ROUND UP: Stuff I Tried in March 2016

by - April 05, 2016


I have to admit, I often pick things up that I never end up reviewing, so I decided to start a new monthly round up post where I list those products for you guys and give mini-reviews. There's a lot of reasons why I might not end up dedicating a whole post to a product, such as it being limited edition and sold out, not particularly new, or just something I don't think I can devote an entire post to. However, I think this could be a fun way to let you guys know about a bunch of products that fit those categories in one go, so I decided to give this a try. Please let me know in the comments if this is something you'd like to see in the future!

But first... Check out the stuff I tried this month!


CoverFx Cream Concealer in N X-Light
I had been wanting to try this concealer for ages, and I finally bit the bullet and got it. I've been using it pretty consistently and I'm really happy with it. It gives really intense coverage, but it definitely needs to be set pretty firmly with powder, and the line between set and caked can be a fine one for me. I tend to apply loose powder with my beautyblender and bake this and I find it works quite well. I think people with really bad dark circles, scarring, or intense blemishes are going to love this concealer.

Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush Duo in Rose Gold
This little duo came in my March Ipsy bag and I wasn't entirely excited about it on first swatches, but I definitely enjoy it now - or at least, I enjoy the highlighter. I think the blush is a little too sheer for me and it definitely wouldn't work for skintones deeper than mine, but the highlight is absolutely gorgeous and gives a really smooth, lovely glow to the cheekbones. I've been reaching for the highlight a lot, but I don't really get much use of the blush.

Smashbox Primer Oil
This was included in my February Ipsy bag, but I was so scared of it that it took me a while to try it out. Silly me! This is FANTASTIC and I think my dry winter skin would have gone crazy for it. It's not too heavy and I think it gives me really good hydration that lasts all day and keeps my makeup looking great. Not sure how this would work in the summer months when I get a little more oily, but for right now I'm really impressed.

Mariposa Blushes from Dollarama (Sold in a 4 pack)
Last summer I picked up a blush quad from this brand during a bit of a dollarstore makeup try out and I was really impressed with how well it worked for me, so I had to pick up this 4 pack and I'm happy to announce that these are even better. They're super pigmented and have a really creamy texture that blends and clings really nicely on the skin. I've only tried these two so far on my actual face, but you can see swatches of all 4 shades on my Instagram!

Essence Hidden Stories Highlighter in Roses in Wonderland & Enter Wonderland
I almost always review the new essence Trend Editions when they hit Shoppers Drug Mart, but I skipped out on this one because there weren't a lot of products that I wanted to try and I still don't really know what I think of these. The texture is... odd. I guess it's kind of similar to the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes in that it's a firm, squishy cream product. They don't have a lot pigmentation and I find them a little bit difficult to apply. Honestly, I don't think these are going to stay in my collection because I just won't use them and I don't have space to keep them hanging around.


Cargo Cosmetics Summer In The City Eye Palette
I was REALLY excited to see this palette at Winners a couple of weeks ago and I grabbed it up right away. I'm a little bit let down by it, unfortunately. The shades are really beautiful, but I struggle to get pay off from the lighter shades and I'm a little disappointed that there's no mattes in the palette. Unfortunately, I still haven't found another palette from Cargo that lives up to the gorgeous amazingness of the Vintage Escapes palette.

w7 Bronze Queen Fantasy Bronze Eye Colour Palette
I had actually considered picking this palette up online a few times, but never seemed to get around to it, so I scooped it up when I saw it at Winners. I believe this is supposed to be a dupe of a Bobbi Brown palette - not sure the name of it. While there are some pretty shades in it and I think you can get a pretty look out of it, I don't think the quality is where I wanted it to be. The mattes are really pigmented, but they are quite powdery and don't blend as well as I wanted them to, and the two shimmery shades just don't pack enough punch. I wouldn't recommend this one.

w7 Making Waves Eye Colour in Yummy Yummy
The dupeliness of this palette is pretty clear as soon as you look at it. Because I'd heard the Hourglass palettes were a little bit disappointing from a lot of people, I never invested, so I decided to give this a go. Not worth it AT ALL. It's almost impossible to get an punch of pigmented from these shades and any look you get from the palette will be an almost sheer wash. They also don't hold up so well throughout the day. 

Unfortunately, I'm pretty unimpressed with w7 so far.


Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
This was included in my favorites this month - because it was love at first application. It gives my a ton of curl that holds throughout the day and gives me those fluttery, full lashes that I love. I would say that if you have oily or watery eyes, this might not be the best choice though. It has a tendency to smudge on me by the end of the day and that's not normally a problem for me.

Paula Dorf Eyeshadow Singles (Sold in a 5 pack)
This is another Winners grab that I got this month and I'm not let down by these AT ALL. In fact, I'm super impressed with them. They've all got a really creamy, beautiful texture and the shimmer shades have off the charts pigmentation. The mattes are a little more sheer and I find them a little more difficult to work with, but I love the cream shade on my brow bone and the taupe shade makes a good first transition shade for a cool toned look. These were super affordable and they're really great!

Vera Mona Eye Shadow Single in Clover
This is another product that was in my monthly favorites - and for good reason. This is super smooth and creamy, super pigmented, and surprisingly versatile. I'm pretty sure I've raved the balls out of this eyeshadow this month, but I swear it's for good reason. My favorite eye looks this month had this shadow on the lid blended out with deep browns in the crease and outer V. It's a great look and one that will likely be a go this spring.


CoverGirl Oh Sugar! Vitamin Infused Balm in 3 Caramel
To be honest, this didn't really appeal to me at all when they launched, but I decided to grab one and try it out just because of the scent - sweet lemony goodness! I was a little taken aback the first time I put it on, because it was a little bit weirdly gritty on my lips. I picked up one of the lighter shades, which really doesn't carry much colour at all to the lips, but I actually like how it looks because it gives my lips some healthy looking sheen. I wouldn't say this is moisturing enough to really use as your balm, but it's kind pretty. For me, this is really just okay and I wouldn't say I love or hate it.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Craft
Like any self respecting makeup junkie, I've been lusting after the ABH Liquid Lipsticks for ages now, so I finally picked one up this month. I chose the shade Craft because it swatched a really beautiful berry shade with some serious depth. It applies really beautifully with full pigmentation in one swipe and looks amazing on the lips. It dries down so that only the barest of transfer happens for me, and I don't particularly find it uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I've found I have a real problem with this product crumbling and I'm super bummed about it. I might try out a lighter shade soon, because it'll definitely be a little less obvious, but I'm just not in love with this product.

Birchbox Arrow Boost Color Enhancing Lip Balm
I got this in my last Birchbox and proceeded to completely forget about it, so I threw it in my purse this month. This is one of those products that applies clear for the most part and then warms up with your body heat and gives a flush of pink on the lips. I like this in theory more than in practice. This is a really thin texture and I feel like it doesn't really cling to the lips, so you end up with a ring of that pinky shade outside of your lip lines. It also isn't particularly hydrating and I find that I need to apply balm after this wears off to replenish my lips. Not so good.

NYX Glide On Color Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes
Now that I think about it... I'm pretty sure I bought this in February, but it's in the photo and I'm in love with it so I might as well talk about it - again! THIS LIP LINER IS FANTASTIC AND EVERYONE NEEDS IT IN THEIR COLLECTION. It's super pigmented, super creamy, and wears for a really, really long time. It also goes with a lot of different tones of nude, making it really versatile. If you haven't tried this yet, do it. Seriously. Just go and get it and put it on your face.


Face Secret Cosmetic Brush Cleaner
I believe I picked this up because I'd heard it compared to the cult favorite Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner. I feel two ways about this... First, it does actually do a really good job of spot cleaning my brushes. I just dump a little bit of this in a jar lid and swirl my brush around and all the pigment comes out. So that's good, right? Now for the bad... There's SO MUCH ALCOHOL IN THIS. It's got a really pungent alcohol scent and when I use it I feel like it's really drying out my brushes and taking away some of their softness, which I think could ultimately lead to them getting brittle and unusable in the future. I will likely use this up, because I have it and it does the job, but I definitely won't repurchase it again because I want my brushes to last.


So there you have it... There were some great products this month that are going to get a lot of use in my collection as well as a lot of disappointments. If you're interested in seeing swatches of any of these products, definitely let me know and I'll be sure to put them up on Instagram! And if this is something you'd like to see me keep doing, let me know so I can plan it again for next month!

Thanks for reading! What have you tried this month?


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