My goodness, but this post has taken forever to write about! I ordered these in May, but Sephora didn’t ship them ‘til June, and when I got them, it was just when I was leaving for vacation, and besides the sunscreen, I didn’t really have a chance to try them all out (I read somewhere that you must use a product for 6 weeks to be able to make a fair assessment, barring rashes)… After that doozy of a sentence/explanation, here it finally is! My very first beauty haul!!
I had better explain beforehand that I’m no beauty expert. For a girly-girl, I’ve never really been a fan of miracle potions and creams, preferring being natural, and not laden down with chemicals. However, I’ve come to realize that there are very good natural and organic beauty products out there to give one that extra bit of help and glow, so I’m slowly dabbling in the realm of beauty now. If this isn’t exactly a ‘normal’ or informative review, please do forgive me. 🙂
Here’s what I got:
1) Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask.
Promises to:
-Firm the complexion.
-Improve skin’s elasticity.
-Smooth the texture of the skin.
-Decrease skin roughness.
-Leave skin feeling velvety, soft, and smooth.
-Hydrate and nourish the skin.
-Leave skin looking resilient and radiant.
-Improve skin tone.
-Soothe the skin.
This was my least favourite to try out the first time around, not because I had an adverse reaction, or because it didn’t work… but because I couldn’t stand the texture. It was like smearing a grainy purée (Sephora calls it a velvety whip) all over my face, and waiting 5-8 minutes before rinsing it off almost drove me crazy. I hopped about, counting the seconds as if my life depended on it despairingly… and when the minute hand on the clock announced that it had been 6.5 minutes (I thought it was a good compromise between having it on too little or too long), I practically drowned my face with water. After patting my skin dry, I did notice that it felt smooth and soft. It stayed that way for about a few days, and didn’t irritate my skin. I don’t know if my skin looked radiant per se, but I was more than happy that it had taken care of the dryness on my face. I didn’t notice an improvement in skin elasticity, but maybe I’ll see it in action when I’m more (gracefully) aged in the distant future. Now that I’ve used it a few times with such nice results, I’m leaning towards calling it a textured velvety whip. Recommended!
Promises to:
-Whisk away everyday impurities and makeup, even mascara, without stripping essential moisture.
-Promote moisture retention, elasticity, and firmness.
-Balance, nourish and tone skin.
This is a clear liquid, slightly oily but not ickily so. My first time trying this, I definitely preferred it to the perfecting mask, as it didn’t feel too foreign on my face. However, I kept in mind that it was a cleanser, and thus had a different purpose. You don’t leave this on for a few minutes, just wet skin, massage the cleanser in, and then rinse. It left my skin silky soft right after, which surprised me, as I felt that it had barely had time to let ‘the goodness’ seep in. I don’t have mascara to try this one on with, but as an everyday cleanser, I think it’s perfect!
3) Josie Maran Argan Sun Protection For Body SPF 30+.
Promises to:
-Protect sensitive skin from the sun with its natural ingredients.
-Repair the skin and reverse damages caused by the sun, thanks to the argan oil.
This is my favouritest sunscreen ever. Sure, I have to reapply it more often, because it isn’t SPF 60, but I love that it doesn’t have parabens, sulfates, and other nasties. I can really feel a good difference with this sunscreen compared to others I have tried, like Neutrogena and Coppertone. The best part is that my skin, which is usually prone to ‘fighting’ with sunscreen, has really behaved with this one. Plus, it has this lovely, soft natural smell when applied… even my man said that it was much nicer than your run-of-the-mill sunscreen. To top it off, the box is gorgeous –all around, definitely a keeper in my summer beauty repertoire!
Left: Soy face cleanser. Center: Black tea instant perfecting mask. Right: Josie Maran sunscreen
4) Tocca ‘Giulietta’ Crema da Corpo Body Lotion.
This lotion had a light, soft scent that was pleasing. And just like its smell, it isn’t greasy, and is very light. It practically disappears into my skin, and I almost forget that I’ve got lotion on, if it weren’t for the whiff of pink tulips and green apples! It makes my skin silky smooth and soft, and I should probably stop here before I sound like a runaway commercial. (But every word is true!!!)
Also, because I can’t resist a hint of romance, here’s the story behind the lotion taken from Tocca’s website, in case any of you are interested!
Giulietta – The love story of Italian director Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina comes alive in this sweet floral scent reminiscent of their Corsican honeymoon. Sweet green apple and blooming pink tulips whisper to their never-ending love affair.
I half feel that I’m forgetting to mention something, but otherwise… I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any other questions about these, I’d be happy to answer them and update this post accordingly.
Tell me, what is your summer beauty repertoire like? Did you find anything special? Share your finds with me, pretty please!
xoxo,
— Miss Cathie
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