There are two major beauty gift with purchase events happening this month. The best gift bag events are from the SpaceNK Fall Beauty Edit (US) and Barneys New York Love Yourself Event. Both require a higher spend but the gift bag comes stocked full of minis from brands like Ouai, Oribe, By Terry and other luxury brands. Events occur happening online and in store, gifts usually sell out so I recommend shopping soon if these are on your radar.
Space NK’s Fall Beauty Edit runs September 6th through the 18th. The SpaceNK team sent one for feature which is shown in the top image. With any purchase of $285 or more you’ll receive a zip black bag valued at more than $500 including the following. Enter FALL2018 at checkout for the gift.
Chantecaille Bamboo & Hibiscus Exfoliating Cream
Clark’s Botanicals Retinol Rescue Overnight Cream
Derm Institute Youth Alchemy Eye Cream
Diptyque Fleur De Peau Eau De Parfum
Dr. Dennis Gross C+C Collagen Deep Cream
Eve Lom Radiance Face Oil
Goldfaden MD Facial Detox
Hourglass Caution Mascara
Ilia Soft Focus Finishing Powder
111Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask
African Botanics Buchu Enzyme Polish
Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer
Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick
Malin+Goetz Brightening Enzyme Mask
Miriam Quevedo Sublime Gold Shampoo
Natura Bisse Tensolift Neck Cream
Odacite Black Mint Cleanser
Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer
Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Contour Powder
Oribe Mystify Restyling Spray
Ouai Wave Spray
Philip B Light-Weight Deep Conditioning Rinse
Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
Susanne Kaufmann Body Oil
Veneffect Micro Exfoliant
Verso Night Cream
By Terry Stylo Blackstar in Tasty Truffle
Ren Keep Young and Beautiful Beauty Shot
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The Barneys Love Yourself Event runs from September 5th through 9th, with any $200 purchase you’ll receive a clear bag and there are two options. One for men and one for women. There’s no code online, an option for you to pick should pop up on your browser once you’ve added the minimum amount to your cart. Minis included (some options with the scents are assorted)
Hourglass Caution Mascara
Koh Gen Do Spa Cleansing Water
Givenchy Lip Gloss
Westman Atelier Beauty Stick Foundation sample
La Mer Eye Concentrate
Byredo Eleventh Hour
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
Serge Lutens Fleur D’Oranger
YSL Y Shape Concentrate
Zelens Hydro-Shiso Balancing Moisturizer
Davines Hair Mask
Sachajuan Hair Repair
By Terry Mini Hyaluronic Powder
Sisley Black Rose Skin Influsion
3LAB M Cream
Rene Furter Hydrating Shine Leave-In Cream
Chantecaille Creme de Rose Mai
Malin Goetz Brightening Enzyme Mask
Molton Brown Body Wash
Rodin Jasmin and Neroli Face Oil
Ouai Leave In Conditioner
Verso Day Cream
Maison Margiela mini
The Harmonist Metal Flower
Frederic Malle mini
David Mallet Mask
Vitabrid Scalp Shampoo
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Are you shopping the events this season? I have some things on my wishlist but at the moment am saving up for some other fall beauty launches I want to cover in the next few weeks. In the event you have a lot on your wishlist I think these are great events to take advantage of the gift with purchase options. It’s such a great way to try other brands of hair care and skincare.
Earlier this year Sisley-Paris launched a luxurious hair care line called Hair Rituel by Sisley designed to nourish the hair and scalp. I fell in love with every single item and have a review of everything launched to date. At this time they have seven pieces in their four step treatment routine:
Since moving to Florida I’ve found it challenging to maintain healthy and hydrated hair. Many of my Florida readers experience the same issues with heat, humidity and hard water. Even with a water filter many shampoos don’t lather or rinse quite the same. The Hair Rituel by Sisley has been among the few that I’ve kept using and like so much I’ve repurchased after using up press samples.
To cleanse the hair I really like the Revitalizing Smoothing Shampoo. I’ve gone through multiple bottles and think it is 100% worth the high price tag. It does help smooth the hair without making it feel heavy. It contains macadamia oil which has helped strengthen, nourish and add shine. It has a beautiful gentle scent to it and lathers/foams well. I shampoo daily.
The Restructuring Conditioner is a great gentle daily use kind of rinse out conditioner, although this is a step I don’t use daily. It’s like an instant shot of hydration for the hair and truly helps with detangling. I’ve never had issues with tangling until I moved to Florida. It helps smooth out the ends with a lightweight finish so your hair is not weighed down.
The Regenerating Hair Mask is something I use 1-2x per week. This is one of the best hair masks I’ve tried to add shine but not weight. So many hydrating hair masks won’t rinse out properly or are simply too heavy/rich for humid weather. This one has just the right combination to nourish ends of hair and scalp. It has four main oils Shea, Macadamia, Camellia and Hazelnut.
For the scalp they have a really nice Revitalizing Fortifying Serum for the scalp. This is the first time I’ve used a scalp treatment at home and it does help soothe it. It has an earthy kind of scent, something I’d associate with Aesop’s skincare line. A little can go a long way and I use this 1x per week only at night or as needed. Since I’ve started using the other items I’ve had less scalp issues, but during the dry season here in Florida this helps immensely.
Last but not least are two styling products. The Precious Hair Care Oil is one of the most beautiful elegant hair oils I’ve tried. I think it is my favorite item in the collection and suitable for any hair type. This one is lightly hydrating to add shine and softness to the ends without being heavy. It’s great for me because it’s lightweight and in Florida humidity it won’t weigh it down.
The latest launch is the Volumizing Spray which adds a nice texture throughout the hair. I use it on damp hair, spray at roots and brush it through. I follow with a blow dryer. By the time hair is dried you will notice it has more volume but also some texture. Hair is noticeably thicker with a more piecey look.
In addition to the full size products they’ve also launched a travel set in two variations called the Hair Rituel Smoothing Discovery Set and Volumizing Set. Both of which are a great way to try the items out before splurging on the full sizes. They each contain shampoo (one has the smoothing, one has the volume option), conditioner and hair mask in 1.6 fl oz/50 ml sizes and a hair oil in .33 fl oz/10 ml.
If you are able to visit the store in NYC or their counter at Saks they have the Hair Rituel line along with Yves Durif brushes:
Final thoughts are this line comes at a hefty price tag but everything performs really well. I’ve already repurchased the Smoothing Shampoo a few times over along with the Regenerating Hair Care Mask. I’ve found over the years many of my readers don’t necessarily want to splurge on makeup, but are definitely more willing to splurge on hair care or skin care. If you’re new to the line I think the Discovery Sets are the best way to start. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The shampoos work well to tame frizz and smooth my hair. I really love the mask to help with my ends.
Although I do think every piece is exquisite, my top two absolute favorites are the Regenerating Hair Mask and Precious Hair Oil.
Sisley has been kind enough to do another giveaway with me! One is here on the blog and there’s another one on my Instagram @beautylookbook so there are multiple ways to enter to win! They are giving away Discovery Sets here on the blog for 2 US readers, 18 years or older. Each winner will be able to receive 1 Discovery Set of their choice. To enter for a chance to win simply enter through the widget below. Giveaway will run through September 9, 11:59 PM EST, winners will be selected within 48 hours and contacted by e-mail. Prizes will be shipped directly from Sisley. Note the first two entry options are mandatory, there are also a few bonus entries.
Have you tried this line before? If not what are your go-to hair products? Do you have a favorite line or brand? For those curious, full ingredient list below:
I picked up two of the Bite Beauty French Press Lip Glosses ($22 each for 15 oz/4.3 g, made in Canada) in Salted Caramel and Dirty Chai and liked the colors so much I decided to buy the remaining four. The French Press Lip Glosses are coffee scented sheer glosses that have a cream finish. The coffee scent is actually pleasant to me, it’s like a soft sweet coffee scent and it’s not overpowering or heavy. After testing these for a few days I feel like this is both a hit and miss at the same time. Colors are really amazing, formula is something I think could be better.
There are six shades total, all coffee-inspired ranging from a light beige to deep brown. Colors include:
Flat White is a pale cool cream pink
Vanilla Latte is a creamy beige
Salted Caramel is a medium pink beige
Dirty Chai is a pink rose
French Press is a medium brown
Black Coffee is a deep brown plum
The texture is smooth and not sticky. It feels comfortable and moderately hydrating on the lips. Color-payoff and finish is where I think this gloss could be improved. Both Flat White and Black Coffee settled into lip lines and looked really patchy. Even with extra blending I found I couldn’t make them look right. Vanilla Latte worked better for me and I found it moderately streaky. I could smooth it out by swiping the sponge applicator back and forth. However after around 15 minutes I found it settled into fine lines on my lips. To fix the streaking issue I had to layer with a lip pencil, which seemed to fix it 100%. I tested these with some MAC Lip Pencils and Laura Mercier Lip Pencils and the final result was much better.
The remaining three colors Salted Caramel, Dirty Chai and French Press have a better formula for me. I found they worked well alone on bare lips, but adding a lip pencil improves the overall look and lasting power.
Lasting power overall is average. It stays put but does fade within a few hours so I did need to reapply. I think there are better options out there including the Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick which has better coverage and lasting power, although they are thicker and more opaque. If you need something lightweight Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses are smooth and sheer. I also really like the NARS Velvet Lip Glides and the Pat McGrath LUST Glosses.
Swatch comparisons to MAC Lipglass in C-Thru, NARS Velvet Lip Glides in Stripped and Swing, Bite Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick in Caramelized and Whip, Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks in Honeycomb, Molasses, Chai and Verbena:
All this said, if you look at the customer reviews at Sephora, they’re overwhelmingly positive. For me Salted Caramel and Dirty Chai worked the best and I’m happy with those picks. The rest of the colors are so pretty but I found the formula somewhat lacking due to the settling into fine lines and streaky application. I’m willing to make the extra effort to make the other colors work, but with all the options on the market these days I think a formula should be excellent as is without any extra tweaking required.
A few shots in direct sunlight:
Bottom line I’m conflicted about my thoughts. Colors are great, formula could be a lot better. I can make them work with a little lip liner added. I don’t know that I would say it’s worth the extra effort especially with all the other options out there, but I do know many people like these.
You can find the Bite Beauty French Press Lip Gloss at Sephora and Bite Beauty. If you’re shopping at Sephora don’t forget today is the last day of their Beauty Insider Appreciation Event! You can use promo code once online, but you can use it in stores an unlimited amount of times. Valid in both US and Canada:
Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3
There are new launches from Natasha Denona including three shades of Super Glow Highlighter ($38 each for 10 g/ .35 oz, made in Italy) and her Camel Eyeshadow Palette ($48 for 2.5 g/ 0.08 oz x 5, made in Italy). All the items are stunning in color, quality, pigment, and texture.
Super Glow Highlighter
At this point in the beauty world I am still surprised the highlighter game is going strong. I do think with all the options I could shop my stash and find similar colors with almost any launch. Natasha Denona’s Super Glow Highlighter has a truly multi-dimensional glow. They’re soft, light weight and smooth without emphasizing pores. I think they’re phenomenal highlighters although I think I could definitely find similar colors in my stash.
There are three colors:
01 Fair is a light icy ivory with a hint of pink
02 Light-Medium is a medium champagne
03 Bronze is a yellow gold (I don’t see any bronze in it)
Neutral eyeshadows are having their moment and I could not be more excited about this. The Camel Eyeshadow Palette has one shimmer shade, three mattes and one satiny shimmer. This went in my cart the second it popped up online. I was going to buy it but the same day I got a tracking alert that this was headed my way as a press sample. As much as I love her sparkle shadows, sometimes they are too shimmery for me so having a neutral with only 1 sparkle is amazing to me. This is a neutral-warm neutral palette. Pigment is ultra rich and smooth. I love that Copper Stone applies on top of the mattes beautifully with full blendable pigment. NARS Mojave Eyeshadow Quad by comparison pulls more cool in undertone while this Camel is more beige/tan. Chanel Clair Obscur almost looks blue-ish as Camel is warmer in undertone.
Overall excellent products. The quality, texture and lasting power is really good. Everything stayed put on the face from morning well into late afternoon without budging. I do think I could find similar colors for the highlighters, but I’m really drawn to 02 Light Medium for my skintone. I think 03 Bronze confuses me a little because of the name. I don’t really see any bronze, it’s a true yellow gold to my eyes. Alone it’s definitely too yellow for my skin but it does layer nicely with other blushes. Camel is a must-have to me. I think it has perfect undertone that isn’t too cool and has the slightest bit of warmth without any orange to them. The mattes blend perfectly in a way that aren’t muddy on the skin.
You can find the Natasha Denona Super Glow and Camel Eyeshadow Palette out now. Available at Sephora and Beautylish. I highly recommend both. If you’re shopping at Sephora, don’t forget they’re having a Beauty Insider Appreciation event! You can use promo code once online, but you can use it in stores an unlimited amount of times. Valid in both US and Canada:
Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Natasha Denona Super Glow + Camel provided for review. Other press samples featured indicated with a star next to the listing.
I have a roundup of my Sephora haul picks from the Beauty Insider Appreciation Event for Rouge. I ended up purchasing a little bit from every category for makeup, skincare and hair care. I still have a few things sitting in my online cart but since I did a massive haul I will probably not be purchasing anymore items for the event. I just hauled everything on Friday so I haven’t had time to test everything. Notes and first impressions on the items I have been able to test.
Makeup Base Picks
There were a few new bases I wanted to try out. Foundation shopping kinda stresses me out with the matching process. Some oxidize to different levels and in store lighting isn’t the best, so it can be a little tricky. There are a few other formulas I’ve been meaning to try but testers weren’t available so I’m going to have to guess sight unseen. Ones I did pick up:
beautyblender Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear Foundation in 3.50 and 3.60, they only had a tester of 3.50 and while it looked good in store it did apply a little on the light side. I bought 3.60 and tried it at home which is a perfect match. I am getting tan though with regular outdoor runs. The next shades up look like a big jump so I may have to mix when I get darker. First impressions are really good, I like the coverage, it lasts all day, it’s not irritating and didn’t oxidize too much. A more detailed review to follow.
It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream Oil-Free Matte in Medium Tan – I’ve yet to try any of the It Cosmetics bases even though they’re extremely popular! Medium looked too light in store but after swatching Medium Tan at home I think it may be too dark. I will report back after I give it a test.
Natasha Denona Transformatte Pore Vanishing Matte Foundation samples in 27WY, 30W and 31W. These oxidized like crazy in store on my hand, but when I tried this on the face at home they did not. I still need to do more testing, but this is a full coverage true matte. I think my best match is 31W which is more yellow/olive.
Swatches below. Also included MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 and NC35 for reference.
Also not a haul item but since some of you have asked, I wanted to share some swatches of the new First Aid Beauty Concealer. It’s available in 7 shades. I received press samples of this formula but haven’t had a chance to test this out. I will keep you posted. I think my shade match is going to be #3.
Skincare Picks
I have mostly skincare in my online shopping cart, so many things are either online only or not available in my local store. It’s tempting to stock up but for now I picked up:
I’m in need of a curling iron and had the T3 1.25″ Iron on my list. Part of me wants to wait until holiday to see if there are any sets. Part of me wants to take advantage of the discount and buy it now. Decisions, decisions! I hauled 3 items:
I’m always a sucker for a good lip. I actually bought the Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipsticks before but they were lost in all our moving last year. I repurchased S1ngle and Spanked, both are ultra smooth with full coverage and aren’t dry looking. I need to try more of these! I also picked up two of the Bite Beauty French Press Lip Glosses in Salted Caramel and Dirty Chai. Both are perfect neutrals. I tried Salted Caramel and think it’s the perfect pink beige. I also bought one of the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Glosses in Estrella which is so sparkly I don’t recommend it. It’s not chunky, it’s very smooth but the shimmer is a little too much (it was an impulse buy). Last but not least the sparkles got the best of me and I picked up the Pat McGrath Lip Fetish in Gold Astral to try.
That wraps up my Sephora haul! If there are any items you want reviewed first let me know in the comments and I’ll try to prioritize those!
Have you bought anything yet for the Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciation Event? What did you haul? You can use the Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciate promo code once online and unlimited times in store. Valid in both US and Canada, dates for each tier:
Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3
First Aid Beauty concealers provided for review. Other items purchased by me.
Hourglass Cosmetics launched a new eyeshadow called Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow ($29 each for .12 oz/3.5 g, made in Korea). I bought all five shades while at Sephora for the Beauty Insider event and every color is amazing. These are pressed pigments with micro-glitter that give the eyes a beautiful glimmer. The word “glitter” had me a little worried which is why I didn’t order them online sight unseen. I love a good sparkle but sometimes glitter can be too much for what I’m comfortable wearing. These aren’t too glittery for me although they are sparkly. You can wear these alone, layered over shadow, layered together or if you apply with a damp brush it will give you a more foiled look. Lasting power is excellent. I’ve only given these a 2 day test since I just bought these but they stayed put for hours without fall out or budging. On Friday night I’m embarrassed to admit I fell asleep with my makeup on. It’s something I tell myself to never do, but it was one of those exhausting weeks. The eyeshadow was still in tact the next morning.
Shopping the shades at Sephora:
There are five shades, two are more glitzy than the others (Foil and Blaze). Shimmer-wise they are indeed shimmery but the glitter is super fine and not chunky. Even on the eyes they have a smooth finish. I like apply with the fingers. They’re easy to smooth and blend out.
Aura is a soft shimmering cool pink sparkle
Reflect is a champagne neutral sparkle (my favorite!)
Foil is a very sparkly yellow gold
Smoke is similar to champagne, but more taupe
Blaze is a sparkling warm copper, glitzy sparkle
On me Foil and Blaze are the most sparkly. I don’t think I can wear them alone everyday, although layered over a powder shadow tones down the sparkle a little. Also if I layer the gold on top of the copper it creates one of the prettiest multi-dimensional looks.
There is an insert inside to keep the shadows pressed and in tact:
A closer look at all the shades:
Beauty look with Reflect which is my favorite color out of the five, also wearing:
Some swatch comparisons to Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadows (now discontinued) in 8, 9 and 5. Also swatched next to the Natasha Denona Crystal Top Coats. The Armani Eyes to Kill had a more metallic finish with less glitter. Natasha Denona’s have more glitter and a sheerer base color. MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid is more like a metallic finish (review soon on these).
Bottom line I love them all. 100% worth the splurge. If I had to narrow down my picks I would pick Reflect and Smoke. They are on the sparkly side but they wear beautifully in a variety of ways. I like that they are easy to apply and that they don’t have fall out on me. I think all the colors are standouts although Foil is a very yellow gold and I usually don’t like gold colors like this but it is pretty when layered with other shades.
If you’re shopping at Sephora, don’t forget you can use the Beauty Insider Appreciate promo code once online and unlimited times in store. Valid in both US and Canada:
Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Did you try these yet? I think they’re phenomenal!
Sephora is having a special event to celebrate their Beauty Insider Program revamp and they’re offering discount savings for all of their Beauty Insider Members! The event officially starts today for Rouge Members. Other tiers will also be able to shop the event as well. Details, dates and codes for tiers below. Note for this event you can redeem your offer with promo code once online, but you can use it in stores an unlimited amount of times. Valid in both US and Canada:
Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3
I have a list of my recommendations today and I’ll be posting a haul in the upcoming days. This came at the perfect time as there are quite a few things I’ve been wanting to try and my list has been growing! Shopping-wise I’m going to do one visit in store, but I have a feeling most of my haul is going to be an online order. I really like that Sephora lists when things are online only – makes shopping easier so I have to do less searching. For my recommendations I’ve split it into three categories for Skincare, Makeup and then Hair/Fragrance. Any press samples listed are indicated with a *.
Skincare
My favorites lately, I feel like skincare is the best to save on for this event. This is a rather lengthy list. If you have any questions let me know in the comments! I’m going to be stocking up on Fresh because I go through their skin and body care so quickly:
Sephora has so many good makeup items, it was difficult to narrow down my top picks, but these are what made the cut. I didn’t include any highlighters because I feel at this point EVERYONE should own a good highlighter by now. I do think the NARS Change of Sheen Highlighters, Natasha Denona Glow Powders and Hourglass Vanish Flash sticks are standouts. My recs for makeup:
Kerastase Resistance Shampoo for Damaged Hair *- this is more of a strengthening shampoo, I’ve nearly finished a bottle and will review the line soon, but I’m thrilled Kerastase is now at Sephora!
Quick note on the Sephora disclaimer: Offer valid for Rouge members on merchandise purchases made from 12:01am PT on 8/24/18 through 11:59pm PT on 9/3/18 and for both VIB and Insider members from 12:01am PT on 8/30/18 through 11:59pm PT on 9/3/18 in Sephora US stores, Sephora Canada stores, Sephora inside JCPenney stores, and online. Offer not valid on jcp.com. Online offer valid for one-time use only; in-store offer may be redeemed multiple times. Not valid on purchases of customizable sets online or through Sephora’s customer service. Clients are limited to the purchase of three Drunk Elephant items per SKU per transaction and three Tatcha items per SKU per transaction. Not valid on Dyson, previous purchases, purchases of gift cards, FLASH, PLAY! by Sephora, gift wrapping, packaging, taxes, or shipping & handling charges. Return of discounted merchandise will be for the price actually paid. Sephora is not responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen promotion codes or barcodes. Promotion offer has no cash value and may not be altered, sold, or transferred. Relevant Beauty Insider status must be attained prior to redemption. No minimum purchase required. Due to heavy demand, Sephora FLASH delivery times cannot be guaranteed for this promotion. Not valid on orders shipping outside the US or Canada. Cannot be used in conjunction with other promotion codes. Sephora and JCPenney employees are not eligible for this offer. Offer is subject to change, alteration, or termination by Sephora at its sole discretion at any time.
Event detail recap, code valid online at Sephora for one use, in-store multiple uses:
Rouge Members: 20% off with code YESROUGE, valid 8/24 through 9/3
VIB Members: 15% off with code YESVIB, valid 8/30 through 9/3
Beauty Insiders: 10% off with code YESINSIDER, valid 8/30 through 9/3
To celebrate even more I’m hosting a giveaway (not sponsored or affiliated). I’m giving away three $100 eGift Cards to Sephora. Open internationally – simply enter through the widget below. I’m running this through 8/29 and will pick a winner the following day. Winners are announce via this widget and also e-mailed by me. You must respond to my e-mail within 24 hours or another winner will be selected in their place. Note for this giveaway the first five entry options are mandatory. You must complete ALL five entry steps. Then there are more options for bonus entries.
