Misc Sephora Samples Reviews

bareMinerals Matte Foundation in Fairly Light + Mini Kabuki Brush + bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer: ( I got this with a code or something: YOURGIFT I think it was) This made me fall in love with bareMinerals foundation, it works great if you are in a rush, for a quick look and the coverage is pretty good. The kabuki works just fine and it's great to carry around in your purse. Prime Time makes my skin feel amazing before applying make up and the size is great for your purse too! I still have a little bit of foundation left, but I will be restocking on this item for sure!

TendSkin - Tend Skin: This item is supposed to help prevent ingrown hairs. I'd say it did help me a bit, but made my skin burn so much! It has a really strong smell, so make sure you are in a room with plenty of air circulation when you apply it, cuz it makes me a little dizzy. Might buy a full size of this.  

Fresh -Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum: This really didn't do much for me. It gets absorbed quick and has a fresh smell, like a veggie smoothie with cucumber. Won't be buying this EVAR, cuz I got no results at all.

PeterThomas Roth - Instant Firmx™: This didn't do anything for me either and I don't really need to be firming my skin, cuz it's firm!

Clinique- Clarifying lotion #3: I have combo skin and this is my go to toner, it works wonders for me.I love to make sure all my make up is removed. When I use this and the cotton is clean, I'm happy! I bought the 13.5 oz version of this, back in March and it will run out soon. I decided to pick up the big one this time, cuz I know I love it.

BECCA -Shimmering Skin Perfector SPF 25+ in Opal: This was too dark for me and went straight to the trash cuz it was already opened when I found this out.

 Boscia -Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel: Didn't notice anything special about this(besides the fact that it's black!O.O), it had a cool-minty feeling when I applied it.

Swatches: Mushroom on the left, Sin on the Right

Givenchy- Mister Light Instant Light Corrective Pen: This worked fine, just like any concealer, didn't notice something special about it that made it stand out against other concealers.

Caudalie -Premier Cru La Crème: I squeezed this out to the last drop! I loved how it felt on my skin, it would get absorbed so quick and leave my skin feeling great. I won't really buy it, cuz it's more like an anti aging product(worth $150 lol!) and I don't need that.

 UrbanDecay Eyeshadow card: It had samples of Sin and Mushroom(eyeshadows) and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, this was my first time trying Urban Decay products and I became addicted to them ever since. The eyeshadows pigment amazingly well. They have gorgeous glitter and even if they are not cream eyeshadow they are super creamy, you know what I mean? The Primer Potion works great too, it makes the colors look gorgeous and I get no creasing or fall out.

 

Ojon- Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy: Nothing special about this at all, I didn't notice a major difference in my hair. Won't buy this at all, I'd rather stick to my almond oil(and it's cheaper!). By the way I got this with my wasted(in vain) Sephora points.

 Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :)

NOTD: January 10th

 I kinda got tired of the other color I was wearing...and well I was bored and peeled it off! Yes I know that's a horrible practice and it's terrible for my nails...but I can't help it. OK fine I can help it and will try to stop doing it for the health of my nails that don't want to grow!...Anyways...I'm sporting a new color and I love it! It's again Deborah Lippmann of course, but this time it's Ruby Red Slippers, I got this new baby from a trade in Make Up Talk and it's gorgeous! Check it out: 

Deborah Lippmann - Ruby Red Slippers Swatch:

Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :) 

January Sample Society(+review)

 Really quick explanation of what Sample Society is: Monthly subscription service from Beauty Bar in collaboration with Allure magazine at $15(a month), that will send you deluxe sized high end samples to your door!(Is that awesome or what?)

 Remember how last month I said I was canceling Sample Society, because they had too many anti aging products? Well, maybe I didn't cancel it. I decided to give it another chance. Everybody deserves a second chance right? Well I'm glad to say I didn't canceled! I love my box for this month! I got Kit D and it's great. I received the email notifying that this was shipped yesterday, and I got it today! I was so excited and I did peek and know what I was going to get, but I was still super happy when I got it :) 

I get Allure because of the Sample Society subscription, but I still love reading the mini mag I get every month with SS.

Oops! Did I just reveal the $15 off Gift Code for Beauty Bar? Guess I did! Oh well...

I noticed there's something wrong about this card. The Snowberry product is not $44, but $95 on Beauty Bar's website :S

 Let's count! 1 2 3 4 5 6...wait 6?! Yes 6!

Pantene - AgeDefy Advanced Thickening System: 50ml Value: $8/Full Size: 125ml $19.99. I know I always bitch & moan about anti aging products, but I do have really fine hair and I will use anything that will thicken it and make it strong. I can't tell right away if I see any difference, but we'll see how it goes after a while of using it. One thing I love about it is, that I've always loved Pantene's products scent. It's so fresh and just reminds me of that fresh out of the shower smell! I love it!

 StriVectin - Instant Retexturizing Scrub: 1 fl oz Value: $9.8/ Full size: 5 fl oz $49. I used this scrub in the morning and it worked OK, like any other scrub. It's supposed to smooth the texture and even the tone. I won't be able to tell if it does after a lot of use I guess, but as a regular scrub -I liked it. It's not too rough so I think it is OK to use twice a week as they recommend. On a funny note, it has a minty smell which made me double check if I was actually using the scrub and not a toothpaste!

Snowberry - Nourishing Lite Day Cream: 7ml $13.3/ Full size 50ml $95!!!(lol @$95!). I love the smell of this, it's so fresh and invigorating! I'm really picky when it comes to smells and this one gives no headaches at all. Anyways, the last thing that matters about a cream or moisturizing is the smell,right? This cream is great, my skin is of course a bit dry, because of the winter and this moisturizes like a boss! My skin absorbed it super quick and it didn't leave any greasy feeling. I think I might fall in love with this product and not be able to buy it ever again...*sigh* Sad sad story!

Lord & Berry - Silk Kajal Eye Pencil in Black: Full size $15. I already have my beloved Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero, though I was a bit disappointed with it's performance so I cheated on him! Oh noes! I'm a bad lover to my eye liner! Would it make me much worse if I say I like the new guy better? Because I do! This baby has stayed on for *does math* 7 hours now!! It still looks as good as when I applied it and hasn't moved an inch! I have no raccoon eyes and I haven't touched it up at all! I think this might become my new HG waterline eyeliner! I haven't tried it on the upper lid and don't think I will, because I like liquid liner in the upper lid more than pencil eye liner. I definitely recommend this product. It's great and won't let you down. It applies easily and wears through the day like a boss!

Lord & Berry - Silk Kajal Eye Pencil Swatch.

Serge Normant - Meta Revive Volumizing Dry Shampoo: 2 oz $11.10/ Full size is $25 for 4.5 oz. For some reason my hair was bit oilier than it should be today and I also wanted some more volume so I decided to use this. My previous experience with dry shampoo was with Freeman's dry shampoo, which is OK, but it didn't add volume like this one did. I love the volume, but I don't love the smell. I wonder why companies think they need to add fancy smells to their products...If I want to smell like something special and different I'll wear perfume! Either way, I did like this product, but once I run out I won't repurchase. I'll just grab the Freeman's dry shampoo, it has no scent and even if it doesn't add the volume this one adds, it does save me on those days where I just don't have the time to wash my hair.

 Nicole Richie - Fragrance Eau De Parfum Spray: 1.5ml $1.03/ Full size is 100ml for $69. I shouldn't even count this since you usually get perfume samples for free at Department stores, but I'll list it either way. Mmm this is actually not bad, it's pretty sweet though I would have to wear it to find out if it gives me a headache or not. I'm not a fan of sweet scents, I like fresh smelling stuff more. I will admit, I might not love this and it will likely give me a headache. I'd rather have a skin care/ make up or nail product(Deborah Lipmman, please) than a perfume sample, since I'm so picky when it comes to scents.

Value and thoughts:

  The value of my box for this month is: $58.22, which is great having paid only $15!

  I will say I take back what I said last month! I'm so glad I didn't get anti aging products this month, and I'm also glad I gave these guys another chance! The value of this month's box is indeed lower than last month, but I actually like all the products(except the perfume, but that doesn't count!). I know for sure, I will use them to the last drop. The liner will take me a while to go through, but I'm really liking it right now. It has dethroned my previous HG liner and that's a lot to say. At the end of the day that's the point of subscription services like this one, to introduce you to new products!

  I know I didn't say anything bad about Sample Society before, I just said it might not be the right fit if you are not after anti aging products. I'm sticking to that though, because they do send them, but at this point that's a risk I'm willing to take. I don't mind gambling and losing sometimes. By "losing" I mean getting anti aging stuff. Which, at the end of the day, I don't lose and just trade it for other things, but still. I will keep my subscription at the moment. I'm so glad I'm not kicking myself over canceling right now and actually giving it another shot. I recommend this subscription with this...Warning: it may and will contain anti aging products! So, if you are trying to avoid those at any cost, this is not the sub for you. If you are OK with them or have a solution for this problem(trading them or giving them away) then you might get a good use out of it.

 I'm so happy with my Sample Society for this month, even if the value is lower, because I know I will actually use the products, unlike last month where I ended up trading ALL of it away.

Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :) 

NOTD: January 5th/6th

 I got this gorgeous baby from a trade! And it's one of them pricey nail polishes by a brand I seem to be addicted to now...Deborah Lippmann! So cute yet so expensive!

Deborah Lippmann - Private Dancer:

 This baby took only 2 coats and 1 top coat of Seche Vite. One thing I didn't love is that this nail polish showed wear by the second day at the tips of my nails! Besides that, it's a gorgeous color! I love it!

Liebster Blog Award! Yay I was nominated!

Taken from Jenny's site, with a twist made by a 5 year old(actually it was me lol)

 Before I go ahead and explain what the Liebster Blog Award is, I want to thank Jenny over at IBDFM for nominating me and my humble blog, thank you so so much for this!

  The Liebster Award is given to new and upcoming bloggers that have less than 200 followers for recognition of their work(and I definitely do have less than 200, but I thank each and everyone of you that follow me <3 ). This helps promote and support other new bloggers(yay!). 

 The Liebster Award Rules:

• Nominees must link back to the blogger who awarded them. (Jenny's blog)
• If nominated, write "11 Random Facts" about yourself and answer the 11 questions the awarder wrote for you.
• Make up 11 new questions to be answered and nominate 11 other bloggers. 

Paraphrased from Jenny's blog post about The Liebster Award.

11 Random Facts about moi:

1. I wubs bunnies and puppies! I have a beagle named Max. My bunny passed away a year ago and I was so sad that, I didn't go to work that day cuz I couldn't stop crying.
2. I wubs videogames and have a bit of a geeky side.
3. I'm terrified of the dark! Like, I literally scream if I'm in a dark room by myself.
4. My amazing bf is 9 years older than me!(He's a grandpa I know! jk)
5. I'm Costa Rican, born and raised.
6. I love John Frusciante(former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar player) and the RHCP, they totes are my fave band.
7. I love to lipsync for my life with my bff to pop songs.
8. I want to be a make up artist.
9. My favorite color is purple!!
10. I really like cars and speed yayyy! Specially german cars...specially Audis!! Would die for an R8!
11. I love going on road trips through my country with my friends :3 

Questions from Jenny:

1. What's your middle name? Actually my middle name is Gabriela, hence Gabi... my first name is a secret :O
2. How long have you been blogging for? I've been blogging since September 2012 yay!
3. What started your blogging? I realized I had a lot to say and the bf seemed to be getting tired of listening to me ranting about make up. Also, I rediscovered my love for make up and realized finally, what I wanted to do with my life as my career(to be a MUA).
4. What are your resolutions for this year? This is a big one haha. I want to work harder on my blogging. To finally have some stability and stop going back and forth between CR and NY(it's really hard to be away from the bf *sad face*). I want to learn how to drive...it's kinda about time to! I say this every year, but I want to lose some weight, or at least the weight I gained since I came back to NY! I So so so want to go back to school, but I don't know how to make that work if I have to go back and forth all the time,  I'll work towards that.
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? With a degree, first of all, I want to be a Make Up Artist, but I also want to go to school and major in Chemistry. I want to be either living by myself or with the bf, but in my/our own place. And most important I want, to have a good and stable job. I guess my goals are not out of this world or hard to achieve :)
6. Have you ever broken a bone? Nevah! I did have my tongue stitched up when I was a kid, though.
7. What was your favorite gift you got for christmas?  Definitely my Philosophy's Purity! I so desperately needed it and had no clue I was getting it! Yay for surprises!
8. What would be your dream job? Working as a renown make up artist and be able to do NY Fashion Week <3
9. What is your most used beauty product? I would say moisturizer, cuz even if I'm not wearing make up, I do wear moisturizer DAILY! It's a must! And my most used make up product I would say is mascara, can't live without it!
10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Italy has always been my dream...but since I would be in Europe I would also visit France, Spain, Germany any country that is close haha.
11. What are your hobbies? I'm not an exciting person, when I'm back home I love going out with my friends to dance(not exactly to get drunk). I love playing video games and just hang out with friends and the bf :)

My Nominees: (Woot woot!)

 1. Lori Ann from BatAnEyelash
 2. Heather from BeautyBuzz
 3. Jessica from BellsBeauty
 4. Anastasia from Glamorable
 5. Lisa from YummyBeauty
 6. Allie from LunaVida
 7. Roxy from LoveRoxie
 8. Souly Stones

 9.  Michaela from YouSoldTheWorld
 10. Elizabeth, Fatima and Paola from B.E.A.U.T.Y
 11.Katie Danielle from MissKatieDanielle

My questions for the nominees!:

1. What's your favorite color?
2. What are your favorite sweets? (candy, pastry or dessert)
3. What make up product do you have the most of?
4. What's the beauty product you can't live without?
5. What's your best beauty tip?
6. If you could only have one make up product for the rest of your life, what would it be?(brand and item)
7. If you could splurge a lot on make up, which 5 products would you buy?
8. If you could only buy a pair of shoes or an eyeshadow palette, which would you pick?
9. What's your favorite make up brand, ever?
10. If you could go back in time, which beauty advice would you give yourself?
11. How long have you been blogging for?

Thank you once again for this Jenny :)

NOTD: January 2nd and yay!

 When I saw the new China Glaze collection Cirque Du Soleil Worlds Away...I literally died!(Inside joke with the bff sorreh!) There are so many colors that I wanted, but It's A Trap-Eze! Was a must have! I was so sad when I went to my local Sally Beauty and they didn't have it, so I bought it online from Amazon, to be precise from here.  It's $6.15 now, but it was $5.50 with free shipping when I got it.

 I was so excited when I finally got my baby!

Swatches: (taken from different angles?)

 2 coats of this were good enough, but I did 3 just in case :) Isn't it gorgeous?

NOTD:December 31st/January 1st and Happy New Year!

  First off, let me start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year. I haven't posted much these couple of days cuz I was doing some cleaning around the house(the bf can be quite a hoarder! lol). I wish you can accomplish all your dreams and goals for this new year. I wish anyone that is reading this great karma and luck and that all your projects succeed this year! Also I thank you for taking the time to read my blog and my rants. Please if you have any comment or suggestion, just send me an email or leave a comment for me, trust me I will take the time to read it and will definitely take your advice and use it to make this a better blog for anybody out there that takes the time to read it :)

Now onto my New Year's nailpolish!

That's 3 coats of Julep's Patti and 1 of Julep's Jordan, both from the December Holiday Wardrobe, and as usual Seche Vite as my top coat.