Last Day of Sephora's VIB Event

Just a reminder that today is the last day of Sephora's VIB event that offers 20% off store wide.

This year's VIB event turned out to be pretty nasty. Sephora's server crashed for a long time on the first day, some VIBs' accounts got blocked out, some products were removed from the invoice by Sephora, some products got sold out within hours online, and if you had the guts to buy in store, you would be waiting in the checkout line much longer than you'd like to.

Despite all these, I managed to restock some of my favorite items as well as try a couple of new items during the event. And here is my list:

NARS lipsticks. Well, I confess that I've been hooked by those lipsticks for years. They are not the most moisturizing lipsticks, to be honest. But I like how weightless it feels on my lips. For everyday use, I like Love Devotion (not available on Sephora) and Niagara. Both have just a tad peach/coral/pink on top of the nude base. Dolce Vita is the most popular nude color of NARS, but I look a little washed out in pure nude. Love Devotion and Niagara brightens up my complexion without appearing artificial. For winter/fall everyday use, however, I stick to Autumn Leaves. In most of my pictures, I wear this warm brandy color that look both natural and polished. Of course, I have a bunch of dressier colors from NARS too for other occasions... This time I got Jungle Red, the most popular red lipstick in NARS family that is considered true red with no orange or blue undertone. It looks younger and brighter than Red Lizard and Future Red (last year's limited edition). Finally I got NARS Hardwired Lipstick in Femme Fleur to test out this golden/brandy new color.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks. YSL lipsticks are quite popular on some Chinese makeup forums. They are moisturizing, but feels heavy on my lips. So I usually do not get them. This time I decided to try the orange coral shade of #14 Corail in Touch. Let's see how it goes.

Thierry Mugler Alien Eau de Parfum. If you are looking for a refreshing jasmine perfume, look no further. This is THE perfume that you need to stock up. Sexy, mysterious, sultry yet clean, this feminine scent will win you tons of compliments from young and old. Give it a try.

Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream. This is what I bring to the gym on warmer days when my typical La Mer seems a little heavy on my warm post-workout skin. It's a little lighter than La Mer. It's sold out online, but I was able to find it in store.

Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 38 PA++. My favorite sun lotion. Enough said.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. I like how gentle it feels on my skin. I've been using it for years.

bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Light. I have oily skin and do not usually use foundation. On rare occasions that I do, I use this powder foundation that is light, transparent and oil-absorbent. It feels weightless, but has the ability to build up.

OK. That's my shopping list. What did you get?

Travel with Beauty Essentials

出门在外，我不喜欢带很多东西，总是精简行囊。可是有些护肤品和化妆品是不能不带的。

Creme De La Mer 是我用过最好的润肤霜，我连跑半马的时候都在口袋里揣着一小瓶。旅行的时候，我不光用它擦脸，还用它当眼霜，反正够温和。

LANCÔME BI-FACIL Double Action Eye Makeup Remover 也是必不可少的。旅行的时候，我不仅用它卸眼妆，还用它卸脸上的化妆品：用棉球蘸着它先擦一遍脸，然后厚厚的涂一层酒店里的免费身体乳，再用面巾纸擦掉，彩妆就卸干净啦。

遮瑕膏是不能不带的，谁知道会不会突然长个豆豆或者被蚊子咬一口呢？我喜欢Clé de Peau Beauté concealer，颜色自然，遮盖力好，虽然贵了点，倒能用很久。BENEFIT COSMETICS Erase Paste 也不错，延展性很好，容易涂抹开，尤其适合干性皮肤。

眼影强推Urban Decay家的Naked Basics，跟Naked系列的其他盘一样颜色基本好用，但是盘子够小，容易携带。这个比我以前用的Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow 便宜多了，好东西。Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil 或者MAC Pro Longwear Eye Liner 是我随身携带的眼线笔。Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion 和 Too Faced Shadow Insurance 都是很好的眼部打底霜，也是要走哪儿带哪儿的。

我不喜欢带巨大的腮红刷，所以旅行的时候我把NARS Multiple 当腮红用。一根大棒子可以用好久呢，而我都用了3根了。这东西还可以用来当高光啊唇膏啊什么的，功能很多。

Packing is the best time to review what makes my beauty essential. Being a minimalist and obsessed with travelling light, I always try to bring as little as possible.

For skincare products, sample size is my solution. My all-season skincare product is Creme De La Mer, I always bring it in a sample-sized jar with me, even when I was running a half marathon! It is the best moisturizer I've ever found, and it's so mild that it can also double as eye cream when I'm on the road. Well, you don't have to use La Mer. Just get your favorite skincare products in sample size and take them with you. :)

I also bring LANCÔME BI-FACIL Double Action Eye Makeup Remover (sample size) wherever I go. It is so strong that it takes off the most water-proof mascara, and so mild on the skin that I use it to remove all makeup on the face when I'm on the road. No face make-up remover is needed. I use this Lancome eye makeup remover for the first round and wipe it off. Then apply a thick layer of free body lotion (from the hotel) on my face, and wipe it off with tissue paper. Done!

Although I don't always use foundation, I do bring pressed powder with me. It's very useful for mid-day touch-up when my face gets too oily. There are a lot of brands and I haven't found anything standing out yet. Besides, I always bring a concealer with me just in case I've got a breakout or a bug bite. I really like the natural seamless coverage of this Clé de Peau Beauté concealer. It may seem pricey at the first glance, but a small tube goes a long way. A less expensive alternative is BENEFIT COSMETICS Erase Paste. It may feel a bit oily at the touch, but it spreads out effortlessly on your skin. In fact, if you have dry skin, this may work better than the expensive CPB concealer -- you might need its silky texture for a barely-there coverage.

Urban Decay Naked Palette series have got lots of acclaims from makeup gurus. However, Naked, Naked 2 and Naked 3 all come in big cases -- at least too big for my travelling purpose. Fortunately I discovered Naked Basics. Six versatile earth tone shadows that work just right. And it only costs half as the Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow I used to carry. For eye liners, I use both Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and MAC Pro Longwear Eye Liner. They are both great. Do they smudge? No, as long as I have the right eyeshadow primer! Both Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance work like magic.

Another staple in my beauty bag is NARS Multiple. As its name suggests, it serves multiple purposes: highlighter, blush, lipstick...and whatever you deem appropriate. For me, I use the multiple in Orgasm as a cream blush. With this in my purse, I no longer need to carry that big blush brush with me. It goes very smoothly on the skin. Do you know how much I love this magic stick? I am already on my third! Yes, this stick goes a long way, too.

OK. That's the list of beauty products I cannot live without when I'm travelling. I do bring other stuff with me, but they tend to shift from brand to brand. As most women in the world, I'm constantly tempted and always curious about "the next big thing". But these products have earned my loyalty. What's your beauty secret?

Photo Credit: travelingfashionista.com