My $5 Ulta haul

A couple months ago, I placed an order with Ulta during a sale. I also had enough points saved up to cash in for $125 worth of product. I was so excited I had these points to use, hence the reason for an only $5 haul. Even though I've had these products in my collection for a little while now, I still wanted to share with everyone what I bought!

I pretty much loathe cleaning my makeup brushes, and I had been wanting one of those silicone mats to hopefully help speed up the brush cleaning process. I picked up the J.Cat Beauty Silicone Makeup Brush Cleaner with high hopes. I also picked up the Japonesque Makeup Brush Cleanser, which is something I use for spot cleaning in between deep cleans. 

The Ulta Beauty line of products were on sale, and I wanted to try out some of their Juice Infused Lip Oils. I got the scents Sweet Rose, Coconut, and Cranberry + Pomegranate. They smell so amazing, but definitely have an icky taste. 

Next up is some skincare. You all know that I've fallen in love with sheet masks, and I saw the Biobelle Botanic Fiber Sheet Mask Diary for a really good price. It comes with a set of 6 different face masks that look so cute! I haven't tried any out yet, but I'm pretty excited for them. 

Korean skincare is something I need to check out more, so I picked up the Goodal Phytowash Yerba Mate Cleansing Foam. This seems like it will be very nice for my awkward skin I've had lately. 

The last two products are palettes. I'm a huge fan of NARS blushes, and when I saw the Wanted I Cheek Palette, I knew I had to have it. They have a Wanted II palette, but those colors seemed way too dark for my fair skin. 

You all know my obession for eyeshadow palettes runs strong, and I had been lusting after the BH Cosmetics Zodiac Palette since it came out. With the discount and my points, this baby was practically free!

That's everything I purchased! I was so excited to finally have enough points to make this entire order cost practically nothing. Ulta's rewards system is incredible and totally worth it if you like to shop for beauty products. 

Have you had any impressive shopping trips lately?

June 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys! I finally have received my Ipsy bag this month, after realizing how late it was getting. At first I wasn't really paying attention because alot is going on at the moment, but then others were posting what they got in their bags. I received mine yesterday, which is fairly late for me, but at least it didn't get lost in transit! Anyways, lets see what I got this month, as I have mixed feelings about it.

The theme this month is called Swim into Beauty, so to me that means these products will be waterproof/good for Summertime use when everyone sweats more. I really actually like the bag everything came in. It's really soft and has a waterproof feel to it. It's got a bright neon orange zipper, which I could do without since I'm not the biggest fan of orange. I see myself carrying this around with me if I ever go swimming or for travel. 

The first product I got is a trio of BioRepublic Skincare Sheet Masks in the scents Green Tea Detox, Cucumber Breeze, and Aloe Rescue. I haven't had luck with sheet masks in the past, but I will try these and see how they are. I'm trying to revamp my skincare and be more aware of the ingredients in products I'm using, and these seem to pass my test. 

The next product is the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I've gotten a ton of these samples before, and I can't quite remember if I ever got one in an Ipsy bag. Ipsy promises to give you new products with each bag without any repeats, but if this one is a repeat for me, it's ok because I can always use a good primer. 

Next up is the J. Cat beauty Liptitude Hydrating Lip Stain, and I have no idea what the shade name is because the two colors they sent out look so similar, and the name is nowhere on the packaging. In any case, it's a pretty color and smells minty, which I do enjoy. 

The next product is the Ofra Eyeliner in the shade Turquoise. This is a pretty color but when I was swatching it, it felt pretty dry so I'm not sure if I will get use out of it. 

The last product I got is the tre'StiQue Mini Shadow Crayon in the shade Kona Coffee. This is a gorgeous dark brown color and it swatches beautifully. I'm pretty excited to use this as a base underneath different eyeshadows. 

Swatches of lip stain, eyeliner and eyeshadow crayon

That's everything this month! Overall, I do have mixed feeling about this bag. I like the eye crayon, lip stain shade, and the Smashbox primer, but I'm waiting for that one bag where I absolutely love everything!

If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, feel free to use my referral link here. You get a cute bag with 4-5 deluxe sized samples, sometimes full size, for only $10 a month, plus shipping for some.

If you're already subscribed, what did you get this month?

September 2014 Empties

Hi guys! It's time for some empties and this will probably be a long one because I used up a decent amount of products. Here we go!

First up is a can of Batiste Dry Shampoo, and this is the one with a hint of color for light and blonde hair. I didn't mind the color of this, which was a light yellow. It rubbed into my hair fine and left no strange color. I love my Batiste and will always repurchase, but probably not this one.

The next product I used up is the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Fortifying Shampoo. I didn't use up this whole bottle myself, I had the help of my husband. He's not picky with shampoo, but I did like this. It definitely made my hair feel really clean and it smelled really nice too. I always like shampoos and conditioners from this brand so I'll always repurchase at some time or other.

Next up is a conditioner I've been tying to finish for probably a year or so, and it's the Pantene Sheer Volume Complete Therapy Conditioner. I don't know why this took so long to finish, but I didn't need alot at all to make my hair feel hydrated. This definitely made my hair feel so nice and less tangled. Worth it for how long it lasted, but I was so over it when it was gone!

I also used up the Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner that also took me ages to use up. This conditioner is really good stuff. It's very thin and liquid-y though so at first I thought it wasn't going to work well. Boy was I wrong! This left my hair feeling so soft and made it smell so darn good! I would repurchase once I use up my stash. 

Oh look, mascaras! I gotta admit, alot of these were just dried up and I couldn't use them. The two Buxom Lash mascaras I've had for I don't even now how long, so they gotta go. The Benefit Badgal Lash I used once, but it seemed off to me. I used it before and liked it, but this tube just wasn't the same. Funny story about the Fresh Supernova mascara. The first time I went to use it, I got one eye done and loved how it turned out. Then the wand proceeded to fly out of my hand onto the carpet. Needless to say, it had hair and dust all over it so I had to toss it and find something else to use. I absolutely hated theBalm's What's Your Type? mascara in "The Body Builder". It did nothing for me at all. I was so in love with the Sephora Atomic Volume mascara and I got a good 3 weeks of use out of it before it started to dry out and not work as well. 

The next product Is actually one I'm throwing away because the color is hideous and it's the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in the color Brick. It's a horrible brick red color that makes me look so sick. This came in a gift with purchase so I'm not worried about throwing it out.

Then we have a Jouer lip gloss and the color is called Birchbox Pink. This obviously came in a Birchbox, but I haven't been subscribed to them in about 2 years, plus this smelled funny, so out it goes!

The bareMinerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer was pretty nice, but my shadows creased on me most days I used it. It wasn't terrible, but enough to be annoying. I did finish all of this and got a little over a month's worth of use out of this little sample. 

I'm just throwing away the J.Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette. This glittery creamy mess is just not good and no one should ever use it. 

Onto some random bits. First up is a foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works in the scent Coconut Cove. I absolutely loved this scent, obviously because it's coconut. I have about 20 different scents of these soaps because I always stock up during sales. 

Next up is my favorite contact solution, Renu Fresh. I know I've said before, but this is the only brand that doesn't burn my eyes when I put my contacts in, so I can't really buy anything else. This stuff isn't cheap either, so I'm learning to wear my glasses more just to conserve a bit.

I was sad using up this Crest Sensi-Relief Toothpaste, because it was so good! This has to be one of the best toothpastes that have helped my sensitive teeth and gums. This isn't cheap either and I did buy it at Walmart when I had a $1 off coupon to use. Normally I think it's a little over $4, which to me is high. I always feel like I shouldn't pay that much for something like toothpaste. I will repurchase eventually if I don't find something better, or cheaper.

I used up the Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner, which I've been a fan of for years. I love this stuff in the Summer especially, because it's awesome for oily skin. It keeps my skin clear and fresh and I feel it helps with my breakouts. 

I used up my first EOS lip balm and I think the scent is either strawberry or raspberry. It never says on the packaging what scent it is, so I really am guessing. In my truly honest opinion, I think this stuff sucks. I didn't find it moisturizing at all. If anything my lips were drier making me use it constantly. I do have a few more of these lip balms in my stash, but I don't know if I want to just throw them out or not. 

Next up is another product from The Body Shop, the Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel. I loved this so much in the Summer because it felt so cooling and nice on hot days. It really has no scent either which for me is nice since I tend to have sensitive eyes. 

I was really sad when I used up this little sample of the Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment. I think I got this in a Birchbox as well, but this seemed good to use. I absolutely loved what this did to my lips. It made them plump and feel so hydrated and lovely. I'm tempted to buy a full size of this honestly but I have plenty of lip balms/treatments to use up first.

The last product I used up is the Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes. I'm on the fence with these. I liked them but I didn't love them. They did seem to remove my makeup well, but they left a bit of a film on my skin and stung my eyes occasionally, which was odd. 

Phew! That was a doozy! If you made it til the end, tell me what you all used up last month! :)

February 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! Yes, I know it's been forever since my last post, but it's been a bit crazy here in Eastern Pennsylvania lately. There have been snowstorms out the wazoo, the power in our house went out when we had a horrible ice storm, and all this nasty weather has been affecting me. I tend to get really down in the Winter, but all this snow we've had has definitely put me in a worse mood than normal. Anyways, I'm back to show you what I got in this month's Ipsy bag. I got this in the mail the day after Valentine's Day. 

The theme this month was The Look of Love, and I absolutely love the bag everything came in! If you know me, you know pink is my favorite color, so I'm definitely happy with how this bag looks and I may actually put it to use. Onto the products!

The first product I received is the City Color Be Matte Blush in the color Fresh Melon. This blush is a pretty color, but I'm not sure how it's going to look on my super fair skin. I usually go for pinker blushes, but this one is a coral-y peach color.

Next up, I received the POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini gloss in the color Peony Petal. This is more of a "me" color so I'll most likely have use for this. I have to say though, this gloss smells terrible! I can't really put my finger on it, but it's like a sweet smell that went bad or something. Kinda off putting. 

I received another Zoya Nail polish in the shade Odette. I'm getting a bit tired of receiving nail polishes in these bags man! I can't tell you how many I've gotten and they're all just sitting. I'm not huge into painting my nails because I just don't have the patience. This is a pretty color though, so I might try and put more effort into doing them more.

Another useless product I got is the J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue. I don't have the best lashes on the planet, but I have never used falsies and probably never will use them. I have pretty sensitive eyes so I don't even want to run the risk of them getting irritated by these.

The last product I received is the Phyto-C Velvet Gel. I'm a skincare junkie, so I was happy to see something I could actually use in here! This serum type product is meant for wrinkles and fine lines, which I don't have, but like to use products to help prevent that stuff. Hopefully this is a nice product!

Overall, I'm disappointed with this month's bag. Looking at all the other products that were sent out, I wish I would've gotten another skincare item instead of the lashes. Oh well, can't win them all! Ipsy is still a nice subscription service and I'll continue to stay subscribed for now, but who knows what the future holds.

Swatch of lip gloss and blush

 Sign up here if you want to subscribe to Ipsy! For $10 a month, plus shipping for some, it's not a bad deal!

If you're subscribed to Ipsy, what did you receive?

September 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! I finally got my Ipsy bag in the mail and wanted to post what was in my bag before I get married on Saturday. I can't believe it's only in 3 more days! It's incredible how fast time went by. I'm also thinking of putting together a post of what makeup I'm considering wearing for my big day, so let me know if you want me to write up that post! Anyways, let get into what I received this month!

I'm loving this bag so much! I love the blue color and all the different prints on it. So beautiful!

The first product I received is a NYX Single Eyeshadow in the color Cryptonite. Now, I love NYX eyeshadows alot. They're very nice quality for the price. I have to be honest though and say I'm not the biggest fan of the color I received. It's like a greyish black color with shimmer in it. I'm more of a neutral girl, but this will probably be good for smokey looks.

Then I received the Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Volumizing Mascara. I'm not too happy with this honestly. I've read reviews on this and basically all of them are negative. I have tons of mascaras to go through before this though, so it may be a while until I get to try it out.

I then received the J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick in the color Honeycrisp. I could have done without this product in my bag. I've never really been a lipstick girl, plus this color is pretty bad for my fair skin. It'll just make me look sick.

I also got the Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in the color Obsidian. Alot of people say you can never have enough black eyeliner, but if you're like me and hardly ever wear eyeliner, it's just gonna sit in your collection. I did swatch it and it felt nice, but if I do wear eyeliner pencil, I typically go for Urban Decay or the Rimmel Kohl pencil.

I'm most excited about these babies! When I saw on Ipsy's site that I was getting a Freeman mask, I honestly was only expecting one, not three. Buy hey, I ain't complaining! Anyways, these are the Freeman Beauty Facial Paper Masks. I got a hydrating mask with Blue Agave, a purifying mask with Star Fruit, and a brightening mask with Rose. I plan on using the brightening mask on Friday before my wedding! 

Swatch of eyeliner, lipstick and eyeshadow

That's everything I received! I'm not overly excited about this month's bag aside from the masks, but I will say that there are some decent products in here. If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, click here. It's only $10 a month, plus shipping in some areas, so you really can't go wrong. Most bags are usually at least worth double than the price paid!

If you subscribe to Ipsy, what did you get in your glam bag?

June 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! I'm finally able to throw in a beauty related post in the midst of the 30 day blogging challenge I'm participating in! I'll be showing you what I received in this month's Ipsy bag. I'll say now, I feel a bit meh about it.

This month's theme was On The Wild Side, and I think the bag itself is so adorable! I'm usually not a fan of the neon highlighter yellow color, but it fits with the animal print design. Onto the products!

First off, sorry about the weird lighting. It's been gloomy and raining all day and I couldn't get good pictures to save my life. Anyways, the first product I received was the J.Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette. I'll say right now that I'm about 99.9% sure that this will not be used. To me this is something a little kid would play with. Not a fan.

The next product I received is the NYX Mosaic Blush in the color Dare. I was really hoping for one of their regular blushes honestly. I'm glad I didn't get a cream one as it would just slide off my face. I'm still going to try it and see how I like it. I'm just worried that the darker colors will look muddy on me.

Next, I received the Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil. I wasn't really sure what I'd use this for, but I was reading other people's reviews and got some ideas for highlighting the inner corners of my eyes and maybe using it on my waterline. Hopefully it won't smudge!

The next product is from Cailyn Cosmetics and it's their Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner with a built-in brush. The brush is absolutely useless. I tried this out on Sunday when it was my fiance's and my anniversary and I love the purple color I received, but the brush, holy cow does it suck! Now I've mentioned before that I'm not a pro with gel eyeliner, but the brush didn't create an even line and it looked very patchy. I didn't want to fuss with doing it over again, so I tried my best in fixing it. Next time I'll try the eyeliner brush from Sephora I like to use when using gel eyeliner. 

The last product I received is a Starlooks Lip Pencil in the color Bare. I'm not too happy with this product, as I don't use lip liners. It looks like dirt when I swatched it too, but oh well. I'll see if I can use this as something other than lip liner. 

Like I said, I feel meh about this bag. I'm not super unimpressed, but I do hope next month's bag is better. I really like though how Ipsy is trying to tailor bags by the individual person receiving it. It makes it seem more personal. And honestly, for $10 a month, plus tax for some, you really can't beat it. If you're interested in trying Ipsy, here's a referral link to get started! 

If you're subscribed to Ipsy, did you like your bag this month?