My Sephora Haul (October 2013).

Hi lovelies!

By the time this is published, I'll be in Bali! Hopefully, I'll have access to wifi so I can check in every now and then on Instagram/Twitter. :)

I don't usually share haul posts simply because I can be quite haphazard in purchases, and often indulge in little buys but at regular intervals (somehow that makes me feel less guilty, surely I'm not the only one with that philosophy?), so while I often have the intention to post a collective haul at the end of the month, I've usually forgotten by the time that time rolls around!

If you follow me on Instagram/Facebook, however, you'll notice a haul photo I put up a few days ago, with my first ever Sephora haul using parcel forwarding! I shared the order with three other friends (including Jasmine from Sweetaholic Beauty and Kris from Hissycat Krissy) and here is a photo of the entire order, including the items they ordered. As you can see, it was pretty epic (in addition to being sourced from the holy mecca of all cosmetics, Sephora), so I decided I had to share a post on it!

I had a lot of friends/readers express interest in my haul, so I promised to share more photos/details of my personal haul here. I'll share my thoughts on the parcel forwarding service I used, HopShopGo, in a separate post when I'm back from Bali.

A word of warning, this is going to be quite a picture-heavy post!

Keep reading after the jump!

Here's a haul photo of everything that I personally bought, with everything still in the packaging. I chose items from brands that weren't readily available here in Australia. All prices quoted are in US Dollars.

And here's a photo of everything outside of the packaging.

Now, let me go through and break it all down for you.

First up, I picked up the Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Palette as it is being discontinued and was marked down to $10! BARGAIN! It's packaged in a purple velvet case, similar to the Urban Decay Naked Palette, only it also has a little window made from a glittery silver mesh. You get a little travel-sized bottle of the Primer Potion with it, which has to be my Holy Grail primer (review here), and it also comes with a mirror for touching up on the go.

The shadows are gorgeous, pigmented and buttery, and swatch beautifully. I've already had a play with Fishnet, Ransom, Zero and Scratch, and I've been very happy with them!

Next up, we have the Tarte Off The Cuff Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush/Bronzer Palette (featuring four blusher shades and one bronzer shade) and Bracelet. This retails for $42 and I knew I had to buy it as I'd been dying to try the Tarte blushers. I love that there's a mix of neutrals and bright shades as it covers pretty much every look you'd need (and you can always customize further by mixing the shades). Some of the shades are a smidge too pale for my skintone (I have a penchant for strong shades), but you can build them up so it's not too much of a drama. I'm going to have to play with these a bit more before I can say if it really lives up to the 12 hour promise.

The cuff isn't the best quality but it's quite cute, so I'm sure I will wear it at least a couple of times. The palette is quite thin and does feel, dare I say it, a wee bit flimsy. It's quite an attractive palette with the silver, textured finish, but I do wish it was a little bit more sturdy. I really do love the beautiful designs embossed into each of the blusher pans.

The palette also comes with a generously sized mirror if you wish to touch up on the go.

Next, we have the Urban Decay Vice Palette 2, which retails for $59. I missed out on buying the Anniversary palette earlier this year when I was at Sephora in Malaysia, when I picked it up but put it back after convincing myself that I didn't need it! I really regretted that so I had to pick this up!

It's packaged in a plastic case, instead of the velvet case that the Deluxe Shadow Palette comes in, and I must say I prefer the velvet finish. The plastic, while pretty and sturdy, does seem a little...cheap, in comparison. I also found it interesting that the Vice 2 palette is made in China. 

Like the other palettes, this one also comes with a large mirror but it tends to extend all the way back, which would make it a bit difficult to use for doing your makeup, as you'd have to hold it up the entire time. A double ended shadow and crease brush is also provided, but if its anything like the brush in the Naked Palette set, I probably won't be using it much. I do wish it had come with an eyeliner like the Naked Palettes initially did!

I have a deep love for Marc Jacobs creations, so when he came out with his beauty line, I knew I had to have something! After some deliberation, I picked up the lip gel in Seduce Me, a deep, berry red shade. It's a really comfortable lipstick to wear, though it did transfer quite easily. I was quite entertained with the magnetic closure of the case, it actually snaps shut very securely, which minimises the likelihood of it accidentally coming apart in my handbag! This retails for $30.

While Too Faced is a brand that we can get here in Australia, the Beauty Editor Darlings Set was retailing for $19, and as it had several items I'd been longing to try, I couldn't resist adding it to my cart! I love the Shadow Insurance primer, it's my next favourite primer after the Urban Decay Primer Potion. The deluxe samples in this kit are the perfect size for travelling with, so I've popped them into my case for Bali.

Last but not least, I picked up an Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz eyebrow pencil ($21) and Gimme Brow from Benefit Cosmetics ($22 - I forgot to take a photo of this, sorry)! The Brow Wiz is quite interesting as the tip is very fine, which is not something I'm used to in a brow pencil. The little spoolie on the other end is also quite hard, which makes it a bit difficult to comb through your brows.

I also scored two samples, the Stila CC sample was a special offer at the time I purchased my second order (the special offers change regularly so they are never the same), and the deluxe Sugar lip treatment was a reward using the beauty points I'd accumulated from when a friend was visiting the States and purchased some Sephora products for me a few months ago. I've been liking the texture and coverage of the Stila CC cream so I might well pick a full sized one up! 

I'd also selected some perfume vial samples for everyone who ordered, but unfortunately, they didn't make it through the shipping process. I knew that we weren't allowed to buy perfume or nail polish, but I hadn't anticipated that perfume vials would be confiscated! Sadly, they were, so we only received a handful of the samples we were supposed to have received with our order. On the whole though, I was still incredibly excited to receive my goodies and very pleased with my overall HopShopGo experience (but more on that in a separate post).

What do you think of my haul, lovelies? Do you want to see more photos of future hauls? Are there any reviews you'd like to see on any of these items?

Much love,
MM.
x