It was my birthday last weekend, which makes it the best time to do a little retail therapy. I needed a few things, and the ability to add up extra freebies and deals to get more for your money was a definite bonus! Here’s what I picked up, along with a couple quick mini-reviews!

Paid Items

Bite Amuse Bouche Lipstick Duo in Maple and Radish

Bite makes my favorite lipsticks. They’re creamy and so pigmented. They are also made of food-grade ingredients in a laboratory in Canada. I love, love, love these. I picked up two in a mini set. Maple is a warm copper red with a satin finish. It wears very red and is flattering on my skin tone. Radish is a cool-toned fuchsia, also with a satin finish. It’s fairly bright for me, but will be fun to wear during the summer.

Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Shimmer Eyeshadow Trio in Sparkling Rose

I have heard good things about Kaja, but hadn’t tried out anything from them. This little package caught my eye! It has three red-plum sparkling eyeshadows. The texture of the eyeshadows is firm and densely packed, so they don’t come off as shimmery as they could, which actually works really well for me. The three shades are Moscato, Cassis, and Cognac. They are swatched below for you! I think Cassis is my favorite. I am also the #1 sucker for packaging, and this is adorable. It also includes a small mirror! Definitely something to add to my travel bag.

Sephora Collection Charcoal Nose Strip

This is for Charles. He gets spots on his nose and clears them out. And before anyone gets on my case about pore strips being bad, they work. I don’t personally use them, but I completely understand why people do.

Free Items

Shiseido Skincare Set (500 point perk)

I took the plunge and sent in for a 500 point perk. I have been trying out some different skincare because of my upcoming wedding and wanted to try some things from Shiseido. I haven’t tested these out yet, so not much to say. The set includes a Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream, Intensive Eye Contour Cream, Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector, and Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate. Given the price for Shiseido, I’m excited to try these out!

Make Up For Ever Artist Trio (250 point perk)

This set has three MUFE Artist Eyeshadows, a Color Pencil in 100 Whatever Black, and an Eye and Lip Primer. All of these are pretty good. I don’t really care for the Color Pencils because of the hard, difficult to sharpen wooden pencil. I like the creamy MUFE eyeshadow formula, and the primer is also of good quality. It’s pretty good as far as Sephora perks go.

Drunk Elephant Cleansing Duo (Birthday Gift)

This years choices for Sephora birthday gift weren’t great. You get the choice of a Kat Von D makeup set, or this Drunk Elephant choice. I don’t choose to purchase things from Kat Von D, so instead I went for the skincare. I have several Drunk Elephant products that I really like, so this was certainly not a hardship. This beauty gift is also the most valuable in terms of dollars, if you’re counting. It contains two pieces: the Protini Polypeptide Cream and teh Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser. They’re both a great size, and will give you lots of time to decide if you want to really invest in either of these.

Drunk Elephant has the cutest packaging and also passes all the ingredient checks I can think of. It’s quality. These two are also fantastic. The Protini cream has a light gel texture. It’s not my favorite moisturizer, but it does feel moisturizing and I’ll be using it up. The jelly cleanser, on the other hand, is wonderful. It has a great lather and makes my face feel clean but not dry. Definitely endorsing this one!

What are your favorite items that you’ve picked up recently?

All of the items have been bought with my own money.