USA Make Up Haul & First Impressions

I recently popped over the pond to pick up my wedding dress from New York (read more about that here!) and HAD to make a stop off at Sephora to pick up some of my most lusted after beauty items. I did have a bit of a splurge and ended up getting some MAC and NYX bits as well. But what’s a holiday without feeling a little bit spendy?! It’s all towards looking like a beautiful bride so it’s kind of justified too. Kind of. What did I get?

Sephora

Ahh Sephora, every girl’s dream.  I love it.  I took my Mum into the one at Times Square, where she was absolutely bamboozled by everything on offer.  But that’s actually one of the reasons I love Sephora, it is so easy to try all the products and there are helpful assistants on hand everywhere to help you out and give you advice on what is best to get.  So even though it might look intimidating, it’s actually really friendly once you get in there.

KAT VON D SHADE AND LIGHT CONTOUR PALETTE

This has been on my wish list FOREVER.  I was in two minds whether to get this one or the Anastasia Beverly Hills palette, but Miss Von D’s vegan sensibilities ultimately swayed me.  It’s not a cheap palette – $46 + tax (about £34) – but it’s absolutely divine.

I feel like I’m a little bit late to the contouring party, but I love the range of shades there are in the Kat Von D palette and how they are better suited to cooler skin.  The product is soft and very blendable, something I was worried about with it being a powder.

It also comes with some information cards that help you out if you’re not sure where to apply the product.

GUERLAIN CILS D’ENFER MAXI LASH

I got a tester of this a while ago and instantly fell in love.  This mascara is all about the brush and this one lifts, separates and coats my lashes like a dream.  It is the blackest of black and if it was a little bit more purse friendly I’d wear it every day.  As it stands it cost $32 + tax (about £24) so not for the faint hearted.

TOO FACED HANGOVER PRIMER

I’m still not 100% sold on primer because my make up doesn’t tend to slip off towards the end of the day.  HOWEVER I am all for making my skin look better and this primer is meant to be one of the best.

It smells divine, the packaging is gorgeous and, on first use, it makes my skin look smoother and my pores blurred.  Again, this cost me $32 + tax (about £24).

BARE MINERALS MINERAL VEIL

Ever since I read a post saying that this was the ultimate finishing powder, I’ve wanted to get this little gem from Bare Minerals.  I’ve never really been much of a powder gal but I wanted to check this one out and the good news is, it is good value in the USA, costing $22 + tax (about £16.50).

MAC

Given MAC was *just* down the road from Sephora, it seemed rude to not take a little diversion while we were there.  I have been searching for the perfect lipstick for my wedding day and using it as an excuse to buy new lip products for the last year.  I’m pretty confident I’ve come away with a couple of gems here though!

PATISSERIE LUSTRE LIPSTICK

I had been recommended this as a potential ‘my lips but better’ shade.  And that’s exactly what it was.  It’s not in your face, it’s a subtle colour, but a lovely texture and gloss finish.  It did look much better on my lips than it did on the back of my hand so I would definitely recommend trying before you buy.

FANFARE CREMESHEEN LIPSTICK

I love the creme sheen lipsticks from MAC – they give me a lovely amount of moisture and shimmer while not being overly glossy.  I already own Peach Blossom but wanted something a bit more pink.  That’s where I came across Fanfare – it’s a beautiful corally pink shade that is again quite subtle, but a massive improvement on plain lips.  The finish is beautiful and I can’t wait to wear it.  I have a feeling it will be a new favourite!

The lipsticks were both $17 + tax (about £12).

Bed, Bath and Beyond

I have been to NYC a few times now, but I never ventured into Bed, Bath and Beyond.  As it happens, we only went in to use the toilets, BUT I am so glad we did!  We were just going to leave, but then I spotted a couple of counters and my bank account took another hit…

NYX WONDER STICK

Ok, ok, so I’d just dropped £35 on the Kat Von D contour palette so I probably didn’t need to get this stick as well, but I needed something to compare it to!  I am intrigued by this little bad boy after I saw Hannah Gale rave about it in her beauty post recently.  It looks really easy to use and very blendable.

I decided to go for medium because the pale end of the stick looked closer to my skin than the light.  I’m planning on using this for when I need a quick fix and spend more time with the Kat Von D palette.

NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM IN ANTWERP

There weren’t many shades left when I looked at the counter, but this shade instantly stood out to me.  In the barrel, it looked like a delightful, summery coral that would be perfect for sunshine.  As it happens, when I opened it after buying it (there are no testers in store) it was actually very, very pink!

Luckily it still looked good, but it wasn’t quite what I was after if I’m honest.  I will definitely still wear it, so no love lost, but I’m hoping that when I go to NYX in Boots I will have the chance to see what the actual product colour is before I buy.

The formula was soft and went on my lips smoothly, but it did wear off quite quickly and I had to reapply twice after a drink and food.  After I did, however, my lips were stained for the rest of the day.

OGX KERATIN OIL SHAMPOO

A bit of a wild card to finish off with, I spotted these HUGE OGX shampoos and conditioners for just $6 + tax (about £4.50 each).  Again, it’s another brand that I’ve been meaning to try for ages but just couldn’t justify stumping up the £8 price tag.  So when I saw these giant bottles I pounced on them.

They smell divine and I’m hoping they will keep my hair strong and shiny as I dye and cut it in the next few months.

So that’s everything I picked up in my USA beauty haul.  A successful trip if you ask me!

Have you tried any of the products I got?  What do you think to them?

♥ JH

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