So, like rat bastards, Sephora decided not to have an open Friends and Family sale this year. For non beauty-junkies, every year prior, they'd had a 20% off coupon available to pretty much everyone on their mailing list. People save and wait for this sale every year. Well, this year it was for employees and VIBs (shorthand for 'people who spend more than me at Sephora') only. Now, I qualify as a "Beauty Insider," and they've said not a word about whether or not we'd get any sales this year.

There was outrage. Much outrage. People are pissed.

FORTUNATELY, they gave each VIB a 20% coupon to share with a friend. And marinatempest? She is something of a Sephora addict, and also a kind soul.

I had a very short shopping list. One was for a new foundation. I've used Makeup For Ever's HD one and liked it before in winter (as I wear full-coverage in winter and either light or medium coverage in the summer). However, when I saw this review for Kat Von D's new Lock-It Tattoo foundation, I knew I wanted to try it. It's not that I have heavy blemishes or anything. It's that my skin gets super oily in the winter (it apparently thinks we live south of the equator), and this pink hair pulls out every single red/pink tone in my skin. As I do have pigmentation issues around my nose, unless I have full coverage there, I tend to look like I've been sniffling and sneezing. So I went ahead and ordered shade #48, and I'm praying it was the right one.

#2 on my shopping list was sadly sold out. I wanted the Lorac Pro Palette for its fabulous mix of mattes and shimmers, and for its neutrals and stage colors. SAD TROMBONE. Now, I am picky picky picky about my palettes. I'm pale, and I don't like to wear a lot of dark eyeshadow. I know that in any given palette, I'm really going to only be able to wear about half of the colors. As much as I ADORE Stila's In The Light Palette, I only use 5 of the ten shades regularly.

I thought about Urban Decay's Naked I, but honestly, I would only use half those shades, and it's missing a truly matte light color. Part of the appeal of the Lorac palette was the matte white and cream... you don't use matte white a lot in regular makeup, but it comes in very handy for photoshoot and stage makeup. The closest I could find to the two specific shades I was looking for was the NARS Portobello duo, but crapballs! $34 for TWO EYESHADOWS. DAMN.

#3 on my list was a little splurge. MakeUp Forever Holodiam Powder in Plum. Why did I splurge? Because it's really a multi-tasking product. Primarily, it's a glittery eyeshadow that will rock on stage. But beyond that? It's a powder. Which means you can use it to make highlighting lotion, nail polish (mix some in with some top-coat), and I have even used pigment powders in jewelry applications before.

Also? ( Lookit. JUST LOOKIT.Collapse )

So... foundation and super sparkly stuffs. 20% off. Like rat bastards, though, I couldn't use both the coupon AND my coupon code for a deluxe samples kit. HUMBUG. On a positive note, I *FINALLY* reached 500 points on my account, after YEARS of points-hoarding, so now I get something potentially awesome for free just as soon as I see something I want (points rewards rotate).

I may get a few specific matte neutral shades from MakeupGeek, or I might give Inglot a try, or I may just wait until the Lorac Pro Palette comes back in stock. It really does look like the most bang for your buck.

Also? I now have a jar of MarketSpice tea as big as my head. Life is good.