FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Urban Decay De-slick Makeup Setting Spray

As the summer draws closer and closer and the days grow longer and warmer, many make-up lovers are hard pressed to find make-up that will last all day and not melt off or require constant corrections.

Personally, I like to know that my make-up will last me the 8-10 hours I’m usually out and about and while mineral powder will do some of the job with my foundation, my true friend in the next few months will be the Urban Decay Make-up setting spray.

WEDNESDAY SELECTION: Sephora shopping list

I am fortunate enough to do quite a bit of traveling, but since the long travels will have to be postponed for a year or so with the baby in the house, I’m also lucky enough to have friends that travel and are willing to indulge my obsessions (addictions, insanity – however you want to call them). 

Anyway, I have a very good girlfriend leaving for the States in a couple of weeks and this is my shopping list for her. Let me just say that June is also my birthday month so technically I will be getting some of these things as gifts, so it’s not as crazy as it looks. Really, it’s not. I promise. 

I’m a sucker for the value sets which really are great value for money in my opinion. This time, I have four  quite a few on my list.

SEPHORA LASHSTASH TO GO (28 $, 57 $ value)

 

This set includes five deluxe samples of mascaras (Marc Jacobs O!Mega Lash, Milk Makeup Ubame, Too Faced Better then sex, Tarte Tarteist and Ciate London) and a voucher for a full size mascara of any of the above. I’m debating whether to go for a repeat of Too Faced mascara or try the Marc Jacobs one – I’m still undecided about this. 

SEPHORA PAINT IT PINK (40 $, 122 $ value)

  

I really hope this set will still be available by the time my friend hits the stores. It includes: Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash (deluxe sample), Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Baby love, Laura Mercier Velour, Lovers lip color (full size - $28), MakeUp Forever Artist Plexi-Gloss (deluxe sample), Urban Decay eyeshadow in Scratch (full size - $19), Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Rose Gold (deluxe sample), a Beautyblender (regular - $20) and the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Blissful (deluxe sample). As you can see, the full size items alone are $67 so it really is great value. I haven’t used a single item from this except for the Beautyblender so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Alternative: BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR (20 $) 

Since I really want to see what the fuss is all about with the Becca Shimmering Skin perfectors so if the option above fails, I would like to get my hands on the Glow On The Go set that includes deluxe samples of Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal in both pressed and liquid version.

SEPHORA FAVORITES TIME TO PRIME (25 $, $51 value)

 I am a big sucker for primers and so far all of the best ones in my life were purchased at Sephora. But these are not just face primers – no, no – these are ALL the primers: Bite Beauty Line & Define (lip primer), Formula X Prime Base Coat (nail base coat), Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer with SPF 15 (face primer), Living Proof Prime Style Extender(hair primer), Smashbox 24hour Finish Shadow Primer (eye primer) and Urban Decay Subversion Lash primer. Let’s get primed!

BEAUTYBLENDER TWO BB CLEAN ($40,00, $58 value)

Ever since I tried the Beautyblender for the first time I’ve been hard pressed to find a sponge that would be just as good. This set includes two regular sized Beautyblenders as well as a Blendercleanser fluid that can be used on other sponges as well if I don’t use it up on my Beautyblenders alone. Since a single BB costs 24 € here (27 $), it’s a great value and I plan to stock up for some time.

BENEFIT COSMETICS CHEEKATON BLUSH & BRONZER PALETTE ($58, $145 value)

This palette seems almost too good to be true, but it isn’t. It includes  six full size bestselling blushes and a bronzer from Benefit: Dallas, Dandelion, Coralista, Rockateur and Hoola Bronzer. Check out the value – I’m getting five products for a third of the original price and they are all neatly stored in a lovely palette. What more could a girl ask for?

And that is it for my wish list. I’ll probably be adding some last minute items to it but these above are the ones I’m really looking forward to using and I can’t wait to get them. Let’s all say a big thank you to Urša who will be schlepping them around the world for me (but then again, she is flying business class so she’ll at least be well rested while doing so) :)

Do you have a MUST TRY from Sephora for me? Let me know in the coments!

Until next time, stay beautiful!

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All photos property of www.sephora.com or Pinterest

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Sephora (and MAC) haul

I know that some of you take offense when I’m writing about things that are not easy/next to impossible to get in Slovenia (or, to be honest, in Europe), but still I got some positive feedback from others, saying that you like such posts, since they make you either have them shipped/buy them on your travels/order them from friends that are traveling etc. 

Well, I do realize that writing about products that you cannot just go out and buy isn’t exactly productive, but just keep in mind this one thing – if you dream it, you dreams can come true. And please, don’t only apply it to make-up shopping :)

Anyway, my Sephora basket wasn’t as extensive as it was about a year ago, but my wishes have gotten much, much more specific. 

First of all, I was on the hunt for a full coverage foundation. This Kat Von D Lock it tattoo foundation does seem dark for me in the bottle (shade 54 – medium), but for some reason it’s the perfect shade – if I were to buy it over the internet, I would go much lighter and completely miss the target. 

Holiday wishlist

Yes, I know, December and Christmas are stil far, far away, but somehow the Christmas spirit always catches me unprepared way before it is supposed to – and once I get overall excited about something, it's hard for me to stop obsessing. 

In the past weeks, I have seen some Youtube videos and read some blogs about the Christmas or »Holiday« editions from several high-end companies like Urban Decay, Benefit, Stila and so forth. These are normally value sets tricking you into buying them by saying you're only going to pay something like $45 for $200 value. Now i KNOW it's not true, but that reasonable part of my brain somehow goes on vacation in December. I did not care last year, but I definitely do care this year. And since I've just booked some plane tickets to visit a country that has Sephora stores in December, I know that I'm not going to be able to resist picking up at least a few products. Hence the wishlist. But this wishlist also includes some items that can be bought over here or in EU stores (hinting heavily to my most loyal reader of all). :)

Number one on my list is definitely the Sephora Favorites – Superstars. It contains many of the items I have been wanting to try for sooo long and some that I have tried and absolutely love. 

 

It is priced at $75 and apparently worth $225. I did my own calculations based on the number of full-size products and deluxe samples and came to $222 so yes, the calculation is legit. It contains the Anastasia Brow Wiz (full size – 21 $), Benefit POREfessional (deluxe sample – about 10 $), Benefit They're real mascara (deluxe sample – about $5), Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray (travel size, about $15), Chloe Rollerball (full size - $25), Formula X Nail color in Ignite (full size – about $11), Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted lip treatment (deluxe sample – about $12), Josie Maran 100 % Pure Argan oil (travel size, about $16), Nars blush in Orgasm (full size - $30), Smashbox Camera ready BB Cream (full size - $40), Stila Stay All Day liquid eye liner (full size - $20) and Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin (full size - $18). I am excited about just about everything in this package, I think the colors would all work for me and I am getting my hands on this one! There are so many brands in this set that I haven't even tried yet that I'm sure it is well worth the money. 

Another set I really, I really want is the Josie Maran Winter Dream Argan Skincare Collection. This is not a steal as the Superstars, it's priced at $39 with $68 value so I'm not even going to calculate this one to extensively. 

It contains everything you could possibly need for your skincare routine – cleansing oil, hydrating treatment, pure argan oil (which I use and is absolutely fabulous), intensive creamy oil, daily moisturizer with SPF of 47 and as a special bonus, a hand creams. This brand is all natural and I would love to try the products. 

The third set that I will most likely be tempted to snatch in Sephora is the First Aid Beauty – Cheers to fab skin set, priced at $48 for $100 value. I did my calculations on this one and again came to a very similar number, so I am satisfied :)  I have purhcased a few items from this brand on my last USA trip for my mother and she absolutely loves them so I really want to give them a go as well. 

This set contains a face cleanser, facial radiance pads (which are basically used to tone your skin and also have a brightening effect), repair cream, repair lip therapy and eye duty triple remedy (which is one of the products that my mother now swears by and even says it is better than the La Prarie eye cream). On a sidenote, my skin has been acting really weird lately so I think it's about time I treat it to something nice. 

Moving on to the products I would like to try and are as previously mentioned available to us all. First up, the Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain. 

 What color, you ask? ALL OF THEM. They all seem absolutely fabulous. Having read so much about these puppies, they would be a welcome additon to my collection.

Next up, the Bourjois Healthy Mix serum Foundation. All the bloggers are raving about this and there must be something magical about this. 

 If you're thinking about sending it to me for Christmas, the best shade for me would probably be Vanille ;)

Last up is something that I really need and will probably get for myself this holiday season. I recently dyed my hair from blonde to brown with some sombre highlights and although it is looking fab, my new hairstylist was completely upset with me regarding the condition of my hair. Apparently, the blonde highlights did not exactly help my hair to be healthier. So they need help and they need it now. 

She suggested Paul Mitchell which made my heart stop since I am aware of the prices. But suffering is probably necessary for beauty, even if the only thing suffering is my wallet :)

I am DYING to know what is on your beauty wishlist for this holiday season. Let me know (and give me some more ideas). 

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!