Sephora Play! - The Iconic Edition

In mid-June, Sephora released a VIB Rouge exclusive Play! box. The description of the box promised a set of all luxury brand minis for the price of $20. In general, I like my Sephora boxes, so I decided to go for it - $20 for some high end goodies sounded like a good deal to me! Of course, the package arrived while I was on vacation, so I had to wait to rip into it. However, I'm super pleased with my purchase!

March 2016 Favorites!

I'm late on posting this, because I'm the actual worst. I'm really excited to share what I loved during the month of March, though!

Collective Sephora Haul

So instead of making a post for each Sephora purchase (because let's face it...there have been a few!) I decided to make a collective haul post for the past month or so. Holiday sets have come out, the Friends & Family sale went on...so let's take a look!

There are a few items not pictured here. I bought a few gifts, and some are set aside and a secret, while others are enroute to their recipients. I also got a package of Shiseido cottons (that I immediately tore into...) and a bottle of Cinema Secrets brush cleanser. I had picked up a bottle of the Sephora cleanser that is similar, but it just didn't measure up. Glad that I was able to get the Cinema Secrets again.

• Bite Beauty Best Bite Remix - Every year, Bite Beauty puts out a holiday set in a little tin. The past two years they've done sets of their High Pigment Lip Pencils (which I love!) so I was happy to see that thy switched it up for the Matte Crayons this year. There are four shades, three new and one from their general collection. I gave the Aubergine from this set to a friend, as I already had a mini. I was also happy that they didn't reincarnate Pomegranate for this set into a matte, because honestly everyone is sick and tired of Pomegranate, we all have five of them we can't unload, just stop it, Bite.
• Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Mattifying Primer - I've been in the market for a new primer, and the new-ish MUFE ones come in small sizes, so I picked up the mattifying one. I have a super mini of the smoothing primer which is nice, so I figured why not? This primer is a little difficult to spread, like the Becca Ever Matte primer. It does keep me pretty matte when paired with a non-dewy foundation. I'll be doing a full review of this in the future.
• Boscia Tsubaki Oil and Green Tea Hydrogel Masks - If you've been following me blog for any amount of time, you've probably seen a post with some Asian skincare in it. This is just me getting more masks for my hoard. I like Boscia products, but they're a little pricey (especially considering how much cheaper ordering from Korea is...) so I got these two masks to try with the coupon I had.
• Verb Volume Spray - My tried and true Alterna Bamboo spray was running out, so I decided to try something new. I haven't yet given it a test drive, but I've heard good things and I'm excited!
• Guerlain Holiday Meteorites - I have a tin of REGULAR Guerlain Meteorites that I reach for often. So since I have those, I wouldn't need these, right? Wrong. The holiday set that was released this year has mini stars in it. Also, the packaging is like a wonderful snow globe. They're quite sparkly, but I'm about that life, so I like these.
• Sephora Collection Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer - I won't lie, that is a ridiculous mouthful of a name. A friend asked me to send her one of these, so I was like of course, and I will do a little one for you, one for me while I am at it. I originally picked up shade 02 which was not good for me, at all. So I have shade 03 here to try next! I don't think it'll give my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer anything to worry about, though. This concealer is a little thin from what I've tried. I can't really judge it though, since I wasn't working with the right shade at all. I'll definitely be reviewing this once I use it more!
• Kat von D Lolita Lip Duo - This product has been teased for months, and it finally was released last week. I immediately ordered it the moment I woke up. My full size Lolita went missing months ago, and I never replaced it. (I have a mini Studded Kiss Lolita...but that is completely different.) I can't wait to try both of these, I don't remember which iteration of Lolita I originally owned. Supposedly there's going to be another release,OG Lolita, in the future. I love Kat von D's liquid lipsticks, so just sign me up.
• Bite Beauty Kir Royale 250 Point Perk - Bite Beauty did a series of 250 point perks from August-October. I wasn't interested in the first two shades, but I jumped on Kir Royale. The set includes a mini lipstick, mini gloss, and small mirror. I feel like it is perfect for the 250 point mark, as you get two makeup items and a small additional item to make up those extra 50 points. I love Bite products, so I'm happy I snagged this and I can't wait to try it!

Not too bad, all things considered. Especially as this was all spread out over the course of a couple of months! What is bad, however, is that I already have a cart going for the upcoming VIB Rouge sale! Did you pick up any holiday or limited edition items recently? 

Mini Sephora Haul

So I was fortunate enough to have a $50 Sephora gift card come into my life recently, which means I was able to place a small order. I've been wanting to pick up a few more Make Up For Ever Artist Eyeshadows. Sephora has a great deal where when you buy three plus a little magnetic palette, you get $20 off - essentially getting one of the $21 eyeshadows for free. The little palettes are sleek and handy, and only cost $1 each, so you aren't breaking the bank by adding one to your cart. I also got some other goodies via samples, promo codes, point perks, and yeah I bought something else!

• Make Up For Ever Artist Eyeshadows - I picked up three of these in shades D708 (Pinky Diamond), M816 (Rosewood), and M650 (Cookie), along with the three pan magnetic palette. Pinky Diamond is my first pan of the Diamond finish that MUFE orders, and I'm excited to try it!
• Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Nude - The regular Fresh lip balm is my HG balm. Nude is their newest shade, and I really liked it after swatching it in the store, so I decided to pick it up. Even if I end up not liking the shade to wear out, I'll use the balm. I figure it'll be good for days when I run errands or don't wear much makeup out.
• Fresh Rose Face Mask - This was a 100 Point Perk. I love Fresh products, but I feel they're a bit overpriced. Whenever I see point perks or free samples or promo codes for Fresh items, I jump at the chance to snag them. I liked the Black Tea face mask when I had a deluxe mini of it, so I wanted to try this one, too!
• Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover - Yup, another Fresh item! This one was from a promo code, and I'm looking forward to trying it without dropping $$$ on the product itself.
• Guerlain Maxi Lash So Volume - This was a sample that I selected at checkout. Nothing better than mini samples of high end mascaras! These minis are usually good for a couple of weeks of uses, so definitely worth picking up. I have about five hundred mascaras tucked away right now, so this will probably get taken on a trip with me or something.

January 2015 Favorites

We're a few days into February, so it's time to talk about my favorite products from last month! I'm including some old favorites, as well as some new products I received over the holidays that I fell in love with!

1. Guerlain Meteorites Pearls in 02 Clair - I got a "deluxe mini" of these from Sephora earlier in the year (it was one of each pearl. Thanks, Sephora...) and really liked them, so I added the full size to my Christmas wishlist - and Santa delivered! I love how luxe the packaging is, it looks so pretty sitting on my vanity. I use these as a finishing powder, and brush on lightly with a fan brush for a light glow. The powder also blurs any small imperfections that may not have been addressed by the thousand other products on my face! The price tag may be a little much, but I have used this daily since I got it, and haven't seen any signs of product usage.

2. Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sugar Frost - I'm on the fence about LM products after I read her rude remarks about Americans and makeup. (I could definitely rant, but now is not the time!) However, I have a couple of the Caviar Sticks and really like them, especially Sugar Frost. It's literally the easiest inner corner eye highlight I have ever used. Smudge it on and go! This blends out nicely, so you can either concentrate it for a more definied highlight, or sheer it out for a nice inner corner glow. 

3. Koko Lashes #103 - I received these as a gift for Christmas, and I LOVE them! They are reminiscent of my favorite Au Naturale lashes, but they apparently much cheaper. I did a full review of these lashes here, so I won't gush on about these for too long. They will apparently be sold at IMATS NY, so I am excited to get a few more pairs!

4. Lit Cosmetics glitter in Barbie Shops - I mentioned in another post that I'm on a total glitter kick lately. Barbie Shops is the perfect glitter to dab into the inner corner for a bit of extra sparkle, especially if where you are going isn't super glitter friendly. I also love to layer this on top of more neutral looks, as it adds a wonderful kick of shimmer to amp up a boring nude eye.

5. Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb - I honestly don't know how I've gone so long without adding this to a favorites list. This was my first Bite product, and it is still my favorite. This is a great My Lips But Better shade for me, and the formula is to die for. I am to finish the mini size I have of this pencil this year, and I will definitely be repurchasing it in a full size. This would probably be on a desert island product list if I were to ever make such a thing.