It Cosmetics

Samples of The Week

July 12, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

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?

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

This Yves Saint Laurent Volupté 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.

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.

Matte Crème 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.

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

Sephora Play! July 2017 Box

July 19, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Heya! It’s about time for another Sephora Play! contents showcase. This month is all about the “Good Beauty Vibes” and I have a feeling that I’m going to like the goodies inside.

I definitely spot a few skincare products, a haircare, a lippie, and a very interesting mascara. Of course, there’s also the featured scent of the month. Hmmm, something about this box that’s telling me it’s all about having a beautiful Summer vibe.

Shall we start?

1. bareMINERALS Gen Nude Liquid Lipcolor in Swag – If you haven’t read my complete bareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor review, click HERE. As you can see, I really love this lipstick even though it takes a few minutes to set. I find that the formulation is lightweight and non-drying on the lips. On top of that, the shades in this line are pretty and very wearable. Even this Swag color is a nice nude mauve that still looks good on my lips and it didn’t make me look too washed-out.

2. Atelier Cologne, Orange Sanguine – Reviewed HERE. I love this scent a lot and I don’t get bored with it even if I have already tried it before. It smells freshly sweet like a mix of blood orange and bitter orange. So great for the Summer, like a warm version of Atelier Cologne’s Clementine California Cologne.

3. It Cosmetics, Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara – One of the most weightless, long-wearing and lengthening mascaras I’ve ever tried. From the moment I saw the shape of the brush and its bristles, I knew this is going to be good for smaller eyes and it’s great for precise application on the corner lashes and the bottom as well.

4. Milk Makeup, Cooling Water – If there is one product that I’m most excited about in this month’s box, it’s this one. This is so unique and I have been curious about this one for quite some time. I’m not exactly sure how to use this though, but I’m all about any refreshing or cooling products. According to Sephora, you can use this before applying makeup or keep it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. So far, I’ve only applied it on my face, neck and around the eye area. It’s so cool and so refreshing. It’s a great product for the Summer and I love it.

5. Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray – This thing smells SO GOOD. Never knew that a blend of rosehip, argan oil, and coconut oil could smell this good. I just couldn’t get enough of this scent. It’s like a fresh rose mixed with slightly sweet milk and something else. I sprayed it on my damp hair after showering, then did a blowout and my hair felt so soft and frizz-free even on a hot and humid weather. It didn’t even weigh my hair down and my strands felt smooth and non-oily. I have a feeling I’ll be purchasing this product in its regular size.

6. Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment – This black and white charcoal swirl mask looks kind of cute even though it wasn’t very swirly anymore when it arrived. It smells like charcoal but not extremely so and it feels more like a thick cream upon application, it then dries down softly. It’s not like the rough cement-like dryness of some charcoal masks that you can’t move your face after a few minutes. This one is soft but it still dries and once it does, it doesn’t transfer. It also takes out the excess oils and impurities.

I enjoyed this month’s box better than last month’s (reviewed HERE).

My most favorites are, of course, the Cooling Water and the Briogeo Milk Reparative Leave-In Spray. I also enjoyed the Superhero Mascara, the Gen Nude Liquid Lipcolor and the Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine scent.

Have you had this month’s box already? What’s your fave?

Bye for now,

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Sephora Play January 2017 Box Review

January 23, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey it’s January 2017 and it’s Sephora Play time! This first month of the year’s box is hands down probably the best Sephora Play box I’ve ever received, and I’ve heard that others are also singing the same tune.

What I like about this month’s items are the fact that they’re completely new to me and that the products came in decent sizes. They also seem to be unique and exciting to try. With this month’s theme: Sweat Is Just Another Way To Glow, this January 2017 Sephora Play contents are meant to freshen you up pre or post workout. Yet the products can also be very versatile for anybody who’s always on the go.

Tarte Frxxxtion Stick: A very interesting and unique cleanser stick with a dark purple/charcoal-like color. It has a gel-like grainy consistency that you can swipe directly onto wet/damp skin, then massage, lather and rinse the face for that well-cleaned skin. You can even use it as a facial mask. Don’t worry, the clayish color will completely wash away after thorough cleansing. Ain’t that a keeper?
It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Spf 50+ (Medium): A medium to full coverage makeup foundation with broad spectrum Spf plus some skin-loving ingredients. It can be used as a moisturizer, a serum or even as a tinted sunscreen. Personally, I find this to be quite similar to Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, especially the scent. This cc cream indeed has very good coverage, very moisturizing, and doesn’t settle into fine lines. It also makes the skin look glowy and the medium shade is the exact match for my skin tone. Will definitely be buying this in a full size.
Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream: This whipped-consistency moisturizer is made of 6 African oils. It is very hydrating but it smells a bit like the noodle in ramen noodle, sans seasoning.
Tory Burch Love Relentlessly Perfume: A floral scent that you can’t get enough of. It is flirty, fun, feminine, fresh and tender. It has slight traces of patchouli and some other stuff, but why do I feel like I’ve sniffed this type of scent before? Perhaps Viktor and Rolf’s Flowerbomb?
Ouai Treatment Masque: A completely unique hair mask that you need to apply and leave on your hair for 5-10 minutes before showering. It restores moisture and is meant to prevent future hair damage. The problem is, judging from the size of the container I got and the amount of contents inside it, I couldn’t really tell the difference. There is about 1/4 of product inside the container and its consistency feels somewhat watery. On top of that, my hair is very long, but this mask worked decently on me. My hair was neither too oily nor too dry.
Clinique Almost Lipstick (Black Honey): Almost a lipstick but not quite like it yet. It’s more of a lip sheer or a tinted lip balm, reminiscent of YSL Rouge Volupte Oil in Stick 48 Smoking Plum, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Bonheur and Dior Rouge Baume. I really like the texture of this “almost lipstick” because it feels smooth on the lips and is also very lightweight. P.S. I love the Black Honey shade.

I really wish that next month’s box will be just as good as these. Fingers crossed. How ’bout you? Have you gotten your Sephora Play box already? What’s in it? Spill…

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