So far there’s been 3 giveaways on Juniper’s Journal. Before the 1st giveaway, I admit that I was a little hesitant about having a giveaway because I was unsure of the response since there are hardly any comments in my posts so much so that I do sometimes wonder whether anyone’s reading. However to my relief, all the giveaways have gone smoothly in that at the very least there are a minimum number of participants in proportion to the prizes available. After all, no one would like their Giveaways to be unpopular to the extent that there’re more prizes than participants.

To everyone who participated in the Sephora Giveway, I’ve enjoyed reading your comments very much and there were 9 entries which makes it hard to just choose 6 and eliminate 3 so after some consideration, I’m giving products from Sephora to everybody who participated. Yup, in this Giveaway, there are no “losers” because I do have enough products to give everyone who participated.  From your comments, I can see that you’re all bona fide true-blue Sephora fans. I already have the addresses of some of the participants so I’ll go ahead and send them to you while I’ll be emailing those whose addresses I don’t have.

Many thanks to all who participated!

It wasn’t that long ago when we got wind that Sephora would be opening in Malaysia but it’s now more than a year since the first Sephora Malaysia outlet opened at Starhill. There are now 2 more outlets since the official opening on 4th May 2011. Few places (if any) can beat Sephora for sheer variety, there are so many beauty brands there that “spoilt for choice” is an understatement. With new beauty brands making their appearance every few months, it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of all that is available.

I am very fortunate to be able to try out some of the latest products and there have been so many that have become part of my daily beauty ritual. Hardly a day gies by when I don’t use either a make-up or skincare product from Sephora. There have been hits as well as misses but then again, I can’t expect every product to work for me. Nevertheless, there’ve been a lot more hits than misses.

Since there are more brands than I can possibly highlight here, I’m just going to focus on some of the popular brands and products. I’ve used a fair number of products from these brands and they’ve opened my eyes to a whole new beauty experience than what I was accustomed to prior to Sephora’s arrival.

Soap & Glory

My favourite brand for bodycare products, not just for the unique and beautiful scents but also for the quirky product names such as Pulp Friction™, Scrub Your Nose In It™, Glow Job™ & Wish Upon A Jar™. Although not all their products which are now available in the UK are available at Sephora outlets here, I hope to see more of a selection here in due course.

Of all the Soap & Glory products I’ve used, my favourite has to be their body scrubs. They are affordable and they work. It’s not just the fruity scents, each body scrub I’ve used has made my skin feel smoother after each wash. Of course there are similar body scrubs out there but few are as affordable as Soap & Glory’s.

Bliss

This is a brand renowned for its spa products and they have a lot of bodycare & skincare products. Their Soapy Suds range would make anyone stay in the shower far longer than necessary. There are scents such as blood orange + white pepper, lemon + sage and vanilla + bergamot.

Their Triple Oxygen range has been formulated to revive fatigued and stressed out skin. The Triple Oxygen range recreates Bliss Spa’s world famous triple oxygen treatment . Bliss has a range of home waxing products which are for men and women looking for easy D-I-Y waxing.

Josie Maran Cosmetics

Josie Maran Cosmetics whose tagline is “Luxury With A Conscience”, is one of the latest brands available at Sephora outlets. The founder of the brand, Josie Maran is dedicated to making eco-friendly, organic and natural products and giving back to society.

All of Josie’s products contain Argan Oil, harvested from the fruit of the Argan tree in Morocco. Argan Oil is used in many haircare and skincare products as it has moisturizing properties and is known for an anti-aging effect in reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

bareMinerals

bareMinerals most well known products has to be their Get Started Kit, the collection that introduces you to their mineral foundation and comes complete with foundation and concealer brushes. There’s even an accompanying DVD where you can watch application techniques demonstrated by bareMinerals Creator and Executive Chairman, Leslie Blodgett.

One of my favourite products from bareMinerals is their High Shine Eyecolor as it’s so saturated with dense liquid color. bareMinerals’  powder eye shadows in palettes will soon be available at Sephora outlets in Malaysia. Their Purifying Facial Cleanser produces thick, luxurious foam, it’s one of the best foaming cleansers I’ve used.

Pop Beauty

Pop Beauty products are one of the most affordable in Sephora, it’s a brand for the young and young-at-heart (I believe I am in the 2nd category). There’s nail polish in bright, funky shades and all the make-up anyone needs for party looks. Their eye shadow palettes contain a lot of shades and some palettes can be used for the eyes and cheeks.

When it comes to colors that stand out in a crowd, Pop Beauty does it very well. If you’re looking for neutral shades, then Pop Beauty isn’t the brand but if you want neons and vibrant shades, then this is the brand. No wonder their tagline is “Shake Up Your Makeup.”

boscia

boscia is all about preservative-free skincare. Each of the boscia skincare products, with the exception of the Blotting Linens, contains Willowherb, a unique anti-irritant, and Jojoba Leaf, a strong and effective antioxidant.

One of their bestsellers is the Luminizing Black Mask, an innovative peel-off mask that boosts skin clarity and radiance. I liked their Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel so much that I finished using the entire tub in a month. The cooling, soothing sensation upon application made this different from other moisturisers.

Stila

Eeven before Stila made its re-appearance at Sephora, this was one of my all-time favourite make-up brands. I like their eye shadows most of all as they have excellent color pay-off and pigments, not to mention such an array of colors to choose from.

This summer, Stila offers 3 eye shadow palettes containing 10 eye shadows each + an exclusive Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner. The 3 palettes are In The Moment, In The Light & In The Garden. They are reasonably priced considering the quality and quantity of the eye shadows.

Urban Decay

As soon as I laid eyes on Urban Decay last year, I was hooked, line and sinker. I was a little spellbound, shaken and stirred too but mostly in the presence of Urban Decay’s Eric Jimenez. You only have to watch him at a make-up demo to understand why.

Urban Decay….so many products and so little time! My favourite product is UDPP which I use everyday or is it every other day since I also use Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I love all their eye shadow palettes in particular the 15 Year Anniversary Collection, Mariposa Palette and Midnight Emergency Palette. Yes, if anyone is asking, I do find some of the shadows have too much shimmer and fall-out but I don’t really care. Bring on the shimmer!

Sephora

When it comes to affordable beauty tools and make-up, there are a multitude of choices from Sephora. There are so many Sephora brushes I’d like to have, some of them are quite colourful. It’s astonishing how many brushes and beauty tools/accessories are available at the Sephora corner and a very long corner it is at Sephora KLCC and Starhill.

Sephora offers an amazing selection of nail polish. Just as well I am not a fan of nail polish or I just might pick up half the shades. Their skincare selection is looking interesting as there are some new products for firming and anti-aging.

Too Faced

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I have been drawn to Too Faced ever since they came up with the Smurfette Collection. Any brand that comes up with a Smurfette Collection has got my vote. I am a die-hard Smurfs fan and I’m not ashamed to say I always will be.

What I like most about Too Faced is their eye shadow palettes which always come with how-to cards for 3 different looks and the 9 eye shadows in each palette are designed for easy use, even by make-up newbies and oldies like moi. My favourite palettes are the Natural Eye Palette and Romantic Eye Palette which I purchased but never got round to reviewing.

To sum up, I have enjoyed shopping at Sephora over the past year. A lot of products have tempted me and I’ve spent my fair share at Sephora despite the number of products I’ve received for review. Like everyone else, I look forward to seeing new brands instore as it makes for a very exciting and scintillating shopping experience.

Now on to the Giveaway which has been kindly sponsored by Sephora for this 150th post. There are 6 sets of products from Sephora for this Giveaway so there will be 6 winners in all. All you have to do is submit your answers to these 2 questions to be in the running:-

1. What do you love most about shopping in Sephora?

2. What are your favourite brands and/or products?

You have the option of selecting any product in this Giveaway but I can’t guarantee you will receive the product of your choice. However, if no one else selects the same product, of course you’d automatically receive it. It’d be best if you selected a product otherwise I’d randomly give you any product.

These are the products sponsored by Sephora:-

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask 

Josie Maran Organic Argan Oil Moisturizer

Urban Decay Holiday 2011 Nail Kit

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

 

Stila In The Light Palette (2 sets)

Here are the rules for this giveaway which ends on Thursday 5th July, 2012.

1. One entry per person.

2. Prizes are not exchangeable for cash and all decisions are final.

3. No substitutions will be made for any prize.

4. The Contest will end officially on the date stated in the Giveaway post. Any entries received after the date will be disqualified.

5. Winners will be announced in the original Giveaway post which will be updated. Announcement will also be made via Juniper’s Twitter and Facebook. Winners will be notified via email. Any winner or winners who fail to respond to the email notification within 48 hours will be disqualified and forfeit their right to the prize and an alternate winner or winners will be selected.

6. Giveaway is open only to Malaysian residents. Juniper’s Journal Facebook fans are encouraged to send in their submissions.

For more information on Sephora Malaysia, please check out their facebook page.