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!

Rapunzel No More

I guess when you reach at a certain age, you become more aware of the greater scheme of things and end up a little bit less selfish than you were before. Just as anyone else who're anticipating their birthday, one tends to think about where to go, what to do and what to buy. For the past decade, I've been having the same thing for my birthday : An expensive dinner (insane enough to make my financially sensible brother do a double-take on the bill but hey, I work hard for the money), a new birthday dress and shoes, gifts from family and friends and a sense of entitlement because somehow, it's so freakin' important that I was actually born. *insert hair-flipping* *blink* *blink*

So this year I decided to do things a little bit different--- Why not give back to celebrate my birthday? 

I was looking into different charities and I'm eyeing on two, one in the Philippines and one here in the U.S. but I wanted some instant gratification so I thought, how about I cut my hair short and donate it to people who need it more than I do? :)

The final hours of my Rapunzel hair... I never wear sweatshirts but my little, hardworking scientist of a sister from Harvard bought it for me and I have to say, it's pretty cozy :) 

Anddd.....Taddaaa.....

I did a little bit of research and there are a good number of organizations that collect donated hair for cancer patients but I decided that Pantene was the best candidate for my own hair donation. Their program is called Beautiful Lengths  <------and if you click on that link you'll be able to read more on the donation requirements. If you don't live in the U.S., I'm sure finding other organizations in your local area is just a Google search away. I think it's a win-win situation, really : You get to shock your friends and family with your new short 'do and someone out there is smiling, even for a moment because of a deed that was so simple to do.

So the questions is...will I skip the birthday celebration this year? Yes and No.
Yes, I will skip the usual hip, sangria-serving hot spots but...
No, I will not skip the celebration altogether because life is meant to be celebrated no matter what.

By the way, how do I look? :)

Toodles!