Sephora 2014 VIB Rouge Event Haul + Misses

My apologies for the bad angles in this video, bad focus and lack of editing. I have no editing skills whatsoever but I recently got a new camera and am in the process of experimenting. Having said that, here is my haul video. Feel free to watch it and if you wish, continue to read this post to find out which were some immediate fails. 

PS: There was thunder while filming!

Fail

I had used Make Up For Ever's Sens'Eyes in stores a lot. It's probably the most effective and quickest product to remove heavy-duty makeup. I took it home with me to use it on my eyes but I am saddened to report that this burned my eyes and left them feeling sore for hours. I'm going to have to return this one. 

Disappointment

I wasn't able to get Nars' And God Created the Woman last year, so when I heard it was going to be re-released this year featuring a new Nars brush, I was excited. Unfortunately this was a hit or miss. Some shades, especially the lightest one blended with ease while the darker shades were uneven, patchy, powdery and hard to blend. It's nice that the kit comes with the Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, however the included brush feels stiff and scratchy. It's a shame -- I really wanted to like this.  

Honorable Mention

I forgot to talk about one of my favorites from this haul -- the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Turquoise. Oh my! First of all, the color is gorgeous. The best part though is that this does not budge. Literally. Once it sets, it sets. It's a beautiful shade that I think would compliment anyone, but especially those with olive undertones. I will soon be featuring an eye look using this and share it on the blog. 

Tried, Tested, Returned

I find these posts helpful because you get to read someone else's criticism on a product you have seen or heard of. I tried a variety of products while I was in the US and these were some that just didn't quite do it for me. I'll be using the same pictures I used when I first wrote about these products on my blog. 

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask 

Not necessarily a "bad" product, in my opinion, but I was looking for something with a little more "umph!", if that makes sense. Something a little stronger. This mask has a thick consistency and it is completely black in color. You're supposed to leave it on for 10-15 minutes until it dries, then you peel it off. I was told that some people felt discomfort at the "peeling" stage. I didn't. But it kind of feels like a lighter version of waxing. Though it wasn't a painful experience for me, I know it was to some. So if you have ultra-sensitive skin, I wouldn't recommend this to you. Why did I return it? After using it four about four times, I didn't notice any major improvement, and I exchanged it for a stronger one.  

Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel

I had previously used this on a 500-perk Sephora kit I got last year, and I liked it at the time. This time I was looking for a cleanser that would lather when using it with my Clarisonic, so I grabbed it. I noticed it was drying out my skin-- it would feel too tight afterwards and my skin became dehydrated as days went by. I started getting dry patches on my chin and my skin was looking dull, despite the fact that this is an exfoliating cleanser. I'm pretty sure it didn't work for me because I was using it everyday. I was told by a Sephora Beauty Advisor that this cleanser is  more for those with extremely oily skin-- those are the customers who love this. I ended up exchanging this for a lighter cleanser without any chemicals.

Kate Somerville Eradi-Kate

I loved this at first. I even mentioned it in one of my YouTube videos. It was a favorite. But then the biggest con got to me-- alcohol is one of its main ingredients. Overtime, I couldn't bear the strong smell of alcohol and I started feeling guilty that I was using it all over my pimples. Alcohol just leads to irritation. Not good! I exchanged it and bought Tea Tree Oil instead. 

wen by Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Healthy Hair Kit

I gave in. I needed to try it. I wanted to. The fact the first time I heard about Chaz Dean and his products were in infomercials really made my beauty-junkiness develop feelings of rejections towards his products. His philosophy basically states that one single product can do it all. Yes. One. This kit included a huge bottle of conditioner, a deep conditioner and a hair...perfume? You're supposed to use about 20-30 pumps depending on your hair length, massage it on each strand for about 5 minutes, repeat the process if necessary then rinse. I'm a patient person when it comes to beauty. I like to follow instructions, take my time and do things properly. So I didn't mind the massaging process. After rinsing it out, you're supposed to towel-dry your hair and let it air dry or you can blow dry it if desired. If you decide to let it air dry, you can use a little bit of the conditioner as a leave in conditioner. 

Hey, I gave it a shot. Some people love it, some people hate it. I hated it. After a few days, my hair felt dirty. Heavy. My scalp was craving shampoo. I also didn't understand why you even get a deep conditioner in the kit if the cleansing conditioner is already super thick. The hair spray smelled good but it was just a bottle with essential oils which you can make yourself. This product was useless to me. 

The next couple of products I don't have pictures of, but I did speak about them in videos and mentioned how much I loved them, til now. 

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick shade Muse

I really, really loved this color. It's a little brighter than Mac's Ablaze. Unfortunately, the formula was too drying for me. I always apply a moisturizing lip balm prior to lip stain applications, but even that wasn't enough. The color would chip and accentuate the creases on my lips. Aside from that, you get so little product-- 0.10oz for $28. 

Givenchy Mister Radiant

This is a gel with little bubbles of brownish pigments that are supposed to give your skin a healthy glow. I didn't really understand this product. Initially, I purchased it because I wanted to mix it with my Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, but the Sensual Skin Enhancer is a thick cream, and the Givenchy Mister Radiant is a gel. Both elements just didn't make such a great combo. The reason why I returned it was because of the price-- I wanted to get something else instead for the money. This little tube cost me $38! I exchanged it for an Hourglass Foundation. 

Have you tried any products recently you've been disappointed with? If so, feel free to share! 

April Favorites

Products Mentioned
- Illamasqua Cream Blusher shade Brazen
- Dior Creme De Rose
- Urban Decay Naked Palette
- Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick shade Beso
- Pureology Serious Colour Hair Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner
- Desert Essence Coconut Soft Curls Hair Cream
- Kate Somerville Eradikate
- Lush Mint Julips
- Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil
- Philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough
- Deep Steep Rosemary Mint Dry Oil
- Aura Cacia Peppermint Harvest Refreshing Aromatherapy Mist

Super Sephora Haul!

Hi dolls! And guys if you read me, too.

I have no idea how I'm still awake. It is 9:45pm Eastern Time and I've been awake since 2AM. Yup. The flight went fine. The jump from Maracaibo to Miami is pretty quick - two hours and forty minutes. 

I told you I was bringing all of you with me, so I'm taking as many pics as I can!

First of all, here are some pictures I took off the plane. This is the Caribbean Sea.  

This is the view from our condo. I have so many memories of this place... I've been coming here since I was a newborn!

The area is called Aventura - it's very safe and quiet. I love it because you can walk at any time of the day. My mom, my sister and I took a shuttle to Aventura Mall which is a mile away, and we came back walking at 8pm. 

Now onto the haul... 

I got to the mall and went straight to Sephora! I wanted someone to pinch me... these vacations are my only time to shop because everything is too overpriced in Venezuela. Aside from that, you can barely find anything.

I'm a VIB member, which means "Very Important Beauty Insider". You get a few extra perks like discounts, invitations to private events, etc. I got a one on one session with a beauty adviser who was so kind. She gave me tons of advice on skincare and haircare. I talked to her about my blog and about my passion for skincare and makeup, and she gave me tons of samples (you'll see that at the end).

Please excuse my lousy pictures. I took them with my phone. 

The lady strongly suggested the Clarisonic. She said it really makes a difference in ones' skincare regimen. She advised me to go with the cheapest one, because it gets the job done. She used it on me today and it felt quite nice. 

The lady also put this mask on my face, and WOWZA! My skin was glowing afterwards. She left it on for thirty minutes and then peeled it off. It hurts a wee-bit when its being peeled, but it's tolerable. This is a detoxifying mask. 

There are SO many face oils in the market right now. I told her I was confused because there are people raving so much about Josie Maran's Argan Oil, Marula Oil, the one by Nude, one by Fresh. She recommended me the one by Fresh (I love the brand anyway) and she added a few drops of this on my face after removing the mask. My skin was pink and glowing. Loved it, so I got it.

She also applied this Ojon hair mask and told me to leave it on overnight. She even braided my hair :)

I needed a cleanser for my to use with my Clarisonic, so I got the Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel. I had tried this on a kit before and loved how a little went such a long way. It also has glycolic acid = exfoliating = glowing skin.

This product by Kate Somerville is one I had been wanting to try out. It's supposed to be amazing to clear out nasty pimples.

Another product with glycolic acid, the Perricone MD Firming Facial Toner. This brand is the most sold in Sephora.

And more hair stuff. I was hesitant about this one... have any of you tried this? I saw it on an infomercial the first time... and I'm always dubious when it comes to infomercials. A lot of them seem fake to me. But after reading many, many reviews online before coming to the States, and after noticing there was a try-it-out-kit, I decided to get it. According to the Sephora website:

What it does:
Cleanse, condition, nourish, and repair your locks with this collection of WEN favorites for all hair types. The five-in-one Cleansing Conditioner will pamper and invigorate your stressed-out tresses with its luxurious formula of herbal extracts like aloe leaf juice and sweet almond oil. The Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment is a super-nourishing, weekly mask that promises to give your hair more body and a beautiful, healthy shine. The Replenishing Treatment Mist is a lightweight, hydrating formula specially designed as a quick pick-me-up to increase volume and body between washes. 

This set contains:
- 12 oz Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner 
- 2 oz Sweet Almond Mint Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment 
- 2 oz Sweet Almond Mint Replenishing Treatment Mist 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Sulfates 
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates 
- Triclosan 

And finally, THE SAMPLES!!!!! She gave me tons! I will be reviewing all of these products individually in a few months to give you proper and genuine opinions.

Enough for tonight. I should take a nice warm shower and go straight to bed. My eyes are achy. 

Have you tried any of these products?