Tag: Gift with Purchase
First Ulta Haul of 2021
Remember how excited I was about NatureLabs.Tokyo Perfect Shine Shampoo & Conditioner? Turns out that it was the wrong product. I had sampled Perfect SMOOTH Shampoo & Conditioner. Oops. I bought a bottle of the NatureLabs.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Conditioner ($14) and I like it much better than the Perfect Smooth. Ugh. I’ll buy more Shampoo, I guess…
I am a sucker for Urban Decay foundation. Every time they release a new one, I’m all over it. Their newest is Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator Foundation ($29). I was expected something like a tinted moisturizer, but it was a medium to full coverage foundation. I just put on on my face with my fingers and was like…oh NO. I grabbed my Beauty Blender and buffed it out. It gave nice, smooth coverage. If I left my house more than once a week, I’d use the hello out of it.
I also added a pack of Kitsch Face Masks ($12.99). My kids like these masks best, so I keep on buying them.
A few nice Platinum/Diamond freebies came with this order. I got a Too Faced Damn That’s Sexy Mascara set with my $25 makeup purchase and a deluxe sample of BareMinerals Original Liquid Foundation in “Fairly Light 03”. I haven’t tried either yet.
$1,145 to Diamond for 2022!
Perfect Shine Splurge
Back in November, I think when Sephora was offering 15% off, Ulta sent out a $10 off $40 coupon, so why not restock on a few things. Sometimes, there’s nothing like splurging on fancy shampoo & conditioner!
I’d gotten to try NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Shine Shampoo & Conditioner ($14 each) in an Allure Beauty Box last year. I really liked it, but it wasn’t widely available. Fast forward a year and now Ulta carries it – score! The secret ingredient is grape stem cells. I don’t know what those are. I also picked up some a single use conditioners – PURA D’OR Single Use Hair Thinning Therapy Intense Moisturizing Masque ($1.79), HASK Shea Butter & Hibiscus Oil Anti-Frizz Deep Conditioner Packette ($2.99) and HASK Tea Tree Oil & Rosemary Hair & Scalp Treatment Mask Packette ($2.99).
Freeman Masks were on super sale, so I bought a replacement Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask. I also grabbed a clearance China Glaze “Rainbow” for $2.62 and a new Flowery nail buffer.
I definitely did NOT buy that Kylie Cosmetics Velvet Lip Kit in “Bare” – it was a gift with $25 makeup purchase. I now know the secret of the Kylie Lip Kits! The lip liner is one tick darker than the lipstick, so it creates an optical illusion of a fuller lip. The more you know…I tried it out and the color was WAY too light for me. Hypothetically, my lips did look bigger though.
My $70 purchase qualified me for a Hello Holidays Sample Bag – it’s so fancy! Inside the bag: Dermablend Insta-Grip Jelly Primer; Awake Pore Down Tightening Concentrate; Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Towelette (WEIRD); Lake & Skye 11 11 (I could not smell this); MAC Lipstick samples in “Ruby Woo”, “M-A-C Red” & “Cockney”; Too Faced Damn Girl! Mascara; Pravana Color Protect Cleanse and Condition (HUGE samples tubes – will try these out after my next dye session); Philosophy Purity Made Simple Hydra-Bounce Eye Gel; Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Body Lotion; Tula Skincare 24-7 Moisture Hydrating Day & Night Cream; Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; Burberry Her; Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris; NatureLab Tokyo Perfect Shine Shampoo & Conditioner (foilpacks for travel!); Tonymoly Golden Pig Collagen Bounce Mask; Gucci Guilty; AG Haircare Glow Shine Infuse Serum; Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Sample Card (none of these will match me); Beekman 1802 Milk Drops Probiotic Ceramide Serum; John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Touch-up Creme; Patchology Little Helper Energy Dietary Supplement Strip (a caffeine strip that melts on your tongue – is drinking a cup of coffee so hard?); and VDL Velvet Blur Primer.
Oh, and if the order looks a little light, it’s because there were a few gifts in my order…
Edge of Reality
It’s a bit odd that Ulta is now carrying KVD Vegan Beauty, as it’s a Kendo (a subsidiary of LVMH, like Sephora) brand, but okay…
The new KVD Vegan Beauty Edge of Reality Fully Recyclable Eyeshadow Palette ($45) is the first big release since the exit of Kat Von D from the brand. The aesthetic is the same, the quality is the just as nice and frankly, I’m here for a goth-y brand that doesn’t have a nutcase attached. I’ve been using the palette all week and it blends like butter. There is a fair amount of fallout with the shimmer shades, but it’s not too bad – and it gives me an excuse to use the Ulta Makeup Correcting Sponge ($4.99 normally, but $2.50 at BOGO 1/2). This sharp edged sponge is much better than using a wet Q-tip!
The first half of the BOGO 1/2 was a backup Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil – I’ cannot go without one. I also got two more Ulta Foaming Hand Soaps in “Pink Grapefruit” ($6, BOGO 1/2 as well) – they smell SO good. All of these Ulta Collection buys qualified me for a free 10 piece gift. Inside the pink snakeskin pouch: an eyeshadow palette (shimmery neutrals, perfect for the holidays); Luxe Lipstick in “Barely There” (almost too barely there for me – needs a liner maybe?); Mattifying Face Primer; Matte Eye Primer in “Nude”; Shiny Sheer Lip Gloss in “Bare”; New Heights Lifting Mascara in “Black” (will open and try soon); a Crease Eye Shadow Brush; a Flat Precision Eye Shadow Brush; and a Makeup Removing Cloth (I like using these on glittery eye pigment).
Oh, and of course a Zoya Remove+ ($10).
I was able to use a $15 off $75 coupon – MUCH better than Sephora’s 15% off code, which was running at the same time I made this purchase. Just $174 to Diamond in 2021…I’ll definitely make it, because I have a hair appointment next Saturday AND I placed an order this morning…
Forever Flawless
I know I just bought a new eyeshadow palette…but I’ve been waiting literally FOREVER for these two Makeup Revolution Forever Flawless palettes to arrive at Ulta from the UK…and last Monday was Diamond Offer Day, so…
The Makeup Revolution Forever Flawless Flamboyance Flamingo Palette Is a creamy collection of pink and coral eye shadows, with a few pops of blue and glitter. Some of the pinks are VERY bright – be warned. I may have left the house looking like a gay raccoon…The quality is very good. With Makeup Revolution, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes the quality is rough – basically kitty litter – but sometimes, it’s creamy and blendable like this one!
I also got the Makeup Revolution Forever Flawless Spirituality Palette, which is full of rich burgundies and coppers – it’s very similar to the Kat Von D Lolita Por Vida Palette, but a helluva lot cheaper! These palettes were just $10 each, on sale from $15.
Wearing a mask whenever I leave the house, I’ve been living for balm stains. I had been waiting for the Milani Rose Transforming Lip Balm ($9.99) to come back in stock. It turned my lips a baby pink, with a hint of pearl. It’s okay, nothing special.
I got a few Diamond Freebies with my order – Becca Cosmetics Hydra-Light Lip Plumping Balm and Covergirl Fresh Mascara. I haven’t tried either yet.
$269 to Diamond in 2021. Oh, and my order came with ANOTHER $10 off $40 coupon!
National Lipstick Day
I took a short vacation – a few days floating in the pool, no schedule, no plans was just what I needed. I’m a little bit behind on my beauty posts, but it was worth it.
National Lipstick Day was back on July 29th and Ulta had a lot of fantastic deals. I’m having to wear a mask whenever I leave the house, but just know that I am STILL wearing lipstick under that mask. Ridiculous, I know. The liquid lipsticks I’ve been wearing for the last few years have a tendency to be drying, so I decided to take advantage of a great BOGO sale to pick up Lipstick Queen Medieval Lipstick (regularly $24), a reddish balm; and Lipstick Queen Blue By You Metallic Lipstick (regularly $25), which turns to a metallic pink. I love Lipstick Queen Frog Prince so much, that I thought I’d try a few more shades. These lipsticks are really moisturizing and they match any skin tone. I also got a free Lipstick Queen Altered Universe Gloss mini with $25 brand purchase!
Speaking of color-changing lippies, Harry Potter X Ulta Beauty Bewitching pH Lip Balm ($10) was back in stock, so I got it (for myself). It turns my lips a glittery, peachy pink. It’s a bit gritty though, which is annoying. I also picked up a clearance Essence Fruit Kiss Caring Balm in “Raspberry Dream” ($1.49, down from $2.49). I’ve started leaving lip balm scattered around the house, so what’s one more?
PÜR 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation was 40% off ($17.70, down from $29.50), so I decided to try it out – I picked shade “Ivory”. The packaging is really neat – it’s packed into a Lucite compact. It has less coverage than I was expecting, but it photographs really smoothly. I’ll have to use it a bit longer to determine whether it will be a permanent replacement for my KVD powder foundation.
Absent good sales at Bath & Body Works, I decided to try out Ulta’s Moisture Gel Hand Soap at BOGO 40% off (regularly $6). I chose “Pink Grapefruit” and “Sea Salt Splash”. I am obsessed with the “Pink Grapefruit” – it smells just like my favorite Albanese Gummie! Oh, and a clearance Ocean Vibes Foaming Hand Wash ($3).
To top off my cart, I added another pack of Kitsch Face Masks ($12.99). Face masks are definitely not going away any time soon. I also got a clearance travel size Schmidt’s Rose + Vanilla Deodorant Stick ($2.49, down from $4.99). I thought that this one had given me a rash, but now that I’ve used other scents from Schmidt’s, I think it was something else. Gonna give this one a try again.
The National Lipstick Day gift with $70 purchase was a 10 piece lipstick sampler worth $70! Inside the Sampler: Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Polish in “Dolly” (I’ve gotten their lip cream in “Dolly” before); tarte Sugar Rush Lip Sip in “Dragon Fruit”; Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick in “Peachy Natural”; Ulta Beauty Jelly Gloss Lip Gel in “Suntan”; L.A. Girl glossy Plumping Lip Glossin “Plush”; Winky Lux Disco Kitten Gloss in “far out”; Milani Lipstick in “Bahama Beige”; Zoeva Pure Velour Lips in “Clear Message”; p/y/t Beauty Plumping Gloss; and Urban Decay Vice Lip Chemistry in “Physique” (these are fun stain/glosses). What a great bunch of new samples. I also qualified for another free tote with my $75 purchase. The white one was sold out, so I got another pink one, which I gave to Lily for her craft supplies. Oh, and I used a $3.50 off $15 coupon.
Just $481 to Diamond in 2021.
Ultraviolet Gryffindor
The new Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Ultraviolet Palette ($49) launched at Ulta on July 5th, several weeks after the launch at Sephora, but I wanted to wait to buy it at Ulta so that I could use points to get it. Patience is a virtue…
I’m glad that I used points to get the Ultraviolet Palette – it’s somewhat underwhelming. The color story is…odd. I never would’ve put peach and purple together, but it is doable. The shadows are not as “buttery” and soft as the first several Naked Palettes – I had a harder time blending them on my bare skin. The brushes included with the palette is very nice though. I’m still experimenting with this palette, but I feel like it will be easily forgotten, kind of like Naked Smoky.
Ohhhhh, Ulta just launched a Harry Potter Collaboration. Several items were already sold out – include all of the lip pencils and the Vault with all of the House Shadow Palettes. I did get the Harry Potter x Ulta Beauty Gryffindor Eye Shadow Palette ($16) for myself. The color story is reminiscent of the rosy chestnut tones that I love. The quality was very good, similar to last summer’s Frida Kahlo collaboration. I knew that my daughter would be Slytherin GREEN with envy, so I picked her up 2 of the Harry Potter Lip Glosses: “Hedwig” (a clear glitter topper) and “9¾” (a peachy topper). Normally $10, they were BOGO Half.
I cannot say no to inflatable Flamingos, to I snagged the Ulta Meet Me Poolside Kit ($10, down from $20). The inflatable Flamingo Drink floatie looks like the perfect size for Barbie. The kit also includes the Meet Me Poolside Eye Shadow Palette, You’re Golden Matte Bronzer, Dive-In Bouncy Blush, Summertime Shine Lip Jelly, all in a cute Cosmetic Bag.
Another reason that I’m glad I waited to order from Ulta is all the gifts with purchase I was able to rack up on my order. I got ANOTHER Palm Tree Tote 4 piece gift like the one I got last month with $25 in Ulta products purchase – I gave it to Lily. I also got a Platinum/Diamond Exclusive Gift with a $30 Makeup purchase…turns out it was the Fall 2019 gift with purchase that I got in November. The Zebra Beauty Bag (free with an $85 purchase) was NOT a dupe though. Inside the rainbow zebra bag: Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profundo; Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Smoothing Anti-Frizz Dry Oil Mist; Kenra Prime Conditioner Style Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner (deluxe sizes!); Kate Somerville ExfoliKate (yes!); Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream; Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil; MAC Fix+ Magic Radiance; Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream; Becca Ignite Highlighter; Tan Towel Plus (NOPE); PÜR 4-in-1 Correcting Primer; Ahava Deadsea Water Mineral Hand Cream; Mamonde Rose Water Toner (good, I’ve almost used up my last sample); touch in SOL No Poreblem Primer (Ooooh, I’ve been wanting to try this one); Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask; and philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Peeling Mousse (intrigued). Yeah, this bag is packed with cool new products I’ve never tried before and few ones I really love.
So I managed to use $50 in points and a $3.50 off coupon, ultimately only spending $39.51 for the whole box…$682 to Diamond.
Yes to Ulta
That Ulta, they keep getting me with their “gift with purchase” offers. My $60 purchase brought me a 10 piece “Patio Prep” Sampler. The sampler includes: My Amazing Replenish Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner (This brand is new to me and I am excited to try it); L’Oreal Voluminous Primer/Base (I’ve gotten 3-4 samples of this and still have never tried it); Cover FX Mattifying Primer + Acne Treatment (Intrigued by this product – looking forward to trying this as well); Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum; Milani Bold Matte Lipstick in “I am Worthy” (I have not tried it yet, but it looks like my favorite shade, KvD “Lolita”); belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb (YES – I will never run out!); Hey Honey! 24Seven! Honey Day & Night Cream; and skyn Iceland The Antidote Cooling Daily Lotion. No lie – this is the best sample bag I’ve received in a good long while!
The way I’ve been shopping at Ulta lately, is filling my shopping cart with things I want, waiting for a good promo or deal. Yes to… products were BOGO Half, so I picked up a few items for my son: Yes to Tomatoes Triple Threat Acne Treatment Kit ($12.99 and includes a sulfur solution like Kate Somerville – I might have to switch myself) and Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser ($5, down from $9.99). He acted offended, but I’ve noticed a real improvement in his complexion since he’s started using them.
I added to my conditioner hoard with John Frieda Wonder Drops – Frizz Smoothing Wonder Mask ($1.47 each and also BOGO Half). I got two and used one so far. It felt like a normal conditioner to me – nothing special. The packettes are smaller than I’m used to – only one application. I also ordered a Diane Hanging Shower Comb ($3.50) to evenly distribute my conditioning packs.
I liked the ColourPop Ultra Blotted Lip in my last order, so I ordered another one – “Cherry on Top”, a blackened cherry ($7).
EVERYWHERE is selling face masks now. I bought a pack of 3 from Kitsch for $12.99. They are good quality and breathable, so I’ll definitely buy more now that Texas has a Face Mask Order across the whole state.
I found a few 75% off clearance goodies: Ulta Transforming Clay Cleanser ($3.12, down from $12.50 ), which is supposed to change colors after 30 seconds, but changes color immediately – so weird. Also, Beauty by Popsugar Liquid Velvet Lip in “Be Racy” ($6, down from $24), which was way pinker than I expected and kind of tacky, as in made my lips stick together.
The last few things I threw in my cart were random – a Rebels Refinery Skull Lip Balm in “Mint”, because it reminded me of a lighter that I used to have, and a back-up Zoya Remove+ ($10). Oh, and don’t forget about that $3.50 off coupon!
After this purchase, I’m 40% to Diamond in 2021 ($719 to go)…but I have $61 in points. The new Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet Palette drops in a few days and I’ve got my eye on it…
Back to Back Ulta Hauls
I know I just ordered, but June 1st was Diamond Day, with a whole load of Diamond Exclusive Offers…
I shopped so long that I missed a Special Diamond Gift Bag and Nail Purchase Bag – they were both sold out by the time I placed my order – well, shit. I did still get the Makeup Revolution “Fierce Mind” Eyeshadow Palette for free with $25 makeup purchase. It’s got 4 huge pans of neutral shimmer shades that can easily be used as blush, too. The makeup I picked to get it was a mix of new products. I wanted to try Colourpop Ultra Blotted Liquid Lip ($7) in “Cypress Chill”, a bricky red. It is a matte liquid lipstick, but with a muted finish – it does appear to be blotted down and soft focus. I want more shades! I also tried the new NYX Dip Shape Go Longwear Brow Pomade in “Dark Brown” (usually $11, but all NYX was 40% off, so it was $6.60). This is similar to Julep’s Don’t Leave Your Brows at Home, but in a pomade form. If I’m gonna use a pomade, I’d prefer this all in one form, instead of the brush and pot being separate. That being said, this product did give me fuller brows, but I did have to finish them off with a slim pencil for definition. This product is not one and done.
Coincidentally, I did buy a back-up of my favorite brow pencil – the Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil in “Dark Brown” ($10) – it counted as makeup towards the free eyeshadow AND towards an Ulta 4 piece gift, with $19.50 purchase. The gift contained a HUGE clear tote bag, a small palm tree patterned makeup bag, Ulta Watermelon Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, and Ulta Watermelon Waves Juicy Gloss. Oh, the other purchase was Ulta Brush Cleaning Solid Soap ($10). I am devastated that Ulta no longer carries the Japonesque Solid Soap, but I’m holding in my tears and trying another brand.
I went all in on stocking up on skincare to get ANOTHER Skincare gift with purchase. My son has been breaking out lately, so I got him Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub ($8.49) and Biore T-Zone Targeted Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($9.99). I was all excited when I showed him, but he said he felt personally attacked. Rude!
For myself, I got Sagely Naturals Relief & Recovery CBD Cream ($9, but I swear it was $28 when I looked at it a few weeks ago). I’d gotten this sample a few times, and although CBD seems to be a bullshit ingredient, the tingly menthol in this moisturizer is not bullshit – it feels AMAZING on my face. I also got Freeman CBD Balance Jelly Mask + Scrub ($9.99) and Dr. Organic Rose Restoring Face Scrub ($15.99). Both are bit more pricey than I usually get, but I am a sucker for scrubs and roses.
The “Be Your Own Sunshine” Sample Bag includes Ulta Beauty Makeup Remover Facial Towelettes, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Waterproof; Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (more eye cream!); proactivMD Deep Cleansing Face Wash; it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream; Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum; and Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. That’s a lot of skincare!
The only coupon available was $3.50 off – but hey, better than nothing. I’m now $784 to Diamond Status and I have accrued $50 in points!
Ulta Breakout & Chill
I’d been saving The Sign Tribe’s Remove and Chill Nail Enamel Remover ($14.99, $11.99 after 20% off coupon) in my cart for a quite a while, waiting for a good gift with purchase or coupon. I had both, so I ordered!
This product is a game change for anyone who cannot stand the smell of nail polish remover. It’s a cream that you put on your fingernails that melts off the nail polish remover. There’s no chemical scent, it’s just like a super moisturizing cuticle cream. I’ll be honest, it takes a loooong time to dissolve the polish, and it takes a double application because of the thick top coat that I use. I’ve used it twice (on Sinful Colors “I Ain’t Jambalayan” and Sally Hansen “Berry Blue”) and it’s removed all the polish both times, but neither of those are glitters, so I’ll reserve my full judgement until I try it on a glitter and on my toenails. It’s also quite expensive, even compared to my $10 Zoya Remove+.
The other part of my purchase was the Kate Somerville Breakout Fighters Kit ($55). This kit is kind of bullshit, but it’s my own damn fault, because I should’ve checked the sizes it contained. The main reason I bought it was for the 1 oz EradiKate Acne Treatment ($26 alone), because I was close to running out. This smelly sulfur elixir is the only thing that tames the acne on my chest. The kit also contains a 1 oz EradiKate Daily Cleanser Foaming Cleanser Acne Treatment – but I thought it was the 4 oz size, which is normally $38. That means the 1 oz is worth $9.50. The kit also contains EradiKate Salicylic Acid Treatment (0.33 oz) – the full 1 oz size is $58, so I guess this tiny sample is supposed to be worth $19.33. The Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer (which is very, very nice on my face) is $65 for 1.7 oz, so that makes the .5 oz size about $19.12. I still don’t feel like I got that great of a deal, even if it is all worth $73.95 together…boo.
The Skinfatuation gift with purchase was also disappointing – but AGAIN, my own damn fault. I didn’t realize that it was exclusively eye creams, which I barely use and have a shit ton of. The gift includes Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels; it Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream (I love the moisturizer, so I bet this one is good, too); StriVectin Intensive Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles; Dr. Brandt Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel; La Roche-Posay Toleriance Ultra Eyes Soothing Repair Moisturizer; and CeraVe Eye Repair Cream.
$874 to go until Diamond in 2021.
Genie
It’s been a while since I’ve ordered directly from Black Moon Cosmetics (dang, three years) and I’d forgotten how beautiful their packaging is.
A few weeks ago, they were offering free shipping on orders $15+, so I used this opportunity to order “Genie”, an iridescent fuchsia lippie ($18). I absolutely love this lippie – I wore it to the grocery store, because that is the only place I get to go right now.
My order also came with a free set of Black Moon Lynx Lashes ($14 value). Um, thanks?