Tag: tarte
September 2018 Allure Beauty Box – Best of Beauty Award Winner
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First, this box had me like “YASSSS” – but then I was like “WEEEEAK”.
This month’s “Best of Beauty” box includes a FULL SIZE MAC Lipstick ($18.50 value) in either “Ruby Woo” or “Lustering”. I was pumped, expecting to receive a tube of MAC’s most well known shade….but I received “Lustering” – a glossy watermelon pink. Boo.
And then I saw the fancy set of tarte Tarteist Pro Girl Boss Lashes and Tarteist Pro Lash Adhesive in “Clear”. I don’t really like the feel of spiders glued to me eyes, so it’s gonna be a no from me.
There were two possible hair products – either Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast (an awesome product that gives your hair volume and staying power) or IGK Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel (for natural curls). Guess which one I got – the IGK one.
All hope is not lost. The box also includes Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial. The other option was Lala Retro Whipped Cream, which I also would have enjoyed. At least my skin will be happy!
I need to stop my bitching – this is a high value box
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.
Fire Dragon vs. Ice Dragon
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I never really cared about wet n wild makeup – not since Junior High anyway – until they started putting out these awesome collections. I am still peeved that I missed the Goth-o-Graphic Box, but it never hit Ulta as promised.
I did NOT miss the Fire Dragon vs. Ice Dragon Collection Box ($39.99). Inside the Limited Edition box are two set of products – a set of warm toned Fire Dragon products and a set of cool toned Ice Dragon products. I’ve only had a chance to play with the Fire Dragon side, so I might be a little bit biased towards that side. The Fire Side includes Coloricon Loose Pigment in “Gilded Crown” and “Fire Reign”; Coloricon Bronzer in “You’re Dragon Me Down” and “Queen’s Land”; Coloricon Eyeshadow Quad in “Fit for a Queen”; and Megalast Liquid Catsuit Metallic Lipstick in “Queen’s Blood” and “Redlings”. I am IN LOVE with using both shades of lipstick together. The Ice Side includes Coloricon Loose Pigments in “Ice, Ice, Lady” and “To-Knight’s Blue”; Megaglo Highlighting Powder in “Winter Falls in LA” and “Halo Walkers”; Coloricon Eyeshadow Quad in “Mythicool Creatures”; and Megalast Liquid Catsuit Metallic Lipsticks in “Icing on the Wall” and “Shall We Slay”. Lots of cool stuff I still need to play with!
I didn’t stop there. I had added a Pacifica Summer Kale Lip Balm ($1.25) from the sale page. Luckily, it does NOT smell or taste like Kale. I also added the e.l.f. Glow on the Go Selfie Light ($12) this thing is an absolute game changer – no more walking around the bedroom, looking for the perfect light – it makes every selfie perfect. This purchase also got me a gift with purchase – an e.l.f. makeup bag with foil samples of Poreless Face Primer and Hydrating Bubble Mask.
And then I found a BOGO 50% on L’Oreal products. I had been wanting to try their new chocolate lippies AKA L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipstick Les Chocolat ($9.99), so I ordered 4 out of the 6 shades – “70% Yum”, “Candy Man”, “Dose of Cocoa”, and “Box O Chocolate”. I’ve only had a chance to try out the first two and they have a really strong chocolate smell when you apply them, but the scent is gone as soon as it dries, which take a little minute. I kind of wanted the smell to stick around, but then I remembered how much my husband used to hate this chocolate lip gloss I used to wear to bed – he said it smelled like “chocolate ass”. Personally, I liked the way it smelled…but whatever. They also are very “infallible” – I had to use strong eye makeup remover to get them off my lips. They WILL last all day, whether you want them to or not. ANYWAY, this purchase also garnered me a gift with purchase – a L’Oreal makeup bag with samples of Pure Clay Cleanser Detox-Brighten (my favorite); Age Perfect Eye Renewal Eye Cream; and Voluminous Mascara Primer/Base.
On top of ALL that, I also got another gift with purchase for using my Ultamate Rewards Card – a reversible sequin makeup bag filled with samples. I am pretty sure my daughter is gonna fight me for this bag. Inside samples included: StriVectin Multi-Action Restorative Cream; Lab Series Future Rescue; dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel (package says professional-grade, so does that mean I’ll lose 7 layers of skin?); Matrix Biolage Volume Bloom Aqua-Gel Conditioner (what? no shampoo???); Algenist Ultimate Anti-Aging Melting Cleanser; Algenist Genius White Brightening Anti-Aging Cream; tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Highlighter in “exposed”; and an itty bitty sample of Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in “Dark Brown” (my shade!). Pretty nice perk for just a $40 purchase. Oh and my regular samples were pretty lame – a card with 3 sample shades of Clinique 2-in-1 Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Bonbon. I did remember use a $3.50 off coupon from an email, but this was still a big order for me – over $80. It will pay off in the long term, as there was a 5x points promo running when I ordered.
Just $453 until Diamond Status. Oh, and somehow, I have accrued $86 worth of Ulta Points (see above promo)…I’ve got my eye on that new Urban Decay Naked Cherry Palette – it would match my hair!
Sephora Play! July 2018 – More of the Good Stuff
Lucky Sephora box – you arrived first this month, so you get reviewed first!
I was surprised to see such a tarte heavy box this month – Sephora doesn’t usually focus on a single brand. This month’s box has tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in “paaarty” (boo, I got this shade in LAST year’s birthday bonus – it will be gifted); tarte Color Splash Lipstick – Rainforest of the Sea Collection in “Salt Lyfe”; and tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel.
Also in this month’s box: Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter; Caudalie Vinoperfect Concentrated Brightening Essence (I am starting to get really excited about Caudalie products – the viney smell is nice); and Rahua Color Full Hair Mask.
No new fragrances again this month.
I promise, this will be the best $10 you’ll spend each month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
Jeffree
Two summers ago, Kat Von D publicly ended her 10 year friendship with Jeffree Star. No need to rehash the messy drama – anyone can google it. The bigger question – who will think of the makeup???
Kat Von D discontinued the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick “Jeffree” in the midst of the feud. But guess what popped up on Sephora’s site on sale for $12? That’s right, and ADD TO CART. Nevermind that the tube is AT LEAST two years old, if not three or four. Oh well.
Although the brand describes the color as “hot pink”, it’s really more of a plastic flamingo pink. It’s super streaky, too. I liked like a weirdo when I wore it. That’s what I get for being attracted to a product just because it’s discontinued.
Sephora also skimped and only gave me two samples in my box: tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen (4 shades to try) and Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser (pretty sure that’s not how you spell ‘yogurt’).
$507 to Rouge…
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…
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.
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….
March 2018 Ipsy Bag – Create
Ipsy has been hitting their creative stride this year. March’s theme is literally, “Create”, and comes with a glam bag you can color yourself. I handed it over to Lily to color for me and she did a GREAT job.
This month’s products are basics from high quality brands: Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream; Benefit Cosmetics BADGal Bang Mascara in “Pitch Black” (I’m a big fan of Roller Lash – will this beat it?); Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Cleansing Cream (Oooooh); Tarte Cosmetics Sex Kitten Eyeliner; and Steve Laurant Beauty Lip Oil in “Orchid” (lip oils are great for removing liquid lipsticks).
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
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.
November Ipsy Bag – All You
This month’s ipsy bag is themed “ALL YOU” and features products for real ipsy subscribers!
The first item that caught my eye was the tarte Deluxe Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in “Feisty”. I was all disappointed because I thought it was a color I already had, but I was wrong! I got “paaarty” in my Sephora birthday gift, which is a cooler nude. Score!
Also in this month’s gold bag (there was also a blue version): SLMISSGLAM B36 Tapered Highlight Brush; Manna Kadar Cosmetics HD Perfecting Powder; Youth to the People Age Prevention Cleanser (with Kale – I’d rather wash my face with it than eat it); and Benefit They’re Real! Mascara Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara (I prefer the Roller Lash, but this one is good, too).
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.