Category: Hair
First Ulta Haul of 2024
I know, it’s kind of hard to believe that I haven’t had an Ulta haul yet this year…to be fair, I ordered back on the 5th of February – I’ve just been busy with work, school, kids, a sick husband, excuses…so let’s get to it!
I am very easily swayed by the monthly Diamond Love List emails…When I showed off my new Drybar The Single Shot Round Blow-Dryer Brush ($108.50, down from $155), he gave me SO MUCH SHIT, since I spent so much money on the Dyson Air Wrap. My answer was that my child stole my Air Wrap and I am too lazy to walk all the way to her bathroom to get it…and my Revlon One-Step smells like burnt dog hair. And really, it was only $25.50 after using $83 of Ulta points…
I was talking to a girl in one of my MBA classes and she said that she would never buy a perfume without smelling it…hi, it’s me – I’m the one who does that, it’s me. I knew that I would LOVE Fresh Beauty Hesperides Grapefruit Eau de Parfum Rollerball ($29) before ever smelling it and I was right. It reminds me of my mom…
Lippies were 30%, so I loaded my cart: Flower Beauty Bitten Lip Stain in “Tempt” ($8.40, down from $12 – it’s very similar to the Colourpop Stain) and KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Vegan Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick in “Ghost Bloom” ($16.10, down from $23) for me; Makeup Revolution Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory x Revolution Brat Lip Gloss ($4.90, down from $7) and Makeup Revolution Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory x Revolution Lip Balm ($4.90, down from $7) for Lil. I also added in Hempz White Peach Rosé & Peony Herbal Shave Gel ($6.49, down from $12.99) because it was half off. A bit disappointing to use, as it wasn’t as slippy as the Caress Body Wash I had been using to shave.
I am deeply saddened that I didn’t get to a salon to use my $25 off beauty services coupon for another year of Diamond, but I did remember to use my free foundation coupon. This year, I chose Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation in “01 Stay Buff”, a $39 value.
My $30 makeup purchase qualified me for a 4 pieces NARS gift, which includes NARS Climax Mascara; NARS Lipstick in “Inappropriate Red”; NARS Bronzing Powder and NARS High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner in “Via Veneto”. I probably won’t use any of it. I also qualified for a free hair gift, but it sold out before I could place my order. Boo.
It’s so rare that I spend enough for the massive gift with purchases…this one required a $130 spend! Inside the HUGE satiny makeup bag: drybar DETOX Thickening Dry Shampoo (giving to my daughter, so I don’t have to buy her some); Urban Decay Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Whiskey”; Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate; Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner (there’s licorice root in it, I’m scared); e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer; Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder; Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Primer; megababe Space Bar (I think I have 3 of these now); Lancôme Cils Booster Mascara Base (and 3 of these); Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” (yasss, the one in my purse is almost gone); Eau Thermale Avene Tolerance Cleanser; philosophy Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Clay Mask; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Face Polisher; Estee Lauder Nutritious Melting Soft Creme Mask; Andrew Fitzsimmons Restructuring 10-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner; NYX Epic Ink Liner in “Black”; Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder; Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash; Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam (NOPE); Maybelline Sky High Mascara; La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum; Pixi Glow Tonic; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Oil; Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow; Dermalogica Micellar Prebiotic Precleanse (precleanse? I ain’t washing my face twice); Living proof. Clarifying Detox Shampoo (but no conditioner?); and Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner. PHEW, that’s a lot of good samples!
$1,105 to Diamond in 2025…
tgin Ulta Haul
I swear to god, when I ordered two bottles of tgin Rosewater Frizz Free Hydrating Conditioner, they were 40% off – but looking at the email receipt, they were regular price – $14.99? I don’t know what I did, it was a couple of weeks ago…but I know I am kind of annoyed. Anyway, it’s usually cheaper to get the shampoo and conditioner in my Amazon Subscribe & Save for $22.49, but I go through the conditioner pretty quick, so I thought $8.99 was a hot deal…I also thought I was getting tgin Rose Water Curl Refresher for 40% off, nope. Sigh….
I did, however, manage to get a bunch of staples for 30% – 40% off…my holy grail Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencils in “Dark Brown” and “Medium Brown” ($6, down from $10); Ulta Exfoliating Round Cotton Pads ($2.09, down from $3.49); Ulta Travel Size Super Soothe Gentle Daily Cleanser and Travel Size Shine Bright Creamy Cleanser (both $2.40, down from $4); Ecotools Exfoliating EcoPouf Loofah Bath Sponge ($2.09, down from $2.99); and HASK Keratin Protein Smoothing Deep Conditioner Packette ($1.79, down from $2.99).
At least I got to use my $10 off $50 coupon…
Just $99.85 to Diamond in 2024…I’ll be taking care of that with a haircut next week!
November 2023 Ipsy Icon Box – Pat McGrath
This quarter’s curator is Pat McGrath, of Pat McGrath Labs. I don’t have a lot of Pat McGrath products…in fact, her stuff is so pricey that the only stuff I’ve tried out is lippies either from other ipsy drops or Sephora Favorites Sets. Her eyeshadow is supposed to be FANTASTIC, so I was excited that her Divine Rose Luxe Quad in “Eternal Eden” ($62) was in this quarter’s icon box. It was every bit as soft and blendable as they say – I am in love with the palette. The color story is very similar to one of my other faves – KVD Lolita Por Vida, just on a smaller scale. The box also included Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in “Elson” ($39). It is a great-for-everyone red…but it’s lipstick and when I wore it, it got all OVERYTHING. My poor Smashburger was covered in lipstick.
My first product choice this month was Gloss Moderne Clean Luxury Shampoo + Conditioner Duo ($65). Imagine, spending $65 for a TINY set of shampoo and conditioner. It did smell nice, but I have so much hair that I will probably only get 4 uses out of the conditioner. NOTE TO SELF: do not use again until I get a haircut.
My second product choice was Act + Acre Cold Processed Stem Cell Scalp Serum ($86). I haven’t tried it yet…but my hair is thinning and I figured, why not? NOTE TO SELF: Don’t complain about having too much hair in one paragraph and then describe a product to grow MORE hair in the next paragraph.
My final product choice was the Baublebar Cosmic Couple Earring Set ($44). I just needed more gold earrings.
I also received: Dew of the Gods The THEORY Retinol Moisturizer ($42) – which has been a nice light moisturizer for every day; Tatcha The Rice Wash Soft Cream Cleanser ($40) – I like that it has a bit of texture to it; and Danessa Myricks Beauty Dew Wet Balm in Rose Water ($22) – very unlikely to use this one.
Ipsy says this month’s box was worth $400…even at the new price of $60/quarter, that’s a steal.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Metal Mania Ulta Haul
Urban Decay keeps making Naked Palettes and I keep buying them. Sigh.
I know, I know…I barely even wear eyeshadow anymore. But Naked Palettes – I just can’t quit you. So I added the new Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Metal Mania Metallic Eyeshadow Palette ($59). Weren’t these $54 before? Hmmm…the colors are very nice, but I feel like they aren’t blending as well as the older palettes. I cannot tell if this is a change to my eye skin or the shadows themselves…I’ll continue working with them to figure it out.
I also got a free gift – my choice of Urban Decay x Smiley Naked Mini Eyeshadow Palette (regularly $33). I chose the “Mucho Happy” one, but I haven’t tried it out yet.
I also restocked on basics – Thayer’s Witch Hazel Toner in “Rose” ($10.95) and Got 2b Glued Spiking Glue ($7.99) for Lily’s Band Hair. I also add a Sweet & Shimmer Sheer Lilac Lip Oil ($2.99), but was disappointed that lilac is just the color – not the flavor or scent.
Oh, the reason I ordered when I did…to get the National Brow Day (October 2nd) Sampler with my $50 purchase. I got a Morphe Supreme Brow Dual-Ended Brush; Winky Lux Uni-Brow Mini Precision Brow Pencil; NYX Micro Brow Pencil in “Cool Ash Brown”; Benefit Fluff Up Brow Wax (no…just no); Benefit Gimme Brow Brow-Volumizing Fiber Gel (Another no); Anastasia Brow Wiz in “Medium Brown” (YES!); and Ulta Beauty Dual-Ended Brow Highlight in “Light to Medium”. Are we still saying “brows on fleek”? No?
I got to use a $15 off $50 coupon…just $202 to Diamond in 2024.
National Nail Polish Day 2023
Last June, I wanted the Scünci Pride Claw Clips ($7.99), but I didn’t order them in time and they were sold out. Not this year! One for me and one for daughter. The Great Hair Event was still going on when I placed the order, so I ordered Arctic Fox “Poison” for 50% off ($9.24 instead of $18.49). I intended it for my daughter, and even ordered a Lime Crime Bushy Brow Pencil in “Valentine” ($15)…but it was missing from my order! Then she told me that she has to die her hair back brown for Band…so I guess I’ll use it in my hair? I don’t need the brow pencil, so I just accepted a refund from customer care.
Oh, and I have been liking moisturizing primers lately, so I decided to try Tula Filter Primer Blurring & Moisturizing Primer ($38). I really like it so far – it is very smoothing and as far as I can tell, I am NOT breaking out. It’s a similar texture to Benefit Primers, except it doesn’t roll up into booger particles on your fingers.
Since I ordered this little haul on National Nail Polish Day, I received one of two different samplers with my $50 purchase. Inside the sampler: Flowery Duraboard Nail File 2 pack; Dashing Diva Glow Gel Nail Strips in “Ballet Blooms Mini”; Londontown KUR Perfecting Nail Veil “Shade 4” (‘Nail Veil’ – that’s a new one); Sally Hansen Insta-Dri “Petal Pusher”; Essie “Mrs. Always Right” (it me!); OPI Infinite Shine “Sage Simulation”; and China Glaze “Tropic Like It’s Hot”.
Just $591 to Diamond in 2024.
On a Date Sephora Haul
Believe it or not, I hadn’t bought anything from Sephora since the end of 2020 – that’s right, almost three whole years! Instead of trying to hit top tier status in both Ulta and Sephora’s loyalty programs, and since the Sephora Play! Subscription Box died of COVID, I consciously decided to put all my beauty eggs in one basket. Being able to buy KVD, Fenty and Fresh – previously Sephora exclusives – made the decision that much easier. It’s not a boycott, it’s just smart shopping…but now and then, a product pops up that I can’t get at Ulta, so I get it at Sephora.
I was at the First Colony Mall a few weeks ago – waiting for the girlchild attending a birthday dinner – and I decided to take a sniff at Sephora. My first sniff was Jo Malone Red Roses. It was nice, but not as nice as Jo Loves White Roses & Lemon Leaves. I then tried Maison Margiela REPLICA On a Date – it’s got a plummy rose scent, which tickles my memories. It reminds me on a scent my mother wore in the 80s – no idea which one. I noted it for later, since there were no purse sprays in stock. I also sampled Tom Ford Rose Prick…ain’t no way I’m spending $395 on a perfume, no matter how good it smells. I walked out empty-handed…
Lo and behold, a 20% off promo code arrived in my email that very day. (Did I set off a geo-fence by walking into a Sephora? Possibly…) I ordered the Travel Spray of On a Date, happy to save $7 off $35. I’ve been wearing it almost nonstop since I got it.
For my two free samples, I picked a pouch of Amika bust your brass Intense Repair Mask (for the next time I get highlights); and Mugler Alien Goddess, which I forgot smells like roach spray. Who wants the pile of Mugler samples I’ve collected over the years? It ALL smells awful…inbox me and it’s yours.
Sephora is now offering free shipping for all Beauty Insider Members, no minimum purchase, which is a nice perk. All of my points expired though – I had a couple of thousand points! $972 to Rouge…LOL.
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.
21 Days of Beauty x 2
I never think I am going to see something I want during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale…and then I always do. This time, I ordered two different times!
The first order – I forget which day of the sale it was – had two products I wanted for 50% off: Zitsticka Goo Getter Surface Zit Hydrocolloid Patches ($8, down from $16) for Lily and it Brushes for Ulta Brush Bath Purifying Solid Brush Cleanser ($11.50, down from $23). I haven’t used the brush cleaner (maybe this weekend), but Lily has been using the zitstickas and loves them. I saw her putting on on her tush the other day…I also added Megababe The Geo Deo ($14) to my order, because I wanted to try it out. I don’t like it as much as Rosy Pits, but it is a nice basic “clean” smelling deodorant.
The second order…how could I pass up half price Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencil for half-price? They were $5, down from $10, so I bought two, “Medium Brown” and “Dark Brown.” Then I just threw some stuff into my cart…a tgin Honey Miracle Hair Mask Packet ($2.99), because I want to use it with the tgin shampoo and conditioner I just got off Amazon…Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x PEEPS Nail Polish Duo Pack ($11.99), which also came with a free Tumbler full of PEEPS lip gloss…Cetaphil products were BOGO 40% off, so I got Extra Gentle Daily Scrub Exfoliating Face Wash and Gentle Skin Cleanser Face Wash For Sensitive Skin.
$886 to Diamond – I better get a move on!
December 2022 Ipsy Bag – Oh What Fun
Oh what fun it is to…open up an ipsy bag tonight!
My product choice this month was Ahava Cactus & Pink Pepper Hand Cream. It’s on the coffee table, where I can reach it any time…because I have basically lived on the couch this week. I am not sick – I am on vacation.
Also in this month’s velvet color-block bag: Ciate London Wonderwand Mascara in “Black Magic”; Juliette Has a Gun Magnolia Bliss (I don’t care for magnolia – it’s too old lady for me); Pure Brazilian Leave-In Conditioner; and Sophia + Mabelle Watermelon Lip Slick – Fruit Lip Oil (I’ve been using this to remove liquid lipstick – it’s great for that).
This month’s bag is sorta so-so. Not bad, but nothing to get too excited about, except for the had cream.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $13/month and Glam Bag X for an extra $43/quarterly. If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Fresh Cyber Monday Haul
I didn’t go TOO crazy on Cyber Monday…well, maybe a little.
I mostly bought gifts, so not sharing them in this post…but I did get a little something for myself…Fresh Beauty was 25% off, so I got Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash ($24.75, down from $33) and Fresh Sugar Balm Gift Set ($13.87, down from $18.50). This qualified me for a free gift from Fresh – a makeup bag with 4 samples: Fresh Rose Hydration Cream (LOVE); Fresh Soy Face Cleanser; Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Concentrate; and Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. I admit, I kind of enjoy buying Sephora-owned products from Ulta…
Oooh, another gift with my $90 purchase! Inside the (mostly skin stuff) Cyber Monday bag: No7 Menopause Skincare Nourishing Overnight Cream (HOW DID THEY KNOW I’M OLD???); MAC fix+ Magic Radiance; Love Wellness Bye Bye Bloat (again, how did they know my digestive tract is all broken?); Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum (I love this stuff); Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream; it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream (I love this stuff, too); Better Not Younger Bounce Back Shampoo & Conditioner; Ariana Grande God is a Woman; Tom Ford Noir; Givenchy Gentleman (a good friend of mine wears this – it’s nice); Olay Regenerist Hyaluraonic +Peptide Hydrating Gel; Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator; Kate Somerville ExfoliKate; Tula Skincare the cult classic purifying face cleanser & 24-7 moisture hydrating day & night cream; Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion; Giorgio Armani My Way; a Zitsticka; It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product; IGK Pay Day Instant Repair Shampoo & Conditioner + Cash In Instant Repair Serum; Too Faced Lady Bold Lipstick Sample Card; NARS Concealer Sample Card; Keys Soulcare Let Me Glow Illuminating Serum (I also love this stuff); Anastasia Beverly Hills Crystal Lip Glow in “Glass”; Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Cream (even more stuff I love); and Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer.
I got so much stuff that I was able to use a $10 off code AND qualify for Diamond in 2023 – that’s it, I’m in!