Beauty Bay Haul

God I love returning home and seeing a package waiting for me that I didn't really expect. It's like having Christmas early! I don't quite remember what I was reading that struck me to look up more reviews on the Stila One Step Corrector, but darn it if I didn't end up searching for a site that sells it at a decent price too. Whereby I found beautybay.com, persuading me to shop there with their free shipping on all orders to Australia offer. I couldn't help but browse through what ARTDECO products they also offer, having heard a bit of the brand, but never previously found a store that sold it. Of course, I was enticed to get their Eye Brow Color Pen, I love brow products and lord knows mine need help. And being the person that I am, I thought that was a pretty small loot, just two products? Aw, go on, one more. And so I opted for the Glimmer Balm by This Works, again, another brand I have been interested in, never owning any of their products before.

Pretty much the majority (if not all) the reviews I read of the One Step Corrector were positive; while the colour correcting isn't too intense, this product apparently makes your skin smooth, matte and brightens too, with maybe a tad of evening out the skintone. I absolutely love primers, so I'm hoping this was a good investment. 

Of course, what is a face without the brows? I love brow products, cause damn, eyebrows are so important to any look, but lately I've been wanting a bit more definition, and so a brow pen by the German brand ARTDECO I thought was the way to go. I got it in the shade light brown (03), and it is quite a bit browner than the usual ashy tones I go for, but I think it will suit with my hair nicely.

And finally, I do love me some highlighter too. Apparently, the shimmer balm by This Works can be used on the lips, cheekbones, eyes, decollete, pretty much anywhere to give you that golden model glow, and the name of the brand clearly helps too. It's a tad bit greasy on first swipe, and a tad yellow also, but I have the feeling this will really give the glow that most people are looking for.

Besides my glorious products I carefully chose, beautybay also offers to upgrade your order to a "premium order", whereby if you pay about AU$2 more, they'll include some deluxe samples and mama loves some deluxe samples!

A shampoo from a brand I've never heard of, Anne Semonin, was one of my samples. It's the gentle mistletoe shampoo, and at first whiff, it was a bit strong simply because it's a scent I'm not too used to, but I can see this fragrancing their hair just enough to be pleasant. The other sample I received was the Time Technology cream Institut Esthederm. Have not heard of this brand either, but from what I gather from the big ass brochure that this sample was inside of, this cream makes "your skin sustainably younger", really just to enhance your complexion by brightening it and adding radiance. Well, I could dig that.

Admittedly, this order did take a relatively long while for it too arrive, especially considering I opted for free shipping, I was unable to track it, so that was a bummer. But everything arrived as it should, I got deluxe samples mystery style, and the site sold a number of brands, many of which I'm interested in. So placing an order in the future? Most likely.

Mini Benefit Baby Haul

Oh what's this? Both "mini" and "baby" in the title? Well, it's accurate. I wanted so badly to try out the Benefit They're Real mascara, because although I've heard a mix of both good and bad, you have to really try it out for yourself to give an opinion. And I also heard it was a really wet mascara, so yeah. I like wet mascaras. After seeing that Sephora's Beauty Insider program was giving a mini They're Real mascara and a mini Watt's Up! cream highlighter as a gift for member's birthdays, off to eBay I went as, clearly, they don't have Sephora in Australia. It turned out brilliantly for me, as not only did I find a seller that was auctioning off their Beauty Insider birthday pressie for about twenty bucks (hey, it's a good deal considering Aussie prices), but they were also including three other Benefit freebies which included a deluxe sample size of High Beam, and a sample of Stay Don't Stray and Garden of Good and Eva.

They're Real mascara

Ah the reason for the whole purchase, I don't really see this mascara as being as super wet as I've heard, but I'll guess I'll see when I actually apply it. The only thing I can say is that, daaang, that brush is spiky with longer bristles. It might be a tad painful if I try putting it too close to my eyes as I've found with other plastic brushes. 

Watt's Up! cream highlighter

A champagne cream highlighter. Have also heard good things about this, and, surprisingly considering my skin tone, I've never had a champagne highlighter, so this should be a good step. It blends really easily as I found when swatching it.

High Beam liquid highlighter

I have actually had this before, I think in the Benefit Finding Mr Bright kit. They call it "model in a bottle" and I was so tempted to shell out for the full size, but this deluxe sample should tide me over for a while. It's a pink pearl liquid highlighter, but, again, blends so easily into the skin and just makes you really look lit up and, not too sparkly, but just enough shimmer on the cheekbones. 

Stay Don't Stray eye primer

I've never had a huge amount of eye primers, but I really should use them more. Obviously, my eye make up has held up a lot better when using primers, so hopefully this will be what turns me around to consistent use.

Garden of Good and Eva eau de toilette

I have never tried any scents by Benefit, so I really didn't know what to expect. Unfortunately, this sample was almost empty when I got it, but it smelled pretty good. A tiny bit floral, a tiny bit herbal, but that kind of "water" scent I like. Water doesn't even have a scent, does it? But that seems to be the description of scents I like. I will admit though that when I first sprayed it on my wrists, it was definitely a bit stronger and I wasn't a fan. But it wears away to a really wearable scent.

left to right, without flash: Watt's Up! swatch, Watt's Up! blended, High Beam swatch, High Beam blended

With Flash

Natural Sunlight

Overall, I feel this was a pretty decent find on eBay, considering what I ended up with. I'm liking the highlighters, and the mascara looks promising. I'm even interested in the eye primer, knowing how good the primers from Benefit are. And the size of these mini's are just so cute too! Makes for easy travelling, sadly though, will probably entice me to eventually buy full sizes.