Reviews and Other Stuff

Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb review

Sephora Play! February 2018

sephora play box february 2018

 

I finally got my Sephora Play! box this month and I couldn’t be more excited. However, I have mixed emotions about this month’s contents. I’m a bit dismayed because I feel like Sephora keeps me sending me the same one or two products over and over again. I wanted something new for a change, so I’m quite disappointed about that. On the other hand, I’m happy with the other products that I got because they’re something new, and it’s definitely fun to explore and test a product that you would never imagine trying before.

 

Check out what I got

 

Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb

 

Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb ($48) – If you love Belif’s The True Cream Aqua Bomb, then there’s no reason for you not to love this Moisturizing Eye Bomb. Its got the same refreshing irresistible scent that the Aqua Bomb has, and it’s really great to moisturize the skin around the eyes. It even soothes puffiness and it’s great to layer under eye makeup. It is gel-based but its hydration can go a long way. I love that this doesn’t have a sticky residue feel once it gets absorbed by the skin. Overall, this is such a good eye cream and I really love it, so I’m planning to have this in its regular size pretty soon.

 

Sephora Collection Rouge Matte Lipstick in Rebel Chic

 

Sephora Collection Rouge Matte Lipstick in Rebel Chic (0.10 oz: $7) – I’ve tried this lipstick line from Sephora before, but I’ve never tried the Rebel Chic color. At first, it seemed too much of a dark vampy red for me, but when I applied it to my lips, I was actually quite in love with the color. It’s vampy yeah, but it’s also a sexy vampy red wine shade. It’s not too emo or too gothic and it actually works quite well with my pigmented lips. The matte texture is comfortable, lightweight, and not so drying. I also kinda love the slight berry flavor of this lipstick, on top of that, the color doesn’t even bleed or transfer. I am definitely smitten with this.

 

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rose Gold (0.05 oz: $29) – I love Laura Mercier’s Caviar Stick Eyeshadows (swatches HERE), I think they’re one of the best eye contouring product you can buy nowadays, but when the mini rose gold color keeps appearing in some of my Sephora Play!, I feel like Sephora could do better at curating their subscription boxes, or at least pay attention to what has already been sent to their respective subscribers. Anyway, since I already have this Rose Gold shade in its regular size, I’m just gonna give it to someone else. I just hope Sephora would send me something new and something different next time.

 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy

 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let’s Go Crazy (0.086 oz: $27) – While I’m not crazy about this vivid pink shade, I am actually in love with the texture of this matte lip pencil. The color is so bold, so pigmented, and so staining. I love how the color remained on my lips for hours and hours and it doesn’t feather. It’s also very easy to apply and line the lips because of its pencil design. However, I don’t like the fact that I have to sharpen this all the time. It would be nice if Nars would update the packaging and make it more of a twist type at least attach a built-in sharpener at the bottom.

 

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee Cologne Absolue Pure Perfume

 

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee Cologne Absolue Pure Perfume (mini/0.34 oz: $26, 1 oz: $85, 3.3 oz: $140, 6.7 oz: $235) – This may have been a repeat product from my previous Sephora Play, though I’m not quite sure. Anyway, I’m not really a vanilla scent fan because I don’t quite like the scent of most vanilla perfume’s drydown. But this Vanille Insensee from Atelier Cologne is different. It is subtle and it’s quite fresh, which doesn’t make my nose turn up. The blend of vanilla, jasmine, and lime is enough to make this scent distinctive, warm, and sophisticated. It’s definitely not your typical sweet vanilla type of scent, but more of a sexy, elegant, and stylish type. I feel like I could wear this and not get annoyed because the vanilla tone is not overpowering, and the drydown is quite powdery.

 

Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Peeling Gel (3.4 oz: 48) – I’ve never heard of this product before, so imagine my excitement and curiosity when I received this in my Sephora Play! box. This gel has a faint fresh scent that looks like any other gel cleanser in the market but once you scrub this on your face, you’ll get a different kind of impression. This literally peeled and scrubbed off dead skin cells from the surface of my face. It polished my rough skin and it makes it so smooth, and ready for any moisturizer. I also noticed some of my blackheads and whiteheads resurfacing, which makes me conclude that this product is a very good exfoliator. Oh, I’m afraid I’ll be buying this in its full size soon.

 

That sums up all the products that I got for this month’s Sephora Play subscription box. As you can see, there’s are interesting products that I love, but there are also a few products that I wasn’t so crazy about. What did you get for this month’s Sephora Play?

 

Goodbye February, Hello there March!

 

 

Sephora Play! September 2017

Hi guys! I received my Sephora Play! Box and as usual, mine always arrive close to the end of the month. But it’s ok, it’s better to be almost late than not sharing the contents of my box at all. I wonder what you guys have for this month’s contents. I know Sephora calls them their “Fall-ready” beauties, which is timely because we are now officially in the Fall, which means lots of pumpkins, pumpkin cakes, and pumpkin pies. Oh my, I’m excited much for Thanksgiving already, LOL.

 

sephora play box review

 

Anyhow, I’m not really impressed with my box this month. I think a lot of the products are kinda repeated or has been one of Sephora’s Rewards Bazaar a few weeks ago. I wish there were new or never-been-heard-before stuff because that would have been more fun. But I’m also glad that some stuff are repeated because there are products that I really like and would love to try them again or would like them in travel sizes.

 

So far, the contents of my box are pretty diverse even though it’s a bit more focused on skin care. There’s also a haircare sample, a Fall-shade lipstick, and stuff for the eyes.

 

Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb

 

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Deep (Mini: $12, 0.1 oz: $24) – I’ve used this before and while it does work to make your brows look more prominent and very volumized, it can somehow only work wonders if you already have enough eyebrows. In my case, I have quite a sparse eyebrow situation, so the brush of this tends to stick and stain my skin apart from adhering and volumizing my brow strands, thus making it look unnatural. It also emphasized my already sparse brows because this is basically a brow gel with a tint, and not necessarily volumizing.

Algenist Power Recharging Night Pressed Serum (2 oz: $95) – This is a super concentrated serum that feels like a hydrating cream at first, then it melts into the skin easily and it’s really moisturizing. It also has a nice vanilla scent that’s common to most Algenist products, not to mention the famous Alguronic Acid which is also incorporated in their creams, serums, etc.

Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb (0.84 oz: $22, 1.68 oz: $38) – I received this cream in my previous Sephora Play box a couple of months ago, and have also received a sample of this a couple of times. This has always been a wonderful cream to have and I’m even planning to purchase this in full size. It’s a very hydrating and cooling gel cream that smells divine, like a fresh blend of herbs and citrus. It hydrates the skin very well no matter what skin type you may be. It’s even better for oily skin gals because it’s oil-free and very lightweight. This cream will give you a spa-like experience whenever you use it.

 

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

 

Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12 Hr Wear Waterproof in Black Lace (0.04 oz: $10) – This matte black shade of eyeliner from Sephora is definitely long lasting and can only be removed by a good waterproof makeup-remover. It glides well on the lids and it didn’t smudge on me. On top of that, it’s also very affordable.

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo & Conditioner (Shampoo- 2 oz: $12, 8.5 oz: $31. Conditioner- 2 oz: $13, 6.7 oz: $34) – A sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner with six essential oils that nourish all hair types, even the ones that are color and chemically-treated. They have such a yummy fruity scent and they feel rich and creamy, yet they don’t weight the hair down. I love that the shampoo lathers well, making my hair feeling thoroughly cleaned plus my frizz looking tamed.

Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in Amulet (0.17 oz: $18) – Reviewed and swatched HERE. I love the shade of Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipsticks, especially the matte ones, and this Amulet color is really pretty and perfect for Fall. It has micro sparkles that won’t make the lips look flat, while it mattifies on the lips at the same time. What I don’t like about this is the way the lipstick sets on my lips. It doesn’t really settle completely, instead, it feels kinda sticky, which makes me feel a bit uneasy whenever I use it.

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Deep

Of all the contents in this month’s Sephora Play! box, I think I like the Algenist Power Recharging Serum, the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb as always, and the BB Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo & Conditioner.

 

sephora play september 2017 review

 

How was your box’s contents this month? did you like it?

 

X.O.X.O

L.

 

Follow on Instagram: @reviewsandotherstuff