Tag: Gift with Purchase
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.
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!
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?
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…
We are like the Dreamer who Dreams
I didn’t need another notebook or another totebag…but I did need THIS particular notebook ($18) and THIS particular totebag ($32), designed by The Great Northern Candle Company. I haven’t decided what to used them for…but I will.
The main purpose of my order wasn’t even to get merch – I wanted wax melts. The wax melts are a GREAT deal. I thought I was paying $14 for a 2 oz pack of 6 – but $14 gets you 2 2oz packs! I ordered “Log Lady” – Cashmere + Cedarwood – and “Great Salish” – Sweetgrass + Cedar Smoke. Someday, I’ll get to go there in real life…
I also got a few more 2ml sample vials ($9 each). “Noir 315” is heavily inspired by Fire Walk With Me and is mainly Cedar + Labdanum. (Dale Cooper also stayed in Room 315 at the Great Northern.) It leans masculine, but I like it on me. I also got “The Woodsmen”, inspired by the murderous Woodsmen in The Return. The Campfire + Chocolate scent reminds me of Toblerone Dark Chocolate – I want to smell it, but I am not sure I want to smell like it? Does that make sense? I also got a another free sample of “The Roadhouse” – these folks are so generous!
Even though I’d gotten a scratch card in my last order for $10 off $65, there was a 20% off sale the weekend I ordered, so I’ll save that card for the next order…I think I need a full bottle of “Noir 315”.
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?
Laura’s Blue Rose
I was in Atlantic City recently and I had packed my vial of “Blue Rose” and was horrified that it was empty! Imagine me, in a dark hotel room at Caesar’s Palace, placing an emergency order from The Great Northern Candle Company, on my phone in the dark, trying not to disturb my husband…
All I ordered was a 1.7oz “Blue Rose” eau de toilette ($38) and 1.7oz “Laura” eau de toilette ($38), as well as a 2ml sample vial of “Isn’t it Too Dreamy?” ($9). The folks at the GNCC were so generous that my box was full of freebies! I got a “Josie” perfume, a “Cooper” wax melt (which is scenting my bathroom right now), and a “Rose City” Candle.
And did I forget to mention that a surprise event was going on and I used a 20% off code?
This order definitely took me straight to the White Lodge.
Butt Stuff Ulta Haul
How can I NOT buy a product called Butt Stuff?
Look, I’m 49 years old and have birthed two children. I don’t need to draw a diagram of how that fucks up your body, especially the no-no square. I have not yet had a flare-up, so I haven’t gotten to use megababe Butt Stuff Hemorrhoid Cream ($22.40, down from $28) yet. You will be the FIRST to know how it goes…
In addition to restocking on Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner ($26 each), I added a few fun things to my cart. I’ve never read a single page or watched a single frame of Twilight, but I got a Twilight: New Moon x Colourpop Multichrome Shadow Stix in “It’s Always Been Him” ($12) because the color was extra pretty. I tried it and I like it – but it is a whole lotta green for my face. I also picked up Holo Taco “Milky White Shimmer” ($14) because why not?
All this was enough for a free 13 piece beauty bag with my $90 purchase. In addition to the canvas drawstring beauty bag, I got Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Balm (in a weird burlap bag?); Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo and Conditioner (I love a matching set); Gaultier Divine; Caroline Herrera Very Good Girl; NYX Face Freezie Cooling Primer; Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Tiger Lily; Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum; Mugler Alien Goddess (ugh, why do I get this in every fucking bag?); Paco Rabanne Invictus Victory Elixir; Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium; Good Molecules Hydrating Facial Cleansing Gel; and Dionis Goat Milk Hand Cream in “Vanilla Bean”. I really appreciate that the bag wasn’t one of the 13 items. I could’ve done with less perfume samples, but the rest of the samples are top shelf.
Just $814 until I reach Platinum for 2026.
Holo Snake Ulta Haul
I was SO excited about this Le Mini Macaron Lunar New Year Nail Polish + Sticker Collection – Year of the Snake ($40)…that I didn’t bother to fully read the description. The included nail polishes – “Magic Noire”, “Serpentine Sheer”, and “Lucky Red” – are GEL POLISHES. They require a UV light to cure…fuck that noise. I guess I paid $40 for some really cute stickers…
My disappointment was mitigated by the fact that Ulta carries Holo Taco now! I started with just a few products: Holo Taco Pink Smoothing Base Coat ($12), Holo Taco Specialty Nail Polish “Play Rosé” ($14) and Holo Taco Glossy Taco Top Coat ($12). I cannot wait to try them!
I was able to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon, as well as qualify for a Free Beauty Break 4 Piece FENTY Gift with $60 purchase, which included Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in “Peach Face”; Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in “RiRi”; and Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara in “Cuz I’m Black”, all in a cute makeup bag. Not sure about the peach blush, but I’ll use the rest.
$1,044 to Diamond in 2026.