When you purchase beauty products at a department store, and you plan your shopping excursions just right, you might walk away with more items than you planned without spending an extra penny. I look forward to the free gift with purchase every few months at my local department stores; it’s the cherry on top to my shopping trips. Lancôme advertised a free gift with a $45 purchase, so to Macy’s I went! ☺

I picked up my standard foundation: Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra in Buff 2 (W). It’s a 14-hour, oil-free, fragrance-free makeup with a dab of SPF 15. It took me years to find the perfect match for my complexion with the right formula that wouldn’t effect my sensitive skin. After spending a little over $45 (with tax), I qualified for their free gift!

I had over a dozen options to choose from and ended up with seven goodies! I decided on the High Résolution Refill-3X cream (a gift for my Mom♡), a Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Quad, the Hypnôse Drama volumizing mascara (in Black/Noir), a Juicy Tubes lip gloss, a creamy Color Design lipstick, a foundation brush and a cute makeup bag that holds all my new products.

Left to Right: Color Design lipstick in All Done Up (Cream); Juicy Tubes Ultra Shiny Lip Gloss in Miracle.

This is what the lip products look like on my (very pale) arm. The lipstick is a little too bright for my taste, so I dab it on with a light hand and blend, blend, blend. The gloss is almost clear, so I like to use it over my regular lipsticks for more color.

Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Quad - (Top Row, L-R) Designer (Metallic), Pink Pearls (Matte). (Bottom Row, L-R) Lava (Shimmer), Exhibition (Sheen).

The eye shadows blend very easily and the colors work well with my skin tone - I can’t wait to use the shades on the left to create sexy, smoky eyes.

I spent a little over $45 on something I normally buy and received more than $100 worth of quality beauty products - I call that a winning shopping trip!