Just received a code today for 20% of your purchase at Benefit cosmetics!
This is wonderful news because not only does Benefit have great products (some of which I discussed in my last post), but they also have come out with some cute new gift sets for Christmas!
You should definitely go check the gift sets out, but also take a gander at the Buh Buys - which have great deals on some cream shadows, makeup brushes, and a few other fun products!
Benefit has also just introduced a new mascara color - BadGal Plum - guaranteed to accentuate your eye color. Plum, as I mentioned before, is so hot right now (as Mugatu would say...). Fun for a try!
You'll really just have to go check it out. I'll give you recommendations if you really need them, or you can check my Benefit label to see what I've liked and not liked.
The code is BENEBABE. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Fall Update!
Hooray for fall - my most FAVORITE season of the year!
Well, I still haven't made it to our Ulta yet...it is a little bit of a haul, and with gas prices being what they are, and my bank balance being what it ISN'T, well, I just haven't made it.
I did get to visit one last week in Nashville, and that was a welcome surprise, as it was an Ulta almost as big and nice as a Sephora. VERY exciting. While there, I purchased a few fun items:
1) Bed Head's Foxy Curls line - I bought the mousse and spray. They are GREAT! I love anything from the Bed Head/Catwalk line, but these two items are especially great for anyone with curly hair that happens to be FINE instead of coarse like most curly gals. That plus my new, much darker hair color actually have me out of bed and doing my hair every morning!
2) Two versions of Ulta brand conditioner - I bought the color specific and the moisturizing. They were FOUR DOLLARS (they were having a sale). Seriously. This is cheap for conditioner that is more like a designer brand. Excellent. More later on the color specific - we'll see if I fade back to brassy, formerly blonde-now-blah brunette again...let's hope not!
3) Bourjois Ombre Stretch Eyeshadow in Rose Elastique - I love Bourjois eye shadow. It really coats well, stays on nicely, and has just enough shimmer so you don't look like a "working girl," but enough so that you get a nice accent. In the week and a half since I purchased, I've probably worn it 7 times, which in my repetoir is pretty dang good. HIGHLY recommend anything from their eye shadow line.
I also picked up some odds and ends from their clearance bins - all great deals, all GREAT makeup - Ulta brand products really seem to be proving themselves.
Now, as for fall trends - I've been meaning to do this for a while, but seeing as how in TN, it just got colder, I don't think I'm too far behind. Here are some of the fun new trends for fall:
1) Grey/silver eye - This is an excellent excuse to try out some of the shadows I RAVE about - Bourjois, Urban Decay, even L'Oreal's HIP line. A nice, subtle grey eye, especially with a hint of purple, is HUGE this year. Don't think smoky eye as much as a nice subtle, almost neutral tone. My personal favorite? Benefit's new creamshadow in Gossip. Now, this is a bit more purple than grey, and the reason I like it is because, for some reason UNKNOWN to me or anyone at Clinique who has ever done my makeup (seriously, they try this every time, even when I warn them), grey eyeshadow just does not work for me. Looks horrible, washes out my skin and eyes, just not a good match, me and grey. LOVELY on every other human being on the planet. But I digress... Point is, even if grey isn't your color, there are options, GLORIOUS OPTIONS! Benefit's cream shadows go on so nicely, really blend well, and are honestly the best cream shadow I've tried. I pair this over the color Honey Bunny (which does not seem to be on the website, but is a nude with a slight pink tone), and I love it. Incidently, this is also a perfect "first makeup" pair for a teenage girl - just enough color to look like something, but not so much they can take it too far. And if you are more into grey, Benefit's Skinny Jeans is also killer. Go try them!
2) Darker lips - This is sometimes a hard transition for people. Grey eye, sure, we've all been there. But for those who never wear lipstick, these deeper, plum-ier tones are hard to deal with. I'm with you. With pale skin, I tend to get the goth look going mighty fast. However, it can be eased into, with relatively no problem at all. I direct you ONCE AGAIN to Clinique's Black Honey Almost lipstick. Seriously, if you haven't tried it, please do. I really have yet to meet someone it looks bad on (maybe not your taste, but never bad...), and it is a perfect way to check out this fall trend. Other tops on my list are Clinique's Butter Shine Lipstick in Crushed Grape (looks way more scary online than it really is), and if you are REALLY not brave, Bath and Body Works has a new line of C.O. Bigelow Mint Lip Glosses with tint in them - you can get Plum, Violet, Nude, all sorts of colors. They're much more like a plain lip gloss, so you can be "safe." I've been keeping my Black Honey on hand in my purse - SO FUN! Just don't forget to tone down the eyes a bit if you're going all out on lips. No need to look like last night's drag show.
3) Tight lining - Now THIS is amazing. I had heard about it on a few blogs, and then had my makeup done at Laura Mercier recently (amazing products, by the way), and the guy doing my makeup tight lined my eyes. It looked so natural, yet added so much to my eyes. I really can't explain it. It's hard to get right at first, but when you do - whoa mama! It looks so pretty, and is great if you need the definition that black liner gives you, but aren't really into black liner, or want to wear another color (grey? purple? GREEN?). Instructional video here. It should also be noted that this can be done with a well sharpened, soft (think kohl) pencil. It make take you a few tries, but I promise, when you get it, it's worth it!
Other trends for fall are: thicker brows, nude cheeks (probably to offset the grey eyes and dark lips - remember, this is NUDE, not BARE), and purple anything and everything, including mascara.
Go play! Hooray for fall!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Be Still My Heart!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
20% Off Sale at ULTA.com!
ULTA - the fabulous hair care and cosmetics store - it having a big sale this week!
20% off almost anything you purchase (some exclusions apply) - and since they offer free shipping over $50, this is not a bad deal! You can pick out $62.50 worth of products and only pay $50 flat for it! Use coupon codes: 95761 OR 95848
If you're not familiar with ULTA, I suggest you head over to their site and browse around. They have quite a few of the brands Sephora carries, with additional drugstore brands like CoverGirl, Loreal, all that. They also offer a wide array of hair care products, so some of those hard to find brands can be located there. A complete list of their brands can be found here.
Now, about the exclusions - this is a little tricky. MANY of the items say "Excluded from Coupon," when in fact this is not the case. Bourjois Cosmetics is a prime example. Some, however, really mean it. My advice is to add one thing to your cart, put in the code, then you can go ahead and add others and see what they discount. I can go ahead and tell you that Frederic Fekkai does not discount. Sad face.
So go play on ULTA's website. I think you'll have fun there. And at 20% off, your "fun" can be a little cheaper! Hooray!
20% off almost anything you purchase (some exclusions apply) - and since they offer free shipping over $50, this is not a bad deal! You can pick out $62.50 worth of products and only pay $50 flat for it! Use coupon codes: 95761 OR 95848
If you're not familiar with ULTA, I suggest you head over to their site and browse around. They have quite a few of the brands Sephora carries, with additional drugstore brands like CoverGirl, Loreal, all that. They also offer a wide array of hair care products, so some of those hard to find brands can be located there. A complete list of their brands can be found here.
Now, about the exclusions - this is a little tricky. MANY of the items say "Excluded from Coupon," when in fact this is not the case. Bourjois Cosmetics is a prime example. Some, however, really mean it. My advice is to add one thing to your cart, put in the code, then you can go ahead and add others and see what they discount. I can go ahead and tell you that Frederic Fekkai does not discount. Sad face.
So go play on ULTA's website. I think you'll have fun there. And at 20% off, your "fun" can be a little cheaper! Hooray!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Free Stuff at Origins
Origins is running a little freebie this week - go in and listen to them pump products for 5 minutes (any saavy Clinique customer can handle this!) and walk away with samples of one of three of their skin lines.
Options available include:
1. A Perfect World - this is the skincare line for just about everyone, and the one I got. It included A Perfect World Deep Cleanser, Liquid Moisture, Antioxidant Moisturizer, and Body Cream. The smell is awesomely clean and natural smelling - like white tea. I used the cleanser, liquid moisture, and moisturizer tonight, and really enjoyed how light and clean my skin feels.
2. Origins Organics - this is for the hardcore vegan/organicophites. These products are all organic, USDA approved (like steak?). I don't care for overly organic. To me, I feel like I need a little chemical or I might as well use dirt to wash my face. CALL ME CRAZY. Anyhoo - in this set is a foaming face wash, a purifying tonic, a nourishing face lotion, and a silkening body spritz.
3. Dr. Andrew Weil for Organics - Sorry this set isn't showing up online. They DID have it at the Chattanooga store, so it's still available. This line is for people with "problem" skin - it solves all problems from dryness, sensitivity, redness, acne, etc etc etc....miracle product. I believe it includes the Plantidote - Mega Mushroom line - cleanser, face cream, toner, and body lotion. So for all with sensitive skin (or those who are Mario Bros fans!) - go for the 'shrooms.
Anyway, fun little freebie where you can check out a whole new skin care line, good until 9/3/08. Priced out for the full size products of what I bought, I'd spend around $75 for that line (not including body lotion, because, please). Not terrible, and probably what I've spent in the past. We'll see if I wake up with hives in the morning ;-)
Options available include:
1. A Perfect World - this is the skincare line for just about everyone, and the one I got. It included A Perfect World Deep Cleanser, Liquid Moisture, Antioxidant Moisturizer, and Body Cream. The smell is awesomely clean and natural smelling - like white tea. I used the cleanser, liquid moisture, and moisturizer tonight, and really enjoyed how light and clean my skin feels.
2. Origins Organics - this is for the hardcore vegan/organicophites. These products are all organic, USDA approved (like steak?). I don't care for overly organic. To me, I feel like I need a little chemical or I might as well use dirt to wash my face. CALL ME CRAZY. Anyhoo - in this set is a foaming face wash, a purifying tonic, a nourishing face lotion, and a silkening body spritz.
3. Dr. Andrew Weil for Organics - Sorry this set isn't showing up online. They DID have it at the Chattanooga store, so it's still available. This line is for people with "problem" skin - it solves all problems from dryness, sensitivity, redness, acne, etc etc etc....miracle product. I believe it includes the Plantidote - Mega Mushroom line - cleanser, face cream, toner, and body lotion. So for all with sensitive skin (or those who are Mario Bros fans!) - go for the 'shrooms.
Anyway, fun little freebie where you can check out a whole new skin care line, good until 9/3/08. Priced out for the full size products of what I bought, I'd spend around $75 for that line (not including body lotion, because, please). Not terrible, and probably what I've spent in the past. We'll see if I wake up with hives in the morning ;-)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Colossal Volume Express Mascara
Lately, I've been unimpressed with my mascara. Maybe it's because I'm bored with my makeup in general, despite my having such an arsenal that I've put myself on a makeup diet. No unnecessary makeup unless I REALLY need a fix. Well, I decided that "dissatisfaction with mascara options" was clearly an emergency in need of reparations.
Now, I had previously been happy with my Dior Show Mascara, but at $28 a tube, I just really can't justify its not being 100% perfect. Plus, it has a little bit of a clumping issue. So I went back to my old standby, Maybelline Define-a-Lash. And it was ok. But after the awesome lash plumping goodness of Dior Show, I couldn't go back to wimpy lashes. So I'm torn - Maybelline: cheaper, with the cool synthetic brush, or Dior: more expensive, but with the added ability of getting me to 2pm still looking like I'm wearing mascara.
So after much contemplation, soul searching, and walking past it on my twice-weekly Target treks, I decided to buy the Colossal Volume Express mascara. Now this is only day 2, but already I am WAY IMPRESSED. I have now achieved nice, full lashes with a nice, cheap price and a synthetic brush! HOORAY!
My only gripe is that the tube is kinda large - I guess to go along with the Colossal name. But eh.
Give it a try - $5.99 at Target. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Now, I had previously been happy with my Dior Show Mascara, but at $28 a tube, I just really can't justify its not being 100% perfect. Plus, it has a little bit of a clumping issue. So I went back to my old standby, Maybelline Define-a-Lash. And it was ok. But after the awesome lash plumping goodness of Dior Show, I couldn't go back to wimpy lashes. So I'm torn - Maybelline: cheaper, with the cool synthetic brush, or Dior: more expensive, but with the added ability of getting me to 2pm still looking like I'm wearing mascara.
So after much contemplation, soul searching, and walking past it on my twice-weekly Target treks, I decided to buy the Colossal Volume Express mascara. Now this is only day 2, but already I am WAY IMPRESSED. I have now achieved nice, full lashes with a nice, cheap price and a synthetic brush! HOORAY!
My only gripe is that the tube is kinda large - I guess to go along with the Colossal name. But eh.
Give it a try - $5.99 at Target. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
After a long hiatus...
I present - Sales and new products!!
1) Hard Candy Cosmetics is selling everything on their website for 75% off! That amounts to eyeshadows for $3.12. Quite a steal! They have a very cutesy style - kind of teeny-bopper, but still good quality product.
2) Urban Decay is having their 900th Friends and Family discount this year - 30% off with the code FFL30 - good from 8/21 to 8/28. They have just introduced a new line of lipsticks, have a great new(ish) demattifying powder, and of course their eyeshadows, eye primer, and 24/7 pencils (now in lips too!) are always a great choice!
3) Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub - I just bought this a few weeks ago, and I really love it! Not only is is Neutrogena (plus), it's a good solid scrub that clears your skin without making it red and irritated. PLUS, it smells like grapefruit - a nice clean citrus that is perfect for morning wake up!
4) Olay Total Effects Touch of Foundation - I just saw this for the first time at Target last night. After a little research, I have found that most women who love Olay products prefer the older Total Effects line to the new Regernist or Definity lines. This is Olay's same Total Effects daily treatment, but with a hint of foundation, which I presume is much like a tinted moisturizer. It looks very intriguing, I must say, and includes UV protection with SPF 15 (although the packaging doesn't say this - I found it online). Definitely try it out if you are an Olay fan - I didn't buy it because a) I love me some Neutrogena Healthy Skin, and b) it was $17.99, and my bank account is running on fumes. Perhaps soon, though.
5) Sundae Afternoon Body Scrub - I received this as a gift for volunteering at the American Cancer Society Beach Ball this weekend. It's a cutely packaged sugar scrub, made up to look similar to a pint of Ben and Jerry's. The flavor I got was Coconutty Lime Sherbet, and I tried it last night for the first time. First, let me start by saying that I am not a huge scrub user. Yes, I find them intriguing and want to buy them, but usually they just collect dust because I can't be bothered, or they're too scrubby for my skin. NOT SO in this case - this is a scrub I will use! Sadly, I cannot find a picture of it on their website, but I believe it is on clearance at the store now, originally priced $24.95, but now half off. Enjoy!
That's probably enough for now...I'll come up with a few more later!
Happy Shopping!!
1) Hard Candy Cosmetics is selling everything on their website for 75% off! That amounts to eyeshadows for $3.12. Quite a steal! They have a very cutesy style - kind of teeny-bopper, but still good quality product.
2) Urban Decay is having their 900th Friends and Family discount this year - 30% off with the code FFL30 - good from 8/21 to 8/28. They have just introduced a new line of lipsticks, have a great new(ish) demattifying powder, and of course their eyeshadows, eye primer, and 24/7 pencils (now in lips too!) are always a great choice!
3) Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub - I just bought this a few weeks ago, and I really love it! Not only is is Neutrogena (plus), it's a good solid scrub that clears your skin without making it red and irritated. PLUS, it smells like grapefruit - a nice clean citrus that is perfect for morning wake up!
4) Olay Total Effects Touch of Foundation - I just saw this for the first time at Target last night. After a little research, I have found that most women who love Olay products prefer the older Total Effects line to the new Regernist or Definity lines. This is Olay's same Total Effects daily treatment, but with a hint of foundation, which I presume is much like a tinted moisturizer. It looks very intriguing, I must say, and includes UV protection with SPF 15 (although the packaging doesn't say this - I found it online). Definitely try it out if you are an Olay fan - I didn't buy it because a) I love me some Neutrogena Healthy Skin, and b) it was $17.99, and my bank account is running on fumes. Perhaps soon, though.
5) Sundae Afternoon Body Scrub - I received this as a gift for volunteering at the American Cancer Society Beach Ball this weekend. It's a cutely packaged sugar scrub, made up to look similar to a pint of Ben and Jerry's. The flavor I got was Coconutty Lime Sherbet, and I tried it last night for the first time. First, let me start by saying that I am not a huge scrub user. Yes, I find them intriguing and want to buy them, but usually they just collect dust because I can't be bothered, or they're too scrubby for my skin. NOT SO in this case - this is a scrub I will use! Sadly, I cannot find a picture of it on their website, but I believe it is on clearance at the store now, originally priced $24.95, but now half off. Enjoy!
That's probably enough for now...I'll come up with a few more later!
Happy Shopping!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)