Mini Sephora Haul

I never wanted to be one of those girls with storage crates jammed full of makeup. 

Yet somehow, one day I was. 

I distinctly remember moving boxes in my wardrobe and all of a sudden dozen, after dozen lipsticks crashed down from the shelves as if to proclaim 'hey remember me?!'. 

The thing was, I didn't remember them.

With dust caked hands I vehemently declared, no more spontaneous walks down the makeup isle. And that my friends, I did.

Side note: I now aim to buy makeup strategically and I really want to encourage you to do the same in order to curate a useful collection that works and saves you money!

You guys know my absolute favourite brand is Charlotte Tilbury. I won't digress, but her products are the b-o-m-b and when it comes to makeup, I don't mind splashing money if the products work, are priced accordingly and I can justify the purchase i.e. not a basket full of various shades of red lipstick.

Let's get to the nitty gritty.

1. Product: Burberry Fresh Glow  |  Price: £ 34  |  Buy it: here

 My absolute favourite primer is, shock horror, by Charlotte Tilbury. It pains my heart every time I see the tube grow emptier with each use, so I picked this Burberry beauty up as a replacement.

As you can see when applied it's luminous, light in texture and boasts an iridescent glow. It glides effortlessly across the skin and would be a little more creamier in texture than the Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow primer. 

Rubbed in et all, you can see how the base creates a subtle sheen. A far cry from sparkles and extreme highlighting, which is naturally reflective of an elegant brand like Burberry. 

This is my beloved Charlotte Tilbury primer and I have to say, out of the two I will always prefer her. The texture is lighter, a little more watery and adds more of a radiant glow to my overall look than the Burberry base does. 

However, I have started combining the two products together and both create an even nicer finish to behold. Both are good products, both are equally worth the money yet both are different because they're made by different brands for different looks. 

2. Product: Tom Ford Spanish Pink Lipstick  |  Price: £38  |  Buy it: here

Besides this friend, I own two other Tom Ford lipsticks. One is the perfect red, in fact my favourite 'go to' red in Scarlett Rouge (here). The second is Nude Vanilla (here), which sadly just doesn't work with my complexion, it makes me look a little ill. 

Spanish Pink, however is just perfect, as you can see. 

It's a lovely feminine hue of pink, a nice rich pigmentation with a creamy sheen to finish. If you like YSL lipsticks, then girl you'll like this one. Sometimes it can be a little chalky in appearance if your lips are incredibly dry, the trick is to avoid dry lips in the first place as it's often a solid sign you're dehydrated!

3. Product: IT Cosmetics Brightening Disc | Price: $38 | Buy it: here

Ok, to tell you the truth, I bought this product for the following three reasons:

- 1. The SA was wearing it. I would say she looked like a second cousin of Nikki Reed i.e. I was captivated by her beauty and the instantaneous 'gimme what you've got going on' thinking kicked in.

- 2. The Guerlain bronzer I wanted was sold out. This in some respect seemed like the next best thing.

- 3. The products were exclusive to Sephora in Australia. I felt like I was privy to some sort of secret pact = I am a marketers dream. 

So, what do I think of it?

In all honesty, it's just okay. 

The blush shade reminds me of Nars Orgasm (the dream shade). here

The bronzer is a poor version of my Nars Laguna bronzer (best.ever.), this one just doesn't pack as much of a pigmentation punch as it should. here

Finally, the illuminator can easily be overdone. A few too many extra strokes when you're bleary eyed at 6am can leave you looking like a human disco ball. I prefer Becca Moonstone here.

4. Product: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Finishing Powder | Price: $29 | Buy it: here

I'll keep this short and sweet. It's good, but it isn't great.

Why? 

Because it's no Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish (here). 

5. Product: Tarte In Bloom 2 Palette | Price: £33 | Buy it: here

Finally! This palette captured my eye the moment I saw it in-store. Not only is the cover ridiculously pretty, the shades are so versatile and workable for everyday yet subtle glamour.

You guys will know by now that I prefer makeup that enhances my natural features and is suitable for daily use, purely because I don't find heavy looks suit me. There's something so alluring about simple, beautifully pigmented yet elegant shades that will carry you from your work attire to an ultra glam date outfit.

These two are possibly my favourite shades. On the top is 'Funny' and on the bottom lies a stroke of 'Firecracker'. So alluring, elegant and versatile. 

Ps. I've never actually tried Tarte before so I was pleasantly surprised by the brand. I'd like to pick up their foundation next, if I can pry myself away from the Charlotte Tilbury counter. 

If you've any Springtime recommendations please let me know!