Hi, friends! It's been a minute since I've blogged - I was without laptop-accessible WiFi for a few weeks (the horror, I know) and I'm only now finding time to put fingers to keys and report my purchases. I'm currently sitting in PDX airport, White Chocolate Mocha in hand, waiting for my first of three flights back to Australia after my month gallivanting around the West Coast of America - let's do this!



So, I bought a lot in San Fransisco - although not as much in Portland, just wait for that monster of a post. I picked up more than I strictly needed, but I wanted it/worked really hard for the money/thought I'd take advantage of the cheaper prices/insert other excuse here. Shall we start with beauty?

I commenced my spending at Sephora (obvz) and again, vowed to only buy holiday sets until I could pick them up from Oregon sans tax. The Fantastic Four Beauty Blender pack was my first victim, and a highly coveted one at that - I had been looking for this sweet little thing in every Sephora I visited and I snagged the first one off the shelves of the Union Square store. With an original pink sponge, black pro sponge, green mini sponge and a small solid cleaner inside, it was everything I could've asked for to introduce me to the wonderful world of cosmetic sponges. I cannot rate the beauty blender highly enough - if you haven't tried it, pick up this set and experience it's wonders for yourself! My foundation looks professionally applied and I feel like I use less product to get the same level of coverage I strive for with my old buffer brush - bonus.

 In the same trip, I also nabbed the Sephora Collection All Occasion Eye Ensemble eyeliner set; I was thoroughly unimpressed with this once I tried it out, however. When I swatched it on my hand in-store, the colour pay off was great, but once I actually put it near my eyeball it barely showed. Serious disappointment. I ended up returning it (thanks US returns policies) and replaced it with another, more magical eyeliner set on my next stop...

Which was Macy's. I was smooth-talked into trying out the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner Set by one of the sales reps - she got me with compliments for my winged liner and requests to play with a cool eyeshadow look for my eye colour. Sneaky but effective. Speaking of eye colour, however, the main reason I was looking for an eyeliner set is because I love to put a pop of blue on my lower lash line to bring out the undertones in my grey-based eyes. Once I saw 'gonzo', the turquoise shade in the set, I was sold! Plus. the other colours are spectacular - 'glitter rock', 'moonstone' and 'vacancy' get particularly honourable mentions. As if all ten creamy, opaque liners weren't enough, you also get a full size of their standard black liner which is never a burden.

While at Macy's I got my hands on another highly coveted set (and the last one within a 30 mile radius - score!), the Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash. I first discovered this set through Bunny Meyer - Grav3yardgirl on YouTube, one of my favourite 'tubers since the beginning of all time - and I knew I HAD to have it. Inside this little baby are 6 mini lipsticks; Ladyflower (mauve-y pink), Crush (bright fuchsia), Illicit (sheer baby pink), Gash (true red), Liar (nude - possible favourite) and F-Bomb (deeper red - contender for first place). You also get their clear lipliner in Ozone - an excellent, anti-feathering agent for any colour. Whew! Get all that? I'm so in love with this kit. Not only are the colours beautiful and excellent quality, the lipsticks are adorable itty bitty bullets. Ahh.


Ok, on to clothing. Forever 21 and H&M got me with their prices - everything is so much cheaper than back home! From F21 I picked up a comfy black beanie, a velvet bow headband and a faux leather jacket (for a STEAL) - I have already used and loved all pieces. From H&M I found an oversized cream sweater and bobby pins (because I lost the ones I brought with me). Lastly, I picked up a pair of velvet leggings from Nordstrom, they are so lush - drools.


That's all, folks! San Francisco is beautiful, guys. I'd highly recommend it to anyone and everyone - put it on your bucket list.

I hope you liked this haul, because there's two more coming!
Enjoy!
Sophia♡

Price list:
Fantastic Four Beauty Blender set US$39
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner set $US29
Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash US$39
Elf High Definition Under Eye Setting Powder US$3
Elf Tone Correcting Powder US$3
Forever 21 Beanie US$3
Forever 21 Headband US$8
Forever 21 Leather Jacket US$22.90
H&M Sweater US$24.95
Nordstrom Leggings US$36