CVS Haul! Physicians Formula and Milani Deals!

Disclosure: All items mentioned in this post were purchase by me. All opinions are my own. 

I was really hopeful at the beginning of last week when I stopped into my CVS and saw that they had slots opened up for the new Physicians Formula products that just came out. With Physicians Formula 40% off this week and an emailed coupon for $2 off of a $10 beauty purchase, I was all set to pick something up. At the time, they only had the Nude Wear blush in Natural and the Nude Wear bronzer out, so I waited.

Later in the week, I got an email coupon for $4 off of $20. I stopped in on Thursday to see if the new stuff was out yet. When I scanned my card in store, I got a coupon for $3 off of a $10 Milani purchase and a $5 off of a $12 Physicians Formula purchase. Yes!!! Still no more new Physicians Formula items though.

When Friday rolled around, I asked one of the CVS workers when they would be stocking the new Physicians Formula items, and she said they might be getting them in over the next few days. *sigh*

I did get a little bit lucky though because my CVS had added one of the new Milani matte baked blushes to the display between my trip on Thursday and my trip on Friday.

Here's a look at my haul:

Here's the breakdown on my deal.

The Physicians Formula Nude Wear blush was originally $13.29, so the 40% off price was $7.97. The bronzer was $15.29, and the sale price was $9.17. The Milani blush was $8.79.

My total prior to coupons was $25.93. I then used the $5 off Physicians Formula, the $3 off Milani (the blush rang up for less than I was expecting, so I don't know how this coupon still worked, but it did), the $4 off of $20, and the $2 off of $10.

My final total before tax was $11.93 (with tax it was $13.33). Without any coupons or discounts, I would have paid $37.37 before tax, so I saved $25.44.

These particular deals aren't still available, but keep your eyes peeled and make sure and scan your CVS ExtraCare card every time you go in. You never know what deals might come your way.

Have you gotten any good deals lately? Have you tried any of the new Physicians Formula items? Are there any that I need to get when my CVS finally gets them in stock?

Disclosure: All items mentioned in this post were purchase by me. All opinions are my own. 

Silk Naturals Valentine's Day Collection Haul and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift card from a giveaway and with my own money. I have no affiliation with Silk Naturals, and all opinions are my own.

I know I've mentioned the brand Silk Naturals quite a few times here on my blog, but I still like I haven't given the brand enough love here. I've been buying from them since the summer of 2009, and I almost always do a haul whenever they release a new collection. Sadly, whenever I start editing my pictures to do a post, my pictures just feel so flat. They never seem to do the colors justice, so I never end up posting them. I'm working on it though and hope to go back and post more pictures from my eye shadow collection in the future.

Recently, I got an email from Makeup Detox saying I won her giveaway for a $20 gift card for Silk Naturals, and I was thrilled. The fact that I got my code on the same day that Silk Naturals released their Valentine's Day collection was just the icing on the cake.

Here's a look at what I got:

This is my whole haul, minus a few skincare samples a friend asked me to pick up for her. I'll also point out here that there was a mistake with my order. The little pods on the right are concealer samples, and I had ordered full sizes. I sent a message to Silk Naturals right away letting them know. They got back to me within about 30 minutes. That was on a Monday, and I had my full size concealers in my hands by Thursday (along with three extra gift with purchase shadows). Silk Naturals has amazing customer service!

Now for a close up look at each item.

HD Cream Blush in Dollface - $4.50

Dollface is a gorgeous rosy pink with lots of gold shimmer. The formula is soft and creamy. I prefer to apply this by brushing a small duo-fiber brush over the top of the tube and then blending it on my cheeks. I haven't tested longevity yet.

HD Peach Concealers - $0.99 for a sample pod and $5.50 for a full size

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes, so I was thrilled to see Karen release these concealers. I wasn't sure which shade to choose, so I chose the lightest two. As I already mentioned, I ordered the full size, but I was originally sent sample pods, which works out well since I can show was the samples look like. The full size comes in the same slimline tube as the cream blush. I've only tried each shade once, so I'll have to follow up with a review later.

Eye Shadows in Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous - $4.50 each

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

I have a serious weakness for eye shadows from Silk Naturals, so I couldn't stop myself from picking up the three new shades they released. Touch is a pale yellow gold shimmery shade. Kismet is a medium grey with purple undertones, and Rendezvous is a deep matte purple. This trio actually works beautifully together. I was also pretty surprised by how much I like Rendezvous. Darker crease shades intimidate me, so I was a little worried. It applied nicely and blended like a dream, so it wasn't overpowering on my fair skin.

Slick Stick in La-Dee-Da - $4.50

I'm not a lipstick person, so while I've tried a few lip colors from Silk Naturals, most of the time, I pass them up. The color La-Dee-Da was just too interesting to pass up though. I liked that the color was a sheer plum shade, and the green shimmer adds an unusual touch.

Products not Pictured in Detail

If you kept track from the original picture, you'll notice that there were a few items that I haven't shown up close yet, and I'm not going to in this post (it's long enough as it is). On the far left was the weekly gift with purchase shade, so it isn't available anymore. The two jars in the middle are samples of the Medium Sleep in a Jar and the relatively new Cloud powder. I find the Sleep in a Jar a bit drying, and the Cloud powder is supposed to help retain moisture, so I want to try mixing them. Then on the far right is a mini sample of the eye shadow Mousse (they always include a sample like this in every order).

That's my haul! Did anything in particular catch your eye? Did you pick anything up yourself?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift card from a giveaway and with my own money. I have no affiliation with Silk Naturals, and all opinions are my own.

I'm alive! I swear! + a Haul

Disclaimer: The items from PHAMExpo and Luxury Lane Soap were sent to me. Everything else was purchased by me. I have also included my referral link for HauteLook. I would receive a $10 credit if you use that link and make your first HauteLook purchase. All opinions are my own.

Things went a bit crazy here over the past few weeks, and, clearly, blogging fell to the wayside. Sorry about that.

Over the past few weeks, I've been super busy working and preparing for teaching summer school. On top of that, I've been dealing with an ingrown hair that got so infected that it has required several trips to the doctor (enough that the receptionist today didn't even ask for my name because she already knew) and antibiotics. Oh yeah...one of those antibiotics also gave me a rash all over my body this week. *sigh*

Thankfully, the infection is clearing up, the regular school year has finished, and summer school doesn't start for a couple of weeks. Now is the time to play catch-up around the house and with blogging.

Today, I thought I would keep things really simple and just show you a few items that I've gotten somewhat recently.

I'll start with a package that was sent to me by PHAMExpo (Professional Hair and Makeup Exposition), which is an event being held June 29-30 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

I had entered a contest PHAMExpo was hosting on Facebook where they asked for people to send in pictures of how they use their Z Palettes. Although I don't think they officially reached the number of ZPalette fans on Facebook needed to conclude the contest, Cheryl emailed me and said she would like to send me a couple of Z Palettes for my collection. Needless to say, I was really excited. I love the Z Palettes that I already have. Things have been so busy though that I haven't put anything in my new ones yet. I think I want to play with my current ones first and come up with a better organization system for them before I depot more items. I'm looking forward to being able to depot some more things soon though.

The other items that were sent to me were from the company Luxury Lane Soap. I while back, I found out that the company was looking for product testers, and I filled out the application. I was really excited when I received my first tester box from them.

When I received the email stating that I was part of the testing team, I was asked to choose two products I would be interested in trying out of a list of six. I chose the Nourishing Body Lotion and the Whipped Up Sugar Scrub. Both came in the scent Blackberry Tea. Kylee also included two mini bars of soap, and yes, the bar on the left is R2-D2. :-)

I'll probably do a full review of the lotion and scrub later, but I'll tell you now that I love both of them. There was a 15% off coupon in my box as well, and I used it today. I ordered another mini lotion, a full size of the scrub, a hemp body wash, and a candle.

Aside from getting items sent to me, I made some purchases recently too because there were deals that were just too good to pass up.

theBalm Cosmetics launched their new website a few weeks ago, and they had a 24-hour sale where everything on the site was 50% off. I couldn't help myself!

I picked up the Balm Jovi Palette, two of their new InStain blushes (Argyle and Toile), Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter, and Cabana Boy blush.

Then, HauteLook (referral link) had a Spring Beauty Bag deal. They advertised it as $200 worth of product for $25 (with tax and shipping, my bag cost $35).

Here's a list of the contents (taken from the original posting for the bag):

• Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Travel Size in Demolition-- deep brown with matte finish (0.03 oz., Imported)
• LORAC Full-Size Eyeshadow in Celebutante-- aquamarine with shimmer (0.06 oz., Made in USA)
• Crown Brush Pro Blending Fluff: This professional style Blending Fluff is perfect for blending and shading both powder and cream shadows.
• LORAC Full-Size Multiplex 3D Lashes Mascara in Black (0.143 oz., Made in USA)
• NYX Cosmetics Full-Size Lipstick in Shiva-- blue-toned fuchsia (pearl) (0.14 oz., Made in USA)
• Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer Packettes in Pink, Rose Gold, and Bronze Shimmers (0.03 fl. oz. each, Made in USA)
• Laura Geller Mini Blush-n-Brighten in Berry (0.06 oz., Made in USA
• suki skincare full-size exfoliate foaming cleanser (4.0 fl. oz., Scent: Lemongrass and Natural Sugar)
• La Fresh Beauty Wipes -- 5-Pack of Bestsellers - 2 Oil-Free Face Cleansers (6" x 7.75" each, Scents: Refreshing [Natural Yuzu Aromatherapy] and Fragrance-Free), Waterproof Makeup Remover for Eyes and Lips (5" x 4", Unscented), Anti-Aging Face Cleanser (6" x 7.75", Scent: Maqui Berry), and Instant Body Soother (6" x 7.75", Scent: Natural Peppermint) (Made in USA): This 5-pack set includes 1 wipe from each of La Fresh's bestsellers.
• Jessica Simpson Vintage Bloom Fragrance Sampler Vial (0.19 fl. oz.)
• Smile Sciences $50 Gift Certificate: This gift certificate gives you $50 towards Smile Sciences' Rx Strength Teeth Whitening Pen. It is not redeemable for cash value, does not expire, and is to be exclusively used towards the Rx Strength Whitening Pen in any quantity. (Not pictured) 
• Cosmetics Bag (10.5" W x 7.75" H x 3" D): Transport your makeup must-haves in this charming striped beauty bag. (Not pictured) 

The last purchase I'm going to feature in this post is from Stila Cosmetics. They had a 50% off flash sale (I think it lasted less than 24 hours. Again, the bargain was just too good to resist.

I picked up an eyeshadow palette in In the Moment, a Smudge Pot in Kitten, a Color Balm Lipstick in Amelia, the Positively Pink Set for Breast Cancer Awareness, and the Mini Smudge Crayon Try-Me-Set. 

So...I've had quite a few new things to play with lately, but I haven't tried everything yet. I haven't even had time to take individual pictures of everything. That's on my goal for the next few days.

What have you been hauling lately? Have you gotten any really good deals? Is there anything in particular you would like to see a review on?

Disclaimer: The items from PHAMExpo and Luxury Lane Soap were sent to me. Everything else was purchased by me. I have also included my referral link for HauteLook. I would receive a $10 credit if you use that link and make your first HauteLook purchase. All opinions are my own.

Sephora Haul!

When I saw that Sephora.com had Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette in stock, I had to jump on the opportunity to use a 10% off discount code that I had to snap it up.

I don't plan on reviewing this palette, and I probably won't do swatches either just because the internet is already flooded with both. How many times can you read, "I wish they hadn't included Half Baked again"?

Although I'm not adding a review, I will add another photo of the Naked 2 palette to the millions of them already out there: 

When I make a Sephora order, I always look for something small to throw in my order just because I like getting multiple things (Am I the only one that does that?). Sometimes I convince myself that I shouldn't get them. This time I didn't. My small item was the Chloe & Love, Chloe Minature Duo ($12), which has mini bottles (duh!) of Chloe and Love, Chloe.

I also had quite a few Beauty Insider points that I could cash in, so I got a few more products that way. I got the 100-point perk of a Miss Dior Cherie perfume, and I also got the 500-point perk Philosophy Party Girl set.
 

 From left to right: Love, Chloe; Chloe; and Miss Dior Cherie. All three of them are 5 mL/.17 oz.

The Philosophy Part Girl set included (from left to right): Hope in a Jar (in a tube - lol), Microdelivery Peel (excited to try this!), Purity Cleansing Oil (excited to try this one too!), and Bubbly lip shine (which smells really good, but I can't put my finger on what it smells like - I would assume champagne, but I don't think that's what it is).

These were my three freebie samples. The only one that I actually asked for was Someday by Justin Bieber (Yes, I requested it. No, I'm not a Justin Bieber fan.). I'm still happy to try what I got though. I've been testing a couple of other makeup primers, so I'm glad to give another one a shot, especially one with anti-aging properties, and I'm always on the hunt for a better eye cream.




Are you planning on getting the Naked 2 palette? What, if anything, have you hauled from Sephora recently? Did you take advantage of the extra 20% off sale items code? I was tempted by it, but I resisted.