June Sephora Haul

In order to make myself feel better about my online shopping addiction, and to share my very important opinions with you all, I’m starting ‘The Haul’ series! Whether it’s a giant box of Sephora, art supplies from Michael’s, overpriced clothes I have no right to buy, or a huge order of random crap from Amazon, I’m here to share and to hopefully provide some helpful advice and suggestions! 

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I was overdue for a Sephora order and they had some awesome samples to choose from this month! I tried as hard as I could to control myself from over-ordering, but I got so many samples to try, I predict another order coming relatively soon. 

Here we go!

1. BENEFIT COSMETICS: Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define (in Shade 2.5 – neutral blonde) ($24) 

I am totally obsessed with this brow pencil. It’s a best-seller for a reason! The pencil is super thin for hair-like strokes, but is really pigmented, so it doesn’t take a thousand strokes to fill in your brows. The neutral blonde color was PERFECT for me, and I’m really really loving this product! 

2. PHILOSOPHY: Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Mask (1 oz/ 30 mL. $18)

Holy crap. The reviews were pretty good for this mask, so I decided to give it a shot (I’ve been a little mask-obsessed lately), and I’m so glad that I did. After the first use, not ONE little speck of a blackhead was visible anywhere on my face. It completely cleansed every pore in my T-zone and left my skin super smooth and exfoliated. The interesting thing about this mask was that you work the product into the skin both upon application and also when removing. The texture is super unique — it’s foamy but coarse, and dries quickly!  

3. THE ORDINARY: High-Adherence Silicone Primer (1 oz/ 30 mL. $5)

This product is fine for the low price. Nothing super impressive about it, but definitely helps blend foundation and concealer into the skin, and is pretty hydrating at the same time. 

4. SEPHORA COLLECTION: Smoothing Cream (5.07 fl oz/150mL, $14)

I got this product mostly for flyaway hairs, especially during this time when getting a Keratin treatment isn’t an option! Didn’t have high expectations (because of the price) but it works alright. Smells good and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy on the hair!

5. Clean Sample Bag 

• CHARLOTTE TILBURY: Charlotte’s Magic Serum in Crystal Elixir

Let me know if this is delusional, but I was hoping this wasn’t going to be amazing because the full size is pretty pricey for a serum (I know, I’m cheap). So, of course, it was amazing. It smells really good and my skin looked SO smooth and even right after application. Dries matte and really evens skin tone right away. The mini size is only $30 (full size is $80), so I think it may be one of my splurge items in the near future. 

• SUMMER FRIDAYS: Jet Lag Mask

I was excited to try this mask because Sephora gave me 2 samples of it for some reason, and also the packaging was my favorite shade of purple (I’m such a sucker). Anyway, I unfortunately didn’t love it. It felt really nice and refreshing going on, and tingled a little bit (which is usually a good sign, that it’s doing something!) but I didn’t notice a difference in my face at all afterward or the next day. If anything, my skin looked a little duller and darker when I woke up the next morning! I checked the reviews, and people reported the same thing, in addition to reddening of the skin. Yikes. It’s gonna be a no for me, dawg. 

• FARMACY: HONEYMOON GLOW AHA Resurfacing Night Serum with Hydrating Honey + Gentle Flower Acids

I really like this serum, but the full size is pretty pricey, so I probably won’t buy it.It’s a super hydrating night serum that leaves skin even and soft in the morning! Would consider revisiting this product if I’m looking to splurge on a night serum one day.

• ORIGINS: GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff

I had some high hopes for this product because I’ve been dealing with some dark circles under my eyes lately (and I’ve always loved Origins), but I was a bit disappointed. It felt nice and hydrating going onto the skin, and I could see a bit of a brightening effect. However, I didn’t see any kind of depuffing action. Didn’t do much for the dark circles either, unfortunately.

• DRUNK ELEPHANT: T.L.C. Happi Scalp™ Scrub

This was a funny product. I’ve never tried a “scalp scrub” before and didn’t really see the need for it. I think it definitely helped a little with volumizing my roots and can see it working well for people with dandruff. Applying it 10 minutes before washing your hair was a little strange to me, and it took 2 shampoos to wash out completely. 

• SEPHORA COLLECTION: Illuminating Hydrator – Radiance + Smoothing

I’m usually a skeptic when it comes to Sephora Collection products, but I was pleasantly surprised by this product. I used it before foundation as a primer, and it was SO illuminating. I had a really visible glow, even after I applied the rest of my makeup on top of it. I probably won’t purchase this (mostly because I prefer a matte finish for every-day looks) but would recommend to anyone who’s looking for that glow-up. 

• TATA HARPER: Water-Lock Moisturizer with Skin-Smoothing Peptides

This is one of the samples from this haul that I really didn’t like. This moisturizer smells sooo good but left my skin feeling super tacky and almost over-hydrated. I would imagine it might be different for someone with dry skin, but I didn’t love this product. Meh.

• JOSIE MARAN: Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter

I’ve always felt weird applying anything to my skin containing the word “butter” (delusional), but there are things about this product that I really liked. It was super hydrating and left my skin pretty matte after I worked it in with my Gua Sha. It’s a little too thick for me, however. It went on with the consistency of sunscreen, and took a bit of time to rub in. Just a little too heavy for me.

• BIOSSANCE: Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

This oil smells sooo good, which just makes the application process that much better. I used this with my Gua Sha and face roller, and it blended really nicely into my skin. I didn’t notice much else, but I was impressed that it didn’t leave my skin super greasy/oily.

• KOSAS: Tinted Face Oil Foundation

I’ve never used a product like this, so I was a little skeptical. I mixed this with my moisturizer and it took a little effort to blend in, but after I let it sit for a bit, it looked pretty nice. I’m always looking for new foundation alternatives (don’t love a ton of product on my face) so this is an interesting option. Wasn’t blown away, but might try this one more time before deciding final thoughts!

6. CLINIQUE: Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator (Beauty Insider Reward for 100 points)

Not too much to say about this product. It is definitely hydrating and smells pretty good, but leaves a bit of a tacky feeling after applying. I wouldn’t apply foundation or concealer on top of this without adding a serum or primer first. I will probably use this for some night-time hydration when I won’t be applying makeup. 

7. Random additional product from Ulta:

So, Whitney placed an order from Ulta, and they gave her a few things by accident, which is always a fun surprise. I’ve been complaining that my roots have been falling flat lately after blow-drying, so she gave me this product to try out…

Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus Humidity Resistant Volumizing Spray Mousse (16 oz. $27)

I was nervous when I first applied this product because sometimes products applied directly to the roots can leave hair looking greasy or dirty. I sprayed it on just-washed and blow-dried hair and to my surprise, it didn’t leave any kind of residue. It blended right into my hair, amped up my roots, and it still looked freshly clean! I’m really surprisingly happy about this product and will definitely be using this from now on after blow-drying!