Sephora Favorites "Meet Your Match": Swatches + Review!

I don't think you guys understand how behind I am on blog posts… okay that's a total load of bull to make myself feel better. Y'all are probably beyond aware of how behind I am considering I just about never write legitimate posts these days. Photos are still taken of my nails and various makeup products I'm testing out, but getting around to editing those photos and reviewing the products? Hahahhahaha. Especially when, now that I'm finally doing a 'proper' review of some goodies, it's going to be far from proper at all; I've tried out most of these things but have yet to put some of them to the test of real-world-wear.

Le sigh/I digress/please forgive me.

The whole gimmick behind this set of six minis is that there is a lip gloss and a nail polish that "match" each other; that's it; nothing more, nothing less. Except for the fact that it's LIPS AND TIPS WHICH IS ALL I LOVE AND ADORE IN THIS LIFE (and Galileo too but that's beside the point). Seriously, Sephora couldn't have done better if they tried… well okay that's a lie, if they had made all of these full size products for the same price ($25) then that would have been phenomenal but that just wouldn't be possible haha. 

So I digress: three sets of matching lip and nail minis. Super cute and none of which I own or have tried before!! The closest I have to any of them are a couple of deborah lippmann glitter polishes ("Across The Universe" & "Cleopatra In New York") and one of tarte's LipSurgence natural matte lip tints ("lively") so all of these baby beauties were welcome additions to my collection.

Each nail was painted with just one coat of polish!

The three color themes that Sephora chose to include in this kit are pretty much perfect, at least in my eyes. The vivid purple, charming coral, and not-quite-nude products are hues that look fantastic on most (all?) shades of skin. Plus I feel like these are colors in the makeup world that everyone just kind of likes, you know what I mean? Especially the corals… what's not to like about coral??? It's energetic, warm, and just all around flattering on everyone; I honestly don't think I've ever seen a girl look bad in coral.

I'm a sucker for a purple lip; combine it with my interest in the BITE line of lip products and you have my excitement over "Strangefruit". This is one of the products that I mentioned hasn't been put to the test of real-world-wear so I can't tell you much of anything in terms of lasting power. I can however tell you that the color is gorgeous and the formula is everything I like in a lipgloss. "Strangefruit" is ultra pigmented (especially for a gloss) and has that tack to it that I know heaps of people actually abhor. The stickiness helps me to know/guesstimate how much product I have left on my lips at any certain time without the need to whip out a mirror. 

The one thing that I don't like about "Strangefruit" though? The smell. Oofta!! Sure you can smell the fruits and whatnot that the gloss is made of (there definitely is something wonderful in knowing that what you smear on your lips multiple times a day is literally A-OKAY to eat/food grade quality) but there's also an underlying smell of burnt… cardboard? Not sure if I got a weird tube or something since everyone on Sephora gushes about how good these glosses smell but I figure it's worth noting that my nostrils don't agree.

The bottle of nails inc. "devonshire row" (which I definitely thought was called "flammable" at first because that text was bigger than the actual name on the bottle haha) was also something fun for me to finally test out. I have a bottle of "Porchester Square" from their Gel Effect line (you can see it on my nails in this video)—not a good formula if you ask me, unless you don't mind bubbly polish on your nails—but I've always been curious to try their original line of polishes. "devonshire row" is an absolute success!! It's a thinner consistency but still packs a punch of pigment so you only need 1-2 coats for a beautiful pop of color on your nails. The lasting time was also good; nothing outstanding but definitely not prone to chipping either.

Ahhh~ the coral couple. Well, at least they're both coral on the outside; the tarte lip tint is really more of a straight up pink (though I suppose it does have warm kind-of-sort-of-coral undertones to it) but, giving credit where it's deserved, the tube is definitely a coral color. Regardless I think the product is absolutely gorgeous on my lips and gives off that is-she-wearing-a-lip-color-or-are-her-lips-just-that-naturally-pretty-and-she's-only-wearing-chapstick kind of a look. Us beauty buffs know the answer but heyyyyy it's fun making the non-obsessed wonder from time to time, amiright?
In terms of formula it smells just like the matte version I own (reminiscent of the "Sweet Mint" gum from Orbit aka THE BEST gum) and performs beautifully. It glides on the lips, provides a light wash of glossy color, and feels moisturizing during the duration of wear.

The deborah lippmann polish can be explained in one word: lush. I was immediately impressed when I first painted my nails with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun". It has one of those semi-sheer-crelly (a mix between a 'creme' and 'jelly' finish for those of you who aren't as well versed [sickeningly obsessed] with nail polish) finishes that I absolutely adore; your nails are left looking thick, squishy, and all around delicious. Lasting power was also excellent! I'd say 4-5 days before my nails showed just the tiniest hints of wear and tear.

As excited as I was to try out an Hourglass lip gloss, I was (admittedly) just as nervous because of the color. Nude glosses can be great—a staple in anyone's collection—but they also be downright wrong. Corpse lips are never cute and the last thing I need is to appeal to the necrophiliacs out there (I get enough creepy messages on YouTube as it is). Thankfully Hourglass' "Child" does just the opposite of deadening my lips, it actually illuminates them. I'm completely tooting my own horn here but I really do think it looks quite angelic. What's even more angelic though? The SMELL. Oh lawd, this stuff takes sugary frosting lip scents to the max in the absolute best of ways. Mixed with silky smooth application and just enough tack to make it last (it feels like the 'diet' version of the Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Color Balms), this Hourglass lip gloss is an absolute standout product in the "Meet Your Match" kit.

Sad to say the matching polish from Formula X wasn't as impressive. These polishes get a lot of hype on YouTube (understatement of the year) but I didn't find it to be anything better than what you could pick up at the drugstore. In fact, I find NYC and Revlon polishes perform better than "Invincible". It actually behaved along the lines of a 'typical' essie polish; it's a thinner (albeit opaque) consistency and ends up chipping within 2-3 days. Meh. If I'm going to spend a few extra dollars on a higher-end nail polish I had better be getting something that's at least a few notches better than its cheaper counterparts. That being said I do think the color—a pale buttery cream—is quite beautiful, but it's nothing you wouldn't be able to find elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.

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Phewfta!! It's been a long time since I've written a decent blog post much less a blog-post-turned-novella. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it and found the mini reviews of these miniature products helpful! I think this would be a great kit to gift a fellow beauty enthusiast in your life this holiday season. Or heck! Even as a little treat to yourself; at least that's what I did haha.

Have you tried out any of the products included in the Sephora "Meet Your Match" kit?
Which are your favorites?
Any holiday makeup sets catch your eye this year?
Do share!!

xoxo - Cassie