Saturday, February 27, 2010

New Favorite!! LORAC Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss in "Cliché" and Vivid" (Review & Swatches)

I'm a total sucker for good lip glosses so I was so excited to find these at Sephora weeks ago. These are LORAC's new "Multiplex 3D" Lip Glosses. I can honestly say that they have everything that you look for in a gloss and I can't find one flaw about them (except for maybe if a color is wrong for you.) These little babies are uber moisturizing, highly pigmented, smell nice, and packed with LOTS of gorgeous shimmer -none of that crusty flaky shimmer either. So if you're not a fan of shimmer, skip these. If you are, keep reading!!

First off, LORAC's Multiplex 3D glosses may be a little pricey at $22 (for 0.17oz), but I definitely feel that it's worth it to own at least one of these. The packaging is pretty standard: Clear Tube with shiny lid. The packaging is a bit "holographic like." This comes with a brush applicator -which I like for this product because it allows me to spread out the shimmer easily and evenly. I'd love to own all the colors but that's a bit out of my price range. All of the colors looked really enticing on the Sephora website but I ended up purchasing just 2 colors:

1. Cliché- Bright fuchsia with a hint of lavender and tiny blue sparkles.
2. Vivid- Medium pink with a hint of coral packed with gold and pinky sparkles.

(These are what the colors looked like swatched on my hand. This is one of those glosses that will look different on everyone.)

(From left) Cliché, Vivid

On The Lips..
When applied to the lips, both glosses looked really "glowy" (like those glow-in-the-dark looking glosses that shift from yellow to orange to pink) but after I spread it out evenly, the "glowiness" effect disappeared. They made my lips look full and pillowy -without the tingly effect (these aren't even lip plumpers.) All the colors smell the same -like some sort of tropical fruit. They're not sticky yet not too non-sticky that they fade off your lips too quickly. I love that the glitter in these does NOT look gritty and that the glosses don't dry out my lips. This gloss does not seep into my "dry winter lips" leaving cracks -it moisturizes. Seriously, this is what Too Faced "Girls Dig Pearls" gloss was supposed to be and what MAC Dazzleglasses wish they were (and I adore Dazzleglasses.) They're also longlasting. Even when the glossiness starts to fade, the "background" color leaves sort of a stain and lasts for hours. You can also build up the gloss for a more "multiplying 3D" effect.

Above is Cliché.

Above is Vivid.
And here's a "full face" photo. Not sure why I looked really "shocked" here.

One last thing. Cliché looks a little sheer in this picture, but the next day when I wore it again, it had a totally different effect. My lips were full on fushcia and when I tried to take it off (it was a little too much for school), I was left with a fuchsia lip stain that wouldn't go away for hours. This stuff is pretty intense so beware of that if you're more of a "toned down" type of gal. Though I've only had it for a few weeks, this has already been updated to my "Top 5 Lip Glosses" list.

Have you tried LORAC Multiplex 3D glosses? How do you like them?

Friday, February 26, 2010

TheBalm Shady Lady Volume 2 Palette VS. Shady Lady Vol. 1 (Review & Swatches)


Here's one of my favorite new purchases -theBalm's Shady Lady Volume 2 Palette. I bought this a little over a month ago when I picked up my UD Alice In Wonderland Book of Shadows and haven't stopped using it since. I use this with my Shady Lady Volume 1 Palette nearly every single day. The palette is $39.50 and contains 9 decent sized eye shadows (Shady Lady Vol. 1 was $38.) For the price and product, this is definitely a "bang for your buck" type deal and it's worth every penny.
The packaging is basically the same as their Shady Lady Volume 1 palette but it contains a zebra print design on the cover instead of leopard. They're both thin and squarish and fairly "flat" for easy storage. They're the same size but I noticed that this one was a tad "flatter" or shorter than the previous version.
Notice how it's just the slightest bit -shorter? No real difference though.

There is only one repeat shade in this palette so I do think it's something that every one should go out and get -even though they already own Vol. 1. The only repeat is "Caught in the Act Courtney." Here is a comparison of the 2 palettes:
On the left is the Shady Lady Vol. 1 palette and to the right is the newer, Vol. 2 palette.

They're both very different though I think both are great to have. I love that both palettes are so convenient. They're both the perfect size and carry a good amount of shades. Every single eye shadow has excellent color payoff and feels smooth and silky on the skin. I honestly like them both equally and I feel they both give such a different assortment of colors to create virtually any look you're trying to achieve. With both palettes, I can create natural eye looks to very dramatic, evening looks.

Shady Lady Vol. 2 Eye Shadow Shades..
1. Caught in the act Courtney- This is the only repeat from Vol. 1 but it's a nice, dark brown with copper shimmer. This is actually my least favorite color because I have to swatch it a bunch of times just to get a good amount of color.The other shadows swatch perfectly fine while this one took a little effort.
2. Feisty Felicia- Black purple with pinky shimmer
3. Insane Jane-Taupe with shimmer. Absolutely amazing.
4. Bosy Bobbi- Shimmery medium blue with slight hint of gray. Really nice and wearable. I’d totally wear this and I’m not much of a color person.. Very natural blue.
5. Makeout Mary- Mossy green with shimmer
6. Just This Once Jamie- Shimmery medium pinky lilac with some taupe in it but more "lilac-y" than anything. Very nice.
7. Mischiecious Marissa- Gorgeous shimmery light bronze peachy orange with the prettiest sheen. This is a beautiful nude-y color that's a great base color.
8. Tempting Tara- Pearly white shimmer
9. Devilish Danielle- Light champagne nude shimmer. Perfect for the browbone.

Swatches:
Above are swatches of the Shady Lady Vol. 2 Palette.
Here are swatches of the Shady Lady Vol. 1 Palette -for comparison.

Here are the shade descriptions for the Shady Lady Vol. 1 Palette -just in case you wanted to know..
1. Caught in the Act Courtney- Dark shimery brown copper shimmer.
2. Shameless Shana- Coppery brown with shimmer. I like to use this as a crease color.
3. Luscious lani- Light nudey pink with shimmer. Use this a lot for my base/lid color
4. Jealous Jordana- Dark forest green that's slightly emerald green but more natural. Very deep color with pretty shimmer. I also see some blue shimmer in there.
5. Risqué Renee- Dark navy blue with shimmer. Almost looks indigo.
6. Curvy Cami- Beautiful medium plummy color with shimmer. I like this for the outer-v.
7. Jet-setting Jennifer- Light golden green with more gold than green.
8. All About Alex- Olive green with shimmer. Almost looks a bit taupey.
9. Easy Wheezie- Shimmery, steely slate blue with more blue but a hint of grey.

Do you own either one of the theBalm's Shady Lady Volume 1 or Volume 2 palettes? How do you like them?

First picture was taken from Sephora.com

Monday, February 22, 2010

SALE: $9 Kat Von D Autograph Eyeliners (Liquid Liners) at Sephora

If you visit Sephora or their site often, you probably know that lots of items from the Kat Von D line have gone on sale. I picked up a discounted lipgloss and an eyeshadow single but my best "beauty buy" from the sale were these Kat Von D "Autograph Eyeliners" which are liquid liners that come in a wide range of colors.
I'll start with the packaging. The packaging is pretty standard -bottle and brush applicator. The handle of the brush is black with some white florally scribbles and designs. The brush itself is pretty thin (thinner than the Urban Decay Liquid Liner brush) but it's easy to achieve a clean line in one go.

The "sale" colors include Call Girl, Brass Knucles, Immortal Love, Romantico, & Love Metal.
Shade Descriptions (In order of swatches left to right):
1. Brass Knuckles- Beautiful, pigmented yellow gold. Not a dull or bronzey gold -true yellow gold.
2. Call Girl- More of a flat, almost matte, periwinkle shade to me. It has that hint of lilac to it but it's a fairly dull color.
3. Immortal Love- True, deep, matte brown.
4. Love Metal- Shimmery silver.
5. Romantico- Olive brown with a hint of antique gold.

So which are my favorites? Immortal Love is the best because I don't have a good, dark, matte brown (no shimmer whatsoever) and Brass Knuckles and Romantico also have superb pigmentation. I only have to swipe all 3 of these shades once to get great color payoff. Love Metal and Call girl on the other hand..
Above is a picture that I took of Call Girl and Love Metal swatched only ONCE! In my swatches of all the colors above, I had to swatch both of these 5 or 6 times just to get some good color payoff.

Also, at first glance, Romantico reminded me of Urban Decay's "Smog" Liquid Liner but when I compared the 2, Smog was more of a browny olive while Romantico was the opposite -more olive with a bit of brown. The 2 are still similar though and both contain shimmer. Here's a picture..
Above (from left to right): Kat Von D "Romantico & Urban Decay "Smog."

I'm overall very pleased with these liners with the exception of the Call Girl and Love Metal and for only $9 each, these are excellent! You can also check out the "non-sale" Kat Von D liners here ..which are $16 each.

So what do you think of these liners? Have you bought any? What else have you tried from the Kat Von D collection at Sephora?

Sunday, February 21, 2010

FREE Stila Precious Pearl Palette!! + Review & Swatches

This little beauty is the Stila "Precious Pearl" Palette and you can pick it up for FREE Stila Cosmetics site. That's right. When you make a $40 or more purchase at their site, you get the palette free (plus you get free standard shipping since it's automatically added with any $40 or more purchase.)

The promo code is FASHION. I'm not exactly sure when it expires but but I do know that it still works as of today, February 21. I just wanted to post a little review for you gals/guys so you know what the palette looks like before you take the plunge.

The palette is quite compact at just 4.75 inches long and 1.25 inches wide. The cover has a pearly "seashell" like tile pattern. The border around the tiles that is mirrored along with the rest of the palette, which contains mirrored edges and a mirrored bottom as well. The is a sticker on the bottom that takes up most of the bottom space (so you don't have to worry about finger prints.) It's very simple and elegant -no garish designs.

The palette contains 6 shades -all containing genuine crushed pearl. I'm not too sure what "pearl" does for the skin but each of these shadows is incredibly smooth and pigmented. All the colors are "pearly" and shimmery. While I do like Stila's "regular" shadows, they sometimes have some fallout -which I of course am not a fan of. These pearl shadows, however, don't give me problems with fallout at all.

Now for the Colors..
If I one day wanted to dress up like fairy and don a magic wand, I'd do my makeup using this Stila palette. The colors immediately remind me of fairies, princesses, and mermaids -anything mystical and pretty. The colors don't have their own individual names but here goes.

1. White (1st shade from left)- White shade with a hint of gold champagne to it and gold shimmer. I guess I'd call it ivory. I think this would be a good highlight color for people with lighter skin tones but on me, it's way too light if I wear it on my browbone.
2. Light Pink (2nd from left)- This is such a pretty "ballerina pink." It's light, baby pink with pinky shimmer. I see the slightest hint of lilac but it is indeed very pink. This is one of my favorite shades out of the bunch.
3. Medium Pink (3rd from left)- Medium dusty rose shade with pink shimmer. It's a fairly warm-toned shade.
4. Deep Blue (4th from left)- Gorgeous, deep, navy blue with blue shimmer. I want to say it's almost going into "indigo" but it still is very blue.
5. Green (5th from left)- Medium green shade with the slightest hint of gold and contains green shimmer. It reminds me of the sea -a color that you would see on mermaids.
6. Gold (6th from left)- Not your standard yellow gold. It's more of a dirty, antique gold with gold shimmer.
Swatches (all of my eyeshadow swatches never contain a primer):
The swatches above were taken with indoor and natural lighting (the window was open and the light inside was on) and I feel that this picture depicts the shades more correctly. The shadows pretty much look exactly as they do in the pan. All shadows are extremely pigmented.
This is what the shadows look like in "natural lighting."

I really hope anyone who's interested in the Stila Precious Pearl Palette goes ahead and snatches up one of these babies before they're gone/the offer expires. You get this entire palette when you make a purchase of $40 or more so go get refills of your foundation, lipgloss, whatever. I think this is such a great deal and if you already shop at Stila and love they're items, you might as well buy whatever you like and get this palette for free. If anyone knows when this deal expires, please let me know!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

MAC Colour Forecast Collection & Viva Glam Lady Gaga (Review & Swatches)

I recently visisted MAC to pick up a few of the Spring Colour Forecast items that I had on hold along with the Viva Glam Lady Gaga lipstick. I was really excited about this collection, maybe more than I should've been? Here's what I got:
Colour Forecast lipsticks in Bubblegum and Victorian, Colour Forecast Tinted Lipglass in Electric Fuchsia, & Viva Glam Gaga lipsick.
Colour Forcast Blush Ombres in Springshine & Azalea Blossom

So what do I think of the collection? Honestly, I was more excited than I should've been. I know that lots of people are loving this collection but I'm more on the "like it, but don't need it" side.

1. Bubblegum Lipstick ($14, Glaze finish)- Medium pink with a slight lilac/purple undertone and it has a good amount of gold shimmer. It's also incredibly sheer. I knew it was a glaze but I assumed that it would be buildable -which it wasn't (at least on my lips.) I was disappointed because I had hoped for this to be like Lavender Whip or Fashion Mews -more purpley colors.
2. Victorian Lipstick ($14, Frost finish)- Llight-medium cool toned pink with hints of salmon with a golden sheen. It's one of the "not too frosty" MAC frost lipsticks.
3. Electric Fuchsia Tinted Lipglass ($14)- Bright fuchsia with a hint of violet and contains blue shimmer. Very pigmented color and almost like Funtabulous Dazzlegloss but it gives better color payoff.
4. Viva Glam Gaga Lipsick ($14, Lustre finish)- The color of the lipstick is a cool toned pale blue pink. Because it's a lustre, it is slightly sheer but the color is buildable -it even goes on slightly opaque! Love that it's not drying on my lips.
The tube is black but there is a red ring around the tube, sort of resembling a "bullet." When you pull of the lid, the top half of the tube is red and Lady Gaga's autograph is written in black. 100% of the proceeds goes to the MAC Aids Fund.
5. Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom ($25)- Light, cool tonerd blush with hints of lilac and slight shimmer. Love the pink and purple combo. This is a cooler blush so I thought it wouldn't work on my warm skin but it does! I just have to apply it with a light hand.
6. Blush Ombre in Springshine ($25)- Pretty neutral color -just a medium bronzey brown with shimmer. I can see myself using this for just a touch of color, bronzing, or even contouring.

Swatches (I've added pictures of the lip swatches in different lighting since they were a bit difficult to capture):
(From left): Bubblegum lipsick, Victorian lipstick, Electric Fuchsia Lipglass, & Gaga lipsick
Lipsticks in Bubblegum, Victorian, & Gaga
Above are lip swatches up Bubblegum
Above are lip swatches of Victorian
Above is are lip swatches of Viva Glam Gaga
Above are Blush Ombres in Azalea Blossom (left) & Springshine (right)
To the right are lipstick swatches of (from left) Fashion Mews, Bubblegum, Lavender Whip, & Up the Amp. I wanted to show you the swatches of them all side by side since Bubblegum reminded me of Lavender Whip and Fashion Mews. Now when I look at it, Bubblegum is a lot more on the "pink side" and is not very purpley -it has more of a slight lilac undertone to it.
Have you picked up anything from Colour Forecast? What about Cyndi or Gaga lipstick?

P.S. Both Cyndi and Gaga Viva Glam lipsticks will be available for 12 months.
"Cyndi & Gaga pic" from Maccosmetics.com

Friday, February 19, 2010

NARS Orgasm Illuminator (Review & Swatches)

When the NARS Orgasm Illuminator (retails $29) first appeared on the Sephora site, I was super excited. I couldn't wait to get it. I went to the product page for days just drooling over it before I finally took the plunge and placed an order for it along with LORAC's new Multiplex 3D gloss (will do review soon), Kat Von D Liquild Liners, and a Tarte set (I got some really cool free items with my order.) Sephora describes this illuminator as "A Complexion enhancer that makes skin look instanty refreshed, radiant, and glowing." They also state that this illuminator "Lights your skin from within! Deceptively sheer and decidely luminous, it magically transforms lackluster skin into a remember-me, luscious complextion. Flirt with foundation, go it alone, or go neck-and-neck with your décolleté. The effect is, well, orgasmic."
The packaging is just the basic NARS black matte box. The actual product packaging is a clear squeeze tube with a wide black cap. I'm not a fan of the squeeze tube -at least for this product. The reason for this is because the product is so runny. The minute I twist off the cap, a whole lot of product spills out. This may not be a big deal for others but I hate to waste makeup -especically if I'm shelling out 29 bucks for this and so much will just go to waste. Also, when I try to squeeze out just a little bit, way too much of it comes out! I like looking "nice and shimmery" but if I piled on this much, I'd look like a disco ball! I would've really preferred a pump bottle instead so that I could control the amount that I want to use.

So how do I like the NARS Orgasm Illuminator? Hmm, I'm honestly so "inbetween" about it right now. I neither love it or hate it at this point. I've seen lots of reviews on the Sephora product page for this NARS illuminator and most of the comments are negative. I'll give you my thoughts though. Let's start with the price. At first, I thought $29 (for 1.1 ounces) was a really hefty price tag for this tube but I realized that you do get a lot of product (for the price) and that you don't really need a lot at all for each application. However, if you end up squeezing out too much or it just spills out of the bottle (even though you're not squeezing it), it would be a waste. Every time I've applied this, too much product has come out and I end up having to throw out about 2/3 of what I squeeze out/what comes out on its own. I swear, the stuff is so liquidy that it just spills out and I really don't like that. Again, I really would've really preferred a pump bottle. That would definitely be worth $29. I would've loved a non-glass pump bottle. Also, I feel like if I travelled with this and it got "squeezed" between my other products while in my suitcase, it would get all over the (inside) cap when I opened it. I just feel like it would get really messy.

The color is pretty much the same peachy pink bronzy color of NARS' famous Orgasm blush. When I apply it to my skin, that "reddish-orangey-peachy" color disapears and becomes a very light bronzy color with lots of shimmer. When I apply it to my face, it makes my cheekbones more apparent, without having to apply blush or anything, and I do like that effect. This is not something that will add tons of color or make you look super made up. Of course you can go over it and add blush, contour your cheekbones, and add a highlight for a more "made up" look. The product pretty much sinks into your skin, leaving beind a trail of shimmer. I feel like it does make me look a little tanner and bronzier though. It seems to make my face look "plump" and it gives me a nice sheen. However, I noticed that in pictures, it made me look oily. I have extremely dry skin and therefore will rarely ever get oily so I was surprised that I looked so, so oily in pictures. I don't think anyone wants to look oily either. So maybe this is something that you should just add to your cheeks? Because when I applied it to my entire face (alone and mixed with foundation), I noticed that the area around my forehead and eyebrows looked so, so oily (and I didn't put on much at all!) It does however make my cheeks look nice and dewy.

I have another illuminator that I bought from Target about a year ago called "High Lights" Illuminating Lotion from the Boots line. I paid only around $10 for this illuminator and it contains the same amount of product as the NARS Orgasm illuminator. The color of this is way lighter -a pale light pink with shimmer. I prefer the Boots illuminator because for $20 less, you get basically that same "dewy" finish and does not make me look oily (when applied to the entire face.) Also, the Boots Illuminator comes in a pump bottle (but it's glass.)However, I like the color of the Orgasm Illuminator more because I feel that the Boots Illuminator is sometimes too pale on me. I always have to add come bronzer or other darker blush when wearing it. I think the NARS Orgasm Illuminator looks nicer though -except for when looking "oily" on some areas of my face. As much as I love NARS though, I probably wouldn't buy this again because of the squeeze tube factor (I'll waste a lot of products) and the fact that it can make me look oily. It is a decent value though -if you don't waste any during each application (that will be hard to do!) When it comes to my cheeks though, I think I prefer powder highlighters/illuminators since they are quicker to apply (in my case) and can give that same dewy finish.
Above is a "non-flash" picture.
Here is a "flash" picture.
Above is what it looks like when I first just put a little dab of the illuminator on my hand.
Here is another picture of it being spread out onto my skin (before it's fully spread out and blended.)

Here is what it looks like in the end -after being fully spread out. (I did not mix it with foundation or anything else. This is what the illuminator looks like by itself.)
So above is a picture of the first day I tried it. I applied it to my entire face (with no other makeup underneath or on top of it.) This is a non-flash picture.
Above is a picture from the same day -but with flash. I do like the sheen on my cheeks. Why does it look whiter in the middle of my cheeks?? I just noticed that. Anyways, notice above my eyebrow and kind of on my forehead looks a bit oily? I don't like that.
Here's another day when I used this (I was having a HORRIBLE face day!) This is a non-flash picture with natural light. I mixed the NARS Orgasm Illuminator with my MAKE UP FOR EVER Face & Body foundation. I also used some blush and Smashbox Soft Lights in "Tint" as well (this is a highlighter.) I think it looks alright -you can't even really see the illuminator but I do see a small "hint" of oiliness above my eyebrows -like I mentioned before. I just can't stand that.
Here's another picture on that same day but using flash. I notice in this picture that my skin looks plump and I like the effect it gives on my cheeks but again, near the eyebrows, forehead, and around the nose area by my cheeks, I look oily. I just really don't like that. I'm thinking if I just apply it to my cheeks, it would look better.

All done now! Sorry for some not too good pictures of my face! I hope this helps anyone who is interested in the NARS Orgasm Illuminator. I can't wait for more products from NARS to come out. This one was kind of just so-so for me and I thought I was going to love it. Maybe others will love it and I hope they do. Have you tried the NARS Orgasm Illuminator? Do you like it?

P.S. I'm so bummed because I was going to post a promo code for 22% off but I guess it JUST expired. It was working just 2 or 3 days ago!! I'll post a code the next time ones comes up. I know NARS can be pricey and I love getting promo codes or coupons when I'm buying NARS. I just bought 2 eyeshadow duos in "Underworld" and Jolie Poupée" so I'm so excited to get those. (Underworld was featured in the "Everlasting Love" 15th Anniversary palette. I have a review for that palette but need to post it!!)

Currently on my NARS Wishlist?
1. Eyeshadow Duo in "Brousse"
2. Blush in "Sin"
3. Nail Polish in "Tokaido Express"
4. Nail Polish in "Purple Rain"
5. Doucers De Paris Palette (or Pleasures of Paris Palette) ..They're out of stock on this!! Hopefully it returns to stock soon -if ever. I emailed customer service but they don't know if they're getting anymore.

If you could have any NARS product, what would you wish for?

Monday, February 15, 2010

Do you shop at Old Navy?? FOUR Promo codes to use (together) NOW

I know this isn't beauty related but I just really wanted to share some ridiculously great offers with anyone who happens to come across my blog. I just made a purchase and I got to use not one but FOUR promo codes -all in one go!

I've been needing leggings for the last 3 months and I've seen some cool ones on the Old Navy site but I never wanted to buy them since I hate paying for shipping and I couldn't find any good discounts so I just waited. I could never find the women's leggings at the store either so that was a bummer. Usually, I purchase my leggings from the GAP but they're a bit pricey (the ones I have were about $26) and I feel that leggings should be good quality while still being cheap. I tried Target but they never had my size. I even got some $6 Miley Cyrus ones from Walmart (LOL.. I know, Miley??) but they're thin and the lace edges are slowly coming apart. Forever21 I know has cheap ones but honestly, I don't really like Forever 21. I feel like they're prices are climbing while still selling customers cheap material. I feel that if you're going sell clothing made of cheap material, it better BE at a cheap price. I just wanted leggings that were decent material for a low price (since I need a bunch of them.) I own one pair of Old Navy leggings and like them so I know they'll be pretty nice. Anyways, here are some promo codes to use RIGHT NOW (use them together if yo can) and you don't even have to be a cardholder!!:

1. ONGET30- 30% off one full price adult item (no clearance, sale, or maternity.) I don't know when this expires. It's been active for months.

2. ONSAVE20- Save 20% off on $100 purchase of men's and women's clothing. Works with accessories and sale items also. Does not work with maternity clothing. So, if you have $80 of adult clothing/accessories and $20 of kid's clothing, it won't work. You need a full $100 (before tax) of adult clothing/accessories. Two different sources on RetailMeNot state that this code expires on 02/18/10 AND 02/28/10 so I'm not sure of the expiration date. You can call customer service to check but I'd just make the purchase by 02/18 to be sure.

3. ONGIVE50- Free shipping when you purchase $50 of kids, maternity, and baby items. I had 5 pairs of girls' leggings in my cart (on sale for $6 each) so that was only $30. I kept looking everywhere to add more items but I couldn't find anything but I was determined not to pay for the $7 shipping. Anyways, I found out that women's accessories can count for maternity items. Awesome! That means when I bought a purse, it qualified for this code AND the ONSAVE20 20% off adult code. It doubled! That meant I didn't have to buy more than I needed. I liked the purse anyways and couldn't find it in the stores. This expires on Thursday 02/18/10.

4. Tip- Sign up for Old Navy emails and when your first sign up, you get a promo code for $10 off $50 purchase. If you already subscribe, just sign up with another email. I can't give you a code because every email gets a different code since it's a one time use type thing. This usually expires within about a month from first signing up.

So.... how much did I save?! The total in my cart before tax and discounts was about $140 plus $7 shipping. The subtotal ended up being about $101 and after tax, I paid a total of $110 (and something cents.) That's a savings of nearly $50 since I didn't have to pay the $7 shipping either!! I love when I save money and I LOVE free shipping.

I bought about 10 pairs of leggings (not sure if girl's or women's will fit me better) so I'm most likely going to return whatever doesn't fit. I also got 2 purses (same style, different color) so I'll see how that works out. I also got a really cute romper and a top so we'll see what works out. Old Navy has a good return policy so it won't be a big deal if I have to return something. By the way, women's leggings are only $10 and girl's leggings (they will fit many adults -petite or average height) are only $6.

If you're a fan of Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Piperlime, or Athleta, I recommend that you sign up for the emails. They're all under that GAP company and I get emails every week. I love the GAP for their casual styles -cardigans, vneck tees witht he pockets, hoodies, etc.. everything they sell is pretty timeless. Anyways, if you subscribe to their emails, you get some pretty cool offers (instore and online) so I highly recommend it. Also check RetailMeNot -I always find good tips and promo codes on the site.

P.S. I have loads of swatches to put up. I just haven't gotten around to it. Lots of NARS, MAC, and various other brands.