Tag: Clarisonic

 
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YESROUGE, 1 & 2

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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.)

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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!

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VIB Rouge Fall 2017 Preview

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I’ve been invited to several exclusive Rouge events over the last two years that I’ve had Rouge status, but this past Saturday was the first time I ever actually went. I actually got up super early, got dressed and drove my ass to Sephora at 9am in the morning.

The Fall Preview Event showcases a few of the new products launching in the fall and makes them available to purchase in very limited quantities. I say very limited, because by the time I arrived, 25 minutes into the event, they had already sold out of the Too Faced Glitter Bomb Palette. I might have been tempted to buy it, especially after swatching it and covering myself with rainbow glitter…but then I think about the owner…and no.

I had snagged a new Clinique Bubble Mask…but then I got a mini-facial with Fresh products. I put that sucker back and purchased Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream ($40) and Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner ($44). I just have a soft spot for rose scents. I also picked up a Deep Pore Replacement Head for my Clarisonic ($27).

Oh, and the freebies! The Fresh Rep gave me a Deluxe sample of Fresh Sugar Face Polish and Sugar Lip Treatment Collection. When I checked out, I qualified for a HUGE flower printed pouch and a little gift baggie of samples. Inside the little baggie were 2 of each sample: Lancer The Method: Polish, Cleanse, Nourish; Alterna Haircaire Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz PM Overnight Smoothing Treatment and AM Daytime Smoothing Blowout Balm; Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturizer; and Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. Weird products, but I’ll try them out.

All these purchases requalified my VIB status for 2018 and put me just $561 away from Rouge. I think I can do it…

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Rouge Note

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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 SoleilCédrat Enivrant (my absolute favorite Atelier scent – my original travel spray is almost empty), Orange SanguinePomélo 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 MagnoliaFiguier 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.

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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!

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Bonus Ulta Haul

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For the past few years, I’ve had a ritual. As soon as I find out what my yearly bonus will be, I go online and buy the makeup that’s been on my mind. I only spend around $50 – nothing huge – it’s just a fun, immediate way to celebrate.

This time, I immediately went to Ulta’s site and started adding.

First was another Makeup Revolution Palette and another Salvation Lip Lacquer in “Nothing Like Anything”.

In addition to 3 more NYX Lip Lingerie and another Lip Ombre Duo in “Rags & Riches”, I also decided to try NYX HD Finishing Powder in “Banana”. Yup, I’m gonna try Banana Powder…the Kardashian Holy Grail for contouring. I’m not going to contour, per se…I don’t know what I’m gonna do with it.

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There was also a Skincare Beauty Break – it was free, so why not? It came with a Clarisonic brush head (I don’t have a Clarisonic…yet); Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel; Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser; Exuviance Purifying Clay Mask; and Bliss Fabulous Makeup Melt. My freebies were Benefit Air Patrol and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (I think I have enough of this to paint my house now).

I promise – these NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks are NOT all the same color. From top to bottom, they are “Push-up”, “Corset” and “Bedtime Flirt”. The formula is creamy, although a bit drying, and last almost all day

I wore “Push-up” today – it looked great with a dramatic matte eye. It did feel dry after a few hours, so I did a bit of lip balm over it to replenish my lips. It didn’t melt away and didn’t leave any weird residue on my lips.

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I couldn’t resist swatching the Makeup Revolution Salvation “New-trals vs. Neutrals” palette. It’s a bit frustrating that all the Salvation palettes come in identical plastic cases…although this palette is matte black plastic and “Girls on Film” is shiny plastic. Other than that, the only way to tell them apart is to look at the stick on the back. This palette also comes with the shadow names printed on the plastic liner – I love that! It also came with a good quality, dual-ended brush – instead of the sponge applicator in “Girls on Film”.

The quality also feels better than “Girls on Film”. I wore it this morning, sticking to the lightest matte and the orangey matte for my crease. It went on flawlessly with the brush and blended beautifully. I’m looking forward to trying the shimmers tomorrow – they look very similar to the UD Gwen Stefnai palette. I’m in HEAVEN…at least until my monster order for the Makeup Revolution site makes it across the pond…