A Steal of a Deal: Deluxe Samples

Right now at Sephora if you purchase $25, which is like 1 good product, you get 3 deluxe samples for free along with the standard 3 mini samples. I have been interested in Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up concealer, for awhile, but didn't want to get it for $24.00. I got a deluxe sample of Fake-up (light or medium avl.), bareMinerals Skinny Dip Bronzer, and Philosophy's A to Z BB cream. That's a pretty great score! I bought Benefit Cosmetics Go TropiCORAL kit as my $25 purchase; a great deal on its own. The deluxe samples are worth $30. Ulta sells it's deluxe samples for anywhere between $7-$10. I've never seen Fake Up, Skinny Dip, or A to Z BB cream. I've seen the deluxe sample Fake Up in a kit that costs $28. I got the 3 free-with-every-purchase mini samples (pic below), as well. So I really got $21-$30 of deluxe samples, $15 of minis, and a $28 Benefit kit all for $35.99 with S&H and tax included; a definite steal! They were in my colors and products I'd looked into buying before. 

Just FYI the mini samples options were great I choose Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion, Becca Bronzing Skin Perfector, & Make Up For Ever HD Press Powder. All things I've been wanting to try, as well. 

Deluxe Samples to Choose From:

Alterna- bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist 

Urban Decay- All Nighter Setting Spray

Benefit Cosmetics- Fake Up Concealer in Light & Medium 

Prada- Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum  Rollerball 

bareMinerals- Ready Bronzer in The Skinny Dip (for light to medium) 

Philosophy- Miracle Worker Overnight

First Aid Beauty- skin Rescue Deep Cleanser w/ Red Clay

Jack Black- Industrial Strength Hand Healer  

Dr. Brandt Skincare- Xtend Your Youth Dual Fusion Water 

And more... I can't see them because I already used my PACKUP promo. 

Deluxe Samples w/ Promo Code: PACKUP (w/ free Beauty Insider Card and $25 purchase) 

3 free Mini samples with every purchase. 

Breakdown of Steal Deal: 

Benefit Kit- $28.00

Deluxe Samples- $30.00 (if I bought)

Mini Samples- $15.00

Total: $73.00

Total Paid: $35.99 

Savings: 37.01

The Senses: Taste Mini Post

We'll get back to pricing soon but I was at Sephora today getting my free birthday gift by Make Up For Ever; mascara and lipstick. All you have to do to get it is sign up for a Beauty Insider card, no purchase necessary. I tried a BUXOM lip plumping gloss while I was there and it made my tongue numb. Then I got home and tried the lipstick that came in my little gift set, artist rouge natural line in Copper Pink (N9), a really gorgeous color. The taste was intensely awful. I still taste it an hour after rubbing it all off. I don't know if it was a mix of the 2 products of just the MUFE lipstick but this got me thinking about lip product tastes. These are supposed to be high-end items. What is going on? They know we're putting them on our mouths what is up with making them taste horrible? I told my boyfriend about this Mario Badescu serum sample I got and he said "They should make their samples extra good... so you want to buy them then make the real thing not as good to save." I got to thinking about this, samples should be extra good. The point is to get us to try and then buy. If MUFE is skimping on their lipstick samples or that's what the real thing taste like they've got a problem either way.

Make Up For Ever birthday gift set. Pretty but the lipstick seemingly taste disgusting.

So we'll be delving into taste. What lip product can you just not stand the taste of? I loved the color and I'll only try it once more to see if it was the mix of the two that tasted so bad if it's not the mix I'll never ever buy a MUFE lip product. YUCK! I still taste it. Truly disgusting.

Bestselling: Foundation & Prices

Ok- so I realized in my post on BB Creams it was more about the top rated and bestsellers than it was about price. I am giving the price and a little look-see into what really is worth the BANG your buck deserves but I feel like I've only done that in a read-between-the-lines sort of way. So we're going to really look a pricing today on the bestsellers list. Side by side Bestsellers vs. Top Rated. Just because something sells doesn't mean it is the best. So we need to look at which products make BOTH lists. Which one is popular but also rated on its quality. We're going to do that with Sephora's lists of bestsellers and top rated Foundation, today. This feels like the product that women spend the most money on, or this range; BB, Tinted, Medium, and Full Coverage. It's what starts our flawless look... its the base to the face.

Bestselling                                                                    Top Rated
1. bareMinerals Original- $27.00                        1. Ko Gen Do Triple Lightning- $20.00
2. Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover- $42.00  2. Shiseido UV Protective Liquid- $36.00
3. bareMinerals BareSKIN- $29.00                       3. Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint- $53.00
4. Kat Von D Lock-it Tattoo- $34.00                    4. Givenchy Teint Couture Fluid- $49.00
5. Clinque Even Better Makeup- $27.00              5. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light- $37
6. bareMinerals Matte Foundation- $27.00          6. bareMinerals Original- $27.00
7. Diorskin Airflash Spray- $62.00                       7. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place- $37.00
8. bareMinerals Try. Believe. Love. Kit- $20.00    8. Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Invisible- $61.00
9. Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Mattifying- $36.00          9. Givenchy Teint Couture Long-wearing compact- $55.00
10. Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder- $55   10. Diorskin Nude Compact- $50.00

 

Made both bestseller and top rated list, runs in the $20 area.

Company made both lists but not same product. Runs in the $50 area.

As you can see the prices on the Bestselling list range from $20.00 to $62.00. The prices on the Top Rated list range from $20.00 to $61.00. The only company that makes the cut, both lists, is bareMinerals in bareMinerals Original Broad Spectrum Foundation. Telltale, if you ask me. You could spend $62.00 on the Diorskin Airflash Spray but it isn't top rated, so is it really worth it? I feel like Top Rated speaks to quality, number of shades, and ease of application, not popularity but you do trust popularity when everyone is buying something it has to mean something so I think combining the two and picking items that make both lists is the way to get the best of the best for a price. Usually there are a few more options. More companies that make both lists, in this case, bareMinerals would be the only choice. Not much of a choice. So let's look at a few other things. Although the same product does not make both list Dior, the company, makes both lists. Well that seems to be it. So you're most informed guess on the best foundation to buy would be 1) Pick one of the two (Dior/Bareminerals) that has a shade that makes it look like you put on babyskin, 2) One of the companies that made both lists in different products for 2 different sites like Tarte. My guess is they would have something qualifying. 3) Pick one on either list depending on your values and what you want to spend, is bestselling or top rating more important to you? Each of the two companies gives you options; one runs in the twenties and one in the 40's and 50's. Something for everyone's wallet.