Ulta Haul

I had a 10% off coupon to Ulta. Promo for that coupon began on a Sunday. Why I decided to shop the Friday before? Beats me. Bad decision making and another reason why I would fail at extreme couponing. Let's move on.

We can skip the 2 polishes in the picture (right) since I literally just wrote an entry about them 5 seconds ago. The last two items: a lipstick and lashes are both from NYX. So, let's talk lipstick first, lashes second.

The lipstick is in the color "Circe." The lighting in this picture is making it come out somewhat orange which is not accurate. The color on the bottom of the tube is similar to a sandy brown. Also not accurate. This lipstick is actually a pretty nude color. Lesson of the day? Always swatch. And good thing I did because I'm now a fan. This lipstick is creamy, pigmented, non-drying, doesn't taste weird, and doesn't smell weird. Ah, love...

The eyelashes (left) are in #E107, I think? I'll have to check on that later and confirm but regardless, I love these lashes! Truly, I do. And probably more than I should because I had no expectations to begin with. Nevertheless, I feel the need to rave about them now since they are almost perfect. Both light weight and comfortable during wear, for once I didn't feel as if I had a set of falsies on. The lash length was attractively natural without becoming scary and best of all, I barely had to do any trimming! Now I must go back and purchase them all. Kidding, kidding. Sort of.

New Polishes - Zoya "Petra" & OPI "Crown Me Already"

During those long and tedious days/weeks/months/years, I use nail polish as quick inserts of happiness (don't judge). This time I picked up my first Zoya polish in the color "Petra" (right). This shade is a true espresso brown - great for ringing in the start of fall. I'm very much enjoying Zoya's smooth formula and small wide brush. Application is easy and most importantly - streak free! The polish is also rich, and true to color.


OPI's "Crown Me Already" on my ring finger,
layered upon Zoya's "Petra."





 

Since  I can never resist a little glitz and glam, the last polish that I picked up was OPI's "Crown Me Already" (left) from the Miss Universe collection. Love, love, love. I must say, this polish is FAB and so appropriate for the Miss Universe Collection! It is so nicely pigmented - filled with different sized glitter pieces. It's good to wear alone or layered. Either way, this will absolutely make you feel as if you have diamonds on your nails. OPI always delivers.

JewelMint Facebook Friday Deal!

Happy Friday my little beauty boxers! I've got a JewelMint Facebook Friday deal for you - valid for the next 24 hours only so take advantage!

August Sephora Haul

I'm not entirely sure why I stepped foot into Sephora this past weekend. Oh yes, because there was a promo for V.I.B. members to receive a hat box with tons of fabulous samples with any $35 purchase. I'm such a sucker.

The products that came in the hat box were: (left to right) At Home Brazilian Peel, Stila Coconut Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Laura Mercier Volume Lash Building Mascara, Tokidoki Rollerball Fragrance, Benefit Sample Fragrance, Make Up Forever HD MicroFinish Powder, & Nars Multi-Primer.

In addition to my Hat Box of samples, I also received a Make Up Forever "Must-Haves" Bag. (Love, love, love!) Inside I found samples of their: Smoky Lash Mascara (pictured left), Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in Matte Black, and Lab Shine Lip Gloss.

Can we seriously just talk about how awesome these samples are? Sephora definitely did not skimp out on this. These samples alone just trumped every single BirchBox I've ever received. I can probably cancel my subscription now...

Now onto my real purchases...

Due to my current love affair with the Too Faced "Naked Eye" Palette, I felt compelled to buy the "Smokey Eye" Collection.

Let me tell you...this palette is fierce! There is not only a wonderful balance between shimmer and matte shadows but the colors are diverse enough to create any type of smokey eye your heart desires. From day to night, any look is achievable. For those who find a smokey eye to be daunting, step by step instruction cards are included with this! Neat huh? The cards can be a guide to create a day, classic, and fashion smokey eye.

Another item I picked up was the Sephora by OPI nail polish in "I Don't Bite." I am so disappointed! Why does the polish look nothing like the swatch (left) online? I feel the actual shade of purple (right) is extremely unflattering against my skin. The only thing keeping me from removing it all together is the glitter polish I added in a desperate attempt to add a little "umpf!" The added glitter polish is called "Only Gold for Me" and is also by Sephora by OPI. I've blogged about this polish before so I won't go into detail about why I like it but I have to mention that since it's so ridiculously difficult to remove, I do tend to overlook it.

My last purchase was the Clarisonic Plus Kit! The kit came with the Clarisonic Plus + Charger, 4 trial sized cleansers, 1 Sensitive Brush Head, and 1 Body Brush Head. Without a doubt I'm looking at this as a long-term investment. My boyfriend was initially looking to get this for himself but I wanted to give it a try too! So, we decided to purchase it together. Honestly, the price tag is steep but as costly as it is, I can't deny how smooth and polished my skin looks and feels. 

We are currently on day 4 of daily use and as the knowledgable sales lady advised, your skin will get worse before it gets better. Both Mikey and I are seeing a few small breakouts here and there but if the end result is clear, beautiful skin then a few weeks of imperfections is well worth it. I will keep everyone posted!

Holy crap this was a long entry. Hope everyone enjoyed though!

It's a JewelMint Birthday!



I got my girlfriend JewelMint's Aqua Bomb Ring as a birthday gift.
Would you guys like this as a present?
I wish it came in my size! Boooo tiny fingers. :(

*photo courtesy of http://www.jewelmint.com/