- LUSH - Buy any holiday item; get one free.
- Benefit "Sale-abration"
- Bath & Body Works Big Semi-Annual Sale
- Belli 30% Off End of Year Sale (enter promo code YEAREND30 at checkout)
- Boscia $25 off of a $100 purchase (enter promo code 25off at checkout)
- Drugstore.com End-of-Year Sale
- Crate & Barrel Winter Sale
- Sephora Big Beauty Sale
Friday, December 26, 2008
The "New" Black Friday...
So, as many of you are probably already aware, the sales cease to end. I've heard several people/places/things reference the day after Christmas as the "new" Black Friday (what happens when Christmas doesn't fall on a Thursday?). Here are but a few deals you can still check out for: a) a late Christmas gift (hey, today's only day 2 of 12); b) next year's Christmas gifts; c) an upcoming birthday/anniversary; or d) a little gift for yourself. Enjoy!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Glen Ivy Gift Card Discounts and Other Promos
Those of you who live in Southern California may or may not be familiar with Glen Ivy, our local hot springs spa and resort. They have three locations: the hot springs in Corona and two day spas in Brea and Valencia.
From now until December 24, you can purchase $100 Glen Ivy gift cards for $75 (that's a 25% discount)! These gift cards never expire, and the recipient can enter the spa for free on his/her birthday (normal rates are $35 during the week, and $48 on weekends and holidays).
Other discounts and promotions include:
(Note: Discounts for admission are not valid online.)
If you've never been to Glen Ivy, it's actually a pretty decent place to go. I've organized many spa days with girlfriends and have treated my mom to a birthday here. The only way I can describe it is as a sort of "spa theme park", with several pools and baths located all over their "campus". It's not an expensive, luxury resort, but it's pretty good for the money.
Oh, and while you're there, be sure to visit Tom's Farms, the local country store.
From now until December 24, you can purchase $100 Glen Ivy gift cards for $75 (that's a 25% discount)! These gift cards never expire, and the recipient can enter the spa for free on his/her birthday (normal rates are $35 during the week, and $48 on weekends and holidays).
Other discounts and promotions include:
- Free admission on your birthday (proof of date of birth required).
- 2 for 1 admission on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (until Dec 24).
- 20% off admission for firefighters (valid proof of ID required).
- 15% off admission for seniors (55+), Corona residents, military, police, nurses and teachers.
(Note: Discounts for admission are not valid online.)
If you've never been to Glen Ivy, it's actually a pretty decent place to go. I've organized many spa days with girlfriends and have treated my mom to a birthday here. The only way I can describe it is as a sort of "spa theme park", with several pools and baths located all over their "campus". It's not an expensive, luxury resort, but it's pretty good for the money.
Oh, and while you're there, be sure to visit Tom's Farms, the local country store.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Ends Today: 20% Off Cherry Culture
Cherry Culture, an online retailer of affordable cosmetics, is offering 20% off all purchases. Unfortunately, this only lasts through the end of today (Dec 18).
I was recently turned on to Cherry Culture by YouTube makeup artist xteeener. They carry one of my new favorite cosmetics brands, NYX.
For those of you not familiar with NYX, this is some really great stuff! The brand has developed a sort of cult following among many makeup fanatics, many of whom rank these products higher than many luxury boutique or department store brands. Here are a few of my own favorites:
The only thing that I can see people having a problem with is the fact that, while NYX is an American company, their products are made in China (they try to be fancy by using "P.R.O.C." instead). I, personally, don't find a problem with it. I have extremely sensitive skin, and I haven't noticed it giving me any weird reactions (unlike MAC, by the way, but that's an entirely different post). BUT there has been some major concern regarding products made in China within the last year, so I can understand people wanting to steer clear of it.
Anyway, if you're brave and want to give your support to inexpensive, good quality makeup, then take this opportunity to try NYX out.
I was recently turned on to Cherry Culture by YouTube makeup artist xteeener. They carry one of my new favorite cosmetics brands, NYX.
For those of you not familiar with NYX, this is some really great stuff! The brand has developed a sort of cult following among many makeup fanatics, many of whom rank these products higher than many luxury boutique or department store brands. Here are a few of my own favorites:
- Round Lipstick - Smooth and highly pigmented. Doesn't dry out your lips. Has a scent/taste that I can only describe as "Asian scented pen" (a mix between fruity and floral; people who shop at Sanrio and other Asian stationery stores know what I'm talking about), but I don't find it too offensive.
- All eyeshadow - Very soft and smooth texture. Blends SO easily. Great color payoff.
- Powder Blush - Again: soft, smooth, blends easily, and great color payoff.
The only thing that I can see people having a problem with is the fact that, while NYX is an American company, their products are made in China (they try to be fancy by using "P.R.O.C." instead). I, personally, don't find a problem with it. I have extremely sensitive skin, and I haven't noticed it giving me any weird reactions (unlike MAC, by the way, but that's an entirely different post). BUT there has been some major concern regarding products made in China within the last year, so I can understand people wanting to steer clear of it.
Anyway, if you're brave and want to give your support to inexpensive, good quality makeup, then take this opportunity to try NYX out.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Today Only: 20% Off Benefit Cosmetics
Get 20% off your entire order from Benefit Cosmetics by entering TWENTY08 (that's "zero eight") at checkout. This offer is only good until midnight tonight (Dec 17, 11:59 pm).
I'll be honest, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Benefit. I feel like a lot of their products are overpriced and mediocre (subpar, even). However, there are a few products that I've wanted to try, so I feel just a little more inclined to try them out with this discount. I can also activate an Ebates ticket for Benefit to get extra cash back, so there's an extra (little) incentive.
Anyway, check out their website and see if anything catches your eye. I might try giving their Lemon Aid eyelid primer a test run, but we'll see.
I'll be honest, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Benefit. I feel like a lot of their products are overpriced and mediocre (subpar, even). However, there are a few products that I've wanted to try, so I feel just a little more inclined to try them out with this discount. I can also activate an Ebates ticket for Benefit to get extra cash back, so there's an extra (little) incentive.
Anyway, check out their website and see if anything catches your eye. I might try giving their Lemon Aid eyelid primer a test run, but we'll see.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Great Things Come to Those Who Wait!!!
I said it before, and I'll say it again: Screw Black Friday! Better deals come as Christmas nears. MAC is now offering a 25% discount on their Holiday Kits Collection.
This offer is good both online and at your local MAC counter (MAC boutiques included), and is good while supplies last.
Get your gift on!
Past Post:
Attention All MAC Fanatics!!! (Holiday 2008 Collection)
This offer is good both online and at your local MAC counter (MAC boutiques included), and is good while supplies last.
Get your gift on!
Past Post:
Attention All MAC Fanatics!!! (Holiday 2008 Collection)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Macy's Friends & Family Sale
Hey all. The sales DEFINITELY did not end with Black Friday a couple of weeks ago. Here now is the Macy's Friends & Family sale. Enter the code MACYSFRIEND at checkout, and get 20% off your entire purchase. Spend more than $99, and you'll also qualify for free shipping. The only downside is that this offer does not apply to cosmetics, fragrances/perfumes, toys, and Coach products (uh, then why even bother, right???).
Anyway, if you decide to make use of this promotion, remember that Macy's is also an Ebates affiliate, so make sure you get that extra cash back.
This offer is only good through December 15.
Anyway, if you decide to make use of this promotion, remember that Macy's is also an Ebates affiliate, so make sure you get that extra cash back.
This offer is only good through December 15.
Friday, December 5, 2008
20% Off Bare Escentuals, This Weekend Only
Hey bareMinerals fans. Through this weekend only (Dec 5-7), Bare Escentuals is offering 20% off your entire order of Bare Escentuals and m.d. formulations products. This includes the ever popular i.d. bareMinerals products - just in time for gifting, but also perfect for stocking up. Just use promo code BELUV at checkout. (Shipping is free only for purchases over $75.) Also, Bare Escentuals is an Ebates affiliate, so be sure to log in for extra cash back!
Remember, this offer is only valid for purchases made through the Bare Escentuals website.
Remember, this offer is only valid for purchases made through the Bare Escentuals website.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wii Fit - Yes I Can!
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! I was able to get one!!!
It was so magically miraculous how it all happened! Yesterday was totally my lucky day. Anyone who hung out with me that day, expect little miracles in your life because I'm sure it rubbed off.
So, I had to meet up with a director I worked with. He wanted to give me a copy of the rough cut of his film (the one I shot for him about a year back). We were supposed to meet at 11:30am at Starbucks, but due to various reasons, he didn't show up until 12:30pm. Mind you, I was just going to be in and out, so I literally rolled out of bed and hopped in the car to get there. My original plan was to grab the DVD, go back home, and crawl back in bed (What can I say? I keep odd hours.).
Anyway, so that plan was shot down when I had to wait an hour for dude to show up. Meanwhile, as I was waiting, a friend of mine called. When I told her I was in her neck of the woods, we decided to grab some lunch.
By the time I decided to hit the road and head back home, it was already 3:30pm, MUCH much later than I had planned. With the traffic and everything, I was finally back in town at around 4:30pm. Since I was already out, I decided I would stop by the mall before heading home to check out my Christmas gifting options. As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent a brief part of the night before halfheartedly looking for the Wii Fit. It didn't hurt to try, so I walked into the Target and headed up the escalator to the video games section.
Lo and behold, the shelves were empty. Sigh. Oh well, it wasn't like I didn't expect that. So, I decided to spend a minute to see what games were out for the Wii, but had no desire to buy anything. Just as I was about to leave the aisle, an employee walked by, carrying a box in his hand. At first, I wasn't sure if he was an employee, because he wasn't wearing the same kind of bright red shirt Target employees usually wear.
Anyway, so he walked past me, and placed the box he was carrying back on the shelf and walked away. I looked over... It was a Wii Fit!!! Oh my God! Was I seeing right? I walked over, and yes. Yes, he did just put a Wii Fit back on the shelf! I waited a second to see if he was going to come back (he didn't), then I grabbed the box and headed straight over to checkout. I was so elated, I didn't even bother to open the box and make sure it wasn't some messed up returned item (thankfully, it wasn't). I immediately made the purchase and headed straight home.
To think that if my day had gone the way I had planned it to go, with dude showing up on time and me getting home and just crawling back into bed, none of this would have happened. I know it's kind of childish to be so excited over a video game component, but the whole experience of it all was so magical! For something so elusive that people are going to great lengths to obtain, for something like that to just appear so effortlessly in front of me... Magical.
...
Oh yeah, on that same day, I also ran into a classmate that I hadn't seen in a few years while I was at Starbucks, and the owner of the gas station whose carwash damaged my car finally gave in (after about a month of letter writing and getting corporate and the BBB involved) and said he would pay for the repairs to my car in full.
But the Wii Fit thing was still completely magical.
It was so magically miraculous how it all happened! Yesterday was totally my lucky day. Anyone who hung out with me that day, expect little miracles in your life because I'm sure it rubbed off.
So, I had to meet up with a director I worked with. He wanted to give me a copy of the rough cut of his film (the one I shot for him about a year back). We were supposed to meet at 11:30am at Starbucks, but due to various reasons, he didn't show up until 12:30pm. Mind you, I was just going to be in and out, so I literally rolled out of bed and hopped in the car to get there. My original plan was to grab the DVD, go back home, and crawl back in bed (What can I say? I keep odd hours.).
Anyway, so that plan was shot down when I had to wait an hour for dude to show up. Meanwhile, as I was waiting, a friend of mine called. When I told her I was in her neck of the woods, we decided to grab some lunch.
By the time I decided to hit the road and head back home, it was already 3:30pm, MUCH much later than I had planned. With the traffic and everything, I was finally back in town at around 4:30pm. Since I was already out, I decided I would stop by the mall before heading home to check out my Christmas gifting options. As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent a brief part of the night before halfheartedly looking for the Wii Fit. It didn't hurt to try, so I walked into the Target and headed up the escalator to the video games section.
Lo and behold, the shelves were empty. Sigh. Oh well, it wasn't like I didn't expect that. So, I decided to spend a minute to see what games were out for the Wii, but had no desire to buy anything. Just as I was about to leave the aisle, an employee walked by, carrying a box in his hand. At first, I wasn't sure if he was an employee, because he wasn't wearing the same kind of bright red shirt Target employees usually wear.
Anyway, so he walked past me, and placed the box he was carrying back on the shelf and walked away. I looked over... It was a Wii Fit!!! Oh my God! Was I seeing right? I walked over, and yes. Yes, he did just put a Wii Fit back on the shelf! I waited a second to see if he was going to come back (he didn't), then I grabbed the box and headed straight over to checkout. I was so elated, I didn't even bother to open the box and make sure it wasn't some messed up returned item (thankfully, it wasn't). I immediately made the purchase and headed straight home.
To think that if my day had gone the way I had planned it to go, with dude showing up on time and me getting home and just crawling back into bed, none of this would have happened. I know it's kind of childish to be so excited over a video game component, but the whole experience of it all was so magical! For something so elusive that people are going to great lengths to obtain, for something like that to just appear so effortlessly in front of me... Magical.
...
Oh yeah, on that same day, I also ran into a classmate that I hadn't seen in a few years while I was at Starbucks, and the owner of the gas station whose carwash damaged my car finally gave in (after about a month of letter writing and getting corporate and the BBB involved) and said he would pay for the repairs to my car in full.
But the Wii Fit thing was still completely magical.
Double Take: CoverGirl Eyeshadow
Oh my God! Am I hallucinating???
After watching xteeener's tutorial for the blue smokey eye, I felt inspired, so off I went to my neighborhood Target. My main objective was to see if I could magically find a Wii Fit (yeah right), but the CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 4-kit Eyeshadow in "Tropical Fusion" (the same one xteeener used in her tutorial) was at a very close #2 on my list.
I won't lie. I had some doubts when I went to make my purchase. I've never really had very good luck with eyeshadows from the mainstream drugstore brands. In my experience, they've been pretty hard to work with and gave off little color. Seriously, it was like running your finger along cement, with about as much product coming off.
When I started rebuilding my makeup collection last summer (this was after a major purge of all of my old makeup, most of which I had around since high school... :-/ ), I tried to start with some of the cheaper stuff and tried a couple products from Maybelline and Rimmel. ... After I deemed them to be duds, I decided to hit up the quality, luxury brands. Better to spend more money on quality and be happy than to save a few pennies and complain about what you bought, right? Right then and there, I swore off major brand, drugstore cosmetics for good.
Anyway, so, here I am the other day watching this video, and I notice that the girl is getting some MAJOR color off of that CoverGirl eyeshadow pan. So, I buy it, and I go to test it out... W O W !!! I can't believe it! I remember trying CoverGirl in high school, but I have absolutely no memory of the eyeshadow being this soft and smooth! I swatched the blue on my hand, and the color payoff was great! It was totally true to the pan! I even did xteeener's blue smokey eye and put it through my cosmetics endurance test (me working out with makeup on), and I'm happy to report that the color was still there, even with all the sweating. I'm sure the eyeshadow primer I used helped a little as well, but still!
Did CoverGirl change its eyeshadow formula (they do refer to it as being "new"), or did I just get lucky? ... Whatever the case may be, it has piqued my interest and has given me new faith in inexpensive, drugstore cosmetics. I will definitely be giving CoverGirl a second chance.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Black Friday, Shmlack Friday
I only participated in Black Friday once in my life, and that was at a Walmart about 4 years ago. The doors were supposed to open at 6:00am, so my brother and I left our house at 5:30, thinking it was an appropriate time to leave.
WRONG. We arrived at the Walmart at around 5:45am, and there was already a line of shoppers with shopping carts winding around the parking lot. My brother got out of the car to save us a spot in line while I went to find parking. Amazingly, the line moved pretty fast as soon as the store opened. Unfortunately, people didn't slow down once they got inside. Everyone thought they were competing in Supermarket Sweep.
My brother and I, having left our house with intentions of getting a flat-screen TV, ended up leaving Walmart with nothing. We were positively traumatized by what we saw and what we had to endure during our 10 minutes there.
If you, like me, decided to sit out Black Friday this year (or, in my case, forever), don't fret. According to many financial experts, with the current economic maladies, "Black Friday" will actually be more like "Black Winter." Don't regret having missed any incredible deals last Friday because, according to them, we'll still be seeing more great deals to come before Christmas.
Meanwhile, take some time to read a few tips from Oprah's favorite money coach, Jean Chatzky:
6 Ways to Find Great Holiday Deals
WRONG. We arrived at the Walmart at around 5:45am, and there was already a line of shoppers with shopping carts winding around the parking lot. My brother got out of the car to save us a spot in line while I went to find parking. Amazingly, the line moved pretty fast as soon as the store opened. Unfortunately, people didn't slow down once they got inside. Everyone thought they were competing in Supermarket Sweep.
My brother and I, having left our house with intentions of getting a flat-screen TV, ended up leaving Walmart with nothing. We were positively traumatized by what we saw and what we had to endure during our 10 minutes there.
If you, like me, decided to sit out Black Friday this year (or, in my case, forever), don't fret. According to many financial experts, with the current economic maladies, "Black Friday" will actually be more like "Black Winter." Don't regret having missed any incredible deals last Friday because, according to them, we'll still be seeing more great deals to come before Christmas.
Meanwhile, take some time to read a few tips from Oprah's favorite money coach, Jean Chatzky:
6 Ways to Find Great Holiday Deals
New YouTube Makeup Tutorial Channel Find
I've found yet another YouTube makeup tutorial channel. I have to tell you, though, I am actually pretty picky about which ones I subscribe to: some don't have enough variety in terms of the looks or tips that they offer, while others are just plain annoying to watch (pardon the snark). So, when I do post a YouTube channel here, rest assured that I'm trying to bring you what I consider to be the best (or, at least, the better) of these makeup tutorial channels.
That being said, this particular channel is run by YouTube user xteeena.
I really did come across her channel by accident. I was watching a video by another favorite YouTube makeup artist of mine when I saw a link to one of xteeena's videos (the one embedded above, actually).
What attracted me to that video was the gorgeous smokey eye... on an eyelid with no crease. Being of Asian ethnicity, I find that it's hard for me to copy or mimick some of the eye makeup tutorials I see (both on and off of YouTube) because my eyes don't exactly have the same features as the models'. So, seeing someone creating some of the most beautiful looks I have ever seen, and that she's creating them on an eye that resembles mine, is just amazing and very inspirational. And, to top it all off, she plays with the cheap makeup, yo! Believe me, with my current budget, I can't begin to tell you how great it is to see that little column on the right listing a bunch of drugstore brands, instead of it looking like the usual MAC shopping list!
Anyway, whenever you have a minute, check out her videos. She's very personable and fun to watch.
That being said, this particular channel is run by YouTube user xteeena.
I really did come across her channel by accident. I was watching a video by another favorite YouTube makeup artist of mine when I saw a link to one of xteeena's videos (the one embedded above, actually).
What attracted me to that video was the gorgeous smokey eye... on an eyelid with no crease. Being of Asian ethnicity, I find that it's hard for me to copy or mimick some of the eye makeup tutorials I see (both on and off of YouTube) because my eyes don't exactly have the same features as the models'. So, seeing someone creating some of the most beautiful looks I have ever seen, and that she's creating them on an eye that resembles mine, is just amazing and very inspirational. And, to top it all off, she plays with the cheap makeup, yo! Believe me, with my current budget, I can't begin to tell you how great it is to see that little column on the right listing a bunch of drugstore brands, instead of it looking like the usual MAC shopping list!
Anyway, whenever you have a minute, check out her videos. She's very personable and fun to watch.
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