Sephora Haul

Hi ladybugs,

I wanted to share my recent Sephora Haul with you because it features some items you might be interested in and also because I'm feeling a little lazy and I'm not in the mood to write a real review post today. #honesty #sorryforthehashtags

Let's start with the product that really convinced me to place my order: the Sephora + Pantone Matte Lipstick in Radiant Rush. Now, the packaging for this is a whole experience and since I don't do videos (yet), I'll take you through it with me in a series of photos.

Once you've removed the plastic you find the tube encased in its cardboard bed.

One side says Sephora.

Two sides have a plus sign.

The remaining side reads Pantone Universe. The closure for this lipstick is magnetic which I both like and hate. I like that it's magnetic because I'm easily amused by packaging but I hate that it's magnetic because it doesn't feel as secure as that firm click you get with a lot of lipstick bullets. The magnets in this lipstick feel a little weak and I'm nervous that this could open fairly easily in my purse.

I did try it out briefly. It doesn't seem to be rich and creamy like the Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks but it isn't slick like a balm either. It kind of hugs your lips as you apply it if that makes any sense. I'm not going to show you a lip swatch because my lips are super dry right now but it applies fairly similarly to how it appears in the tube. My initial impression was that it wasn't intensely pigmented but that you could build up the color in a few swipes. It has a slight candy kind of scent. I'm bad with scents but I'd guess caramel or something similar. 

This tube of lipstick looked really tiny to me so I breathed a sigh of relief when I twisted it up and saw the amount of product. Still, I wanted to see how this lipstick compared to other brands given the fact that it costs $18 at full price. So, for the sake of comparison...

Sephora + Pantone Radiant Rush 3.6g

Covergirl Lipstick 3.5 g

L'Oreal Colour Riche 2.9 g

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick 4.2 g

NYC Lipstick 3.8 g

Revlon Lip Butter 2.55 g

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 4.2 g

Urban Decay Revolution lipstick 2.8 g

I've wanted this shadow quad for a while but I was intending to wait until the Sephora Friends and Family sale to pick up. But of course I needed to qualify for the absolutely ridiculous $50 minimum for free shipping so I added it to my order. I was fairly disappointed in the size of this palette. 4.8 g is not a lot of eyeshadow for $28. To compare, the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette contains 12 shades that are each 1.3 g making the entire palette 15.6 g. And of course I bought my palette during a sale so it cost less than the standard retail price of $50 or so. And if I could be bothered to check my makeup collection, I could find a ton of other high end and mid-range eyeshadow palettes that are more economical. Basically what I'm saying is that these better prove to be some pretty amazing eyeshadows.

The packaging is reflective which is a nice look though it attracts smudges like crazy.

The palette comes with a small built-in mirror, four shadows, and two sponge-tip applicators.

Not to keep harping on the same point but I feel like everything that came with this order seemed tiny, including this Sephora Collection Color Hit Nail Polish in 30 Valentine. At $5 this polish is rather expensive for 5ml of product. For the sake of comparison, your standard Essie, OPI, and Zoya polishes are all 15ml for about $8 (when they aren't on sale) and even a Maybelline polish is $3 to $4 for 7 ml of product. I mean, look at this. It looks like a free sample, not an actual full size polish. 

Now we've come to the other reason I placed this order, because I wanted to get an actual sample of the Lancome Lip Lover Gloss in 355 Framboise. I think it'll be a great color for spring and summer and like a good sample, it'll give me a chance to try a product that I wouldn't have purchased on my own.

It's a lot more pink in person than it appears in this photo.