Sephora Haul

I'm coming at you now with Part 2 of my Paris haul, this time it's the Sephora Edition. I was only in Paris for 4 days, yet I can't even count the number of times I walked up and down the aisles of Sephora (note to any of you Paris goers: while the Champs-Élysées branch is massive, the one on Rue de Rivoli is still quite large, yet much less busy and easier to shop in!). I had planned what I wanted to buy before I went, making it less likely for me to go crazy and buy everything in sight (although just one thing was a little impulse purchase). 

 Starting with the most exciting purchase, I caved and bought a NARS palette, the At First Sight palette. Even though I already have a mini of the Laguna, that didn't stop me from buying this, complete with a Deep Throat blusher, Laguna bronzer and four eyeshadows which, surprisingly, work well together. I can't want to experiment with this little bad boy!

 Make Up For Ever is a brand whose makeup I've never tried before, yet this Full Cover concealer has been on my list for months! So when the cashier handed me a 20% off voucher when she found out I was a foreign customer, I knew that this was next to be purchased. This is definitely a high coverage product, concealing those pesky little spots and scars that have been driving me crazy. It's a well-loved addition to my life!

I've never tried the BeautyBlender makeup sponge before, but this Sephora 3D Precision Sponge was an impulse purchase while waiting to pay. I've tried it a couple of times and I'm quite impressed, but the fact that it is white makes my inner obsessive writhe every time I use it to blend foundation- I can see that it will be tough to clean.

 

I have a rollerball of this perfume, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb and it smells beautiful, literally it could be one of my favourite perfumes ever. And that means a lot coming from me, the owner of 30+ perfumes. It smells amazing and the bottle is something I'm proud to put on my shelf- you'll definitely be hearing more about this!

I'm not sure if this counts as a purchase, but as a new member of the Sephora rewards card, I was able to choose a free nail polish from their own line. I chose this salmon-pink colour in 'Have U Ever' and as I type, I am sporting it on my nails. It may not be the most winter-appropriate colour but I am determined to test out its 5 Day Shine claims. 

I know this wasn't the largest haul ever but I'm very satisfied with my purchases, makeup from Sephora and skincare from City Pharma, I am a very happy girl!  

On another note, I have quite a few exams coming up so I'm sorry if I'm a bit AWOL over the next couple of weeks, studies call!

NARS Orgasm/Laguna Duo

L-R Orgasm blusher, Laguna bronzer

 My first delve into NARS' cheek products has to be an exciting one, with the holy grail Laguna bronzer and the Orgasm blusher. This is just a mini duo that came with the Sephora Superstars set, but it's more than enough for me!

With the classic NARS packaging this is a sleek little compact which is easy to take on the go- literally small enough to throw in your handbag. 

Orgasm is described as a "peachy pink with shimmer" and is a truly beautiful colour. It adds a lovely pink glow to the cheeks, without looking like you've just been on a run. Similarly, Laguna, though it has some shimmer in it, works really well to add warmth to the face but not too overpowering. Laguna is raved about by many a-blogger and YouTuber, and I certainly was not disappointed. I was a little apprehensive because of the shimmer in it but it doesn't really show up, or if it does, I haven't noticed it! 

The first thing I noticed upon swatching these was just how soft they are. They're so easy to blend and apply, which is an especially good trait for Laguna to have, because an unblended bronzer can just look quite dirty on the skin.
They also last for so long, literally all day. I don't know what they do or how they do it but NARS have definitely got this down!

The only real downsides are how dirty the packaging gets, but it's something I can learn to live by. I mean, really, does anyone mind that much if there are a few finger marks on your makeup? It's small price to pay for the good quality of the product!
As this is a mini I can sometimes find it hard to get a brush into the actual pan without going into the pan next to it. It requires some manoeuvring which is a little annoying but, again, nothing I can't deal with.

Sephora Favourites Super Stars 2013

 Every year around Christmas Sephora come out with a range of value gift sets, and they always have their 'Super Stars' set containing best sellers from the year. This year's set retails for $75 but is valued at around $280! It contains 12 items, some full sized and others very generously sized. They have products from the likes of Smashbox, NARS, Urban Decay, Origins and more, but unfortunately, it's now sold out online, but you might be able to find it in-store.

 First is the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in the shade 'Light'. I'm lucky that this shade works with my winter skin, but to be honest this was a bad idea. So many people have darker skin, they could have at least put Light/Medium or Medium, or perhaps even had a choice of 3 Superstars sets with Light, Medium and Dark. Anyway, getting onto the actual product, this claims to:

• PRIME: Wear alone, or under your favorite foundation to create a smooth canvas
• PERFECT: Tinted formula in 5 shades evens out skin for a flawless finish
• HYDRATE: Improves skin moisture in 4 weeks.
• PROTECT: SPF 35 guards against UVA/UVB rays
• CONTROL OIL: Minimizes shine with no chalky finish.

Quite ambitious claims but I'll see how true they are! This is a full-sized product, normally retailing at £27. When you think about it, this kit was $75, which is about £45, so it's really great value for money.

 Next is the mini NARS Duo 'Orgasm/Laguna'. This is an amazing product, small enough to fit in my handbag. The pigmentation is really great, and the colours are beautiful- review to come soon!

 There was a duo of the Urban Decay eyeshadows in 'Sin' and 'Mushroom'. The little container is full sized but each shadow is half, but that's more than enough for me! It's a great little duo, compact and the colours work really lovely together- it's a whole eye look in a small container.

Then there is the full sized Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black'. This is such a good eyeliner, making it easy to just slightly define the upper lash line or to go full out cat-eye. The longevity is great and, after just shaking it, it's ready to go!

 I've never really been a lipstick kind of gal, being too scared to pick the brighter shades but the nude shades would just wash me out, so I was really glad that this was a pre-picked shade, 'Dolce Vita' NARS lipstick. It's full-sized and is so creamy, the formulation is really nice.

 I don't really do anything with my brows, I leave that to the lady at the salon who waxes them! I have quite thick brows, not really needing to be filled in, but they are pretty wild. This is a deluxe size of the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel, and it's such a nifty little product that I comb through by brows to keep in check- no crispiness, no messiness, simple!

 This is a really interesting product, the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes mascara. It's a two-part product, which literally makes you look like you're wearing false lashes. It works by putting that white stuff, nylon fibres, onto your lashes, then the black mascara over it, really lengthening them. 

 I've never tried this Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume so I, being an avid perfume collector, was excited to try this out. It comes in a handy little roller-ball form and smells incredible- I literally roll this all over my body just so everything smells like it!

 I've wanted to try the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray for a while but couldn't really justify spending so much on it, so I was really pleased to find a mini size of it in the box for me to try. 

 I've wanted to try this Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil for I don't know how long! It's only a mini size, but I use it for everything, nourishing the ends of my hair and even as a serum before my moisturiser.

 I'm a fan of Origins products and really wanted to try their Ginzing range, so to find a full-size of this Ginzing eye cream was great. It's really brightening and moisturising, making it perfect for my dark under-eye circles.

 I always hear about Deborah Lippman nail polishes but have never really had any inclination to try them out, due to their steep prices, but this nail polish in the shade 'Cleopatra in New York' is really beautiful both alone and on top of other colours. In the picture above, you can see I used it as an accent nail over the Barry M Matte Nail Paint in 'Mocha'.

Top-Bottom: Smashbox Photo Ready BB Cream 'Light', Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eye Liner 'Black', Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Sin' and 'Mushroom', NARS lipstick 'Dolce Vita'

This post was a long one so well done to those of you who got through to the end! These were just mini reviews of the products but I will be doing full reviews on some of the ones which particularly caught my eye.

Benefit TropiCORAL

Benefit is my all-time favourite makeup brand- seriously, nothing compares. I could not recommend a better brand to anybody who asks, no matter their skin type or age. Being a huge fan of their kits, I couldn't stop myself when this amazing kit went on sale.

April Favourites

This is the first of (hopefully) many more favourites of the month.