#deals

30% Discount @ Macy’s Spread the word!

| Mermaid Magic

Macy’s Beauty department is having 15% off with promo code FRIEND* , but you can get an additional 15% cash back with e-bates* , maximizing your savings to a 30% total discount. Skip to the next paragraph if you’re an e-bates fanatic. But if you’re new to e-bates, signing up with this link* will give you an extra $10 cash back after your first purchase. The best thing about e-bates is that it stacks with your sales, so it’s not a promo code where you have to choose. I only recently learned how it worked – almost every time you shop whether you get redirected from an ad or google the store pays a commission to the place that referred you. With e-bates they split the commission with you and sometimes when it’s a big rebate like this you get more cash back than you would get commission as an affiliate. The only downside is that you only get your cash back quarterly so you have to be careful to budget and not overspend.

While shopping for deals I also stumbled on this gem: 2-piece Sunday Riley CEO gift* with an $85 Sunday Riley purchase. I couldn’t quite get it to work, I thought it would be a great opportunity to try Sunday Riley Good Genes* ($105 retail, $89.25 with FRIEND, -$13.39 cash back with e-bates) which everyone raves about but I couldn’t get the gift to add to my cart. It was just too much of a hassle for me but if you’ve been dying to try Good Genes (I just got a Paula’s Choice AHA which I enjoy a lot and was less than half the price) this is a good chance for you.

As for me, I’m eyeing that Shiseido sun care*.  Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links denoted by *.
 

Good or Bad? Deal Alert: Exp 4/21 Clinique Plum Pop + Pretty Easy Lip Palette

| Mermaid Magic

Stumbled on to an exclusive e-bates offer to receive a full size Pretty Easy Lip Palette using promo code EBFULLSIZE with a $55 purchase. This promo code also includes the 6-piece gift available to everyone with a $40 purchase using the FREEGIFT promo code.

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Clinique would have you believe you’re getting a $110 value because of the MSRP but the Plum Pop gift is available for around $20 on e-bay*, and the Pretty Easy Lip Palette is available for around $20 on e-bay * as well.

Good deal or bad deal? Share your thoughts. Personally I gave it a pass today I’m swimming in lip colors after my PeriPera reviews which I’m woefully behind on. I also have more of the way so I think I’ll be set on lip colors until 2020.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links denoted by *.

Deal Alert: Paula’s Choice 15% off + 7.5% Cash Back with E-Bates

| Mermaid Magic

My favorite thing about e-bates is that it stacks with other deals, in this case you’d only be getting back $1.66 but it really ads up (unintentional typo pun)!

New to e-bates? Get an additional $10 cash back for your first purchase.

The bad thing is you only get your cash back quarterly. This is my first ever Paula’s Choice so I’m pretty excited but I also can’t tell if this is a historically good deal. Have you gotten it for less? share your experiences in the comments.

Just looking at the ingredients I wouldn’t recommend if you have a sensitivity to glycols. It has some nice anti-aging and moisturizing ingredients too.

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid (beta hydroxy acid exfoliating agent), Pentylene Glycol (hydration), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Polysorbate 20 (texture-enhancing), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (skin-restorings), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (skin-soothing), Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid (antioxidant), Oleanolic Acid (skin-soothing), Sodium Hyaluronate (hydration/skin replenishing), Allantoin (skin-soothing), Trehalose (hydration/skin replenishing), Panthenol (skin-conditioning agent), Glycerin (hydration/skin replenishing), PEG-60 Almond Glycerides (texture-enhancing), Sodium Metabisulfite (stabilizer), PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer (solvent), Methyl Gluceth-20, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane (hydration/texture-enhancing), Glycereth-26 (emollient texture-enhancing), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Carbomer (gel-based texture-enhancing), Disodium EDTA (stabilizer), Caprylyl Glycol (skin-conditioning agent).

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I needed a new BHA. The only one I’ve tried is COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, despite mediocre reviews COSRX is a very popular, affordable Korean beauty brand. I purchased off Amazon and I still wonder if I received an authentic product. The packaging is so simple that it would be very easy to counterfeit, and it didn’t have any smell despite other reviews saying that they dislike the scent (if I’m nose-blind I’m still in denial). When I’m good with my skincare routine I use a BHA 3x a week, and the COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid was making my nose peel so that means it’s working right? Unfortunately I wasn’t getting visible results.

I stumbled on fanserviced-b’s blog post about BHAs and I thought I’d give it a shot. Lucky for me Paula’s Choice is running a promo so I thought I’d share. I have what some people call a “strawberry nose” haha. Once it’s in I’ll take some before and after photos using it on its own and with fiddysnail’s pore method.

Deal Alert: Dermal Korea Collagen Essence Mask Sheet 26 Combo Packs + Sheet Mask Tips for Beginners

| Mermaid Magic

My favorite budget sheet mask series, Dermal Korea Collagen Essence Mask Sheet*, has hit an all-time record low on Amazon at $0.50 per mask for the 26 Red and Green Combo pack (totaling $12.95 USD). Amazon has different combo pack sizes, but I’ve found that the 26-pack is the most economical.

I’m currently working a 12 day mask review series of another budget line, Etude House 0.2mm Therapy Air. To be honest, even though Etude House has a higher MSRP it’s pretty close to call. Purchasing from Amazon is also much more convenient considering you don’t need to wait for a 60% off flash sale, wait 2+ weeks for shipping, and then meet a $60 USD minimum to get free shipping.

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Quick Review:

Reputable, mid-quality budget sheet mask, suitable for daily use. Each mask has 0.2% hydrolyzed collagen and a certain percentage of the featured ingredient. I highly recommend this set for people new to sheet masking, see review for the different “flavors” / combo packs below. Cautions: Negative reviews from others complain that the sheet mask is less saturated / wet than other brands, and I also agree that they tend to fit short on the forehead.

Testimonial: These were the first sheet masks I used when I started my skincare journey. Within 2 weeks of daily use I was able to eliminate my crows feet at 30 years old, with emphasis on daily use. The masks honestly aren’t particularly special it was the practice of using them daily that made the difference, but they’re affordable and hydrating. One common complaint from people who don’t use sheet masks often is that the effects are temporary, but from my experiences once your results are obtained you can keep them for at least up to a week or two.

How To Use (for sheet mask beginners): On a clean face after toner apply the sheet mask and leave on for 20-30 mins. To apply the sheet mask, lay flat and tap the bag to make sure that all the sheet mask has absorbed all the essence. Squeeze out any extra essence from the bag and apply to the body (I recommend the neck and chest). After the 20-30 mins are up squeeze out excess serum from the mask and use on the body (I do arms and legs this time). It is not recommended to leave the mask on longer than 30 mins because the cotton begins to absorb moisture from your skin. Some skincare enthusiasts like to save the essence but I strongly do not recommend. Sheet mask essence is not formulated to last after it’s open. If you absolutely insist on this method store the extra essence in the fridge and use within 24 hours.

Ingredients Overview:

water, glycerin, butylene glycol, hydrolized collagen, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, portulaca oleracea extract, beta-glucan, panthenol, tocopherylacetate, polysorbate 80, disodium edta, xanthan gum, perfume, methylparaben. .23 G / sheet contain more essence. Hydrolyzed collagen 0.2 %.

Check each package for its exact ingredient list, but this is a good overview of the ingredients. The mask contains several humectants: glycerin, butylene glycol, hydrolized collagen, and aloe juice. Humectants work by pulling water from the air into your skin.

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Red & Green Combo Pack – Skin Elasticity, Soothing*
This is my favorite combo pack of the three, because I think this pack has the best featured ingredient lineup. Most of the featured ingredients are antioxidant and plant based, with the exception of Q10, Collagen, and sodium hyaluronate (alleged to be anti-aging) and red sea cucumber and bird’s nest (exotic Asian medicinal ingredients).

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Green & Yellow Combo Pack – Skin Soothing, Nourishing*
This combo pack is fun but some people really have a problem with the horse oil sheet mask (yes, it is what you think unfortunately). Otherwise Platinum and Gold really aren’t proven to have any benefits to the skin.

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Yellow & Red Combo Pack – Skin Nourishing, Elasticity*
Same as the Green and Yellow combo pack, I’m just not a fan of the gold and platinum sheet masks. This pack also contains the horse oil sheet mask that people are adverse to.

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