In case anyone is interested, here are my initial reviews on the items i bought at Sephora and Ulta recently:
Clarisonic Mia 2 (w Josie Maran kit)- not seeing the glow yet but i like it so far
Nars Cruella matte lip pencil stick-blue red, very bright pop of color. Probably wouldnt be great for dry lips or someone with a lot of lines around their lips. I'm not in love but it's staying in the pile
Dior rosy glow-pretty color, nothing amazing. I think it's a nice color. Keeping. $$ though
Dior iconic mascara- it's ok. I feel like it'll get better after it dries up a bit
LM tightline eyeliner and flat eyeliner brush-ok, this one i'm liking so far, at least this tightline technique if not the actual products. I'm still learning but so far so good. I think this technique will replace the Stila waterproof liquid eyeliner pen i've been using
Sephora airbrush concealer brush-really like this a lot to "buff out" my concealer
Smashbox Under eye primer-really like this! I like that it really feels hydrating to my undereye area
Smahbox lid primer-repeat purchase, it's a staple. It's thicker than some of the other ones and it's got a bit of nude color so it disguises the darker tone of my eyelid so that eyeshadow can really show the true colors
Smashbox BB cream- so far I really like this in terms of coverage and texture, just not sure about how long lasting it is and want to make sure it's not settling in my pores.
Korres wild rose and vitamin c sleeping facial-really nice feeling but VERY strong fragrance. Skin is looking nice and feels pretty hydrated
Josie maran moisturizer-sunscreen-This is nice but wouldnt say it's my holy grail daily moisturizer/ sunscreen. I just wanted something natural.
First Aid Beauty lip balm-meh
Philosophy Purity made simple cleanser wash-it's what i've used for a long time. Nothing exciting but it gets the makeup off pretty well.
Tarte blush in shimmering pink-cream to powder. It's pretty but not amazing. A little deeper pink than the dior rosy glow but similar look. I'll keep it but probably won't repurchase. I think this is an Ulta exclusive
Bare Minerals high shine bronze eyeshadow-nice color but terrible applicator, powder gets everywhere. May go back just because pf poor packaging.
Benefit creaseless eyeshadow- the name is bullshit, creased like a mofo.
Benefit stay don't stray primer-hated this stuff. Supposedly it's for undereye and eyelid but it was really drying under my eye and still had creases on my eyelids. Going back for sure.
OPI Cuckoo for this color- metallic teal. Love it.
I also had a sample of make up for ever face and body foundation and i kinda liked it. Pretty sheer and buildable coverage. Very weird texture in the bottle though. It feels like a slightly damp gel.
I have a sample of dior nude skin and hourglass mineral veil primer i still need to try out. Oh, and I think I want to get the Koh Gen Do invisible loose powder.