Tag: e.l.f.
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!
September 2026 Ipsy Bag – Rebel in Color
Somehow, I think I missed the product choice window for September…I feel like I spent the last half of August traumatized, so that tracks…
The products are so random and I haven’t tried any of them. I’ll be giving the Bliss Pore Patrol Flower Blemish Patches to my daughter – I just can’t with Gen Z walking around with stickers on their face instead of being seen with a pimple.
Also in this month’s rando bag: Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Pore Primer; Da Lish Cosmetics Highlighter (do people still use highlighters in the year of our lord 2026?); e.l.f. Skin Thirst Burst Lip Treatment in “Sheer Blue Hibiscus” (probably the only product I’ll use); and Maeve Ellis Serafine Hand Cream.
Honestly, the best thing about this month’s bag is the bag itself – it’s mesh and I think I’m going to use it to put my magnetic hooks in for my cruise in a few days!
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.
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.
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.
October 2025 Ipsy Bag – Work Your Magic
I am in love with this month’s ipsy bag. The bag itself, but the products are nice, too.
I don’t know how my ipsy bags have turned into mostly skincare – I haven’t updated my profile in at least 5 years, if not 10. I have enough weird eyeliners and makeup brushes, I ain’t even mad.
My product choice this month was e.l.f. Skin Stick it To Zits. I picked out pimple patches because my daughter uses them…but then she acted all offended when I tried to give them to her. Like I was saying she has bad skin? Teenagers are THE WORST.
Also in this month’s snaky bag: Dr Lili Fan Probiotic Defense Toner (been using the shit out of it – the tiny bottle is almost empty); Soroci Vita-C Intensive Serum (Nice on my skin before bed); Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser (I’ve been using the shit out of this too); and All Moringa Nourishing Mask (I used this today before my shower – it smells like pickles and I looked like Oscar the Grouch).
A great bag! I’ll use everything, except the zit stickers…maybe my son’s girlfriend would like them?
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.
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…
March 2025 Ipsy Bag – Main Character Energy
Do I give off Main Character Energy?
I’m sure we all think we do, regardless of how uninteresting we may be. I admit, I’ve occasionally felt like the Main Character before…but really, I feel like I give off NPC energy. Like, the kind of NPC you come to for a very difficult quest, or to get the local village gossip. I am Bella Goth, seducing Bob Newbie. Or maybe Princess Peach…
This month’s bag is a weird mix of products. My product choice was Mudmasky Melting Mud Cleansing Mask, since I’ve gotten several different Mudmasky masks is previous ipsy AND Allure Beauty Boxes. Hoping to get to try it out this weekend. The rest of the items were really…odd. I got Balance Me BHA Exfoliating Concentrate; Beauty Vaulte Beaming Lip Liner Duo (do non-Kardashians even use lip liner?); e.l.f. Cosmetics Brow Laminating Gel (I would eyebrows in order to laminate them – I’ll hand this one over to one of the kids); and Gloss Moderne Luxury Eye Elixir. I don’t know if I’ll use ANY of these!
The bag, on the other hand, is super cut and has a strawberry zipper pull. Why am I sucker for zipper pulls?
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.
Wicked Ulta Haul
As soon as Ulta dropped all of the Wicked Movie Collab products…I knew I was in trouble. I tried – TRIED – to be conservative, but I don’t know if I did a very good job, especially since it was Diamond Love List Monday…
Right off the bat, I knew I had to get the OPI x Wicked Nail Lacquer 12 Piece Mini Pack ($49.99). I hate paying full price for nail polish, but I just couldn’t risk it selling out before I got it. The set has 12 mini polishes, 6 for Elphaba and 6 for Galinda. I am really looking forward to trying them all out. Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. beauty released a bunch of matched sets and lipsticks, but I was drawn to the r.e.m. beauty x Wicked Ozdust Eyeshadow Palette ($55). I am impressed by how creamy and blendable the shadows are. The glitters really pop! I even got a gift with purchase – a full size Midnight Shadows Liquid Eyeshadow. I wasn’t paying attention and thought it was a lipstick – which actually looked amazing after I wiped most of it off and applied lip stain on top of it. It made my lips look like stained glass – new favorite lip look! I’m sure I’ll be picking up more Wicked Collab stuff, but this is it for now.
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten hyped up about Urban Decay, but the new Urban Decay Cosmetics Moondust Space Cowboy Glitter Eyeshadow Palette – Limited Edition ($49) caught my eye. Yes, I know it’s basically just a few shadows pulled from Naked palettes in a fancy package – SHUT UP. I have only gotten to use it once, but I ended up with nice results, so no regrets. Oh, and I also got a Platinum and Diamond Free 5 Piece Gift with $35 makeup purchase, which came with an clear vinyl crossbody bag (perfect for stadiums with a clear bag rule); Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray (ugh, I have so much of this); a card sample of Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in “Space Cowboy”; Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Zero”; and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in “Original”.
I added a few more random items to my bag: an EcoTools Exfoliating EcoPouf Loofah ($2.99); L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder in “C1 Alabaster” ($6.49, on sale from $12.99 – Ulta’s site told me which shade to use based on the shade I wear in Infallible, but it’s a bit light on me); and Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Facial Toner in “Rose Petal” ($10.95).
All this got me a Free Platinum & Diamond Exclusive 28 Piece Gift with with $150 purchase – woo hoo! First off, this gift came with a gorgeous chocolate velvet cosmetic bag. Inside the bag: COSRX Master Patch Intensive; Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour HydraPlay Skin Perfecting Daily Moisturizer; Morphe Mini Continuous Setting Mist; Maybelline The Falsies Lash Lift Mascara; Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 48 Perfume Mist (Awww, I already have one of these); Chloe Intense; Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil; Frank Body Glycolic Body Scrub; bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Blonzer (uh whut? It’s blush and bronzer, oh); Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme + Night Power Bounce Creme; e.l.f. Power Grip Primer; Benefit The POREfessional Super Setter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray (ugh, more???); Wella Ultimate Repair Miracle Hair Rescue (again, more???); Clarins Total Eye Lift; Polite Society Greatest Lashes of All Time Mascara (braggy a bit?); Dime TBT Cream (what even is this?); Eau Thermale Avene Cicalfate Intensive Skin Restorative Serum; megababe Le Tush Clarifying Butt Mask (literally laughed out loud); tarte tartelette XL tubing Mascara; Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes Mascara; Florence by Mills Floating Under the Eyes Patches; CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser; OUAI Leave in Conditioner; Buxom Plump Shot Collagen Infused Lip Serum; e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration Eye Cream; pixi Glow Tonic; NOYZ Lost + Found; and Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster. Damn, my fingers are TIRED.
I should feel worse about randomly spending $150+ without a good coupon or sale…but I don’t, because I used the last $30 of Ulta points I had saved up.
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!