Good evening everyone!!!
The title of this blog post is a bit of a cheat since I only purchased two different shades of the same product and then scored a whole bunch of free samples, but I still wanted to do a little unboxing haul to show how nicely Sephora ships out their products and how adorable and incredible some of the samples are.
So the two products I purchased were the Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation in shades 110 Pink Porcelain and 113 Nude Porcelain. 113 is available in Sephora stores and I have been using and loving it ever since I first tried it way back in June 2015, and reviewed it here on my blog. However, I have been wondering if maybe it is a bit too yellowish for my skin tone and I wanted to try out the lightest shade, 110, but 110 is only available online, or maybe in some stores but not in the Sephora near me. I couldn’t judge the shades very well online so I ordered both, thinking I would immediately be able to tell which shade would be best for me when they arrived. Well, no such luck because I unpacked them only to find I could see a difference but still couldn’t decide which would be best.
Just a little shout-out to Sephora here because I love their product return policy because you can actually try out the product and then return it if it doesn’t work for you. So, I tried out both shades and I have decided to stick with the nude porcelain, partly for ease of purchasing because I don’t necessarily want to order online all the time and partly because the pink tones would be nice for a summery pink look but might not be as versatile as the nude porcelain in the autumn and winter.
And now for all the samples:
At the time that I placed my order, Sephora was offering a promotion where I could pick three deluxe samples of Fresh products for free. I love the brand Fresh, so I went with an old favourite and two products I have been dying to try. My favourite Fresh product is the Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. I started using this way back in high school and it is the most hydrating and sweet-smelling lip balm I have ever used. I get very chapped lips in the winter and this just makes my lips kissably soft. The two new products are the Sugar Face Polish (125 g $62), which is a nourishing natural exfoliant made with real strawberries (including the seeds!!!) and brown sugar that polishes away dry, dull skin, and the Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil (full size 50mL $52) that contains omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9 and pure oils to preserve youthful skin. Because of how expensive Fresh products are, I am so happy I was able to get some deluxe size samples so I can try them out and see if they are worth purchasing.
Then, as my three free samples that come with every Sephora order, I selected Benefit’s Goof Proof Brow Pencil, NARS Orgasm Blush, and Tatcha Balanced pore perfecting water gel moisturizer.
The Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil (full size $30) is a product I have been hearing a lot about recently, and something that I am in desperate need of. My brows do not have that sought-after arch, which is fine, but when I get all dolled up for a night out or something, they just look a little bit sad. The nice thing about this product is that it has a wide tip to fill in brows and a pointed end to define the tail of your brows. This has made my brows stand out so much more and have given them the little helping hand they needed. I was sent shade 03 Medium.
The NARS Orgasm blush (full size $38) is a product people have been raving about for years now, and I have actually never tried it. I love blush palettes more than getting just one shade in a pan, but this is a shade has been hailed as a cult beauty product so I felt I should give it a go. It is a gorgeous warm pink shade with golden shimmer highlights. What I really like about it is that it is really hard to over-apply it because the pink hue does not build up but the shimmer does, leaving a nice golden glow.
Tatcha is a brand I had not heard of before but I am always game to try international beauty brands. This japanese skin care and beauty brand combines the ancient wisdom of geisha beauty with the modern skin care regimen. The Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer (full size 50mL $68) offers oil-balancing hydration, making it great for oily skin, a rare find. Also, this moisturizer includes a dust of 23k gold. That’s right, gold, delivering a shine-free glow. After trying this, I found that my pores looked a lot smaller and tighter, and it wore really well under my makeup.
What beauty products have you purchased lately???
While wandering the aisles, I came across the Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipsticks. I have never tried Rimmel’s lipsticks before but these were half price and I adore the shades. I picked up 107 Rossetto and 111 Kiss of Life, which I swatched to show just how gorgeous the shades really are. These lipsticks are said to deliver high intensity colour for up to 8 hours, and they live up to this. I wore Rossetto to work a few days last week and left 8 hours later with the same coat of lipstick, with minimal fading of the colour. Plus, the lasting power is unaffected by eating or drinking, so minimal to no touch-ups were required. Each of these lipsticks was CAN $4.99, which is a bloomin’ good price, especially for lipsticks that are such beautiful shades and last so long. 
This multitasking sulphate-free shampoo is the first Bb shampoo that I tried. I came across it in a three-product travel-size pouch in a Sephora in Paris after the hotel shampoo was starting to seriously dehydrate my hair. I was able to try the shampoo, conditioner and heat/UV protective primer for a solid week and the range completely transformed my hair. According to Bb, this shampoo is formulated with six feather-light oils to make hair smoother, softer, and silkier, while taming frizz and protecting against breakage from heat and UV radiation, all while not weighing down hair. This shampoo has a very fruity scent that I am obsessed with because it is so lovely and fills up the entire shower. This shampoo is available in two sizes: a 2oz bottle for CAN $14, and an 8.5oz bottle for CAN $38, perfect for traveling. 
This is the second Bb shampoo that I tried. I was finding the Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil formula to be very nourishing and hydrating, but prolonged use left my hair feeling flat. This shampoo is lightweight and serves the dual function of moisturizing hair and sealing split ends, while also building body to add fullness to fine or limp hair. Bumble and bumble describes it as “ideal for fine, thinning, limp, or flyaway hair,” which perfectly describes how my hair was feeling. This shampoo is also compatible with colour-treated hair, thank goodness. For best results, it is recommended that this shampoo is paired with the rest of the Thickening range including the conditioner, serum, and hairspray. I have only tried the shampoo but it worked wonders on my fine hair. The shampoo is actually available in three sizes: a 2oz bottle for CAN $11.50, an 8oz bottle for CAN $29, and a 33.8oz bottle for CAN $74. I know the latter seems like a ridiculous amount of money to pay for shampoo, but it has done amazing things for my hair and I find it lasts months and months so, broken down, the cost is equivalent to the number of shampoo bottles purchased from other brands. 
This sulphate-free shampoo is designed to reduce frizz and tame flyaways. It features 
While it is recommended that each shampoo be used with additional products from the same line, I prefer to use the Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Conditioner after washing my hair with all three of the shampoos mentioned above. It is formulated with the same light oils as the shampoo, helping to make hair softer and smoother, while also taming frizz and protecting against breakage. This conditioner is safe for colour- and chemically-treated hair, and is available in two sizes: a 2oz bottle for CAN $14 and a 6.7oz bottle for CAN $42. This may seem expensive to some, but this is the only full-size bottle I have purchased to date and I have been using it after every wash for a good 6 months already. Like the shampoos, a little goes a long way so only a small dollop is needed. 
Well hello there 🙂 🙂
As you can see here, the XXL brush definitely lives up to its title. 
Just to show how massive this brush really is, check it out in comparison to the tube size. That’s right. Admittedly, I think the brush is a tiny bit in foreground, but the size increase is negligible. 
Before applying this moisturizer, I prep my skin with my nightly skincare routine and substitute this in for the moisturizer component. I apply this to my face and neck, but a little goes a long way so I only use two small dollops. I have been using this since November when I received it in my 
Good evening everyone 🙂 🙂
Literary and Lovely 