Tag: L’Oreal
Rainbow Ulta Haul
So I just got an Ulta order with some fun hair colors for the kids. They really liked the bright colors and I was surprised at how well the colors stayed…well, in my daughter’s hair at least. I am definitely “the cool mom” – I was trying to dye my hair with Black Cherry Kool-Aid when I was my son’s age.
I was checking the price for a friend…and noticed that L’Oreal Colorista for Brown Hair (usually $10.99) was on sale for BOGO Half Off. That’s an even better deal then when I bought it for $8.99. I picked up 4 colors – another Midnight Blue (this one was amazing in my daughter’s hair), Burgundy, Green and Red. I was less than impressed with the Teal I got last time, so I did not reorder. Since I spent $20+ on L’Oreal, I got a free makeup bag. Why not, right?
Ulta Collection was also having a Buy 2, Get 1 Free offer, so I stocked up on brow stuff. I am paranoid of running out of brow pencil while traveling – I’m going to Vegas in about 3 weeks and need to have eyebrows. I was right to order now – I used up 2 old brow pencils this week and gave a third to my daughter! I picked up two Ultra Slim Brow Pencils ($10), one in “Dark Brown” and one in “Brunette”, which is a new shade for me – it’s warmer that “Dark Brown” and I like it for summer. I also tried Brow Pomade in “Dark Brown” ($10). I finally got to try ABH Dip Brow and I LOVE it for a sophisticated brow – I’m just a cheap girl at heart though.
For samples, I got a card with Benefit The POREfessional and Moonlight by Ariana Grande. This perfume smelled SO BAD that my 10 year old daughter wouldn’t even take it…and she wears Cotton Candy scented perfume.
$699.45 to reach Diamond Status. Bwaaaaaaaaaa….
May 2018 Allure Beauty Box – In the Fast Lane
Yup, I added yet another Beauty Box Subscription to the mix – the Allure Beauty Box. (This is different than the seasonal Allure Beauty Thrills boxes from a few years ago.) My sister used to get it a few years ago, but ended up canceling it. I was sucked in by an ad for the June box – a collab with Kat Von D. They were nice enough to start my subscription with the May box – “In the Fast Lane.”
Inside my first box: Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks (2 sets); Kenra Dry Oil Control Spray; First Aid Beauty Hello Fab Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer (LOVE this stuff); St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse (nope, nope, nope); and CLE Melting Lip Powder in “Desert Rose” (this is one of the most amazing products I’ve ever tried…this powder absolutely melted onto my lips without a mess and stays PUT – this is the next big thing in lip color).
There were also two new subscriber gifts – L’Oreal Ever Pure Hair Sheet Mask Steam Treatment (weird) and Grande Lips Hydrating Lip Plumper in “Lust Red” (my lips are plenty plump).
The products seem a bit higher end than my other boxes, but that might be because this is a more pricey box. I’ll give it a few months to see how it goes.
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.
The Mother of All Sample Bags
Ulta might be stingy when it comes with its regular samples, but they are more than generous when it comes to their gift with purchase sample bags. To kick off the Memorial Day weekend, Ulta offered the Mother of All Sample Bags with a $65 purchase…but first, my purchases.
When I get the emails with a sample bag or gift with purchase, I’ll check the sales and fill up my bag. Sometimes I’ll complete the transaction, but oftentimes I don’t. I’ll usually just leave stuff in my bag for next time. Unfortunately, my bag was empty, so I had to start this shopping trip from scratch. I started by checking the Ulta Sale page. I noticed that Edge/Skintimate Shave Gel was BOGO 50% off. Unfortunately, they were out of Edge, so my husband will get to shave his head with Skintimate. Then I noticed that L’Oreal Colorista Semi-Permanent for Brunette Hair was $8.99, down from $10.99. Since it doesn’t work all that well, I figured it would be perfect to use on the kids. I got 3 – Teal, Midnight Blue and Maroon. I also found Ofra Limited Edition Metallic Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in “Fantasia” (it reflects in blue, red and purple – it’s almost holographic) for $10.20, down from $17.
Another deal I was able to take advantage of was a Makeup Revolution Mystery Bag Offer with $25 purchase. This one was hard to do, since Sally just sent me ALL the newest palettes. I decided on the SophX Ultra 24 Eyeshadow Palette, $15 and the Pro HD Brighter Than My Future Palette, $20, but $16 after my 20% off any one item coupon. I had never heard of @SophieDoesNails until this palette, but apparently, she’s a famous Influencer in the UK. I tried out the eye shadows today (without primer) and they do seem to be slightly higher quality than the normal eyeshadows. They blended seamlessly and lasted decently well. Most of the colors are shimmery and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all the dark greens, but looking forward to playing with it. It may – or may not – be a dupe for the Morphe Jaclyn Hill Palette. It looks somewhat similar, but infinitely more wearable. The Pro HD palette is a blush/highlighter palette. The shimmers are INTENSE. I tried one of the striped ones and had to pat half of it off – I looked like an alien. Good stuff, man. Inside the Mystery Bag: the Unicorns Unite Salvation Palette (I actually don’t have this one!), The One Sculpt Contour Stick, Ultra Strobe Stick in “Peach Lightening”, and Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer in “The One for All”. Not bad.
And now. what was in the 29 piece Mother of All Sample Bags? In no particular order: tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer (4 shades); DevaCurl Melt into Moisture Matcha Butter Conditioning Mask; Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara; Sexy Hair Sexy Suds Shampoo & Conditioner; Ulta Beauty Poreless Face Primer (nice); Benefit Roller Lash (one of my fave mascaras); Hempz Herbal Healthy Hair Herbal Fortifying Shampoo; First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads; Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50; Sexy Hair Love Oil; Prada Candy; Maybelline Great Lash (that iconic pink and green tube); Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Cloud Cream Cleanser; NYX Worth the Hype Volume & Lengthening Mascara; Eyeko London eye do liquid eye liner in “carbon black”; Woman by Ralph Lauren; dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon Transformative Night Gel-Cream; Julep Love Your Bare Face Cleansing Oil; living proof. No Frizz Nourishing Style Cream; Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner (this opened inside the bag and got everything a bit MOIST); Lime Crime Unicorn Hair in “Bunny” (there’s no way this peachy shade would ever work in my hair – or anyone’s hair for that matter); philosophy Purity Made Simple Moisturizer; Mamonde Pore Clean Clay Mask; Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in “St. Tropez”; Lime Crime Diamond Crushers in “Lit” (even though I think Lime Crime is a shit brand, I’m looking forward to trying this one out); Kenra Platinum Luxe One Leave-In All-in-One Miracle Spray; COOLA Dawn Patrol Classic Primer; Garnier Skin Active Micellular Foaming Gel Cleanser; and Becca Ultimate Coverage 24-Hour Foundation (3 foil swatches). That’s a lot of stuff, right? That’s at least $50-60 worth of samples! AND it came in a huge, high quality woven canvas makeup bag. Oh, and did I forget the $5 off $15 Ulta Collection coupon?
I also forgot my regular samples – Redken All Soft Shampoo & Conditioner and HASK Biotin Boost Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner. I checked my Ultimate Rewards Balance and I just need ~$50 more to hit Platinum. There’s a slight possibility that I could make Diamond if I get a few haircuts…
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.
Target Beauty Boxes – April 2018
What witchcraft is this? FOUR different Target Beauty Boxes this month? (There was an extra box that dropped the last week of March, but since it was all curly hair products, I skipped it.) When it rains, it pours! The boxes have unique designs and a different coupon set-up than the usual $3 off $15 – each box has coupons for the specific products in the box.
I’ll just start with the top left and move clockwise…the “Be You(tiful)” box is the heaviest and highest value box. It includes e.l.f. Gotta Glow Up Tint in “Perfect Pink” (I suspect it’s like the Winky Lux balm); Simple Water Boost Micellular Makeup Remover Eye Pads (itty bitty!); Nexxus Keraphix Shampoo & Conditioner (ugh, the shampoo came open in the box – at least it made everything smell good); L’Oreal Pure Clay Cleanser – Detoxify and Brighten (picked this up several months ago – LOVE it); OLLY Beauty Vitamins; Sinful Colors Nail Polish in “Galac Sea” (Not a dupe!); and Honest Beauty Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream. This box included $9 in product coupons.
Next up is the “Treat Yourself” box. It includes Bodycology Free & Lovely Coconut & Rose Body Butter (smells good); Dr Teals Pink Himalayan Foaming Bath (ugh, I want a bathtub so bad); ME!Bath Bath Bomb (Ditto); Luxe by Mr. Bubble Bath Meltaway (jeez); Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in “Red Dahlia” (finally, a product I’ll use); Olay Regenerist Whip Active Moisturizer (I’ve been dying to try this); and Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Gel Cleanser. This box included $11 in coupons.
Directly underneath that box is the “All the Masks” box. It includes Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Mask; Que Bella Multi Mask Trio; Yes to Carrots and Kale Single Use Paper Mask; Masque Bar Luminizing Charcoal Peel Off Mask; and St. Ives Soothing Oatmeal Sheet Mask (I busted this one out the night I opened the box – I’m still smooth several days later). This box only included a single $1 off St. Ives coupon.
Last, but not least, is the “Wakeup and Makeup” box. It includes Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaning Wipes; e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Blending Brush; e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Face Palette; Dove Dry Spray Invisible Sheer Finish Deodorant; Dove Dry Shampoo in “Coconut”; CoverGirl Peacock Flare Mascara in “Extreme Black”; and Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Makeup Remover Wipes. This box included $5 in coupons.
So…four boxes at $7 each, AND I remembered to use my $3 off coupon. With another 5% off with my Red Card and free shipping, that’s $24.25 for the whole shebang! If I manage to use even half of the $26 in coupons, I’ll be a happy camper.
Gloomy Lotion
As cynical as I am, I’m a sucker for a new products. I’ve been wanting to get my hands on L’Oreal’s True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer in “Fair” ($14.99). (In my head, I always think Gloomy Lotion). I’ve been really liking the GlamGlow Illuminating Moisturizer. The Gloomy Lotion doesn’t smell as good, but it does the job – I like it.
Since I had a 20% off coupon, I filled my cart with a few other things to get to $50. I also wanted to try Maybelline’s Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil in “Medium Brown” ($7.99). I’ve been loving on the Ulta Slim, but this one is a winner, too! It’t only about 2/3 the length, so it might not be such a good deal pricewise. I got a $5 off a future purchase from those brands for my purchase.
I also got refills of my SheaMoisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Shampoo and Conditioner ($11.49). It wasn’t on sale, but hey, 20% off. Speaking of rose, I also had to try out Philosophy‘s new scent – Amazing Grace Nude Rose ($20). It’s similar with Ballet Rose, but instead of notes of leather, there are green notes. It made my husband gag, so that’s a really good sign.
Oh, and thanks for actually sending me samples, Ulta! I got a cared with three different shades of Too Faced Born This Way Foundation and a card with samples of L’Oreal Revitalift Serum and Moisturizer.
Only $397.23 to get to Platinum for 2019. Chances of hitting Diamond status? At this juncture, I’d say highly unlikely.
Adult-ish
I love to wash my face. Like a lot.
I only needed one face wash, but since I wanted to use my $3 off $15 coupon (from this month’s box), I went ahead and bought three.
I’ve used the Biore Baking Soda Cleanser and Neutrogena Deep Clean Cleanser before – they’re good, solid cleansers. The L’Oreal Paris Pure Clay Cleanser – Detoxify & Brighten is a new one – and it is AMAZING. I was expecting it to be green clay, but it was black clay. It feels really good on my face AND it smells very high end. There are two others in the line – I want to try them, too!
OH…and this cute “Adult-ish” shirt – I couldn’t resist it.
Target Beauty Box – October 2017
So, I went to go use the two coupons I got last month and they had expired the previous weekend. Ugh. So I checked the mail on the way to Target anyway and behold…this month’s box had arrived. I didn’t end up using the coupon though – Target was running a deal with a $5 giftcard with a $20 Beauty purchase – not stackable.
Anyway, what an odd collection of items in this month’s Target Beauty Box – “Cooler Temps”.
The first thing that caught my eye was the Maui Moisture Shea Butter Shampoo. I absolutely HATE getting a shampoo without matching conditioner, but I can use this with some of the hair masques I’ve been collecting. Also in this month’s weird box: Masque BAR Wrinkle-Reducing Mask (yes, please); e.l.f. Wax Brow Pencil (wonder if my husband will let me use this on him?); Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner in “Spiced Chocolate”; L’Oreal Extraordinary Hair Clay System (skeptical, but at least I got both shampoo and conditioner pouches); Raw Sugar Lemon Sugar Hand Wash (odd); and Rimmel Matte Liquid Lip Color in “Be My Baby” (rusty peach).
$7 for this box, which feels like a but much for what I got…unless I remember to use my goddamn coupon this month!
Target Beauty Box – February 2017
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this might be one of the best Target Beauty Boxes that I’ve ever received. Lots of goodies in this $10 box.
Let’s see what we’ve got…Soap and Glory Face Soap & Clarity Face Wash (been wanting to try this brand); Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Repair Shampoo & Conditioner (Oooohhh, from Schwarzkopf, makers of my favorite shampoo/conditioner from back in the day – Citre Shine…wish they still made it); Raw Sugar Coconut & Mango Body Wash; W3ll People Expressionist Mascara; Sun Bum Sunless Self-Tanning Towelette (the only product that’s a NOPE); Masque Bar Hydrating Face Mask; and L’Oreal Pure Clay Masks – 3 masks, one with red algae, one with eucalyptus and one with charcoal (I am most hyped about these masks).
Except for that tanning wipe, I’ll be sampling all of these within the next week or two!
I even already used the $3 off $15 coupon! I picked up some Sea Breeze, a new shower cap and mustache wax (don’t judge – PCOS is a bitch). I saved my 5% with my Red Card.
Target Beauty Boxes – January 2016
Target started out 2017 strong with two great Beauty Boxes for January. Both are themed as “Beauty Goals”.
Beauty Box 1 (on the left) was $10 and included L’Oreal Revitalift Volume Filler Serum & Cream (sample card, boo); Nexxus Comb Thru Finishing Mist (a repeat from my Advent Calendar); ChapStick Total Hydration Sugar Scrub (I am so excited to try this – I think it will work well to remove my liquid lippies); eb5 Facial Cream; Beautiful Nutrition Lemon Clarifying Treatment (I got this in a Beauty Box 5 a while back – never tried it); Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion; AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion; and Revlon Kiss Balm in “Sweet Cherry”. I feel like this box was definitely worth $10.
Beauty Box 2 (on the right) was $5 and a bit smaller, but much heavier. This box included Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner (smells good); Colgate Enamel Health Whitening Toothpaste (full size!); Mane ‘n Tail Shampoo (I would’ve preferred the conditioner); Vaseline Cocoa Butter; SheaMoisture Peace Rose Oil Shampoo & Conditioner (YASSSS); Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (I used to hate getting these and now I LOVE getting wipes – they’re great for cleaning up shadow fallout); Palmer’s Coconut Oil Body Lotion and Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls (I have no curls.) I may not use as many of the products in this box – why so much cocoa butter – but still definitely worth $5.
EACH box came with a $3.50 off $15 coupon! I saved my 5% with my Red Card. Looking forward to next month’s box(es).