Can you believe that I’ve held on to two Sephora gift cards since December?! Neither could I. So this weekend, my best friend and I ventured to Santa Monica to people watch, eat, explore and, of course, shop!! I knew it was time to spend my $45 in gift cards and this is what I bought…
For the Lips
I’ve been very into nude lips and lip liner recently. In about a month, I sharpened down three Milani liner pencils because I like them to be extra sharp when I use them and at times the lines can get a bit clumpy. The Too Faced Perfect Lips in “Perfect Nude” twist-up liner caught my eye and I swiped it across the front of my hand. When I tried to rub the liner off it wouldn’t budge. Good sign. But did I really want to spend $18 on a lipliner? I walked away. And yet, the liner still wouldn’t budge. In the end, I knew I had to have it so I plucked it off the shelf. It is smooth on the lips and even has a soft grip which makes for easy application! I give it 5 out of 5 stars, no regrets in this purchase.
I’ve been wanting to experiment with OCC Cosmetic stained glosses for a long time. The brand is “vegan and cruelty free” and came with a lip gloss tube and small brush applicator for $18. I chose to go with the top color, “Dune,” a fun neutral beige with a gold tint. I wore this with the lip liner and it was a pretty good combo! I toned the liner down a bit by blending it inward so there wouldn’t be such a high contrast between liner and fill color. Would definitely recommend this product and I’m looking forward to trying other colors!
Now, my birthday passed in April, but I signed up for a Sephora Beauty Insider Program and received two free NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils! These chubby sticks are Rikugien, a pearly taupe color and Cruella, a deeper red. Both pencils are matte and go on smooth. I haven’t yet tried these on my lips, so I shall do a more in-depth review about them later!
For the Face
Have you ever purchased something that was almost too perfect to wear? That’s how I feel about the Too Faced Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer. It instantly caught my eye because it is so cute! I like the color of the bronzer, it is a bit lighter with a shimmery, pink pearl tint to it. Honestly, I don’t even care about the color much because the packaging and bronzer itself is so appealing. The color reminds me of an ELF Baked blush that I have, great for a highlighter and not the typical dark bronzer that I’m used to.
So, here’s a sneak peek of what next week’s blog post will be on: The Peter Thomas Roth Mini Mask Magic Kit! For $20, I was able to get samples of the Cucumber Gel Mask, Rose Stem Cell Mask and Pumpkin Enzyme Mask. Check in next week to see what I think about these precious babies! And thank you to my best friend for this awesome suggestion!
For the Body
I really lucked out on the gift card thing, and I still had a redeemable coupon for a free rollerball perfume from a Christmas gift. Let me tell you about this gift- it came with about 6 perfume samples and a coupon for a free rollerball perfume! It is a perfect gift for a perfume-lover and allowed me to get a feel for different scents before committing.
I chose the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb roller perfume because it is unlike any other perfume I own. I first dubbed it a more mature scent because it is a deeper floral scent, but I soon fell in love. There are definite jasmine undertones and the scent is sweet, but not too sweet. I definitely recommend it!
Well, I hope you enjoyed my small beauty haul. What beauty products do you have your eye on? I’d love to know!
XO- Ashley (@Ashleysita)
That L.A. Writer 