I was in a Westfield’s shopping centre today so I thought I might as well pick up my free birthday gifts from Sephora and Mecca. I had received emails/app notifications from both stores about these bonuses. There are two ways to redeem them, in-store or make a purchase online. Since I did not need to buy anything from both stores I went in today and picked them up. I thought I might as well since I’ve spent loads in both these stores, might as well get what I can.
Sephora promised a Fresh skincare trio and Mecca’s was also some skincare items from their house brand. Mecca’s was as promised, was nicely boxed and contained a cute birthday note. Sephora however, did not give me the Fresh kit, instead chucked a small notebook and a mini micellar water in the bag.
Now I’m not saying that I’m not grateful cos both stores don’t even have to give you anything. But as a loyal customer I thought I would say least get what was promised, especially since I’m a Gold member which is the highest level at Sephora AU. Anyway I feel like they would’ve given me what was advertised if I had made a purchase online. Because I picked it up without purchase they probably just changed their minds. I forgot to check as well and only checked once home. Overall it just a bad taste in my mouth.
What attracted me to this eye serum was the packaging, I liked the idea of having the angled tip so you can dispense, apply and massage the serum directly from the product. A lot of eye creams are in jars for some reason. It claims to help with all that I and probably most people are who are over the age of 30 are searching for, a remedy for fine lines and dry under eyes. For someone with combo skin my under eyes are very dry. It contains green tea to soothe, adenosine to smooth out wrinkles as well as squalene and chamomile extract for moisturization. The product is light, didn’t irritate my eyes and I could use this alone for ample moisture. BUT, my problem with it was the packaging. I couldn’t really use that angled end to rub the serum effectively under my eyes, I still had to use my fingers for that so I found it gimmiky. Also the container is long and slim with no weight to it so it kept falling over when stored with my other skin care products. Damn it just fell over again…!
Would not repurchase.
Mac Fix+ – Watermelon
Cost: AU $25 (I think) from mac cosmetics . Limited edition. 30ml
Mac Fix+ is an oldie but a goodie and a reliable hydrating mist regardless of what scent you buy. They released limited edition scents mid last year and I grabbed the watermelon as well as the pineapple scent. I love both and they work just as well as the original. I’ve also tried the coconut one which I also liked.
Was worth a try but if I were to repurchase it would be the full size which costs $39 for 100ml, making it more bang for your buck.
SK-II Genoptics Aura Essence
Cost: $210 AUD, 30ml, from sephora.com.au
I suffer from sun spots and hyperpigmentation so I’m always looking for products to fade this damn discolouration. This serum offered brightening properties which included SKII’s patented hero ingredient Pitera.
The serum was milky, lightweight and easily absorbable. It has a light scent which was pleasant enough. I expected to see results but did not. I used up the entire bottle since it would be a crime at this price point not to. Liked it enough to use up but wouldn’t repurchase.
First Aid Beauty – Hello FAB Vital Greens Face Mist
Cost: Not sure, this mini size 30ml was in a set which is no longer available, full size is $29 from sephora.com.au
This is a nice spray, nothing unique but nice. It is cooling on skin and contains lots of plant extracts which gives it that lovely green colour. I’m not really loyal to face mists if I’m being honest since I want to try them all. The only ones I have repurchased has been MAC’s Fix +. Nothing to write home about here so will not repurchase.
Drunk Elephant – B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel
Cost: $35 as part of the Rise and Glow set from mecca.com.au
Another one bites the dust. To hear my thoughts and praises for this product you can find a quick review of it here in my last empties post.
It’s such a good mixing product and if you use enough of it by itself, it’s quite a nice hydrating serum.
I am still contemplating on buying the full size. TBD.
I heard about this brand and product from Renee @ Gothamista. To date I haven’t found a vitamin c product that I’ve actually liked. I hated the Drunk Elephant C-Firma and didn’t like the smell of the Klairs Freshly Juiced drop. I’m pretty sure The Ordinary’s Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% broke me out.
Anyway I really liked this serum, texture was nice and light, easily spreadable, absorbed immediately and I really liked the fresh subtle citrus smell. I used it immediately after cleansing in the morning and as well as my complexion appearing brighter over time, my skin also felt plump and hydrated. During the summer, I would just apply this and sunscreen, skipping moisturiser.
Would definitely repurchase, it’s value for money and it’s actually effective.
I love this moisturiser, this is the second jar that I’ve finished and I already have repurchased. It is the perfect cream moisturiser which is perfect for my combo skin. It has a slight gel consistency making it easy to apply and spread. You don’t need a lot which is great. It contains an alpine berry complex which consists of blackberries and strawberry sprouts as well as hydrating ingredients such as glycerin and squalene. Never greasy and gives your skin a lovely glow, I will always buy this! Thanks Liah Yoo for sharing your love for this product, I’m hooked! I think this warrants a full review so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested.
Ok that’s all folks! What products have you finished recently? Do you tend to repurchase the same things or do you like trying new products out? Let me know!
Please note: links in this post marked with an * are affiliate links. They provide me with a small commission, if you should choose to use them for a purchase, without any extra cost to you