VIB Rouge Sale Haul

We’ve all had the most wonderful time of the year – Sephora VIB/VIB Rouge Sale! It’s been a while, but I’ve picked some wonderful products up and had a chance to try them. I’m ready to share the love!

Products

And the other samples and goodies!

It was clearly a hair care type of haul. So, if you’re a 3A/3B Curly Girl, some of these may work for you too!

DevaCurl Flexible Hold Hairspray: I saw this on this Instagram account, and had to buy it. I’ve been following her routine because her hair is amazing, and I’ve been really pleased so far! The smell is kind of gross, but it isn’t terribly noticeable throughout the day. I do think that it preserves my curls after washing. I made it to 3rd day hair without having to wear my hair up, so I think it’s a winner!

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo: I had a sample of this before, and it is amazing. My hair is high maintenance, and I hate having to mess with it too much, so I love anything that helps me not have to wash it (but yes, I do shower!) This is the key. I feel like it really does clean my hair! I spray it from about 6 inches away, wait 30 seconds and shake it through my hair. Then, I’m good to go! It doesn’t weigh my hair down or leave it feeling greasy, and it smells amazing, too.

DevaCurl No-Poo Decadence: I’ve put this in my routine as my shampoo substitute, and I’ve loved the results! I feel like my curls are more defined and voluminous. It maintains the texture that I love but still feels clean.

NARS Lip Gloss in Chelsea Girls: I’ve heard about this gloss in pot form for the longest time, and was so excited to try it! The formula and color are both really pretty, but the staying power isn’t as long as a MAC lip glass or Buxom lip polish. Still, it’s an amazing everyday pretty lip gloss.

DevaCurl Super Creme: This. Stuff. Is. Magic. Seriously. It’s made me fall back in love with curly hair, even though mine is a little bit damaged and gross looking at the moment. It defines curls, cuts down on frizz and leaves my hair really hydrated. It has coconut oil in it, which I think is the secret. It leaves my hair gorgeous, and it will be in the rotation for a long time!

This order put me over the edge and renewed my VIB status through next year – and I got a Marc Jacobs lipstick!

I’m obsessed with the Black Opium Perfume, but I also got a Volupte Tint-In-Oil, Touche Eclat Blur Primer and Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

And swatches: YSL Volupte Tint-in-Oil in Cherry My Cherie, NARS gloss, Marc Jacobs Lipstick

What did you pick up? What are you loving recently from Sephors

Sephora Play! November 2015

I’ve been really excited about a new beauty discovery that I’d love to share – the Sephora Play! box! They sent me an early invitation a few weeks ago, and I’ve really enjoyed it. In fact, I’ve canceled my Birchbox for the time being, and I’ve been skipping a lot of my recent Julep boxes as well. (Partly because I’ve had product overload, but I love trying new things, and this has really stepped in!)

If you’re not familiar with Play!, the box has several deluxe samples that are offered at Sephora. Because I do so much shopping there, it’s great to be able to try out products before I buy.

This month’s focus was Sephora Exclusives.

The box also includes this great booklet that gives background information on the products and how to use them. It also has a card that you can bring into your local Sephora for more information on the products and an extra 50 BI points.

Here’s what came in this month:

Stella by Stella McCartney perfume: This is a nice enough perfume, but I have tons of perfume samples I’m still trying to work through. It will be a long time until I buy a full size!

Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12-Hour Waterproof Eye Pencil in My Boyfriend’s Jeans: This pencil isn’t overly creamy, but it has crazy staying power! It barely came off in the shower on my swatch hand. I also love the electric color. I love adding a pop of color on my waterline, so this will be a really fun addition to my collection.

Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb: If you’ve stuck with me, you probably know I’m obsessed with Bite products. They feel great on the lips, are so creamy and beautiful and have the best colors. This is one of my favorite Bite formulas, too. I got this shade in their holiday set last year (I actually wore it this weekend!), so I’ll probably be passing it along, but it’s a great product!

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in Dolly: I had a sample of this the Full-On Lip Cream that I love, but this may be better. The color is the same, a perfect wearable pink, but the formula doesn’t have the minty tingle the other did. I think this formula is much more comfortable with the same longwearing quality.

Josie Maran Argan Oil: I got this in a Birchbox ages ago, and love it. I love it on my hair, especially now that it’s getting so dry outside. It’s magic for split ends or dry hair!

Makeup Forever Step 1 Skin Equalizer: I’m a sucker for a primer, and I’m so excited to try this one! I really enjoy the mattifying/pore-filling formula, and this one should be another good choice. From my experience, these primers are really comfortable and actually lengthen the life of your makeup!

And the swatches:

Have you tried a Play! box yet? You can find more information on the program and the awesome products in this month’s box here.

Birthday Haul

So…long time no blog, right? I’m currently in the middle of studying for the GMAT, so all of my time has been taken up by studying, and blogging has gone to the wayside. I have about 3 weeks left, so blogs should return more regularly by then! In the meantime, I did have a birthday and hauled some great stuff, so I wanted to make sure to get on here and share!

Birthday goodies from MAC and Sephora!

I got some good stuff from MAC and Sephora this time.

Clockwise from top:
MAC Lipstick in Plumful
MAC Lipstick in Ravishing
MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien
MAC Lipglass in Angel
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft n Gentle
NARS Pencil in Via Veneto
CoverFX Custom Cover Drops in N10

MAC swatches top to bottom: Plumful, Ravishing, Painterly, Angel, Soft n Gentle

Swatches on these beauties! I haven’t worn these lipsticks yet, but I love MAC’s formula. It’s pigmented and long wearing without being too drying or heavy. And these colors will be fun! I’m a longtime lover of the Painterly Paint Pot, so I had to get it again. Nothing against my Bare Minerals creme shadow, but nothing beats Painterly for me. The lipglass is a gorgeous milky pink. The formula is pretty sticky, but that doesn’t bother me because it is so long-wearing and pretty! I wore this over Rimmel’s East End Snob lip liner and it was a perfectly pretty combination. And then Soft n Gentle, an amazing highlight. I’ve tried to not go overboard with highlighters, but this one was definitely worth the purchase. It’s a gorgeous champagne gold shimmer, and I use a pretty heavy hand with it – I just love the glow! But I’ve been most impressed with how long it wears. It’s a splurge, but it’s worth it.

NARS from top: Rikugien, Cruella, Via Veneto

This is the VIB Rouge Birthday gift, so…no I didn’t purchase it, but it’s still new stuff to play with 🙂 I have been obsessed with NARS’ lip pencils for years, so I was pretty excited about this gift. Rikugien is a great everyday color. It’s very comfortable, and it’s a great “my lips but better” color on me. I wore it to work this week and only had to touch up after eating. I love the look and pigmentation of Cruella (fun fact, I had an obsession with the Disney character as a child), and I’m eagerly awaiting my chance to wear a bold lip this week! The eyeliner is the blackest black. Super pigmented, precise and everything you want from a pencil eyeliner. I’m really impressed and ready to work it into the rotation.

I don’t have a swatch, but I’ve also been playing with the Custom Cover Drops. If you’ve been anywhere near YouTube recently, these have a cult following, probably because they’re just so unique and weird. But they are perfect for summer. I’ve mixed with a tinted moisturizer for a lighter coverage day, and I’ve been wearing it recently with my Jouer Matte Moisture Tint, which is a great combination for me. I am oily, but when I wear these two together without a primer, it’s a good everyday combination. It is important to actually go in the store to find your color match, though, because the online swatches are not helpful. Even in the store there are a ton of options that can be overwhelming, but that means that you can get pretty close to finding your perfect match!

I’ve been playing with a ton of new stuff this month, which I love. What will show up in monthly favorites? You’ll have to stay tuned! 🙂

May Empties

Soap and Glory Clean on Me – I’ve had this shower gel forever. I love the Original Pink scent, and it froths really well. I also think it’s really moisturizing. I have several other shower gels and scents to go through, but I would definitely repurchase. I’ve heard that this brand will be more available and affordable soon, so I am excited to repurchase this more and get more in this scent!

Clean & Clear Acne Stress Control Lotion – I love this toner because it’s cheap and effective! I’ve recently found that Lush’s Tea Tree Water is more effective for my oily skin, but this is a great drugstore product for acne-prone skin.

Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Super Serum – This was a really thick serum/lotion sample. It’s not great for my skin because it’s so thick, but for someone with dull and dry skin, it would be a great choice.

MAC Fix+ – I’ve talked about this for a while, but I love this! I love how it preps my brushes for makeup and sets my makeup and makes it look natural.

Peter Thomas Roth Invigorating Night Gel – This is hidden, but this was an interesting serum/night gel. The smell was not great, but I did some brightening effects. It did sting a little, too, which I didn’t love. I won’t repurchase.

Ole Henriksen Vitamin C Brightening Serum – I love the citrus smell of the Ole Henriksen Vitamin C products, but they all make my skin so greasy! It was just a sample, so there wasn’t a lot to try, but I don’t think it did much.

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner – I haven’t found too many Ouidad products that work well for my curls, and this wasn’t an exception. It was an ok leave-in conditioner/de-frizz product, but products from Briogeo and Living Proof are waaay more effective.

Out the Door top coat – My Holy Grail topcoat! Already repurchased.

Bare Minerals Citrine Radiance – I’ve finished a full-size highlighter! It was limited edition, but it’s also super glittery and yellow-toned, which wasn’t my favorite. I’m glad I bought it, but I’ll stick to more champagne and pink-toned highlighters.

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel – I’ve talked about this in a favorites post, but this works so well for my skin. I’ve already purchased the full size, and I love how it works for my skin.

Julep Go Big Mascara – I really liked this mascara for voluminous, natural-looking lashes. I went through a phase where I loved it, but I don’t think I’ll repurchase. There are other high-end mascaras I’d love to try out and drugstore favorites that do the same thing.

Cindy Loumanizer – Unfortunately, this product isn’t empty, but it’s crumbled so many times, even after doing the alcohol setting trick that it’s not worth saving again. I mentioned liking pink-toned highlighters, but this one was almost too pink! I could never figure out what to do with it, so I’m saying bye to Cindy.

Algenist Eye Cream – As a rule, I just look to samples for my eye creams, but this one was nice. I didn’t notice a difference from my other night eye creams, but it’s more effective than not using an eye cream at all!

So that’s what I’ve used up! Anything you’re trying to work through?

L’Oreal Infallible Foundation Review

So, I’m clearly on a foundation kick, and when I heard about this new drugstore foundation, I had to try it.

The claims of this foundation are that it will keep you matte for 24 hours. The color match on me is really nice. I got the lightest shade (101), and it’s great. It comes in a squeeze tube that reminds me a lot of the Jouer Moisture Tints.

The finish: The finish is definitely matte, but it doesn’t look fake. It actually stays matte on me pretty much all day, which is a huge feat on my skin.

The application: I think this applies best with a flat-top kabuki brush, but is also nice with the fingers. The finish is really natural either way.

The wear time: The wear time is not quite 24 hours, but it is really longwearing! I would give it a solid 14-15 hours, but as I said earlier, it’s a huge feat on my skin because I’m so oily. It lasts for a normal day just fine. For a drugstore foundation, I’m impressed.

The verdict: Overall, this may be my new favorite drugstore foundation. For the price point, the finish, color match and wear time are impeccable. I love this for work days because it doesn’t break down on me before the end of the day, and I love how it stays matte on me. For oily skin girls on a budget, this is a huge win!

More Empties

 

Another round of empties! As I’ve said before, I’ve really been concentrating on using what I already have in my collection, and it’s been pretty successful thus far! Here are my thoughts on what I’ve recently used up.

Briogeo Curl Charisma – Like I said in my Haircare Haul, this is a seriously great conditioner for curls. It’s all natural, keeps curls defined and cuts down on frizz. Great choice.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly – I’ve used this for years, and it is an amazing base for eyeshadow. I love how it covers up any veining or hyperpigmentation on my eyelid, and it does a good job keeping shadow in place. It doesn’t make shadow last as long as some eye primers, but I really love this as an eye base.

Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose Kiss – I’ve mentioned this in a favorites post, and I stand by the fact that this is the best lip butter ever. Seriously. This is my favorite flavor of the Nivea Lip Butter, so as soon as I run out of the 2 I have now, this will be it. But as it took me a year and a half to get rid of this, it may be a while!

Bare Minerals Blush in Pink Tourmaline – This is the prettiest color! It unfortunately was limited edition (from like 2010…), but using it has also given me a new appreciation for BareMinerals blushes, so I’m a fan!

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil – I love this powder. It really finishes the foundation look, keeps oil at bay and works well with several different foundations. More details in a favorites post here, but I really love this as a finishing powder.

Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara – I have weird feelings about Mary Kay as a brand and as a company, but this is a really great mascara. It catches and defines lashes, and even though there is some flaking throughout the day, it’s a really pretty lash product.

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara – My favorite Benefit mascara and a permanent stay in my makeup collection! This was a really old one, but it will certainly be repurchased.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you used up lately?

Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette Review

One of the best times of the year is upon us – Sephora sale time! If you’re a VIB Rouge, today is the first day to get your favorites on sale (don’t worry, I’ve already placed my order), but if you will place one later in the sale, I thought I’d share one of my recent, limited edition favorites to consider adding to your cart…The Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette.

This was part of their 2013 holiday collection, and they’ve re-released it for a limited time. I’ve heard people talk about it for a while, and I’ve recently been on a Laura Mercier kick, so this was a perfect fit. It comes in this beautiful dark purple packaging with a metal closure and a large mirror. It feels durable enough for travel.

The palette has beautiful matte and shimmery shadows perfect for neutral spring looks. I don’t have a ton of purples, and these are so beautiful. There’s a wide variety of looks you can make up with this palette. The shadows are buttery, pigmented and they blend like a dream.

Swatches!

The light colors do not show up super well on my hand, but they do on the eye. They’re great for a browbone highlight as well. The darker colors are amazing in the outer corner or for smudging into the lash line. Shimmers, especially African Violet and Guava look amazing on the lid and Fresco is the definition of a perfect crease color.

I don’t know how long this palette will be back around, as it is still listed as “Limited Edition,” but if you can fit it into your cart in the next few weeks, I highly recommend it!

Face-Off: Powders – Part 1

Another edition of Face-Off – this time for Pressed Powders. I’ve tried several, so there will probably be a second edition of this Face-Off.

L to R: Revlon Nearly Naked, Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Powder, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

The Contenders:
Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder
Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Powder
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural 

From the inside (please excuse the eyelash glue…)

Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder: This drugstore powder is (obviously) the cheapest of the 3. I also feel like this is nice for the drugstore, but it doesn’t keep oil at bay for as long as I would like. My skin is incredibly oily, so for people with more normal skin, this could be a nice choice. The look with this powder is finished but natural, and a good contender for drugstore budgets.

Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Powder – This is obviously more expensive than the drugstore powder, but not unaffordable. I love how this keeps oil at bay and finishes a liquid foundation. It also has great coverage and a wide range of shades – shockingly specific, especially compared to the other 2 in this Face-Off. I’ve clearly run out of this, but it is amazing.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural – The coverage of this is great, but the color match is a little off. It does keep my skin looking finished, but with the wrong foundation, it can look a little too orange or patchy. The coverage is insane for a “powder.” I like to wear this with a concealer as a full face, and it’s a nice “no fuss” product for lazy days.

The Winner
This Face-Off Winner…by a close margin…is the Sephora Microsmooth Baked Powder!

Part 2 is coming soon, will Sephora still be the winner?

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Review

I’ve recently been obsessed with foundations and trying new ones. Even though I need to use up the open foundations in my drawer, the new releases from the drugstore have called to me, so I had to try them! First up, Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless.

I got this foundation in shade Natural Ivory 112. I was so excited about the Matte and Poreless claims, especially because those are the 2 things I look for most in a foundation. The biggest disappointment…

 

 

NO PUMP! Why people still make liquid foundations without a pump…I’ll never know. So that’s a strike against it. Here’s are the details…

The finish: Certainly matte, especially on first application. It cuts down on pore visibility a little, but nothing magical. It is a semi-matte finish on my skin and looks really pretty.

The application: I think this applies best with a Beauty Blender. It is a pretty runny foundation, and when I use the Beauty Blender, it sheers out really nice. When I’ve used foundation brushes, I don’t like the finish. I kept getting brush strokes and a weird patchy look.

The wear time: This is the biggest downfall of the foundation. It wears nicely for about 5 hours. After that, it started breaking up on my chin and around my nose. I also start getting oily after about 5 hours.

The verdict: This is a nice foundation, but when it starts breaking down that soon even with a primer and powder, it’s not something that gets replaced in my foundation drawer. Nice for people who are less oily than me or for short wear time, but I think there are better drugstore options.

Haircare Haul!

I mentioned in a previous post that I was playing around with new hair products, so here are some things I picked up in a recent haul for my new hair routine!

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Mask: I’ve used this for a while, but I was dumb and accidentally set it precariously in my shower…where the whole thing dumped out. So I needed to re-stock. This is an amazing, thick mask for hair made out of all natural ingredients. It eliminates frizz and makes my hair feel so healthy afterwards. This stuff is amazing.

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Co-Wash: As a devotee of the Curly Girl Method, I usually use conditioner for co-washing purposes, so I’ve been excited to try this. The texture is a cross between a shampoo and conditioner and makes my hair feel really clean and healthy. Like everything in the Briogeo line, it’s all natural, too.

Briogeo Curl Charisma Conditioner: I’ve mentioned this in a previous favorites post, but this is the best. It does run out a little quick and is super thick, but it’s my new go-to conditioner and has a permanent spot in my shower.

Devacurl Ultra Defining Gel: I’ve also talked about this a lot, but it’s a great defining product, eliminates frizz and truly defines curls. A quarter sized amount in my hair does not make it crunchy, and the curl definition lasts on second and third day hair, which is a huge plus!

So, basically here are all my go-to products for hair recently. What are your go-tos?