Especially during the winter months, when skin is usually at its driest, eye makeup remover is rough and strips the delicate eye area of its moisture even more. All that dryness and rubbing and tugging at the skin around the eyes to get that last bit of mascara off inevitably leads to unwanted lines and dark circles. But a girl's gotta remove her eye makeup. So might I suggest the ever-classic and ever-affordable Aquaphor ointment, which is available in the tube, the giant tub, and the tiny tube, which is wonderful for chapped lips or travel makeup-removal (the uber-serious TSA agent at the New Orleans airport confiscated my giant tub on my return-trip even though the S.F. TSA was cool about it because it only had a few ounces of product left, not that I'm bitter or anything).
Anyway, this ointment (and the generics at chain drugstores) will effectively remove all traces of your eye makeup without stripping the skin. In fact, in leaves the eye area feeling moist without feeling greasy. And unlike some eye makeup removers which are alcohol-based, this stuff won't irritate if it gets in your eyes. It's also much more cost effective. And highly useful for other purposes including its label-designated use: dry, chapped skin. It's great for wintery elbows, knees, and feet (especially overnight with a pair of cotton socks). And it makes a phenomenal lip balm for chapped lips. Not to name names, but you'll never go back to $26 Bi-Facil again.
Showing posts with label Bargains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bargains. Show all posts
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Back to School: A B Vitamin C's of Skincare
After an extended hiatus from blogging (summer vacay, catching up on work before and after vacay, and birthdays), I'm back! And in spirit of the back to school season, I thought it would be fitting to do a little educational post on the skincare benefits of Vitamin C. But first, here's a little guide to some of the skincare products I've been trying and trying to find lately, all of which I'll be blogging about as I try products.
I'm on the lookout for the best of the best products to update my skincare regimen. Here's what I'm trying to find. And if you readers out there have any favorites to suggest that I try, please let me know.
To get the the maximum benefit, you want to use it just once a day during the a.m. only. And you MUST use it with sunscreen of at least SPF 30 if you're just driving and outside for a few minutes here and there, and a higher SPF if you're in the sun for any extended period of time. The SPF is essential because while the Vitamin C helps prevent and treat hyper-pigmentation, it also makes your skin more vulnerable to sun damage if you don't wear an SPF because of the increased cell turnover. With that caveat out of the way, I give you the three Vitamin C serums I've tried to date and my thoughts:
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
Ole Henriksen is one of the latest and greatest active naturals skincare lines. It combines science with homeopathy for a truly great skincare line, free of harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. This particular serum features 10% Vitamin C for the anti-aging benefits together with Vitamin E for hydration and other active naturals like green tea and grapefruit extracts. The result is a serum that smells great, smooths the skin, and gives the complexion a radiant glow. Overall, my skin looked healthier after about a week of consistent use. On the downside, it's a little sticky, which does not work well underneath makeup. I like the results of this serum, but I really want to find a Vitamin C serum that wears well underneath makeup since it's a daytime serum.
Murad Active Radiance Serum
This serum contains Vitamin C, AHA, and Myrtle extract to help improve the skin's texture and radiance, as well as to treat and prevent sun spots. This serum is supposed to boost collagen production and guard the skin against damage from free radicals. My skin definitely felt smoother to the touch and looked more radiant immediately after using the serum. After a few days of consistent daily use (remember, use Vitamin C serums just once a day, a.m. only), my skin's texture and skin tone were noticeably improved. This serum is not as sticky as the Truth Serum, but it's still a bit on the sticky side. Not so much that I would be dissuaded if it was a serum that I could use at night, but since I wear makeup regularly, and the stickiness doesn't disappear even after 15 minutes or so, it's not the best choice for me. I did try it once on a non-makeup day and after I let it dry for a good 20 minutes and then applied moisturizer and let that dry, my skin felt soft and non-sticky to the touch after another hour or so. I did not attempt to apply makeup over it, but I think that if I had, it would have been alright. It's just quite a long wait before my skin is makeup-safe and not getting tacky clumps of makeup on my face (not a good look). Overall, I like this serum and its effects very well. I am just determined that there is another makeup-friendly Vitamin C serum out there.
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
This Vitamin C serum came highly recommended from my aestheticism, who offered me a sample. I later learned that it's a three-time Allure Magazine best serum winner. It's easy to see why. This serum combines a very potent formulation of Vitamin C in the form of 15% pure L-ascorbic acid with the hydrating and reparative benefits of Vitamin E. It has all the same antioxidant benefits as the other Vitamin C serums, but in a more aggressive dosage of Vitamin C, and with ferulic acid and Vitamin E for extra antioxidant power. This serum feels like it's quenching the skin's thirst while leaving it soft and bright, not at all greasy and thankfully, not sticky. Makeup goes on smoothly. I suppose it was inevitable that the best Vitamin C serum I've tried to date would be about twice the price of the other two. And yes, you get what you pay for in SkinCeuticals products, their quality is unrivaled. However, as $141, it's still far more expensive than any other skincare product I've ever purchased.
I'm still milking my deluxe sample for now and using very sparingly. I'm hoping to find another serum that works as well, but if I can't, here is my plan and some tips for you readers who might consider this purchase: you can get SkinCeuticals products on www.spalook.com, which is always on ebates (usually around 5-10% cash back -- check out ebates for Sephora and ULTA cash back as well -- http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=zblRc6RSUiGkpTMojoGM1g%3D%3D). Additionally, Spalook virtually always has coupon codes going to get $25 off of a $100 purchase or $50 off of $200 or 20% off or something like that. Look for them in a general google search, although the codes are often on the main page of Spalook itself. Further, SkinCeuticals does sell this serum in discounted kits with other full-sized serums, saving you some money collectively. Finally, Spalook often has gifts with purchase for SkinCeuticals.
So, yes, I am considering making this obscene purchase given the aforementioned discounts and promos. Vitamin C serums are the holy grail of anti-aging serums right now. And the beauty of them is that they are ideal for women in my age group (20 and 30-somethings) looking to correct some early sun damage and prevent any further damage. And the SkinCeuticals has been praised as the best of the best, so it is probably worth the investment. Being the bargain huntress that I am, I am still going to hunt down samples and trial sizes of other Vitamin C serums and see if I can't find a better deal. But at the end of the day, this is probably the single most important category of skincare product that I can buy for my skin, so I may just have to cut cost-corners elsewhere. I will keep you posted on any other worthwhile Vitamin C serums I find.
I'm on the lookout for the best of the best products to update my skincare regimen. Here's what I'm trying to find. And if you readers out there have any favorites to suggest that I try, please let me know.
- A creamy eye cream for day that combats dark circles and works under my eye makeup and undereye concealer (many eye creams make the undereye concealer run or crepe)
- A Vitamin C serum for day that does not feel sticky and works underneath makeup
- A lightweight day moisturizer with a high SPF (30 or better)
- An eye cream for night that combats fine lines and firms the eye area
- A hydrating serum for night that firms skin and combats lines and hyper-pigmentation
- A hydrating night moisturizer with anti-aging benefits
- A spot treatment for hyper-pigmentation (sun spots)
- A spot treatment for occasional breakouts that works quickly and effectively
- A weekly glycolic peel
- A weekly moisturizing mask
To get the the maximum benefit, you want to use it just once a day during the a.m. only. And you MUST use it with sunscreen of at least SPF 30 if you're just driving and outside for a few minutes here and there, and a higher SPF if you're in the sun for any extended period of time. The SPF is essential because while the Vitamin C helps prevent and treat hyper-pigmentation, it also makes your skin more vulnerable to sun damage if you don't wear an SPF because of the increased cell turnover. With that caveat out of the way, I give you the three Vitamin C serums I've tried to date and my thoughts:
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
Ole Henriksen is one of the latest and greatest active naturals skincare lines. It combines science with homeopathy for a truly great skincare line, free of harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. This particular serum features 10% Vitamin C for the anti-aging benefits together with Vitamin E for hydration and other active naturals like green tea and grapefruit extracts. The result is a serum that smells great, smooths the skin, and gives the complexion a radiant glow. Overall, my skin looked healthier after about a week of consistent use. On the downside, it's a little sticky, which does not work well underneath makeup. I like the results of this serum, but I really want to find a Vitamin C serum that wears well underneath makeup since it's a daytime serum.
Murad Active Radiance Serum
This serum contains Vitamin C, AHA, and Myrtle extract to help improve the skin's texture and radiance, as well as to treat and prevent sun spots. This serum is supposed to boost collagen production and guard the skin against damage from free radicals. My skin definitely felt smoother to the touch and looked more radiant immediately after using the serum. After a few days of consistent daily use (remember, use Vitamin C serums just once a day, a.m. only), my skin's texture and skin tone were noticeably improved. This serum is not as sticky as the Truth Serum, but it's still a bit on the sticky side. Not so much that I would be dissuaded if it was a serum that I could use at night, but since I wear makeup regularly, and the stickiness doesn't disappear even after 15 minutes or so, it's not the best choice for me. I did try it once on a non-makeup day and after I let it dry for a good 20 minutes and then applied moisturizer and let that dry, my skin felt soft and non-sticky to the touch after another hour or so. I did not attempt to apply makeup over it, but I think that if I had, it would have been alright. It's just quite a long wait before my skin is makeup-safe and not getting tacky clumps of makeup on my face (not a good look). Overall, I like this serum and its effects very well. I am just determined that there is another makeup-friendly Vitamin C serum out there.
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
This Vitamin C serum came highly recommended from my aestheticism, who offered me a sample. I later learned that it's a three-time Allure Magazine best serum winner. It's easy to see why. This serum combines a very potent formulation of Vitamin C in the form of 15% pure L-ascorbic acid with the hydrating and reparative benefits of Vitamin E. It has all the same antioxidant benefits as the other Vitamin C serums, but in a more aggressive dosage of Vitamin C, and with ferulic acid and Vitamin E for extra antioxidant power. This serum feels like it's quenching the skin's thirst while leaving it soft and bright, not at all greasy and thankfully, not sticky. Makeup goes on smoothly. I suppose it was inevitable that the best Vitamin C serum I've tried to date would be about twice the price of the other two. And yes, you get what you pay for in SkinCeuticals products, their quality is unrivaled. However, as $141, it's still far more expensive than any other skincare product I've ever purchased.
I'm still milking my deluxe sample for now and using very sparingly. I'm hoping to find another serum that works as well, but if I can't, here is my plan and some tips for you readers who might consider this purchase: you can get SkinCeuticals products on www.spalook.com, which is always on ebates (usually around 5-10% cash back -- check out ebates for Sephora and ULTA cash back as well -- http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=zblRc6RSUiGkpTMojoGM1g%3D%3D). Additionally, Spalook virtually always has coupon codes going to get $25 off of a $100 purchase or $50 off of $200 or 20% off or something like that. Look for them in a general google search, although the codes are often on the main page of Spalook itself. Further, SkinCeuticals does sell this serum in discounted kits with other full-sized serums, saving you some money collectively. Finally, Spalook often has gifts with purchase for SkinCeuticals.
So, yes, I am considering making this obscene purchase given the aforementioned discounts and promos. Vitamin C serums are the holy grail of anti-aging serums right now. And the beauty of them is that they are ideal for women in my age group (20 and 30-somethings) looking to correct some early sun damage and prevent any further damage. And the SkinCeuticals has been praised as the best of the best, so it is probably worth the investment. Being the bargain huntress that I am, I am still going to hunt down samples and trial sizes of other Vitamin C serums and see if I can't find a better deal. But at the end of the day, this is probably the single most important category of skincare product that I can buy for my skin, so I may just have to cut cost-corners elsewhere. I will keep you posted on any other worthwhile Vitamin C serums I find.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Get Buzzed!
Most people are familiar with Burt's Bees lip balm (the classic soothing balm is made with beeswax and honey, but there are other variations available now), but fewer have taken advantage of their wide range of natural homeopathic products. You can find Burt's online at www.burtsbees.com and many other online retailers, but it's also commonly found at your neighborhood drugstore and Whole Foods. Here are a few of my faves from Burt's:
Hand Salve:
This is one of the most universal and useful of Burt's products. Although it's obvious use is as a salve for dry, rough, or cracked hands, I find it's also a universal salve for any dry patches. It's particularly useful for knees, elbows, and heels.
Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme:
This is a really nice softening butter for the cuticles. It's made with lemon oil, so it smells like fresh citrus, and it also has cocoa butter and vitamin E to moisturize those dry nail-beds. It's also great to use around the toenails, particularly during sandal season, to keep your pedicure looking fresh.
Beeswax and Banana Hand Creme:
To be honest, I don't find that this one moisturizes and better than any other hand cream, but it smells delicious. And the scent lasts throughout the day without being overwhelming. The moisture stays with you pretty well too, although you do have to reapply after washing your hands like many hand creams.
Aloe and Buttermilk Body Lotion:
This one is fantastic after you get a sunburn. Aloe is the best way to soothe and heal burned and blistered skin, but that green sticky formulation stains your clothes and doesn't smell that great. This one still has that aloe scent, but it's much much softer than the green gels, and it's not sticky. The buttermilk is another great natural remedy for irritated and burned skin, so the two ingredients working together in a softening lotion will have your skin feeling better in no time.
You can get a kit with trial sizes of all of the above plus more great Burt's Bees items for $13 at most drugstores, including their online counterparts and www.drugstore.com. It's a great way to check out the brand.
Hand Salve:
This is one of the most universal and useful of Burt's products. Although it's obvious use is as a salve for dry, rough, or cracked hands, I find it's also a universal salve for any dry patches. It's particularly useful for knees, elbows, and heels.
Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme:
This is a really nice softening butter for the cuticles. It's made with lemon oil, so it smells like fresh citrus, and it also has cocoa butter and vitamin E to moisturize those dry nail-beds. It's also great to use around the toenails, particularly during sandal season, to keep your pedicure looking fresh.
Beeswax and Banana Hand Creme:
To be honest, I don't find that this one moisturizes and better than any other hand cream, but it smells delicious. And the scent lasts throughout the day without being overwhelming. The moisture stays with you pretty well too, although you do have to reapply after washing your hands like many hand creams.
Aloe and Buttermilk Body Lotion:
This one is fantastic after you get a sunburn. Aloe is the best way to soothe and heal burned and blistered skin, but that green sticky formulation stains your clothes and doesn't smell that great. This one still has that aloe scent, but it's much much softer than the green gels, and it's not sticky. The buttermilk is another great natural remedy for irritated and burned skin, so the two ingredients working together in a softening lotion will have your skin feeling better in no time.
You can get a kit with trial sizes of all of the above plus more great Burt's Bees items for $13 at most drugstores, including their online counterparts and www.drugstore.com. It's a great way to check out the brand.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Home Cookin: The Oatmeal Mask
Oatmeal is a classic home remedy for all kinds of skin woes, particularly poison ivy, bug bites, rashes, eczema, sunburns, chicken pox, and general skin irritation and redness. Aveeno makes many soothing skin-care products with an oatmeal base, but you can easily make an oatmeal paste at home that you can use to soothe irritated skin. You can use this paste as a spot-treatment for bug bites, which will reduce swelling and redness, and help keep itching at bay. You can add a half-cup of the paste to a warm bath for a rash on the body or to sooth a sunburn. You can also use the paste as a facial mask to help soothe redness and irritation and give your skin a healthy refreshed glow. The paste even makes a great spot treatment for an annoying red pimple underneath the surface of the skin. It won't treat a pimple as effectively as salicylic acid, but it works well to treat redness and inflammation for those pimples that haven't quit hit the skin's surface. You can also use the paste as a refreshing mask for the feet, which helps soften callouses and soothe blisters.
Start with 1/2 cup milk and microwave it for one minute on medium-high power. Then dissolve two tablespoons of honey in the warm milk, stirring well. Next, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup oatmeal to make a paste. You want it to be thick enough that it is sticking together and all the liquid is absorbed, but not at all dry. How much oatmeal you will ultimately use can vary depending on the type of oatmeal you use (old-fashioned, 5-minute, instant) and what type of milk you use (fat-free, whole, soy, almond). I prefer to use a milk with at least a little milk-fat like a 2% and a stove-top oatmeal rather than the instant stuff. But you can use anything you have on hand. Just add more oatmeal by the spoon-full if it's too wet or more milk by the spoon-full if it's too dry. It should have the texture of a moist somewhat sticky paste, definitely thicker than a bowl of oatmeal for eating. You can use it as is or at a teaspoon of an oil like lavender oil for extra soothing or tea tree oil for acne. Olive oil is a good one for the feet.
For a spot treatment for bug bites or acne, simple apply a liberal amount of the paste to the affected area and let it dry for 45 minutes. As a mask for the face or feet, apply generously and allow to dry for 45 minutes. If you're applying it to the feet, I would suggest pulling on some cotton socks so you can be mobile while the mask dries. Then rinse with warm water and a washcloth, no soap necessary. Your skin will be soft and smooth, and it should feel a lot less irritated.
If you have a larger affected area, like a sunburn or poison oak or a rash on a large portion of your body, it's best to use this in the bath. Simply take a 1/2 to 3/4 cups of the paste and run it under warm bath water. Soak for at least a half-hour. This will require some clean-up afterward, so even though I like to have the loose oatmeal so I can rub it into any particularly bad spots while I bathe, it is a chore to clean up. Especially if you're already sore with a sunburn, etc. To avoid clean-up, simply take the paste and put it into a sachet bag to hang on your faucet and let the water run over it. You'll get most of the same benefits. If you don't have a sachet bag handy, you can make one at home with a coffee filter and just use a rubber band to tie it closed and a second rubber band to hang it on the faucet. A little sieve from the kitchen would also do the trick.
This little home-remedy may not work the same miracles as the latest $75 anti-aging serum, but it's a great easy-to-make concoction that is affordable and effective, particularly for irritated and/or inflamed skin. If you prefer to purchase the pre-made oatmeal treatments, check out Aveeno's long list of oatmeal and milk-based products.
Start with 1/2 cup milk and microwave it for one minute on medium-high power. Then dissolve two tablespoons of honey in the warm milk, stirring well. Next, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup oatmeal to make a paste. You want it to be thick enough that it is sticking together and all the liquid is absorbed, but not at all dry. How much oatmeal you will ultimately use can vary depending on the type of oatmeal you use (old-fashioned, 5-minute, instant) and what type of milk you use (fat-free, whole, soy, almond). I prefer to use a milk with at least a little milk-fat like a 2% and a stove-top oatmeal rather than the instant stuff. But you can use anything you have on hand. Just add more oatmeal by the spoon-full if it's too wet or more milk by the spoon-full if it's too dry. It should have the texture of a moist somewhat sticky paste, definitely thicker than a bowl of oatmeal for eating. You can use it as is or at a teaspoon of an oil like lavender oil for extra soothing or tea tree oil for acne. Olive oil is a good one for the feet.
For a spot treatment for bug bites or acne, simple apply a liberal amount of the paste to the affected area and let it dry for 45 minutes. As a mask for the face or feet, apply generously and allow to dry for 45 minutes. If you're applying it to the feet, I would suggest pulling on some cotton socks so you can be mobile while the mask dries. Then rinse with warm water and a washcloth, no soap necessary. Your skin will be soft and smooth, and it should feel a lot less irritated.
If you have a larger affected area, like a sunburn or poison oak or a rash on a large portion of your body, it's best to use this in the bath. Simply take a 1/2 to 3/4 cups of the paste and run it under warm bath water. Soak for at least a half-hour. This will require some clean-up afterward, so even though I like to have the loose oatmeal so I can rub it into any particularly bad spots while I bathe, it is a chore to clean up. Especially if you're already sore with a sunburn, etc. To avoid clean-up, simply take the paste and put it into a sachet bag to hang on your faucet and let the water run over it. You'll get most of the same benefits. If you don't have a sachet bag handy, you can make one at home with a coffee filter and just use a rubber band to tie it closed and a second rubber band to hang it on the faucet. A little sieve from the kitchen would also do the trick.
This little home-remedy may not work the same miracles as the latest $75 anti-aging serum, but it's a great easy-to-make concoction that is affordable and effective, particularly for irritated and/or inflamed skin. If you prefer to purchase the pre-made oatmeal treatments, check out Aveeno's long list of oatmeal and milk-based products.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Better than a Pedicure
Looking for an alternative to the pricey paraffin dips at the local nail salon? If you have dry feet, try slathering on a generous layer of Vaseline before bed and put on some cotton socks. You'll wake up with surprisingly soft tootsies. It sounds a little weird, but it actually feels pretty comfortable once you get the socks on, and I've never found a better remedy for dry cracked feet in or out of a nail salon. Add a couple of coats of nail polish when you wake up in the morning, and you're ready for sandal-season.
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Sunday, July 11, 2010
Home of the Free
I love trying new products via samples. The cosmetics industry has been marketing its products through sampling programs for decades. Gradually, traditional sampling has been expanded to include gift with purchase, purchase with purchase, and value-priced sets. The reason that these types of sampling programs are so common among cosmetics companies and retailers is because they sell little luxuries. The luxuries range from the affordable to the outrageous, but they are all nonessential items. And particularly in these cost-conscious times, sampling programs and their related "try before you buy" counterparts are critical to sales. The following are a few of my favorite places for scoring samples online, although I also recommend asking for samples the news time you're picking up your foundation at the local department store or browsing for a new perfume. Who knows, you may discover a new favorite.
Sephora
I love shopping at Sephora stores and online, not only for their selection, but for their excellent sampling programs and member rewards. You can always choose at least three samples with every order (usually out of a selection of a dozen or so skincare, makeup, and fragrance samples). Additionally, sephora.com always has codes for deluxe-sized freebees. Sometimes these codes are not all listed on the web page, but you can find them easily on Sephora's facebook page or on their email list. For example, right now, you can use the code BEBARETRIO to get a free set of Bare Escentuals products with the purchase of any product on Sephora's web site. This trio is a 10-day supply of the Bare Minerals foundation in your choice of color, the mineral veil sheer powder, and a cute mini Kabuki brush. There are at least ten other similar offers at any given time, some requiring the purchase of a specific brand or product, but most of them are just free with any purchase.
Sephora also offers great value-priced gift sets, some of which are seasonal and go on sale on the web page for an even better deal. Some of them are a mixture of deluxe sized items from one brand, others are "Sephora Favorites" from different brands. Right now, the web page has a mascara giftset that gives you ten deluxe mascara samples from different brands (including Korres and Smashbox) for only $39. There are similar giftsets for skincare.
Also, Sephora has a great rewards program that gives you even more deluxe freebees as you accumulate rewards points with your purchases. One final Sephora tip: if you sign up for their rewards program, you also get a little birthday gift if you request it either at the store or on the web page within two weeks of your birthday.
ULTA
ULTA's online shop also has a fantastic sampling program. There is some overlap of brands with Sephora, but ULTA also has drugstore brands and often has great sales and buy-one-get-one deals on those items. ULTA always gives you three samples of your choice with any online order. And like Spehora, often they have deluxe giveaways. Right now, ULTA is giving a deluxe Bare Escentuals mascara with any purchase from the brand. Additionally, ULTA often has online coupon codes for discounts and free shipping (although, shipping is always free with a $50 purchase). But one word of warning on the coupon codes: they usually don't apply to any of the "prestige" brands, so those codes are only going to work on your drugstore and ULTA brand items. But it's still a great way to save.
ULTA also has some great value-priced gift sets. They have a great variety of Bare Escentuals and Too Faced value sets in particular.
The Beauty Sampler
This is a web site that specializes in selling samples of popular items that the cosmetics companies don't sample. In particular, this is the place to find MAC Pigment samples. If you're not familiar with Pigments, they are loose form pure color in jars that can be used as eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner, or even mixed with lipgloss. I generally use them as eyeshadows and love that they don't crease and last all day. The Beauty Sampler sells 1/4 teaspoon samples in small jars. This doesn't sound like a lot, but with Pigment, a little goes a long way and even if you wore the same color every day, it would probably take you a good month or two to go through that much Pigment. These sell for $2 to $3 depending on the color. This retailer has rare and discontinued colors, as well as the Pro colors, which are only sold in MAC Pro shops. They don't charge for shipping, and I find it's a great way to try new colors without a big investment. The full-sized Pigments sell for $20, and I've never been able to get anywhere near making a dent in my full sized Pigments, some of which I've had for nearly ten years. Better to get 6 or 7 different shades in these great trial containers for the price of one. Get them at www.thebeautysampler.com.
Sephora
I love shopping at Sephora stores and online, not only for their selection, but for their excellent sampling programs and member rewards. You can always choose at least three samples with every order (usually out of a selection of a dozen or so skincare, makeup, and fragrance samples). Additionally, sephora.com always has codes for deluxe-sized freebees. Sometimes these codes are not all listed on the web page, but you can find them easily on Sephora's facebook page or on their email list. For example, right now, you can use the code BEBARETRIO to get a free set of Bare Escentuals products with the purchase of any product on Sephora's web site. This trio is a 10-day supply of the Bare Minerals foundation in your choice of color, the mineral veil sheer powder, and a cute mini Kabuki brush. There are at least ten other similar offers at any given time, some requiring the purchase of a specific brand or product, but most of them are just free with any purchase.
Sephora also offers great value-priced gift sets, some of which are seasonal and go on sale on the web page for an even better deal. Some of them are a mixture of deluxe sized items from one brand, others are "Sephora Favorites" from different brands. Right now, the web page has a mascara giftset that gives you ten deluxe mascara samples from different brands (including Korres and Smashbox) for only $39. There are similar giftsets for skincare.
Also, Sephora has a great rewards program that gives you even more deluxe freebees as you accumulate rewards points with your purchases. One final Sephora tip: if you sign up for their rewards program, you also get a little birthday gift if you request it either at the store or on the web page within two weeks of your birthday.
ULTA
ULTA's online shop also has a fantastic sampling program. There is some overlap of brands with Sephora, but ULTA also has drugstore brands and often has great sales and buy-one-get-one deals on those items. ULTA always gives you three samples of your choice with any online order. And like Spehora, often they have deluxe giveaways. Right now, ULTA is giving a deluxe Bare Escentuals mascara with any purchase from the brand. Additionally, ULTA often has online coupon codes for discounts and free shipping (although, shipping is always free with a $50 purchase). But one word of warning on the coupon codes: they usually don't apply to any of the "prestige" brands, so those codes are only going to work on your drugstore and ULTA brand items. But it's still a great way to save.
ULTA also has some great value-priced gift sets. They have a great variety of Bare Escentuals and Too Faced value sets in particular.
The Beauty Sampler
This is a web site that specializes in selling samples of popular items that the cosmetics companies don't sample. In particular, this is the place to find MAC Pigment samples. If you're not familiar with Pigments, they are loose form pure color in jars that can be used as eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner, or even mixed with lipgloss. I generally use them as eyeshadows and love that they don't crease and last all day. The Beauty Sampler sells 1/4 teaspoon samples in small jars. This doesn't sound like a lot, but with Pigment, a little goes a long way and even if you wore the same color every day, it would probably take you a good month or two to go through that much Pigment. These sell for $2 to $3 depending on the color. This retailer has rare and discontinued colors, as well as the Pro colors, which are only sold in MAC Pro shops. They don't charge for shipping, and I find it's a great way to try new colors without a big investment. The full-sized Pigments sell for $20, and I've never been able to get anywhere near making a dent in my full sized Pigments, some of which I've had for nearly ten years. Better to get 6 or 7 different shades in these great trial containers for the price of one. Get them at www.thebeautysampler.com.
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