Hello everybody!
I’ve been away on a mini break of sorts for my birthday, finishing off other little tasks, but I’m back and ready to get to the fun stuff!
In my previous post (the giveaway is still running, so be sure to enter!) I asked you for your suggestions on how to improve my blog, and many of you asked for more outfit posts –which I’m working on, I promise!– and beauty product reviews. Thank you so much for your input; I’ve taken them to heart, and will keep them in mind for future posts.
With that being said, I recently bought Sephora’s own eyelash curler brand, (I currently use one by Tweezerman) and got 5 samples — 2 more than the usual. Bliss. I love tiny packaging, and trying new things out! And yes, this is the tiniest ‘haul’ ever, but I honestly couldn’t think of anything else that I needed, or wanted that I could justify. It may not cause great excitement, so apologies for the lack of unicorns exploding, and trumpets heralding. 😉
- Clean Original – Eau de Parfum
- Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream
- Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Cream
- Sephora Black Diamond Curler
- Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow – 2 x Eyeshadow in Sin and Mushroom; Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Ok, let’s start with my least favourite –the Boscia (pronounced Bosh-ya) hydration gel, which is supposed to refine and brighten skin texture, clarify complexion and tighten pores. First off, it scared me. I didn’t read any reviews before selecting the sample, so I was completely unprepared for what oozed out of the packet. A black gel –shimmering, to its credit, but still. A black gel!! I sniffed it cautiously. Its scent vaguely reminded me of the Fresh black tea perfecting mask, and I was going to try and get over my horror of the witch-like colour, but then decided that it was not worth risking the balance of my facial skin. I’ve been blessed with relatively clear skin, and having heard stories of girls who’d tried potions that ruined their complexions forever afterwards, I decided it was simply not worth the risk. However, a part of me just could not bear to waste it, especially since the full pot costs $38! (I have my private feelings on the worth of that price point…) So, being me, I swabbed it onto my right leg, wincing all the while… but there was a pleasing cooling sensation, much like drinking lukewarm water after eating peppermint, and having it go down feeling all cool and refreshing. I don’t know if the gel actually tightened my pores. I will say that it did not fully absorb into the skin, although the colour did disappear. It just stayed on the surface as a very smooth, almost undetectable film. Doing research after the fact, some of the ingredients do seem a bit iffy… most especially Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer. I would say do your research first if you are very particular about ingredients –and you should be, when it’s going on your face! Simply put, this ‘potion’ was not for me.
Next, I had fun swabbing the Urban Decay eyeshadow onto my hand. I even tried the Sin shade (nude) on my eyes. Both colours have a faint shimmer, and it really takes a great amount of product for the colours to stand out. ‘Sin’ just blends right into my skin, and only shows if I’ve applied a generous amount. ‘Mushroom’ is of course, much darker, but it makes a greater impact if more is applied as well. I haven’t tried the primer potion. It’s a possibility that I might, but my eyes being sensitive, I’m very wary of putting something so foreign on them. Will see if I work up the courage to give it a go. I know, …stop being such a wuss, Cathie, really. 😛
A look at the samples’ colours on the sheet.
The Caudalie cream is really fun to use. It’s light, not greasy, and has the faintest of pleasant but unidentifiable smells –at least to me. I feel quite regal and luxurious when I daub it on. It does leave my skin velvety-soft, and though I can’t really say that it’s regenerated my skin, or filled in wrinkles, it has made my skin less dry. That’s always a plus in the colder months!
If you’ve read my previous Sephora haul post, you might have noticed that I am a great Fresh devotee. Natural is the name of their game, and I’m all for it! This age delaying eye cream (thick, but it goes on light and isn’t greasy… also has a lovely creamy shade to it) is supposed to alleviate dark circles, soothe puffiness and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the eye area. While it may be too soon to give a definitive answer, I think it did soothe my puffy eyes (nice, long naps help, too!) but I haven’t seen much yet in the way of dark circles lightening or clearing up. The lychee scent is also light and pleasing –who knew lychee was collagen boosting? I certainly didn’t!
I can’t make up my mind about the CLEAN perfume. Sometimes it reminds me of laundry soap (not in a good way), and then the citrus notes punch through, and I think it’s refreshing, airy and… well, clean. I will have to ponder over this. Have you ever tried the CLEAN line of perfumes? Is it just too soapy for your tastes, or do you find the scents enticing?
The Sephora eyelash curler is something I will review further later on. Suffice to say that out of the box, it makes a curl that is far too ‘tight’. I love a gently sloping upwards curve, and the curl it gives is one that points straight up at the sky. I’m hoping that further usage will loosen up any new tightness about it, and it will give me the nice curl I’ve gotten from my Tweezerman so far. Of worthy mention is the little plastic case that holds the spare lash pads. I’m always frustrated when I buy drugstore eyelash curlers, because the spare ones are just loose once you open the package. Where does one put them anyway, to keep them clean and neat? The little case that Sephora’s came in is such a smart idea, if you ask me. I really applaud that attention to detail! I’ll be keeping the case for any future refills, should I revert back to Tweezerman, or another drugstore brand.
P.S. I say this time and time again, but I love Fresh! And I was so excited that I could choose a sample of their products for my birthday present. 🙂
The rosé gives you that “barely there” touch of colour which is perfect for when you’re trying to look like you didn’t actually put colour on your lips. Or did you?… They won’t be able to tell. 🙂
What’s your latest beauty haul? Are there any natural beauty products you’d like to suggest or see reviewed?
xoxo,
— Miss Cathie
I bought the Boscia face mask at the recommendation of a friend a couple of years ago and while it absolutely works it is such a disastrous mess everytime I use it that I’ve kinda given up. The black goo doesn’t just peel off like it says and it gets everywhere. I have black goo in my hair, on towels… It’s just a mess!