Who doesn't love having a peek at what other people buy when it comes to shopping? I love a good haul! If you follow me on Instagram then you shall know that I recently went to Las Vegas and one thing that excites me greatly about going to the U.S. is makeup shopping. Any fellow beauty obsessive shall know this feeling well because the U.S. cosmetic market has so many amazing brands that are hard to get hold of in Europe, so it's always the perfect time to get stocked up.
The main stores that I shopped in were Sephora, MAC, Nordstrom's beauty department, Bath and Body Works, CVS and Walgreens as these were all pretty local to where I was staying. The drugstores in America are insane as they literally stock from floor to ceiling, amazing brands at ridiculously cheap prices. I highly recommend checking out CVS as I could have spent an entire day looking around that one store. It's even open for 24 hours, yes 24 hours of make-up shopping; A dream come true but not so much for my husband.
I am lucky enough to have some really great Sephora stores local to me here in France but the U.S. Sephora sells a lot of american brands that we don't have. I was very restraint in what I purchased (you may disagree) and really focused on those brands that I had never tried before but have heard rave reviews about and the american brands that I cannot source locally. I thought I would give you a peek at what I brought as I shall then feature some stand out products in more in-depth reviews here on the blog shortly.
Brace yourself as there is quite a bit! First up, the drugstore purchases ....
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| Kellilash: US Makeup Haul |
There were so many items that caught my eye but I chose a few key brands new to me plus some products that I needed to stock up on.
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| EOS lip balm and hand cream |
EOS is a brand that is very readily available in Europe and online but stateside it is SO much cheaper, literally half the price! I kid you not there was an entire wall of these in the store which goes to show just how popular they are (see my evidence photo below!). Whilst stocking up for my friend Lois who is addicted to these lip balms, I got a few for myself as well as the hand cream which I haven't tried before but instantly fell in love with the packaging as the colours and styling are just so cute and pretty and I can't wait to use them.
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| EOS Lip balm |
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| Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Pads |
I have been wanting these oh so popular Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Pads for some time now but they are always out of stock online when I go to buy them so I was thrilled to see that they sold them in CVS! I shall report back on these as I am keen to see if they live up to the hype.
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| Sensationail Gel nail colours |
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| Sensationail Gel nail colours, Macchiato, Coral Sunset, Island Oasis |
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| Kiss Lashes, Essie Bikini so teeny, Duo glue black |
The one thing that did disappoint me was the lack of false lashes. I was hoping to stock up on loads of Ardell lashes but the selection was very limited and not great sadly. I did come across these Kiss Individual lashes which are a trio lash as I love popping a few onto the end of each eye for a natural, fluttery lash look. I repeat purchased my favourite Duo lash glue in black as it's such a good adhesive for all types of lashes. One thing that didn't disappoint me was the amount of nail polish on offer. The Essie and OPI selection was incredible and again so much cheaper than in Europe but having a rather huge collection at home already I simply opted for this gorgeous Essie polish, Bikini So Teeney which is a beautiful cornflower blue and so so pretty.
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| Milani Romantic Rose Blush 01, NYX Apple Strudel, Maybelline 110 Eye Eraser |
Now the Real Techniques Bold Metals 201 Crease brush was actually a Gatwick airport purchase but having many of the brushes already I was keen to try this new collection as it looks stunning. Milani blushes are always highly raved about in the blog world so I chose this stunning shade Romantic Rose 01 as it's a perfect everyday blush colour. I love the packaging and the compact is huge so I feel this shall last ages! I love NYX lip products and could have easily bought the entire line but the last thing I need realistically is anyone more lip gloss so I chose just one very pretty everyday butter gloss called Apple Strudel. I was thrilled to find the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer in stock as every time I am in the UK it's never in stock. Again it's another highly talked about drugstore concealer thats supposedly 'amazing' with a good high coverage to conceal all those under eye issues as well as treat the eye area so I have high hopes for this one. I got the shade 110 clair which a perfect neutral peach/pink to help conceal and correct.
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| Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar, Hand Sanitisers |
Whenever I visit Las Vegas, my first stop is always Bath & Body Works. This actually isn't because I am such a cosmetic addict that I have to get off the plane and shop, no, its because as soon as I step off the plane and enter the desert heat I get the worst prickly heat all over my body. It is hell. Apparently this is very common in Vegas and other desert areas especially coming from a very humid country, my skin just goes crazy. I find the Shea Butter and Vitamin E body lotion from Bath and Body Works helps my skin to become more comfortable within a few days so I have to factor this into my trip each time I visit. Let me know if this happens to you?! My fave scent is Warm Vanilla and the Sea Island Cotton as both are so fresh and really comforting smells. I always stock up on the '5 for $5' mini hand sanitisers as you can never own enough of these and they come in such great scents too. This time I stocked the hubby's wash bag up.
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| Topshop Lipsticks, Ooh La La, Boom Boom |
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| Topshop Lipsticks, Ooh La La, Boom Boom |
Although Topshop is indeed a British Brand, I love the store that is located in The Fashion Mall in Las Vegas. You may know how addicted I am to Topshop lipsticks as they are such great value for money and the colours are just gorgeous. I picked up this stunning limited edition one called Ohh La La complete with rose gold packaging (sold) which is my perfect go to everyday summer lip colour. I then spotted the gorgeous shade Boom Boom, a pretty bright pink in the sale bin which may be discontinued so I was happy to grab a bargain. Such stunning shades for summer!
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| Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Apricot Toner |
As I mentioned above with my whole 'prickly heat issues' once I landed in Vegas my skin just dried up like a prune. Even my fully loaded skincare bag was not enough for the desert heat so off I went in search of a skin saviour to help my poor dehydrated face. After meeting and chatting to a lovely sales assistant in Nordstrom we got onto Elemis which is a British brand I know well and love. I treated myself to the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream which is a tad pricey but felt like heaven in a jar and knew that it would sort my skin out and be great to use all year round being an intense anti-aging moisturiser. Alongside that I also purchased the Soothing Apricot Toner to help keep my skin looking radiant and calm and it smells incredible. I shall talk more about these products as they are brilliant and really helped to re-hydrate my parched skin.
Onto Sephora ....
Onto Sephora ....
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| Sephora US Haul |
Like I said before, I had a hit list of some brands that I knew I couldn't get here in France so I was keen to see what new things they had to offer. There wasn't too many new things at this time but am very happy and excited to try out what new additions I did pick up.
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| Beauty Blenders, Mini Micro, Limited Edition Red |
I cannot live without my Beauty Blender as it is like no other make-up sponge. It works miracles in making any skin look flawless and air brushed and is the secret to many iconic make-up looks. I wanted to get another one and when I spotted this limited edition red one (usually pink) it was in my basket before you could say blend. I also bought the uber cute micro mini blenders that are designed to be used under the eyes to blend out concealer a little easier than the larger sponge. Aren't they cute?!
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| Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser, Sephora Brush Cleaner |
To use with my beauty blenders, I picked up the Blender Cleanser which is a special travel friendly make up brush and sponge cleanser. It's a solid soap bar encased in a special holder to enable you to clean your make-up tools with ease and I'm a big fan of this already. One thing that was on my hit list was the Sephora Instant Brush Cleaner as I cannot find this specific one anywhere else. This one cleans and dries brushes instantly, like some kind of magic! It contains a special formula where an oil instantly removes all signs of makeup residue without wetting the brush hairs at all. Its incredible and perfect for when you need a quick brush clean or when using your brushes on someone else.
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| Dr Jart Water Replenishment Mask |
Sticking with the whole 'parched skin' theme I spotted this Dr Jart Water Replenishment Sheet Mask in the 'aisle of doom' (the aisle as you approach the till that is loaded with must buy miniatures) and it was in my basket as soon as I read 'hydrating, lines, dryness'. I love these sheet masks as they are so easy to use and perfect for travelling with. I shall report back.
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| Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, Luminous flush Blush |
Hourglass is one of my favourite make-up brands as not only is the packaging just stunning and oh so elegant but the products themselves are incredible. Even though you can source this brand online and in stores worldwide, it does work out slightly cheaper buying in dollars. Ever since buying the ambient lighting blush palette last year, it has become my holy grail blush and no other has had a look in. The shade I use the most is Luminous Flush so I purchased this as a single for back up stock. It's such a beautiful shade that suits every skin tone and gives the most perfect glow to the skin. I was so happy to see that the Ambient Lighting Highlighter Palette was still available as I regretted not buying this one last year so I snapped it up the moment I spyed it.
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| Tarte Lights Camera Flashes Mascara, Velour Brush on Adhesive, Kat Von D Tatoo Liner, Tarte CC eye corrector |
Now these four products are totally new to me but ones that I have heard nothing but good things about so I am keen to try them and see for myself if they are as good as they say! I love a good mascara so I am eager to try this Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara for bold statement lashes (yes please). I am a huge fan of Velour Mink Lashes and love the idea of this Velour Brush-on Eyelash adhesive for less mess. Kat Von D is a very famous tattoo artist and I love a good liquid liner and I was super impressed when I swatched this on my hand in store so I have good vibes about this becoming a new favourite. The Tarte CC under eye colour corrector was on my wish list and after being out of stock in a few stores I managed to get my hands on one and cannot wait to use it.
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| TooFaced Melted Metal Metallic Macaron, Sephora Pro Brush 77 contour |
If you read my blog regularly you shall know that I am a big fan of TooFaced Melted Lipsticks and Sephora Pro Makeup brushes. Too Faced have launched a new Melted Metal collection which has not reached France as yet and whilst having a play about with the shades I fell in love with Macaron which looks like hot pink foil on the lips as they are very metallic. I feel I shall be investing in a few more shades of these. The Sephora Pro brush line is incredible and this angled contour brush #77 is the softest brush I think I have ever felt. The bristles are short, densely packed and angled to help create the most perfect contoured cheekbones. If you struggle with contouring then you need this brush as it does all the work for you.
NEW MAC lipstick collections! ...
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| MAC Lipsticks, Retro Matte, Giambattista Valli |
Now you shall have to wait until my next blog posts to find out what MAC lipsticks I got from two amazing new collections, Giambattista Valli (already a sell out) and the Retro Matte Lipstick Collection due out in the UK this August. If you are a lover of a matte lipstick then this is a collection for you, so look out for my next post.
I gave a sneaky peak on my Instagram last week as below ..... ;-)
I gave a sneaky peak on my Instagram last week as below ..... ;-)
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| KelliLash Mac Lipsticks, Las Vegas |
I hope you enjoyed a look at what I bought and I cannot wait to play around with all my new purchases as there is nothing as exciting as using new makeup. Does anyone else keep each item in the box after each use for a few weeks until deciding to throw it away?! Or is that just me!
If there is any product that you want to know more about then just comment and let me know below!