Sephora: My Stash

For the past couple of years, Sephora has been offering a pretty cool deal just before Thanksgiving. They hold a special event for their members and take 20% off on any purchase in-store or online. Seems just like a normal discount, right?! Wrong! You see, Sephora carries the high-end brands like YSL, Dior, Guerlain, etc. so this means you get 20% off on all these high-end brands too! You don't even see this kind of promo in Saks or Bergdorf's (they usually give u a nice free gift with purchase but rarely a discount).

On the final day of the event, I went in hoping to get a lipstick or two but the boyfriend is too much of an effective cheerleader that I ended up getting more than I came in for. It's pretty easy, really--- He finds somewhere to sit, I go back and forth and show him different shades of lipsticks or cheek blushes or eye shadows and he says YES, NO, or I can't tell the difference (can't blame him for being a guy!).

I got most of these things in-store, especially the lipsticks, 'coz you're pretty much playing Russian Roulette if you buy any make-up without trying it out. Anyhoo, here's my stash:

Make Up For Ever Studio Case with 12 eye shadows, a black eye liner and a step-by-step guide (which I probably can't follow just 'coz I suck at doing eye make-up)

Fresh Dare to Bare Sugar Lip Ritual My lips chap so easily and I've always heard great things about Fresh's lip care line so it's great that they came out with a set so I can try them all. Sets are usually a good buy too, since most brands slash the prices compared to buying the products piece by piece. Check the sticker on the upper right of the photo below, the set is valued at $59 but sold at $45. That's an instant $15 dollar savings!

Dior Top Coat Gel and Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Stone Jungle The Marc Jacobs nail lacquers are definitely top quality, you can tell by how they lay on thick and shiny, even with just one coat!

Dior Limited Edition Shock Colour Lip Duo in Mysterious Shock and Passion Shock. I love how one side is matte and the other side is metallic, what a perfect marriage!

I'm trying to show the colors but the lighting inside my apartment sucks.

Here's Mysterious Shock.

Here's Passion Shock.

Dior Natural Lip Treatment in Lys Rouge and Diorette. This is the most moisturizing lipstick that I've ever had. It feels like a lip balm but there's so much pigment in it that you won't be mistaken for a lip-gloss smackin' highschool kid. Yes, I was that kid.

Dior Addict It-Lash and Dior Show Liner (not shown) Here's a fun fact for ya... I cut my eyelashes with a pair of scissors back when I was 8 or 9 years old and it just never grew back as long anymore. Let's see if this baby could redeem me from my scissor-happy days.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette I love how this blush set is mixed in with some luminizer so I can easily get that dewy look without having to add one more step to my routine.

Clarisonic Radiance Brush head for my Clarisonic Aria (now known as the Mia 3). If you're vain about skincare as I am, you know you gotta have a Clarisonic! I got the Aria for $199, it's got a hefty price tag but your skin will thank you for it!

I also got my membership upgraded to V.I.B Rouge. You can unlock this status when you purchase a minimum of $1,000 per calendar year, which is probably just peanuts for the real make-up enthusiasts. Anyone with the Rouge status can enjoy perks like access to exclusive events, receive special gifts, free shipping on anything and everything you order from their website and unlimited services (makeovers, consultations) from the Beauty Studio.

When you get upgraded to Rouge, they'll give you a new card with a cute little Bite Beauty lipstick in a shade of red that's made exclusively made for Sephora.

If you've seen me in person, I know you're scratching your head right now. When do I ever wear all this damn make-up? I don't know. I always say, just in case I run into Keanu Reeves! Ha!

Toodles!

Fashion 5-0: Back in the Closet

Trends are fleeting, and it does even more in an accelerated speed in the fashion world. What's hot this season could be shunned in the next, that's why I always encourage my readers to be more discerning about which fads to give in to and which ones to absolutely avoid like your stalker ex the plague. I'm not saying that you have to give up these things altogether but it's best to put them in the backburner for now, at least until the fashion Gods say it's okay to unleash them back into the wild.

High-Low dresses I'm just going to say this...Hi-Lo hemlines don't look favorable with people who have elephant knees a.k.a ME. I tried 'em and I just looked like Dumbo in a dress, all I was missing was some big flappy ears. If you don't have toned legs, this is not a flattering silhouette for you.

Nha Khanh via neimanmarcus.com

Instead, invest in a Fit and Flare dress. They come in different skirt lengths and looks great with short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves and sleeveless. This silhouette is great overall since it cinches on the waist and flares out to the bottom, giving you lots of freedom to move and leave you worry-free as you make your way down to the buffet line...Kumbaya, indeed.

Ted Baker via neimanmarcus.com

Wedge Sneakers Yeah, I never cared for this one. It looked cute on long-legged models but they remind me of skater shoes and I absolutely think skater shoes are an abomination.

Isabel Marant via barneys.com

Instead, go for the High-Top sneakers that have great added details such as leather trimming, buckles, studs, grommet, etc. for an edgier casual look.

Giuseppe Zanotti via neimanmarcus.com

Peplum dresses This is really a no-brainer. Peplum tops and jackets are cute but those attached on a dress have overstayed their welcome since 2-3 seasons ago. 

RED Valentino via neimanmarcus.com

Instead, try wearing mix prints and bold (or bold floral) prints to spice up your wardrobe!

Mary Katrantzou via neimanmarcus.com

Elle Sasson via neimanmarcus.com

Mirrored Lens Sunglasses Sure, they're colorful and playful to wear. But this style of sunglasses just can't survive for more than one season. It has had its spotlight in the 90's when Oakley's were all the rage but the comeback of the mirrored lens is inevitably short-lived so calm your caramels, Cyclops.

Rayban via neimanmarcus.com

Instead, try some transparent frames in different colors to hide the most serious case of hangovers.

Dior via neimanmarcus.com

Gucci via bergdorfgoodman.com

Don't get me wrong---I am not against trends. In fact, some trends can be so fabulous that they end up coming back for many seasons to come! But if you want your trendy clothes to survive for more than just one season, one must learn how to control when and how often to take that trendy piece out for a spin. Still got a peplum top that you want to wear? Pair it up with some slim cropped pants and single strap heels instead of a skirt and platform pumps to freshen the look. 

Be inventive, you'll never know what you'll come up with.

Toodles!

Perks Alert: Sephora

Being a horrible daughter that I am, I wasn't able to get anything for my mom during Mother's Day. So today, I told her I would bring her to Sephora and let her get whatever she wants so  I don't have to feel guilty anymore I can finally make the Mumsies happy. 

I wasn't really planning to buy anything for myself but I forgot that I actually need some stuff too :

This is the thickening spray that I use from Bumble and bumble. I only use this product when I cut my hair short since my hair is too straight and I need something that would give my hair some volume. What I love about this spray is that it's not sticky nor heavy, so it doesn't feel like you've actually put something on your hair.

I needed a replacement for my everyday lipstick and usually I get the subtle pink or coral tones from Dior Addict but this time, I wanted to try the Dior Addict Fluid Stick. The product itself isn't new since YSL came out first with it around last year called Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain . It's like a hybrid product of a lip tint, a lipstick and a lip gloss. When you first put it on, the consistency feels like a lip stain but then somehow the product thickens and starts to feel like a lipstick and it has the right amount of gloss.

Brilliant packaging. They shaped the container to look like it's a lipstick but that's actually the gloss.

I think it's got a good amount of pigment and the color is buildable if you want it darker.

Anyhoo, this is a Perks Alert post so let's talk about what Sephora had for me today. If you're not familiar yet with Sephora's rewards card program, here's a little breakdown for ya: It's a free program and there are three statuses you can achieve. You can avail of the Beauty Insider status with no purchase necessary (just go to a store near you and get your Beauty Insider card), then if you've spent $350 in a calendar year, they upgrade you to VIB status (Very Important Beauty Insider) and if you've spent $1000 in a calendar year, they upgrade you to VIB Rouge status, which has a great perk of free shipping on any purchase, anytime. To get more details on the perks, click here.

You get one point for every dollar that you spend and they usually have a 100-point or 500-point reward that you can redeem your points with. I had over 1,200 points and to be honest, it's sometimes hard for me to redeem any them 'coz the selection of the rewards kinda suck. I mean, if I'm gonna spend 500 points = $500, then it better be worth it.

But ooh la la, what do we have here? A Balenciaga silk scarf with a mini Rosabotanica Eau de Parfum for 500 points...Score! :)

I'm beginning to think that I am sorta kinda obsessed with freebies---well, semi-freebie since you do have to spend 500 bucks (for 500 points) just to redeem this gift. Tee-hee.

Toodles!