Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Deal Alert!

Smashbox is having a crazy deal- they are offering their Try It Kit (normally $19) for $10- free shipping and you get two free samples!

Here is the description from the smashbox website:

A collection of our best-selling superstars in try-me sizes!

$19 (a $52 Value!)

Includes:
• Photo Finish Foundation Primer
• Photo Finish Lid Primer
• Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume
• Full Exposure Mascara
• Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx

For some reason when you click on the try it kit, it comes up as $19- but if you follow the link below you'll see it for $10 and just click add to cart and you're good to go!! I got this link by searching 'try me' in the search box. And don't forget to use ebates-5% off at smashbox!!

 http://www.smashbox.com/products/search/esearch.tmpl?search=try+me&x=0&y=0

If you don't already have ebates consider using my link: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=JTvXVTbdhXruP2WeyrB3ag%3D%3D

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Cute & Sleazy

Today's mail was a long awaited Etsy order from Sara M. Lyons on Etsy. Cute & Sleazy and Sweet & Creepy water slide nail decals! 
I am a sucker for cute packaging!

I have been coveting these for a long time and finally decided to take the plunge a couple weeks ago. They have a heft price tag at $8 a sheet- but they are super unique, cute, and hand made! I paid $18 shipped for the two sheets- both have 60 unique images. The Cute & Sleazy sheet includes a taco, bra, naked lady, crystal ball, and a great range of...you guessed it...cute and sleazy images! The Sweet & Creepy sheet has a a unicorn head, trash can, ufo, 40 oz, and so much more. She has a very cool aesthetic and her business card calls herself a professional weirdo. I will definitely purchase from this shop again. 


Sweet & Creepy
Cute & Sleazy

Friday, April 25, 2014

3 Days of Nail Mail!


This last week has been so incredibly busy I have not had the chance to post my nail and beauty mail! So I have a lot to share with you guys- 3 days of mail adds up! 
 
Monday was a very very exciting mail day! My first new treasure was the teal CbL oops! I traded for this so all it cost me was postage! I am in love!




Next up is a beauty mystery box I purchased from a facebook subscription box swap group. I spent $30 and got a ton of great stuff- and the packaging is incredible!!


The packaging was almost too pretty to open!!


My Mystery Items!



First up is two full size items- Chella liquid eyeliner in indigo- this retails for $24. Be a bombshell full size eyeshadow quad in bora bora- retails for $16. Both of these items were given in ipsy bags this year- I think I got them both too- but I've traded them away- and these are headed for the swap pile too

Nail items! Nail Rock sequin manicure set- retails for $7, Zoya Odette- retails for $9, and Julep buffing blocks- retails for $2. The nail rock is from birchbox and the zoya from ipsy- I sold the nail rocks I got in my bb a couple months ago and this will go in the swap pile too- I do love this Zoya- but I love it so much I already have it! Another one for the swap pile. I will use the Julep buffing blocks- they seem decent and will come in handy!


I will use all these items and was so happy to see them in my box- Bliss no zit sherlock mask- retails for $6, Brad Ultra Peel Mask- retails for a whopping $25.73- thats one expensive sample! Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum- retails for $12.75 and my favorite Dr. Jart microdermabrasion- retails for $9.75

These are most of the larger ticket items- Vbeaute Rub off Facial exfoliator- retails for $3.75, Clarins Body Firming Cream- retails for $2.52, Clarins Total Double Serum- $8.50, Caudalie Premier Cru- $46.47 (so so excited about this one!!) and finally full size Elizabeth Arden Peel&Reveal - $36

The total value of this mystery box is $209.47!! I am so blown away by this mystery pack- I really hit the jackpot. Deducting the items for the swap pile this bundle is still valued at $153.47! I've said it before and I'll say it again- if you really want to save money join these facebook groups! The deals are incredible! You can just search keywords- ipsy, birchbox, polish, swap, trade- you'll find a ton of different groups!


Thursdays mail was just as good! I had ordered a PopSugar Must Have box because of the toofaced palette included this month- I found a great discount code making the box $19.95! This box normally retails for $40- and honestly for what you get that is a steal! I am considering getting this sub regularly- I love everything included!


Everything Included
 I am loving this box! Included was Blue Avocado Shopper Tote Bag (Value $25), Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette (Value $36), Caldrea Rosewater Driftwood Hand Soap (Value $10.50), Graphic Image Pocket Notes (Value $36), Fresh Pastry Stand Tea Towels (Value $18). Making the total retail value $125.50! I will use everything- The little leather notebook is the most gorgeous periwinkle and says "Rule the World" I think that is may favorite thing- and the shopping tote- and of course the too faced palette! If this is the quality of the box every month then they've got me hooked!


I got a large Llarowe order in on Thursday too! It included Color Club Baldwin Blues (purchased for $4) Wingdust Muskoka Sunset ($10.50), Different Dimension Tulips are better than one ($13), Colors by Llarowe Connie You Sauncy Minx ($12) and Good Fortune ($12). These came to $51.50- no deals here! The cc was on sale but I really only brought that to bump it up to free shipping-it'll go on the swap pile. This was my first wingdust and i'm really excited to try it out- The swatches I've seen are gorgeous! 


My last package on Thursday was a facebook group contest prize! It was a fun contest- participants had to create a different mani with nail art as fast as they could- winners got mystery prizes and mine included Esmaltes de Kelly- Sofia, a Nicole by OPI,  a Polish Addict, and a L'Oreal. Im very excited about the EdK- its a brand I've only tried a few times but I like what I've seen so far!!


And finally is today's mail- all swaps! Emily de Molly Limited Edition 6, Colors by Llarowe Hellcat Oops, and Colors by Llarowe Paper Moon. The oops and paper moon are back-ups and may end up for sale- but that LE6 is the real treasure! 



So this was quite the mail week for me- it looks overwhelming when its all laid out like this. I also received 4 Enchanted Polishes I bought from a recent restock- those are going straight for sale though so I didn't bother to include them. They were an impulse buy that I immediately regretted- oh well! I'll be able to make my money back- EPs are a hot commodity!

Enjoy the weekend! 

Sally Beauty 50% off Clearance!


Who doesn't love a good clearance sale?! April 25-28 Sally Beauty is having a great one- 50% off nails and makeup red tag clearance! This is valid in store and on-line- sometimes I find the prices to be cheaper in my store though- but online does offer free shipping with purchases of $50 or more. Oh, and of course- don't forget to use the April birthday coupon (valid through the 30th) Happy shopping!!



Saturday, April 19, 2014

Zoya Earth Day Promotion

It's that time of year again- the Zoya Earth Day sale! I don't know about you, but I wait all year for the chance to snag Zoyas at 50% off! 



How it works: Visit www.zoya.com and add at least 6 bottles and no more than 24 bottles of polish to your cart. Apply the code: ZDAY2014

What shades will you be picking up this year? So far I know I want Cole from the Spring Awaken collection. Unfortunately this code isn't valid on any of the new summer colors, but they still have hundreds of gorgeous shades to choose from. Happy shopping!!

Nail Mail and My First Ever Smokey Mountain Lacquer!

Today's nail mail and my first ever Smokey Mountain Lacquer!

Dollish Polish Tea in the Garden & Picture Polish Totes 
My first package today was my Llarowe order. I picked up the Llarowe exclusive Dollish Polish Tea in the Garden. It is the perfect easter polish! This polish was on sale for $9. I also snatched up Picture Polish totes for $12.50.  It is much more creamy in person- I don't have a color like this in my collection, I'm very excited about it. I used my reward points on this order so I only ended up spending $10.86 shipped! 

Next up is my first ever Smokey Mountain Lacquer order. Can we just talk about the packaging!? SO adorable! I always appreciate a well put together package, its so nice when a maker puts this kind of love into packaging!


Here is the polish I got- a pure silver topper! I have a 24k gold topper from opi but had never seen a silver one! This polish retails for 9.95, and cost me $12.94 shipped. SML also has a gold gliter topper for $12.95- a steal compared to what OPI charges for theirs! Check out Smokey Mountain Lacquer's etsy shop here- I am already planning my next purchase! ;)


This polish does require a lot of fishing, I swatched it immediately and had some issues getting the flakes out. Kim recommends pouring a little of the topper into a small container and use the brush to apply. I didn't read that part until after I tried swatching so I'm definitely going to try that next time, or the make-up sponge trick might work with this. If you have never tried the make-up sponge trick before check out the Lacquerologist's tutorial hereit works wonders on hard to get glitters :) 
My swatch- about 4 coats with glitter fishing



Friday, April 18, 2014

Nail Mail

The highlight of my day is hearing my mail truck rumble up my street and to my mailbox. Being the creeper I am I peek through the curtains to watch him bring me that day's nail mail! Here is what I got today:

L to R: Colors by Llarowe Gizmo, Glam Polish Margaritaville, Knockout Lacquer Armbar mini

First up was a surprise polish. My favorite polish facebook group had an incredible giveaway for April Fools Day- Nicolas Cage memes! I had so much fun finding the most ridiculous memes of this ridiculous man! I was one of the winners and got Colors by Llarowe Gizmo in the mail today. I have been wanting this CbL for ages and can't believe it is finally mine!!

I got the Glam Polish, another long time lemming, from a store envy destash. It cost me $9 shipped. Apparently the owner of the storeenvy has her own polish line, Knockout Lacquer and she threw in a mini for free! That was very sweet, and good business! The polish is cute, pink with a blue sheen. It'll make for a good summer pedicure. I love shopping on storeenvy- it is so easy and they have so much! You can search store envy for particular polishes and items or go straight to a favorite store- I use store envy for my destash too- it is great for a seller- super easy and takes all the work out of it! You can check out my destash here: http://jamiesdestash.storenvy.com/ use code bntb for 10% off!

April's Birchbox and Ipsy

April 2014 Birchbox and Ipsy

This was a great month for both bb and ipsy- overall I was happy with everything- which is definitely out of the norm! Ipsy and Birchbox are the only two subs I get regularly. I have been with Ipsy for albout a year and a half, Birchbox 1 16 months and Birchbox 2 13 months.  Ipsy and Birchbox are both $10 a month. I get one Ipsy and two Birchboxes. One of my birchbox subs is yearly which (of course) I got a great deal on, so for the 3 boxes only $20 comes out of my account monthly. Over-all I prefer birchbox because of the brands they offer and their incredible point system! So here is what I got this month:

Ipsy
In this month's Ipsy I received Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-on Eye Pencil in Black Velvet nearly full size, and valued at $15.00. I am a huge UD fan and already have many of the 24/7 liners- but this is my first  from the velvet line. I will definitely use this product!

Next I received Mary Kay @ Play Jelly Lip Gloss in Berry Me. Full size and valued at $12.00. I do not use lip glosses and I do not use Mary Kay products. This item is a bust for me so it will go on the swap board! This is a perfect example of the odd brand choices ipsy makes. As time goes on they are getting more high-end brands, but they do throw in brands like this or random cheap brands like this or wet n' wild. 

I was very happy to be getting Demeter roll on perfume in Jasmine- the perfect spring scent! This retails for $10. Demeter has the most unique scents, I have tried wet grass and paperback book. They even have dust and pizza if you can even believe it. Demeter perfumes can be found here, it is a fun site to browse to see all the kooky scents they offer! 

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion scrub is a sample I have received a few times from birchbox. I love it! It retails for $78, making this sample worth $9.75. The hefty price tag keeps me from purchasing a full size but it really is a great product. The scent is a little off for me though, kind of smells like peeps! 

My last item was the Elizabeth Mott Pop Goes the Shadow in champagne. This item is full size and retails for $12.99. This item and brand are not for me. This will definitely go on the swap board.

My April Ipsy bag is valued at $60.75- not too bad for 10 bucks!
Deducting the items I will not use (the shadow and the lip gloss) the value is still at $35.75. Over-all I am very happy with this months ipsy. 

Birchbox 1
 My first birchbox was a little bit of a let down, but Most of the items will get used. I received Color Club Art Duo Pen, Cynthia Rowley Beauty Silver Eyeliner, Madison Reed Shampoo, Madison Reed Conditioner, and my lifestyle extra was Kind Healthy Grains Bar.

I love nail art and love receiving any kind of tools. I will definitely use this black Color Club nail art pen. It is valued at $8.33.

The Cynthia Rowley eyeliner is a miss for me, mostly because of the color but also a little a bit because of the brand. It may be silly of me but I tend to stay away from branded names that cross-over. Rowley has great clothes but I am hesitant to try her make-up. This is nearly full size and is valued at $12. Off to the swap pile for this one!

I have never heard of Madison Reed, but Birchbox usually does not disappoint. Though I will not use these items (I have a very anal and specific hair care routine lol) my boyfriend will and I am happy to divert him from his Axe shampoo (a constant struggle!!) 

The Kind Healthy Grains bar is valued at $1. It is maple pumpkin seeds with sea salt. Delicious! I love kind products and was happy to see this in both of my birchboxes. I love the lifestyle extras- and you still get to review them for your 10 points!!

My first birchbox is valued at $26.31- higher than the average bb value. Deducting the cynthia rowley eyeliner I will be trading the value is $14.31.


Birchbox 2
My second birchbox had Color Club polish mini, Davines Oi Shampoo and Conditioner, Gilchrist & Soames Body Wash, Sumita Eyeliner, and another tasty Kind Bar!

I was hoping to get the blue color club I had been seeing but this one in Gold Struck is cute. I am not loving the new color club logo, has anyone else seen this? This mini is valued at $3.50. I have two many similar colors and will end up in the swap pile.

The dreaded foil pack! BB is infamous for their foil packs, and it is a bummer but hey- its still worth 5 points! The shampoo is valued at $1.11 and the  conditioner is valued at $1.53. I don't mind foil packs so much except when its a product I've been dying to try- like these Davines products. I have heard great things about Davines and although I don't want to divert from my normal hair cleansing product I would like to try a leave in cream. I will give these a go to gauge the quality of the brand.

Gilchrist & Soames is a new brand for me but this little body wash will go great in my gym bag. It smells great and is valued at $2.50.

Another eyeliner for me- that makes 3- one in each box this month. Between bb and ipsy I have enough eyeliners to last me a lifetime! This sumita color contrast eyeliner is in the shade deep plum and is valued at $7. This will definitely get used.

This bb is valued at $16.64. Deducting the color club mini to be swapped the value is $13.14


Ipsy definitely beats Birchbox in the value sector- but Birchboxes point system evens things out. If you would like to sign up for ipsy or birchbox please consider using my referral links:

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Nail Mail

Let's get down to business! Today's nail mail!

Pictured left to right are Hare Polish Afterglow, Hare Polish Phat Tuesday, Hare Polish Archipelago, and Picture Polish Frosting

I purchased all of these polishes through facebook polish sales groups. Afterglow from one seller, the other three from another. As you can tell Hare Polish is one of my favorite indie polish lines- Nikole makes amazing polish! Check out her incredible glittery creations here: harepolish.com

Afterglow cost me $6.41 (included shipping and paypal fees). This is the lowest I have seen this polish for so I had to snatch it up.

Phat Tuesday was from Llarowe's March A Box Indied. It was exclusive to this box and I am happy to have gotten my hands on it. It cost me $10 plus $2 shipping.

Archipelago is a decant and I was astonished to have found it. A vhtf (very hard to find) polish this can go for well over $50 for a full size. I am not one to splurge like that on a polish so this decant works perfectly for me! I paid $10 for this polish plus $0.50 shipping.

Picture Polish Frosting has been on my iso list since I started getting into indie polishes. The higher than usual price tag has stopped me from getting a lot of picture polishes, but the ones I have I love! I scored this for $5 plus $0.50 shipping!

These 4 polishes cost me a total of $34.41. Their retail value is $57.50. I saved over twenty dollars on these beauties through purchasing from facebook sellers. If you do not already belong to any of the facebook polish groups I suggest you seek some out and join up- they are great for your wallet! Well maybe not so much- but at least you're not paying retail ;) I'll be back tomorrow with April's Ipsy and Birchbox!

Welcome to Beauty and the Bargain!

Welcome to Beauty and the Bargain and my first ever blog post! This blog will be about my love of indie polish, make-up, subscription boxes, and shopping! I love a good bargain and will be sharing coupons, tips, and tricks- and posting all my hauls and nail mail!