Sephora Haul

I've been realizing lately just how much make-up I've accumulated over time that I don't even use. Whether it be from gifts, something I couldn't resist because of a good deal, or whatever.. I have so many shadows and lipsticks and glosses,the area I'm really lacking in is the basics. Eyeliner, primers, things of that sort. So I did a little shopping at Sephora recently and picked up these goodies:

I got Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Zero, Benefit Boi-ing in 'Medium', Tarte's primer, a Josie Maran lip palette that was on sale (I couldnt resist), along with some samples I could test out. The lip palette and concealer not pictured were big dissapointments for me, so I took them back.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil

I don't wear black eyeliner often. I usually opt for brown or no eyeliner at all. I've tried the other UD eyeliners and loved the pigmentation and texture, and this is no exception. These are really pigmented, which I appreciate. The second picture shows how it held up after I allowed it about 30 seconds to set, then did a rub test. This is definitely a pencil you can smudge out, which makes it good for smokey looks. You can get a precise line too, but I'd recommend setting with black shadow as these do smudge. As for staying power... no pencil liner stays on my water line for more than 10 minutes. I'm serious. I don't have oily lids, or get teary eyed easily. The liner does not smudge or run and give me raccoon eyes. It simply dissapears. With a layer of black shadow, liner dipped in blacktrack fluidline, and another layer of powder to set... I'll get an hour of black-rimmed peepers. I know other people who use this say it has great staying power, so I'd trust that opinion more than mine.

Benefit Boi-ing

Where do I start with concealer? I, like most, am still on the search for the perfect (undereye) concealer. Why is it like that, seriously? It can't be THAT hard to create something with ample coverage and decent texture. Many a brand has one or the other down, is it really so imossible to have both in an undereye concealer? I've tried so many different ones, and they all leave my under-eye area with a greyish cast. Corrective concealers are always overly creamy, and look terribly cakey when set with powder. Well, I was hoping getting this cult classic end my search. Well, it didn't. At alll. My shade, 'Medium', worked fine with my foundation color, but I could not, for the life of me, get it to look decent. Under foundation, over foundation, under and over.. it was terribly blotchy, and didn't even give me semi-decent coverage, let alone "industrial strength" concealer coverage. I know they've changed the formula, which is probably to blame. I'm so dissapointed :/

Tarte Clean Slate Primer

I like Tarte, as I love natural make-up and prefer to wear it most days of the week. I've heard nothing but praises sung about this primer. I know its said that silicone can't actually cause us to break out.. nonetheless, I was convinced my old primer was the cause of some pimples. I took the plunge anyway and chose this over Korres's silicone-free primer, which I read reviews for, and the popular opinion is that it feels more like a moisturizer than a primer. I'm happy I did, as this really does deliver. You get .16 ounces more for $6 less compared the Smashbox, plus the benefit of not slathering your face in propylene glycol every day! I couldn't be happier. This makes my foundation last all day, no more patchy red spots. I also love it for days I go sans foundation. I dab a little under my eyes, follow with concealer, and it makes it lasts through the whole day I spend lounging around the house with my boo.

JOSIE MARAN "MY FAVORITE LIPS" LIP PALETTE
This little lip palette was the biggest disappointment. It's about the size of a credit card, and includes 4 glosses and 4 lipsticks. The glosses are completely sheer on my lips, and leave nothing but a hint of sparkle. As for the lipsticks, all but the fourth red one are a similar ugly brown tone on me. The worst part is the smell. I used to think I couldn't be bothered by funky smelling cosmetics, but I've realized I'm extremely particular about how my lip products smell. These smell plastic-y and horrible. Even as I sit now with the palette open a foot away from my face, that smell is creeping up... needless to say, I'll be passing it on. No wonder it was on sale for half off.

The samples I got were Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, Benefit's new 'Stay Don't Stray', Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Cream, and Pangea Organics Balancing Oil.

Forgot to add these guys to the haul pic:

RECAP:

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is a gentle cleanser that claims to remove dirt and makeup without irritating the skin, or stripping it of it's natural oils. It emulsified nicely upon application and smelled really good to me, though I can see some people not liking it. It smells like what you'd expect.. soy. It didn't remove all my makeup, which I found out when I followed up with toner. It did get off more than my other cleansers do though, and did the job without making my skin feel tight afterwards. In combination with a moisturizing toner, I was able to skip moisturizer and my skin really did feel smooth as a baby's.

Bliss Triple Oxygen blah blah Cream seems like, as with all Bliss products have seemed to me, a waste of money. I mean, it's $54 for the full size. The sample had .34 fl oz, and lasted me about three weeks... and to be honest, I felt like I was spreading watered down yogurt on my face. I don't know if it's because this is probably more targeted towards mature skin, but I just didn't see a difference. The mask is supposed to "recharge dull skin", but I didn't find it gave me any sort of brightening effect. And on top of all that, it did not moisturize well at all. And I have combo skin. I would not recommend this as a moisturizer for dry skin. And seeing as how it's supposed to be good for mature skin, I'd expect it to be way more rich. Chronic dry skin = wrinkles.

Pangea Organics Himalayan Geranium & Pomegranate Balancing Oil is marketed as a natural balancing oil with antioxidants and other anti-aging properties, as well as a moisturizer. It claims to reduce acne scarring and sun damage, with "Tamanu Oil" antioxidants. Sweet almond oil is good for reducing the appearance of spots too. But anyways, on Sephora's site, they suggest adding a drop to your night cream for added moisture. I mixed a little on the back of my (clean) hand with the Bliss cream, applied it, and fell in love. The oil made the cream more spreadable, and the effect afterwards was amazing. I really did have glowing, clear skin that felt moisturized through the next day. I've also been using it around the eyes at night, since it's completely non-greasy. That area tends to be dry and irritated, and this oil is the best thing I've used so far for angry red patches in the corners of my eyes. The full size, which contains one ounce, costs $50, but you need so little I really think it could be worth it. Oh yeah, and the smell is divine.

Benefit Stay Don't Stray is primer than can be used under concealer and under eyeshadow. I didn't use it as a eyeshadow primer, since I prefer to use colored bases, but I did use it as an undereye concealer primer. The product is a pigmented concealer color itself, and I bet some could get away with this alone on the undereyes. Not me though, I need some color correcting in that area. Besides, the finish is soft or chalky. As a primer for my concealer, I did notice a slight difference in the one eye I used it on at the end of the day. Not enough to make me go out and drop the $24 I think it costs.

(All images other than own courtesy of Sephora.com)