Tag: Sale
Pink Pony Ulta Haul
Killing some time before I had to go pick up the kid from Marching Band last week, so I bopped into Ulta to have a look around…
L’Oreal Colorista is not my favorite hair dye, but for $3, I don’t mind have an extra “Metallic Pink” on hand for…dancing at the Pink Pony Club? Or whatever…
I know it’s dumb, but I bought The Body Shop Edelweiss Cleansing Concentrate for Lily…because this year’s Marching Band show opens with “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music and I thought it would be funny…I spent $6.25 for that eye roll!
I love Wet n Wild’s Fantasy Makers Halloween line, so I grabbed their “Vampire Venom” Lip Gloss Stain ($6.49). It’s got the weirdest applicator. I was expecting a doe foot – but it’s a little plastic spatula? It’s a sheer glossy stain, okay looking I guess.
Finally, I snagged a bottle of L.A. Girl Pro Matte Mixing Pigment in “White” ($9) for my super-secret Halloween makeup that I’ve told everyone about already. Shhhhh…
At least I got to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon!
Diamond in 2025 Ulta Haul
I’d been dropping stuff in my cart for a few weeks and finally checked out…
I am paranoid about running out of shampoo & conditioner, so I got back-ups of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner ($26 each).
I saw that Ulta had a gift with purchase for buying $19.50 worth of Ulta products…I can do that in my sleep! I had been eyeballing the Ulta Beauty Collection Weightless Water Lip Stain in “Cherry Pie” ($11). I was expecting it to be redder on…I guess I need to put like, 35 coats on? My nails need attention, so I also got an Ulta Manicure Buffing Block ($4) and two packs of Exfoliating Cotton Rounds ($3.99). I got the pink variant of the gift with purchase, which includes a 6 pan eye shadow palette; Ultamate Lashes Multi-Tasking Mascara; Poreless Face Primer; Cream Blush Stick; Tinted Eye Primer; High Shine Liquid Lipstick; Tinted Lip Oil; an Eye Shadow Brush; and a Makeup Sponge.
Speaking of nails, I also stocked up on Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover ($8.40, down from $12) and a Flowery Blue Max 4-Way Buffing Block ($2.09, down from $2.99). Since I like color changing lip products and Tim Burton, I got a few of the Nightmare Before Christmas Collection products – Wet n Wild Nightmare Before Christmas Truth or Scare Color Changing Lip Oil and Nightmare Before Christmas Two-Faced Color Changing Lip Oil ($5.99 each). They are not sticky and have surprisingly solid staying power.
I used a $3.50 off $15 coupon AND $50 of my collected Ulta points, but that didn’t stop me from qualifying for 2 more gifts with purchase. First, I qualified for a 14 Piece Fall Haul with my $70 purchase, which included Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb, Clean it Zero Ginseng-Glow Cleansing Balm; e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer; NYX Duck Plump High Pigment Plumping Gloss in “Clearly Spicy” (I just put this on and it reminds me of the original Lip Venom – pure capsaicin on my lips – Jesus FUCK); Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser; La Roche-Posay Mela Serum Dark Spot Correction; Florence by Mills Wildly Me (do you understand what I mean when I say it smells purple? The notes are iris, wisteria, violet and lavender); CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion; First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub (the sole reason I picked this bag variation); The Good Patch Dream Patch (a melatonin patch!); Tula The Cult Cleanser (oh, a DELUXE sample!); eczema honey Soothing Body Wash; Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; and Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster (what is it even boosting?) I also qualified for a Platinum & Diamond Exclusive Free 10 Piece Gift with $90 purchase, which included Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Bronzer (I bet this makes me look like I’m wearing blackface); Yves Saint Laurent Libre (stinky); Wella Ultimate Repair Miracle Hair Rescue (giving to Lily to deal with all day marching band braid damage); Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil in “Warm Deep Brown” (oh, this might be a match – I usually end up with Taupe in sample packs); tarte Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil (ugh, not falling for this again); Living Proof. Perfect hair Day High-Shine Gloss; Kylie Jenner Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Kylie” (ugh); Smashbox Photo Finish Primer; Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Sculpt Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara; and OUAI Detox Shampoo (but NO MATCHING CONDITIONER – rude). Lots of good stuff!
This purchase pushed me over the edge! I’m Diamond in 2025!
Well, Fuck You TOO Fed Ex
I was shocked that my poor Ulta order made it through this abuse from Fed Ex…UPS would NEVER.
Really, the main product I was worried about was the L’Oreal Infallible 24H Fresh Wear Foundation In A Powder in “20 Ivory” ($12.74 – 25% off), but I spy no cracks. I would’ve been SO MAD!
I also decided to try Derma E Psorzema Scalp Relief Shampoo and Conditioner ($9.75 each – 25% off) to tackle the heartbreak of psoriasis. It has tee tree oil and tingles. [My late mother LOVED tingly shampoo, especially Nioxin – I feel like she would’ve LIVED for this product.]
I’d been fairly indifferent to the endless Disney Collection from Nailtopia, but I literally screamed when I saw Nailtopia’s Spongebob Squarepants 25th Anniversary collection – and on sale for 30% off. I controlled myself and only picked up “Squidward” and “Golden Pineapple”. Oh, and throw in a new Eco Tools Exfoliating EcoPouf Loofah ($2.99) and Thayers pH Balancing Daily Cleanser with Aloe Vera ($14.99) for good measure.
I lucked into three different gifts with purchase! The Free 11 Piece Back To School sampler with $50 purchase came with Matrix Food for Soft Shampoo & Conditioner (deluxe bottles!); Redken One United Multi-Benefit Treatment; Lancome Lipstick (some random pink color); another Thayers pH Balancing Daily Cleanser with Aloe Vera (going in my travel bag NOW); it Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Mascara in “Super Black”; NYX Vivid Rich Mechanical Eyeliner in “Always Onyx”; L’Oreal Revitalift Derm Intensives Plumping Serum (hello, travel bag); Maybelline The Falsies Surreal Mascara; La Roche-Posay Anthelios Light Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50; and CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser. That’s a DAMN GOOD freebie bag! I also got a Kiehl’s Free Set For School Gift #3 with $50 purchase that came with Kiehl’s Truly Targeted Acne-Clearing Solution; Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser; and Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Soft Cream. Last, but not least, there was the Free 13 Piece Mystery Sampler with $60 Ulta Beauty Rewards Credit Card purchase that came with OUAI Leave In Conditioner; Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil; Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm; Smashbox The Original Photo Finish Primer (ugh, I just got rid of like…10 of these); Good Molecules Lightweight Daily Moisturizer (travel bag); Grande Cosmetics GrandeLASH-MD Lash Enhancing Serum; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum (travel bag – LOVE this stuff); it Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser (travel bag); Vichy Liftactiv Supreme H.A. Serum; Lancome Cils Booster XL Mascara Base; L’Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream; and e.l.f. Power Grip Primer. I’ve got a lot of trips coming up and I’m set on samples for my travel bag!
I got my hairs did yesterday and my son and his girlfriend have been using my Ulta account, so only $164 to Diamond in 2025.
Vampire Blood Halloween Drop
Look, I KNOW I am running out of room in my shower for Shower Gel…but I had two free products (up to $16.95 each) expiring in August and I got an email about a sneak preview Halloween Drop (with FREE SHIPPING) and you know the rest.
Ever since getting those “Vampire Blood” candles and lotion from the Winter Semi-Annual Sale, I’ve been wanting more of the scent. I sprung for two Shower Gels, a Body Lotion, Hand Soap (Gel AND Foaming), as well as Car Fragrance Refills. I liked a lot of the scent accessories, but they can all wait for clearance…except the bejeweled Car Fragrance Holder ($11.95) – I couldn’t risk it being sold out next winter. My only regret is that I thought I had added a mini “Vampire Blood” Fine Fragrance Mist to my cart and I did not…sigh.
I snagged a few leftovers from the Summer Semi-Annual – “Calypso Clementine” for me and “Bridgerton Diamond of the Season” for a special someone.
I need to step away from my GMAIL…
Bee Balm
By now, it’s pretty obvious that I’m a sucker for clever and/or cute packaging. Bee Balm has that in SPADES. I saw it on insta and I had to order…
…and I might have gone overboard. I cannot STAND paying shipping…so I ordered enough for free shipping. Looks like everyone I know is getting some Bee Balm, too. I got 2 Honey, 2 Strawberry, 2 Peach and 1 Watermelon. They also came out with Pina Colada right after I ordered…but I need to use up some before I order more. Oh, and I ordered extra applicators in case I break or lose them.
The thing is – it’s just lip balm in a pot. I have been avoiding lip balm in a pot, because I hate sticking my finger in it and possibly contaminating it. Bee Balm solves that with a tiny little applicator held in the lid…and it looks just like a honey dipper! Why doesn’t all lip balm in a pot come with an applicator?
My only complaint is that they seem to be using the Kohl’s pricing model – always on sale for 75% off. I’ve only ever seen it for $5, supposedly on sale from $19.99. Sure, Jan. I concede that the “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” sale right now is a smoking deal – that’s $3.75 each! Go jump on this deal RIGHT NOW – https://mybeebalmco.com/ .
I Like Big Bum Bums…
…and I cannot lie.
It’s hard to pass up a coupon that includes Prestige Brands, even if it’s just a measly 10% off.
The many samples and deluxe samples of Bum Bum Cream are almost gone, so it’s time to buy the big boy – Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Refillable Body Cream ($48), 8.1 ounces of Bum Bum goodness – and it’s refillable! I also splurged on a purse spray of Sol de Janeiro SOL Cheirosa ’62 Eau de Parfum ($26) – it smells SO GOOD.
I scrolled the clearance page and found the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Ring Pop Nail Polish Quad Giftset ($2.20) and Ring Pop Nail Polish Holder ($2.50). That’s 55 cents per polish!
I also qualified for FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna 4 piece Beauty Break. In addition to a sleek tote bag, I got a Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in “Fenty Glow”; Eaze Drop’Lit All-Over Glow Enhancer in “Bronze Jasper”; and Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara in “Cuz I’m Black”. I’ll probably only use the tote bag and the mascara…
Only $508 to Diamond in 2025.
Calypso Clementine B&BW Haul
Bath & Body Works’ Semi-Annual Sale started the Saturday before last and I was THERE.
Can you believe my girlchild called me out to my husband on spending $120? At least half of it was either for her or stuff she picked out for the house!
I showed her – I went back and bought MORE the next day…see, I am OBSESSED with the “Calypso Clementine” scent, but the location I was at (Conroe) didn’t have the lotion or body cream. See, I had to go back. I already had the “Calypso Clementine” Body Wash, Body Scrub, Body Spray, Hand Soap and 3-wick candle – I just had to have a body cream. PLUS, it was all 75% off, except the $10.95 candle. I might even go back and get more.
I also got a full set of “Fresh Amalfi Lemon”. It was only 50% off, which was almost painful. I feel like I’m definitely having a citrus moment right now. B&BW never had much of a citrus selection – remember when the choices were “White Citrus”, “Mango Mandarin” or nothing? I’ve got to take advantage while I can!
Besides…I saved $151 to spend $120…it’s all about perspective.
Deep Hydration Ulta Haul
The last day of Beauty Steals, they had Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream for 50% off – $23 instead of $46. I jumped on that deal QUICK.
I also wanted to try Bum Bum Hair, so I ordered travel sizes of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner. ($12 each) It smells SO GOOD and it makes my hair feel so soft – I need full sizes ASAP, so I can put these travel sizes in my travel bag.
I loved my Shhhowercap, but the vinyl lining was flaking into my hair and I had to throw it away. I decided to take a chance on a Kitsch Satin-Lined Shower Cap ($24) and I am not disappointed. The elastic doesn’t pop off my (rather large) head and the extended cap size hold ALL of my hair.
I was only able to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon…bummer.
$942 to Diamond in 2025…
Bum Bum Ulta Haul
When LaLa is in town, we HAVE to go to Ulta.
I *think* I was the one that introduced LaLa to Bum Bum Cream? We both LOVE Bum Bum Cream! We both grabbed the Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Jet Set ($30), which includes Deluxe samples of Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel, and Cheirosa 6 Perfume Mist. I need full sizes of ALL of these! Oh, and did you know that they make Shampoo and Conditioner now? It ain’t cheap, so I’m waiting for a sale or coupon before I try it.
I’ve been on a indie nail polish kick for the last several months, but I couldn’t pass up this Sally Hansen x Sesame Street 4 polish set ($10.99, down from $19.99), which includes 4 shades inspired by Big Bird (“Think BIG”), Elmo (“Elmo Love Hue”), Cookie Monster (“C is for Color”), and Oscar the Grouch (“SCRAM!”). I also picked up a Garnier SkinActive Mattifying Micellar Cleansing Water ($11.99). I hope it doesn’t suck.
Oh, and the weekend we went, Ulta was offering $10 off $50 or $20 off $100 – including PRESTIGE! What a smoking deal!
$1,006 to Diamond in 2025.
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…