Tag: Ulta
National Nail Polish Day 2021
June 1st was National Nail Polish Day and Ulta had a lovely 11 piece gift with a $40 purchase. I just happened to need a few things…
I stocked up on 3 bottles of Zoya Remove+ ($10) and decided to splurge on a bottle of Pacifica Plant Magic 16 Free Polish in “Green Goddess” ($10). I wouldn’t ordinarily spend $10 on a single bottle of nail polish, but this color is so beautiful…plus, I used a $3.50 off coupon…so…
The 11 piece gift is worth more than what I bought! The gift included: Dashing Diva Gloss Gel Nail Strips; le Mini Macaron Sweet Mandarin Hand Mask; ella + mila Soy Polish Remover Wipes; Pacifica BioGlitter Translucent Topper in “Fairy Dust”; China Glaze “Summer Moon”; Orly Breathable 1-Step Manicure in “Power Packed”; OPI “Magic Hour”; lakur “Kissed by Rose Gold”; essie “Bahama Mama”; CND Solar Oil; and Nailtopia “Nails on Fleek”. So many new polishes!
$697 to Diamond Status…
Gorgeous Hair, Perfect Repair
I just barely caught the end of May’s Gorgeous Hair Event. I was all hyped to get 50% off NatureLab. Tokyo…but of course, all of the big refill bags of Perfect Smooth were out of stock…so I settled for trying out regular sizes of NatureLab. Tokyo Perfect Repair Shampoo and Conditioner. $7.50 is still better than $15.
I also took advantage of a BOGO 40% off order on Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Cleanser. The Cadillac of Acne Cleansers is $11.99 regular price! One for me and one for the kids. Oh, and also a Biore T-Zone Targeted Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($7.99, down from $9.99).
I was disappointed by the 50% off Lipstick Queen Mini in “Route 66” ($6, down from $12). The description promised green lipstick that creates tangerine lips, but they were the same shade of pink as my Frog Prince lipstick. Arghhhhh.
I know it’s basically just a Sharpie, but my daughter really liked the BIC BodyMark Temporary Tattoo Marker ($3.99, down from $4.99).
My order qualified me for a Living Proof. Beauty Break, which came with 5 Deluxe Samples: Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo, Perfect hair Day Weightless Mask, Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment, plus Perfect hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner.
(Is adding a superfluous period to your branding a thing? Looking at you, NatureLab. Tokyo & Living Proof. .)
$734 to Diamond…
Hair Haul
Everyone in the family was needing a little hair care, so another Ulta haul was in order…
For myself, I ordered a NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Shampoo Refill ($22) to match the Conditioner. I also got a back-up Colorista Bleach Highlights Kit ($10.99).
My son needed shampoo & conditioner for his bleached hair, so I grabbed Pacifica Sunshine Highs Shampoo & Conditioner ($10 each) while they were BOGO 40% off.
I decided to treat my daughter with Colorista Semi-Permanent Color in “Purple” ($10.99).
All this hair stuff qualified me for a free 12 piece Hair Color Sampler. The sampler included Madison Reed Color Protecting Shampoo & Conditioner (I’ve been curious about this brand for a long time); Virtue Recovery Shampoo & Conditioner; Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo & Conditioner (I don’t know what citric acid will do for my hair, but looking forward to trying it); Kenra Color Maintenance Shampoo & Conditioner; Fekkai Technician Color Shampoo (no conditioner?); AG Hair Care Ultradynamics Extra-Firm Finishing Spray; Pureology Color Fanatic Multitasking Leave-In Spray (giving to my son); and DevaCurl Noo-Poo Blue Anti-Brass Zero Lather Curl Cleanser (also giving to my son).
On the non-hair front, I picked up St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist ($15, down from $30) for my kids, because they LOVED the previous sample I got…for myself, I got Ulta Coffee & Chocolate Energizing Superfood Mud Mask ($4, down from $8) – it smells good enough to eat! It sucked all the gunk out of my pores and made my skin super soft.
I qualified for a second gift with purchase – a Best Seller 7 Piece Gift, with my $65 purchase. This gift included Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer; Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Complex (I love this stuff); Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment (I also love THIS stuff); MAC Powder Kiss Lipstick in “Werk, Werk, Werk” (it’s red…meh); and Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Hydrator. That was only 6 pieces!!! What a rip-off…
Just $784 to Diamond!
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.
Decades Haul
I have been STALKING and WAITING for the Urban Decay Decades Mini Eyeshadow Palettes to go on sale ($12.50, down from $25). I’ve seen it on sale a few times, but the windows were so short, I missed the sale…but not this time!
I was most excited about the 90s palette – “1993” – a palette full of grungy, 90s shades. There is literally a metallic gold shade called “Grunge”. I’ve used it a few times and it is fairly versatile. The other palette I got was the 00s palette – “Soundtrack” – a palette full of shimmery shades, even one called “Y2K”. “Y2K” is my favorite – a color-shifting duochrome. This palette is not as versatile, but reminds me of my first few Urban Decay palettes, and “Throwback” is a dead ringer for “Polyester Bride”. If you know, you know.
Ulta just came out with a whole line of WandaVision makeup, but the only product that piqued my interest was the Ulta Beauty Collection x Marvel Studios WandaVision Wing Tip Liner Duo ($12). The felt tip eyeliner is nothing new, but the cat eye stamp is really cool! It took a few tries to get it right – on the first try, I put it on upside down, but I was able to fix it. I could’ve used this a few decades ago…my cat eye days are mostly behind me.
My poor son inherited my bacne, so I jumped at a new product designed to fight it – Pacifica Bacne Warrior Acne Fighting Spray ($16). He’s been using it, but the jury is still out on how effective it will end up being. It’s really hard to spray, so it’s not as easy to apply as you’d think. Pacifica products were BOGO 40%, so I got Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash ($6, down from $10) for myself. It smells SO good – like a coconut popsicle!
I picked up a pack of Kitsch Face Masks ($12.99) – my kids’ favorite masks for school. I qualified for a Tarte Beauty Break 4 Piece Gift with my $50 purchase. The set includes Shape Tape Foundation in “228 light beige”; Stay Spray Setting Spray; Maneater Voluptuous Mascara; and Base Tape Hydrating Primer. I haven’t tried any of them yet, but free is free. I didn’t forget to use that $3.50 off $15 coupon, either.
$919 to Diamond…
Naked Wild West
When a new Naked palette launches, you know I’ll be there.
Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Wild West ($49) launched in stores last Sunday, after launching online at urbandecay.com a few weeks ago. I had my husband drop me off while running errands – the store didn’t even have the display set up yet! I had to ask someone and they grabbed one out of the storeroom.
The palette is coppery neutrals with a few blues thrown in, reminiscent of a southwestern color scheme. I’ve only gotten to use it once, but so far so good. The turquoise was a nice compliment to the coppers – I have high hopes for this palette.
It was also the last day of my birthday month – the birthday gift this year was lame…a tiny vial of Dermalogica Daily Exfoliator. Meh. I didn’t even bother getting my Sephora gift. I’m burnt out, I guess.
Because the palette was $49, the salesgirl only let me redeem $36 – she kept looking at a chart and I think it was her first day, because she wouldn’t let me apply $50, even though I’ve done it online several times. I didn’t want to go all “Karen”, so I just paid my $14 or so and left…I am still annoyed though. I should just stick to online.
$1,052 to Diamond status in 2022.
February Diamond Day
I’ve needed shampoo for a bit, but I’ve started waiting until Ulta’s Diamond Day each month, to see what goodies they offer up…
For February’s Diamond Day, they offered the Kylie Cosmetics Birthday Sipping Pretty Palette ($65) FREE with $20 purchase. Since it came out in 2018, they must have had a bunch sitting around – let’s see if I can sell it on Poshmark. I also got a Cover FX Monochromatic Lip Color ($21) FREE with a $25 purchase.
I really like NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner, so I bought a Bottle of the Shampoo ($14) and a refill pouch of the Conditioner ($22). The pouch saves me ~26 cents per ounce – yes, I did the math!
I am forever in search of new acne products, so I grabbed OH K! Blemish Powder ($15). I was expecting a powder, but it’s a liquid! It’s very similar to Kate Somerville EradiKate, but with Calamine instead of sulfur. It does reduce redness and dried out my breakout zones – but couldn’t I just use MUCH cheaper calamine lotion???
I am continuing my obsession with lip balms into 2021 – I got the Ulta Harry Potter X Ulta Beauty Magic Lip Balm Set ($8.99) – a set of 5 magically named glitter lip balms. The balms are supposed to be scented, but I couldn’t smell anything. I gave the lavender (purple glitter) and matcha (green glitter) balms to my daughter and kept blueberry, honey & rose for myself.
Just $1,065 to Diamond in 2022…I better get to shopping.
First Ulta Haul of 2021
Remember how excited I was about NatureLabs.Tokyo Perfect Shine Shampoo & Conditioner? Turns out that it was the wrong product. I had sampled Perfect SMOOTH Shampoo & Conditioner. Oops. I bought a bottle of the NatureLabs.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner ($14) and I like it much better than the Perfect Smooth. Ugh. I’ll buy more Shampoo, I guess…
I am a sucker for Urban Decay foundation. Every time they release a new one, I’m all over it. Their newest is Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator Foundation ($29). I was expected something like a tinted moisturizer, but it was a medium to full coverage foundation. I just put on on my face with my fingers and was like…oh NO. I grabbed my Beauty Blender and buffed it out. It gave nice, smooth coverage. If I left my house more than once a week, I’d use the hello out of it.
I also added a pack of Kitsch Face Masks ($12.99). My kids like these masks best, so I keep on buying them.
A few nice Platinum/Diamond freebies came with this order. I got a Too Faced Damn That’s Sexy Mascara set with my $25 makeup purchase and a deluxe sample of BareMinerals Original Liquid Foundation in “Fairly Light 03”. I haven’t tried either yet.
$1,145 to Diamond for 2022!
Super Skin Surprises
I don’t know that I would’ve paid $12.99 for the Ulta Super Skin Surprises Set, but 50% off ($6.49) is just right.
I was drawn to the set for the Jergens Rose Body Butter. It’s got a nice, light rose scent, but it STILL smells unmistakably like Jergens Lotion. I do NOT especially care for that Jergens scent, so I will not be purchasing this body butter when I run out.
I just finished off the Pacifica Kale Lip Balm that I kept in my office, so I replaced it with the Thayers Organic Slippery Elm Slip Balm in “Peppermint Stick”. I love how smooth and wintery it makes my lips feel.
I have no desire to darken my skin, so I gave the St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Vitamins Bronzing Face Serum to my kids. Then slathered it on their faces and to be fair, they did start to look like Oompa Loompas. All kidding aside, my son got compliments from girls and they wanted to know what products he was using, so apparently, this stuff works.
I have been using the Curel Set, which includes Curel Moisture Facial Lotion Enrich and Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream. I am much two lazy to use a two product regiment every night, but this one isn’t too bad. I like the way my face feels the next day after using it.
Also in the box: Garnier Micellar Cleaning Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Waterproof Makeup Remover (I like this for pre-cleaning before face masks); Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelette Single; and No7 Laboratories Dark Circle Corrector in “Light/Medium”. A great box, all things considered.
This is the order that put me into Diamond status for 2021, but the rest of my order was gifts and stocking stuffers, so I’ll keep them private.
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…