Category Archives: Sephora

Sale at Sephora 

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If you love Sephora you know that their twice a year sale is very much awaited by many. For about a week or so the store offers 10-15% off products (this percentage depends on your reward status). I purchased my items in store, picking up some replacements and three new products that I am very excited to try. Here’s a closer look… 

 


Top left hand corner: Beauty Blender solid cleanser I really love this for those times my brushes need some inbetween cleansing. Wet your brush, give it a swirl around the soap and boom all clean! (For a deeper cleaning I use Dr. Bronners Pure Castile soap and a little drop of coconut oil)  

Bottom left: Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with rose clay This mask is one of the new products I cannot wait to try. It’s described as a two in one purifying mask and skin refiner. It Gently deep cleans while refining skin’s texture. I’m planning on staying in this Friday night and giving it a go. 

Center: Dr. Jart+ Bright Infusion sheet mask Yet another new product, which claims to moisturize and brighten while improving complexion and skin texture. I’m all about brighter skin! Brighter equals youthful in my opinion. 

 Top right: Drunk Elephant Framboos Glycolic night serum The last new product I purchased, which is the main reason I waited for the sale (this bad boy is pricey!). This serum is a chemical exfoliator which claims to resurface your skin by gently lifting dead cells all while hydrating your skin at the same time. I am on a very clear path to having the smoothest and brightest skin as I possibly can! 

Bottom right: Smiths’s Rosebud minted rose lip balm An oldie but always a goodie. This is a multi purpose balm as you can use it for your lips, elbows, knees basically where ever you notice any dryness. I go through this super quickly as I also use it for my cuticles. 

Did any of you shop during the sale? If so what did you get? Please share down below! 

Till next time, 

xx, Gwen 

Color Correcting

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Color Corrrecting is all the rage these days as many brands have recently launched their own shades to help with problematic areas. I’ll start off by giving you a quick overview of how each color is meant to enhance your skin.

Orange: Corrects dark circles and deep discoloration

Green: Corrects redness from pimples, acne scars or widespread redness such as rosacea.

Purple: Corrects dull skin as well as yellow spots by neutralizing 

Pink/Peach/Salmon Shades help to brighten an area and mask signs of fatigue.

Yellow Corrects purple/blue veins, bruises etc. Good for evenning out skintone.

Now that we’ve got that covered I wanted to talk about the two colors I recently purchased and my thoughts on them. I purchased the Sephora Collection Bright Future Color Correctors ($14) in the Green and Melon shades, (Green once again is for redness and the Melon shade is basically a darker hue of peach helps promote brightness under the eye area). I will say that I really liked the melon shade but the green shade did nothing for the minor redness I have. They both have thin consistencies which make them great to blend, but I find that the green one is a bit too thin and it sort of looses its pigmentation once you begin to blend it. It barely covered any of my redness even while adding a second layer. The Melon shade did not eliminate all darkness under my eyes but it did cancel some of it out and really gave my under eyes the “awake” look.

 

  I like to apply the correctors with the applicator and blend them out with my fingers or either brush shown above.

Top Brush: Zoeva #110 Face Shape Brush

Middle Brush: Real Techniques deluxe crease brush

Third Brush: Zoeva #142 Concealer Buffer Brush

I hope this post was helpful for those still a bit confused about what color correcting really means. Note: Correctors aren’t necessarily a must have item for everyone, all depends on your need for it.

Till my next post,

Gwen, xx

Neutral Zone 

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With Spring time being just around the corner I decided to create a soft nude look on the eyes and lips. The warmer it gets the less I want to wear a full face. It’s something about light colors that suit everyone’s skin tone, especially when the suns out. Below you’ll see my creation as well as the products I’ve used.

     

Products used:

Ex1 foundation (shade 300)

Dr. Brandt Pores no more Primer

L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer (brunette)

L.A Girl Orange Corrector (for under eye area)

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NW35 for dark spots)

Maybelline Fit Me concealer (shade 25 Medium)

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Bronzer (Dark Tan)

Charlotte Tilbury Blusher (shade Ecstacy)

Becca & Jaclyn Hill Highlighter (champagne pop)

Stila Eyes of the window eyeshadow palette (mind)

Rimmel Super Curler Mascara

Clinique Skinny Stick eyeliner

L’Oreal Super Slim felt eyeliner

NYX lip liner (shade ever)

Nars Audacious lipstick (shade Brigitte)

Gerard Cosmetics Gloss (nude)

Hope you all enjoyed this almost spring look. Till next time.

xx, Gwen

Marc Jacobs 

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The lovely team at Influenster* sent us the new Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara and I couldn’t be more excited to try it, I’m all about voluminous lashes!  Let’s get the logistics out of the way, it retails for $26 and is sold at Sephora, department stores and all major Marc Jacobs counters. The packaging is an all black multidimensional, lightweight tube. The formula is more on the dry side (which I prefer in a mascara) the consistency isn’t too thick or goopy making it a breeze to apply. The wand has many various sized bristles, perfect for getting in between your lashes. Here’s a closer look…

 

  

Without Mascara

With Mascara   

Although I loved the length it gave me, I feel it could have been more voluminous. I did only apply one coat (perhaps I needed to apply another one) but I normally don’t apply several coats of Mascara because I feel it clumps up. It did flake a little once I rubbed my eyes at the end of the day, but overall it’s a good formula and I would recommend it.

Here I am running errands wearing the mascara. So far so good!

*Review is my personal and honest opinion.

Mascara Link

Till the next time lovelies!

xx, Gwen

Speaking of gifts…

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We are super excited to host another giveaway! We’re about six followers shy of 350 subscribers and would love to reward one of you lovelies for being loyal to us. We of course will continue to have giveaways in the new year and are in the works of revamping our logo (stay tuned for that), but none the less our content and love for all things fashion & beauty will always be our main focus.

Shall I move along to the good part? Here’s what one lucky winner (chosen at random) will receive.

 A pair of sunnies from sunglassesspot.com

A Sephora brand eyeshadow palette

A Ciaté London mini nail polish kit

Rules: Repost photo above on Instagram using the hashtag #itsapplesandorangesblog

Also make sure to follow our blog (through email or WordPress). You’ll be notified when there’s a new post as well as any upcoming giveaways!

*We will announce the winner on December 26th! 

It’s that simple! Repost away!

Good Luck everyone!

Love, Gwen & Ari

Influenster + YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipsticks

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Lipstick is one beauty item I most definitely cannot live without (then followed up with mascara as a close second). It can be used on your cheeks for a pop of color when you are in a pinch and can brighten up any dull face to look alive and healthy. I don’t discriminate when it comes to lip products and can appreciate both high end and drugstore brands for what they offer. Influenster was gracious enough to send me two new YSL lip rouge products to test out for our readers! Disclaimer* although these items were sent for review, my opinions and thoughts are mine. Obviously being YSL, the packaging is pristine and I was so giddy opening up the package. The two colors shown are both Rouge Pur Couture in numbers 9 (rose stiletto) and 19 (fuchsia). Retailing at $36 these babies have a high shine satin finish, intense pigmentation and hydration for the lips. I have swatched them below for my ladies out there with my specific skin tone.
Pros
• Intensely Pigmented
• Packaging
• Hydration
• Finish
Cons
• A little pricey (to be expected with a higher end brand)
• The smell is a little bit strong and distracting (in my opinion)

Thanks to influenster for this amazing treat, I can now add these luxurious “grown up” lipsticks to my collection!

ysl, makeup, lipstick, review, influentster

ysl, makeup, lipstick, review, influentster

ysl, makeup, lipstick, review, influentster

ysl, makeup, lipstick, review, influentster

Rose Stiletto (09)- On my skin tone it is a perfect rose nude for everyday purposes.

ysl, makeup, lipstick, review, influentster

Fuchsia (19) The perfect hue of pink for a fun pop of color.

XOXO- Ari
Link to purchase the lipsticks – HERE

Give me some lip

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Sephora Favorites collections are such great gifts to receive/give. My best friend bought this for me as a birthday gift and I am just trying it out (I know, shocking because my birthday was a little over a month ago). This set comes with Sephora’s most popular lip products to date, 5 of them in deluxe sizes and 1 full size lipstick. Let’s take a closer look…   

From Left to Right: Marc Jacobs lipstick #238 in Je T’Aime, Fresh tinted lip treatment in Rosé, Makeup Forever artist plexi gloss in #202, Tarte Amazonian butter lipstick in Coral Blossom (full sized) Kat Von D everlasting liquid lipstick in Lolita and lastly Sephora rouge infusion lip stain in the shade peony. 

*Swatched in the same order below*

 

Once again this kit is perfect for anyone looking to try out some new lip products without comitting to one color or breaking the bank. At only $25 you’re able to try out a variety of different finishes as well as shades. Sephora you have done it once again! 

Are any of these lip products your must haves? Comment down below! 

xx, Gwen 

 

YSL Vox Box Review

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Luxury cosmetic brands are typically out of my reach seeing as I can’t justify spending the same amount on one thing versus being able to obtain more items (more is more people). In comes influenster! They have graciously sent over the YSL vox box including two brand new YSL cosmetic products to test out for our readers. Disclaimer* Although these items were sent for review, my opinions and thoughts are mine. To start off, the touche eclat blur primer serves many purposes. It can be used as a luxurious base for any foundation or alone to even out the skin tone on a makeup-less day.

Touche Eclat Blur Primer

               Pro’s                                                                                                              Cons
-Super velvety and smooth                                                         -Shimmer/Glitter is very visible worn alone
-Non-comedogenic                                                                    -Slight residue feeling
-Blurs imperfections and minimizes large pores

The second product sent over was the Touche Eclat Blur Perfector. This compact is meant to transform from a balm to a powder to soften the skinds imperfections, mattify and set makeup.

Touche Eclat Blur Pefector

       Pro’s                                                                                Cons
-Beautiful Packaging                     -Not great to initially set makeup with (I prefer a setting spray
-Universal for all skin-tones
-Minimizes pores
-Can be used for touch ups throughout the day
(not to initially set makeup)

 

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If I were to repurchase one item it would definitely be the perfector seeing as it doubles as a compact and works great for so many purposes.

Toodles, Ari

Sunny Days 

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Ahhhh summer, it always feels like a long time coming especially in places where there are such harsh winters. It’s so interesting to see how when the sun is out everyone’s mood instantly lights up, goes to show we all need some vitamin D in our lives. Although sun exposure brings out the bright side in all of us we need to make sure we protect the skin we’re in, after all it is the only one we’ve got.

Sunscreen/Sunblock is an essential tool in blocking out harmful rays that can cause major skin damage, such as discoloration, sun spots and skin cancer. Most people think sunscreen/sunblock should only be applied when going to the beach or on a hot summer day but the suns rays can also penetrate through clouds causing exposed skin to burn. Now the difference between the two is that Sunblock actually blocks out the suns rays due to the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Sunscreen absorbs the UV radiation and reduces the amount that reaches your skin, making it so that you can still tan whilst using sunscreen.

I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite sunscreens. I recently picked up the Dr. Dennis Gross dark spot sun defense. It has an SPF of 50 and has been formulated with vitamins C & E which also help even out skin tone. What I love about this is the consistency of it, it has just the right amount of thickness and my skin soaks it right up. Another selling point for me was the ability to reduce the appearance of dark spots. I am one of those people that is constantly picking at my face, which then leaves me with dark spots. Here’s a closer look at it. I bought mine at sephora, you can find yours Here 

These are some other sunscreens I have tried and thoroughly love.

sunscreen

Happy Summer everyone and don’t forget to protect your skin!

xx, Gwen

Weekend with L’Occitane 

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L’Occitane en Provence is a French brand created by Oliver Baussan. His main goal was to create products that celebrate and preserve the traditions of his native town Provence. At only 23 years of age Oliver began making his own natural oils to sell at markets and the rest as they say is history. There are now over 2,000 L’Occitane shops all around the world! 

I made an online Sephora purchase and had Ari mail me the items I bought (can we say obsession?). This “Weekend in Provence” set was one of the first items I opened because I couldn’t wait to get a whiff of the sweet almond, ah pure bliss! Prior to purchasing this kit the only other product from L’Occitane I had tried was the cult favorite Shea butter hand cream and to no surprise I loved it! So when I saw this on Sephora’s website I figured I would give it a try. Here’s what the set contains…

Almond shower oil 2.5 oz – moisturizing body cleanser, leaves a satin finish
Almond supple skin oil 0.5 oz- created with almond proteins leaving skin very supple
Almond milk concentrate 1.7 oz- nourishes smooths and tones skin
Almond delicious hands cream 0.3 oz- the almond milk and oil softens hands
Almond delicious soap 1.7 oz- almond shells gently exfoliate dead skin cells for extra smooth hands

All of these products are also paraben, sulfate and phthalates free.

  

This is a limited edition set and can be found on Sephoras website. (Not sure about the actual store). Overall I feel this is a pretty fabulous deal for $36. You are able to try a decent sized amount of product therefore, being able to make an informed decision on whether you would repurchase a full sized item. I’ve been using the hand cream, body lotion and shower oil for about 3 weeks now and can say that the scent is truly divine! The shower oil creates a milky texture once applied on wet skin, I then rinse and my skin is left feeling silky smooth! I seal the moisture in with the body lotion, the best part is the almond scent lasts quite a while. I am still thinking about purchasing the full sized shower oil as it comes with a hefty price tag. Otherwise money well spent in my opinion! 

As the name suggests it is also perfect for a weekend getaway in Provence! Or anywhere else your heart desires! 

Have a lovely weekend everyone! 

xx, Gwen