SEPHORA PLAY BOX AUGUST 2018

SEPHORA PLAY BOX

AUGUST 2018

This month got me very excited because the play bag was featuring more of the popular brands such as ABH, Benefit and MUFE. There are no perfume samples this month but there are a total of 6 products. Recently i realised that the sephora app doesn’t let us check on the box numbers anymore and that makes it hard to know what the spoilers are for your box. I hope someone on reddit figures it out soon!

Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel.

This brow gel is clear and helps to comb and seal  those eyebrows into place. What I usually do is that i would paint on my brows with my KVD brow pomade and then brush through with the ABH gel to keep the pomade from fading (not that this brilliant product isn’t waterproof already). I also apply the gel so that it creates an illusion of a thicker mane because when combed upwards it helps make it look fuller. A very handy tool for a thicker look. This product is something that I would definitely replace with a full version once it’s run out. 

Benefit Hoola bronzer.

This travel size classic gem is a must have for all beauty lovers. The bronzer has a universal warm brown tone that suits mostly everyone. Altho if you are darker it is able to built up in shade. The packaging for the travel size is handy and of course reusable with a plastic case. At least its not one of the transparent cases that cant close properly once opened. The bronzer lasts 5-6hours without much fading, i only experienced slight fading on the nose bridge contour.

Make Up For Ever Artist rouge creme lipstick in Rose wood C211.

A timeless classic nude pink shade from MUFE, this shade comes in the liquid and the cream bullet lipstick version. Thanks to the subscriptions that im signed up on, I’ve received the liquid version in another box too. Both versions are quite close but of course the liquid version tends to oxidise darker. 

Origins original skin, retexturizing mask with rose clay.

Very similar to most clay masks, this masks applies from cream and then dries on the face absorbing all the oils and impurities. The clay mask is in pink and dries down to a powdery effect. I love masks that gets crackly and dry after a while as it shows that it is working well to absorb the oils. And the best part is that after washing up, its not drying to the face and instead it moisturizes the skin underneath. 

Living Proof T.B.D multi tasking styler.

This hair styling cream has heat protecting elements and can be used on damp or dry hair.

It is also missing the ingredient silicone hence doesn’t damage hair easily even when using the hairdryer or straightener. Its also safe and formulated for colour and chemically treated hair. I don’t really blowdry or use the curler/straightener much, so i usually apply the cream and then air dry. It helps to tame the frizzy ends i have that always twists and turns in different directions. 

OUAI Volume shampoo & conditioner.

This is in a one time use pack that is great for bringing along to overnight stays so that you can toss them out after, without taking up much room in the bag. The haircare series has a variety of targeted groups and this is the Volume range. There is a unique smart technology complex that replenishes moisture and lift strands for more volume. After one wash i felt squeaky clean overall but i think it wasn’t enough to see an immediate effect. The shampoo does smell good tho. 

I like that this month’s box is filled up to 6 deluxe sized items. It really does make up for what you pay and considering the fact that the rest of the items aside from the shampoo and conditioner will last quite a while and isnt just a one time use, its a good bag this month. 

BOXYCHARM 🍬 AUGUST 2018 🍬

BOXYCHARM 🍬 AUGUST 2018 🍬

In the August Boxycharm there is a little bit of twist from the usual palettes received. This month the box contains something new like the lashes. Altho i read the other spoilers saying that there is a variation of a Becca primer instead of the lashes. And also there is a variation in the lip product and shades. So these are the box contents:

Adesse New york Sweet almond cuticle oil.

This cuticle oil promises age defying technology and has organic infused ingredients. Surprisingly there is a sweet almond scent coming from the oil but its very subtle. This is great to use if you have dry hands and dehydrated nails from constant nail polish use and also constant use of acetone (nail polish remover). Due to the high alcohol content it tends to dry out the nails which in turn becomes brittle and no longer strong. 

I usually apply on hands and legs and then let it sit around for 15minutes so that i know the oil has saturated the cuticles and nails enough. Then i will massage the remaining into my nails instead of wiping the excess away. The after effect it gives is a super soft and strengthened nail bed.

Wander beauty baggage claim gold eye masks.

By now we are all no stranger to Wander beauty, i have a collection of their mascara, lipstick and foundation. But this time it is in the form of a gold eye mask. Eye masks seems to be the new age multi tasking friend for busy on the go people who dont want to lie down for an entire face mask. This type of masks usually claims to remove dark under eye circles and keep the blood circulating well. They also come in gel/patch form and they mostly stick easily without sliding down even when you’re sitting and doing things instead of lying down. 

The Wander beauty gold eye masks are the thinner patch types and they cover just the right size of my under eye. Upon using I instantly compared it to the gel masks that I’ve tried before. While the gel is thick and more obvious in terms of the feel, the patch is the opposite and feels invisible because it is thin and light. It was easy to paste as it was not dripping and sliding with serum hence non messy. The eye mask is white inside and gold on the outside, however its not real gold and i do not have any idea if gold helps to do anything at all to the face. Upon removal, the eye mask leaves a cooling sensation and made my under eyes feel instantly brightened. 

Smashbox Be legendary lipstick in Talk to me (matte).

This is a hot pink fuschia lip colour that never looks good on me. Out if all my lipsticks if there was a colour that i would never ever wear would be a hot pink simply because I’m not a fan of bright pinks. Red and nudes and terracotas are good. But never pinks. For that I’m passing this lipstick to my mom. Its a very momsy colour.

Bang beauty gel liner.

This product was a dud for most boxy babes, I received this with the cal unscrewed and thank god that it’s gel instead of liquid which would totally ruin the whole box. And when swatched it was very dried out. I manage to get some colour out but it was not smooth like the pretty vulgar gel ink liner. I wouldn’t be able to swatch it on my eyes let alone on my brows. 

House of lashes Bambie lash.

I am a complete noob when it comes to false lashes because i had a bad experience in application on my wedding day (stacked lashes are super uncomfortable) I couldn’t flap my eyes properly and because of that i had a total aversion to falsies. Only this year have i tried experimenting with the lighter ones like the tarte lashes and those are amazing and feels invisible on the eye. This Bambie lashes seems to be thicker and longer in clusters so i am abit scared to try. 

Overall this box was so-so for me because i rally didnt like the brown dried gel liner and also the colour of the lipstick. The nail oil and the eye mask were great. So that made half of the box good. I wish there was a palette instead. 

IPSY GLAM BAG 🛸 OCTOBER 2018 🛸

IPSY GLAM BAG 

🛸 OCTOBER 2018 🛸 

Welcome to October 2018 ipsy bag, this year i realised that the ipsy team did not center so much on halloween compared to last year witch had a vampy red bag and a spooky quote card (i got that quote pasted on my walls). My bag seems to have a sparkly cosmic space theme going on tho and so is the card with a #ipsyafterdark handle. So lets venture into the blackhole for this month’s goodies!

Tarte Shape tape concealer in Light sand.

Finally i get my hands on a sample of this! It is so hard to find in my country as it is not yet stocked in Sephora stores. Light sand suits my skin tone fine when i did a test swatch on my cheeks which is amazing because theres basically billions of different shades (like the stars in the sky) and this shade managed to match me albeit it is slightly lighter than my Colourpop’s no filter concealer in shade light 18.

On the face (under eyes, nose bridge, forehead, chin & random pimple spots), it performed well for about 5 hours and covers dark circles too. There is slight creasing on areas like my forehead (because i have lines). Application wise, the concealer dries down quite fast however i am still able to blend out nicely with a sponge without leaving patches across the face. 

Space case cosmetics blush in Cosmic gangster.

This retails for usd$9 at spacecasecosmetics.com and is described as a light shimmery pink blush. At first i tried applying with my luxie blush brush and thought that it was not that pigmented but then i tried to swatch the shade and i found out that it is actually a cream to powder blusher. Very very similar to colourpop’s super shock blush with the spongy creamy texture that simply turns to powder after application on the cheeks. I loved the soft touch of the blusher and the shade is so good for a light makeup day because its so natural. It lasted about 4 hours wear due to the lighter shade. (P.s. isn’t the UFO 🛸 super cute?!)

Nomad Northern lights eyeshadow in Norrsken no3 Planetary Plum. 

This shadow pot retails for usd$12 and is available at nomadcosmetics.com. I received the shade Norrsken no3 which is a shimmery deep plum inspired by the majestic Northern Lights glowing in the Arctic night sky. I like that the eyeshadow comes in a compact instead of a flimsy cardboard sample. Its so much easier to bring out if you only want to use just one shade. 

This shadow is pigmented on one swipe but due to its darker colour you definitely have to do some layering to get the colour to truly stand out.  Otherwise it tends to look slightly patchy in the middle. 

Here is the swatches for the blusher and the eyeshadow:

SL miss glam L50 Lilac sparkle eye blender.

Yay! I love brushes and my two favourite brush brands would be Sl miss glam and Luxie all thanks to the introduction from Ipsy. This eye blender has a pretty ombre brush and i usually use this type of blender as a highlighter brush because i don’t like using a fan brush. It looks very similar to a pastel brush that i got from the same brand. These brushes do not shed fast either and can last quite long. 

Catherine Malandrino L’energie New york perfume.

Catherine Malandrino is a well known French fashion designer. I have never heard of her because i do not know high end brands. But a simple google search revealed that this perfume retails for usd$130 full size.

The perfume has a fresh citrus scent blended with jasmine and rose. It is not overpowering and does not have a strong floral scent. I’d say it’s rather fresh and sweet. 

Overall this glam bag has a good mixture of product which i love when there is a variety. I like that the bag has something complete for the face like the concealer and blusher. And that the eyeshadow and blender can be used together. The perfume is a sweet extra to tie everything together.

ALLURE BEAUTY BOX ✨ AUGUST 2018 ✨

ALLURE BEAUTY BOX 

✨ AUGUST 2018 ✨

This month i got a little surprise when I opened my beauty box, because the contents of the box were all covered in shampoo and conditioner goop, im not entirely sure which bottle the spillage came from. But it left a sticky gunk on the booklet and the shredded papers. Safe to say, i had to toss out all the paper packagings and the booklet too and wash off the bottles.

First order of business would be saying that this is the first time i have ever encountered a spillage in my box and i hope there wont be anymore in the future boxes. Perhaps the bottles could be cling wrapped first before packed in a loose box. Hence, lets start with the products guilty of soaping up my box.

Nexxus Keraphix damage healing shampoo & conditioner duo.

As usual, a shampoo and conditioner duo is always expected to be used together in order to receive maximum impact on the hair. These are two generous bottle sizes, even after the spillage. 

The shampoo has a very strong perfume fragrance while the conditioner is slightly subtle. They genuinely made my overall hair smell nicer and softer. Especially for someone who dyes and bleaches their hair often, a heavy duty product like this is wonderful. 

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet.

Caudelie is one of the brands that I’m glad to have discovered from beauty boxes. I’m the type of person who don’t venture out often for skincare as compared to makeup products so I’m excited if a skincare brand turns out to be good for my skin and doesn’t break me out. 

This moisturising sorbet is great for combination skin, its not a heavy cream that sits on top of your face. Its lightweight, non oily and easily sinks in the skin. It is packed with grape water that delivers intense nutrients to the skin and increases hydration. 

Suggested use is morning and evenings so i usually apply after my toner, and before my makeup routine if I have to head out to work. It always helps to give a smooth canvas for makeup application. 

Laneige lip sleeping mask.

I would consider this as one of Laneige’s most highly raved products because it shows immediate results after usage. The sample size is quite generous and i still have alot of product in the small tub that will last me for months. The balm easily melts upon heat contact so as you rub it on the lips it melts in. Best thing about this is that it repairs your lips during the night where there is minimal use of the mouth (except snoring).

I have also seen this lip sleeping masks come in other flavours as well, mine is the normal pink version. Immediately after applying i find the formula very hydrating and because i love wearing matte liquid lipsticks, this type of balms are lifesavers to crusty dry lips. I might consider to get the full size in a different flavour once this runs out. 

Eyeko skinny eyeliner.

Counting this piece in, i now have 3 of this liquid liners from eyeko. As much as i love liquid pen liners more than pencil liners, I’m not excited of receiving more than once of the same brand and product from a beauty box. I recalled that allure has already given me this product in a previous box which was the month of March 2018. And i got one more from Ipsy Glam bag in May 2018.

The packaging seems to be a little bit different but upon comparing both pen tips and swatches, i think they are the same item. Perhaps eyeko has updated the packaging. 

Nevertheless this is a really good eyeliner pen, i now have one for home, one for my beauty bag on the go and one stored at my workplace as back up.

Laritzy highlighter stick in Halo.

To be honest i am not good at applying sticks or cream versions of contour/highlight/blush because I always tend to swipe away the makeup already underneath. (Or at least i have a fear of doing that accidentally and having to redo my base again when I’m already pressed for time!!) 

Anyways, Halo is a creamy golden highlight, complements all skin tone. As for myself i tend to steer away from gold hues because I prefer a white or pinkish highlight instead. 

The highlighter swatches quite well on the hand swatch and is also easily blended out for a sheerer look. 

August box is a something new and something old box for me. I hate that the shampoo got mucked up because the lid wasn’t screwed on properly (would’ve been an entirely diff thing if the bottle broke or something due to mishandling). And also the liner was already something that allure has sampled. I only really liked the Caudalie sorbet and the Laneige lip sleeping mask. The highlighter wasn’t a hit for me either. 

IPSY GLAM BAG 🍯 AUGUST 2018 🍯

IPSY GLAM BAG

🍯 AUGUST 2018 🍯

The August Ipsy bag is a bright orange honey bag with a cute little yellow tassel at the zipper. Ive got five products inside mostly leaning towards the warm shades as we are gearing on for the Fall season. And the motto of the month is, Confidence level: Selfie with no filter.

Hikari eyeshadow in Fierce

It has been awhile since I received any products from Hikari, I used to receive a lot of their lip products from another previous subscription bag. I think it’s a good move for Hikari to tone down on the all out products in subscription bags to give consumers some food for thought on the actual products. 

Fierce is a bold cranberry red with a satin finish. When swatched, the colour turns abit subdued and appears much more rustic with hints of burgundy in the red. A perfect shade for the creaseline and outer v, or a one shadow look swept across the entire lid. It has a consistency of smooth butter and can easily be blended in without leaving patchy marks, it is very pigmented so a light hand is recommended.

Pixi by Petra blush in Beach rose

I love tearing the plastic safety seal off because it makes me feel like im picking out a fresh product from the factory. Pixi by Petra is a brand well known for their mineral formula. This blusher is in the shade Beach rose and it perfectly named as it is a dusty nude rose shade which is pretty much universal and fits for most skin tone. Because it is on the nude side, the colour stands out more on the cheeks if you apply more layers on top for a longer lasting blush. 

Ciate glow to highlighter in Moondust

In singapore, the sephora stores here don’t stock the makeup section for Ciate, they only carry the nailpolishes. So its super exciting to receive their makeup products like their liquid lips and highlighter. Moondust is a glistening pearlescent pink, with specks of glitter. It is a creamy powder formula. Upon opening the packaging, i noticed that there is a slight dent in my highlighter pan but I’m not too bothered by it. 

This is honestly a really really pretty highlighter shade and it is also very creamy and pigmented. I depotted the pan from the plastic casing and placed it in my ofra magnetic palette, however i do have to stick a magnetic sticker since this pan isn’t magnet. 

Half Caked Lip fondant in Girl crush

This would be my second time receiving this lip fondant from Ipsy, previously i received the shade low key, this time round i got the shade Girl crush, which is a warm tone red. I love the brand image of the donuts and the sweet desserts, even the lip fondants smells like vanilla and cake. I like how this is a full size item and not a mini deluxe size. 

However, this liquid lipstick does dry matte so it does tend to make lips drier. So do prep your lips up with some moisturising balm before applying or add a gloss over to retain the moisture. 

Swatches:

Hey Honey Youth boosting honey & copper peel off mask

Yay for peel off masks!! I really love peel off masks because it gives me the satisfaction of peeling the remains off and watching as each impurities gets sucked out. This mask exfoliates and lifts away impurities and drama from the skin. It has a gel consistency with a shiny copper texture. It looks like i have chocolate spread out on my face when i wear this mask. After 10minutes of wearing the mask, i removed it by slowly peeling off the sides. The most satisfactory part i must say, would be the nose area as that is where my pores are the largest and cluttered. I don’t really see any visible youth boosting results, but i like it as a peel. 

Overall i actually really like this month’s bag because of the fact that it is mostly makeup products inside. I also enjoy the variety and array of different products like blusher, highlighter, lipstick, eyeshadow and skincare provided in the bag. It makes the bag feel complete when there are different types of product included, if only the rest of the bags have similar choices.