Edit| Sephora Samplers and Sets

After accumulating (nay, hoarding) a thousand points from Sephora for years I finally decided to spend them on new skincare samplers. I picked up the Fresh set which includes their famous Soy Face Cleanser, the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream, and the Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil. I have no clue how much these products cost retail for their full size, but the samplers seem to be enough for a month's usage!

As for the Origins set of Ginzing, Modern Friction, and Clear Improvement...courtesy of the VIB Rouge program. A smart move for once, considering how their past perks sold out in seconds and weren't all that impressive in the first place. (Really, a mirror? I've spent a grand on you guys in the last year...) That's another set that will last me a month. I remember it took me a year to finish my a full sized version of the charcoal mask, so I'm really happy that it was included.

While Sephora does include three samples with every online purchase and I have free shipping for Rouge, I generally dislike using samples in flimsy packaging. In fact, I have a huge bag of just samples I've acquired in the past six months or so. I go through and sort them out, but never get around to using them because of the mess that's inherent with them. You  try to just rip a corner of the sample packet but in a few days it falls over and leaks product all over the vanity. Um...no.

Do you cash out your points often or like to save them until you see something truly amazing? I've seen makeup sets come and go, but the Fresh set was just too good to pass up.

xo Be

Edit| Empties and Purges #1

Though my makeup stash remains obese, a lot of items are always thrown out, swapped out, or added in regularly so that it stays relevant. 

I throw out my mascaras the moment it starts to dry. Here I've sampled Benefit They're Real and YSL Baby Doll Faux Cils and have bought the full sized versions. I won't be repurchasing UD Cannonball since I found that it was a total b*tch to remove at night and I kept waking up with residue under my eyes. The white tube is Lancome Faux Cils Booster, which I've also repurchased. 

The Neutrogena tube lasted me a mere two months. The Shea Butter body lotion from The Body Shop used to be a favorite in the winter, but as I approached the bottom of the tub I couldn't stand how it smelled especially in warmer weather. I got a week's usage out of the HABA White Lady sample and found a slight improvement even within that week!

The flesh colored tube is Maybelline Dream Touch in Nude. I enjoyed this product but not enough to use it all the way up (it also got too light for me.) I won't be repurchasing it again since it has many cousins at the drugstore I want to try. 

 I often purge by means of gratuitous donation to ANYONE who takes my crap, since I don't have a sister or any close girl friends who are as into makeup. My mom is a high end junkie, so my rat pillow makeup is out of the question.  However, I hate hanging onto things that I don't reach for especially ill matching foundations or cheap quality drugstore products that don't perform as well as what I already have in my stash. 

These all look reasonable and useful, you say. Well the Sigma brush sheds, the brow pencil is too red, the foundations oxidize orange, the lip products are out of season or look horrid on me, etc...you get my point. BTW, that Essie nail polish is Sable Collar which is absolutely hideous. It looks like an alien threw up on my nails. Just no. I found that all of the blushes on the right side lacked staying power even though the colors are lovely. 

I feel like I've made enough room in my stash to accommodate for the huge hauls I've been doing. Tsk, gotta make room for fancier things!

xo Be