Sephora and US haulin!

So at the bottom of this post is all the deets of how I actually got my hands on these products from Sephora in the US but lets dive into what I picked up!

The great thing about Sephora is you can sign up to their loyalty programme and earn points for every purchase, which you can then exchange for a selection of items which changes every month.  You also get a gift on your birthday.

I bought two things and got a birthday gift (not sure why, my birthday is in March) and redeemed 100 of my points on a Bite lipstick.

Lorac is a brand I have been wanting to try for so long after receiving a trial size highlighter from them and loving it.  But when I was in the US I discovered that Lorac is no longer stocked inside the Sephora stores and is only available online so I left empty handed.

So I picked up the 'Unzipped' palette which to me reminds me of the UD Naked Basics palette but in a more compact version.  I really love the neutral colours of this palette and will get tons of use out of it!  Mainly shimmery shades (which are my preference) but a couple of matte shades thrown in for good measure.

Lorac Unzipped palette

Lorac 'Unzipped' palette

The Josie Maran Coconut Watercolour Cheek Gelee's launched literally the week after I left New York and I so wanted one!  I chose Poppy Paradise, it goes on a lot sheerer than it looks in the pot and has a unique jelly like texture which is actually really refreshing and light on the skin.

I redeemed 100 of my VIB loyalty points for this Bite lipstick and got the Fresh mini duo as my birthday gift!  I have been wearing the Bite lipstick all week-it is amazing!!

Using my new found method of buying from the States I managed to get my hands on the Mac paint pot in Eclair.  I have been lusting after this for soooooo long after seeing it on the beautiful Gemma from Miss Makeup Magpie's blog. I literally HAD to have it and luckily I managed to get one from Nordstrom.  Gemma has been the most amazing support since I started blogging and recently she asked if she could ask me a few questions to get to know my blog a bit better and I am delighted to have been featured on Gemma's blog here.  I highly recommend having a snoop round Gemma's blog-she is highly original, interactive and one of the loveliest people I have the pleasure of knowing.

Mac paint pot in Eclair

So officially this shade is 'light chocolate with gold pearl' and is a gorgeous colour, it has the tiniest tiniest flecks of green and gold in, almost impossible to pick up unless in sunlight.  It took me a while to get this shade and I had been told Constructivist might be a close dupe but as you can see from my swatches below Eclair is much more bronze-y and golden.  Both are welcome editions to my collection though.

So no, I am not in the US, nor did I get these items in Sephora in Dubai...I have discovered a way to buy from Sephora in the US!

Ok so I can't promise it will work for the UK but I shall share my secret!

US Unlocked-US Unlocked is a service I found through my local courier in Dubai who provide a US registered visa debit card that can be used to make purchases from US stores.  It gives you a US billing address and card details and works like a pre-paid card that you top up via paypal.

But you'll probably need a US shipping address as most companies won't ship cosmetics internationally-luckily I already have one through my local courier here in Dubai but I believe US Unlocked can also provide you with a US shipping address that offers a freight forwarding service and will then deliver your shopping direct to your door.

Yes it is a little expensive (the freight forwarding will obviously carry charges) but some brands (Mac springs to mind) are so much cheaper in the US that it's worth it.  Also, you get access to the newest things as they are released.  And then there are the brands you can't get in the UK/Dubai which was the biggest pull for me-now I have Tarte, Buxom, Kate Somerville, Josie Maran and Nars (which I can't get in Dubai) on tap.

Little update on this post......as of the 15th July I can not longer use this method to purchase from Sephora (cry face).  Some companies do not allow merchandise to be sent to a 'freight forwarding address' because of the fraud risk and Sephora is one of them...it seems the two orders I have done recently basically slipped through the net but my order at the weekend was declined and when I have called they have explained that is why.

My only option now is to have my parcels sent to a friend at a US residential address and then have them forward on the package to my freight forwarding address.  Sadly I don't know anyone who lives in the US to do this though.  Maybe it'll be good for the bank balance!