Haul: Sephora

I just bought a bunch of stuff online at Sephora.com - I could seriously spend all day on that website.

Anyway... I've heard a lot of great stuff about the brand, Living Proof, which can be purchased at Sephora.com here. It comes in two different product types -No Frizz and Full. I purchased the No Frizz products, since my head is a frizz-ball in the humidity. These products don't contain silicone, which typically weighs down your hair and makes it look greasy. Instead, they contain Polyfluoroester, which blocks frizz from occurring. They also don't contain sodium chloride, an ingredient which makes my hair even frizzier. It's also a great product to use if you got a keratin treatment since sodium chloride will counteract with your treatment and ruin it.

The site was extremely helpful in allowing me to determine what fits my needs. The two sections that I used to figure out which product was right for me were the "What's Right for You" section and the "FAQs". Prior to reading these sections, my shopping cart was full of unnecessary items that i didn't need. Turns out, my very medium-to-thick frizzy hair requires the types of products necessary for the thick-to-coarse hair. I also found out that since I don't want a ridiculous amount of hold when I wear my hair curly, I should stick with the straight making products - my hair will be left with a slight curl and a loose, wavy look. My favorite piece of information was to not mix a silicone-based serum with the products since it will curdle... ewww thank goodness I found that out before I used it! Seriously, read those two sections before making your purchase - they saved me a lot of time and money!

Also, before you make your purchase, be sure to check out the "Value Sets" and "Gift Ideas and Sets" sections before you buy - it's a lot cheaper to make your purchase when you choose this option!!! (I bought the $25 Straight Making System Set, which is typically worth $34!)

My second purchase was the Too Faced Aqua Bunny Cream to Powder Bronzer. Although i haven't even received my package yet this product seems so cool. It's a waterproof bronzer! Seriously who doesn't want that during the summertime? You can wear this in the pool, at the beach, or even during super humid days. It also contains a lot of beneficial ingredients for your skin! How great is it that this bronzer doesn't drip off your face, and make you look like a hot mess?! I hope with all this hype, the product lives up to my expectations!!! I'll keep you posted! Definitely wait for my review since this product is a whopping $28, and I don't want you spending that kind of money if you don't have to.

My third, and final purchase, is the Benefit Cosmetics To Go Beauty Bestsellers. it's a $30 value for only $10! It is important to mention that these products are a lot smaller than their original counterparts, hence the steep price difference. It comes with Posietint - a light pink colored lip stain (usually $28); Some Kind-a-Gorgeous - a product that works like a foundation but isn't ($9-28); "That Gal" - a primer which simultaneously brightens your face ($28); and High Beam - a face highlighter ($28). I made this purchase because I have been wanting to try High Beam for quite some time now. A lot of the beauty gurus I mentioned in my last post have used this during tutorials. This product seems to give an angelic glow, and I can't wait to use it. I'll definitely let you know my take on all of these products later.

I also got a bunch of samples, which I will be doing reviews on throughout the summer. They are:

- Stila One Step Makeup in medium

- Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector

- Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Cream for medium to thick hair

- LAVANILA Baby Lotion and LAVANILA Healthy Sunscreen SPF 40 - I don't have a baby, I just really wanted to try the sunscreen! ;)

Hope you're enjoying your summer! Remember to check back for pictures and reviews of these fabulous products! xoxo

sephora haul

since it is pretty chilly in what was supposed to be warm and sunny florida, i took a trip to the nearest sephora. there were so many great new items that i wanted to try and i had trouble choosing what i wanted to purchase.

here are the items that i ended up buying: **i will do reviews on each**

1. urban decay primer potion - i was debating whether or not to buy the new formulas - sin and eden instead of the original. sin is a shimmering champagne color which i decided was not for me since it contained shimmer which i might not want if i were to use a matte shadow. to me, eden looked like cover-up - it was a matte nude color which i wasn't crazy about. i ended up buying the original potion in a larger bottle since i like it so much. when i first used it, i realized there is a new bent wand which makes it easier to apply.

2. tarte natural lip stain - when i went to the tarte display, this item was almost sold out, so i knew it had to be good. it took me a while to decide which color of the available colors i wanted. i was stuck between charmed - a light pink, amused - a hot pink, and moody - a deep berry. after swatching the items on my hand, i decided that charmed was too light for my lips and amused was just right.

3. josie maran argan oil hair serum - since i have frizzy hair, i decided to pick up this product to test it out. it has a nice, clean smell.

4. kat von d. eyeshadow palette in ludwig - when i saw this, i knew i had to have it - the shadows are so silky and soft and there are so many of them in one palette. the colors are gorgeous browns, greens, and golds and complement each other as well.

stay tuned for reviews on each of the items! xoxo

review: concealers - laura mercier secret concealer; haul: ulta

so since the rings under my eyes are getting darker by the day, i decided that i needed to change up my concealer routine. i previously started with mac moisturecover which is a moisturizing concealer that comes in a gloss-like bottle. when i went back to mac and told them it wasn't really working for me, they suggested that i use studio finish SPF 35 concealer and finish it off with the moisturecover so that it wouldn't dry out my skin. to ensure that the concealer would stay in place, she also suggested i use a powder which i purchased as well. although this worked, i still wasn't satisfied, so i took matters into my own hands. i visited bluemercury to see whether or not their concealer would work for me. the girl who was helping me told me that laura mercier secret concealer was the most highly pigmented concealer in the store (which also carries bobbi brown and nars among other well-known brands) and would definitely hide my under eye mess. well, i'm happy to say that today was my first day using it in my regular makeup routine and it worked pretty well! although i applied mac moisturecover and powder to make sure my eyes were moisturized and set, it didn't show my undereye problems as much as the mac studio finish. it is important to only apply a small amount under your eyes, and also to not dip your concealer brush into it - i found out the hard way that it is not hard like studio finish, but it is very creamy and will get all over the place. instead, try to just dab a little under and then blend with your brush. i will definitely purchase this again... unless i find a better concealer that is. ;) A-



now, onto my ulta haul!!!
when i went into ulta, i have to admit, i did have some specific items that i wanted to buy in mind, but i always buy wayyyyy more than i expect to (which is very, very bad). the items i wanted to purchase were: urban decay skyscraper multi-benefit mascara (which i have used before) and amazing concealer (which i heard was just what the label says-amazing). i ended up purchasing those two items and: urban decay lash primer potion, nyx eyeliner in white, and almay clear complexion concealer (which i have used before). in addition to all of that fun makeup stuff, i also bought opi nail polish in rosy future, essie nail polish in pop art pink, and essie good to go! fastest drying top coat. i will most likely be writing reviews on each of these items so if you're interested in any of them, stay tuned! :)

xoxo