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?

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty Sale Haul

Ulta recently had their Spring 21 Days of Beauty sale, and I set myself a budget since I knew I wanted to pick up a few things I've had my eye on. 

Dose of Colors is a brand highly hyped up, and their Marvelous Mauves eye shadow palette has stood out to me for a while. At 50% off, it was a total steal and had to be mine. I've also had my eye on the Lorac Pro Palette 3 since it came out, but didn't really want to spend $42 on it. This was also 50% off, so I finally pulled the trigger and bought it. 

I feel like everyone and their mom talks about MAC Fix+, so when I saw this was going to be only $13, I figured I'd try it out for myself to see what all the fuss is about. Same thing with the Smashbox Primer Water. Everyone says great things, but I'm not totally sure if it's something I'll like. It was inexpensive enough, so if I end up not liking it, I'm not out too much money. 

That is all I bought, and I'm really proud of myself. I've made an effort to stay on a budget this year, and this sale only cost me $67 before tax. That's less than half of my budget I set for myself of $150. 

Did you pick something up during the 21 Days of Beauty sale?

Collective Ulta & Sephora Beauty Insider Haul

I've purchased some beauty bits since the Summertime, and wanted to share with you all what I picked up! I've been on a kick lately with self-care in taking better care of my skin and occasionally doing my makeup more. I'm so excited I got to treat myself and can't wait to give everything a try!

I'll start off with the most exciting purchases, eyes shadow palettes! You all know eye shadow palettes are my favorite, and I ended up picking up 3 during different sales where I received 20% off my purchase, and that included prestige brands. I don't really watch Jaclyn Hill much on YouTube anymore, but her eye shadow palette that she put out with Morphe looked absolutely beautiful. Now with Morphe being sold at Ulta, I'm more inclined to try their products. 

I don't have very many MAC products in my collection, but the Cool Neutral eye shadow palette really tripped my trigger. I LOVE cool toned shadows, and I feel like every palette out there is warm toned, so this is a welcome palette to my collection. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills makes some amazing products (the clear brow gel is fantastic!), and I typically love their palettes. With the whole Subculture debacle, I was wary of buying any more from them. However, the Prism palette is just so stunning, and limited edition, so I knew I had to have it before it went away for good. I have yet to try it on my eyes, but I'm excited to, even though reviews I've seen are mixed. 

Skincare is always my weakness, and I haven't used Dermalogica products in ages. Their Active Moist moisturizer was a favorite of mine years ago when I was in cosmetology school. I figured I'd give it a try again to see if I still like it. 

Face masks are my favorite skincare product to use, and I had never heard of the brand Skin & Lab before. They have a few different kinds of masks, but I chose their Glacial Clay Facial Mask, which is said to be a purifying cooling & pore refining treatment with Canadian colloidal & Avena satiba oatmeal. This mask seems to be right up my alley!

I'm in need of replacing my beloved The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner since it's so pricey now, and with the 20% off coupon, I decided to give the Mario Badescu Keratoplast Cleansing Lotion a try. It seems like a simple toner and only has a few ingredients, so I'm hopeful this is a good one.

'Tis the season for dry hands and lips. I tend to go through hand creams and lip balms like they're going out of style once the weather cools down, so I decided to get the Delectable Dream Cream Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream set, and the Skinfix Lip Fix set. I went through so many lip balms and hand creams when my daughter was in the NICU, and I still seem to go through alot, so I can never have enough!

These Hempz products were a gift with purchase for spending a certain amount, and I had never tried any of these products, so I figured I'd give them a go. It came with the Triple Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, Hand Sanitizer, Body Cream and Lip Balm.

I wasn't planning on purchasing anything from the recent Rouge/VIB/Beauty Insider sale Sephora recently had, but this was the first year Beauty Insiders received a discount. I'm no longer Rouge, and much prefer Ulta's reward system, but the Kat Von D Saint & Sinner eye shadow palette for Holiday 2017 stood out to me. I missed out on last year's palette, Metal Matte, and I kick myself for not getting it still, so I knew I had to get Saint & Sinner. 

I also cashed in 100 points since I rarely buy from Sephora, so I got the Farmacy Honey Potion Hydration Mask. This is a brand I've been dying to try, and my skin needs some extra hydration lately. 

Is there anything you've purchased lately from recent sales?

Fall Lip Product Haul

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Hey guys! I know posting has been very sporadic, and I'm really trying to figure out a blogging schedule that fits around my daughter's routines. It's been kinda tough lately figuring things out with her, and this blog has been neglected. Please bear with me as I figure things out! Anyway, I decided to do a little lip product shopping when Ulta was having an extra points deal, as well as a 20% off coupon. I'm all about Fall and love everything about it! The colors, smells, foods, cooler weather, it all puts me in a good mood. 

As you can see, I got quite a few lippies to play with! Maybelline was buy one, get one 50% off, so I picked up the matte shade called Toasted Truffle, and a Color Sensational lipcolor in Deepest Cherry. I've been wanting to experiment with nude shades and see what works with my fair skin, and of course I needed something dark for Fall. 

Revlon was also buy one, get one 50% off so I chose Mauvy Night and Certainly Red. I love mauve shades so much, and I love trying different shades of red. Certainly Red may not be cool toned enough for me, but I have yet to try it out. 

I don't own very many MAC products, and most people say a lot of good things about their lipsticks. I got Party Line and Creme in Your Coffee, both of which are cremesheens. Both shades are gorgeous, and I cannot wait to rock these in Fall and Winter!

The e.l.f. Matte Lip Colors have intrigued me since they came out. They're so inexpensive, and I have heard pretty good things about them. I picked the shades Praline and Wine, which I hear great things about. I definitely look forward to trying these out finally!

I love me some lip products, and would love to know if there is anything you've picked up recently that I need to try!

Review: HASK Monoi Coconut Dry Shampoo

 *Product sent for review thanks to BrandBacker*

As a mom to an almost 11 month old, dry shampoo is pretty prevalent in my life. Showers sometimes need to be skipped, but I still want my hair to look somewhat decent and not oily. I was given the chance to try out the HASK Coconut Dry Shampoo, and I've been pretty impressed with it!

Here is some info on the HASK Coconut Dry Shampoo:

Infused with a tropical coconut scent
Long-lasting Oil Absorption
Removing excess oil is now easier than lather, rinse and repeat. Skip a wash or extend the life of your style with this lightweight, coconut infused formula that will leave your second day hair even fresher than the first. Ultra-fine rice starch acts quickly to soak up oil, sweat and odor leaving hair bouncy, vibrant and clean. The tropical escape your hair has been waiting for!

You can find HASK dry shampoos at Ulta Beauty for $7.99 each. 

You all know I love anything that smells like coconut, and this particular dry shampoo smells incredible! It also makes my hair feel nice and fresh, even if I skipped a couple days of washing. It doesn't leave white streaks in my hair and makes it feel less fine as well. The can it comes in is huge and will likely last me a long while, which will be great for me in the Winter while I'm missing the warm weather of Summer. 

I feel like this is a great dry shampoo, the price is right, and definitely something I would consider purchasing myself!

What dry shampoo do you like to use?

Ulta Beauty Haul

I haven't purchased anything beauty related since December 2016. Yep, a full 7 months of not spending any money on makeup, skincare, haircare, etc. If you're a reader of my blog, you know having my daughter early had me put my blog on hold, as well as taking care of myself. I used to love doing my makeup and having a long skincare routine. Since she's been born, I have yet to wear makeup and I still struggle with doing even the simplest of skincare routines. I had put myself on a no-buy for this year, but was really wanting to start feeling good about myself again. Did I need more makeup? No, not at all, but it felt good ordering new products to add to my collection, and Ulta is definitely my favorite place for all things beauty. 

I have a ton of skincare, but always enjoy trying something new, so when I saw the brand Skinfood was on sale, I took advantage! I picked up the Rice Brightening Scrub Foam and the Egg White Pore Hot Steam Pack. My skin needs some good exfoliation and brightening, and my blackheads are out of control, so I cannot wait to try these! Plus, I love Korean brand skincare, as they always seem to have the best products at typically great prices.

I need new eyeshadow palettes like I need a hole in my head. The Ulta brand had a sale going as well, and I was very interested in getting the Melisa Michelle palette. I just love her and have been following her YouTube channel for years now. Her palette comes with 9 eyeshadows, a highlight, blush and a liquid lipstick. Not a bad deal for just $20 if you ask me! I also picked up two of their other eyeshadow palettes, Rose Gold and Matte Neutrals. I can't wait to start playing with these!

During the time I made this purchase, there was a sampler pack of haircare if you spent a certain amount, so I decided to get it. There are so many nice products from Living Proof, It's a 10, Redken and more. I usually don't do much with my hair, and I typically let it air dry, but I'll be able to use most of these products. 

Is there anything you've treated yourself to lately?

Sephora VIB Sale, Ulta & Birthday Haul

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This post is coming quite a few months late, but for very good reason. My birthday was back in December, and Sephora usually does their VIB sale sometime around late November or so. I decided to treat myself to some beauty bits while my daughter was still in the hospital. 

After Olivia came along, I was mainly into skincare and getting my skin in good shape. I hadn't worn makeup in ages, and still haven't worn any since she was born. I still have boatloads of makeup that I slowly want to get back into doing, but skincare is my main focus. During the VIB Rouge sale (which I am no longer part of Rouge), I had picked up 3 of the Sephora Favorites sets: Soko to Tokyo, Scouted by Sephora, and Beauty Sleep. All of these sets came with brands that I had been dying to try, and now that Olivia is finally home, I can really focus on getting my good skin back. 

After the VIB Rouge sale, I got one of those $25 off of $50 giftcards sometime in December, so I ended up buying a few things for my birthday. I got the Too Cool For School Egg Cream Mask set that comes with 6 sheet masks. Ever since I learned how to properly use a sheet mask, they've become so much more fun to use. I also got the Tony Moly Coconut Face Mask Sheet in the 2-pack. 

To get to the $50, I purchased two lip balms from Smith's: one in Minted Rose, and the other in Rose & Mandarin. I've used these balms before in other scents, and love how they smell and feel on my lips. They're nice and thick, and perfect to use before bed to really soak in and hydrate dry, cracked lips. 

Since it was my birthday, I chose to get the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser as my birthday gift. I really like how there are options to choose from now, versus just a one product for all people. I also had 500 points to burn, so I chose the Glamglow face mask and cleanser set. I love the masks in the white and blue jars, but not so much the black one. I have yet to try their cleansers, but will probably save it for the warmer months when my skin gets more oily. 

I need more eyeshadow palettes like I need a hole in the head, but everyone and their dog was raving about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. Since Ulta gives you double points during your birthday month, and it was a time where I had a 20% off coupon, I treated myself. The colors are super pretty, but more warm toned than I'm used to. I honestly still have yet to try it with all the stuff going on with Olivia. 

Since I was on a skincare kick, I got some individual sheet masks from Tony Moly: Refreshing, Skin Purifying, Moisturizing, Pore Care, Skin Soothing, and Clear Skin. These sheet masks are so inexpensive and I always hear great things about them. I can't wait to dig in and try them!

I hope you all didn't mind my ultra late haul from my birthday and the VIB sale! Since these purchases, I haven't bought a single thing and have put myself on a spending ban for the entire year. Maybe once December rolls around again, I'll treat myself for my birthday, but other than that, I truly don't need a thing beauty related. Is there anything you've bought recently that you're liking?  

Beauty Wishlist: Fall 2016

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Hey everyone! I know I've been slacking again on the blogging recently. So much is going on in life and quite honestly, I'm just stressed out so the last thing I've wanted to do lately is sit down and write. Today though, I wanted to share with you all a few things that I've been seriously lusting over in the beauty world. As you might know, I've put myself on a spending ban and haven't purchased anything beauty related since April. There are so many new releases, and products that have been out for a little while that I just want to get my hands on. 

 

Lorac Mega Pro Palette 3 - Lorac never ceases to amaze me with their shadow formula, and it has definitely become my favorite formula to work with. Just look at how beautiful these shades are! This palette officially releases on October 2nd at Ulta Beauty for $59, and I think this is the one product I will allow myself to splurge on. I have the other two Mega Pro palettes, and the first two smaller ones, so naturally this is a must.


 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Palette Color Wheel - Now I really don't need anymore blushes in my life, but this palette gives me some major feels. I hear angels singing looking at this beauty. I'm a pretty big fan of the Tarte Amazonian clay blushes since they last on my oily skin, so this is incredibly tempting to get. This is a Sephora exclusive that sells for just $44.

 

Clarisonic Mia 2 Sea Breeze First Aid Beauty Set - I adore the Clarisonic. I've had my current one since my 21st birthday (almost 7 years now), and I can tell that it's starting to crap out on me. It works fine still, but it doesn't hold a charge very long. I don't use it very often, maybe twice a week at most, but I find that I have to charge it up constantly because it dies fast. I've been looking into getting a new one and this set comes with a few First Aid Beauty products, which is a brand I'm fond of, along with a Luxe Facial Brush Head and a Sensitive Brush Head. This set costs $169 and I'm pretty sure it's a Sephora exclusive. 

 

itCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream - it Cosmetics has recently launched at Sephora, and they have a few skincare items that are Sephora exclusives, this eye cream being one of them. What caught my eye with this is the claims that it smooths, brightens and depuffs. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm expecting a baby girl who is due on Christmas Eve. After she's born, I know I'll have many sleepless nights (and days) taking care of her needs and mama will look like a Walking Dead zombie. Anything that can help to brighten and depuff tired mommy eyes, I'm all for. This costs $48. 

  

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette - This bad boy has been out for a while and has so much hype surrounding it. Every video I watch on this and every blog post I read has nothing but amazing things to say. The colors are gorgeous, and swatches I've seen have been incredible. I'm now convinced that this needs to be in my collection, but it's sold out online everywhere at the moment. This costs $42 which is a great price for a palette.  

We would be here for hours if I kept adding products to this list, so I'll leave it at five. There are so many awesome products I'm dying to get my hands on, but with my priorities being on baby girl lately, I haven't treated myself to anything. If there is anything else you all think I should check out, let me know in a comment! I'd love to hear what you are lusting over!

Also, let me know what kind of posting schedule you would like to see from me. I don't have the time to post every single day, or even 5 days a week. I was thinking maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday but would love some input!

Ulta & Sephora VIB Sale HAUL!

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for a few days! I haven't been feeling so great lately and really just needed to rest. Today, I have a haul to share with you of some products I've picked up within the last few weeks or so. I haven't really done much beauty shopping lately because I am trying to use up what I already have, but I wanted to treat myself a little bit!

First up is Ulta. I had placed an online order during their 21 Days of Beauty, where I picked up the Philosophy Purity Made Simple Wipes and the Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in the shade Something About Berry. Each of those products were 50% off, and since I'm a Platinum member, I also received free shipping, as well as a good amount of points because Philosophy was 5X the points during that time! I've used the Philosophy wipes before and remember liking them, but I can't remember if I was wowed by them. They were only $7.50, so no real loss if I end up not liking them much. I had also been wanting to try one of the Too Faced Sweethearts blushes, but always thought they were a bit too expensive. They were only $15 at the 50% off sale price, so I ran with it. I have yet to try it, but will report back with a review!

I had gone into my local Ulta after not being in that store since October of 2015, because I had a 20% off coupon for Platinum members sent to me. I wanted to check out some skincare, so off to the store I went. I've really enjoyed being sent a bunch of goodies from Pur Cosmetics before, so I wanted to look into their skincare to see if I liked any of it. I picked up their In The Clear Clarifying Cleanser and the Soak It Up Intense Hydrating Moisturizer. A rep from the brand was there, so she was testing out a bunch of things on me to help me with my choices. The cleanser seems like it'll be great for use in the Summer as it's very cooling, and the moisturizer seems nice and light feeling, but still very hydrating at the same time.

I've heard so many amazing things about the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads, and have been very curious to try them myself. Unfortunately, I didn't look at the ingredients while in-store, and there's denatured alcohol in them. I'm trying to stay away from products that contain alcohol, and now for personal reasons (which I might mention later), I'm also staying away from Glycolic Acid. I will be returning this since I have yet to break the seal and open it. 

I really didn't have plans to buy anything from the Sephora VIB sale. In all honesty, I haven't shopped at Sephora, online or in-store, since the middle of December! Like I said above, I'm really trying to limit my purchases this year to buying mainly what I need, not just what I want. So, I limited myself to the NARS Pencil Sharpener, because the sharpeners I have just didn't cut it anymore, and the beautyblender Two.BB.Clean that comes with two regular sized original Beauty Blenders, as well as a 5 ounce Liquid Blender Cleanser. You all know my love for the Beauty Blender and I just adore their Liquid Cleanser as well, so for $40 minus the 15% discount, you really couldn't beat that. 

I finally had a reason to redeem some of my points, so I redeemed 100 points on the Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover, which is my all-time favorite, but it's freaking expensive. They also had a pretty great 500 point gift of Ole Henriksen products called Glow For it, which includes deluxe sizes of their African Red Tea Cleanser, Truth Sugar Glow Polishing Mask, Truth Collagen Booster (LOVE!), and Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil. I've been really into Ole Henriksen products lately, and this kit definitely seemed worth the 500 points. 

Did you buy anything from the Sephora VIB sale?