I received some Sephora money for Christmas and did a little damage recently. I actually got these products weeks ago, so I’ve had a chance to use most of these and form a full opinion. I found some products that are some new favorites for me, so read on to find out which ones I feel in love with!
Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation ($36): I struggle finding a foundation that isn’t too drying but also doesn’t make me too oily. My skin is very combo, but in the winter, I do struggle with some dry patches. I have REALLY been enjoying this foundation a lot. It’s comfortable, lasts all day, but doesn’t make me look oily OR dry. It might be the perfect foundation. It also smells like peaches which is kind of weird but I don’t mind it.
Too Faced Primed & Peachy Cooling Matte Perfecting Primer ($32): I keep going back and forth about this primer. I DEFINITELY do not like it with the corresponding foundation. It makes me wayyyy too dry. But I’m actually wondering if I might be able to use it with one of my more luminous foundations, making those more usable for me. I haven’t tried it yet but I think that might be an interesting experiment. However, if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be taking this back.
Milk Makeup Holographic Powder Quad ($30): I became interested in this when I heard Mariah Leonard talk about this in one of her videos. She mentioned that she really liked this because although it’s a colored highlighter, it doesn’t look like you have colored stripes on your cheeks – it just melts into the skin. I agree so much, and it’s just totally gorgeous. I use the pink/peach colors the most but I love the blue for an interesting inner corner highlight.
Here are some swatches!
These obviously aren’t actually holographic but that packaging sure is! How pretty is that?!
SEPHORA Collection Beauty Amplifier Eye Shadow Primer ($10): I have only used this a few times since I’m not out of my current primer yet but it’s OK. I really love the Ulta brand eyeshadow primer, so I was curious about the Sephora version. I honestly like the Ulta one more, but I’ll use this.
Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Babe Alert ($24): I hear sooooo much on YouTube about how great the Smashbox liquid lipsticks are, so I wanted to finally give this a shot. I’m moving away from liquid lipsticks but this formula is incredibly nice. Definitely not too drying, lasts a long time and doesn’t do weird things when you try to touch up another layer. I am interested in trying more shades!
Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in Pigalle ($24): I am LIVING for the Stila Shimmer and Glow shadows. I first started with a greeny gold shade called La Douce and I loved the formula so much I knew I needed another shade, so I went with this burgundy version. It’s totally gorgeous, and now I want a charcoal/black shade in this formula! The darkest version is a brown so I’m hoping they will come out with darker shades soon! (Future Lauren here: After I wrote this blog, I saw a sneak peek of Stila’s Spring collection and there are a ton of dark shades, including a GORGEOUS evergreen shade and a dark charcoalish color. I am HERE for them!!!)
Stila Shimmer & Glow in Pigalle, Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Babe Alert
Tatcha The Deep Cleanse ($38/full-size) and Tatcha The Water Cream ($68): I got a few deluxe samples of two products I have been DYING to try. Tatcha is a luxury skincare brand and I’ve been really interested in the Deep Cleanse but mostly The Water Cream. The Water Cream is such a lovely formula, especially for those who have normal/combo skin. The moisturizer sort of feels like you are just applying water to your skin but in the best way possible. Like you are just patting a cloud right into your face. Man, it’s just so good. I hate that it’s $68, but I may end up getting a full-sized version because this is just that good. The Deep Cleanse is OK but honestly nothing special. I think it’s supposed to be exfoliating, but it mostly just feels like there are weird, big chunks in it that don’t feel exfoliating at all, so it always just feels kind of lumpy. It’s bizarre.
Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick in Griselda ($18/full-size): I have been excited to try one of the Fenty lipsticks for awhile and though I’ve had this for a long time, I actually haven’t used it yet. As you can see, this is a dark color, so I’ve been waiting for the right time. However, the color and formula look gorgeous. I’m looking forward to trying it!
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Deep Dive Cleansing Gel ($25/full-size): This is a nice cleansing gel – I was worried it might dry out my skin in the winter, but it just feels like it does a thorough cleansing job.
This was such a successful haul! The biggest surprise was the Milk highlighting quad. I honestly cannot put this down! I’ve also fallen in love with the Too Faced foundation – this might even be my holy grail. Additionally, I was so fired up to try the Smashbox lipstick and that Stila eyeshadow is gorgeous. And I was so excited to get to try the Tatcha Water Cream (in fact, by the time of this writing, I’ve bought another small jar – that blog is coming soon!)
Do you see any products here that you love? Is there anything you love that you think I should pick up this year? Did you get anything awesome with your Christmas gift cards? Tell me in the comments below!
Purchased; All opinions are my own
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