My Sephora Sample Haul / Two NEW Holy Grail Must Haves For My Damaged Hair
How to Get Free Samples From Sephora Online, The Shampoo/Conditioner Combo That's My New Holy Grail.
Hey everyone! Helen here, thanks so much for opening this up and hello to my most recent newsletter subscribers. A big high-five if you’re reading this at your job instead of replying to some boring work email. Wasting time reading things of questionable value like this newsletter while getting paid is GOALS, am I right? You’re my hero.
➡️ You know what’s not of questionable value? These two posts. They are going to be locked soon and available to my sponsors only, but you still have time to read them.
Oral Minoxidil: A Doctor's Warning and Why I'll Never Use It For Hair Growth (read it here)
I Share My BEST EVER Products for Dry, Damaged Hair (read it here)
Let’s get on with it!
My Latest Sephora Sample Haul…
And Getting Sephora Sample Codes for 2023 the Easy Way
Back in January, I wrote all about how I get the best Sephora samples and money back aka rebates, which you can read here.
Yesterday, I bought a Nudestix blush and a pair of Velour easy-to-use false eyelashes (I guess I’m entering my false eyelashes era) and I hooked myself up with some awesome skincare samples that I thought I’d show you. Yes, it came via delivery that fast (I live in the Toronto area).
If you want to see HOW I get these big sample packages, there’s too many steps to detail here (but basically, I use a Rakuten widget to scour the coupon codes), so I’ll point you to that article I mentioned for the full account (read it here).
In addition to this 10-pack of samples, I got my regular two samples that come with online orders. Nice! I really like Sephora, as a customer they get all my money because their return policy is ace, and I love their sample and birthday gift programs.
Easy returns, fabulous samples: this is how and why Sephora owns the beauty retail market. Sephora retail stores, which I still like going into to spray myself with Dior perfume I can’t commit to, are ten times busier than their apparel store neighbors.
You’d think they were giving away everything for free considering the I Am Legend-style zombie swarms in there. Everytime I go, shoppers of all ages are having a grand old time sticking their dirty mitts into all the tester products, thereby contaminating them with their finger oils and skin flakes, and I’m here for it.
Lately I’ve noticed Sephora has made strides in hiring more approachable staff (in both makeup lewks and attitude) who I’m reasonably confident aren’t rolling their impeccably lashed 25-year-old eyes at my janky makeup and poorly blended eyeshadow the second my back is turned? Unclear. They probably have to hire more normal-looking people, there’s a worker shortage.
All I know is that there is now a stark contrast with the MAC counter, which is still staffed by makeup goddesses and gods who 1. Look like Artifical Intelligence generated them (not a bad thing, just a little unattainable for the average Jill like me) and 2. are for sure judging all of my life choices everytime I dare to look at their lipsticks. MAC staff are still the artistes of the makeup counters, what can I say.
Did you know? The name Sephora is a combination of the Greek word sephos, meaning beauty, and the name Zipporah, the exceptionally beautiful wife of Moses in the book of Exodus, according to this article in Byrdie.
Two NEW(ish) Holy Grail Products
You can have a look at my hair in this video, it continues to be at its best. Yay! Also, AI generated that very romanticized image, I’ll tell you more in another newsletter.
At the same time, pour one out for my face, which, before I pack the makeup on, looks like it’s one of the melted watches in that famous Salvador Dali painting. Maybe the Velour eyelashes will help.
So, as I said in that video above: these are the products I’ve been loving for my hair lately…
Holy Grail Shampoo: Kerastase Bain Satin 1 ✅ https://go.shopmy.us/p-752376
Holy Grail Conditioner: Pureology Hydrate ✅ https://go.shopmy.us/p-752396
Kerastase Nutritive Blow Dry Primer ✅ https://go.shopmy.us/p-1175515
Babyliss Hot Air Brush (similar as mine is discontinued) ✅ https://go.shopmy.us/p-1575927
🇨🇦 Fyi for my Canadians: RAKUTEN DOUBLE REFERRAL CODE (WE BOTH GET $30, CANADA ONLY) Here is the link.
Ok, admittedly the Bain Satin 1 is not a new holy grail (I’m sure some of you are ready to smash a keyboard over my head for constantly banging on about this stuff), but what’s new is that I’ve discovered it works magic with the Pureology Hydrate, at least on my 2a/2b (that’s a wave pattern) hair.
Then I finish with my Kerastase Blow Dry Primer even if I’m not blow drying, it clumps my hair together just-so. If I want to look more polished and a little less Roseanne Roseanadanna-slash-Monica in Barbados, I whip out the Babyliss hot air brush and it takes me about 8 minutes to do my hair because I’m not very good at it and I’m lazy. Probably more lazy than anything else, frankly.
Ok everyone, there you have it! Hope you enjoyed this post and don’t forget to read last week’s post if you missed it:
➡️ 7 Skincare Splurges: A New Review (read it here)
➡️ Absolutely Wild Headlines You Didn’t Hear About, featuring Canadian polar bear jail and how tattoos affect your immune system (read it here)
Warmly,
Helen