Reviews and Other Stuff

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter Unscented

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 Paaarty  – 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 –  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: Tarte, Kat Von D, Giorgio Armani, Algenist, Laura Mercier, Clarins, Too Faced, Becca, Sephora & Josie Maran

Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment

 

Whaddup Guys! Here’s another set of samples I’ve been playing and a lot of them are really interesting products to note. If you’re on the market for some new moisturizers, velvety lipsticks, a new signature scent, or even another mask, you may wanna read this.

 

Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream

 

1. Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter Unscented (1.7 oz: $40) – This is a good hydrating cream for those who suffer from dry skin. It also feels weightless and very softening. Has a bit of a milky texture, and it gets absorbed by the skin easily. I love that it doesn’t leave any film after a few hours of application and it also feels non-greasy. The unscented one has a bit of silicon-ish scent, but I’ve sniffed the Juicy Mango scent before and it was good.

 

2. Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream (1 oz: $75, 2 oz: $112) – I’ve tried this before and it’s one of the best moisturizing cream I’ve ever tried. You may or may not like the scent, but I love it. It’s kinda like vanilla milkshake and it feels really good once applied on the skin. It has a whipped and creamy texture but it’s not oily. It’s rich and very smoothing. So ideal when you have dry patches around the face as this will deliver intense hydration. A little bit goes a long way.

 

3. Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment (0.35 oz: $38) – Such a perfect thick consistency for an eye cream. I love that it really hydrates the thin skin around the eyes that are prone to dryness. Very rich and also very moisturizing, but it doesn’t pill. It also doesn’t irritate the eyes and has a firming effect. It’s easily spreadable, non-greasy and I love the hint of maracuja or passion fruit scent.

 

4. Giorgio Armani Beauty Fluid Sheer in No. 7 Radiant Finish (Travel Size/0.6 oz: $40, 1 oz: $62) – This really goes on sheer but it has very tiny flecks of pink shimmers that is reminiscent of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. This feels like a strobe cream that adds definition to the face, which I really really love because I can’t seem to wear mattifying foundations well without looking flat. This is great to add with your foundation to achieve that natural dewy finish, or it can be used as a highlighter, blush or even as a bronzer using the darker shades.

 

 

kat von d Saint Eau de Parfum Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate

 

5. Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying (1 oz: $12, 2.03 oz: $20) – This is a fast drying mud mask with zinc and copper that resembles a bit like Glamglow Supermud. But this one has tiny clumps that would make the application a bit challenging. Though it didn’t really bother me as the mask is pretty much easy to wash out. This mask dries into a blue-green color and it has a pretty strong orange peel scent, which I kind of like, but some may find it to be too strong. The thing I like about this is the way it felt on my skin after rinsing it off. It is truly mattifying and it deeply cleanses into my pores. On top of that, this mask is also affordable.

 

6. Kat Von D

Saint Eau de Parfum (Travel size/0.34 oz: $22, 1.7 oz: $65, 3.4 oz: $85) – This has a floral scent that’s slightly sweet but also very fresh. You could sense a hint of musky jasmine and a bit of sweet vanilla. This smells light and very summer-like. It’s also long lasting and quite irresistible.

 

Sinner Eau de Parfum (Travel size/0.34 oz: $22, 1.7 oz: $65, 3.4 oz: $85) – A more intense version of Saint. It’s woody, earthy, and spicy, but not heady. It’s very long lasting and it’s an ideal scent for Fall or Winter. It has a warm and sultry vibe kind of scent that is unique and seductive.

 

Note: Both scents remind me of a blend of Estee Lauder and Marc Jacobs perfumes, which are the ones I still use alternately nowadays. Of the two KVD scents, I kinda love the Saint fragrance more because it’s a bit lighter and fresher, and its dry down is still irresistible, though I really like Sinner at the first few spritzes. Overall, they’re quite similar to each other, but they’re just at different intensities.

 

7. Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate (1 oz: $89, 1.6 oz: $122) – This is a 2-in-1 anti-aging serum that combines the oil & water soluble antioxidants to deliver a radiant smooth skin in just seven days, as per Clarins. While I love that it really moisturizes the skin with its thick oily feel, I saw that my face broke out a bit the next day after using this. Too bad, because I love its slightly powdery-sweet scent and it’s still a lightweight serum that has a plumping effect. Somehow, this made my face soft and moisturized, but this may not be for me.

 

Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation

 

8. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium-Deep Matte Bronzer (Travel size/0.14 oz: $15, 0.35 oz: $30) – Smells like chocolate milkshake, so delish you could almost eat it. LOL. This goes on as very light and not as well-pigmented especially at first swipe, but it’s pretty much buildable somehow. I use it for contouring and for bronzing at times. I find that with my light to medium skin tone, I would have to really layer this a lot in order to achieve a more contoured effect on the face. The medium to deep shade is more like for lighter complexions than the medium warm ones.

 

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium-Deep Matte Bronzer

 

9. Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation (1.01 oz: $44) – This is supposed to be a full coverage weightless foundation that has the right balance of water and pigments in order to achieve a flawless good coverage without caking. Unfortunately, this was really hard to blend and a little too thick for me. It does seem to cake around and also quite drying, similar to a thick concealer.

 

Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation swatches

 

10. Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour in Devotion (0.12 oz: $28) – A perfect dusty rose shade that really has a velvety finish. It goes on like a cream but the effect is satiny matte without drying the lips. I love how well-pigmented this lipstick is, and it lasts even after eating. Most importantly, it feels like nothing on your lips.

 

11. Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Audrey (0.14 oz: $28) – Described as a neutral red, this has the right texture for a full-coverage lipstick that’s not too creamy and not too matte, with very good color payoff. I like that it feels creamy but it’s not like it’s melting on your lips. It’s also pretty long lasting and lightweight.

 

Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour in Devotion swatch Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Audrey

 

Final words, I had a lot of fun trying these products and there’s a lot of them that I really like, but if I have to choose a few that really stood out for me, it would be the; Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream, Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment, Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer, Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying, Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour & LM Creme Smooth Lip Colour.

 

Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying

 

Have you tried these? Which ones are you gonna try?

 

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