Cruelty-free Sephora VIB minihaul!

Ok, so, do I have any readers who’ve never heard of Sephora?  Just in case… it’s the happiest place on earth.  At least for beauty junkies like me.  And twice a year the happiest place on earth gets even happier.  Usually in April by 15% and then again in November by 20%.

I’ve been counting the minutes ’til the spring sale because I’ve had not 1, but 2, Sephora gift cards burning a whole in my wallet since last year!

Pause for a moment of silence to honor my superheroine-like willpower…

As you can clearly see, I restrained myself.  Purchasing two products from my fave Hourglass, which I’ve been dying for, and then a few other products from two companies from which I’ve not yet had the opportunity to sample.  Here’s the rundown…

First up, a swatch of the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow in Bora Bora Bronze.  It’s a gorgeous deep bronze that picks up the light beautifully while not being too brassy.  It’s a pleasure to apply and also to remove… you get a whiff of coconut both times!

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Here’s the first of the Cover Fx products, the BB gel.   When I first saw the product against my skin, it seemed like it was a bit dark/orange.  But sheered out, it’s looking like it will be a good color match for me.  It also looks like it will provide some nice mattifying for my oily skin, without looking too dull.  I believe all the base products from this brand come in a nice variety of colors and tones, very fair to dark, with yellow, neutral, or pink undertones.  I’ll be trying it out on my face soon, and will keep you posted on how it wears and if this was the right color match for me.

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The other Cover Fx product, the Custom Cover Drops, is meant for versatility; it can be mixed into a moisturizer or other base product to add color/coverage.  Again, here you’ll see a droplet, and then a sheered out swatch.  I’ll do a post soon on how I’m getting on with this one as well.

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Aaahhhh, here’s my long-awaited, much-anticipated Mood Exposure Blush from Hourglass.  I ❤ the Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood (see this post for details) and I can already tell I ❤ her sister blush too.  Just the mauvey-plumy tone I adore, with a smooth as silk finish.  Oh, and please excuse the newbie blogger smudge in the photo… had to learn the hard way why you take the photo of the product before you swatch it….

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You’ll see I learned my lesson this time, when photographing my new Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Infinity, nary a smudge in sight.  I was bereft when this line first came out for VIB Rouge members only.  I am (sort of) proud to say I lost my Rouge status for this year (see, I told you I had willpower).  So, I was thrilled when these were released for the rest of us.  If all goes as well as I think it will with this one, I’ll be picking up a few more shades in November 😉

Well, that’s it for my little minihaul.  Let me know if you have any questions or would like followup on any of these products as I’m using them.

Oh, and here are a few photo outtakes for your viewing pleasure…

*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer. I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional. There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.

**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.