The Battle Of The Contour Kits. What Do You Do?

So right now, the battle of the contour kits is going on and its getting brutal. Everyone and their mother has come out with a kit and each one promises easy step by step instructions and fabulous results. The biggest problem though is that the set that is perfect for one person is not going to be for another. Its like trying to choose the best blush out there. Just because a ton of people love it, doesn't mean its the best one for your skin. So hear I sit. Paralyzed in the decision. Which one do I get? I honestly DONT know. I did just get this one as its cream and matte:

But which POWDER one do I get to try? I think the smashbox one will be too dark for me. And there is a too faced one, but since that includes BRONZERS (which are NOT contour powders at all) I have left that off the list all together. I freaking love everything Marc Jacobs has put out so far, so maybe that one? But the Kat Von D and Anastasia ones are also getting rave reviews!! HELP!! I will get one, POSSIBLY two but that is all. So please leave all your comments and feedback here with your recommendations and why. And keep in mind I am glow in the dark white! 

Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks Swatched!

The lovely Amber (found here on instagram) just swatched all these lovely lipsticks and is allowing me to share them with all of you! I have to say, I am totally lemming Lovely now hard!!!!

Sephora Favorites Beauty Closet

So Sephora has another new Sephora Favorites Kit out there. This one is a little more pricey than most coming in at a whopping $118. 

What it is:
A set with primers, liners, moisturizers, and more with coveted must-haves that our in-the-know Sephora staff reaches for every morning, noon, and night.


What it does:
Get a wardrobe of beauty essentials with our SEPHORA FAVORITES Beauty Closet. Loaded with our go-to skin-perfecting powders, lipsticks, nail polishes, fragrance, primers, oil, highly-pigmented eyeliners, hair primers, eye shadow, bronzers, moisturizers, and other must-haves, this collection is a gift set that’s perfect for the beauty lover—or yourself. With coveted brands, from Formula X to Bite Beauty to Josie Maran, this set will keep you prepared for every beauty look.

This set contains: - 0.23 oz Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm
- 0.085 oz Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Clear Brow Gel
- 0.04 oz Ardency Inn MODSTER Smooth Ride Supercharged eyeliner in Gold
- 0.15 oz bareMinerals Mini READY™ Touch Up Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Translucent
- Beautyblender® micro.mini sponge applicator
- 0.34 oz Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector™ in Opal
- 0.04 oz Bite Beauty BB for Lips in Flush
- 0.24 oz Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black eau de parfum rollerball
- 0.4 oz Formula X Nail Color in Fahrenheit
- 0.33 oz Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
- 0.16 oz Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
- 0.12 oz Julep Freedom™ Polymer Top Coat
- 0.10 oz Lancôme Paris Lip Lover in 355 Framboise Etoile
- 1 oz Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 in Nude
- 1 oz Living Proof Prime Style Extender
- 0.5 oz Ole Henriksen® truth serum® collagen booster
- 0.07 oz SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful Mono eye shadow in #32 Pop Idol
- 0.25 oz Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 in Light/Medium
- 0.07 oz Stila Convertible Color in Peony
- 0.11 oz Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof bronzer in Park Ave Princess™
- 0.17 oz Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara

AVAILABLE HERE FOR $118!

VIB Sale - Recommendations

So I have done an INSANE amount of holiday shopping already this season and have tried a lot of great holiday items. I also have a few left on my wishlist. But the number one thing I get asked is for recommendations on what I would get with the 20% VIB. Here are my top picks!

Blushes
There are quite a few blush items I have been extremely impressed with so far. The Benefit Cosmetics Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O' Blushes, Tarte Pin Up Girl Palette as well as the Ambient Lighting Blush Palette from Hourglass are all fantastic deals and great products. While there is really nothing limited edition or exclusive about the Benefit palette (though it looks they are retiring one of the shades from within it) the extreme value (5 half sized and one full sized blush) puts it on the list!

Bronzers 
This is something I dont have yet. But as someone who has almost bought the Too Faced bronzer to try 1000 times, this set seems the perfect little gift! You get to sample all four of their bronzers for one low price of $28! They  may be deluxe minis, but they are all there! This I am hoping to pick up this weekend

Eyeshadow Palettes
I have to say, I usually have very long lists of all my wants and recommendations in this department, but this year? Meh..... The Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette is not quite my idea of perfect colour wise, but at $35 its a great priced limited edition palette that seems to get rave reviews. And if you are an Urban Decay fanatic, the Vice3 is always an option, though I think many brands have surpassed UD in both quality and performance.

Now, if chubby shadow pencils are your thing, well, forget that. Even if they are NOT your thing, pick these up anyways. Seriously amazing. The Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Quartet was sold out online, came back up the other day and is sold out again (for good reason. These sticks are AMAZING! And a great deal) but if you can luck in to them in store, grab them!

Eyeliners
Well, look at me, recommending a set that is NOT Urban Decay! I still love their liners, but the Marc Jacobs ones are better. Seriously. $56 for 7 mini liners may not sound that great a deal, but they are 75% of the size of regular ones. One of my highlights of the season for sure!

Skincare

For skincare, I assume you all know where this is going. The Glamglow Gift Sexy! You pay for one sized amazing face mask, and you get two half sized ones for free. And while the YouthMud is their best selling most popular one, SuperMud (the white one) is my hands down favourite. And while I have not yet reviewed ThirstyMud on my blog (the review is coming!!) I really love it and am finding it my go to moisture mask.

Now for the most part, these sets I have shown you are amazing values and great ways to sample some high end luxe items (ambient lighting blushes, marc jacobs liners, Laura Mercier caviar sticks, Glamglow masks) for a fraction of what it normally costs and at the same time, it gives you a nice selection to really try out the lines. Also, sets such as the tarte and benefit and too faced are simply great ways to try cult classics you might have just always put on the "will try later" list!

Hope this guide was at least a bit of a help, and please! Let me know in the comments below what items you think are must haves!! Also, WHAT ARE YOU GETTING??!!

Sephora Favorites Superstars

What it is:
A 12-piece beauty set with full-sizes of our most-coveted essentials—from makeup to fragrance to skincare.

What it does:
This set features bestselling, head-to-toe beauty essentials. With an array of full-size products, from nail polish to styling spray, they’re perfect for every beauty lover.

This set contains:
- 0.003 oz Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown
- 0.25 oz Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional
- 0.05 oz Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Mascara In Jet Black
- 1.7 oz Bumble And Bumble Surf Spray
- 0.34 oz Chloè by Chloè Rollerball
- 0.4 oz Formula X Nail Color in Ignite
- 0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Rosè Tinted Lip Treatment
- 0.5 oz Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
- 0.16 oz Nars Cosmetics Blush in Orgasm
- 1 oz Smashbox Cosmetics Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 in Light
- 0.016 oz Stila Cosmetics Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner In Intense Black
- 0.05 oz Urban Decay Eye shadow in Sin

AVAILABLE AT SEPHORA.CA FOR $90 HERE!