Sephora Haul & First Opinions

Oh Sephora, to us Brits you are a magical whimsical wonderland where beauty dreams do come true. To readers who are in the US and Europe who have one close to where you live, I envy you. (But my bank balance is probably secretly quite relieved...?) Anyway, my mum and dad recently naffed off on holiday to Florida for ten days (thanks for the invite guys...) and of course I jumped on the opportunity to say ‘Oh, well if you see a Sephora would you mind picking me up a few bits…?’ £95 of my money lighter they came back with the Black and White striped bag that we all know and love. 

Now I have a bit of a love affair with Sephora anyway as I created my entire Final Major Project at University creating extensive research into the brand and the beauty industry to determine and prove whether a Sephora would work in good ol’ England. (It would FYI.) But to us Brits being in Sephora is like being a kid in a sweet shop- row after row of sweet, shiny, beautiful products to really immerse yourself in the wondrous world of colour cosmetics as Sephora genuinely has every brand, product or item you could ever want. The key point here is that a lot of the brands that Sephora stock in their stores isn’t available here in the UK- while this adds brand value and exclusivity to Sephora, it really sucks for us in the UK. So, this haul is primarily a focus on products that I couldn’t get my hands on in the UK so I let you guys know what I’ve thought about the products now I’ve had chance to try them out. So, let’s get going.

Kat Von D Ink Liner in Satin Black

(Buy online here)

Weirdly Kat Von D isn’t as such a well-known figure here in the UK, but being a bit of a beauty trojan I’m well aware of her highly rated makeup line Kat Von D Cosmetics. Alongside her Liquid Lipstick I have always wanted to try her Tattoo Liner and it did not disappoint. First up, how snazzy is this packaging? Super sleek, easy to throw into your makeup bag because of the sturdy material and slim fit plus the lid has a really good snug fit (so many times I’ve had liner pens dry out because they didn’t close properly, so this really is important!) The packed synthetic hairs on the end of the brush make it a perfect tip for precise liner application. Compared to gel liners, not only is it really easy to use and fits comfortably in your hand but the product dries much more quickly and leaves a way sharper line. The liquid formula has great staying power- mine lasts easily twelve hours within minor smudging on the outer corner and I love that it has the bonus of it drying and setting quickly. This baby has become my new holy grail eyeliner and I’d recommend anyone to give it a go- it will change your lining life forever.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

(Buy it online here)

Back to Kat Von D and her amazing cosmetics line, another killer product I wanted to try was one of her liquid lipsticks. Liquid Lipsticks are kind of having a moment thanks to Miss Kylie Jenner and it isn’t a formula I’ve ever used before. I went for the colour Lolita from her range as it resembles that beautiful brown shade that we’re all still going mental for at the moment- plus I’ve got to say it’s a pretty awesome dupe to Kylie Jenner’s KOKO. Described as a ‘chestnut rose with matte finish’ the liquid lipstick itself has long lasting, opaque and pigmented qualities plus I love the gothic floral design on the packaging. Compared to regular lipsticks that don’t stay as well unless you blot it a few times, the liquid lipstick is really long wearing and doesn’t become powdery on the lips that can so often happen over the course of the day. When applied it doesn’t dry instantly which gives you time to adjust and change the application if needed- perfect if you’re like me and you so often apply it terribly at first. The texture itself despite being very matte feels really velvety and creamy on the lips too which makes it really buildable- double up on the colour or mix it with other shades no problem. Yes a problem with liquid lipsticks is that they can feel quite drying, but exfoliate them and pile on some lip balm beforeh you swipe Lolita on the top and I had no issues whatsoever. If you’re after long lasting, great colour and coverage then I couldn’t recommend Kat Von D’s liquid lipsticks enough. Give your MAC Whirls and Velvet Teddys a break and try Lolita instead. Love.

Make Up Forever Mist & Fix Setting Spray
(Buy it online here) 

So I’ve heard a mix of reviews about setting sprays- some making no difference whatsoever and others setting your makeup so well you have to get a shovel to get it off your face. I wanted to jump on the bandwagon so picked up the Mist & Fix Setting Spray from Make Up Forever and it’s become a new staple of mine. As someone who’s got oily skin I was a bit sceptic whether adding another layer of moisture on my face would break me out, but it hasn’t whatsoever. After applying all of my makeup I spritz on two or three pumps of the product on my face so I’m all covered, leave to dry for a few seconds and I’m good to go. (It’s almost an alarm clock when you add this into your morning routine as the cold splash of product instantly makes you feel more awake- surely a bonus, right?) Despite not originally thinking it would make my skin more dewy it does- it almost pulls the products I’ve used together without making it feel caked in product. Plus the obvious and most important benefit is that it really does make it last a lot longer. My foundation, as I’m sure everyone else’s, has the tendency to slip but just a spritz of this in the morning makes it last hours longer with minor fading. The product itself didn’t break the bank plus the amount of use I’ve got out of it since buying- I’ve basically used it every single day- I’d definitely recommend this to anyone especially those who want to try a high street setting spray without spending a fortune. Another beauty bag staple.  

Sephora Bright Future Colour Corrector in Pink

(Buy it online here)

When trawling through the Sephora site before mum and dad left I knew I wanted to try some colour correcting products- again this isn’t really something I’ve used before. The only slight product I’ve used was MAC’s Bright Forecast under my eyes to try and get rid of some of that blue tone but that was about it. Being a bit of a skeptic I didn’t go for some of the higher priced products in case I didn’t love them so thought I’d start of with Sephora’s own collection and go from there. Their Bright Future Color Correctors have a consistency similar to liquid concealers so I picked up one in Pink to apply under my eyes for brightness, and as much as I hate to say it I wasn’t overly impressed. The applicator itself doesn’t hold much product so I had to dig around the tube a bit to get the amount of product I needed. I used a beauty blender to blend it in into my skin but I felt the overall coverage wasn’t great- despite applying quite a lot on it didn’t fully get rid of that blue colouring I’d hoped and it left my skin feeling a bit cakey. If you are to try this product I’d say just use it on small problem zones on your skin and not bigger areas like the under eyes to get the best out of the product. Any small spots I can this this being helpful as it doesn’t break the bank and it would discolour the area you're trying to hide, but for the purpose I bought it for it didn’t quite do it for me. Sorry Sephora!
  

  

Cover FX Correct Click Colour Corrector

(Buy it online here)  

Alongside trying to get rid of those blue undertones I suffer from slight redness at the bottoms of my cheeks (almost like heat rash)- I’ve got no idea why but it’s something I’ve had for years. Anyway, usually foundation covers it all up pretty well but I do notice it coming up to the surface slightly if I don’t give it a good level of coverage so I thought I’d try a green/mint product to help cancel this out. Again I didn’t want to break the bank so went for a Cover FX Click Color Corrector- the reviews looked pretty good and the price was reasonable. Instead of a more liquid concealer like the Sephora product, this had more of a concealer stick finish that I think is why I preferred it a lot more- it seemed to blend and work better into my skin. After applying moisturisers I dab this onto my skin, blend it in with a beauty blender and apply foundation on top- needlessly to say I'm surprised this works as well as it does. A little of this baby goes a long way- when I first opened the tube I was a bit annoyed that there wasn’t more product but you don’t need to really pile this stuff on like the Sephora version as it has a lovely creamy finish that seems to spread and apply better. The product itself is really pigmented and team it with a light/medium coverage foundation covers the green colouring without making it look thick to leave my skin looking completely neutral and bright- no hulk/green tinted foundation here and see ya red marks! I don’t tend to use this everyday (merely as I can’t be bothered) but it’s my go to when I’m going out for the night or to meet with the girls, as I know my skin will look perfectly neutral and bright. This is the ideal starting product if you’re new to Colour Correcting as its super easy to use and does exactly what it says on the tin. They also have a range of other correctors including lavender, yellow, peach, orange and brick to help with whatever problem area you have, so I'd definitely give this a bash.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit and Brow Whiz in Medium Brown

(Buy it online here)

To be fair Anastasia Beverly Hills doesn’t need an introduction- but yet again you guys worldwide have the best deal as it’s not accessible here in the UK, so some of her products had to be on my Sephora list. I’ve always used the same products for my brows- it’s always been the MAC 266 Brush with the MAC eye shadow in Charcoal Brown. Rightly or wrongly using an eye shadow as a brow product could be debated, but why change something I know works? The beauty of using the products I do is that it gives a great overall coverage through the brows and the 266 brush makes it super precise, but I always struggle to make the insides of my brows look natural and not overly defined and ‘coloured in’. So, in comes Brow Whiz that is designed primarily for those little hairs that need filling to make the brows look fuller but also remain natural looking. The product comes with a helpful brow brush at the end to comb through the hairs and the product itself comes in a small stick form which helps to get those little hairs and details looking their best. Honestly, I think I prefer Benefit’s Gimme Brow as you can literally just brush through and you’re done but the Anastasia Beverly Hills definitely gives you more precision and control of where you want to add smaller little lines into the brows. If you want to real control of those small hairs and need a small precise product to apply easily, this is definitely a solid option to try out.

On to the Glow Kit- and I’m so gutted to say I’m just not the biggest fan of this product. (Heart breaking Emoji.) I think initially having my hopes so high has made me more disappointed that this product doesn’t really work for my skin and me. Within the kit are four colours: Sunburst, Dripping in Gold, Bubbly and Golden Bronze. One thing I can’t deny this product is its pigmentation: the colour itself goes on flawlessly and almost has a slight creamy texture that leaves the skin looking beautifully dewy with a strong glowing look. Firstly, it's worth mentioning that palette doesn’t have a mirror- although I knew when I bought it that it didn’t, when using the product the flap to shut the palette would be great if it had a big mirror to really help the whole application process. The main problem for me is the four colours themselves are so extreme that I can only really use one/two of the four on my face. The lightest is too light, and yup you guessed it, the darkest is just too gold for my skin to look natural.  The colours I tended to use the most were Dripping in Gold and Bubbly as I felt Sunburst was way too bright to highlight and Golden Bronze just made me look I went mental with a bronzer which was way too dark for my skin. I’m not doubting that these aren’t amazing highlighters but for the money and use I got out of them, I don’t think they’re a worthwhile investment- you’re much better off going into a store and finding that perfect highlighter that you know you’re going to get plenty of use out of. If you’re a makeup artist this could be a worthwhile investment as you know you’ll get a great highlighter for every skin tone but for me, this wasn’t the dreamy glow kit I was hoping for.

Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette 

(Buy it online here)

From the disappointing to the AMAZING... Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good makeup palette but Tartlette you’ve nailed this badboy. This is a reinvention of the Tartlette Amazonian Clay Palette that was released last year that moves away from the original pinks, creams and purple shadows to a warmer, brown and taupe set with a mix of metallic and matte shades. Not only is the packagaing beyond beautiful (just look at that dreamy lid and gold detailing) but includes a generous sized mirror (Anastasia Beverly Hills, take note), helpfully features the name of each shadow individually and yep, smells delicious. I alwways thought people were lying when they said Tarte shadows smell nice, but I was so wrong. It doesn't add anything to the product per se, but it is a nice little touch to add to the application experience. The layout of the shadows themselves are cleverly laid out- the four shades that feature horizontally on the same line work together to create an easy look if you’re not sure which colour to team with which. The palette also features a card on how to create the perfect smokey eye with the colours within the palette too- bonus! If you’re a sucker for a natural, gold, smokey eye then this dreamy palette is like a godsend. The mix of both matte and metallic means you can create a look that works perfectly together and all shades are silky, pigmented and blend so easily. I’ve been using 'Jetsetter' and 'Smarty Pants' literally everyday when I go to work just to put through the crease in my eye to add definition and you can bet I’ve been reaching for this palette every time I’ve gone out the past month to create something a bit more dramatic. Basically I’m an absolute sucker for this palette and demand all those natural smokey eye lovers to try it out- you won’t regret it. #GAMECHANGER

So that’s it from me today folks! Admittedly a few of these products are a bit of a bugger to get a hold of as some are Sephora exclusives etc, but you can buy these online as Sephora ship to the UK. Yes the postage is a bit steep but make it worth your while, save up a bit and get all the products you’ve been lusting over or some that I’ve mentioned and when that parcel of wonderful cosmetic goodness arrives, it will all be worth it. Afterall, it is now officially summer so you need the new make-up wardrobe to match, right?

Happy Sunday lovelies and I’ll see you next week for more posts (need to get my bum back on the blogging bandwagon!) It’s my birthday Tuesday so expect lots of bday related content and other things I’ve got up my sleeves. Enjoy this wonderfully sunny Sunday and have a G&T or pint in a beer garden on me!

Have you guys shopped in Sephora before? Have you had any beauty buys that have become staples recently? I'm always on the hunt for new products so I'd love some recommendations!

A x