21 Days of Makeup Deals!

Starting today is the 21 Days of Beauty at Ulta!! Woohoo!!!

So what does that mean? For the next 21 days there will be special promotions, free gifts, and beauty events at Ulta stores and on www.ulta.com. Also, everyday there will be one Beauty Steal, and today's deal is the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette for $20 (retail $36). Click on this 21 Days of Beauty link for all the latest on this beauty event.

Do let me know if you get any good deals or attend any cool beauty sessions! Happy Shopping!

I'm a Bahama Mama! (Ok, not a Mama, but I did just return from the Bahamas!)

Hello dear! How are you? I am back from my vacation and it was WONDERFUL! My husband and I went on a Bahamian cruise with another couple who are good friends of ours here in Philadelphia. It was so nice to get away from the cold and enjoy the warm, sunny beaches of the Bahamas. Here are a few pics from paradise:

The beautiful lounging area on a private cruise-owned island

My friend and I testing the temperature of the Bahamian beach water

Akward photo yes, but the water was so clear you could see my feet!

Outside the MAC store in Nassau...I was surprised they had a MAC so I had to take a photo of course!

The towel monkey our cabin steward left for us! This is made of one bath towel and one hand towel. Everyday we had a different towel animal waiting for us.

I absolutely LOVE cruising because it is so relaxing and the food is so delicious! No worries about carrying around money because everything is charged to the room, no worries about food because you can eat whenever you want and don't have to search around for a good restaurant, and everything is convenient.

In other news, if you are still thinking about getting the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV, right now it is discounted on the Urban Decay website from $64 down to $44, and if you use code SEVENTEEN11 then you save an additional $15. That means the $64 palette is only $29! 

Apothica Friends and Family Sale!!

Ok, I know that just about every beauty company has had a friends and family sale recently, but this one really got me excited. And no, the company did not sponsor or in any way compensate me for saying this. I was genuinely excited for Apothica's Friends and Family Sale. Why? Read on....

From now until November 23, 2011, receive 20% any purchase on Apothica using code FRIEND20. Some brands are excluded but I think it works on the majority of the products. 

Ok, so why was I so excited? Let me count the ways...

1. The discount! (I love me a good deal!)

2. I placed an order yesterday morning and by 4pm today I had my package. And I didn't even pay for overnight shipping! I got the free standard shipping that Apothica provides for orders over $49. Apparently, if you order before noon (CST I think) then your package gets shipped the same day (and you receive it the next day..or at least I did).

3. Not only can you order from Apothica, but you can also order from SkinCareRX and SkinBotanica at the same time in one order because all 3 sites are partners. Oh, and the discount works on products from ALL 3 sites.

4. I ordered my beloved Moroccan Oil and the box not only had the oil bottle in it, but it included a free pump!!! Of all the times I have purchased Moroccan Oil I have never received a pump!

So ladies and gents, if you are still pining over some beauty products or want to knock off some holiday gifts from your shopping list, now is the time. Happy shopping!

MEGA Urban Decay Sale!!

FYI, Urban Decay online is having a HUGE sale right now! I think they are clearing out some of their discontinued products and some things like their loose pigments are only $1. Yes, one dollar!! Check out the sale items here. 

Illamasqua Eye Liner Cake Review and Sephora Sale

Being the eye liner fiend that I am, I ventured in to the land of Illamasqua (rather, Illamasqua ventured in to me, as this was sent to me) and tried out their Eye Liner Cake in Mislead (aka black). 

Now, I didn't realize what I was getting myself into, so let me warn you before you go out and try this. This liner cake is a pressed powder. You have to either mix it with the Illamasqua Sealing Gel (or other eyeliner activating product) or with water to activate the product and ensure that is long-wearing and acts like a gel liner. Since I don't usually use liner products that require activation (c'mon, who has the time for that?), I didn't have an activator so I used water. I simply wet my liner brush before swiping it in the liner cake.

L-R: One swipe of Illamasqua Mislead, Two swipes of Illamasqua Mislead, One swipe of MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

Quite honestly, I wasn't impressed. On its own, this is like any other black shadow. When mixed with water, its like any other black shadow mixed with water. Sure, it lasted all day, but the pigmentation did not match the intensity of other gel liners nor did it provide a crisp line. 

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: C-

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: I didn't see any benefit of using this liner over any other gel or cream liner. The pigmentation was poor and it takes more effort to use this vs. most other liners.

On another note, if you haven't already heard, there is a 15% off sale happening now for Sephora Beauty Insiders (BIs). Not a BI? Sign up for free on Sephora's website. Use code CHIC at checkout to get the discount. 

What is your favorite liner? Are you getting anything from the Sephora sale?

FREE Zoya Nail Polish!

Hey Gals! I wanted to let you in on a deal to get 3 FREE bottles of nail polish from Zoya. Here's the deal:

Zoya recently reached their goal of getting 20,000 fans on Facebook, so they are giving 3 bottles of nail polish free. Just go to zoya.com, pick any 3 colored nail polishes (the top coats, base coats, etc. don't apply), and enter code FB2011 at checkout to get the polishes for free.

You will have to pay for shipping which is $6.95. That's not so bad considering one bottle of polish is $7. Act quick though because this offer ends January 7th, 2011.

I have never used Zoya but I have read and heard great things about them, so this will be my first time trying them out. I am an OPI girl and a lot of people prefer Zoya to OPI so I am hoping I am impressed. If you are scared of choosing colors online, head over to Scrangie or Vampy Varnish for some shade swatches.

Urban Decay $2 Blowout!!!

Today on Hautelook, Urban Decay is having a blowout sale with many products costing as low as $2!! Yes, TWO dollars! If you aren't a member yet, click here to sign up!

Sephora Friends and Family

Hello friend! The Sephora Friends and Family sale has started! Yippee!!! 

All the info is in the image above. I'll probably get some skin care and a few holiday makeup sets. What about you? And don't forget to use Ebates! Log in to Ebates first, then click on their link to Sephora in order to earn cash back on whatever you spend at Sephora! Want to learn more? Click here.

Save 6% on Stila..even on their Friday Happy Hours!

Are you a fan of Stila? Do you get their weekly emails?

If you like Stila, you may or may not be aware of their Friday Happy Hour deals on www.stilacosmetics.com. Every Friday, they have great deals, ranging from mega gifts with purchases to high discounts. Wouldn't it be great to combine these deals with another discount? Now you can!

Stila is now on Ebates, and their cashback percentage is 6%!

Ebates is an online portal which I have discussed before, but it has been awhile so thought I would mention it again. When shopping through a website like Stila, instead of going directly to the Stila website, you first go to Ebates. On the Ebates website, find the Stila Cosmetics site in their list of retailers, and click on the link for Stila Cosmetics. Then, shop as you normally would. Ebates has a tracking number associated with their link and when you make a purchase, they give you a percentage in cash back. In the case of Stila, you would get 6% back on whatever you spend! Ebates mails you a check every quarter as long as your balance is greater than $5.

Ok, you are thinking, is this for real? The answer is YES! I have been using Ebates for years to shop for everything from makeup to contact lenses to business cards, and I always get the listed percentage back as a check every quarter. The best part? There is no catch! No spam, no cost to join, just free money!

So how do you sign up? Just go to Ebates website, and register...it takes less than 5 minutes! If you use the link here, you and I both get $5 after you make your first purchase. That is an extra $5 in addition to whatever you earn for your first purchase! Of course, you can go straight to the Ebates site yourself, but why not click on my link and we both get $5!?!

So who is on Ebates? Stila, Smashbox, Beauty.com, Avon, YSL, Sephora, and TONS more! Check it out for yourself and happy shopping!

Super Duper Stila (and other brands) Sale

Hey lads and lasses! Remember awhile back I told you about the site Hautelook and how they have major sales on brand name goods, including cosmetics? Well, this week is Beauty Week on Hautelook, and they are having some major discounts on brands like Lorac, NYX, and RapidLash! In fact, today there is a Stila sale!! Click here to sign up and starting saving mayjah moolah on the brands you love or always wanted to try out!

Happy Shopping!

Too Faced Sale!!

Hello lovelies! Yes, I know I have been a bit MIA but I have been quite busy the past few days. I wanted to let you know about the Too Faced Cosmetics sale that started today on their website:

Also, if you use code TFSU when you check out, you get an additional 20% off! And yes, that applies to the sale products!! Happy shopping!!

Are you on Hautelook?

Are you familiar with Hautelook? It is one of those online sale websites that sells brand name merchandise at high discounts (often times 30-70% off retail). They have different sales everyday so you have to keep checking often to see what brands they have. The great thing about Hautelook is that they even sell cosmetics!! And yes, everything is real...I've ordered before and it's totally legit.

Yesterday they had an AMAZING sale on Stila Cosmetics, and if you are intersested, the sale is still going on but many products are already sold out. Tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8am PST, they are having a sale on Urban Decay. I HIGHLY recommend signing up here, and checking out the sale early, because the best deals sell out quickly.

Large names like Stila and Urban Decay don't have sales too often, so I wanted to let you know about this great site. =)

Exclusives - Nordstrom, MAC Dazzle Lipsticks, and More!!!

As of late everyone has been talking about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that starts in July, and I have already seen a couple of the beauty exclusives and I can tell you....if makeup was a food, my mouth would be watering!

All I can say is if you have a few favorite beauty brands, I recommend stopping by your local Nordies to ask the counters what specials they have for the Anniversary Sale or checking out the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives online . They are taking pre-sales right now and there are limited supplies of some of the best ones. Hello Bobbi Brown Full-Size Brush Set that is $75 (retail price $175) and my store said they are only getting 30 of them! There is another Bobbi makeup set, the Chocolate & Navy Set,  that is a great value, some fantastic Laura Mercier deals, good deals on Philosophy, including a large Purity Made Simple (with a pump!!), and of course, the ever popular MAC deals.

In addition to the usual MAC color and brush sets, Nordstrom is also releasing limited edition MAC Dazzle Lipsticks, which are creamy lipsticks that have high-shine and tons of sparkle. I was able to swatch these and although I like the sparkle effect,  I wasn't too impressed by the shades.

Here are the colors (I only swatched 9 of the 13, since 4 of them were missing from the display):

Top Row Colors: Naughty You, Win-Win, Troublemaker, Snazzy, Hot Sass

Bottom Row Colors: Baby's On Fire, Infused with Glam, Wham, Smash Hit

In the second pic you can get a better idea of the sparkle and shine factor. The colors are decent but they are very bright and I wanted a bit more variety. Since sparkle is hard to wear, most people might not want to do both sparkle and a bright color lip. In any case, I picked up Wham since I thought it would pair well with Indian clothes. I have enough dazzleglasses and the color variety of the new ones didn't do anything for me so I didn't even bother swatching them.

Another deal I wanted to tell you about is the MAC Lash & Lined Set from Nordstrom. This is a special set that Nordies created for their cosmetic trend show events, and some stores have extras so you may be able to find them, or you can purchase it online. It has full sizes of Zoom Lash Black, Prep + Prime Lash, Technakohl Liner in Graph Black and a travel-size Pro Eye Makeup Remover (1 oz.). Everything comes packed in a clear zip-around makeup bag that is perfect for the purse or travel.

Speaking of, have you been to a Nordstrom Cosmetic Trend Show? I am going to my first one this weekend and I will let you know how it is! BTW you can call your local Nordies to inquire about the trend shows at the stores near you.

Korres Friends and Family Sale, and The Body Shop Sale

The Korres Friends and Family Sale started today and will be going on June 8 - 16, 2010. Check it out:

If you are looking for some recommendations, check out the following:

1. Ginger and Vitamins Foundation - As if I haven't raved about it enough....I LOVE this foundation. Check out my full review here.
2. Lip Butters - Super moisturizing without being sticky, and the flavors are great! I reviewed the Jasmine flavor here.
3. Shower Gels - Korres has a large selection of scents (I love Jasmine and Guava), and these give a nice lather, are non-drying, non-sticky, leave you feeling squeeky clean, and actually leave your skin feeling moisturized after your shower. I love em!
4. Body butters - Again, Korres hit the mark as these are thick, but absorb decently fast, and are non-sticky. Since Korres makes these is many of the same scents as the shower gels, you can layer them for a more fragrant effect.
5. Body milks - I have been meaning to review these for ages. If you like light moisturizers, especially for summer, then these are fabulous! They absorb very quickly into the skin (great when you are in a hurry), are light, but still effective at moisturizing the skin, and smell great! 

I also wanted to let you know that The Body Shop is having a big sale in stores and online. I happened to stop in yesterday and was so excited to see one of my faves on sale:

I picked up a couple bottles of the Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion for only $4! I love this stuff because the smell is natural yet a little sweet, so you can wear it alone or with perfume on top. It has cocoa butter (great for skin problems, including dryness and stretch marks) and other natural ingredients, absorbs quickly into the skin, and the moisture lasts all day. It didn't show up as being on sale online, but my local store did have it on sale so try checking in-store if you want this.

I also like the company's body butters, and they have a few on sale for $10. Not all scents are on sale, but the Vitamin E Body Butter is, and it is one of those that I always like using year round!

There are many more, but these are just a few of my faves. Let me know if you pick up anything!

Urban Decay Friends and Family is Back!!

Hello lovelies! Just wanted to let you know that one of my favorite brands Urban Decay is having their friends and family sale starting today:

Products I love and highly recommend:

1. 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils - They have some leftover sets from the holiday season so I recommend those or the individual full size pencils. Of course I think the shade Zero (black) is a must have, but I also love their shade selection of fun colors. You can't go wrong with this eye liner because the formula is smooth and the product lasts and lasts!
2. 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencils - Like the eye pencils, these are smooth and really last all day! These are very creamy so they are a breeze to apply, the hold on to color, and are just great. They don't have the largest selection of colors, but they have some great ones. My fave is the nude color Wallflower.
3. Shadow Palettes - UD shadows are amazingly smooth and pigmented, and they last all day, even without a primer (though I still always use one). The individual shadow pots are great too, but the palettes are just a great value. My fave of the ones currently offered is the Ammo Pallette.
4. Eyelash Primer Potion - I have been meaning to do a review of this, but haven't gotten around to it. For my quick and dirty review, I give this an A+!! This eyelash primer is a white primer that you apply before mascara. I usually curl my lashes, then apply this primer. Once it dries, I apply mascara. This makes your lashes look thicker, longer, and curlier. It gives the appearance of false lashes without having to deal with the mess and time it takes to apply them. I love this product

Although I didn't add it to my list, I do like the Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Although this product works and I like it, I prefer the MAC Paint Pots. I feel like the Urban Decay primer creases on me after wearing eye makeup for a whole day, so I prefer the paint pots.

Another thing I wanted to tell you about, in case you are considering the UD brushes (they are made of man-made bristles and environmentally friendly), don't waste your time and money. I tried the blush brush a while ago and it just didn't work out. Check out my complete review here. 

Let me know if you get anything! I might grab a few more liners!

Aveda Enbrightenment Brightening Correcting Serum Review and a Drugstore Deal

I had a sample of the Aveda Enbrightenment Brightening Correcting Serum so I decided to actually try it out, since I have been on my natural product kick. My sample was decent sized so it lasted about 2 weeks. I know that is not long enough to determine if it was really brightening my skin or not, but 2 weeks is enough for me to notice whether I want to keep using a product or if I am ready to move on.

After 2 weeks, I was ready to move on. Mainly because I did not like the sticky feeling that I felt every time I applied this on my skin. The serum does absorb quickly, so the stickiness doesn't last too long, but I still didn't like it, even if it was just a few seconds.

I did not have any adverse reaction, like sudden breakouts, but I also did not see any improvement of any other type of positive effect. Usually, even if I don't see a reduction in signs of aging, or improvement in brightness, if a product is effective, my skin will start to glow within just a few days of using it. I did not get that glow from this, so I am now on to the next product.

Kajal Couture Rating: C

Kajal Couture Overall Opinion: Thumbs down for the stickiness factor, thumbs up for being Aveda and using natural products, but it didn't do anything positive for me.

So I stopped by Rite Aid (a drugstore) today to pick up something, and of course I had to stop by the makeup aisles to do a quick walk-by, and I noticed that a ton of makeup from all different brands is 75% off right now! I think they are products/colors that are being discontinued, but I saw some great nail polishes for under $1, pretty eyeshadows in all different colors (yes, colors that you could actually use, not just the funky leftovers), and some nice eyeliners (I was tempted by the Loreal and Cover Girl colored liners) and lipsticks on sale. If you are interested in trying something new, I recommend you stop by your local Rite Aid and check out the stock. You might find something you really like!

Bliss Body Wash and Lotion - Super Deal at Costco

I know I have mentioned this before, but I LURVE Costco!!! For those of you not on the West Coast, Costco was the first warehouse shopping club, initially called Price Club. It is a large store in a warehouse, where they sell large quantities, or bulk quantities of everything from toilet paper to soda to fruits to computers and TVs (the computers and TVs are sold individually, not in bulk). The prices are insanely good, but the thing is you have to have a membership to shop at the store. Membership averages around $50, but is soooo worth it! Now they have many different warehouse clubs like Sam's Club, BJs, etc, but I have a Costco membership since it is close to my home. Anyhoo, I don't go very often, but when I do, I ALWAYS take a stroll down their health and beauty aisles. I have seem some great things like MAC eyeshadow, Lancome Definicils, and Shisheido skin care, all at discounted prices of course. On a recent trip to Costco, I saw the following: This duo includes a large 16floz Bubbling Body Wash, and a 6.7oz Body Lotion, and this set was only $15!!!! They actually have it online too, but online it is $25, which is still a good price for Bliss products, but why pay $10 more if you don't have to? In fact, there was a instant $5 rebate when I saw it (the rebate is now over, I think), so I got this set for $10. That's about the same price as picking up a Bath and Body Works shower gel and lotion during their semi-annual sales. SCORE!!!!

Now, the thing is, when I got home, I wanted to know how much both products retail at. Unfortunately, these products are not on the Bliss website. Henceforth, this leads me to believe that Bliss created these as special items for the holiday season, specifically for Costco. This is the case with a lot of brands/companies....they make special products and colors specifically to be sold at Costco. The other possibility is that these are not real Bliss products, however I HIGHLY doubt that, since I know that a LOT of research goes into what gets sold at Costco and they would never sell fakes. Companies compete to have their products sold at Costco. Since it is such a popular store, they have the ability to be extremely selective about what products are sold in the store. So, until I have reason to doubt it, I am sticking with my first theory that this set was specially created for Costco, and y'all better run out and get it, cuz for this price, it's going to sell out!

Stila Warehouse Sale in LA - This Sat

This Sat, December 5th, Stila is having a Winter Warehouse Sale!!! Products will marked down 50%-80% off, and there is a $600 limit. Check out the flyer below for more info.

If you are in LA, will you be attending? If so, do let me know what you haul!!!

Urban Decay Friends and Family is Back!!

My friends, as promised, Urban Decay is doing another Friends and Family sale so you can grab all your holiday sets for yourself and/or get them for your gift giving pleasure! I heard from the official Urban Decay twitter account that the Friends and Family 30% off discount just started!


What: 30% off your ENTIRE order

When: Now Nov 9 - Nov 20

Where: Urban Decay Online

Code: FNFW1

Benefit Lust Dusters - Amazing Deal for A Set of 3 Pigments!!

Once again I stumbled upon a great deal and just had to tell somebody....YOU!!! =)

Right now Sephora's Weekly Special is a trio of Benefit Lust Dusters that is selling for only $10!! Lust dusters are loose pigments and normally retail for $18 a piece on the Benefit website. All 3 of the pots that come in this trio are full size, so you are getting a $54 deal for only $10!! They have two different color selections:

The first contains: Snow Bunny, Goldilocks, and Nugget:
The second one contains GoGo Girl, Big Daddy, and Moon Doggie.
You can use these as shadows, blush (though probably not the green one), highlighters, mixed with lotion or dry for body shimmer. I warn you though, I have not used these before so I am not sure how good they are, but for $10 they are worth a shot!

Whether or not you love loose pigments, have been wanting to try out loose powder colors, are a Benefit fan, or simply looking for a great, affordable holiday present, I highly recommend checking these out. They will definitely sell out so get yours quick!

Oh, and remember to use Ebates for all your Sephora online shopping needs! They are offering 8% cash back right now for shopping on Sephora.com. I did a run down of how Ebates works here.