Mini Sephora Haul #1

Hi guys, this is my very first HAUL blogpost which I am really excited about. You are gonna see me doing a lot more haul posts in the next a couple of weeks because I have been shopping quite a lot. I know I know what can I say I love shopping.

Watching haul videos on YouTube is something I really enjoy doing and I thought it might be a good idea to do a haul blogpost so let's do this. I hope you will like it! 

I live in Italy as you all probably know by now and to be quite honest the Italian Sephora stores aren't as fully stocked as the Sephora stores in America but still we have fairly good range of products that I can choose from. SephoraItalia recently had a 20% off of everything and I just had to take this opportunity and get something that I have been wanting to try in a long time. So I did. I got some bits and bobs in the store and online as well. This haul is the stuff that I got off online. So let's start! 

There we go, as you can see I didn't go too crazy just a couple of things that I have been wanting to try. 

First up is the Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pressed Powder. I know I have a lot of setting powders so I really don't need another one, but I have heard so many good things about this powder and I just had to get it, especially when one of my favorite YouTubers Claire Marshall featured this power in one her favorites videos. She is a very talented makeup artist if you don't know. I love watching her videos. I'll link her video right  so you can check it out.

I love the cute pink packaging, it's very pretty. It contains 10g (0.35 Oz) of product and I think it'll last me a VERY LONG time. It comes with a puff which it's very handy for touchup on the go. 

I haven't tried it yet so I can't tell you if I like it or not but I will do a in depth review on this powder once I try it long enough. But basically this is a silicone based translucent setting powder to diminish fine lines, wrinkles and large pores. I swatched it on my hand and it feels very velvety. I normally I don't like the silicone based products but I'll let you know how I get on with this one. 

Next up is a volumizing hair spray from Bumble n bumble called Thickening Hairspray. I have heard so many beauty gurus talking about this product and the feedback are pretty much all positive. So I thought you know what let's give it a try since my Phyto volume spray is finished.

I used it today actually and it feels pretty light on the hair and it doesn't have the gross tacky feeling which I hate. First impression? Not bad. I will give a more in depth review later on when I try it a bit more. But so far so good. 

It smells light nothing irritating which is cool. This hairspray is not cheap to be honest but it does contain 250ml ( 8 fl Oz) of product so I guess it will last me quite a while. It claims to thicken the root of the hair to give volume and it can also be used as a setting hair spray to hold the style in place. I will definitely report back if it does what it says and worth all that hype. Stay tuned guys... ... 

When shop in SephoraItalia online you get to choose 2 complementary samples when you spend certain amount of money, and I get to choose a free mini MUFE Smokey Lash Mascara and a sample of the Youth Liberator Serum from YSL, both which I have heard some good things about. I will try them and report back. I hope I won't like the YSL serum because it's crazy expensive. Fingers crossed. Lol 

That's it guys that's my mini Sephora haul. I told you I didn't go too crazy. Good on you Elaine. Good on you. Normally I go crazy as soon as I step into Sephora. I am proud of myself this time. Yeah!!!  

Please follow me on twitter guys @eflicciardello and until next time, bye! Muahh! 

Ps. For UK readers who loves Sephora. Good news, Sephora America is now shipping internationally, so take your chance and happy shopping! 

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My summer essentials (Full Face Routine) + a little Giveaway (CLOSED)

Hi beauties. Happy Thursday! Are you ready for today's post? I think you'll like it! Let's do it. 

Summer is here well for some of us. Here in Sicily is rather cold which is really strange considering we are fairly close to Africa! But I am sure it'll arrive real soon for us as well so it would be interesting to know some of my summer must haves don't you think? I hope so. Now I have a mixture of skincare and makeup items to show you and please make sure to stay with me till the end of this post because I have a little giveaway for you beauties just as a thank you for supporting my blog. 

In the summer I try to use less products on my face because I hate heavy looking makeup, I wanna be as "fresh" as possible. 

When I wake up in the morning I wash my face as usual then I put on my Estée Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator Serum as it is extremely light, gives me the summer glow and it dries matte so that I don't even need a primer. 

Then I go straight in with my SPF. The one I am currently enjoying is the Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 Sun Cream. I like that it is light but also very moisturizing at the same time so I can skip my moisturizer, and it's SPF 50 so maximum protection which is much needed for where I live.

Eye cream is a must no matter where you live and which time of the year. However for summer it is important to have an eye cream with SPF in it, and that is one of the reasons why I like this Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream with SPF 25. It is light, moisturizing, and it brightens my under eye area as well which is awesome. 

I am not gonna go into too much detail of these products as I have mentioned in my previous posts so make sure to check them out if you would like a more in depth reviews. Just . 

I try not to use foundations in the summer as they can get quite greasy throughout the day so I stick with my Estée Lauder Double Wear Concealer as my base. It is high in coverage, light, stays on all day and kinda water proof. Ideal for summer time when I go out and about. 

As for powder I use the bareMinerals Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 to set my concealer and touchup during the day for an extra protection. I know I had mentioned this in my Disappointing Makeup Products blogpost but I gave it another try and now it lives in my bag. It's funny that I didn't care for it before and now it's my summer essential. So guys I suggest you go through your "disappointing stash" and you might get yourselves a surprise. 

This product is just so convenient for touching up when you are out. If you think about it, SPFs do wear off after a couple of hours and we can't really take off our makeup and apply sun cream again when we are outside so it would be handy to have this powder SPF for added protection. I still don't care for the brush it comes with as it is just too stiff for my like but I hear that some people actually like the brush because apparently it's easier to buff the powder to get some coverage. Ohh yes it does have a very light coverage which is pretty cool. 

Next step is to give myself some colour on the face, and for that I use my all time favorite Guerlain Terracotta Sheer Bronzing Powder. This is without a doubt a must have product for the summer as it is a bronzer, blusher and a highlighter all in one. It's sheer but buildable and the colour is simply gorgeous. I am not gonna ramble too much because I have featured this in many of my blogposts in the past so have a look at my older ones for details. 

For eyes I keep it very simple in the summer just a wash of colour and fabulous lashes. I really have been enjoying my Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze. It stays and gives me this nice bronzy colour with some gorgeous sparkles, great for summer time.

I don't use mascara that often in the summer because it transfers and smudges on me. I don't like to wear water proof ones either because they can be quite hard to take off, and quietly frankly I just can't be bothered. That being said I still want fabulous and full on lashes because let's face it who doesn't fancy long thick sexy lashes. Am I right?! So I use these "RichEyelash" false eyelashes because they are simply gorgeous and real looking. I had to order them from eBay because these are from Japan. Really really good quality lashes!  

For my brow it has to be my MUFE Aqua Brow because it's water proof. It colours and sets really well. Great brow product. Definitely a must have for summer. Click  for details. 

Now for lips I like to keep it very simple in the summer especially in the day time. I mean I still wear a full on bold lip if I go out in the evening but during the day I just use theBalm lip stain as a base and top it up with a lip balm. Non sticky, non heavy. 

This Kiehl's lip balm is quite nice for using it over lip stains and lipsticks but I don't like it as an actual lip balm just FYI. It's just not moisturizing enough for me. I also like this Lancôme L'absolu Rouge Lipstick in 008 Rose Reflect because of the colour. It's a sheer pink shade with some white pearl sheen to it, gorgeous for when I have a tan! Also the texture is light as air! Perfect for summer.

Last step is to make my legs glow before I step out because I will not tolerant dry and dull legs for the summer time. And to avoid that I use my Benefit "Take a picture it lasts longer" glimmering body balm. What a name ehh! It gives my legs this amazing glow but not over the top. It's silky smooth and I just love it. It smells good too. for more info. 

That's it guys those products are my absolute summer essentials and now onto the fun part. I have a little giveaway for you because there are so many of you support my blog and follow me on Twitter and Instagram which I am so thankful for. I know I ramble a lot so thank you for staying with me. I choose this bareMinerals powder SPF because it is so importantly to touch up your SPF in order to be protected fully. Also these RichEyelash lashes are truly amazing and very rare to find so I hope you like them and I will do another giveaway soon stay tuned for that! 

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Herborist Color Control Skintone Perfecter Mask

Hey beauties, happy Thursday! Today I am going to review the Color Control Skintone Perfecter Mask by the brand called Herborist. 

I don't think a lot of you have heard about this particular skincare brand. It is a Chinese skincare brand that is so popular and it's now sold worldwide. The good thing about this brand is that the ingredients are pretty much all natural and all of their products are infused with Chinese herbs that are beneficial to our skin. Now a little disclaimer: this is a PR sample that was provided by the lovely sales representative of Herborist Europe Davide at my local Sephora so thank you Davide. But as usual all my opinions are 100% honest and I will not review anything if I don't like it. That's for sure! 

Ok now onto the actual mask. It comes in this beautiful glass jar that I think it will look absolutely stunning in your skincare cabinet. Ohh and don't throw away the jar after you have done with the mask because you can definitely put stuff in there such as cotton pads right?! It cost €39 for 260g of product which I think it's a pretty good deal considering you only need a euro size amount for each use. NOTE: It is called the Whitening Revitalizing Mask for the rest of the world only in Europe it's called Color Control Skintone Perfecter Mask. They are same with different names just FYI. 

I like the fact that this is a cream, a white cream. It's almost like you putting on a night cream rather than a mask you know. 

I have used this mask every night for the past a couple of weeks and I really do like it for only one reason. It brightens my skin like nobody else's business. If you are after a brightening mask then look no further. This is the one for you. 

(Top: washed off the mask after 15mins; Bottom: without the mask. I hope you can see the difference) 

I like using this mask after I spend a day at the beach because it just brightens my complexion so that I don't look too dark and dull. My skin is nice and even without the redness from the sun. Apparently it contains 7 different herbs that are really good for keeping our skin hydrated and looking youthful. It also contains pearl powders which are extremely effective in terms of brightening and evening out skintones. Ohh that explains it then!! It smells lovely too like some kind of herbs but not strong at all. Very pleasant. 

The only downside for me is that I have to dig my fingers in which is not very hygienic so I suggest getting a spoon or some sort of wooden stick to take out the product. Also do not put it too close to the eye area as it does make the eyes watery a bit. 

The sales representative Davide told me to use it twice a week and leave it on for about 10-15 minutes but I use it every night because who doesn't love a bright face?! It doesn't irritate my skin at all so why not?! My tip to use this mask is that apply it 2 or 3 times a week but if you spend a day under the sun then it would be a good idea to use it every night. You'll see a big difference. No darkness, dullness or redness caused by the sun.

All in all this is a pretty good mask in my opinion especially for brightening and evening out my skintone. I would love to check out other products from Herborist in the future. I heard the Tai Chi Mask is really really good. I might have to try that. 

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