Category: Fragrance
VIB, Bitches!
A few weeks ago, I finally made Sephora VIB! I was buying a birthday gift for my Loo, so no celebratory post at the time…but I can celebrate the 10% off code that I got to use on this order!
I’d had my eye on the Deborah Lippman Wicked Nail Lacquer Trio on the Sephora Sale page for a couple months, at least. $15, down from $20…and even sweeter with 10% off. I just can’t resist Oz-related beauty products – I’m still kicking myself for missing the Urban Decay Theodora Palette. The set includes “Popular” – Glinda’s glistening pink, “Defying Gravity” – Elphaba’s unlimited green, and “One Short Day” – positively perfect emerald. Maybe I should watch the musical at some point? Oh yeah – these are my FIRST DL polishes!
I say stupid stuff – like that I don’t want to spend $21 on a lipstick – but $18.90 is acceptable? Well, whatever – but I fell in love with Kat Von D Studded Kiss in “Piaf” when I swatched it on my arm in the store. It’s a rich dark chocolate with purple shimmer – I’ve never seen anything like it…
…and then I wore it to work today. I am still not used to dark lipstick on myself. I felt like a freak – even though 20, even 15 years ago, I only wore dark lipstick. I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror at work and spooked myself – I looked like nightmare Laura Palmer.
By the middle of the day, I was loving “Piaf”. Phew – I was afraid I would never wear it again and had flushed $18.90 down the drain.
Oh yeah – my samples: NUDE Progenius Omega Treatment Milk (I have no idea); Bumble and bumble. Surf foam wash shampoo and creme rinse conditioner; and Moss Commodity eau de parfum (I *think* it is the men’s version, but I cannot even tell).
Sephora Makes my Dreams Come True
Remember just 2 weekends ago, when I spent the whole weekend looking for a dupe for “Lolita”? My search is over…
Sephora just came out with a new version of “Give Me Some Lip”, a Sephora Favorites Lipstick Set – literally just a few days after I started my search for a “Lolita” dupe. The star of the set is Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in “Lolita”! Also included in the set: Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment (I love the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment from the Sephora Sun Safety Kit); Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Creme de Je’taime; Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi-Gloss, Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in “Coral Blossom”; and Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion The Neutrals in 19 – “Peony”.
There was finally something I wanted to use points for – I got Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in “Lovecraft” for 100 points. I also used an online code to get a free deluxe sample of belif The True Cream – Moisturizing Bomb. For my other three samples, I chose philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Eye, GlamGlow YouthCleanse Daily Exfoliating Cleanser and Atelier Cologne “Sud Magnolia” (They’re like Pokemon – I gotta catch em all).
I guess I’m having a lipstick phase…
HUGE Ulta Haul
Those “gift with purchase” deals get me every time. Last week, Ulta was offering a pink plastic Beauty Bag, filled with samples – free to Platinum Members with a $60 purchase. There just happened to be $60 of stuff I needed…a back-up Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Finishing Powder in “Medium Light”…2 more Freeman Beauty Masks that were BOGH (I’m a total mask addict now) – Avocado & Oatmeal Clay and Golden Grain Brightening…5 Ulta Brilliant Color Lip Glosses on sale for $3 each – “Rich Plum”, “Toast” (a back-up), “Spice”, “Guava”, and “Cupcake”…and I broke down and tried Poo-Pourri in “Rosy Cheeks” (I tried it earlier today – although I didn’t smell poo-poo, it seemed to be a mostly non-offensive load – more research is needed).
Inside my beautiful pink bag (perfect for my upcoming Vegas trip): Lancôme Defincils Mascara in “Black”; Ulta Sweet Fantasy Vanilla and Caramel Silky Smooth Body Lotion; it Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in “Black-Brown”; Juice Organics Brightening Shampoo and Conditioner; Dolce & Gabbana “light blue – Sunset in Salina” (reminds me of my mom – smells a little bit like “Lauren”); it’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In for Blondes (I gave away the last one I got, but I’ll give this blonde version a try); Thierry Mugler “Angel” (I think a friend of mine wear this – so I never will); Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (I have SO many samples of this shit); Whish Body Butter in “Almond”; Biolage Matrix Exquisite Oil; dermalogica Ultrasmoothing Eye Serum; Laura Geller Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation in “Golden Medium”; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Booster Serum (good stuff – I used up my last sample); Kate Spade “Live Color Fully” (I might actually wear this one); Benefit It’s Potent eye Benefit cream; and a mini Ulta Brilliant Gloss in “Toast” (I guess I didn’t need that back-up I ordered?). Gee, I’ve got finger cramps from typing.
Two more samples came with my order – HASK Coconut Monoi Oil Shampoo and Conditioner and Cargo HD Picture Perfect CC Cream. I also used my $3.50 coupon. Excited to play with my new stuff!
July Ipsy Bag – Summer Lovin’
Summer lovin’, happened so fast…Can you believe that summer is already half over?
“Summer Lovin'” is also Ipsy’s July theme. The bag is a bit ugly – I’ll just add it to the pile. There’s some good stuff inside that ugly bag though: Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in “Gilt” (waterproof and comes with a cool sharpener); Crown Brush Professional Tweezers (the second pair of tweezers I’ve received recently); City Color Cosmetics HD Powder (I’m excited to try this one); Jor’el Parker “Classico” eau de parfum (interesting scent, but isn’t Jo’rel Superman’s dad?); and pūr~lisse pur-bright ultra skin brightening serum (sure, why not?).
I had redeemed my ipsy points for a J. Cat Beauty lip stain, but it didn’t make into this bag – I guess I’ll be getting it next month?
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Perfume Hoarder
When I was a little girl and my mom would take us shopping at Foley’s, my favorite thing to do was visit all of the perfume counters and ask for samples. I would come home with my tiny vials of scented potions…and play. Realistically, I probably smelled horrible, but I felt beautiful.
Fast forward thirty or so years…and I’m still hoarding those tiny glass vials. I actually just cleaned out a drawer in my bureau – and entirely filled it with all those samples that had been cluttering the top. Now I have more to add to the collection…
I had been trying to resist, but I broke down and ordered a rollerball of Atelier Cologne “Mandarine Glaciale” – now my second favorite Atelier. For samples, I picked another Atelier – my first favorite, “Cedrat Enivrant”, and 2 Maison Martin Margiela Replica Samples – “Jazz Club” (I didn’t realize it’s a Men’s Fragrance; It’s strong and smoky – since it made my husband’s eyes water, my son claimed it – a suitable self-defense for jiu jitsu class?) and “Lazy Sunday Morning” (It smells like clean sheets – Mmmmmmm). I also got a deluxe sample of Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in “Vanilla” with my $25 purchase.
I think I’ve gotten my money’s worth of out the $10 Flash Shipping – and it’s only been 4 month. Plus, only $37 to go until I hit VIB status!
June Birchbox – Say Yes!
Why is Birchbox all of a sudden taking so long to get here? Is it because everyone I know gets one now?
Instead of picking this month’s curated box from “The Tig” (I was disappointed that it wasn’t curated by Tig Notaro), I went with the regular “Say Yes!” box, picking COOLA SPF Sport 50 in “Mango” (water resistant – yay!) as my sample choice. Also inside my box: Comptoir Sud Pacifique “Vanille Extreme” (not quite Atelier, but similar); Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream (I am starting to love these expensive skin care samples – my skin hasn’t looked this good since the last millennium); Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in “Mulberry”; Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (I got a sample of this in my last Birchbox order – LOVE it); and a SARAHPOTEMPA Darby clip – very bright and 80s.
If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.
Summer Semi Annual Sale: Online Haul
Slowly, but surely, I’m getting over the fact that there isn’t a Bath & Body Works overly close to my new office. I’m soothing my pain with online shopping…
I was disappointed by the dearth of 75% off products on the website, but I did find a few things that sparked my interest. I got 3 50% off Aromatherapy Body Wash & Foam Baths (really just the foam bath part) for my husband – 2 “Lemon Zest” and a “Tangelo Woods”. The “Lemon Zest” is absolutely the best smelling bubble bath I’ve ever smelled.
The big draw for this sale was the return of classic scents (all $3.50 each) like “Plumeria”, “Country Apple”, “White Tea & Ginger”…and “Juniper Breeze”. “Juniper Breeze” unfailingly reminds me of my mother – she wore this back when the scent was called “Juniper with Aloe”. I still have her last bottle – just days after she died, I packed up all of her body spray and bubble bath to take home with me. (My sister doesn’t use either and wanted it out – it was a massive amount.) As I slowly used up all her products, she was with me a little. 10 years later, I still cling to this nearly empty bottle of “Juniper with Aloe”. Even though I now have a whole new bottle to use, the old one will still reside on my dresser – a small, but significant reminder.
Online Shopping Binge
I kind went nuts last week with the online shopping – between Thursday night and Saturday morning , I placed no less than 6 online orders…so many sales and coupons in my inbox…I couldn’t resist.
With the long holiday weekend and biblical flooding, almost all of the packages hit at once yesterday. Instead of half a dozen different posts, I figured I’d stuff most of them into one…
I am fairly shameless, so I’m not going to show the pile of underwear from Victoria’s Secret. Yup, I hoard panties, too.
I had been eyeing the Sephora Sun Safety Kit – I need to protect my easily scorched skin. Inside the kit are 16 different sun protection products in a cute travel bag: – AmorePacific Natural Protector SPF 30, Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Broad Spectrum SPF 50, Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Light Medium, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen, Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47, Korres Yoghurt Nourishing Fluid Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 30, Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30, Ole Henriksen total truth eye crème SPF 15, Origins VitaZing Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer with Mangosteen, Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 30, Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ WetForce Broad Spectrum Water Resistant (80 Minutes), St. Tropez One Night Only in Light-Medium, Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30, and Vita Liberata Passion Flower & Argan Dry Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50. PHEW – that’s a lot of sunscreen!
For my 3 samples, I chose Viktor & Rolf “Flowerbomb” (spicy and flowery, reminds me of a Victoria’s Secret scent), Maison Martin Margiela REPLICA “Beach Walk” (this doesn’t smell like a perfume – it smells like a thing – LOVE), and dr. brandt Do Not Age. Sephora was also running a Jetsetter deal – pick 3 extra samples – so I got Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream, and boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel. My face is gonna be SMOOTH.
I can’t say no to Birchbox’s Limited Edition Boxes. As soon as I got the email got the “Under the Sun” ($55) box, I knew I would eventually order it…but not until I got that 25% coupon. 25% off and $10 in Birchbox points and ADD TO CART. Inside the box: Baggu Tote Bag (I had my fingers crossed for this elephant print!), Cynthia Rowley Beauty Beauty on the Go Multi Blush & Bronzer Duo (meh), Laura Mercier Bakes Eye Color in “Cameo” (yasss), Sugarpova Flirty Candy (why does Maria Sharapova sell candy?), Chloe + Isabel Birchbox Exclusive Medina Convertible Pendant Necklace (my favorite part of the box!), Knockaround Premium Sunglasses (silver!), ncLA Nail Lacquer in “Bikinis & Martinis” (it’s the color of bubble gum you’d find stuck under a picnic table), and Supergoop! Skin Soothing Mineral Suncreen with Olive Polythenols SPF 40.
For samples, I got Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator and Sumita Jumon Contrast Eye Pencil. I also finally got my Birchbox Anniversary Keyring (not pictured).
…and today, I got a big box of Deep Cleansing Hand Soap from Bath & Body Works. You know that I start to get the shakes if I have less than 30 bottles under the sink. They were all between $2.75 & $3.25, plus 20% off and free shipping. I threw in a handful of Scentportables for my car for good measure.
I also received my Dream Polish Gem Glam Topcoat in “Lily Flower” – yes, it’s scented! This another popular one on Instagram and it’s 5 free – I can’t wait to try it out.
I am still waiting on my sale order from Delush Polish – that’s the only one that hasn’t arrived. I think I have enough stuff to keep me busy…until next week when all my subscription boxes start rolling in!
Sephora Math
Sometimes shopping at Sephora takes a bit of math to get the best deal.
I totally fell in love with the Tory Burch perfume I received a few weeks ago. Since they didn’t have it at Ulta, I decided to break down and order it from Sephora…but $28! Daaaaang, girl. But I also noticed that Tory Burch was one of the options in the Spray of Sunshine Perfume Sampler, which was only $24. Bingo! So I ordered the set online and it got here Friday. They were also offering a Fresh & Floral Perfume Sampler for free with each $25 purchase. So I added a $1 hair tie to my order to get more samples. (I’m pretty sure that’s what those hair ties are for…)
Also inside the Spray of Sunshine Perfume Sampler: Chloe “Love Story” (old ladyish, gardenia?); Elizabeth and James “Nirvana White” (Fuck you, Olsen Twins – although marginally better than “Nirvana Black”, it smells like a knockoff, like one of those designer impostors at the grocery store); Giorgio Armani “Si” (Spicy flowers, smells like the lobby of the Palazzo in Vegas); Marc Jacobs “Daisy Dream” (Reminds me of a Mother’s Day Bouquet – bright, but cheap); and “Stella” by Stella McCartney (Love this old fashioned rose scent – already own it). Inside the Fresh & Floral Sampler: another Tory Burch; another “Nirvana White”; another “Love Story”, Burberry “My Burberry” (smells like new leather shoes – why?); Dolce & Gabbana “Light Blue” (Douchey); philosophy “live joyously” (literally smells like nothingness); Dior “Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet” ( Citrus, but flowers – good job, Natalie Portman) and my personal favorite of the bunch – Atelier Cologne “Mandarine Glaciale” (The ultimate in unisex – like masculine & feminine at the same time – orange spray, but an underlying sexual scent that’s almost obscene). For my regular 3 samples, I picked Atelier Cologne “Orange Sanguine” (I lucked out and got 2 – I already own it, but so?); Buxom “Show Some Skin” Weightless Foundation”; and Urban Decay “Naked Skin” Ultra Definition Powder Foundation.
I always have a trick up my sleeve. I volunteered for the monthly trip to Costco, knowing it would be a perfect opportunity to hit Ulta and Sephora first. Of course, I didn’t tell Logan this until we were almost to Ulta. Oh, the moaning! All I needed was more Zoya Remove+, but he also talked me into buying him a new eos lip balm in “Lemon Drop”. I must say, the kid’s got taste. We then zipped into Sephora to get my Tory Burch Rollerball. Nothing else caught my eye.
I was surprised that something did catch my eye at Costco – the Jenna Hipp “The New Candies” mini nail polish collection. I’ve never heard of Jenna Hipp, but it was only $7.99! It included 8 creme polishes in yummy sounding colors: “Marshmallow Fondant”, “Crème the Cantaloupe”, “Pink Lady Finger”, “Violet Éclair”, “Très Parfait”, “Thin Mint”, “Rose Tart” and “American Pie”.
So that’s Sephora Math – any questions?
Beauty Insider Love #3
My second Sephora order arrived yesterday, part of a huge pile of boxes – 2 Amazon, a Victoria’s Secret and my husband’s Loot Crate.
I could resist no longer…I finally broke down and ordered the Kat Von D Monarch Palette. I’ve been coveting my BFF’s Monarch and now I have one of my own…tomorrow morning I will emerge from my cocoon…
Not pictured is the Kat Von D Studded Kiss “Bauhaus” lipstick that I ordered for Loo. She was so helpful in taking the kids to school and starting dinner when I was out of town, that she deserved a little treat.
For samples, I picked out all fragrances. For my husband, I picked Dolce & Gabbana “the one” – it’s a horrible, wretched fragrance. He wrinkled his nose and his eyes started watering, so I guess he’s not going to be wearing it. He described it as “nasty.” The other two were for me – Elizabeth and James “Nirvana Black” and Tory Burch. “Nirvana Black” is also wretched. I don’t care if the Olsen Twins designed it, it’s fucking foul. Tory Burch, on the other hand, is absolutely lovely. It has notes of grapefruit and peony and I can totally see myself buying it in the near future.