Sephora Stores

By now you've noticed that most of the make-up I buy and review comes from Sephora. Yes, I know it's a bit pricey, but there is a reason why I shop there, actually there are several reasons.

Sephora carries a huge array of brands, the brands themselves are of high quality and cost effective when it comes down to weight and how long they last.

For example, take Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliner. It's $17 at Sephora, yikes! But hold on, you may think that's a little pricey, I'm here to tell you that it's worth your money. The liner is so pigmented that you don't need to apply it over and over again to get a nice rich colored line. You end up using less of it, therefore the liner lasts you longer. You also get the color from tip to end. Cent by cent you get more out of your purchase. I've owned my liner for five months I think and I've only sharpened it twice. I've written a review of these liners so be sure to check them out.

Another thing Sephora has is crew members who will help you out. I know that the first time I went there I was lost! Seeing the store for the first time can be overwhelming, there is so much to see and I didn't know where to start. Fortunately one of the girls there approached me and helped me get exactly what I needed, she tried on different products on my face and took her time to help me find what suited and what I liked. That was a such a great experience.

There's more, each and every display of cosmetics has testers. You can go in and play with them. Want to see how a certain lip color looks on you? Go ahead and try it out. There are makeup applicators, sponges, makeup remover and tissues so you can apply everything with peace of mind.

Lastly, Sephora has a great return policy. If you don't like something you can always return it. I recently had a bad experience with a mascara and I had to return it. I hated having to return something but it was $19 and I wasn't going to stay with something that was useless to me. So I went to the store and the girls were so sweet. They took in my return and helped me find a replacement mascara. I ended up buying Urban Decay's big fatty waterproof mascara. It took a long time too, but they were happy to help me out.

So, the bottom line is this. Expensive doesn't always necessarily mean good and cheap doesn't always mean bad. I've found great products from drugstore brands like the E.L.F cosmetics. Not all of their products are great but the ones I've found are amazing and most of them cost you $1 a piece. Wow! So when shopping for makeup I suggest to always do some research, and when it comes to Sephora, if you didn't like a product, you can always take it back.

Sephora stores overall get:

For being such an awesome store!

Covergirl's Outlast Lip Stains

You've seen the commercial right? Drew Barrymore comes out all sassy and sexy and starts modeling or dancing, not sure which. Drew starts talking and keeps dancing, then she says something that catches my attention; "It's never sticky 'cause it's a stain and it won't leave your lips because it's outlast"
Hello! That is so what I'm looking for when it comes to Summer make-up.
As you can already tell, I'm not one to just run to the store and get make-up on a whim. I do my research, and research I did.

I started with the basics, YouTube, facebook, forums and other blogs. They all had mixed reviews and to me that just means that I need to hold off for a little while.
I stayed away for a couple of months, until Walgreens had a sale. Buy one get one 50%. I love BOGO promotions, so I decided that this would be a great time to pick up a couple.

Before we get to the review, here is what Covergirl has to say about it's product:

The water-based colorants of Outlast Lipstain give lips a beautiful, lightweight flush of color that won't come off, lasting for hours without the heavy look or feel of an ordinary lipstick. Its pen-like precision applicator makes it easy to define your lips-just draw on color without any hassle!

This is totally up my alley. I always lick my lips, therefore, anything that I put there tends to disappear after a short while. I already own a lipstain from MAC but if you've ever shopped there you know that trying to get different ones in other colors can get really pricey. These are half the price and when you buy them at sale price they are super affordable. So I picked up the new colors: Teasing blush (415) and Sassy Mauve (420). The names are so cute!
So the packaging is not so nice, it's kind of simple but that's OK. The applicator is cool, it's like a marker so you can very easily line your lips and then fill them in.
Now this will not give you strong color like the ones from MAC's, so you kinda have to build up the intensity. Then again if you're into just a little color this would be perfect for you. For me it doesn't really matter, I usually like to keep it subtle, but I'm totally for applying more if I'm feeling "Sassy!"

So I put these to the test, I applied, let it dry and put a gloss over it. Why a gloss? Well lipstains can be drying so I like to put something on top to keep it moist. Don't want to put a gloss? Put on some lip balm and problem solved.
They staying power is pretty decent. If you don't lick or rub too often then the stain will stay put for a nice amount of time. I also put it to the eating and drinking taste and it did fade a little. So yeah, it's not all that is hyped up to be but it's a nice product nonetheless.

So where does it stand? I give it:

I gave it a four because it does fade a bit after eating, which I can totally live with. Yet, I'm still searching for the perfect lip stain, one that does not budge regardless of what you eat.

Here are the two colors I got:

Teasing blush and Sassy Mauve

You can purchase this product from most drugstores and the price will vary depending on your location. I got mine from Walgreens and it was $8.99 or $13.50 for two plus tax.

Forgot to mention that the stain smells super yummy!

Urban Decay's Big Fatty Waterproof Mascara

Aww, the summer months. Beaches, BBQ's, fun in the sun. Fun until your make-up starts melting that is!

I don't wear makeup everyday, especially in the summer, makeup just doesn't stay in my face too long on a hot sunny day. I doesn't matter if I've only walked a block, I will sweat and we all know what sweat does to makeup. It melts it! Well it doesn't really melt it, but it gets wet and it starts running down your face, plus I have a bad habbit of rubbing my eyes and licking my lips a lot so I have to be picky when it comes to summer makeup.

A great summer pal for me is waterproof mascara. Now I know what you may be thinking, waterproof? It's not like I'm going swimming right? Plus, I have to spend that extra time at night scrubbing it out of my eyelashes before I go to bed. Well that may be, but I sure rather spend that extra time at night than walking around with raccoon eyes during the day.
I was using a very generic waterproof mascara from Avon, and it worked great! Then I ran out. So the search began for a new one. I have my Bare escentuals one but it's not waterproof, altough I must admit that I am in love with it, IN LOVE!
So if you've read my previous posts you'll know that the BADgal one was a total flop. I returned it, thank god for Sephora's great return policy by the way. The girl who handled my return helped me search for another one, we searched and searched and neither one pleased me. I even pulled out my little list of suggestions my lovely gals from the Sephora page in facebook suggested, but they didn't have any of those.

After walking around for what seemed like hours (15 mins.), it finally hit me. What brand is the one I always turn to? Well Urban Decay of course. Well the other girls kind of suggested it first, but let's pretend the genious was all me.
So we went for the big fatty mascara.

To begin, I must say I'm not too fond of the big wand. Well it's called the big fatty for a reason right. Anyway, the packaging is super cute! Yes, I know I shouldn't but I do tend to shop because of how cute makeup looks, sorry not my fault that brands know how to make it look like eye candy. I was scared though, the reviews on Sephora aren't very promising, but I had to give it a try, and as you might guess by my semi-what positive attitude, you might realize that I was glad I tried it.

The mascara is absolutley great! The application was nice and smooth, not dry, not runny, just perfect. The big wand made it easier to coat all my lashes quickly and no transfer anywhere on my lids. It dries pretty quick and it left only a minimal amount of clumping, seriously, I can live with that.

My lashes looked beautiful! Now I can't post a pick of that because I kind of fell asleep before taking a picture, (I know, bad right?) but that just takes me to the other great thing about this. There was no smudging during the long hours that I slept. Super cool!

So, let's get to the good part. I give it:

Why a four? Well to tell you the truth, even though this mascara is great it still does not compare to the one from Avon. I didn't have time to get an Avon rep. or I would have gone to her first, but I don't want to take away from this product. If you're thinking of buying it then I say you're making a good choice. Go play with it and see what you think.

Onto some pictures now:

You can purchase this product from Sephora or Urban Decay and it will cost you $20

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

\Oh the eyeliner. Used for so many things. When we do a smoky eye it is there to add more drama, when we need a little brightener it is there to open up our eyes, and when we want to add to have fun it is there to add a pop of color. Yes, eyeliner can be our best friend but sometimes it's hard to find a good brand that actually works for you. Well, look no more, I have found it. It is Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils.
Urban Decay's 24/7 pencils are the best eyeliners I have ever tried. They are super creamy and apply so smoothly that it usually takes only one swipe to get your desired look. It comes in several colors to compliment almost any type of eye makeup you have on. My favorite part? They're waterproof!

Now you already know what eyeliner is used for (to line your eyes, duh!), so I won't instruct you on what to do here. What I will say though is that this eyeliner is my favorite, it is really so easy to apply, does not tug on your skin and it has long lasting power. Urban Decay says that you can smudge it too. After you apply it you have around 30 seconds to do all your smudging and then it will dry to a very "long-lasting finish that won't budge." Now I haven't done any smudging but I do know that they stay on pretty well. I use it on my waterline so I would know.

The colors they have avaialble are sure to please most gals and guys, there are so many to choose from. As usual UD has given them unique fun names that in my opinion make them more apealling.

So how do I rate these? I give them:

Yes my darlings, these eyeliners deserve five lipglosses for being super efective and cute!

I only own five, four of them that I got from a set called the Hi-fi 24/7 set and it came with a glitter eyeliner and a full size one in Zero (black)
Here is what they look like:

You can purchase these liners from Sephora or Urban Decay and they will cost you $17.
You can also find them in sets or in duos, just check your local store or the websites I've provided. They're totally worth your money.

Benefit's Erase Paste Concealer

If you've read my previous posts you'll know that foundation has never been a makeup essential for me so you would be right if you assumed that concealer wouldn't be either. Yet, in a time where I spent most nights staying up playing video games and sleeping very little in the morning, it's no surprise that when I woke up my face looked like the one of a grumpy zombie. Those awful black bags under my eyes!
So I dragged my boyfriend (and his wallet) to Sephora for some concealer. I was clueless, where would I start. So I did the sensible thing and asked for help. Thankfully the girl who assisted me knew her products and chose this for me. She taught me how to apply it and even applied it on me so that I could test the product out.
I have to say that I was impressed, this stuff really worked on me.
But before I give you my two cents, let's see what their claims are. From Sephora.com:

Benefit Erase Paste is a concentrated, creamy, blendable concealer that instantly brightens and camouflages all-in-one. It has an innovative formula which makes sure signs of stress and fatigue are a thing of the past. These three brightening neutral shades give every gal correction perfection.

I have to say that I completely agree. The formulation is very creamy and blend-able. Now I know other people say that it's too thick and they don't like it, but you have to remember that this is concentrated formula, you only need a little and when I say little I really mean a little.
It comes in this cute little box and when you open it you find three things: the jar with the concealer, a cute little spatula and a little instructions pamphlet. Now I'm not too fond with the spatula but I kept it nonetheless. To apply I use my concealer brush that I got from my bare minerals get started kit. I put a tiny bit in the back of my hand and warm it up a bit with my finger, then I pick a tiny bit with the brush and apply it.

The coverage is kind of nice. It covers really nicely and you have to set it with a powder to prevent melting. The great thing about this is that it has some sort of reflective particles so when you step into the light your under eye area looks brighter and more awake. For girls with glasses like me that is a huge benefit!
It wears nicely too, it's pretty lightweight but please remember to use a little, if you're not sure how much then I suggest starting with less then a drop size and then get a little more if you need to.

The jar is cute too but it's also deceiving. There is very little product in there and the price tag is kind of high so you might be discouraged to try this. Yet, I must insist that it is a great buy and it's not like you're using a lot of it to get the results you want.

All in all I think it's a great product and I give it:

(4 out of 5 lipglosses)

Why four out of five? Well this is my first ever concealer and to be honest I have nothing else to compare it with. I think 4 is completely fair because it has nice coverage but it doesn't completely erase my dark circles, not counting the light reflecting bit of course.

So there it is, now onto the pictures:

You can purchase Erase Paste from Sephora.com and it will cost you $26
I got mine in Medium in case you're wondering.

Coastal Scents 88 Matte Eyeshadow Palette

Hey guys, here I am again with another great find to review for you. This time it's in the form of a much cheaper product.
It is the Coastal Scents 88 Matte Eyeshadow Palette, what a mouthful right? Well I made it a point to give you the full name since there is a couple of other 88 palettes from them, one of them being the shimmery one which looks almost like this but as you can assume, it has shimmer.

Anyway, let's get this review started, shall we?

Over the beginning of my beauty tutorial experience on YouTube, I came across few videos that included this palette. Some of them were reviews and others were tutorials were they would show you the many looks you could create with it. Now, as some of you who are just starting with makeup, you have the precognition that name brand is always better and in some cases you are right, but back then I didn't know that cheap didn't necessarily mean poor quality as in the case of Coastal Scents products.
So I ignored it. Yes, this palette was everywhere, all the beauty channels had at least one video about it, yet I still ignored it. That is until the boyfriend started complaining about his wallet, he mentioned something about going broke I think. So I was on a mission: to find great makeup at great prices. That's when this palette came to mind. I looked it up on the website and it was less than $20, oh emm gee!
I couldn't believe it so I had to do some research.

Turns out that palette was a great buy, the colors are gorgeous to say the least and the pigmentation is pretty nifty, Not only hat, but you get 88 eye shadows to create as many looks as you desire!

I watched video after video educating myself on the matter and once I made the decision to get it I realized I had another problem. Shimmery or matte?
I'm a shimmer all the way gal so you would think that the choice was obvious right? Well not really, you see most of my eyeshadow palettes are already shimmery and although I love to sparkle, I wanted some colors that could help me create a more toned down look. Still, I watched more videos to help me choose and I finally decided to get this one. I figured that I could get the other one later on if I really wanted.

So I placed my order and a week later my order arrived. I was so excited, it was huge! The palette itself was a bit smaller than I expected though, but experience has taught me that isn't always a bad thing. It is super portable, I can put it in my bag and be ready for whatever. Not that I carry makeup palettes wherever I go, but it suits me nicely for when I plan to spend a weekend at my family's house.

So on to the good stuff. The colors are beautiful and vibrant, they are sectioned into bunches, not rows, because some rows contain other colors, you'll see what I mean when you get to the pictures. You have your greens, and your neutrals, golds, purples, blues, blacks and my favorites: pinks! Each eyeshadow circle is about the size of a dime I would say, but they are so pigmented that you only need a little to pack onto your eyelid and blend. This is great for someone who is just starting out with makeup and wants to experiment with color.

So how does it look on your face you may be wondering. Well I used Marlena's video from her YouTube channel Makeupgeektv right here, where she teaches you how to do a smokey eye. Now I'm not talking about the black on black smokey eye, I mean any type of color smokey eye you want to get and since I like pink, that's the color I used. Oh my goodness my darlings, I was so impressed with the colors and how it looked, even my boyfriend who is completely uninterested in makeup thought it looked beautiful. I have to say that this is one of those great buys where you will be completely satisfied.

Now I know this was a long review and I thank you for reading all the way through. Sometimes I like to give the back story behind my purchases and reviews so you can get an idea of what incites me to buy a product.

So what's the verdict? I give it a million lipglosses!! Oh wait, I can only issue five.

(5 out of 5 lipglosses)

I would still give it a million if I could, it is that good!

-You can purchase this palette from CoastalScents.com and it will cost you $18.95 plus S&H
While you're there I recommend looking through the other products they have to offer, I am definitely purchasing more stuff from there in the near future.

Summer makeup routine

So for anyone that is curious I'll share my summer makeup routine.
Summer is an awful time to ware makeup, most of the time I don't ware any to tell you the truth, but sometimes when you are going out you want to look put together.
I sweat more than normal in the summer, especially in my face, so my makeup needs to be lightweight, long lasting, multipurpose and supper easy to touch up.
Here are the products that I use:

I start out with Urban Decay's tinted moisturizer.
This moisturizer not only hydrates my skin but it gives nice coverage. To apply it you simply squirt a small amount on your hand and then dot it in several places around your face. Then use your fingers to blend it all out. The formulation is a bit thick and it dries kind of quick, that's why dotting and then blending will give you chance to get a nice even coverage. Now before you start rambling about how this does not give you enough coverage, be aware that it is a moisturizer, it's not supposed to act as foundation, but it's pretty damm close and it does the job. Another nice little bonus is that it has SPF 20, so it's like three products in one; moisturizer, foundation (kind of) and sunblock. Nice right?

My second step is Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil.
I got this loose powder in my get started kit from Bare minerals. It is a translucent powder that sets your makeup in place. Super lightweight and sheer. After I apply my tinted moisturizer I dust this on with a big brush all over my face. A little goes a long way so don't over do it. My face goes from dewy to matte, love it!

My third step is optional and it's my E.L.F. custom eyes palette.
The reason why this is optional is because sometimes I'm just too lazy to apply eyeshadow, and I can totally skip this if I use eyeliner and mascara.
When I do use it though I tend to gravitate towards this palette. It is so cool because you can custom create your own little palette, you purchase the compact which holds four eyeshadows and then you can choose which colors to put in there. The awesome part is that each piece is a dollar. Now not all E.L.F. products are great, but these are well worth your time, check them out. The shadows I chose were: Moondust, Pink Ice, Ivory and Dusk, perfect for a natural eye.

Third step is Waterproof mascara.
The mascara I was using was from Avon but I have run out, and if you read my previous post you'll know that my recent purchase was a disaster. Any waterproof mascara that works for you will be fine, it's all about keeping it in place even if you do happen to sweat or get wet. I'm in the market for a waterproof mascara, do you have any recommendations?

Fourth and last step is lips.
Now I can't really tell you what to put in your lips because mine change depending on my mood. I usually wear lipglosses and some of my favorite are the pocket rocket's from Urban Decay, totally gorgeous! I also love my Victoria's Secret lipgloss. If you want to keep in with the long lasting theme then go for a lip-stain. My recent lip product purchase was from MAC and it's the Pro Long-wear lip stain marker in Full of Flair. It is absolutely amazing! Line your lips with it and then apply one swipe on your lower lip, then spread out with your finger or your own lips for a nice pigmentation. The color comes on really strong so be careful not to apply too much on your first swipe, unless that's what you're going for. Don't forget to exfoliate your lips before you apply it if you have chapped lips and top it off with a clear lip gloss for some hydration.

So that's it, it's pretty simple, takes about ten minutes to do and unless your running marathon then it should last you a pretty long time. I hope you enjoyed my summer makeup routine, leave me a comment and let me know what you're makeup routine is like.

List of product and prices:
-UD Tinted moisturizer from Sephora or Urban Decay $32
-Bare Escentuals Mineral veil from Sephora or Bare Escentuals $19 alone or buy the get started kit for $60
-E.L.F. Custom eyes palette from Eyeslipsface.com here and here or at your local target, k-mart or any other drugstore that carries this brand. $1 each product, $5 total for the palette.
-MAC lipstain from MAC at $16
-UD Pocket rocket from Sephora or Urban Decay $19
-Victoria's Secret beauty rush lipglosses from Victoriassecret.com $7 or 2/$12 or 5/$20

Benefit's BADgal Waterproof Mascara

This is a product that I bought last week, I was so excited! I've heard great reviews from this mascara, people raved about it and although they seemed to like it, I never really payed attention. That is until I actually needed a replacement mascara and my boyfriend was in such a hurry to get out of the store that I bought it on impulse. Big mistake! This is by far one of the worst mascaras I have ever gotten.
Let's start with this, it is super dry! When I tested the sample at the store it was a bit dry too but I thought it was because the bottle was old and the product was almost gone. I never imagined that the formulation was like that. Then, when I put it on, it was like nothing was coming out, I had to pass it through my lashes four times, I usually do one swipe and I'm done, but no, this thing was so tough that it made it so difficult to use. To top it all off, every time I put the wand back in to get more product out, the mascara kept piling on the top and making the tip of the wand saturated with product, I ended up putting too much on the inner corner of my eye and staining my eye. I had to then try to clean it up and since it's waterproof only waterproof eye make-up would take it out. Now, I can't deal with products like this, for the price tag I expect my mascara to be easy to apply and long lasting, this was a flop for me, I am returning it to the store and getting something else.

I give this product:

(1 out 5 lipglosses)

Why did it I even give it one lipgloss? Well it is waterproof so I guess it gets point for that, but that's it!

Here is a pic for you:



Like I said, I don't recommend this product, but if you still want to purchase it you can get it from Sephora.com and it will cost you $19.

Bare minerals foundation (Classic get started kit)

One of the very first things I bought at sephora was my bare minerals get started kit. Now be aware that this was purchased back in 2008 and since then the kits are a bit different. You've seen the commercials right? Flawless skin, made from natural ingredients, so gentle you can sleep in it. Yeah, pretty cool. So I went online and purchased it. I was skeptical but boy does this stuff actually work. At first glance the kit is a bit overwhelming. You get four jars of minerals, two of them are the foundation in different shades that are supposed to complement your skin tone. The third one is called warmth and it's some sort of blush/bronzer that's supposed to go where the sun naturally hits you to give you some color. The last jar is called mineral veil and this is my favorite because you're supposed to apply it at the end of your skin ritual to eliminate shine and to seal all your makeup in place.

What I liked about this kit was that it was a mineral foundation. I never used foundation prior to this because I hated the thought of something gooppy and icky on my face, plus I was too young for foundation. This foundation though was so silky and lightweight, it's like putting powder on your face. You can't feel it afterward, it's completely lightweight but it gives you coverage. Now, I don't need a lot of coverage so I guess my opinion doesn't count much, but if you talk to other people who have used this and need a lot coverage they will tell you how great this product is. Another good thing about this, it's the fact that you can build it up. You only use a little and dust it on your face, if you need more just apply more and it gives you more coverage!
The kit came with those four jars mentioned above, a primer, and three brushes; kabuki brush, flawless application brush and a concealer brush. The concealer brush is amazing, it's like a little magic wand. You use the same foundation to spot correct your blemishes and red spots and it works beautifully. The kabuki brush is another good one, it gives you more coverage and it feels great on the skin.

So how do I rate this product? I give it:

(5 out of 5 lipglosses)

It is by far one of the best products I've purchased, it's 2010 and I still have a lot of product, granted I don't use it everyday, but still, you only need a pinch to cover your whole face. Best part is, you can sleep in it. I'm not recommend you go to sleep with makeup on, but I know some of you come home tired from work or school and just don't feel like taking makeup off which in any other case would be bad, but with this foundation it's ok.

Here are my before and after shots using Bare minerals:



Well there it is, you can purchase this product from Sephora.com or go to a store, I suggest the latter because one of the girls there can help you better match your right shade. The kit will cost you $60, well worth the price for the stuff you get.

(I forgot to mention that this contains SPF, how cool is that?)

Sephora Collection Color Play - 5 in 1

Right off the bat I want to say that this is an amazing product. I mean holy cow!
Let's start by saying this: you can't beat the price for what you're getting here.

Right from Sephora's description of the product:

What it is:
A versatile eye, lip, and cheek set featuring five interchangeable color stories.

What it does:
Create a look to fit any mood or style with five sub-palettes, each of which fits easily into a conveniently portable compact. To switch color stories, just pop out the previous look and insert a new one. New Sephora Collection formulations provide long-lasting wear and excellent color payoff for seriously stunning results.

Each of the five sub-palettes contains:
- 10 x Eyeshadows
- 2 x Lip colors
- Blush

Did you see that? That's 50 eyeshadows, 10 lip colors, and 5 blushes! They've also named their palettes and made it so that colors in each palette can be worn together to create a foolproof look. To me that's a huge plus since I am still in the learning stages of makeup application. Anyway, being that this product has so much to offer and had such a small price tag, I thought that it was going to be a generic drugstore type with sheer colors. Kind of like those $20 dollar makeup cases from K-mart I saw years ago, but no! The colors are beautiful, very vibrant, and in my opinion, very pigmented. Some of the shadows are shimmery and some have glitter. I'm not much for blushes and I own tons of lip-glosses, so I got this just for the eyeshadows and I'm glad I did. Regardless, the blushes and lip colors in each palette do go with the shadows, so I guess depending on the mood you're in all you need is a little creativity and one of the palettes, or if you're adventurous just mix and match colors form all five of them!
Another little perk for me is the fact that I can pop out a palette from the big packaging and pop it in the little carrying case which has a nice long mirror too. To me that is essential since I don't like to carry too much make up around.
The only downside I suppose would be that it does not include and applicator. In my case it doesn't really matter because I use brushes and if you don't have a brush I suggest you get one.

So the bottom line is:
Great palette, awesome colors, excellent price.
I give it:

(5 out 5 lip-glosses)

I totally recommend you get it, you won't be disappointed I promise.

You can get this palette from Sephora and it will cost you $29.50
Here is a picture of what it looks like, sorry about the quality, I took it with my phone.

Added 6/30/10, a smoky look I did with Dinner in Paris (the first palette)