Tag: Perricone MD

 
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Fire Fighter Ulta Haul

I was sitting in my local Ulta a few Saturdays ago, waiting for the bleach to process, and texted my daughter to find out if she needed anything from Ulta. She said no, then I told her to ask her dad…she told her to tell me to get more lube. I could feel her CRINGING through the phone. I was relaying this to my stylist…and she was like – WE SELL LUBE? I pulled up the app and showed her all the different options, and as I was scrolling, I saw the Smile Makers “The Fire Fighter” ($60)…since I had a 20% off coupon that was about to expire, I decided to splurge on my vajayjay with “The Fire Fighter”, as well as Unbound Jelly ($18) and Unbound Jolt Enhanced Stimulating Water-Based Gel ($24). Let me tell you, “The Fire Fighter” is one DAMN fine machine. Reach out for more details…

Even though summer is almost over, I occasionally shave in the winter…I love rose scented bath stuff, so Tree Hut Moroccan Rose Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil ($12.99) and Moroccan Rose Foaming Gel Wash ($11.49) were a no brainer. I even got a free Tree Hut Shower Sponge with my $20 purchase.

My purchase qualified me for a free Platinum & Diamond Exclusive 12 Piece Skincare Gift with $60 purchase, which came with Real Techniques Real Clean XL Makeup Remover Wipes; COOLA Sun Silk Drops Sunscreen; bareMinerals Ageless 10% Phyto-Retinol Night Concentrate; Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair; Cocokind Resurrection Polypeptide Cream; Philosophy Hope in a Jar Smooth-Glow Multi-Tasking Moisturizer; Perricone MD Cold Plasma+ Sub-D/Neck; Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Cleansing Bar; Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+; Sun Bum Sunscreen SPF 30; Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Serum; and Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil. I will use every single one of these!

Getting my hair done, plus this haul, leaves me with just $63 til Diamond in 2025.

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U Got the Look

Urban Decay released their Prince Collaboration back in May…but I patiently waited for the sale that I knew would come…

I don’t need new brushes or more eyeliner…but you know I’m always down for more eye shadow. I picked up the Urban Decay Cosmetics Prince U Got the Look Palette for 50% off ($27.50, down from $55). There are just 10 shadows, which is not many for $55…but not so crazy at half the price. There’s a nice mix of neutrals and purples and the quality is on par with other Urban Decay palettes. I’ve been enjoying using it this week. There is also a Let’s Go Crazy Palette, with more purple, but Ulta is sold old. Sephora has it, but since it is just purples – as one would expect – I’m skipping it for now.

I added a few other items to my order – a full size Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant ($14) and Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Balm ($8.99).

Even with the $3.50 coupon, my order qualified for a free Platinum & Diamond exclusive 13 piece gift with Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; Philosophy Nature in a Jar; CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser; Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (love getting this serum); Clinique High Impact Mascara; MAC Fix+; Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product; Perricone MD High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum; Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer; La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum; Sunday Riley CEO Brightening Serum; and Good Molecules Clarify & Cleanse Bar. Lots of good stuff for my skin!

Just $352 to Diamond in 2021!. I also have $262 in Ulta Points saved up…dare I splurge on a Dyson Air Wrap???

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First Ulta Haul of 2019

I follow enough drag queens on Instagram to know that Sugarpill is one of THE makeup brands to use – besides Jeffree Star and Anastasia Beverly Hills, of course. Ulta just started carrying their lipsticks, so I loaded a bunch in my cart and waited to see what else I needed. Originally, I had Sugarpill “Trinket” in my cart, but it sold out. I also had some other ones, but I decided to try just one and scope out the quality before buying more. I settled on “Pillow Fight” ($18), a dusty mauve with gold sparkle. It smells like a dreamsicle! The formula wasn’t super drying, but more drying than I’m used to. It lasts about as long as my other liquid lips…I’ve got a new brand to stan!

I also needed to stock up on face washes. Pacifica was BOGO 40% off, so I got Crystal Beam Foaming Crystal Face Scrub ($16) and Coconut Milk Cream to Foam Face Wash ($6, down from $10). I am VERY disappointed in the Crystal Beam – it is NOT a scrub. There is NO grit to the exfoliant – a total waste. Boo.

I also got two of my favorite eye brow pencil at BOGO 50% off – Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” (one at $10 and one at $5). Until I can afford microblading, I’ll keep buying these.

I got a 19 piece Beauty Bag with my $25 purchase. Inside the bag: Juice Beauty Phyto Pigments (and there’s actually a picture of the GOOPtress on the sample – ugh); L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion (nope); Benefit They’re Real Mascara (HUGE Deluxe Sample); Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-aging Shampoo & Conditioner; Maybelline Great Lash Mascara; Ahava Mineral Mud Clearing Facial Treatment (yes!); Organic to Green Coco Oil; Caroline Herrera Good Girl; Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask (yasss); Mario Badescu Herbal Hydrating Serum; Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream; Living proof. T.B.D. multi-tasking styler; Clarins Extra-firming Nuit Night Cream; Chloe Chloe; Sexy Hair Love Oil; Boots No7 Early Defence Glow Activating Serum; Trilogy Rosehip Cream Cleanser; Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser; Perricone MD H2 Elemental Energy; and PUR Get a Grip Endurance Eyeshadow Primer. Oh, and a $5 off Ulta Beauty Collection Coupon. This is the best sample bag in a bit!

Ulta is STILL not including samples with their orders. Jerks. I used a $3.50 off coupon on this order.

$399 to Platinum for 2020.

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Influenster Vox Box – Perricone MD

 

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I qualified for a another Influenster Vox Box – especially so soon after the last one. I was also excited to get such a high end brand like Perricone MD!

Inside the Vox Box, I received a full size bottle of Perricone MD No-Rinse Micellular Cleansing Treatment. I received the bottle free for testing purposes, but the full size bottle retails for $45.

The first thing that struck me about the product was the heft to the bottle – it’s in a REAL glass bottle. It’s so rare to see glass bottle these days!

Unlike other Micellular Waters that I’ve tried, the Perricone is a thicker product – almost gel-like. It’s also bright blue. It feel so refreshing on you face, but it isn’t stinging or tightening like my usual toner (Sea Breeze). There’s also no residue or feeling that you need another rinse. As an added bonus, I was also able to use the cleanser to remove some medical tape residue on my breasts after my recent nipple reconstruction surgery – BONUS!

I highly recommend this product based on performance, although it’s quite a bit out of most people’s price range.

Thanks again Influenster – I’ll be sad when I run out of this product!

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Beachwave Me

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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!

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The Saga of “Give Me Some Nude Lip”

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I’m going to tell you a story…it’s a very scary story…but I can promise that it has a happy ending.

The Monday before last, Sephora released an all-nude version of their “Give Me Some Lip” Set – even though it was $28, I had to have it. Inside the all new “Give Me Some Nude Lip” Set: Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lipstick in “Milky Way”; NARS Lipstick in “Dolce Vita”Marc Jacobs Beauty Mini (P)Outliner Longwear Lip Pencil in “Prim(Rose) (cocoa spice)”NUDESTIX Lip + Cheek Crayon in “Whisper”; and Tarte Deluxe Tarteist Lip Paint in “Namaste Nude”.

On Thursday…my box arrived. I gleefully opened the box, carefully peeled the sticker seals from the lip-shaped box…and the contents were FUCKED UP…Noooooooooooooo! There were two Marc Jacobs lip liners and no Tarte Lip Paint. A tragedy. I called Sephora Customer Service…and their computers were down and they couldn’t help me. I called an hour later…and the phone jockey hung up on me. I called right back…computers still down. Finally, a few hours after that – everything was back to normal and I got someone who could help me. She told me that she would send out another one immediately and I could just return this one to my closest store. YES.

So while I waited, at least I had other samples to play with. My order qualified for the free Beauty to Love Sample bag, which came with Becca Backlight Priming Filter (huh?); Atelier Cologne “Mandarine Glaciale” (I have so many samples of this, but I love it); Perricone MD Re:Firm Surface Recovery Treatment; Touch in Sol Feels Like Honey Moon Skin Base (I just tried the one I got in my last Allure Beauty Thrills – it’s ok, but not moisturizing enough for winter); BITE Beauty Agave Lip Masks (I tried the last sample I got a few days ago – feel nice at bedtime); First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream; Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer; and Skin Inc Pure Deepsea Hydrating Mask. I’m glad I got these good samples, because I didn’t get ANY of the ones I picked at checkout. Instead I got Thierry Mugler “Alien” (Smells so gross); Clinique Moisture Surge (I like this stuff); and Dr. brandt Do Not Age Beauty Sleep Serum.

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On Saturday, I dutifully delivered my fucked up lip set to Sephora. The return was quick, but then the “Cast Member” decided I need skin stuff and showed me a bunch of skin care stuff and smears some Kate Somerville stuff on my hand. I thanked her and got the hell out of there without buying a thing.

Days passed…On Tuesday, my new box arrived.

I was holding my breath as I opened it…YES! Everything in this box was perfect. I also got three more samples – Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Makeup Stick (I feel like I keep getting Lancome stuff and I should be more excited about it…but I’m not); Prada “Candy” and DKNY “Be Desired”.

I’m going to be taking all these nude beauties with me to Vegas in a few days – I can’t wait to try them all! Good thing I ordered it on the first day it was available…it’s already out of stock! Yay – happy ending!

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A Very Rouge Xmas

So…I knew whatever I was getting for Xmas put me over the top to Sephora Rouge status (they started email blasting me IMMEDIATELY), but I have been dying the last few weeks to find out what I was gonna get. Of course, I already knew about the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette, but what else???

My husband also got my the Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette! And my kids got me the Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Studded Kiss Lip Set! The girls behind the counter at Sephora was so impressed with their picks, that they filled their bag with stocking stuffers for me: Benefit Fake Up, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, Sephora Gel Gloss Ultra Brilliant Ultra Shine Lip Gel in “Pin-up Pink”, and Perricone MD High Potency Face Firming Activator. So sweet!

On top of that, he actually bought me a purse – he picked out himself, with NO input from me AT ALL. It’s a badass red Loungefly with huge embossed sugar skull. He done GOOD.