Tag: OUAI
Diamond Freebie Haul
I love the first Monday of every month. Not because it’s a Monday, but because that’s when Ulta has their “Diamond Love List”, which is full of exclusive deals and freebies for Diamond Members!
The best part about the “Diamond Love List” is getting to try new products before the official launch. Fresh Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Lightweight Moisturizer ($46) is a lighter version of the Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream that I love. I’ve been using it under my makeup and I love how light it feels. It’s a bit pricier than Oil of Olay, but those are damn near $30 now! I’m getting uncomfortably close to 50 years old, so it might be time to splurge a little bit…I mean, it’s not La Mer.
My hair needs more than a sample pack of deep conditioner, so I splurged on Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Luster Lock ($38.50). It came with a gift with purchase – a free shower cap and hair wrap set. Who doesn’t need an extra shower cap and hair wrap?
What else did I “add to cart”? Aquaphor Touch-Free Healing Ointment ($9.99) is THE BEST. Smartypits Natural Deodorant Sample Pack – Sensitive Skin ($10, down from $20) – I couldn’t pass up this set of 4 trial size deodorants. So far, I’ve only used “Rose Lavender”, but it hasn’t irritated my skin. I also picked up a few more Flowery Nail Buffers, at 40% off. I also got a pair of Diane Daisy/Clean-Cut Shear 5” ($8.79, down from $10.99) for Logan. I caught him cutting his hair with kitchen scissors!
My order also contained a birthday gift for my sister…not pictured.
…and now for the free stuff! I got an exclusive Clarins 4 piece set with my $35 skincare purchase: Clarins Double Serum Eye; Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté; Total Cleansing Oil; Extra-Firming Night Cream; and Instant Smooth – that’s five things! I also got a free mystery gift with select hair care purchase: it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Anti-Aging; Biolage Strength Repairing Spray; Love Wellness Call Me Collagen; Drybar Liquid Glass Shampoo & Conditioner; Verb Ghost Shampoo & Conditioner; Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo; Living proof. Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment; and it Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Serum. Last, but not least, I got a Platinum & Diamond Exclusive 11 piece gift with $35 hair purchase: Biolage All-In-One Multi-benefit Spray; Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother; Living proof. Perfect hair Day Enhancing Treatment; Batiste Dry Shampoo; Bed Head Master Piece Hairspray; ANOTHER Love Wellness Call Me Collagen; Better Not Younger Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo (but no conditioner?); Virtue Healing Oil; OUAI Treatment Masque; and Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-In Conditioner. My hair is so lucky!
On top of all those freebies, I was able to use a $10 off $50 coupon…just $718 to Diamond in 2024.
Good Apple, Super Mud
I love Ulta’s “21 Days of Beauty” sales – every day they have amazing deals on a wide range of products.
I jumped on the deal for 50% off KVD Beauty Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Hydrating Foundation Balm in “Light 010” ($20.25 instead of $40.50). It’s basically foundation in a compact. I’ve only had a chance to try it once, since it is still hot as FUCK here in Texas. For my first try, I applied on bare skin – no primer – and used an Urban Decay Foundation Brush. It sure is full coverage! It went on very thick, but I was able to get fairly smooth full coverage. It came off as a thick coat though, as my husband said it looked like “kabuki makeup.” I topped with Kat Von D Lock-it Setting Powder, which gave it a nice matte finish. The next time I use it, I’ll experiment with primers and a beauty blender for lighter coverage.
Another smoking deal was 50% off Glamglow SUPERMUD Charcoal Instant Treatment Mask ($30 instead of $60). I am sucker for facial masks, especially luxurious ones.
Although it wasn’t on sale, I need conditioner, so I got a NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner Refill ($23).
Oh, and there was an AMAZING gift with purchase – a 14 piece sampler with my $60 purchase. There are 4 deluxe perfume sample! Little cute bottles – not tiny sample vials! The fragrances are Moschino Boy Toy, Versace Yellow Diamond, Viktor & Rolf BonBon, and Ralph Lauren Polo Earth. I haven’t tried any of them yet. Also in the gift: Ellis Brooklyn Bee (small vial, not deluxe); First Aid Beauty Bump Eraser Body Scrub; Sacheu Beauty Slick Skin; Florence by Mills Up in the Clouds Facial Moisturizer; it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream; Banila Co Purity Therapy; Maelys B-Tight Lift & Firm Booty Mask (ooooh kay); Sun Bum 3 in 1 Leave In Treatment; Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Eye Zone Treatment; ThisWorks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray; Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum; Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub; Derma e Advanced Peptides & Collagen Serum; MAC Fix+ Spray; Living proof. Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray; Urban Decay Perversion Mascara; Love Wellness bye bye bloat Supplement; Derma e Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner; NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Repair Shampoo & Conditioner; OUAI Detox Shampoo (no matching conditioner?); Grande Cosmetics Grande Gummies Vegan Collagen Booster (I just ate them – yummy); vor Sunset Rituals Conditioner (heyyyyy, no shampoo); and HASK Tea Tree Oil & Rosemary Hair & Scalp Treatment Mask. That is 27 samples, not 14…score!
Just $244 to Diamond in 2023!
July 2021 Ipsy Bag – Stay Golden
I got an email today that August’s glam bag X shipped, so I better get on July! (Yes, I upgraded to Glam Bag X – more on that later.)
July’s bag design seemed plain and boring – until the zipper pull caught my eyes – it’s a gorgeous gold sun, with a vibrant blue (probably plastic) crystal.
I’ll be honest – I’ve only had a chance to try one of the products in this month’s bag and it was my product choice this month – Purlisse Beauty WATERMELON + CHARCOAL Purifying Cleanser. I really do enjoy Purlisse products – maybe I’ll actually buy some some day.
Also in this month’s “Stay Golden” bag: Dermedicine Advanced Skincare Retinol Detox High Potency Mask; OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub; Realher Dreams So Big Eyeshadow Duo in “Imagine” & “Ambition”; and Tarte Sea Quench Hydrating Primer.
Not a bad little bag this month…
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.
Sephora SUMMER SAVE, Part II
So you know I had to slip another small order in, while my 20% off code was still active…and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty just happened to drop a new product – the Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler ($20). I know I should be more self conscious of the fact that I have to try nearly every brow product that hits the market…but I DO.
I ordered the MVP in “Dark Brown” – but I feel like it is lighter than the “Dark Brown” I use from Ulta. Even so, it looks shockingly natural – like little baby hairs. I am intrigued by the styling brush – it is NOT another spoolie, but more like an Artis eyeshadow brush – I like how it feels on my face, so soft. I’ve been using it for the past 3-4 days and am really liking it – but I do not know if it will replace my Ulta. I DO like it better than ABH Brow Wiz.
I also ordered a brand new lip product – Urban Decay Vice Lip Chemistry in “Stacked” ($22). It’s supposed to change color to match your own “unique chemistry”. It does have a nice staining effect – it doesn’t wear quite all day, but a good 6-8 hours. I like it, but not sure if I would pay full price for more shades.
Oooohhh…I actually received BOTH of the samples I chose at checkout! I chose a OUAI Treatment Mask (for my hair) and a trio of samples from Farsali – Rose Gold Elixir, Unicorn Essence and Skintune Blur. I wore the Skintune Blur yesterday and I noticed nothing different about my skin – just like I never noticed a difference with the Unicorn Essence. Bah.
$628 to Rouge…
July 2019 Allure Beauty Box – Lessons Learned
I opened this month’s Allure Beauty Box and my first thought was, fuck it’s Kim Kardashian. Then I realized it wasn’t her – just someone who looks very, very similar.
July’s guest curator for the Allure Beauty Box is Huda Kattan, creator of Huda Beauty. I’ve tried exactly one lippie by Huda Beauty, but I liked it quite a bit. This box is a mix of Huda’s own products and those that she loves.
The centerpiece of the box is a full size tube of Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick in “Alluring”, a shade exclusive to the box. It’s an orangey red, which I normally would stay away from, but I tried it and it is SUPER flattering on me. I was SHOOK. The formula is really good – it isn’t streaky, it doesn’t dry out my lips, and stayed all day.
Also in Huda’s box: Huda Beauty Classic Lash in “Samantha” (why does Allure keep sending fake eyelashes?); Kayali Vanilla 28 (a rich vanilla scent that is very tolerable and not at all like a little tree air freshener); Too Faced Hangover Primer (some people got Benefit Ka-Brow or an Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil); OUAI Texturizing Hair Spray; and a TONYMOLY Intense Care Snail Hydrogel Mask (oooooh, snail trail).
Except for the lashes, a pretty good box. It also includes a code for 25% at shophudabeauty.com.
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.
January 2019 Allure Beauty Box – Thrill of the New
I’m not even gonna apologize for running late on reviews – I been busy as shit.
2019 brings big changes to the Allure Beauty Box – gone is the shiny red box, instead replaced by a generic cardboard mailer. That’s okay though – because now the monthly goodies are coming inside a sleek plastic pouch. No word yet on whether we’ll be getting the same red pouch every month, or they’ll mix up the design – stay tuned.
In this month’s all new pouch: Mally Shadow Stick Extra in “Burnished Bronze”; OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub (Hmmmm, not sure if I’m ready to be picking sugar out of my hair for a month – also includes a 15% off code for theouai.com); Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Face Oil; Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum (How did they know I’m retinol aged now?); Doucce Relentless Matte Lip Crayon in “Winterberry” (with a code for 25% off at doucce.com); and a pack of 2 Beautyblender Micro Mini Sponges.
And as a bonus this month, each subscriber received a nail polish from NCLA. I got and orangey red called “Call My Agent”.
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..
August 2018 Ipsy Bag – Selfie with No Filter
For the record, ALL of my selfies are with no filter.
Even so, I appreciate any and all products that help me look my best with no filter, so thank you very much ipsy! Inside this month’s bright orange linen pouch: OUAI Volume Spray (I think I get this product in every single subscription box, every single month); SLSMISSGLAM Rose Gold Blusher Brush (rose gold, my favorite right now); MAC False Lashes Mascara in “Extreme Black” (I liked the last MAC mascara I received in an ipsy bag – I used it all up); Answer From Black Volume Gold Radiance Cream (what a weird brand name – Answer From); and Ofra Cosmetics Eye shadow in “Blue Jean” (another one for my Z Palette).
Not an exciting bag, but not a bad one either.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
July 2018 Allure Beauty Box – Summer Essentials
This month’s Allure Beauty Box is FULL. I honestly don’t know how they Jenga’d all these products in here.
Even though it’s a “drugstore” product, I am hyped to get another Olay Regenerist Whip Active Moisturizer (I’ve already used up the one I got in an April Target Beauty Box). It’s so light and airy – I love these whipped moisturizers for the summer.
Also crammed into this month’s box: Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil (another one I’m excited to try); Feel Harmony Rose Petal Facial Mask (yassss rose); Doucce Ultra Precision Eyeliner in “Blue”; Derma-e Essentials Mineral Powder (I’ve never tried a powder with SPF – interesting); OUAI Haircare Leave In Conditioner; Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in “Full Red” (so, I’m supposed to use this on my lips and my eyes? I’ll look like Pennywise!); and The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm.
This month’s box also included a $20 off code for Baublebar. I’ve gotten Baublebar codes in boxes before and never used them. I don’t think this time will be different.
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. You can sign up at https://beautybox.allure.com.
May 2018 Birchbox – Soak in the Sunshine
Ugh, Birchbox – what is this weird shit?
I mean, I picked the curated box, so I knew what I was picking – but it’s weird. The Whal Myung Skin Elixir is throwing me off – it looks like some illegal product you get from a back room in a massage parlor. That, of course, means it is probably FIRE – or will will set my face on FIRE.
Also in this month’s “Soak up the Sunshine” box: Wander Beauty Catch the Light Highlighter & Glowtion (love me some glowtion); KNC Beauty All Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask; OUAI Volume Spray; and Georgette Klinger Coconut Cleansing Milk.
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.
Sephora Play! March 2018 – Festival of Beauty
Is it me, or is “Festival” the most over-used campaign buzzword in the Beauty World right now? It’s getting to be ridiculous, kind of like “Unicorn”. Don’t get me wrong, I was deep into Festivals and outside concert in my youth. I religiously attended Lollapalooza 1992 through 1995, and various other outside concerts…but back then, the only makeup I needed back then was black eyeliner…
What I SHOULD have worn was sunscreen. I never did and I always got a sunburn every damn time. So it was nice of Sephora to include Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 | PA+++. The package says invisible SPF, primer and anti-aging treatment in one – I’m sold!
Also in the Festival box: Buxom Plumpline Lip Liner Crayon in “Hush Hush”; Sephora Matte Perfection Powder Foundation in “14 Neutral Linen” (close to the shade I’ve been using – “16 Cool Linen”); Verb Ghost Oil; Lancome Miel-en-Mousse Foaming Cleanser and Makeup Remover; and a tiny foilpack of OUAI Anti-Frizz. Oh, and a snazzy tie-dye pouch that says “Beauty is my Spirit Animal”.
If you don’t get Sephora Play, join us for Festival Fun. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.