Sephora Double Points Haul

Sephora had a promotion a couple weeks ago where Beauty Insiders could get double points, VIBs triple points and VIBRouge quadruple points for anything bought/ordered. I couldn't pass this up so I just bought a few things, including the Becca Beach Tint I've been eyeing forever!

People were saying the color wasn't listed anywhere. They must have changed the packaging.

The tube is VERY tiny, but trust me when I say you don't need a lot.

Seriously, this is enough for both cheeks! Super pigmented!

Becca Beach Tint is a lip and cheek product. I guess they call it a stain, and it is supposed to be waterproof, but I don't think it lasts as long as I'd hoped. I think Dragonfruit is their most popular color, so I figured I would go with that. It's a great shade. The texture of the product feels more like a primer than a cream blush, sort of silky. If you looked at all the pictures, you can see that you really only need to use the tiniest dot of product for a lot of color. I usually spread it out over my cheeks with a stipple brush just because I have a problem spreading cream blush out evenly with my fingers. I really like it on my lips too. It's a soft color and texture but doesn't really wear like a stain. I am glad I finally bought it and am excited to actually try it at the beach!


Then I bought a 'travel size' of Tarte's BB Tinted Primer. I looked at this while I was out buying my Benefit Big Easy BB Cream and decided if I was buying the one, I didn't need to also buy the other. I'm a little sad I waited because this stuff is awesome!

I really like the idea of a tinted primer, instead of just another BB cream, though they still had to put the "BB" in front of this. Sometimes I want to have a primer if I know the weather will be gross, but my skin is uneven, and my powder just doesn't always fix that. This feels like other primers, in that it's sort of silky, but has a nice light coverage to even out skin. I bought the color "Light" but I almost think I could've mixed the light and the medium for my summer skin. This primer works really well on my oily skin and seems to last all day.

Also, a 1oz tube of this stuff is $35, but this 0.5oz travel size was $10. You can do the math on that one...


I cashed in 100 points to get this sample-sized Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain. It came in the color Red Essence, which I would not have picked for myself but I'm glad I got it.

The shape of the tube is very unique and easy to find in a bag. It comes with a doe-foot applicator and as you can see, it's very pigmented! I don't often wear a red lip, but it's nice to have such a deep stain when I want to! I wore this out one night to a comedy club and it lasted through a beer, some fries, laughing and chatting, and a margarita after. And I'm pretty sure there was still some color on my lips when I woke up the next morning. I had to go out and buy a more "everyday" color. Review on that here.


I was also able to get a promotional item, so I chose a sample of Sephora's Color Reveal Lip Balm.

This is just like those "mood" lipsticks from back in the day... yes I had them too. It contains a dye that reacts to moisture and turns pink. It's supposed to turn into a perfect shade for each person, and I don't know if that's true, but I loved the color it turned on me. Just a nice soft pink. The texture of the balm is really nice and moisturizing, and the smell is amazing! Some people may not like it but I love it. It's supposed to be a honey flavor but I get a bit of vanilla too. I will probably buy the full size when I'm all done with my sample :)


And of course I got 3 samples with my online order:

Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream

Amazing Cosmetics Concealer

They didn't have one of the samples I wanted so I got sent this one instead: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black and Nirvana White fragrances.

Benefit Sale Haul

Benefit had a big sale on their website a couple weeks ago (I'm a little behind on posting) where some things were 50% off and I had to take advantage! I ended up finding 3 things I really wanted, plus I tried to limit myself since I just started working again. Here's what I got!

Posiepal: Benefit took their Posietint and put it with their California Kissin' lip gloss for a nice travel duo. I've been wanting to try another one of their tints for a while, so this seemed perfect. The website also says that it's a limited edition product. I don't remember how much it was originally ($24 maybe?) but I got it for $16.

Immediately after application. You can see the blue in the lipgloss.

After wiping off the Posietint. Nice stain!

The Posietint has a nice pink finish, more than I thought I would like, but it has definitely grown on me. I don't feel like it shows up very well on my cheeks and that I need to put a few layers on to get the color I want. I do, however, really like it on my lips. I haven't worn a pink like this before. It does seem to wear away oddly in the middle of my mouth, like it gets whiter? It's hard to describe.
The California Kissin' is a slightly blue tinted lip gloss that is supposed to make your teeth look whiter. I think the blue is just in little shimmery specks and is definitely clear when you put it on. I think it also enhances the color of the Posietint a lot too. Very happy with this purchase :)


Next I got two creaseless cream shadows. I got a sample size of a brownish color and I love it and have been wanting to buy more. They retail for $20 but I got these half off! They were selling the old packaging so the colors were limited. I wish I would've had the money to buy all 5 or 6 they had but I just couldn't do it, so I went with the basic colors: gunmetal gray and white gold.

"Strut" is the gunmetal gray color I chose. You can see the old packaging was darker but had a cute card with a picture and a saying on the back. This is a nice darker color with lots of shimmer, which I love. The formula doesn't seem to be any different than the sample I got, meaning it still wears all day with no creasing!

Then I got "Tattle Tale" which is a nice bright white gold. I have a color like this from a different company but that product is definitely not creaseless. I love the color but was always frustrated with it. Benefit's color leans more white than gold, but does have that warmth to it. I've been wearing a lot of plain sparkly whites and golds lately so I couldn't pass this up! It's also a perfect base for any other color you want to wear.


With any order from benefitcosmetics.com, you get 2 free samples. They only have a selection of a few different ones to choose from that change all the time. The two I chose were the Total Moisture Facial Cream because I had never tried it, and the Agent Zero Shine finishing powder because I love it so much!

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

I had never heard of cleansing balms before my Birchbox this month. I received a sample of Cailyn Dizzolv'it Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm and I loved it! I've been using makeup wipes for years now and it wasn't until this past year that I realized how much makeup was left behind. I started using an astringent after the wipe and the cotton pads just kept coming away with more makeup. When I tried the Cailyn balm sample, there was nothing left on my face. I really want to buy a full size of it, but it's $36 for 100ml on the Birchbox website and I have to wait for shipping... blah blah blah... So I checked out my other options. I found this Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm on the Sephora website for $28.50 for 125ml so I figured I would give it a try, since I was going to Sephora that weekend anyway.

The product comes in a large squat container that is a lovely shade of purple with a silver cover. The original texture of it is very stiff, some people have said it looks like lard. I think it reminds me of a solid coconut oil, but at the point that you can still scoop it out with your fingers. The first time I used it, I used a spatula that I have. Some people prefer this because of possible contamination, etc... I am not one of those people. It's much quicker for me to just dig in with my fingers. I wash my hands before touching it anyway. There is no scent with this product whatsoever. That may make this a better product for some people than the Cailyn balm with a very distinct (though, amazing!) scent.

This balm should be applied with dry hands to a dry face. The thick product will melt into an oil to rub into your skin. Wait! An Oil?! On my Oily face?! ... Yes. Don't be afraid. The oil takes off all the makeup then rinses completely off your skin. If you want, you can follow it with a toner or other cleanser. What I do is take some out of the container, about the size of a quarter, then rub it between my hands to spread it out - not so much that it's a liquid, just to get onto my fingertips, then rub all over my face. This is a great time to give yourself a facial massage. It's safe to use around eyes and works wonderfully at getting all of your eyeliner and mascara off, though it does make a mess. Sometimes I will use a different cleanser to take off most of my eye makeup first (if I'm wearing a lot) then let the balm get the rest of it. Then rinse my face with warm water and pat dry. I usually follow it with a quick swipe of witch hazel on a cotton pad, just to make sure the oil is gone, then my night moisturizer. It's actually a lot faster than what I was doing.

I am officially a cleansing balm convert now. I used to not want to take the time to put my hair back, get my face wet, etc... but it just works so much better taking off all my makeup that I take the time now. This is a really gentle product that is available everywhere, since it's Clinique. This will be very easy to travel with too, since I can just put some in a smaller container to take with me.

Beauty Blender Micro Minis!

These little cuties caught my eye when I was browsing the Sephora app on my phone and I saw the "What's New" section. I knew I was going there that weekend so I had to put them on my list.

I bought the original Beauty Blender a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I had bought some dupes, but they were nowhere near as soft and squishy as the real thing. I don't really wear liquid foundation, so I mostly just used it for concealer. So when I saw these little blenders, I knew I had to try them!

I should mention, that when I went into my Sephora, I had to ask someone about them because they weren't with the Beauty Blender display. I had another question about becoming a VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider... meaning, I've spent way too much money at Sephora this year :P) that trip and a promo that I had seen online. She told me the promo was over, then I asked about these. She said that they weren't actually released yet but they did have some in the back and could go get me one. I had seen online that, at first, they were only for VIBs to add to their cart so I'm guessing since I had told her I was becoming one that day, she made a special exception.

Dry vs Wet size

Wet Micro Mini vs Wet Original BB

Each container comes with two Micro Minis and they are held in place with a piece of plastic shaped like a Z in the round container. This little piece of plastic is great because you can still set the Micro Minis on top to air dry if you choose. They only come in lime green, but they just get covered in makeup anyway, so I don't care about the color. I didn't do a comparison between dry Original Beauty Blender and dry Micro Mini because I had just washed my Original before going out shopping so it was still a bit wet. (I also used the card from my Ipsy bag because they was the closest thing I had for them to rest on. I didn't want to put them right on the countertop, so please excuse the weird background.)

The Micro Minis are very small. You can see the size of my fingers holding it, and my ring size is only a size 6, so that should tell you something. I will admit, I dropped it into the sink the first time I used it. After it almost slipped the next day, I started to realize that it was almost like there was a bit of a coating on it? When I got it wet, it seemed to be a little more slippery than my Original. I finished putting on my makeup, then cleaned the Micro Mini with my solid Beauty Cleanser (amazing cleanser for sponges and brushes BTW). The next day when I got it wet again, it didn't seem as slippery and I haven't had a problem since. Some people have said that it removes more makeup while you're smoothing it out than the Original does. I haven't noticed that. They are made from the exact same material so I don't see how that could be an issue.

It's funny, because now I pretty much only use my Micro Minis... and really just one of them so far. I have been using BB creams and tinted moisturizers more, which I use my fingers to apply, so I've been using the Original just to smooth out the edges of my face and around my eyebrows so it doesn't look too streaky. The Micro Minis are perfect for concealer and highlighters. I also think it will be great for traveling - I just have to figure out something smaller to keep it in.

Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain

As I posted in another blog, I got the Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain in Red Essence as a 100 point Beauty Insider perk. I really liked the texture and lasting power so I had to go buy a more everyday color. This review is for both.

The sample size is the smaller top tube, and the full size ($14) is the bottom one. They have a very unique test tube-like package with the color on the top of the cap.

My sample was in the color Red Essence. It is a very pigmented red, leaning blue. The top picture shows how the color is stuck on the top of the lid. In the picture below that, you can see that it does have a wand with a doe-foot applicator. The top swatch is immediately after I drew it on. You can see how glossy it is right away. The picture below that shows the stain left behind (on the right side) when I immediately wiped it away. The stain is a little bit more intense if you wait longer before wiping it off, and also if you layer the product.

I wore this out to watch my friend do her first stand-up routine. I had a drink and some fries at the comedy club, then went out for another drink and chatting after. I did notice the inside of my lips were starting to wear away, but not as noticeable as you'd think. I went home about 5 hours later and my lips were still very red. Very impressed.

With this color, I recommend you think of it as the stain that it is, not as a gloss. Put on a very thin layer and let dry, or pat it out with your finger to thin it out. Then apply another coat if you really want to. People have complained about it flaking off in chunks, and I think that's because they apply it too thick, like a gloss. I had no problems with flaking. Just the normal wearing away of eating.

The full size color I bought was Coral Extract (you can't really read the name). It looks to be almost the same color as my natural lips, which is why I bought it. After wearing it for a day, it did seem to turn a bit darker as I wore it, which was fine. It definitely leans more pink than orangey for a 'coral' color.

I didn't get as long of a wear time out of this color, but I've read that with this product the lighter colors don't last as long. That's ok. I can still probably get a good 3 hours out of this (with eating and drinking) before it starts to fade, but there will still be color there. This lighter shade is definitely easier to apply too. I don't feel like I have to be quite as careful as I do with the red.

These colors also have a slight scent to them that I can't quite place. I think it's more fruity than chemical, but it seems to go away as soon as it's fully dry. They are not sticky- as long as you remember my "it's a stain, not a gloss" statement. As a "gloss" it would take forever to dry.

There are 12 colors total, from a nude brownish pink, to the bright red, to an orange, to a deep plum. For $14, I think these are definitely worth a try if you like stains.

Birchbox August 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Lighten Up

This month Birchbox did something new and started adding fun adjectives to the shipping labels. Some girls have said they've gotten "The Dazzling" "The Awesome" "The Brilliant"... I like mine. I never would expect anyone to call me Vivacious, which makes it even better I think.

I love this box. I've been a little underwhelmed lately. Not angry or anything about my samples, I just saw some other samples that people got that I would've liked better, but this box is awesome! I'll tell you right now: the amika, the Cailyn and the Harvey Prince products all smell amazing!

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo: ($21 for 5.3 oz) Whatever "Sea Buckthorn Berry" is... it smells so good! I have a couple bottles of dry shampoo that I need to get through, which has been tough because I just got the Klorane last month but this is definitely something I will consider buying.

Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow: ($27 for 1.6 oz) The color seems a little dark, and I don't especially like to "glow": oily skin + glow = mess. But I really enjoyed my Marcelle Serum last month. I tried it over the weekend and I think it worked pretty well. It has a nice color and finish - I always put a powder over - and didn't seem to break me out. This also doesn't have any SPF like the other BB creams I have, so that's a pretty big 'con'. I won't be buying a full size, but I love having travel sizes of this stuff for when I do go away for the weekend.

Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream: ($26 for 12 oz) I'm usually not a fan of pink grapefruit scents but somehow mixed with the vanilla, it smells really nice. This is the 3rd Harvey Prince product Birchbox has sent me and I love it! I haven't used it enough to attest to the moisturizing power, but really... it has shea butter. It can't not be good :)

Cailyn Cosmetics Dizzolv'It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm: ($36 for 100ml) I have to tell you, this is the best smelling makeup remover I've ever had. It says it uses papaya enzymes so maybe that's the smell? Not sure but I love it! It looks like a lip balm in the container, but you're supposed to scoop out a quarter sized amount to rub on your face. Then it turns into an oil and all of your makeup is swept up in the oil to be washed away. What? Oil on your face?! Yes. I have oily skin and this didn't scare me, because you wash it off. It also claims to be moisturizing too. Maybe it is, but the first time I used it, I used a different cleanser after to make sure all the oil was gone so any moisture was gone too. I always moisturize after I wash my face anyway because it gets dry and tight. I will be buying the full size, but maybe not right this moment. I'm waiting for a good Birchbox promo to come along... but I'm officially a cleansing balm convert.

theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen: ($17 for 0.3 fl oz) This is the sample I got to choose this month. I've been wanting to try the Stainiac since I started getting my Birchbox, and almost bought it a couple times but never pulled the trigger. I'm so glad I got to try it now! The formula is more gel-like than other stains (you can see the little peak of product on the wand) so it all stays together. The top swatch is right after applying (in dim bedroom lighting. I was just so excited I had to try it right away) and the next picture is after I wiped it off maybe 5 minutes later. There is a definite stain. I really like it for my cheeks. It's very buildable and at first I didn't put enough on. I figured a few dots would be good enough but I wanted a little more color. I think I could probably wipe it on my cheeks in a line and blend out for the right amount. As for lips, it doesn't apply very evenly. I had to blend and add more to get the right color and "sameness" throughout. It did seem a little drying, so I put a lip gloss over it. After eating a granola bar and drinking some juice on my commute, I think it stayed put. It was later when I was about to eat something else that I was biting at my dry lips and wiping the gloss off that it all came off. There was a faint line of color still around the edges of my lips, but that was easily fixed with a bit of tinted moisturizer. I will try it on my lips again with just some lip balm on top. Overall, I love it because it is so easy to travel with and I just love stains!

Ipsy Glam Bag August 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Beauty Schooled

School is back in session (I can tell... LA traffic has gotten much worse! :p) so the theme this month is Beauty Schooled. I dunno... I don't think the items ever really fit in with the theme, just the bag. Speaking of...

I didn't think I would like this bag when I was seeing people's pictures online, but I really do. The problem with the rectangular ipsy bags that we've been getting, is that they're too small to actually be a makeup bag for me. They've all been flat and smaller. Since this one is round, it can hold a lot more products, and it's longer than the usual bags, which means mascara and eyeliners fit better. Yay! The only thing I don't like about this bag is that it kind of smells like a pool raft... that synthetic plastic smell. At least it seems waterproof then right?

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: I was so excited to get this product! Everyone got either this or a purple eyeliner, and I'm allergic to all the purple eyeliners I've used lately. I really like this formula. I don't think it's quite "Bigger. Blacker. Badder." or whatever their tagline is, but it's nice. The brush is nice and fluffy and the formula is thick, but not clumpy. It's good enough for now, but I don't think I'll be buying the full size.

Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner in Mandarin Green Orange Ginger: Very smooth and moisturizing. Interesting flavor that I actually really like. Orange ginger is not something I expected on my lips, but I like ginger. I have so many lip conditioners though! Guess I'll just have to put this into rotation.

J. Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eye Shadow in Half Naked: I love pale shimmery eyeshadow. And this is no exception. It looks more orange in the pot but is a very nice shimmer, almost highlight, color. The design of the package is really cool too. They've put an applicator underneath the color with a small mirror for ease when traveling. The mirror is too small to work really well, and the plastic hinge is very cheap, but they're thinking and I like that.

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner: This is actually a duplicate from a previous Birchbox. I did like it, but I hardly use primers anymore since I finally found a couple BB creams that work for me. I might have to revisit it for days when I just want to use powder.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: This is also a duplicate item from Birchbox, from last month actually! But I guess you can never have too many dry shampoos. Especially because I just read a beauty hack that says you can spray your feet with dry shampoo before wearing flats and they'll stay dry! I don't know how well that works, but we'll see when I decide to stop wearing sandals.