20160226

US Beauty Haul, First Impressions & UK Shipping


In January I ordered quite a few US beauty bits and now they've finally all arrived and I've picked up a few other things, I though I'd do a round-up haul post with some mini-reviews, first impressions and swatches. I've also shared how you can get your hands on these brands if you're in the UK.


Sephora




I was originally going to order Lolita I and Lolita II but Jess at Making It Up Blog mentioned Lolita II was quite orange in colour so I though I'd wait to see it in real life when I go to New York. In the meantime I've picked up Lolita I and Double Dare. I've heard a few people say these are drying and whilst they're not as creamy as the NYX ones, for example, I don't actually find this. They're very fluid but still highly pigmented and incredibly long-lasting. Whilst Lolita is nice, for me it's all about Double Dare! It's described as a 'cocoa blush'; its a gorgeous pink with brown undertones that's just so flattering. I think it would suit so many people and I'm already obsessed with it. Lolita is a 'chestnut rose' - a more brown-toned shade with some rosy undertones that's also lovely. All in all these were worth the hype for me.


Sephora Shipping: Sephora offer a flat rate of £6 for UK shipping if you spend £80 before tax. However this time round I just decided I wanted these lipsticks but didn't want to spend £80 and it cost me £12. Sephora's shipping is very fast and my orders have always been with me within a week of ordering.

Dose of Colors

Matte Lipsticks in Stone and Truffle | £14.50 each



I originally ordered Stone as it was the only shade I thought I'd like that was in stock however the grey-mauve is too cool and light for me so just washes me out! Luckily I got my hands on the warm brown nude: Truffle, which is much better on me. The formula has to be one of my favourites; it's very fluid but doesn't dry out my lips and lasts for hours. I'm definitely after a darker option in this and have my eye on Mood from the new range, which I hear is launching in the UK in the next few weeks.

Dose of Colors Shipping: DoC can now be found on the UK site BeautyBay.



ColourPop



Lippie Stix in Brink | $5

This has to be one of my favourite things in this entire haul! It's the perfect warm brown-toned everyday nude; think MAC's Spice, Velvet Teddy and Taupe all mixed into one. The formula is so creamy and non-drying. Although this is labelled as a matte finish, I find it more satiny.

Ultra Matte in Lumiere 2 | $6

When I saw a liquid lipstick version of Lumiere, it was perfect timing as I'd been wanting to try ColourPop's range for a while. It is deeper and more vibrant than the original (I've done some comparison swatches below) however it's still is nice mauve colour. These can be a tad drying on the lips however the longevity is incredible. I've seen a new creamier formulation making the rounds on YouTube so no doubt I'll try those out when they're released.

Super Shock Cheek Blush in Between the Sheets | $8

I decided to pick up another ColourPop blusher because a cream formula that's long-lasting on my skin and doesn't look greasy is a rarity! This is a gorgeous warm pinky-mauve colour that pairs so nicely with my signature lip shades (MAC Twig and Mehr, Nars Anna etc.)

Super Shock Eyeshadow in Blaze | $5

This is an Ultra Metallic formula in a gorgeous bronzy gold colour. It is quite glittery but hey, sometimes that can be fun! It's not as long-wearing as some of the more matte formulas but it still lasts well enough on me. If you're not familiar with ColourPop; all their eyeshadows are a super-pigmented spongy cream formula.

Super Shock Eyeshadow in DGAF | $5

This definitely wasn't what I was expecting but oh well! Again, it's an Ultra Metallic but the colour is a sort of red with iridescent golden glitter. It's a very unique shade but I haven't found a way to make it work for me yet - tips welcome!

Super Shock Eyeshadow in Cricket | $5

I've been loving smoky eyes at the moment so that's how I chose this shade (again an Ultra Metallic finish). This glittery blue-toned purple is probably a bit much on its own but with something like Bill across the lid you can just put this in the outer 'v'. I'll let you know this and my dalliance with smoky eyes goes!  

Super Shock Eyeshadow in Bill | $5

This is a pretty lilac-taupe shade in a Matte formulation. It's so pigmented and creamy and can work all across the lid or just in the crease for any cool-toned eye look.




ColourPop Shipping: I use Shipito to get ColourPop in the UK and there's a full guide on how to do it here. I would warn you that ColourPop don't package the products very securely so they can tend to rattle around in transit and as you can see there was some damage to my order. This time around there was less than two weeks between ordering on ColourPop and it arriving to me via Economy Airmail. As a rough guide for how much everything costs in total is 30% on top of the cost of the products themselves (so you can pretty much swap the $ for a £ as a rough guide on tax, shipping and insurance costs). 

Makeup Geek



When I saw Makeup Geek had released an inclusive line of contour powders at an affordable price-point, I snapped up the two medium shades. Half-Hearted is described as Medium Warm and Complicated as Medium Cool, which I'm not quite sure I'd agree with! However the texture of these is seriously smooth and creamy. This means it does kick up a bit of fallout; the first time I used this I  plonked my brush in and created some sort of a dust cloud! You only need to tap your brush into the product very lightly. They apply really nicely and look natural on my skin. They don't take ages to blend in and they're really long-wearing (they don't even go patchy on me by the end of the day). All in all a big thumbs up and I really hope Marlena releases some highlight shades to go with these.

Makeup Geek Shipping: Makeup Geek is stocked by Beauty Bay, which is UK-based.



BH Cosmetics


I've actually already featured this in my Perfect Palettes post, but I thought I'd throw it in here anyway. It's a gorgeous blend of plummy, gold and champagne eyeshadows, with both mattes and shimmers along with highlighters and bronzers that range from pearly pinks to champagnes to golden-bronzes. The formulas of both were really impressive in texture and pigmentation. They apply beautifully and wear nicely throughout the day for me. All in all this is a fantastic little palette, especially for such an affordable price.




BH Cosmetics Shipping: I paid around $6 for shipping (all taxes were calculated at the point of purchase) and it arrived in a little over a week.

Morphe Brushes



E4 Angled Contour Brush | £11.25

I have a couple of other Morphe face brushes and whilst they were ok, they didn't really wow me. I picked up these two as they looked a little like the Sephora ones and although it was a long shot, I thought I'd give them a try. I have to say these (I believe they're the 'Elite' brushes) are definitely much better than their standard brushes. I love this as it's precise enough for contouring (as opposed to being a bronzer brush) but it's quite fluffy and large enough to get a subtle, everyday look. I really like the angled bristles as you can angle this different depending on how defined you want to go. The bristles apply the product evenly and allow me to blend it out with minimal effort.

E27 Pro Round Blender Brush | £5.50

The bristles on this eye brush are very similar. There's a limit to what you can do with this, as it is very large for an eyeshadow brush however I'm really enjoying it for softening out any harsh edges.

Morphe Brushes Shipping: Morphe Brushes is stocked by UK-based Beauty Bay.


What's on your US beauty wish list?


 



Don't forget to follow me on:
Share:

61 comments

  1. You got some great products here, Jasmine! I have a few of the Colourpop products you have as well as some Dose of Colour. I do want to try that Carly Bybel palette though!

    Angie | Chocolate & Lipstick | Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Carli Bybel Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette looks amazing! The swatches are gorgeous!
    Yiota :) x
    pinkdaisyloves.blogspot.com.cy

    ReplyDelete
  3. That was one almighty haul but wow everything looks great Jasmine! I'm so glad I placed my colour pop order now, I just hope it doesn't take too long to arrive. I'm definitely interested in trying the dose of colour matte lip products they look great, and I'm waiting for my shade of the makeup geek contour shades to come back into stock in my colour so I can get my hands on it!

    Lucy | lucyalana.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fab haul, I do love buying US beauty products. My sister in law has just purchased a couple of the Kat Von D lipsticks and she is raving about them.

    Victoria x
    FlorenceandMary.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. You always manage to do the best haul posts! I'm in love with everything you've bought. I've wanted to get my hands on Stone for the longest time but I actually think I prefer Truffle! x

    Jodie // Jodie Loue

    ReplyDelete
  6. I cannot wait for the day when somewhere like BeautyBay/Cult Beauty etc. start stocking ColourPop - I'm dying to try some of their products!! I'm also really interested in both the KVD and Dose of Colour Liquid lipsticks xo

    Char | www.charslittleblog.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  7. So many products! I have one of the MUG Contour Shades, the second one i was is out of stock. The Dose of Colours lip products look gorgeous!
    Emmy | Emmys Beauty Cave | Bloglovin

    ReplyDelete
  8. I literally want every single thing off this post, especially Colourpop. Bit of a shame they're damaged in transit though, worries me a little about getting them delivered. DGAF is beaaaut, I don't know where I would start with my order! I love the KVD liquid lipsticks I have a bright purple shade and it's amazing. Lolita looks lush! I need to try Dose of Colours too xx

    Tamz | http://www.throughneweyesx.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Everything looks so pretty!! xo

    www.aimeroseblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nobody seems to agree about the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks which is very confusing, so the fact that you didn't find them too drying is quite reassuring to me! Love your honest opinion about the Morphe brushes as well! Since these products are so difficult to get in Europe, I like to think that I will be a 100% sure about my purchases when I will finally order them!

    http://fannyanddailybeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I'd heard mixed things about how drying they were but risked it and tried them for myself! xx

      Delete
  11. I have one of the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks and I don't find it drying either :) Love the look of the Colourpop lipsticks too. Such a good haul!

    Pams Stuff and Things | Charlotte Tilbury Giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  12. What an amazing haul! The shipping rates are one thing, but what sucks the most about ordering makeup from the States to here in Canada is the transfer rate, everything almost doubles in price! But on the bright side, at least we have Sephora lol

    RachelShuchatMakeup

    ReplyDelete
  13. You chose some amazing things! Love the look of a lot of these, I need to check a few of them out. I need to see if I'm able to get ColourPop from Italy too. :) xx
    Gyudy @ Gyudy's Notes Of Beauty

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can see why you love Double Dare, it's gorgeous! I love Morphe brushes, I have a post planned about the ones I have :) x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Kat Von D liquid lipsticks you picked look amazing!! I love morphe brushes, they are amazing and so cheap! X

    www.beautylifebecca.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, great haul! I love everything, but especially the Color Pop products but I also really love the look of both Dose of Color liquid lipsticks! I can't wait to get to the U.S. in a few months to get my hands on products we can't get here! xx

    Beautylymin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will be too! We should swap notes on what to buy haha xx

      Delete
  17. I love the look of the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks but for that price each I'm unsure but you love them arghh!
    Charlotte // www.charlottespicks.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I always fall in love with your beauty posts, all these colours are perfect and warming. I seriously need to pop some of these suggestions on my wish-list.

    I've ordered the Carli palette from BH Cosmetics and still waiting a week later, however hopefully it'll arrive soon!

    Great post and lovely picks :)

    Laura www.shehearts.net xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. That BH Cosmetics palette looks absolutely divine. I really want to try out some Kat Von D products but I'm terrified of the custom charges :') x

    Darling Jordan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All the custom charges on Sephora are calculated at the point of purchase - there aren't any hidden fees so you just decide up front if it's worth it or not xx

      Delete
  20. Oh wow, that is a massive but amazing haul, Jasmine! I kept seeing Lolita appearing on blogs and it's such a gorgeous shade, think I'll be picking it up soon!

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

    ReplyDelete
  21. Will definitely have to make a ColourPop order! I really want to try the new satin lips! I got the MUG contour pan in Infidelity and I really like it, agree about the dust cloud though, it kicks up so much powder!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

    ReplyDelete
  22. I haven't ordered many products from the US before, apart from on ebay which makes it a bit easier for me. The kat von d liquid lipsticks sound really good, and the Carlie Bybel palette is very affordable for all those shades in there :)

    Velvet Blush

    ReplyDelete
  23. It was so great to read about how to get US products in the UK this was amazing! Thanks

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is a great post been dying to try some of these brands but was scared about shipping to the uk so it's good to know it wasn't too difficult ☺️ did you have to pay any custom charges when they arrived though?? I was thinking of getting the carli bybel palette but I'm worried there will be extra charges when it gets here �� x x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No there weren't, with every site I ordered from all charges were presented and paid at the point of sale and the prices I've given are the final amounts I paid xx

      Delete
  25. DGAF is such a gorgeous color, hope you find a way to work it out soon!

    ReplyDelete
  26. The Carli Bybel palette has been on my wish-list for months and seeing your swatches makes me want it that little bit more! xx

    Sinead | Subject-Beauty

    ReplyDelete
  27. You picked up lots of new goodies! I also prefer Double Dare over Lolita, and the DOC formula is actually my favorite. I love both Stone and Truffle, but can definitely see why Stone would be too cool toned. I like to use it with a warmer pink liner like MAC Soar underneath!

    I love ColourPop and actually just picked up some of the shades you did such as Lumiere 2, Blaze, and Bill so I'm excited to play. And I just picked up the MUG contour powder in Half-Hearted. It's a lot darker than I thought it would be, but I like the formula!

    And I literally just went and purchased the Carli Bybel palette right now after seeing your swatches haha. It looks beautiful!

    xx
    Nida | Caked To The Nines

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I might try that actually as I have Soar - thanks for the tip! And yeah I was surprised at how deep Half-Hearted was, personally I prefer Complicated on me xx

      Delete
  28. I want to try out the Kat Von D lipsticks so bad, I've heard so many good things about them. Lovely post.

    Olivia // BLONDE LA MODE

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm so desperate to try Colorpop I wish they were more accessible in the UK!

    Lauren Ashleigh xx

    ReplyDelete
  30. Just ordered the BH Cosmetics Palette after seeing it on this blog as those shades are right down my street - especially with your good mini review! great post yet again 😀
    - www.roisinslatest.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  31. You've ordered some gorgeous products. Colorpop and Kat Von D are two brands I've been lusting over for months now. Really tempted to put in an order for a few Von D pieces but not too sure about Colorpop, sounds a little bit complicated.

    Roxie | The Beautiful Bluebird

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not really to be honest, especially now I've done it a couple of times xx

      Delete
  32. Some great products here, ColourPop is on my 'brands to try' list and the way you explained the shipping seems so easy and affordable! xo

    http://www.samanthasbeautyloves.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. Great haul dear! The Carli Bybel Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette looks awesome! Need ...
    xx Pisa ❤
    www.inlovewithmyclothes.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Such a great haul! I've been eyeing the Dose of Colors lippies and think I may need to bite the bullet and make a purchase soon. Kat Von D liquid lipsticks are quite possibly my favorite ones out there - they're so lightweight and comfortable to wear on the lips. I have Lolita II and it actually is one of my favorite lip options to go for - I hope you like it when you swatch it in person!

    Cindy | www.cindyhyue.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah there are a lot of shades from that range I'm looking forward to checking out in NY ;) xx

      Delete
  35. Ooooh you grabbed a lot of lovely products from us! I really love everything you choose and your swatches look awesome. So glad I stumbled upon your blog xx http://www.adaatude.com/

    ReplyDelete
  36. I desperately want to try Morphe brushes and SO excited to hear Dose of Colors is finally available in the UK! Yay! xx

    http://www.thatnewdress.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Beauty bay is so killing it right now, obsessed with their website, and I didn't realise you could get Dose of colour from them too - I can so see me hauling soon. I am going to need truffle in my life! :)

    http://www.makeerinover.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow!! That is quite the makeup haul! I love all of these rich colors- makes me want to go makeup shopping :)

    mylifebeingrenewed.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Those Morphe brushes look great and the two Dose of Color lippies are too die for!
    Jodie x

    http://www.jodiecaughey.com
    http://www.youtube.com/jodiecaughey

    ReplyDelete
  40. The Dose of Colours Matte Lipsticks look stunning. I'm also dying to get my hands on colourpop but I tend to avoid buying anything from the US. It's also a bummer that they don't protect their products well enough and they can arrive damaged. I've been waiting and hoping someone will stock them in the UK soon. But I will read your post on it and see how easy it is to import their products. :) xx

    Renata | Speaking Beauty UK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm surprised they haven't yet tbh - it's a relatively new brand so I guess that's probably why but at least I have my little method until they do! xx

      Delete
  41. Fab post lovely, I’m loving the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks! :) Double Dare is a favourite of mine and I have to agree it’s just so flattering :) Stone and Truffle look gorgeous! Did you order these directly from Dose?

    Charlee XO | CharmedCharlee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No hun, from the BeautyBay page linked above, though they don't seem to have all the shades in stock right now x

      Delete
  42. This is such an interesting post - I always covet what I can't have the most, so I'm constantly wishing I could get my hands on some of those elusive US brands. I love your color pop haul and what a shame that dose of colors lipstick didn't suit you - it looks so nice in the swatch. Blogsale! haha :)

    www.flutterandsparkle.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Ohh glad to hear you like the formula of the KVD ones definitely want to pick up a few shades this year! Truffle is such a beautiful colour ^_^

    Yaaaas Brink is my all time favourite from colour pop too! Such a gorgeous shade and very flattering on our medium skin tone :P

    Iqra | The Blushing Giraffe

    ReplyDelete
  44. I am very obsessed with US beauty products and I don't know if it's because it is very difficult to obtain hence my addiction. I really do need to try MUG for myself but I have been restraining myself (but not for too long I suspect!!). Very lovely post and I am glad you like the Carli Bybel Palette!! It's one of my faves as well. I find that if you order below $20-$30, you may not be charged any atrocious custom charges but it's hard to justify purchasing only $25 worth of products only...xx

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'd love to try the Dose of Colors lipsticks, the colours are absolutely gorgeous! <3
    Nicole | ..What Nikki Did...

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thank you for your comments - hope it gave you some products to check out and explained the shipping! xx

    ReplyDelete
  47. New header! Pretty!
    Isn't Colourpop amazing? I'm waiting on a new shipment of more shadows because I can't get enough. I can't get over how nice and pigmented and affordable they are! Glad you found new faves.

    Nereyda│ This Girl Is Obsessed

    ReplyDelete
  48. I love the look of those Color Pop eyeshadows! I definitely couldn't be bothered with the faff of ordering from the States, though :/

    Jess xo | The Indigo Hours

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment - I read and appreciate every single one :)

There's no need to spam - I will check out your blog if you leave a click-able link under a genuine comment!

If you have a question please check back for my reply or tweet me @jasminetalksblg

xx

© Jasmine Talks Beauty | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig