ELF mega haul

I was just surfing the net and on everyday minerals forum, I found a discussion on this incredible coupon code that was available from elf cosmetics for 70% off site wide!!! So I jotted down the code, went to the elf website and started adding items to my cart to see if it was really true... and it was. You can get 70% off up to 49.99, if you buy up to $75, you also get free shipping and a free subscription to W magazine. So here's the breakdown on my purchase...

Shipping Address: home
6705 -	Barely Bitten	Qty: 1	$5.00
36010 -	Basic Browns	Qty: 1	$12.00
6502 -	Celebrity	Qty: 1	$3.00
84002 -	Complexion Brush	Qty: 2	$3.00
6509 -	Confident	Qty: 1	$3.00
84006 -	Contour Brush	Qty: 2	$3.00
6501 -	Elegant	Qty: 1	$3.00
36009 -	Expert Eye	Qty: 1	$12.00
84008 -	Eyeshadow "C" Brush	Qty: 2	$3.00
6701 -	Nicely Nude	Qty: 1	$5.00
84003 -	Powder Brush	Qty: 2	$3.00
6308 -	Rose (bright rosy pink)	Qty: 1	$5.00
6518 -	Royal	Qty: 1	$3.00
cstmpalette -	Custom Palette	Qty: 1	$0.00
2567 -	Compact	Qty: 1	$1.00
2509 -	Dusk	Qty: 1	$1.00
2506 -	Golden Glow	Qty: 1	$1.00
2505 -	Mocha	Qty: 1	$1.00
2504 -	Sage	Qty: 1	$1.00

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Sub Total:	$80.00
Shipping:	$6.95
Tax:	$0.00

Discounts:
----------------------------------------------------

RNDMDSC70 -	70% OFF!	($49.99)
8888 -	Free Shipping!	($6.95)

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Total:

$30.01

So, in total, I got 22 items for only $30. That's like a buck a piece, on mostly their studio and mineral lines which averages 3-5 dollars usually. I got a chance to try their mineral and studio line which I would not have bought full price but with this deal was just too good to pass up.

Ulta BOGO Mania and new loves

So I went a little crazy at Ulta's recent BOGO sale. But I'm quite pleased with one of the HIP duos and the two Maybelline quads that I purchased.

Thanks to xteener from youtube, I went ahead and purchased the HIP duo in Sassy which comes in a beautiful taupe and teal color. The teal prevented me from buying it before in the past because blue shadows in general scare me. However, something about the combination of the two colors is just amazing. The taupe is really the winner of the two colors. I've been eyeing satin taupe from Mac for the longest time but couldn't really bring myself to buy it. When I heard from xteener that the taupe from this duo is a good dupe, I thought I would give it a try. I'm in love. The teal actually goes on much darker on the eye and appears as more of a gray than blue. My only complaint is that by the end of the day, even with eyeshadow primer, I definately had creasing. Overall, although I wouldn't pay full price for them, on BOGO, these L'oreal HIP duos are a great buy.

I also picked up Maybelline expert eyes quads in chai latte (because of xteener again)... and enchanted forest. Chai latte is a nice bronzy brown quad which I think would be great to have for the summer. The enchanted forest creates a beautiful green/khaki daytime smokey eye which I'm really into right now. I'm quite impressed with the shadow quality which is nicely pigmented, goes on smoothly, blends easily and stays on all day. I had no creasing with these quads. Love them and looking to get more.

Finally, I discovered my HG hand cream. For work, I have to wash my hands about 20 time in one day. So recently, they have been dry, cracked and gross. I actually broke out into a horrible rash from the dryness. With Eucerin plus intensive repair hand cream, things are starting to turn around. It is a thick cream but it doesn't feel greasy on the hands. has alpha hydroxy to exfoliate the skin but is nonirritating and fragrance free. I loved it so much that I bought one to keep at work with me, one to keep in my purse, one at home and a couple of backups. Love, love, love it.

Stila 15 year Anniversary Set

I'm so excited. I got my Stila 15 Anniversary Set in the mail today. I love Stila shadows. They are so creamy, so easily blendable. But at $18 a pop, it's a luxury that I can't really afford. I bought this set for $72, which by it self is a fantastic deal considering it comes with 6 really wearable shadows, a 6 pan compact, a full sized multieffect mascara, a full sized kitten eye shadow wash, and a liquid liner.

Here's the breakdown in terms of the retail price

6 eyeshadows $18 each = $108
(Upper row L to R ... Shore, barefoot contessa, viola; Lower row L to R black cat, mystic, oasis)

6 shadow compact $24

Kitten eyeshadow wash = $22

multieffect mascara = $20
(It's ginormous. It's bigger than lash blast)

liquid eyeliner $16

Grand total : $190 value !!!!


I was lucky and got the kit during the time they were offering 20% off your order and free shipping. So I ended up only paying $67 including taxes. That's like $7 per item. Or $123 savings.

I love shopping but I love shopping and saving even more. Besides... it will give me more money to go out and buy more makeup.

Best Goodie Bag Ever

I always found Sephora sample baggies to be so overrated. A few months ago, Sephora did a promotion where they offered a sample bag of 10 of their eye products, which basically amounted to 10 little bags of one time use products. Beauty.com on the other hand, offers some of the best sample bags ever, hands down. For example, the Shoshana bag was offered a few months ago and it is chock full of delux products equivalent to the one sephora Beauty insider delux sample that you get when you spend $100.

I am such a sucker for this and everytime they offer it, I have to get it. In the past, I was able to get some high quality products that have become staples in my collection. For example, I received a small size of urban decay 24/7 eyeliner (the size you would get in the velvet rope kit) as a part of one kit. I got a full sized Vincent Longo Baby Balm in Sheer Contesssa which is now one of my go to lip products. My Stila lipstick collection is basically full sized lipsticks that I got through these sample bags. They've offered samples of Too Faced shadow insurance and a full sized Urban Decay Primer Potion... Just insane samples.

The Shoshana Bag Breakdown
The bag is slightly tacky in it's loud floral arrangement but it's pretty large and lined with plastic which is a plus for any makeup bag. But the samples are pretty crazy. It's supposed to be valued at $120.

• Lorac Breakthrough Performance Foundation 0.12 fl.oz
  
• Arcona Booster Defense Serum 10 ml
  
• Stila High Shine Lip Color in Amber (full sized)
  
• Tarte Blushing Bride Cheek Stain 4.8 g
  
• Frederic Fekkai Coiff Lifting and Texturizing Spray Gel 0.25 fl oz
• Skyn Iceland Glacial Face Wash 1 fl oz
  
• Malin and Goetz Assorted Hair Care 1 fl oz
  
• Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener 0.13 fl oz
  
• Jane Iredale Eye Gloss in Champagne Silk full sized
  
• Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara 5 ml
  
• Ken Paves Healthy Hair Shine Serum 0.5 fl oz
  
• Bliss Lemon and Sage Soapy Soap1 fl oz
  
• DDF Daily Protective Moisturizer 1 fl oz
  

Nordie's Haul

Nordstrom Rack Haul
I heart Nordie's. Nowhere else can you find deals like this. I was able to find this cute Marc Jacobs slippers for only a third of the original price! I also got a great deal on this adorable Kate Spade bag. When times get tough, a girl's gotta go bargain shopping and The Rack is definately a place you can get more bang for your buck.

Stila Haul

STILA BACKSTAGE BEAUTY PALETTES

A note just on packaging. I'm so excited about the packaging on these palettes. They are just beautiful. It comes in this elegant black box. I just had to take a picture of it. Just too cute. The palettes are housed in this patent leather wallet in pewter gray (the runway look) and red (the redcarpet look) . Stila's got packaging down. Oh... forgot to mention that the eyeshadows are very nice too.