Sephora Power Perk Haul

Here's my final Sephora haul after buying and exchanging a couple of items. I'm just too indecisive. I will review the Dior Addict Lip Maximer, Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment and Korres Love Your Lips Collection in separate posts because I'm waiting to see the results for two of these and the other would have been too long to include in this post.

WARNING: I'm really lazy today so I plagarized all the product descriptions from the Sephora website. Muahahaha!

Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum $65

This is a dermatologist-developed, age-fighting, exfoliating serum. It gently sloughs away dead skin cells and debris, lightens dark spots, and minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines - providing myriad benefits without drying or irritating. This oil-free formula is infused with amino acid antioxidants and is safe to use on sensitive skin. Formerly known as sleeping peel serum, this "liquid version of a microdermabrasion kit" provides the same results as a multi-step regimen - in one simple application.

It is not recommended for dark skin tones because it has an ingredient that lightens pigmentation and unwanted discoloration may occur.

The Verdict: Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum
I was convinced to purchase this after receiving some samples. The sample packets (3 total) each lasted me for about 2 weeks. I had noticed the fine lines on my forehead did not smooth themselves as fast as they used to and when this popped up as a Beauty Insider sample, I thought "why not?"

I am really amazed by this product! I use it 2x a day (morning/night) under my moisturizer and it's been giving me amazing results! It really does deliver on everything it claims to do. When it's first applied, there is a slight tingling feeling but it goes away after about 5-10 seconds. The serum is very runny and watery in consistency. There is no smell to it and it's easily absorbed. I noticed that my skin was more radiant day after day and that's what convinced me to keep using it.

At first I did not notice it lightening my dark acne scars, but after about 3 weeks of use I noticed that my scars were fading a lot quicker than usual. I've been using this for a month (I still have 1 sample pack left!) and my skintone is super even and my pores are really super clear so they do indeed appear smaller. As far as claims of the microderm effect - I'm a believer! After the first 2 weeks, my skin became thinner and it has developed a healthy glow. I dunno if it makes sense when I say "thinner" maybe a better word would be "youthful".

I still have the fine lines on my forehead so I'm hoping the Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment will take care of that but this serum as helped with minimizing those and with all the other great results, this has become a staple in my skincare regimen!

Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush $28.50

A perfectly portable retractable Kabuki brush. This one-stop shop of a brush is a serious multi-tasker! It's the ideal tool to apply bronzers, blushers, powders and shimmers flawlessy. Created with Too Faced world-famous "Teddy Bear Hair" bristles that grad and blend coloer without any of the cruelty or hygiene problems associated with animal-hair bristles.

The Verdict: Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush
I was looking for sorta an all-purpose brush that I could carry with me and after searching around this one was the winner. The bristles are really soft and they are just the right density. I was worried that the second I put this against my skin, it would just fan out. But no worries! the bristles are soft and deliver blush/powder right where I want it to go. I thought the "retractable" function of this was neat because it's not actually the brush that retracts. You don't rotate the base to cover the brush, instead you pull up on the pink cylinder and shield the bristles. I'm happy with this purchase as it's a light and compact brush and exactly what I need.

Too Faced Eye Products

I thought I would post these together becuase they're both eye products and they're both from Too Faced. I've been looking for a good eye shadow base because my eyelids tend to get oily and I have a small crease one under each eye starting from the inner eye and extending down/outwards. Eye liner always runs into these creases and I just end up looking like a mess. I read a bunch of reviews and it was between Urban Decay's Primer Potion $17 and this. I decided to go with Too Faced Shadow Insurance $17 because the bottle is more pratical to dispensing the product and they are the same price-wise and in effectiveness (at least according to user testimony).

The mascara is a sample size Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara that I received from Nordstrom during a promotion way back in September '08. I had never used it and opened it probaby once so I figured it's not expired and still good (I'll let you know if all my lashes fall out). Anyways the purchase of the Too Face Shadow Insurance motivated me to dig this guy out of it's makeup grave and that how it ended up on this post :)

The Verdict: Too Faced Shadow Insurance $17
The very first thing I noticed when I opened this was the smell. It's got a funky smell, kinda like the smell of lotion that's gone bad. I actually thought I had gotten an expired bottle and went back to Sephora to exchange it only to discover they just smell bad. I was a bit discouraged but I gave it a try anyways. I ended up really loving this stuff! Although it is tinted, it goes on pretty sheer. It really makes any eye makeup you apply stick and my greasy creases were gone!

The Verdict: Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara (Sample Size)

The bristles of this brush are really long and the brush itself is really bushy. I've poked myself in the eye quite a lot because I just can't seem to judge how close it is to the base of my lashes. I hope this is just a learning curve. Since the bristles are close together it is easy to "comb" your lashes as you're applying the mascara and it's doesn't clump. I did not notice any flaking either after 8 hours of wear. I get a natural look - it looks like my lashes are a bit more dense. It doesn't really add any length or curl. All in all it's a pretty decent mascara but I'm still on the hunt!