Sephora: A Love Note Shopping Event

makeup and beauty lovers rejoice!  the Sephora shopping event is upon us.  if you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s the scoop:  twice a year Sephora allows you to purchase all of your makeup and beauty favorites at a discount.  the first event is in April (the sale is running now thru the 13th).  the second event is held in November.  if you are a Beauty Insider, you will receive 10% off of your purchase thru 4/12.  if you are VIB or VIB Rouge, you get 15% off of your purchase thru 4/13.  this is the best time to stock up on all of your favorites and get those more expensive products at a discount.

there were a few things that i needed and a few new products that i wanted to try so i placed my order a few days ago. they are due to arrive this week.

here’s what i purchased:

 

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara | Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray | Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Firenze | Bumble and Bumble Surf FoamSpray Blow Dry | Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara | Sunday Riley Power Couple Duo: Total Transformation Kit | Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper | Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown | Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Mad Max Brown

the tattoo liners and brow wiz, i have had before.  i am most excited try the rest of the products.  i am trying to get my skin care routine perfected.  i have heard nothing but great things about the Sunday Riley products, so i thought i would give them a try.  the Too Faced Mascara is one of the best mascaras out there right now.  i was so excited to hear that they came out with a waterproof version.  a few of my favorite youtube vloggers rave about the Marc Jacobs mascara so i thought i would give it a try.  it is supposedly comparable to the Better Than Sex mascara.  the Ouai Texturizing Hairspray is also getting a lot of hype on youtube.  i usually use Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray or Amika  Undone Texture Spray. those two brands are amazing, but i cannot wait to try the Ouai spray!  Bumble and Bumble products always get great reviews, so im sure i will love the surf foam spray.  in the reviews i read on Sephora.com, it is supposed to give flat limp hair volume.  i need volume, so i hope thats true.  i already have one of the Stila liquid lipsticks and i love it. this formulation rivals the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks.  the color that i bought is available to VIB Rouge members. if you have it, let me know if you love the color.

here are the codes if you are planning on shopping this event:

Beauty Insider:  use code BINOTE at checkout.  this code is good thru 4/12

VIB:  use code VIBNOTE at checkout.  this code is good thru 4/13

VIB ROUGE:  use code ROUGENOTE at checkout.  this code is good thru 4/13

whats in your shopping basket?  don’t forget if you are VIB ROUGE,  you get free flash shipping on every order!

 

thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, ang

 

 

 

A Look Back On My 2015 Favorites

 

happy new year!  i usually write a monthly favorites post but i have decided to skip that post for december and write about my favorites from the entire year.  this was a very hard post to write since i have had a ton of products that i loved over the past year.

i am only including the products that i felt i couldn’t live without and would re-buy if i ran out of them. here are my top 10:

1.  Pretty much anything by Kat Von D Beauty. 

i haven’t tried a single thing from her line that i didn’t like.  the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are completely amazing.  i have written about them a couple of times now.  you can read about them in a recent post here.  i pretty much buy a new color every time i go in to Sephora.  the Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette and Tattoo Liners are also a must have.

2. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.

this is literally the best mascara i have ever used.  the formula is great. the brush is perfect.  i have bought several other brands and formulas this past year, but i always end up returning them because they just don’t compare to the Better Than Sex Mascara.  this mascara will make you look like you are wearing false lashes when, in fact, you are not.

3. Dial Miracle Oil Restoring Body Wash.

i love oil infused everything.  marula oil is my favorite.  i use marula oil in my hair as a treatment, on my face and on my dry cuticles.  there is even marula oil in the shampoo i use.  you could say i’m a little obsessed.  when i found that Dial made a body wash infused with this oil, you better believe  i bought it!  it smells Ah-Mazing.  fyi, Dial also makes this in a hand soap.

4. Oribe Dry Texturing Spray.

i wrote about this product back in July.  you can find that post here.  i still love this spray. it gives great texture to my fine, thin hair and it is definitely worth the money you will spend on it.  i get mine at Neiman Marcus, but i’m sure you can get it on Amazon also.

5. NYX Highlight and Contour Palette.

seriously one of the best highlight and contour palettes out there.  i haven’t come across too many NYX products that i love, but this one is definitely a winner! if you are new to contouring or don’t want to spent a lot of $$$ on a palette, then this is the one to get.

6. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer.

a lot of You Tube vloggers that i follow raved about how great this bronzer was.  i finally purchased a sample size if it one day while i was shopping at Ulta.  this is the best bronzer that i have used.  i love the fact that it is matte and not shimmery.  it also smells like chocolate, so I’m constantly sniffing it as i apply it to my face 🙂  i will be purchasing the full size when i run out of my sample.

7.  E.L.F Makeup Remover Pen.

 

this makeup remover pen is a god send to anyone who makes their eyeliner wing just a tad too long or thick or to someone who sneezes right after they put on mascara. yes, both of those things happen to me daily.  its a wonder i don’t look like a complete mess.  well this pen helps me out with those struggles.  did i mention its only $3?

8.  Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray.

this is the only makeup setting spray that i ever use.  once you have all of your makeup on, mist up to 4 sprays on your face.  you are supposed to spray in a “x” and a “t” formation but i never do it that way. i spray all over my face.   this spray will keep your makeup looking fresh and will last up to 16 hours.  it is definitely a game changer.

9.  Beauty Blender.

i use a Beauty Blender to apply certain formulas of foundations and i use one every single day to apply my under eye concealer and highlighter.  i have tried using makeup brushes to apply my concealer, but i only like the way it looks when i use a Beauty Blender. don’t forget, you must use a Beauty Blender when it is damp.  i have never used it dry and i cannot imagine it works too well that way.

10.   Beauty Blender BlenderCleanser Solid.

 

hands down the best cleanser for your Beauty Blender and any your makeup brushes.  i clean my Beauty Blender once a week to remove makeup build up.  this cleanser is definitely worth the $$$.

 

i could go on and on about all the products that i used and loved in 2015 but i really just wanted to call out the products that were games changers for me.

i cannot wait to see what i discover in 2016!

xoxo, ang

 

 

 

 

July Favorites

 can you believe july is already done and gone?  it was a great month for me!  i had a great staycation full of trips to the lake and shopping of course:)  i picked up some really great things that i want to share!

I recently discovered Smith & Cult nail polish.  this polish can only be found at the Smith & Cult website or at Neiman Marcus.  I bought mine at Neiman, since they have free shipping.  a couple of beauty vloggers I follow on You Tube swear by this polish.  I must say, its the best I have ever used.  I have a problem with polish chipping after a few days, but this didn’t. I purchased the color Suburban Warrior.  im going to order again, but a color more suited for fall.

i have read great reviews about Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray.  i decided to give it a try even though its a bit spendy.  its worth the money!  it definitely lives up to the hype.  i have very fine, thin hair and it gave it great texture.  just remember a little goes a long way with this product.  i also bought this at neiman marcus.

i don’t know how many trips i made to ulta trying to find this palette.  it was never in stock.  FINALLY, one evening i decided to drop in at the local ulta and they had two left.  you better believe i snagged one!  the NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette is a great contouring and highlighting palette for the price.  i wanted to get the Anastasia palette, but this one got better reviews by beauty bloggers and its half the price.  i use it everyday and i love it!

i must say that this Stella & Dot Bianca Lariat Necklace is in constant rotation.  it goes with almost everything and can be worn two ways:  as a lariat or as a long necklace. it also come in silver.  i just placed an order of two more necklaces this morning with my fabulous stylist, Jessa.  i cannot wait to get them!

i am a big fan of Alex and Ani Gypsy Wraps.  we sell them where i work, so obviously i have a whole arm full 🙂  the gypsy wraps are my favorite.  i have three of the colors and like to wear them all at once.  it really makes a great #armparty!

this is me on one of the greatest days of my life. you might think im crazy, but i have wanted a Louis Vuitton bag for as long as i can remember.  the day finally came, so the hubs and i went to the LV store and bought it.  (he paid for half of it.  isn’t he the best! 🙂  i purchased the Favorite MM and im so happy with it!  now its time to save up for the matching wallet…;)

i hope you enjoyed my july fav’s!  what are some of your favorites?

xoxo, ang