Deals

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I'm finishing up my fellowship (i.e. job) this month with nothing lined up for the fall. Shit. What that means for you is that while posts may be few and far between here for August, they will probably ramp up in frequency come September. In the meantime I am still procrastinating on Instagram, of course, and a reminder: you don't need the app/an account to procrastinate on there too. You can view IG accounts in a web browser. I'm sorry.

I figured I'd post a few deals I've seen pop up lately, while I'm still researching my next more substantive post.

Walmart has a beauty box right now for $5 with free shipping. The samples aren't the most exciting I've seen, but they are apparently customized for you based on a survey.  (There's also a men's box for $7. Whadyaknow, something for men that's more expensive than the lady version!)

Tarte is offering 25% off, with code BESTIES, and you get an extra 10% off if you sign up for their loyalty program (free). That makes some of the lip gloss and eyeshadow less than $6.

Nordstrom Rack has marked-down MAC, Urban Decay, Too Faced, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, bareMinerals, Nars, Paula's Choice Caudalie, etc. I'm extremely tempted to buy a backup of Urban Decay Rocksteady for $9, but I really shouldn't be buying anything at all, much less backups, in preparation for the upcoming move and under-employment. You buy it instead! It's the best red lipstick, I swear.

Also, did you know that if you sign up for Madewell's loyalty program (also free), they send you a birthday gift? I just got mine, and it's a code for $25 a $26+ purchase, which is pretty great. Cheap jewelry, here I come.

Don't forget to use Ebates for a few more percent off most things.

Any other deals I should know about but absolutely not buy anything from right now?

Stuff's on sale

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Happy Canada Day! I'm celebrating by posting about good deals on beauty shit that Canadians will probably not be able to access. Sorry. I hope some day that I will once again be in the land of nearly-free healthcare and inflated makeup prices with you all. Until then, my American friends: here's some consumerism for you.

I've been having some kind of allergic reaction on my eyelids lately, and I'm not sure if it's contact dermatitis caused by a product or if it's environmental. In the meantime, I can't take photos of all the (too many) eyeshadows I've bought recently and have been wanting to review, like the Anastasia Beverly Hill Prism Palette. So while I decide which post further down in my queue to work on, I'm procrastinating by fake online shopping (you know, where you put stuff in your cart and then close the tab) and trying to avoid Twitter (but failing). An excellent use of time. Join me! I'm going to mention an idiosyncratic mix of things that I've used and can recommend and others that I just want.

I bought the aforementioned Anastasia Beverly Hills Prism Palette on sale, but it doesn't seem to be marked down this week. Instead, Subculture is on sale for $21 at Ulta, in case you've been eyeing that one. I've never used it.

Ulta has a bunch of other interesting sales at the moment, and a $3.50 coupon. Their jumbo haircare products are all marked down. That shit lasts forever. Real Techniques brushes are on sale, and I like those. The CoverGirl TruNakes Roses palette is $9 (reviewed here), making it about the same price as Walmart, in case you're not going there. I haven't used the Wet N Wild highlighters, but people seem to like them, and the MegaGlo Palette is marked down to $10 from $15. Revlon's Electric Shock lipsticks look intriguing, but I haven't actually seen swatches of them. Anyone else? They're on sale. I do generally like Revlon lipsticks. Hey, and how about a blue-brown duochrome eyeshadow single from Catrice for $4.50, if you don't want to buy the whole Comfort Zone palette (reviewed here) to get one? That weird jelly highlighter from Almay is also marked down. Has anyone used that thing? I guess it's Almay's attempt to be relevant, and I admit I am sort of curious.

Don't forget to use Ebates for free money. (Details here.)

I'll also remind you that Nordstrom Rack has a beauty section online, where you can sometimes get recently discontinued products for a good price. The Too Face Natural Mattes palette is only $13, for example, and the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer is $10 (old version, I assume?). They also have lots of MAC, Bobbi Brown, NYX, Urban Decay, Bareminerals, Lime Crime, Caudalie, Paula's Choice, etc.

TJ Maxx has beauty online too, and they have some Lipstick Queen, Nars, Clarins, OPI, Boscia, Make Up For Ever, Clé de Peau, Burberry, SK-II, and a bunch of others. And if you buy them online, presumably no one has already stuck their grubby fingers in the product!

Any other good deals out there? Planning to celebrate your country this week (or mourn for it) by indulging in some good, old-fashioned American capitalism?

Deal Alert: Marcelle Skincare Set over 75% off on Birchbox

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Just a quick post to let you know about this great Marcelle skincare set I bought from Birchbox last week, which is still available. For $15 you get a full-size moisturizer, a full-size micellar water, a full-size gel makeup remover, and a mini bi-phase makeup remover. It's cheaper than buying the moisturizer ($27) or even the micellar water ($17) alone. It also comes with a travel bag that seems to be fairly sturdy and useful. I just got mine, so all I've used so far is the moisturizer, which is a lovely light gel formula--and unlike most gels, comes in an airless pump, not a jar. I've used the bi-phase makeup remover in the past, though, and it's extremely effective.

Shipping is $5 (or free over $50).

(When I bought my set last week, there was also a 25% off code that Birchbox hasn't bothered to stop advertising on the brand page, but it's expired. Awesome deal nonetheless!)

La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 60 sunscreen $13 on Amazon right now

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That's all! Just wanted to let you know that this popular sunscreen is marked down to $13 on Amazon right now. It's usually around $30 most places, so if you've been wanting to try it, now's a good time. (Full disclosure: I've tried it, and it wasn't my favorite, but I know I'm in the minority there.)

Deals and sales you should talk me out of today

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It's very quiet and boring at work today, so I'm browsing online sales. Since I'm on a budget, I really shouldn't buy anything, and yet. Please feel free to comment and tell me why I should or should not buy any of these things (or why you will or will not buy them yourself).

Nordstrom Rack finally has their beauty section online, and it includes some interesting shit. I actually already bought myself the Urban Decay Electric Palette for $24, since I'd been kicking myself for not getting it when it was on sale elsewhere (plus I had a Nordstrom gift card). But they also have a bunch more from Urban Decay, MAC, Smashbox, LORAC, etc., all of which I should not buy. (But speaking of good things I already bought from Nordstrom Rack, I also got this wool cardigan for $37, and it's perfect. I'm probably going to eventually get it in a couple more colors for work.)

Butter London's on HauteLook, and here's another thing I own that I recommend: Two Fingered Salute. It's one of my favorite nail polishes--mint with copper glitter. Hey, so far I am mostly finding things that you should or shouldn't buy and nothing for myself! I'm patting myself on the back.

Oh wait. Here's where I need help: Sephora. I'm very tempted to get the 4-piece Jack Black lip balm set for $20. I know I shouldn't be hoarding lip balm, but hear me out. It's one of my favorite formulas (it works amazingly well and doesn't taste like sunscreen), and $5 a piece isn't bad, and I really want to try the pomegranate and lavender scents. Also, they are offering double points on skincare today, which honestly isn't much incentive for me, personally. But then I might as well add a Bite lip crayon for $10 so that I can get one of the freebies (the code 25delights still works, by the way). I have a Flash subscription, so I don't have to pay for shipping. See how I talk myself into these things? Rebuttal?

By the way, if you really want to keep track of beauty sales, I'd suggest reading the Beauty Deals BFF blog. She also posts things like value calculations for free gifts, which are always very interesting.

Free Stuff (+ Shipping) from Stila, Beauty Blender, and DHC

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I haven't posted deals in a while! But here are a couple that were inspiring enough for me to get out of my warm bed and open up my computer.

Get a $25 credit good for any Stila purchase from Beautykind when you use this link. That means you can get one of those Magnificent Metals eyeshadows (or anything $25 and below) for just the cost of shipping: $6. I've bought from Beautykind before and had no problems (here's what I bought last time). There's a similar offer from Beautyblender, but I think you can only redeem one per address.

DHC also has a deal where new customers can try their Olive Essentials Travel Set (regular $16.50) for free when you pay for shipping ($4.50) with code TRYB4UBUY. I haven't tried that stuff, but it sounds nice. If that's not up your alley, you can also get 25% off your first order with code WELCOME17, and if you're not a new customer, they are offering free shipping on orders of $35+ with code NOVSAVE35.

Any other good deals you've heard about lately?

Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss 50% off today

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I have a real post almost finished that should go up later today, but in the meantime, I wanted to alert you to just about the only interesting thing I've seen so far in the ULTA 21 days of beauty sale, which is the Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss, which is on sale for $12. I have the shade Oil Slick (below, swatches here), and it's great. Have any of you tried the other colors? I'm tempted.

Well this is now officially the messiest makeup product I own. . #makeuplove #beauty #makeup #eyeshadow#makeupstash #bblogger #bbloggers #instabeauty#beautyblog #beautyblogs #beautyblogger #beautybloggers #butterlondon #duochrome #oilslick #glitter #shimmer

A post shared by Lyn (brutally honest beauty) (@brutallyhonestbeauty) on Aug 16, 2017 at 9:37am PDT

Amazon Prime Day Beauty Deals

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So Amazon is having their annual sale extravaganza for Prime members. Honestly, a lot of the deals are not that exciting, and I get the impression that it's basically a clearance sale where they're trying to get rid of crap they have too much of. I would advise trying not to impulse purchase things just because they seem to be on sale (advising myself as much as anyone else), because it's hard to tell how much cheaper some things are than they were a week ago (regardless of whether or not they're labelled "30% off"). But if one of your staple or wishlist items is cheaper than usual here, you might as well get it now. You can click "Watch this deal" to find things that sound promising again later.

You can find all the beauty deals here. Here are some specific lightning deals that are coming up over the rest of the day (most of which are things I've tried myself in the past and liked): Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid, Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipsticks, Physician's Formula Eye Boosters Liquid Liner, Lime Crime Velvetines, L'Oreal Superstar Mascara, Nip & Fab Glycolic Pads, Body Shop Chamomile Makeup Remover, Acure Argan Oil or Marula Oil, Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Eyeshadow Palette, and the Wet Brush. I have no idea what the discounts on these products will be, but maybe there will be a pleasant surprise in there somewhere.

For those of you who don't have the time to stalk individual deals, there are also a bunch of "luxury" beauty products for 30-40% off. I was excited to see some Juliette Has A Gun fragrances in that section, but unfortunately the only two marked down are the ones I find least interesting: Romantina and Miss Charming. But this Instain blush trio from theBalm is tempting--I like the one Instain blush I have a whole lot (swatched in my previous post).

Also, if you've never purchased from the "luxury" beauty section, you can use the code NEW2LUXPD17 when you check out to get 30% off anything from that department. They have theBalm, OPI, Mario Badescu, Bioderma, Klorane, L'Occitane, La Roche-Posay, Clarisonic, Blinc, Zoya, Stila, LORAC, Jouer, Indie Lee, and a lot of other brands. Even though I am pretty sure I've shopped in the luxury section before, I was able to use the code to get the 1 oz. Juliette Has A Gun Lady Vengeance dropper bottle for $35.

So are you shopping or abstaining? Or are you above it all and not a Prime member to begin with? I'm not sure I'm going to renew my membership when it expires next month. I need to actually make shopping more difficult for myself.

Kitten Fur perfume? On sale?

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HauteLook has Demeter fragrances on sale right now, including Kitten Fur. Has anyone smelled this in the wild (pun intended)? Actual kitten fur smells good to me as a certified crazy cat lady, but I feel like separating that smell from a physical cat could be gross. Some of their other odd scents are also included in the sale, like Dirt, Jelly Donut, and Paperback. Hmmmm.

Here's a photo of my foster kitty, Lucia, just because:

Is the Sephora spring sale worth it?

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I'll just get right to it: pretty much no. Sephora's spring sale is happening right now, and they're offering discounts from 10%-15%. VIB Rouge gets 15% off and a little longer to use the discount, VIB gets 15% off, and BI gets 10% off. Those are some dinky fucking discounts, and if you don't have a least a BI account (which is free), you get nothing.

Unless you buy a ton of stuff, 10-15% is not going to add up to much saving. And if you're buying a lot just to make the discount larger, that doesn't make a lot of sense.

I think it's only worth shopping during this sale if there's something you can't get on sale anywhere else, ever. For instance, brands like Tarte, Too Faced, Urban Decay, and many others have a couple of 20-30% off sales each year. Chances are that you can wait for one of those if there's something from one of those brands on your list. (Note that when I say "you." I really mean "me." That is as much an anti-haul post for myself as for anyone else.) Those brands often offer free shipping too, or you can get it by signing up for their loyalty programs, like the Urban Decay Beauty Junkies thing. (Tarte is on Hautelook right now, in fact, so you might do better there, although you'll have to pay for shipping.)

If you can't get free shipping during one of those sales, but you have a Sephora Flash membership, and you only want one or two things, maybe 10% off plus free shipping will be a better deal than 20% off plus shipping charges. That is a reasonable calculation to make. Or maybe something has already been marked down in the sale section and you want to get a little bit more off the price before it sells out. Sure. (By the way, I bought the Chic It Easy set back in January, and it's pretty great. Even though it includes a tinted moisturizer and concealer that will only work for certain people. You get a full-size Nars Jungle Red lipstick in there, which is normally $28, while this whole kit is on sale for $25.) Or maybe you need something RIGHT NOW, so 10% off is better than nothing. (Do you really, though?)

In general, I have a pretty hard time mustering up enthusiasm for sales that offer less than 25% off. How about you?

All sorts of sales

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It seems like every time I post lately I begin with some comment about how long it's been. Well, I guess I needed a lengthy hiatus this time. I haven't been feeling inspired, and no one wants to read an uninspired beauty blog. I have a post about color correcting that's 75% finished and has been sitting in my drafts folder for two weeks--I'll try to get that up tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime, I thought you might be interested in some sales, if there's anything here that's been on your list.

Butter London, OCC, Korres, and Nuxe are all on HauteLook right now (anywhere from 20-80% off).

GiltCity has a deal where you can get 3 Allure Beauty Boxes, a year's subscription to Allure, and an eyeshadow quad (which I don't recognize--does it look familiar to anyone?) for $29. The boxes are usually $15 each, so that's not bad. (I think you also get 25% off by using my link. So do I.)

The Formula X Nail Cleanser is on sale on the Sephora site for $2 now. It keeps my polish on better than anything else--much better than just wiping my nails with remover before painting them. And I have terrible chipping, usually. But it can dry out your nails a bit, so use in moderation.

Also, I recently got some bottles of China Glaze and Essie polish for $2-3 each from Hollar (which I should not have bought, but that's only because I don't need more polish). They also have OPI, Orly Color Blast, and Revlon nail polish. You also get a $2 credit with my link (me too), minimum order is $10.

Anything fun going on with you lately, good-makeup-wise or otherwise?

Excuses are boring (but shopping is not?)

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The title of this post comes from one of the mantras of Unfuck Your Habitat, a book that, in the greatest of ironies (not really), I have not got around to reading yet. Will it also help my unfuck my blogging, I wonder? How is it that I haven't managed to write anything in a week? WHAT IS TIME.

Excuses (the weather has been gloomy and my camera is mediocre and I don't have a good lighting set up and all my ideas require many photos) are boring. I'll try to hammer out an actual review later today.

Other than not blogging, I have also not been buying beauty products this month (except my Sephora Play subscription, which I signed up for last month). That's good, because I am still paying off all the vet bills from the last few months that I put on my credit card. (In happier news, we are now on the cat fostering list at our local humane society, so we should have a new kitty to look after before too long.)

However, my No Buy has not prevented me from monitoring sales, and it will not prevent me from alerting you to them. In my opinion, one of the best strategies for smart shopping is to put things you want on a list, and then when/if they go on sale, revisit the list to see if you still really want them. (Half of the time, in my case, the answer is no.) Doing this really helps me curb impulse spending. Of course, it doesn't work for limited edition products, but I'm not generally especially interested in those, anyway.

The big sale right now is Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, and the most interesting deal of the day, in my opinion, is Too Faced Love Flush Blushes for half price ($13). I've read good things about them, and the embossing is very pretty, but I'm viscerally opposed to heart-shaped things. Not to mention that I have more than enough blush at the moment. You can see the whole calendar of deals here. Actually, most of the upcoming deals that look most interesting to me are blushes, like the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes, which will also be 50% off. I guess this is my anti-haul statement, then, because I don't need any of these and I'm not going to buy them (but I'm not about to shame you if this is the right time to pick up something you've had your eye on).

I also haven't abandoned my ancient beauty blog, btw--I just need to get my shit together.

So this seems like a good idea to ask for your best organization and motivation advice! I'm not someone who tries to fill every hour of the day with work, but I would love to avoid the panic of realizing a week has passed and I haven't done fuck all.

20% off from Urban Decay today and tomorrow

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Use code UDFF2017. You will also get free shipping on if you sign up for the Beauty Junkies program (more info here).

Free shipping from el.f. today only

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Today only all orders from e.l.f. ship free. Combinable with code: BOLDLIP, which gets you a 4-piece lip kit with a $25 order. Valid 3/2 only. I actually haven't bought anything from e.l.f. for a while, and I think the only thing I'm actively using are a variety of Studio (black) brushes that I've had for years, which I like a lot. Has anyone tried something new that's worth considering?

Bite Beauty metallic holiday duos marked down to $10

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Just a quick fyi, Sephora has marked those cool Bite duos down to $10 from $14. Three of the four options are still available, including the two I reviewed and liked.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks back on UD site for $10

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Things have been hectic at work, so I haven't had time to post much lately, but I hope to write something more substantial soon. In the meantime, I thought some of you might be interested to hear the Urban Decay has put their Revolution Lipsticks back on their website for $10 (in the Sale section). I guess they hadn't sold them all last year when they went on sale all over the place! It looks like most of the shades are still available (cream, matte, and sheer), so if you missed out before, now's your chance. I would recommend the two I have: Rapture and Matte After Dark.

I'd recommend signing up for their Beauty Junkies program if you're going to shop the site, because it's free to sign up and you get free shipping/returns on all your orders, plus a good birthday gift. (I wrote more about the program here.) They are also giving double points on purchases right now.

Cheap makeup and nail polish from Hollar

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So I haven't shopped from Hollar before, but it was recommended to me from a reliable source. It's sort of like an online dollar store with brand name things. They sell a bunch of cosmetics from Essie, Revlon, OPI, LA Girl, China Glaze, NYX, Ecotools, Maybelline, and a lot of other brands, including some Asian beauty brands like Holika Holika and Étude House. They also sell all kinds of other stuff, including household storage, kitchen gadgets, etc., and there is a TON of good stuff for under $5. Shipping is usually free over $25, but I think it's free on your first order, and you can get 25% off one item on an order of over $10 with code JAN25. Also, if you use my link you get $2 off your order (so do I).

Have you bought stuff from Hollar before? Any tips?

Extra 50% off Banana Republic sale and 40% off everything else (also 40% off from Gap and 30% off from Old Navy)

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For the Banana Republic Sale Section, the 50% will be applied automatically when you check out. For regular price items, use code BRSTYLE for 40% off.

Since you can combine carts, and shipping is free over $50, you can also get 40% off at the Gap with code GOGO and 30% off from Old Navy with code ENJOY.

Need anything?

TheBalm on HauteLook 40-50% off

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TheBalm seems to be the only sale on HauteLook that inspires me these days. They have so many random brands. But they have a bunch of palettes for 50% off and I've really been wanting the Balm Appetit one. Ugh, stupid no buy. There's also the Meet Matte Trimony (oh god they have the stupidest non-puns, because doesn't a pun have to have a DOUBLE meaning, not just one meaning and something that makes no sense?). A big selection, in fact, including their liquid lipsticks, which I've heard are good. Personally, I've tried a lot of different products from this brand and liked everything except the concealer.

When you buy makeup from HauteLook, shipping is about $6 and you have to wait a couple of weeks for your order, fyi.

(They also have sales on Alterna and Kevyn Aucoin, if you're interested.)

Sunday Shopping: $7-9 blanket scarves on Amazon, American Apparel going out of business clearance

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These blanket scarves plaid shawls look pretty nice for 9 bucks, right? Or $7 with code 2IH4OTIW. And they have 4.5 stars. I mean, they're acrylic but they're supposedly soft and machine washable, so . . . maybe I am just cold right now.

Any other good deals out there that we should know about?

ETA: I guess American Apparel went bankrupt and will be closing all its stores by April. Yay? That means 40% off everything. Yay!