Today’s Featured Cause:
The Cerebral Palsy Network – The Cerebral Palsy Network makes their home in Olympia Washington We are a not for profit corporations listed with Washington State. Consisting of parents across the globe whom share a similar situation, Cerebral Palsy. In the past few years we have

Save yourself some money with coupon codes and and support The Cerebral Palsy Network by shopping with Donation Street. Today’s top money saving offers:

Best Buy- $20 Off Sony Reader Touch Edition Digital Book.
Skate Styles- 15% off
Ebags- 20% Off + Free Shiping on Orders over $100
Calvin Klein Jeans- 25% Off Everything
Wrapables.com- Christmas Nyokki buy one get one free
Reebok- Buy any EasyTone, get any NFL Jersey 30% off.
Ulta- $5 off any purchase of $10 or more
Logitech- Save 50% on Logitech Guitar and Drum Controllers

You may have read a few months ago on my blog, that I bought a Max Factor eyeshadow (EY). It was part of an Ulta haul. I tried the EY, and it wasn’t very pigmented at all. That’s ok, because the shadow gives a very subtle look. I, however, wanted the color to be a bit more intense. I removed each color from the the palette and crushed the shadow until it became a powder. I stored the powders in a mini pill container. I now find that the crushed Max Factor EY’s colors are slightly more intensified.

So my school had an H1N1 clinic on Thursday and I got my vaccination – nasal spray, OF COURSE… my biggest fear is needles!  Being that I’ve HAD H1N1 (or something very similar) since last weekend, I don’t think this is going to be too useful. 

I’ve basically felt like crap all week and only made it in to school for 1.5 days.  It started with a fever, headache, upset stomach, sore throat, and body ache, then developed into a terrible sinus headache, cough, congestion dealio. I hate being sick!!!   Now, I’ve missed so much school and honestly don’t even feel up to starting on all my work.  Needless to say, I’m going to be terribly overwhelmed when I finally start feeling better!

Being that I’ve been sick the past week, the Fashionista in me has found it necessary to downgrade to an attire of sweats and t-shirts.  Therefore, I’ve decided to add on to my most recent Fashion Diaries #8 – Sweater Dresses with this lovely look that I wore a few weeks back:

• Ruby Moon Sweater Dress
• Daytrip Long Sleeve Undershirt (Buckle)
• Bare Traps Boots
• Express Dark Brown Leggings
• American Eagle Outfitters Necklace

The versatility of Winter Fashion is just about the only thing I like about this freezing cold season.  Well, that, and Christmas.
        

A few of you commented on the nail polish I’ve been wearing, so I thought I’d share this lovely new color I picked up from Ulta.  It was actually featured in InStyle Magazine about a month ago, and I just KNEW I had to have it.   Surprisingly, I’ve had this polish on since Tuesday, and it still looks nearly perfect!

Essie – Mint Candy Apple

I have babysitting plans this evening, so hopefully I’ll be feeling up to that.  The kids are angels, which is such a relief knowing that I won’t have to worry about any misbehaving or craziness. 

Tomorrow I’ve got an all-day date with my Calculus book.  Yes, he and I will be getting to know each other quite well in the next 24 hours.

Hope everyone’s have a fabulous weekend!

Heather

There are many beauty freaks out there like me and trust me, we don’t ever get sick of unwrapping new beauty supplies for the holidays! I love the sweet smell of lotions and perfumes, eyeliners and mascaras! Honestly, I’ll take beauty products over another gift card to Bloomies, any day. Let’s be honest, I’ll end up spending that on stuff at the MAC counter anyway.

Most of the beauty supply stores are doing huge doorbusters and giving away lots of free stuff, so you can snag plenty of swag to get your friends. We beauty freaks appreciate the little fragrance samplers and mini tubes of lipstick, so I’ve put together the perfect guide for your beauty obsessed friends!

The Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster
This $400 value makeup kit is selling for just $48! That is a HUGE steal! It contains 84 eyeshadows, 60 lipglosses, lipliners, eyeliners, some brushes and a book with instructions for various looks. It all folds together neatly in a portable case and is definitely the most versatile gift you can get one of your beauty freak friends!

ULTA 3-in-1 Shower Smoothies
1. These bottles are gigantic. I’ve had one last me a year and a half.
2. They smell delicious and don’t leave an overpowering scent after.
3. They come in tons of flavors like Appletini, Pink Champagne, Chocolate Milkshake, and holiday flavors like Gingerbread Cookie and Candy Cane!

Right now they’re only $8.99 AND buy 2 get 1 free! That’s a major deal!

The Clarisonic Mia
I put this beauty tool on my Christmas list and it’s the only thing I want this year. The wonderful folks at Clarisonic have released a smaller and cheaper version of their skin cleansing brush. This tool is revolutionary for skincare. It gently exfoliates and gets all of that makeup, dead skin, and dirt off of your face leaving you with smooth, silky skin. The kit includes the Clarisonic Mia, charger, a sensitive brush head, and a trial size gentle cleanser. If you order from Clarisonic directly, you get a free gift and you can personalize your gift with an engraving!

Benefit BADgal World’s Best Mascaras
Benefit makes some great mascaras, and this duo of plum and black mascaras makes a great stocking stuffer! I’ve used both of these, and they’re amazing products. The plum instantly brings out the color in eyes, and everyone needs a good black mascara for everyday wear.

Deluxe Fragrance Sampler
Finding a good perfume is hard. Have you ever tried sniffing all the newest scents at the store? If you don’t end up with a headache, you do end up with some awful scent because they all start to smell the same. Well, not with this little kit. It comes with 12 samples of new fragrances that she can actually try on and take for a test drive and a voucher that your giftee can bring to Sephora to redeem for a free full size bottle of a fragrance she loves best!

Bedhead Mini Styling Iron
There is nothing worse than spending 30 minutes straightening your hair in the morning only to walk outside and have it frizz out in seconds. That is why every girl needs her own travel flat iron. This one is super cheap and the perfect size to throw in a messenger bag. She can fix her hair between classes, at the gym… the possibilities are endless.

Not Soap Radio Sorority Products
If you have a long list of sisters to gift to this year, Not Soap Radio’s line of sorority inspired goodies will do the trick. They’ve got everything from hand lotion to face palettes personalized for every chapter out there. The packaging is adorable and the products are really great, too.

Today’s Featured Cause:
After the Silence – After the Silence was created by
Kathryn Keats after she was freed
from imposed hiding after twenty
years due to death threats after a trial.
After the Silence inspires and helps
reclaim lives

Save yourself some money with coupon codes and and support After the Silence by shopping with Donation Street. Today’s top money saving offers:

Travelocity- Use any American Express Card to book a qualifying 4+ night hotel stay, save $200 on your booking.
CJ Banks- Get 40% Off Everything In-Store and Online!
Shari’s Berries - Holiday Gifts starting at $19.99
Ulta- 30% Off One Item with Code: (*exclusions apply). Plus, Free Shipping on $50 + 3 FREE Samples with every order.
DIRECTV- Get $100 Back and LOCK IN YOUR PRICE UNTIL 2011 with DIRECTV! Order Now
Macys- 50% Off Martha Stewart Collection Cast Iron Cookware
Blinds Express- 25% off all Levolor Blinds
Chico’s- 20% Off Your Entire Order + Free Shipping

Too Faced is one of my favorite makeup brands. The makeup is fun and flirty. This gift set is amazing and it normally retails for $100. For a limited time though, it is $39.50 at Sephora.com

At Ulta.com, there are a ton of perfume gift sets to choose from. Many of them are $35 and under. These are just a few examples.  Click on this link to view all sets $35 and under!

This Tub Tea gift set is a great gift idea. It comes with 5 different packets that will totally soothing to your gift recipient. This is perfect for the spa-lovers. It is $29 at Shopintuition.com

This gift doubles as a ring and perfume. It is Marc Jacob’s newest fragrance called, Lola. The solid perfume ring is $42 at Bloomingdales.com

Stay at home and give yourself a pedicure! This makes a great gift as well. It is $29.00 at PBteen.com

]]> http://coastalpolitan.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/pedicure-on-our-toes-toes/ Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:08:08 +0000 mich LA http://coastalpolitan.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/pedicure-on-our-toes-toes/

Happy December, everyone! Why not rock the new Essie Winter Collection for the month? I saw the Mint Candy Apple shade while flipping through the current InStyle (with lovable Taylor Swift on the cover!) and knew I had to have it! I’m not sure how it will fare at the office, but hey, what other part of the year could we possibly get away with wearing something like this? Plus, the entire set below is on sale for only $9.99 at Ulta!

Until I pick up this cute set (for myself and a few to throw in my friends’ Christmas gifts), I will stick to  OPI’s Light My Sapphire–my favorite, favorite fall nail color. This is the first nail polish that I’ve used up (purchased a year and a half ago!) and I will definitely be picking up another one!

Sadly, Ulta is ending their College Day program this year. The very last one will be tomorrow, Dec. 1st. Flash your college ID at the cashier to get 20% off your entire in-store purchase. Happy shopping, kids!

The fine print: Offer not valid on salon services or gift cards and cannot be combined with any other Ulta coupon offers.

The Internet is rife with beauty savings today, as CyberMonday, online shopping’s biggest day of the year, is in full swing. Plus, many stores are offering deals long after this huge online shopping day passes. Stock up and save up all holiday season. After the jump, a quick round-up of some of the best deals & steals you’ll find online today and well into the shopping crush.

Stores listed alphabetically.

Bath & Body Works is offering 25% off your entire online purchase. Ends 12/1.

beauty.com: Free designer bag filled with deluxe samples (value: $150) on purchases $100+. Ends 12/15.

Bliss: Free shipping. Enter code 119916 at checkout. Valid through 12/31.

Bloomingdales: Storewide, take $50 off purchases of $250 or more. Get a free $10 iTunes gift card with every $75 you spend in Beauty or Fragrance. Valid 11/30/09 only.

Bobbi Brown Friends & Family

• 20% off your entire online order (minimum $65), automatically applied at checkout. A portion of your purchase will benefit Bobbi’s $10,000 donation to Dress for Success, a program that helps women secure professional/business attire and assists with job-searching. Free shipping with $65 order. Ends 12/2/09.
• Free full-size Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Indigo Ink with any order $65+. Use code HOLIDAY. Ends 1/15/2010.
• Free full-size Lip Gloss in Honey with any order $65+. Use code HONEY. Ends 1/15/2010.
• Free full-size Metallic Shadow in Penny with any order $65+. Use code PENNY. Ends 1/15/2010.

The Body Shop: 20% off your entire order. Valid Monday, 11/30 only.

Clinique: Choose 2 free samples with any purchase. Valid 11/30 only.

drugstore.com: Up to 50% and free shipping on various products. Valid 11/30 only.

Elizabeth Arden: On orders over $25, get a free 7-piece beauty gift and free shipping. Use code CYBERMONDAY. Valid 11/30 only.

Kiehl’s: 20% of entire purchase. Free shipping on orders of $30+. Enter code FAMILY at checkout.

LAB Series (men’s skincare): 25% off and free shipping on all orders. Ends 12/4.

Lancome:

• Use code HOLIDAY09 at checkout for special offers. Valid 11/30 only.
• Your choice of 4 free samples with any purchase of $35+. Use code PICKONE at checkout. Valid 11/30.
• Limited-edition Beauty Box (value: $330) only $52 with any $36 purchase. Valid 11/30.

Lord & Taylor: Free shipping on orders of $99+. Valid through 12/19.

MAC: Free shipping on all online orders until 12/13.

Nordstrom: Free shipping on orders over $100. Enter code HOLIDAY09 at checkout.

Prescriptives: Free 4-piece gift and free shipping with any order $50+. Use code CYBER9 at checkout. Valid 11/30.

Saks Fifth Avenue:

• Free shipping on every order. Use code HOLIDAY09. Valid 11/30.
• Receive special introduction to La Mer’s daily skincare ritual with any $300+ La Mer purchase. Ends 12/31.
• Get a $25 gift card and free shipping when you spend $100 in Beauty or Fragrance. Ends 12/31.

Sally Beauty Supply: Save 20% on all orders. Enter code 555945 at checkout. Valid 11/30.

Sephora:

• Free shipping on ALL ORDERS 11/30 only.
• Free shipping on orders $50+. Valid through 12/5.
• Free shipping on Bare Escentuals Get Started Kits. Valid through 12/5.
• Free metallic clutch filled with 8 samples on purchases $50+. Valid through 12/31.

Shu Uemura:

• 20% off, 7 deluxe samples, and complimentary shipping on purchases $125+. Valid 11/30.
• 20% off and complimentary shipping on any purchase $50+. Enter code WISH09 at checkout. Ends 12/1.

Victoria’s Secret: 20% off your entire order, including beauty. Use offer code VSSAVE20 at checkout. Ends 12/2.

Ulta: $10 off purchases of $50+. Ends 12/31.

Yves Rocher: $10 off and free shipping on orders $45+. Enter code YVESCYBER at checkout.

Alrighty, admittedly, I have been bored to tears by many holiday collections, and my wallet has thanked me for the funds which I dropped on nail polish! But the NP collection? Totally lust-worthy in the absolute worst way. Not only are there palettes and value sets, but some fun little singles as well!

Let’s start off with two sets that I am drooling over. First up is the Deco Deluxe lip gloss set-and these are HUGE glosses, coming in at a little over .3 ounces EACH, or 10 ML. That’s right, the same amount as the Harajuku Lovers small fragrances…in a lip gloss. Almost double that of a traditional MAC lipglass, and well, you get the drift. Each of the glosses has a flavour-peach, tangerine, strawberry, raspberry, and watermelon-and they have jojoba oil to help keep the lips hydrated since you’ll probably be licking these off a lot. The set retails for $28, and if you shop at ULTA for your NP stuff you can get a free tote with a Chandelier Shine lipgloss/nail polish duo with a $25 purchase.

The other set I am totally lusting over is the Gold Digger Glimmer set. Admittedly, the jars are much smaller than those of a MAC pigment set. However, it’s so gorgeous to look at! I am a packaging junkie, and these are designed to look like little jewels. Way cute. You get three colours of the iridescent powder-gold, white gold, and a bronze-as well as a brush. I like the fact it comes with a brush, but it’s not a particularly large one. The set, though, is $25, which is a good way to go for gifting someone who doesn’t use as much makeup, but likes a tad bit of shimmer. If you like brushes, you’ll love the Petite Pouch, which is two kabuki brushes in a gold case for $25. You get a Foundation Kabuki, which is a flat-top buffer, and then a Powder Kabuki, which is a tapered (!!!) brush. Think MAC’s 226, in face brush form and a kabuki. Seriously, for that price, I’d buy several! Sadly ULTA only has the two sets I mentioned before, but it’s still something that I think people should give a try. It also is natural hair, which may or may not matter to some of you. I don’t personally have a problem with animal hairs, since those can be gathered more humanely (we all shed hair) and some synthetics tend to bug my face a bit. But if you avoid animal hairs, then this is not for you.

On the topic of brush sets, we have the Eight is Enough-8 travel-sized brushes in a brush wallet for $55. Yes, you read correctly. You get a powder brush, a mascara spooly, a blending brush, a sponge tip applicator, a medium shadow brush, a concealer brush, an angled eyeliner brush, and a lip brush with case. It is a mix of natural and synthetic hairs, but it didn’t say which was which. I do like the look of the small concealer brush, as it is designed to get into the inner sockets of the eye.

If you’re looking for something a little nicer, there’s the $85 Shake, Rattle, and Brush Roll. It is a mix of hairs, again, and it has the powder brush, blush brush, medium eye brush, small eye brush, concealer brush, and angled liner brush. These look to be more of the full-sizes as opposed to travel ones, and admittedly I love the gold ferrules. Not to mention I was looking at paying about that much at the CCO to get the MAC brush set that has the 222, 263, 168, and 187. I still probably will, but at the same time this is an insane deal.

Next is the Bronze Bonanza, which is a set with a bronzing powder, a lipgloss, and a kabuki brush. The kabuki is a thicker one, and the fibers spread wider so it would be great for full-body work. The lipgloss is .35 ounce, so it’s 70% of the weight of a CO Bigelow lip shine (the best comparison I could do). The powder? A little less than the weight of a Beauty Powder and a MAC Powder Blush, combined. Yeah, it’s that big. The set retails for $39, which to me is perfectly reasonable considering you get the big honkin’ powder as well as the brush and the gloss.

Finally we have three Golden Girl palettes. Each one has the same basic specs-3 blushes, 16 eyeshadows, and two (crappy) applicators for $45, all housed in a cute fabric casing. The easiest difference between the three is that palette 1 has more of the bright eyeshadows, palette 2 is more of a day-to-play with neutrals and smokeys, and palette 3 has a lot of softer shades along with some darks and neutrals. Personally, I would go for palette 1 and maybe three. I do find that I am gravitating a lot more towards my BoS because it has everything right at hand, so this is something I can definitely find myself using a lot because they aren’t all boring shades (to me at least).

Additionally, this is not a Christmas item, but still, this is an insane value set-the Walk Like An Egyptian, inspired by Queen Nefertiti. It has full-sizes of Denim eye pencil, #1 Shiny Gold loose eye dust, After Sun body oil, Xenia divine goddess lipstick, #55 Lapis Ultra-Pearl shadow, #20 Teal Colour Disc, Bronzing mosaic bronzer, and Equinox China Doll liner. It says it’s only deliverable in Australia however I am considering ponying up the $150 to buy it. Yes, $150 for all those yummy goodies. Thank me later.

To be perfectly honest (which I strive to do), I can’t pick out lipgloss to save my skin.  I think it will look good on me in the store and when I get home I think, damn, too light, too frosted, too shiny, too sticky, etc.  I don’t love this lipgloss.  Maybe it would work for someone else, but not me.

I have this color in Whisper which is a very shimmery shiny mauvey pink.  It has a doe-foot applicator and a floral scent.  I’m not a fan of floral scented lipglosses.  It has no taste that I can discern and very little color payoff.

My final opinion, if you are looking for a chic looking handbag gloss, this might be a winner.  It gives a nice shiny finish without a taste, strong smell or frosty finish.  It has decent staying power and is very affordable.

If you have any questions about this product that I didn’t answer, leave me a comment.

If you enjoy shopping at Ulta, check this out. You can get $5 off a $10 purchase by using the coupon code 31877. The deal expires Dec. 31.

(Thanks, Hard Times Newsletter)

This, in all honesty, is the first year I’ve ever done the actual Black Friday running around. The closest was my senior year of high school, in which we hit three stores total. This? Way better. The last three years I worked opening shifts and so all my shopping was done on breaks or afterwards. But this year? Shop before, baby!

Mom and I left the house at 5:15, and headed up to Best Buy. No way in heck either of us were camping out, and it was pretty cold. No rain, luckily. The store was jam-packed though, and I came in for one thing: Brutal Legend on PS3 for my brother, because I needed to get him taken care of. They also had other video game bargains, and we got Rayman Raving Rabbids for the Wii as well as Sonic Chronicles for the DS for $10 each. The DVD’s, though, were the star. We got some $4 flicks (Sideways, Capote) and some $7 ones (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Role Models) because DVD’s can add up, and they were movies I wanted to see anyways. The line was insane-be prepared to wait up to an hour in line. But totally worth it!

Next stop was JcPenney, and we mainly went for the free snowglobe that they ran out of. They did have some good deals, but most were after mail-in rebate. A lot of places had that, actually. Still annoying as hell, though. After that was ULTA, where deals were a bit more scarce. They had the weekly ad deals plus a few doorbusters, but it was really nothing spectacular. I only bought two things-one of the BE sets that was $10, and Essie Bright Tights, as I had been wanting it since I first saw it. My mum got both the face and the eye sets, but the eye one for me? Meh. However, I have a few new lemmings. First up is the Napoleon Perdis Gold Digger Glimmer set, featuring three shimmer pots and a brush for $25, as well as the lipgloss set which is $28 (or in that range) for five glosses). Second is the Smashbox Wish brush set, which is a set of five travel brushes (angled face, slant eyeliner, large eye blending, eye fluff, eye tapered) in a pink hard case with $1 of the sale going to Children’s Miracle Network. It’s $49-so about the same as the MAC sets-but the quality is so amazing. Finally, POP Beauty has the Lid Neon palette for $22. Granted, it’s all matte so it’s bound to be a bit chalky but if you use a good primer, I can only imagine how crazy it would be. After a quick pit-stop at home, it was off to Fred Meyer for what has become an institution-50% off all socks. And well, I kinda got a bit carried away. Four two-packs of knee socks-three of them had a solid and then a neon print, with the fourth being a fuzzy sock. One pair of over-the-knee legwarmers. Two pairs of over-the-knee socks-one a grey knit, the other a thin neon pink nylon (almost like tights). One pair of grey capri leggings with a damask print (they will never be worn without socks over them, though). One pair of full tights. Three pairs of actual knee socks! The bigger thing for us, though, was replacing all of our old Christmas lights-both inside and out-with LED lights, because they will save us a lot on our electrical bill. They were also 50% off, so we got three boxes of snowflakes, one box of net lights, and then seven boxes of multicolour tree lights. Figure it was about time to replace everything, so well…we did.

After that, it was to H&M where it was not only B1G1 free on reductions, but there were “fashion finds” which for today only are marked down to prices as low as $5. A knit shrug? $5. Cowl-neck long sweaters? $10. Men’s and women’s long-sleeved dress shirts? $10. Men’s knit pullover sweaters? $15. I got two shrugs (pink and black) as well as two cowl-neck sweaters-a black thick one, and a pink thinner one-and it was $20 for everything. Mom spent $35 and got two pairs of gloves, two dress shirts, and a few sweaters. My dad was astounded at how much she got for how little she actually spent!

After a stop at Pacific Fabrics, it was one run at Walgreens, where we got Ben & Jerry’s pints for $2, and A&W 12-packs for $2.50, limit 4. We’re thinking of going tomorrow and just buying them out by having each of us buy some because we love root beer, and it’s normally way, way expensive.

As far as stores I didn’t hit, Target and Kohl’s had some interesting things but nothing essential. VS was doing the tote with $60 purchase, but it was only three goodies this year, none of which interested me. Not to mention I think I can squeeze another month out of the only flesh-coloured bras I own. BBW has some insane deals, like B3G3 free on Signature bodycare, but I’m switching primarily to L’Occitane because they are a lot more socially-responsible and environmentally-friendly. There were lots of other deals, but I am happy with what I got. Next year, though, I’ll be saving up so I can buy way, way more.

I know some of you are coming here, looking to see if ULTA has a Black Friday ad. Unfortunately…I did not see one in my newspaper, nor my mail. If I get my hands on an ad, I will definitely let you all know. It could be something that comes out in tomorrow’s papers, or it could be a non-advertised sort of thing. All I know, I haven’t seen one. Sorry folks.

I have just received an email with a preview of some of the blockbuster deals. They include:

Bare Minerals Bright Idea set #1-This is an eye set, with Well-Rested eye colour and a dome brush. This will be all of $10, making it an insane gift item.
Bare Minerals Bright Idea set #2-This is a face set, with Glee all-over colour and an angled brush. This will be $10, as was the eye set.
Smashbox Beauty Basics Set-This has a mini of Fame lipgloss, eyeshadow singles of ASAP and Pronto, and a .3 ounce size of Photo Finish primer. It says $12.99 on the website, but who knows what it will go down to?
Smashbox Double Duty Beauty kit-This has a Doubletake lip colour in Apricot, a Speedracer Double Exposure lip/cheek colour, and then a medium size of Crystal lipgloss. Same price as the other Smashbox set.
Smashbox Quick Eyes kit-This has a #30 brush as well as Pronto and ASAP single shadows, also for $12.99.
All ULTA Smoothies (the 3/1’s)-$6.99
ULTA 69-piece beauty blockbuster-$16.99
There are two Essie twin-packs. One of them is a colour one, with Bordeaux and A-List polishes, and the other is a classic (ie French manicure) set with Waltz and Ballet Slippers. They are $6 apiece, so perfect for gifts, stocking stuffers, or just to try some new shades at way, way less than retail.
Revlon Fuschia Ionic Dryer or 1″ straightener-$10
Holiday colour sets from $4.99

Update: I went this morning with my mum, and I came home with just two items: the Bare Minerals face set, and Essie Bright Tights. The sets are an insane value, even as gifts. For me, I needed a face brush and the angled one feels nice. There really aren’t a whole lot of special sales, and the clearance area was abysmal. I avoided getting OPI She’s Golden, but I am so glad I shelled out extra to get Bright Tights.

Also, as far as OPI goes, they had restocked all the holiday shades, except the ULTA exclusives which were fairly sparse (only one of Dreaming of Red). Essie had restocked Mint Candy Apple but I got the second-to-last Bright Tights. Pink Parka and Midnight Cami are definitely on my list, though.

So I went multi-store haulin tonight and found a few nice finds.  From Icing, I got two polishes: Blue Goose & Paparazzi

From Sally Beauty, I got a ginormous remover to store under the bathroom cabinet, a standard remover to store in my polish tools box and the new Fingerpaints Icy Iris.

From Ulta, which was having a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale on OPI polish.  I got: Lincoln Park After Dark, Purple with a Purpose & Ink.

From Sephora, I scored Sephora by OPI Metro Chic and Benefit’s Bad Gal Lash.

From Target, I bought two Studio Tools brushes.  A skunk & crease brush.

Overall, I wish I would have bought more, but I’m happy with everything I got and it’s always fun to shop with my mom.  She’s an impulse shopper but so much fun!

I found this brush set last night while doing a little hauling at Ulta.  It was $15.99 but at closer look I didn’t have to have it.  I love the skunk brush but I already bought one.  Maybe this will be a next time purchase.

Yes, professional makeovers can be expensive. But, the way you feel afterward is priceless.

And, drum-roll please, there are some places that will do it “for free” if you buy at least one of the products they used on you.  So, for example, if you agree to buy just the eye shadow they’ll still do it, hoping that you’ll tell your friends and family about what a wonderful job they’ve done.

As I’ve said in the previous post, you just have to “shop around” to see where would be the right place for you to go. Here’s an interactive map to make your search a little easier. Enjoy!!

View Larger Map

As you will see soon, I’m going to post an interactive map for you to decide where the best place for you is. The map will be based on the Cherry Hill-Moorestown area, and possibly the Deptford Mall area. Stay tuned!

But, until then, I’ll post my weekly top-? list. This week’s topic? Makeovers, of course.

1) Ulta
Ulta is a great place to get a makeover, as many locations have a salon right inside. Depending on where you go (I’m basing my prices by the one located in Mt. Laurel, NJ), the prices and services vary.
- the location in Mt. Laurel has not only a hair salon, but also a place to get your makeup done. A basic shampoo and style costs about $30, and makeup application costs about $30 as well. This is a great place to go to if you have a special occasion coming up, such as a wedding or prom. They also have different kinds of beauty treatments as well, starting at about $30.

2) MAC
Of course, you knew this was going to end up on here. Now, from knowing a couple people who have gotten makeovers done here, I pretty much have an idea on what you have to do. Like any other salon, you have to make an appointment, or I believe they take walk-ins as well. The actual cost of the makeover is free, but of course a tip is only appropriate, and they require you to buy at least one item that they used on you. It’s not a bad deal, especially if you like what they did.

3) Sephora
Now, this one is iffy. I have a friend that works at Sephora, but she hasn’t been working there long, so I’m not sure how it works. But, like MAC and Ulta, you can get them. You can visit your local Sephora and check out how it works. I believe it’s like MAC, as in you don’t get charged for the actual makeover (except tip, if you wish), but you have to buy at least one product they used on you. If not, than it shouldn’t be more than $30-40.

Now, I’m not counting this as a top spot, but it’s always a possibility. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of a mall/shopping area, as pretty much every location of the three stores above is around a mall, you can always check out your local salon. Many salons double as a hair and nail salon, and also do other beauty services.

Happy makeover!!

Ulta is now exclusively selling some very pretty Ed Hardy styling tools. There are eighteen items to choose from including hair brushes and accessories, mirrors, hair dryers, and flat irons. Prices range from $7 (for a wide tooth comb with a dragon print) to $99.95 (for the hair dryers and a very cool travel set with a travel size hair dryer and flat iron). These items are excluded from discount coupons but you can get free shipping if you spend $25 with code 33069 at checkout (that coupon expires November 21; or shipping is free if you are spending $50).

Nordstrom has a new online only Philosophy gift with purchase. With any $60 Philosophy purchase you will receive a free Amazing Grace Trio (a $20 value). Your free gift includes perfumed buffing wash (2 oz), perfumed firming body emulsion (4 oz), and a spray fragrance vial. That is available while supplies last.

I know many of you were upset that Prescriptives will be ceasing operations in January, but here’s a bit of good news. It looks like for a while at least they will sell the Custom Blend Foundation and Powder online, you just need to make sure you know your “recipe” and then register it on their site. Please see this page for more information if you are interested.

Today’s new coupons:

Ahava offer: With any $100 purchase receive free shipping and a free full size Dermud Foot Cream ($26 value). No code needed. Ends December 2 or while supplies last.

Benefit Cosmetics coupon: With any $75 purchase receive a free Gabbi makeup bag ($26 value). Add Gabbi bag to your cart and enter code TRAVEL09 at checkout. Expires November 26. You will also receive a free full size Miss Popularity highlighter ($24 value), it won’t show up in your cart but it will ship automatically with your order.

Dermadoctor offer: With any $75 Dermadoctor brand purchase choose your free gift: For a free full size Total Nonscents Ultra-Gentle Antiperspirant (my personal favorite, a $20 value) enter code TOTAL; for a free full size Born To Be Mild Medicated Face and Body Claeanser ($24 value) enter code BTBM. While supplies last.

H2O Plus coupon: Free shipping with any $30 purchase. Enter code gift at checkout. Expires November 22.

Makeup.com coupon: $25 off a $100 purchase from the Boutique section of their site. Enter code GIFTS25 at checkout. Expires November 25.

Makeup.com coupon: 25% off all jewelry. Enter code SPARKLE25 at checkout. Expires November 25.

Smashbox Let’s Do Lunch offer: Today only make any purchase and checkout between 9AM-2PM PST and you will receive a free full size Eye Shadow in shade Take II (shimmery plum, a $16 value). You will also get free shipping. No code needed, cannot be combined with other offers.

My post will be late tomorrow. I have a date tomorrow morning with a pale fellow and his hairy friend. My post will be up no later than 3 PM CST.

Navy blue nails are fabulous!  My favorite blue of the moment is OPI Russian Navy.  In the bottle  it looks like a deep purple, but when you have it on, it is a gorgeous navy with just a tiny bit of shimmer.  Very wearable.  There is also a Matte version of this color as well as a suede one, but I really prefer the original.  I found the matte version to be just, “too matte,” and the suede just has a bit too much shimmer.  Check them all out at Ulta Beauty.  Right now all of their OPI polishes are buy 2 get one free.  Hurry in and stock up!

Where to buy:

http://www.svbeautysupplies.com $4.25

http://www.nailsuperstore.com $4.25

http://www.beautyxperts.com $4.25

http://www.nailpolishsupplies.com $4.75

WWW.ADISCOUNTBEAUTY.COM $5.35

www.ulta.com $8.50 (buy 2 get one free.)

So I know it’s been light on the actual makeup content lately, but I’m currently in a huge nail polish frenzy. What can I say, it’s cheap and fun! And as we all know, OPI has released their massive holiday collection. Six reds, six vampy shades and neutrals. However, many of the big beauty stores also get exclusive shades, so it becomes a game of “Spot The Shade”. Beauty Brands, a beauty store in the Southwest, has an exclusive called Pomegranate Me A Wish. Trade Secret has an exclusive called Festive Fuschia. And ULTA? Three exclusives, and I have two of them!

First up, the one I did not get is called Dreaming of Red. If you are like me and have a ton of red polishes, it’s safe to say you can avoid this. This isn’t like China Glaze’s Ruby Pumps-it’s not a super high-glitter polish. At the same time though, it’s got a decent shimmer to it. It’s a fun one to have on hand, though, if you’re the type who only typically does cream polishes but wants something with a little sizzle to it for the holiday party deluge.

Of the ones I did buy, the first one is Visions of Sugarplum. It’s a very dark purple/plum shade, and the closest colour to it, at least in the bottle, is Black Cherry Chutney. This, however, is more of a micro-glitter polish-very, very shimmery. However, after swatching both Black Cherry Chutney and Visions of Sugarplum on a bottle cap (as my fingers currently are polished) they are not even close. Black Cherry Chutney is definitely that-a black cherry colour. It’s like blackened burgundy and the shimmer is very faint. Meanwhile, Visions of Sugarplum is more of a true purple. It’s a lot less subtle, but it’s still a gorgeous colour-and if you find Black Cherry Chutney to be too dark for you, give this a try. I love the microglitter, but then again, I love glittery things.

The other colour is Dazzled by Gold. The one gripe I have about this is that the base is completely sheer-but don’t let that put you off. This is PACKED with gold micro-glitter-my favourite kind, as it looks more grown-up than a lot of the crapola you’ll see cluttering drugstores at this time of year. One coat is a great topcoat for any colour, two or three coats will get you a more opague effect but not totally so. This is definitely a good polish to have on hand, and not just for the holidays, either. I have a feeling this one will sell out based on the fact that it is the micro-glitter-I intend to use this a lot as a topcoat. In fact, after I take a picture of my Shim-Merry Chic nails, I’m putting a coat of this on. Just for kicks.

Now for the Trade Secret exclusive, Festive Fuschia. This is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like a dark red in the bottle, but when swatched on Le Vitamin Water Cap, it definitely goes fuschia, no two ways around it. The shimmer is like that of Visions of Sugarplum. It was slightly sheer on the cap after two coats, however it will be an NOTD of mine soon so I will update with swatches as we go along.

And about the rest of the holiday collection-act fast. Sapphire In The Snow, Merry Midnight, and a lot of the others have already sold out. I bought the very last one of Shim-Merry Chic. Many of the reds, though, aren’t unique enough to me to warrant a buy, no matter how gorgeous Crimson Carol looks.

Now…swatches! These are all two coats on a Vitamin Water cap, and from L-R: Black Cherry Chutney, Visions of Sugarplum, Dazzled by Gold

Update: This has sold out. There is a new Estee Lauder Gift with Purchase at Saks. Through November 29 or while supplies last, with any $55 Estee Lauder purchase you will receive this incredible gift valued at $200. This bonus includes:

• Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Creme (14 day supply)
• Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Creme (ultra deluxe travel size)
• Seven Eyeshadows in a Golden Compact in shades Honey Drop, Cinnamon, Camouflage, Ivory Box, Sand Box, and Pink Dusk Duo
• Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick in shade Copper Coral (full size)
• More Than Mascara in Black (10 day supply)
• Tote with matching cosmetic case
• To receive your bonus enter code LAUDER9 at checkout
• Also enter code HOLIDAY9 through November 23 to receive free shipping on your order

The newest deluxe sample bag from Beauty.com is now available! With any $100 purchase you will receive these thirteen deluxe samples, more than a $150 value, plus an exclusive Glenda party bag from jewelry designers Erickson Beamon:

• Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body Exfoliating Cream
• Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil (full size; in shade Tanzania or Kalahari)
• Talika Eye Decompress
• Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Plump ‘N Thick Thickening Hairspray with Collagen
• Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer
• Rene Furterer Myrrhea Anti-Frizz Silkening Mask Tube
• Diana B. Scented Candle (Black Fig or Maple Sugar Lychee Nut)
• Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara
• StriVectin Neck Cream
• DDF Daily Protective Moisturizer SPF 15
• Phyto Phytolisse Finishing Serum
• Intelligent Nutrient Lip Delivery Nutrition
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin

You will also get free shipping on your purchase. Don’t forget to check out the gifts with purchase page to see if you can score some extra freebies!

Ulta has updated their gifts with purchase page, and they now have the Elizabeth Arden giraffe print tote bonus (a $62 value, free with any $24.50 Elizabeth Arden purchase; includes Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules (7 pieces), Pretty EDP mini, Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 20, Kabuki Brush, Lipstick, and Eight Hour Cream mini).  They also have an exclusive Benefit Love Your Look Lipstick Trio, it is three full sized lipsticks for the price of one (a $54 value for only $18) in shades Sugar Rush, Finders Keepers, and La La Land.

The Holiday Blockbuster sets are now available at many department stores online. I will be maintaining a current list on the Big 3 Bonuses page of where they are available online so this is probably the last time I’ll mention them in a post. After today please reference the Big 3 page to find out which online store has the Blockbuster you are looking for; here is a current list of who has what: Elizabeth Arden at Dillard’s and Macy’s; Estee Lauder at Belk, Bloomingdale’s, Bon Ton, Boscov’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and direct from Estee Lauder; Lancome at Belk, Bloomingdale’s, Bon Ton, Boscov’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and direct from Lancome.

Some notes on the blockbusters: Macy’s is the only place you can get the cream colored train case with the Lancome Beauty Box (everywhere else it is black); Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s both have a cream colored cosmetic case with the Estee Lauder blockbuster (everywhere else it is red). And I don’t know when it will end but Bloomingdale’s still has an Estee Lauder GWP running for those who want the most bang for their buck!

Today’s new coupons:

Aveda coupon: Today only with any $30 purchase receive free shipping and your choice of three free deluxe samples. Enter code SMOOTH9 or MOISTURE9 at checkout. Valid today only.

Benefit Cosmetics offer: For a limited time you can purchase Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in shade Flyin’ Down To… for only $9.50 (normally $18). While supplies last.

UPDATED: Bliss coupon: For two days only with any purchase over $45 (this was previously free with a $125 purchase) get free shipping and a free gift valued at $70. Free gift includes lemon+sage body butter (1 oz), lemon+sage soapy sap (1 oz), lid+lash wash (1 oz), an ounce of prevention am (0.34 oz), triple oxygen instant energizing mask (0.16 oz), peeling groovy facial serum (0.16 oz), all-around eye cream (0.07 oz packette), remede alchemy premium night cream (0.10 oz), remede hydra therapy eye creme (0.07 oz packette), remede wrinkle therapy lift baume (0.07 oz packette), and remede sweep (0.07 oz packette). Enter code 129923 at checkout. Expires November 18.

Bliss coupon: Purchase any Clarisonic brush and get a free full size Fabulous Foaming Face Wash ($22 value). Enter code 119919 at checkout. Expires November 22.

Bliss coupon: Purchase any Skinceuticals product and get free shipping. Enter code 129911 at checkout. Expires November 22.

Bobbi Brown coupon: With any purchase receive deluxe samples of Pink Buff Rich Color Gloss and Vitamin Enriched Face Base. Enter code HAPPY at checkout. Expires November 19.

Jouer Cosmetics coupon: 25% off any purchase. Enter code blush09 at checkout. Expires December 14.

Lancome offer: With any purchase receive free shipping plus three deluxe samples: Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup in Matte Buff, L’Absolu Rouge listick in Exotic Orchid, and Juicy Tubes Ultra Shiny Lipgloss in Hallucination. No code needed so see the Coupon Page for a code for extra freebies. Ends November 20.

MD Skincare coupon: With any $50 purchase receive a free Detox Duo (includes Purifying Bath Crystals and Antioxidant Enzyme Buff, a $70 value). Enter code blush at checkout. Expires December 14.

Perricone MD offer: With any $165 purchase receive a limited edition Perricone Doctor’s Bag plus a full size Hydrating Nurient Mask ($65 value). No code needed. Ends November 18.

Philosophy coupon: With any $75 purchase receive free shipping and a free You’re So Lovely gift set that includes microdelivery exfoliating wash (2 oz), purity made simple (2 oz), hope in a jar moisturizer (0.4 oz), and unconditional love spray fragrance vial (4 ml). Enter code winterlovely at checkout. Expires November 22.

Peter Thomas Roth offer: With any purchase receive a free deluxe sample of Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For The Mascara (5 ml). No code needed. Expires November 24. Excludes purchase of sale items; deluxe sample will not show up in shopping cart but will ship automatically with your order. Shipping is free if you spend $50.

Shu Uemura coupon: Free shipping with any purchase. Enter code FSHIPPING at checkout. Expires November 18.

Shu Uemura offer: Purchase any item from the Tsumori Chisato Holiday Collection and receive free shipping. No code needed. Ends November 22.

Ulta offer: Spend $30 on any men’s or women’s fragrance and receive two glass Hurricane Candle Holders ($50 value). No code needed, just be sure to add them to your cart from the dropdown list in your shopping cart. While supplies last.

YSL Beauty coupon: With any $72 L’Homme or La Nuit de L’Homme order receive a signature YSL keychain. Enter code GIFT at checkout. Expires November 22.

Confession: I am not a Jessica simpson fan on either her music or style. I have seen her various retail collections with a blaze’ response. Well coupon in hand I ventured into Ulta today for a solution to my mullet mayhem. I saw all all of the “Hair Do” brand products (a Jessica Simpson collaboration) were on sale. Obviously I have no concerns of the party in the back of my head. It is business upfront that apalls me. One item they carry is a clip on bang piece. Being a bargain hunter their is no way a full price of $29.99 would do. Well with a sale of 25% off, then an additional $5 off with my coupon I purchased a piece for around $18 out the door. (I also got double Ulta points to boot) I was pleased with the color selections and opted for the “buttered toast”. I came home and it was installation time. I overlaid it on my hair to find the lengthand location to clip it in. It is a very simple process. I popped the clip open and nested it in my hair and closed it. Voila’! Talk about a look make over. Opinions please!

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? Don’t worry, I’m not really either. After three Christmases in a retail environment where gifting was a key focus, I am liking to NOT hear Christmas music and see as many decorations. I’m liking to take my time and who knows, maybe ENJOY the holiday season perhaps?

But ULTA has some good stuff this time, and on the front page, there’s a deal: two free hurricane vases with a $30 fragrance purchase. They’re the sort of thing that can be filled with satsumas or nuts and easily given as a gift, or used as a centerpiece for Christmas dinner. I plan on buying some perfume once I get a new job, and this is the sort of thing that I could pack away for when I move out (whenever that may be). And inside? Lots of new fragrances. No, there is none of Salvatore Ferragamo’s Incanto Bloom (releasing in March) or Escada’s Marine Groove (Nordstrom exclusive til next February or March). But there’s Lancome’s Hypnose Senses (sounds like potentially a floral version), Versace’s Versense, and more. There’s also a new formulation of Dolce & Gabbana’s The One-a rose version, which sounds promising. Estee Lauder has some sets for Christmas. There’s Day by Day sets for both Beautiful and Sensuous that have a 1.7 ounce of both perfume and lotion, and they retail for $48 and $52, respectively. If you like minis, well the EL folks have you covered on that, as for $29.50 you can get a set with mini EDP sprays of Pleasures, Beautiful, Sensuous, and Pure White Linen. As far as other gift sets go…Donna Karan has a Cashmere Mist set that is $60 and gives you a 1.7 EDT and 3.4 lotion. Calvin Klein has a Euphoria set which is $65 for a 1.7 EDP and 6.7 lotion. Ralph Lauren has a Romance set that is $65, and you get a 1.7 EDP, a mini EDP, and a 6.7 lotion. Dior has a J’Adore set with a 1.7 lotion and a 1 ounce EDP for $60-but you do get a little cannage clutch with it, which is WAY worth it for a cannage-a-holic like myself.

Clinique has a set for $49.50 in the Happy fragrance which is a 1.7 perfume, a 2.5 lotion, and then a perfume rollerball/Bonfire gloss dual-ended wand. For men, there’s several things. A Black by Kenneth Cole set retails for $72, and you get a 3.4 and a .5 EDT spray, a 3.4 aftershave gel, and a 2.6 deodorant. There’s an Euphoria Men set for $72 which has a 3.4 EDT and aftershave splash, and for $2 more you can get a Givenchy Play set in the same sizes and products. Back to giftsets, though. For $90, there’s a lovely Viva La Juicy set which is a 3.4 EDP and 4.2 lotion and shower gel. A Be Delicious (DKNY) set with a 1.7 EDP and 3.4 lotion is $55, and then two exclusive to ULTA sets: a Daisy set for $65, which has a 1.7 EDT, 2.5 lotion, and mini EDT rollerball; and a Princess (Vera Wang) with a 1.7 EDT, 2.5 lotion, and a shimmer body powder brush.

Not exactly perfume, but Ed Hardy has a brand new makeup palette for women, complete with stage lights. It’s $55, and it looks like six shadows, six lipglosses, a bronzer, brushes, and so forth. BUT WAIT! If you are an Ed Hardy fan like me, the next two pages are full of WIN. Yes, there are now Ed Hardy appliances for your hair! For $99.95, you can get a 1″ flat iron, a hairdryer (both in off-white with the geisha, which is my favourite Ed Hardy design by far…hell I have the geisha shoes), or a travel tool kit (a mini hair-dryer, diffuser, and then something else which I have a feeling is a mini flat-iron, or a groomer tool). There’s also hairbrushes, hair accessories, and for $25, a flat iron pouch.

Moving onto makeup, all of the cheapie colour collections (translation: beauty blockbuster palettes), as well as Caboodles traincases and selected cosmetic bags, are B1G1 50% off. There’s a B2G2 mega mix/match on ULTA brand merch-bath, smoothies, body swirl creams, cosmetics, minerals, haircare, and brushes/makeup tools. Of interest are the ULTA LE holiday scents-four Smoothies (Gingerbread Cookie, Cinnamon Roll, Candy Cane, and Cranberry Tart) and three regulars (Vanilla Nutmeg, Winter Berries, Sugar Plum Dreams). On B2G1 free? Revlon cosmetics, Almay cosmetics, Nicole by OPI, Borghese nail stuff, Sally Hansen lip and nail products, and my favourites-OPI and Essie. Sadly you can’t combine brands, as always, but hey, it’s time to stock up. Again. I kinda need to ignore this whole no-buy thing:) There are also some OPI sets for $14.95 that have two of the holiday polishes and then a free bracelet.

All L’Oreal, Olay, Neutrogena, and then stuff from Lumene, Yes To Carrots, Jergens, and more are 15% off. There’s tons of value sets, too-a free 3 brush set with $12 Physician’s Formula purchase, a free Shape/Shine nail tool with $20 Tweezerman purchase, an $18 ULTA Minerals traincase, a $13 ULTA shadow palette, a $15 ULTA 10-gloss set, and more. Onto B1G1 50% off-NYX, Bonne Bell, Cover Girl, Eco Tools, Neutrogena, Carmindy by Sally Hansen, Ardel, Maybelline (face and lip), Rimmel/Rimmel Underground, L’Oreal, and Japonesque. Burt’s Bees, meanwhile, has several value sets, including a mani-pedi set (just add your favourite OPI or Essie polish) for $20.

Speaking of which, when the heck is ULTA going to put China Glaze on sale? Grr…then again, they don’t carry jack squat as far as CG goes. My biggest suggestion is expand the China Glaze range tenfold, and see sales grow.

Anyways, I love candles, and there’s a deal where if you spend $30 or more in Yankee Candle you get a 3.7 Cranberry Peppermint (yum) jar. Also, the Christmas Wreath, Christmas Cookie, and Home For the Holidays scents are B1G1 50% off. There are plenty of gift-y things next, such as a Snuggie knockoff (designed to be a blanket that happens to have sleeves, not something that makes you look like a fashion victim or roadkill…heh) and thick, thick socks. The latter one actually sounds really good, but Fred Meyer traditionally does 50% off all socks on Black Friday, and let me tell you my order: ONE OF EVERYTHING NEON. Neon and fluffy are my two favourites.

In bodycare, there’s a $20 Ahava set in a photo-frame box with shower gel, hand cream, body lotion, and foot cream, in what looks to be full-sizes. H2O Plus has a $20 set of 4 of their 4-0unce body balms, and if you like ULTA Bath stuff you can get your choice of three scents in two colours of bag for $15-the set has shower gel, lotion, creamy body wash, and hand cream. Selected holiday bath sets are 25% off, too. Anthony Logistics, meanwhile, has a starter set for $40, and Dermalogica has a men’s shave set for $35. The Anthony Logistics set is actually the sort of thing I would get my boyfriend-get him some really, really good skincare.

Finally, onto prestige cosmetics. This ain’t a thin ad, let me tell you. Unfortunately this is a rewards-cycle ad, and let’s just say all my money was spent AFTER the cutoff. Grr. I will definitely be at level 5 at the very least, though, between everything. Anyways, back to the ad. For $18, you can get an oh-so-cute little Bare Minerals lip palette, with five shades. Totally something that I’d get for my mum. There’s also a Jewel kit for $54, which has Citrine Radiance all-over colour, Yellow Sapphire and Smokey Amber eyecolours, Deep Amethyst liner/shadow, Pink Tourmaline blush, Cranberry Sorbet gloss, and three brushes-a flat-top buffer, a liner brush, and a shadow brush. Definitely the sort of thing I may have to eventually get, even though I wouldn’t use many of the eye colours (admittedly). Studio Gear has a free tote with $35 purchase, and that Carribean Sea shimmery powder looks quite lovely. Cargo has a $30 set with Paris shadow palette, Boogie Nights eye pencil, a Face/Body sparkle, and then a gloss quad. The quad actually looks quite pretty-a greyish-blue, a copper brown, a gold, and then a greyed lavender. Too Faced has the Queen For A Day kit which is not my sort of thing colour-wise, but a great value nonetheless. Benefit, meanwhile, has great deals galore. The Celebutante kit is $34, and has 2 mini lipsticks, a mini lipgloss, mini High Beam, mini Benetint, two of their Velvet shadows, a dual-ended Fluff/Talent eye brush, the Dallas powder, and their mini powder brush, all for $34. Totally cute, but I would get zero use out of it. There’s also a lipstick trio for $18-in full sizes, natch. The Powderazzi set is cute, with minis of Hoola, Dallas, and Coralista in one box for $30. Fnally, for $26, you can get a trio of dual-ended gloss wands.

Smashbox, for Christmas, is doing the Wish collection, with a portion of the proceeds from the items in this paragraph going to the Children’s Miracle Network. For $59, you can get their answer to cheapy blockbuster palettes. It has 64 eyeshadows (meep), 8 cream liners (and a damn good range of them, too), 6 Brow Tech powders, one Brow Tech wax, 8 lipglosses, 2 blushes, one “complexion brightener”, one bronzer, one highlighter (please be Softlights), and four brushes-a shadow, liner, brow, and lip. As much as I hate those sorts of things, I love the colour range, and it’s for a good cause. Anywhoo, the other sets include a $29 lipgloss set with six assorted glosses, a $44 Eye Wish palette with 16 shadows and an eye primer, a $39 Photo Finish set (full-size and mini), and a $20 set with a Softlights, Lash DNA, and something else that I can’t put my finger on. Grr.

Bourjois has some of their shadows in special packaging-and this is cool, it’s all vintage Paris-inspired stuff. You also get a free cosmetic bag with $25 purchase, which will come in handy when I have to rebuy my mascara. Napoleon Perdis has a free tote bag and Chandelier Shine lipgloss/nail polish duo with a $25 purchase from the holiday collection, which will get its own review here in due time. Pur Minerals has a Chisel brush free with 4/1 pressed powder purchase, too. Urban Decay, meanwhile, has the Book of Shadows Volume 2, which if you don’t already have it you have to buy, as well as the 24/7 Super Stash. Side note-the Super Stash liners are WAY smaller than even the minis in the other sets. Buy at your own risk.

LORAC has two sets-a Couture Shine gloss collection for $22.50 with 5 shades, and a $30 palette with 8 shadows, 2 blushes, a gloss (tube-form), and a dual-ended liner. It says the palette is a $180 value, but I dunno where they got that. Something I can understand more though is POP Beauty’s Cabaret Bouquet box, which is $29.50, and looks like a funky palette at first. You get a wavy eyeshadow quint, two different face powder things…but wait! Pull on the side drawers, and you get bronzer and then 8 lip shades. Totally buying this. Also there’s the Stila Lipglaze set for $25, which has 4 LE shades and 4 best-sellers. Need to go under $20? Too Faced has the Glamour to Go 3, with 8 shadows, 4 glosses, and a blush. Cargo has a 5-piece set of Boogie Nights eyeliners. Stila has a Kitten set with a mini Kitten glaze and then all-over shimmer, but most exciting is POP Beauty’s Pin-Up Pop set for $10, which is a 12-shadow palette.

Elizabeth Arden has a 7-piece gift with $24.50 purchase, including a giraffe-print tote, capsules, and more. Peter Thomas Roth has a free deluxe sample of Un-Wrinkle foundation with any purchase, and there’s plenty of value sets-a $45 Sue Devitt eye pencil trio, a $35 Anastasia brow/lash set (definer, highlighter, mascara), and a $99 Stri-Vectin set. Dermalogica, meanwhile, has five Try-Me kits (anti-aging, normal to dry, normal to oily, dry, and sensitive, plus you can get a Dermalogica treatment in the salon for only $30 if it’s your first time.

In skincare, you can get a Cosmedicine Normal or Oily skincare set for $25, featuring cleanser/toner in one, an exfoliator, and a moisturizer. Kinerase has a $90 set with Extreme Lift Face, Intensive Eye Cream, and Ultimate Day Moisturizer. Murad has a 30 Day Acne Complex kit for $36 with cleanser, spot treatment, exfoliating gel, and perfecting lotion, plus you can get a mini Pomegranate lip cream with any Murad purchase. Boscia has a $45 travel set, plus a free sample of the Vital Daily Moisture SPF 15 with purchase. Exuviance has a free sample of Evening Restorative Complex with purchase, while Mario Badescu has a free sample of Hyaluronic Eye Cream with purchase. There is also a new Vitamin C serum for $45, but I’m happy with my Avon (which I’ve forgotten completely about, oops). Perricone, meanwhile, has a Youthful Skin Prescription set for $75, with face wash, toner, face firmer, and moisturizer, plus a packet of the ceramic skin smoother with any Perricone purchase.

Onto haircare (this is a 64-page ad, and we’re only at 48 folks), duos and trios from Redken, Matrix, Nioxin, Biosilk, Chi, and Paul Mitchell are B1G1 50% off, as are Rusk, Joico, and Bed Head gift sets. Blow has a free travel kit with $30 purchase, Alterna has a free 1.5 ounce Caviar working spray with full-sized product purchase, Kenra has a hairspray duo for $15, and Oscar Blandi has a dry shampoo and dry shampoo spray duo for $22. The last one, I am actually interested in, because I have been wanting to see if dry shampoos are really all that they are cracked up to be.

John Frieda and L’Oreal Vive Pro haircare is B1G1 50% off, and Nexxus liter duos are $30. Pantene is 3/$10, and L’Oreal Excellence to Go haircolour is $7.50. Selected hair accessories are 25% off, as are the Hairdo by Jessica Simpson bands and wrap-around ponytail.

Selected grooming tools and mirrors are 20% off…including electric razors. Yum. I do need to get a lighted mirror, though, bcause if I get my actual vanity working, I won’t have access to my power strip, so no light:( On a better note, ULTA is now carring the InStyler, which is a styling tool that “does it all”. Doesn’t do my dishes, so it can’t do it all…okay, all joking aside, it says it straightens, curls, smooths, or flips in just minutes. Zoe has a 1″ flat iron or a dryer in the polka-dot pattern for only $30, and the coordinating brushes 25% off. CHI has the 1″ ceramic flat iron for $100, the FHI 1″ black flat iron for $80, the Ken Paves 1′ digital flat iron or hairdryer for $80, and Rusk has their Speed Freak dryers, Go Green dryer, and 1″ flat iron for $80 as well. Hot Tools has the Tourmaline Lite hairdryer for $60, and the Ceramic Ti flat irons are $40. Sedu has a 1″ Revolution flat iron for $140, but you get a free mini styler. Hot Tools has the Pinkie mini flat iron (1/2″) for $25, and Revlon has their 1″ Perfect Heat straightener, with bonus 1/2″ straightener, for $20. All Revlon hot air stylers are $40 as well. The Perfect Heat Ceramic Straightener by them is $25, but this is the pink one. Remington has the Wet 2 Straight and Wet 2 Style irons for $25, and Conair has the Infiniti You (a straightening/curling iron) for $30. FHI has their Go 1″ flat iron for $50, in many colours. Oh yeah, more Zoe stuff…pink/white dryer, flat iron, or slim flat iron for the $30. Ultra CHI 1″ flat irons are $120, and they come with a free nail polish, base coat, and thermal pouch. Seven colours to choose from-a turquoise or pink polka-dot, a red damask, a pink leopard, a gold dot, a black/red dot on white, and a fuschia dot.

On the back cover there’s a 5/$5 mix/match-some ULTA Bath stuff, some mini CHI/Biosilk silk therapy poducts, some hair accessories, some ULTA Cosmetics, some fun nail clippers, and more. In a nutshell, stocking stuffers, and for the most part, stuff I would not use. Except for the bath fizzies, cause those are awesome.

Me? I’m sticking to my OPI’s and Essies.