Feed Faves: Weekly Recap

Wendy from Decadent Luxe raids her bathroom and declares her favorite moisturizing hair conditioner and bath soap, perfect for this dry season.

Rihanna is fastly becoming a style icon of mine, and I Like Her Style! has been covering a lot of her hot wardrobe choices. Sylvia’s Personal Stylist updates leave me inspired to add new pieces to my own wardrobe, especially this post.

The Beauty Addict features the much-antisipated Encyclopedia of Mascara. What do you know, my all-time fave Lancome Fatale mascara has won Kristen’s love, also!

Precious of Precious & Makeup exposes her Top Beauty Secrets. Take them from a pro!

Temptalia showcases swatches from MAC’s new Antiquitease collection tested on Christine’s pretty skin tone, essentially a preview before you buy.

How To Score High-End Makeup Freebies

While I generously gave free cosmetics samples to anyone who asked when I was behind the counter, some department store makeup counters would rather see a sale before giving up the goods. However, you can leave a counter with new makeup and more money left in your pocket for other fabulous buys.

Not all cosmetics counters have free samples, but many do. My suggestion is to hit up all your favorite counters with a different technique. Take $15-$30 to spend for good measure; not all makeup counters are overflowing with samples so you may have to buy a lip gloss to get a freebie or make the minimum purchase for a free gift.

I’m going to share some tips you can use to score yourself some high-end makeup freebies!

How To Score High-End Makeup Freebies

• Save your money for the Gift. Many cosmetics counters seasonally offer free beauty bags for a minimum purchase – it’s called Gift With Purchase. This is a jackpot. By spending around $30 – my suggestion is to invest in good skincare – you can receive freebies like makeup bags, brushes, lipsticks, eyeshadows, and even sample sizes of expensive creams from your favorite lines! Many women make a habit of waiting to buy for Gifts to build up their cosmetics arsenal.
  • Lancome and Estee Lauder offer some of the best Gift With Purchase freebies, including makeup bags, mini sizes of luxury skin creams, full-size lipsticks, mascara, and even lip gloss. Clinique often gives away $50 worth of freebies for spending only $22! Don’t miss out on those Gifts!
• Get on the client list. How can you get the inside scoop on upcoming Gifts? Ask to be added to the client list of your favorite cosmetics counters and they will call you when Gifts are happening and for other cool events. Clarins (famous for skincare and self tanners) hosts an event where you can get free facials for a minimum purchase, and Clinique often has events where you can play around with makeup and take home some freebies for attending.
• Sit down for a makeover. Pick a cosmetics line that you like and visit their counter for a free makeover. That’s right: makeovers are always free. Choose a counter or day where there’s not too much traffic; it’s courtesy not to take away from other customers for a 15 minute makeover in which you may not be buying anything. I would suggest taking at least $15 with you to buy a lip gloss – or if you’re broke, an eyeliner pencil sharpener at least. At the end, tell the beauty advisor that you’re really picky about [mascara, lipstick, etc] formulas and would like a sample to try before you buy. More than likely they’ll have something you can use. If not, you still got a free makeover and learned some new makeup techniques!
• When all else fails, be a damsel in distress. You ran out of mascara and you desperately need some to hold you over until you replenish. Or, you just want to score some free high-end mascara. Approach your Lancome counter – they have the best mascara – and let them know that you’re out of your old stuff and want to try something new before you buy. Voila! You have a free, petite-sized high-end mascara to slip in your pocket or handbag.

How to Use Smith’s Rosebud Salve

As I closed my tin of Smith’s Rosebud Salve this morning after dabbing some on my lips, I thought about how wonderfully nifty this product truly is. What is Rosebud Salve, you ask? It’s a cult favorite petrolatum-based salve infused with pampering essential oils that smells sweet, like rosebuds! A little goes a long way. I believe it is one of those multifunctional must-haves that no girl should be without.

Here are some tried-and-true ways to use Rosebud Salve:

• Eyelash conditioner. A moment of curiosity one day while putting on makeup led me to try something new with Salve. I used my finger to coat my eyelashes with it before I applied mascara. It worked like a charm! My mascara went on more smooth and rich, and my lashes looked long and pretty. Occasionally I will apply it before bed to condition my lashes while I sleep.
• Highlighter. On days when I’m going to the gym, I apply Rosebud Salve to my eyelids, lips, and cheeks for a lovely, low-maintenance sheen.
• Hand cream. I have used Rosebud Salve to moisturize my hands and cuticles, especially after a French manicure to enhance the look and sheen. It’s looks and feels so nice!
• Body cream. Dry knees and elbows? Coat them with some of this stuff – problem solved!
• Curling iron burns. Had a nasty fall-out with your curling iron this morning? Nurse that burn with some Salve to ease the sting and speed the healing process.
• Tame flyaways. Rub a bit of Salve to the tips of your fingers and use it to control hair flyaways. You can also use Salve + a baby toothbrush to tame unruly eyebrows.

Where to buy: Click here to get your hands on a tin of Rosebud Salve. While you’re at it, buy two!

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