Today's the last day to get 10% (beauty insider) or 15% (VIB or Rouge) off at Sephora! As I'm sure most of you are well aware, Sephora almost never has sales. As a horrible influence & the absolute last person you should ever go to for advice on budgeting and self-control, I encourage you to take advantage of the rare discount! 15% doesn't seem like much, but if you really stock up on things you'll save a good amount! I've been scraping the remains of my last mascara out for 2 weeks (and they had 15% off last week too, I just forgot :-) could've saved myself there) just so I could justify needing to go to Sephora, but I ordered a bunch of things online too. As I mentioned 10 seconds ago - does not take much for me to justify buying something.
Friday after work I walked down to the Sephora near Faneuil Hall and it was genuinely traumatic. I had my stupid backpack on, smashing into every person and display possible, was about to panic buy something I didn't go in there for, and eventually just left when I realized the line was over a half hour wait. Pretty sure I was still having an anxiety attack 15 minutes after I left the building. So, later that night after about one million glasses of rose, I remembered the internet exists and no one can be gently pushing me out of the skincare section online. Honestly I haven't double checked my purchase history to see what exactly I bought, but it'll be fun when it comes in. Lil mini Christmas. What did drunk Ally send me this year? 3 of the same product because I kept forgetting I had already added it to my shopping cart?! My favorite!
Rob and I had to head up to Chestnut Hill for groceries and to grab fabric swatches at Pottery Barn (the whitest sentence of all time) so before we headed home I begged a very reluctant Rob (god love him, he was a trooper that day) to run into the mall with me so I could get things I actually needed at Sephora. Wasn't about to hit the bars with no eyebrows on. The Chestnut Hill Sephora was significantly less of a mess than Faneuil Hall, but I witnessed a literal fight between two women in their late 50s over the line, so that was invigorating. The passive aggressive exchange between Helen and Tish was phenomenal.
When its sale time, I always get a bunch of travel sized new products. They're super cheap & it gives me the opportunity to try it out in small doses before totally committing to the bigger size. As far as skin care goes, its great to get the travel sized minis not only because they are, in fact, sized to travel with, but if your skin tends to stop responding to a product/gets immune to it after awhile, you'll be able to switch it up without feeling the need to push through and finish the bottle or that you're wasting money. If you're like me, I love the minis because I am a skin care hoarder and always want to try the newest product, but I tend to stick with my old reliables on a daily basis. I've been mixing it up lately (skin changes when you age, who knew) though so its been great to try smaller sizes out before committing.
Here are some of my favorite products I picked up this weekend! I'll make a follow up post with whatever I get in the mail from my wine drunk online shopping spree later this week!
SKIN PRODUCTS
Fresh Rose Cleansing Foam - I have really sensitive skin and most cleansers turn me bright red and blotchy. This foam is not only super gentle & effective, but it smells SO good. Within one use I can almost guarantee you'll notice a difference in your skin's radiance & texture - it makes my skin so much brighter & more smooth! I've done a lot of research on skin care because I naturally have horrible skin (sensitive, eczema, all the allergies in the world, red spots, hormonal acne etc etc.) and its just as important to me that the product is as gentle to my skin & healthy as it is effective. Its on the pricier side for facial cleansers but you really only need one pump to get enough for your entire face and neck & as has been my philosophy for a long time - its worth it to invest in your face. Skip the really harsh scrubs that are probably doing more harm than good to your skin & get one that will help your skin in the long run. $29 for 4.1 oz. before sale.
Fresh Sugar Face Polish - I love Fresh & have been using their products for years, but somehow managed to get this far without ever trying their facial exfoliator. Exfoliating is so important - if you have trouble with your pores or dullness (or anything, really) you need to exfoliate a few times a week. Don't go crazy and do it every night, but you do need to get dead skin cells off before your face can fully absorb your other products. Not only will it help with that, but oftentimes what we think are blackheads/zits on our nose are actually just pores clogged with dead skin (yum) & consistently exfoliating keeps those gross little dots away. As with literally everything Fresh makes, this mask smells so good & is totally natural. It's made with brown sugar and strawberries & I leave it on for longer than I have to just so I can smell like it. Once you rinse it off, your skin is literally glowing and you smell like a cute lil berry. Did I try to eat it? yes. Verdict- surprise, idiot, it's not edible. I got the mini size to try it out & I will for sure be getting the larger size. It's not harsh at all like some exfoliants & doesn't burn! $25 for 1oz/ $62 for 4.4 oz.
Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum - I've been in need of a new eye serum for puffiness & dark circles, as well as for anti-aging because even though I'm a few weeks out from being 23 - I am terrified of getting old skin. This is supposed to be great for all three of those things and I'm excited to see the longterm results! First couple of uses I can definitely confirm that it reduces puffiness and really brightens up your eyes. Its super moisturizing and feels sooo nice to put on at the end of a long day. The serum holds makeup really well too - I've noticed a significant difference when I put it on in the morning & haven't had to use concealer. I actually picked this up a few days prior to the sale because I was totally out of eye serum and it was starting to show, but you can grab it now at the discount! I've never been disappointed by a Drunk Elephant product & its so important to take good care of your eyes. Its a small container but judging by the reviews it looks like it lasts for a long time!
$60 for 0.5 oz.
Sephora Collection Masks - Lavender foot mask, Shea hair sleeping mask, Aloe face mask - I am addicted to the Sephora Collection masks. They're so cheap, there are so many different masks, and they always work! I've used so, so many of them and whether you're looking for a sheet mask, sleeping mask, hair, eye, lip, foot, whatever mask - I totally recommend them. My favorites of all time are the algae sleeping mask & the rose facemark. They smell amazing and are so fun for little spa nights. I'm excited to try the hair masks - my hair is finally healthy after chopping like, all of it off, so I'm hoping my hair can actually absorb the product now. The feet masks are awesome. My feet are not my best asset from running/working out/never wearing flats & they get really swollen at the end of the day (especially if I've eaten salty food that day) and after a long weekend of running around, too much sodium, and way too much wine - the lavender foot mask visibly helped the swelling and my feet still feel like a baby's butt right now. They look so stupid on but they're amazing. I'd recommend stocking up on aloe face masks for summer! If you're out in the sun a lot (even wearing sunscreen, which you should be) the aloe is so nice and cooling & it feels a lot better than just putting straight aloe on your face (unless you're rubbing an actual aloe plant on your face which does feel really good, but this is easier.) Face mask $6, Hair mask $5, Foot mask $5.
Supergoop! Setting Mist in SPF 50 - Ok, honestly, I love Supergoop, but I'm glad I got the travel size in this. It's serving its purpose thus far & its a great sunscreen, but the nozzle stinks and spritzing it on your face is kinda difficult. I'd rather just use the normal sunscreen, but its good to have in your bag when you need a little refresh and don't have time to reapply your sunscreen. I like that you can put it on over your makeup because you should be reapplying sunscreen throughout the day, and that's pretty much impossible if you're wearing it under your makeup. I've heard great reviews about the setting powder with SPF so I think I'll try that out next! $12 for 1 oz.
Peace Out Pore Treatment Strips - These are fucking amazing and so worth the price. The absolute best pore and acne spot treatment I've ever used. Even my boyfriend, who constantly tells me I'm being scammed by buying all of these products, told me my skin looks so much better & clearer this morning. They don't rip the gunk (for lack of better terminology) out of your nose like a Biore strip does, but they totally dissolve it and leave you with noticeably smaller pores & no zits. I fell asleep with my makeup on on Saturday night because I'm trash & woke up to a huge chin zit - its totally gone this morning. I am in love with this line. $19 for the 4 pore and 4 blackhead strips.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - I finally got this in the smaller size to try it out and even though I've only used it a few times, I'm for sure getting the big one. It smells amazing and leaves your skin SO soft. When I bought it, the woman checking me out told me that she even puts it on her stomach and it really does tone your skin and reduce visible cellulite. I've been workin' on the glutes lately and I want a cute butt for summer, so if this can give me a little lift, I'm all about it. Even if I don't end up seeing the results as much as other people have, it leaves your skin smelling amazing and feeling so smooth that its worth it just for those results. If it makes my butt look nice that's a bonus that I desperately need.
$45 for the standard size (the mini isn't available online right now so I'm not sure the price! I think it was $20).
MAKEUP
Dior Diorshow Iconic Mascara - The only mascara I have used for like, 6 years. It has a great wand & gets all of your lashes coated. I've always gotten great length and curling from it without any clumping. It lasts for a couple months and I've never had a problem with it getting cakey. $29.50
Make Up Forever Aqua XL Eye Pencil - As much as I love my liquid liners, I've needed a good pencil liner for days when I'm trying to do a more low-maintenance look. It's great for your waterline (& I am so, so sensitive to that) and glides on really easily! You have to be really careful with it because it so pigmented, but if you have an eyeliner brush and can blend it, it always looks great. Maybe I'll get crazy someday and try a color besides black? I am so boring. $21
Make Up Forever Brow Pencil - It's super pigmented and creamy but doesn't wipe off as easily as a lot of similar formulas. You need to keep the lid on it and make sure you're shapening it regularly so it stays precise and doesn't dry out, but it really is my favorite formula. It has a nice shade range for brunette's & as long as you brush your brows out with a gel after (and make sure to blend) your brows will look totally natural. I rub my eyebrows when I'm stressed so I often find myself with little to no eyebrow hairs (love that!!) and this does a great job of filling them in and making it look like I am not a psychopath who rips their eyebrow hairs out whenever a mild inconvenience pops up. $20
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder - I'm sure you've heard of it & I can guarantee it's as amazing as everyone says. It's great for baking and holds your makeup in place all night even if you're oily or sweating. I know I had a hard time paying money for makeup that is invisible, but it's a product that I love and always have in my stash. I haven't found a setting powder or spray I liked anywhere near as much as I love this. $23 for the mini $38 for the full.
TARTE Mermaid Glitter Gel - This is SO fun. It goes on as a gel, like a thick cream, and stays all night. It looks AMAZING as a highlighter and/or rubbed all over your body like I did. I have it all over my social media because I was absolutely feeling myself all night & I got so many compliments on it. It's pretty inexpensive and so cute for summer (but trust that I will be buying more and wearing it every season.) The entire TARTE Mermaid collection is adorable as costume makeup or worked into a more ~sophisticated look~. I LOVE GLITTER THAT ACTUALLY STAYS ON MY BODY!!!! WITHOUT EYELASH GLUE OR HAIRSPRAY!!! $18
Sephora Collection Temporary Tattoos - Sparkly specks, freckles, stars, and triangles. so-chella. So sparkly. Could not be more extra. - $8
So there's part of my big ole Sephora haul from the weekend! Let me know if you guys found anything good yourselves cause mama just found a Sephora gift card with $49 left on it & I'm ready to party.
:-)
Ally
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