Pick-Ups & Deliveries: April 2015 — Sephora VIB Sale

on
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
As you may already know, Sephora had their VIB sale last month (I think they called it their "Love Note" sale or something like that), which entitled their VIB and VIB Rouge members 15% off all purchases. And I am nothing if not predictable when it comes to cosmetics sales. That is, I went a little overboard. Realistically, a 15% discount is really not a big deal when it comes down to it; I mean, in Ontario, it's a little over the amount of tax we have to pay, anyway. But I always use it as an excuse to grab all the things I've been eyeing since the November VIB sale. People do Spring cleaning, I do Spring hoarding.

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Jubilation, Frenzy, and Adoration

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny, Angela, Michiyo, Natalie, Catherine, and Brigitte

When I first saw that NARS was coming out with their Dual-Intensity Blushes, I knew I was going to want all of them (as Liz would say, my inner blush fiend roared to life!). I already love their Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows, so I knew there was going to be a really slim chance that I wouldn't be completely obsessed with these. And I was right. I couldn't get my hands on any of the Surratt blushes (they will be mine!) because they sold out online in approximately 2.8 seconds and they never came back in stock during the sale (or at least, not when I checked), so I decided three shades of the NARS Dual-Intensity Blushes were in order to make up for it. (Review and swatches to come, of course.) And since I was looking at NARS already, I (predictably) got more Audacious Lipsticks. I picked up five in brighter Spring and Summer shades, plus Fanny, which I categorize as just goddamn pretty all year round, season be damned. 

Clinique Cheek Pop Blushes (clockwise from left): Melon Pop, Nude Pop, Fig Pop, Rosy Pop, Heather Pop, and Pansy Pop

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Nude Pop, Beige Pop, Melon Pop, Wow Pop, and Grape Pop

I usually don't pay any attention to Clinique's make-up, but when they rolled out eight new shades of their Cheek Pops (by far my favourite Clinique product, and one of my favourite blush formulas of all time), I knew I had to check them out. Before this launch, they only had four shades in their Cheek Pop range, which are all beautiful but very limited (seriously, they had two warm peaches and two cooler pink shades), and they were in desperate need of variety. There were three of the new shades that I knew I was going to get for sure (Melon Pop, Fig Pop, and Pansy Pop), and then upon swatching, I chose another three shades that I would probably not have chosen just by looking at in the pan (Nude Pop, Rosy Pop, and Heather Pop) but look so, so pretty on the skin. To coincide with the launch of their new blushes, they also released a new lipstick range called Pop Lip Colour + Primer, which is meant to be a "rich, weightless formula that fuses bold, saturated colour with a smoothing primer." I had my doubts, and then decided to try on a shade and see how it would wear. And I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it: it's ultra-smooth, creamy, super pigmented, comfortable to wear, and never drying despite it's satin finish. So I bought five shades. You know, to start off with.

Too Faced La Crème Lip Cream in Honey Bear, Razzle Dazzle Rose, and Juicy Melons

Ardency Inn Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments in Heaven, Vintage Gold, Peacock, and Hell

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Blushed Copper

As you know, I have become quite addicted to Too Faced's La Crème lipsticks and wanted to pick up some new shades (I had written in my review that I'd be "hoarding many, many more"). I got all nudes last time, so I picked three decidedly different colours this time around that is also appropriate for this time of year. (Also, Sephora is all up on Too Faced's Melted Metals right now, and even though I'm all for '90s beauty trends making a comeback, metallic lips is just one that needs to be kept in the '90s. I will never, ever get into this look, so when the Sephora BA showed them to me as I was looking at the La Crèmes, I couldn't censor myself and just blurted out, "Ew, god, no!") I also got four more of Ardency Inn's Modster Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments (though still no luck getting my hands on Royal, which I have been trying to get for the last six months), and Becca's latest (and limited edition) Blushed Copper because you know I cannot resist a new Shimmering Skin Perfector (and also, I will be a glowing bronze goddess this summer).

Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder, Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Medium Light Neutral, Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Oil-Free, NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Crème in So Rouge

I've been wanting to try another oil-absorbing powder just to see if anything can compare to my MAC Blot, so the guy at Sephora recommended Urban Decay's De-Slick Mattifying Powder (I didn't even know they made this product; I thought they only had their De-Slick Setting Spray). Likewise, I got Urban Decay's new Naked Skin Concealer to see if I'd like it more than the NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer (which I quite like, actually... I just wanted to try something new); the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Oil-Free because MAC has changed the formulation on my beloved Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 and I have to go on the hunt for a new primer that'll keep me matte; a new tube of my favourite NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (I know some people have found it to be less effective the longer you use it, but it still works like a charm for me and is still my ride-or-die eye primer); a tube of Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara which I will see if I like more than Urban Decay's Perversion (my current holy grail); and a new travel-size bottle of my favourite perfume to keep in my purse. I spent so much at Sephora that I managed to renew my VIB Rouge status for another year (as in, to the end of 2016, which means I'm out of fucking control). And they gave me a mini Marc Jacobs lipstick as a gift. Well, I mean, it's the least they could do for spending thousands of dollars there every year, right?
10 comments on "Pick-Ups & Deliveries: April 2015 — Sephora VIB Sale"
  1. Ahhhh, you do us proud every time. :)

    All I got was some Surratts and I'm returning one of the eye shadows and the palette. (Shadows are just okay and palettes aren't necessary. I think the blush is the main star.) I just can't get into the Clinique flower blushes though. It felt to me like I had to scrape the top layer off or something and that would ruin the flower pattern!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm kinda broke-ish from my April hauling, but I WILL get those Surratt blushes in the next couple months... I saw that they're back in stock now, of course. :P I was gonna get a large palette; how is the blush container on its own?

      That's weird about the Clinique Cheek Pops. I've never had an issue where I couldn't get great colour pay-off from the get-go. Was it the tester, maybe? Like, too many people had touched it beforehand?

      Delete
    2. Surratt blush container is flimsy to just okay. You don't want it rattling around the bag because it's not sturdy enough for that, but it does click shut so I'm fine with not using the palette. The palette doesn't use magnets or stickers either which also seems just as insecure as not having it, so I didn't want to pay for that after all. Plus they don't make a palette big enough to house all the blushes together, lol.

      As for the Clinique, I had bought Ginger Pop or whatever and it wasn't all that great? I don't know. I like the Cola Pop shade so maybe I'll revisit them in the fall/winter.

      Delete
    3. Fair enough; at $24 or whatever, it's really not worth it for a flimsy palette. If I get enough of them in the future, I might put them all in a Z Palette or something...

      Hmm... What happened with Ginger Pop that you didn't like? I've been using the Pops for the past couple days and they're great. I do think, however, that you need a denser brush because of the texture of the blush, so maybe it's the tool you're using?

      Delete
  2. I want one of those Clinique blushes! I only bought a toner and had to return it because it was freaking my skin out, lol. So I exchanged it for the Bare Minerals complexion gel thing, which I do like. I want to get a new highlighter and some skincare soon, but our road trip starts tOMORROW...so no shopping til next month, lOL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YOU SHOULD GET THE CLINIQUE BLUSHES!!! I am IN LOVEEEE with them! (As if buying six more didn't tip you off...)

      Which toner did you buy?

      And yeah, I get it. Road trip = FOOD! and honestly, food > make-up. :P

      Delete
  3. But what color should I get? I want something different in a shade I don't already have.

    It was an Algenist toner!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I think Pansy Pop is the most unique colour of the whole range, but I don't know how much you'd wear lilac... :P I think you have a lot of warmer shades, right? I say Heather Pop because it's a cool-toned pink that doesn't veer into cotton candy/bubblegum territory, but it's soft enough to go with a ton of other colours.

      Delete
  4. I love living vicariously through your hauls, always impressive. I love my Clinique Peach Pop and now I can't wait for the new shades to be released in Australia - I'm tossing up between Fig Pop and Heather Pop at the moment but am looking forward to seeing them all in person.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, thanks! Oh, man, the new blush shades are gorgeous. I was tempted to get all eight of the new shades, but then I was like, I am not gonna wear Cola Pop enough to make it remotely worth getting (even though it would be pretty unique to my collection and the colour pay-off is to die for), and I have wayyyy too many pinks like Pink Pop that I don't wear enough. (I also have a ton of peach shades, but I wear them a LOT more than pinks... so I felt justified in having Peach Pop AND Melon Pop, LOL.)

      Delete

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