Tag: belif
A Li’l Bit of Everything Ulta Haul
Sometimes, shopping is just adding stuff to cart until it feels “right”…or at least until you get a bunch of shit for free.
I cannot remember how I started just dropping things in my cart, but I think I started looking for pore clearing masks. Ulta no longer carries Freeman, but there was a 30% off sale and a GWP on Florence by Mills, so I decided to try Florence by Mills Feed Your Soul Berry in Love Pore Mask ($16.10, down from $23 – this was a very thin, very strongly berry scented mask – it dripped everywhere before it dried) and Clear The Way Clarifying Mud Mask ($16.10, down from $23 – a more traditional mud mask, I liked this one much better). The 3 piece gift with purchase included a full size Feed Ypur Soul Love U Latte Coffee Glow Mask (haven’t tried yet); Swimming Under the Eyes Hydrating Under Eyes Gel Pads and a Silicone Face Mask Brush.
But then I started seeing stuff on sale…Arctic Fox Hair Color was 25% off, so I picked up “Virgin Pink” and “Poison” ($13.87, down from $18.49. Tree Hut was on sale, so I picked up a Tree Hut Moisturizing Shave Oil in “Moroccan Rose” ($9.99, down from $10.99). Zoya was also 30%, so I got two bottles of Zoya Remove+ ($8.40, down from $12). Inner Circle was 30% off, so I got Glamping – Santal Wood Hand Wash ($3.49, down from $4.99 – it smells SO GOOD). Flowery was 30% off, so I picked up my favorite Blue Max 4-way Buffing Block ($2.09, down from $2.99). MONDAY Haircare was BOGO50%, so I bought little travel sizes of SMOOTH Shampoo and Conditioner for Curly & Frizzy Hair with Wheat Protein ($3.49 + $1.74) for my cruise. I liked the product, but the packaging was annoying AF and hard to squeeze. I won’t be purchasing again.
Then I saw that Ulta had a free Beauty Bag with $22 purchase (what happened to $19.50?), and I just used up my favorite lip stain so I dropped an Ulta Beauty Collection Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Plum Paradise” ($11.50) in my cart. Then I dropped a few packages of Exfoliating Cotton Rounds ($4.49 each) in my cart. Inside the free gift – I chose the leopard print, of course: a 5 pan eyeshadow palette; Matte Veil Face Primer; Pop Star Lashes High Definition Volumizing Mascara; Cream Blush; Matte Veil Eye Primer; Lip Stain (appears to also be “Plum Paradise”; Jelly Gloss Lip Gel; an eyeshadow brush and foam blender.
I had a premonition that my favorite Pattern claw clip would break soon, so I picked up a back-up for $12. I also grabbed an extra Ulta Loofah ($3).
I qualified for a free 16 piece gift with my $80 purchase, which included e.l.f. Power Grip Primer; pixi Glow Mist; Thayers Facial Toner in “Rose Petal” (my favorite!); No7 Future Renew Night Serum; Vichy Liftactive Bonding Serum; Peach Slices Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser; belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb (another favorite!); CeraVe Balancing Air Foam Cleanser; Juvia’s Place Culture Multi-Chrome Shadow in “It Girl”; Ulta Beauty Collection Pop Star Lashes Volumizing Mascara (another one?); CNP Propolis Lipcerin; Differin Epiduo Acne Gel; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser; Some By Mi AHA.BHA.PHA Miracle Cream; L’Oreal True Match Lumi Glotion in “903 Medium Glow”; and Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser.
I also qualified for a free 20 piece gift with my $125 purchase, which included Nakery Beauty Soothing Moisture Wipes (for my butt); StriVection peptight Face Life Serum; Azzaro “The Most Wanted”; Prada “Paradoxe” Deluxe Sample; tarte Platinum Mascara; another belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb; Ralph Lauren “Polo”; Bumble and bumble. Bb. Seaweed Oil; Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes Volume Mascara; Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment; Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer; Yves Saint Laurent “Libre Berry Crush”; Kylie Cosmetics Supple Kiss Lip Glaze in “003 Rose Bloom”; Mugler “Alien Pulp”; Burberry “Goddess”; Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash (I’m still using the full size from my last Ipsy Ultimate); SEEN Leave-In Conditioner; Yves Saint Laurent “Myself” Deluxe Sample; Prada “Paradigme” Deluxe Sample; and Origins Ginzing Energizing Lightweight Moisturizer. Lots of good stuff!
I also got a free Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment with my skincare purchase.
…and then I used a $10 giftcard and $53 in points, because you know I am frugal like that.
Just $325 to Diamond in 2027!
Elven Ulta Haul
I purchased a bunch of e.l.f. products, so it’s an “Elven Ulta Haul” – get it? I crack myself up sometimes, I really do.
I noticed bristles falling out of my favorite kabuki brush, so I’ve been on the hunt for a replacement. (I’m pretty sure that the one I’m using is 10-12 years old.) I’ve gotten several in the past decade, but I think the e.l.f. Cosmetics Kabuki Face Brush ($7) is my favorite. It’s huge and it’s SOFT.
I decided the add a few more e.l.f. products to my cart and I was not disappointed. The e.l.f. Cosmetics Main Stain Lip Marker in “Hotvine” ($5) is the best lip marker I’ve ever gotten – it’s the perfect intensity for lips and it stays all day! It’s still there when I get home from work, imagine that. The e.l.f. Cosmetics Sheer For It Blush Tint in “Burgun-Did That” ($5) is not quite as good, but it’s as good as the Ulta version at half the price so I’ll be switching. I don’t even know if I need more brush soap, but I added the e.l.f. Cosmetics Clean Queen Solid Brush & Sponge Cleaner ($5) to my cart just in case. Okay, not just in case – I wanted the gift with purchase, which was an e.l.f. Cosmetics Flawless Face 6 Piece Brush Collection. I don’t NEED more makeup brushes, but I’ll use these as my travel set. I wasn’t ready to forsake my Ulta eyebrow pencil for e.l.f., so I picked up an Ulta Beauty Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($6.60) while it was on sale.
I am auditioning new shampoos and conditioners, so I added L’Oreal EverPure Sulfate Free Iron Sleek Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner ($10.99 each, with 200 extra Ulta points) to my cart. I’ll swap these into the shower when I finish the Pantene Rosewater set I got at HEB.
Thayers was BOGO50, so I picked up a Thayers 80 Hour Hydrating Milky Liquid Moisturizer ($14.99) and a Thayers Oil Balancing Jelly Toner ($7.49) – it was kombucha in it. I’m not used to the jelly texture, but I’m trying…
My purchase got me a few more gifts with purchase. My diamond gift was a Redken All Soft Mask Deluxe sample and I also got a 12 piece gift with my $65 purchase: Vacation Shimmer Oil SPF 30; tarte tartelette XL Tubing Mascara; Eau Thermale Avene Vitamin ActivC9 Serum; Vichy LiftActiv Bonding Serum; Some By Mi Air Fit Sunscreen SPF50; Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in Dark (definitely giving this away); belif Super drops Niacinamide Golden Glow Serum; e.l.f. Skin Whoa Glow SPF 30; NYX Butter Gloss in “Creme Brulee”; and La Roche-Posay HyaluB5 Serum. That’s only 10 items, so I am kind of annoyed.
I was already annoyed because the main box was crushed and the Blush Tint and Brush Cleaner were missing, leaving only crushed boxes. Ulta Customer Support was very helpful and sent replacements right away and even included a second free brush set – my heroes!
I’m poor right now, so I used a $10 off coupon, as well as $17.50 in Ulta points. I also had a gift card in my purse, but I forgot to use it…
Just $582 to Diamond in 2027.
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???
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!
SpongeBob Ulta Haul
I know it’s dumb…but I am a SUCKER for collections in PR Boxes. Half the time, I don’t even use half of the items in the collection, except for an initial swatch. I expect that to be true of the Wet n Wild SpongeBob Squarepants PR Box ($75). I was a bit disappointed in the outside box itself – I was expecting sturdier carboard – so it will probably end up in the bin. Inside the PR Box: Underwater Wonder Liquid Blush in “Rock Star” (it’s VERY pink, but flattering on me); Double The F.U.N. 2-in-1 Liquid Eyeliner & Stamp (OMG, the stamp is in the shape of the background flowers in the cartoon – like a rickie tickie stickie – and coincidentally the same shape and size as the tattoo I gave myself in high school that I lost in my reconstructive surgery…BREATHE); Splash On Waterproof Mascara in “Deep Dive” (I won’t be using this – will probably end up with Caty); Bikini Bottom Cooling Lip Oil in “Thar She Blows”; Bikini Bottom Cooling Lip Oil in “I’m Ready”; Bikini Bottom Cooling Lip Oil in “I Wumbo, You Wumbo”; F.U.N. Eye & Face Palette (I’ve used this and I admit – blue eyeshadow is not my friend); Always Looking Up Mirror & Keychain Set; Squidward Makeup Sponge (Besides the eye stamper, this is the other thing I wanted most); Serving Up Smiles Eyelash Curler – SpongeBob; Kelp Shake Dual Phase Dewy Setting Mist (another giveaway); and SpongeBob SquarePants Face & Body Gems (I threatened my daughter to wear these to the Stray Kids concert – I did NOT call her bluff). I am NOT disappointed with my purchase.
I was looking for Tree Hut “Tangerine” Body Spray to match my Tangerine mood, but they don’t make it. I had to settle for Tree Hut Serum-Infused Hand Wash in “Tangerine” ($6.99). It’s a bit pricy, but I find solace in the fact that this bottle is 11oz versus Bath & Body Works 8.75oz bottles.
Since Lily actually needed the serum and not the moisturizer I got last time, I got her Peach Slices Snail Rescue Intensive Serum ($17.99) and Peach Slices Snail Rescue Blemish Busting Toner ($13.99). Since she isn’t interested in makeup, the least I can do is provide her with decent skincare. Oh, and I also switched her over to the shaving oil I like. I let her try mine and she liked it, so I got her Tree Hut Moisturizing Shave Oil in “Electric Beach” ($10.99).
There was also a birthday gift in this order (not pictured, of course), which pushed me over the threshold for THREE gifts with purchase. The free gift with $75 purchase was not that impressive. It included Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 60 (I take it back – I needed this badly); NOYZ “Detour”; Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer (this stuff is still around?); NYX Duck Plump in “Clearly Spicy” (my third sample); and Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Sculpt Mascara.
The Platinum & Diamond Exclusive Step Up 14 Piece Gift with $90 purchase was more impressive: megababe Blade Bar (YES, another one!); Tiffany & Co. “Tiffany & Love for Him” (this smells good enough that I passed it over to my husband to try out); Yves Saint Laurent “Black Opium”; Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray; Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme; Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50; TheraBreath Deep Clean Oral Rinse; Cetaphil Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser; COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser; Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel (for the girl child); smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer+; Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner; Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser; and Natasha Denona Golden Palette Eyeshadow in “Oro” (it’s a bit crushed, so I am scared to open it).
I managed to fill my cart to just over $185 to get the Diamond Exclusive 36 piece beauty bag. I usually don’t luck into these, but I was getting a pedicure and was feeling bougie. In addition to the clear orange makeup bag, it included Jean Paul Gaultier “Le Male Elixir Absolu” (not bad, but since my FiL wears Le Male…I’ll pass); Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream; Kylie Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lisptick Card Sample in “Koko K”; Prada “Paradoxe”; COSRX Master Patch Intensive (an 18 pack – that’s $5 worth); Boots No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum; Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint Sample Card; bareMinerals BarePro 24HR Wear Skin Perfecting Matte Liquid Foundation Sample Card; tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer Sample Card; Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation Sample Card; Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum; Camille Rose Moroccan Pear Conditioning Custard; Lancome UV Expert Supra Screen Invisible Sunscreen Serum; Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Cream (just a packet instead of a pot, but I’ll use it); Ralph Lauren “Polo”; Valentino “Uomo Born in Roma”; Valentino “Donna Born in Roma Extradose”; Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb; Burberry “Goddess”; Kate Somerville ExfoliKate; Clinique Moisture Surge Body Hydrator; Paco Rabanne “Invictus Victory Elixir”; Givenchy “Irresistible”; belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb; Method Island Mist Body Wash; COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum; e.l.f. Thirst Burst Drops; Dior “Miss Dior”; Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil; Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing UVlock SPF 45; Dolce & Gabbana “Light Blue”; Starface Hydro-Star Patches; Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser; Lanolips 101 Ointment; Earth Harbor Naturals Siren Silk Multi-Tasking Hydration Cream; Drunk Elephant Mello Marula Cream Cleanser; Marc Jacobs “Perfect”; NYX Blur Screen 30 Primer; Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum; CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion; Carolina Herrera “Good Girl” (I think this is the stripper perfume); NYX The Face Glue Gripping Primer; Mugler “Alien” (Nooooooo); Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream; NYX Face Freezie Cooling Primer; DHC Super Collagen Cream; and DIME Luminosity Eye Serum. Phew, my fingers and eyes are tired!
I used a $20 off coupon and $17.50 in Ulta points on this order. I wish my coupon had been 20% off instead of $20 off $100…but I DO have an actual 20% coupon that is valid for the next 10 days…what should I fill my cart with?
Ohhhhhhh, we’re (almost) halfway there….$445 to Diamond in 2026, living on a prayer…
Disco Bum Bum Haul
Don’t come at me for spending $64 on sunscreen, just because you know I never go outside anyway…for those few occasions I do step into the sunlight, I want to be assured that I don’t burst into flames AND smell good, so I decided to try out Sol de Janeiro Rio Radiance SPF 50 Body Spray ($32). and I thought my Lala would like it, too. I’ll let you know how it goes the next time I get to visit the farm.
Tell me why I paid $2.49 (down from $4.99) for essence My Heart Beats Disco Glitter Switch Liquid Lipstick? Because it’s a better formula than Urban Decay’s Vice Liquid Lipstick “Trap Queen” ($18) which was basically the same concept?
It was free Ulta gift with purchase time, so I got another Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($11) and Ulta Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Sangria Splash” ($11 – I think this is the only color I didn’t have already) to meet the $19.50 threshold. I chose the coral flowered bag, which contained an Eye Shadow Palette; Matte Lip Cream; Shiny Sheer Lip Gloss; Inner Glow Eye Primer; Soft Glow Poreless Face Primer; New Heights Mascara; an Eye Shadow Brush and Makeup Sponge. I kind of hate that they don’t put the lippie color anywhere on these packages – what if I wanted a buy a full size?
There were a lot of other freebies when I placed this order, too. I got a free Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream with the $40 purchase above. I got a free 13 Piece Clean Ingredient Sampler with $85 shipped purchase, which came with Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream (cannot really smell it until I fully recover from the ‘rona); Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel; Manyo Pure & Deep Cleansing Foam; belif The True Cream; Peach Slices Snail Rescue Intensive Wash-Off Jelly Mask (I’ll save for Lily, since she uses this brand); NOYZ Sh**ty Day; Peach & Lily Retinal For All Renewing Serum (keeping for myself); Living proof. Perfect hair Day high-shine gloss; Vanicream Gentle Face Cleanser; Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream; Briogeo Farewell Frizz; Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner; and Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. I also got a free mystery gift with…I have no idea what I bought that gave me this. The mystery gift mostly dumb card samples: tarte Creaseless Creamy Concealer; Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum; Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint; Ilia Barrier Build Skin Protectant Cream; Yves Saint Laurent Y; Tiffany & Co. Rose Gold (I actually have the full size, so I ain’t mad); and NYX The Face Glue Gripping Primer.
Since I splurged, I used the remaining $53 in Ulta points I had built up, as well as a $3.50 off $15 coupon, so I got all this for about $32.
Around $710 to Diamond in 2026…can I do this?
Diamond in 2025 Ulta Haul
I’d been dropping stuff in my cart for a few weeks and finally checked out…
I am paranoid about running out of shampoo & conditioner, so I got back-ups of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner ($26 each).
I saw that Ulta had a gift with purchase for buying $19.50 worth of Ulta products…I can do that in my sleep! I had been eyeballing the Ulta Beauty Collection Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Cherry Pie” ($11). I was expecting it to be redder on…I guess I need to put like, 35 coats on? My nails need attention, so I also got an Ulta Manicure Buffing Block ($4) and two packs of Exfoliating Cotton Rounds ($3.99). I got the pink variant of the gift with purchase, which includes a 6 pan eye shadow palette; Ultamate Lashes Multi-Tasking Mascara; Poreless Face Primer; Cream Blush Stick; Tinted Eye Primer; High Shine Liquid Lipstick; Tinted Lip Oil; an Eye Shadow Brush; and a Makeup Sponge.
Speaking of nails, I also stocked up on Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover ($8.40, down from $12) and a Flowery Blue Max 4-Way Buffing Block ($2.09, down from $2.99). Since I like color changing lip products and Tim Burton, I got a few of the Nightmare Before Christmas Collection products – Wet n Wild Nightmare Before Christmas Truth or Scare Color Changing Lip Oil and Nightmare Before Christmas Two-Faced Color Changing Lip Oil ($5.99 each). They are not sticky and have surprisingly solid staying power.
I used a $3.50 off $15 coupon AND $50 of my collected Ulta points, but that didn’t stop me from qualifying for 2 more gifts with purchase. First, I qualified for a 14 Piece Fall Haul with my $70 purchase, which included Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb, Clean it Zero Ginseng-Glow Cleansing Balm; e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer; NYX Duck Plump High Pigment Plumping Gloss in “Clearly Spicy” (I just put this on and it reminds me of the original Lip Venom – pure capsaicin on my lips – Jesus FUCK); Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser; La Roche-Posay Mela Serum Dark Spot Correction; Florence by Mills Wildly Me (do you understand what I mean when I say it smells purple? The notes are iris, wisteria, violet and lavender); CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion; First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub (the sole reason I picked this bag variation); The Good Patch Dream Patch (a melatonin patch!); Tula The Cult Cleanser (oh, a DELUXE sample!); eczema honey Soothing Body Wash; Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; and Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster (what is it even boosting?) I also qualified for a Platinum & Diamond Exclusive Free 10 Piece Gift with $90 purchase, which included Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Bronzer (I bet this makes me look like I’m wearing blackface); Yves Saint Laurent Libre (stinky); Wella Ultimate Repair Miracle Hair Rescue (giving to Lily to deal with all day marching band braid damage); Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil in “Warm Deep Brown” (oh, this might be a match – I usually end up with Taupe in sample packs); tarte Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil (ugh, not falling for this again); Living Proof. Perfect hair Day High-Shine Gloss; Kylie Jenner Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Kylie” (ugh); Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Sculpt Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara; and OUAI Detox Shampoo (but NO MATCHING CONDITIONER – rude). Lots of good stuff!
This purchase pushed me over the edge! I’m Diamond in 2025!
Pamplemousse Rose Ulta Haul
I bought someone a birthday present…which I am not posting about…but is it bad that I kept the free stuff that came with it?
I mean, a few of the items were for me – Ulta Scented Foaming Hand Wash, Essence Pink Is The New Black Colour-Changing Lip & Cheek Balm, and a GIMME beauty Thick Hair XL Barrell Claw Clip (they sent the wrong fucking clip, but it still holds all my hair, so it’s fine).
I received a free 10 piece Clean Ingredients gift with my $70 purchase: belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb (LOVE this stuff); Live Tinted Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral Suncreen Moisturizer Primer (I had been wanting to try this); Love Wellness bye bye bloat; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment; Sunday Riley Auto Correct; Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil; Lanolips Tinted Lip Balm; fur Ingrown Concentrate (oooh, I have one RIGHT NOW); and Peach Slices Snail Rescue. Wow – I wanna try ALL of these…and I also got a free mystery gift. Inside the mystery gift: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist; Mugler Alien Goddess; Beekman 1802 Shine Control Gel Cream Moisturizer; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam; Kate Somerville HydraKate; Sun Bum Daily Body Suncreen Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50; Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum (I just finished off a full-size of this); and Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask. More great stuff to try! I got to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon, too!
$679 to Diamond in 2025.
May 2021 Allure Beauty Box – Power List
That’s IT! I cannot handle any more overpriced face creams or serums! I emailed Allure Customer Support today, in an attempt to cancel my Allure Beauty Box account.
This month’s overpriced face cream is Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream ($265 for 50ml). My little sample is just 7ml ($37.10). I haven’t tried it yet…I’ll get to it eventually. In addition to this cream, there’s also Wander Beauty Sight C-ER Vitmain C Concentrate and CosRx Propolis Light Ampoule. Two more facial serums!
Also in what should be my last box: Josephine Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in “Tiphaine” (is that pronounced “Tiffany”?); Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb; Purlisse Matcha Green Tea Antioxidant Sheet Mask; and Cetaphil Sheer Mineral SPF 50.
Goodbye and so long Allure Beauty Box…
The Allure Beauty Box is $23/month. They also offer an option for $250/year – a savings of $26. Sign up via my referral link.