Last week I was lucky enough to go on the trip of my dreams to New York with my friends for a long weekend. Along with the usual sites I couldn't wait to see, I was so excited to finally have the chance to visit Sephora for the first time and it's safe to say it definitely exceeded expectations. The huge selection of all my favourite brands along with the cleverly placed travel sized products at the till left me with a much heavier suitcase and a much lower bank balance!
Since I've arrived back in the UK I've trialled all the products that I bought so I could give a mini review for all of them instead of just showing what I bought.
I firstly headed for the NARS counter as I had already planned to buy this foundation after hearing it talked about for so long and never having tried it myself. I think NARS offer a really good selection of colours and I find this shade a great match for my skin. The website describes this as having "sheer and build able coverage" and I would agree with this as I often find one layer is quite thin and I build it up with a few more layers however it does blend in very nicely. It leaves a dewy and glowing finish without looking oily so overall I am very pleased with this purchase and it has become my new every day foundation.
Although I could stare at the stunning NARS packaging all day, I couldn't justify spending more money on it when prices were similar to the UK so I next went to the Becca counter, a highly anticipated experience as I was dying to own make up products with my name on. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, the Jaclyn Hill Champagne pop highlighter was out of stock in every Sephora we visited, however I did get my hands on the Moonstone Shimmering Skin Perfecter. This highlighter has the most beautiful, creamy consistency and the pale gold/pearl type colour is perfect for my skin tone and I adore the simple and almost industrial style packaging, I find it so elegant and could gaze at it for hours.
However, since I have got home and been using it, I have to say I am slightly disappointed in the pigmentation of this highlighter. I do use it most days when I'm creating a natural look in a hurry however I wouldn't reach for it if I was doing an evening look as the shimmer pay off just isn't anything like others such as Mary-Loumanizer, which is such a shame considering the price.
The counter I was most excited to visit was Anastasia Beverly Hills as her much talked about products are difficult to get hold of here in England. And of course, no-one can visit ABH without picking up some brow products. Before I went I already knew I wanted dip-brow, I just had to choose a colour. Medium brown was my favourite as it is very ashy toned and I have a severe phobia of anything remotely warm toned on my brows that could make them look ginger. I already own the Mac 208 but I decided I would pick up a new brow brush to use specially with the dip-brow, so I chose the ABH 12 brush as it was the only one left in stock. It has a sharper angle than the Mac 208 and I find it a great brush, especially as it has a spooley on the end - something that should be a legal requirement with every brush!
I have tried to use the Dip-brow quite a few times but I am just not getting on well with it at all. It's such a hyped up product so I was beyond excited to finally own it however I find it very hard to work with, once I draw a line its difficult to blend it and overall it makes my brows look too dark and thick so I only really use it now on nights out. I also purchased the Brow Whiz in the same colour which I absolutely adore as it is the perfect shade and so easy to blend. Its earned a place in my every day make up bag!
While at the ABH counter I thought why not go all out and get a contour kit as well. I was back and forth with cream vs. powder and ended up getting a cream contour kit in the shade light. I do really like this product as it blends easily and the colours suit my skin tone however I don't use it so often, only on special occasions due to the time it takes and the quite strong contour it creates, so in hindsight I do wish I had got the powder kit, yet I do still really like this.
Next I headed for the Urban Decay section, as a keen lover of the Naked palettes I really wanted to get my hands on the eye primer, which I chose in the shade original. I'm so happy I bought this as it's so creamy and my eye shadow does not budge the whole day. I came home from Parklike Festival after a 12 hour day of dancing in torrential rain and honestly my eyeshadow looked like it had just been put on - I cannot rave about this primer enough.
Of course, what Sephora trip would be complete without a few impulse buys of travel minis at the till. I picked up the Urban Decay Setting Spray and I do see why this has such great reviews; when I spray this on my make up literally does not budge. I also picked up the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water and although I am not sure if this product does work or is just a bit of a gimmick, it does leave my skin feeling hydrated so I do like to spritz a bit on just before I apply my foundation.
After Sephora we did also head to a few other make-up shops (as well as visiting many more Sephoras) and one of the things I picked up was Mac Velvet Teddy. I was so hesitant to buy this as it was actually my second one as I lost my first on a night out a few weeks ago *cries*. I was debating it but then realised I cannot live without this staple nude brown so I parted with my $15 as it is a much cheaper price than at home in the UK and I knew I'd end up buying it at some point.
The world and his wife owns Velvet Teddy but I would say it is very much worth the hype. It dries completely matte which I love and lasts on your lips for hours but at the same time is very moisturising. The colour suits so many skin types; for me it looks like a darker nude and so perfect for autumn and evenings but on darker tones its a perfect every day nude.
I hope you enjoyed reading what I bought in New York. I had such a good trip and was so excited to share with you what I bought. Much love.
Becca x
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