Disney Jasmine by Sephora Magic Carpet Ride Palette - Review, Photos, Swatches

Truth: Aladdin was my favorite Disney movie as a child! (Sword in the Stone was a close second, it must be said.) I was never a huge fan of the iconic princess trifecta (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella) as they were a bit too frilly for me, but was drawn to Aladdin for its music, entertainment value, exotic setting, and fun plot. I wanted to live in the Arabic country the story took place; I wanted my very own Aladdin to sweep me off my feet; I wanted Jasmine's outfit and her pretty, long hairstyle (never happening, with my fine, naturally blonde hair!); I wanted a well-mannered pet tiger and kleptomaniac monkey; I wanted a singing Robin Williams to follow me around in my daily life, cracking jokes. 

Considering this, imagine my nostalgic delight when I read the Sephora Beauty Insider email about their Disney Jasmine collection release! Ultimately I purchased a couple of carefully selected pieces. One is the Magic Carpet Ride Eyeshadow Palette:

L to R, Top to Bottom: Carpet, Wonder by Wonder, Splendid, Diamond Sky

Beautiful, fitting packaging. Carpet is a rosy taupe shimmer; Wonder by Wonder is a deep matte burgundy purple with glitter; Splendid is an orange peach shimmer; Diamond Sky is a turquoise shimmer.

Overall, quite a nice little set. A surprising favorite was Carpet - such a flattering, interesting neutral that has gotten the most wear from me thus far. Wonder by Wonder is, however, the problem child - it's patchy and sheer, and took about 5-6 coats to build up to what you see in the photos. It's a shame, as I really enjoy how this hue relates to the palette's color story. Splendid and Diamond Sky were of good quality as well, similar to Carpet.

This Jasmine quad retails for $30 and may be purchased from Sephora stores and online.

I'm loving Sephora's Disney collaboration and can't wait to see what else they dream up! What do you think? Have you purchased anything from either the Jasmine or Cinderella collection?

Sephora F/F Sale Haul of Shame!

Oh dear. It's that time of the year again (we all know what I'm talking about). Anyway, before I have a mental breakdown and fall to my knees cursing the tempting makeup gods and my weak willpower, I present to you my ultra, ultra shameful haul.

The bright spot? I stayed within budget. I've also vowed for no extravagant makeup purchases until February. I must say, however, the Illamasqua mystery box is pretty darn awesome, especially for the $48 with the sale! More on that later...

Did you take advantage of Sephora's sale?

Sephora Pantone Nail Polish in Cradle Pink, Parachute Purple - Swatches, Review, Photos

I was transfixed when I first saw promos for the new Sephora Pantone nail polish. They looked positively gorgeous! And shiny! and duochrome-y! As soon as I could, I ordered two - Cradle Pink and Parachute Purple.

L to R: Parachute Purple, Cradle Pink

And after getting them? I have to admit I'm sort of 'meh'. They're perfectly nice, perfectly pleasant, but I have enough lacquers now that I hate to settle for anything less than mind-blowingly rad and these fall well below that bar. Here's Cradle Pink, a shimmery pink/purple topcoat:

One coat of Cradle Pink is shown over, from pointer to pinky, CND Blackjack (black creme), OPI If You Moust You Moust (medium pink creme; also, most awkward name ever), Zoya Dove (light grey creme), and Nars Koliary (bright medium blue creme).

Cradle Pink adds a pretty veil of shimmer over a base polish, but the effect is quite subtle in natural light and only became noticeable with a heavy dose of flash (and even then it's not overwhelmingly strong). I think my favorite combo is with the grey; Cradle Pink adds a touch of sauciness to an otherwise neutral and subdued manicure, while still skirting the line of being work-appropriate. Nevertheless, if you want a wash of shimmer over an under-polish, I would recommend checking out the CND Effects line over this shade.

Parachute Purple, a violet with green-blue duochrome shimmer:

The formula was ultra-rich, barely requiring two coats. Again, though, the duochrome shimmer is quite subtle. I feel that, with the recent influx of duochrome collections, a better option is out there.

What do you think?

Sephora Prisma Chrome Eyeshadow in Emerald Facet, Moon Beam - Review, Swatches, Photos

Sometimes, very, very rarely, the magpie in a dusty and closely guarded corner of my head lets loose and entices me to buy shiny things which my instincts tell me that, while pretty, are not the best quality and will likely lay abandoned in my bottom cosmetics drawer (note: my bottom drawer is where makeup goes to die).

That's how I ended up with two of Sephora's Prisma Chrome Eyeshadows!

L to R: Emerald Facet 25, Moon Beam 05

Beautiful, no? Like shimmery seashells from a far-away galaxy! Emerald Facet is an... emerald (dur :B) green with a gorgeous duochrome-y gold sparkle. Moon Beam is a rich, pinky beige shimmer. The Prisma Chromes come in sleek, lacquered black compacts with a mirror. The packaging is a bit bulky, as it has to be high enough not to flatten the wavy, 3D design of the shadow. For me it's a non-issue, but I mention it for the sake of meticulousness.

I was pleasantly surprised, expecting substandard quality from a 'cheap' (relative to their other products) house brand. However, the pigmentation is amazing! The colors are lovely! Emerald Facet is unique to anything I have in my stash, primarily due to the way it flashes gold with the changing light; I absolutely adore it! The finish on both shades is bright, velvety, and soft. Moon Beam is a wonderful neutral too, warm and subtle but interesting nevertheless. The wear-time is pretty excellent - with a primer, the eyeshadows wore 15+ hours with minimal creasing and fading. The consistency is rather hard but it's not hard to scrape product onto the brush. Application is easy, as is blending. Overall, a great purchase.

The Sephora Prisma Chrome Eyeshadows are available at Sephora for $15 each and I whole-heartedly recommend them! Not only is the product top-notch, the intricate design of the shades is like a miniature, fun little piece of art.

Speaking of art... (see the masterful transition? 8D) The other day I had the indisputable pleasure of seeing one Joshua Bell in concert. In an attempt to retain at least some dignity and not turn into a giggly, love-struck thirteen-year-old, I will only say that it was positively brilliant. I admire the dedication and camaraderie between musician and instrument, a kinship that always eluded me when I myself played the violin but something I always strived for. I will share one of my favorite of his pieces, the beautiful and romantic Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate -

:) Thanks for reading!

Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gloss Set - Review, Photos, Swatches

Here's another of my Sephora F&F sale purchases: the Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gloss Set!

This collection contains eight mini Ultra Shine Lipglosses (0.1 oz each) and is available at Sephora for $22. I couldn't find the volume of the full-size product online, but regular tubes of these glosses can be purchased for $14 each.

Let's get to it!

She Sparkles

Sassy Soiree

Fresh Peach

Perfect Nude

Pop Princess

Pink Diamond

Purple Red

Cinnamon Spice

L to R: She Sparkles, Sassy Soiree, Fresh Peach, Perfect Nude, Pop Princess, Pink Diamond, Red Purple, Cinnamon Spice

Color me pleasantly surprised! I think this little set offers a nice variety of colors in a good mix of finishes (glitter, shimmer, and creme). The glosses have a generous amount of pigment and I can tell that the sheerer ones, like She Sparkles, were formulated as such intentionally to provide a veil of sparkle atop a lipstick base, and aren't just accidental duds. Fresh Peach looks positively glowing and gorgeous on its own, while the rest of the shades (with the exception of She Sparkles) would work splendidly both by themselves and layered. Very festive conglomerate of colors, and I love that with Sephora's Ultra Shine Lipgloss Set one can easily maneuver between a subtle look and a glamorous look as one sees fit. At the price point this product is great for those who like to change at up or are commitment-phobic when it comes to their makeup choices (I'll admit I'm one of the latter lasses!). Sephora uses a sponge hourglass applicator:

Sephora's Ultra Shine glosses have a nice, soft texture and a vanilla scent. They wear well for a gloss (roughly two hours) and they aren't drying in the slightest (perhaps even a bit moisturizing?). The quality of these products exceeded my expectations; definitely worth checking out!

Have you tried any of Sephora's lip glosses?

Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil - Sweet Beige - Review, Swatches

We've made it through another long, tedious Monday, yay!

I liked Sephora's Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencils ($12) so much, I purchased another one! (You can see the rest of my collection swatched and reviewed here)

Unlike the rest of the pencils I have, Sweet Beige is a light caramel neutral - nothing too crazy, great for everyday wear, but still with a nice kick in the form of a bit of subdued shimmer.  

Like the rest of Sephora's Lip Vinyls I tried, Sweet Beige goes on smooth and glossy and slick. I'm quite fond of the texture; it's almost refreshing! Unlike the other lipsticks this neutral is fairly hydrating, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it moisturizing. In my previous review I forgot to mention the scent of these pencils - a little plasticy, a little waxy, and slightly unpleasant. Fortunately, the smell is very faint and significantly more manageable after just a minute or two.

Hooray for another successful Sephora brand buy! Again, you may check out my thorough review of the Vinyl Lip Pencils here. 

Thanks for reading, and remember: only four more days until the weekend! (Gotta look on the bright side :)

Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencils - Miami Pink, Gorgeous Peach, Fuchsia Fever, Coral Glow - Review + Swatches

During one of my daily (kidding! My "problem" isn't yet quite at that point; more like monthly, as the nearest store is a bit out of my way) visits to Sephora, I grabbed a couple of their (relatively) new Sephora Collection Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencils in Miami Pink, Gorgeous Peach, Fuchsia Fever, and Coral Glow ($12 each).

I usually stay way from the store's home brand for several reasons: poor reviews, frequent sales (there must be a reason why these products are often discounted, whereas tried-and-true brands like Nars, MUFE, etc., never are..), and a less than impressive experience with their eyeshadows a while back.

That day, however, I must have been in a particularly optimistic mood as I couldn't resist these chunky, shimmery lipstick pencils!

So was this another face-palming, regretful "what was I thinking?" purchase, to be thrown haphazardly into my give-away pile, never to be spared a second thought?

Surprisingly, no! I J'ADORE these little gems! The colors are vibrant and opaque and glide on like buttah while still being tough enough not to soften and crumble. The texture is very much lipstick-like once on, and wear time is about five hours for me.

(Top to Bottom: Gorgeous Peach, Coral Glow, Fuchsia Fever, Miami Pink)

Gorgeous Peach is a pretty, soft, peachy-pink shimmer, a great everyday color -

Coral Glow is... well, a bright coral :P -

Fuchsia Fever is a GORGEOUS deep fuschia with HOT silver microglitter!

Miami Pink is a very soft, light pink -

The negatives are the typical you would expect with this kind of packaging - sharpening the tip loses a good bit of product, and I would have preferred a twist-up a la Tarte's stains. However, the price is nearly a steal considering the shop, and I still think these Vinyl Lip Pencils are a great deal.

(Top to Bottom: Fuchsia Fever, Coral Glow, Miami Pink, Gorgeous Peach)

My Grade: A-

Have you been or will you be investing in one or eight of these Sephora lipsticks?