Mini Escentual Haul

Escentual.com were offering a 20% off everything code last weekend, which I kindly took advantage of and ordered a few bits that I've been meaning to try. I remember being excited when I heard that La Roche Posay's much raved about Serozinc was coming to the UK, but it then sort of slipped off my radar and I forgot to make a purchase. Now, seeing as my skin has decided to start giving me grief at the age of 19 (why start now!?) ... I was enticed by this supposedly blemish busting toner. Containing Zinc Sulphate + Sodium Chloride to target breakouts, on first impressions I can say that the mist feels refreshing on the skin, and the few pesky blemishes I had hanging around have been greatly reduced.
Also from La Roche Posay is the Cicaplast Levres - a 'Barrier Repairing Balm'. I hate shiny balm so this get a big tick for being lovely and mattefying on the lips, so far so good on the repairing front too!
Lastly, I know I'm hugely late to jump on the bandwagon with this next purchase but I finally got around to picking up one of the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushes. These liquid blushers create a sheer wash of water resistant colour - I chose the shade So Pretty which is a mid toned, bright pink that once stippled on to the cheeks gives you that gorgeous, natural looking, post workout glow.

The Haul - SEPHORA

I've just gotten back from a trip to Barcelona, and while I was there I couldn't resist stopping into Sephora to pick up some things. European Sephora doesn't carry nearly as many brands as the US stores, but it does stock some brands such as Make Up For Ever which are very hard to get hold of in the UK. 

Make Up For Ever Invisible Cover HD Foundation

The first item I picked up is the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation. I did try this years ago a trip to New York, but due to the unnatural lighting in the store I picked up the complete wrong shade. Why do they do that?! I do remember really liking the finish of this though, it feels light on the skin, and has a glow to it while remaining fairly matte. After factoring in the lack of SPF, this means that this foundation is perfect for a night out, or any occasion where there will be lots of flash photography and you want your skin to look flawless!

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 02 Classic Beige

I'd heard other beauty bloggers talking about the Sephora Cream Lip Stains, claiming they were the best of the bunch when it came to this sudden wave of matte cream lip products. I definitely favor a matte lip and I've tried both Hourglass and Bourjous' offerings, so I had to give this one a go. I chose 02 which is a dark pinkish brown shade, as I'm loving the whole Kylie Jenner inspired cappuccino lip trend that's going on at the moment. It's a great every day lip shade for when I want to look slightly more polished. As for the formula, these have the same pigmentation and lasting power as competitors from other brands, but I find them much less dying on the lips. The only downside is the shade range is pretty limited, but there was a true red and a lovely watermelon shade tempting me! 

Formula X in Radical

As if I need more nail polish, but I couldn't resist picking up one of Sephora's new(ish) Formula X nail varnishes. These polishes are supposed to be seriously long lasting and as I am the proud owner of acrylic ruined nails, nail varnish normally doesn't last too well on me. I chose the shade Radical which is a pinky lilac, but with a hint of a grey tone in there somewhere which keeps everything looking slightly more neutral and less barbie. The formula of this polish really is lovely, it applies really evenly and is opaque in two coats. I also found it has a shiny, almost gel like finish, and even without a top coat the lasting power is amazing. I'm now wishing I'd picked up more shades!