Tag: olaplex

 
+

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???

+

Bling Bling Black Honey Ulta Haul

Why yes, that is a super blinged out Clinique Limited Edition Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey”. It was 50% off ($15.50) in this month’s Diamond Love List and my last one was down to a stub, so I JUMPED on it. That was the only thing that I wanted this month…but then I found some other things…

I was in the mood for more bougie bath stuff, so I decided to try out Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Clarifying AHA BHA Body Wash ($26). It has a little salicylic acid, along with the all the other good stuff and it will help clear up my summer bacne. I sprung for the Sol de Janeiro Limited Edition Perfume Mist Discovery Set ($34), which was kinda dumb in retrospect. I already had 62 and 48. I wanted the 40 to match the body wash, but it isn’t as good as the body wash and 87 is weird, too. Sigh. I guess I cannot be too mad, because I used $50 in Ulta points.

My daughter is into dry shampoo and MONDAY Haircare Brunette Dry Shampoo ($7.99) is cheaper than Batiste or Not Your Mother’s, so I wanted her to try it. I also needed more Unbound Jelly ($18) for…stuff.

In addition to using $50 in Ulta points and a $3.50 off $15 coupon, I got two gifts with purchase! I got Platinum & Diamond Exclusive Free 17 Piece Gift with $85 purchase, which included Good Molecules Pimple Patches (giving to Lily); Redken Control Hairspray; Polite Society Greatest Lashes of All Time Mascara; NOYZ 12:00 eau de parfum; CHI Infra Silk Infusion; Kenra Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner; Eau Thermale Avene Cicalfate Serum; Olaplex No. 4 Shampoo and No. 5 Conditioner (YASSSS); Dolce & Gabbana Devotion; philosophy dose of wisdom dark circle brightening cream; Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair; Stila Liquid Lipstick in “Mute”; Lolavie Glossing Detangler (saving for my Barbies); Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum; and pixi Glow Tonic (I have so much of this). I also qualified for a Diamond Member Exclusive! Free 11 Piece Sampler with $100 purchase, that included St. Moritz Tanning Mousse (giving away); le mini macaron Nail Cleanser Pads (pretty sure they are just alcohol wipes); Half Magic Face Gems (hello Gwen Stefani in the late 90s); Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother (trifecta!); megababe The Geo Deo (going in my travel bag); Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair; COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum; Living proof. restore conditioner (but no fucking shampoo?); philosophy dose of wisdom bouncy skin reactivating serum; r.e.m. beauty On Your Collar Classic Lipstick in “Lingerie”; and it Cosmetics Hello Results Wrinkle Reducing Daily Retinol Serum-in-a-Cream. WoW! My skin is excited.

Just $762 to Diamond in 2026.

+

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 Freebie Haul

I love the first Monday of every month. Not because it’s a Monday, but because that’s when Ulta has their “Diamond Love List”, which is full of exclusive deals and freebies for Diamond Members!

The best part about the “Diamond Love List” is getting to try new products before the official launch. Fresh Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Lightweight Moisturizer ($46) is a lighter version of the Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream that I love. I’ve been using it under my makeup and I love how light it feels. It’s a bit pricier than Oil of Olay, but those are damn near $30 now! I’m getting uncomfortably close to 50 years old, so it might be time to splurge a little bit…I mean, it’s not La Mer.

My hair needs more than a sample pack of deep conditioner, so I splurged on Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Luster Lock ($38.50). It came with a gift with purchase – a free shower cap and hair wrap set. Who doesn’t need an extra shower cap and hair wrap?

What else did I “add to cart”? Aquaphor Touch-Free Healing Ointment ($9.99) is THE BEST. Smartypits Natural Deodorant Sample Pack – Sensitive Skin ($10, down from $20) – I couldn’t pass up this set of 4 trial size deodorants. So far, I’ve only used “Rose Lavender”, but it hasn’t irritated my skin. I also picked up a few more Flowery Nail Buffers, at 40% off. I also got a pair of Diane Daisy/Clean-Cut Shear 5” ($8.79, down from $10.99) for Logan. I caught him cutting his hair with kitchen scissors!

My order also contained a birthday gift for my sister…not pictured.

…and now for the free stuff! I got an exclusive Clarins 4 piece set with my $35 skincare purchase: Clarins Double Serum Eye; Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté; Total Cleansing Oil; Extra-Firming Night Cream; and Instant Smooth – that’s five things! I also got a free mystery gift with select hair care purchase: it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Anti-Aging; Biolage Strength Repairing Spray; Love Wellness Call Me Collagen; Drybar Liquid Glass Shampoo & Conditioner; Verb Ghost Shampoo & Conditioner; Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo; Living proof. Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment; and it Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Serum. Last, but not least, I got a Platinum & Diamond Exclusive 11 piece gift with $35 hair purchase: Biolage All-In-One Multi-benefit Spray; Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother; Living proof. Perfect hair Day Enhancing Treatment; Batiste Dry Shampoo; Bed Head Master Piece Hairspray; ANOTHER Love Wellness Call Me Collagen; Better Not Younger Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo (but no conditioner?); Virtue Healing Oil; OUAI Treatment Masque; and Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-In Conditioner. My hair is so lucky!

On top of all those freebies, I was able to use a $10 off $50 coupon…just $718 to Diamond in 2024.

+

Miscellaneous Ulta Haul

Really…I just needed shampoo. I’d had my refill of NatureLab.Tokyo Perfect Smooth Shampoo ($23) in my cart for weeks…I just added stuff slowly until I had enough junk for free stuff!

I had seen KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Vegan Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick in “Velvet Cloak” ($23) on insta…I was transfixed by the color. It’s a new shade, not a renamed shade from Kat Von D. I was SO right – it’s gorgeous on me. It’s not quite “Lolita”/”Queen of Poisons” – but it’s close. Speaking of lippies, I also got Ulta Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Very Berry” ($6, down from $10). This formula doesn’t bleed quite as much as the Revolution version – I love it!

For funsies, I added a bunch of other sale stuff to my cart: a HASK Color Care Color Protection Deep Conditioner ($1.79, down from $2.99); 2 packs of Exfoliating Cotton Rounds ($2.09, down from $3.49); Ulta Crystal Aloe Scented Gel Hand Wash ($2.10, down from $3.50); Ulta Soft Cotton Scented Foaming Hand Wash ($2.10, down from $3.50); J. Cat Beauty Curl & Lift-Up Eyelash Comb Curler ($2.39, down from $3.99 – for Lily, because curled lashes are all the rage with high schoolers these days); 2 EcoTools Bath Poofs ($2.39, down from $2.99); an Ulta 4-Way Buffing Block ($2.40, down from $4); Freeman Refining Pink To Green Color Changing Clay Facial Mask ($3.49, down from $4.99 – this mask pissed me off…it did not start green, nor did it turn green – BULLSHIT MARKETING); Freeman Soothing Pumpkin Mud Facial Mask ($3.49, down from $4.99 – it smells like pumpkin pie); and a wet n wild Ultimate Brow Micro Brow Pencil in “Medium Brown” ($3.59, down from $4.79 – not bad, but has a reddish tinge that looks cheap).

I used a $15 off $75 code and GOT a nice gift with purchase. Inside this positively BURSTING 20 piece “Little Luxuries” sample bag (free with my $80 purchase): Benefit The POREfessional Super Setter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray (I have so much setting spray, I could paint my house with it); Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair Treatment; Clinique High Impact Mascara; IGK Pay Day Instant Repair Shampoo, Conditioner & Cash In Instant Repair Serum; Vichy Mineral 89 Booster; Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio; Tula Skincare Take Care + Polish/Take Care + Nourish; olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask (ooooh, this is the good stuff); Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve (sending to my niece, Curly Sue); Sexy Hair Imperfect Nectarine Strengthening Mask; Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine; Urban Decay Wild Lash Vegan Mascara; Good Molecules Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer; Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer; Mugler Alien Goddess; Giorgio Armani Si Passione; Buxom Wanderlust Blush Card; Kylie Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lipstick Card Sample in “Mary Jo K”; and Viktor & Rolf Good Fortune.

Just $119 to Diamond in 2023…almost there!