ULTA FRIENDS AND FAMILY EXCLUSIVE OFFER!

Thanks to Kathy aka Kathy @MakeupDetective for the heads up!

It's here -- Ulta Friends and Family exclusive offer!

I love a good sale, even more so when it involves beauty products! Ulta is offering a one time use 20% off coupon on your entire purchase for just about anyone with an e-mail address. It can be used online or in-store and the coupon is valid starting Sunday, January 12th through Saturday, January 18th. Sounds pretty good to me so count me in!

Be sure to read the disclosures below because there are several name brand companies that are excluded from this offer (oh, how I hate exclusions!)

Click on the link now for the ULTA coupon offer: ULTA FRIENDS and FAMILY

DISCLOSURES:
Coupon offer valid on all regular price and sale merchandise and on any one service at THE SALON™, excluding hair extensions (THE SALON™ offer is valid for all guests on one service only). Not valid on Lancôme, Clinique, Urban Decay Naked 1, 2 or 3, Benefit Brow Bar Services and Beauty Steals. Cannot be redeemed for cash or gift cards. This offer cannot be combined with any other ULTA coupon offer. Not valid on prior purchases. Void if copied or transferred and where prohibited by law. May be used on a single purchase and is limited to stock on hand. We reserve the right to limit quantities to normal retail purchases. Limit one per customer, per visit. Please check Ulta.com for your location details. ©2014 ULTA Salon, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Inc. Valid 1/12/14-1/18/14.

CYBER MONDAY SAVINGS / DEALS

"Joining Ebates is always free - you'll never pay them any fees or memberships. Four times a year or more, Ebates will mail you a Big Fat Check, or transfer the money you have earned to your PayPal account if you'd prefer. They can even send the money to your favorite charity. All 100% free. Ready to join then sign up here: Ebates.com

People often ask: "This sounds too good to be true, how are they able to do it?" It really is quite simple. Just like almost every other online shopping center, they get a commission from the stores when you make a purchase. Instead of keeping that money - like almost all other sites do - they share it with you!

So, as long as 1,600+ of the world's top online stores are happy to pay a bonus to attract the new, valuable customers they send their way, Ebates is going to continue to send Big Fat Checks to satisfied customers across the globe."

For the skeptics out there I will even share with you exactly how much I have earned through Ebates just for shopping online:

Yes, I have actually earned a little over $400 and counting. Anytime I place an online order I always make sure to go through Ebates first. Another added bonus to using Ebates are the coupons and discount codes that are available as well. As long as I use Ebates I know that I am getting the best deal possible.

Want to know how it works then keep reading:

Below are just a few of the cash back deals that are available!
Click on the referral link here to see them all!

ILLAMASQUA LAMENT NAIL VARNISH

Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out. The formula is long-wearing and chip-resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high gloss. Apply two coats for high intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish. Make a statement and talk with your hands!

ILLAMASQUA LAMENT NAIL VARNISH is a creamy bright coral pink nail polish with a glossy finish. I've never purchased any products from this brand before so I had little to no expectations as far as quality. The cost for the polish was minimal - I purchased the nailpolish from the Sephora store - so there wasn't any high shipping or handling charges. I believe I paid $17.00 USD for .5 oz. plus tax. The staying power for this polish was excellent with a solid wear time of a week with no chipping. By week two, my nail tips had minor chipping at the ends but nothing too noticeable. I was definitely impressed by this brand.

As a matter of fact, I was so impressed with this polish that I'm going to purchase more. Let me know what "must-have" colors I should get next.

IMPERIAL JADE YVES SAINT LAURENT NAIL LACQUER - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

The past year or so, has seen the launch of several new high end cosmetic lines. Many of those new lines I had been wanting to try but with the high price tag I wasn't ready to take the plunge and make that kind of commitment; just yet anyway.

For 2013, one of my ideas for my blog was to purchase a nail polish from a different high end cosmetic line each month and then blog about it. The purchase could be from any new or old high end brand and in my opinion, this would be a great way of testing out their products than purchasing a more expensive eyeshadow or blush. Anyway, for the month of January, prior work commitments kept me from posting hardly any blog updates all month long. So February will have two reviews and pending any huge blow-ups at my job, I should be able to stay focused and on task.

If you have a particular brand(s) that you would like me to test out or if you have any recommendations please feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to see what are your favorites.

"Yves Saint Laurent introduces the La Laque Couture collection for Spring 2013. The vibrant assortment of ultra-shiny hues makes every woman feel couture to the fingertips."

For my January monthly review I decided to purchase the YSL nail lacquer in 34 Imperial Jade. This gorgeous jade green polish is part of the YSL La Laque Couture Spring 2013 collection and was just too beautiful to pass up. I purchased the YSL polish from the Nordstrom.com website and I also used Ebates as well. When you use Ebates to make online purchases you earn additional money back from each purchase and you know I'm all about saving as much as I can! Anyway, seeing as how I haven't ever tried any YSL products I was super excited to get started.

Since this was my first time purchasing anything from the YSL brand I wasn't sure what to expect. I was hoping the quality would be stellar and this would translate into my buying more of their products. I do know that the YSL brand is well known for their Rouge Volupté Shines, their TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch pens, and their ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains.

THE REVIEW

The brush applicator:
When I first opened the nail polish bottle and pulled out the applicator brush it was huge. If you have ever used Dior nail polishes it is similar to their brush applicator only the YSL was even bigger. I didn't think it was possible, but it's definitely a lot bigger. Unfortunately, the bigger brush translated to an even bigger mess. I had a really hard time trying to paint my nails. The polish ended up all over my nails, cuticles and fingers. It was especially hard to apply small applications of the polish as well because the huge brush picked up so much polish.

The color:
The second thing I noticed right away about the polish was the color. The bottle of YSL nailpolish housed this beautiful jade green polish that was to die for; it was so gorgeous! However, once I had applied the polish to my nails it didn't seem as vibrant a jade green as it had in the bottle. Then, as the polish dried even more, it seemed to take on a dullness and lost some of its shine. I tried applying a top coat but the jade green color still looked flat.

The texture / formula:
The texture / formula of the polish in the bottle was a watery, runny consistency but it definitely clung to the applicator brush. Due to this consistency it took forever to dry on my nails. Once the polish did dry it still maintained a slight gummy-ness feeling to the touch. So reapplication was necessary due to smudges.

Cost / Size:
The cost for this polish was $25.00 USD for .33 fl. oz. This is slighter higher than Dior's polish which is the same size but sells for a dollar less.

Final Thoughts:
After trying out the polish several times I was still really aggravated with how much more work and time the larger brush applicator caused me. The polish formula was still a big issue as well. This being the first time I've ever tried a YSL product, I'm not sure if this is typical YSL nailpolish quality or if the brand as a whole is subpar. As of right now I'm still undecided on whether to return it or just suck it up and write off the whole YSL experience as a total "FAIL".

SAVINGS ALERT: BOBBI BROWN

BOBBI BROWN SHOPPERS:

ENJOY FREE SHIPPING NOW!

Don't forget to use EBATES first to save even more!


__________________________________________________________________________

Free Shipping and a deluxe sample of
Hydrating Face Cream (7ml) with any order.
(details below)

Enter code: LIPS12 at checkout to redeem.*
__________________________________________________________________________

SWIPE ON SOME COLOR
Bobbi's juicy glosses, barely-there balms, and summer-ready colors
are so effortlessly pretty, the only problem is picking just one.

Summer-Ready Color
LIP COLOR, $23
Bobbi's original formula goes on smooth with staying power too
so it's perfect for summer days (and nights).

__________________________________________________________________________

Soothing Sun Protection
LIP BALM SPF 15, $19
The ultimate beach-bag staple. This non-greasy balm protects lips
from the sun, while comforting and protecting lips.

__________________________________________________________________________

3-D Sheen
HIGH SHIMMER LIP GLOSS, $23
Bobbi's newest lip gloss combines gorgeous, light-catching shimmer
with lasting, non-sticky shine. Plus it's enriched with emollients
and vitamins, so lips feel as good as they look.

__________________________________________________________________________

Sheer Shine
SHEER COLOR LIP GLOSS, $23
Wear it on its own for sheer color or swipe it on top of lipstick
for extra shine. This soothing, non-sticky gloss always looks
gorgeous, day or night, work or play.
__________________________________________________________________________

*Offer ends on 6/22/12 at 11:59 PM ET. Offer available to U.S. residents only. Offer valid only at BobbiBrown.com. Enter offer code LIPS12 and select Standard Service at checkout. Sample quantities are limited and offer is subject to availability, while supplies last. Only one sample offer may be applied to each order; sample offers may not be combined. To ensure best availability, there is a limit of one offer to a customer. Offer is not applicable to the purchase of eGift Cards, items noted as not eligible, or items that are not in stock at the time of purchase. Please note expiration dates where applicable. Offers cannot be applied to previously placed orders. We reserve the right to cancel any order due to unauthorized, altered or ineligible use of offer and to modify or cancel any promotion due to system error or unforeseen problems. We reserve the right to substitute any free item offered with an item of equal or greater value. Ongoing offers are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.

SAVINGS ALERT: SAVE EVEN MORE NOW...

It's Beauty Week at EBATES

GET Double Cash Back at Sephora, Drugstore, Nordstrom and More! Just click here to start saving now!

SEPHORA 2011 FRIENDS & FAMILY HAUL / SHOPPING SPREE

This year there was a change in the way that Sephora offered their 2011 Sephora Friends and Family 20% discount. I'm not going to go into the details again, but you can read my earlier post here to find out exactly what happened.

Anyway, on to the good part...my Sephora haul!!!

Here are the items that I purchased in no particular order:

• Nars Blush - Oasis
• Nars Nail Polish - Bad Influence
• Fusion Beauty IllumiFill Line Filling Luminizer
• tokidoki compact mirror
• Laura Mercier Luxury sized Hydrating Foundation Primer
• Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel
• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - Rose Quartz
• Clinique Black Honey Shimmering tones powder
• Nars Danmari All About Cheeks palette

In addition to the above items, I really wanted some of the Bobbi Brown eyeshadows but I decided to hold off on those for now and mainly focus on building up my blush collection.

Upcoming: 
Chanel, and even more Chanel. Yep, I picked up some goodies from my local Chanel counter and I'm so excited to share it with you all! Also, I will be posting swatches / reviews of all the items listed above so check back ♥♥

SEPHORA: Friends & Family 20% sale

Yesterday was not a good day for Sephora and here is why. Typically Sephora offers their Friends and Family 20% discount sale to everyone and you are allowed to use it for multiple purchases. However, this time the 20% is only offered by entering your e-mail address here. People, and by people I am including myself, are not happy about this. The code is only good for online orders and you can only use it one time and that is all. If you have more than one e-mail address you can sign up a total of five times for the special promo code. Seriously though, who wants to go through all that. Just give me my code and let me use it multiple times or even place an order limit on it. Geesh! Maybe Sephora will offer a special in-store promo, but for right now, people are not happy. 

Sales starts today, October 20th and last until November 2nd. 

Don't forget! For those that like to save even more, sign up for an Ebates account here and at this time you will earn 4% cash back on all of your Sephora purchases. Like the program so much that you want to refer your friends then you will earn an additional $5 for every referral. So basically you are getting paid to shop!

That is such a SWEET♥ deal!