Tag Archives: Sunday Riley

Beauty Box Battle: July!

Review, subscriptions, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Its that time again!

Mail’s in!

Last month, I called the winner as Sephora Play! so lets start there:

Goodness, apparently!

Sephora Play contained:

Tarte Amazonian Clay 14-hour blush in Paaarty

I actually have several of these tarte blushes, all of them from sample boxes actually. They are good quality, and very easy to use, and I never have gotten the same shade twice, so its always nice to add to my collection. Also, despite the packaging making me think this would be more of a bronzey color, when I swatched it (as you can see here), the color is a lovely natural pink flush.

 

 

 

Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment in Dream

As you can see, this is a very subtle tint, as its more of a lip treatment than a makeup item. I have had lipbalms from Fresh before, but never one of the Advanced Therapy ones, so I look forward to seeing if this makes any difference in the fine lines I get around my lips, as their copy promises it will do!

 

 

 

Next item is Youth To the People’s Superfood Air-Whip Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Cream , which is quite the mouthful for this little tub! I have actually received this moisturizer before, possibly from Allure’s box, and I found it felt nice enough, but I remember that I actually needed quite a bit to cover my entire face, so the tiny sample did not last very long. So its nice to have some extra moisturizer on hand, but this one isn’t very exciting.

Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing gel (rainforest of the sea collection) –  My second skin care item is another one I’ve had before, but I got that one from a 500-point sephora reward kit that I selected. This is a nice cleanser that I liked using, not too drying or anything, so its nice to have more of it.

Algenist Genius Liquid Collagen the final skin care item in the box is not only new to me, but a fairly high end item, as I see that the full size bottle (one ounce/30ml) goes for about $115. The sample tube is .13 ounces, or 3.7 ml, which seems like a fairly decent size for a serum sample. I’m always happy to try some fancy skincare, and I love a nice hydrating serum so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one!

The final item in the box is specifically cited as being the “bonus” item, but even so I find it disappointing. The Rahua Freestyle Texturizer is a foil packet containing 5ml of product, and the product itself is for creating a “voluminous, tousled look.” With my hair down to the small of my back, texturizers aren’t really something I reach for. So with the one-time use packaging, and the fact that its a miss for my hair type/style, this one is a bit of a let-down.

Overall this is not a bad selection, 4 out of the 6 items I’m quite pleased about. I would give this box a solid B.

Next up, Ipsy!

FEEL Restored Warming Clay Mask I love trying new face masks, and I especially love masks that warm up on your face as you use them, but I’m kind of suprised to get one in a summer bag, it feels like more of a cool weather item?  But I do enjoy that in a face mask, so I’m delighted to try this one, totally new brand for me too!

AHAVA Facial Mud Exfoliator – this promises to be a gentle and moisturizing facial exfoliant, which is the only kind my skin seems to tolerate lately! I’ve tried a few things from AHAVA already and been happy enough with them, so I’m glad to try this one next.

LORD & BERRY Ultimate Lipliner in Mandarin – this lipliner feels very smooth and easy to apply, but the orangey tone is not my usual thing. But it is summery so I guess it makes sense for a July bag, and I’ll give it a try.

Easy to swatch too

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFRA COSMETICS Eyeshadow in Exquisite I have gotten some OFRA products before, some highlight and blush, so I know they make good powder products, but I was quite happy to get this sparkly black shadow, as I don’t have a lot of colors like it:

 

As you can see, the swatch is kind of light, so this winds up being more of a charcoal color than a black, but I’m happy with that because I think that is a more versatile, wearable option. I can see myself using a damp brush to wear this powder as an eyeliner for sure!

 

 

 

SUGAR COSMETICS Stroke of Genius Heavy-Duty Kohl in 02 Purple Rain the final standard item in this box was this lovely full size eyeliner:

 

As you can see, this is a deep rich purple, which I was totally delighted to get. The formula glides on very smooth, and I can’t wait to use it!

 

 

Anyone who has gotten a beauty subscription for a while can tell you, its SO great to get a colorful liner instead of a black! Black eyeliner is useful, and a common standard for sure, but subscription boxes tend to send them far too often, so you can easily wind up with a larger supply than you need. I think Ipsy must have heard this feedback, because this item was only sent out to subscribers in purple or green, nice one Ipsy!

This month, I also redeemed some of the points I’ve accumulated on Ipsy. I dont’ really count this along with the rest of the bag, as I chose this item myself from a list of options. You get points by giving them feedback on your monthly items, and I chose to redeem mine in the form of a lip scrub:

The lipscrub is from Naked Cosmetics, and its their Vanilla Creme lipscrub. the scent is a nice rich vanilla without being super strong, and the sugar texture is present enough to exfoliate without being overly harsh,so I’ll definitely make use of this.

 

 

 

 

Overall I’m pretty happy with Ipsy this month. The makeup items are fun interesting colors (of good quality) and the skin care items look useful and are large enough samples to really get an idea of the products. While I don’t really include the lipscrub among the items they send since I chose it, I DO consider that Ipsy has a reward program generous enough that I can get a bonus item a handful of times each year.  I’d give this bag an A!

Finally, lets look at the little red box:

No really – EIGHT items!

Wow, Allure kind of went ham this month! I am not complaining, so lets take a look!

Ouai Haircare Leave-In Conditioner – I have tried Ouai before, but not this particular product (I got the wave spray previously). I am delighted to see that this has the same fresh, gently floral scent as their other product I’ve used, and I can’t wait to see if I like this as much as their wave spray!

Derma-E Essentials Mineral Powder (SPF 30) This powder can be used to set your makeup, or simply combat shine, and as a bonus contains SPF. I usually wear a sunscreen under my  makeup, but its nice to get a little extra SPF boost in your finishing product, so I’ll definitely try this out.

Feel Harmony Rose Petal Facial Mask  Ok guys, this is funny. I’ve got a second product from  Feel! I’ve gotten doubles from different boxes before, but this time I got two different items from the same line in the same month, and i’m amused! This mask looks like its right up my alley. Its super hydrating AND reduces redness according to their copy. They even recommend putting this gel formula in the fridge to make it extra refreshing in the summer weather, so I cannot wait to try this out on a hot day.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil I am so excited! I have tried several Sunday Riley products before, including a full size of their vitamin C serum from a prior Allure box. This has been one of the most talked about items in their line, so I’m super excited to try it out, this is a hydrating retinol oil that is supposed to alleviate fine lines and wrinkles, and dryness and rough texture, all things that I have been dealing with.

Olay Regenerist Whip Moisturizer – I’ve been familiar with Olay products since I was a teen, and they’ve always had nice lightweight moisturizers. This new “whipped” line promises a super light finish, but with powerful moisturizers and anti-aging, so I’ll definitely give this a go and see if they’re as good as I remember.

The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm – This is a new brand to me, but I always like getting another lip balm, I keep them everywhere! This one has some excellent ingredients, like shea butter and rosehip seed oil, with a light texture that doesn’t feel too greasy, and little to no fragrance, so I will definitely make use of it.

Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Full Red – At first glance this may look like a lipliner, but to my delight its far more interesting than that:

According to Make Up For Ever, the Artist Color Pencils are safe for use anywhere on the face, so it can be eyeliner, eyebrows, lip liner… anything you decide! I’m curious to see how well it serves these different jobs, so I will definitely have to play with this.

 

 

Doucce Ultra Precision Eyeliner in Blue – I guess Allure was tipped off to black eyeliner overload too, because here’s a bright royal blue liner!

This is a nice rich, bright blue color, in a lovely smooth formula. I am again delighted to get a fun bright color over having another black eyeliner, so this does not disappoint.

 

 

Guess what? Allure didn’t stop there. They emailed me a week before the box came to alert me that there was a “loyal subscriber” gift on the way, and it was included with the regular box:

A lovely set of earrings! These are a genuinely fun surprise, and I like them a lot! Also included  was a $20 off coupon for Bauble Bar, but I’m not sure if that came along with the earrings, or if it was part of the regular box.  Either way, little surprises like this are an awesome part of getting the allure beauty box. I’ve gotten surprise gifts from them at least two other times prior since becoming a subscriber.

 

 

Honestly, not a single item in this box was a disappointment.  I’m floored at the sheer amount of products, usually its between 5-7, but to get EIGHT samples and a bonus gift? I can’t help but wonder if they saw my C-grade review of last month’s box!

Considering everything in the box, I think I have to give the Allure box an A+, winning the July battle! Quite the upset from them being my least favorite last month. This is exactly why I like getting a few different ones, I never know which one is going to be the best.

Under the Influence(r)

Event, Foundation, ,

Last week I was delighted to get an invitation to a new product launch party. Sunday Riley is coming out with a foundation, and I got an invitation to their “Influencer” Launch Party?? You BET i was excited!

Sounds so FANCY

The site told me to RSVP, so I quickly did so, noting that I could have a +1, which I accepted, so that I could bring my sister along – obviously something like this is way more fun when you bring a friend.

Oh Good! I AM going the right way, thank you sidewalk!

When we arrived, there was already a fairly long line, but since I had gotten confirmation of my RSVP, I wasn’t too concerned. Eventually the line started to move and when we got closer, we saw some staff moving through the line with wrist bands. We then discovered they were merely checking ages (there were free drinks to be had!), and everyone got a wrist band. So…not checking anyone in. This concerns me a little, mostly because huge crowds aren’t my favorite thing. But we were nearly in by that point, so we got excited again. As we got through the main door, we spotted a cute display with what I found out is the total range, twenty colors:

Not a bad range!

We passed into another room with a glitter confetti booth in one corner, a bathtub full of white balls, and opposite that, a giant rubber duck. I also realized about this point that the NAME of the foundation was Influencer, and the implication that this was any sort of exclusive launch party was apparently unfounded. Lots of people seemed to be stopping here in order to get a cute picture, but I was focused on checking out the products so we continued into the main event.

Wow.

When I said I wanted to rub shoulders with other beauty enthusiasts, this isn’t what I meant!

It was SO Crowded. I realize the foreground doesn’t look too bad here, but this is right near the exit. I didn’t take any photos in all of the rest of the rooms because I could barely raise my arms while we were inside, for fear of hitting other party goers. I took this as we were leaving later, but it was about the same:

Barely room to move!

See that pink sign on the right? That is the vending machine that was supposed to dispense your shade of foundation for you, with its door hanging open. More on that later. Just under the slide on the left there was a table where you could get one of a few different signature cocktails. We made our way over on arrival, and the drink wasn’t bad, but it was too crowded to try and get back for seconds. Just above the pink sign on the right led to another room, where we quickly identified two makeup artists who were providing sample applications of the foundation and expert shade matches. There was also a long table with mostly empty clear plastic bins. We found that these were meant to be holding both candy and samples of other Sunday Riley products – which I will note, the staff fought to keep stocked the entire time we were there, to little success. We found the free tote bags in some cute pink cans, and picked one of the long lines for the shade matching. While we were waiting, they replenished the samples, so I braved the sample counter while my sister kept our place in line – and we managed to get one each of all the samples available:

Tote bag and samples!

Honestly, it was not easy to get these. As I mentioned, the bins kept getting cleared out. This was likely due to the many people I saw grabbing handfuls of each one. This really bummed me out. I know what it is to be excited about samples, but I always try to be considerate. Would I have loved to get ten sample bottles of Good Genes? Of course! That’s a very expensive product and it would be awesome to have a large supply of it for free; but I also knew everyone else there would like to get a sample of it, so I got one. It’s not so uncool to be considerate of your fellow enthusiasts is it? So much of the online beauty community I’ve experienced is so welcoming, positive and friendly. Everyone is always ready to share a tip or alert others to an amazing sale, I always find the best comment sections are the ones where people are talking beauty & skincare! I guess I was really expecting that “we’re all friends here” sort of feel to translate, and seeing this everyone-for-themself sort of behavior was a real let down for me.

I was actually pretty excited to get these samples! I have actually already tried the orange tube, that is the CEO Vitamin C Brightening Serum, because I got a full size sample from Allure Beauty Box. (Seriously, isn’t that awesome? I think the Allure box is very underrated, but this is a tangent). I love it and having a little travel size of it is great. The U.F.O. oil is a clarifying treatment that helps clear pores and acne, which is a very welcome item- nothing like fighting wrinkles and acne at the same time am I right? Finally is the Good Genes Lactic Acid treatment, which seems to be quite the workhorse; according to its label it’s exfoliating, clarifying, brightens dark spots and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles. I can’t wait to see if these all live up to the hype they’ve been getting.

After our continued wait (which was rather uncomfortable – our line was blocking the caterer’s exit door, so the poor wait staff kept having to fight their way in and out), we finally got to the makeup artist. This woman was incredible, super friendly and knowledgeable. Despite the crazy conditions, she didn’t make us feel rushed, and she practically guessed our correct color on sight. (She did swatches and some partial application to confirm.) She gave us little slips with our foundation shade numbers on them and let us know we could get a tube from the pink vending machine by the exit.

There were supposedly a few more fun areas in the back, but after waiting nearly an hour for our shade match, we looked at the densely packed crowd in that direction and gave up. We decided to pick up our foundation and leave more space in the tiny venue for other hopeful fans. By the time we got to the vending machine, the front of it was swung open, and several (rather harried looking) staff members were manually handing out bottles, I told them our shade (my sister and I are the same shade in most foundations) and was promptly informed they were out of our shade, 130.

My sister gestured for me to make the call, and I accepted the next shade lighter, 120 for us. We finally had the new foundation, and after a brief conference, we decided to get out.

TA DA! The packaging is nice, a soft tube with a pump(1.08oz), and a swatch of #120

Overall, I am excited to have this new foundation to try, it has a lovely texture and it really does seem to cover redness well. However, I hope most launch events are better organized than this one.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love Sunday Riley, I think their products are beautifully designed, and the things I’ve tried so far have been wonderful. But the layout of this event was very frustrating, and the lack of crowd control made us feel very disregarded. There wasn’t any sense of structure, not much in the way of a formal welcome- even some sort of floor plan indicating all the areas could have proved helpful. I think a lot of people used the vending machine as soon as they arrived, without receiving a shade consultation, since there were no signs or other instructions. We found the tote bags by luck, and pretty much had to figure things out for ourselves. Not what I expected from a luxury brand’s launch party.

All in all, my favorite part of the evening was probably spending time with my sister, because ultimately when you’re going to any sort of crowded event you should bring someone who can make standing in line fun.