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Summer sale
Treat yourself to 10% all products as part of our summer sale!
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I have wanted to go to Sephora for so long! It seems that Sephora has been a hot topic on social media over the past few years. It’s like the top destination for anyone obsessed with beauty and make-up. When I found out that there was a Sephora in Sofia Paradise Mall, along with a 4Dx cinema where I could watch the new Fantastic Beats: The Crimes of Grindelwald film, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a trip for a fun weekend! But what I wanted to know most of all was what should I buy at Sephora and is it really worth the hype? So off I went to find out.
My Cruelty-Free Sephora Haul
Sephora is a huge store full of beauty products, fragrances and make-up. What amazed me most was how many cruelty-free brands were available in Sephora and there were so many high-end brands in one place too. I know that I visited on a Saturday, but even so I was mesmerised by how busy the store was. I spent about an hour in the store, browsing every isle, shelf and tester product. So what did I buy? Personally, I don’t think I bought that much, but I am considering a trip before my birthday in January to get a new luxury make-up fix! Do be warned – the rumours are true! It is very difficult to prise yourself away from Sephora after entering!
What to Buy at Sephora
Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner
This makes perfecting a winged eyeliner look super easy! It’s long-lasting and easy to apply. It rarely smudges and is great for those who have tried other eyeliner pens with little success.
Sleek Eyeshadow 3am Palette
I love this palette! It’s full of beautiful, glittery eyeshadows that can be worn during the day or at night. I chose the 3am palette because I wanted shimmery eyeshadows but they do also offer the same palette in matte shades, as well as other bright tones without the glitter. For the price, this palette is fantastic. I’ve tried other eyeshadow palettes that have cost a lot more money but you get terrible “fall down” from them – meaning, the eyeshadow falls down and ends up sitting below your eyes, which isn’t a good look for anybody. These stay put and are easy to blend and work with!
Winky Lux Flower Lip Balm
I first saw these types of flower lip balms a couple of years ago and I just thought they were beautiful! A pretty lip balm with a flower inside. It’s the kind of product that I knew would make me happy every time I used it, which is why I added it to my basket of course! Already I’ve got a lot of use out of this lip balm. It comes in really cute packaging, in a gold lipstick bullet and the shade itself is somewhere between a non-sticky gloss that kind of enhances your natural lip shade. I will definitely be re-buying this one!
What Should I Buy at Sephora? Other Items I’ve Tried and Loved
I've received some of these items over the years for free and so although they are available to buy at Sephora, they weren't items I had purchased myself so I thought I'd add them to a separate list. They are however, all items that I would totally recommend and purchase again.
HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette Topaz
HUDA BEAUTY Emerald Obsessions Palette
HUDA BEAUTY Sapphire Obsessions Palette
These three eyeshadow palettes from HUDA BEAUTY are simply divine! If you only wanted to buy one palette, it would be difficult to decide which one you'd purchase. Each eyeshadow is highly pigmented and whereas with many palettes there's always a few shades in the palette you dislike, I haven't found this to be the case with this collection. These would make an ideal Christmas gift to you from you or for somebody else who loves make-up.
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick
The texture of Kat Von D lipsticks is lovely. They are matte but not with the typical dry texture that you get with many matte lipsticks. If you love quirky packaging then you will love the studded kiss lipstick collection from Kat Von D. Additionally, I love how this range consists of many rich tones of reds, such as chilli red, burgundy red and other classic shades that are easier to wear that a typical scarlet red. The kind of lip shades that would look equally great if you smudged them!
Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighters Champagne
Becca is the brand that is the queen of healthy glow and shimmer. Their pressed highlighters are my absolute favourite and although I've previously been impressed by other highlighters, none live up to the Becca Champagne Highlighter. It's subtle but visible and suitable for a wider age group, as it's very flattering.
KAT VON D Lash Liner Liquid Inner Eyeliner
This eyeliner for the waterline is fantastic! It stays put longer than any eyeliner pencil I have ever used and it stays intensely black too! If you're eyelashes are quite sparse and you're looking for a product to give your lashes the illusion of volume and texture, this would be a good item to try, especially if you used it on the upper inner eyelid. Saying that, I'd generally recommend it to anybody who is looking for a long-lasting eyeliner that can be worn on the inner eyelid - top or bottom! It lasts for a long time, it's easy to apply, looks great, and doesn't sting or feel uncomfortable.
FENTY BEAUTY STUNNA LIP PAINT
This lip paint reminds me of the Japanese lip paints that seem to be something of a cult beauty product of late. I personally love a good lip paint or tint and the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint is one of my favourites.
FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Fenty Beauty made beauty news when they launched their foundation range because they offer so many shades that appeal to pretty much every skin tone type. While they may have impressed make-up experts with their extesive range of shades, is the foundation actually any good? Short and long answer - yes! The texture of this foundation is lovely and you can really see a difference between the different foundation shades - i.e. each shade is different and caters to a different skin tone.
Is Sephora Worth the Hype?
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Sephora, I just knew that it was a place where make-up fanatics could binge on beauty products and could easily spend a lot of money…and fast! I loved Sephora. For me, I think it was an excellent experience to be able to enter a cosmetics store full of high-end and cult beauty products, knowing that I could purchase pretty much anything even though I only buy from cruelty-free brands! Travelling out to visit a Sephora might be going a bit too far but if you are in an area where there is a Sephora store, I'd definitely recommend visiting! There is so much choice, so many amazing products to choose from and there are many mini versions for you to try at a lower price too. It's one of those cult beauty destinations that is really well thought out and yes, it is worth the hype!
Watching Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald in 4Dx
Last but not least, I also managed to catch the new Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 4Dx too. In case you've never visited a 4Dx cinema (this was my first time actually, despite going to an 8D cinema last year), 4Dx is like 3D but includes scent, feeling and your chair might move as well. The film itself was fantastic but the addition of watching it in 4Dx made it an unforgettable experience. I won't disclose any information regarding the plot so as not to spoil it for those who haven't yet watched the movie. One thing I will say is that this film, unlike the first Fantastic Beasts, is more similar to a Harry Potter film. So if you missed having that similarity in the first film, you'll be happy to know that from now on they will bear more of a reference to the original stories we knew and loved.
Have you visited Sephora or watched Fantastic Beasts 2? What are your opinions?