Smart is Always Beautiful

I didn't really get into the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale until last year. Nordstrom is just one of those stores that only sells high-end. Before last year I figured that the sale was limited to card members and even if the discounts were good, 50% off super expensive is still expensive. I don't only shop at the drugstore - far from it - but I usually shop at the mass retailers like Ulta and Sephora because they have perk programs, they always have some sort of promo codes, and occasionally they have sales. I really only head to the department stores for "Bonus Times" and if they have a brand that the mass retailers don't carry like Charlotte Tilbury and Chanel. I finally realized last year that the beauty section of this sale was actually was worth browsing. The palettes and kits that they sell during these sales are an awesome value. They are also have many that are exclusive to this sale and limited edition (That's usually about all that I need to hear for me to be all over something). The downside of these exclusive, limited edition products? They are new palettes that have no online reviews. You can't find swatches or in depth reviews so you are buying solely based on the brand reputation. You can wait for reviews to post, but you might miss out. The bulk of the sale is bulk sizes or collections of permanent items packaged together at a great value. My suggestion is to really really want something. Either know that it's something you are going to use all year long or know that it's something that you will kick yourself for not getting after the sale is over.

If you are a card member you can shop the sale NOW, so get over there and do your damage. Early access started yesterday. You can also apply for the card and if you are accepted get access.  If you aren't a card member and don't want to sign up for a card, you can start browsing now and make up your list. I've browsed the Beauty Exclusive part of the sale and started my wish list. Here's what made it onto that list:

Nars 'Nordstrom's Best' Cheek Palette - $65
This palette contains four of the most popular cheek products from Nars - Orgasm, Deep Throat, Albatross, and Laguna - so for someone who doesn't own them and wants to try them it's an awesome treat at a super value. Or if you are someone who travels a lot this is a handy palette to throw in your bag. I own two of the six (I have the super value size of the Laguna bronzer so I'm set) so I might end up passing, but if you don't I'd say go for it.

This palette contains:
- 4 Blushes in Orgasm, Deep Throat, Luster, Desire
- Highlighting Blush in Albatross
- Bronzing Powder in Laguna

Charlotte Tilbury 'Instant Beauty Palette - The Dolce Vita Look' 5-Minute Face On the Go - $75
Back in May Charlotte Tilbury released the limited edition "Instant Beauty Palette - Nude" designed for use on a number of skin tones and as the only palette that you'll to complete your makeup in five minutes flat. This palette was a one time, super limited online release that was never supposed to be repeated; until this sale that is. There are some minor changes to the palette - the eyeshadows all have a sheen as opposed to the original palette that had two matte shades - but the blush, bronzer, and highlighter are all the same. This time around it includes a travel sized mascara. If you missed out on the May release, this is your chance to exonerate yourself.

This palette contains:
- Three Eyeshadows
- Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blush
- Filmstar Bronze & Glow Face Bronzer & Highlight
- Travel-size Legendary Lashes Mascara
Laura Mercier 'Flawless Icons' Eye & Cheek Palette - $65
This is another palette curated for this sale. This is really gorgeous and appeals to me as a lover of nude palettes. This is another (almost) complete face palette, minus a blush. Laura Mercier has always excelled in the baked face product game, so I expect nothing but stellar quality from this palette.

This palette contains:
- Eight Eye Colors in Stellar, Cashmere, Guava, African Violet, Boudoir, Vie en Rose, Minx, Coffee Ground
- Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Bronze 02
- Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01

Kiehl's 'Ultra Healthy Skin Favorites' Collection - $69
For someone who wants to try a collection of the best Kiehl's skincare products, this is an awesome value. This set contains a mingling of the customer favorites to give you a compete skin care regimen all in one bag - a cleanser, mask, serum, moisturizer, and eye treatment. So if it's just time for you to restock or you want to mix up your routine this is the kit to stick in your cart.

This collection contains:
- Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (0.5 oz.)
- Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque (0.95 oz.)
- Ultra Facial Cream (4.2 oz.)
- Midnight Recovery Concentrate (0.14 oz.)
- Ultra Facial Cleanser (1 oz.)

Hourglass Ambient Luminous Light Palette - $62
For those lovers of Hourglass Ambient Lighting products who have long been hoping for an all-inclusive palette - glow, blush, and bronze - your day has come. This palette has a best selling shade from each line and is included in a palette packaged just like the Ambient Lighting Palette, the original Hourglass limited-edition-palette-made-permanent. Heads up though, the pan sizes are the same as the Ambient Lighting Palette, except that Bronze Light is 0.02oz smaller than it's counterpart.

This palette contains:
- Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
- Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
- Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light
Murad 'Perfectly Beautiful' Skincare Set - $89
I originally purchased Murad's Invisiblur Perfecting Shield back when it was first released for $65 for 1oz. I loved the texture and I loved how it blurred pores. I loved it even more for being clear and containing SPF. But that $65 hurt. Enough that I wouldn't repurchase it without a deal of some sort. This kit appeals to me because it included the $65 bottle of Invisiblur plus two more items for just $24 more. I haven't tried either one. The Exfoliating cleanser is a deluxe sample size (the full sized is $36 for 6.75oz), but the Hydro Dynamic Ultimate Moisture sells on it's own for $72! This kit is an amazing value. If you love these Murad products, this is a set that you can't pass up.

This set contains:
- AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (1 oz.)
- Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 PA+++ (1 oz.)
- Hydro-Dynamic® Ultimate Moisture (1.7 oz.)
Supergoop! 'Forever Young' Hand Cream SPF 40 Set - $40
My favorite hand cream of life is the Supergoop 'Forever Young' Hand Cream with Sea Buckthorn. It really helps me heal my hands that I strip bare washing 119 times a day. The cream is thick and spreads easily. It deeply nourishes skin and leaves it younger looking. I don't feel the need to put more hand cream on as soon as I was my hands again. It's pretty amazing. The best part? SPF 40! I don't have to I carry the 1oz. tubes in my purse at all times. I love the flat tubes because they slide easily in between larger items and don't take up much space. Each tube sells for $12. So when I saw that this set has two of those plus a 10 oz pump bottle ($38) for home, I was instantly sold. This kit should last me the year and hopefully they sell something similar again next year!

This set contains:
- Forever Young Hand Cream (10 oz.)
- Travel-size Forever Young Hand Cream (2 at 1 oz. each)

What is on your wish list for this sale? Share what you're getting or wish you'd get!

Today's Tidbits:

• I couldn't wait for this sale. I already placed a Nordstrom's order to get the MAC C'est Chic' Eyeshadow Palette (Nordstrom Exclusive) plus some Charlotte Tilbury stuff. It'll be here Monday; I'm excited!
• I've been really good this week about putting my makeup back as I use it. When I leave it on the counter I have the tendency to use the same thing every single day. This week I've done my makeup different every day. It's definitely something that I'm going to try to keep going.
• I got my Hautelook order from the Josie Maran event this week. It shipped right at 2 weeks. I also ordered from the Too Faced event last weekend. I got the Soul Mates Bronzer & Blush Duo in Carrie & Big and Ross & Rachel. They were on sale for $14 each!

I was running low on MAC Fix + and new I needed to restock very soon. I was going to place a MAC order but somehow, some way, ended up placing a Sephora order instead. I really wanted the new NARS Lip Cover in Overheated from the Summer 2016 collection and I needed more dry shampoo, so I let myself be tempted by an email from Sephora and just placed one inclusive order.



Instead of MAC Fix + I ended up grabbing MAKE UP FOR EVER Mist & Fix Setting Spray. It's got really great reviews and some people like it better than MAC Fix +. It's supposed to work the same way Fix + does to make your face look flawless and airbrushed. It makes everything look seamlessly blended and helps powders to look less chalky. I will also use it to spray my foundation brush before buffing out foundation and as a mixing medium to apply eyeshadows wet. So I'm excited to try this and see if I like it as well as or better than MAC. I've got high hopes.


I've seen just about everyone on YouTube mentioning NUDESTIX lip and cheek pencils non-stop. I was the most inspired by RachhLoves love of the NUDESTIX Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil in Belle when this little beauty got place it in my cart. It comes in it's own tin with a mirror on the back of the lid and it's own sharpener. I'm a sucker for MLBB shades and I love the velvety finish. I think that this will look great as an easy, natural cheek color. I am all for multi-tasking products for mornings that I'm running late. Which, let's face it, is most mornings.


I saw the limited edition Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio on the website and couldn't add it to the cart quick enough. In fact I added it twice and then had sticker shock when I saw the total of the cart. It was love at first sight for me and then I saw that it was limited edition. Those two magic words get me every time. I love creams for summer as the give such a fresh look to the skin. I think cream cheek products, bronzers especially, blend better and give a more natural finish. I also think this is going to be awesome for travel. I'm already having daydreams about using my contour brush to apply this bronzer. Am I the only one that daydreams like this? Is it just me?


Before I processed my checkout I decided to go through the Sale tab and I found the Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in Stark Naked and 1993 for $11! That is half price. As I'd never taken the plunge and picked these up, now seemed like a perfect time.


I'm almost out of my can of Living Proof Dry Shampoo so I ordered my holy grail amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. I really like both the Living Proof also. I think the Living Proof works a little harder but it's definitely messier. It tends to really emphasize my grey roots and sometimes the only way to get rid of the white cast is to pull out the blow dryer. Most mornings I spend all my time on my skincare and makeup and I don't have the extra time for all that extra work on my hair. amika goes on clear and really does work amazing. I'll probably just keep a travel sized Living Proof under the counter for the weeks I'm trying to sport 4th day hair. Or you know, I'll end up with a full-size of both. Whatever.


I spotted the Sephora Collection Wonderful Cushion Matte Lip Cream for $8 so I picked up the shade Wonderful Rosy. I haven't seen a lippie quite like this and for the price I'm willing try try it out. It's supposed to be a comfortable wear and have a really nice matte finish. It swatches beautifully. It might be a little bright but I really can't resist trying every lip product at least once.


I've really wanted to try Bobbi Brown's Art Sticks. Something about a really chubby colored pencil just calls to me. So I took the plunge and ordered one in Rose Brown. Really creamy and comfortable wear and the pencil allows for a really precise application on the go. The darker nude color is super pigmented and wearable. I'm excited to see how these wear.


The promo code I used added StriVectin Hair Color Care Shampoo & Conditioner deluxe sample duo to my cart. I picked this bonus because I've been looking for a new color care shampoo and conditioner. I love the Macadamia Oil set I've been using, but I've been using it for over a year and my hair seems to need the change from time to time. So this sample is going to give me a chance to switch it up without committing a lot to something new.

What have you gotten from Sephora recently? Let me know so I can feel better about my spending...

Do you have any thoughts on these products? Le me know!

Today's Tidbits:

• While I was looking up the reviews for Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Setting Spray I found  phenomenal Reddit on the difference between setting and fixing sprays. It's definitely worth the read. I'm going to make some small changes to the way I use these. Even the trick about checking ingredients to see which is which is awesome. Here's the link. 
• Did you get anything from yesterday's flash 50% sale on thebalm.com? I grabbed a few things including a custom eye palette. 9 shades and the palette for $22! Amazing deal! 
• Happy Mother's Day weekend! I have a hair appointment on Saturday and then Sunday we have brunch and movie plans. What are your plans?