Testing Five New Products from Caudalie, CoverGirl, and L'Oreal

As you may or may not know, I've been on a pretty strict makeup buying ban over the course of the past seven or eight months. It's mostly for financial reasons, but also because I have a lot of makeup that I need to work my way through before I can even think about justifying buying any more of certain products. However, I'm a person that loves trying out new products, so anytime I have an excuse or chance to do it, I jump at the opportunity.

I've acquired a few bits here and there to try and test out, so I figured I'd give my honest opinions on some new products that have ended up in my beauty collection. A few I got as samples from Sephora, some were from Influenster, and then just from my own curiosity when it comes to new products. I've been using them for at least a month, if not longer, so I've had arguably enough time to see what's working, what's not, and what just might not be worth it.

*This post contains affiliate links and products that were gifted to me. All opinions, as always, are my own*

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum and Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

These deluxe samples were my birthday gift choice from Sephora. I've used Caudalie's cleansers in the past and have been tempted more than once by some of their facial mists. It seemed like a no-brainer to test out some new skincare bits over trying out a new liquid lipstick and blush from Tarte. The set came with a radiance serum as well as a moisturizer, both from the Vinosource line, equipped for sensitive skins to promote smoothing, calming, and anti-aging properties.

The Radiance Serum is good for all skin types and is an oil-free serum that improves the appearance of dark spots, evens out your skin tone, all while boosting your skin's radiance. If you have an uneven skin tone, dullness, or dryness, this product might be the trick for brightening your skin and helping fade any scars from acne or even sunspots. I'm still using this and haven't run out yet. I've been using it almost every day (I forget days sometimes) since my birthday and it was just a sample. I found that this, first and foremost, made my skin feel soft and smooth. I also used a zinc and niacinamide serum to help fade my acne scarring and keep my zits at bay overnight, but I found that this made my dry, dull winter skin look a bit more lifelike and my scarring is still slowly but surely fading after like, eight years of me popping and picking.

The Moisturizing Sorbet is a gel-like moisturizer that calms dehydrated and irritated skin. In addition to its moisturizing properties, it also protects your skin from "free-radicals," which can cause wrinkles. I wasn't displeased with this product, but I have other moisturizers that I like better because they have a creamy texture as opposed to a gel. There wasn't anything wrong with it and I'd be curious to try this during the spring or summer when my skin isn't as needy when it comes to thick, creamy moisturizers.

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation and CoverGirl Gelebrity Coloricious Melting Pout Liquid Lipstick 

Now, I technically have talked about the L'Oreal foundation on this blog. I included it in a favorites post, but when used in conjunction with another foundation. By itself, however, I have a different opinion on it. I bought this foundation at a time where my skin felt really tight and dry. I use a very matte foundation, so I found that my skin just looked a little flat whenever I was wearing a full face of makeup. I thought trying a more luminous foundation would solve the problem. Which, technically, it did. I started using a pump or two in my regular foundation both to make the shade lighter, but also to make my matte foundation a little less, well, matte. 

By itself though, I'm not a huge fan. I feel like I need to use too many pumps to make this look opaque on my skin. Thus, when I start to pack on the layers, I notice that even when it's set, it starts to break apart on my face. It breaks apart and gets cakey when I use loose powders, luminous pressed powders, and even translucent mattifying pressed powders. I think this would be better suited for my skin, by itself, during the summer when I was something more lightweight and also when my acne scarring starts to fade more. Right now, it still needs full coverage to keep the redness at bay.

The CoverGirl liquid lipstick was a surprise in one of my boxes from Influenster. I thought I was just getting the mascara, but then the lipstick showed up too. Who am I to complain about a new lipstick? I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The consistency is a bit confusing. The tube is set up like the original Too Faced melted lipsticks with a squeeze tube and sponge tip applicator. It reminds me of an OCC lip tar with a more gel-like consistency and in a tube. I only have one color, which not be a fair judge to the rest of the range, but I wasn't overly thrilled with it. It wasn't the most comfortable lipstick I've worn and I prefer a matte finish. If you want to see it on me in action, I was wearing it in my most recent YouTube video, which you can catch up with on my channel. 

CoverGirl Peacock Flare Mascara

I do have to admit, when it comes to my opinions on mascaras, they probably don't mean much. With all of the other things wrong with my face, I should be happy that my eyelashes are pretty long naturally and tend to take to new mascaras well. This new mascara is supposed to be flake and smudge free that coats and separates each lash while providing clump-free volume for fanned out and dramatic lashes. Mascaras always have a pretty bold claim, let's be real. I'm not a massive fan of CoverGirl mascaras personally because I don't like plastic wands. I prefer thicker brushes for my own lashes. This doesn't give me much in the length department, but it does make my lashes look thicker, which is cool. I typically prefer volume and length, so this isn't one that I lean towards in my drawer unless I have thick eyeliner on and it's not going to matter how long my lashes look anyways because you can't see them against the eyeliner. 

What new makeup products have you tried out lately?