ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY: DAY 1 SUNDAY, MARCH 18

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Believe it or not, it's already time to indulge in Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty. It begins today, Sunday, March 18 and the first deals are as follows:

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes (Regular Price $23.00, Sale Price $10.00): Lengthens, curls, volumizes & conditions.

Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash (Regular Price $28.00, Sale Price $14.00): Daily micro-exfoliant smoothes, brightens & balances your skin.

LORAC PRO Palette 3 (Regular Price $44.00, Sale Price $22.00): Highly pigmented & velvety smooth– even beginners can blend & shade like a pro.

Visit: www.ulta.com for daily deals!

GLOSSYBOX November Beauty Box Unveiling and Review | #GLOSSYandGrateful #Glossybox

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Every month, GLOSSYBOX delivers a selection of five beauty products ranging from luxury, to niche, to emerging brands. Their beauty experts evaluate what's trending, and curate their monthly beauty essentials accordingly. Furthermore, GLOSSYBOX houses their monthly beauty subscriptions in a sturdy and chic boxes that is a treat to unwrap! The November box features 6 products ranging from full size to deluxe samples, and I am quite pleased with each of their selections.

GLOSSYBOX Black Friday Sale! $10.00 Boxes! Be sure to check their website to learn more!

 GLOSSYBOX November Beauty Box 

EVIO BEAUTY Green Tea Primer (Full Size: $29.50 for 0.67 oz): Not only is this a paraben-free antioxidant-rich primer, filled with lots of nourishing ingredients, but when you purchase a tube of this primer $1.00 is donated to the YMCA Canada.

According to EVIO BEAUTY,

Prep and protect your skin with this hydrating, antioxidant rich, skin friendly formula made with Organic Green Tea! - It creates a smooth canvas for makeup application, reduces the look of lines and pores and will help your make-up last!

Ingredients: Water, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Lead Juice, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Kokoba) Seed Oil, Peg-120 Jojoba Wax Esters, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Organic Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Resvaratol, Organic Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil. Rose Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglucerin, Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose.

TARTE COSMETICS Tartiest Brow Gel (Full Size: $19.00 for 0.16 oz.): I love using brow gels  to tame the unruly, and I can't wait to try it!

According to TARTE COSMETICS,

A weightless, colorless, brush-on eyebrow gel that shapes, separates, and sets your look without any stiff build-up. 

This brow gel delivers serious brow staying power with a tiny spoolie brush that dispenses the vegan formula evenly, while it grooms and tames unruly hairs without disturbing your brow color underneath. The clear, non-sticky gel blends and smooths all hair colors and textures while drying to an invisible, moveable finish. It’s also infused with water to prevent drying or flaking. Try applying this brow perfector along the hairline to tame flyaways and baby hairs. 

Ingredients: Water, Pentylene Glycol, SD Alcohol 39-B (Alcohol Denat.), VP/VA Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA.

LAQA & CO Cloud Lips Airy Matte Lipstick in Daydream (Full Size: $17.00): This Cruelty-Free brand makes the most amazing matte lipsticks that are weightless, light, fluffy and thoroughly non-drying to the lips! 

According to LAQA & CO,

Surprisingly fluffy, Cloud Lips Airy Matte Lipstick delivers full coverage color for a pillow-soft pout. Available in 4 high-pigment shades, these lipsticks were formulated to last all day without feeling stiff thanks to avocado oil. 

Ingredients: Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Silica, Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Isostearic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide  (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides   (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides  (Ci 77499), D&C Red 7 Ca Lake (Ci 15850).

KAT VON D BEAUTY Sinner Eau de Parfum (Deluxe Sample 0.17 oz. Full Size costs $65.00 for 1.7 oz.): I can't wait to wear this luscious, deep and warm sultry fragrance. It's intense, but not in the least bit pungent, just silky-smooth and slightly spicy.

According to KAT VON D BEAUTY,

Kat Von D Beauty’s most requested collection of all time is returning at last and better than ever. Meet Sinner—dark, sultry, and empowering, this enticing fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and orange blossom with notes of vanilla, mandarin, and Mirabelle plum. Spicy cinnamon envelops white florals at the heart of the fragrance, while base notes of vetiver, patchouli, and wood form the deeper, darker nuances. Experience confidence in a bottle; Sinner is the fragrant embodiment of the edgy, unapologetic, and outspoken Kat Von D we know and love.

Sinner shares the same floral soul as Saint, with a bold, spicy twist. Different experiences, shared heart—these sister-scents can be worn alone or layered together. 

NATURE QUEEN Shampoo & Conditioner (Deluxe samples 3.38 oz. each. Full Size costs $39.00 set of two 16 0z. bottles): Intended to promote hair growth, this duo promises to nourish, cleanse, hydrate, heal, balance and sooth the hair and scalp. I can't wait to try it!

According to NATURE QUEEN,

Immerse your scalp with the wonders of NaturalQueen shampoo. This luxurious formula contains natural extracts and essential oils from nine herbs which are known to promote hair growth. Apply several pumps to your hand and work into the scalp using the pads of your fingers. Rinse thoroughly and repeat if necessary. Our shampoo is designed to nourish, hydrate, balance, cleanse, heal, and soothe your hair and scalp.

Finish off your hair cleansing routine with NaturalQueen conditioner. Allow this finely crafted blend of essential oil and extracts to coat your hair for 3-5 minutes; this will allow for the mixture to do its work in revitalizing and repairing.

Overall Assessment: Not only is the GLOSSYBOX November Beauty Box a great value, but it would make a great holiday gift for the beauty-lover on your list!

Press Sample Courtesy of GLOSSYBOX. All views expressed are categorically my own. 

Copyright © 2017 www.lolassecretbeautyblog.com All Rights Reserved (Affiliate Links).

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals March 26

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If you haven't yet checked out my mega-post outlining precisely what's available for the amazing Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, then check it out HERE. There are so many amazing deals to behold, and here is what is available today:

Saturday, March 26: TARTE Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara $10.00 (Regularly $21.00) and MARIO BADESCU Entire Brand 25% OFF $3.75-$34.50 (Regularly $5.00-$46.00).

Are you shopping Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, if so what are you getting?

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals for Friday, March 18

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If you haven't yet checked out my mega-post outlining precisely what's available for the amazing Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, then check it out HERE. There are so many amazing deals to behold, and here is what is available today:

Friday, March 18: TARTE Tarteist Clay Paint Liner 50% OFF $12.00 (Regularly $24.00) and CLARISONIC Select White Devices Or Alpha Fit $30.00 OFF $119.00-$235.00 (Regularly $149.00-$265.00).

Have you been tempted by any of the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Offerings? What's catching your eye?

Empties Post: Volume II- September 2012

I should preface this post by stating that I made a concerted effort to work my way to the bottom of lots and lots of samples this month. With real determination, I managed to get through a great many little vials, jars, and bottles. I have a rather frightening pile of samples that I have been testing, and the first on my hit-list were those that were partially used. Also in fairness, many of the full-sized products were getting pretty close to empty, but not empty enough to make it into my August Empties Post. 

Skincare Products: Lots and lots of Suki Skincare empties this month! I finished up a full-sized bottle of Suki Renewal Bio-Resurfacing Facial Peel (fantastic, but probably too active for those sensitive skin), and piles of the small glass vials of travel sized Suki products. Since they are natural products, I figured that I should use them up before they went bad- most of them were partially used up- so it took very little effort to empty them. There were a few Sunday Riley empties this month as well. Also lots of little jars of various creams, lotions and cleansers. I also made my way through two Shiseido sunscreens samples, a Tatcha Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder (this stuff is extraordinary!), several packets of Sponge products (a truly magical line that has stolen my heart), there's also a Tata Harper sample, and then finally a full-sized jar of Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base- which was a really lovely oil-free lightweight, but moisturizing cream that works very well under makeup.

Body Care Products: The Erno Laszlo Hydra-Therapy Bodyskin Cream was a great moisturizer, but sadly it was one of the many things that they seemed to recently discontinue (hopefully they are planning on bringing it back). The Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy & Honey Whipped Body Butter is awesome! It took very little time to get through the sample jar, but I still have a huge jar- so I am quite happy about that! I wouldn't usually even include a regular hand soap in my line-up, but all four that I featured were fantastic and worthy of mention. First the Green Tea French Milled Soap from Whole Foods is wonderful, and I will definitely repurchase it. The two Shannon's Soaps were lovely down to the last scraps, and definitely worth replacing. The biggest surprise was the In-Kind Natural Hand Soap that I grabbed from Pavilions (AKA Vons, Safeway) because it was on sale. It was a lovely moisturizing soap that I will definitely pick up again. The 80 Acres Verde Hand and Body Cream was a wonderful and delightful smelling and feeling discovery, and thankfully I have one of their soaps to try next. I made it through the small sized bottle of Shave with Benefits, and am now working my way through one of the full-sized bottles-- I love this stuff. Not that crazy about the Tom's unscented deodorant, but I am happy with the Lemongrass version that I am currently rotating with my Kai Deodorant (pure awesomeness). The Nourish Deodorant is a super natural deodorant made with Shea butter, cocoa butter and all sorts of emollient ingredients, but I found that it worked nicely.

Haircare Products: The Living Proof hairspray sample was quite nice, but I'm not much of a hairspray kind of girl. I loved the Oribe Signature Shampoo-- it was quite hydrating, smelled divine, and made my curly hair happy! The Davines Defining Paste was a great product-- I did dilute it with water in my hands and found that it gave me really nicely defined curls without feeling heavy or crunchy.

Makeup & Lip Balms: I made my way through a few more makeup items this month (which makes me very happy)! The Tarte emphasEYES inner rim eye pencil did not wow me in the least bit-- it was stiff and kept crumbling. I'm not big on wearing liner on my waterline, but it was too hard to use in that application. When I tried to apply it to my upper or lower lids- I would eventually get it to apply, but not without lots of wasted product. I really liked the Clinique Quickliner for Eyes, and was actually pretty sad when it was gone. The empty square pan beneath the pencils was a Trish McEvoy Mineral Foundation- it was another gift from my mom. It was pretty meh on my skin, and despite the fact that I have combination skin I found it a bit drying, but I did use the entire thing up. Yes, I actually finished both the EOS and the Suki lip balms, but let's all be clear that they were both well worn. All of the sample jars were either foundations, tinted moisturizers, or loose powders-- I was pretty pleased that I tried them all for a few days, and then the jars were empty.

Fragrances: Fresh Vanilla Eau de Parfum and Fresh Heperides Eau de Parfum were both lovely scents that I finally finished up (they were getting pretty old). To the right of the Fresh bottles is an empty reed diffuser that lasted quite a while. Of course I also have a nice pile of empty perfume samples, and as always if I don't like the way that they smell on me- I use them as room sprays near the kitty litter box. The only sample in this pile that resulted in a purchase was the kai perfume oil.

Almost Empties: I am absolutely determined to finish this pile of makeup. The MAC Eyeshadow Duo is getting pretty close- which is so exciting. The Trish McEvoy Blush & Eyeshadow pans are also almost done-- these were both given to me by my mom, and I have pretty mixed luck with Trish McEvoy makeup in general. These two products are okay, but nothing special for me. The two MAC eye pencils (Uniform and Feline) are nice, but won't likely be replaced because I have plenty of other eye pencils to use up first. I do believe that I have a backup of Feline though- so I will have to pull it out and use it once this one becomes a stub that can no longer be sharpened. The Shu Uemura lip pencil is really lovely, and while it is nearly gone I also have a backup of this beauty.

I am finding that my partially used makeup is serving as a source of motivation to really use what I have. I haven't set any sort of moratorium on makeup purchases, because that will only make me feel deprived- which will make me want to buy more makeup. Instead, I am forcing myself to be far more selective about my makeup purchases because my stash is already bursting at the seams. That said, skincare is my weakness, and all bets are off there. If I see something that really intrigues me- it will, in all likelihood, end up in my stash.

Did you manage to finish anything up this month? Have you tossed anything out because you didn't like it enough to keep using it? Did you return anything that was a total fail? Are you imposing any buying bans on yourself? Do tell!

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Tint in Lively Review

 

As you may remember, I received this Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Tint in Lively as part of Sephora's 500 Point Perk free gift back in February. Tarte describes Lively as a hot pink, but I detect a definite blue-based red undertone making it more of a fuchsia shade, at least on my skin and lips.  It is housed in a convenient twist top container as one expects from Tarte (NARS: you really should use this packaging for your Velvet Gloss & Velvet Matte Lip Pencils- it truly is preferable to sharpening).

 

According to Tarte:

Just like the original and best-selling natural lip stains, LipSurgence™ natural matte lip stains are peppermint-infused and glide on smooth for a rich matte finish that will stay all day. Each of the matte shades boasts the high pigment concentration we love from matte lipsticks, but unlike drying lipsticks these stains are infused with our high-performance natural™ LipSurgence™ technology which is clinically proven to increase moisture content.

Earth engineered from a proprietary blend of plant bio-nutrients our LipSurgence™ technology quickly absorbs into the skin delivering a surge of moisture on a cellular level while boosting peptides stimulate skin's own regenerative system and assist in the formation of collagen. This proprietary blend increases skin's water content for a 'plumped up' appearance. The result is naturally fuller, healthier lips without any irritation or stinging. LipSurgence™ Natural Matte Lip Stain contains Skinvigorating™ ingredients like LipSurgence™ technology, which is clinically proven to increase moisture content by an astonishing 6000% after 28 days, vitamins A & E, which are anti-inflammatory emollients that protect against free radical damage, carnauba wax to ensure a smooth application, coconut extract that has known microbial and moisturizing properties, and peppermint oil to cool and soothe inflamed or irritated skin while freshening breath.

Direct Sun

Lively is a very wearable shade that is quite comfortable on the lips, and it really does glide on effortlessly. That it is peppermint-infused does cause a slight tingling sensation that I find to be pleasant, but it does subside after a few minutes. While it is a matte shade I do detect the slightest sheen. It is neither drying, nor is it particularly moisturizing on me. Where Tarte came up with the idea that it is "clinically proven to increase moisture content by an astonishing 6000% after 28 days" is beyond me. Are we talking after 28 days of being stranded on a desert island without food or water?! They are right about one thing-- that is astonishing! I certainly did not experience a 6000% increase in my moisture content- nor do I have any clue how I could either validate or refute such an outlandish percentage. Notwithstanding this wacky claim, I really like the formula, the wear time, the color, and the convenient and pragmatic packaging. I am also quite fond of having a lip product with fewer chemicals in it since it is inevitable that some will be ingested.

Indoor Lighting

Made without: Parabens. Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrance, Petrochemicals, Phthalates.

Ingredients: Octyldodecanol, candelilla cera, silica, C12-15 alkyl ethylhexanoate, isopropyl palmitate, cyclopentasiloxane, VP/eicosene copolymer, cera carnauba, phenyl trimethicone, disteardimonium hectorite, hydrogenated coco-glycerides, caprylic/capric triglyceride, dimethicone, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, propylene carbonate, caprylyl glycol, benzophenone-3, sorbitan stearate, tocopheryl acetate, sodium saccharin, castor oil bis-hydroxypropyl dimethicone esters, retinyl palmitate, salicornia herbacea extract, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, dimethy isosorbide, palmitoyl hexapeptide-14, mica, tin oxide. (+/-): Titanium Dioxide(CI 77891), iron oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), red 6 lake (CI 15850), red 7 lake (CI 15850), red 27 lake(CI 45410), red 33 lake, red (CI 17200) 40 lake (CI 16035), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140). Made in USA.

Overall assessment: This is a lovely product, and I will definitely look into other colors in the future. Lively is a bright and lively color which makes it perfectly on-trend this season.

0.1 oz $24.00 at Sephora

Tarte 500 Point Perk Gift from Sephora: Pictures & Assessment

Beauty Insider Alert: Sephora's new 500 Point Perk free gift is a good one if you love Tarte Cosmetics!! This is available to Beauty Insiders online & in stores.

It has been a while since Sephora has had a 500 Point Perk gift that I actually knew that I would use, but this one was too good to pass up. I'm super happy that I got a hold of this one! If you are interested in getting your hands on this be sure to call your local Sephora to see if they still have any at that location because these are going fast. They are still available online.

This Amazonian Clay Kit includes:

1) Full-size LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Tint in Lively (hot pink) 0.10 oz

2) Full-size emphasEyes High Definition Eye Pencil 0.001 oz

3) Deluxe-size Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder 0.07 oz

4) Deluxe-size ReCreate Silicone-Free Primer with Wrinkle Rewind Technology 0.3 oz

5) Deluxe-size Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess 0.11 oz

Before Jasper reorganizes things...

"Seriously, I'm just trying to move it a little closer to the emphasEyes High Definition Eye Pencil!"

"Okay, I'm almost done and then you can take another picture!"

Sephora's 500 Point Perk from Tarte Cosmetics

Beauty Insider Alert: Sephora's new 500 Point Perk free gift is a good one if you love Tarte Cosmetics!! This is available to Beauty Insiders online & in stores.

This Amazonian Clay Kit includes:

1) Full-size LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Tint 0.10 oz
2) Full-size emphasEyes High Definition Eye Pencil 0.001 oz
3) Deluxe-size Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder 0.07 oz
4) Deluxe-size ReCreate Silicone-Free Primer with Wrinkle Rewind Technology 0.3 oz
5) Deluxe-size Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess 0.11 oz

Tarte Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence Collection

Tarte's Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence Collection has been out of stock on Sephora's website since their online inventory was ravaged by their Friends & Family and V.I.B. sales. I was among the many people who didn't act fast enough and therefore missed out. However, I ran into Sephora yesterday and found that they were well stocked in the store- so I finally picked one up.

Is this set worth picking up? YES YES YES. The 5 colors are quite nice and subtle. They should prove to be universally flattering as they aren't highly pigmented. The formula is smooth and moisturizing with a light shimmer. An added bonus is that it is formulated without Parabens, Synthetic Fragrances or Phthalates.

The colors are:
3 x 0.1 oz LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Luster in Dazzled (pearly coral pink luster), Flashy (bright iridescent fuchsia luster), Glitzy (antique pink luster)
- 2 x 0.1 oz LipSurgence™ Natural Lip Tint in Perky (soft carnation pink tint), Swank (light cherry tint)

This set boasts 5 full-sized products for $29.00 which is a fantastic deal since they are normally $24.00 each ($120.00 value).

I highly recommend this set!