Sephora

A couple of late November orders that arrived in this month and a few several 😬 December sale purchases that I'm just getting around to unpacking/using.Asian beauty haul - makeupThis was part of my Small Business Saturday shopping tour around the city. The Asian beauty boutique had some stocking issues because of weather delays so I placed an order with them after testing a few things in store, and picked them up when they arrived. They threw in the CLE Cosmetics Melting Lip Powder Set - I'm a fan of the brand's CCC cream and have used one of their lip powders before so it'll be great to have another opportunity to try them again (interestingly, the one I tried previously was also provided as gratis). Korean beauty haul - skincare - Ohlolly and Soko Glam Dr. Ceuracle Hydra Barrier Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 (mineral filters) - I like several of their skincare products and was pleased to see they offered a mineral sunscreen. haruharu wonder Black Bamboo Daily Smoothing Body Oil with Urea - another Korean skincare brand that has worked well for my skin. Tried a sample of this once, liked it and decided it was time for a full size.PINKWONDER Tamanu Hero Ampoule - Tamanu oil is supposed to be good for calming blemishes and I have some that could use calming so we'll see.PINKWONDER Jojoba Oilshaishaishai Banana Conceal Eye Creamby Knours. Koolsol Ultra Light Invisible Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Fenty directThe vanilla flowers scent is lovely. Went with the trio set during one of the holiday sales. I no longer have a tub so the bubble bath will be gifted to someone who will be able to make better use of it.I picked up the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Lil Butta Dropz Mini Whipped Oil Body Cream Duo with the intent to split the two body butters - one for me and the other wouuld be gifted to someone else. It's now one for me, and the other to be gifted ... to me. 😂Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Kabuki-Buff Foundation Brush 115 came at the recommendation of @danielledanielle - thank you! This looks like it's going to be good! Now I just need to decide which foundation to pair it with first. 🤔 Sephora (mix of sale hauls and in store purchases)MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Seal 0.4 oz/ 11 g came back in stock during the sale 🙌Decided I couldn't pass up the SEPHORA COLLECTION 8-Piece Pro Face and Eye Brush Set after seeing @missjeanie's haul. There's a couple of new-to-me brushes in the set but I spy some faves in here that I'm happy to have multiples of in my collection! This will be included in my first makeup capsule for 2026.SEPHORA COLLECTION Lip Tint Felt Lip Stain & Liner for science - have been waiting for these to become available so I can compare them to the Huda Beauty contour lip stainsRare Beauty by Selena Gomez Find Comfort Lip Butter Balm + Overnight Mask with Hyaluronic Acid Butter Uplifting was not a planned purchase. Neither was PATRICK TA Major Moisture Smoothing and Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm with Vitamin E Espresso but a couple of folks I was with said "I'll get one if you get one" and well ... I was clearly easily swayed that day. 🙄 Sephora in-storeGucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL is just one of those products I repurchase again and again. 😉 DIOR Lip Glow Oil Hydrating High-Shine Gloss 104 Black Cherry was not planned at all. I went into the store the Saturday after Christmas to get shade matched for a couple of base products and Vivian did a phenomenal job of doing just that - eyeballed it to a T without the use of the device 🙌 (I was super impressed because I knew the device would have suggested a shade that was off for that foundation, hence, why I went in store). We got to chatting about new releases and we somehow got to Dior's new releases and here we are. This is the glaze finish and it's wonderful; more pigmented than the original oil, which are a fave of mine. These and the other finish, are worth checking out, as are the new hair mists (though they are on the softer side and pricey too - they smell pretty, but they are pricey; it is Dior).SpoilerI probably have some more catch up to do but this'll be all for 2025. Happy New Year, BIC! Cheers to 2026!! 🎉

It has a creamy formula and it’s very minty. Don’t really care for the packaging because once you twist it a certain amount, you can’t twist it back in so be careful if you ever use it lol.

@lmaster @Thank you!

Ilia releasing a new gloss. Sephora app exclusive 1.5.2026, all other platforms 1.6Sign up for notification on Sephora product page or on brand's direct site.ILIA Overglaze Hydrating Lip Gloss for 24-Hour Moisture

The Fit: Corset is Aqua, Pants RTR purchase and the shirt is a way back The Fab; NYE! 🪩 I wanted to be shinyThe Face: One of pmg's holiday 5 pans with Dior Sequin 999 The Fit: MM Cape, BR shirt dress, DVF pants and Aerosoles loafersThe Fab: Again NYE 🥂...I used the dress's belt cloth as a tieThe Face: Lashes are called Stiletto from Cade Cosmetics. They are very curly, but tapered, so it's pretty intense without overwhelming. The shadow is the PMG 5 plan with Dior's Miss Dior 5 pan. I love how the shimmer people just blended in

That's the way to be @lmaster 👍🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

12/30: Most unique thing you experienced this season. (It can be super simple.) Nothing. 12/31: Best thing to imbibe on for NYE? Water.

December 2025 Empties Month-To-Date = 14 (including foils)Year-To-Date = 299 (does not include decluttered products) I'm behind on finalizing a detailed tracking of type of products and size for 2025 and may not get to it as I have some other things to turn my attention to this week/weekend, but to quickly recap this year's product use:299 total products used up, 83 of which were foils - those are specifically detailed in Foil Challenge I recently passed along (donated or re-homed) several products but forgot to take a photo (or do a count) before sending them off. Prior to that, however, I decluttered 12 products this year, all noted on Show Me Your Declutters! With that count, the total number of products out the door in 2025 (declutter + empties (including foils)) totaled 311.My empties count has gone down year over year, which makes sense as I have been moving towards more full size products and less foils, and a whole lot less sheet masks. I had 456 empties in 2023 and 425 in 2024, all exclusive of decluttered products. This year saw a significant drop from those figures - 199.This year, I've gone through the vast majority of (if not all of) the partially used products from 2024 and earlier so heading into the new year, I'm pretty much working with / using (or will be using) products I started using this year and in 2026. Unless I start using sheet masks every day, which is highly unlikely, my empties count for next year could see another drop. 😘 This is my second full size bottle of Ceremonia Guava Hydrating Leave-In Conditioner that I’ve worked through. Hair feels soft and weightless, but not lifeless. I would rank it as between a Top Shelf and GOAT product for me. 😘 Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Lip Jelly Hydrating Non-Sticky Lip Oil XOXO (gratis) - color looks a lot more bold in tube but applies more sheer on initial pass of the wand (but can be built up), and leaves a glossy (not sticky) shine. Spending more time using what I have in concentrated periods of time and being more mindful of what I new products I purchase (or what products I repurchase) and also when I make those purchases has helped me work through more full size products. ❤️ LANEIGE Bouncy & Firm Plumping Lip Treatment 0.42 oz / 12 g is rich but not heavy with a gel like consistency. It goes on easily, feels nourishing and comforting and leaves my lips feeling soft, hydrated and plump the next morning. 😘 Luna Daily The Mini Everywhere Spray-to-Wipe - With Prebiotics + Vitamins C&E, Omegas 3 & 6 for Dry Skin 1.01 oz is great for on the go, after the gym when, for whatever reason, I don’t have time to get home to shower, or traveling. 😐 Maybe it was just this sample but this L'Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Anti-Breakage Hair Oil 1.7 oz / 50 ml had more of a serum or serum-to-slightly-more-viscous-than-usual-oil consistency to it. I do think it added shine and gave some new life to my color. I'm not sure my fine hair (fine strands + lots of strands) is the ideal hair type for this product though. A little does go a long way for my hair type, applied on wet, damp or dry hair but especially when used on dry hair. This I think is better suited for those with medium-to-thick hair or medium-to-thick hair strands 👍 Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Gentle Foam Cleanser for Sensitive Skin 5.07 oz / 150 mL - the empty is of the older, discontinued version which has been repackaged, and possibly, likely, reformulated. I used it primarily as a morning cleanser on those mornings when my skin was a little fussier than usual and red, which was often in the spring due to allergies, and this summer for some reason. This older version was fine enough but I wouldn't repurchase the old version; not sure if I will try the new formula. 😘 I've not had the best track record with shade matching when it comes to YSL foundations in general, but this Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Foundation seems promising. I ended up having to mix a couple of shades from the sample card together to get a better match (which isn't uncommon) but I generally try to avoid that if possible unless I adore the formulation. This is described as a full coverage foundation and oh yes, it is definitely that!! I rarely wear full coverage foundation but this one was nice - demi matte finish that didn't leave my complexion looking flat or feeling tight or dry) and wore well all day long when set. If I find a better shade match without having to mix shades, I'd probably pick up a full size once I make more of a dent in my full and medium-to-full coverage products. 🐐 Touchland hand sanitizer is a GOAT in terms of performance - hydrating, not sticky, and absorbs quickly. This year's new limited edition seasonal scent, Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Gingerbread is pretty good; it took me some time to warm up to the scent. The first few spritzes seemed to give off more of an alcohol and artificial scent but after keeping with it, the cinnamon and vanilla came through, with a teensy bit of gingerbread and sugar notes sprinkled in there. I wouldn't mind if Touchland brought this back next year, with a few tweaks to make the star notes more prominent 😘 Coming as a surprise to me - a pleasant one at that - is the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Cream Blush Provence - it blends smoothly and gives a natural, healthy glow. Soft pink shades like this don't always work well on my sometimes-ruddier cheeks but Provence was lovely - soft enough to not be overwhelming, mimics a healthy flush when I apply a few layers to my cheeks. I passed on it during the holiday savings event and regretted it immediately after the sale was over, but then, Laura Mercier was one of the brands with selec items on sale near the end of the year and I picked up a full size then. I'm saying it was meant to be. 😉 🐐 These Salux Nylon Japanese Beauty Skin Wash Cloth/Towels are excellent!!! It exfoliates and makes it easy to get to those now impossibly hard to reach spots in the middle of my back because I'm no longer as flexible as I used to be. I also love that these washcloths are reusable and can be machine-washed. 😘 Another product from this year's Pan It! - 2025 Challenge I was able to use up was the haruharu wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream. I enjoyed this one a lot but was not as consistent with it as I would have liked to have been, as I should have been. It's one of those items that flies under the radar but you miss it (and realize what it delivered) when it's been out of the rotation. Haruharu wonder is another brand my skin responds well to (e.g., cleansing oil, cleansing gel, serums, sunscreen, and now this eye cream) and I can see myself repurchasing this one (and other products from the brand) but after I make more of a dent in my eye cream stash. 🐐 I love, love, looooove Biossance Squalane + Elderberry Jelly Cleanser (discontinued), so, of course it's been discontinued. Le sigh. It's one of just two products in the brand's catalog of beauties that falls into that "all-time favorites" category for me. This is the one that all second cleansers I use must compete against. 😐 Bullseye's Playground Harvest Pumpkin Latte Candle - That clear mug is not just a prop for the photo but one of my empties - it was a candle and it looked and sounded promising when I purchased it. The cold throw was soft and subtle but I was able to pick up coffee and milk notes, with just a hint of pumpkin, all of which I was looking forward to. Those notes came through with the same intensity when initially lit but faded away entirely within half an hour, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any throw from it, cold or lit, going forward. Hoping I just picked up a dud. 😕 I have this clear mug though and am happy about that! EMOJI KEY🐐= product is a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in its category [I have a personal requirement that before a product receive this designation, I have to have finished a minimum of two of the product (with at least one being a full size).]❤️= Love😘 = Like and would repurchase👍= Like but would not repurchase (at least not immediately), usually because I like another similar product more or because I have other similar products to work through before making a purchase😐= Lackluster = it's okay / meh, includes products that are fine enough but are not suitable for my particular skin / hair type or concerns or are just not what I prefer/gravitate towards✖️= No [This is typically given to a product that irritates my skin]