Category: Face
Target Beauty Box – October 2015 – #2
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What! What! WHAT! There were 2 Target Beauty Boxes this month!
This $10 box packs a punch – I don’t even know how they fit it all into the box. Inside my box: Goody Ouchless Silicone Lined Elastics; Cover Girl Intensify Me Eyeliner in “Intense Black” (it has a paddle tip that paints thin and thick lines); Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in “Wardrobe”; RoC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream (I’ve heard good things about RoC, but have never tried it – looking forward to trying it); ACURE Moroccan Argan Oil + Stem Cell Triple Repair Shampoo & Conditioner (big samples, not foil packets!); Skinfix Ultra Rich Body Butter; Hello Toothpaste in “Supermint”; Olly Beauty Vitamins (with Biotin, Vitamins C, E & Borage Oil – I ate them already – they were yummy); and S.W. Basics Certified Organic Body Scrub (At first, I thought it was a packet of granola – it has just three ingredients: sugar, coconut oil & shredded coconut – so it kinda IS granola).
As usual, there’s a coupon $3 off a $15 Beauty purchase. Another great box from Target!
Sephora Play! 02 – October 2015
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It’s only the second month, but Sephora Play! is quickly becoming my favorite subscription box. The samples are SOOOOO good.
This month’s theme is “Secrets to Dewy Skin.” I don’t know if I want dewy skin, but looks like I am gonna get it with these: boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser & Konjac Cleansing Sponge with Bamboo Charcoal (I’ve been wanting a Konjac!); Sephora Pearl Mask (with real white pearl); Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Day Tint; Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Instant Infusion Treatment Toner; belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb (this stuff IS the bomb – I love it & get samples of it whenever I can); and Atelier Cologne “Mandarine Glaciale” (I have a rollerball of this stuff already – I like it, but my husband thinks it smells like plastic).
The box comes with a card that gives 50 extra points with my next Sephora purchase.
Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can get on the wait list at sephora.com/play.
Fall 2015 Freeman Beauty Mystery Bag
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I guess technically, it isn’t a beauty bag – it comes in a box – no bag to be seen. As of Friday night, it’s still available on their website! $30 and free shipping!
Inside this year’s box: c. Booth Mimosa Honeysuckle Body Souffle (this smells SO good – primarily honeysuckle); Barefoot Exfoliating Polish (works on your whole body); Barefoot Repair! Deodorizing Foot Spray (my feet don’t smell, but good to have on hand, I guess); c. Booth Blackberry In-Bath Body Conditioner (Not only do I need pre-conditioner for my hair, now my whole body needs conditioner?); Freeman Hibiscus Overnight Repair Mask; Freeman Daisy Oxygen Revival Mask; psssst! Volumizing Boost Invisible Texturizing Powder (I don’t understand this product – will have to research further); Freeman Pomegranate Body Wash (smells divine); Vita-K Professional for Crow’s Feet; Vita-K Professional for Dark Circles; and three single use mask packs – Facial Purifying Paper Mask in “Star Fruit”; Facial Lava Clay Mask in “Cinnamon & Moroccan”; and Facial Peeling Mask in “Pumpkin” (more pumpkin!). I also picked 4 free samples masks with my order: Facial Enzyme Mask in “Pineapple” (I’ve tried it before and loved it); Pomegranate Revealing Peel-Off Mask; Facial Exfoliating Scrub in “Pink Grapefruit”; and Chocolate & Strawberry Clay Mask (I am the most excited about this one).
No repeats from last year and no duplicates of any full-size products I have. I can’t wait to start putting masks on!
Target Beauty Box – October 2015
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So this month’s Target Beauty Box is interesting – it is all products by L’Oréal Paris. Ooooh la la!
Let’s see what we’ve got…Voluminous Mascara in “Blackest Black” (good thing I gave my Sister-in-Law 3 unopened mascaras a few days ago – I have an unending supply); Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo (well what conditioner am I gonna use, huh?); Elnett Satin Hairpsray (I think I have one of these from another Target box); Age Perfect Cell Renewal Night Cream (this was listed on the car, but there isn’t a sample of it in my box – just a little sticker to “test” if my skin needs renewal – it doesn’t); Revitalift Volume Filler (single use samples of serum and cream); True Match Shade Strips (this is the coolest thing in the box – stickers to place on your face to find the best foundation match); and Advanced Haircare Ultimate Straight Shampoo, Pre-Conditioner and Conditioner (They done changed the game – now I need pre-conditioner before my conditioner???)
Kind of a weeny box for $5. But the mascara alone is more than $5, plus – there’s a coupon for $5 off $20 of L’Oréal, so… Now if they would just set it up as a subscription, instead of me having to order it each month.
October Ipsy Bag – Alter Ego
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Ipsy’s October theme is “Alter Ego”, as in transformation. Everyone likes to transform for Halloween…but I like to transform 365 days a year.
Inside my snazzy black vinyl and gold pleather bag: Eau Thermale Avène Soothing Moisture Mask (yassss); MicaBeauty ipsy EXCLUSIVE Cream Eyeshadow in “Bronze”; AYRES ipsy EXCLUSIVE Pampas Sunrise Hand Cream (mmmm…smells yummy and lemony); theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in “Committed” (excited about this – texture and color); and Coastal Scents Xpress Line Cosmetic Pencil (It didn’t say what color it is, but I am assuming black.)
No offense, ipsy – but these don’t seem like very transformative products. At least not to me.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
October Birchbox – Power Pose
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It’s October and you know what that means…PINK. The entire country is drowned in Pepto Bismol pink, a massive marketing event purportedly intended to raise breast cancer awareness, but really designed to sell pink versions of every product possible, from KFC to NFL. I don’t apologize for my cynicism. My mother died of breast cancer a decade ago and I don’t need a pink bucket of chicken breasts to remind me to get MY breasts squished between plexiglass plates on a yearly basis.
In any case, Birchbox offered the choice of two curated Estée Lauder boxes. I picked the “Power Pose” box, which contains Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in “Mega Melon” (is that some kind of ironic joke about breasts?); Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief; Darphin STIMULSKIN PLUS Multi-Correction Divine Cream; Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Synchronized Complex II; and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (I think I have 4 of these now). OH! And an obligatory pink ribbon. Yay.
I know I sound like an asshole – normally, I love the color pink – just not that trademarked Komen pink. One of the organizations that I do admire is The Rose, a local organization that provides Breast Cancer screening and treatment for those who cannot afford it. They are able to do this, not by donations or pink marketing – but by also servicing women (like me) that have insurance and using those funds to support their initiatives. They DO something.
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 – September 2015
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It’s here! The first Sephora Play box! Like I need another subscription box…I DO. I NEED MORE BOXES.
Inside the first Play box: Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion in “Peony” (I got this same color in the new “Gimme Some Lip” box – but I like it); Marc Jacobs Highliner in “Blacquer” (I now have enough black eyeliner to transcribe the bible); Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation; Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer (Mmmm – excited about this); GlamGlow SuperCleanse (I love putting mud on my face); and Elizabeth and James “Nirvana White” (Ugh, this is my 3rd one – I can’t give this shit away.)
My box also came with a card that will give me 50 extra points with my next Sephora purchase – WIN!
Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can get on the wait list at sephora.com/play.
Vegas Recap
So…I already shared my Sephora Makeover, but I thought I would share a few other highlights from my Vegas trip.
First, I’ve gotta talk about my nails. I had no idea what I was going to wear, so I picked a neutral polish – Julep “Rachael”, graphite shimmer. I accented “Rachael” with Julep “Kirby” – silver jagged glitter top coat – on my thumb and ring finger. I had to use the Chandelier Bar at our hotel, The Cosmpolitan, as a background – it was just too perfect. I started with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat and ended with “HK Girl” – and my nails looked pristine the whole weekend.
Next up…I made the mistake of letting myself get pulled into a skin place at our hotel called Skins 6/2. Before I knew what was happening, some chick was putting crap all over my face. Turns out it was SNAKE VENOM and according to her, it was like all-natural botox. I’ve gotta admit, it momentarily seemed to work. Of course, they were having a one day sale on their Forever Flawless Snake Venom Serum – just $500 instead of $1,500. Really? Did she really think I was going to fall for that shit? My bullshit scam meter was on high alert, so I high-tailed it out of there. A quick google gave me this and this and this. Looks like I managed to avoid a really nasty rash at the very least. Oh…my wrinkles were back by that evening.
Fast forward to the next day…walking through the Miracle Mile shops and a girl at a kiosk tries to get my attention to sample something. I am still irritated by yesterday’s snake oil, so I ignore her and keep walking until my slightly alcohol addled brain realizes that it was a moYou kiosk. I immediately take two steps back and say, “Is this THE moYou?” Yup, it was moYou nail stamping. I’d been wanting to try nail stamping and moYou London is the Cadillac of nail stamping, but I was under the impression that it was only available in the UK. Well, not anymore – they even have a US website now.
I picked up the starter kit + french manicure kit and the saleslady even threw in a free corrector pen and black polish, all for $90. So brace yourselves…nail stamping is coming!
Vegas Sephora Makeover
When I made VIB status at Sephora, I got a voucher for a free custom makeover. Even though there are Sephoras everywhere here, it’s not like I have the time to schedule a makeover. I had nothing but time while I was in Vegas this past weekend, so I figured – why not now?
I scheduled my makeover at the Miracle Mile Sephora, right on the Vegas strip. (I was too lazy to walk all the way to the Forum shops.) I told my artist, Glenn, to start me over completely. He used Sephora PANTONE Color IQ to get my exact skin tone – 1y06. He tried the matching shade of Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation in “118 – Flesh”, but it was a bit too dark, so he went with “115 – Ivory”. The Color IQ system is AMAZING – now I’ll always know the right color for me!
Glenn taught me the error of my ways – all along, I had been putting foundation first, then doing my eyes and getting eye shadow fall out everywhere. He showed me how to do my eyes first, then use eye cream to clean up the fallout. The eye cream sucks up the makeup, plus freshens under your eyes. For my eyes, he used a combination of the Kat Von D Shade & Light palette + Metal Crush eye shadows in “Raw Power”, “Thunderstruck” & “Symphony”. For the liner, he used Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (which I’ve got). Mascara was Dior.
My eyebrows…are a WORK OF ART. They’re bigger than my usual, but ON FLEEK. Glenn introduced me to the Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil. I’m breaking up with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz!
He then went to work on my foundation with the Make Up For Ever system. First was the Skin Equalizer, then the stick foundation. He used a foundation brush and it blended beautifully. He finished with NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder and Make Up Forever Setting Spray. He did go a bit nuts contouring with bronzer, which is not my usual look, but I don’t look like Kim Kardashian, so there’s that.
For my lips, he went neutral with liner and lipstick from Buxom. Glenn was an absolute rock star. My makeover was supposed to be 45 minutes and he spent an HOUR and 45 minutes with me. We spent the whole time talking about our shared interests – John Waters, Face Off & Rocky Horror.
Since I was fresh off a $250 Gremlins slot machine win, I went a little nuts…but not TOO nuts. I got the Make Up For Ever Skin Equalizer & Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation. I held back on the Kat Von D Shade & Light palette (it’s so similar to my Monarch palette), but I did get Kat Von D Metal Crush Raw Power. I also got the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in “Warm Brunette”. I also got a Sephora lip brush – I think it will allow me to use Kat Von D “Piaf” without looking like a lunatic.
The best part? They let me use my VIB 10% discount again!
The next day, I used the techniques that Glenn taught me. I used my Beauty Blender with the foundation stick and the results were even better – I was able to get thinner, more natural coverage. I was right about the lip brush – I rocked “Piaf” on Saturday night and didn’t look like a freak!
September Ipsy Bag – Face Fashion
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“Face Fashion” – is “face” being used as a verb or a descriptive noun? I am so confused…am I being told to look toward fashion or being advised that these products are fashion for my face???
In any case, all of the products in this month’s ipsy bag are for my face: NYX Cosmetics ipsy eye Shadow Trio (LOVE these limited edition colors); Evelyn Iona Cosmetics Cream Blush in “ASH” (Looks pink to me); J. Cat Beauty #MOTD Waterproof Slide on Pencil for Eyes in “Bronze” (cool color, but UGH – waterproof); ACURE Argan Oil Cleansing Toilettes; and Crown Brush Oval Concealer Brush (I was hoping for a lip brush).
The bag this month…so sophisticated! I’m adoring the bronze pattern.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.