Sephora Spring 2014 Haul

I’m a makeup lover – even though you won’t see me wearing all that much, I just looove buying it, swatching it, looking at it and just having it…is anyone else out there like me? I also looooove deals – I would be an Extreme-Couponer if I could only figure out how. So when the Sephora VIB sale rolls around, my two loves collide [cue music]. In fact, I oftentimes hold out on my purchases because I know I can get my fix on a discount in October and April. Sure there are times when I fall off the wagon and make purchases at full price (see my lip products haul here), but on the whole, I really do try. That counts, right?

Anyway, last weekend, my hubs-to-be and I were going to Delaware, home of Tax-Free shopping, during the VIB sale. So not only was I getting 15% off, I was also getting it tax free! The deal-lover inside me cackled with glee. I stockpiled on a lot of my essentials and while the following items seems like a lot, these will last me until the October sale.

Here’s an overall view and breakdown of my purchases and some thoughts:

 

You can also see my video haul here on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-DyhHi8b4.

Perfume – Perfume never goes on sale, so I really take advantage of the VIB sale. This year, I got the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White perfume and the Stella McCartney Stella perfume. Both of these are amazing and I don’t know why they haven’t made it into my perfume collection before. I am not a fan of overly-powerful perfumes, like Victor and Rolf or Chanel. I’m more of a light, clean smell that has a feminine twist (sounds like a cocktail doesn’t it?). And both of these perfumes are just that! Very light and clean – something that I can’t go to crazy with. Some other perfumes in my collection are Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy and Chloe. You can’t tell that well from the photos, but the Stella bottle is significantly smaller than the Nirvana White bottle, even though they’re both 1 fluid ounce. I wish the Stella perfume had a bit nicer packaging- the top is also difficult to remove, which is odd for a perfume. I love the Nirvana White packaging!

 

Sephora describes Nirvana White to be “Delicate peony, muguet, and musk wrap an alluring sophistication around a soft blend” and Stella as “A fragrance based on the contrast between the fresh, soft rose, and the dark, sensual amber, Stella is a sophisticated scent focused on intense femininity.” Take from that what you will. I never know what to expect the perfumes to smell like just from reading the descriptions!

Sunscreen – I have the type of skin that develops freckles at the tiniest hint of sunshine. My options are to live like a vampire or slather on sunscreen compulsively. As most of you may know, sunscreen can be a real pain to put on – it feels oily, makes you look shiny and can be difficult to blend in due to the thick white, pasty consistency. Enter the Shiseido sunscreen for the face. This little baby has zero shine and has a thin, watery consistency that is a dream to apply and blend into the skin. The only real downside to this is the price – $30 but 1 fl oz. So I really stockpiled this time… and got 5. I use this pretty quickly so I’m a little concerned I didn’t get enough to last me until October, but I just couldn’t justify more than 5.

Skincare – I’ve really been into taking care of my skin lately, especially after getting my freckles removed (see my YouTube video here). So I researched a lot of items and settled on the Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel, Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum, Kate Somerville Goat Milk and Shiseido eye cream. I heard about the Kate Somerville item from Caroline Hiron, the Guru of All Things Skin Related. She raved about this – naturally, I had to try it out. For the Ole Henriksen items, I’ve used the Truth Serum in the past and loved it so I thought I’d give his other raved about items a try as well.

Makeup/Misc – I didn’t get that much makeup this time around (at this point, I was cringing to think of what my basket would be at the cash register). I got two of the Dior Lash primers – these make any mascara better by 1,000,000. I do not put on mascara without this! I also got the Stila Stay All Day Liquid eyeliner as a back up. My current Stila eyeliner is still going strong, but a black, winged eyeliner look is something I wear everyday, so I know I’ll need another one soon.

I had been wanting the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Luminous for the LONGEST TIME EVER, but I have been holding off to get it during the sale. But when I went to swatch it, it looked a little dark for my lighter skin color. I was so bummed – it is awful how much I want things just because they are hyped up on YouTube! Then I remembered Jaclyn Hill raving about the Laura Mercier baked highlighter in her 2013 favorites video and gave it a swatch. It is BEAUTIFUL. Wonderful to put on the high points of my cheekbones and also gorgeous as an all over, champagne eyeshadow.

Swatch of Laura Mercier highlighter 01. (Side note: I’ve never realized how hard it is to take a picture of a swatch! This photo does not do it justice – I highly suggest you go to your local Laura Mercier counter or Sephora and swatch this baby for yourself!)

I also got this bag as a freebie – all VIB members got this. It is not all that big, but perfectly sized for putting in my bag for my touch-up items. I like it, but I liked the VIB big shopping bag that Sephora gave out in October more because it is more versatile (I use that baby to bring my lunch to work every day).

So that was all I got for the Sephora VIB sale. Nothing too exciting, but I’m really pleased with what I got. For those wondering about my savings, I spent $626 and saved $110 + no tax. Did you get anything at the sale and do you have any recommendations for me to get during the next sale?