August Sephora Play Unboxing

Mommylicious

I know I am a month late with this blog, but I have a good reason. I moved to a new city in a new house because of my husband's new job. Sephora failed to update my new address on time and had my Play Box shipped to my old address. Thanks to USPS I got my August Sephora Play Box at my new address (although 3 weeks late). Unable to wait so long I did check the social meeds to check what others received in this month's Sephora Play box. And let me tell you I wanted this box so bad. I was just hoping that the Play box was not left at my old house's doorsteps (and someone would steal it!! Oh God no!)

The Sephora Play bag is all black and white this month. I miss some color on it. It has a cute little wink on it that says Wink Outside the Box.

The playbook exposes the theme that was hinted at on the bag. The theme of Sephora Play Agust is The Eye Openers. So, you kind of know that most of them will be eye products. Exciting!

Getting into the box..

 

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow

This eyeshadow is in the shade Artist Shadow I-544 and it is kind of an iridescent pink granite color. It has a nice shimmer to it yet is very smooth. It is a really pretty smoky color, which is very buildable. I love how Make Up For Ever eyeshadows are so pigmented and have great color payoff. This shade in particular is something that you can play around with. It can be used during the daytime and nightime, by simply intensifying the color. Love it.

 

Sephora Eye Pencil

This is a waterproof, 12 hour wear contour eye pencil in the shade Love Affair. It is a rich plum color. And may I add it matches the Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow so well. It has a nice shimmer to it too. This color can be smudged to make a smoky eye, so perfect for the Fall. I love that it is waterproof and is long-wearing. The only qualm I have is that it is so tiny.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

This is a lengthening and volumnizing mascara from Urban Decay's Perversion line. The Perversion line is known for its jet-black color. I love how this mascara does not clump up and made my lashes look really dramatic. The more coats I applied the greater was the drama. Oh, I am in love with this mascara already. 

Algenist Eye Renewal Balm

This eye balm comes at such an appropriate time. I have been wanting an eye cream for a long time and Sephora has granted my wish. Running after a 1 year old and moving into a new house has not been too great for my already exhausted eyes. I am so close to having raccoon eyes. I hope this eye balm manages to calm my eyes down. The Algenist Eye Renewal Balm is supposed to reduce dark circles, wrinkles and puffiness because it has Alguronic Acid with anti-aging properties. I am hoping the microalgae in it will help new mommies like me. This eye balm is light and moisturizing, but how effective it is I am yet to determine. 

Lancome Smoothing and Glowing Liquid Care Moisturizer

I am super excited to have received Lancome. It is basically a moisturizer with the goodness of Goji Berries and Lemon balm. This moisturizer is really lightweight and great for the California heat. It is supposed to give a healthy glow to dull and fatigued skin (that's me!). In it goes in my daily skincare routine.

Clean Reserve in Warm Cotton

This is the bonus fragrance. Who does not love a little extra something thrown in with the regular products? Trying new fragrances just makes me feel all the more excited. I have actually not purchased any perfume in the past few months in an attempt to use up all my Sephora Play fragrance samples. Saves me a pretty penny! Now, as the name suggests, this fragrance smells like cotton or fresh linen. I like it as it is a welcome break from the regular floral scents.

Overall, the August Sephora Play box has impressed me a lot. I do love eye products and I am not complaining with a bag full of them. Apart from the Lancome moisturizer, all the other products can be used all the time. And the fact that the moisturizer is from Lancome, keeps me just as excited. Sephora can come up with monthly themes based on areas of the face like this. And may be throw in a few beauty accessories too, like an eyeshadow brush would make the August Sephora Play Box more desirable. This box is totally worth the $10 I paid for. 


  

July Sephora Play Unboxing

Mommylicious

The July Sephora Play Box is here! It always comes on the same day on the month and I appreciate that consistency. Since I have not been disappointed by any of the previous Sephora Play boxes, I always find myself looking forward to this one more than Ipsy, which is more of a hit or miss. 
Want to know more about Play by Sephora? Find it here. 

It is almost the middle of Summer, so it comes as no surprise what the July Sephora Play box has been themed on. The theme of the July Sephora Play box is Effortless Summer. It is all about the sunny standouts and warm weather essentials. All the products this month are for giving a chic look on the haute long days. 

The little pouch in the July Sephora Play box is freakishly cute with a pink popcicle. It just screams Summer. 

Getting on the products of the July Sephora Play box:

BeautyBlender Blotterazzi

This catches my attention first, being so pink and big. It is a reusable cushion blotter for absorbing all the facial oils without disturbing makeup. What?? Is it for real? It is a revolutionary item by BeautyBlender and I was not aware such a product existed. It has the shape of the BeautyBlender, just flat. It has been designed to reach even the hardest of corners on the face. It has to be used dry and cleaned weekly. Super useful for a person with oily face like me. In the Blotterazzi goes in my purse to help me sail through a long haute day.

Ouai Wave Spray

It is a hairspray, by the brand Ouai, for adding volume to the hair and moisturizing it. It can be used on wet or dry hair. It has a fresh lemon-y scent. I am not a fan of these kind of hairsprays because I have frizzy and curly hair which have been straightened. So, no curls to enhance, really. This is one big disadvantage of beauty boxes not being customized based on the profile of the subscribers.

Sun Rescue Deep Cleanser By First Aid Beauty

It is a gel facial cleanser with Red Clay for removing excess oil. Anything with clay is straight up my alley. I love products like this, travel size packs of cleansers. These are super handy for travelling as the regular facial cleansers are always so big and heavy. What I love about this cleanser is it almost doubles up as a mini mask when used without water. This cleanser instantly leaves the skin feeling clean and devoid of impurities. 

Soleil Matte Bronzer by Too Faced

This is a Too Faced Matte bronzer in the shade Chocolate and made with cocoa powder, which accounts for the yummy chocolaty scent. It is very light-weight and gives a natural look. As much as I am excited to have received a Too Faced product, I am sad that it is a bronzer. Bronzing is that one thing I do not like, need and do. Hence I never invest in bronzers. But since I have received this sample I will give it a shot, or just use it as an eyeshadow!

    

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

As always, I was saving the best for last. Yes, it is THE Smashbox Photo Finish Primer that social media is gaga over, and rightly so. I am glad Smashbox decided to send out a sample of an already popular product. I am a huge fan of Smashbox. Everything I have tried so far has impressed me a lot. And much like the other Smashbox products, this primer has blown me away. It mattifies the skin and controls shine; it minimizes the look of pores and locks in the makeup. Now, this has become my favorite face primer too. Try it to believe it.

Citrine by Nest Fragrances

The bonus perfume! It is always exciting to receive perfume samples. And you can never have too many perfume samples especially in the summer. This month has Citrine by Nest Fragrances. I have not heard about this brand before, but the scent has my attention. How do I describe it? It is flowery. It is citrusy. It is made from Lotus extracts and it smells really nice. I love all things citrusy so this is perfect for me in the Summer. 



Overall, this is the first Sephora Play Box that has disappointed me a little with the hair spray and the bronzer. These two type of products do not work for me, personally, and I will not find any use out of them. It can work for others, not me. However, the inclusion of the Smashbox Photo Finish Face Primer has compensated for all the other disappointments. I am so happy with it. I love the Blotterazzi as well. The perfume in the July Sephora Play is also great. So, although there are 2 misses, the hits outnumbered them.

Read more about the products in the May Sephora Play box and June Sephora Play box.  

July Ipsy Glambag Unboxing

Mommylicious

The July Ipsy Glambag is here. This month around I decided not to get a sneak peak of my bag through my Ipsy account. I kept it a complete surprise. But Ipsy surprised me when they emailed me saying that they are doing away with the system of social media sharing for the early preview of the Glambag. Yay! Finally, Ipsy is getting a hold on their subscribers' social media dictatorship. 

Anyway, getting to the July Glambag. 

The July Ipsy Glambag is a zippered glossy one. It screams summer and is really cute. There are little pink umbrellas on a silver background. So cute! This bag is totally going into my purse as my on-the-go mommy makeup bag. 

The theme this month is Hot Summer Nights. It is all about the low-key laid-back vibes of summer. 

Getting on the products:

SHRAY Sheet Masks

The first thing that catches my eye is the biggest product, two sheet masks. Hydration is the key word here. These masks target dehydration and ensure that the skin is moisturized and silky smooth. These masks are made of natural wood pulp and we got to try the masks in 2 varieties - Ms Amazing and Queen Bee. Ms Amazing is for sensitive dry skin while Queen Bee is for redness and acne prone skin (that is me, you guys). I have tried the Queen Bee mask. It is easy to apply as the mask comes with a peel-off plastic sheet. The scent is pretty mild and the masks are very thin and sheer. It is nice although I did not notice any difference in my skin. Looking forward to using Ms Amazing.

  

Meet Matt(e) Trimony Eyeshadow from theBalm Cosmetics

I have waiting to try theBalm Cosmetics forever now. I am so intrigued by the names of their products and the super retro packaging. It is so eye-catching that I was literally wishing I would get to try out some of their products through monthly subscription boxes. So, yay to that! I got the eyeshadow in the shade Matt Moskowitz, which is a matte plum. These shadows are ultra matte and can be used on any part of the eyes to create a variety of looks. It is super pigmented and velvety and I love it already. 

Eyeshadow Brush from Vasanti Cosmetics

This is the second month in a row that I am receiving a Vasanti Cosmetics eye product. This time it is a Contour Eyeshadow brush. The name really had me guessing what it is for, contouring of eyeshadow blending!(Oops) It is dome-shaped and great for blending eyeshadows. This brush is meant for well-defined eyes, and hence the name. It is a synthetic brush with shiny bristles. It is nice and soft and does the job well. My only qualm, the bristles are a little bent in Ipsy's attempt to pack it in the July Glambag. 

Delectable Hand Cream by Cake Beauty

It is in the scent lemon and cream and when I tested it, it just reminded me of lemony baked goodness. It is rich but not greasy. It has natural ingredients and smells yummy. The scent is everything! It just made me smell my hands all day long (and crave for lemon cake). Now that I was reading up on Cake Beauty, I know why this hand cream smells of lemon meringue. It is a confection inspired brand and the scents are to die for. Finger licking good. I want to try the other scents so bad now.

Face Primer by Too Faced

As always, I had saved the best for last. It is the Hangover Replenishing Face Primer by Too Faced. It has coconut water for hydrating the face. It not just helps to lock in the makeup for a long time but also gives a fresh and flawless look. It is a unique concept where the primer doubles up as a moisturizer. It gives the skin a well-rested feel and look. Sounds super nice to me. 

Overall a great Glambag by Ipsy. Ipsy has continued to impress me with the July Glambag. I love all the products. I dig sheet masks, so they are always welcome. I have also found my favorite hand cream, thanks to Ipsy for introducing me to Cake Beauty. The 2 highly-coveted brands and big names are theBalm Cosmetics and Too Faced. I am more than glad to be receiving these brands. I just loved the July Ipsy Glambag. More power to Ipsy.  

June Sephora Play Unboxing

Mommylicious

After the highly impressive May Sephora Play box, I just could not wait for my second box to arrive. For some weird reason both my Play boxes arrived on Saturday mornings! Just gives me another reason to love Saturday more. What better way to jump into the Father's day weekend than with new makeup. All the details on Sephora Play you want is right here. 

The theme for June Sephora Play is The Minimalist. It is all about the nudes and the naturals. The line that Sephora is playing on this month is 'less is more'. The products included are for giving a low-key summer look, with an easygoing appeal.

Jumping straight into the box:

Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow it Creme

This (H)air Styler creme is for adding volume  and enhancing the texture of your hair. If you want to skip blow-drying your hair, this creme will help you achieve great looking air-dried style. All you got to do is apply this creme on wet, towel-dried hair. No rinsing needed. Spare your hair the heat and the hassel. My hair felt very soft and hydrated indeed and my flyaways (always an issue) were in control. It saved me a lot of time as a new mom, yet get styled hair. 

BareMinerals BareSkin Bronzer

This is a liquid bronzer that can be worn on its own or over foundation. It is pretty sheer to give a natural sun-kissed look. The bottle looks really tiny but you only have to use a couple of drops. Works well on all skin tones. It is a fun product for the summer. You can use it with your moisturizer. You can use this bronzer to contour your face. You can even add a tinge of color to your arms and legs by mixing the bronzer with your body lotion. One little bottle, yet so many uses! 

They're Real! Mascara from Benefit Cosmetics

This is one of Benefit's best selling mascaras. This mascara both lengthens and volumizes. The bristles are really fine which helps in reaching even the smallest lashes. It has a special wand which can be used vertically to push the lashes upward and out with the domed tip. Applying 2 coats is recommended for that fake-looking-but-real lashes. I love this mascara already. It did not clump up or smudge after wearing it through the long summer day. I wore it to the beach, followed by dinner and the mascara stayed put. Love these mini sample sized mascaras for on-the-go. 

Becca Backlight Priming Filter

This is a shimmering makeup primer for blurring out the imprefections. You can use it after moisturizing your face. Use it as a primer and follow it up with makeup or if you are in a rush and need no such coverage, just wear the primer alone. What I noticed is that this primer did make my skin look brighter. Just use a tiny bit, and it will do the trick. You can even use it to prime your eyes and lips. Primers are the most talked-about and trendy product now and Becca has done a great job here. 

Tarteguard Suncreen Lotion

This Broad Spectrum SPF 30 suncreen lotion from Tarte is the most useful product for the summery days ahead. What is the difference between the Tarteguard and the other sunblocks you ask? Well, the Tarteguard is a mineral suncreen that uses zinc oxide along with titanium dioxide to create a sun barrier for the skin. It is free of chemicals and has antioxidants. I decided to give it a try on my day out at the beach and I quite liked it. It does not leave the skin looking ghoushlishly white. Of course it is a little whitish due to the presence of Zinc Oxide but it does not show on the skin. It is not greasy or sticky. It has a very mild but pleasant scent. My makeup sat pretty well on it through the day. A big thumbs up, so far.

Florence from Tocca

This is a bonus little perfume sample which Sephora just throws in for fun. This month the Eau de Perfum is called Florence by Tocca Beauty. My smell test tells me it is nice. I am yet to use it. Florence is all about old-world Paris. It has Violet petals, Italian bergamot (don't know what that is!!), Blue Iris and all those fancy ingredients that gives it a feminine and sofisticated fragrance. I did receive a different sample of Tocca perfume before from Birchbox and I had loved that. That makes me quite fond of Tocca perfumes. Great choice Sephora.  


Overall, a great box. The June Sephora Play box is all about the big names from the cosmetic world; from Becca to Tarte to Benefit and BareMinerals. The only brand which was new to me is Bumble and Bumble. But I am impressed with the Bumble and Bumble hair creme. I love it when an entire box is full of makeup products. I am thankful to Sephora for not including skincare products, which I like picking out myself. All the products are very useful and I have already started using them. A very summer-friendly box I must say. 


If you want to know what was in the May Sephora Play box, you can get it here.

If you want a Sephora Play Review in general, you will find it here. 

Want to know about other beauty subscription boxes? Find it here. 

Interested in mommy stuff? Find it here. 

June Ipsy Glambag Unboxing

Mommylicious

The June Ipsy Glambag just came in yesterday and this time I promised myself that I would have the review up the same week. I have been using my 'mommy excuse' for too long now and I just want things on schedule now (starting with my blogs).

The June Glambag is the signature zippered bag by Ipsy. The bag has a matte finish and I like the way it feels. The theme this month is Rebel Rebel and the bag has graffiti all over it, which looks really cool. 

The theme card lays more emphasis on the graffiti pattern and says that this month is all about some serious sizzle and signature looks. I wish the Ipsy card was more informative about the usage of products and their retail value. It would save Ipsters the trouble of visiting the Ipsy website to get filled in on all the details.  

Lets jump right into the products.

Klorane Eye Make Up Remover

This is a natural eye makeup remover made from cornflower. It does not burn and is very gentle on the skin. It dissolves the makeup and does not leave the skin oily. It also strenghthens the eyelashes, and this I am yet to conclude after one use. Looks like a very handy product. This little sample size is perfect for travel and is going to be super useful.

Boo-Boo Coverup Concealer

This is an all-in-one concealer for all kinds of problems like dark circles, bug bites, blemishes and wounds. This is supposed to heal while concealing. Now, that sounds new to me! It has tea tree oil and aloe vera which do the healing. The formula is not very greasy and it did a pretty good job of covering up the blemishes for me. I would say it is medium to high coverage and a good concealer to have. 

Kajal from Vasanti Cosmetics

Kajal is the Indian eyeliner and it has been named so because of the Indian connection of the brand. It is in the shade black and I have to say it is very pigmented. This kajal is very smooth and glides on smoothly. It is a roll-up and would not need sharpening, which is a bonus. I found it very long wearing and it did not smudge on me. I am really loving this kajal. The only qualm I have with this product is the packaging, which is a little flimsy.  

Baked Highlighter from Dirty Little Secret Cosmetics

I am happy Ipsy has sent me a baked highlighter; I have been wanting to try these for a while now. This is in the shade Bellisima. It is a very pretty peach-y pink. It has very subtle gold shimmer which almost gives that 'natural glow'. I love highlighters with a tinge of color and it looked pretty good on my skin tone. Really looking forward to using this.  

Eyeshadow from Urban Decay

Again, I saved the best for last. Finally, here is a high-end brand. It is an eye-shadow from Urban Decay in the shade Lounge. And look how tiny it is! I have never seen a smaller eye-shadow. It is a duo-tone eye-shadow that changes color. The shade Lounge is a mix of green or red. It looks green in the packaging to me but on swatching it looked reddish. When light hits the skin, it had a green undertone. Interesting! I would love to play around with this eye-shadow. I apologize for swatching it lightly. I mean, there is such a tiny amount of product that I did not want to waste any of it.  


Overall, a good Glambag. The kajal and the eyeshadow are my favorite. The eye makeup remover is my least favorite (or the one I am least excited about and could have done without). All the products are very useful and I am going to use it all. But where are the lippies? Give me some lip products Ipsy. Too many eyeshadows I say. The rebel in me wants to rebel against the lack of lippies in my last few Glambags. One known, high end brand (Urban Decay) made me happy, but the tiny sample size didn't. The only full-sized product was the Kajal but I am not a fan of the poor packaging.
all I can say is I am looking forward to July. 


If you are interested in knowing about my previous Ipsy Glambags, you can find them here - May, April, February. 
Want to know how to skip the oh-so-frustrating Ipsy waitlist? Read this. 
Join the $10 beauty subscrition box, Ipsy, here.