Category: Makeup
March 2026 Ipsy Bag – Do Less Glow More
March’s bag was a bit MEH. The only item I am obsessed with is the Mudmasky French Kiss Lip Butter in “Limoncello & Orange” – it smells SO GOOD.
I take that back – I also have been using my product choice as a night cream – LANEIGE Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer. It smells like luxury and I wake up with smooth SMOOTH skin.
Also in this month’s meh bag: Manna Kadar Cosmetics Pink Mirage Eyeshadow Palette; Mi-el Skincare Strawberry Kiss Sugar Body Scrub; and a Pear Nova Lid Focus Brush.
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.
Peachy Skin Ulta Haul
Lily needed more face wash and one day during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Event and her Peach Slices Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser ($14.99) was BOGO 40% off, so I picked her up two. I kept the gift with purchase (a sample size Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser) for myself. Kate Somerville EradiKate 3% Sulfur Daily Foaming Cleanser was half off ($23 instead of $46), so I got her one of those to try, too. She isn’t into makeup, but at least I can make sure she has good skincare.
My Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Facial Toner in “Rose Petal” was also BOGO 40% off, so I picked up two for myself. I also added a Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover ($12) for the hell of it…and to get another gift with purchase. I even got to use a $10 off coupon.
The free 5 piece mystery gift with my $65 purchase included Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo (giving to Lily as well); e.l.f. Cosmetics Smoky Kohl Eyeliner in “Rare Emerald” (might keep this one); Tula Skincare A+ Renewal Serum (keeping for me); NYX Epic Wear Eyeliner Stick in “Turquoise Storm” (cleaning out old eyeliner stock?); and rms Beauty Legendary Lip Oil (great for removing longwear liquid lipstick!).
$962 to Diamond in 2027.
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.
February 2026 Ipsy Ultimate – Spring Collection
No curator for this quarter’s Ipsy Ultimate. I’m not even mad though – I usually have to Google who they are these days.
My favorite product choice this month was Fable & Mane SahaScalp Wild Ginger Purifying Scrub ($36). With the psoriasis flare I had a few months ago, my scalp is still recovering. Of course, my first stop was a new dermatologist to get a topical steroid to get it under control…but this scrub has really helped knock the mummy dust off of my scalp. I might actually purchase this when I run out.
My other two product choices were meh – not a lot of good products to choose from this month. I picked Tatcha Camellia Gold Spun Moisturizing Lip Balm ($32), which is like the Goldschlager of lip balms, and NARS Cosmetics Quad Eyeshadow Palette in “Kuala Lumpur” ($55), which is almost too pink for me. I’ve only used it once and I don’t foresee reaching for it often. I was hoping for more of a NARS Orgasm pink.
The products I did not get to pick were pretty good. I got Kevyn Aucoin Indecent Mascara in “Black” ($32 – one of the best mascaras I’ve tried – no clumps!); Rodial Collagen Drops ($95 – I’ve been using this on my face at night and I can definitely tell a difference in some of my deep wrinkles); Il Makiage Shade Addict High Impact Eye Color Palette ($68 and a much better match for my skintone than the NARS palette); Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Wand Duo in “Pillow Talk” + “Pinkgasm” ($84 and gifted to my big sis with a bunch of other Tilbury samples); and Dr. Brandt Skincare Glycolic Skin Renewal Mask ($52 – haven’t tried it yet).
$454 in this quarter’s box – I’m very pleased with my choices.
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.
First Ulta Haul of 2026
There was a really good sale going on during the beginning of January, so I stocked up on a few things…
Vichy Dercos seems to be helping with the heartbreak of psoriasis, so I restocked on Vichy Dercos Selenium Sulfide Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Dercos Hair + Scalp Moisturizing Conditioner ($15.99 each, down from $19.99). This purchase netted me a free sample of Vichy Mineral 89 Serum.
I couldn’t pass up the BOGO 40% on Garnier, so I got 2 Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Water (normally $11.99), as well as another pack of Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads 3 Pack ($7.19, down from $11.99). This purchase netted me a free metallic train case…I quibble with their definition of train case – it’s just a medium size makeup bag.
Ulta Beauty products were 30% off, so I picked my Ulta Beauty Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($7.70, down from $11) and Exfoliating Round Cotton Pads ($2.79, down from $3.99).
Against my better judgment, I bought another crackle nail polish – Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Stranger Things Nail Polish in “Rift” ($7.99). It wasn’t even on sale! But then I scrolled the sale page and bought Covergirl STRANGER THINGS The Bite PH Transforming Lip Gloss in “Hawkins Lab” ($4.50, down from $7.99). The slimy green gloss turns into a coral-leaning pink. (I like the r.e.m. beauty one better.) It also smells like burnt marshmallow goo, which tracks with that weird white goo in the upside down. I also got Orly Nail Lacquer in “Vintage” ($4.20) because it matches my living room.
I used a $5 off coupon AND $50 in Ulta points from my holiday shopping.
$1,143 to Diamond in 2027!
January 2026 Ipsy Bag – The Year of Yes
The Year of Yes…I don’t know about that. Seems kind of dangerous to be declaring shit like that in January?
The past month has been a blur. The only product I’ve tried is my product choice – Korres Apothecary Wild Rose Brightening Sleeping Facial. It’s a nice, thick face cream and it smelled really nice.
Also in this month’s MEH bag: Girlactik 2-in-1 Luminous Tint Foundation; IBY Beauty Hilite Powder Brush (are people still wearing highlighter?); Luna Magic Lip Pencil in “Strawberry Mojito”; and Moonslice Beauty Cream Blush in “Cutie Pie” (when did they stop calling it ‘rouge’?).
Even the makeup bag is a bit MEH – it looks like an astronaut maxi pad.
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.
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.
Naked Shaped Black Friday Haul
…before you ask – YES, there were gifts in my Ulta Black Friday Haul. But would I be me if I didn’t pick up a lil’ sumthin’ for myself?
I’ve been eyeing the new(ish) Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Shaped Multi-Tasking Eyeshadow Palette Cool for a while…and 30% all Urban Decay brought that $56 palette down to $39.20. I absolutely LOVE this palette – it includes 4 cream eye shadows, as well as 5 mattes, 4 shimmers and 1 glimmer topper. I’ve been using the lightest cream eye shadow (“Faux Snow”) as a primer and the rest of the shadows glide over it like butter. I’m considering getting the Warm version the next time I see a sale or have a coupon – it’s the best Naked yet!
Ulta products were 40% off, so I got Ulta Exfoliating Round Cotton Pads ($2.39, down from $3.99) – I probably should have stocked up on a few other things…oh well.
I remembered to use my Diamond Bonus to get a FREE DIME Beauty Hyper Glow Antioxidant + Brighten Serum (worth $32). I definitely didn’t need another Clinique foundation that I would never use. I also used my $25 off beauty services coupon this weekend – feels good to not miss out on freebies.
Speaking of freebies, I got three gifts with purchase with my order! I got an Ulta Beauty Collection Free 9 Piece Gift with select $65 shipped purchase, which includes an eye shadow palette, cream blush, lip stain, lip gloss, Matte Veil Eyeshadow Primer, Matte Veil Face Primer, Makeup Sponge, and Eye Shadow Brush in a Pink Satin Makeup Bag.
Inside my Free 7 Piece Gift with select $75 shipped purchase: CHI Infra Silk Infusion (I just gave two of these to Caty – I hope she wants more); Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Cream (I don’t have this one yet – yay!); Yves Saint Laurent “Black Opium” (ew); Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Strengthening Serum; Lolavie Glossing Detangler (Barbie is getting this one); Origins Youthtopia Refining Apple Peel; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser; and a green velvet drawstring pouch to put it in!
Inside my Free Diamond & Platinum Exclusive Gift with select $100 shipped purchase: Bioderma Sensibio Soothing Micellar Cleansing Foaming Gel; Gucci “Guilty” (blech); Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo & Conditioner (yay! both!); Virtue Healing Hair Oil; bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil; Sunday Riley Good Genes; Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base; and Olaplex Weightless Nourishing Mask.
Is this my last Ulta order of the year? Only time will tell…how good the sales are between Xmas and New Years.
November 2025 Ipsy Ultimate – Natasha Denona
Ipsy Icon Box (previously Ipsy X) is now called Ipsy Ultimate. Nothing like a rebrand, huh?
At least I’ve heard of Natasha Denona. I prefer the boxes curated by brands (like Natasha Denona) or by actual celebrities. I have wasted too much time googling celebrity makeup artists, or worse…influencers…and I literally do not care.
The biggest surprise of the box was the Natasha Denona Yucca Palette ($69). I was expected to look like a tumbleweed, but all the earthy desert tones really pop on my skin. Who knew that my best eyeshadow color would be mustard yellow? The box also came with Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer ($30), but I haven’t tried it yet. I should…I’ve been eating macadamia nuts all week and my skin is garbage.
My product choice were pretty good this month. I picked Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse ($40 – I would never spend $40 on face wash…but this is a nice fucking face wash); Salt & Stone Black Rose & Oud Body Lotion ($20 – I am in love with this woody rose scent); and Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Eye Cream ($44 – a bad pick, I think I thought it was face cream – boo!)
Also in this month’s box: Lithe Beauty Soft Fill Lip Pencils in “Dusk” & “Scarlet” ($32 – nice, soft lip pencils); Bisha Essential Eye Designer Duo Set in “Downtown Black” & “Uptown Brown” ($58 – haven’t tried yet); and Persona Cosmetics Volumizing Tubing Mascara in “Black” ($24 – haven’t tried yet).
$317 worth of products this quarter!
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.