Beauty chat - freebies/gifts with purchase/offers THREAD EIGHT

[OvaHere]

New thread as the old one is almost full.

All welcome to chat about beauty purchases, upcoming beauty boxes/GWP and to share your bargain finds.

@OvaHere the valentines kit looks lovely - it’s a good buy.

@BlueLimes I forgot Tatcha. That needs to go on my list too. Oh dear...😳

I've definitely got some room for improvement even though overall I've got much better at not buying loads of edits recently.

I need to not follow through with impulses and stay away from Boots on office days. The mascara a case in point. I have loads of mascaras but got into my head I wanted to try a plum shade then whilst I was in Boots looking also bought a deep blue one too and the lip liner just because.

@OvaHere The Tatcha is an investment for the year.

I might do no buy February to even out my spend (right).

It is. I really wanted to try the perfume in it. Told myself no and I'd just pick the perfume up on Vinted but they all seemed to be selling for around £20 inc fees and postage so I caved and decided to buy the edit and have the other nice stuff too.

I really like the perfume so don't regret it. I almost bought a bigger bottle of it for 20% off at SNK but gave myself a talking to and removed from basket. I've put it on 'the list' instead.

I've done really bad! 😳 I believe I was OK until the Harrods sale day where we all bought everything 🤣

Clothes
1x jumper, 1x waistcoat, 1x dress from the river island sale. Yet to try on so may go back.
1x jumper from George. Impulse buy so might also go back.
I also, do you remember the jacket that i waited outside m&s on 27th Dec for? Well it eventually got reduced to £17, so I bought it, returned the sale one I bought on the 27th. I had originally bought it for £75 so I'm very pleased. I also kicked off as an order of a jacket got mixed up and I ended up with a tshirt instead of the jacket, so I got a £30 voucher for inconvenience, so I bought pj's with it 🥰
No shoes, bags or jewellery.
Oh but a winnie the pooh tshirt and wtp socks from primark (can't resist that bear ❤️💛

Makeup, skincare etc
Buckle up, this is where it goes mad 🤣
Elemis, tatcha and eve lom advent calendars
Patrick Ta and hourglass makeup brushes from Cult beauty using the dodgy discount code
Patrick Ta blush palettes x2 (preplanned to buy these)
Look fantastic ysl goodies and hair heat protect (needed)
John Lewis nars bronzer set and benefit eyebrow set
3x FtF mystery bundles
Spacenk glow edit, drunk elephant reflect gift set, tatcha dewy skin, hourglass lip balm and gwp

Birthday gifts
Harrods - eve lom serum set, crystal noir perfume, bioeffect serum set, Tom ford eye palette.

Birthday spends
Guerlain lip case, 1x lipstick from sephora with the £10 off, 2x lipsticks from liberty vouchers
2x D&g palettes from sephora and d&g concealer
Chantecaille palette

I think that's it, but there could be more I've forgotten. I've also bought a few things on vinted.

I was really good until a few days ago, after which I seem to have lost my mind.

I went wild at the Pokémon x NHM online shop - I am far too embarrassed to say how much I spent, but let’s pretend it’s ALL presents.

I cracked and ordered tons of stuff from SK🙈 I am claiming some of this as essential, because I am still searching for good hair growth/strengthening products. (But I think we all know that is just an excuse😿)

I bought the Swan palette in SNK today - sadly without 20% further off - because they still had some sale stock. I have put this away for Xmas 26.

I also went into Fenwicks today, where they had 50% more off most sale items. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I didn’t have time to spend much as they were closing. I’m not really counting this as most of it I am using for my friend’s DIY calendar - e.g. snowman decorations, some coasters, etc.

I have managed to restrain myself from taking part in the LD so far, but did buy a ROKA bag on eBay- but with part-payment from a recent sale it was ‘only’ £13, so I don’t feel bad about that. I will probably crack on the LD before Monday, though, so can’t really congratulate myself on not succumbing just yet.

Off to put myself in the naughty corner…

Random thought but I'm really missing old Cult Beauty as was before they changed the recycle scheme and the points for reviews.

I realised the other day I don't buy a lot from them now compared to a year ago to the point I'm wondering how long I'll keep Gold member status.

At one point I always used to have £10 -20 or more racked up in vouchers from recycling, reviews and purchases. It was like a little eco system that meant it was my top place to shop. I use a lot more broad range of stores now and try to go to SNK as that's the best rewards since I hit Deluxe member.

I hardly ever seem to get the emails that allows you to make a review. I've had 2 in about six months I think. They definitely don't arrive for every purchase like they should.

It's maybe not a bad thing as it's stopped me buying so many of their edits on a whim.

I really miss recycle me - Boots doesn’t feel like a treat.

I am not even going to try and add up what I spent in January as know it was a lot, I bought the Elemis Harrods, Tatcha offer, 40% off with Cult, Bridal Beauty box, Face the Future and the Caroline Hirons kit…..oh yes and the Liberty Hallmof Fame and Sleep edit.
possibly easier for me to list what I didn’t buy!!

edited to add: Oh my cream advent, perfume for Sephora gwp and some bits from SNK for the gwp.
also bought the Versace set from Harrods and the Tatcha lip set….this also excludes my Vinted buys which included a bottle of Brompton Immortals as had FOMO as had originally sold mine.

@OvaHere So glad you loved the Viseart palette, it is definitely one of my favourites

I think I'm going to try to do a no buy Feb too. I really don't need anything 🤔

@MrsBnow12 possibly easier for me to list what I didn’t buy!!

🤣🤣

Can't believe I missed out on the Cult 40% code. That was a big miss for me. 😂

I forgot about the CB edit and stockings from a couple of weeks ago, but they were quite reasonable purchases.

@JoRaRaRa -that jacket of yours was such a bargain!

It really was! At one point though, I had 4 of them in my house as I kept rebuying each time it went down in price 🤣 I got a bit confused as to which ones needed to go back 🤦🏻‍♀️ I still haven't worn it but I love it! 😍

I can't believe I only ordered a few brushes! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

Have you tried kerastase genesis serum for your hair @IlovePond? I bought it in Black Friday based on a recommendation on another thread and it's amazing. You can only use it for 6 weeks and I actually emailed them this week to say how long do I have to leave it before I start again 😆

I think I placed 4 separate CB orders as I remembered the items I wanted 😂😂
I bought a few edits, the NIOD eye serum, LM tinted moisturiser, Gucci blush and a few other bits.
Am sure one of my orders also triggered the £15 voucher

@namechange0998776554799000 - I have some of that serum on the go, but I haven’t been using it every day/properly as it makes my hair really greasy and I have to go out in public!

This means I have only been using it about once a week when I remember and don’t have to go anywhere.

How was it on your hair? Were you putting it in every day?

It’s good to know it’s been working for you. What sort of improvement have you seen?

Thanks so much.

What do you think to the gucci blush? Do you have a ysl one? If so, how do they compare? I can't decide which one to get and I feel I have to decide tonight to start again with no buy tomorrow 🙊🤣

In other news - my favourite brown Stilla eye liner broke today and had to be binned. That ‘only’ leaves me with about six alternatives 😹 but I shall miss it. Definitely one to repurchase - assuming I ever get through the ones I have already.

I really like the Aldi VB dupes, (especially once I realised you could sharpen them 🙈), but they do give off panda vibes after a couple of hours’ wear. By contrast, the Stilla always looked great even hours later!

I did use it most days for the 6 weeks but only 2 droppers full (slightly more than the line), which used up the whole bottle. If I washed my hair in the morning I put it on damp hair and it didn't look greasy once it was dry. Or else I put it on dry hair in the evening, it looked oily when I applied but oddly fine the next day. I watched a YouTube video to figure out how to apply it by running it along my scalp - about 3 times on each side, from my hairline backwards. Then rubbing it in, then brushing my hair. My hair had been shedding a bit beforehand and completely stopped after about a week, and I got so many compliments on how glossy my hair was over Christmas!

Mmm- that’s helpful and interesting @namechange0998776554799000 - do you have a link to the video?

Thanks

I don’t have a YSL but do have Hourglass and Dior and I love it, I got the plum as nothing like anything I have and it’s lovely….maybe not the review you needed 😂

@namechange0998776554799000 i have the product on my stash - I’ll try it now on your recommendation.

I use the shampoo and conditioner which feels nicer than the Aveda genesis. I think I’m losing less hair but I’ve increased my protein plus taking biotin/collagen. My problem is more breakage though.

I do already have a ysl one and I like it but apparently the gucci ones are better so I can't decide 🤔