Generally, I don't like the term "haul" simply because it implies consumers spending unnecessary amounts of their earnings on a copious amount of things they could really do without in life.
But we'll just make this an exception. Just this once.
Since this will probably be the largest amount of money I'll spend on skincare and beauty products until...my next Vancouver trip, which I anticipate won't be until Christmas. *wink wink*
Like every Saturday, I dragged myself out of bed early in the morning to dress myself in preparation for physio in Markham. And since classwork is still pretty much nonexistent until next week, I asked my mom if we could go to P-Mall (Pacific Mall for non-GTA-ers) so I could pick up a few things before school "officially" starts.
But we'll just make this an exception. Just this once.
Since this will probably be the largest amount of money I'll spend on skincare and beauty products until...my next Vancouver trip, which I anticipate won't be until Christmas. *wink wink*
Like every Saturday, I dragged myself out of bed early in the morning to dress myself in preparation for physio in Markham. And since classwork is still pretty much nonexistent until next week, I asked my mom if we could go to P-Mall (Pacific Mall for non-GTA-ers) so I could pick up a few things before school "officially" starts.
And yes, THIS is what I ended up taking home with me at the end of today. But not without some samples that the salespeople threw in.
First Stop: MISSHA
I was surprisingly delighted to discover that they had opened a MISSHA store in P-Mall; I had looked up the best blotting sheets from Korean cosmetic brands the night before and MISSHA blotting papers had ranked pretty high on several beauty blogger's rankings..
I was surprisingly delighted to discover that they had opened a MISSHA store in P-Mall; I had looked up the best blotting sheets from Korean cosmetic brands the night before and MISSHA blotting papers had ranked pretty high on several beauty blogger's rankings..
< L to R: Pure Source Sheet Masks in Lemon, Raspberry, and Tea Tree >
< Clockwise: Oil Control Film, Sheer Fluid Blusher, Love Secret Hand Cream >
Purchased the above sheet masks (I think I'm slowly developing a sheet mask addiction after using Tony Moly's sheet masks...), blotting film set, liquid blusher, and hand cream for less than one tenth of the price it would have cost me to purchase the same quantity of products from Sephora.
Apparently they had only opened 3 weeks prior to today and were having a 15% off promotion (today only) if you registered for a membership card, which was of no charge. The girl at cash was super nice and even gave me and my mom a whole bunch of samples targeting our respective skin type needs, in addition to a mini lip palette for each of us.
Second Stop: Tony Moly
After reading that Tony Moly's concealers provided rather high coverage, I was quite intrigued and decided to invest in one. Their angled cheek brush was also decently priced so there was no harm in getting one of those either.
But my curiosity led me onto to other things. Aaannnndddddd I ended up dumping all these onto the counter:
Apparently they had only opened 3 weeks prior to today and were having a 15% off promotion (today only) if you registered for a membership card, which was of no charge. The girl at cash was super nice and even gave me and my mom a whole bunch of samples targeting our respective skin type needs, in addition to a mini lip palette for each of us.
Second Stop: Tony Moly
After reading that Tony Moly's concealers provided rather high coverage, I was quite intrigued and decided to invest in one. Their angled cheek brush was also decently priced so there was no harm in getting one of those either.
But my curiosity led me onto to other things. Aaannnndddddd I ended up dumping all these onto the counter:
< L to R: Essential Mask Sheet Packs in Pomegranate and Aloe, Lovely Peach Hand Mask, Slim V-Fit Face Line Patch >
< L to R: 17 Cheek Brush, Berry Lovely Girl Tip Concealer, Mini Cheek Brush >
What can I say? The sheet masks were absolutely delightful (and no, I'm not being sarcastic. Like, I ACTUALLY mean it.) to use last time I purchased them so why not give a couple of the other ones a try too? (The Lovely Peach Hand Mask worked WONDERS for my hands last time! =D) They also had a Face Line Shaper mask so I decided to give that a try too =3
And as for the tiny little cheek brush, well, it was only $1.35 so why not? I'll need a backup for my limited edition Anna Sui blush eventually~
Third Stop: The Face Shop
Had some coupons from HallyuCon so decided to go and claim my no-purchase-necessary sheet mask. I actually recognized one of the girls that were analyzing the blushes near the front of the store to be the girl that stood in front of me while waiting in line for EXO booth xD Though I didn't bother to say hi to her. Nor did she recognize me so we'll leave it at that.
And as for the tiny little cheek brush, well, it was only $1.35 so why not? I'll need a backup for my limited edition Anna Sui blush eventually~
Third Stop: The Face Shop
Had some coupons from HallyuCon so decided to go and claim my no-purchase-necessary sheet mask. I actually recognized one of the girls that were analyzing the blushes near the front of the store to be the girl that stood in front of me while waiting in line for EXO booth xD Though I didn't bother to say hi to her. Nor did she recognize me so we'll leave it at that.
< L to R: Mung Bean and Rice real nature masks, Oil Control Film >
I actually thought you could pick out any sheet mask you wanted from their sheet mask rack (Yep, a sheet mask rack. Only found in Asian beauty stores.) and receive that for free. But nope; apparently they get one from the back for you.
They had a choice of lemon, aloe, and rice, but since I already purchased both of those masks from different stores, I decided to go with the rice one.
The lady at cash actually looked a little less than pleased to have to dig out a mask for me (maybe since a lot of people had been going in. handing her these coupons, and bolting out without purchasing anything), but according to my mom, her expression changed when I said I'd still take the Mung Bean mask I picked out from before while presenting my points card.
(Side Note: Yes, I've heard that The Face Shop's Oil Blotting Papers aren't the best for ridding oily skin of shine, but I firmly believe that "papers" and "films" have different properties and will therefore perform differently.)
Fourth Stop: Holika Holika
I think Holika Holika was the first of the Korean beauty chain stores to open in P-Mall. I read that the brand was actually more expensive than the others and had more well-known spokespeople (compared to The Face Shop , etc.), though I didn't completely agree.
Tony Moly has JYJ; The Face Shop has Kim Hyun Joong, EXO, and now f(x)'s Victoria. I have no idea who the guy on the poster inside Holika Holika is though O _ o .
But one thing's true for sure: the prices are much much higher.
They had a choice of lemon, aloe, and rice, but since I already purchased both of those masks from different stores, I decided to go with the rice one.
The lady at cash actually looked a little less than pleased to have to dig out a mask for me (maybe since a lot of people had been going in. handing her these coupons, and bolting out without purchasing anything), but according to my mom, her expression changed when I said I'd still take the Mung Bean mask I picked out from before while presenting my points card.
(Side Note: Yes, I've heard that The Face Shop's Oil Blotting Papers aren't the best for ridding oily skin of shine, but I firmly believe that "papers" and "films" have different properties and will therefore perform differently.)
Fourth Stop: Holika Holika
I think Holika Holika was the first of the Korean beauty chain stores to open in P-Mall. I read that the brand was actually more expensive than the others and had more well-known spokespeople (compared to The Face Shop , etc.), though I didn't completely agree.
Tony Moly has JYJ; The Face Shop has Kim Hyun Joong, EXO, and now f(x)'s Victoria. I have no idea who the guy on the poster inside Holika Holika is though O _ o .
But one thing's true for sure: the prices are much much higher.
< Clockwise: So Cool Perfume DeoTissue, Hand Warmmer Hand Cream in "Rose", Lip Rescue Trio Scrub >
Just these mere three items cost a total of $25.99! That's essentially only a few dollars cheaper than the total cost of products purchased from the previous three stores! And this was only for THREE items. Wow.
The sales rep wasn't even that nice either, nor as knowledgeable about the products as she should have been. Upon paying, she didn't even bother to ask for a membership card like the other stores did. It wasn't until her superior and another staff member walked in that she took a step back and let them ring me in. Then again though, they were exactly all that friendly either. They didn't even provide me with samples after the transaction was finished - I had to ask them. And unlike the other stores, they only gave two small packets to me, and NOTHING for my mom.
Well, I know which store I'm NOT going back to in the future.
Other Stop: Sasa
Was running low on my normal skincare items and purchasing from Sephora would mean getting taxed so Sasa was a much better option for shopping. Not to mention the super polite sales ladies, the quiet atmosphere, and lack of a lineup.
The sales rep wasn't even that nice either, nor as knowledgeable about the products as she should have been. Upon paying, she didn't even bother to ask for a membership card like the other stores did. It wasn't until her superior and another staff member walked in that she took a step back and let them ring me in. Then again though, they were exactly all that friendly either. They didn't even provide me with samples after the transaction was finished - I had to ask them. And unlike the other stores, they only gave two small packets to me, and NOTHING for my mom.
Well, I know which store I'm NOT going back to in the future.
Other Stop: Sasa
Was running low on my normal skincare items and purchasing from Sephora would mean getting taxed so Sasa was a much better option for shopping. Not to mention the super polite sales ladies, the quiet atmosphere, and lack of a lineup.
< L to R: Shiseido Eye and Lip Makeup Remover, Dior Addict Gloss sample in 643, Shiseido Pureness Mattifying Oil-Free Moisturizer >
They were also selling the Clinique All About Eyes concealer for $20 instead of the standard $22 at Erin Mills/Square One!
Oh and I should mention that the Dior Addict Gloss sample was not from Sasa, but from the Christian Dior counter at Square One (which we went to after returning from Markham so my mom could buy some of her own skincare products).
I'll also use this time to inform you readers of the AMAZING(This time \being 110% sarcastic) service I received at the Square One Sears Clinique counter when I asked if someone could aid me in processing a refund: Unlike The Bay, the beauty counters at Sears were quite empty when I walked in. Two middle-aged ladies were having a light-hearted chat when I waltzed in, paused in front of the cashier, stared at the lipsticks briefly, and then glanced in their direction. I responded with a "Yes" when one of them asked me if I needed help with something.
Upon setting foot into the Clinique section, I announced to her that I needed help with a return. The lady reacted to this by puffing out an annoyed "Oh, some help you've given me!" over to her friend, who had become preoccupied describing products to a young mother. She then glanced back to me, and over to the cashier screen with a strong edge of annoyance in her eyes. "Honestly, is that any way to treat a customer?" I thought.
After a lot of typing and beeping from the machine, she asked for my cell phone number, to which I calmly asked the reason for it. As if I lit her tail on fire, her brows furrowed together; "Because you want to return this!" she spat.
Alright then, Miss Moody. So I told her. Reeaallllyyy slowly. She didn't respond.
Two seconds later...."WHAT? What did you say?"
Oh god. So I told her AGAIN and she started typing away, getting angry responses from the machine.
When the transaction had finally been processed, she told me to sign two return receipts. After I did so, I asked if she could return the original receipt to me. Again, her face all scrunched up like a used tissue, she spat out another rude reply, "NO. This was the only thing on the receipt!" and walked away, leaving me to just accept that she wasn't going to give my original receipt back and that she didn't want to see any more of a person who didn't purchase anything from her so she could get the commission she didn't deserve.
Well whatever. I probably won't buy from Sears Beauty again. Like, ever.
Hope you're happy, Miss Moody-Pants - you won't EVER have to see me again. And neither will I =]
Getting back on topic though...
Other Stops: Dong Dong + Serissa Cate
Did you know that Dong Dong now has Chocolate Chip egg waffles?! =D
Ok, so they're just mini M&Ms thrown into normal egg waffle batter - nothing like the flavour-infused egg waffles of Richmond, but at $3.25, they weren't bad at all!
Oh and I should mention that the Dior Addict Gloss sample was not from Sasa, but from the Christian Dior counter at Square One (which we went to after returning from Markham so my mom could buy some of her own skincare products).
I'll also use this time to inform you readers of the AMAZING(This time \being 110% sarcastic) service I received at the Square One Sears Clinique counter when I asked if someone could aid me in processing a refund: Unlike The Bay, the beauty counters at Sears were quite empty when I walked in. Two middle-aged ladies were having a light-hearted chat when I waltzed in, paused in front of the cashier, stared at the lipsticks briefly, and then glanced in their direction. I responded with a "Yes" when one of them asked me if I needed help with something.
Upon setting foot into the Clinique section, I announced to her that I needed help with a return. The lady reacted to this by puffing out an annoyed "Oh, some help you've given me!" over to her friend, who had become preoccupied describing products to a young mother. She then glanced back to me, and over to the cashier screen with a strong edge of annoyance in her eyes. "Honestly, is that any way to treat a customer?" I thought.
After a lot of typing and beeping from the machine, she asked for my cell phone number, to which I calmly asked the reason for it. As if I lit her tail on fire, her brows furrowed together; "Because you want to return this!" she spat.
Alright then, Miss Moody. So I told her. Reeaallllyyy slowly. She didn't respond.
Two seconds later...."WHAT? What did you say?"
Oh god. So I told her AGAIN and she started typing away, getting angry responses from the machine.
When the transaction had finally been processed, she told me to sign two return receipts. After I did so, I asked if she could return the original receipt to me. Again, her face all scrunched up like a used tissue, she spat out another rude reply, "NO. This was the only thing on the receipt!" and walked away, leaving me to just accept that she wasn't going to give my original receipt back and that she didn't want to see any more of a person who didn't purchase anything from her so she could get the commission she didn't deserve.
Well whatever. I probably won't buy from Sears Beauty again. Like, ever.
Hope you're happy, Miss Moody-Pants - you won't EVER have to see me again. And neither will I =]
Getting back on topic though...
Other Stops: Dong Dong + Serissa Cate
Did you know that Dong Dong now has Chocolate Chip egg waffles?! =D
Ok, so they're just mini M&Ms thrown into normal egg waffle batter - nothing like the flavour-infused egg waffles of Richmond, but at $3.25, they weren't bad at all!
Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside - THAT'S how egg waffles should be. (Though there are various standards for good egg waffles in Vancouver).
Bubble tea from Serissa Cate was also nowhere as expensive as it was normally. Originally wanted get two specialty drinks (think the name was Winter Melon Ice Tea or something..), but ended up going for the Buy 1 Get 1 Free "original flavour" bubble tea w/ small tapioca deal. The deal was actually better than a lot of places in Vancouver, though not as tasty - it was only $3.99 for BOTH drinks!! $2 per drink - most crazy, amazing deal ever~
Also walked by these funny upside-down mahjong earrings on the 2nd floor:
Bubble tea from Serissa Cate was also nowhere as expensive as it was normally. Originally wanted get two specialty drinks (think the name was Winter Melon Ice Tea or something..), but ended up going for the Buy 1 Get 1 Free "original flavour" bubble tea w/ small tapioca deal. The deal was actually better than a lot of places in Vancouver, though not as tasty - it was only $3.99 for BOTH drinks!! $2 per drink - most crazy, amazing deal ever~
Also walked by these funny upside-down mahjong earrings on the 2nd floor:
That reminds me - can't wait for the uni mahjong club to get back into running! LOLxD
~ END ~
P.S. Yes, reviews of these products WILL be done after I've used them for sufficient enough time and will be posted HERE. Check us out! =)
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