Haul :: Lisa's Cosmetics Spring 2012 Warehouse Sale + Mini Reviews

Hello Everyone!

So all my Canadian readers who live in proximity to the Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse Sale may be familiar with this sale. However, after not attending this sale for awhile, I decided to peek in quickly with my friend, F, to check out if they had anything new a couple days ago.

The regular stuff hasn't changed at all:
- They still sell full sized perfumes at a discount. Some popular fragrances brands that I saw at the sale included DKNY, YSL, Gucci, CK, Burberry, Escada, Chloe, Nina Ricci, etc
- They still sell designer sunglasses: Ray Bans (all $130), Fendi, Juicy, etc
- They still sell Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox, Marcelle, and Annabelle Cosmetics - I no longer see Red Earth Cosmetics here (probably due to the fact lead was found in their products)

However, something new that I saw at the sale was that they now have ~H2O+ products! Super happy since my mother is a religious user of this product! They had mostly anti-aging products by the time I got there (I went there on the 4th day of sales) but I still saw some of the Face Oasis products.

Anyways, here's my haul :: (And no iPhone 4 Instagram Pictures :O! [Instagram: bambistyle] I was graciously gifted with a Nikon J1 camera and I'm testing it out :P)

My haul from Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse Sale ::
H2O+ Face Oasis Shine Neutralizing Gel & TiVOLi Magnetic Nail Polish

So I picked up the following:
- 2x ~H2O+ Face Oasis Shine-Neutralizing Gel ($20.00)
- 1 TiVOLi Magnetic Nail Polish in Talia (~$2)  [It is a deep navy colour]
- Caramilk Fruits & Nuts Mega Chocolate Bar (~$4) [Not pictured]

I picked up the ~H2O+ Face Oasis Shine-Neutralizing Gel (right) by accident since I was so excited that a $48 product was on sale for $20. I'm not sure what the Face Oasis Shine-Neutralizing Gel is supposed to do but I read online that it is for more oily skin consumers, which does not apply to me. I have extremely dry skin. Note that the packaging is the older packaging, so I don't know how long the product has sitting around.

I actually wanted to purchase the h2O+ Oil-Free Marine Hydration Hydrating Gel (left) which I have used previously. I prefer the texture of this gel for a daily moisturizer since it isn't heavy. I've used it when I was in elementary school briefly and ceased to use it shortly after. I have never indulged myself in skincare, nor would I consider myself a skincare user. However, since graduating from my 3rd year of university, I've noticed that my skin is not longer as robust as it used to be and I decided it was about time for me to take care of my skin again. I do not use any foundation or concealer nor do I use any skincare products (with the exception of Clinique Toner when I have the occasional zit) - I actually just wash my face daily with a washcloth and water. I don't (unfortunately) even use sunscreen on a daily basis *gasp*. However, I'm attempting to change my lifestyle for the better as previously mentioned in my pior post regarding my exercise habits and decided to pick up a moisturizer for myself and my mother. (And I picked up a Shiseido Sunscreen!). Note: I did not get the Hydrating Gel from Lisa's Cosmetics, however, when I visited my local h2O+ store, they allowed me to exchange my Shine-Neutralizing Gel for the Hydrating Gel which is the same price. I now have to return with my mother's tub and exchange it for the Hydrating Gel. I would highly recommend this product as a moisturizer based on my way ancient and current experiences with this product. The packaging on left is the new packaging and logo.

Lastly, I purchased the TiVOLi Magnetic Nail Polish. I was so excited about this product!!! Especially when Sephora and the drugstore sells a similar product for ~$12. I was greatly disappointed! The magnetic feature of the nail polish did not work and just looked like regular dark navy nail polish. In addition, there was a horrible pseudo-toxic (I don't know if it is toxic fumes), metallic smell. I'll try it one more time on a piece of paper, but I would not recommend this product at all. [Edit: I tried the nail polish again on a piece of paper - it works only when you hold the magnet to a wet nail polish for longer than 10 seconds - then you will get a very faint magnetic pattern. The pattern is not very distinct, but visible. ]

I hope this post was informative and as always, thanks for reading!
elle xx

Review :: The Body Shop Blueberry Body Butter

Hi Everyone!

So I wanted to do a quick review on the Body Shop's Blueberry Body Butter before they disappear! The Body Shop is infamous for their Body Butter Tubs and they come out with sooo many different "flavours". The Sales Associate told me that the Blueberry was discontinued in Canada awhile back and was also very popular back in the day. They just recently had extra stock in the UK and decided to bring them back for a limited time in Canada and for 1/2 price ($10)!

The fragrance is absolutely amazing. It does smell like blueberry, but the scent is light and fresh. I don't normally go bananas over skincare or body creams but it smelled that good that I even bought a back up! A bigger plus is that they are extremely moisturizing!! The formula is the most moisturizing out of all the body butters I've tried at the Body Shop, but I wouldn't expect less from it since it is formulated especially for dry skin. I have extremely dry skin (to the point my legs are always flakey >___<) but this body butter really helped and my legs haven't flaked since I started wearing it! I wanted to wait before I do a review so then I had a better idea of how I like it; I've had this for about 3 weeks now and have been using it daily! I'm the type of person who doesn't like putting cream on but I think the quality and the scent of this body butter really encouraged me to do so.

I don't really know how else to describe moisturizers other than the fact that, this is a really really really good moisturizer...

The only thing I don't like about this moisturizer is that its in a tub. I find it a little unsanitary when its not in a squeeze tube but it's not a deal-breaker for me. The only thing I wouldn't do is share this body butter with others; but I wouldn't mind sharing if it was in a squeeze tube.

I'm going to be extremely disappointed when they disappear... TT^TT

I def recommend purchasing this, so hurry in store before they disappear!

elle xx

Haul :: Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse

Once every season, a Lisa's Cosmetics opens up and allows the public to browse and purchase items. Lisa's Cosmetics typically carries large selection of perfume and colognes and ranges from low end brands such has Adidas to designer brands such as Gucci, Burberry, etc. Fragrances are discounted and range from $10+. Aside from fragrance, Lisa's Cosmetics also carries shower soap, hair care products, nail polish + nail care, chocolate, hair dye, no-name bags, and designer sunglasses. For more information regarding Lisa's Cosmetics please follow the link to their site.

I visited the warehouse last weekend and bought quite a bit of items. Lines are typically quite long, however since I live in such close proximity I usually can just walk in the last 10-25 minutes.

This time I bought the following items (from top left and clockwise):
1. Vera Wang Limited Edition Flower Princess 100mL - $55
2. Escada Limited Edition Pacific Paradise 100mL - $55
3. Osis+ Flatliner Form - $7.99
4. Aveeno Positively Smooth
5. Dove Volume Therapy Shampoo + Conditioner
6. Schwarzkopf Essencity Restoring Shampoo - $7.99
7. Smashbox Limited Edition Masquerade Baked Fusion Lights
8. Smashbox Lip & Cheek Tint

I apologize I do not remember all the price since some of the items my mum helped pick out for me and the price tags are usually placed on the items (except for fragrances). I would guess the Aveeno would most likely cost $5 and the Dove would cost $4 each. Both Smashbox products I believe were around $8.

I haven't tried all these products yet, however I have tried both fragrances, the Aveeno cream, and the "cleaning" hair products.

Vera Wang Flower Princess - As the name suggests, this perfume is floral, but it isn't overly flowery - the scent is similar to Marc Jacobs Daisy in terms of the scent's strength. Although there are some floral notes, this fragrance is very 'fresh' smelling.

Escada Pacific Paradise - Very typical of Escada's limited edition fragrances. If you like their other perfumes, you will like this one. Very fruity smelling - easy to wear.

Aveeno Positively Smooth - I only used this once, but it just seems like any other Aveeno cream, nothing seems different although this cream does promises to thin hair so then you don't have to shave as often.

Shampoos - Typical. Nothing amazing. Both shampoos were more of a clear watery gel opposed to a cream. I didn't really care for how the Schwarzkopf Essensity Shampoo's scent. However, I purchased these hair products cause my hair was drying out and required some restoration.

Hope this was a quick run down of some of the products and that it helped slightly in terms of my first impressions of these products.

elle x