Birthday Perks

Philosophy 'happy birthday, beautiful' freebie [via Sephora]

July is probably my favorite shopping month of the year because it's my birthday month. My inbox (and regular mailbox) becomes flooded with special birthday perks and it's the one month where I feel that subscribing for regular emails from 8347569 different retailers is truly worthwhile. Among this year's favorite offers was a coupon for an exclusive birthday freebie from Sephora (shown above), a coupon for $15 off any purchase from LOFT, and a $25 credit for Ideeli which I used to purchase a pair of cute, open-toe flats made by Adrienne Vittadini for just $6.37 after the credit was applied (shown below).

Adrienne Vittadini 'Kaleb' Flat [via Ideeli & no longer available] - $89.00 (orig. retail value)

I also received birthday offers from Talbots (10% off a purchase), Urban Outfitters (20% off a purchase of $50+), Foley + Corinna ($50 off a purchase of $200+), Gap (25% off a purchase), and American Eagle (15% off a purchase). If you don't like to clutter up your inbox with offers from various retailers you might want to consider setting up a free email account for junk mail. Just be sure to pay special attention to your inbox during your birthday month so that you don't miss out on all of the great offers!

Also, check with your local salon or any cosmetic/beauty retailer in your area to see about any birthday specials that they offer. I will be heading to my local Ulta on Saturday morning for a free eyebrow wax at the Benefit brow bar inside of the store. (ID is required and this offer is only valid on your actual birthday.)

Turquoise + Gold

Essie 'Turquoise & Caicos' Nail Polish - $8.00
Sephora by OPI 'Only Gold for Me' Top Coat - $9.50

As soon as I saw this post by blogger Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere, I knew I had to get myself a bottle of this gorgeous glitter top coat and give it a shot. Despite having some minor application issues (watery, streaky polish formula which I think is a little unusual for Essie polishes) the end result was pretty fantastic and I've already received several compliments from friends and colleagues so far this week. I like to change up my polish at the end of every week and I'm definitely going to be sad to say goodbye to this look. I'll try not to get too upset though..I have a delicious bottle of bubble gum pink polish that I've been waiting until the right moment to try. I think a 28th birthday celebration next weekend is the perfect occasion.. : )

Lovely Leopard

I don't really follow the fashion trends too often but one that I'm absolutely loving right now is animal prints. More specifically, leopard prints. I generally showcase my love for leopard through accessories so I put together a fun little wish list of items that I would love to add to my collection.

Clockwise from top left:
Dior 'Mitzah' Palette - $98.86 USD (currently available only in the UK)

Cynthia Vincent Pouch [Piperlime exclusive] - $85.00
Betsey Johnson 'Heart Stud' Earrings - $25.00
ASOS 'Leather Leopard' Belt - $34.48 (currently out of stock)
Vince Camuto 'Kira' Leopard Pump - $89.00
Topshop 'Leopard' Scarf - $32.00

Shoe Love: Nine West

Nine West 'Nuncio' Pump [via Macy's] - $41.40 (on sale!)

About a week ago, I spent an evening wandering my local shopping mall for the first time in what seemed like forever. I'm trying to keep my spending to a minimum this month (my birthday is in 2 weeks!) but there are tons of great sales happening now since so many stores are beginning to switch their focus from the summer lines to the new fall collections.

As I was browsing the shoe department at Macy's I came across these Nine West lovelies at 50% off (original price = $69.00). It was already a good deal on it's own but then I remembered that I also had almost $20 left on a Macy's gift card I've had since last fall. In the end, I paid a whopping $17.66 for these pumps. Winning.

Over the years I've owned several pairs of these same Nine West pumps in various colors. They are a great go-to pair of shoes for the office..a simple, classic design with a mid-height heel that is comfortable to wear all day. Since my cute as a button puppy decided to turn my other pair of patent leather, pointed-toe pumps into a chew toy I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to replace them.

Beauty Haul {Part 2}: Ulta

Left to right:
Essie 'Watermelon' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Turquoise & Caicos' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Big Spender' Nail Polish - $8.00

Lately, I've developed a slight obsession for nail polish. And by slight I mean somewhat irrational. When I received the latest Ulta newsletter in my mailbox with a coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase I immediately knew that a couple of bottles of Essie nail polish were in my future. So, coupon in hand I went to Ulta during the afternoon of the 4th (the only holiday weekend shopping I did which is pretty amazing). What I did not know at the time was that there is currently a promo for buy 2 get 1 free bottles of Essie. I pretty much reacted like a kid in a candy store. In the end, I was able to combine my coupon with the b2g1 promo and walked away with these 3 shades which are perfect for summer. The price came to $12.50 + tax ($1.09) for the 3 bottles. Shazam!

Flash forward a couple of days and I happened to come across that same $3.50 off a $10 purchase coupon on the main page of the Ulta website. Of course I had to print a copy and immediately run to the store after work today to pick up 3 more bottles.

Left to right:
Essie 'Au Natural' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Mambo' Nail Polish - $8.00
Essie 'Island Hopping' Nail Polish - $8.00

As much as I hate to admit it (because I'm loving the summer weather we've had lately), I thought it might be a good idea to select a few colors that will transition well from summer into fall. I absolutely love a neutral polish any time of the year and the gray undertones in this purple shade will be a perfect compliment for the cool weather we'll start seeing in another couple of months.

Here are some tips for shopping at Ulta:

• Order online for 3 free samples. And, much like Sephora, shipping is free with a $50 minimum purchase. I have actually never placed an online order with Ulta. It is a very new store in my neck of the woods and I had only visited an Ulta store once before while traveling. I am also a very loyal Sephora shopper but I've realized that the product selection is quite different at both stores so I see the possibility of some online orders in my future.
• View the current ad online and check for printable/online coupons before you shop. I'm noticing that the sales and specials are significantly better at Ulta than they are at Sephora. Be careful of printable coupons from outside discount/coupon websites (ex. Retail Me Not, Coupon Cabin, etc). I recently had a store associate tell me that there is a company putting fake Ulta coupons on these types of websites and these coupons will not be accepted for purchases.
• Join the free 'Ultamate Rewards' program to earn points on your purchases. You'll also receive coupons and up to 15 special bonus offers per year.
• Join 'The Club at Ulta' and earn free products for different levels of spending (ex. $50, $100, $150, etc). This is also a free loyalty program and the one I have a membership card for. To be honest, I'm really not sure why there's 2 very similar yet separate rewards programs but it must work for them so who am I to question it?
  

All in all, I've noticed that many cosmetic and beauty retailers have the same type of free sample offers, free shipping over $50, loyalty programs, etc. One thing that I think sets Ulta aside from the competition is the fact that there's also a full blown (no pun intended) salon in the stores. Fun fact - if you visit an Ulta salon on your birthday you can get your eyebrows waxed for free!

This concludes my 2-part beauty haul post for (early) July. Happy shopping, everyone! : )

Beauty Haul {Part 1}: Sephora

Clockwise from top left:
Sephora by OPI 'Only Gold For Me' Top Coat - $9.50
Sephora by OPI 'Flurry Up' Top Coat - $9.50
Sephora by OPI 'Seeing Pink Elephants' Nail Polish - $9.50
Sephora by OPI 'Leotard Optional' Nail Polish - $9.50
Tarte Amazonian Clay 'Blissful' Blush - $25.00
Tarte 'EmphasEYES' Inner Rim Brightener - $18.00
Urban Decay 'Eden' Eyeshadow Primer Potion - $19.00

I mentioned in this post that I had a gift card for Sephora and finally placed an order last week. The gift card was valued at $100 and I earned it by redeeming some credit card points that I had been saving for several months. Buying + furnishing a new home = major credit card points lately. (Just make sure you never charge more than what you can pay off each month!)

Anyhoo, these are the items that I settled on when placing my order. My total came to exactly $100 by coincidence and so the only cost to me was $8.45 in sales tax. The thing I love about using gift cards is I'm more likely to try some new products versus just stocking up on my regulars. I am especially excited to try the Tarte blush. I've had my eye on it for months!

I also got several freebies with my order as well. First, every online order at Sephora comes with 3 free samples. I chose a perfume sample of 'Stella' by Tocca (love!), Perfekt 'Blushed' Cheek Perfection Gel, and Smashbox Photo Finish 'Targeted Pore & Line' Primer.

Next, I had enough points in my 'Beauty Bank' for a free deluxe sample and chose a .14 oz sample of the new Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara.

And last but certainly not least, I received a free full sized 8.5 fl oz bottle of both the Ojon 'Damage Reverse' Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner using a coupon code that I received via email. Because these truly are full sized bottles (valued at $24 for the shampoo and $25 for the conditioner), this may be one of the best freebies I've ever received from Sephora!

I try to stretch gift cards as far as I can whenever I have them. My original plan was to hold onto it until the next 'Friends & Family' or 15-20% off type of sale but I got sucked in by the shampoo/conditioner offer and I don't regret it! I like to swim laps at a nearby pool during my lunch hour so this will help keep my hair from getting too damaged from all of the chlorine and chemicals.

Here are some tips for shopping at Sephora:

• Order online to receive 3 free samples. The samples change often and there are generally about a dozen to choose from. Plus, shipping is free once you hit the $50 minimum. I hate paying for shipping so I use it as an opportunity to stock up on things I use regularly.
• Check the 'Weekly Specials' page for additional free samples (coupon code required) and special promotions. Most of these apply to online orders only. Just be aware that Sephora only allows 1 coupon code per order so choose wisely!
• Become a 'Beauty Insider' to earn points for shopping. You can have your card scanned for in-store purchases and/or create an online account. Every $1 spent at Sephora earns you 1 point. Once you've earned 100 points you can redeem for a deluxe product sample or keep saving until you reach 500 points and receive a limited edition product for free. Plus, you'll receive a free birthday gift each year and be notified of sales/special promotions regularly via email.
• Become a 'VIB' (Very Important Beauty Insider) to earn even more benefits for shopping such as a 10% welcome offer, exclusive gifts, invites to special events, and access to not-yet-released products. There's a catch though - you must spend at least $350 at Sephora in a calendar year to qualify and you must re-qualify each year.

If you can resist the urge for instant gratification I think ordering online is worth the wait. I definitely don't get free samples as often when I shop in-store. If you're a little nervous about buying online or thinking about purchasing some new products it's always a good idea to browse a nearby store first so that you can see, touch, and test the products you're thinking of ordering.