Category: Face
Sephora Play! May 2018 – Beauty Goals
May’s Sephora Play! box marks the 2nd anniversary of the service and they’ve “compiled the beauty products that have stood the test of time with their incredible formulas and cult following.” (Yes, I snatched that quote directly from the box insert.)
Even though I’m not much of a highlighter girl, I’ll add a bit to my cheeks and browbone when I want to look fancy. I’ve been wanting to try Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in “Champagne Pop” – it really is a cult favorite, at least on Instagram.
I’m not quite as excited about the rest of the box – only because I already have loads of these very same products, not because they products are bad. I have at least 7 or 8 Kat Von D Tattoo Liners in “Trooper” and probably 700 samples of Benefit The POREfessional. I use these products – but just not as much as I receive them. I have never tried Bumble and bumble. Thickening Volume Hairspray – but I use hairspray maybe twice a year?
I am looking forward to trying Sephora Collection Mud Mask Purifying & Clarifying – I love me some mud masks.
My lil sis is getting the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb – it’s one of her favorite scents.
The denim pouch is also cute. Someone help me figure out what to do with all these pouches I’ve been getting – I’ve used them for panties when I travel, but I could use help figuring out to do with the rest of them.
If you don’t get Sephora Play, join up now. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
Freebies
Soooo…I ordered a birthday gift for my sister from Sephora, but I’m really excited about some of the freebies I got.
I used a promo code to get a deluxe sample of Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle. I don’t have much experience with Aerin fragrances, but this one is AMAZING. My husband smelled it and actually said, “Now that smells YUMMY.” That is high praise from a man that gags from most fragrances. I wore it on Monday and spent some time outside in the grass and I felt like I was being attacked by bugs. It’s an ultra-realistic honeysuckle scent.
I also used 100 points to get a deluxe sample of Boscia Pore Pudding – I love that shit!
My usual three samples were Chloe Fleur de Parfum (not as good as Roses de Chloe, but I like it); Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil; and Sephora Collection 10HR wear perfection foundation ( 3 shades – ivory 10, beige 25 and walnut 33).
Just $529 until…
May 2018 Ipsy Bag – Go There
Go there? Go where?
There is wherever the summer takes you and this month’s ipsy picks are designed to go with you. I thought the bag was covered with cute passport stamps, but upon closer inspection, I realized they are postmarks – Par Avion, etc.
The first product that caught my eye were the face masks – Fresh Garden Açai Berry Calming Mask and Pomegranate Firming Mask – they were too big to fit into the ipsy bag. Also in this month’s bag: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in “London” (Ooooooh, I don’t have this one); SLMISSGLAM Sparkle Everyday Glam Beauty Sponge; Tarte Cosmetics Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder (Another good one); and Sugar Cosmetics Arch Arrival Brow Definer in “Taupe Tom”.
Not a bad little bag this month – almost a full face’s worth.
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Target Beauty Box – May 2018
Only one Target Beauty Box this month – I am so spoiled.
This month’s theme is “Hello Indulgence!” and includes a wide variety of pampering products. I am excited to try the St. Ives Cleansing Stick in “Cactus Water & Hibiscus”. Julep’s groundbreaking idea is catching on!
Also in this month’s box: OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Dry Shampoo; La Roche Posay Lipikar Balm Intense Repair Moisturizing Cream; Free & Lovely by Bodycology Body Mist in “Lavender & Amber”; Scunci Spirals (a rip-off of the invisibobble); Soap & Glory The Scrub of Your Life Body Butter (but it’s really a body scrub); and Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Lotion Sunscreen SPF 55 (Yasss, it’s waterproof – I’ll be using this at Schlitterbahn this summer).
Great box!
This box had the usual $3 off a Beauty purchase of $15 or more – but it was a different kind of coupon. It has a QR code to add to the Target app – I LOVE that! The box was $7, with free shipping and 5% off with my Red Card.
Kat Von D – 10th Year Anniversary Collection
I’ve been waiting months and months for this…and on Cinco de Mayo, Kat Von D released her 10 year Anniversary Collection. It’s everything I thought it would be and more.
The 10th Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette ($52) was the first thing into my cart. I am blown away by the quality of the shadows. I tried it yesterday, without primer and it was ultra, mega, SO pigmented. Although Kat excels at matte eyeshadows, I’m really drawn to the transformer shades in this collection. I did a look centered around “Alexandra” (rose gold glimmer) and it matched my rose gold hair perfectly. When my husband got home from work last night, he actually said my makeup looks cute…and he NEVER says that. Literally, the best I can hope for it, “You look nice,” but usually I get “What is wrong with your face?”
So, this palette gets the husband stamp of approval – that’s even higher praise than “Jeffree Approved”!
I also picked up the 10th Anniversary Lipsticks – Everlasting Glimmer Veil in “Gold Skool” ($22) and Studded Kiss Lipstick in “Santa Sangre” ($19). I wore “Gold Skool” with “Lolita II” Everlasting Lip Liner yesterday and it KILLED. Now, the $64,000 question – how does it compare to Jeffree Star “First Class”? The two aren’t even really similar – “First Class is a black-leaning metallic, while “Gold Skool” has more of a glittery gold dust finish. Not dupes at all!
I dropped $93, but I didn’t even get the whole collection. There’s also a brush set ($125), a highlighter ($30), an eyeliner ($20) and a traincase ($150). I wanted them all…but I also wanted my family to eat this month. I am VERY happy with my purchase and I am confident when I say that Kat Von D has overtaken Urban Decay as my favorite cosmetics brand.
Since I have Sephora Flash, I broke my order up into two orders, so that I could get double samples and use two promo codes. I got my doubles AND Sephora still sent it all to me in one box. Winning!
I used a promo code to get an Amore Pacific Set, which includes Vintage Single Extract Essence, Botanical Radiance Oil and The Essential Creme Fluid. I also used a code to get a fragrance sample bag with Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, Stella Peony (the one I wanted to try – need to buy it); Philosophy Amazing Grace Ballet Rose (another love); Giorgio Armani Sky di Gioia, Chloe Fleur de Parfum, Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh AND Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara. Nice!
For my sample picks, I got 2 Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (each sample card had 4 colors AND a tiny brush – been wanting to try this so bad!); Urban Decay Vice Special Effects Top Coat (includes 4 colors – “Fever”, “Reverb”, “Ritual” and “White Lie”); and Clinique Moisture Syrge 72-hour auto-replenishing hydrator. Wait! That’s only 4 samples! They screwed me!
But…only $568 until Rouge…I might do it!
May 2018 Birchbox – Soak in the Sunshine
Ugh, Birchbox – what is this weird shit?
I mean, I picked the curated box, so I knew what I was picking – but it’s weird. The Whal Myung Skin Elixir is throwing me off – it looks like some illegal product you get from a back room in a massage parlor. That, of course, means it is probably FIRE – or will will set my face on FIRE.
Also in this month’s “Soak up the Sunshine” box: Wander Beauty Catch the Light Highlighter & Glowtion (love me some glowtion); KNC Beauty All Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask; OUAI Volume Spray; and Georgette Klinger Coconut Cleansing Milk.
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.
Target Beauty Box – April 2018
…ANOTHER Target Beauty Box for April? Wut?
I was still reeling over the first four Target Beauty Boxes that I ordered this month when a fifth became available to order, this one focusing on natural beauty products – “Hello Natural Beauty”.
Inside the Natural Beauty box: Method Experiential Simply Nourish Body Wash (coconut, rice milk, and shea butter); Love Beauty & Planet Coconut Water Shampoo & Conditioner (yassss); SheaMoisture African Black Soap Mud Mask (My beauty buddy, Angie, just suggested this mask to me TODAY); Schmidt’s Rose + Vanilla Deodorant (Looking forward to a rose deodorant, not to mention the SPIFFY name); Nourish Organic Face Lotion; and Weleda Skin Food (lotion, I guess).
I am psyched to try every product in this box – that’s rare!
This box went back to the usual $3 off a Beauty purchase of $15 or more. It was $7, with free shipping and 5% off with my Red Card.
Coconut and Coffee
I don’t usually share every time I go to Target, but this trip actually contained some “share-worthy” products.
I get all kinds of excited every time St. Ives comes out with a new product. I was able to use my Target Beauty Box coupon on St. Ives Energizing Coconut & Coffee Scrub. So excited to try it! But I’m making myself use up the Shea Moisture scrub before I open it…
I also tried L’Oreal Paris Pure Clay Cleanser – Exfoliate & Refine, which is a red clay as opposed to the black clay I have on my sink. Again, I’m forcing myself to use up the old one before I open the new one.
Everything else I bought was much less exciting – Axe Body Wash and Shampoo for the men, Cotton Balls, Toner, Contact Solution and a shit ton of nail polish remover.
I fucking love Target.
Beachwave Me
I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. I’m always looking for the next product/styling aid that will give me perfect hair…I try something new, get excited…then back comes the ponytail.
That being said, my current Revlon curling iron is probably older than my son (13!) and didn’t get very hot last time I tried to use it. I’ve been drooling over the Beachwaver Curling Iron, but at $129 – that’s a steep price for a curling iron! How can I rationalize spending that much money on a styler I’ll use just a few times a year? Well…I found a way.
First, you save up your Ulta Platinum Points for nearly 2 years – the last time I used my points was on the Alice Through the Looking Glass Palette! I had saved $67.50 in points. Then, wait for a 20% off coupon. Last week, the stars aligned and I snagged the Beachwaver S1 Curling Iron for just $35.70. Woo! I tried it out and it’s just as amazing as videos make it look. You literally just grab your hair and press the button and BAM – perfect waves. I haven’t done my whole head yet…but coming soon!
I also found a promo for a free 18 piece Beauty Bag with $30 purchase on RetailMeNot – check out the amazing contents: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in “Milk” (already have one, but sure); Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer (have some, but I like it); Bosley Professional Strength Ultra Boost Styling Creme (Bosley, like the hair plug people?); Clairol Hair Food Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner Infused with Honey Apricot Fragrance (Mmmmm); Jimmy Choo L’eau; First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (huh?); Hempz Original Herbal Shampoo for Damaged and Color Treated Hair; Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium; Philosophy Amazing Grace; Living proof. restore mask treatment; goodol Wash Up Deep Clean Pore Glacial Clay; Nyakio Maracuja & Yangu Soothing Oil; Perricone MD Cold Plasma Face Serum; Rituals Hand Balm in “Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil”; Philosophy Purity Made Simple (love this stuff for when I travel); Hey Honey Good Morning Honey Silk Facial Serum; Estee Lauder The Smoother Universal Perfecting Primer; Organic to Green Coco Oil; and a $5 off $15 Ulta Collection coupon! I have finger cramps now!
My usual samples were also good – NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in “American Woman” and HASK Biotin Boost Shampoo & Conditioner.
I don’t plan on hitting the beach this summer, but my hair will be ready just in case!
YAYROUGE, Part 1
It’s that time of year…the Sephora Spring Bonus discount is here!
This year, VIB Rouge gets a 15% discount not one weekend, but BOTH weekends. I hit my closest Sephora during lunch on the first day of the sale. (Only 14 minutes from my office to Sephora!) I was after this year’s Sun Safety Kit, but the store had already sold out…I’d have to check online.
I wanted the gift with purchase, so I wandered around, looking for a summer skin product. I tried new foundations from Sunday Riley and First Aid Beauty, but was unimpressed. Then I came across Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint SPF 30 in “Fair” ($42). I tried it on my wrist and it actually blended into my skin, instead of just sitting on top. What the hell. I bought a tube. 15% made me not feel bad about it. I tried it both days this past weekend and it is more similar to a BB cream than a foundation, but it evened out my complexion without looking thick. AND I didn’t break out. This foundation will be my summer jam.
Not only did I get a cute “Lips” Card Case, but I got a sample bag. Inside the special sample bag: Buxom Big Tease Plumping Mascara; tarte Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost; Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear; Beauty Blender Liquid Blendercleanser (it works SO much better than Baby Shampoo); Caudalie Vinopefect Radiance Serum; Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil; Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream; and Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask. Yeah, it’s mostly foil packs, but it’s high end brands.
Oh, I also got to smell REPLICA Music Festival, which is purported to smell like patchouli and “fresh bud”. I’ll be damned if it didn’t smell just like a hippie that hadn’t bathed in a month.
…and then I started ordering online….