SEPHORA CHIC WEEK: 15% OFF Starts Thursday, Mar 29th - Apr 6th

SEPHORA VIB members are invited to an exclusive V.I.B in-store event to celebrate Sephora's Chic Week, 9 days of savings on Thurs, March 29th.

Get treated to a limited-edition Sephora umbrella, a gift bag filled with samples, makeup lessons, and more.

* Free umbrella and sample gift bag valid only during the in-store event on Thursday, March 29, 2012 or while supplies last, with any merchandise purchase. Must be a V.I.B. to redeem. Not valid on previous purchases, or purchases of eGift certificates or gift cards. This offer is subject to change, alteration, or termination by Sephora in its sole discretion at any time.

Online Shoppers use code: CHICWEEK at checkout.

I recently received my invitation in the mail and I'm already making a list of stuff that I plan on purchasing Thursday night. Some of the items on my want list are:

1. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation
2. Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss - Rose Gold
3. NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
4. Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Cream Lip Polish in various colors
5. tokidoki Luminosa Powder - Kabuki  
6. Origins VitaZing
7. Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum
8. Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask to Quench Skin's Thirst

And the last item on my list is a fragrance but I'm not sure what kind or what scent I'm going to purchase yet so let me know if you have any recommendations. I could use some suggestions. 

So, what items do you have on your shopping list?

NOTD - COLOR CLUB 850 WORTH THE RISK NAIL POLISH

504 WATERLILY DIOR VERNIS GARDEN PARTY SCENTED NAIL POLISH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

DIOR VERNIS GARDEN PARTY SCENTED Nailpolish in 504 Waterlily is part of Dior's Spring 2012 Garden Party makeup collection. Waterlily, one of two scented polishes that is available with this collection, is a minty green polish with subtle green and silver micro shimmers. This shade is the more popular of the two and has already sold out at several locations but you might still score a bottle if you are persistent.

The Waterlily polish goes on rather thick and a little streaky so the bottle will need a good shake so as to mix everything for a smoother application. Also, at first glance, the polish seems to have a creme finish but once viewed in direct sunlight the micro shimmers are more pronounced and the milky mint green polish gives off an ethereal appearance that illuminates.

This polish currently retails for $23.00 for .33oz.

The first Dior Vernis with a subtle and delicate scent of roses. The floral green of waterlily and the pretty lilac of forget-me-not provide the perfect finishing touch for any spring time celebration. The pastel hues of these two new shades are the perfect finishing touch for party perfect nails.

Vera Wang Makeup Coming to Kohl’s

"Like fashion, makeup is also transformational," Wang said. 
"I love its artistry to accentuate, enhance or create a mood for 
any time of day or occasion."

In April the designer, Vera Wang, will launch a 74-piece, Simply Vera Vera Wang cosmetic collection, which will make its debut exclusively at Kohl's stores. This is the same retailer that already features the designers Simply Vera Vera Wang clothing and home goods line. It is said that the collection will retail from $16.50 to $39.50 and will feature a wide range of cosmetics such as concealer, lip color, eye shadow, mascara and a whole lot more. 

ULTA HAUL / SHOP SPREE

This is just a quick haul / shopping spree of some drugstore makeup and haircare products that I recently picked up at Ulta. I am really loving the John Freida line of haircare products; especially the Luxurious Volume line. My hair is really long, medium to fine in thickness, and has a slight wave. So when its humid outside my hair tends to get a little frizzy.

This shampoo and conditioner really helps to tame my hair and gives it a wonderful shine that is amazing! Now I do alternate my shampoo and conditioner routine so this is just one of several that I use when I wash my hair in the mornings. I'll try and post some of the other haircare products later.

The Maybelline color tattoo cream eye shadows are the big thing to have right now. So many people are raving about their texture and staying power. Now, while I haven't tried these yet, I have used other cream eyeshadows. I typically apply the cream shadow right after I use an eye shadow primer. For me, it helps to set the eye area and aids in reducing eyeshadow creasing.

I think the big draw for most everyone is the price. These are so affordable compared to the pricier brands. Just about everyone can afford to purchase the Color Tattoo cream eyeshadows. They currently retail for $6.99 at Ulta and there is a promotion going on right now. If you buy two of them you will get a third one for free.

The last item that I bought was the L'Oreal infallible eye shadow in iced latte. It's a powdery eye shadow that glides on smooth like butter. It is a light vanilla golden color and is similar to Stila Kitten but not quite as shimmery. I currently own both and I find that Stila Kitten leans more warm where as the iced latte, has more of a shimmery vanilla, almost neutral tone. If that makes sense, ha ha! Don't get me wrong, I do love both, but Kitten is $18 and this was only about $7- $8. So for the money and if you are on a budget, the L'Oreal iced latte is the better deal and the closest dupe, in my opinion, to Stila Kitten.  

jaydeddreaming.com

SAMPLE SOCIETY: MARCH SAMPLES

I recently received my first Sample Society box of sample beauty products for March. Not sure what it is, then read my earlier post about it here. I signed up for the sample service several months ago and I couldn't wait to share my first box of goodies with you.

When I first opened the Sample Society box I was a little disappointed. I was expecting to see more makeup products rather than the skin and hair care products that I received. Although the skin and hair care products are nice, I still would have preferred makeup samples and hopefully next month's Sample Society box will be just that.

I also received an Allure booklet that gives skin and hair care tips about the products along with a $15 coupon. The $15 coupon is good towards any future purchase of $50 worth of products and at least one or more of the products has to be a full size version of one of the samples that I received in my beauty box. The coupon does expire so there is a time limit on the $15 savings.

Since I just received the box of samples I haven't tried everything yet, so I'll definitely follow up with several reviews on the various products and what I thought about them.

Be sure to visit here: Sample Society to sign up for your box full of sample beauty products and don't forget to use the special referral code: MHEF5811.

Here is everything that was in my March Sample Society box:

• FEKKAI ADVANCED Glossing Creams
• DERMALOGICA Daily Microfoliant Deluxe Sample
• SKYN ICELAND Icelandic Eye Relief Pen
• REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Peel Mask Deluxe Sample
• OSCAR DE LA RENTA Esprit d'Oscar Deluxe Mini Rollerball

ALLURE & BEAUTYBAR.com bring SAMPLE SOCIETY

Luxury Beauty Brands...on Demand

In the past year, I have subscribed to several different sample services. What is a sample service you might ask. Basically you pay a monthly fee and then on a predetermined date the company will mail out a box of beauty related product samples for you to test or try out. There is no obligation and you can cancel at any time. Some companies that offer this service do a good job of sending out worthwhile samples while others send out samples that are junk.

Some of the services that I have subscribed to are: Julep (read here for more info) and New Beauty's Test Tube. I have thought about trying Birchbox but I haven't heard enough good things about that service to warrant me to sign up at this time.

Anyway, the reason for this post is because Allure and BeautyBar.com have teamed up to offer a "Beauty Cocktail" called Sample Society. Once again this is a sample service but with a twist. Most, if not all sample service companies offer referral rewards to their current members for getting new subscribers to join. However, Sample Society donates up to $30 to select charities for each eligible friend that orders and there is no limit to the number of friends that you refer.

Read on for more information...

About Sample Society

They have channeled their obsession with prestige brands into the perfect beauty cocktail: Sample Society.

Catering to tried-and-true beauty devotees, this exclusive program delivers 5 fresh deluxe-sized samples - culled from beauty's finest - to your doorstep each month.

For $15 a month, you'll receive:

• 5 deluxe-sized samples from beauty brands like Murad, Stila, and Oscar de la Renta fragrance.
• $15 gift code to redeem on a $50 purchase - when any product from the brands you've sampled is included in your order.
• Expert beauty advice to accompany your samples from the editors of Allure.
• A bonus one-year subscription to Allure magazine ($12 value).

Visit here: Sample Society for all the details.

CHANEL LES 4 OBRES QUADRA: 85 Demure Eye Shadow Quad

CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES QUADRA Demure eyeshadow quad is one of the first quads that I purchased from the Chanel makeup line. Of all the Chanel quads that have launched the Demure quad is one of my favorites and I am constantly reaching for it. So much so that this was my second time repurchasing it.

Although this quad is no longer available on the Chanel website it is still available on the Neiman Marcus website. Or, if you are lucky enough, you might even be able to purchase it from your local Neiman Marcus department store like I did. Now I don't know if this means it is being discontinued or not but I wouldn't wait to long to purchase it because you might miss out.

Anyway, this Chanel quad consists of four buttery soft shades starting from the top right, which is a warm golden vanilla, top left is a soft seashell pink, bottom left is a light golden pinkish peach and the bottom right is a medium chocolate brown. The shadows can be used wet or dry and the colors / finishes range from matte to frost to satin. Apply the shadows dry for a subtle look or apply wet for a more dramatic intense look. If you want to try any of the Chanel eyeshadow quads then I suggest you start with this one. Especially if you like working with neutral colors then this is the "Must-Buy" quad to get.

jaydeddreaming.com

CHANEL LES TISSAGES DE CHANEL: 30 Tweed Rose

Inspired by the iconic CHANEL tweed fabric, two contrasting shades of sheer cheek colour are delicately 'woven' with a subtle shimmering powder for a natural luminous glow. The ultra-soft texture of the blush is airy and light.

CHANEL LES TISSAGES DE CHANEL in 30 Tweed Rose is really unique and so different from anything that I own. The duo tweed effect blush has a slight silver sparkle over-spray that disappears after a few swipes across the top. Underneath all that is a beautiful rose colored blush with hints of plummy pink color that is medium to sheer in pigmentation but is quite buildable. Overall I really love this blush and I an extremely happy that I ventured outside of my comfort zone of playing it safe and bought it.

On the Chanel website there are four shades to choose from and they currently retail for $45.00.

URBAN DECAY: FRIENDS & FAMILY 20% OFF SALE

Do you love a great sale, cause I know I do! Urban Decay is currently having their Friends and Family 20% of SALE starting today, March 6th and it ends on March 10th. Use code FFSPRING12 at checkout and the 20% off applies to all items, even sale items, with the exception of the Naked2 palette. The discount doesn't apply to it, but it does to the original Naked palette. In my opinion the original is the best of the two so that is a WIN!! for us all ♥

Just click on this link: Urban Decay to be taken to the website so you can start your savings right away!

What do you plan on purchasing during this sale. I know that I have my eye on quite a few items such as:

Holiday Nail kit - $19
24/7 Travel-Size set (Naked edition) - $32
24/7 Eyeliner in Woodstock - $19
24/7 Shadow Pencil Stash - $12
RollerGirl Palette - $13 (2nd time purchasing and its a "Must Have")
Afterglow Glide-On Cheek tint in Fetish - $24

I've used the 24/7 eyeliners and they are amazing and I've heard great things about them from others as well. So I will definitely want to purchase more of those. Another item to get is the RollerGirl palette. I bought mine a while back and the colors are beautiful so I want to purchase a backup to use later. So many great things to buy I just can't decide!!!

148 PETIT PECHE CHANEL LEVRES SCINTILLANTES GLOSSIMER - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

CHANEL Petit Peche is a milky pink glossimer with gold sparkles and a slight hint of a peach undertone mixed throughout. The gold sparkles are not as noticeable once applied to the lips which allows this to be a work appropriate gloss. It can be worn alone or over a nice lipstick to add a bit more shine.

Normally, I stick with rosy mauve colored glosses but I'm trying to expand my collection by trying new colors. So this isn't a shade I would naturally gravitate towards because it is a bit more warm toned and it does have a bit more sparkle than the average gloss. However after wearing it several times I have really started to fall in love with it.

jaydeddreaming.com

CHANEL LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR: 549 DISTRACTION NAIL POLISH

CHANEL LE VERNIS nail colour in 549 Distraction is a beautiful creamy salmon pink nail polish. This polish is from the ROSES ULTIMES DE CHANEL collection which was available starting around Valentine's day. The collection features four polishes that range from a creamy white to a bright fuchsia pink color and out of the four polishes from that collection this one is my favorite. 

Normally, I don't care for coral polishes because they tend to lean on the warm side. However this polish leans more on the cool side with an opalescent pink undertone that is quite gorgeous. You can still purchase this nail polish at your local Chanel counter or on the Chanel website and it currently retails for $26.00 USD.