actually do much good, but they sure are fun, in a weird ripping-off-a-bandaid kind of way.

Overall thoughts - some good stuff, some stuff I've used, and some stuff I'll probably never try.  I'm really excited for the hair spray, and as I mentioned before, getting the razor pretty much covered this mont's cost.  So hopefully my mom appreciates the rest of this stuff!