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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Make-up basket #1

As I've already mentioned in my blog post schedule, I'm planning on doing a bi-weekly make-up basket. I've decided on doing so because I think that I will switch between products a lot more this way and perhaps even rediscover some forgotten gems in my stash (but that naturally doesn't mean I won't use anything else besides the mentioned items). Besides that, it will also benefit my make-up collection since I've quickly learned that each item must be cleaned before photos are taken :) 

That being said, here are the products I'll be using more for the next two weeks. 

I pulled out one of my newer purchases, the L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying base to see if it will reduce some of the shine. For foundation, I'm going to go with Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation (30 - Beige). I know I've used this a couple of times in the Autumn when I got it but I think the formula was too thin so I stopped using it. 

I'll use the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in shade 15 which is nice for my under eye area. For setting everything, I'm going with the Maybelline Fit me Compact Powder (250 - Sun Beige) to see how it will hold my foundation in place. 

As far as contouring goes, I've had the Collection Countour Kit Highlight&Sculpt for more than six months and maybe used it once. I think the highlight is beautiful and I hope the contour shade will be appropriate for my already slightly bronzed face. On days I don't want to bother with contour, I'll use the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Powder.

I'm also going to be using my new Golden Rose Silky Touch Blush-On in shade 207. I think this nice peachy color is absolutely perfect for spring and I can't wait to start using this beautiful blush.

I'm going to try and use up the Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer since it's a sample and I've had it since forever. I'm excited to start properly using the Catrice Chocolate Nudes which have been on some travels with me but don't get enough love at home. 

I'll stick to my new-found awesome eyebrow duo from Freedom Makeup (Soft brown) as it's perfect to match my eyebrows to my hair at the moment. Giordani Gold eye pencil is a great soft pencil for smudged eyeliner and waterline so I'm trading my Lord&Berry liner for this one. It's also almost time to say goodbye to my Lancome Hypnose Volume-a-porter mascara so these two weeks will be our last hooray. 

I'm keeping the lip situation simple with two of the Catrice Shine Appeal Fluid Lipsticks - the lighter one in What a Melon and the darker one in Marry Berry. I'll probably need a lip liner to go with them as they are quite runny but I'll think about that another day.

That are most of the products that I'll be using for the next two weeks. If you see anything in the mix that sparks your interest and would like to see a proper review on, let me know!

Until next time, stay beautiful!

Best of 2014 - #1 Make-up

The end of the year is always the best time to look back at all the good and the bad that happened and the same goes for our beauty world. It's taken me ages to go through everything and really gather my thoughts, but I've picked out the best of the best and I'm ready to share them with you. To stay organized, I've picked only one product from each general category (well, I cheated in a couple of them, but I really TRIED, so don't hate me). Let's start with make-up. And let me just say in advance that I've tried to keep it short, so the reviews are really minor. If you want to read more about these products, check out my monthly favorites and the reviews by categories I've done in the past months.

First up are the basic tools. I've accumulated a bunch of new brushes and applicators this year (obviously, since I did not own any before) and I must say that considering my inexperience in the field, I've done quite well. 

A couple of my favorites are to be found on the picture above. We have the Real Techniques blush brush – an amazingly soft brush which is just large enough to hit the apples of my cheeks perfectly. I included two of my Ecotools blushes – the powder brush which I actually use for bronzing but is a great all-around brush, and the Ecotools large eye brush which I use for simple application all over the lid and is just big enough to make my job a lot quicker in the morning. I was considering including my Sigma e40 as a blending brush, but to be honest, this Essence blender does the job just as well – I just can't seem to find them anywhere anymore. Let me know if you know where I could get my hands on some more of these!

For face products, I've picked some I've loved recently as well as those I could not live without during the summer months. I won't go into a long rant about the face primer – I've talked about the Maybelline Baby Skin instant pore eraser so much already that if you've been reading my blog, you know that I absolutely adore it. For foundation, I'm going to go with the Rimmel Match Perfection which is not a heavy duty foundation but not exactly lightweight, either. It covers up most of the blemishes but does not look unnatural. 

For pressed powder, I was debating between two and ended up deciding for the Bourjois Silk Edition compact. It's a lightweight powder which offers reasonable amount of product for the price and I mainly love it because it matches my current skin tone perfectly. It does not cake on the dry spots which is another bonus. The choice for concealer was an easy one – my absolute favorite has to be the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser. Not only is it super easy to apply, it blends wonderfully and you will get a ton of product for your money's worth. I also included the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge which is perfect for applying foundation and concealer. I just ordered a new one because this one is seriously dirty already.

Continuing on the face theme, I HAD to include my Sleek blush palette (left) which I have only owned for about 2 months now but I must say that it’s possibly not only my favorite in the blush category, but my favorite overall this year. Two powder blushes and one cream blush offer amazing pigmentation; they blend really well and come in an absolutely beautiful sleek palette.

The e.l.f. blush/bronzer palette above is the St. Lucia – apparently, the blush is a dupe for the NARS Orgasm and the bronzer a dupe for the the NARS Laguna. I don’t care much for the blush but the bronzer is a.ma.zing. It’s absolutely my new favorite, although by now I have hit pan on my Tarte bronzer that I bought in July. That one will be getting some well-deserved rest now since I have a new love in my life. The bronzer is not orange at all so it doesn’t leave you looking dirty, it blends like a dream and is also just dark enough for some minor contouring. 

Last but not least, we have my absolute favorite highlighter – the Mary Lou-manizer from The Balm. It’s lightweight, it’s pretty but not too in-your-face and although it’s a bit pricier, you will probably be using this product for years. 

The Urban Decay De-slick Make-up setting spray is probably my biggest regret also, but only because I’m wondering why, oh why I only bought a travel size. I am dreading the day when I run out of this and have to pay the EU price for another one. This product will keep your make-up in place like nothing you’ve ever seen before. I’ve given mine many different challenges and expected it to fail numerous times, but it never did. I. LOVE. IT. 

Now for the eyes. My favorite palette for this year shouldn't come as a surprise to those who follow my blog – it's the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette which I absolutely adore. I've had it since July and I'm just about to hit pan on two of my favorite shades in the palette. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who just wants to own one single palette for (almost) every look imaginable. 

 I can’t possibly imagine leaving my house now without doing my eyebrows – it’s silly what a year of dabbling into make-up will do to a girl. A year ago I didn’t even give a second thought to my eyebrows other than just plucking them when I felt like it. Anyhow, my go-to product for brows is my well-loved and very dirty NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in blonde. It also comes with a way which makes it perfect for easy traveling. 

I won’t go to much into mascaras. The Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express – The Colossal Cat Eyes is my absolute favorite and that is saying something, since I’ve gone through about 15 different mascaras ranging from 2 € to 30 € this year. This mascara gives length, volume and definition and will not clump up until it is completely dried up. 

I had a hard time deciding between liners but in the end I think that the Maybelline Master Precise was the least disappointing one. I was not wowed by any of the liners very much, though. 

The lipstick always comes last in my beauty routine and I must say that I’m only slowly getting a bit braver when it comes to them. I still tend to stick to the nudes and light shades, though. 

 It was not particularly difficult to choose my favorite lipstick. It is L’Oreal Color Sensational in 740 – Sunset diamonds. These Color sensational lipsticks are super creamy and hydrating and I’m also partial to the packaging. The color itself is a bit darker than my natural lip color and it also has a tiny bit of shimmer in it. It’s been a statement lip until now but well... I will probably try to use this up and go for something bolder in 2015. 

For gloss, I have loved the NYX gloss in Apricot. It’s the your-lips-but-shinier almost nude color which is perfect when I just want to pop something on the lips and walk out the door. It’s so nude I also dare to apply it without mirror, which is a plus for a girl on the go. 

For lip liner, I haven’t had much luck with my purchases this year, but this UMA Automatic Lip Liner really stands out from the crowd. It’s a simple nude which I use when I don’t want any lipsticks to bleed over the edges. It really matches my lip color perfectly so I can get away with using it with all neutral or pink shades. 

I’ve also included the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliatior in my favorites, since this is the second one I’m using right now. It does a great job at keeping my lips looking decent – it’s a bit harsh compared to some others I tried, but it does the job and smells and tastes great as well. And I've included one of my e.o.s. balms, but I love all of them equally and have them distributed around the house, in my purses and office.

Last up, the nail polishes. I’ll do this really quickly since most of these products have already been included in my favorites during the year. Essie Mint Candy was on my nails and toes throughout the summer – it’s a perfect mint color and I absolutely love this particular Essie formula (yes, as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t think all Essie formulas are the same). The OPI in True Red has similarly replaced the Essie polish once it got a bit colder outside. It is the truest red color I own and I absolutely love it. 

I had a massive rant about Essie Good To Go top coat a couple of times already, so I won’t repeat myself. Let’s just say that you really will be good to go in about a minute after applying this. And last but not least, we have the Barry M 3-1 Base coat, nail haredner and top coat which is quite a recent addition but I must say it really makes a difference to my routine. Just make sure to shake it up well before using it – take my word for it. 

I would love to hear about your favorites! Let me know below or leave me a link to your blog post about the TOP 2014 make-up or other beauty products! Oh, and stay tuned for the biggest flops of 2014 as well. 

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!

 

Too many opened mascaras…

Fact #1 – I love mascaras. Fact #2 – when I buy a mascara, I really, really want to open and try it straight away. And fact #3 – this means that I always have at least 3 mascaras opened at the same time, consequently waisting them. Oh well, I'll do better in the future. 

These past 2 months have been particularly bad in this sense – I have no less than 5 mascaras that I have been using and most of them I need to get rid of because they've gone dry. But before throwing them away I can do a quick post about them. I will go from the worst to the best one by my personal opinion. The fact is that the likeability of mascara depends on what you want from it. I personally have quite long lashes to start with and am consequently looking for mascara that will add volume. So it really is a personal preference all around, as it is with most mascaras. There are two photos for you  - one with the product closed and one with them opened so you can see each of the wands.

#5 : GREAT LASH by MAYBELLINE

You know, how drier mascaras have the tendency to flake? Well this mascara is so wet that I can feel this wetness for several minutes after applying it, but it still somehow manages to  leave my undereye area looking like the Halloween came early It clumps the lashes into long, spider like legs. I'm not a fan of either the wand shape or the packaging itself – it really looks quite juvenile. Even though it's drugstore, it could still be a bit classier.  

If you're looking for length,  are willing to comb through your lashes and you don't mind the panda look, go for it. Otherwise, run away as fast as you can. Would I repurhcase: no way!

#4 : BETTER THAN SEX by TOO FACED

I'm usually a fan of Too Faced products, but this one left me cold. Thankfully I didn't purchase the whole size but got a deluxe sample in one of their trial kits. Also, what's with the name? I know that Too Faced isn't exactly a PG rated brand, but let me just say that this statement is not true ;)

Anyhow, when I opened this mascara I was expecting a hell of a lot from it. The wand has super dense fibers of different lenghts which looked like they will hug every single lash and give it length and volume. Well, the mascara is not bad, but it's not great either. Completely opposite of the Great Lash it has a very dense formula which tends to flake a lot. So while it does give you long and bold lashes, especially if you apply more than one coat of it, you will have to check under your eyes every hour or so.  Would I repurchase: no - it costs more than $20 and I think there are better mascaras out there for that price. 

#3 –Voluminous Waterproof mascara by L'OREAL

This again is a mascara with quite wet formula but it dries much faster than the Great Lash so it's not too much of a problem. It has a very standard wand which many of us have probably used with this or that mascara so that's not really what's appealing. But trust me – go out and buy it, if you can. It leaves you with long and dense lashes, it doesn't clump, smudge or flake and it holds to its promises. I'm putting it in 3rd place only because I bought the Waterproof version which is such a pain to remove that I have to brace myself before starting the process every evening. Would I repurchase: yes, but the regular one, not the waterproof.

#2 – Volum' Express Colossal Cat Eyes – MAYBELLINE

Probably the mascara with the longest name out there :) It wasn't an instant love affair with me and this mascara – I had a hard time getting used to the curved wand and I didn't find it that impressive. But when I took my time and really tried out what different parts of the wand to to the eyelashes, I fell inlove. When using this mascara I don't even curl my eyelashes before – the wand does the trick by itself. So it curls, lengthens (to the point when I need to stop applying it because my lashes are touching my browbone and leaving tiny black dots) and adds volume when adding one or two layers to the primary one. Would I repurchase: absolutely, especially for this price. 

#1 Lash Sensation x-treme volume – ETRE-BELLE

This mascara I probably never would have purhcased for myself – I don't even know where you can buy it, to be honest, but it must be available in Slovenia since I got it from a friend who has problems with her sensitive eyes and this mascara didn't work for her either. Although I would usually not accept an used eye product from someone else I was really excited to use this mascara since I've never tried anything of the brand before. At the cost of whooping 20 € I would probably go for a known brand like Dior or Lancome for the same amount of money, but I would have missed out on this great product. 

The wand is very dense and doesn't have any long fibers that would be sticking out, but rather these small fibers/bumps coming out of the wand. I really have no idea how that happens, but this mascara grabs each lash and literally pulls it up toward the brows while simoultaneously curling them beautifully. With 3 layers my eyes look larger than life and I can get away with not wearing false lashes (my first experiences with those are a whole different story). But, alas, I will have to throw this one out since it's completely dried out. Would I repurchase: I will try another premium mascara to be sure about the comparison, but I will probably repurchase this or another Etre-belle mascara.

I must say that the L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof mascara, Volum' Express Colossal Cat Eyes and Lash Sensation x-treme volume are pretty much neck-to-neck. Looking at the price-quality ratio, I would purchase the Volum' Express, but if I wanted to treat myself, I would go for the Lash X-treme.

Do you have mascaras you absolutely love or cannot stand? Comment below!

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!