Tag: Sephora

 
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VIB Rouge Fall 2017 Preview

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I’ve been invited to several exclusive Rouge events over the last two years that I’ve had Rouge status, but this past Saturday was the first time I ever actually went. I actually got up super early, got dressed and drove my ass to Sephora at 9am in the morning.

The Fall Preview Event showcases a few of the new products launching in the fall and makes them available to purchase in very limited quantities. I say very limited, because by the time I arrived, 25 minutes into the event, they had already sold out of the Too Faced Glitter Bomb Palette. I might have been tempted to buy it, especially after swatching it and covering myself with rainbow glitter…but then I think about the owner…and no.

I had snagged a new Clinique Bubble Mask…but then I got a mini-facial with Fresh products. I put that sucker back and purchased Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream ($40) and Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner ($44). I just have a soft spot for rose scents. I also picked up a Deep Pore Replacement Head for my Clarisonic ($27).

Oh, and the freebies! The Fresh Rep gave me a Deluxe sample of Fresh Sugar Face Polish and Sugar Lip Treatment Collection. When I checked out, I qualified for a HUGE flower printed pouch and a little gift baggie of samples. Inside the little baggie were 2 of each sample: Lancer The Method: Polish, Cleanse, Nourish; Alterna Haircaire Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz PM Overnight Smoothing Treatment and AM Daytime Smoothing Blowout Balm; Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturizer; and Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. Weird products, but I’ll try them out.

All these purchases requalified my VIB status for 2018 and put me just $561 away from Rouge. I think I can do it…

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Give Me Some Nude Lip – 3rd Edition

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Even though I was able to resist the 2nd Edition of Sephora’s “Give Me Some Nude Lip” – I wasn’t able to resist the 3rd. Really, the only reason I didn’t get the second was because I already had a full size of Urban Decay “1993”, but I had none of the ones included in this set.

Inside this 3rd “Give Me Some Nude Lip” ($28): Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in “Kristen” (very…MOIST); Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Enamored Hi Shine Lip Lacquer in “Sugar Sugar” (haven’t tried this one yet); NARS Cosmetics Velvet Lip Glide in “Bound” (Somewhere between a lip gloss and a matte liquid lip, it stayed put most of the day and was very hydrating); Tarte lippie lingerie matte tint in “Revealed” (I thought I hated chubby lip pencils, but this one is nice and long-lasting and a nice medium brown); Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in “Spice Girl” (I have regrets about wearing this to work today – my lips were stinging for a good hour and a half…and looked no plumper); and Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in “Trivial” (Full size – and the best shade of the bunch). This was a good buy – I can see wearing all of these, except for the Lip Injection.

I also splurged on Taste Beauty Felicia the Flamingo Lip Balm ($10). Even though I hate using my finger to apply lip balm, I will make an exception for this cute little flamingo float.

I used a code to get a Deluxe Sample of Atelier Cologne Clémentine California. I love the smell – like fresh Cutie Clementines – but it doesn’t seem to last very long on me. I’ve worn it twice this week and it faded by the time I got home from work. I was also pleasantly surprised to receive the exact samples I picked: philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanserphilosophy Time In A Bottle 100% In-Control, and SUNDAY RILEY C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer.

How am I gonna get to Rouge Status by the end of the year? I have $674 left!

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Sephora Play! May 2017 – The Rising Stars

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Oh Sephora, you are full of surprises. No flamingos, but surprises.

Instead of a drawstring bag, they included a clear plastic snap pouch this month. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. Maybe I can throw it in my pool bag?

I’m most excited to try the sample of belif Hungarian Water Essence – I’m a big fan of their Aqua Bomb. Also in this month’s box: rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask; Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil (I’m not sold on cleansing oils); tre’StiQue Mini Highlight Stick in “Maldives Luminescent”; Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in “GreyStone”; and Tocca “Stella” (blood orange and lily – I’d actually wear this one!).

Not sure about all the sticks this month, but the scent makes up for it.

If you haven’t signed up yet, you’re crazy. This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.

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Buck that Fudget

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I am trying so, SO hard to stay on a budget. But I got that email with my 15% off code for the Sephora Spring Event…

I made it to the second to last day and then “splurged” on a single lipstick. I’ve been wanting to try Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in “Veronica” ($20), so since Sephora is carrying them now, I took the plunge. First off, the formula is GREAT. My lips didn’t get dry and cracked and formula did not budge all day. I picked the exact perfect color for me – a dupe for Jeffree Star “Androgyny”. I’m in love with these lipsticks. I wish I hd less resolve.

For samples, I actually got my picks this time. They were John Varvatos “Dark Rebel” (hoping it would be a good one for my husband, but it was nasty – smelled like some cheap old man shit, like Brut); philosophy purity made simple 3-in-1 cleanser for face and eyes; and Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer (their misspelling, not mine).

Maybe my budget will be more open when the next sale hits…

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Sephora Play! April 2017 – Step it Up

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Catching up this month…gonna finish all my subscription boxes in the right month!

“Step it Up” is April’s Sephora Play theme and includes products to take your beauty game to the next level. I’m excited to try the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliator – I figure it will alternate well with the EradiKate I received a few weeks ago.

Also in this month’s smashing box: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream; Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover (it separated in the bottle and my husband has been playing with it); Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil in “M-10” (why can’t they just say “black”); Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer; and Marc Jacobs Daisy.

What a bangin’ box!

If you haven’t signed up yet, get to it. This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.

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Everlasting Flash – April 2017

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I am going to tell you a tale of some of the best customer service I’ve ever received. Without fail, Sephora has provided excellent customer service – and this time, I didn’t even know I needed customer service!

Last Wednesday, I decided to take advantage of this month’s Everlasting Flash Deal and get early access to one of Kat Von D Cosmetics new line of Everlasting Lip Liners ($18 each). The deal was for “Lolita”, so of course I had to have it. I also ordered one of the new Everlasting Lip Liquid Shades ($20)- “Miss Argentina” (in homage to the character from Beetlejuice). The very next morning, I noticed an email that my order for “Lolita” had been resubmitted. Weird. I didn’t really think about it much, but on the way home from work, I got a call from Sephora Customer Service. It seems that they accidentally sent me a “Lolita II” Lip Liner instead of “Lolita”, so they sent me the right one as soon as the error was discovered. When I asked what to do with the “Lolita II”, she just…to just keep it. THEY LET ME KEEP IT…free ya’ll. I think I even got points for it.

…and this is why I LOVE Sephora. Rouge for life.

Oh yeah, for samples, I got a card with Urban Decay Optical Illusion Complexion Primer (I’ve been wanting to try this so bad!) and 2 shades of Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Makeup (shades are 2.5, 5.0 and 8.0 – I wear 3.5, so not very useful), Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 and Belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb (one of my faves). I also used a code to get a deluxe sample of Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment (this shit is powerful and turned my skin into lizard scales after a single use; it’s 3% sulfur, so I’ll be saving for BAD breakouts).

The 15% off spring event is next week…need to dig through the couch for change…

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Sephora Play! March 2017 – The Gleam Team

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Strangely enough, I received my Sephora Play before my ipsy and Birchbox this month…so I won’t be lagging a month behind for once.

We’re back to a white cotton bag this month. I still haven’t figured out what to do with all these pouches. Maybe use them for panties and socks when I travel?

I was drawn to try Chloe Fleur de Parfum immediately – I love Rose de Chloe so much. It’s not bad – there are rose notes, but they’re buried under the lemon verbena. Unfortunately, it gave me a headache within 90 seconds of a light spray on my arm. Boo!

Also in this month’s “The Gleam Team” box: GlamGlow GLOWSTARTER Mega Illuminating Moisturizer (I can’t get enough GlamGlow); Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in “Golden Pink” (weird product); Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter (another weird one); Living proof Full Dry Volume Blast (I think I’ve gotten every single Living Proof product available over the past several months); and Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm (another confusing product – instructions say it can be used as a primer or a finishing balm – wot?).

Very weird products this month – and NO lip products. Boo!

If you haven’t signed up yet, JUST DO IT. This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.

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Sephora Play! February 2017 – The Soft Side

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The first thing I noticed about February’s Sephora Play…that blush pink bag. It’s so soft and silky, I just wanted to rub it all over my face. I guess that’s why this month’s theme is “The Soft Side”?

Right off the bat, I am NOT excited about Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in “Milkshake”. If I wanted to have my lips burnt off my face, I’d use Taco Bell Hot Sauce – it’s free. I won’t let that ruin my excitement about the rest of the box: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (not a fan of Neroli – it gives me a headache); Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer; Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream; Sephora Lashcraft Length + Volume Mascara; and Bite Beauty Multistick in “Cashew” (I’m supposed to use this on my eyes, cheeks AND lips – won’t I end up monotone?).

Although I am not happy with everything in this month’s box, there’s still lots to love!

If you haven’t signed up yet, I suggest you sign up TODAY? This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.

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Get Naked

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A sale I couldn’t resist – half off Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation ($18 instead of $36). I’d been wanting to try it, since I’ve had a hard time finding the perfect shade in other brands. I picked “Medium Light Neutral”, which the website listed as the closest match to 3.5, my perfect match in the liquid. Yup, another great match. I tried it with my usual kabuki, the enclosed sponge and my Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush (I hated it for liquid, hoping to find a use for it). All worked well, but I preferred the light coverage of my kabuki. The Good Karma Brush was too thick on my nose, but was nice on my cheeks, which have more color variation.

I ordered from Sephora, but the price drop was also at Ulta and other stores. I didn’t order anything else, so I needed that free Flash shipping. I wasn’t able to use a freebie code, so I just got the regular three: Sephora Express Eye Makeup Remover Wipes, Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer, and Dior Sauvage (Ooooooh, I can make my husband smell like Johnny Depp).

I just hope this price drop doesn’t mean that a discontinue is imminent – the color match is so good!

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Everlasting Flash – February 2017

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Sephora and Kat Von D launched a new monthly promotion for 2017 called “Everlasting Flash” – a different deal on Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liquids on the first Wednesday of every month. I couldn’t resist this month’s deal – 6 FULL-SIZE Everlasting Lip Liquids in all new nude shades for $99 – normally $20 each, that’s a savings of $21!

I’ve been drooling over the colors since they were revealed weeks and weeks ago. Mostly the darker shades, but I’ll take them all. I even swatched them for you! From top to bottom: “Muneca” (the only one I’ve worn so far, it’s too light for me on it’s own, but looked amazing with gold eyeshadow pressed into it), “Ophelia”, “Ludwig”, “Hawkwind”, “Sanctuary” (I am predicting that this one will be my favorite – it’s closest to my current fave, “Lolita”) and “Crucifix”.

I totally blew my monthly makeup budget on the 2nd of the month.

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I don’t know why I keep getting perfume samples on purpose…I have so much, but I just can’t resist them. I used a code to get a sample bag that includes Aerin Lilac Path, Wildfox (I can already tell I like this one), Tory Burch Love Relentlessly (even more!), Prada Candy Florale, Stella McCartney Stella, Chloe Roses de Chloe (I was excited until I found my rollerball in my travel makeup bag – I had lost it over a year ago), Marc Jacobs Daisy Dot, and a mini Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in “Legendary”.

For my usual three samples, again, I did not receive what I picked…but I can’t remember what I picked, so I guess not a big deal. I got yet another sample of  Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel (they must have SO much of this – I keep getting it), Derek Lam 10 Crosby Drunk on Youth (wore it yesterday – nice and clean scent), and Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation (high hopes for this one – I think I might have picked it).

Looking forward to being tempted by next month’s Everlasting Flash!