Sephora Stash and "Insider" Information: Part One

Sephora Stash- and Beauty Booty-themed posts showcase future reviews, like different product lines from one brand (e.g., Urban Decay for makeup, Origins for skincare, Living Proof for hair care) or various brands comparing similar types of product (e.g., foundations, mascaras, k-beauty, leave-in conditioners). I typically see a 40% increase in viewership for these posts. I don’t know why, but I like writing them, so if I get more readers, and said readers enjoy the content, I’m happy to oblige.

I came across GLAMGLOW in a subscription box way back in the day and just think the world of their skincare products. When I saw this GLAMGLOW GRAVITYMUD Firming Treatment Sonic Blue Collectible Edition, I needed it. When it went on sale (from $19 to $14), I needed it NOW! The samples I picked were Ellis Brooklyn ‘Myth’ EDP, Ellis Brooklyn ‘Sci-Fi’ EDP, and Kate Spade New York ‘Walk On Air Sunshine’ EDP, but instead, I ended up with three packets of Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum. I was a tad disappointed at not getting the fragrances. That being said, I really want to try Drunk Elephant’s products, so it’s cool. Skincare is kinda my thang.

Hello. I’m Shannon and I have a skincare addiction. Sometimes it causes me to impulsively buy things that I was planning to buy, just not yet. In this case, it was a promo to get two trial-sized products I’ve never tried from two amazing brands – IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser Skin-Transforming Hydrating Cleansing Serum and OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème. This promo prompted me to buy two things. One sold out, apparently right after I ordered it, and was canceled, but I was able to order it later. The other was tarte’s Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self-Tanning Face Towelettes. I’ve had a recent foray into self-tanners. The quality has improved substantially since I was younger. A sample I was super excited about was the Erno Laszlo White Marble Dual Phase Vitamin C Peel. I love peels. I also got two fragrance samples – AERIN ‘Amber Musk’ EDP and Hermès ‘Terre d’Hermès’ EDT. This and the next six online orders I placed came with a fun little ‘Beyond the Bouquet’ perfume sampler pack too.

Adventures in mall shopping! I cannot resist a trip to Sephora when I hit the mall. I wanted to get some OLEHENRIKSEN Truth On the Glow Cleansing Cloths anyway, and I couldn’t resist picking up the Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Glimmer Veil Liquid Lipstick in Thunderstruck and Everlasting Lip Liner in Swanly when I saw they were on sale. It was an especially fruitful visit after my Sephora Cast Member presented me with a mini Tatcha The Deep Cleanse Exfoliating Cleanser.

Finally! The ColourPop Amber Crystal Collection Bundle is what I’ve been trying to order that kept selling out. A lot of these sets aren’t available anymore shortly after the holidays. It was marked down from $20 to $16. This entire line is being discontinued. It comes with a setting spray, liquid highlighter, and lip balm, all made with real amber crystals. I’d also been eyeballing this Kat Von D Beauty Shade + Light Contour Quad in Plum and it went on sale from $20 to $15. Another great promo – a trial-sized fresh’s Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with Super 7 Complex – was an awesome bonus. And the samples I chose were Giorgio Armani Beauty ‘Acqua di Gioia’ EDP, Juicy Couture ‘Viva La Juicy Rosé’ EDP, and (yay!) OLEHENRIKSEN Truth Serum Vitamin C Anti-Aging Collagen Booster.

Speaking of sets that get discontinued after the holidays, the Huda Beauty Winter Solstice Mini Lip Strobe Collection (in Bewitched, Charmed, Hypnotic, and Starcrossed) wouldn’t be around much longer. The colors would be, but not the bundle, so I had to act fast. The fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask trial-size promo pushed me as well. I requested three EDP samples – AERIN ‘Amber Musk,’ Giorgio Armani Beauty ‘Acqua di Gioia,’ and Juicy Couture ‘Viva La Juicy Rosé.’ I only got the AERIN though. I was happy with the replacements – OLEHENRIKSEN Balancing Wonders 3-Step Set (Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser, Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub, and Counter Balance Oil Control Hydrator) and Volition Oceanene Youth-Boost Gel.

One of my favorite type of posts to do are those where I test a bunch of similar products, and Ouidad has a bunch of great lines for curly hair. When I was last at Sephora, a Cast Member informed me the kits for these lines may stop being available so I’m hunting them all down. This Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Anti-Frizz Travel Set comes with the Defrizzing Shampoo, Defrizzing Conditioner, Detangling Heat Spray, and Heat & Humidity Gel. One of the best kinds of promos was up – a perfume sampler. This one, the Romantic & Not Sorry Sample Set includes a trial-sized Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in Pink Tea and seven popular fragrances ('Chloé' by Chloé EDP, Emporio Armani 'Because It’s You' EDP, Guerlain 'Mon Guerlain' EDP, Maison Margiela REPLICA 'Lazy Sunday Morning' EDT, 'Miu Miu' by Miu Miu EDP, TOCCA 'Florence' EDP, and Versace 'Bright Crystal' EDT). Using my reward points, I got minis of the much-coveted Glow Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser + Watermelon Sleeping Mask Duo Pouch. I picked the 4-piece Dior Dior Addict Lip Glow and repeats of OLEHENRIKSEN’s Truth Serum Vitamin C Anti-Aging Collagen Booster and Balancing Wonders 3-Step Set (Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser, Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub, and Counter Balance Oil Control Hydrator) as samples.

About to go on a major BECCA shopping spree! I bought this BECCA Jet, Set, Glow! Prep & Prime Kit to start. For $25, the value is fantastic. Both the Blacklight Filter Face Primer and First Light Filter Face Primer minis cost $21 each, and the Under Eye Brightening Corrector is worth $16. It got myself a promo Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Moisturizer. I requested the Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser, belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb, and Josie Maran 100 percent Pure Argan Oil samples, but didn’t receive any of them. I did get one sample replacement – Versace ‘Pour Homme’ EDT. I’ll add that to my fragrance collection. I'd like to complain more about not getting the preferred samples (just because I want to blog about them), but they are free, so...

                                                                                                                    

Sephora Beauty Insiders:

By signing up to become a Beauty Insider, you open up a whole new world of Sephora awesomeness. Becoming a member is easy and free. You can do it in-store or online. When you sign up, you'll be assigned a card number that will automatically be applied to your purchases online and can be scanned from your smart phone in-store. Pre-tax and pre-shipping, you'll receive one point for every dollar spent, excluding gift cards. However, if you use a gift card to pay, you will still receive points.

There's also a great app you can use to shop. Some of the perks of using the app are instant notifications that you will receive to notify you of exciting new opportunities. You'll also get app-only previews and promotions, be able to use the virtual artist program to try on various cosmetics and be able to save all of your LOVES for future purchases.

Some of the other benefits of being a Beauty Insider are:

• Birthday Gifts each year that you are a member. Usually you can select from several options of minis worth $10-$20. There is no purchase necessary in-store and only a small minimum purchase required online. These can be redeemed anytime during your birthday month in-store, and two weeks before and after your birthday AND during your birthday month online.
• Rewards! Use your points in the Rewards Bazaar to get really cool deluxe samples of some of Sephora's favorite products. Use any amount from 100 points and up to access these great bonuses. Obviously, the more points, the more incredible the items. New rewards are constantly being added and some are even for trips, like to New York Fashion Week or to visit various spas and boutiques belonging to brands like Caudalie, Make Up For Ever, benefit Cosmetics, and more. Some even including travel!
• Access the Beauty Insider Community. You can join groups, participate in the forum discussions, and chat with other insiders to get info and recommendations. Complete your beauty profile to receive personalized makeup color matches.
• Free Beauty Classes where you can learn from an instructor the basics like skin care routines, all the way up to creating new makeup looks based on today's trends.

Once you've spent $350 in one calendar year you'll become a VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider), and if you spend $1,000 you'll attain Rouge status. Both of these add to the special privileges you can receive as a Beauty Insider. For example, as a VIB you'll also get to have one Free Makeover a year in Sephora stores and a Monthly Gift, which turns out to be basically another promo code especially for VIB's. A VIP Rouge member gets unlimited free makeovers, Free 2-day Shipping, and invitations to Private Events.

What's great about shopping online is you'll get to choose two Free Samples of sweet products from a list of 12, free shipping when you spend over $50 (or for any amount if you purchase Flash Shipping for $10 per year), AND PROMOS! Do not forget to enter a promo code for orders $25 and up. Some require a higher minimum purchase, but all the free goodies are fabulous - deluxe samples, fantastic extras with select fragrance purchases, and occasionally makeup baggies full of perfume, skincare and makeup samples. There are even coupon codes for $10 off from time-to-time. You can find these promos on the site under Beauty Offers, by the promo entry space, or at coupon code sites such as Groupon or RetailMeNot. You supposedly cannot enter codes once they've been taken off the site, but I've found I can sometimes still enter a code in the first couple of days afterwards. Don't take my word for it! If you want something badly enough, place that order as soon as possible. Usually items are only added or removed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

All samples, promotions, and rewards are first-come, first-serve, so if you see something you really want, make sure to grab it while you can. But don't worry. Even if you miss one, there are new items being added all the time.

I've found that purchases in-store can be hit-or-miss when it comes to getting samples and other freebies. Sometimes they have nothing in the original packaging. Other times you might get something unbelievable like a deluxe sample of a really expensive face cream, etc. One thing is true for almost all stores is that a beauty expert will pack you up a sample of almost anything you want from their product selection.

One last thing... Sephora has a beauty subscription service call PLAY! PLAY is $10 per month (with free shipping) and you will be sent five to six samples and/or minis, in an adorable pouch, straight to your door. Included is a PLAY Pass that you can redeem in-store for 50 Beauty Insider points with a full-size purchase, AND a one-on-one consultation to learn how to use your products for that month. Look through some of my PLAY reviews to get an idea of what kind of goodies you can expect to receive with your subscription.