Saturday, May 3, 2014

HauteLook Lip Beauty Bag Review Spring 2014, $24 for $160 Retail Value!

Several times a year, HauteLook offers a special beauty bag full of cosmetics at an impossible-to-resist price.  This Spring their bag was all about lips, containing some of the newest and most innovative products available.  The price was $24 plus shipping...a steal for a total value of $160 retail.



I am absolutely baffled as to why a company would send out a GREAT promotion like this without a hint of branding or identification of any kind on the box.  The return address said "Renee Welch" with a street address in Lincolnwood, IL...meaningless information to me.  Inside the box were two advertising cards for a couple of the products but still not a clue as to who was behind this box.  Since I subscribe to a lot of subscription boxes, it was only by process of elimination that I was finally able to figure out who sent the box.  Come on HauteLook...prominent branding is Marketing 101!  (end of rant)

OK...on to the box which contained a lot of interesting new products, TEN full size and one sample!  First out were two discount cards, one for Laura Geller and one for Swoon. The Laura Geller card provides a 15% off discount code (HLBBSPRIN14) that is good on their website, www.laurageller.com until 2/1/15.  The second card for Swoon offered a discount that expired less than two week after receipt of the box. What's the point of that?


  

A cool navy cosmetic bag with a lipstick and lips print and a red interior is big enough to hold all the products.  One cannot have too many cosmetic bags as far as I 'm concerned! (Estimated retail $8.00)




Speaking of Swoon, they included one in the box.  Swoon is designed to get the last bit of lip gloss out of the tube.  It is a tool with a non-porous tip that is designed to get to the bottom of any cosmetic tube.  (Why don't they make the wands that come with lip glosses long enough in the first place?)  You can apply the product with Swoon, then clean it easily with a makeup wipe. There was a similar product introduced on "Shark Tank" recently, but I'm not positive if it was Swoon or not.  (If anyone knows, please e-mail me and I'll update this post.) (Retail $15.00)



Next is a card containing two products by Mirenesse.  The first (on the left) is "Lip Bomb", a glossy lacquer stain in deep red, described as "fusing color, gloss, stain and lacquer for a super moist and velvety look". This is very light, non-smearing and even contains a minty breath freshener. (Retail $35.10, yep, you read that right!) The other item is Glossy Kiss Lip & Cheek Color from the Provocateur Collection in the color "Flirty Kiss". You can match your lip and cheek color with this highly pigmented glossy and moisturizing stain.  (Retail $26.96)


     
Then there is a Laura Geller lipstick in the beautiful "Sugared Maple" shade from her Italian Marbled Lipsticks Collection.  These lipsticks contain a swirl of light and dark pigments which give rich color and are smooth and moisturizing.  "Sugared Maple" is described as "a glazed caramel with creamy vanilla"; a really lovely color!  (Retail $18.00)




A beautiful red satin covered lipstick case with a mirror inside has a retro cool vibe.  I need this to avoid any cap-falling-off mishaps in my purse! (Estimated retail value $5.00)




A really useful go-with-anything product from NYX is a retractable waterproof lip liner in Nude Pink.  (Retail $4.50)  



There is a lip brush by Crown with soft and tightly compacted bristles (that feel like sable) that could be used for either lining or filling in your lips. (Retail $4.73)  Also, they've included a makeup remover wipe from La Fresh; great for travel.




Lord & Berry is an Italian cosmetic line known for making highly pigmented products that focus on lips and eyes.  This crayon lipstick is in a vibrant red shade called "Scarlet". (Retail $18.81)




The last product in the box is a Lorac Lip Lustre Gloss in "Ruby Lustre", a sparkly metallic red color.  This is a super-hydrating lip gloss that is infused with anti-oxidants.  It can be worn on its own or over lipstick. (Retail $15.00)  (Since my head is full of useless trivia, do you know what "Lorac" stands for?  It's founder Carol Shaw's first name in reverse!)




How's that for my $24 investment?  Not bad at all!  My total retail value adds up to $151.10.  Whether it's their claim of $160.00 or my total, it's a terrific value either way not to mention a fantastic opportunity to try some of the hottest new lip products around.

Unfortunately the Spring Beauty Bag is sold out, but if you sign up with HauteLook, you're bound to hear about their next Beauty Bag deal.  This was my first HauteLook seasonal bag but I understand they go fast when they become available.  So if you're interested, keep HauteLook on your radar!

Thank you for reading,

Cheryl

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