Value Sets

Throughout the year (but especially during the holidays!) retailers and brands offer samplers or value sets where you pay $X amount for several products. Like anything else, some are hits, some are misses. I’ve bit on a few of these before – a Marc Jacobs rollerball trio three years ago for $39 (still have more than half of each – definitely happy with that purchase!), The Too Faced Everything Nice Holiday 2014 Set for $59 (while I still love most of the shadows in this, if I were doing it over with over a year of hindsight, I’m not sure I would have purchased).

What I’ve never purchased for myself, however, are the Sephora-curated value sets. It’s foolish really, because some of them have been really good. I think value sets are a great way to a) try new product without committing to a full-price, full-size; b) a good way to revive your collection; and c) Sample sizes are always great for purses and travel.

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Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain

Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain
Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Stain

Three areas my collection is really wants for are lips, blush, and highlight. A few months ago, Sephora had their Rouge Infusion Lip Stain available as a BI point reward, so I picked one up. I like the idea of stains because although I love makeup, I’m hilariously lazy when it comes to reapplication. Peony was the available shade, and I was delighted – it seemed like it would be somewhat MLBB, maybe with a touch more pink, but still very like that.

The Rouge Infusion Lip Stain tube is cute and reminds me of a vial, but it may suck to store if you keep all your lip products in an organizer in which they are intended to stand up. The Peony shade is pretty.

…and that’s where the good ends.

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Rare Sephora Discount

Rare Sephora Discount

Sephora addicts know that sales are seldom, which is a painful thing for a sale-shopper such as myself. I’m happy to pay for quality, but some products just have absurd markup. The rare Sephora discount offered up for BI/VIB/VIBR semi-annually is great, particularly if you had a shopping list to contend with. But you have to wait, after all – they usually pop-up around April and October or November.

To the point: I just learned that there’s a somewhat-hush-hush 10% off code available for use once annually. It is good on your whole order. Too good to be true, and yet… it isn’t.

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Sephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel Swatches

Colorful Cheek Ink GelSephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel Trio

I’ve mentioned before that I have an interest in non-powder blushes. When Sephora released the Colorful Cheek Ink Gels, I made a mental note to give it a shot.

When I received the Sephora Collection Make You Blush! Colorful Cheek Ink Gel trio before Christmas,  I was excited to but ultimately had to set it aside for a bit to get through the holidays. Well, the holidays have now passed and I’m finally settling back into my routine.

The Colorful Cheek Ink Gel trio features three of the six available shades in slightly more (0.35 oz) than half as large a the regular (0.67oz), individual Colorful Cheek Ink Gels.

Colorful Cheek Ink Gel Swatches - Peony, Lotus, DahliaSephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel Swatches

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2015 Favorites

I’m approaching my annual favorites post a little differently than I did last year. Instead of breaking it down by section, I’m just going to slap all my 2015 Favorites together. I liked plenty of things, but these are what I liked most.

2015 Favorites

Naked2 Basics - Social

Naked2 Basics, $29 – has been my lifesaver. Even when I first swatched it and decided I required it, I didn’t imagine I’d come to use it as much or as often as I did and do. Personally, I think it is superior to its predecessor…but I don’t own its predecessor, so I haven’t run it through the gauntlet, yet.

elftickledpink

e.l.f. Studio Blush in Tickled Pink, $3 – is a very subtle, pleasant peachy-pink hue. I wear it the most of all the blush I own; it’s hard to overdo, and isn’t too much for work.

cremeinyourcoffee_bullet

MAC Creme in Your Coffee, $17 – Such a nice MLBB, it stays and wears away well. Reapplies easily, and has that lovely signature MAC lipstick scent. I will repurchase a billion of these.

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December 2015 Favorites

December 2015 Favorites
December 2015 Favorites
1. Boots Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm, $7 / 2. Pointed-Tip Cotton Swabs, $5
3. Sephora Serum Foundation, $24 / 4.  Hot Tools Digital Titanium Flat Iron, $60
5. Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy, $21

Dear heavens how the hell is it 2016? WHAT IS TIME DOING. That said, it’s now the first Wednesday of January…so that means its time for my December 2015 Favorites. Meanwhile I’ll be working on my incredibly premature midlife crisis.

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