Sephora and Beauty.com Sale Hauls

Recently, both Sephora (USA) and Beauty.com ran their 20% off sale events so I broke my no-buy to pick up some holiday sets. If you follow the MakeupAlley boards, you would have seen that the Sephora sale was a mess of poor communication and mismanagement, resulting in much unhappiness and board dramas. Rouge members got early access to the sale from 6-9 November, while VIB members could shop the sale from 13-16 November. Some Rouge members were unhappy that they could not shop the second sale for VIB members, so Sephora ended up making an exception on a case-by-case basis for those that complained.

I'm a Rouge member but sat out the first sale. On the last day of the VIB sale, I happened to drop in at my local Sephora and got drawn in by their wealth of Sephora Favourites sets. The Skin Wonderland (U.P.$68 with a value of $228) looked especially tempting with their array of 16 deluxe samples, mostly from high end brands. The SA readily agreed to give me the 20% off, so I ended up adding a few other items to my basket.

Some of these products are my tried-and-tested favourites like the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, SKII sheet mask, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate, Caudalie Divine Oil and Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Also included are some much newer products that I've been wanting to try sch as Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment, REN Keep Young and BeautifulInstant Firming Beauty Shot and Nude Skincare ProGenius Omega Treatment Rescue.

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit palette (U.P. $80) gets a lot of flack for containing less product (0.294oz) than one full-size Ambient Lighting Powder (0.35oz, $35). However, for someone who hasen't hit pan on any powder product in a decade, having a variety of shades to play with makes more sense. $80 is certainly a tad overpriced, but at 20% off, it becomes more palatable.

The Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Trio (U.P. S$26 with a value of $44) contains deluxe mini sizes of the three illuminizers that she had earlier launched for Fall 2015. Again, it's a great way to sample the different formulas, and the generous sizes means that these can last even the most heavy-handed strobing devotee a long time.


From Beauty.com, I purchased several of Anna Sui's Holiday 2015 offerings as I loved this year's sets, especially the Makeup Box which is a relative steal at $22.

It's sturdy and well-made, with an embossed pattern on the lid. Anna Sui sold a black version some years ago, which had an additional inner tray that is lacking in this white box. That black case has held up very well over the years without any rusting or dents, so this white box leaped to the top of my holiday list.

The Moisturizing Care Kit (U.P. $20) is a nifty little set containing a tri-layered Nail Care Oil, Rose Hand Cream and lip balm.

Below is the Holiday Snow Collection 02 Thawed Heart (U.P. $59), which turned out to be much less orange toned than it looked online. The lipstick and blush usually retail for $30 and $36 individually. The box is surprisingly hefty and solidly constructed. This has sold out on Beauty.com.

The Paul & Joe holiday makeup coffrets were an easy pass for me, so I settled on one of their Luxurious Bath & Body Collection 01 Columbine (U.P. $50), which has a sweet floral aroma composed of notes of citrus, black currant, rose, jasmine and amber. This has also sold out.

Finally, these are the free birthday gifts from Ulta (the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipgloss) and Sephora (NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella and Rikugien, plus a Larger Than Life eyeliner pencil).

Ulta also gave me a $10 voucher which I used together with my points to redeem this Tarte Total Lip Service set.

My apologies to my regular readers for the long absence of review/haul posts aside from the updates on upcoming collections. Most of my days are taken up with my son, plus I have been blessed with the surprise of being pregnant with twins. Although I'm only 16 weeks along, I look more like I'm 6 months pregnant. My makeup purchases have drastically reduced as I hardly have the energy to put up makeup most days, so this is the first year in many that I've skipped getting the Suqqu and Addiction coffrets (which were much less impressive compared to previous years). There's a long, long road ahead, but I'll still try to post here whenever I find something worth sharing.

Thanks for reading!

Holiday 2015 Collections Preview

Instagram is awash with sneak previews of the Holiday 2015 collections so here's a quick round-up of what's been unveiled to date:

Paul & Joe cat masquerade set

By Terry Contour powder duo and lip palette with 10 shades (another pic here). Also a mystery trio of golden pots (possibly skincare?).

Kevyn Aucoin palette

Hourglass bronzer and highlighter palette

Tarte for QVC, Light Of The Party palette, blockbuster set (and here)

Dolce & Gabbana and Laura Mercier

Urban Decay palette (looks like Vice #4)

Charlotte Tilbury lipstick set

Too Faced palettes, here and Melted set

Stila liquid lipstick set

Bite, Fresh, MUFE and Bobbi Brown lip sets

Marc Jacobs The "Free" Spirit Style Eye-Con No. 20 Plush Eyeshadow Palette

Sephora Give Me More Lip set

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt set

Buxom lipgloss set

Benefit blush set and here

Maquillage Snow Beauty

Cosme Decorte Marcel Wanders The Secret Nymph collection

Steam Cream

tarte Pure Maracuja Oil For Summer Skin Care

[note: this post contains non-affiliate sponsored links from tarte]

I never get tired of talking or writing about oils. Ever since they first came into my life, my perspective on skin care in general has been forever changed. One of the things some people wonder about come summer time is how an oil might benefit their skin in place of a traditional moisturizing cream, or even if an oil would be appropriate for their skin type at all. That's when an extremely versatile, light and vitamin-packed natural oil like tarte's Pure Maracuja Oil (which is passion fruit seed oil) comes in handy, because it suits practically everyone.

When your goal is to create the perfect canvas for your makeup, the smooth application of Pure Maracuja Oil melts seamlessly into the skin and layers well with other products. It won't ever pill or feel thick and heavy on the skin, and it makes blending your foundation and concealer much easier. Hot, humid summer weather can change the consistency of your makeup and how it wears on the skin, and a judiciously used natural oil is one of the best equalizers.

When a vitamin and antioxidant infused natural botanical oil goes down on the skin first, it protects the skin and brightens the complexion all day long underneath your makeup. It helps to prevent skin aging by deterring cell oxidation- a crucial step in any anti-aging protocol.

Maracuja oil in particular has several valuable benefits for the skin:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antibacterial
• Anti-itch
• High in Vitamin A (a natural form of retinol) and Potassium
• High in skin-brightening, antioxidant Vitamin C 
• High in beta-carotene, phosphorus, flavonoids and calcium
• Balances sebum production
• Leaves skin feeling satiny without any greasiness
• Essential fatty acids replenish and rejuvenate the skin
• Skin looks and feels firmed

As you can see from the list above, there are quite a few benefits for acneic and sensitive skin, as well as combination, oily, mature and dry/dehydrated complexions. There aren't a whole lot of oils which satisfy the needs of so many different skin types simultaneously. It's brilliant.

tarte is responsible for really popularizing maracuja oil. It's one of the brand's strongest signature ingredients, alongside Amazonian clay. tarte is very particular about how their oil is produced: the passion fruit is sustainably harvested, and then the nutrient-rich seeded pulp (referred as the "alma" or soul of the maracuja fruit) is extracted. The oil itself is cold-pressed to maintain all of its powerful natural nutrients. I feel very heartened by tarte's mainstream popularity and that of their Pure Maracuja Oil-- it has served as another bright spotlight on the benefits of using natural oils for skin care.

tarte Pure Maracuja Oil (1.7 oz, $46)

Ready to take your maracuja a step further?
tarte has a slew of gorgeous products infused with their maracuja oil, but the Maracuja Creaseless Concealer ($24) comes in 8 shades and really shows the enduring strength of the marriage between skin care and cosmetics. It delivers a shot of lightweight moisture to keep the delicate undereye skin hydrated all day long while blending away dark circles and other imperfections. What this means is that the concealer will work more effectively because the oil helps to plump up any fine lines around the eyes.

tarte Creaseless Concealer ($24)

Using Pure Maracuja Oil underneath your makeup or infused into it is a really smart way to give your skin its daily vitamins. For grab-n-go convenience, Pure Maracuja Oil also comes in a handy Rollerball (0.60 oz, $17), which is perfect for dabbing anywhere on the face for an instant glow or for blending into your favorite lip products, cream blush or bronzer for totally customized looks which cater to your particular skin care needs. It works wonderfully for dry cuticles, hands and flyaway hairs as well.

tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Rollerball (0.60 oz, $17)

It didn't used to be feasible to walk into your local department or beauty store and be able to buy a beautifully packaged, all-natural botanical skin oil that would please even the most discerning natural skin care aficionado. I, for one, am totally tickled by that fact, and tarte has definitely done their part to make this a reality.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation, Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation & Maracuja Creaseless Concealer

Recently, I purchased the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation (US$36) and Maracuja Creaseless Concealer (US$24) through MyUS.com's personal shopper service while Tarte was having a 15% discount promotion. The Airbrush Foundation is not that new, as it was first launched on QVC several months ago but Tarte recently expanded the shade range to a total of 11 shades. I picked Fair-Light Neutral, which is for fair to light skin with pink and yellow undertones. It turned out to be a good match for my MAC NC20 skin.

The interior features a mesh that helps to control the amount of powder dispensed. Although I did purchase Tarte's Airbuki Bamboo Powder Foundation brush, I've been using my Sephora mineral powder brush instead as it has a smaller head that is easier to control. The protruding stopper in the cap works well by fitting over the mesh to prevent the powder from spilling out even when the pot is turned upside down and shaken.

The powder is ultra fine and light, with a tendency to fly up when I run the brush around the pot. It's hard to believe that such a fine powder can provide full coverage but it actually does work rather well to provide coverage of pores and redness. I think it is more medium coverage than full coverage though as a separate concealer is still needed if you have very dark under eye circles. In terms of oil control, this was not the best on its own with my T-zone showing shine in under two hours. However, when paired with Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, my skin stayed shine-free for much longer and I only had to blot every 3 hours or so.

The pot contains only 7g of product, which I expect will last just 3 to 4 months if used daily. The inner cap can't be removed easily.

Ingredient list for the powder foundation, which is made in the USA, below. It contains Amazonian clay, tourmaline for a brighter, more radiant complexion, pearl powder which has anti-inflammatory, invigorating & anti-bacterial properties, camellia leaf extract to fights free radicals and mineral pigments to soothe and soften the skin. There is no SPF listed though. On the skin, there is a very subtle shimmer but this is not that noticeable unless one looks extremely closely in bright sunlight.

The Maracuja Creaseless Concealer has received generally good reviews. I picked the lightest shade Fair, which turned out to be quite a good match. This has a creamy consistency and you need very small pin-head sized amount as it is very pigmented, so a tiny bit goes a long way. This was good for covering up my under eye circles and I did not notice any creasing during the day. The tube has a fine tip, which makes it easy to control the amount dispensed.

Ingredient list for the concealer below. I was surprised that this was made in China, given the price point.

The Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF15 was an earlier purchase. This provides greater coverage than the powder foundation. Unlike the powder, it offers broad spectrum sunscreen thanks to the inclusion of titanium dioxide (6%) and zinc oxide (3%). I purchased this in Fair, but Tarte has since expanded its shade range so there is Fair Sand, Fair Beige and Fair Light Honey. I'm not sure which of the new shades Fair corresponds to. This foundation worked well for me and was easy to apply and blend. The oil control was also pretty good if used with a mattifying primer. It is also reasonably priced at US$38. Ingredient list is below. This is also made in the USA.

Below are swatches of the three products. You can see the faint shimmer particles in the powder foundation.



Comparison swatches of Maracuja Creaseless Concealer with the other concealers in my collection.

The Stila Brighten & Conceal Correct 03 Medium was a total bomb on me as it was far too peach-toned and glaringly obvious on my skintone. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer #10 has a thinner consistency and is less pigmented than the Tarte concealer. It looks quite a bit darker but when blended out, it still matches. The Becca Radiant Skin Creamy Concealer in Praline was another total failure as the consistency was so thick, cakey and difficult to blend. I have to mix this with another product to get it to work. The Cover FX concealer in X-Light is not bad but it tends to separate in the tube, and so sometimes it comes out all watery and messy. This is also less pigmented than the Tarte concealer. This comes in a different packaging now so I'm not sure if the formula has changed as well. Right now, the Tarte concealer is the best of the lot for me so I use it pretty much daily.

In the pic below, I'm wearing the Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation. I like the natural finish which does not look overly powdery but on its own, it did not reduce the appearance of my pores as much as the Sofina Primavista powder foundation.


For better, longer-lasting coverage of both pores and redness, I layered the Airbrush Foundation over the liquid foundation in the pic below. This gives a more flawless finish that lasts well for me. If you have normal to oily skin, this trio of Tarte products is well worth checking out. It's a pity that Tarte is not available outside of the US but you can always use a personal shopping service or look for it on Ebay. MyUS.com charges a minimum fee of $10, which I find to be reasonable and it can be easily offset if the website is having a sale.

Tarte Fantastic Foursome Blush Set Swatches

The Tarte Fantastic Foursome 4-Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set (US$35) features a quartet of powder blushes infused with Tarte's signature Amazonian Clay. Not only are these certified cruelty-free and paraben-free, they supposedly provide up to 12 hours' wear.

The "To" and "From" inscription on the back of the box makes this a nifty gift.


The set includes two blush shades, a highlighting shade and a bronzing shade. Angelic (pale champagne) is the most shimmery of the lot while Magic (coral) and Fantastic (blue-toned pink) have matte finishes. Stellar (medium brown) has a satin finish. All four are new and exclusive to this set.




For these swatches, the four shades required about 3-4 layers to show up well. They feel somewhat dry to touch. There is no grittiness but they do not have the velvety rich texture of say, RMK or Nars.

Most blog reviews were positive but there were a couple of reviewers who felt that the quality was not as good as the regular Amazonian Clay blushes. I would recommend getting this set only if you like all four shades. Otherwise you're better off buying a regular shade that you will get more use out of.

My collection of Tarte blushes.

Magic is a touch less orange-toned than Tipsy, and not as red as Frisky.



Hope this has been helpful!

Tarte Statement Lips 5-piece Lipsurgence Collectors Set and Picture Perfect Curler

The holiday collections are always a special time of the year for the amazing sets that companies release. I used to be a fan of Tarte's holiday blockbuster sets but eventually stopped purchasing them as I wasn't using them often enough. This year, I could not resist getting a couple of their holiday sets as they offer great value for money and a good range of shades.

Through MyUS.com's personal shopper service, I purchased from the Tarte website the Fantastic Foursome 4-Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set (US$35), Statement Lips 5-piece LipSurgence Collectors Set (US$34) and Picture Perfect Curler & Deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara set (US$16). I skipped the Carried Away Collector's Set as the eyeshadow shades looked too bland and lacklustre for my liking.

The LipSurgence set is amazing value as these lip tints usually retail for US$24 each. You can split up the set to use as gifts to a few people. I already own a couple (True Blood and Spirited) and reach for them frequently as they are so user-friendly (no sharpening required) and wear comfortably on the lips. There is a minty tingling sensation for the first few minutes.

The set includes two Lip Lusters (Escape, Sweet), two Lip Tints (Enchanted, Elite) and a Matte Lip Tint (Exposed). These are made in the US and are free of parabens, mineral oil, phthlates and synthetic fragrance.


The shades are all easy to wear and would suit most skin tones. Personally, I would have preferred a couple of more vibrant or intense shades to add more spice and variety.

The Lip Tints usually provide about 3-4 hours of wear. They are easy to remove and don't leave my lips parched or peeling.





I already own a number of eyelash curlers but this special edition of the Picture Perfect curler looked appealing with its snazzy handles.

The spring mechanism enables one to curl the lashes with minimal strength. This curls my lashes quickly with just a couple of squeezes.

It also comes with a plastic grip that is handy to keep around if you travel a lot like I do, so that the curler takes up less space.

Compared to the Lunasol (left) and Shu Uemura curlers (right), the Tarte curler has a shorter width.


The Fantastic Foursome blush set sold out very quickly on Sephora.com so I snapped it up once it appeared on Tarte's website. The blushes contain half the product of the regular blushes (0.1oz/3.03g versus 0.2oz).

Do share what you have purchased from the holiday collections! I'm still waiting for my Paul & Joe unicorn set to arrive. Fingers crossed, I should be getting the Addiction coffret as well.