End of Summer Beauty Upgrades with Sephora

There have been a slew of new releases lately over at Sephora, and I confess that like any true beauty junkie, I want them all! I can’t help myself but to check out the New Arrivals. Pro tip: You can get early access to some of the products depending upon your Beauty Insider level. I’m a Rouge, which gets me early access to the biggest releases! I also accumulate points for deluxe samples of products, which are perfect for trying something new or travel. If you haven’t joined yet, you should.

Lately, in order to prevent myself from buying out all of Sephora, I’ve been asking myself “is it an upgrade?”  In order to spend money on it, I need to be pretty convinced that a product will offer better benefits or results than a product I already own. That mascara needs to do an amazing job of lengthening and adding volume, the lip balm can’t be sticky, you get the picture. Everything needs to be an improvement over my current status quo.

I have a few new finds that I’m happy to report were upgrades for me, and they might be for you also!

 

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Smooth & Blur Undetectable Concealer

I think I have all of the concealers. Literally, all of them. I’m always wanting to try the newest and best concealer, because as I get older my under eye issues are here to stay. I want coverage, but I don’t want it to get cakey in the middle of the day. But it needs to be enough coverage to hide my dark circles and a visible blood vessel.

MUFE is known for makeup that looks natural and lasts forever, so it likely isn’t a surprise that their newest concealer is a winner. It  promises to not crease and to keep your under eye super smooth, and I do feel it does that all day while looking great! I found it easy to blend, and I thought it looked very natural after blending it in with my current favorite concealer brush. And it still looks great when I go to bed at the end of the day.

My only complaint is that I wish there were some more shades. There are currently only 20, and they need more cool toned and especially darker shades. I’m hoping that this product does well and they add more shades soon!

Shown: 1.5 Linen and 2.0 Wheat

Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder Blush 12H Radiance and Mini Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder

Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Loose has been a huge seller the last few years, and I admit that I have been holding off on buying it (in large part because I’m obsessed with this pressed powder, which looks super natural and lasts all day without contributing to caking). They came out with a travel sized version, which I was excited to try out for a little less commitment.

Now that I have the powder, I do really like it. The colors blend together and it flawlessly sets my makeup. I think it it a little easier to cake in the afternoon, just because it’s a little easier to apply too much powder. The size is super convenient for travel (the same size as the blush), and I’ll likely buy a full sized version soon for home. Just be careful not to overdo it!

Lately I’ve been a sucker for all the cream blushes, this is one of my favorites. They tend to work great for a glowy look and can last all day if they are layered with a light layer of setting powder in between blush layers. When the blush version of Prisme Libre was released recently, there was a lot of hype. Would all of the colors blend together into a pretty glowy look?

Yes, they do. They blend together and look glowy. You can use the little powder puff (I would rotate a few times as you flip over the product so you get a nice distribution of product), but I prefer a slightly smaller brush to apply with more precision. It blends nicely and I love how it looks, a great powder blush upgrade!

Shown: Blush in 2 – Taffetas Rosé – vivid pink and Powder in 3 Voile Rosé – for light skintones

Givenchy Le Rouge Interdit 24H Hydrating Lip Balm

This is N10- Revealing Color – Color Enhancing (Ph Reactive), it’s a viral “black” lip balm that reacts to your body’s pH to give you the perfect color. They say that it’s universally flattering, but I admit that I was skeptical. Except that it does work! On me it’s a little bit of a mid-tone raspberry shade and it does look nice. It feels hydrating and isn’t sticky. A nice change from my usual no color go-to lip balm.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Kiss’r Luscious Lip Balm

I’ve been on a bit of a lippie kick recently, and this liquid lip balm is no exception. I’ve tried and loved this product in the past, but fully admit I misplaced it less than a week after I purchased it (which means it is likely in a purse or pocket somewhere). I recently repurchased Pro Kiss’r in Pinch Me, which is a few shades darker than my lips. It isn’t sticky and feels hydrating. I’ve been carrying it around with me, which likely means I’ll lose this one in a purse soon. I already have the shade Latte Lips in my Sephora cart for my next order!

Shown in in Pinch Me – sheer pink

Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx® Lip Filler

Let’s face it, lip plumpers almost never work correctly. I have thin lips, and I’m well aware that lip plumpers will sting or not do too much to my lips. But I’m a sucker who buys all of them. Instant Firm will help lips look fuller immediately with some moisture, and it does (I’m honestly not convinced it’s much more than other lip balms).

But more importantly over time the product will work to smooth and enhance the lips. I usually don’t last that long with lip plumpers. I get frustrated and refuse to use them more than the first week or so. But this feels hydrating, isn’t sticky and has a pleasant taste. I’ll be able to use this in place of a basic lip balm, so I’m going to keep trying it out.

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

I have no shortage of lightweight sunscreens that work well under makeup (this one is my go-to, but I also like this one to add a little glow), but Unseen Sunscreen is a little different. It’s more of a gel, and feels very lightweight on my skin. Rather than feeling like a lightweight sunscreen, it feels more like a foundation primer, and offered a more matte finish. It works great whether applied alone or under makeup. I’d reach for this on days I expect to be outside and in makeup. On those days I want a real sunscreen instead of relying on just my lotion, but this is better under makeup than my previous options.

On the left, wearing Fenty in the morning, and on the right wearing Givenchy in the late afternoon. My concealer has held up well despite a day spent on the lake kayaking!What have you tried recently that turned out to be an upgrade for you? I would love to know!

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Sponsored Post: This post is a collaboration with Sephora, but all opinions are my own.