Sephora Haul: VIB Sale and Black Friday Discounts

Hello my loves,

I know I haven't been writing that many blog posts lately. I've got a lot of ideas but sometimes my heart is just not in it and I can't make it happen. I do try and post on my Instagram on a regular basis, so follow me there if you're interested in non-beauty updates. I haven't really been buying too many products for a while. Not only am I trying to save money and wearing less makeup on the whole but I've already got a pretty respectable makeup stash. But recent sales have been too good so I've dipped a toe back into the beauty world. There are also products I needed to stock up on (e.g. eyeliner) or add to my routine (e.g. skincare). I might share my other Black Friday hauls in a separate post but for now I wanted to share all the things I picked up at Sephora.

I placed two big orders at Sephora this fall. The first order was using the 20% discount from the VIB sale. The second order was taking advantage of all the sales around Black Friday. Let's start with the VIB 20% off part of the haul.

My skincare routine is basically nonexistent. I have really dry but usually blemish free skin. I've tried exfoliators and moisturizers and cleansers and creams and serums before but basically everything freaks my skin out and provokes breakouts and so I just settle back into having dry skin. Once in a while I do apply sunscreen or moisturizer but I don't do it on a regular basis. This is obviously a problem. I'm getting older and I need to start taking better care of my skin. I've tabled the sunscreen issue until I run out of my current sunscreen (La Roche Posay) but I decided to use the VIB sale as an excuse to try out a ton of products. The saleswoman at Sephora recommended the REN skincare line so on her recommendation, I stocked up on their products.

I picked up the REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk for Sensitive Skin, the REN Clean Skincare Flash Hydro-Boost for All Skin Types, the REN Clean Skincare Vita Mineral Daily, the REN Supplement Moisturizing Cream for All Skin Types, and the REN Clean Skincare Micro Polish Cleanser. I'll let you know how I get on with all of them after a month or two. The only difficult thing will be figuring out which products are doing the heavy lifting (or causing any irritation) because I'll be trying them all at the same time.

I also purchased another bottle of my favorite Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. It'll be included in a Product Empties or Current Favorites post if I ever get around to writing it.

I got a pack of three Beauty Blenders in bright summery colors but I might return it. It was a decent discount for beauty blenders but I don't really wear foundation and I've heard that the AOA sponge might be a good dupe for a lot cheaper.

As a treat for myself, I got the Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick and Lip Mattifier Set and the Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions palette. The lipsticks are tiny but I go through lipsticks really slowly so I don't mind just having more colors to play with.

Sephora Extra20 Sale Haul

Hello my dears,

I am very late with this post but I've been distracted. I spent the holidays baking. I went to see the last matinee of Side Show. I have a new recapping assignment on TrashTalkTV. Most of the rest of my time is spent working and when I do have free time I'm usually dreaming up new projects that I will start and never finish. Oh, and of course my Lenovo adapter malfunctioned and almost electrocuted me on December 20 and I haven't been able to use my laptop since then. Anyway, enough excuses, let's get into the haul.

At the end of December, Sephora had an offer where all of their sale items were an extra 20% off with a discount code. I took the opportunity to try out the L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Ritual Set which consists of a dry skin oil and an exfoliating soap.

This was the expensive item that convinced me to make this purchase. You know I have to qualify for that free shipping to place an order. I've heard a lot about L'Occitane's almond shower oil, as I'm sure you all have, but not as much about this supple skin oil. I tried the shower oil on the back of my hand in the store, and I think the supple skin oil is definitely thicker and doesn't spread as easily over the skin. I've been trying it fairly consistently so we'll see how it gets me through the winter. The scent is a lot like baby oil with something extra. I'll let you know if it's worth spending this much on.

The other item that really caught my eye online was the Urban Decay Pulp Fiction palette. I'm not a big fan of the movie. Actually, I've never seen it. I know. I'm a terrible person. But I've heard good things about this palette. I just wasn't willing to buy it at full price or at any of the other discounted prices I've seen it selling for since it was released. It's not a bad palette but the colors are pretty standard so I could only justify the expense at this price.

I recently swatched all my brown shadows to get a better feel for my eyeshadow collection and I didn't come across any dupes so I'm pretty happy with this purchase. We'll see if I can incorporate these shadows into any good looks.

My last big item was this Stila Merry and Bright Makeup Set. There was a Stila pop up in the city over the holidays and I think they might have been selling this there. Regardless, there was only one thing that interested me in this set and that is the Stila Convertible Color Blush in Tulip. I don't use cream blushes that often but Stila makes my favorite cream blushes. Also, I swatched Tulip and it's not a match for Stila Poppy. I haven't tried it on my cheeks yet but I'm not touching anything else in the set until I decide whether or not I like it. This one might go back to the store. I mean, it's a good deal at $20 since a regular Convertible Color Blush is already $25 but if I don't like the blush I don't have much use for the rest of the set. 

Sephora Haul

Hi ladybugs,

I wanted to share my recent Sephora Haul with you because it features some items you might be interested in and also because I'm feeling a little lazy and I'm not in the mood to write a real review post today. #honesty #sorryforthehashtags

Let's start with the product that really convinced me to place my order: the Sephora + Pantone Matte Lipstick in Radiant Rush. Now, the packaging for this is a whole experience and since I don't do videos (yet), I'll take you through it with me in a series of photos.

Once you've removed the plastic you find the tube encased in its cardboard bed.

One side says Sephora.

Two sides have a plus sign.

The remaining side reads Pantone Universe. The closure for this lipstick is magnetic which I both like and hate. I like that it's magnetic because I'm easily amused by packaging but I hate that it's magnetic because it doesn't feel as secure as that firm click you get with a lot of lipstick bullets. The magnets in this lipstick feel a little weak and I'm nervous that this could open fairly easily in my purse.

I did try it out briefly. It doesn't seem to be rich and creamy like the Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks but it isn't slick like a balm either. It kind of hugs your lips as you apply it if that makes any sense. I'm not going to show you a lip swatch because my lips are super dry right now but it applies fairly similarly to how it appears in the tube. My initial impression was that it wasn't intensely pigmented but that you could build up the color in a few swipes. It has a slight candy kind of scent. I'm bad with scents but I'd guess caramel or something similar. 

This tube of lipstick looked really tiny to me so I breathed a sigh of relief when I twisted it up and saw the amount of product. Still, I wanted to see how this lipstick compared to other brands given the fact that it costs $18 at full price. So, for the sake of comparison...

Sephora + Pantone Radiant Rush 3.6g

Covergirl Lipstick 3.5 g

L'Oreal Colour Riche 2.9 g

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick 4.2 g

NYC Lipstick 3.8 g

Revlon Lip Butter 2.55 g

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 4.2 g

Urban Decay Revolution lipstick 2.8 g

I've wanted this shadow quad for a while but I was intending to wait until the Sephora Friends and Family sale to pick up. But of course I needed to qualify for the absolutely ridiculous $50 minimum for free shipping so I added it to my order. I was fairly disappointed in the size of this palette. 4.8 g is not a lot of eyeshadow for $28. To compare, the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette contains 12 shades that are each 1.3 g making the entire palette 15.6 g. And of course I bought my palette during a sale so it cost less than the standard retail price of $50 or so. And if I could be bothered to check my makeup collection, I could find a ton of other high end and mid-range eyeshadow palettes that are more economical. Basically what I'm saying is that these better prove to be some pretty amazing eyeshadows.

The packaging is reflective which is a nice look though it attracts smudges like crazy.

The palette comes with a small built-in mirror, four shadows, and two sponge-tip applicators.

Sephora Haul: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencils and Sephora by OPI Nail Colour

Hi chickadees!

I was naughty and placed an online order at Sephora.com the other day. In my defense, I started my shopping off at Ebates which pays you 8% back for your purchases at Sephora, I only bought items that were on sale, I used the store credit I had stored on a gift card, and I added at least $50 worth of products to qualify for free shipping. Yeah, I put a lot of thought into it. It sent my little obsessive mind into overdrive.

Anyway, I thought I'd just quickly share my purchases with you.

Even though I don't love the mini Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero that came with a little palette I bought or the full-size pencil in Perversion that I bought for myself a while ago, I could not resist the color selection they had on sale. They're still on sale for $6 at the time I'm writing this post if you're interested. I have a weakness for cool colors so I purchased four eyeliners in Flipside, Covet, Binge, and Deviant.

Flipside is a shimmery aquamarine/turquoise green. I think it'll provide a nice bright pop of colors around the eyes. It's a bit more of a summer shade but I think it could still look pretty in the fall. Or I might save it for fall because it takes me forever to test products. It's OK. I forgive you for thinking it. (Note: Swatches of all four colors at the end)

(looks a bit darker in person)

Sephora CHIC Week 15% Off Haul

Hi darlings!

My Sephora Friends and Family haul is one of my more popular posts so I thought you might also like to see what I picked up during their "Chic Week" discount week where 15% was taken off your total purchase in store or online. As an aside, I highly recommend signing up to be a Sephora Beauty Insider to take advantage of these and other discounts if you love trying out beauty products or even just a few high-end skincare and makeup products. It is totally free with plenty of perks.

Anyway, let's get started. I agonized over the decision of what to get until the very last day when I made my choices in store. I thought I was going to get big ticket items but I actually picked up pretty reasonably priced items and two more expensive lip products. I will leave swatches until I have used the products for a while and write up full reviews.
I think I'll share my haul in the order I found the items. (Haul items after the break...)