Sephora Friends & Family Haul Pt.1

So when sephora had there friends & family sale and then VIB sale at the end of Oct through Nov I made 3.5 separate purchases from them. Two during the friends and family and 1.5 (i'll explain later) during the VIB sale.

Here is part 1 of my haul and my thoughts and opinions of the items I got. (i haven't had time to take pictures of these yet but by the time I post my haul pt 2 I should have pictures!)

- Philosophy Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub: i honestly bought this because it was on sale for $10 plus the extra 20% off. To my knowledge Sephora no longer carries this item anymore. It comes in a light pink lipgloss squeeze tube like most other Philosophy lip products. It applies like a lip gloss with the clear gel like liquid that you rub over your lips until smooth and then wipe with a tissue or wash off. I used it for about a week after I got it and then just kind of forgot about it. I mean it works but I don't normally wear lip products so I don't reach for this normally. On the rare occasion that I do wear lipstick I like to use this first so it removes all the dead half peeling skin from my lips so that when I apply lipstick it looks really nice. I know a lot of people like the Fresh Sugar exfoliator but I have yet to try that  and again I don't wear lip products on a daily basis so I don't think I will be purchasing that anytime soon.
- Benefits Cosmetics Legally Bronze (contains: Hoola powder, Gilded Liner, Bad Gal Brown Mascara, High Beam):  this was a set that I had wanted for a long time. It came out in the summer I believe. The set was $38 and I think it was totally worth it. It comes with a full size Hoola boxed powder which sells for $28 by itself and also a full size High Beam as well has a Gilded which they say is a highlighter but I use it as a liner and a Bad Gal Brown Mascara. I personally really like Benefit boxed powders. My first one was Coralista which I got as a 500 pt perk and I love it so much and I also have Dandelion. Anyways Hoola is a really popular bronzer and it is a matte bronzer which is good for all my oily skin people because if you have oily skin you should not wear a bronzer with shimmer it will only make you look oiler. The color is suitable for a lot of skin tons and pigmentation is good. I personally really like it. As for the other products I really haven't used them. I used Gilded maybe twice on my inner tear duct and though I like it it's not something I reach for often unless I go out at night. I had a sample of Bad Gal Black before and it smudged like crazy and gave me raccoon eyes so I have not touched Bad Gal Brown yet. As for High Beam it is really a pretty highlighter but I am kind of hesistant to use it because is it a liquid/creamy consistency and it does have shimmer so I am afraid it would accentuate my oily skin and quite possibly break me out? I'm still on the fence about it but I will probably use it when I go out to some holiday parties and see how it fairs.
- DDF Ultra-Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew: this is my HOLY GRAIL moisturizer and for all my oily skin people, if you can afford this ($40 for 1.67 oz) I think it is definitely worth the money. This is my third bottle. DDF had previously had two versions of this, one with SPF and one without. I believe they discontinued the one with SPF which is the one I had finished two bottles of before purchasing this non-SPF one. Like I said its really good for oily skin. I use this during the day when I wear makeup out and go to work. It is very light weight, 1 pump is all you need and absorbs quickly. There really isn't any smell to it which I know some people are really picky about scent. I've tried a lot of moisturizers before, everything from Philosophy Hope In a Jar, Aveeno, Clinique Dramatically Moisturizing Gel, Murad and a few I can't remember. This DDF one is hands down the best one. It doesn't make my oiler and doesn't break me out. The only thing I am not a fan of is that they discontinued the SPF version.
- d.j.v. beautenizer 3D Fiber-In Film-Coating Lash Kit (includes 2 mascara, one lengthens and the other volumizes):  the set comes with two mascaras. Fiberwig LX and Volume Lash. Fiberwig is a lengthening mascara and is one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. Most mascaras even the waterproof ones will smudge on me and I end of looking like a raccoon. Fiberwig doesn't, the mascara is very water resistant and oil resistant which is probably most important. The only way this will come off is if you wash it off with warm water. This is my 3rd tube of Fiberwig LX. I bought my first at Sephora and when I went back to Taiwan for vacation I was able to pick up another tube at the drugstore there for cheap. I decided to get this set because I wanted to try the Volume Lash version and I have to say I am not a fan of the Volume Lash especially for my upper lashes. The wand has short clumpy bristles and you definitely pick up way to much product and it clumps if you put on two coats. It's something you have to work really hard with. It is nice on my lower lashes but still can get clumpy. I definitely like Fiberwig LX a lot more and will not be repurchasing the Volume Lash again.
- Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara: now fairydrops is another Japanese mascara that Sephora has started to carry besides fiberwig. The packaging is super cute and the mascara wand looks super weird and intimidating at first. But this is my second tube of fairydrops and I have to say I like this a lot. It really gives my lashes a nice look, however it is not as oil resistant as fiberwig. Like I said most mascaras will smudge on me regardlass of waterproof or not. I have used DiorShow, Benefit Bad Gal, Clinique and other various drugstore mascaras and all of them smudge. Fairydrops will last on me for most of the day but will smudge just a bit. I think you are on of those people who don't have to worry about smudging you might like this a lot.
- Clarisonic Replacement Brush Head - Deep Pore Cleansing: really not much to say about this. I bought it for my clarisonic mia that I love. I know some people don't think this deep pore cleansing head works but it's the one I got with the mia I bought so just going to continue using it.
- Sheiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Cream SPF 38 PA+++: I got this because I had the smaller SPF 55 PA+++ version that Sephora was selling for $19. I had bought it to try out because I heard a lot of people talking about how great it was on youtube and various other blogs so for $19 I figure why not. It was beginning of summer and I knew I needed a stronger sun screen to prevent sun spots and stuff like that. I really like this product. I am still using the smaller spf 55 version right now and once I finish I will start using this one. The cream is not heavy, absorbs quickly and doesn't have that annoying sunscreen scent. I use this every morning and mix it in with my DDF moisturizer so that my skin is protected. I know it is a bit pricey but I think its worth it. If you are looking for a more affordable sunscreen there is one neutrogena one that I heard is really good.
- Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips: I bought two packs of these. I had previously in the summer purchased on to try and was immediately wowed by this product. It is pricey 6 strips for $15 but I did buy two packs because I had the extra 20% off. They are soooo much better than the biore strips which never worked on me. The first time I used these I was amazed and a big grossed out and how many blackheads it pulled from my nose. It really does a good job. It has become a holy grail item for me now. I use one strip a week if I remember or if I see that my blackheads are getting a bit much after I wash my face I will use it.
- Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray: this is my second bottle. Earlier in the year when urban decay came out with their de-slick line I was really eager to try it. I got a sample of the De-Slick in a tube which was a mattifying gel that you put on before foundation. It worked but I didn't really love it because it can get cakey on your skin and look really weird after you put on makeup. I know there was a De-Slick mattifying translucent powder but I was never really interested in it so I bought the full size De-Slick spray instead which was pricey at $29. I know Skindavia makes the spray for Urban Decay and they also have their own branded one for much less but I ended up purchasing this same one again because it was 20% off and I just wanted to order everything through one site. So I am in love with this product. You are supposed to spray all over your face once after moisturizer before foundation and once more all over your face when your done putting on makeup. This really does work. It really helps control my oily skin. I use it everyday when I go to work and by the end of the day I have a little bit of oil but nothing like before I started using this. It's definitely a holy grail item for me and I will continue to purchase it.
- MAKE UP FOR EVER Duo Mat Powder Foundation - 202: This is my first MUFE foundation. I have some samples of the primer and HD powder and liquid foundation but had never purchased the full size. For the longest time I was a liquid foundation girl because I needed the full coverage cause of my acne scars. Recently this year I got into powder foundations and fell in love. I was using MAC Studiofix in NC 25 since the summer and though I think the product is good, it help with oil control. So when I was shopping during this sale I bought the MUFE Duo Mat because I have read really good reviews about it on blogs and on youtube. And I was not disappointed. It has become my holy grail powder foundation. I first tried it without de-slick spray to see the lasting power on it and boy did it last. I got a little oily but nothing like before. It gives you a really matte finish and if you are oily like me you will see that as the day progresses you won't get really oily but only a little but that kind of gives you a more natural look. Love this.
- Illamasqua Powder Blusher - Lover: Lover blush is described as vibrant apricot blush. I knew I wanted a orange blush for a while. I have coral and a variety of pinks so orange seemed like the next appropriate thing to get especially for fall. This is my first Illamasqua product and I always knew I wanted to buy their blushes because I head so many great things. The pigmentation is amazing. You don't need a lot. Just one dab with your brush and swipe it across your cheeks for a light flush of orange. I wear it all the time and get compliments on it. Its not a color for everyone but if you have yellow or olive skin-tone you can definitely pull it off. Though I highly doubt I will every hit pan on a blush I would repurchase if I hit pan on lover

Thats it for part 1 of my sephora hauls. I will probably write up the other two tomorrow or later next week. This post took me a good hour to type up so I hope my review of the products were helpful!

Again these are just my opinions on how the products work with my particular skin and they might not work the same for you. I think its always best to go to a sephora and ask for a sample of anything you want to try before spending full price on a product.

Thanks for reading.

-amy

Introduction

Ok so here it goes...my first blog post.

My name is Amy and I live in Queens NY. I am 23 and currently working in a job I kind of hate, but hey it pays the bills.

In my spare time I like to shop like all girls do. I now have a fairly decent collection of make-up and skincare products. I have everything from drugstore to high end make-up and skincare. Now I want to share my thoughts and opinions with others, hence this blog. This blog will detail my experiences with all the cosmetics and skincare products I currently own and will purchase in the future. Feel free to use it as a reference if you would like, but please remember that these are just my opinions and products that  work well with my skin might not necessarily work the same on yours.

So lets start with a little bit of background on my skin. I have oily skin, and when I say oily I really mean it.  From forehead, t-zone, cheeks, chin. My skin is oily. Not only do I have oily skin I have acne prone skin as well. I have a lot of acne related scaring on my face as well. I have a fair skin with yellow undertones. **for reference I am NC25 in Mac and 202 in MUFE Duo Mat Powder**

The past year my make up collection has really expanded and so has my skincare collection.  Over the past month I have made some huge hauls at sephora when they had their friends and family and then the VIB sale so I be posting that a little later and of the stuff I have tried I will let you guys know my opinions of it. 

Hope this wasn't too long and that you will follow and stay tuned for what is next.

-amy