Reviews and Other Stuff

boscia Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask

Sephora Play! July 2018

Hello. As you all know from my review of last month’s Sephora Play!, I was planning to end my subscription with this box. This month is going to be the last time I’ll feature the Sephora Play! box on this site. It’s a pity because I kind of had second thoughts for a while when I received this month’s box since the contents seemed really nice. But, I also thought of a subscription box I wanted to sign up to and thought that that one seems better. But anyway, worry not because I’ll keep checking out other people’s Sephora Play! to see if it’s worth coming back to in the future or not. Anyway, let’s make this review worthwhile and let’s take a closer look at the products I got this month.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter

 

The products I received are very useful. You could pretty much do a nice face cleansing, apply a sample moisturizer, and treat yourself to a nice lipstick or lip treatment. So far, there’s no sample fragrance included in my box. There’s usually one every month, but hey, it’s alright with me.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Paaarty

Tarte Color Splash Lipstick, Rainforest of the Sea Collection (0.12 oz: $21) in Salt Lyfe – Described as a mauve gray lipstick, but on my lips, it appears like a nude mauve, which is so pretty and I could wear this color every day. This lipstick has a really cute summer vibe packaging, and it’s one of my most favorite lipstick lines. It applies smoothly on the lips and it has a velvety finish. It’s also very pigmented and long-wearing. More colors reviewed HERE.

 

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush (0.2 oz: $29) in Paaartyย  – I currently use this blush and this is one of my most favorite blushes of all time because it’s pigmented and it shows on my skin. Its texture is soft and smooth, and it is very easy to blend or layer. The shade Paaarty is just so versatile and natural-looking and it works well on my skintone. I also love that this particular blush comes in several different shades and it stays on my skin for several hours even when there’s heat and humidity.

 

Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment in Dream swatch

 

Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment (0.15 oz: $26) in Dream –ย  This is a sheer pink lip treatment that can either be worn alone or before any lipstick. Its packaging is so cute and it smells and feels like the original Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen with Spf 15. In fact, I can’t tell the difference between the two. Also, this lip treatment is as moisturizing as the one with the SPF version. But I do feel that this is too moisturizing to use before a lipstick and I was afraid that my lipstick might move or smudge and will look too oily, so, if I have to choose which Fresh Lip Treatment I would use, I’d definitely choose the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment with the added Spf, in that way, I get a sun protection for my lips as well.Boscia Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask Boscia Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask (2.6 oz: $38) – Reviewed further HERE. This mask is softening and it doesn’t irritate the skin. I love its ingredients and I love how easy it is to use on the face since it’s not the drying type. Also, this smells like the Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask (reviewed HERE)

 

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter (1.7 oz: $40) – I have the regular size of this moisturizer in my shelf but I have it with the Juicy Mango scent. This is definitely one of my most favorite facial moisturizers because it’s so creamy and so hydrating to use without making the skin look too oily. I like that this cream gets absorbed my skin easily and it leaves my skin super soft. Also, this has the clean beauty seal of Sephora.

 

Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel Rainforest of the Sea (5 oz: $25) – This facial cleanser/makeup remover has a nice subtle lavender scent and it has a gel consistency. It does remove all kinds of makeup including the waterproof ones and it doesn’t strip the natural oils of the skin. Instead, this feels moisturizing and softening and it foams really well. I really feel like having this in full size.sephora play july 2018 box contents

That’s about it for this month’s Sephora Play. I’ll be reviewing a different subscription box pretty soon. Stay tuned…

 

 

 

Samples of The Week

boscia Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask

 

Hi There! I have another set of randomly accumulated samples which I’m gonna feature in today’s post. I don’t exactly have a criterion as to which type of samples I plan to review, I just sorta pick and choose which ones made me curious or I felt like trying, and from then on I’d pay close attention to which products might seem promising and are worth buying in the regular size. So, let’s start this review, shall we?

 

Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Anti-Frizz Blowout Butter review

The first thing that caught my eye is a sample set of the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Deliciously Shiny Lipstick (0.09 oz: $32) that I found in my stash. It’s got two colors in it which you can see below. This lipstick truly smells delicious and has a bit of a floral scent as well. I love how the colors have that balmy oily feel, which also is kinda similar to the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks (swatched HERE) or the Tint-in-Balms, reviewed below. It has a shiny effect on the lips and the coverage is medium sheer. It’s also very comforting and has a good lasting power for about 3 to 4 hours.

 

002 Pink Tie – barbie-pink

003 Red Heels – bright red

 

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Deliciously Shiny Lipstick 002 pink tie, 003 red heels

 

Yves Saint Laurent Voluptรฉ Tint-in-Balm in No. 3 Call Me Rose

 

This Yves Saint Laurent Voluptรฉ Tint-in-Balm in No. 3 Call Me Rose (0.12 oz: $34) is one the latest releases in YSL lip products and it has that signature YSL lipstick fruity scent. It’s so hydrating and really comfortable on the lips even though the No.3 shade is way too light for me. I’m thinking of getting some slightly darker shades of this lipstick soon since I really love the formula but the color on the sample is just not the right fit for my skintone.

 

Then let’s talk a bit about haircare for a moment. The Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Anti-Frizz Blowout Butter (5 oz: $34) is my favorite styling cream at the moment. I’ve been testing this and I really love how I only put a pea-size on my hand and it melts easily giving my hair complete coverage and protection against heat styling, and it works great to tame my frizzies and flyaways even without blow drying or without using a flat iron. For the complete review of the Alterna Caviar Anti-Frizz line (Shampoo & Conditioner), please read it HERE.

 

I have some Bite Beauty minis that I received as a birthday freebie from Sephora. The packaging looks really cute and though the products are small, they’re still worth trying.

 

bite beauty Matte Crรจme Lip Crayon in Glace

Agave Lip Balm (0.15 oz: $18) – This is so hydrating and it feels a lot thicker compared to most lip balms and because of that, it’s kinda hard to apply and spread it on the lips, so for practicality reasons, I feel like I could skip on this one. I’ve also heard some issues about its packaging as well.

 

Agave Sugar Lip Scrub (0.26 oz: $18) – This has a vanilla scent with sugar bits on it for exfoliating the lips. I like this product a lot but I feel like the sugar particles are too large to scrub it on my lips and it can hurt. Also, you need to know how to use this product, which basically requires you to add water while you scrub this on the lips. Using this alone without water is just impossible.

 

bite beauty agave sugar lip scrub

 

Matte Crรจme Lip Crayon in Glace (0.05 oz: $24) – Further swatched and reviewed HERE. This is my most favorite shade of the Matte Creme Lip Crayon line simply because it’s the most wearable shade for me.

 

Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Chai (0.15 oz: $26) – The Amuse Bouche Lipstick by Bite Beauty has one of the best range of wearable colors for a lipstick in my opinion, and I would love to have them all. I own some already, but I feel like now my favorite shade among them is this mauve-brown Chai color. A subtle reminiscent of the 90’s lipstick color trend.

 

Boscia – There are two very promising Boscia skincare products lately that’s certified Clean by Sephora.

Sunday Riley C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer

Cactus Water Moisturizer (1.61 oz: $38) – This moisturizer has a mild green scent and it feels like a light cooling gel on the skin. But don’t underestimate its lightness because it packs a punch in hydration. Truly, this is so moisturizing without feeling heavy on the face but you need to be careful not to put a lot because it has a tendency to peel. It’ll also take a bit of time for it to be absorbed by the skin, so you’re gonna have to wait a little bit more before you put on your makeup. Other than that, this moisturizer is almost perfect and it’s even more perfect for oily skin.

 

Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask (2.6 oz:$38) – If you don’t mind looking like “Shrek” whenever you use this mask, then this is the face mask for you. It’s rich in antioxidants because of the matcha green tea component. I love how this mask hydrates my face even though it’s quite a challenge to rinse it off since this is really creamy and thick. It reminds me a bit of the Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask (reviewed HERE) in terms of its scent and consistency.

 

I’ve always wanted to purchase this Sunday Riley C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer (0.5 – 1.7 oz: $22-65) in its regular size, but for some reason, I just needed that “push” so I can really make up my mind. With this mini, I feel like I can now pull the trigger and really add this cream as one of my skincare staples. What I like about this cream are the vitamins and antioxidants that it contains which is really a necessity for skin nourishment. Also, the scent of this cream is TDF.

 

I had mixed emotions when I first tried this It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream Smooths, Brightens, Depuffs (0.5 oz: $48). I wasn’t used to its cushiony texture at first and I thought that it’s kinda hard to apply, but as I keep trying it, I really enjoyed it. It keeps my undereye looking hydrated and it seemed to depuff it as well. My dark circles are still there but there’s never gonna be a perfect cream for it, however, I’m glad that this eye cream made some difference on my undereye issues.

 

Overall, I love this batch of samples. They’re so useful and they gave me an idea as to which product I should look out for especially when I’ll have some specific skincare and beauty needs.

 

Have you tried these products yet?

 

x.x

 

L.