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?

May 2018 Boxycharm

I know this post is super late, but I wanted to share what I received in May's Boxycharm. I'm sad to say this is my last box with Boxycharm. I think they're an incredible value for only $21 a month, and you receive some amazing products, but I have such a large collection already so I realized I truly did not need a subscription service anymore. 

The theme for May was Boxy Bash. The first product I received was the Pur Sculptor Highlight & Contour palette. I'm not usually one to highlight and contour, plus the contour shades are far too dark for my fair complexion. I'd probably use this palette as eyeshadow instead. One cool thing is this palette smells like chocolate. This palette retails for $30.

I got four brushes from the brand Aesthetica. A 3 Piece Eye trio and a P12 Face Brush. I don't care for the eye brushes aside from the spoolie. I use those quite frequently. The P12 brush seems nice for blush or bronzer. The trio retails for $45 and the face brush retails for $27.

I also received a Beauty Creations Liquid Lip Gloss in the shade Kiss Me. It's a really pretty rosy, red color that will likely be nice for Fall weather. This retails for $10.

I'm not a big fan of gel eyeliners, or eyeliner in general, but the Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner in 01 Black List seems nice. I'll give it a try, but I'm not sure if it will stay in my collection. This liner retails for $24.

The last product is from Cover FX, and it's their Blurring Primer. I tend to like primers like this because of my large pores. Cover FX is a good brand too, so I look forward to trying this at some point. It retails for $38.

The total value of this box is $174. That's not bad at all, though I feel the brushes are far too expensive for the quality. Like I said above, this will be my last box for the foreseeable future. I enjoyed the box the few months I was subscribed, and may go back to it in the future. 

If you're subscribed to Boxycharm, what did you get in your box?

April 2018 Boxycharm

I received my first ever Boxycharm last month, and I just got April's box in the mail yesterday. Here's all the exciting products I got this month!

This month's theme is called Eye Candy. There are different variations to the boxes, and I'm happy to report I got everything I wanted! 

They were giving everyone a Colourpop eye shadow palette, and I received the Element of Surprise. This is the main one I had my eye on, and was hopeful I'd get it. I cannot wait to play with this baby. I've only tried Colourpop's Super Shock shadows, but not their pressed formula, and I've heard mostly good things. This palette retails for $16. 

When I saw a sneak peek of this month's box, an either/or product was a MAC Liptensity Lipstick or a Tarte liquid highlighter. I don't care for highlighters in general, so I was incredibly happy to see the MAC lipstick. I received the shade Burnt Violet, which is very pretty, but looks a bit dark for my liking. I definitely am going to try this out, but it may be one I only use in the Fall/Winter. This lipstick retails for $21.

I received brushes last month, and got some more this month. I received the SL Miss Glam Eyeshadow Brush and Eye Beauty Blender brush. I'm not sure if I'll like the eyeshadow brush, but the blending brush feels so soft and seems like it will blend shadows nicely. This duo retails for $38.50. 

You all know my love for face masks, and we all got the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner Pore Purifying Mask. I absolutely adore Dr. Brandt skincare, but it is pretty expensive. I'm not sure if the tube I got is a full size product (it comes with 1 ounce), but the card says it retails for $47, yet Sephora says $42. 

The last product I got was the The Browgal Instatint Tinted Brow Gel in the shade Light Hair 03, which is the perfect shade for me. I don't know much about this brand, and I usually don't do much with my brows, but I'm curious about this product so I'll give it a try. This retails for $22. 

Total retail of the box is $139.50, which is incredible to me. I don't know how Boxycharm does it, but I'm more than impressed and already can't wait for May's box!

If you're subscribed to Boxycharm already, what did you receive this month? If you're interested in signing up, I'd love it if you used my referral code here!

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?

Boxycharm: March 2018 - My First Box!

I unsubscribed from Ipsy quite a while ago, and was getting the itch to try a different beauty subscription service. I've seen videos on Boxycharm, and am always impressed with the products everyone receives. Boxycharm is only $21 a month, and you receive 4-5 full size products, which makes the cost of the box very worthwhile. I subscribed around the middle of March when there was no waitlist, and received my box just a couple days ago. 

So it looks like the theme this month is called "Baecation" which is a little weird. I can't stand the word bae at all honestly, and wish it would go away. Anyway, there are different variations of the box, but everyone received the Boxycharm & PUR eyeshadow palette, which has some gorgeous colors for Spring and Summer! I cannot wait to start playing around with it, even though I've been reading some mixed reviews. The palette is worth $36, which more than pays for the box.

I'm always looking for new brushes, so I was happy to receive The Vintage Cosmetic Company Smokey Eye Brush Set. It comes with shadow, angled, and smudger brushes and the set is worth about $23. 

I'm loaded with unopened mascaras in my makeup stash and will probably never have to buy any again, but I'm excited to try out the Bellapierre Cosmetics Volumizing Mascara at some point. Volume is typically what I go for in mascara, so I hope this is a good one. This mascara is worth $20

Believe it or not, but I have never tried any eye masks, so when I saw a 3 pack of the South Mane Beauty Eye Gels, I was curious. It says these are good for puffiness, dark circles, and is moisturizing. These are all things I need, especially with a toddler. These eye gels are worth $10

The last product is something I'm really excited for, and it's the Pretty Vulgar Make Them Blush in the shade Prim Vixen, which is a bright, matte pink shade. Perfect for Spring and Summer, but it's a blush I may need to use a topper with, as I'm not really used to matte blushes. This blush is worth $26

Needless to say, I'm SO happy I pulled the trigger and decided to subscribe to Boxycharm. The whole box was worth $115! I mean, you can't really get better than that for only $21. I will be continuing my subscription to Boxycharm until I start getting bored, which hopefully isn't for a while. If you would like to check out Boxycharm yourself, you can do so via my referral link here.

If you're already subscribed to Boxycharm, what did you receive in your box?

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?

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?

NEW! Macy's Beauty Box Overview

*Product provided for consideration. Post contains affiliate links*

I was so excited when this showed up on my doorstep, and I have to share it with you guys! Macy's now has their own beauty subscription box, and it seems like something worth checking out.

The Macy's Beauty Box costs $15 a month, you get 5 deluxe samples, plus one bonus product, a cute makeup bag, as well as a $5 gift card towards your next beauty purchase at Macy's, online or in-store!

Products in bag:

- Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser
- Benefit Gimme Brow
- Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau De Parfum
- Tarte Maracuja Oil
- Smashbox Cover Shot: Golden Hour Eye Shadow Duo
- MAC False Lashes Extreme Black

I've been subscribed to a few different beauty boxes over the years, and this one seems like any other subscription service. I think the price is nice, although I know I won't use the perfume sample. Everything else is up my alley, especially the Purity Cleanser! Each months box is a surprise, and the deluxe samples are chosen by Macy's beauty experts.

If you want to learn more about the Macy's Beauty Box, click here.  

What do you think about the new Macy's Beauty Box?

The Perfect Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts w/ it Cosmetics

 *Products provided for consideration. Links are affiliate links*

Mother's Day is literally just around the corner, and if you're a procrastinator like I am, chances are you still need that perfect gift. it Cosmetics is a brand that I adore already, and these products are ones that anyone will love!

It Cosmetics makeup brushes are probably some of the best brushes I have come across. Their quality is top notch at a good price point. This is the Your Face & Eyes Essentials set. You get 5 travel sized brushes that can get your whole face made up. The brushes in the set include the Complexion, Crease, Shadow, Smudger, and Liner/Brow brushes. This retails for $30 and it's an $80 value. 

Lip products are my weakness! I love balms and glosses, and the Je Ne Sais Quoi Rose Hydrating Color Awakening Lip Treatment is an amazing gift idea for the simple mom. It's a beautiful shade and has a light, sweet scent. This product retails for $24.

Ah, blush! One of those products that I love and have a million of, but seem to rarely use. This is the Bye Bye Pores Blush in their famous shade Je Ne Sais Quoi. It's a STUNNING peachy pink shade that looks great on virtually everyone. This blush has optical blurring technology that diffuses the look of pores and discoloration. Great for oily skin that has larger pores, or mature skin that needs a bit of color. This product retails for $24.

What are your plans for Mother's Day?

Sephora VIB Sale, Ulta & Birthday Haul

*Post contains affiliate links*

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

 *Post contains affiliate links*

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!