sephora

Sephora VIB Rouge/VIB SALE

There are two times of year that all beauty lovers patiently wait for – the VIB ROUGE/VIB SALE! Since Sephora makeup never goes on sale otherwise, this is the time to take advantage of the discount!

With my 20% off I went to town. Some of these items I bought previously, but held on to them to help give ideas for what to buy during the sale.

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One of the things I’m drawn to each year is the “Sephora Favorites” line. This year they had a fantastic variety, and as you can see I brought a few of them home….

I went back and forth on the Beauty Sleep box. I have more masks than I know what to do with, but anytime I see Sunday Riley included in a gift set, I’m drawn to it like a moth to a flame. LOVE Sunday Riley.

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The Soko to Tokyo I bought for only one reason: Tatcha. The Dewy Skin Mist was on my radar for a while, and this became the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl.

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Extravagant Eyes was a bit outside my comfort zone, but those LASHES! I love them. Huda for the win.

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When it comes to the Scouted By Sephora box I coveted the Lash Food and Drunk Elephant. Their prices individually were enough to make this worth while.

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In the Skin Wonderland box I went for the SKII toner (and of course, Sunday Riley). I’ve been using it and I can say it’s fantastic.

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And finally in Trending: Beauty’s Most Coveted the Foreo and mix of products I use frequently pushed me to get it. The Foreo definitely justified the cost.

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And then from there I had a little more fun with Moroccanoil, Sunday Riley, Tarte, Too Faced, Stila, Michael Kors, Clinique, IT Cosmetics (CC Cream was bought at Ulta, but you can get it at Sephora now), Jouer, Sol de Janeiro (Brazilian Bum Bum cream is AMAZING), Surat, and Ole Henriksen!

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I hope everyone enjoys the sale!!

December 2015 Favorites

Happy New Year everyone! I can’t believe it is already 2016. So much has happened and I can’t wait to get this new year going. Ringing in the new year brought a sense of excitement – to begin a new chapter and have a clean slate.

I wanted to do a recap of the things I loved in December, because it was a crazy busy month, but one where I felt I had a lot to love!

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It isn’t pictured above, but I received a Keurig for Christmas and fell in love! I received the Keurig 2.0 Coffee Maker in the champagne color. I’m hoping to save some money on coffee purchases this year, so bringing a fresh cup with me in the morning will help cut costs. Plus, it will help me jumpstart my day! Please send any recommendations for kcups!

In the winter I loveeee masculine scents. I couldn’t wait for winter to hit so I could break out my Nirvana Black rollerball. The perfume is by Elizabeth and James and has notes of sandalwood, violet, and vanilla (according to Sephora’s website). I wear only a little perfume every day, so I usually elect to buy a rollerball, plus it makes it easy for travel.

Around early December I was on vacation in Delaware, and did a little shopping while I was there. Every store was burning the Capri Blue Volcano Candle No. 6.It has notes of tropical fruits, sugared oranges, and lemons and limes. I fell deeply in love with the scent, and made sure I went home with it. Mine is the 8.5oz size but I know I will end up with a bigger jar when mine burns out. The big 20 oz jar can be purchased at Francesca’s for $28.

Recently I realized that I had accumulated quite a bit of Birchbox points. I looked through the site and the Hudson + Bleecker Etoile Avion Cosmetic Case caught my eye. It has a gorgeous silver glitter on the outside, and is black inside. It even comes with a small pouch that detaches (I keep lippies in mine) and is adorable in a purse. It has a zippered pouch inside and a pocket for brushes. I was traveling over the holidays, and made sure to bring it along. Hudson + Bleecker hit it out of the park with this one! The glitter doesn’t come off, and it is SO stylish. I got mine from Birchbox and it sells for $64.

I have been in the market for a new foundation for a while. I had heard great things about the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation and decided to give it a try. I really love the powder formula, and it goes on well on my skin. I have it in light neutral, and I think it is a little too dark for me. When I’m through with this jar I’ll probably switch colors. The Airbuki Bamboo Powder Foundation brush is a must – even if you don’t buy the foundation. It is so incredibly dense and buffs into the skin nicely. The foundation can be found at Sephora for $36 and the brush is $28.

The last of my favorites was a little bit of a splurge – I got an iPad Mini 2. I really, really loved the 4th generation, but I really needed more storage and there was a GREAT deal on the 2nd gen. I got mine from Best Buy, and I’ve been so impressed with not only their sales but their AMAZING shipping. Everything is free shipping and arrives in 2 days. (I don’t receive anything from Best Buy for saying that, I just really love them after this holiday season.) I had a first generation regular iPad, and it was great, but very clunky. I’m in love with the mini because of its size and portability. I use it constantly. Major love for the mini.

I want to hear what all of you were loving in December!

October Favorites (So late – I know!)

So I know – November is nearly over and here I am posting my favorites form LAST month. Bear with me on this. Have any of you suddenly looked at the calendar and the month has flown by? Welcome to my life. I was stunned the other day when I realized the month was half over.

What exactly was I loving last month?

Surprise – NO makeup!

With the weather getting cooler I am back to loving my warm scents. I’ve had my Burberry Brit perfume for years and still can’t get enough each fall. Screen Shot 2015-11-17 at 10.16.00 PM.png

Two words: BATH BOMBS. Ok, so I know Lush has been famous for these for some time, but apparently I got on that train pretty late. I found the one below in Francesca’s Collections and while it wasn’t a fantastic smell it was so fun and relaxing I was super excited to get to Lush to try more!

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I rediscovered my love of macarons! I was staying at a hotel for work, and saw these gorgeous treats in the window of the sweets shop and just had to help myself!

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And above all else – I rediscovered my love of Disney! I was sent to Anaheim, CA for a work conference and we stayed in Disneyland. It was so much fun, and certainly a once in a lifetime experience.

What were you loving last month?

Empties Part I

I have been saving empty products FOREVER. I hate hoarding trash, but I don’t think there is a better way to share what products I’d buy again, what I regret and what just didn’t work. I have SO many saved up stay tuned for Part II next month!

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First up are two brands of makeup removing wipes. I have a preferred brand that I love, but wanted to give these a try. The Ole Henriksen brand felt great but I couldn’t get past the smell. It wasn’t bad – but it wasn’t good. I want to try another scent to see if I like those better. And the yes to blueberries were TERRIBLE. Smelled horrible and didn’t work. I couldn’t even finish the pack of 8.

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I also was not a fan of the BareMinerals Prime Time. It definitely didn’t help hold my makeup. I did love the NYX Shine Killer though! It was GREAT and filled my pores so makeup didn’t sink in. I’d absolutely put that on the re-buy list. The ology body wash smells amazing and is so natural. I’ve bought this a few times and fall in love with it each time. I usually find mine at Walgreens. The Origins Ginzing Eye Cream is great too. That sample lasted for so long! The Urban Decay setting spray is a cult favorite, and I was so sad to be out. If I didn’t have my Model in a Bottle I’d definitely grab this again. And Serge Normant can do no wrong – this hair spray got used up so fast! I bought more products to try from the line.

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You’ll have to roll with me on these – some of them are SO old! I finally did a mascara clean out, and these are just a few that went in the trash. Instead of going through them one by one I’ll pick out a few. The Josie Maran Black Oil is amazing. I’ve blogged about it before – it does wonder for my lashes. The Lancome eyeliner (second from right) has been holy grail status for me. So sad it’s out of commission. The Roller Lash mascara went in the trash pile after 2 uses. I couldn’t stand it! Super disappointed since everyone raved about it. The other products are great, but not worth detailing nor picking up again.

Have any of you used any of the products above? Thoughts?

VIB Sephora Haul -UPDATE

This weekend I was at the mall, and found myself in the Sephora inside JC Penney. I had totally forgot to check there before thinking my sale shopping was over. I came across two sets, that I believe are exclusive to these Sephora’s. SO glad I went and checked it out!

I picked up the Sephora Favorites Beauty Unmasked – and I couldn’t resist the group of products they put together for this: FullSizeRender 26.jpg

I also picked up the Sephora Favorites Skin Wonderland, and again, the group of products is amazing. I had been thinking I hadn’t picked up any skin care items, and now I rounded out my haul! Can’t wait to try them out!

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VIB Rouge Sephora Haul

The Sephora VIB sale is my FAVORITE time of year. This year I hit Rouge status (which is both thrilling and embarrassing) and I couldn’t wait for my 20% to arrive. I went a little crazy picking things up since I took a bit of a Sephora hiatus in recent months. What better time to buy then when the entire store is on sale?! I prefer buying value sets because I feel like I get a lot for my money and I get to try everything I’ve been eyeing without dropping tons of money.

I just HAD to pick up the makeup bag above, because it is in my favorite color combo, gold and white. I also picked up the Burberry BURBERRY KISSES lipstick in Military Red No. 109, because the packaging is gorgeous in gold, and the red color is perfect for the holidays. I can’t wait to try it! I also love anything that smells like almonds (although strangely I don’t like almonds) and fell in love with the L’Occitane Almond Delights set. Their hand cream is my favorite, and I was so excited to see the almond scent.

There are SO many sets this season, and I had to think hard about what I could really use. I ordered the Give Me More Lip set which has some pretty great colors that I can try, and I picked up the Extend Your Style set in store. I love dry shampoo so it will definitely be used.

I would normally pass right over the perfume set, but once I found out that it includes a certificate for a full size perfume (from those included in the set) I went ahead and picked it up. I already have a few of the samples, but wanted to try a few more. I wound up throwing out about 5 of them. I think I might pick up Prada Candy in the full size version. (I’m in love with it!)

I was thrilled to see that one of the 500 point perks was from YSL. I love Black Opium, and I’ve been wanting to try some more of their products. The Touche Eclat looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try it.

Beyond what is pictured I picked up:

-Beautyblender Solid Bar

-Miniemergency kit (Black studded version)

-Burberry Eyebrow Definer

-Estee Lauder Be Envied: Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick Collection

-Kat Von D Studded Lipstick in Lolita

I will definitely post about the items that I love! What did you pick up at the sale?

Review: Sephora Sun Safety Kit

When I first heard this was being released, I was so incredibly excited. I love sets like this, and appreciate the chance to test out products before I make a big purchase. [Note: This is the full kit, not the one from JC Penney which was smaller]. Now that I’ve had time to play with some of the products, I want to offer my mid summer opinion. Those I know or have tried are in bold.

The Sephora Sun Safety Kit includes 16 products:

– 0.2 oz AmorePacific Natural Protector SPF 30

– 0.3 oz Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Broad Spectrum SPF 50

– 0.5 oz Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Light Medium

THIS IS MY FAVORITE. Okay, so I got a little excited, but I’ve been using this as a foundation because it covers so well and I absolutely love it. It makes my skin look flawless, and it is definitely full coverage.

– 0.25 oz Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare™ Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen

– 0.17 oz Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45

– 0.08 oz Fresh® Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

I LOVE THIS. I had never tried a Fresh lip treatment before, and generally don’t wear lip balm type products. This has the BEST smell, and I always through it in my bag to head to the pool or beach. Can’t be beat.

– 0.5 oz Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47

I love the consistency of this, but haven’t used it enough to have a strong opinion.

– 0.34 oz Korres Yoghurt Nourishing Fluid Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 30

– 0.17 oz Murad® Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30

This felt pretty great when I applied it. I’ve never tried a Murad product before this. Anyone have any thoughts?

– 0.1 oz Ole Henriksen total truth™ eye crème SPF 15

I used this every night before I picked this bag up, and am thrilled to have another sample.

– 0.5 oz Origins VitaZing™ Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer with Mangosteen

I am a huge fan of Origins face creams, and this one is just as good as anything I’ve tried.

– Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense® Lotion SPF 30

– 0.6 oz Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ WetForce Broad Spectrum Water Resistant (80 Minutes)

– 1.69 oz St. Tropez One Night Only in Light-Medium

Can’t wait to try this! I’m a little afraid it might transfer, but St. Tropez is a favorite brand of mine.

– 0.34 oz Supergoop!® City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30

Supergoop! is always great. It does its job, but this doesn’t make me jump up and down.

– 0.34 oz Vita Liberata Passion Flower & Argan Dry Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50

– Travel bag

I threw this out after I unpacked it. It is large, and could definitely store a lot of stuff, but I just didn’t have room for it.

16 products for $32! I’m working my way through the other products. Who else picked this up? Thoughts?

IMATS and VIB ROUGE SALE HAUL

I’m so excited to share my IMATS and Sephora VIB Rouge sale haul (and a few products from CVS too)!

Brands:

Becca, Marc Jacobs, Bite Beauty, Nest, Milani, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Model in a Bottle, Esquido Mink Lashes, Z Palette, Tarte, Stila Cosmetics, LA Girl, Buxom, Benefit, Makeup Forever, Josie Maran, Smashbox, Korres

Favorites: February 2015

This past month I found several products that I can’t wait to rave about. Not all of them are new to the market, some have been around for a while. But they are new to me, and I’m super excited I’ve found them!

Hempz Vanilla Plum Herbal Body Moisturizer

Typically, I’m not a lotion kind of gal. In fact, I avoid it at all costs because I’m used to greasy lotions that leave your hands with a gross film. When I was at the hair salon recently, I fell in love with the lotion they used to do my hand massages. The Hempz lotions absorb immediately, smell FANTASTIC and leave my hands feeling fantastic. The scent in the salon wasn’t the vanilla one, and I liked that one too – but the vanilla plum smells so incredible, I keep reaching for it. This brand can easily be found at Ulta.

C. Wonder Zodiac Votive Candle – Virgo

When I first moved to New York, I stumbled across a (then) new store call C. Wonder. It was owned by Tory Burch’s ex husband, and mirrored her style, but was so fun and playful. I LOVED that store. Unfortunately, C. Wonder closed down last month. Luckily I found the brand on shopbop.com and noticed that they had some adorable home decor items for great sale prices. I picked up this candle and it smells so rich that I want to burn it all the time. It also says “VIRGO” in gold on the back. A few are still on sale at shopbop – for $6ish!

The Balm – Hot Momma! Shadow/Blush

I discovered The Balm when I first subscribed to Birchbox. I had a sample of this blush and used it up so fast, and never repurchased because I was so busy trying other blushes. Recently I saw that The Balm was on Hautelook and was excited that the blush was discounted. I fell in love with this all over again. It is the perfect pink/peach shade and mixes beautifully.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black

During a recent trip to Sephora I wanted to try out new perfumes. After smelling what felt like the entire store, I came across this one. It smells somewhat like mens cologne, but has a feminine twist. With hints of violet, sandalwood and vanilla, it has become my perfect scent for winter. I bought the rollerball version to keep it in my bag. It is rare that I will like a new fragrance, but this one totally won me over.

Get to Know Me: Daily Routine

I thought the best way to give readers insight into my personal taste would be to highlight my daily routine.

One of my absolute “must haves” is my Clarisonic Plus. I’ve had it for several years now, and while its not quite working properly, I just can’t let it go! The bright fuchsia color adds a nice pop to my white bathroom counter, and I can’t rave enough about this product. It keeps my skin clear, and feeling soft – so great that I have to bring it with me when I travel. (That is actually hard because the plus has a massive charger) The other perk to this version of the Clairsonic is that it has a brush head that you can use on your body. This is PERFECT for the summer and scrubbing off self tanner. The face wash that I reach for daily is the Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. The scent is so enticing and along with the Clarisonic the results leave my skin in the best condition I’ve ever seen.

Every morning I use Origins Refreshing Eye Cream which helps with the puffiness under my eyes which I have pretty regularly.

The following is the rest of my routine:

Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer

e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealer

BeautyBlender

Make Up Forever HD Foundation Shade N118

Smashbox Contour Palette

Anastasia Brow Wiz – Taupe

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Josie Maran Argan Black Oil Mascara