Sephora is truly the one shop that everyone who is obsessed with beauty and makeup needs to visit when they go to America. Unfortunately for me, Sephora is not in the UK anymore, so the only time I can shop with Sephora is either online or visit a store when I am on holiday. There are Sephoras all over the world, from the United States of America to France to Australia. However, the UK still has none (although there were a few Sephora stores in the UK between 1999 and 2005). So when I went to Sephora I decided to save a lot of money to buy products that I knew I could not always get over here in the UK. Of course I had to sign up for their VIB Programme and five trips to Sephora later, I became a VIB Rouge member (I don't know whether to feel ashamed or impressed with myself). I only became a VIB Rouge member because my mum has purchased quite a few items herself, plus other people from back home had given me money to buy them products that they could not get over here as well. So I didn't spend over $1,000 just on me, as that would be a ridiculous amount to spend in one trip to the States.
Originally a French cosmetics store, Sephora has quickly been nicknamed a "Mecca" for all of us who love makeup. It is one of the leading global retailers of beauty, skincare and haircare and it continues to grow into one of the best stores for buying beauty products from. With now over 2,300 stores in 33 countries, Sephora is truly a place every beauty lover must go to. There are over 300 brands to choose from (ranging from Too Faced, Stila, Tom Ford, Hourglass and many more), plus they have their own private brand which is just as good as the high end makeup brands. There are so many to choose from and a lot of the time brands will have exclusive products that can only be found at Sephora. For us Brits, though, we can only purchase items from Sephora online or if we happen to go somewhere on holiday that has a Sephora store. I am definitely going to be making some purchases online in the future because there are products we cannot get over here and even with added Taxes, they often end up being a lot cheaper in the States than they are in the UK.
This haul is only part 1 of 3 as I didn't want to make this post too long. Therefore, I decided to split this haul up into three parts: Skincare & Haircare, Face Products and then Lip Products. I will admit that this is a crazy amount of makeup to buy, but since coming home from holiday, I have only purchased two palettes which is pretty good for me. I went to Hawaii at the end of July and there are two Sephoras in Honolulu, so of course I had to go in multiple times (maybe five times in total, but I kept going back because I would forget things that other people had asked me to get them). I did find walking into Sephora a bit overwhelming at first, as there is just so much to look at and I just wanted to buy every single item but I did try to hold back and just buy the products that I truly wanted or could not purchase in the UK. Another thing that made my haul slightly larger was the infamous row of miniature products that they have right in front of you when you are lining up at the checkout; I only fell for this a couple of times as some of the miniature products were so expensive, but these products can definitely rack up the final cost.
I will leave links to all the items that you can get on Sephora below and I will also give a little mini first impression of each item. So let me show you what I purchased in terms of skincare and haircare from Sephora ...
Before I even went into Sephora, I knew that a brand I wanted to get something from was Tatcha. We cannot get Tatcha over in the UK at the moment, so I knew that I wanted to buy a couple of products as I have heard so many good things about the brand. The Water Cream is one of the best moisturising products I have ever used, my Mum tried it on holiday and she loved it so much that she had to go and buy it for herself. This cream provides a nutrient-rich, balanced hydration that leaves the skin feeling nourished and hydrated without leaving the skin sticky or greasy. This is not a heavy cream that you can feel, but instead feels like you are placing water all over your skin to leave it looking fresh and glowing. I have now found my perfect moisturiser that I cannot live without, and I am hoping Tatcha comes to the UK soon, otherwise I will just have to order it from the Sephora or Tatcha website. The Water Cream can be purchased for $68, which I don't think is a bad price for a great moisturiser that is perfect for all skin types.
TATCHA VIOLET-C RADIANCE MASK, $68
I was looking for a new face mask to buy and originally I planned on buying another one from Glamglow and then I saw this mask from Tatcha on a stand and thought I really wanted to try it out. I have not actually tried this product out, but once I do I will write a review on this blog to let you know more about the Tatcha brand. I bought this mainly because I liked the fact that it was meant to be a solution for dull skin, uneven texture, dark spots, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles. I do suffer from uneven skin tone so I am hoping that this mask is a solution for this problem. This is quite expensive but if it works then the Violet-C Radiance Mask will definitely be worth the $68 price tag.
I was looking for a new face mask to buy and originally I planned on buying another one from Glamglow and then I saw this mask from Tatcha on a stand and thought I really wanted to try it out. I have not actually tried this product out, but once I do I will write a review on this blog to let you know more about the Tatcha brand. I bought this mainly because I liked the fact that it was meant to be a solution for dull skin, uneven texture, dark spots, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles. I do suffer from uneven skin tone so I am hoping that this mask is a solution for this problem. This is quite expensive but if it works then the Violet-C Radiance Mask will definitely be worth the $68 price tag.
SEPHORA COLLECTION ROSE EYE MASK, $5
I have tried so many sheet masks, and personally I am not always a fan of the ones that will cover my entire face - as I usually find that they never fit my face properly and I will end up getting the product in my eyes or in my mouth. However, I am a massive fan of eye masks, where they are smaller sheets that just fit perfectly under your eyes to help add moisture and keep your under eyes looking fresh and radiant. I bought a couple of these masks after my long flight and I was seriously impressed with these masks; after being on a plane for 16 hours my skin was not looking its best and was really dehydrated, but these masks helped to add a boost of moisture to my under eyes. I chose the rose eye mask as it was meant to be an ultra-moisturising and brightening mask. My under eyes looked amazing after I used this and I loved it so much that I went and bought quite a few more while I was there. There are eight scents in total, all boasting different properties that aim to solve certain skin problems, but rose is definitely the one that I love and is perfect for when you are travelling on a plane. Each Eye Mask is $5 and definitely worth stocking up on.
I have tried so many sheet masks, and personally I am not always a fan of the ones that will cover my entire face - as I usually find that they never fit my face properly and I will end up getting the product in my eyes or in my mouth. However, I am a massive fan of eye masks, where they are smaller sheets that just fit perfectly under your eyes to help add moisture and keep your under eyes looking fresh and radiant. I bought a couple of these masks after my long flight and I was seriously impressed with these masks; after being on a plane for 16 hours my skin was not looking its best and was really dehydrated, but these masks helped to add a boost of moisture to my under eyes. I chose the rose eye mask as it was meant to be an ultra-moisturising and brightening mask. My under eyes looked amazing after I used this and I loved it so much that I went and bought quite a few more while I was there. There are eight scents in total, all boasting different properties that aim to solve certain skin problems, but rose is definitely the one that I love and is perfect for when you are travelling on a plane. Each Eye Mask is $5 and definitely worth stocking up on.
HERBIVORE ROSE HIBISCUS COCONUT WATER HYDRATING FACE MIST, $32
As you can imagine while on holiday it was very hot, with it being in the high 80s most days, and one thing that I really wanted to find in Sephora was a face mist that would help cool me down in the hot weather. I really struggled to find one until I saw this face mist from a brand that I had never heard of called Herbivore. This spray was so handy when it was warm and I did find that it hydrated my skin when it was feeling dry. I would also spray this over my makeup to help refresh my makeup look and to make my skin look dewy and radiant. I wouldn't say that this is a must have and I would have tried to have bought a face mist that was slightly cheaper but this was this was the only face mist that I could find at the time in store. However, I do really like this product and it does cool and hydrate the skin, I am just not a huge fan or the strong rose scent. The Rose Hibiscus Coconut Water Hydrating Face Mist retails for $32.
ALTERNA HAIRCARE CAVIAR INFINITE COLOR HOLD TOPCOAT SHINE SPRAY, $32
As the sun was so strong while I was on holiday, I noticed that my hair was starting to look and feel a bit more damaged than usual, because of me being out in the sun for long periods of time. Like with the face mist, I was looking for something that could help my hair when I was out in the sun and then I found this topcoat shine spray from the brand Alterna Haircare. I wasn't too worried about the product giving a shine to my hair, but I liked the fact that it mentioned it protects the hair from UV exposure (which was what I really needed). I did find that it helped to protect my hair from the sun and it is for people who colour their hair, which is something that I do. Plus I did like the finish that it gave to my hair as it made it look so shiny and it looked amazing when I used this product. I would use the product on damp hair prior to blow drying to give me a natural wavy look that has a beautiful shine to it. The Caviar Infinite Color Hold Topcoat Shine Spray is pricey at $32, but I think it was definitely worth it.
DRYBAR SOUTHERN BELLE VOLUMIZING MOUSSE, $26
I must admit that I do not know why I bought this volumizing mousse from Drybar, but I think I did buy it initially to give to my Mum as she is often complaining that she has no volume in her hair. I also think this will be a great product for me to use when my hair is looking a little lacklustre and could do with some added volume. I was really intrigued by this product because they said it was a lightweight mousse that creates extra volume and helps to protect from heat-styling tools. I cannot wait to give this mousse a go myself; I know that my Mum has tried this mousse and she absolutely loves it, so I am going to see whether this is as good and whether it will work for my hair. The Drybar Southern Belle Volumizing Mousse retails for $26 at Sephora.
DRYBAR SUPER LEMON DROP HAIRBRUSH, $16
While I was on holiday I really needed to buy a new hairbrush as the one that I was using before the holiday was quite old and was needing replacing. I have heard so many people talking about the Drybar range and I had heard a lot of good things about their hairbrushes. I did decide to just go with the Super Lemon Drop hairbrush as that was one of the cheapest hairbrushes they sold, and I could not justify spending $40 on a hairbrush, no matter how good it is. This is an amazing brush and I don't have to spend loads of time trying to untangle my hair after washing it. If you can get to a Sephora, I would definitely recommend buying this hairbrush and you can buy the Drybar Super Lemon Drop for $16.
DRYBAR TRAVEL SIZE DETOX WHIPPED DRY SHAMPOO FOAM, $15
This was one of those spur of the moment purchases, while I was lining up at the checkout. It is so hard to resist buying the little miniature products that line the queue at the checkout. But I got this on one of the last days of my holiday, as I needed some dry shampoo but didn't want to buy a massive bottle of it, as I had to think about luggage space. This is a product that I actually really like, it does make my hair look freshly washed and is perfect for those days when you need to quickly make your hair look more presentable. The scent is so strong and is something that I am not keen on but I can live with it because it does do an amazing job with my hair, for those days when I do not have time to wash my hair. What I like about this, is that it is a foam (it looks a lot like squirt cream); therefore, it does not leave a white powder in my hair, like other dry shampoos, as it is easy to rub into my hair and leaves it looking fresh. At first it does look greasy when you first rub it into the roots but once you use a hairbrush, it looks great. I could not find the link to the travel size version, but I believe this was around the $15 price. The full size of the Drybar Detox Whipped Dry Shampoo Foam can be purchased for $24.
BUMBLE & BUMBLE SURF SPRAY 50ML, $16
When I was on holiday, I often swam in the sea and I loved the look of my hair when it had dried fully; it would be wavy and just looked amazing. So I wanted to be able to recreate this look at home, and I had heard so many people talking about the Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, and they would say that it would make you look like you have just come out of the ocean. I decided to buy this in a smaller travel size just in case I didn't like it, and I am glad I did only buy it in a miniature version. I have only used this product a few times and it will give me a slight wave but it just seems to make my hair look greasy and wet. I would have to layer on the product to get the desired look and that would just make my hair look awful. I also cannot stand the smell of this product; think salt mixed with bad odour, the smell is just not pleasant at all and does not seem to fade straight away. The Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray is $16 for the travel size and $27 for the full size.
As you can imagine while on holiday it was very hot, with it being in the high 80s most days, and one thing that I really wanted to find in Sephora was a face mist that would help cool me down in the hot weather. I really struggled to find one until I saw this face mist from a brand that I had never heard of called Herbivore. This spray was so handy when it was warm and I did find that it hydrated my skin when it was feeling dry. I would also spray this over my makeup to help refresh my makeup look and to make my skin look dewy and radiant. I wouldn't say that this is a must have and I would have tried to have bought a face mist that was slightly cheaper but this was this was the only face mist that I could find at the time in store. However, I do really like this product and it does cool and hydrate the skin, I am just not a huge fan or the strong rose scent. The Rose Hibiscus Coconut Water Hydrating Face Mist retails for $32.
As the sun was so strong while I was on holiday, I noticed that my hair was starting to look and feel a bit more damaged than usual, because of me being out in the sun for long periods of time. Like with the face mist, I was looking for something that could help my hair when I was out in the sun and then I found this topcoat shine spray from the brand Alterna Haircare. I wasn't too worried about the product giving a shine to my hair, but I liked the fact that it mentioned it protects the hair from UV exposure (which was what I really needed). I did find that it helped to protect my hair from the sun and it is for people who colour their hair, which is something that I do. Plus I did like the finish that it gave to my hair as it made it look so shiny and it looked amazing when I used this product. I would use the product on damp hair prior to blow drying to give me a natural wavy look that has a beautiful shine to it. The Caviar Infinite Color Hold Topcoat Shine Spray is pricey at $32, but I think it was definitely worth it.
I must admit that I do not know why I bought this volumizing mousse from Drybar, but I think I did buy it initially to give to my Mum as she is often complaining that she has no volume in her hair. I also think this will be a great product for me to use when my hair is looking a little lacklustre and could do with some added volume. I was really intrigued by this product because they said it was a lightweight mousse that creates extra volume and helps to protect from heat-styling tools. I cannot wait to give this mousse a go myself; I know that my Mum has tried this mousse and she absolutely loves it, so I am going to see whether this is as good and whether it will work for my hair. The Drybar Southern Belle Volumizing Mousse retails for $26 at Sephora.
While I was on holiday I really needed to buy a new hairbrush as the one that I was using before the holiday was quite old and was needing replacing. I have heard so many people talking about the Drybar range and I had heard a lot of good things about their hairbrushes. I did decide to just go with the Super Lemon Drop hairbrush as that was one of the cheapest hairbrushes they sold, and I could not justify spending $40 on a hairbrush, no matter how good it is. This is an amazing brush and I don't have to spend loads of time trying to untangle my hair after washing it. If you can get to a Sephora, I would definitely recommend buying this hairbrush and you can buy the Drybar Super Lemon Drop for $16.
This was one of those spur of the moment purchases, while I was lining up at the checkout. It is so hard to resist buying the little miniature products that line the queue at the checkout. But I got this on one of the last days of my holiday, as I needed some dry shampoo but didn't want to buy a massive bottle of it, as I had to think about luggage space. This is a product that I actually really like, it does make my hair look freshly washed and is perfect for those days when you need to quickly make your hair look more presentable. The scent is so strong and is something that I am not keen on but I can live with it because it does do an amazing job with my hair, for those days when I do not have time to wash my hair. What I like about this, is that it is a foam (it looks a lot like squirt cream); therefore, it does not leave a white powder in my hair, like other dry shampoos, as it is easy to rub into my hair and leaves it looking fresh. At first it does look greasy when you first rub it into the roots but once you use a hairbrush, it looks great. I could not find the link to the travel size version, but I believe this was around the $15 price. The full size of the Drybar Detox Whipped Dry Shampoo Foam can be purchased for $24.
When I was on holiday, I often swam in the sea and I loved the look of my hair when it had dried fully; it would be wavy and just looked amazing. So I wanted to be able to recreate this look at home, and I had heard so many people talking about the Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, and they would say that it would make you look like you have just come out of the ocean. I decided to buy this in a smaller travel size just in case I didn't like it, and I am glad I did only buy it in a miniature version. I have only used this product a few times and it will give me a slight wave but it just seems to make my hair look greasy and wet. I would have to layer on the product to get the desired look and that would just make my hair look awful. I also cannot stand the smell of this product; think salt mixed with bad odour, the smell is just not pleasant at all and does not seem to fade straight away. The Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray is $16 for the travel size and $27 for the full size.
Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products? And let me know what your must have skincare and haircare products are from Sephora and why?
xoxo
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