Collective Haul: Sephora, MAC & Ulta!

Hello everyone! Today I'm here to show you all of the things I have purchased these past few months! Both Sephora and Ulta had a 20% off sale recently and I took advantage of it! The Sephora sale was only for friends and family of the employees but a girl on Twitter gave me an extra code, which was so sweet of her! I believe the Ulta sale is still going on but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, let's see what I got!

Let's first start off with Sephora! I only bought a few things using the code a nice girl gave me, but I'm pretty sure I will be buying more when the VIB 20% sale comes along! What can I say, I love makeup! I picked up the NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base because I recently ran out of it and I needed a new one. This is seriously the best eyeshadow primer ever! If you have oily eyelids, check it out! You'll love it! I also decided to get the Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette. I've heard mixed reviews on it but I wanted to try it out for myself. I've been eying the Josie Maran Winter Dreams Argan Color Collection set for a while now and decided to get it. I'm new to Josie Maran products but I've heard great things about the products, especially the watercolor eyshadows! They look really interesting! Lastly, I picked up the Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Quartet. I love these little suckers! I have two of them full size in my makeup collection and I wanted to get more of them in the colors I don't have! Unfortunately, this set is already sold out but I have seen a six piece set at Nordstrom if you wanted to try them out! I love these cream eyeshadows!

Sephora haul!

Sephora VIB 15% Sale Haul!

Hey guys! I'm finally back to blogging! I've decide to take a break to focus on my school work. I hope to transfer to a university soon so I've been making sure that I'm on top of my school work. Anyway, Sephora recently had their 15% off sale for all BI/VIB/VIB Rouge members! I took advantage of the sale and decide to try some new things! Here's what I got!

From left to right: SEPHORA COLLECTION Instant Nail Polish Remover, SEPHORA COLLECTION Meet Your Match set, Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Rollerball, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush, Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. Samples: Benefit The Porefessional Agent Zero Shine, Murad Clarifying Wipes, Burberry Brit Rhythm

Did you get anything from Sephora?! Let me know! Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

Sephora VIB Sale Wishlist + Recommendations!

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been on here in a while. Life just happens you know? Anyway, Sephora just started their annual VIB 20% off sale this weekend. It started yesterday 11/7 and it goes through Monday 11/11. I believe the sale is only for VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider), but I received a card from Sephora that lets me give the 20% discount to a friend. If you know someone who is a VIB, ask to see if they have the extra code! Below is a list of items I either want in my wishlist or products I have personally used and love!

All images from sephora.com 

My Wishlist Items!

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection Limited Edition One Night Stand Cheek Palette ($65)

I currently own one NARS blush and I would love to try some of their most best-selling shades like Orgasm and Laguna. I missed out on the Danmari palette from last year and I'll make sure to purchase it this year!

GLAMGLOW Gift Sexy ($69)

I have heard so many great things about this product that I just have to try it! My close friend Michelle loves this product and usually anything she likes, I like!

FRESH Sugar Kisses Mini Lip Trio ($28)

I have used up both lip balms from the birthday set I received and I love them! I want to try out these other colors too!

BOSCIA Bright Stars ($54)

I have always wanted to try the Boscia line for quite some time now, especially the Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil!

My Recommendations!

TOO FACED Joy to the Girls ($46)

I love this palette! I recently made a review about this palette here on my blog so check it out if you're interested! It's perfect for the fall/winter season or as a gift!

SEPHORA COLLECTION Instant Nail Polish Remover ($9.50)

If you paint your nails often like I do, you definitely need this in your life! It has made removing nail polish such a breeze! All you do is stick your finger in for about 20-30 seconds and your nail is clean! This also works for glitter polishes too! I love it!

BUXOM Dolly's Opening Act™ Set ($29)

These lip glosses are seriously some of the best lip gloss out there! I own so many of them and I just want more! They have a minty scent to these and they do plump your lips a bit. They have a wonderful color payoff and seriously lasts all day! I love the sizes in this set too! Definitely check it out!

SHISEIDO The Makeup Facial Cotton ($9.50)

These are the best at removing makeup or applying toner! They feel so soft and gentle on the skin! I cut mine in half so that I don't waste any cotton. I love these!

What do you all plan on buying during this sale? Any recommendations? 

xo, Kathleen

Collective Haul! Sephora, Rite Aid + Blog Sale Items!

Hey guys! It's been waaaay too long since I've last posted a blog post here, (about a month!) and I truly missed blogging! There's really no excuse for not being on here as much. So much has happened this last month and I do plan on making a July Favorites as well so stay tuned for that! For now, I have a haul to show you guys! I did some online shopping at Sephora, bought a couple of things from Rite Aid and I even purchased some items off a blog sale! It was my first time buying things from a blog/using Paypal and I was so anxious about it! Thankfully, everything went well! Let's get onto the haul shall we?

I got an email saying I was 64 points away from being a VIB at Sephora so I figured why not buy a few things. I bought a Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear in the color 09 Girls Night Out. I've heard so many good things about this pencil and I can't wait to try it! I also bought another Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Amethyst. I have four of these already and I absolutely love them! They're perfect by themselves or as a base for your eyeshadows. Totally recommend these! For the deluxe sample, I chose the Clarins Body Lift Cellulite Control cream. I just wanted to try this out, see if my cellulite firms up lol! Lastly, the product I was so happy to have another one of, is the Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray. This is a holy grail for my oily skin. I recently ran out of this and I was so bummed. I'm so glad I have another bottle!

I went to Rite Aid looking for a new foundation to try. All the ones I own are starting to get a little funky or it no longer matches my face. I noticed the Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme display and they seriously only had four different shades to choose from. It was practically empty! Good thing I found an unopened bottle of my shade, 340. I then realized Covergirl was on sale buy one get one 50% off so I decided to check out another one of their foundations: the Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Makeup. I got the color 842. I've heard good things about both of these foundations so I can't wait to try them out!

I'm super excited about these products the most! I bought these items off a blog sale a few weeks ago and I'm so happy I did! I would totally recommend checking out www.muablogsales.wordpress.com! They have a list of my blog sales going on! I bought a Benefit blush in Bella Bamba, bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Finer Things, Sleek Ultra Matts V2 palette, MAC Watch Me Simmer lipstick and MAC Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass! Can't wait to play with these beauties!

What were your recent purchases? Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

My April Favorites!

Good evening guys! Today I'm here to show you my April favorites! This month I have a couple of beauty, skincare and other random things to show. Let's get right to it!

I made this little collage on Polyvore. Pretty cool huh?

1. St. Ives body washes - I've used many different kind of St. Ives body washes and I love them all! Right now I'm using the Renewing Collagen Elastin one and I love how moisturized your skin feels! I highly recommend these amazing body washes!

2. Sephora Collection Instant Nail Polish Remover - OMG! I am in love with this product! I recently decided to go inside Sephora just to browse around. I saw this from the corner of my eyes and was very intrigued by it. I bought it, went home and dipped my fingers in it, and became amazed by how fast and cool it took my nail polish off! There is a pre soaked foam inside the container so that all you have to do is dip your finger in it. So cool!

3. Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser - This is probably my new favorite cleanser. I saw this at Rite Aid a couple of months ago and I decided to pick it up and try it. I used it for a week straight and my skin was so much clearer than before! I also like that it's a foam because I have oily skin. You only need a couple of pumps and it lathers really well. Love it!

4. Fall Out Boy's "Save Rock and Roll" album - For those who don't know, Fall Out Boy is my favorite band of all time. So when I heard that they were making a new album, I totally freaked out! This album is nothing like their older music, which I like. I like artists who do different types of music styles. My favorites songs are "Alone Together", "Where Did the Party Go?", "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)" and "Miss Missing You". I also bought tickets for one of their concerts in September! So excited!

5. Korres Lipstick in 45 Coral - I'm pretty sure I've talked about this lipstick before on my blog. I just love it! It's the perfect coral shade for spring and summer! I need to buy more tubes of this because I'm almost done with mine!

6. Maybelline The Colossal mascara - Another tried and true favorite! This is my HG mascara! It gives amazing length and volume to my tiny lashes! I've purchased at least 4 tubes of this mascara already! Love love love this!

7. TOMS Ash Canvas shoes - I can't believe I haven't tried TOMS until now! My aunt gave me a pair because they were too small for her. I LOVE THEM! My feet feel so comfy and I love how they are all about giving back to those in need. They are kind of expensive but it's for a really good cause! Love them!

What were your favorites?

xo, Kathleen

Collective Sephora Haul!

Hey everyone! I mentioned in a previous blog post that I would show you what I have recently purchased at Sephora. If you didn't know, Sephora is basically my favorite beauty store. I love going in there every couple of weeks to see if there's anything new. I must say, my bank account is starting to dwindle because of my recent purchases. I can't help it! Anyways, let's get on with the haul!

On my first trip there, I headed straight to the NARS section. I'm starting to think that NARS is becoming my favorite high end brand. Once I got there, I noticed that they had a new set called And God Created The Woman Set ($59). It comes with an eyeshadow palette that has six neutral shades, a travel sized eye shader brush, and a travel sized Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I love wearing neutral colors so I knew I had to get this! I also got the Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Mexican Rose ($25), which is a beautiful hot pink color. It's almost spring and I'm starting to wear my hot pink and coral lip products! I think I'll do a blog post on my favorite spring lip products once spring starts!

Two weeks later, I went back to Sephora. I can't help that there's a mall within walking distance from my college! This time I bought skincare products. Lately, I've been very into taking care of my skin. For those wondering, I have combination-oily skin and I tend to breakout around my cheeks and chin. I was wandering around the skincare section when I came across Origins Skincare Must Haves set ($55). It comes with 0.5 oz Plantscription™ Anti-Aging Serum, 0.17 oz GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream, 1 oz Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash, 1 oz Modern Friction™ Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion and 1.7 oz VitaZing™ SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer. I like trying out new things and my current skincare routine just isn't cutting it for me. I also saw the Shiseido Facial Cotton ($9.50). I've been using standard makeup wipes from many brands, drugstore and high end, to remove my eye makeup but they don't do a good job at removing my mascara. I bought these so that I could try it with MAC's Cleanse Off Oil. Can't wait to use these! So I got in line to make my purchases when I saw those bins that are right next to the registers. Of course I had to see what was inside and saw the Fresh Eyes Lash-Loving Duo ($10). This was an impulse buy. It comes with a 0.68 oz Soy Face Cleanser and a 0.07 oz Supernova Mascara in Black. I've heard good things about their Soy Face Cleanser so I'm happy to try it out one day.

And that concludes my collective haul! So many new goodies to play with! See you guys next time!

xo, Kathleen

Sephora VIB Sale Haul!

Hey everyone! I received my Sephora purchase today in the mail and thought I'd show you what I bought during their VIB sale! I didn't buy much this year because I'm saving up for a new laptop. Anyway, let's get to the haul!


From left to right: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colours in Jungle and Plum, Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Betty, MUFE Mat Velvet+ foundation in 45

If you would like to see swatches or reviews on any of these products, let me know! :)

Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

My Favorite Lip Glosses!

Hey there! I haven't been blogging as much as I would like but now I plan on blogging about once or twice a week. Yay! I am a true lipstick girl but lately I've been wearing lip gloss. So, I thought i would show you guys my favorite lip glosses!

The first lip gloss (from L to R) is the Sephora Collection Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Red Velvet. It is a super sheer red lip gloss. I went into my local Sephora about a year ago and I found it in one of those bins near the checkout stand for $4. I figured, "Why not"? I love the consistency of it: not too thick and not too watery. The scent smells like synthetic fruit which I don't really mind. It's a great beginning lip gloss for those who want to wear red but are intimidated by it.  I believe this line of lip gloss has been discontinued, which is a shame because I wanted to try more. Overall, this lip gloss is great!

The second lip gloss is Nars lip gloss in Stella. It's the most expensive one from the lot (coming in at $24) but I truly enjoy it! The Sephora website describes it as a "muted raspberry" color, which is true. It has some shimmer in it but not so much like a glitter bomb. Normally, I hate wearing shimmery lip gloss but Stella is really subtle. The texture leans more towards the thick side which makes it last longer on my lips than the Sephora brand lip gloss. Great lip gloss, but I'll wait until Sephora has another Friends & Family sale to buy more of them.

The third lip gloss is Stila lip glaze in Black Cherry. This is the thickest and stickiest lip gloss from the whole group. I don't recommend this if you don't like thick and goopy lip glosses. I bought this at L.A. IMATS this past June and I fell in love with it! It's a beautiful sheer burgundy color that is perfect for fall/winter! These are also fairly expensive ($22 a piece) but I would totally buy some more in value sets. This particular shade has no shimmer which is another reason why I love it so much.  Since Stila lip glazes are super thick, they really last a long time on your lips. I've gotten six hours of wear on these! Definitely recommend it if you love thick lip glosses!

Time for some inexpensive options! The fourth lip gloss is Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Coral Reef. I've been looking for a good color lip gloss for the summer and I stumbled upon Youtube Beauty guru Amarixe's blog post about these (http://www.amarixe.com/2011/02/revlon-super-lustrous-lip-glosses.html). I LOVE THIS LIP GLOSS! It's perfect! I love the consistency of them. I love the wide color range. I love how their texture. I love everything about this lip gloss! This is definitely my favorite lip gloss from the group! Can't say enough good things about it!

The fifth lip gloss is Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Dolly. Once again, another Youtube guru (MissJenFABULOUS) made me want to try these out these lip glosses. Buxom lip glosses are sold as being plumping lip glosses. I think I have normal sized lips but I just wanted to give this a shot. Once you put it on, you feel an immediate tingling sensation. Some people might not like that but I actually like it. It feels very cooling to the lips. Dolly is a neutral color, more on the pink side, that has shimmer in it. Like the Stila lip glazes, it is very thick. Love this lip gloss!

Last but certainly not least is another drugstore find, Maybelline Shine Sensational Lip Gloss in Tempting Toffee. I actually got this gloss because emilynoel83 on Youtube liked it! Here's a link to her video about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ0WjdAFpqY. They are not sticky and I love the scent on this one. It's smells very sweet, like caramel. Tempting Toffee is a rosy nude color that's perfect for anytime. I definitely need to try out some more of these lip glosses!

That concludes my top six favorite lip glosses! I love all of these and I hope you try them out too! Leave me a comment on what your favorite lip glosses are! I love trying out new things! Until next time!