Collective Holiday Sephora & Ulta Hauls

I took advantage of some holiday sales but didn't go too crazy. I also have upcoming MUA and e.l.f. hauls to post but first my latest Sephora and Ulta hauls. I fell in love with the L'Occitane hand cream from November's Sample Society Box so I wanted to try more. L'Occitane has a holiday set featuring 1 oz tubes of five of their hand creams.  They are Lavande, Pivoine Flora, Classic Shea Butter, Fleur Cherie, and Cherry Blossom. Unfortunately it was sold out a BeautyBar.com. So I picked it up from Sephora (where it is also now sold out). These retail indiviually for $10. I picked up the set for $40 and I believe I got 8% cash back from Ebates.

L'Occitane Hand Cream Confections Set

I can't decide if I'm going to keep them all or send a couple to my mom and sister with the beauty goodie bags I'm putting together for them.

Sephora Freebies

Sephora Freebies

I got a pile of free stuff with my order.First up are my picks for the usual three free samples. Benefit So Radiant which features samples of the Triple Performing Face Emulsion, Total Moisture Facial Cream, and It's Potent Eye Cream. I've try the eye cream in the past and liked it. I wasn't amazed by it but I did like it. Clinique High Impact Mascara was my second choice because I'm always up to try a new mascara. Third choice was Lady Gaga's Fame perfume. I have to admit I was curious. The scent reminds of Liz Taylor Poison from back in the day. Sephora was also offering mystery bags of samples. Mine included two cards of Sephora foundation in Light and Medium, a foil pack of Sephora Instant Moisturizer, Clarins High Definition Body Lift, DDF Amplifying Elixir, and a mini bottle of Versace perfume. I had a sample of the DDF before but it traded it. I may keep this one and actually try it out. I'm pretty sure I'm sending the Versace to my mom though. I'll definitely try the rest.

Ulta was still doing a buy one get one 50% on Real Techniques brushes so I took advantage of that. I picked up the Expert Face Brush and the Stippling brush. I also decided to try a new moisturizer and eye cream. I'm not really loyal to any particular moisturizer and I still haven't found my HG eye cream yet. I like the Eucerin so far but haven't been impressed with the Neutrogena eye cream.

Ulta Holiday 2012 Haul

My Ulta order also contained several items for my Mom but I won't post them on the off chance that she reads this. There was a mix of makeup and skincare products for her. I also scored cash back from Ebates for my Ulta purchase.

Overall, I managed to rein myself in a bit. I'm really trying not to go crazy with my spending lately. I managed to stay mostly on budget as far as gift buying is concerned and only bought a few things for myself. YAY.

What were some of your holiday hauls?

August Birchbox FAIL!

After having a fairly decent Birchbox last month, this month's box is absolute failure. This month's theme was Back To school and I'm not really sure how my box relates to that. Birchbox also partnered up with Pencils of Promise to donate 15% of the proceeds from the Birchbox shop. Pencils of Promise builds schools in Central America (and I don't mean Kansas). That's nice and all but I'm sure there are school districts here in the US that could use that donation as well. I live in county where the school district has pretty much been gutted by budget cuts. Anyhoo, enough politics, I received the dreaded Box #6.

August Birchbox

• Viva La Juicy Le Fleur Perfume sample 0.05fl oz. (Full Size Retail 2.25oz $70) The uplifting scent opens with a sparkling cascade of mandarin and wild berries. Next, sweet notes of honeysuckle, gardenia petals, and jasmine peek through, followed by a lingering trace of waterlily. This was in all the boxes this month. I don't hate it but I don't particularly love it either. This will probably go in the trade pile. 
• Beauty Fixation Make Up Remover 3 QTips (Full Size Retail 20ct $5) Each swab is soaked with an aloe vera rich formula to nourish your skin, while gently breaking up long-wear makeup. The thin swab applicator fixes minor beauty blunders in a pinch and can be tossed when you’re done. Touch up and go! Please try to hold your applause until the end. That's a whole 3 Qtips with makeup remover in them. I have a pack of these from Almay. I haven't tried these yet but really nothing to get excited about. *Added: I have learned that the boxes with the other varieties of these Qtips (nail polish remover, lip conditioner, etc) all received the full size version. What's up with that?*
• Schick Hyrdo Silk Razor (Lifestyle Extra) Oh yay a razor! Never tried one of those before. There are some coupons on the back as well. I can throw this in my bag when travelling I suppose. Again, nothing to get excited about.
• Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Wipes  2 ct (Full Size 8 ct $ 14.99) Made of natural viscose fibers, these napkin-sized towelettes come pre-soaked with a paraben-free, moisturizing formula that works with the natural proteins in your skin to give you a convincing tan.  I got these in my Beauty Box 5 way back in March. I am proud to be pale. I do not tan naturally. I burn to a crisp. I avoid sunlight as much as possible. People also mistakenly take me for someone much younger by about 6-8yrs. (I'm not saying this to be immodest. It just happens a lot). You can connect the dots on your own. I wish more women would accept who they are and give up this fake tan nonsense. If you can't tan naturally you look ridiculous. I find naturally darker or tan skin quite beautiful. I have to admit that every now and then I get jealous that I can't pull off some bold colors but it's all part of accepting who you are. 
• Comodynes Hydra-Tanning Face Moisturizing Summer Glow 2x Foil packs 0.10 fl oz (Full Size retail 1.35 fl oz. $20.98) Rich in vitamins E and F, this quick-absorbing lotion provides skin with continuous hydration. It gives you a buildable tan—if you use it every day, the color will progressively get more noticeable over time. Yay more self-tanner. See previous rant. This is second month in a row I've received foil packets. Foil packets are not deluxe samples. 
• DDF Brightening Cleanser 2 fl oz. (Full Size Retail 8oz $38) A cocktail of potent active ingredients works to fade the look of brown spots, scars, and redness while also leaving skin fresh and smooth. In addition to naturally brightening botanicals like mulberry bark, licorice root, and peach leaf, the formula has exfoliating glycolic and salicylic acids to refine skin’s texture and stave off blemishes. I don't have dark spots or any noticeable redness. So while this product isn't geared toward me specifically, I'll still use it. I used it last night and didn't notice anything special. I'll put it in line with the others. I have at least 7 more face wash samples from subscription boxes. *Added: Two different sizes of this were sent out as well. 2.0z and 4.0z. What's up with sending two different sizes of the same product?*

I typically keep an open mind and at least try my samples but I'm really disappointed with Birchbox this month. I'm not sure why I put up with so much disappointment from Birchbox. Maybe it's the points? I cut MyGlam off for far less. After my No-Buy, I really analyze all my purchases. Birchbox has a new feature where you can see all of your past boxes. So I decided to tally up how many products I loved and hated over the last six months to see if I'm really getting my money's worth out of Birchbox. I'm not one to do math for fun, so this should clue you in on how upset I was about this month's box. Here are the results for 32 products over six months at a total of $60. 

I used a handy online pie chart generator for this.

As you can see, products I didn't like or traded make up the majority at a combined 56% or $33.60. Products I loved came in at 16% or $9.60. So no, Birchbox, is not giving me enough value for my money. I should just cash out my points this month when I get six month 20% off coupon. Part of me wants to stick around for another month because it's Birchbox and was the pioneer in the field of beauty boxes and it should be the best. I can't really argue with the numbers though. 

April Sample Society

What is Sample Society? Sample Society is a monthly subscription service that is a partnership between Allure magazine and BeautyBar. For $15 a month you get five deluxe sized samples and a one year subscription to Allure.  You also receive a $15 gift code towards the purchase of any of the brands in your box. It's nice that you have some flexibility and don't have to buy the exact product. You can also use your gift code multiple times. The booklet also includes some tips on how to use the products.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer, Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel, Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum. By Terry Creme de Rose, & DDF Amplifying Elixir

• Murad Skin Perfecting Primer Deluxe Sample (Full Size Retail $35) Refine your skin tone and minimize the appearance of pores with this acne-fighting primer, which creates a smooth, non-shiny matte finish. It's the secret tool for ensuring a flawless foundation application.   This primer looks pretty dark but it blends into my pale skin easily. I like this primer but wasn't wowed by it. I felt like I needed to use a fair amount to cover my entire face.
• Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel Deluxe Sample (Full Size Retail $26) Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel is a daily cleaning formula which develops a purifying lather to gently clean your skin pores. It helps to refine the look of pores leaving your skin fresh, comfortable and good to touch. This gel has a complex blend of botanical amino acids and other natural things that help to protect your natural complexion.  I really enjoy this cleanser. It really is a gentle cleanser. The texture is neither too thin or too thick. I would consider buying the full size product.
• Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum  Small Sample (Full Size Retail $35) Smooth unwanted frizz and shine all day with this lightweight, moisturizing hair gloss from stylist to the stars Oscar Blandi. Banishes frizz and flyaways. Hydrates and protects your hair. Provides instant, long-lasting shine. Add definition and light reflection to dull hair with this strengthening and perfecting serum, which can be applied on both wet and dry hair.  This smells FABULOUS. I absolutely love the way it smells. Unfortunately, I'm not wowed by it's effectiveness as a serum.  I'd still pick the Keratase Elixir Ultime over this. 
• By Terry Creme de Rose Deluxe Sample (Full Size Retail $99) The enhanced new formula of Creme de Rose New Formula - Nutri-Lift Comfort provides soothing nourishment for tired and thirsty skin effortlessly for hours, softening lines and wrinkles for a firmer, more youthful appearance. The luscious scent of roses makes every velvety application a sensuous experience. Nourishes and soothes tired skin. Softens lines and wrinkles. Moisturizes and protects skin.   With a $99 price tag I'm a bit hesitant to try this. I don't want to fall in love with it. However, I don't have a lot of wrinkles.  I don't want to sound immodest but I also don't look my age. The last thing I want to do is appear younger.
• DDF Amplifying Elixir Deluxe Sample (Full Size Retail $63) Formulated with a potent blend of hand-picked ingredients, DDF's Amplifying Elixir can strengthens the skin's moisture barrier by up to 50%. Banyan leaf, lotus flower and red clover extracts improve hydration and transform the skin's appearance. Hydrates skin. Can strengthen the skin's moisture barrier. Improves and transforms the skin's appearance.  I've never used a serum.  I've just recently gotten into really paying attention to an reevaluating my skincare routine. I've been a bit hesitant to try to this product because I've read some people have quite a reaction to it. I may give it a whirl or it may wind up for trade. 

Overall, there were more products in last month's box that I enjoyed and was excited to try. I hope next month improves. I received my first issue of Allure this month. I haven't had much time to really dig into it. Are you a Sample Society subscriber? What was your favorite sample?