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I did a Sephora recently and picked up some of the new popular launches. I shared the shopping haul on reels and today I have everything swatched! I have some hits and some misses.
Skincare + Fragrance
I just ran out of the Instant Foaming Cleanser ($30) which is a nice gentle formula, but instead of restocking this one (it was a little too gentle for me) I decided to pick up the new Vinoperfect Brightening Daily AHA Micropeel ($38). It’s like a foaming cleanser but you apply on dry skin, massage in for 30 seconds and rinse. It’s one of the most gentle peels I’ve used and it really does work. I like it better than other acid treatments or powder exfoliating cleansers because it doesn’t burn and there’s no harsh texture. The description says it’s gentle enough to use daily but since it’s summer and I’m exposed to more sun I use it 1 to 2x per week.
You girls know I’m a huge fan of cleansing balms. I love the ones from Farmacy Beauty and they launched a limited-edition Honey Vanilla Cleansing Balm ($36) and it smells incredible. The fragrance in their limited-edition balms do not irritate my skin, if you need something that has no fragrance I recommend the Elemis Pro-Collagen NAKED Cleansing Balm.
I restocked the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector SPF 60 ($50) as it’s my favorite body sunscreen. It’s the best longest lasting that will hold up the best in water or with sweat. I reapply when I’m outdoors and it’s easy to reapply without it pilling. I also really like the Ultimate Sun Protector BodySpray with SPF 40 ($38), but find myself reaching for the lotion more.
I’ve seen a lot of raves about the Valentino fragrances so I picked up the Donna Born in Roma Travel Set ($90). All three are very strong and potent if you’re looking for a good date night scent that will last. I like the Born in Roma the best which is a sparkling floral with blackcurrant, jasmin and bourbon vanilla. I don’t know that I love any of them enough to buy the full size, but it’s a fun one to try.
Lip Haul
I hauled quite a few lip products and I have some hits and some misses. I’ll start with the hits. I love the Armani Prisma Glass ($38) shades in Amber Shine 06 (brown) and Nude Glow 07 (nude). I still think they could have given us more product and a better applicator for the price but I love the color and shine.
The Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oils ($28) are hits for me, but do note the scents are very strong. I bought two of the shimmers. Watermelon Sugar is a pink shimmer but it’s pretty much clear on the lips. Coconut Frost is a sweet coconut scented color with pearly white shimmer. The Coconut one shows up better on my lips and give them a clearish pearly shimmer. They feel nicely hydrating without being too thick.
Misses for me include the Gucci Liquid Lipstick ($47) and Kosas Hotliners ($22). I love the colors of the Gucci Liquid Lipstick but I’m giving it a solid miss because it’s definitely not transfer proof as the name says and it does not last super long. They are more like a whipped velvet liquid lipstick but they go on a little patchy and require a lot of blending.
I bought 3 of the Kosas Hotliners ($22) with high hopes they improved the formula and removed the crayon smell from them. I picked up a few from Sephora, but FYI Kosas is having 20% off sitewide for their summer sale (no code needed). They no longer smell like rancid crayons, but the colors aren’t as good as I hoped. But do note I have pigmented lips and a lot of neutrals simply don’t show up on me.
Formula is not a smooth gliding formula which isn’t a deal breaker, but they tug a little. The upside of this is it makes it long wearing but it ends up looking a little dry on my lips and I’m just not really impressed. I like the concept and the neutrals look SO pretty. They’re just not for me.
I’m undecided about the Ilia Lip Sketch Lip Liner Crayons ($26). The colors are beautiful. Formula is long wearing with a soft matte finish but they look dry on my lips. They’re described as “hydrating, moisturizing and plumping” and I didn’t see any of these with the wear. I don’t think they’re necessarily drying but they look dry with the matte finish and I definitely did not feel any hydration. I like the look when topped these with a clear gloss and balm, but formula is not something I’m in love with. I also think they could have included a sharpener since these are chubby sticks that aren’t going to fit into a standard sized pencil sharpener.
Bronzer Picks
I hauled three in this shopping trip and I regret buying two of them. The Gucci Beauty Bronzer in Shade 3 is a hit. I repurchased this and love the color and soft texture.
I picked up the Kosas Sun Show Bronzer in Beachy which is the second lightest shade in the lineup. It appears they reformulated or repackaged these from the original launch. On the hand and arm these swatch BEAUTIFULLY! The glow is finely milled and super soft which makes me want to wear it all over my body. On the face the shade is a little too dark, a little too warm and oxidizes/darkens. I think the glow is a little too harsh. I could fix this simply by using less but even a light brush tap picks up a lot of product.
Saie is a brand that gets so much love, but it’s one I just can’t really get into. I think they have a few good staples, but the ones that go viral aren’t for me. I picked up the Dew Bronze ($25) in Swim which is not neutral or light-medium on me at all. It’s very warm and orangey looking. Finish is very dewy and just sits on top of the skin. Packaging does not look or feel good. I swatched it next to the Sun Melt Bronzers which are also highly rated. I cannot get consistent results with these. Sometimes it looks amazing on the skin, but most of the time it pulls off all my foundation/powder once applied and blended.
Wearing the Prisma Glass 06 below with each bronzer look
NARS Talc-Free Blushes
NARS reformulated their blush into a Talc-Free Powder Blush formula and to me they perform just as well as the original. I don’t still own all the blush shades in the original, but they did change the colors with the new formula.
Below wearing the new NARS Orgasm Blush, lips are the Afterglow Sensual Shine and Lip Gloss both in Orgasm
The new Talc-Free Orgasm shade no longer has that beautiful peachy pink base undertone and it’s now just a straight peach gold shimmer. I consider the shade now ruined, although at this point I think pretty much everyone must have owned in a palette or individual form there’s a chance you still have the older formula/color. I swatched 2 different Orgasm blushes from different years just to make sure. Thrill is now deeper and brighter although on my face they end up look really similar. If you like the idea of a peachy pink blush but don’t want shimmer, Orgasm Edge is a matte version which is really nice.
Kosas Blush is Life
I’ve saved the best for last which is the Kosas Blush Is Life Baked Talc-Free-Dimensional Brightening Blush ($29 each) and these surprised me. TikTok influenced me to buy these and based on the fact that I’ve found Kosas products to be a strong hit or a strong miss, I didn’t know what to expect. The first shade I tried Butterflies was a little disappointing for me mainly because the color payoff wasn’t anywhere near what I expected from what I saw in the pan. It’s a sheer baby pink with a brightening effect, more like a highlighter than a blush. I think this shade would be better as a topper for me, but if you have fair or light skin I think you’ll probably love this color.
I almost didn’t try the others and was going to give them away but I’m glad I gave the other shades a chance because they are PURE LOVE. Dreamland is a lighter color on me, almost like a highlighter glow. I love the peachy tones in Blissed and Thrill. Hype is also a really pretty pink coral.
A number of people have said they’re just like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes but I disagree. There are similarities in the marbled swirling and glow factor, but the Hourglass has a much better texture and better quality when you compare them and touch them side by side. That being said I think the Kosas blushes are really good. They’re glowy but not as glowy as the Rare Beauty Powder Blushes.
Below wearing: Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 6.5, Givenchy Prisme Libre Shade 3, Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Palette, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown, Top is from Reformation (wearing a Medium) and nails are OPI Over-Slay Your Welcome
Butterflies Blush + Malibu Wet Lip Oil
Dreamland Blush + Unhooked Wet Lip Oil
Blissed Blush + Papaya Wet Stick
Thrill Blush + Papaya Wet Stick + Dip Lip Oil on top
Hype Blush + Revealed Wet Lip Oil
That wraps up my Sephora haul! I hope you found this helpful! If you’ve tried any of the things I hauled, would love to hear your thoughts. Especially if my misses worked for you, let me know how you’re using them.
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