I think the Sephora gods must be pleased with me...or they are expecting a sacrifice sometime in the near future.
I received a coupon with $15 VIB Dollars to spend and a couple days later I received 2nd coupon with $20 VIB Dollars to spend as well.
The $15 VIB Dollars went to a gift for a family member.
The $20 VIB Dollars weren't so lucky - I traded them in for the YSL 2009 Holiday Collection.
I was looking to take advantage of the YSL F&F 20% off online discount but I realized everything I wanted was available at Sephora and with the VIB $20 my discount at Sephora could be anywhere from 30-50% off. See? Mama was right - math is important!
Showing posts with label Sephora. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sephora. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Korres Love Your Lips Collection $29

I don't know why but I just couldn't resist this gift set when I saw it at Sephora! I'm such a sucker for gift sets! I'm also a known Ziploc packer - that's right. I pack any and everything using Ziploc baggies. You have no idea how excited I was when they came out with Ziploc Big Bags! Korres seems to always put their gift sets in ziplock packaging and it always catches my attention - I have a problem, I know.
Korres beauty products are dermatologist-tested and all-natural. They're made without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. The lip products are also silicone, mineral oil, propylene glycol and ethanolamine-free.
The set comes with all full-sized products: 1 Pomegranate Lip Butter and 3 Cherry Full Color Lip Glosses. If you were to purchase all 4 items separately it would cost $57 ($9 for the lip butter and $16 each for the lipgloss), so I think this is a fairly good bargain.
This lip butter contains shea butter and rice wax (whaaa?) to hydrate lips and make them softer. The color of this lip butter is a sheer coral but I think it really gives my lips a nice POP! It's so rich and goes on very creamy. There is no cool feeling and no sticky feeling. The butter really does melt into lips and give them a very nice tint. My lips are pretty pigmented and even this showed up. It's not very shiny but it gives a very natural sheen which I really like. I don't like that I have to dip into the pot but other than that I have no complaints. This can be worn alone or under the glosses too!
Came with a sturdy plastic seal.
The Verdict - Korres Cherry Full Color Glosses: A-
These glosses smell fantastic! They have that good cherry smell as opposed to cough syrup cherry smell. The glosses really do smell like a basket of fresh cherries and are rich in cherry oil for moisturization.
I love the colors of the glosses! They are neutral shades that range from light to dark.
#11 Light Pink is a milky pink that is sheer when applied and blended but I was pleasantly surprised because it actually lightened my lip color rather than disappearing completely.
#32 Beige Pink is a glittery pink champagne. When I say glittery, I mean Glittery! When applied the gold shimmer in this really comes out and it's pretty dramatic on me. I've layered this on top of the other glosses for a more subtle effect. I only dab a little bit in the middle of my bottom lip.
#33 Nude is a maroon beige. It looks dark but after applying and blending it becomes a bit sheer and has a rich color to it.
The best part about these glosses is that they are absolutely NON-sticky! I'm not a fan of sticky glosses (think MAC dazzleglasses) but I can live with them, no problem. I do however appreciate when I find a gloss that is non-sticky.
The best part about these glosses is that they are absolutely NON-sticky! I'm not a fan of sticky glosses (think MAC dazzleglasses) but I can live with them, no problem. I do however appreciate when I find a gloss that is non-sticky.
The gloss looks fine when its capped but when the cap is removed, I find that the bottle of gloss itself is really small. I think the handle of the cap could be made smaller, as it's pretty chunky making the wand fairly short. Also the applicator of the gloss is more slanted than I'm used to. I have to be careful when I applying to make sure I'm only putting the gloss on my lips and not around my lips too. Aside from these 2 quirks, I'm really happy with this purchase. It's so hard for lip colors to show on me and the fact that these are natural and actually retain their color when applied makes me a HUGE fan!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sephora Power Perk Haul

Here's my final Sephora haul after buying and exchanging a couple of items. I'm just too indecisive. I will review the Dior Addict Lip Maximer, Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment and Korres Love Your Lips Collection in separate posts because I'm waiting to see the results for two of these and the other would have been too long to include in this post.
WARNING: I'm really lazy today so I plagarized all the product descriptions from the Sephora website. Muahahaha!
Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum $65

This is a dermatologist-developed, age-fighting, exfoliating serum. It gently sloughs away dead skin cells and debris, lightens dark spots, and minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines - providing myriad benefits without drying or irritating. This oil-free formula is infused with amino acid antioxidants and is safe to use on sensitive skin. Formerly known as sleeping peel serum, this "liquid version of a microdermabrasion kit" provides the same results as a multi-step regimen - in one simple application.
It is not recommended for dark skin tones because it has an ingredient that lightens pigmentation and unwanted discoloration may occur.
The Verdict: Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum
I was convinced to purchase this after receiving some samples. The sample packets (3 total) each lasted me for about 2 weeks. I had noticed the fine lines on my forehead did not smooth themselves as fast as they used to and when this popped up as a Beauty Insider sample, I thought "why not?"
I am really amazed by this product! I use it 2x a day (morning/night) under my moisturizer and it's been giving me amazing results! It really does deliver on everything it claims to do. When it's first applied, there is a slight tingling feeling but it goes away after about 5-10 seconds. The serum is very runny and watery in consistency. There is no smell to it and it's easily absorbed. I noticed that my skin was more radiant day after day and that's what convinced me to keep using it.
At first I did not notice it lightening my dark acne scars, but after about 3 weeks of use I noticed that my scars were fading a lot quicker than usual. I've been using this for a month (I still have 1 sample pack left!) and my skintone is super even and my pores are really super clear so they do indeed appear smaller. As far as claims of the microderm effect - I'm a believer! After the first 2 weeks, my skin became thinner and it has developed a healthy glow. I dunno if it makes sense when I say "thinner" maybe a better word would be "youthful".
I still have the fine lines on my forehead so I'm hoping the Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment will take care of that but this serum as helped with minimizing those and with all the other great results, this has become a staple in my skincare regimen!
Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush $28.50

A perfectly portable retractable Kabuki brush. This one-stop shop of a brush is a serious multi-tasker! It's the ideal tool to apply bronzers, blushers, powders and shimmers flawlessy. Created with Too Faced world-famous "Teddy Bear Hair" bristles that grad and blend coloer without any of the cruelty or hygiene problems associated with animal-hair bristles.
The Verdict: Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush
I was looking for sorta an all-purpose brush that I could carry with me and after searching around this one was the winner. The bristles are really soft and they are just the right density. I was worried that the second I put this against my skin, it would just fan out. But no worries! the bristles are soft and deliver blush/powder right where I want it to go. I thought the "retractable" function of this was neat because it's not actually the brush that retracts. You don't rotate the base to cover the brush, instead you pull up on the pink cylinder and shield the bristles. I'm happy with this purchase as it's a light and compact brush and exactly what I need.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sephora Power Perk Coupon 15% Off Online and In-Store
Friday, February 20, 2009
REN Glycolatic Skin Renewal Peel Mask $55

I'm not usually a fan of peel masks. I find them annoying to remove and I hate how you have to pick at your face. I'm also not usually a big fan of natural cosmetic lines because they usually smell pretty funky and I don't find them as effective. I first saw a review of the REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask by Jen, my go-to beauty guru at http://www.abeautyfulsentiment.com/ (definitely check out her site because like I said - she's my beauty guru :) and I was finally motivated to try this out!
If you read the product description from the REN website there doesn't seem to be anything this mask can't do! This mask is part of the REN product recommendations for combination skin and mature skin. It claims to renew the complexion, reduce fine lines, improve skin tone, firmness and radiance. It also helps with post acne scarring, blemishes, blackheads and sun damaged skin. All concerns of mine! Can it get any better?
The Verdict
This mask is not a traditional peel mask but it gives the same effect and results. What I really love about it is the instant results. Your skin becomes so radiant and smooth and it only takes 10 minutes. This mask is a thick gel that looks, feels and smells like orange marmalade. When I apply it there is a bit of a tingly sensation. My cheeks are really sensitive to this mask and the sensation on my cheeks get to be unbearable after about 3-4 minutes so I just wipe off the mask from my cheeks but leave the rest on my T-zone. Due to this I definitely do not think this is suitable for people with sensitive or delicate skin. The good news is that once wiped off your skin doesn't continue to react (no redness, breakouts or peeling). After the full 10 minutes I just rinse the rest of it off. For now I'm using this mask once a week and I really love the results it's been giving me! I have noticed a huge reduction in blackheads and my skintone is extremely radiant!
Freebies
I also got these free samples from Sephora along with this purchase: Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel and Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum.
**Update** I 've been using this every morning under my moisturizer on my forehead and neck - but honestly not really seeing any results. It's supposed to help with any fine lines/wrinkles. Since it's a gel, it is very fast absorbing but unfortuntately it has a weird smell that is a mix of old lotion and old flowers. This sample lasted me about 1 week and I really don't think that was enough time to see the effects.


**Update** This stuff rocks! I was interested in trying this out but did not have high hopes of it giving any sort of instant results. I was completely wrong! This serum really and truly delivers! I have started to notice some fine lines on my forehead and when I apply this I feel a slight tingling and 5 minutes later - smooth! Also I have not broken out once using this. The serum is clear and quite runny but is not one bit oily or greasy. There is no smell to it either! It also claims to help minimize dark spots but I have not noticed any dramatic difference. It does however give my skin an overall radiance. I just don't notice my old acne scars lightening.
Read the full review for Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum.
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