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Sephora

Sephora Beauty Haul + Sephora VIB 20% Off Sale Info

November 11, 2016
The Beauty Look Book Sephora Sale Haul - Holiday 2016

I have my huge Sephora sale haul post for those who wanted to know what I bought during the VIB Rouge sale last week. For those who have VIB Member Status the 20% off Sephora Sale starts today 11/11 and runs through 11/14/2016 with code 20VIB if you’re shopping online at Sephora.com. You can use the code multiple times online and there are no product or brand exclusions. Up first are staples I stocked up on:

The Beauty Look Book Sephora Sale Haul - Holiday 2016

Left to right:

  • Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser is something I bought in the 1 oz travel size, I have the full size but it’s nice to have a mini on hand for travel or mini trips, original review here in case you want more details
  • First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Polish is one of the most gentle face scrubs I’ve used, in recent years I’ve stopped using most scrubs because I have very sensitive skin, this one is a good one!
  • Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Coconut is pretty much the only brand of deodorant I use, I don’t sweat a lot so I can’t say how well this holds up for those who do sweat a lot, but it lasts all day, isn’t irritating, smells great and aluminum-free, sometimes on days I’m in a rush it’s all I wear and I get compliments from random strangers saying “you smell really good, what are you wearing?”
  • Sephora Collection The Cleanse Daily Brush Cleaner is one of my favorite quick-clean kind of sprays, it won’t clean brushes 100% but it’s great for powder shadow or blush brushes (anything powder like bronzer, highlighter etc.) – also available n a mini size
  • Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix is one of the best makeup setting sprays I’ve tried although I have to say that I have not tried that many, ones I have tried are just ok, but this one is great, it sets makeup, makes powder look less powdery without messing up your makeup, helps extend wear, has no scent, and is also availble in a mini size
  • Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt has been featured here before and a single tub will last a long time, I use it 1x per week to every other week now and am getting close to finishing another one so I stocked up, review here and here in case you’re curious
  • Sephora Collection Soft Touch Cotton Pads are great basic cotton pads that won’t leave fibers in your eyes, I stocked up on 3 packs because apparently my husband has been using mine although he doesn’t use toner or need/use makeup remover so I’m not sure what he’s using them for, either way they are inexpensive even without the discount and don’t disintegrate
  • YSL L’Homme Deodorant is a restock for my husband and it’s one of his favorite deodorants of all time, he has sensitive under arms but this one works for him – I bought it because the Sephora sales rep told me it was “the best” he tried and that I would not regret buying it, he was right! My husband loves the smell and I love the smell, it lasts all day on him and is non-irritating, he wants me to tell you that he thinks it will make a good stocking stuffer for guys, lol
Next are some sets that I found interesting and ordered online because of overwhelmingly positive customer reviews. One is being returned.
The Beauty Look Book Sephora Sale Haul - Holiday 2016

Shown above:

  • Peter Thomas Roth masks have been raved about by so many I decided to finally try the Mask-A-Holic 5 Piece Kit ($75 for a $230 value), there is also the Mask Vault ($225 for a $352 value) but the 5 piece set seemed like a much better value/deal – if you’ve tried them let me know what you think or if you have favorites!
  • Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil 7 Piece Body Butter Collection is something I bought for stocking stuffers, I tried Gingerbread Vanilla and had a friend over and asked her to take a whiff to make sure it just wasn’t me, these are very strong in scent and very very sweet, if you like sweet or vanilla you’ll love these, me and my friend found them too strong so it’s going back, I don’t think my friends will like these
  • Elizabeth and James Find Your Nirvana Set has four 0.10 oz/ 3 mL Eau de Parfum mini rollerballs in Nirvana Black, Nirvana White, Nirvana Bourbon and Nirvana Rose, it’s a great way to try all four or keep one in a clutch
  • Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Trans-Foam Clay Trio has a lot of positive reviews, they are clay masks that are supposed to transform into a foaming cleanser when you add water, I haven’t tried it yet but have high hopes!
  • Skin Inc. Prep + Peel Set is something I bought to try the peel described as “non-abrasive” – will keep you posted as I try these, I may wait until after Thanksgiving to try these just in case I have an allergic reaction to anything
Elizabeth and James launched two candles in Nirvana Black and Nirvana White, both are online only (at least for the moment). They also have a couple sets with the candle like the House of Nirvana Black Gift Set. I haven’t burned it yet but it smells amazing from just opening the box. The Nirvana Black is my favorite and I think having this as a home scent will be incredible. The Find Your Nirvana Set minis shown next to candle for scale.
The Beauty Look Book Sephora Sale Haul Elizabeth and James - Holiday 2016

Makeup picks where I went for minis and stocking stuffers:
The Beauty Look Book Sephora Sale Haul Minis - Holiday 2016

Shown above:

Last but not least, I did buy the Laura Mercier Iconics Holiday Box Set. I went back and forth debating whether to buy it as there are a number of other Advent Calendar/Box Beauty Sets that are tempting this year. At the $170 retail price the 12 items in the box average to about $14.17 per item. With the 20% off the set price is $136 which makes each item about $11.33 (not including sales tax). The presentation is gorgeous and even though the box appears to be cardboard it’s very well made. I said I would review this earlier but after looking at it and seeing as I have already tried 8 of the 12 items I am going to save this as a gift for a very special someone although I don’t want to say who because it’s supposed to be a surprise. Everything is individually wrapped but if you want to see real life photographs I can carefully open the box to photograph for this post. Here’s the stock image as a place holder for now.

Hope you enjoyed this haul post! To recap, if you have VIB Member Status you can save 20% off purchases starting today 11/11 and through 11/14/2016 at Sephora. Use code 20VIB at checkout if you’re shopping online at Sephora.com. 
P.S. I am expecting my Tom Ford Winter Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes to arrive today so I hope to photograph, test and swatch everything for my VIB readers before the sale ends even if it will be a first impressions kind of post.

Are you hauling anything during the sale this weekend? Or did you already shop last weekend for the VIB Rouge?
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Giveaway

Summer Hauls from Sephora and Nordstrom + eGift Card Giveaway

August 5, 2016

Happy Friday everyone! In the “what would you like to see” survey posted a few giveaways ago, an overwhelming number of you requested I do more haul posts. I tend to buy things in little bits here and there – with free shipping or affordable rush shipping, it’s easy to place several orders as I think about things rather than do a larger one-time haul. Sometimes I’ll see something in store and decide to wait and think about it and then a few days later I decide to buy it. July was a very pricey and spendy month due to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I already did two haul posts on my picks (here and here) – since it only happens once a year and there were so many good exclusives/value sets I could justify the extra haul. I also found a lot of little things at Sephora so I’ve combined my recent picks into a haul post.
Up first are Nordstrom picks, some are non-sale items:

My Nordstrom hauls, mostly from online orders:

  1. Antica Farmacista Santorini Reed Diffuser – I discovered the Acqua Reed Diffuser as shown in this home luxuries post and fell in love. Several of you told me there were a number of options on sale at Nordstrom. I bought five variations of the 8.5 oz version. I haven’t opened any of them yet – for those who use these, do you use one at a time completely before opening another one? Unlike candles, I suspect you can use for a little bit and store away since the reeds become completely soaked with the oils?
  2. Antica Farmacista Reed Diffuser in Bergamot and Ocean Aria because I love the body cream version of this scent.
  3. Ivanka Trump Ellyn Lace Up Sandals in Rich Chestnut suede are super comfortable and I found them to be true to size. The color is just a tiny bit darker than the stock photo but very close, heel is at 2.5 inches which makes them easy to walk in and 100% pain-free (at least for me).
  4. Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Telluride is actually something I ordered from Sephora, but accidentally put it with the Nordstrom haul, it’s a luminous soft pink with a very pearly finish, full review next week.
  5. Louboutin Loubilaque in Akenana and Bikini (not on sale), based on the good performance I saw with the Rouge Louboutin Loubilaque, I decided to order a few other shades, I haven’t tested them on my lips yet because I swatched a number of other lip products the past couple of days and one item ruined my lips so I’m waiting for them to rebalance/recover.
  6. YSL Vinyl Lip Cream in 404, 407 and 412 are items I was really excited to try. I adore the Glossy Stains (reviewed here and here) and a cream version just sounded like a dream come true. 407 and 412 worked perfectly like a lightweight stain but in creamy form. 404 gave me a WTF moment – it was extremely streaky and for some reason turned my bottom lip bright red, almost like a reaction but there was no tingle, sting or odd feeling. It’s now about 24 hours after I lip swatched it and my lip is still red. I tried makeup remover, cleanser and a very gentle rub with a washcloth – it’s the oddest thing!
  7. Vince Camuto Drape Front Blazer is something I stalked the web for the anniversary sale, it went out of stock in Size 0 and 2 but restocked. I’ve been searching for a white blazer for a long time and this has a drapey flowy fabric that feels comfortable. It’s a tiny bit long in the arms for me, but fits the shoulders well – it will need minor alterations for me, but I really like it.
  8. Vince Camuto Feina Booties are items I ordered as well, my local store was sold out, but they found them for me and had them shipped to my home. This is the first time I’ve tried Vince Camuto boots so I don’t know how they size compared to other styles. The sales associate recommended I size down since in her experience they run big. Size 6 fits like a glove with room for thin socks.
  9. Hudson Nico Ankle Super Skinny Jeans are very comfortable and they fit like a glove. The fabric is thick enough to be sturdy but not stiff so these feel good to wear. I’m normally one who opts for Paige, but I was really pleased with these. The raw hem gives them an edgy look. As one who is short, these are the perfect length that I don’t need them hemmed.
A look at the Vince Camuto Drape Front Blazer (Size 2, for reference I’m 5’3″ and 125 pounds) and Hudson Nico Ankle Jeans (Size 27, sized the same as Paige and Citizens, I go up for Frame with 28s).

More views on the blazer, for those curious about the home bits, bed is from Crate and Barrel, rug is from Pottery Barn, on the far right the reflection of the white block is an Ikea Alex unit.

Shoes, left are the Ivanka Trump Ellyn Sandals, true to size 6.5, right are the Vince Camuto Feina Booties which I bought in a 6 based on the sales associate’s recommendation that they stretch out.

One more look at the Hudson Nico Jeans (top is an older style silk tee from J.Crew, shoes worn are by Stuart Weitzman which run large on me so I take these in a 6):

Up next are the Sephora haul picks:

Shown above:

  1. Sephora Play! July box contents includes minis of Benefit Dew the Hoola, Ouai Wave Spray, Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer, First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, NEST Citrine Perfume and Beautyblender Blottertazzi, I have yet to try everything in last month’s box, but Dew the Hoola is swatched here
  2. Urban Decay 24-7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Peyote is a cool-toned neutral pink with a tiny bit of shimmer, it’s a great light pinky color that does last a long time
  3. Bare Minerals GEN NUDE Radiant Lipstick in Strip is a medium nude pink beige – finally balmy glossy lipsticks that have pigment! I picked up two shades (yes, they look almost identical) and love love love the way these feel and look, they’re effortless kinds of nude with the feel of Chanel Rouge Coco Shines but more pigment.
  4. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Trance is a gorgeous pinky mauve shimmer, formula feels a bit thick and dry without a base but it does stay put on the lips, I’ll need to experiment more with bases on this one. It’s not drying, it just looks a bit dry if that makes sense.
  5. Bare Minerals GEN NUDE Radiant Lipstick in Honeybun is a nude beige tan cream.
  6. Formula X Color Curators in Makeup by Rose XOXO Edition in Mahhveous Rose, Puffin! and Acoustick Dreams, these look gorgeous for fall, I’ll have swatches of all three shades soon.
  7. Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation in Nude which is one shade darker than Warm Ivory but too dark for my skintone. Warm Ivory is a better match, but if I mix both shades the match is a 100% exact match.
  8. Kat Von D Lock-It Creme Concealer in M19 and M27 – I matched myself in store and can’t believe I braved using a tester on my face in store. When I applied it my skin was a bit dewy as it was late afternoon and hot. It blended to a flawless finish so I bought two shades. When I got home and tested it the following days I found it looked cakey and patchy under eyes on my regular skin. I’m still testing with other eye creams and primers as a base to see how best to make it work. I’m not ruling it out quite yet, I’m determined to put it to the full test as I really like her foundation.
  9. Becca Champagne Splits in Flowerchild and Champagne Pop – by this point I have Champagne Pop in all the forms possible and I do think it’s a bit overkill. The individual powder and poured cream (both swatched here) are my favorites. I definitely did not need it in a split pan with a blush, but what can I say – I think we all get sucked in sometimes by pretty packaging.
  10. NARS Sculpting Multiple Duos in all three options, review to follow as soon as I can!
  11. Formula X The System Xcel is something that just popped up online, I already own and use the original System (reviewed here a while ago), the Xcel set is designed for a gel-effect so I’m curious to see how it compares to the original!
  12. Beauty Insider Points minis
Lip picks swatched:

I won’t be reviewing everything in this haul in a separate posts, so here are lip swatches for reference. The Bare Minerals GEN Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick in Swag was one of the Beauty Insider minis (love the color, not a fan of the matte finish). Above Bare Minerals Strip and Honeybun look identical, on the lips you can see the difference. If you click to enlarge the photo you can see how patchy YSL 404 applied on my lips, especially on the lower lip.

All the Kat Von D Lock-It Creme Concealer shades swatched, if you’re NARS Ginger the closest match is M25 and M27:

That concludes my haul picks from July from Nordstrom and Sephora. There are still a few more days left for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (prices go back up Aug 8th). I’m hosting one last giveaway for the summer and giving away three $100 eGift Cards. The selected winners will have a choice of getting an e-gift card to either Nordstrom or Sephora. Details:

Enter via the widget below, there are several ways to enter:

  • You must be 18 years or older
  • Open internationally
  • Three distinct winners will be selected at random via Rafflecopter
  • Winners will be selected at random on Sunday afternoon and contacted via e-mail by me
  • If you’re a selected winner you must send me a response confirming within 48 hours or another winner will be selected, prizes will be sent by the following business day

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!
204 Comments
Sales

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Haul – Skincare and Fashion Picks

July 21, 2016

By request, I’ve rounded up my skincare and clothing haul picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Today is the last day for early access and the public sale starts tomorrow July 22nd. Although I did shop the sale early, many items sold out in stores near me so I ordered a few items online. My husband did not want to go in store (like most men I think) and since he knows his sizes, he gave me a list of things to order online for him. He tends to stick with classic staples.

First up are my picks. For clothes I had a lot on my list to check out but ended up getting only a few items including:

I tried on a few more items in store including the Trouve Drape Front Leather Jacket in Black and Brown Saddle. I found the XS fit perfectly across the shoulders and the arm length was good (rare for me with leather jackets, they’re always so long!). It’s definitely one of the more affordable jackets with super soft leather. It’s still on my wishlist but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I fell in love with the Whiskey color of the Marc New York by Andrew Marc Felix Stand Collar Leather Jacket but they didn’t have my size in store to try and the collar was on the large size for my preference. In terms of leather jackets, Vince makes my favorite ones but they are quite the splurge and since I don’t think I could keep anything suede nice for long I will save for a regular leather one.

A quick look at the Trouve Drape Front Leather Jackets in two colors and the Rag and Bone Split Back Tank (ordered once I got home).

Rest of what’s on my radar/wishlist:

For skincare I picked up the Foreo Luna Play which comes in one color at Nordstrom. I thought it was an Anniversary Sale Exclusive but appears that it’s not (you can also get it at Sephora and other retailers in different colors). It’s a mini sized device that has 100 uses and is non-rechargeable but at the price I think it’s worth it. I have yet to test it out, but it was too cute to pass up. I’ve shown it next to my Clarisonic Mia Fit (c/o) which I received a few weeks ago but is currently on sale at Nordstrom marked down on mega sale. The Pink Mia Fit is currently on backorder online but Nordstrom.com will still let you put it in your cart at the sale price. White Mia Fit and Blue Mia Fit are both still in stock online.

La Mer has a Gift With $350 Purchase so I bought the new Cleansing Micellar Water to try out along with the Revitalizing Collection set. I did not realize the Nordstrom set had the regular Creme de La Mer instead of the Moisturizing Soft Cream that I typically use. I haven’t used the set yet so I’m debating whether to give the regular cream a go or exchange it for my Moisturizing Soft Cream. If you have normal/combo skin let me know if you’ve tried the regular cream and what you thought.

I look forward to the Moroccan Oil offerings each year. Last year they had supersized shampoos and conditioners and I stocked up on a few. This year’s Moroccan Oil Hair Care Set has the dry oil, moisture shampoo and conditioner and moroccan oil. These are among my favorite shampoo and conditioner products out of all the ones I’ve tried. My husband likes the smell so much he decided to use it to wash our dogs and I almost died when I found out.

Husband’s fashion picks that have arrived so far include the Cole Haan Owen Sport Sneakers (which aren’t on sale but hubby wanted them) and the Ted Baker London Alex Slim Fit Bomber Jacket. He’s usually a Large (he’s 6’3″) and we found Size 5 worked best.

Other items we are waiting for in the mail, he stocked up on jeans from AG (he likes the Protege fit), Joe’s (classic fit) and 7 for All Mankind (Austyn fit). Image is interactive so you can click directly on the icons to shop them on Nordstrom.

For those curious about my skincare and fashion picks, I hope you enjoyed this roundup in a his and hers edition. If you have any input in the La Mer I’m all ears! It looks like there’s a new Moisturizing Soft Lotion that just launched at Nordstrom too. I’m torn between keeping or exchanging the set because it’s such a good deal, but I suspect the regular creme might just be too heavy for my skintype.

Did you haul any skincare or fashion goodies during early access or are you shopping the sale tomorrow? Let me know what you found!
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Uncategorized

Weekend Shopping Finds

February 1, 2010

I went to the mall to do some returns while checking out the Bobbi Brown Corals Collection. I found some cute things – not all makeup related, so if you’re only interested in the makeup part, I apologize!

Stop #1: J.Crew – I went in to return a scarf that I wasn’t so wowed with after my initial purchase but there were so many pretty new spring clothes, I couldn’t resist trying on a few things.

Rose Vines Bandaged Dress Item #25270 $138
(couldn’t find this online yet though)
+ the newest catalog


Tried on a cotton ruffle dress in XS (left) which was super comfy but just looked odd with the ruffles near the bust. I don’t remember the item number but I can’t find it online either. It retailed for $69.50 and also came in a light grey color. Also tried the Rose Vines Bandaged Dress in Size 2 (right) which I ended up purchasing. It’s difficult to see up close but the top has banded layers of fabric.


Frances Heart Cami Item #24735 which is currently on sale for $69.99. This is in Size 0. It looks way better on the model at Jcrew. A bit frilly but I still thought it was cute.

This is my favorite look from the new catalog.


Stop #2: Nordstrom – Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals haul plus some other browsing.

Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals Haul (which you saw yesterday)


Didn’t buy any of these since I don’t have babies – but looking at these makes me want to have them. I just about died when I saw those baby boy Pumas.


Stop #3: Saks – I snapped pics of the upcoming Laura Mercier Exclusive set which has the Pink Rose Blush Quad, Bold Berries Eyeshadow Quad, 2 mini brushes, full size Babydoll Lipgloss, a mini mascara and mini foundation primer. I actually saw this at SCP a few weeks ago and I was under the impression it was for sale. My local Saks said it’s only available for presale right now. I can’t remember the price, but I want to say around $65-68ish?


Picked up the YSL Spring Highlighter + Armani Maestro Quad #6.


Stop #4: Sephora – Tarte Cheek Stain in Tipsy, a nice soft but healthy coral-pink.


What did you find this weekend?

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Uncategorized

Holiday Haulings from The Primping Parleur

December 23, 2009

Just wanted to remind all my readers that you can still get 20% off your online order from The Primping Parleur until the end of the month! Just enter the code BEAUTYLOOKBOOKBLOG at the checkout. Check out my original post HERE for more details and information.

Anyone who already ordered, what did you end up getting with the promotional code? I’d love to hear what you bought! I got quite a few presents for my girlfriends – they are all packed up and wrapped right now, but for myself, I got:

  • Paul & Joe Eyeshadow Harvest Moon 95 (waves to Joeybunny for convincing me!)
  • Becca Lip Tints Yasmina (nude-mauve on the left) & Estella (warm but pale nude on the right)
  • Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight


P&J Harvest Moon 95 Eyeshadow is a neutral plum-nude with shimmer. I think it will make a good natural contouring shade. The Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight Shimmer Powder is a soft champagne shimmer powder that gives a nice candlelight-like-glow, I used this on my eyes all over the lid which gave a nice glowy effect, but the color just didn’t seem all that unique. The Becca Lip Tints are both sheer but very wearable nudes for my pigmented lips. I think I need to try more of these.

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