HAUL x FIRST IMPRESSIONS | Colourpop, Target and Bath & Body Works

Here is part two of my beauty haul from my short stop in Boston - I featured all the lovely products I picked up at Sephora in part one, and now it's time to share everything I hauled from Colourpop, Target and Bath & Body Works!

Let's get into Colourpop first, 'cos I have been obsessed with this brand ever since I did my first haul a few months back. I also totally made good on my promise that I'd pick up more products! Like a total badass, I ordered from Colourpop's website while I was in Rotterdam to have the package delivered to my hotel in Boston, and it got there the same morning I arrived. Talk about perfect timing.

Wisp | Butterfly Beach | Solow | Echo Park | Bichette | Brink

I absolutely love the first (and only) Colourpop highlighter I got, Lunch Money, and decided to pick up two more as gifts for my mom and sister. The price, quality and formula of these highlighters really can't be beat! I chose Wisp (golden champagne) for my sister, who is more warm-toned, and Butterfly Beach (soft peach with gold and silver highlights) for my mom, who has more of a pink undertone. But after swatching these, I am seriously regretting not getting duplicates for myself. What was I thinking?! For lips, I picked up another Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Solow (neutral nude pink) which I found slightly more drying than the others, and tried one of the new Ultra Satin Liquid Lipsticks in Echo Park (warm peachy nude) which I am liking so far. It does transfer quite a bit - on everything my lips touch - but is much more comfortable on the lips and has decent staying power. I also tried one of the Lippie Stix in Bichette (deep red wine), which also transfers like crazy but leaves a stain on the lips thereby increasing the staying power. Lastly, I picked up another Lippie Pencil in Brink (warm dusty taupe) for my sister - I'm still loving mine in Lumière - and chose this shade since online reviews claimed it was a very close dupe for one of my all-time favorite lip liners from MAC in Soar. See the swatch below and you can judge for yourself, but to me it looks pretty darn similar!

Wisp | Butterfly Beach | Solow | Echo Park | Bichette | Brink

Colourpop Brink | MAC Soar

Now onto goodies from good ol' Target. I can spend hours inside roaming the beauty aisles (which I did), but I exercised some self-restraint and only picked up a couple essentials. For years, I've heard rave reviews about L'oreal's Telescopic Original Mascara and decided it was finally time to try it for myself (and will update you once I do!). I got backups of my all-time favorite drugstore concealer, the Maybelline Fit Me Concealers, in 10 Light, 15 Fair, and 20 Sand. The numbering can be confusing - 15 Fair is actually the lightest, pinkier shade, 10 Light is a tad darker and peachier, and 20 Sand is yellow-toned. I picked up some more e.l.f. Cosmetics brushes from their Essentials and Studio lines (and bought duplicates for my sister - aren't I just the sweetest). These include the Essentials Eyeshadow Brush, Essentials Eyeliner Brush (too thick for eyeliner but my go-to eyebrow brush for years), Studio Blending Brush, and the Studio Small Tapered Brush (which works perfect with my highlighter). The quality of the e.l.f brushes are quite exceptional considering the very affordable price point, and I would say these (along with the Real Techniques brushes) are some of my favorite and most-used brushes.

L'oreal Telescopic Original Mascara| Maybelline Fit Me Concealers in 10, 15, 20 | e.l.f Brushes

Last but not least, Bath & Body Works' "2 for $20" candle sale got me, yet again, and I picked up my favorite BBW candle scent, Georgia Peach (which smells like you're frolicking in a meadow of fresh peaches) and Vanilla Bean (that reminds me of my discontinued favorite, Homemade Cookies, and smells like creamy Vanilla and marshmallows). However, as much as I love these candles, I've realized that there might be better, cleaner and safer alternatives out there (such as candles made with soy or beeswax) that are less likely to produce potentially toxic chemicals when burning. This time around, I noticed both candle wicks burning with black smoke, and I guess you can never be too careful when it comes to your health and the environment you're living in. I will definitely keep you guys posted on any good alternatives I find. But I still love you, Bath & Body Works!

Vanilla Bean | Georgia Peach

I hope you enjoyed this two part haul from my trip to the US! As I've accumulated a lot of new products recently, get ready for a whole lot more product reviews and a whole lot less hauling (but no promises). Until next time!

PS. I didn't realize I forgot to include the Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer until after everything was written and done. Of course. But fear not, it will be featured in my next post! 

TRAVEL | April 2016 Part IV | Boston

Hope you guys aren't sick of reading about my travel adventures yet, because this is a recap of the last - and arguably the best - part of my trip. Boston, baby!

Beacon Hill

So what was I doing in Boston, you might ask, when clearly I was just in Rotterdam for my dad's marathon, and partying it up (not really) in Amsterdam? Well - thanks for asking - we flew from Amsterdam to Boston because my dad also qualified for the 120th Boston Marathon. My dad is a prime example of age being just a number - he's over sixty years old and runs marathons and 100km ultra-trail races like they're nothing. Just two years ago, he and I traveled around Europe together for a month because he decided he wanted to run a marathon every week. Four marathons in four weeks - Barcelona, Rome, Paris, and London. Such a badass.

Anyway, I've always loved visiting Boston - I spent two of my four college thanksgivings there with my closest pals who all went to school in the area (whereas I studied in Washington DC). Being back in Beantown was quite a nostalgic occurrence, and I enjoyed every second of it. It was my first time being a part of the crowd at the Boston Marathon, and the city - especially the finish line - was buzzing with so much energy and excitement that it was hard not to feel like a huge interconnected community. Our family friends also came down from Toronto to support my dad - they have both known me since I was a baby - and it was amazing to be together again after all these years.

Boarding in Amsterdam to Boston

Pinkberry!

Boston Marathon Expo

My dad's name on the "wall of runners"

#Boston2016 #RunBold

Beacon Hill

Chinatown

Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Inside Quincy Market

The central atrium

Sunrise on race day

Race day at Boston Common

Daddy Sit near the finish line

The 120th Boston Marathon finisher medal

Celebratory dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House inside Boston's Old City Hall

That's a wrap, guys - my adventures in Rotterdam, Kinderdijk, Amsterdam and Boston! These two weeks have been an absolute blast, and I am so happy and proud to be able to support my dad and also see the world together!

I'm actually thinking about doing a few travel posts recapping all the places and adventures I got up to with my dad on all his previous marathon trips. Hopefully you guys will see that soon.

Stay tuned for a massive makeup and beauty haul - I'm talking Sephora, Colourpop and more! Meanwhile, check out my previous Rituals and Kiko haul if you haven't already!