Category: Body
Sephora Play! 08 – The It Crowd
Oh, hi there Sephora Play! The 8th box is “the It Crowd”, something I’ve never really been a part of…
This month’s box has several products I’m excited to try…Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil (it smells AWESOME); Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment; Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream; NARS Satin Lip Pencil in “Rikugien” (I have one of these from LAST year’s Sephora birthday gift); Sephora Collection Colorful Cheek Ink Blush Gel in “Peony”; and Derek Lam 10 Crosby “2AM Kiss” (it smells like something I’ve smelled before, but I can’t place it.)
If you haven’t signed up yet – now is the time. 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.
April Birchbox – Effortlessly Elegant
Yet again, I chose the curated box option this month. “Effortlessly Elegant” is a collaboration with Rifle Paper Co. and includes products to get you ready for Spring.
I chose this box primarily for the Laura Geller Naked Blush -N- Brighten in “Tropic Hues”. For the last three decades, I haven’t really paid attention to blush – but for some reason, 2016 is the year I started freaking out about blush. Weird. Also in this month’s box: Marcelle 3-in-1 Micellular Solution (What the fuck is the deal with Micellular Water?); Dr. Jart+ Liftra Contour Cream; PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Volumizing Lifting Spray (I think a I have a full set now); and Tocca Crema de Mano in “Guilietta” (green apple and tulip – not bad).
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.
Ulta…Note?
Ulta gives out unique coupon codes for their spring 20% off, so I didn’t have a cute name for this post…Instead of one or two big things, I bought a lot of little stuff. I also bought some gifts for another upcoming birthday, so those items are not shown, of course.
I can’t pass up 97 cent polishes, so the first thing I added to my cart were essie “Strut Your Stuff” and China Glaze “Long Kiss”. I then added two Freeman Beauty Masks – “Sweet Tea & Lemon Peel-Away Clay Mask” and “Apple Cider Vinegar 4-in-1 Foaming Clay”. I wanted to try another shade of Makeup Revolution Lip Euphoria, so I got “Aura”. I added another Zoya Remove+ for shits and giggles.
There were so many gifts with purchase last week! I got free Redken pack with Beach Envy Volume Texturizing Shampoo & Conditioner, Beach Envy Wave Aid and 25 Benefits One United Multi-Benefit Treatment (I have a full size of this that I use all the time). I also got a free Ahava pack with Dead Sea Crystal Osmoter Facial Serum (the fuck?), Time to Clear Purifying Mud Mask, Time to Hydrate Essential Day Moisturizer, Dead Sea Water Mineral Body Lotion, and a free tote bag. By far, the best samples were in the free Smashbox bag, which came with all this: Ahava Beauty Before Age Uplift Day and Uplift Night Cream, Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips (I don’t have eyebrows, but I have a mustache – wonder if it will work?), pür Correcting Primer, Hampton Sun Sunless Tanning Gel (NO), Estee Lauder Modern Muse Le Rouge (me likey), Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue (me no likey), MyChelle Dermaceuticals Refining Sugar Cleanser, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (for real), StriVectin Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer, It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, LORAC POREfection Mattifying Face Primer and Benefit Benetint.
Oh ya, also samples of Benefit Dew the Hoola Bronzer and Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation.
Phew…my fingers are TIRED.
Target Beauty Box – April 2016
Last August’s box was also “hello Sunshine”?
No worries, totally different stuff in this box. Inside: Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation (I’ve been wanting to try this so bad – I hope it’s the one! Oh and a $2 off coupon!); Laneige Water Bank Soothing Mask (ooooooh, I haven’t tried this one before); Pantene AIRspray Hair Spray; Covergirl Colorlicious Lipstick in “Kiss of Peach” (Meh); Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport SPF 30 Lotion (I’ve been using spray sunscreen the past several years, so I dunno if I can go back to the old fashioned kind); Marlowe No. 022 Body Butter (again, I still cannot smell anything); Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (I wonder how face cleansing wipes would work on your butt? Seriously, I’ll never use them up if I stick to my face…); and CeraVe Healing Ointment.
I’d have liked a little higher end stuff in a $7 box, but it’s not bad. I think I’ll use my $3 off $15 coupon…I’m gonna try.
Beauty in Bloom
The last few Limited Edition boxes from Birchbox haven’t been that exciting…but I was enticed by the “Beauty in Bloom” box. I can’t pass up flowery products.
Inside this flower-filled box: Darphin Intral Toner; Davines Oi/Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion; Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist; Laura Geller Beauty Baked True Color Blush in “Maui” (so red – I can’t wait to try it); Lollia Relax Shea Butter Handcreme (Lavender and Vanilla, but I can’t smell anything through this blasted cold); Mally Eye-Amplifying Shadow Liner in “Stone” (taupe-ish); NEST Fragrances Grapefruit Classic Candle (even my husband said this smells “yummy”); NEST Fragrances Indigo Eau de Parfum (I’d been curious about NEST for a while – this one is very exotic smelling, almost like nag champa…but without the weedy undertones); Smith & Cult The Shining Lip Lacquer in “Hi-Speed Sonnet” (so glittery); stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara; and an Umbra Prisma Tray (I’m not big on gold, but I really like the geometric styling of this jewelry tray). A GREAT deal!
Although the box was $64, I found a 20% code and used $10 in points, so the total was just $41.20.
Oh…in my free sample pack: Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in “Silver” (my third one) and Cargo Swimmables Shadow Stick in “Dory” (like Finding Nemo!)
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.
April Beauty Box 5 – Take a Hydration Vacation
This is it – the last straw! As soon as I saw this lame box, it was over. I emailed Beauty Box 5 customer service to cancel my subscription last night.
April’s theme is “Take a Hydration Vacation” and it is full of brands I have never, ever heard of. Inside the box: Soapbox Sea Minerals Body Wash (smells like fabric softener); Jelly Pong Pong Paradise Pigments (hot pink cream blush – just what I needed); Maskeraide All Eyes on Me Hydrating Eye Gels; Chella Passionate Pink Moisturizing Lip Pencil (very pink); and Global Beauty Care Green Tea Makeup Remover Wipes (they send wipes every other month at least). I wanted to love this box – I gave it over two years – but I just don’t.
I’m not sure how many months are left on my subscription, so this might not be my last box…ugh.
Ulta Gifting
I placed another Ulta order the Wednesday before last…because there were GIFTS I needed. Really, I had a reason.
Besides the gifts, I also order some stuff for myself – the Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette “Unicorns are Real” and new Lip Euphoria “Fate”. Lip Euphoria just launched and Ulta got it quick – there’s hope!
I also qualified for the Bare Minerals Beauty Break, which included 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow; Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara; Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara for Short Lashes (They make special mascara for short lashes? How is it different?); Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in “Get Ready” (I got this in my first ipsy bag – great color!); and BareSkin Sheer Sun Serum Bronzer (weird). I also got some weird samples – Escada “Joyful” and Herban Essentials Lavender Towlette (what the fuck do I do with this?)
And then Saturday, I went to Ulta to get my hair did…and buy some more gifts. All gifts must come from Ulta!
I liked my neon eyeshadow and pink eyeliner combo so much, that I wanted more liquid eyeliner options – red and blue! I got NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe in “Azur Glamour” and NYX Vivid Brights Liquid Eyeliner in “Vivid Fire”. They were BOGOHalf and I figured I would try both formulas. I also grabbed a pack of eyeshadow sponges from the bin by the checkout…sometimes the cheap stuff works best.
…and my receipt told me that I am only $5 away from Platinum status for next year. WHOOP!
March Ipsy Bag – Hello, Spring
Hello, Spring!
March’s ipsy bag is here to help me say, “Hello, Spring” with an adorable blue and red rose bag. Inside my bag: a Beau Gâchis Paris eyeshadow brush; Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eye Pencil in “Jet”; Marc Anthony Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Dry Cream; Nudestix Lip + Cheek Pencil in “Mystic”; and NYX Cosmetics Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Kitten Heels” (So happy to get this color).
Oh…and I used my ipsy points to get Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter. It smells awesome and matches my bag.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Target Beauty Box – March 2016
This month’s Target Beauty Box is giving me “Vacay Vibes”.
So much stuff for just $5 this month! Inside my box: Clairol Hair Food Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner; Not Your Mother’s Texturizing Sea Salt Spray (I had stopped getting so many of these…but here we go again); Sinful Colors Professional Nail Color in “Poisonberry” (I don’t have this one – yassss!); Laneige Water Sleeping Mask (Always happy to get this product – will be gone in no time); Banana Boat Sun Control Comfort SPF 30 Lotion (Yup, need to start stockpiling sunblock for the summer); nügg anti-aging Face Mask; you are AMAZING Juicy Grapefruit Body Lotion (Mmmmm, smells juicy); and Caress Adore Forever Body Wash.
I wonder if I can use my $3 off $5 coupon on next month’s box? But then, wouldn’t I have to buy 3 of them?
Smell Like Summer
I’m so ready to smell like summer!
I was downright belligerent the last time I went to Bath & Body Works, because the bath stuff was “Buy 3, Get 2″ – fuck no! I actually let my coupon mailer expire before I’d pay those outrageous prices! Luckily, when the deal went back to Buy 3, Get 3” – I got a 20% coupon in my email.
I was going to try one of the Italian Summer Scents, but “Mediterranean Blue Waters” smelled very similar to “Pure Paradise” and “Seaside Pink Jasmine” had too much pink smell…so I picked “Endless Weekend” in new packaging. I also got back-up Shower Gels in “Mad About You” and “A Thousand Wishes”.
Even though it wasn’t on sale, I HAD to get this new Scentportables Pink Flamingo ($6.50). HAD TO.
Oh…and even though I don’t wanna smell like a coconut, I picked up the Aloha Hawaii Bucket ($25) – it comes with mostly “Waikiki Beach Coconut” bath stuff, plus an extra lotion in “Aloha Waterfall Orchid”, two hand soaps – “Honolulu Sun” and “Fiji White Sands”, some antibac and a pouf. My husband was really interested in the paint bucket…he can’t have it!
Oh…and I was feeling generous and let Lily pick 3 travel sizes – she chose “Beautiful Day”, which surprised me. Before I was even finished paying, so was coating her arms with the lotion – right there in the store. Kids are weird. She ran off with them, so I couldn’t get them in the picture.