Sephora September Haul

Today’s post is sponsored by Sephora and Shopstyle.   Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

I did my first ever Sephora Haul back in the Spring, and I had SO MUCH FUN shopping for the post, using the products, and then reviewing everything for y’all.  The post was very well received, and I knew I wanted to continue doing them, so I was thrilled when Sephora reached out to have me cover their Summer Bonus Event in August.

I’m happy to be back at it again today, reviewing some new products this month. This month’s review also includes my tried and true absolute favorite products that I discovered as a result of my first two Sephora posts!  If you haven’t already, make sure you sign up for Sephora’s Beauty Insider Program to earn points on anything you plan to buy.

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September Sephora Haul – NEW FAVORITES

I of course think it’s great fun trying out new makeup products, but I love that these posts are giving me the opportunity to try lots of different types of treatments as well.

Sephora Collection face masks –  I talked about these masks in a previous posts, but there are several different types of these masks, and I’ve had fun trying out many of them.  They are brightly colored, they just look fun, and the packages tell you what the masks target.  For example, the pink mask is “ultra moisturizing and brightening”.  The yellow mask is “pore perfecting and smoothing”.

As mentioned previously, I’ve tried many, but these two are my favorites.  After applying the masks, my skin looks bright and feels amazing.  I know it’s only September, but think of these for Christmas gifts!  They would make awesome stocking stuffers!  Click HERE for a large selection of single use masks to choose from or HERE for their full mask selection.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – I don’t suffer from dry and flaky lips, which is what this product really targets, but I do love going to bed at night with super moisturized lips and my goodness does this product deliver.  It has a great little silicon applicator that it comes with so you don’t have to stick your finger into the product, and the product totally glides on your lips.  For me, it just gives me extra silky and smooth lips.  If you suffer from dry and flaky lips, this is going to be a game changer for you.  If you apply a thick layer at night, when you wake up the next morning, the flakes are going to be sitting on top of the skin.  They then recommend taking a damp wash cloth to wipe the flakes away.

I got the vanilla because I didn’t want any color on my lips to transfer to my pillow while sleeping, and applying this is now definitely part of my nighttime routine. It has over 5,000 5 star reviews, and I have several friends that swear by it as well.

Peter Thomas Roth Vitamin C Targeted Face Brightener– THD Ascorbate is the new gold standard for vitamin C and it is in all of the Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C products, including this face brightener.  This is great news for all of us because THD Ascorbate is more absorbent and more effective than regular Vitamin C.  This product specifically is a potent dark spot treatment powered by vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and advanced skin brightening actives.  It’s formulated to target uneven skin tone, dullness and uneven texture, and dark spots.

I’ve shared in the past that dark spots are the issue that personally bother me the most.  Sure, I have fine lines here and there, but it’s the dark spots that I’m the most self-conscious about.  I’ve tried several products in the past, but I’ve never had the dramatic results that I’ve hoped for.  Some type of peel or laser might be in my future, but after reading over the product reviews on the Sephora site (and seeing some amazing before and after pictures left by reviewers), I’m quite hopeful that I’m going to see improvement!  I’ve only been using this product for a little over week now (it shipped weeks after my other products), so I can’t share any personal results yet, but I will definitely keep you posted!  I’ve decided that I will use it both morning and night to hopefully maximize my results.

Drunk Elephant Babyfacial Mask and Marula Face Oil – Last month I dropped a question box on instastories asking for your beauty product recommendations.  The Drunk Elephant Babyfacial Mask was a product that appeared over and over again.  It was definitely the most frequently recommended product, so I was so excited to give it a try myself!  And who doesn’t want baby soft skin?!?  It’s somewhere between a mask and a peel, and it’s fantastic.  It was an Allure Best of Beauty winner, and everybody that tries it seems to agree.

After cleansing my face at night, I apply a thin layer of the product all over my face and leave it on for 20 minutes.  I do this once a week.  It definitely tingles for the first minute or so when applied, but the tingling sensation doesn’t last.  I have super sensitive skins and masks like this have irritated (kind of burned) my face in the past, but not this one!  The tingling tells me it works, but it gently exfoliates and appears to slough off dead and dull skin cells.  My face feels incredible (so soft!) after using it, and I’m expecting even more dramatic results after extended use.

The product comes with a sample size of the Drunk Elephant Marula Face Oil as well.  Face oils typically are too much for my skin and I experience break outs after use, but this face oil seems perfect for my skin.  It’s ultra moisturizing and feels amazing, and it doesn’t cause any blemishes.

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OUAI Super Dry Shampoo – I’ve never had any luck with dry shampoo. My hair is very dark brown (almost black), and I’ve always had issues with the product still showing in my hair, even after I’d done my best to blend it in and it had plenty of time to absorb.  But not this product!  It disappears into my hair!

I spray on the roots of my hair, holding the can about 8 inches from my head. I find that my hair doesn’t really need that much product, so I apply sparingly.  After application, I use my fingers to rub it in and help it to distribute evenly.  I don’t really deal with oily hair, and typically don’t go more than 2 days without washing, but I feel like this product revitalizes my hair and kind of just wakes it up!  Since getting it, I’ve gone 3 days on 2 different occasions. It seems to increase the volume a bit, and the best part is that it smells incredible.  The first time I used it, Chris was like “What did you just use?  It smells SO good!”

Another problem I’ve had with dry shampoos in the past is that I hated how my hair felt afterwards.  This product doesn’t change the texture of my hair, and I love that.

With dry shampoo, it’s definitely been my experience that you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, but I’ve definitely found my dry shampoo prince!

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmerskin Stick – I saw this product online and was intrigued.  I love the Fenty lip gloss so much (see below in tried and true favorites section) that I was excited to give another product in the line a try.  I went with “glimmering peach-pink” and it does such a nice job of giving a little extra oomph to my face and makeup routine.  I apply it right above where I’ve applied my blush, blend it out, and it gives me a subtle sheen and highlight without any glitter.  Fun product!

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Sephora Favorites – Give Me More Lip – The reviews are mixed on this set and people seem to either love it or hate it.  I happen to love it!  I think it’s an incredible value and although I’m totally enjoying the products myself, it would be another excellent Christmas gift as well.  The packaging makes it great for a gift, and I love the glittery trays inside that make for a very nice presentation.  If presenting as a gift, you could give the entire package as 1 gift, or you could tear the 2 boxes apart into two separate gifts.

The box on the left includes 4 lip balm products that all promote hydration and moisture.  One of them is even the Laneige lip mask that I reviewed above!  The top two products are small sample sizes, but they still give you a nice introduction.  And the lip roller balm (full size – bottom left) feels nice and cool when applying and gives lips a great shine.

Most surprising, the box on the right includes a full size Charlotte Tilbury lipstick.  The shade is a beautiful taupe nude and definitely a new favorite!!!  It also includes a Sephora lip stain (GREAT for holiday!), a FENTY BEAUTY matte lipstick in a bright berry, and a Too Faced matte lipstick in a spice mauve.

And remember, this set is a big bang for your buck.  Charlotte Tilbury lipstick retails at $34 and the INC. Credible lip gloss is $10, so the two full size products alone cover the cost of the set.  You are essentially getting 6 products for free!

Sephora actually has already debuted a lot of their gift giving sets for the upcoming holiday season.  Scroll below to see some awesome options!

 

GET MY NEW FAVORITES HERE:

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September Sephora Haul – TRIED AND TRUE FAVORITES

When I have a beauty post, I order TONS of products to review, and I end up highlighting just a small number of the those products.  I don’t waste my time (or your time) with products that I don’t thoroughly enjoy.

Each post includes my favorite items from each order, but I’ve found that true favorites definitely emerge from my picks after extended use.  I’ve had several messages from readers asking me what my TIP TOP favorites have been, so I wanted to spend some time today on products that have become a part of my daily routines and life.

 

Now, the brush set is new to me, but it fit perfectly into this picture to help highlight my tried and true favorites. This set is very comprehensive and includes a powder brush, a small contour brush, a fan brush, a blending shadow brush, a precision shadow brush, a smudge brush, an angled liner brush, and a brow comb/brush.  If you are a makeup guru and are picky about your brushes, I’m not sure if this set is for you for everyday use.  But even those of you that are makeup gurus and have really nice brushes, this set would be a great option for your travel!  They roll up all nice and neat, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about losing your really nice brushes.  And not only is it great for travel, but I’ve found that I love the convenience of the roll even when at home.  Everything has it’s place!  I think this would a great starter set for a young lady or somebody just started to get really interested in makeup applications.

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Okay…time for the tried and true favorites review..

Let’s start out by talking about the Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops.  I combine them with my Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream…and I’m telling you….MAGIC happens.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream / Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream – I just started using this product back in March.  This is one of the new products I added into my routine after reading about it on several blogs and in several “BEST OF” beauty articles.  Lots of users compared it to the much more expensive La Mer line, but said they preferred this product!  That was it, I was convinced I needed to try it.  Officially, it’s a cream that floods skin with moisture for a glowing complexion in a flash.  A little goes a long way with this cream, and it’s not greasy, but it is incredibly hydrating.  There is a very light rose scent to this cream, and I don’t normally care for rose, but it doesn’t bother me at all.

I’ve been using this product for 7 months now, and I’m officially devoted to it. I’ve used it consistently for those 7 months, and I just recently purchased my 2nd tub, so it does last awhile and a little goes a long way.

Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops –  This product is awesome.  AWESOME.  You can wear it by itself, or you can mix it in with a moisturizer or serum.  I obviously mix it with the magic cream. It gives you a really pretty glow immediately! It doesn’t give full coverage, but I LOVE IT and plan on continuing it’s use even though we are into Fall. This product also has a lot of amazing ingredients in it that are great for your skin.  It’s made of vitamins, antioxidants, platinum peptides, and barrier-supportive fatty acids that defend skin from environmental free radicals.  YES, PLEASE!

Below you can see how I just add a pump to the magic cream and then blend it together before applying it all over my face and neck.  I’m telling you, it just gives your face a wonderfully healthy looking GLOW.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream/ Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops

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Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops –  This is one of those blogger products that I’d been hearing about for well over a year.  I’d been dying to try it and had tried to purchase it several times, but it was always sold out.

Well, it finally got restocked and I jumped on it!

The verdict?  Did it live up to all of the blogger hype?

The answer is HECK YES.  This product has blown me away.

Here’s what you do.  You mix drops of it  into your favorite moisturizer (again, I use this Charlotte Tilbury one).  The more drops, the deeper the tan.  You rub it all over your face, being careful not to miss any spots. And within a couple of hours, a “tan” develops.  It’s magical really.

I appreciate that you can control the deepness of your tan with the number of drops you use.  They call it “controlling your glow” and I’m here for it.

I grabbed the medium formula, and I’ve been using 2 healthy sized drops with moisturizer.  I feel like it gives me an even bronze glow that’s not streaky or orange.  Now that I’m getting more comfortable with it, I’m going to up the number of drops to achieve a deeper glow, but I’m going to do it gradually.

I think it’s best to apply it at night so it can develop while sleeping.  When using 3 drops, the color fades in about 3 days, so I think I will probably use this product about twice a week right now.  When I up the number of drops, the “tan” might stick around longer and I might go longer between uses.

I would like to direct your attention to my arm in the picture below.  Do you see the horizontal stripe below my wrist and the vertical stripe down my forearm?  That’s my sun-kissed glow’, y’all!  I tested the product on my arm before using it on my face, and I think it shows the results quite nicely!

If you are still on the fence, I highly recommend hopping over to the site to read some of the other reviews.  Because MY GOODNESS, people are obsessed with this product.

Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops / Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

*****

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick – When I did my 5 Minute Face post back in the Spring, I wanted to give 3 varying shade choices for lipsticks (a berry, a red, and a nude).  I went with “Pillow Talk” for my nude, and I’ve been very happy with it.

I’d never owned a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick before, and I found that I really liked the brand.  It stays on well (YAY!), and it wasn’t drying to my lips (YAY!).   I grabbed the “berry pink” for Fall and love it so much.  I especially love it paired with the gloss below.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Glass Bomb Lip Lumizer – I’m a lip gloss lover, but I’m SUPER picky.  It can’t be sticky, it can’t have a weird smell, it needs to have staying power for a gloss, and it needs to be VERY SHINY.  After seeing the number of 5 star reviews and reading the words “explosive shine”, I grabbed this one. It goes on very smoothly, the applicator is a good size and shape, it’s hydrating, and it truly offers explosive shine.

This very well could be my favorite lip gloss ever.  I got the shimmering rose nude, but I’m definitely going to grab the shimmering pink as well.  One more thing I love about it?  The scent!  It smells like peaches and vanilla.  It’s not overwhelming at all though, it’s just delightful.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick / Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Glass Bomb Lip Lumizer

GET MY TRIED AND TRUE FAVORITES HERE:

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That’s it for today, but if you’ve got an extra couple of minutes, you might like to review my previous Sephora posts!

End of Summer Sephora Haul

Click HERE if you see any products you want to know more about.

Spring Sephora Haul

Click HERE if you see any products you want to know more about.

That’s it for today!  I hope you enjoyed learning about lots of new products as well as getting a reminder about lots of old favorites!  And now I’m curious and hope you will sound off in the comments.  Let me know what your favorite Sephora product(s) are.  Is it something that I’ve recommended before, or something that you think I need to try!  I’d love some more tried and true favorites of y’alls that I can try and review for an upcoming post!  Please, leave your suggestions!

Thank you to Sephora and Shopstyle for sponsoring this post.

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