Category: Hair
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.
Hydrating Ulta Haul
My purchases from November’s Diamond Love List are all about hydration – my hair, my body, my legs – all of it.
I was hoping that the NatureLab. Tokyo Saisei combo would help with my flakes, but I’m not seeing any improvement. I saw good things online about CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner ($11.99 each). I haven’t started them yet – but I’m about 2/3 of the way through the Saisei…maybe another week or two.
I have been wanting Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti Renewing Body Wash ($26), so I got it (with an Xmas gift) and qualified for a free 3-piece gift, which includes a makeup bag, with deluxe samples of Bum Bum Cream and Firmeza Body Oil.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love the scent of Tree Hut Tangerine? There was a sale, so I restocked on Tree Hut Moisturizing Shave Oil in “Tangerine” ($9.99, down from $10.99) and Tree Hut Serum-Infused Hand Wash in “Tangerine” ($4.89, down from $5.99).
I always need more deodorant, so I decided to try megababe Soapy Pits Aluminum-Free Clear Gel Deodorant ($14).
Even though I used a $20 off $100 code, plus $9 in Ulta points, I still qualified for a free 11 Piece Hydration Gift with select $75 shipped purchase (what did I say about ‘hydration’). Inside the gift: Knours. Be Kind Hydrating Jojoba Oil + Aloe Vera H2O Double Duty Mist (I have no idea); Lancome Renergie Yeux H.C.F. Triple Serum; philosophy hope in a jar smooth-slow multi-tasking moisturizer; belif The True Cream – aqua bomb; DORE La Creme All-in-One Daily Moisturizer; Tula Skincare 24-7 Ultra Hydration Serum; Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier Repair Cream; Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Rich Barrier Moisturizer; Origins Ginzing Glow-Boosting Gel Moisturizer; and COSRX The Ceramide Skin Barrier Moisturizer. I will use every one of these, except maybe that weird jojoba oil.
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???
September 2025 Ipsy Bag – More is More
Another pink glam bag…perfect for storing Barbie clothes!
My product choice this month was Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial. It’s a botanical scented night cream and it is very hydrating. I’s like to say that it smells like…dragonfruit…but the description says banana fruit flower.
Also in this month’s bag: a FULL SIZE Eva NYC Stay Hydrated Leave-In Conditioner (no complaints here, I use Leave-In Conditioner to slick back my hair when I clip it up every day); Hey Honey Wrinkle Smoothing Multi Peptide Serum (great for WFH days); Pinklipps Cosmetics Everlasting Lip Liner in “Rose Brown” (I LOVE the sharpener in the cap – and it looks great with my skin tone); and SONÄGE SKINCARE Gommage Exfoliating Gel (this is the only piece I haven’t tried yet – soon I will).
This is a better bag than recent months – I’ve been needing new skincare!
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.
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!
Random Ass Ulta Haul
So…exactly a month ago, my car window got smashed and my purse was stolen. I bopped into the post office to shove something into the slot and it happened in less than 60 seconds. It seems that I forgot that I live in the Houston area and people here be thieving…my window is fixed (no thanks to Safelite, they are THE WORST) and I am slowly replacing the contents of my purse…it’s smaller than my ‘big black mom purse’, so I need smaller replacements…
…and the fucking $5 Ulta Basics 5 Piece Manicure Set is too big! I ended up buying a smaller one at T.J. Maxx right after I received this one…ugh, I’ll throw it in my luggage or something. I do like the tiny Aquaphor though – it’s a twin pack ($6.99)!
While I was at it, I threw a bunch of random sale crap in my cart: MONDAY Haircare BRUNETTE Dry Shampoo with Keratin ($5.59 – 30% off); Peach Slices Oil Control Mattifying Moisturizer ($8.49 – 50% off); and Pacifica Grapefruit Bubbles Gel Foam Cleanser ($3.50 – 75% off).
You can’t have too much face cleanser, so I also decided to try Ulta Beauty Cloud Facial Cleanser ($12). I also purchased another Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($11), because I cannot face the apocalypse without eyebrows.
On top of the $10 off $50 code I used, I got a few freebies. The rest of the family says that the puffy purple tote bag (free with $17.50 Ulta purchase) is super ugly…they are haters. I also got a free 5 Piece Clinique Gift Set, which came with a makeup bag, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm; a mini Black Honey lippie (hello purse); Moisture Surge Overnight Mask; and High Impact Mascara. Score!
Since I got my hairs did at Ulta this past weekend, only $162 until Diamond in 2026 – have I ever gotten there this fast?
Another Wet Ulta Haul
Can you believe a hairbrush lasted less than 3 years? Lily must brush her hair VIOLENTLY, because the brush I bought her less than 3 years ago broke in half…and she wanted the exact same one again. Only now, the Wet Brush Pro Flex Dry is $19.99 instead of $15.99 – 25% inflation in just three years! Sigh…at least I had a 20% off coupon to use on this order.
I was down to NO eye brow pencil back-up, so I got another Ulta Beauty Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($11). I saw a new lippie stain I wanted to try, so I got a ColourPop HydraPop Glossy Lip Stain in “Baby Fox” ($9) – I like this formula so much better than the old Glossy Lip Stain, which are on clearance for $4.50…and I thought, why not and picked up a ColourPop Glossy Lip Stain in “Ice Pop” – oops, I already have this shade. And I hate it – it looks orangeish on me. Fuck.
Since Lily likes dry shampoo, I got her another can of MONDAY Haircare BRUNETTE Dry Shampoo with Keratin ($7.99).
$403 to go to reach Diamond in 2026.
June 2025 Ipsy Bag – Make Bold Moves
I love the pattern on this month’s ipsy bag, but the flimsy material is disappointing. I love a mod motif moment, but a stiffer material would have made it bound for my purse…but alas, it’s not tough enough.
I haven’t used my product choice this month – INH Hair Mini Quick Slick Flyaway Hair Finishing Stick. It’s a good idea and I can see throwing it in my purse if I’m going out…wait, when do I ever “go out”?
Also in this month’s bag: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Body Lotion (this stuff is great – going in my travel bag); Goldfaden MD Radiance Whip Brightening Treatment Mask (I used this last week – it felt nice, but I couldn’t tell if I was brighter); Luna Magic Always Demure Concealer Brush (will never use this); and YC Collection Oh, My Eyebrows! in “Medium Brown” (this one is really good – I like the texture, although it did crumble a bit while using it).
A decent bag this month!
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.