February 9, 2015

BEAUTY: Sephora Birthday Gift 2015

Ahhhhh, the new year. Rebirth, fresh starts, lofty goals...and the new Sephora Beauty Insider birthday gift! In case you've been living under a beauty rock (sounds glamorous btw), each year Sephora gives out a free (uh huh, free) birthday gift to Beauty Insiders during their birthday month. Every year there's a new item and, while there have been some dream gifts in the past (my Benefit Watt's Up mini is a treasured friend), I think this year tops them ALL. Allow me to introduce the...
NARS Mini Lip Pencil Duo!
Okay, I know, I know, but we need to keep it together so that we can learn more. Ready?
 In this duo, you will receive:
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

 Cruella is .06 oz, compared to the full size version of .086 oz.
Rikugien is .05 oz, compared to the full size version of .07 oz.
 Cruella is a deep blue-based scarlet red with a perfectly matte finish.
Rikugien is a dusty rose pink with a somewhat shimmery satin finish.
With flash, so you can really see the shimmer on Rikugien
 These are not twist-up, so you'll need a wide sharpener when they dull down. NARS sells one for $6 which I might pick up because I don't want to ruin my nice pencils with a cheap-o sharpener.
Swatches: NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien (top) and NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella (bottom)
 These pencils are incredibly easy to apply. They glide on SMOOTHLY and give full opaque color in one swipe. The staying power is impressive and they never feel heavy or drying on the lips. Since they give you a neutral nude shade and a bright red, you can get a ton of use out of this duo.
On my lips: NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien (top) and NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella (bottom)
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella
It maybe goes without saying, but these products are impeccable. NARS doesn't play around with quality, which is probably why the full size of these pencils go for $26 apiece (excuse me while I cry into my Maybelline coupons). Scoring these for free is a victory, and it's super easy to do so:
  • If you're not already, sign up to be a Sephora Beauty Insider. It's free, and just means they'll give you a card that will track what you buy and how much you spend, so you can earn points to get other free stuff throughout the year.
  • During your birthday month, either go to a Sephora store and ask for your free birthday gift (you DON'T need to buy anything) or make an online purchase from their website and ask that they send the birthday gift too (you DO need to buy something).

Do you usually get the free Sephora birthday gifts? Have you ever tried a NARS lip pencil? Do you have a December birthday and are now crying that you have to wait almost a year to get these? (p.s. sorry from all January babies)


45 comments:

  1. Great post
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    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally forgot about the Sephora gifts!!! My birthday is Feb 11th! Can't wait to stop in for these. They look fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing, as it served as a reminder for me!! ;) ;) Enjoy your new NARS babies!!

    Much Love,
    -Stephanie Eva

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy birthday! You totally NEED to get to a Sephora to pick this free gift up. Glad I was able to remind you, may you never forget again! xo

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  3. Wow! The Cruella shade looks amazing on you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I'm kind of in love with it. xo

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  4. My birthday is at the end of this month and I'm looking forward to getting these! Especially Cruella. (Sorry, December kids.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Woo hoo! They are amazing! I don't know how I'd be able to contain myself every year if my birthday was in December. xo

      Delete
  5. Thank you for posting about this set, I need to remind my mom to pick hers up!

    Beauty & Colour

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, definitely do! I should actually tell my mom too...xo

      Delete
  6. Love the Nars lip pencils! I have a full size of Crualla it's such a nice red shade. I can' wait for my bday so I can pick these up :))

    Beti
    http://makeup-sessions.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is my first time actually using NARS lip pencils (I've only played with the testers before) and I finally get all the hype. They're great! Cruella is a holy grail level red for sure! xo

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  7. Wow this is soo cool! I really wish they had a sephora in the UK! It would be sooo good! Great post and the lip pencils look really good on you :)

    Anisha ♥ www.allyouneedisredlipstick.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Best birthday gift ever! I wish we had deals like that here... if you get a few sample packets you're lucky, ugh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seriously, the best! Sorry to hear that! Sephora isn't somewhere I shop a ton, but they are a great resource for samples and free gifts. xo

      Delete
  9. Excellent article. Very interesting to read. I really love to read such a nice article. Thanks! keep rocking.
    Unusual Gifts For Men

    ReplyDelete
  10. Replies
    1. Agreed! I was pretty impressed this year. Cruella is quickly becoming a go-to red for me! xo

      Delete
  11. Woot good thing my birthday is next month! I LOVE Nars lip pencils and both of these colors are sooo stunning! I love that red color on you!

    Denise
    www.fashionloveletters.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I love both shades, but Cruella speaks to my soul. Don't forget to pick yours up next month! xo

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  12. Lusting after NARS lip pencils for a while now, have onoy heard great things about them! These shades are so gorgeous and look lovely on you x

    Beauty with charm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Yeah, these pencils definitely live up to the hype! xo

      Delete
  13. What a great gift! The colors are wonderful, they look gorgeous on you! :)

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    Kisses from Zurich,
    K

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! They really are a great gift - everyone that has a Sephora should get on this! xo

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  14. I'm looking forward to my birthday just so I can get these two lip pencils. I have two of them and they're so creamy and perfect. Also, the pencil sharpener is totally a worthy investment, I have it and it's definitely better than a shoddier one. Both colors look gorgeous on you :) And happy belated birthday!

    Mili

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! The free Sephora gifts are always a birthday highlight for me! They're so perfect - I love the matte finish especially. I think I definitely will pick up that NARS sharpener, since it's not really that much more expensive than a shoddy one. xo

      Delete
  15. Well helloooooo there, gorgeous! Love both these NARS colors on you!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  16. Wow!!! They are sooo beautiful!!

    www.aishettina.blogspot.it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are amazing - definitely recommend them! xo

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  17. Replies
    1. Me too - the red is crazy velvet-looking in person. xo

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  18. Ah! How exciting! I've had someone stop me in the middle of a meal once and ask what lipstick I was wearing because it hasn't smudged or faded the entire time, and it was a Nars lip pencil! :) I love them!

    Lauren | Disco Daydream

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    Replies
    1. Wow! That's a really good anecdote to describe how nice these pencils are. I totally would have asked you too if I saw that! xo

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  19. I can't wait to get my birthday set this year! As much as I loved trying some Makeup Forever goodies last year, NARS is my weakness! I've always wanted to try cruella so this is brilliant!

    Maria // Fox and Arrow

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the Make Up For Ever stuff was fun, but this NARS set is way more exciting to me! Honestly, I'm always pumped to get anything from Sephora for free, but I'd been wanting to try Cruella forever too so it seemed meant to be! xo

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  20. So pretty! I love Nars as well and actually have the same lipstick -such a fan! x

    Love,
    Whitney

    http://www.whitneyswonderland.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Yeah, this lip color is perfect in pretty much every way! xo

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  21. cute and i loved it..can't wait to try..aren't you..sist?winkandkissbeauty

    ReplyDelete
  22. I haven't tried these lip pencils but wow they look great!!

    Jessica
    the.pyreflies.org

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! If you ever want to try something new I recommend these! xo

      Delete
  23. Oh wow the color payoff is amazing! Nars products are always outstanding! I can't wait until my birthday now! :]

    xo Deborah
    Coffee, Prose, and Pretty Clothes

    ReplyDelete
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