Category: Face
Sephora Play! September 2018 – Next-Gen Beauty
View this post on Instagram
As soon as I saw that this month’s products came in a fancy ziploc bag, I got suspicious…is Sephora starting to cut corners on their monthly box?
I was somewhat relieved when I poured this month’s products into my lap – plenty of products, nice brands, too.
Sephora is pushing Sunday Riley hardcore. Not only did I get two of their products in this month’s extra skincare box, but another one here – Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream. I think I have enough for a complete regime now!
Also in this month’s Next-Gen box: Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer (I’m down on this brand after their messy Social Media drama, but I’ll try this product); Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Atomic Heat Mask (sounds fancy, yet scary at the same time); Nudestix Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil in “Kiss”; Sephora Collection LashCraft Big Volume Mascara in “Black”; and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Nectar.
Don’t worry, Sephora Play is still the BEST box I receive every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
Fire Dragon vs. Ice Dragon
View this post on Instagram
I never really cared about wet n wild makeup – not since Junior High anyway – until they started putting out these awesome collections. I am still peeved that I missed the Goth-o-Graphic Box, but it never hit Ulta as promised.
I did NOT miss the Fire Dragon vs. Ice Dragon Collection Box ($39.99). Inside the Limited Edition box are two set of products – a set of warm toned Fire Dragon products and a set of cool toned Ice Dragon products. I’ve only had a chance to play with the Fire Dragon side, so I might be a little bit biased towards that side. The Fire Side includes Coloricon Loose Pigment in “Gilded Crown” and “Fire Reign”; Coloricon Bronzer in “You’re Dragon Me Down” and “Queen’s Land”; Coloricon Eyeshadow Quad in “Fit for a Queen”; and Megalast Liquid Catsuit Metallic Lipstick in “Queen’s Blood” and “Redlings”. I am IN LOVE with using both shades of lipstick together. The Ice Side includes Coloricon Loose Pigments in “Ice, Ice, Lady” and “To-Knight’s Blue”; Megaglo Highlighting Powder in “Winter Falls in LA” and “Halo Walkers”; Coloricon Eyeshadow Quad in “Mythicool Creatures”; and Megalast Liquid Catsuit Metallic Lipsticks in “Icing on the Wall” and “Shall We Slay”. Lots of cool stuff I still need to play with!
I didn’t stop there. I had added a Pacifica Summer Kale Lip Balm ($1.25) from the sale page. Luckily, it does NOT smell or taste like Kale. I also added the e.l.f. Glow on the Go Selfie Light ($12) this thing is an absolute game changer – no more walking around the bedroom, looking for the perfect light – it makes every selfie perfect. This purchase also got me a gift with purchase – an e.l.f. makeup bag with foil samples of Poreless Face Primer and Hydrating Bubble Mask.
And then I found a BOGO 50% on L’Oreal products. I had been wanting to try their new chocolate lippies AKA L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipstick Les Chocolat ($9.99), so I ordered 4 out of the 6 shades – “70% Yum”, “Candy Man”, “Dose of Cocoa”, and “Box O Chocolate”. I’ve only had a chance to try out the first two and they have a really strong chocolate smell when you apply them, but the scent is gone as soon as it dries, which take a little minute. I kind of wanted the smell to stick around, but then I remembered how much my husband used to hate this chocolate lip gloss I used to wear to bed – he said it smelled like “chocolate ass”. Personally, I liked the way it smelled…but whatever. They also are very “infallible” – I had to use strong eye makeup remover to get them off my lips. They WILL last all day, whether you want them to or not. ANYWAY, this purchase also garnered me a gift with purchase – a L’Oreal makeup bag with samples of Pure Clay Cleanser Detox-Brighten (my favorite); Age Perfect Eye Renewal Eye Cream; and Voluminous Mascara Primer/Base.
On top of ALL that, I also got another gift with purchase for using my Ultamate Rewards Card – a reversible sequin makeup bag filled with samples. I am pretty sure my daughter is gonna fight me for this bag. Inside samples included: StriVectin Multi-Action Restorative Cream; Lab Series Future Rescue; dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel (package says professional-grade, so does that mean I’ll lose 7 layers of skin?); Matrix Biolage Volume Bloom Aqua-Gel Conditioner (what? no shampoo???); Algenist Ultimate Anti-Aging Melting Cleanser; Algenist Genius White Brightening Anti-Aging Cream; tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Highlighter in “exposed”; and an itty bitty sample of Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in “Dark Brown” (my shade!). Pretty nice perk for just a $40 purchase. Oh and my regular samples were pretty lame – a card with 3 sample shades of Clinique 2-in-1 Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Bonbon. I did remember use a $3.50 off coupon from an email, but this was still a big order for me – over $80. It will pay off in the long term, as there was a 5x points promo running when I ordered.
Just $453 until Diamond Status. Oh, and somehow, I have accrued $86 worth of Ulta Points (see above promo)…I’ve got my eye on that new Urban Decay Naked Cherry Palette – it would match my hair!
Target Beauty Boxes – September 2018
View this post on Instagram
It’s been a few months since there have been two Target Beauty Boxes – any even longer since both were for ME.
The “Hello Beauty Reboot!” box is full of products to reboot your beauty routine for fall – and more rose products! I am truly and thoroughly loving this rose renaissance! I cannot wait to try the Weleda Wild Rose Body Wash and Garnier SkinActive Facial Mist Spray with Rose Water (even though I rarely use the Pacifica Rose Facial Spray I already have – what do they even do?) Also in this box: Olay Facial Cleansing Infusion with Crushed Ginger & Citrus; Nivea Smooth Daily Moisture Body Lotion; Schmidt’s Naturals Charcoal Magnesium Deodorant (hmmm, the last one gave me a rash); OGX Coconut Miracle Dry Shampoo; and L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Primer Base. A packed fucking box!
The “Hello Quench & Glow!” box is all masks, which I need, since Sally and I did ALL the masks in Vegas. In the box: Lumene LAHDE Hydration Recovery Aerating Gel Mask; TRESemme Keratin Smooth Deep Smoothing Mask Sachet; Acure Brilliantly Brightening Biocellulose Gel Mask (gross, there’s kale in it); Miss Spa Energize Facial Sheet Mask; and Masque Bar Rose Gold Peel Off Mask (yassss rose gold!).
Both boxes had the usual $3 off a Beauty/Personal Care purchase of $15 or more. Each box was $7, with free shipping and 5% off with my Red Card.
Sephora Play! SMARTS – Skincare by Age: 40s
View this post on Instagram
I’m not ashamed to admit it – I’m in my 40s – and my skin needs help!
Sephora Play! launched three extra boxes this month – Skincare by Age for women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. All of the boxes have great products, so I decided not to be a glutton and order all of them. I just ordered the 40s box.
The first thing I tried out of the box was the Volition Detoxifying Silt Gelee Mask. I’ve never heard of this brand before – but I’ve never met a mask I didn’t like. It was much thinner than a traditional mud mask, hence the silt? It kind of smelled like dirt, too…but it made my skin as soft as my 10 year old daughter’s.
I’ve also been using the Tatcha The Water Cream. It’s got an unusual slippery texture, but it sure does make my makeup stay on seamlessly, almost like it floats on my skin.
Also in the box: Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream (I really need to start using eye creams); Kiehl’s Glow Formula Skin Hydrator; Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Oil; and Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment (great brand).
And can we talk about the amazing plastic case it all came in? It’s a hard-side case, perfect for travel!
I did NOT get the samples I chose. Instead, I got Rita Hazan True Color Shampoo & Conditioner, Becca Ultimate Coverage 24-Hour Foundation, and Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence. I wanted NONE of that. I did get something I wanted very much – a Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment for 100 points.
Just $211 to Rouge…
Influenster Vox Box – Perricone MD
View this post on Instagram
I qualified for a another Influenster Vox Box – especially so soon after the last one. I was also excited to get such a high end brand like Perricone MD!
Inside the Vox Box, I received a full size bottle of Perricone MD No-Rinse Micellular Cleansing Treatment. I received the bottle free for testing purposes, but the full size bottle retails for $45.
The first thing that struck me about the product was the heft to the bottle – it’s in a REAL glass bottle. It’s so rare to see glass bottle these days!
Unlike other Micellular Waters that I’ve tried, the Perricone is a thicker product – almost gel-like. It’s also bright blue. It feel so refreshing on you face, but it isn’t stinging or tightening like my usual toner (Sea Breeze). There’s also no residue or feeling that you need another rinse. As an added bonus, I was also able to use the cleanser to remove some medical tape residue on my breasts after my recent nipple reconstruction surgery – BONUS!
I highly recommend this product based on performance, although it’s quite a bit out of most people’s price range.
Thanks again Influenster – I’ll be sad when I run out of this product!
Sephora Play! August 2018 – Beauty Schooled
Just so you know…I canceled my Birchbox. August’s box was the last one that I will review…I finally put my money where my mouth is – back in my wallet.
I don’t know why I always end up procrastinating on the Sephora Play! box – or why I always end up leaving it to be reviewed last. I know I didn’t receive it last. It’s usually the best box I receive each month, too. I must crave delayed gratification?
I snatched up the Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay. I love clay masks…but add rose into the mix…the mask is rose colored AND has a light rose scent. I am not sure what it retexturized, but it made my skin soft and smooth.
Also in this month’s Beauty Schooled box/bag: Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in “C211” (ugh, what’s up with the goddamn number – it’s a dusty rose nude); Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel (skip); Living proof. T.B.D. Multi-Tasking Styler (their products are always good); Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer (I already have one of these open); and OUAI VOLUME Shampoo and Conditioner.
I remembered to use my 50 point card this month – go me!
Give up 2 pumpkin spice lattes and you’ve paid for it! Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
YESROUGE, 1 & 2
Sephora’s huge VIB event came a little early this year. From August 24th through September 3rd, with the code YESROUGE, Rouge members are eligible for 20% off anything and everything at Sephora. (VIB get 15% and Beauty Insiders get 10% off.) They changed it up a little bit this year. The code can be used multiple times in store, but only once online. Boooooooo!
Since I could only use the code online once, I tried to fill my cart as full as I possible could. Of course, the thing I wanted most (a limited edition Flamingo print Tangle Teezer for $16) was sold out. I consoled myself by buying a bunch of other stuff that I didn’t need.
It’s a HUGE risk to buy fragrances, scent unsmelled. I’ve been jonesing to try more Jo Malone fragrances, so after flip flopping between Peony and Blush Suede and Red Roses, I decided to go a different direction. Sephora also carries Jo Loves, which is the line that Jo Malone launched in 2011 after she sold her original brand. I chose Jo Loves White Roses & Lemon Leaves – A Fragrance Paintbrush Gel ($55, $44 after discount). This scent is like an avalanche of memories. The scent of white roses brings me back to the courtyard outside the church I attended as a child. Besides my grandmother, those roses were literally the only fond memory I have of attending church. This is the scent of a real rose – NOT rose perfume. My only concern is that the gel won’t last very long – it’s hard to gauge how much product is inside the white plastic tube. Fingers crossed…
I am kicking myself for ordering Kat Von D Everlasting Glimmer Veil Liquid Lipstick in “Wizard” ($22, $17.60 after discount). The price went down to $15 the day after I placed my order. Fuuuuuuuck.
I also added a few nail polish sets from the Sale bin: Nails Inc. Unicorn Nail Polish Duo ($10.50, $8.40 after discount), which includes “Sparkle Like a Unicorn in Dream Dust” (3D high sparkle) and “Rainbow Wishes” (soft rainbow sheen) AND Deborah Lippman The World is Your Oyster Nail Polish Duo ($10.50, $8.40 after discount), which includes “Chantilly Lace” and “I Put a Spell on You”.
For samples, I actually got the ones I selected when I ordered: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation (4 shades to try!); COOLA Mineral Face SPF 30 in Matte Tint; and Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eua Florale (too much musk with the jasmine – gave me a headache when I wore it yesterday.)
Of course, I did manage to forget something I actually needed for my online order – replacement heads for my Clarisonic.
I headed to Sephora yesterday and quickly picked up a two pack of Clarisonic Acne Facial Cleansing Brush Heads ($44, $35.20 after discount). I looked all around the store and nothing caught my eye (I am biding my time on the Urban Decay Born to Run palette and the Anastasia Norvina Palette.) I was in the checkout maze and something caught my eye…I ended up bringing home the Amika Polished Perfection Mini Straightening Brush ($35, $28 after discount). I wasn’t sure what it would do, but I was looking for something that would give the front of my hair some OOMPH when I skip a day washing. I am just a little bit in love with this device. It heats up quickly and does what it says it does. It made my hair really shiny and smooth, too. Both my kids did their hair with it too and I have to say, I am super jealous of how smooth and shiny is made my son’s long, luscious hair. But then Lily wanted to use it on the cat…Um, noooooo.
I even remembered to bring in the 50 point card from this month’s Play! box. Now that I can get $100 for 2,500 points, I am gonna take advantage!
So after all this shopping, I just have $241 left until ROUGE. That’s just $60/per month, for the next four months. Hallelujah!
August 2018 Allure Beauty Box – Hot Spell
ZOMG! Nexxus Keraphix Damage Healing Shampoo and Conditioner! This is one of the top five shampoo/conditioner samples I’ve EVER received in a box. I absolutely LOVE it – this combo alone makes the box worth $15.
Also in this month’s “Hot Spell” box: Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet (another brand that I am starting to love); Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner; Laritzy Cosmetics Light Stix in “Halo”; and Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (I know I have one of these in a drawer somewhere, but I’m opening up this puppy tonight – my lips are still fucked from Vegas.)
This month’s box also included a code for $30 off my next purchase at bredawatch.com. Never heard of it, but thanks. Do people even wear watches anymore?
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.
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.
Rose Gold Haul
Sometimes, it is more satisfying to go shopping in person than placing an online order. Especially when it’s Friday, and work is pissing you off…off to Ulta for stress shopping!
The main product I’d been coveting is the new Ulta Beauty 24k Magic Metallic Peel Off Mask ($14). Of course I picked the rose gold version, instead of the regular gold. I tried it out that night and the mask was really nice – results similar to the GlamGlow GravityMud ($59), at a much cheaper price!
Since Ulta was offering a loaded makeup bag as a gift with $19.50 purchase, I rounded up my purchase with 2 additional single use $3 Ulta Beauty Masks (also on promo for Buy 2, Get 1 free) – “Detoxifying Charcoal” Deep Cleansing Clay Mask and “Strawberries & Champagne” Hydrating Glitter Peel Off Mask. I also added a pack of Exfoliating Cotton Pads and a 6-way Nail Buffer. I even got to use a $3.50 off coupon and still get the freebie.
Of course, I picked the Rose Gold version of the Makeup Bag. Inside this suspiciously familiar bag (which looks to be the same one as a gift with purchase I got in June 2017): On-the-Go Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes; a 6 shade eyeshadow palette; a bronzer/illuminator palette; Limitless Lashes Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara; Gel Eye Liner in “Black Out”; Lipstick in “Stay Fierce”; Brow Tint in “Medium”; Tinted Eye Primer in “Satin Blush”; Matte Metallic Liquid Lipstick (no shade name, but I LOVE the color on me); Matte Makeup Setting Spray; a blush brush, an eye shadow brush and a $5 off $15 Ulta Beauty Coupon. The colors in the shadow and lippies are sunset-y fall colors – I am SO ready for fall colors!
All this…for about $23 – not bad. Just $532.50 to Diamond Status…not likely!