Sephora Haul - I used my gift cards!

In an effort not to squirrel things away or hold on to them forever, I decided to use two Sephora gift cards I got for Christmas.  I have been making a list of items I wanted to try, excitedly deciding what I would buy.   Want to see what I bought?  

For so much money it's hard to believe it all fit in this little bag, you can't really tell from the picture but it's t t t tiny!

Well hello Skinny Jeans Creaseless Cream Shadow by Benefit.  I've been 

wanting you for so long!  Supposed to be great on it's own or as a base, can't

wait to try it.  $24CAD

Multiple award winner & highly rated reviews for this next one, Fresh 

Supernova & Firebird Mascaras.  $11.50CAD (these are the minis)

My first full sized Bare Minerals product.  I got the small size Mineral Veil illuminator in my 

Glitz & Glam kit, now I have the original Mineral Veil, an all over finishing & setting powder that is said to give you that air brushed finish. I actually wanted Well Rested but they were completely out & she said they haven't had any in stock in ages...! $24CAD

Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine, smells as yummy as they say..I couldn't help

but try it right away!  Has a slight pink tinge & is said to make your lips so soft.  Not a big fan of sticking my finger in things, but these kinds of products I save to use at home.  $13CAD

My first ever NARS eyeshadow, in the much talked about & highly

raved about color...Ashes to Ashes, said to be the perfect taupe colored shadow. They also gave me a NARS poreless primer sample, as a Beauty Insider. (Which is a free program that you have to join if you shop at Sephora) $26CAD

They were out of the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder, which I was intending 

to buy as a setting powder for my under eye concealer.  On the plus side the sales associate gave me a very generous sample to try!

Philosophy's Pure Grace rollerball "because nothing smells better than soap and 

water clean"...I couldn't agree more.  I love the Grace scents, perfect for those that like a more 

subtle, fresh scent. (You reading this Fairygirl?)  And the rollerball is so easy to 

carry in your purse.  $23CAD

All in all a great day, I felt so spoiled and thankful.  A great makeup shopping day is rare for me these days, because I'm on a strict budget and trying hard to stick to it.  All of this cost me just over $7....so even more exciting!  

A couple of things that were disappointing.  Sephora lately has been a bit lacking lately, is this just me?  I found they were out of a number of items, the samples were a bit messy and the sales staff were less than knowledgeable.  One salesgirl was getting me some makeup remover for all the samples on my hand, and got distracted by her reflection, stopping to fix her hair.  And not just a quick fix, but standing there staring at herself lost in space & totally forgetting about me.  Wow.  Also they no longer carry some lines that they used to like Cargo or Lorac, which is disappointing.  There were very few, if any, collection kits.  These are those kits that have a number of different products in them, usually in a sample size (like the Glitz & Glam).  I was looking forward to looking at these and there really weren't any there.  


On a happy note, I told the sales staff that I was not in love with the Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel, that I had bought in Florida. That review is a story for another day.  

I didn't think I could return it since it was bought in the States & I would be returning it in Canada...3 months later.  They told me that Sephora stands behind what they sell, and that if I didn't like it I could bring it back.  I have the receipt, so I can either exchange it or get my money back.  I already know what I'm going to get with the refund, but I'll post about once I do the exchange!  Needless to say though, this made me very happy.  


If you see anything you'd like a review on, please let me know!  I'm excited to try it all and give you my thoughts.  And I still have one more generous gift card, so while I have some ideas I'd love to hear all of your suggestions for future purchases.