Sephora Haul, Recent Buys, and Deals Ending Soon (December 2014)

Tonight I finally had some time to visit my local Sephora to take advantage of the $25 off $50 promotion (read here for more details on this good deal)! Read on to find out what I purchased! In this post you will also find some new makeup that I recently bought and received. I have some amazing deals to share with you at the end of the post, too! There is a lot of information in this post, so without further ado, let's get started!

The Sephora $25 off $50 haul

Obviously, I bought more than $50. ^_^” Are you surprised that I did not buy any makeup at all? Yes, I am surprised at myself, too! Most of the stuff is just essentials and skincare products — a little boring but totally necessary! :D

• First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($14 | Sephora) I have heard nothing but great reviews of these pads! The instruction is easy: just “wipe it across the face after cleansing to exfoliate, tone, and brighten“. I'm super excited to try this tonight! I hope it helps clear up my complexion over time!
• Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover ($28 | Sephora) I just finished my bottle of the Chanel Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover so this product is a must buy. Eye makeup remover is something I like to experiment with. I have come across many that I love but I can't seem to stay loyal to any of them for some reason. Hopefully this one by Clarins is going to be a love, too! :)
• Caudalie Beauty Elixir Ornament ($18 | Sephora) The famous facial mist favorited by so many! The claim: “visibly smooths, tightens the appearance of pores, and provides a burst of radiance to the complexion” sounds pretty far-fetched to me for basically a facial spray but we'll see. At this point I just want something refreshing with a pleasant smell to rehydrate my face after toning. :)
• Shiseido Facial Cotton ($9.50 | Sephora) My favorite cotton of all time is actually the Chanel Le Cotton but it's been out of stock everywhere including on the Chanel's own website. Well, time to revisit my old favorite then! This one by Shiseido is super, super soft. Softer than the Chanel one even but it is less absorbent. It's also smaller in size but I still love it especially for removing my eye makeup where I need the softest cotton possible.
• Bite Beauty Bite Lush Lip Wipes ($12 | Sephora) I wanted to try these wipes for so long! Bite is known for their high-performance lip products so I have high hopes that I'll really like these. Supposedly, they are used to “remove color, replenish, and mattify” your lips. Sounds pretty straightforward to me! Stay tuned for my next Tool Thursday review as I'll talk about this in more details!

Hello Kitty 40^th Anniversary Collection

I have just received these Hello Kitty Anniversary sets in the mail a couple of days ago but as I looked online on Sephora website, they are no longer available! Fear not, if you are a Hello Kitty fan, as chances are there will still be plenty of these in stock at your local Sephora. At least mine does, and they are now half off, too! So right now is a great time to buy as they would make for great holiday gifts for kids/pre-teens (or for yourself). I'll try to get the swatches and reviews up by next week. :)

Recent buys

The Tom Ford Lips & Boys Lipstick Collection is probably among the most talked about products right now! I have only received my first shipment of 4 lipsticks as shown above (Justin, Alexander, Preston, and Pablo; please note: colors are not accurate in this lighting) and I'll have to wait until after new year for my second shipment to arrive. It's going to be a torture but hopefully one that will be worth it! I'll also try to get the review up as soon as I can so you can contemplate whether they're worth a splurge. They won't be available for purchase again until after Christmas anyway so you have plenty of time to decide.

My other “mini” lipstick buy is the Charlotte Tilbury Mini Lipstick Charms set! The set includes 3 of the brand's best-selling shades: Penelope Pink, Bitch Perfect, and So Marilyn. As you can see in the picture above, they are super tiny! They are smaller than my thumb. :D The set is unfortunately already sold out everywhere but you can still buy each color individually. Edit 12/13/14: The set is back in stock at Nordstrom! I will have a review up by this weekend. :D

Sighting

If you have not heard, a lot of makeup from big brands such as Kat Von D, Deborah Lippman, and Butter London is now being sold at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls nationwide. I found these Kat Von D lippies at my local T.J. Maxx for almost half off! I also spot some Butter London eyeliners for only $2.99 each (full price is $18)! There are lots of great deals going on so keep checking your local stores for availability.

More great deals ending soon

• Marc Jacobs – Customize your Lovemarc Lip Gel Trio Set for only $70! (I am customizing my set as we speak!) Use code LIPKIT at checkout! Valid December 11^th – 16^th
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• Kate Somerville – 25% off Friends & Family sale extended for one day only on Monday, December 15^th! Use code FRIENDS25 at checkout
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• Tarte – 30% off Friends & Family sale extended for one day only: today, December 12^th! Use code DECFNF. Free sample + shipping $40 & up, too!
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• Nordstrom Beauty – Lots of new GWPs including the free cosmetics bag boasting 19 deluxe samples, yours with any $150 beauty or fragrance purchase
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• L'Occitane – Unfortunately the famous Locci Box is out of stock again but you can still find lots of other sample sets for a reasonable price!
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• Beauty.com – Free Edun Wool Felted Pouch with 17 deluxe samples with any $150 purchase
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I have participated in a few of these deals myself and I promise to show you photos of what I bought when they arrive on my instagram! Make sure you follow me there to get the latest updates. :)

Have you finished (or started) your holiday shopping yet? What are the items you look forward to getting (or giving) the most?

Disclosure: The Hello Kitty Kawaii Nail Set, Pop-Up Party Eyeshadow Palette, An Apple A Day Trio Lip Balm Set, and Ruby Solid Perfume Cocktail Ring were provided by Sephora. All opinions are my own.