Free Goodies from Sephora

I used my $15 gift card from Sephora to get the Givenchy Ange ou Demon perfume. Sephora has a promo to get a free makeup bag filled with 12 beauty samples. You can read more about the promo here. I basically got the samples listed on the promo page. The makeup bag contains a mix of makeup, skincare, and fragrance samples.

0.05 fl. oz Michael Kors Gold Eau de Parfum

0.05 fl. oz. pureDKNY Verbena Scent

0.041 fl. oz. Clean Ultimate Scent

0.04 fl. oz. Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum

1 ml Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

2 ml DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge Rescue & Protect Eye Balm

Ole Henriksen Three Little Wonders (3 - 0.05 fl. oz. samples)

8 ml The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

3 ml Kate Somerville ExfoliKate

1 fl. oz. Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel

0.03 fl. oz. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer

0.05 g Benefit Hoola

I chose the Hello Kitty makeup bag. It' really cute with a little pink charm on the zipper.

I'm really happy with the samples, even though there aren't that many makeup samples. I'm super excited to try all the skincare samples. They seem really generous and probably will last awhile.

It's still going on. You can use the promo code (FROMSEPHORA) on orders over $25. After you enter the promo code, you can choose which bag you want after you proceed to the next step. You'll also get to review the entire order before you confirm your purchase. When I used it this weekend, the Kat Von D bag wasn't available anymore. Unfortunately, I think they ran out of supplies so the promo is no longer available.

HG Product!

Nuance Salma Hayek Cucumber & Rosewater Dual Phase Makeup Remover

4.3 oz/$7.99 @ CVS

I've tried a few drugstore and high end makeup removers. My favorite by far was Clinique's Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (4.2 oz/$18) but it was so expensive for a product I burn through so quickly.

When Nuance debuted in CVS, I picked up this makeup remover and the exfoliating gel (only used it once so far). I was BLEW away. Several drops on one cotton round was able to melt away my waterproof mascara and eyeliner. I used a second round just to be sure and the swipe came off relatively clean. It performed exactly like Clinique's and Lancome's (which I also tried). Amazing.

And the best thing is that it's about 1/2 the price of Clinique's and 1/3 the price of Lancome's for the same amount of product.

It has a subtle rose and baby powder scent. Since it's dual phase, it does leave a greasy feeling but it wipes away easily. I will definitely repurchase and see no reason to go for the high end makeup remover anymore.

LUSH Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask

From LUSH: A superhero face mask to combat spots, cleanse dirt, calm and soothe all troubled skins. Antiseptic fresh garlic and tea tree essential oil, reinforced with deeply cleansing kaolin and fresh grapes, are aided by softening honey and free range eggs. Apply to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave for five to ten minutes, then rinse away. Keep chilled. If you live outside of the UK, you might prefer to pop to your local Lush shop to pick up your fresh mask to make sure it lasts as long as possible.

Ingredients: Kaolin, Fresh Green Grapes (Vitis vinifera), Fresh Free Range Eggs, Honey, Cornstarch (Zea mays), Glycerine, Fresh Garlic (Allium sativum), Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), *Limonene, Perfume

After trying a new foundation, a few angry red spots broke out on my face. I stopped by LUSH to try a more natural cleanser since I was getting major dry patches and irritation from the benzyl peroxide face wash I had. The customer service at the LUSH store nearby is amazing. They always are so informed and knowledgeable about the products. More importantly, they don't mind demonstrating the products (the sales girl I saw that day cleansed my face with Herbalism and then applied some color supplement) or giving you a hefty size for samples. After collecting some samples, I decided to grab the Cosmetic Warrior face mask to calm my skin. It was like 6-7 dollars I think.

I've done the mask like four times and I really like it. A lot of people complain about the smell, though while unpleasant isn't unbearable. There's a very medicinal smell mixed with the pungentness of garlic. The smell is well worth the results. I have dry, flaky patches on my cheeks and an oily t-zone that gets much worse when I wear makeup or in hot weather. After using the mask for about a week and a half, I noticed that my cheeks are much less dry and my t-zone doesn't get as oily. Plus, the breakouts from before are gone. I produce a lot of sebum at the sides of my nose and that has been reduced too. It has delivered great results in such a short period of time!

While it's great that the mask is made from all natural ingredients, it also has a very short shelf life. It lasts only about 2-3 weeks, depending on the batch, and there's enough for 3-5 masks (depending on how much you use). I have a lot left even though I try to be liberal with my application. So you're going to be doing a lot of pampering in a short period of time. I wish it could last a little longer. For the price, I can't complain though it would be a little expensive to use this routinely.

I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants something to calm and balance their skin. In the US, it's only available in-store but I know that UK customers can order it online.

Name Change and More Time

Hi All,

This blog is spotty and bare but I have hope that I will post more now that I feel like I have more time!

Also, I changed the name of the blog mainly because I felt it didn't really fit me in any way (I don't care for rouge lips). Clever Jade is just a literal translation of my Chinese name and is a little more personal.

What I'm Loving Right Now

It's been awhile but there's been some products that I've been really loving and really impressed with.

TRESemme Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner

I'm using Garnier's Sleek and Shine shampoo but ran out of the conditioner awhile ago. I wanted to try a more natural conditioner and picked up this bottle. I love it! I can't say much for volume but it makes my hair so slick and weightless. My hair gets really shiny/glossy too. My hair was feeling really frizzy and fine from using Garnier but using the TRESemme conditioner definitely added some body back to my hair. I love how smooth my hair has been feeling. I've gotten so many compliments on my hair. It smells good too. A light fruity floral.

N.Y.C In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in Park Avenue

It's a lilac-y nail polish with a little gray/taupe in it. It's a sophisticated color that also is still interesting. I don't think it'll look inappropriate for work because it's subdued enough the office. It's really sheer so it takes about 3-4 coats before it's opaque enough for my liking.

AcneFree Clear Skin Treatment

I've only been using it for about 3 days so there's still a long way to go before I can make a full review on the system. But, in the 3 days I've used it, a lot of my tiny, under the skin bumps have disappeared and the large, dark blemishes have shrunk. I'm so excited to continue using this system until my skin is completely clear. I've been struggling with breakouts for awhile now. It does make my skin super sensitive to the sun so I have to remember to use sunscreen.