Friends, I've got a nostalgic place in my heart for these Sephora Favorites kits. When I first started out blogging and couldn't afford to drop hundreds of dollars on new makeup to review, they were one of my favorite ways to explore the beauty scene on a budget. From glowy essentials, to the latest in nude lips, Sephora does a great job of curating fun and trendy collections of products to sample.
Admittedly, since those early days my beauty collection has grown to a healthy size, and I find myself being a lot more discerning about whether or not I really need another sampler set. This Selfie Kit, though. This was a deal too good for me to pass up.
As luck would have it, I had recently decluttered my Holy Grail eyeliner, the Tarte Tarteist Double Take ($24). Even though it was still going strong, I knew it has been in my collection for well over a year, and for the sake of being sanitary, home girl knew she needed to say goodbye and repurchase a fresh version. Lo and behold, what shows up in the New Arrivals section of the Sephora website other than the Sephora Favorites Selfie Kit ($28). This sampler set contains a full sized version of that very eyeliner, along with five other deluxe sized samples. And, if that wasn't good enough, all of those samples were of products that I absolutely loved and wanted a backup of, or had always wanted to try and never got around to. Considering the fact that the entire set is only $4 more than the eyeliner is on its own, picking this up was pretty much a no-brainer. So now that it's finally arrived and ready for me to put to the test, let me share a little bit more about what you get.
As I mentioned earlier, the Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner is definitely the star of the show. This eyeliner alone is already a great value, with a felt-tipped liquid liner on one end, and a creamy black automatic pencil on the other. I absolutely love the convenience of having both formats in one pencil, and that they're both extremely black, smooth, and long wearing. I honestly never understood why more people don't talk about this product.
The second biggest selling point of this set for me was the mini version of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara ($26). I actually had JUST cracked into another travel sized version of this product a few weeks ago after not having owned it for a year, and was immediately reminded of why I love it so darn much. This mascara is no joke. It makes your lashes extremely lush, voluminous, and dramatic. The brush is really easy to work with, and it never flakes or smudges all over my face. As someone that never sees the point in purchasing a full sized mascara (since you're supposed to toss them after 3 to 4 months for sanitary reasons), having another mini version on hand is like a dream come true.
The next product that I have tried before, albeit not in this particular shade, is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal ($38). I absolutely adore this highlighter formula. It has this way of melting into the skin and looking both incredibly blinding, and yet incredibly natural. It doesn't emphasize texture or look strangely metallic, while still delivering an intense glow. Prosecco Pop has been my go-to shade of choice for months now, but I've always been curious about Opal. It's slightly darker and more neutral in undertone, and I have a feeling will be perfect when I'm rocking a summer tan.
Then we get into new territory! After seeing a dozen mixed reviews on the Milk Makeup Blur Stick ($36) I've been dying to give it a try and develop my own thoughts. This silicone-free primer stick is supposed to minimize the look of pores and fine lines without clogging or congesting your skin. I'm hoping it'll play well with my oily skin, but I suppose time will tell!
The Selfie Kit also contains a deluxe sample of the Stellar Cosmic Face Powder Glow in Shade 02 ($30). The Sephora website states that this powder is ideal for setting the undereyes, and will leave a flawless, luminous finish. While I wouldn't call myself a setting powder connoisseur, I'm very curious to see how it compares to the Cover FX Perfect Setting Powder, which is currently my everyday go-to.
And last, Sephora had to hook us up with a cult classic liquid lipstick, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Ashton ($20). I know this may come as a shock to some of you, but I have never actually tried the ABH Liquid Lipsticks before. How I've managed to blog this long and never pick one of these up is beyond me, but I'm excited its finally happening. So far I've only swatched this bad boy, but I can already say a couple of things. This formula is matte. Now that it's completely dried down on my hand I can rub at it with a fair amount of force and it's not budging. Not even a little bit. It had a very liquidy formula upon application, and dried down significantly darker than it looks in the tube. I do actually dig the color, which to me is pulling as a deep terracotta nude
Overall, I think Sephora absolutely crushed it with this set. First of all, when it comes to the theme of a "selfie" kit they made some really smart choices about what products they included. I mean, what's more Insta-worthy than a flawless complexion, a blinding highlight, a cat eye, and a nude liquid lip? Then there's the fact that you're getting $100 worth of product for only $28. I would honestly have paid that same amount just for the eyeliner and mascara alone, but the fact that I still get four other fun products to play with makes me feel like I really did get my money's worth.
I would love to hear what your thoughts are on Sephora Favorites kits. Are you also a fan? What was the best one you've ever purchased? Let us know in the comments below!
Is this Sephora Favorites kit calling to you?
