Category: Makeup
Amazon Luxury Beauty – Spring 2016
So now Amazon is getting in on the beauty box game. They offered this luxury beauty box for FREE with a qualifying luxury purchase…or $8.99 by itself. I opted to just pay for the box.
I have never heard of most of these brands, but there are a few gems inside the box. Let’s see what I got…L’Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate Body Cream; Sabon Body Lotion in “Delicate Jasmine” (yummy); Ahava Deadsea Water Mineral Hand Cream; Toppik Hair Fattener (odd); bliss Foot Patrol; La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid; Julep It Girl “Carla” ( I don’t have this one!); Juicy Couture Malibu; Nuxe Merveillance Regenerating Night Cream; Vichy Idealia Life Serum; Lierac Mesolift Serum; Vincent Longo Sweet Melody Trio Eyeshadow (I fail to see how these colors would look good on the eye – matte violet, baby pink and mint green…uh, NO.); Shaveworks The Cool Fix (for ingrowns and razor burn – yes please); Marvis Cinnamon Mint Toothpaste; Calvin Klein Euphoria; and Catherine Malandrino Romeance de Provence.
Something in the box smells like patchouli, but I haven’t figured out what it is yet…
There was also a coupon for $10 off a $50 luxury beauty purchase…I may have to browse…
More Sephora Math
Boys and girls, it’s time for another round of Sephora Math. Sephora Math is when you buy something in order to get something else cheaper.
In this case, the new Sephora Favorites Perfume Sampler includes Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Rose, which I was pretty sure I wanted…even though I haven’t smelled it yet. But…rose! Even if I didn’t like it, there are a few other scents in the sampler that I love – Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale and Stella McCartney Stella. Also inside the sampler: Elizabeth and James Nirvana White (no), Gucci Guilty (no), Marc Jacobs Mod Noir (maybe), Tocca Stella (maybe). But it doesn’t matter – I love Jolie Fleur Rose. It reminds me a bit of Rosabotanica, but rosier. Here’s where the Sephora Math comes in…the sampler was $25, but Jolie Fleur Rose is $28…so again, saving $3!
I also got a gift with purchase…the Flower Child Perfume Sampler Bag, which includes Maison Martin Margiela REPLICA Beach Walk, Stella McCartney Stella, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Burberry My Burberry, Elizabeth and James Nirvana White, Chloe by Chloe and the Tory Burch trio: Jolie Fleur Rose, Jolie Fleur Bleue and Jolie Fleur Verte. I am gonna smell SO GOOD.
For samples, I got Benefit The POREfessional (I keep picking the new version, but they send the old one…suck!), Josie Maran Argan Oil Foundation Fluid (6 different shades!), and MD Solar Sciences Evening Facial Repair Serum (also not what I ordered). Only $177 to Rouge!
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Look…I could give a shit about Alice Through the Looking Glass movie coming out…but the new Urban Decay Alice Through the Looking Glass palette ($60) – that’s a big fucking deal!
I was expecting it to become available on May 1st, but I was surprised to see it show up on the Ulta site on April 28th. I was at Ulta on April 29th, a quick pit stop on my way to Texas Frightmare Weekend. I stopped in The Woodlands, knowing that if it was out of stock, I could also stop in Conroe.
It was so pretty, I had to open it in the car. The packaging is very elaborate – the top opens up and a butterfly pops up. I’d heard that it is supposed to play a tune, but I haven’t figured out how to make it play. The shadows slide out of a drawer on the bottom. 20 new shadows, 4 for each character – Alice, Mad Hatter, Mirana, Iracebeth and Time.
I also had to swatch all of the Urban Decay Alice Lipsticks ($18): (L-R) “Time”, “Mirana”, “Mad Hatter”, “Iracebeth” and “Alice”. At first, I thought I would get the blue one – “Time”, but where would I wear blue lipstick? Work?
I played it safe and picked “Mirana”.
The best part? The palette was FREE and the lipstick was almost FREE, because I’d been hoarding my Ulta points for the last 10 months and had $72 of points built up. Go ME!
Oh yeah, I also grabbed a clearance OPI polish – “My Gecko Does Tricks” ($4.99), a green that I’d been coveting for a while.
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 Ipsy Bag – The Dreamers
April’s ipsy glam bag is so dreamy…a rainbow tie-dyed canvas bag, ready for Woodstock…or Coachella, if you’re into that kind of thing. It’s a fitting bag for this month’s theme – “The Dreamers”.
I am loving the products I got this month: tarte LipSurgence Lip Creme in “Wonder”; Skinn Cosmetics Bright Eyes Eye Enhancing Eyeliner (looks like a dupe for Urban Decay’s new nude waterline pencil…I’m still scared to fuck with my waterline); Crown Brush Duo Fiber Blush Brush (I cannot give up my angled Coastal Scents brush – NOPE); pur~lisse Beauty Blue Lotus & White Tea + Seaweed Sheet Mask (2!); and Nomad Cosmetics NOMAD x Marrakesh Intense Eyeshadow in “Desert Sands”.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
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.
Rouge Note
Last week was the hotly anticipated Spring discount code for Sephora. 15% off anything and everything. Sephora isn’t like Ulta, throwing coupons around left and right – this is a BIG deal.
The first thing I ordered (on Friday) was the Atelier Cologne Nécessaire Nomade set ($45). It’s a cute little tin with 8 .14 oz travel sprays. The included scents are Bergamote Soleil, Cédrat Enivrant (my absolute favorite Atelier scent – my original travel spray is almost empty), Orange Sanguine, Pomélo Paradis (I’ve been coveting this one since smelling it in-store), Mandarine Glaciale (I already have one of these, too – but so what?), Sud Magnolia, Figuier Ardent, and Cédre Atlas. I just wish I wasn’t suffering from the worst ever sinus cold, so I could enjoy the scents…fuck it, I’ll spray them all over me so everyone else can enjoy them.
For samples, I got Lancome Advanced Genifique (not what I picked), NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 30, and Benefit The POREfessional.
I actually got the thing I ordered Sunday first – on Wednesday. Funny how that works.
I never thought I’d buy a Clarisonic. But ever since I started this site, with all the subscription boxes and samples, I’ve been taking better and better care of my skin and I can really tell the difference. Then I got an extra Clarisonic brush head with an Ultra freebie. So I took the plunge…and picked the Clarisonic Mia 2 Faded Rose Floral Favorites Set ($149), which includes Boscia Tsubaki Cleansing Oil-Gel and L’Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream. (Both Sephora and Ulta carry many different Clarisonic sets, with different colors and different products. Unfortunately, Ulta excludes the Mia 2 from coupons, or I would have used my 20% off coupon to buy one there.) I used it for the first time last night and it was a bit weird, but my skin felt soooo soft afterwards. Only time will tell if it makes a long-term difference in my skin and I keep using it…or get bored and shove it in a drawer.
For samples, I got Atelier Figuier Ardent, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream and GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment (Again, not what I picked – but I’ll take it). I also used points to get the Estee Edit Dissolve the Drama 2-in-1 Makeup Remover + Cleanser.
I made a pretty good dent in my spend…only $197 to Rouge status for 2017!
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.