More discounts, free goodies

You know me...discount and coupon queen! As brands are gearing up for the holidays, there are TONS of discounts to be found. Here are the ones you should definitely watch out for:


SEPHORA.COM:
Friends and Family 20% off any purchase November 6th-10th. Use coupon code FF2008 at checkout. Only one coupon code with purchase. Free shipping on purchases of $50 or more. Not valid in Canada.

BEAUTY.COM:
Friends and Family 20% off any purchase November 5th-7th (Starts at 12:01 am and ends 11:59 pm). Click here. Free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Paypal users also get a 20% off, but the offer starts earlier (November 3rd at 12:01 am). Check your email for invitation or click here.

NORDSTROM:
Clinique.com's bonus gift with purchase may have sold out, but you can still get a Clinique bonus gift from Nordstrom! From November 5th to November 23rd, receive a bag of:

• Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser (1.7 oz.)
• Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift Firming Cream (0.5 oz.)
• Multi-Compact with Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Beach Plum
  and Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher in New Clover
• Lash Doubling Mascara (0.14 oz.)
• Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Bamboo Pink
• Long Last Lipstick in Blush Coral
• Silvery Lipstick Case
• Elegant travel bag designed exclusively for Clinique by Trina Turk

For the first time ever: Trina Turk for Clinique. The chic fashion designer's favorite Clinique beauty essentials, in an exclusive cosmetics bag designed by Trina herself. Yours with any $25 Clinique purchase. A $65 value.

MACY'S:
With your $75 beauty purchase, receive a beauty box filled with samples. Includes: Estée Lauder - Advanced Night Repair, Clinique - Liquid Facial Soap, Lancôme - High Resolution Eye Cream, Clarins - Super Restorative Tinted Moisturizer, Basic Research - NEW Strivectin Wrinkle Filler, Shiseido - Massage Card (Redeemable In-Store), Elizabeth Arden - Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules, Ralph Lauren - NEW Notorious Fragrance, Calvin Klein Fragrances - NEW Secret Obsession, and Emporio Armani - NEW Diamonds for Men. Offer valid on select brands (Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Clarins, Basic Research StriVectin, Shiseido, Elizabeth Arden, CK Secret Obsession Fragrance, Emporio Armani Diamonds Men Fragrance, Ralph Lauren Notorius Fragrance).

BLOOMINGDALE'S:
If you missed out on the Nordstrom's Estee Lauder bonus gift, try Bloomingdale's. Currently, with any purchase of $39.50 and up, you get to create your own gift as well. The only differences I see is that the lip gloss comes in a tube, the eyeshadow is in more of a square palette, the makeup is divided into "warm" or "cool" shades, and the cosmetic bag is much more chic :). Click here.

ESTEELAUDER.COM:
Get a free five piece gift with any $50.00 purchase. Hurry while supplies last!

LANCOME.COM:
Their friends and family event is also going on right now! 20% off if you enter HOLIDAYJOY at checkout. This offer is valid from Nov 6th to 12th.

Clinique Gifts with Purchase

Hey all,
Just wanted to drop a quick note that Clinique.com is also having a cute free gift with purchase of $21.50 and up right now. Choose one bag from three different options to fit your style or needs!

Visit this link:
http://www.clinique.com/landing/fall08bonus.tmpl?ngextredir=1&cm_mmc=email-_-October-_-10-26-2008_Online_GWP_nonbuyers-_-bonusimg#

In addition, Macy's Clinique is still having a free gift with purchase if you visit the store. I noticed the promotion has already ended on their website, but it's still ongoing if you head to your local counter.

Happy shopping! Be back soon with another review!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex

Continuing my obsession with skincare, I purchased this recently, along with my Estee Lauder Idealist, to improve my congested and flakey skin.

As a gal in my 20s, my sleeping schedule is hectic--if I'm not up studying, I'm staying out late anyway. Sadly, if I don't get at least 7-8 hours of sleep, my skin will break out. My mom is always telling me to sleep more since that is when your body repairs/detoxifies itself. However, being young, I don't listen to her nagging! Yet, I'm already worrying about preventing wrinkles. What a predicament, huh?

This product seemed like a solution. It claims to visibly repair and prevent such wear and tear on the skin as you sleep. It also doubles as an "anti-aging serum." Evidently, the results are so amazing, the product has been patented! Straight from the product website, Estee Lauder claims it:

• Helps skin repair its appearance from daily environmental damage to recover a younger look.
• Heightens skin's natural repair response-critical for its well-being.
• Soothes daily irritation and builds a rich reserve of anti-oxidants and lipids.
• Neutralizes up to 90% of environmentally generated free radicals before they can affect skin's appearance.
• Studies show it is this environmental damage-not time-that can cause 80% of the visible signs of aging.
• Delivers high levels of long-proven hyaluronic acid, nature's "moisture magnet."
• Locks in moisture to create the ideal environment for healthy skin.

(credit: Estee Lauder)

Like Estee Lauder's Idealist which I previously reviewed, the Night Repair Complex also works to improve the skin's overall health, but the Idealist is for daytime wear. I've actually worn Idealist alone to bed, to maximize its efficacy (I don't see how effective skincare products can be when you pile makeup on top, plus pollution, dirt, and oil throughout the day.) The product description at Macys.com says that this product is actually also designed for application during the daytime and you can wear it under makeup. However, like with the Idealist Skin Refinisher, I would suggest only applying Night Repair Complex at night time before bed unless your skin is extremely damaged (i.e. sunburn, windburn, etc.). This way you maximize the product's use and longevity, and it is quite pricey at $46.50 an ounce.

I started using the Night Repair Complex when my skin was extremely dry and flakey but also breaking out. The bottle has a syringe on the cap so you can carefully place the drops on your skin and choose how much to use at a time. Each drop goes a long way--I needed one drop per cheek, a drop for my forehead, and another for my nose and chin area. The product feels like a typical liquid serum--it's mostly a gel-like liquid, rather than a light lotion. There isn't a "fragrance," but the serum does have some kind of scent/odor, but it isn't unpleasant. After cleansing and toning, I applied this carefully with light pressure. My skin felt a bit sticky after the serum sank in, but all gel-liquid serums tend to leave behind this sensation, so I wasn't bothered by it. You can apply moisturizer on top, but I chose not to since I was worried additional product would diminish its healing properties.

The next morning, I did notice that my skin was more radiant, and probably 50% of my flakiness had disappeared. I continued to use the Night Repair Complex for the rest of the week. By the end of the week, my skin was nearly completely back to normal, and it was absolutely glowing.
This product definitely works and I have added it to my skincare regimen, rotating it with the Idealist Skin Refinisher.

Nordstrom's is having a free gift with purchase right now for any Estee Lauder purchase over $39.50. The deal ends November 2nd. If you're looking for skincare products, I recommend purchasing the Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex, the Idealist Skin Refinisher, or one of the Repair sets that go for $46.00-47.50 (they contains both products along with a moisturizer and cleanser).

Just to spell out their gift with purchase:

Get glam with this set of gorgeous glosses, including six shades to wear alone or layered.
SMASHBOX RAPTURE LIP COLLECTION

Lancôme's vibrating brush is a breakthrough sensation in application. Pre-order now.
LANCÔME ÔSCILLATION MASCARA

The Crème de Pistache Duo blends enticing, nutty nuances with fluffy, freshly whipped cream.
LAURA MERCIER BATH & BODY

call 1-800-7-BEAUTY

there are actually three different types and you need to enter in a promotion code to obtain them. I've copied and pasted below the 3 different gifts you can obtain--simply choose which one works for you! Or if you're greedy like me, make 3 separate purchases and get all 3! (Of course, I'm not going to keep everything I've purchased--I'm not a mindless spendthrift!)

PREVENTION—to help protect against future visible signs of aging.
Use promotional code PREVENT on the last page of Checkout.

DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF 15
(0.5 oz.)
Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (0.5 oz.)
Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser (1 oz.)
Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick (full size)
Pure Color Crystal Gloss
7 Eyeshadows in an exclusive compact
New: Estée Lauder Sensuous Eau de Parfum Spray Vial
(0.05 oz.)
Chic Tri-Color Cosmetics Bag

EVEN SKINTONE—to reveal a radiant, more even-toned look.
Use promotional code SKINTONE on the last page of Checkout.

Hydra Bright Skin-Tone Perfecting Moisturizer (0.5 oz.)
Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex
(0.5 oz.)
Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser (1 oz.)
Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick (full-size)
Pure Color Crystal Gloss
7 Eyeshadows in an exclusive compact
New: Estée Lauder Sensuous Eau de Parfum Spray Vial
(0.05 oz.)
Chic Tri-Color Cosmetics Bag

LIFTING/FIRMING—to give skin a more lifted, firmer look.
Use promotional code LIFTING on the last page of Checkout.

Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Creme SPF 15
(0.5 oz.)
New: Perfectionist [CP+] Wrinkle Lifting Serum (0.5 oz.)
Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser (1 oz.)
Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick (full-size)
Pure Color Crystal Gloss
7 Eyeshadows in an exclusive compact
New: Estée Lauder Sensuous Eau de Parfum Spray Vial
(0.05 oz.)
Chic Tri-Color Cosmetics Bag

Hurry before the deal runs out!