Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a wonderful day! We had the usual family fest at my house, complete with 10+ dishes and enough food to feed the whole neighborhood, which was lovely as always. I like to take any occasion I can get to dress up, so I did my makeup autumnally: Sleek Original khaki in the crease, copper in the outer half, and Tarina Tarantino Fantastical beige in the inner third, with Prestige Intense Olive eyeliner on top and bottom. Lancôme Hypnôse Star (which I love) on my lashes, NARS Deep Throat on my cheeks, and lip balm finished the look!

I opted out of a lippie both because of the bold eye, and because I knew I would be eating a lot and didn't want to bother with reapplication, ha. I indulged in all the delicious foods, aided by a plethora of digestion-related pharmaceuticals (muscle relaxants help a ton, but they relax everything, so I took a pretty epic nap afterwards!); my belly will probably be angry for the next day or so, but it was nice to be able to join in all the yummies.

Since we are now well into the land of holiday beauty deals, here are a few promos that you might not have heard of but that are definitely worth checking out!
–20% off all orders at Meow Cosmetics with code GOBBLE; 20% off and free shipping for orders over $40 with code lightup; I love their powder foundation, particularly the Pampered and Flawless formulations
–30% off at The Body Needs, home to MAC lipstick, pigment, and paint pot samples, today and tomorrow with code SAVE30; 25% off on Saturday and Sunday with code SAVE25; 20% off on Monday with code SAVE20. I'll have reviews and swatches of the rest of the shades I purchased a couple of months ago up on Sunday, but bottom line: if there's a MAC lippie you've been wanting to try, this is an excellent way to sample a ton of colors!
–10% off at Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve with code CYBERCVS13 Friday through Monday; I probably won't have time to post full reviews, but I really like their Rosemary Mint shampoo (volumetastic!), Goat Milk Honey Oatmeal soap (completely got rid of the eczema on my arms!), and plan to pick up a bar of the latter and the Rose Shea, which is just insanely creamy and wonderful. You can see my reviews here and here; this sale is the only one I've seen them have in the 6+ months I've been following, and it would be a great way to try out their sample bars for a slightly discounted price.

Nouveau Cheap has a fantastic round-up of other sales and deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as does Beauty Look Book, if you have extra money lying around ;-)

What did you do for Thanksgiving? Any sales you plan on taking part in?

Urban Decay Deluxe Palette Quick Review and Swatches

I said I would review this once I had some EOTDs using it, but I have decided to just post this now since it's being discontinued but is still available at Sephora and Urban Decay and I don't know how long it will last. And I have one EOTD, which is something, I guess? (I know y'all stop by for some quality blogging, and I am clearly here to deliver...)

Skincare Saturday: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 in Original and Rosé Review and Swatches

I think everyone was super psyched when this year's Sephora birthday gift was announced at the end of last year. I know I was, at least! I've heard pretty much nothing but good things about the Fresh lip balms, but at $22.50 apiece, they're just too expensive for me to want to purchase if I'm not sure they'll work out. Enter the birthday duo!

Fresh Sugar Rosé and Original Lip Treatments

Deal Alert: Benefit Mini Sets

I was browsing Sephora the other day, as one does when one is procrastinating on article reading, and came across three new sets from Benefit that are just adorable. I was going to post them under Currently Coveting, but I don't actually want them for myself, as I've tried pretty much everything from Benefit that I would be interested in trying. However, I thought it prudent to do a little PSA for any of you who do want to try out the brand and who don't stalk the Sephora website!

Tan About Town, $12 ($37 value)

0.06 oz Some Kind-A Gorgeous in Medium

0.14 oz BadGal Lash

0.1 oz Hoola bronzer (reviewed here)

Coral My World!, $12 ($22 value)

0.13 oz Sun Beam

0.1 oz Coralista

Full Glam Ahead!, $12 (30 value)

0.09 oz Stay Don't Stray eyeshadow primer

0.13 oz High Beam

0.14 oz BadGal Lash

Totes adorbs, right? Any cute steals and deals you've spotted recently?

Upcoming Sephora Deals

I saw this list of codes for Sephora on Temptalia and thought I'd share the ones I'm most excited about. This probably means I'll have to make a Sephora order to take advantage of them...fortunately, I've got a wishlist a mile long! They all require a purchase of $25+, and are good into May. Whee!

Starting this week:
Free Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Toilette deluxe sample spray with code 4HER, 4/18 through 5/21 (I reviewed this here; it's 0.33 oz and the perfume is really lovely! I definitely recommend it as a friendly, likable, approachable musk and rose)
Choose 1 of 2 free Origins deluxe moisturizer samples with $25+ purchase with code EARTH12, 4/21 through 5/21

Starting next week:
Choose 1-2 (not sure if that means 1 to 2 or 1 of 2, though I suspect the latter) deluxe fragrance samples with code SCENT4U, 4/24 through 5/24
Choose 1-4 fragrance sample bags with code 6SCENTS, 4/27 through 5/31 (also not sure what the fragrances included are, but with 4 to choose from, there's bound to be a combination that appeals!)

Any products you plan on picking up to snag one of the special bonuses?

Ross Nail Polish Haulage: Pics and Swatches

I went to Ross yesterday, because Nouveau Cheap posted that a reader had found a set of (long discontinued) Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, and, being the duochrome whore that I am, I had to go and check out my local Ross to see if I would be lucky enough to find it myself. I not only found the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, but also picked up a set of Color Club holos and glitters, Beyond the Mistletoe, which is, according to Fashion Polish, new for the season. So, for $14, I walked away with 4 duochromes, 5 holos, 2 glitters, and a top coat. Needless to say, I was hyperactively excited (and tweeted Nouveau Cheap about it, because if anyone can appreciate a good deal, it would be her!). I haven't had the chance to test any of them for wear or anything, but I wanted to get swatches up so you can see what the dealio is, and hopefully get yourself to a Ross to check them out!

Color Club first; the bottles I have don't have names on them, but I got the names from Fashion Polish (who got them from Color Club, so one assumes they're accurate).
ETA: These were $7.99 at Ross, and the Color Club website has them listed at $48.00 ($8 apiece). So, if you're interested in the set, it's definitely worth checking your local Ross!

Beyond the Mistletoe, left to right: Sugarplum Fairy, Beyond the Mistletoe, Holiday Splendor, Jingle Jangle, Candy Cane, Gingerbread

Sugarplum Fairy is a pale lavender holo in a clear base; it's the strongest holo out of all the ones in this set, and it's reeeeeeeally pretty. In some lights it approaches being linear (still wanting a linear holo polish like whoa, though). Very delicate and sparkly, much like a fairy!

We'll pretend it's blurry on purpose, mk? 3 coats Sugarplum Fairy with 1 coat top coat

Beyond the Mistletoe is a light blue holo in a clear base; it's a bit sparser than Sugarplum Fairy and not quite as holographic, but very close.

3 coats Beyond the Mistletoe with 1 coat top coat

Holiday Splendor is a subtle green holo in a green tinted base. This one's not nearly as sparkly as SF and BtM, but it's really, really green, which definitely makes up for it. I'm thinking I may need to wear this for my next Duck manicure...I can pair it with Gingerbread and be super glittery and awesome!

3 coats Holiday Splendor with 1 coat top coat

theBalm at TJ Maxx: Deals and Steals to the Max(x) (I hate myself)

I was feeling the need to check and see if TJ Maxx had gotten another shipment of theBalm products, since every time I've gone on the weekend there's been nothing, and lo and behold: oodles and oodles of theBalm holiday sets and individual products (though not the one I've been particularly lemming, namely Cabana Boy blush).  I snapped some crappy pictures for y'all (you're welcome):

A whole load of makeup kits from theBalm, ranging from eye to face to lip kits, with some combos thrown in for good measure

Shady Lady eyeshadow palettes, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, each a mere $12.99 each, $39.50 normally. If you like eyeshadow and enjoy pops of color (unlike some people who only wear neutrals, *cough*), this is an absolutely unbelievable deal. 

4 full-size lip products! I was so tempted to get this, but then I remembered I hated the sample of Stainiac that I got, and I don't really like or wear lip gloss, so that would basically be $25 down the drain. But it's a fantastic deal for those who would be able to make use of the products!

Close-up of the Green Eye Kit (as in, the kit for people with green eyes, not the kit with green eyeshadow...I was confused by this for a bit), which comes with Overshadow loose mineral shadow, 2 Shady Lady eyeshadows (I can't remember exactly which ones, sorry!), Balms Away makeup remover, and Cheater mascara

And my favorite Balmbini palette!

There were other kits and sets available too, including a bunch for skincare (I was also tempted by the Clear Skies Ahead kit for combo/acne-prone skin, but decided my skin is too unpredictable to risk the $23), several nail polish sets, and some super-cute pouches with nail, lip, and eye/cheek products (some had Betty Lou-Manizer, others had eyeshadow).

I picked up the "You're Giving Me a Complexion" set because I've been wanting a new liquid foundation/tinted moisturizer, and thought the other products sounded promising, too.  I opted for the Light option, only to discover upon opening it at home that all of the products were Medium (2 shades down from what I needed!).  Extremely annoyed, I did the 20 minute trip back to TJ's to see if they had a light kit that actually had light products, and after establishing that the moisturizer and TimeBalm were both as they were supposed to be, exchanged it for another.  Of course, upon getting home, I realized that the Liquid TimeBalm concealer was Nude, not Fair like the box had claimed, so it's a shade darker than I was promised (boo, hiss), but I'm going to continue playing around with the products to try and get them to work for me.  The TimeBalm Tinted Moisturizer in Light (which is the lightest it comes in, though it's only a small 3-shade range) is still a bit dark for me, but I'm going to try cutting it with moisturizer to see if I can't sheer it out and make it wearable.  Fingers crossed!  I'll write full reviews of everything after I've gotten the chance to wear it all more, but if you're interested in any of these products/kits, get to a TJ Maxx soon, because I don't know how long they'll last!  Just be sure to open the packages and check the contents to save yourself some misery.

Tip Tuesday: Discount Beauty Sites

I'm changing it up with Tip Tuesday!  Because who wants to pay more than necessary?  Here are some great sites for budget-minded beauty folk.  I haven't ordered from all of them, but they are all well-respected and -reviewed by other beauty bloggers.  Some of them are dedicated discount beauty sites, whereas others are the sale section of beauty brands (always a great place to look).

All Cosmetics Wholesale (and its new sister site, Suite 7 Beauty)

ACW is the motherlode of discount beauty websites.  Their selection is truly mind-boggling, and I have spent many hours perusing it and idly adding items to my shopping bag (though I've yet to actually purchase anything from them).  They have some really great deals on stuff (their clearance section often has oodles of 50% off+ sales), though it varies by brand, and they also have a huge selection of discontinued MAC products (at a marked-up price due to their rarity, of course).  I've got several lipsticks from Urban Decay, NARS, and Clinique in my shopping cart right now, and I'm just biding my time until I feel I can afford it to order them…Suite 7 Beauty carries Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, NYX, Lime Crime, and Sugar Pill, among others, though the prices there are usually the same as retail.

Beauty Sales, Part II

I posted the first batch of F&F sales I knew about yesterday, but there are a couple more that have started today!

The Body Shop is having their annual 30% off sale, no code needed, through Nov. 13, and Too Faced has 20% off with code FF2011F through Nov. 16.  The Body Shop is well-loved for their body butters, and Too Faced has some great eyeshadow palettes (including my beloved Natural Eye!), so now's a good time to pick those up if you're interested!

Beauty Sales

There's a few F&F and beauty sales going on right now, so I thought I should share some of them with you!

NYX is 40% off on Cherry Culture through Nov. 13th with code NYX40––methinks I'll have to pick up some more nail polishes (even though I really should go on a nail polish no-buy, since my collection has expanded exponentially...) and maybe another eyeshadow or two!

Benefit is having their F&F sale through Nov. 14 with code LOVEYALL (holiday items are excluded, sadly!)

Beauty.com has 20% off your order through Nov. 11th; there are a few brands that are excluded (Fresh, Jane Iredale, and a couple others), but this is a great chance to pick up some discounted brands that aren't available from Sephora, like Cargo and Vincent Longo.

That's all I know of right now, but I will update if I come across any others, and feel free to share more in the comments!

Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette Review and Swatches

I picked up several things during the Sephora F&F sale, including this palette from Urban Decay.  Originally released this summer, I wanted it from the first time I saw it on Temptalia, but I knew it would eventually go on sale, so I bided my time.  I've never tried any Urban Decay eyeshadows, but the Naked palette has gotten such rave reviews that I've been wanting to for a long time.  Luckily for me, on sale did it go, and with my 20% off code, I picked it up for a mere $14.40.  Happy days!

Closed Rollergirl palette (gloss not shown, obviously)

Philosophy 3-in-1 Shower Gels on Sale at Nordstrom (with free shipping, as always!)

Thanks to Musings of a Muse for this tip:

6 oz bottles of Philosophy shower gel are available at Nordstrom for $7.50 each, 2/$12, or 3/$15, in these scents:

Sugar Plum Frost
Ginger Berry Frost
Fresh Vanilla Frost
Peppermint Bark
Holiday Lights Aglow
Twinkle Berry
Brown Butter Cookie
Christmas Cookie
Snow Angel
Peace on Earth
Senorita Margarita
Vanilla Birthday Cake
Cinnamon Buns
Raspberry Sorbet
Hot Buttered Rum

Shipping is free (always! as are returns), and this is a great way to try out their shower gels if you haven't, or pick up some new ones to try (especially since, if you order 3, they're cheaper per ounce than the full sized ones!). I've only used their Vanilla Birthday Cake, since I got it for free from Sephora, and while I'm not completely cuckoo crazy for it, I do like it (and it's lasted a long time). It's running low now and I've been planning to get some new shower gels anyways, so this sale came along at the perfect time! I ordered Holiday Lights Aglow (citrus and evergreen), Peace on Earth (orchids), and Cinnamon Buns, based solely on what I thought sounded best from the descriptions, so we'll have to see if I like them as much in actuality.

Will you pick up any? Are you a fan of Philosophy shower gels?

P.S. Also this is my 200th post!  We'll say those shower gels are a gift to myself for making it this far :-)  Thank you all so much for reading and commenting; this blog would be pointless if not for you!

Meow Cosmetics Founders Day Sale!

I've talked a fair bit about Meow Cosmetics (click on the "Meow Cosmetics" tag on the right to go to all my posts about them), and I'm happy to announce that their best sale of the year is going on for the next week+!  Use the code "WildRide" to get free shipping and 25% off your entire order.  I've loved pretty much everything I've tried from them, and I highly recommend taking this opportunity to order anything you're interested in!  Shipping will probably be pretty slow, but if you order soon (before they get too inundated) they should be able to process your order faster.  The longest it's ever taken for one of my orders to arrive is 10 business days to the west coast (after their 4th of July sale), but if you're on the east coast it will almost certainly arrive well before then.  Happy shopping!