This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
My last Sephora Haul was back in August when they were having that promotion to earn 3x’s the points for VIB’s. This time, I had a 10% off coupon code from the “Beauty Fall” promotion and a gift card that my Prima gave me for my birthday. Thanks Prima 🙂
So, I bought a couple of things, redeemed some beauty insider points, and of course got some free samples! Yay!
This set is Limited Edition and Exclusive to Sephora. All I really wanted was the POREfessional face primer (because I got a free sample in my last Haul and loved it), but for only $6 more dollars, I get a full sized POREfessional, a full sized They’re Real mascara, a mini SunBeam highlighter, and a mini Coralista lip gloss! Yay!
Such a great value. And it all comes in a cute “collector’s” tin which I can use to store things in. I’ve never used the SunBeam or Coralista so it’s nice to get to try out new products.
I selected this kit because it was a great value as well. Also Limited Edition, it comes with 2 gel polishes (White Hot and True Romantic), nail decals, and a applicator tool.
True Romantic and White Hot
Nail Designs
I prefer gel nail polish to regular polish because they’re easy to do and they last so much longer. (See application process HERE ). Plus, with this kit, I get everything for less than the two gel polishes would cost separately! (See what I used to create French Manicure gel nails HERE)
VIKTOR & ROLF – Flowerbomb
I redeemed 250 points to get this mini sample of my favorite fragrance. This is a great little travel size and it comes in the same signature bottle. Super cute!
Samples
I always like selecting the three free samples when ordering online. This time I got:
LANCÔME ÉNERGIE DE VIE Dullness Relief & Energy Recharge Daily Cream
Bumble & Bumble – Thickening Shampoo
BENEFIT COSMETICS – The POREfessional
P.S. I’m about $100 away from VIB Rouge.…kind of excited!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Skillful Means by Tarthang Tulku
This book is all about improving your life by being mindful of what is happening right now. I first read this book a couple of years ago and it’s great. How many times are you walking to class or your car or at the mall and you’re on your cell phone? Or how often are you thinking about the XYZ you have to do tomorrow or next week instead of paying attention to what you are doing right now? All we have is the present — this moment. Skillful Means is all about living in the moment you are in; being mindful about what is going on around you. No distractions — just really being self aware and clearing your mind. It’s a great book that will help you focus and appreciate what’s happening all around you.
Starbucks Star Dash
From now until October 1, Starbucks is doing their Star Dash. Basically, it’s another incentive for you to go to Starbucks during certain times of the year in order to accumulate stars to earn a gift card. This “Star Dash” is different from the stars you earn with the Rewards Card, although, you do need a rewards card to participate. Separate from the regular stars you earn with the Rewards Card, these “Star Dash” stars will give you $5 or $10 gift cards depending on how many you get before the deadline. Each transaction will ear you one star. I’m on my way to earning the $10 gift card!
Mediterranean Veggie sandwich (Panera)
New favorite sandwich for sure. I was looking for some meatless options at different restaurants and a friend suggested I try this sandwich from Panera. It’s amazing — lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, red peppers, cilantro/jalepeño hummus, and feta swiss cheese (I prefer swiss) on tomato basil bread. I bought ingredients today to make my own version at home! YAY!
iOS7
I love the clean look and feel of the iOS7 update. I have the iPhone 4S and my camera app is faster and I really like having the “live filters”. Command Center is great and I really like all the new ringtones/sounds. It’s neat to have the option to block contacts and to be able to multi-task between apps.
Clear
Keep track of all your different lists
Pull down to create new items
My September favorites
Lots of themes!
Clear is a simple task management/list application. It’s clean and easy to navigate with lots of color schemes to choose from.
iTunes Radio
iTunes radio is basically like Pandora. I prefer it because it’s already integrated into iTunes and it remembers the songs I’ve listened to and makes it easy for me to purchase them if I choose. You can create your own “stations” and mark that you like certain songs. There’s even a Top 100 iTunes radio and you can listen to a shuffle of all the Top 100 songs on iTunes. I think this is awesome for getting high quality audio for more than just a preview of a song you might be interested in buying.
The Killers – Shot At The Night
It was actually through iTunes Radio that I first heard “Shot At The Night”. ^^^
The Killers songs are always a little vague, but this one seems to be about taking this once in a lifetime opportunity to get out of a situation that is stale and move on to a life that is exciting and full of happiness. I love this. Plus who doesn’t love a nice 80’s synth ballad! Yay for new music from The Killers! I’m excited for Direct Hits to come out in November.
Lighted Makeup Mirror
This mirror is great for applying makeup or tweezing your brows. With 8xs magnification and 360 degree rotation, you’ll be sure to see exactly what you are doing!
SEPHORA COLLECTION – Pro Stippling Brush #44
I’m surprised this brush doesn’t have better reviews online. A lot of people are saying the brush sheds, but I’ve never experienced any shedding. I really like this brush. I use it to apply my Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation. The brush gives my skin an even, airbrushed yet natural look. The natural and synthetic fibers work together to give a streak-free application that looks great all day.
This dress is super cute. I bought it for a friend’s wedding next month but I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it. The lace design is really pretty, but durable — this isn’t some dainty-be-careful-or-it’ll-rip lace. The A-line makes it flattering for all body shapes and it’s very comfortable on.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
My birthday is this month and I’m very excited. I’ve been rather busy and it’s always a pleasant reminder when I see “birthday perk” reminders in my email from the companies whose loyalty programs I participate in. Like Starbucks! I’ve told you about Starbuck’s Rewards program before and if you visit the coffee chain more than once a month, it’s definitely worth it for you to sign up.
Since it’s my birthday month, I got an email for my free drink! Yay! Of course I’ll be getting a Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I’ve been a Beauty Insider at Sephora for years which has been cool because, for every dollar you spend, you accumulate one point and you can purchase “perks” with your points. There are perks for 100 points and 500 points and you’ll get a complimentary birthday gift.
Lately though, none of the perks have seemed that interesting to me and my points have been accumulating. On my last trip to Sephora, I was offered a 1,000-point perk — a 20% off coupon to use on my next purchase. It seemed cool at the time so I accepted.
But is 20% off really worth it? A one time use coupon — to reward me for spending over $1,000? I love Sephora and they have most of the brands that I’m looking for — more of a selection than say Ulta, who also has a similar loyalty program. The differnce between Sephora and Ulta’s loyalty programs though is all in the rewards. I get dollar-off discounts on my purchases at Ulta when redeeming my points and I regularly receive 20% off coupons in the mail that don’t cost me any points at all.
Plus, with all my spending at Sephora, I’m a VIB (I spent at least $350/year) , and as a welcome, I got a 10% off card. That’s awesome, but for spending over $1000, I’d like to see a little bit more than 20%.
What do you think? Is the 1000 point perk worth it?
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
If you enjoy Starbucks and go there often, you should definitely register for My Starbucks Rewards. For every purchase you make with your registered Rewards Card, you will earn a star. With just one star, you’ll be able to get a free drink or food on your birthday. How awesome is that?!
Once you’ve earned 5 stars, you are a Green Level. You’ll still get the birthday drink or food, and you get free refills on certain drinks during your visit.
After acquiring 30 stars within a year, you’re Gold Level — VIP! You’ll get a fancy “gold card” in the mail and, for every 12 stars you earn, you’ll get a free drink or food! Definitely a nice treat — just make sure you let them know you have a free drink/food before you show them your card. Your barista won’t know you have a free item waiting unless you tell her. You can redeem your rewards whenever you want before their expiration date for any food or drink. It’s a better value to redeem for a drink than a food item and size doesn’t matter either — I always get a trenta size when I redeem my free drink.
Sometimes Starbucks has special bonus star promotions — like earlier this year when they gave an additional star when you bought a Refresher.
It’s really easy to manage all of your stars through the Starbucks app for iPhone as well. It lets you see how many stars you have, how many you’ll need until your next free drink, and lets you add funds to your card. You can even pay directly from your phone at Starbucks or you can use the Starbucks Passbook app which I prefer.
It’s a fast and convenient way for you to get rewarded for buying drinks you’re already going to buy.
So, I bought a couple of things, redeemed some beauty insider points, and of course got some free samples! Yay!
BENEFIT COSMETICS – It’s A Love Fest
Such a great value. And it all comes in a cute “collector’s” tin which I can use to store things in. I’ve never used the SunBeam or Coralista so it’s nice to get to try out new products.
I redeemed 250 points to get this mini sample of my favorite fragrance. This is a great little travel size and it comes in the same signature bottle. Super cute!
