Tag: belif

 
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Diamond in 2025 Ulta Haul

I’d been dropping stuff in my cart for a few weeks and finally checked out…

I am paranoid about running out of shampoo & conditioner, so I got back-ups of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner ($26 each).

I saw that Ulta had a gift with purchase for buying $19.50 worth of Ulta products…I can do that in my sleep! I had been eyeballing the Ulta Beauty Collection Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Cherry Pie” ($11). I was expecting it to be redder on…I guess I need to put like, 35 coats on? My nails need attention, so I also got an Ulta Manicure Buffing Block ($4) and two packs of Exfoliating Cotton Rounds ($3.99). I got the pink variant of the gift with purchase, which includes a 6 pan eye shadow palette; Ultamate Lashes Multi-Tasking Mascara; Poreless Face Primer; Cream Blush Stick; Tinted Eye Primer; High Shine Liquid Lipstick; Tinted Lip Oil; an Eye Shadow Brush; and a Makeup Sponge.

Speaking of nails, I also stocked up on Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover ($8.40, down from $12) and a Flowery Blue Max 4-Way Buffing Block ($2.09, down from $2.99). Since I like color changing lip products and Tim Burton, I got a few of the Nightmare Before Christmas Collection products – Wet n Wild Nightmare Before Christmas Truth or Scare Color Changing Lip Oil and Nightmare Before Christmas Two-Faced Color Changing Lip Oil ($5.99 each). They are not sticky and have surprisingly solid staying power.

I used a $3.50 off $15 coupon AND $50 of my collected Ulta points, but that didn’t stop me from qualifying for 2 more gifts with purchase. First, I qualified for a 14 Piece Fall Haul with my $70 purchase, which included Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb, Clean it Zero Ginseng-Glow Cleansing Balm; e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer; NYX Duck Plump High Pigment Plumping Gloss in “Clearly Spicy” (I just put this on and it reminds me of the original Lip Venom – pure capsaicin on my lips – Jesus FUCK); Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser; La Roche-Posay Mela Serum Dark Spot Correction; Florence by Mills Wildly Me (do you understand what I mean when I say it smells purple? The notes are iris, wisteria, violet and lavender); CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion; First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub (the sole reason I picked this bag variation); The Good Patch Dream Patch (a melatonin patch!); Tula The Cult Cleanser (oh, a DELUXE sample!); eczema honey Soothing Body Wash; Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; and Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster (what is it even boosting?) I also qualified for a Platinum & Diamond Exclusive Free 10 Piece Gift with $90 purchase, which included Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Bronzer (I bet this makes me look like I’m wearing blackface); Yves Saint Laurent Libre (stinky); Wella Ultimate Repair Miracle Hair Rescue (giving to Lily to deal with all day marching band braid damage); Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil in “Warm Deep Brown” (oh, this might be a match – I usually end up with Taupe in sample packs); tarte Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil (ugh, not falling for this again); Living Proof. Perfect hair Day High-Shine Gloss; Kylie Jenner Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Kylie” (ugh); Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Sculpt Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara; and OUAI Detox Shampoo (but NO MATCHING CONDITIONER – rude). Lots of good stuff!

This purchase pushed me over the edge! I’m Diamond in 2025!

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Pamplemousse Rose Ulta Haul

I bought someone a birthday present…which I am not posting about…but is it bad that I kept the free stuff that came with it?

I mean, a few of the items were for me – Ulta Scented Foaming Hand Wash, Essence Pink Is The New Black Colour-Changing Lip & Cheek Balm, and a GIMME beauty Thick Hair XL Barrell Claw Clip (they sent the wrong fucking clip, but it still holds all my hair, so it’s fine).

I received a free 10 piece Clean Ingredients gift with my $70 purchase: belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb (LOVE this stuff); Live Tinted Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral Suncreen Moisturizer Primer (I had been wanting to try this); Love Wellness bye bye bloat; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment; Sunday Riley Auto Correct; Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil; Lanolips Tinted Lip Balm; fur Ingrown Concentrate (oooh, I have one RIGHT NOW); and Peach Slices Snail Rescue. Wow – I wanna try ALL of these…and I also got a free mystery gift. Inside the mystery gift: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist; Mugler Alien Goddess; Beekman 1802 Shine Control Gel Cream Moisturizer; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam; Kate Somerville HydraKate; Sun Bum Daily Body Suncreen Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50; Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum (I just finished off a full-size of this); and Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask. More great stuff to try! I got to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon, too!

$679 to Diamond in 2025.

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May 2021 Allure Beauty Box – Power List

That’s IT! I cannot handle any more overpriced face creams or serums! I emailed Allure Customer Support today, in an attempt to cancel my Allure Beauty Box account.

This month’s overpriced face cream is Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream ($265 for 50ml). My little sample is just 7ml ($37.10). I haven’t tried it yet…I’ll get to it eventually. In addition to this cream, there’s also Wander Beauty Sight C-ER Vitmain C Concentrate and CosRx Propolis Light Ampoule. Two more facial serums!

Also in what should be my last box: Josephine Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in “Tiphaine” (is that pronounced “Tiffany”?); Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb; Purlisse Matcha Green Tea Antioxidant Sheet Mask; and Cetaphil Sheer Mineral SPF 50.

Goodbye and so long Allure Beauty Box…

The Allure Beauty Box is $23/month. They also offer an option for $250/year – a savings of $26. Sign up via my referral link.

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Yes to Ulta

That Ulta, they keep getting me with their “gift with purchase” offers. My $60 purchase brought me a 10 piece “Patio Prep” Sampler. The sampler includes: My Amazing Replenish Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner (This brand is new to me and I am excited to try it); L’Oreal Voluminous Primer/Base (I’ve gotten 3-4 samples of this and still have never tried it); Cover FX Mattifying Primer + Acne Treatment (Intrigued by this product – looking forward to trying this as well); Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum; Milani Bold Matte Lipstick in “I am Worthy” (I have not tried it yet, but it looks like my favorite shade, KvD “Lolita”); belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb (YES – I will never run out!); Hey Honey! 24Seven! Honey Day & Night Cream; and skyn Iceland The Antidote Cooling Daily Lotion. No lie – this is the best sample bag I’ve received in a good long while!

The way I’ve been shopping at Ulta lately, is filling my shopping cart with things I want, waiting for a good promo or deal. Yes to… products were BOGO Half, so I picked up a few items for my son: Yes to Tomatoes Triple Threat Acne Treatment Kit ($12.99 and includes a sulfur solution like Kate Somerville – I might have to switch myself) and Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser ($5, down from $9.99). He acted offended, but I’ve noticed a real improvement in his complexion since he’s started using them.

I added to my conditioner hoard with John Frieda Wonder Drops – Frizz Smoothing Wonder Mask ($1.47 each and also BOGO Half). I got two and used one so far. It felt like a normal conditioner to me – nothing special. The packettes are smaller than I’m used to – only one application. I also ordered a Diane Hanging Shower Comb ($3.50) to evenly distribute my conditioning packs.

I liked the ColourPop Ultra Blotted Lip in my last order, so I ordered another one – “Cherry on Top”, a blackened cherry ($7).

EVERYWHERE is selling face masks now. I bought a pack of 3 from Kitsch for $12.99. They are good quality and breathable, so I’ll definitely buy more now that Texas has a Face Mask Order across the whole state.

I found a few 75% off clearance goodies: Ulta Transforming Clay Cleanser ($3.12, down from $12.50 ), which is supposed to change colors after 30 seconds, but changes color immediately – so weird. Also, Beauty by Popsugar Liquid Velvet Lip in “Be Racy” ($6, down from $24), which was way pinker than I expected and kind of tacky, as in made my lips stick together.

The last few things I threw in my cart were random – a Rebels Refinery Skull Lip Balm in “Mint”, because it reminded me of a lighter that I used to have, and a back-up Zoya Remove+ ($10). Oh, and don’t forget about that $3.50 off coupon!

After this purchase, I’m 40% to Diamond in 2021 ($719 to go)…but I have $61 in points. The new Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet Palette drops in a few days and I’ve got my eye on it…

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June 2020 Allure Beauty Box – Brighter Days

Now this is what I’m talking ’bout Allure!

The last few boxes have been duds, but this month’s box is an improvement. The star of the box is the FULL SIZE pūrlisse Watermelon + Charcoal Purifying Cleanser. It smells SO good and makes my skin feel so clean it squeaks.

The other big winner in this month’s box is belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb Aloe Vera. I’ve loved the original Aqua Bomb for years and this new formula with aloe vera takes hydration to a whole other level. I’d actually BUY this product.

Also in this month’s box: Starskin 100% Camellia Nourishing & Brightening 2-Step Oil Sheet Mask; Yensa Super 8 Lip Oil in “Pink Shine”; Dashing Diva Gloss Ultra Shine Gel Palette; and La Roche-Posay Active C10.

The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.

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February 2020 Allure Beauty Box – On Holiday

February’s Allure Beauty Box is a hodgepodge of items – some makeup, some tools, some skin stuff.

This first product I noticed was Olay Regenerist Retinol 24, which I had just finished off from last month’s Target Beauty Boxes. It was a great night moisturizer and I’ll be using this one up, too.

Also in this month’s box: Wander Beauty After Hours Highlighter (aren’t we OVER highlighters, yet?); an NYX Cosmetics Multi-Purpose Buffing Brush; BareMinerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion Serum; Belif: The True Cream Aqua Bomb (finished the sample I got in December’s ipsy bag LAST NIGHT); Honey Jarret Super Beau’Tea Mask; and Cargo Cosmetics Essential Lip Color in “Santa Fe”.

A so-so box with really good products and really mediocre ones.

The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.

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December 2019 Ipsy Bag – Shine On

Shine on? Well, I certainly will try…

I did not miss the product choice window this month – I selected BELIF The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb. I’ve gotten this sample at least a dozen times from different subscription boxes and purchases and it is a really good moisturizing cream.

Also in this month’s silver pleather bag: FLUIDE 7-Free Nail Polish in “Strut” (I love a good gunmetal nail polish); Aromatica Rose Absolute First Serum (looking forward to trying this serum in my favorite scent); Beauty for Real Lip Gloss + Shine in “Sunlight”; and Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in “Park Ave Princess” (what is the point of waterproof bronzer???).

An interesting box, but the products seem more summery than wintery – maybe they know I’m in Texas and it is currently 75 degrees outside?

I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $12/month. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.

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HEY ROUGE

All this “controlling my purchases” is making me tired.

A few weeks back, Sephora’s spring bonus event hit and I placed, the tiniest, most pitiful order. I’d been stalking Dolce Garden since I got a sample of it and used the whole thing. I was going to get the purse spray for $29, but then I saw the Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Travel Set ($45), which includes purse sprays of Dolce, Dolce Garden and Dolce Rosa Excelsa – fuck yeah, I’ll get that. I’ve been alternating between the three sprays for the past week or so. I smell rich.

I also picked up another Cocofloss in “Pure Strawberries” ($9). Best floss ever – just ask my work wife.

My husband was not impressed that I got him a Sephora Collection Shear Genius Eyebrow Trimmer ($11). I guess I’ll have to use it on him in his sleep.

For samples, I got a sample I chose – philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser and one I did not – belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb. I don’t mind about the belif though – I love it.

If I would’ve been smart, I would’ve ordered a birthday gift for my sister during the bonus period, but I forgot and did it Friday. Yes, I love her enough to pay full price. $794 to Rouge. Fuck.

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Sephora Play! February 2018 – Feel the Love

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Missed it by THAAAAAAT much…

February’s Sephora Play box is themed “Feel the Love”, products that I’m supposed to not be able to live without. Hmmm, we’ll see about that.

This month’s fragrance is Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee. I’m just not a plain vanilla girl, plus, I already have a small bottle of this scent. The other products are a bit more interesting: Peter Thomas Roth Firmx Peeling Gel (I love a good mask); NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in “Let’s Go Crazy” (ooooh, hot pink); Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in “ROSEGOLD”; Sephora Rouge Matte Lipstick in “Rebel Chic”; and belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb (so many eye creams, so little time).

I don’t know that I can’t live without any of these products, but there’s a good variety of products for me to try out. A really good mix of products this month!

If you don’t get Sephora Play, sign up and feel the love. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.

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DIVINE!

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Anyone who knows me even casually, knows that I have a thing for pink flamingos. They’re in my yard, in my house, on my clothes. Those who REALLY know me, know how much I love Pink Flamingos, starring the one and only Divine. And thanks to Kat Von D, now I can have Pink Flamingos in my makeup!

I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of the Kat Von D x Divine Collection since sneak peaks started appearing online last year. It was finally released on VD, but didn’t hit Sephora’s site until the 17th. Yup, I ordered the morning of the 17th and it arrived just a few days later…

I ordered the whole collection, which consisted of the I am Divine Palette ($38), with eight all-new eye shadows, inspired by Divine. I also picked up the Studded Kiss Creme Lipstick in “Divine” ($19), which is a creamy pinky nude. It’s the new Studded Kiss formula, too – super creamy and soft on the lips.

Before I start talking about the palettes, I’ll mention my samples. Yes, I finally received samples with a Sephora order! I placed my order via my PC instead of using the app and I hate to say it, but I think that might be the key. I got three foil packets: belif: The True Cream – Aqua Bomb (my jam); Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser; and Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil.

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I also used a code to get a deluxe sample of of stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in “kitten karma” (haven’t had a chance to try it yet).

Just $875 to Sephora Rouge for 2019. If Kat keeps up with the releases like she did laast year, that won’t be an issue.

Obviously, I couldn’t wait to play with the palette.

The first time I try an eye shadow, I put it straight on my face, without any kind of primer. As you can see, there’s a decent amount of pigmentation even without primer. The green (“Pink Flamingos” ironically) really needs a primer to pop, but the matte blue (“Waters”) pops without it, as does the dark blue shimmer under my eyes (“Baltimore”). I’ll be honest, I’ll get more use out of the neutral colors in the palette, but I WILL use this palette.

The lipstick is very close to my natural skin tone. I tried it alone and was not wowed. I overlined my lips with “Lolita” Everlasting Lip Liner and it made all the difference in the world.

I am not at all disappointed in this palette and lippie – great job Kat!