Toronto Makeup and Skincare Haul

A few weeks ago, I took a quick trip to Toronto for business.  But I just couldn't resist picking up a few goodies (the Canadian dollar is pretty low, so prices were basically 30 - 40% off what I'd pay in the U.S.).  I went to the drugstore and the department store, and here's what I bought.

Toronto Drugstore Picks

So, I love that Canadian drugstores carry department store brands (Benefit, Estee Lauder, Clinique, etc.) and typical drugstore brands.  I went to Shoppers Drug Mart, and it also had a ton of French brands like Nuxe, Vichy and Avene.  Plus they had makeup from Joe Fresh - a really popular fast fashion brand (like H&M) that is based in Canada but has some stores here too.  I really wanted to try more of the French brands because I hardly see them in California, but I was trying to stick to the carryon limits so I couldn't get as much as I wanted.

It was really cold in Toronto, so I picked up this Vichy Eau Thermale, which is a mineral water mist.  I love facial mists (check out this post for details on my favorites) and was excited to try this out.  I like to use this mist to dampen my makeup brushes before I apply foundation.  I also used this on the flight back because my skin felt super dry.  It's nice but not something I'd cross the border to repurchase.

I did, however, LOVE the Joe Fresh mascara that I bought.  It's called the Hydra Lash Nourishing Mascara with Argan Oil.  I liked the nylon brush and the formula didn't clump or flake at all.  It was a really wet, glossy look and I liked it a lot. I think the argan oil helped make my lashes feel soft, which was a definite plus.  I hate it when mascara makes my lashes feel super stiff.

I also got the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick, which is super moisturizing.  It's thick, but it soaks in right away. You can find this in the U.S. at beauty.com for $9.

Toronto Department Store Picks

The trendy department store Holt Renfrew was right down the street from my hotel.  It had all of the good makeup brands so I was more than happy to hustle in to do some quick shopping!  I was most excited to see Charlotte Tilbury because it's not in any stores near me.  I always read about how great the products are, but I hadn't bought anything because I wanted to see things in person first.

The product that I was most excited to try was the Eyes to Mesmerize cream eyeshadow.  I LOVE cream eyeshadows, and one of my favorite YouTubers (Jackie Aina) always raves about these shadows.  I bought Bette (true gold) and it's available at Nordstrom for $32.  I also picked up  two shades of the Color Chameleon eye shadow pencil in Champagne Diamonds (light gold with silver glitter) and Amethyst Aphrodisiac (purple with fuchsia shimmer).  They're both available at Nordstrom for $27.

I love these eye products and can't wait to use them more.

I also bought a skincare sampler kit.  I've heard a lot of good things about the Charlotte Tilbury skincare, so thought this would be a good way to try lots of different products.  I bought the Charlotte Tilbury Gift of Red Carpet Skin Travel Kit.

It includes:  Goddess Skin Clay Mask, Multi-Miracle Glow, Magic Cream, Supermodel Body, Wonderglow and Take It All Off.  I've only tried the Magic Cream and Take It All Off so far and both are nice.  The Take It All Off is a makeup remover and it works well but it's nothing unique.  The Magic Cream is one of the signature products and it has peptides to plump skin and it's also meant to energize and hydrate the skin.  I didn't think it was moisturizing enough for my dry/combination skin, so I'll probably wait until summer to try it again.  This skincare kit is available at Net-A-Porter for $85.

Overall, I really loved the shopping in Toronto.  I just wish I had more time to explore the city.

I also have to shout out Angela at Raincouver Beauty for giving me recommendations on where to shop!  Love her blog - check it out here!

Shop my Toronto makeup and skincare picks here:

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