Tag: NARS
Platinum Order
Another Ulta order? So soon?
I’ve started doing this thing where, if I run out of something or if I see something I want to try, I stash it in my Ulta account and wait for a gift with purchase to hit (usually the Wednesday Beauty Break). Wouldn’t you know it, my basket got full and there was a NARS Beauty Break the week before last!
This Ulta Haul is pretty boring, to be honest. Just like almost every order, I got a Zoya Remove + ($10). I ended up buying 2 Japonesque Solid Brush Cleaners ($20), because they were BOGO Half. Freeman Masks ($4.29) were also BOGO Half, so I got Anti-Stress Dead Sea Minerals Clay Mask (I’ve had this one before and it’s very refreshing) and Brightening Green Tea + Orange Blossom Peel-Off Gel Mask (this one is new to me). The fun item that I picked up was the Memebox Black Cat Headband ($6). Do I really need a fuzzy headband with cat ears? Yes, if only because my daughter wants to steal it.
The NARS Beauty Break included 4 lip products – Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in “Dolce Vita” (I already have the lipstick); Powermatte Lip Pigment in “Starwoman”; Velvet Lip Glide in “Bound”; and Lipstick in “Orgasm” (which I just got, so I’ll give it away).
No other samples – boo, Ulta! Oh, but this order made me Platinum for 2019.
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!
Sephora Play! February 2018 – Feel the Love
Missed it by THAAAAAAT much…
February’s Sephora Play box is themed “Feel the Love”, products that I’m supposed to not be able to live without. Hmmm, we’ll see about that.
This month’s fragrance is Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee. I’m just not a plain vanilla girl, plus, I already have a small bottle of this scent. The other products are a bit more interesting: Peter Thomas Roth Firmx Peeling Gel (I love a good mask); NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in “Let’s Go Crazy” (ooooh, hot pink); Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in “ROSEGOLD”; Sephora Rouge Matte Lipstick in “Rebel Chic”; and belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb (so many eye creams, so little time).
I don’t know that I can’t live without any of these products, but there’s a good variety of products for me to try out. A really good mix of products this month!
If you don’t get Sephora Play, sign up and feel the love. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
Give Me Some Nude Lip – Take 4
I am such a sucker for Sephora’s curated lip sets. I don’t know if it is the lipstick or the little lip shaped box that they come in. I’d say it was the box, but I REALLY wanted one of those lippies. So I got the new Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Set ($28).
The one I really wanted? NARS Lipstick in “Orgasm”. I had gotten a deluxe sample of NARS Orgasm Blush a while back and it is one of my favorites – all the hype is true – it is universally flattering. I actually put on makeup for the first time in weeks yesterday, just so I could see the blush and lipstick together – heavenly.
Also in the the glittery white lip box: Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in “Futurist”; Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in “Sugar” (really just a sheer gloss); Tarte Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in “Exposed” (I love a basic brown matte); Urban Decay Cosmetics Vice Special Effects in “Fever” (I’d be more impressed if these weren’t on clearance for $9 everywhere); and Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Lip Pigment in “Mauve Wife” (this will be my fave – it’s like a cross between Lolita and Androgyny!)
Oh, and no dupes! I didn’t have any of these lippies!
I also used this order to get my Sephora Birthday gift – I chose the GlamGlow set with GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment and GlowStarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer. My other chose was some Bite Beauty Lipstick – meh.
Can we talk about samples? Even though I got the 2 deluxe samples I used a special code for – it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser (divine) and Miu Miu L’eau Rosee (not a straight rose, but like running through an unkempt rose garden with roses and whatever happens to be growing there) – I DID NOT get my other samples. This is the third time in a row!
First I emailed Customer Service again, they quickly apologized qand gave me 225 points. That’s nice and all, but not a solution. I took to twitter and then DMed with Sephora. They admitted it’s been an ongoing issue, blah blah blah. I can tell you what the issue is – the samples are no longer showing up on the pick list that shows up in my box. I’ve been using the app to order, so next order will be placed online and we’ll see if that helps..
$932 to Rouge…but $282 to VIB Insider is more likely.
Ulta 21 Days of Beauty – Day 19
I think it was Day 19…whatever, the 21 Days of Beauty were September 3rd to 23rd and on the 21st, I found something to order.
I have a hard time passing up the chance to try new foundations for 50% off. I decided to try Laura Geller Balance-n-Brighten Baked Color Correcting Foundation in “Medium” for $16.50. It’s a swirly dome, with streak of gold. I feel like this foundation makes my face matte, but luminous at the same time. It’s really nice, actually.
I also picked up a full size China Glaze “Let Your Twilight Sparkle” ($7.50) for my daughter – she actually used up the entire mini bottle already! Oh, and a Zoya Remove+ ($10).
For freebies, I got Ulta Beauty Radiant Skin Collection Warming Charcoal Cleanser and Sleeping Cream, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in “St. Mortiz/Medium 1”, and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer.
I got free shipping with the day’s deal. I used $23.50 in Ulta points (I still have $50 left) and a $3.50 off coupon, so my order was only $7.58!
Naked Heat
I’d passed quite a few opportunities over the past month to pick up the newest Urban Decay Naked Heat palette ($54). Both Ulta and Sephora had a few pre-sales, then there was the official online launch. But the stars aligned while I was on vacation…not only had I accrued $53 in Ulta points (my last spend was the Alice Through the Looking Glass palette), but I received a 20% off anything coupon from Ulta….would it work?
Fuck yeah, it worked! But to my delight/dismay, I was now under the $50 shipping threshold. What is there to do, but to also add one of the new Urban Decay Naked Heat Vice Lipsticks in “Scorched” ($17). All told, I paid $4.11 for the palette and the matching lipstick. My samples were good, too – NARS Blush in “Orgasm” and it Cosmetics No. 50 Serum Collagen Veil.
Damn, I’m good.
I waited a bit after receiving to write my review…I wanted a chance to fully try it out and make sure before declaring it the palette of the year. IT’S THE FUCKING PALETTE OF THE YEAR. No joke, I’ve been using this palette every single day since I got it. The rich bronzes, coppers and bronzes blend beautifully and coordinate well together. There’s a full range of shades and finishes. This might be my favorite Naked palette now – so sorry, Naked 3.
$86.66 away from Platinum status for 2018.
Give Me Some Nude Lip – 3rd Edition
Even though I was able to resist the 2nd Edition of Sephora’s “Give Me Some Nude Lip” – I wasn’t able to resist the 3rd. Really, the only reason I didn’t get the second was because I already had a full size of Urban Decay “1993”, but I had none of the ones included in this set.
Inside this 3rd “Give Me Some Nude Lip” ($28): Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in “Kristen” (very…MOIST); Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Enamored Hi Shine Lip Lacquer in “Sugar Sugar” (haven’t tried this one yet); NARS Cosmetics Velvet Lip Glide in “Bound” (Somewhere between a lip gloss and a matte liquid lip, it stayed put most of the day and was very hydrating); Tarte lippie lingerie matte tint in “Revealed” (I thought I hated chubby lip pencils, but this one is nice and long-lasting and a nice medium brown); Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in “Spice Girl” (I have regrets about wearing this to work today – my lips were stinging for a good hour and a half…and looked no plumper); and Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in “Trivial” (Full size – and the best shade of the bunch). This was a good buy – I can see wearing all of these, except for the Lip Injection.
I also splurged on Taste Beauty Felicia the Flamingo Lip Balm ($10). Even though I hate using my finger to apply lip balm, I will make an exception for this cute little flamingo float.
I used a code to get a Deluxe Sample of Atelier Cologne Clémentine California. I love the smell – like fresh Cutie Clementines – but it doesn’t seem to last very long on me. I’ve worn it twice this week and it faded by the time I got home from work. I was also pleasantly surprised to receive the exact samples I picked: philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser, philosophy Time In A Bottle 100% In-Control, and SUNDAY RILEY C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer.
How am I gonna get to Rouge Status by the end of the year? I have $674 left!
Show Me How to Say No to This
How could I say no to $25 off $50? Show me how to say no to this…
I tricked my husband into a Sephora visit by suggesting we kill time at JC Penney while my daughter was at a UIL Competition…sneaky me. I decided to look for a new powder foundation – I needed a sheerer one than the MAC and Kat Von D ones I have. The castmember steered me towards one I hadn’t considered before – bareMinerals Bare BAREPRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation ($30). We had a hard time matching by swatching, so we tried by my Color IQ…and then went a shade lighter to pick “Aspen 04”. It goes on lighter than the other powder foundations I’ve tried and it’s a perfect match for my skintone. I was skeptical at first, since I used to use the original bareMinerals and had to stop once I started getting cow’s feet – that shit is horrible about settling in fine lines. I’ve worn BAREPRO a few days though and I’m loving it.
I also picked up Sephora Favorites Lip Temptations ($32) – I really wanted Kat Von D Studded Kiss “Mercy” and they didn’t have it in full size. Also in the kit: Bite Beauty Lip Crayon in “Aubergine”; Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in “714” (one of their new Vice bullets – full size!); NARS Lipstick in “Jungle Red”; Sephora Lipstick in “#49”; and Know Cosmetics No Bleeding Lips Secret Lip Liner. I didn’t really need 3 new red lipsticks, but whatever.
About $40 after tax – I don’t say no to this. No, no, no.
20ROUGE, Part I
Sometimes, you just gotta TREAT YO SELF.
I’ve held back several months…but when that 20% off discount code hit my inbox…I decided to use the fuck out of it. Sephora is not like Ulta, throwing around 20% off codes like confetti. They do it exactly ONCE a year…and I was not Rouge yet last year, so this is the first time I’ve gotten to take advantage.
Even though I had placed an Xmas present order online earlier, I decided to swing by Sephora after work to pick up something I’d been lusting over for months – GlamGlow GravityMud Firming Treatment. I can only watch so many of Jeffree’s silver snapchats without wanting to try it myself. I wasn’t about to spend $69 on it…but $55.20 seems so much more reasonable. (I know I’m full of shit.)
I tried it Friday night…and it was worth every fucking cent. It smells like coconut (my husband said pina colada) and tingled slightly. I don’t know if it lifted anything, but my skin DID feel firmer and smoother – much more so than with any of the other masks I’ve tried. The effect was most noticeable on my forehead. It will be hard to limit myself to using it just twice a week.
I also got my Rouge Renewal Gift – NARS Blush in “Goulue” (what kind of word is that?). I tried it today and it is perfect for me – much better than the famed “Orgasm”. I also got a free totebag – you can always use a new totebag.
I placed a few online orders – I’ll document those as they arrive…
Sephora 2 in 1
I’m going to kill 2 birds with one stone and post about a trip to Sephora AND a Sephora shipment.
Over the weekend, I persuaded my husband to drop me off at Sephora, in between an eye doctor appointment, torrential downpours and a stop by Academy to get fishing licenses. He actually parked the car, instead of circling the parking lot. Maybe next time, I can get him to come in (yeah, right).
I just wanted one thing…my free rollerball. As I expected, I chose Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Rose.
I browsed briefly, but nothing else caught my eye. They had several of the half-price Urban Decay lipsticks, but I didn’t bother. No money spent on this trip!
I didn’t bother, because I knew I had one coming…I chose Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in “1993” ($11). Mostly because it looks like my kind of brown…but also because 1993…1993 was a wild year for me – 17.I’m fairly certain that 1993 was the last time I was single for an extended amount of time…enough said.
I was far more excited about the new 500 point NARS “The Rules Box” (which is already sold out). I wanted to get NARS “Orgasm” Blush in my hot little hands…Also in the box: NARS Audacious Mascara, “Chelsea Girls” Lip Gloss and Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base (been looking for a new one). I’m about to get NARSed out!
For my regular threee samples, I got Pinrose Treehouse Royal (a single use foil pack); Too Faced Glitter Glue Glitter Eye Shadow Primer (curious about this one); and GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment.
Just $11 spent here…and $151 to Rouge!