Tag: Freeman
Miscellaneous Ulta Haul
Really…I just needed shampoo. I’d had my refill of NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Shampoo ($23) in my cart for weeks…I just added stuff slowly until I had enough junk for free stuff!
I had seen KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Vegan Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick in “Velvet Cloak” ($23) on insta…I was transfixed by the color. It’s a new shade, not a renamed shade from Kat Von D. I was SO right – it’s gorgeous on me. It’s not quite “Lolita”/”Queen of Poisons” – but it’s close. Speaking of lippies, I also got Ulta Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Very Berry” ($6, down from $10). This formula doesn’t bleed quite as much as the Revolution version – I love it!
For funsies, I added a bunch of other sale stuff to my cart: a HASK Color Care Color Protection Deep Conditioner ($1.79, down from $2.99); 2 packs of Exfoliating Cotton Rounds ($2.09, down from $3.49); Ulta Crystal Aloe Scented Gel Hand Wash ($2.10, down from $3.50); Ulta Soft Cotton Scented Foaming Hand Wash ($2.10, down from $3.50); J. Cat Beauty Curl & Lift-Up Eyelash Comb Curler ($2.39, down from $3.99 – for Lily, because curled lashes are all the rage with high schoolers these days); 2 EcoTools Bath Poofs ($2.39, down from $2.99); an Ulta 4-Way Buffing Block ($2.40, down from $4); Freeman Refining Pink To Green Color Changing Clay Facial Mask ($3.49, down from $4.99 – this mask pissed me off…it did not start green, nor did it turn green – BULLSHIT MARKETING); Freeman Soothing Pumpkin Mud Facial Mask ($3.49, down from $4.99 – it smells like pumpkin pie); and a wet n wild Ultimate Brow Micro Brow Pencil in “Medium Brown” ($3.59, down from $4.79 – not bad, but has a reddish tinge that looks cheap).
I used a $15 off $75 code and GOT a nice gift with purchase. Inside this positively BURSTING 20 piece “Little Luxuries” sample bag (free with my $80 purchase): Benefit The POREfessional Super Setter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray (I have so much setting spray, I could paint my house with it); Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair Treatment; Clinique High Impact Mascara; IGK Pay Day Instant Repair Shampoo, Conditioner & Cash In Instant Repair Serum; Vichy Mineral 89 Booster; Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio; Tula Skincare Take Care + Polish/Take Care + Nourish; olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask (ooooh, this is the good stuff); Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve (sending to my niece, Curly Sue); Sexy Hair Imperfect Nectarine Strengthening Mask; Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine; Urban Decay Wild Lash Vegan Mascara; Good Molecules Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer; Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer; Mugler Alien Goddess; Giorgio Armani Si Passione; Buxom Wanderlust Blush Card; Kylie Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lipstick Card Sample in “Mary Jo K”; and Viktor & Rolf Good Fortune.
Just $119 to Diamond in 2023…almost there!
Lip Bond vs Everlasting Hyperlight
I was bored last week, so I paid FULL PRICE on two new lipsticks. FULL PRICE!
I have been very curious about Urban Decay’s new “Lip Bond” product, so I ordered Urban Decay Cosmetics Vice Lip Bond Glossy Liquid Lipstick in “Once Strangers” ($25). I was expecting a product similar to Colourpop’s Glossy Lip Stain…but I was so wrong. This product is a full-on liquid lipstick. It is full coverage and it stays ON those lips. There was NO transfer onto cups, yet it didn’t dry and crack my lips like the original Vice Liquid Lipstick. It looks glossy, yet is only slightly tacky and NOT sticky. Urban Decay has a winner with this formula! My only issue was that I picked a color bad for me…”Once Strangers” is a dark chocolate brown. I was expecting more of a dark red, but it looks like I rubbed a melted Special Dark bar on my lips. At least I got a free keychain.
KVD Vegan Beauty is FINALLY getting around to re-imagining their products after Kat Von D left the brand. Not only have they reformulated the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, they’ve renamed them all. I tracked down the counterpart to my beloved “Lolita” – it’s now KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Vegan Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick in “Queen of Poisons” ($22). The color is right and the formula is amazingly light. I’m not planning on replacing all my old lipsticks quite yet…but it IS tempting.
If I had to choose, I would choose the KVD formula, but the UD formula is close behind…
I cruised through the sale page and picked up a Freeman Purifying Cream Mask ($3.49, down from $4.99 – not exactly what I was expecting, I thought it would be a creamy clay mask…but it’s more like a thick moisturizer); a loofah ($2, down from $4), and a WHIM by Ulta Beauty Rosé Shower Flower ($1.75, down from $3.50).
Oh, and I got a nice Beauty Break from it Cosmetics, with Brow Power in “Universal Taupe”, Confidence in a Cleanser, Hello Results Baby-Smooth Glycolic Peel + Caring Oil, and Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep…all in a nice big branded makeup bag.
$186 to Diamond in 2023.
Black Honey
I’ve fallen in love with Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” ($20) over the past year…but I couldn’t buy a full-size tube because the rest of the world is in love with it, too!
It finally came back into stock online, so I snatched it right up. Who even am I, spending $20 on a barely tinted lipstick?
I also picked up two new Freeman Beauty Exotic Blends Masks at BOGO 40% off – Detoxifying Japanese Matcha Cream (VERY similar in texture to the Canadian Hemp Seed mask) and Exfoliating Indonesian Coconut (VERY similar in texture to the Charcoal & Black Sugar Mask). I added a HASK Color Care Color Protection Deep Conditioner packette ($2.99) – why should my face have all the fun?
My Zoya Remove+ is now $12 – fuck inflation! Good thing I had that $3.50 off $15 coupon…
$765 to Diamond in 2023…
Pebbles Haul
A Makeup Revolution (or is it Revolution Makeup) collaboration with Fruity Pebbles AND Cocoa Pebbles? You son of a bitch, I’m in!
The I ❤ Revolution x Fruity Pebbles Palette ($22) is a bright palette, a Fruity Pebbles rainbow of colors. I’ve only used it once, but looking forward to figuring out how to make the colors work together. The I ❤ Revolution x Cocoa Pebbles Palette ($22) is a lot more versatile – I’ve used the warm shades several times now. The shadow quality is so smooth and blendable – I love them.
I picked the I ❤ Revolution x Fruity Pebbles Lip Oil in “Fred” ($8) – this stuff is great for removing liquid lipstick. I also picked up both the Fruity Pebbles AND the Cocoa Pebbles Body Butter ($10 each). My husband’s FAVORITE cereal is Fruity Pebbles, so I thought slathering the body butter all over myself before bed would drive him wild. Eh, not so much – The Fruity Pebbles scent is very vague. The Cocoa Pebbles Body Butter, on the other hand, is VERY heavily scented. According to my husband, it smells like chocolate ass. This may be my “not tonight, honey” body butter.
I didn’t buy the WHOLE collection, but close…There were also headbands (the Pebbles one with a bone sold out before I could grab it) and makeup bags, but I controlled myself a little…The only bummer is that I paid FULL PRICE when I ordered a few weeks ago, and now they’re half off…run – don’t walk to get this collection!
The rest of my order was a bunch of odds and ends. The wet n wild Coloricon Zodiac Lip Gloss in “Pisces” ($2.09) was for my daughter. The Punky Color Bleach ($9.99) – one of my kids will buy it off me. The Freeman Oil Absorbing Mint & Lemon Facial Clay Mask ($3, on sale from $4.29) and Ulta Pink Grapefruit Scented Foaming Hand Wash ($3.50, on sale from $7) are for me.
My purchase qualified me for TWO gifts with purchase. The free 15 piece gift with $65 purchase included Skinkick Daily Exfoliant Cleanser (new brand to me); L’Oreal Voluminous Primer/Base (I keep getting samples of this and NOT using it); Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum (1 oz – full sizer!); eva nyc Therapy Session Hair (I got this in a VOX BOX years ago – looking forward to using it again); The Body Shop Avocado Body Butter; Covergirl Creamy Eye Shadow Stick in “Dreamy Haze”; Ahava Deadsea Water Mineral Hand Cream; Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara in “Very Black”; Soap & Glory Fruit Force Refreshing Body Wash; Milani Make It Last Dewy Setting Spray; NYX Bare With Me Hydrating Jelly Primer; Love Wellness Call Me Collagen Dietary Supplement (EW); Hempz CBD Moisture Hit Ultra-Hydrating Shampoo (but no matching conditioner!); Derma E Thickening Shampoo (again, no matching conditioner – RUDE); and EcoTools Makeup Brush + Sponge Shampoo (looking forward to trying this out for sponges). I also got a free Step Up 5 piece gift with my $85 purchase: Kneipp Mineral Bath Salt in Dream Away (giving to the kids); Revlon Colorstay Satin Ink (it’s in red cellophane – I’m afraid to open it); Pyt Beauty Upcycle Eyeshadow in “Warm Lit Nude Mini”; Beast Gold Roll-On Oil (this .35oz bottle is $39 at Ulta! I think it’s for dudes); and noyah Organic Vanilla Lip Balm. I have so many samples now!
I am just $240 away from Diamond in 2022.
High Brow Haul
During this past year of working from home bliss, makeup is minimal during the week…except for my brows. I MUST put on my brows before turning on the camera.
I decided to branch out from my usual Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10) and also order an Ulta Sculpting Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10). It’s got a thicker, angled tip and seems maybe a tick darker than the Ultra Slim. It was more difficult to use and the first time I used it, I looked like an angry Brooke Shields. I did get a nice 6 piece gift with purchase though – a spiffy blue bag with Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, Poreless Face Primer, Clear Brow Gel, Automatic Eye Liner in “Matte Black”, and Jelly Gloss Lip Gel.
I spent $2.49 on this really bizarre lip balm in a pouch – Freeman Feeling Beautiful Lip Dip Tinted Balm in “Raspberry”. I love doe foot applicators, but I feel like there is not enough of this super moisturizing lip balm in the little pouch…
My $60 purchase also qualified for a It Cosmetics Beauty Break, with Confidence in a Cleanser (I wish it wasn’t so expensive!); Superhero Elastic Stretch Mascara, Hello Results Wrinkle Reducing Daily Retinol Serum-in-a-Cream (this is going straight onto my counter); Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil in “Universal Taupe” (I am guessing this will be a bit light for me); Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep (another great cream); and Confidence in a Gel Lotion.
Wondering where the rest of my $60 purchase is? Shhhh…it’s on it’s way across the ocean.
Just $859 til Diamond.
Perfect Shine Splurge
Back in November, I think when Sephora was offering 15% off, Ulta sent out a $10 off $40 coupon, so why not restock on a few things. Sometimes, there’s nothing like splurging on fancy shampoo & conditioner!
I’d gotten to try NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Shine Shampoo & Conditioner ($14 each) in an Allure Beauty Box last year. I really liked it, but it wasn’t widely available. Fast forward a year and now Ulta carries it – score! The secret ingredient is grape stem cells. I don’t know what those are. I also picked up some a single use conditioners – PURA D’OR Single Use Hair Thinning Therapy Intense Moisturizing Masque ($1.79), HASK Shea Butter & Hibiscus Oil Anti-Frizz Deep Conditioner Packette ($2.99) and HASK Tea Tree Oil & Rosemary Hair & Scalp Treatment Mask Packette ($2.99).
Freeman Masks were on super sale, so I bought a replacement Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask. I also grabbed a clearance China Glaze “Rainbow” for $2.62 and a new Flowery nail buffer.
I definitely did NOT buy that Kylie Cosmetics Velvet Lip Kit in “Bare” – it was a gift with $25 makeup purchase. I now know the secret of the Kylie Lip Kits! The lip liner is one tick darker than the lipstick, so it creates an optical illusion of a fuller lip. The more you know…I tried it out and the color was WAY too light for me. Hypothetically, my lips did look bigger though.
My $70 purchase qualified me for a Hello Holidays Sample Bag – it’s so fancy! Inside the bag: Dermablend Insta-Grip Jelly Primer; Awake Pore Down Tightening Concentrate; Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Towelette (WEIRD); Lake & Skye 11 11 (I could not smell this); MAC Lipstick samples in “Ruby Woo”, “M-A-C Red” & “Cockney”; Too Faced Damn Girl! Mascara; Pravana Color Protect Cleanse and Condition (HUGE samples tubes – will try these out after my next dye session); Philosophy Purity Made Simple Hydra-Bounce Eye Gel; Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Body Lotion; Tula Skincare 24-7 Moisture Hydrating Day & Night Cream; Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; Burberry Her; Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris; NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Shine Shampoo & Conditioner (foilpacks for travel!); Tonymoly Golden Pig Collagen Bounce Mask; Gucci Guilty; AG Haircare Glow Shine Infuse Serum; Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Sample Card (none of these will match me); Beekman 1802 Milk Drops Probiotic Ceramide Serum; John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Touch-up Creme; Patchology Little Helper Energy Dietary Supplement Strip (a caffeine strip that melts on your tongue – is drinking a cup of coffee so hard?); and VDL Velvet Blur Primer.
Oh, and if the order looks a little light, it’s because there were a few gifts in my order…
Back to Back Ulta Hauls
I know I just ordered, but June 1st was Diamond Day, with a whole load of Diamond Exclusive Offers…
I shopped so long that I missed a Special Diamond Gift Bag and Nail Purchase Bag – they were both sold out by the time I placed my order – well, shit. I did still get the Makeup Revolution “Fierce Mind” Eyeshadow Palette for free with $25 makeup purchase. It’s got 4 huge pans of neutral shimmer shades that can easily be used as blush, too. The makeup I picked to get it was a mix of new products. I wanted to try Colourpop Ultra Blotted Liquid Lip ($7) in “Cypress Chill”, a bricky red. It is a matte liquid lipstick, but with a muted finish – it does appear to be blotted down and soft focus. I want more shades! I also tried the new NYX Dip Shape Go Longwear Brow Pomade in “Dark Brown” (usually $11, but all NYX was 40% off, so it was $6.60). This is similar to Julep’s Don’t Leave Your Brows at Home, but in a pomade form. If I’m gonna use a pomade, I’d prefer this all in one form, instead of the brush and pot being separate. That being said, this product did give me fuller brows, but I did have to finish them off with a slim pencil for definition. This product is not one and done.
Coincidentally, I did buy a back-up of my favorite brow pencil – the Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10) – it counted as makeup towards the free eyeshadow AND towards an Ulta 4 piece gift, with $19.50 purchase. The gift contained a HUGE clear tote bag, a small palm tree patterned makeup bag, Ulta Watermelon Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, and Ulta Watermelon Waves Juicy Gloss. Oh, the other purchase was Ulta Brush Cleaning Solid Soap ($10). I am devastated that Ulta no longer carries the Japonesque Solid Soap, but I’m holding in my tears and trying another brand.
I went all in on stocking up on skincare to get ANOTHER Skincare gift with purchase. My son has been breaking out lately, so I got him Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub ($8.49) and Biore T-Zone Targeted Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($9.99). I was all excited when I showed him, but he said he felt personally attacked. Rude!
For myself, I got Sagely Naturals Relief & Recovery CBD Cream ($9, but I swear it was $28 when I looked at it a few weeks ago). I’d gotten this sample a few times, and although CBD seems to be a bullshit ingredient, the tingly menthol in this moisturizer is not bullshit – it feels AMAZING on my face. I also got Freeman CBD Balance Jelly Mask + Scrub ($9.99) and Dr. Organic Rose Restoring Face Scrub ($15.99). Both are bit more pricey than I usually get, but I am a sucker for scrubs and roses.
The “Be Your Own Sunshine” Sample Bag includes Ulta Beauty Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Waterproof; Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (more eye cream!); proactivMD Deep Cleansing Face Wash; it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream; Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum; and Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. That’s a lot of skincare!
The only coupon available was $3.50 off – but hey, better than nothing. I’m now $784 to Diamond Status and I have accrued $50 in points!
Exes & Oh’s
Okay, this was a total impulse buy – there was a huge Colour Pop display on the endcap where I was waiting in line to check out…so I didn’t hesitate to drop the ColourPop Cosmetics “Exes & Oh’s” Palette ($16) into my bag. I’d been wanting to try their eyeshadow for the longest time. Their palettes are super affordable for a lot of colors! My only complaint is that the lighter shimmer shades all turn into the same copper color on me. I find this problem a lot with budget beauty brands, like Wet n Wild or Makeup Revolution – very little color differentiation on the skin. Even so, the colors stay vibrant all day. The biggest issue I have is the name of the palette. I guess it’s not the name itself – I love the song “Exes & Ohs” – it’s that extraneous apostrophe! That apostrophe indicates that “Oh’s” is either possessive or a contraction…bullshit! I took a DNA Test and it turns out I am 100% that grammar nazi bitch.
The rest of the bag is stuff I picked up, while waiting for Lily’s haircut. I picked up a Headband/Shower Cap Set ($9.99) from The Vintage Cosmetic Company, because PINK FLAMINGOS. I also picked up a new mask from Freeman Beauty – Canadian Hemp Seed Clay Clay Mask ($4.29). The clay was weirdly plastic feeling, but I really do feel like it worked well on my skin. I also grabbed a few clearance hairbrushes for my kids.
My purchase was just big enough to use a $10 OFF $40 coupon. $517 to Diamond…
Naked Reloaded
My sweet Sally sent me an Ulta giftcard for my birthday last month. At first, I wasn’t intentionally saving it – I almost used it on a haircut a few weeks ago – but I’m glad I did save it. The new Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette ($44) was released at Ulta on March 4th – I ordered it that day in order to get the gift with purchase.
Sure, I have the first six Naked palettes (OG, Naked 2, Naked 3, Naked Smoky, Naked Heat, Naked Cherry), plus a dozen other Urban Decay palettes – but I need THIS one, too. There are a few interesting tweaks to the Naked “formula” – first off, there’s no brush – I guess that’s why it’s $5 cheaper than the rest of the Naked palettes. They also changed up the pan sizes – the lighter base shades have large pans and the dark and glitter shades have smaller pans – brilliant! That’s exactly how it should be! I’ve used it three times so far, and other than having to decide which brushes to use, the experiences have been great. I haven’t used it with primer yet, because it doesn’t need it. The shades are neutral enough for any skin tone, although they seem to lean olive, strangely enough. It’s the perfect neutral starter for someone just getting into prestige brands of makeup. I’ll be reaching for this palette often.
The gift with purchase was an Urban Decay Makeup Bag, in signature black, white and lilac. The bag included a deluxe sample of Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging and a full size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Perversion”. For some reason, I expected there to be a lipstick – nope. Free is free though.
For shits and giggles, I added two new Feeling Beautiful Freeman Masks ($4.29) to my cart: Deep Clearing Seaweed + Sea Salt Mud Mask + Scrub (I really liked the scent and how exfoliating this mask was) and Soothing Watermelon + Aloe Cooling Gel Mask (not especially cooling, but I did feel like it calmed my skin before my shower).
I also qualified for another freebie bag, which had a really strange assortment of products. The standout sample in the bag is the Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in (what I believe to be) “Crimson Chrome” – it’s not labelled, so I’m making an educated guess. I love the color and how it looks on me, but it gets on EVERYTHING – my poor hamburger ended up wearing most of it today. Also in the bag: Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant/Anti-Antiperspirant (why?); First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream; and Clarins Multi-Active Jour SPF 20. See what I mean? Odd.
$193 to Platinum…
Platinum Order
Another Ulta order? So soon?
I’ve started doing this thing where, if I run out of something or if I see something I want to try, I stash it in my Ulta account and wait for a gift with purchase to hit (usually the Wednesday Beauty Break). Wouldn’t you know it, my basket got full and there was a NARS Beauty Break the week before last!
This Ulta Haul is pretty boring, to be honest. Just like almost every order, I got a Zoya Remove + ($10). I ended up buying 2 Japonesque Solid Brush Cleaners ($20), because they were BOGO Half. Freeman Masks ($4.29) were also BOGO Half, so I got Anti-Stress Dead Sea Minerals Clay Mask (I’ve had this one before and it’s very refreshing) and Brightening Green Tea + Orange Blossom Peel-Off Gel Mask (this one is new to me). The fun item that I picked up was the Memebox Black Cat Headband ($6). Do I really need a fuzzy headband with cat ears? Yes, if only because my daughter wants to steal it.
The NARS Beauty Break included 4 lip products – Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in “Dolce Vita” (I already have the lipstick); Powermatte Lip Pigment in “Starwoman”; Velvet Lip Glide in “Bound”; and Lipstick in “Orgasm” (which I just got, so I’ll give it away).
No other samples – boo, Ulta! Oh, but this order made me Platinum for 2019.