Category: Fragrance
Bougie Brazilian Ulta Haul
So my daughter makes fun of all the Sol de Janeiro that I buy…she says that I have the taste of an 11 year old ‘Sephora kid’…She’s 18 and it is totally lost on her that these 11 year olds have MOTHERS and THEIR MOTHERS are the ones buying these kids adult products at Sephora and making Tik Toks to monetize their children. All of this is to say…I don’t smell like an 11 year old – these 11 year olds smell like a 50 year old woman!
ANYWAY…Sol de Janeiro came out with a new scent and I purchased it sight unsmelled. Rosa Charmosa AKA Cheriosa 91 is a passionfruit and rose mix, so I was fairly certain I would LOVE it and LOVE it I did. I picked up Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 91 Hair & Body Perfume Mist ($26) and Rosa Charmosa Dewy Cream ($24) and it’s become my “go to” scent. I bought the smaller sizes, but will be buying larger sizes shortly.
I figured I would keep on going and filled my cart with Sol de Janeiro. I picked up a Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Visibly Firming Refillable Body Cream ($44), Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Body Collagen-Boosting Elasti-Cream with Bio-Retinol ($48), and Sol de Janeiro Rio Deo Aluminum-Free Refillable Deodorant Cheirosa 68 ($18). I’ll be using the Rosa Charmosa with Beija Flor – they meld well together.
Rounding off my cart, I also got a new lube – Playground Free Love Extra-Gentle Water-Based Personal Lubricant ($18) – because Ulta was out of stock of the other one I like. I also grabbed an Ulta Beauty Magic Marker Lip Stain in “Cocoa Mood” ($11.50) and it’s the Rum Raisin of my dreams. (Remember in the 90s, when Clinique “Rum Raisin” was all the rage?)
My order got me several different gifts with purchase. I got a Cetaphil Facial Cleanser with my $50 purchase. I also got Sol de Janeiro 4 piece gift with my $65 brand purchase, which included a Bum Bum Cream and Body Spray only in the bag – it was missing the Body Badalada Lotion that was supposed to come with it. I am kind of salty about that, because I was looking forward to trying it.
The BIG gift with purchase was the Free Diamond Exclusive 40 Piece Beauty Bag with select $185 shipped purchase, Inside the super cute terry cloth makeup bag was tarte tarlette Tubing Mascara Primer; Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil; deluxe size Prada “Paradoxe“; Peach & Lily Retinol for All Renewing Serum; Milani Conceal + Perfect Blur Out Powder; Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair!; Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Whiskey”; Beautybio The Balance Gel Cleanser; Fresh Black Tea Renewal Serum; CeraVe Invisible Mineral Sunscreen; Supergoop! Dew Screen; Living proof. Perfect hair Day Dry Shampoo (going to the daughter); Verb Frizz Defense Smoothing Spray; Urban Veda Daily Purifying Facial Wash; Cetaphil Nourishing Oil to Foam Cleanser; Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Dewy Liquid Blush; Clarins Lip Comfort Oil “04”; Joico Dream Blowout Glass; Buxom Plump Shot Lip Serum; Origins Check and Balances Gentle Foaming Face Wash; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foam Cleanser; Mighty Patch Invisible+ (definitely going to the daughter); Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain; Vichy Liftactiv 16% Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum; ma:nyo Galac Niacin 3.0 Essence; Sebastian Professional Porion 9 Leave-in Conditioner & Styling Cream; Pureology Hydrate Shampoo & Conditioner (deluxe bottles!); Morphe Solo Artist Priming Cream Eyeshadow in “Mixtape”; Pixi Glow Tonic; L.A. Girl Perfect Precision Lip Liner in “Blushing”; Ethique Beauty Love at First Swipe Scalp Health Mini Solid Shampoo (I’m frustrated with how long it takes to use the Kitsch one I got, but I’ll give this one a try); Sunday Riley CEO Brightening Serum; Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara; Carolina Herrera “La Bomba”; divi Scalp Serum; Rabanne “Million Gold for her”; NOYZ “Detour”; and Estee Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer. I am not even made that it’s 90% skin stuff – it will save me a few months of buying face wash and serums.
I had a $20 off coupon code, as well as $20.50 in Ulta points, which is what I used to justify this little splurge. Only $684 to Diamond in 2027.
April 2026 Ipsy Bag – Dare to Daydream
Dare to daydream? I spend more time daydreaming than doing my actual job…shhhh…
My product choice this month was Tatcha The Dewy Milk Moisturizer and it was so good that I’ve already used it all up. The only thing that threw me was the bluish purpley shade – it reminded me of Ube or maybe even Bantha Milk?
The BelláPierre Cosmetics Purifying Milky Cleanser doesn’t seem to clean my face very well – I get makeup residue when I tone my face after using it. I gave the Memoire Archives “First Class” to my son’s girlfriend – it didn’t smell bad, it just did not smell like me. The Ruby Rose Cosmetics Lip Oil in “Watermelon” is quite nice. I haven’t tried the YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara yet.
The bag itself is fine, I guess…nothing too exciting about it, except the pearl zipper pull..
I subscribe to the original ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and ipsy Ultimate (formerly Icon Box, and before that – Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Mystery Gift Card Ulta Haul
Never look a gift (card) horse in the mouth!
I am not going to ask any questions as to why my employer sent me a duplicate of the $100 Ulta gift card that I got in December – I just spent on things I didn’t want to spend my own money on…
Peach Slices Scar Remedy Silicone Sheets ($19.99) had been chilling in my cart since January. I had a cyst on my arm removed and I would like to avoid scarring. Guess what – these damn things won’t stay on my skin, so I have no idea if they actually work. Dammit.
My big splurge was the Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Shaped Multi-Tasking Eyeshadow Palette Warm ($56). I am fortunate to have a (mostly) neutral skintone, so this palette works for me – although not as well as the Cool one I got a few months ago. It’s giving Naked 3 vibes.
Clinique was 30% off, so I picked up a spare Clinique High Impact Volumizing Mascara in “Black Honey” ($18.90, down from $27).
Something new from Sol de Janeiro: Cheirosa 68 Jelly Perfume Balm ($26). It’s like perfume chapstick? I haven’t decided if I like the way it feels on my skin…
Lots of freebies with this order! There was a Diamond Exclusive gift with $50 purchase – it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Moisturizer – good stuff. I also got a Peach Slices Snail Rescue All-In-One Oil Free Moisturizer with $10 purchase.
Inside the free 8 piece Skin Sampler with my $70 purchase: Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream (to match my Jelly Perfume Balm!); Cocokind Electrolyte Water Cream; First Aid Beauty Ultra Gentle Cream-to-Foam Face Cleanser; Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser; Versed Cleansing Balm; Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream; e.l.f. Cosmetics Thirst Burst Drops (I am using a sample of this now – good stuff); erborian Skin Hero; and Vacation Crystal SPF 50 Face Gel. I think I’ll use every single one, except the cleansing balm.
Inside the free 7 piece skin care sampler with $95 purchase: Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner; Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum; mixsoon Bifida Ferment Essence; Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Ampule (what IS this?); Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Skinjection (wasn’t this fool in the Epstein Files?); DIME Hyaluronic Acid Serum; and Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream. A higher end bag of samples – but I’m less likely to use these.
$1,027 to Diamond in 2027.
Covered in Roses for my Birthday
I had a BIG birthday last week…the big 5-0. I can KICK…and I can STRETCH…barely.
I’ve gotten over the fact that no one ever knows what to gift me…I feel like I am easy to chop for. I’m very vocal about what I like, but there’s the small problem of me buying whatever I want, whenever I want it. So when my daughter asked me what I wanted, I just told her that I want “Covered in Roses” stuff from Bath & Body Works, because I had sampled it at the tail end of the Semi-Annual Sale and fell in love. There were a few other rose scents launched for Valentine’s Day, but they were not for me.
I was expecting a lotion and maybe a spray, but my child took advantage of B3G3 and got me every single product in the line, except the Hand Soap (which wasn’t included in the sale). I’m talking Fragrance Mist, Shower Gel AND Moisturizing Body Wash, as well as Lotion, Body Cream and Body Butter. Come smell me – I’m wearing it right now.
Per B&BW, the notes are ruby berries, sugared rosebuds and blush amber. I think the berries are delivering the green note I sense, and the amber is very subtle – I don’t do well with overly musky scents. I hope this one sticks around!
After Xmas Gift Card Haul
So my old boss gave me a “connection award” right before Xmas…but instead of $250 extra on my paycheck, the best I could do was pick out gift cards from some website. Right. And there was a fee with each one, so I was only able to get $225 in gift cards. Okay. I got $50 in food gift cards for each of my kids, which left my with $125 for myself…what kind of damage could I do with $125???
That $100 Ulta gift card went quick. I found out (the hard way) that I am allergic to zinc pyrithione – the active ingredient in the CeraVe anti-dandruff shampoo & conditioner I just bought. My scalp was weeping and bleeding – the whole works. I splurged on Vichy Dercos Anti-Dandruff Shampoo ($19.99), Conditioner ($19.99) and Scalp Serum ($48.99). The active ingredient is selenium sulfide and salicylic acid, which thankfully didn’t cause a problem. (My psoriasis is still a problem, so I met with a new dermatologist yesterday that hooked me up with a topical steroid.) That wasn’t quite $100, so I tried out a new Ulta Buffing Foundation Brush ($18) as well. I even got to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon.
The last $25 went to a Bath & Body Works gift card – just in time for the Semi-Annual Sale. This year’s sale was disappointing, but hand soaps and Wallflowers were $2.99, so I picked up 10 hand soaps and a few Wallflowers. I also grabbed more Antibacterial Hand Spray – 3/$10. I was feeling spicy, so I bought my children the most atrocious body sprays I could find. My son and his girl got “Holiday Pickle Ornament” which is not exactly nasty, but not something a human could wear without smelling like a deli tray. It’s less dilly than the candle – imagine “Cucumber Melon”, but with a kick. My daughter got “Cereal Milk Soft Serve” which made me gag. It reminded me of breast milk vomit – it was that bad.
Hopefully, my scalp clears up soon. Fingers crossed for better stuff at this summer’s Semi-Annual Sale.
December 2025 Ipsy Bag – Play Beauty Spread Joy
…December has been so busy that I’ve only tried one of the samples!
My product choice this month was Briogeo Hair Care Superfood Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Hair Mask. I picked it because I have more shampoo than conditioner and can use it with leftover shampoo.
The rest of my products were Eleman Beauty The Gel Lip Pencil in “So Sultry”; Ellis Brooklyn “Dear Sky” (wearing it right now – I love this scent on me, very juicy and fruity); Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm Gloss in “Rose”; and Beauty for Certain Tubing Brow Gel (I shall be gifting this one – I don’t need tubes hanging off my 3 eyebrow hairs).
The bag has bows on it, so I am saving it for my son’s girlfriend – she loves ribbons and bows!
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Saisei Ulta Haul
It’s been a bit since I’ve taken advantage, but I still love Diamond Love List Mondays…
I POUNCED on a new hair routine – it’s been a while since I did that, but a new product line from NatureLab. Tokyo had me intrigued. I used a few of their lines a few years back, before I switched to Sol de Janeiro. I grabbed NatureLab. Tokyo Saisei Stress Defense Amino Acid Shampoo and Saisei Restoring Therapy Conditioner ($22 each), as well as Saisei Biomimetic Peptide Treatment Essence ($46). This line is supposed to destress your scalp and minimize fallout and color loss – my husband will appreciate it, based on the labubu-sized clump of hair he recently pulled out of the shower drain. It’s only been a week, so no results to report yet.
My current favorite lippie was in my purse when it got stolen several months ago and it wasn’t re-released with products for the second Wicked film, so I decided to try r.e.m. beauty Wicked So Popular pH Adaptive Lip Oil ($25). It gives long lasting color…but it is fucking GLINDA pink. It’s fine with my skin tone, depending on what I’m wearing, but not as good as Tulip Fields. Ugh.
A few other “add to cart” moments: Thayers Soak It Up 80HR Liquid Moisturizer for Normal to Dry Skin ($14.99) and Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Facial Toner in “Rose Petal” ($10.95); and wet n wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator Tinted Skin Veil ($6.99) – this is fucking foundation, why did they lie? Not quite full coverage, but definitely medium coverage – NOT a veil.
I racked up 4 gifts with purchase on this order! Just for being Diamond, I got a Free Diamond Exclusive belif The True Cream – Moisturizing Bomb with select $50 shipped purchase.
Inside the Free 11 Piece Beauty Bag with $85 shipped purchase: a blue sequined makeup bag; ANOTHER belif The True Cream – Moisturizing Bomb; Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray; mixsoon Soondy Centella Asiatica Essence (I have no fucking idea); Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner; DIME Luminosity Eye Serum; 2 Wella Invigo Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask; L’Occitane Amande Concentrate de Lait; Gucci Flora “Gorgeous Gardenia” (NO); Smashbox Pore-Vanishing Primer; Lancome Genifique Ultimate Serum; Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam; Billie Eilish “Your Turn” (it smells like new shoes); and Paris Hilton “Iconic” (I actually like this one – I hate that I like it). Please no one tell Ulta that I got 15 items in what was supposed to be an 11 item gift.
Inside the Free Diamond & Platinum Exclusive 22 Piece Beauty Bag with $135 shipped purchase: a blackish green makeup bag; Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 59 Fragrance Mist (I’ve been wanting to try this one – woody vanilla); Tirtir Milk Skin Toner; Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in “Dark” (nope); ma:nyo Pure Cleansing Oil; NYX Fat Oil Chillz in “Strawberry Slush”; Dolce & Gabbana “Light Blue” (deluxe size); Redken One United Multi-Benefit Treatment; Mixsoon Bean Cleaning Oil (why do I need to clean my bean?); tarte tartlette Tubing Lash Primer; No7 Future Renew Night Serum; Farmacy Deep Sweep Pore Cleaning Toner; Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical; RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream; NOYZ “Only Human”; Marc Jacobs “Daisy Wild”; Azzaro “The Most Wanted”; Billie Eilish “eilish” (deluxe sample); Good Molecules Lightweight Daily Moisturizer; COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream; CECRED Moisture Sealing Lotion (for hair? wut?); Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel; Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Skinjection Amplified Wrinkle-Fix Serum; and Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother. 24 items in this bag!
Finally, inside the Free Diamond & Platinum Exclusive 9 Piece Skincare Gift with select $25 shipped purchase: bareMinerals Skin Rescue; Murad Environmental Shield Superactive Moisturizer; Benefit The POREfessional Deep Retreat Pore-Clearing Clay Mask; Estee Lauder Nutritious 2-in-1 Foam Cleanser (um, nutritious?); Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50; it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Barrier Boost; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50; Fur Ingrown Concentrate; and Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench SPF 45. Awww…just the 9 items in this one.
Since I knew this order would take me to Diamond Status for 2026, I used a $5 off coupon and $20.50 in Ulta points. How am I going to try all 48 samples???
August 2025 Ipsy Icon Box – Ash K. Holm
I was so disappointed that I did not get one of my product choices this month. I chose Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Glow Face Mask with Hyaluronic Acid ($37), but they swapped it out with Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($43). Normally, I wouldn’t be pressed about receiving an equivalent value product, but I have SO MUCH of this setting powder. Ugh.
I really like the Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick in “Goji Gang” ($26) – it’s like Clinique Black Honey, but glossier and sexier. The jury is still out on Kopari Beauty Kaanapali Coast Hair & Body Mist ($29) – it is overwhelmingly coconutty. I’ll have to be careful with it.
Also in this month’s Icon Box: Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm ($40 – I don’t like cleansing balms, so I’ll be giving this away); Haus Beauty B Structural Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara in “Black Onyx” ($29 – I’ve used it once, it’s plain black mascara); Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Eyeliner Duo ($40 – who is out here paying this much for two eyeliners?); ODACITÉ C-Glow Hydra-Firm Body Oil ($40 – puzzled by what to do with this); and Patrick Ta Major Dimension II Rose Eyeshadow Palette ($70). Honestly, I absolutely get why this eye shadow is $70 – it’s smooth, creamy and blendable – and it even comes with two cream bases to lock in your look. I haven’t been brave enough to try them…yet.
I had to google Ash K. Holm to find out that she is the Kardashians’ makeup artist. Alrighty then.
This month’s box comes in at $317 value…not bad, except for all the weird bummer products. Is it time to say goodbye to the Icon Box?
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Wednesday Ulta Haul
I am a sucker for Vaults/PR Boxes and also a sucker for the Diamond Love List, which made my purchase of the NYX Limited Edition Wednesday Full Collection Vault Kit ($90) inevitable. I was skeptical at first – I was afraid I wouldn’t use most of the products (see Spongebob PR Box) – but it’s all wearable for me! The Vault included the Nevermore Academy Palette (so many earthy glitters!); three Wednesday Color-Adjusting Lip Oils – “Nightshade”, “Thorn Pricked” and “Moon Shifted” (I absolutely love these lip oils – they change color and act like a stain); Wednesday Cello Vivid Matte Purple Liquid Liner (this is the only product I haven’t tried yet – give me time); Wednesday Stained Glass Blush Palette (no purple? huh?); Wednesday Stained Glass Contour Palette (my favorite of the bunch – I’ve been using it as eye shadow); and a Wednesday Phone Umbrella (weird idea, but it matches my eggplant colored phone). I even got another freebie from NYX – free Summer Grippie Socks with $30 purchase. I won’t be wearing them until winter, but I appreciate them nonetheless. Let me reiterate, I LOVE this collection – it’s giving Kat Von D Beauty, but without all the anti-Semitism.
I added a few more goodies to my cart: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Hair & Body Perfume Mist ($26 – to go with all the Beija Flor samples I’ve been getting); Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Facial Toner ($8.21 – 25% off); and a Wet Brush The Original Mini Detangler Hair Brush ($5.99 – for travel). No eyebrow pencils this time…
Not only did I get a sample of Nutrafol Hair Serum with my $50 purchase, I also got a free Diamond & Platinum Exclusive 11 Piece Gift with $80 purchase. The gift included Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream (SEEEEEE!); belif Aqua bomb eye gel; Dolce & Gabbana “Devotion”; Jean Paul Gaultier “Gaultier Divine”; Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firm No-Filter Primer; Uni 24-Hour Serum; tarte Lights, Camera, Action Platinum Mascara; Sunday Riley Good Genes; Kylie Jenner “Cosmic”; Azzaro “Forever Wanted”; and Briogeo Scalp Revival (I wonder if it will work on psoriasis?).
I had a $10 off code, so I used that on this order, as well as $17.50 in points. I am so close to Diamond in 2026 that I don’t mind saving a little money when I can. Just $59 to go!
First Day Semi-Annual Sale Haul
I slipped into the closest Bath & Body Works on the first day of the sale…it was a month ago, but I held off on posting my hauls because I thought I would go back and buy more…I didn’t.
I didn’t buy much in person – it was my lunch break, and the stores always have more foaming hand soap, while I prefer the gel. I did find a lovely Beehive Wallflower Plug (I wish I had bought two), a dog deodorizing spray, a candle and some antibacterial gel….however…
…however, on the first day of the sale, the website had hand soap AND Wallflower refills for $2.99, with free shipping over $100. I jumped right on that and replenished my stock with 22 Hand Soaps and 12 Wallflower refills. I’m lazy…(or is that complacent)…so I’m not going to list out all the scents I got. You’ll just have to come sniff the air and wash your hands at my house to find out.
I did not buy ANY new sets of scents for my bathtime rituals – can you believe it?