Stila Sample Sale Report June 2017

Hello darlings!

Sorry for the delay. I meant to cover this one two days ago but I've been busy with work. Cutting right to the chase, this sale is running at 260 Fifth Avenue for 2 more days. Today, July 1 through 7:00 pm and tomorrow, July 2 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I am only covering the Stila beauty half of the sale.

Now, you know that when I cover a sale, I cover that damn sale. Here are all the details you need to know about what's on offer.

EYES

Very sadly there were no Stay All Day Liquid Liners which are my favorite go-to these days and the reason I checked out the sale. They do have the Stila Kajal Eyeliner in 02 Topaz and the Stila Got Inked Cushion Eyeliner in Black Obsidian Ink. Both are $10 each.

They only had one Eye Shadow Compact Pan in Kitten's sad cousin Wheat. There was an Eye Shadow Trio in Gold Glow but a sample compact wasn't set out so I didn't get a look at it. Eye shadow is $5.

For brows, they had the Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Light Ash, Medium Warm, and Auburn. Brow color is $5 which would be a great deal if my brows were lighter. I've converted to Anastasia for my brows these days.

There was a decent selection of palettes. I've eyed these in the past when they've gone on sale but I don't know, I'm just not that into palettes anymore. There are always some blues or reds or dark colors I'm never going to use. Still, if you are into palettes, this might be a good time to stock up at $15 per palette. They had the Eyes Are the Window Shadow Palettes in Body, Spirit, and Mind as well as the Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Eye/Cheek Palettes in fair/light, light/medium, medium/tan, and tan/deep.

Finally for eyes, there was the Lash Stunner Extreme Lash Primer ($10) and the Waterproof Volumizing Mascara ($10).

LIPS

This is a great sale if you love Stila's lip products. There was a big selection of Stila Color Balm Lipsticks ($10) in Olivia, Sonya, Maya, Valentina, Ruby, Savannah, Natasha, Brigitte, Ali, Elle, Isabelle, Evangeline, Vivienne, Betsey, Gemma, Opal, Aubrey, and Emma. I already own Valentina, Ruby, Natasha, Isabelle, Gemma, and Evangeline. A little of this lipstick goes a long way and I've never been able to decide whether I find it moisturizing or drying. It is more conditioning that other lipsticks but I find that it can pill and bunch up weirdly on the lips after a few hours. I considered stocking up since they're basically half price but again, a little goes a long way and I'm not sure I'll need backups anytime soon. My favorite of the ones I own is Evangeline because it's the most wearable. By the way, if you would like a review of any of the Stila lipsticks I own, leave a request in the comments. Also, you should know that Stila has currently also slashed the price of the lipstick on their website if you can't make this sale. 

The Stila MATTE'ificent lipsticks come in Palais, Mon Ami, Papillon, Coquille, Jolie, Etoile, Bisou, Soiree, Framboise, Bordeaux. Also $10.

Josie Natori Sample Sale Report November 2016

Hi chickadees!

It's going to be a short sample sale report today. I couldn't get to the sale until later in the day and they were basically shooing us out so I did the best I could in scoping out the place and getting photos and info for you.

The sale is being held at the same location as the last time I attended. I feel like this is a company that doesn't change their sale venues. The building is 102 Madison Avenue between 29th and 30th St. There are a bunch of subway stations, but I took the R (well, really the W because the trains were being ridiculous when I went yesterday). Just take the elevator up to the third floor. There's no room at the end of a long, winding hallway to look for here. The sale is running from December 7-8, 10:00 am through 5:00 pm. Yes, that means if you want to shop this sale, it has to be today. There was no coat or bag check required.

So... is it worth heading over? Personally, I think it depends what size you are. I went later in the day so I don't know what the stock was like in the morning, but there was still a lot of merchandise out. The problem was that certain sizes definitely dominated. One of the things I like about Josie Natori is that they're a brand that caters to a wide range of sizes. And as you'll see from the photos, there is something for almost every size. But if you really want a selection, you'll be best off if you're a B cup. DD's and 34D's also had boxes of their own that you could dig through. Aside from the section on the wall with larger band sizes (and also larger cup sizes) I was surprised at how hard it was to find larger band sizes among the regular bras. I'm not even talking about 38's or 40's. I was having trouble finding 36's in the C cups and D cups, but maybe they already sold.

You'll find a range of styles at this sale. I like Natori bras. I think they're well made and they come in pretty designs and colors while still being practical. At least in the sections I was looking at, I saw more soft bras (not bralettes but underwire bras without padded cups) but there are all kinds of styles floating around. Again, it just depends on your size requirements. As usual, the prices are incredible. You can barely find bras this cheap at places like Target and TJMaxx and even if you do, they likely won't be as well made. 

As for the non-bra items, there are a few rows of underwear in S, M, L, and XL as well as some boxes in the back I didn't have time to look through. I don't think this is really like a Hanky Panky or Cosabella sale where it's worth it to go for some pretty underthings but if you know you like Natori underwear, if you're going to the sale anyway, or if you want something a little more practical, maybe check this section out.

Korres Sample Sale Report August 2016

Hello my darlings,

I know I've been gone for awhile. If you're not a longtime reader and aren't interested, skip this first paragraph. This isn't really the post to talk about it but I will try to write something soon. To catch you up a little... I'm still here. I've been here. I have some ideas for what I want to write and future projects but I just haven't had the time to devote to it for the past few months. As far as sample sales go, I haven't been going to as many of them as theatre has become a bigger part of my life. There are only so many places I can run around to in the same day. I'm going to get back into hauls and review posts but sample sale reports will probably stay infrequent. I am thinking about theatre reviews but I have yet to decide if that's going to be happening here or on another blog. This is a weird time to be jumping back into sample sale reports as this summer cold is trying to murder me but I was going to check out this sale anyway and unlike the MAC sample sale (haul coming!) I thought I could actually manage to cover it since I didn't have to wait outside for hours to do so. Anyway, after all of that preamble, here are the details...

I was going to check out the first day of the sale but, as I mentioned in the intro paragraph, I'm not feeling too great. I went to the first Korres sale (which I don't think I reported on for the blog) but I've been too busy to go to subsequent sales and it's not a brand I follow very closely. I mainly know about their products from the items I picked up at their first sale.

The 530 Broadway sale space is right on the corner. I was expecting an office building so I breezed right past it but it's actually a pop up storefront on the ground floor. There is a coat check near the front door but it doesn't seem mandatory and in this weather, I don't think anyone has extra layers unless it's a raincoat. The register is a little past the coat check on the left hand side. They take both cash and credit. I asked and they said they are anticipating on some kind of restocking (maybe different items, maybe more of the same) but they can't commit to anything. Based on the print out price signs and the longer run of the sale, I would expect some markdowns as well towards the last few days but if there's something you want and you're willing to pay what it's currently marked, I would grab it now instead of waiting.

 Checkout desk in the right corner

OK, on to the good stuff. Prices and products. First I'll do a bit of rambling based on the photos. You can find a full price and product list at the end of this post. In this first photo you can see the honey syrup, mini body butter, and Japanese Rose Butter Whip. One thing I really appreciated is that almost all of the products (excluding a few like the eye pencils) have testers out so you can get a sense of the scent, consistency, and color. This is especially helpful since a lot of Korres products tend to be heavily fragranced.

Stila Sample Sale Report December 2015

Hello chickadees,

I was planning to go this morning but I didn't really feel like getting up so I ended up checking out the Stila/Tocca sample sale at 260 Fifth Avenue after work. The sale is running until Wednesday with hours on Tuesday and Wednesday being 10:00 am- 8:00 pm. Right off the bat, I will say that this isn't a proper sample sale report. I went to check out the sale, not to recap it and it was a shit show inside so I really wasn't in the mood to take photos or notes when girls were hanging out like it was Sephora. But I read the Racked NY report this morning and it was terribly lacking in details so I'm going to do the best I can going from memory. I only checked out the Stila side of the sale as I've come to the conclusion that I'm not really a candle or scent girl. I have a small haul so let me know in the comments if you want to see what I purchased. And with that, let's get into it!

After the coat and bag check (why, 260 Sample Sale!?! Bring a tiny clutch.) I headed right for the Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner which are normally priced at $22. Now, of course I never buy them for $22. From the Stila website you can usually get them from anywhere from 10% to around 50% off depending on what discount codes you can find throughout the year. Or you can just get them from Sephora or other larger retailers during their sales. But that still means you're paying something more than $10 per liquid liner. At this sale, most of the individual items are $5 which is an excellent deal. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of my favorite colors: intense black, midnight, indigo, or moss. They did have plenty of periwinkle, turquoise, cobalt, and teal. Thankfully, I'm not afraid of color. My advice, if you don't mind color, is to go for cobalt and teal. I've used both before and while they aren't my favorites, they are pretty pigmented (I vaguely remember having some issues with teal but I can't remember what they were) and perform similarly to the darker shades that I love. Cobalt is pretty matte though which might be a minus or a plus for you but it's something to keep in mind with a brighter shade like that. As for periwinkle and turquoise, they're not too pigmented. I skipped periwinkle because I don't see myself using it. Turquoise is a pretty minty shade but I only got one because it's so light that I would really only use it in a double wing with a darker color. They also had a limited (I'm talking a handful unless they plan on restocking) number of liners in emerald and olive. If you're OK with even odder shades, then you might want to pick up a liquid liner in amber or paradise pink. There were plenty available and along with turquoise, they're currently on sale on the Stila website for $10 so you are still saving money, but less than you'd be if you purchased one of the other shades.

If you're not a liquid liner person, you might want to try the Kajal Eye Liner $18 online and $5 at this sale. They had a large supply of Onyx (black) and a dwindling supply of Tigers Eye. I didn't notice any other shades. This is a sale where opaque packaging is not your friend. There simply isn't time to dig around with the crowd milling about.

Also in the eye section I saw Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Color sticks. They are normally priced at $22 but currently on sale online for $8. They're also $5 at this sale but obviously, that's not as steep of a discount as you'd be getting with some other items. I've never used these. I spotted colors like Midnight Blue and Pink Violet but I like my shadow sticks to be more like Milani's Champagne Toast so I passed.

I saw two brushes available. One was the Lash Lift Off Brush #38 which is currently $20 online. It is being sold for $5 at this sale but I couldn't find any reviews of it online. I'll be testing it and I'll let you know what I think. There was an all over Complexion Brush being sold as well but I couldn't find it on the website. It looked dense with stiff bristles like a foundation brush but in a more rounded shape.

There were many bronzers and highlighters but I'm happy with the ones I have and Stila's looked quite orange-y so I didn't pay very much attention to that section. I'll simply give you some prices from the Stila website. The Stila Sun Bronzer is currently selling for $28. The Stay All Day Bronzer $28 (on sale $10). The Stila All Over Shimmer Powder is $22.

As for lips, the Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick  is $24 online and $5 at this sale. I did not pay very much attention to what colors were available. The Nude Interlude Color Balm Lipstick is $22 online and $5 at this sale but unfortunately the only color available is Elyssa. In another life, I would have at least snapped this up to try it but it's quite brown and I don't think it would even work for me in one of my goth moods. I do like the Color Balm Lipsticks for the most part. I could do without the tingle from the mint but I like most of the shades I own and the color and formula are nice. You get the coverage of a lipstick but it doesn't wear too heavy.

There were also Stila Lip Glaze sold online for $22 and $5 at the sale but again I didn't have time to examine all the colors. There were sort of testers out but everything was in a state of chaos.

I haven't tried them but if you'd like to go for a lip product, I'd suggest picking up one of the lip and cheek stains simply because those displays were much more orderly. There were plenty of each shade and I don't seem them running out anytime soon. All the stains retail for $24 and were only $5 at this sale. They had the Acai Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Raspberry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Coconut Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, and Mango Crush Lip & Cheek Stain.

They also had Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Glosses in the lip section (retail price $24). I spotted Melon Vinyl, Hot Pink Vinyl, and a limited selection of Nude Vinyl. I think there were also some darker shades and reds but I didn't catch the names. There wasn't a red that jumped out to me except in one of the sets.

The only blushes I saw were the Custom Color Blush Pink (retail price $20) for $5. Sadly there were no convertible color cream blushes which I love or even the Custom Color Blush in Coral. I think there might have also been blushes among the sets (available for $10) but I wasn't paying much attention.

 

I think this sale is definitely worth attending for the discounts if you're a Stila fan and you know which products you like. But know that the color selection is generally limited to bolder shades. It wouldn't be the worst idea to go simply for stocking stuffers but be aware that depending on when you go you may be stuck in a line outside and then another line for the cash register so don't expect to be able to pop in and out on your lunch break.

Leota Sample Sale Report December 2015

Hello my loves!

Has it been too long? Do you still remember me? I've missed you so much. I am still testing beauty products and I've been attending a few sample sales but a lot of that has slowed down and I've been busy with other projects so I haven't had as much time to blog. But enough of that for now. I'm just happy to see you again! Let's see if I still remember how to do this, shall we?

The Leota sample sale is taking place December 3-December 4 at 251 W 39th St between Seventh and Eigth Avenues. Take the elevator up to the 15th floor. Sale hours are 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. I think they may have had a preview day yesterday for people on their email list but regardless the sale is still pretty well stocked.

Dresses dominate this sale (as it should be) and customary for the brand you'll find a wide variety of beautiful prints in large range of colors. The cut of Leota dresses (at least at this sale) does not vary as much. You'll find basic T-shirt dressed, faux-wrap dresses, sweetheart necklines, etc. Go into this sale assuming that almost everything in the showroom is a small (or XS) but don't be afraid to try things on. There's a lot of stretch in some of the fabrics they use and the cuts are flattering for curvier shapes. I did spot a few 1L's but again, I would not go to this sale assuming you'll find them. This is not like the last sale where there were real M's and L's.

Maternity 

There are also some bins to the side near the maternity section containing pants and skirts but I did not have the time to rifle through them and supply is limited.

At least for today, a woman from BeautyCounter is also present showing off some of their products but they are not affiliated with Leota.

Christian Siriano Sample Sale Report August 2015

Hello my little ducklings,

I've missed you so much. You have no idea. I'm taking a break from recapping for a while so I will finally have the time to tend to this blog again. Enough chatter. That can wait. This is less of a comprehensive review and more of a tip. Let's see if I still remember how to do this.

The sale is taking place as usual at the Christian Siriano boutique at 252 Elizabeth Street. The sale begins today, August 20 and runs through Sunday, August 23. Hours are 10:00 am to 7:00 pm daily except on Sunday when hours are 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

You'll have to decide for yourself what you want to tackle first; shoes or apparel. The shoes are spread out at the foot of the racks throughout the store. You'll mainly find stiletto high heels (we're talking 3-4 inches average) that are probably best for parties but there are also some more conservative black heels that are still high but better for work. I did spy a few pairs of flats but I wouldn't go to this sale looking for them. Shoes are not arranged by size and there only a few styles are available in multiple sizes.

As for the apparel, you'll find pieces from all seasons though I didn't see a lot that would stand up to this humid summer heat we've been dealing with. Heavier spring dresses that wouldn't look out of place at a garden party or baby shower are closest to the door in dreamy blue shades. Prices are marked and vary greatly in this section. Sizes 2-6 will do best as they will throughout the sale though I was able to find pieces in sizes 8-12 on all the racks.

Past the spring dresses are the bulk of the real markdowns. The main price points seemed to be $50, $100, $150, and $300. $50 items were generally separates though not all separates were $50. There were not many of these. You're much more likely to find something you like priced at $100 as that was the price point for the majority of the cocktail dresses. Again, sizes 2-6 will do best hunting for pieces in this section. I only saw one genuine sample. I also found some $150 items, mainly skirts. On the opposite side of the store you'll find the heavier fall pieces where the price points increase to the $300+ mark. Next to the rack of fall pieces you'll find the gowns and couture items. While discounted, expect to still pay $900+ for these items.

Noir Jewelry Sample Sale Pop Up Shop Report December 2014

Hello darlings,

Yes, I know I probably have too much jewelry. If you're reading this, you probably also have too much jewelry. It doesn't matter. It's still worth it for you to stop by the Noir Jewelry Sample Sale as long as you go right now. Why the urgency? There are $5 and $15 bins. Yes, you read that correctly. First, some boring details... This sale is running from today Sunday, December 14 through Tuesday, December 16 with daily hours from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. The location is 54 Crosby Street between Broome and Spring St. near the Bloomingdales. There is construction on the sidewalk so you'll have to cross from the opposite side. The sale is at the back of what looks to be a regular pop up shop selling non-Noir items instead of at their regular location up near Penn Station.

I arrived bright and early, if not exactly at 11:00 am then very close to it. That means anything in these photos could be gone by the time you get there if you go late, though there are a lot of duplicates of certain items. You could split this sale up into three main areas. In the center of the room you'll find tables with items from $20 up to $125. Generally items are in cardboard boxes marked with the correct price but things can get a little mixed up so be sure to check the stickers on the plastic bags. Each colored dot corresponds to a certain price. Many items that are still full price on the website can be found in these boxes.

The second part of the sale, which you should head to first if you're a big bargain hunter and you're not looking for a particular item from the current collections, is at the very back of the sale. Here the cardboard boxes are full of $5 items (mainly statement necklaces with some bangles and bracelets and earrings as well) with two $15 bins at the far end of the hallway. This will take some digging (probably on your knees as the boxes are on the floor) so dress accordingly. Nothing is damaged in this section. The items are simply not made with the same quality of materials as the other more expensive items. Still, for $5 you're beating the prices at most other retailers (including stores like Forever21) but you're getting Noir jewelry pieces. The third part of the sale is the display along the wall. You'll find some of the same items in the cardboard boxes on the table but also some merchandise that isn't in the boxes. If you're looking for something specific, I'd give it a quick glance when you first arrive but otherwise, I'd start with one of the other two sections and leave this last. They said they will be replenishing some items but they will not be adding anything new. For a short sale like this I wouldn't expect markdowns, especially since I'm sure they'll get a lot of traffic.

$25 and under box

I spotted the Rebecca Zig Zag Up the Ear Creeper Earrings (Normally $40) in here.

$15

Meagan Pave Moon w/ Hanging Star Earring $25 (Normally $50)

Bena Arrowhead Earring $25 (Normally $60)

If you enjoy these sample sale reports, please consider supporting this site by making your next purchase at amazon.com through one of the affiliate links on my site. As long as your start your shopping trip at amazon through one of the links on my site, I will get a small percentage of the revenue from whatever you purchase at no extra cost to you. 

Sherry Small Pave Stud Post Earrings (Normally $30)

Amanda Star & Moon Set Post Earrings (Normally $20)

Sioux Arrowhead Drop Earrings $25 (Normally $40)

 Ashley Sun & Moon Ring $15 (Normally $30)

Eugenia Kim Sample Sale Report December 2014

Hello bumblebees,

I kept debating and debating whether I was going to leave my apartment and attend the Eugenia Kim sample sale at 347 W 36th St between 8th and 9th Avenues but somehow I got myself out the door, on the subway to 34th St and up to suite 501. The sale is running from December 12 through December 16 from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. The sale opened this morning at 10:00 am but I arrived somewhere between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. There is no coat or bag check and everything is priced as marked. Items are arranged by style. Men's hats, caps, and Genie by Eugenia Kim merchandise is along the right wall. Knits and furs occupy the adjacent wall. Fedoras and wider brim fall hats are on the far side of the room. Shoes and headbands are arranged along the last wall. Assorted hats are in bins marked $5, $35, and $65.

I did not check all of the price tags (because the salespeople were already looking at me like I was crazy) but I checked most of them. Aside from the Genie by Eugenia Kim knit turban for $25 and the discount bins, the cheapest items were the Lane scarf at $35, Leighton hat at $45, the Bettina hat at $45, and the Dakota scarf at $55.

The Carmella hat in gray was $65, The Lula turban was available for $65 in Oatmeal, Pink, Black/Cream, and Gray/White. The Jillian beret was available for $75.

At $85 you have the Liesl (Black), Mishka (Tortoise), Kristi (Black/Cream), and Kristi (Black).

At $95 you'll find the Elyse (Black), Jamie (Black), Cara, Martina, Joelle, Felix, Reagan (Lavender), and Jamie (Black). The Micah was the only item I saw priced at $115.

At $125, there was the John, Bo Alt (Red Marble), Jill, Montana, and Elie (Black). The Theo was priced at $135.

The Mies Alt (Charcoal), Georgina (Heather Gray), Mimi, and Blake (Rose Marble) were selling for $145.

You could purchase the Blake Alt (Mink), Blake (Mink), Georgina Alt (Black/Blue feathers), or Fifi (Cream) for $155.

Leota Sample Sale Report December 2014

Hello darlings,

I actually started off my morning at the Leota Sample Sale at 209 W 38th St, suite 702. The sale hours are 8:00 am through 7:00 pm from December 10 through December 12. I would not expect markdowns as all dresses are already $20. They will be restocking but they'll mainly be replenishing the same styles that are already out. There is no coat or bag check and no separate dressing area so dress accordingly. Overall, I'd say the fashions were more on the casual side. Some things could be worn to an office or an office party but a wedding would be stretching it a little. Supposedly both spring and fall collections are out but I think most of the stock is spring and summer appropriate. The sale was pretty busy and full of brand loyalists.

Since everything is priced at $20, the sale is divided by size. To your left you'll find mediums and larges and maternity styles. To your right you will find extra-small and smalls. Let's start with XS and S and I'll tell you when we hit the M and L sections.

I think there were some more interesting prints in the XS and S section compared to the M and L section.

However, there was also a lot of black and black and white.

Stella McCartney Elle Macpherson Sample Sale Report December 2014

Hello chickadees,

Because I was (sort of) in the area I decided to drop by the Stella McCartney/Elle Macpherson sample sale at 180 Madison Avenue between 33rd and 34th St. Do not go into the Wells Fargo. It's the building next door. Suite 1702. You will have to sign in at the front desk. The sale was completely empty when I stopped by sometime between 10:00 am and 11:00 am. At some point two guys wandered in but other than that I didn't see anyone else shopping. I asked the girl working and she said that the sale was very busy yesterday but it's still pretty well stocked today so if you're looking for some bras and lingerie it might be worth stopping by. Hours are 10:00 am - 7:00 pm today and tomorrow. There is no coat or bag check but you can't try anything on.

Pricing is pretty simple and the discount's pretty great. Nothing looks damaged but you will have to dig a bit through the samples. There was no size that really jumped out. I saw everything from A to E and 30 to 36 in the sample bins. There was a rack of sleepwear mainly in medium but I forgot to snap a photo. It's a little easier to sort through the production bras along the side and on the wall but again, sizing varies based on style. Let's start with the production pieces.

Elle Macpherson bras $15 (slightly more C's)

Stella McCartney bras $20

Stella McCartney bras $20

Elle Macpherson French Flavour Contour Balconnet Bra $15

I think all of these bras were 36D's.