To be totally honest my beauty stash at the moment is in rather good shape and there isn't anything that I'm about to run out of, but y'know if it's on sale and if it's also something that I love then it seems silly not to take advantage of good offers...
Having said that there wasn't all that much that caught my eye in either the Space NK or Sephora post holiday sales so my sale splurges were rather tame compared to other years and I only picked up three items.
First up Space NK:
I had had my eye on the Oribe gift sets ever since I saw them at the Space NK Christmas preview so when I saw the Travel Essentials set on sale I popped it in my basket straight away! I have used the Gold Lust Shampoo and Conditioner and loved it. Not only does it smell amazing it leaves my hair soft, silky and manageable and it is so rich and luxuriant that you only have to use a small amount of it. Normally Oribe costs way more than I care to spend on shampoo and conditioner so I'm deliriously happy to have generously sized 50ml tubes of each of these.
I've had numerous samples of Gold Lust Dry Shampoo over the years but there's always room for one more in my stash! I find that this is very much a dry shampoo, rather than a texturiser ,but it is an excellent dry shampoo that freshens hair and makes it smell wonderful without weighing it down or leaving any white residue behind. (I once made the mistake of being far too liberal with a hair oil and this put things back to normal in an instant!) This 62ml spray is the perfect size as well, small enough to carry around in a handbag, but large enough to last you a while when traveling.
The item that sealed the deal for me with this purchase was the roller ball of Cote D'Azur EDP. This fragrance is a light wearable summery scent that smells very similar to the hair products. It is a citrusy floral with some woodsy notes and while it isn't the type of scent that I would normally pick out for myself I like it because it reminds me of the hair products. My usual perfume preferences are a lot warmer and heavier than this (I primarily like spicy scents with notes of Oud, leather and violet) but it's not always suitable to wear such fragrances so I like to have one that's lighter that I can wear during work times that won't offend people by being too overpowering... Having said that, I'm pleased that this is an EDP rather than an EDT so it does have a little staying power on me. I also love the fact that this is so portable and that I can use it if I freshen up after work before going on to an event or dinner.
I've not yet used the BalmEssence Lip Treatment (I'm trying to finish things up before opening new ones at the moment) but I'm looking forward to cracking it open! It is a clear balm containing Shea Butter, Camelina Oil and Vitamin E, it smells like lemons and is the most fabulously packaged lip balm I ever saw in it's Versace-esque gold pot.
All of these Oribe goodies came in a smart grey toiletry/make up bag that is lined with a gold and grey fabric and has a metal framed opening so not only is it sturdy, you can easily see what is inside. Normally the bags from gift sets go straight into my give away pile but I like this one so much and it is so practical that I'm hanging onto it!
There was a time when every time I ordered something from Space NK I chose a sachet of Kane NY Serum Savant Primer as one of my three samples. I love this serum! It plumps and protects the skin whilst perfectly prepping it for the application of make up. Containing squalene, glycerine and Hyaluronic Acid it is a featherweight emulsion that always left my skin feeling comfortable and looking firm and lifted. BUT at $235.00 it was far too pricey for me to purchase... That is until it went on sale for $59.00! I( actually had $40.00 of NDulge points to spend also so this was a must buy for me.)
I cannot wait to start using this but I know I'm going to miss it when it's gone as I doubt I will ever be able to afford it again! The packaging of this BTW is gorgeous, it has a very futuristic feel.
And onto Sephora...
I had to peruse the Sephora sale although I wasn't looking (or expecting) to get anything... And then I saw the Etat Libre d'Orange Discovery Set on sale for less than $10.00! I bought one of these samplers two years ago and enjoyed it so much. Etat Libre d'Orange is a perfume house that takes a modernist approach when creating their niche fragrances, which are all complex and somewhat unusual.
The tag line on this sampler is 'Find the Scent that Calls Your Name' and while I liked them all there are four that I particularly liked:
Fat Electrician, a smoky yet creamy incense like fragrance with vanilla notes.
Jasmine and Cigarettes, a soapy jasmine with tobacco notes.
Fils de Dieu, a heavy oriental scent containing citrus notes that is quite powdery and a little musty.
Putain des Palaces, intensely powdery and warm, very long lasting, with dirty amber notes.
This time around the vials came with atomisers and were packaged in a round metal tin so it felt more like an actual gift rather than a set of samples.
I had been using my previous set somewhat sparingly but now with a back up I'm happy to use them more generously!
So that's my sale round up, some luxury hair care, an everyday perfume along with some quirky ones for the weekend and a premium primer. I'm so pleased with these three items - perhaps sometimes less really is more!
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