Tag: Ulta
Ulta Cyber Fundays
The weekend before Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Ulta ran a “Cyber Fundays” promotion with a bunch of stuff on sale, plus a gift with purchase sample bag on orders of $60+, plus $10 off. I decided to knock out some stocking stuffers, plus get a few things for myself. Imagine my surprise when Ulta decided to break my modest order into three different shipments.
The first box was rather piddly – just a travel size Joico K-PAK Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor (my BFF swears by K-PAKs, so I thought I’d give them a try while on sale) and a few stocking stuffers from the 5/$5 Promotion.
The second box was also small – a single lotion stocking stuffer, my variety sampler – Lumene Time Freeze Instant Lift Serum and Burt’s Bees Renewal Intensive Firming Serum – and my gift with purchase…Inside the Berry Glam Beauty Bag: Too Faced Born This Way Foundation with 3 different shades – “Vanilla”, “Light Beige” and “Sand”; Gucci “Bamboo” (not bad, smells like Crystals in Vegas); “Pink Sugar” (too hookery); Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo; Pureology Coulour Fanatic Instant Deep-Conditioning Mask; Benefit ThePOREfessional Pro Balm & License to Blot Set; Urban Decay Cosmetics Revolution Lipstick (Card with 4 sample colors); Giorgio Armani “Acqua Di Gio”; Whish Body Butter in “Winterberry” (the last one I got smelled like hot dog water, so I am scared to try this one); It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product (guaranteed in every Ulta sample bag); Ralph Lauren “Romance”; Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser for Face and Eyes; Ulta Legendary Lengths Lengthening Mascara; Clarins Super Restorative Day; Alterna Haircare Caviar CC Cream (for hair); Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (I have SO much of this shit); Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream; Nip+Fab Skin Dragon’s Blood Fix Plumping Serum (it couldn’t be worse than the snake venom that nut in Vegas smeared all over my face); and a BUNCH of Ulta coupons.
FINALLY…the third box had the REAL stuff I ordered: John Frieda Liquid Shine Shampoo and Conditioner ($3.74 each!); Joico K-PAK Shampoo (to go with the conditioner); Ulta Rose Gold Palette (been lusting after this FOREVER); Poo-Pourri “Merry Spritzmas” (for my son – at 10, he is starting to get manly shits); eos Holiday Set (also for him), some other stocking stuffers and some nail buffers for ME.
I monitored Ulta’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and it looks like the Cyber Fundays sale was actually the better deal (for me, anyway). They’re still sending different sale emails every day, though…I may not be done ordering yet!
BFFsgiving Shopping
I got to see my BFF yesterday! And we went shopping!
So we hit Ulta first…but while we were still in the parking lot, I was finishing up some Sephora orders. I got an email offering a 24 hour window for VIB members to order the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette before it hits stores on 12/1. ADD TO CART! Since that’s what my BFF and I decided our men are getting us both for Xmas, we were kind enough to do their Xmas shopping for them…
Since I placed a huge Ulta order last week with their Cyber Fundays promotion, I didn’t need much – just some Zoya Remove+. I was drawn to the 5/$5 goodies though. I got a few stocking stuffers for my daughter – bobbie pins and lip gloss – and a few for my self – a nail buffer, Ulta Nail Lacquer in “Silver Bells” and my favorite, a little travel makeup brush set.
We also hit Bath & Body Works, but that was a complete bust – nothing really jumped out at us, so we left empty handed.
Next up, Sephora…well, the Sephora inside of JC Penney’s. We didn’t feel quite brave enough to step foot in a mall.
As soon as I saw the Kat Von D Lolita Lip Duo, I knew it would be mine…even though I already have one “Lolita”, I wanted to try “Lolita II”. Just $19.50 for both.
I even remembered to bring in my Play! card for 50 extra points! I just checked my account…I only need to spend $132 to hit Rouge status…can I do it within the next 5 weeks?
Never Too Early to Start Xmas Shopping
I couldn’t pass up the chance to combine a 20% off coupon with an already smokin’ deal. I’ve been watching the Urban Decay Naked on the Run palette drop in price on various sites over the past month and it finally popped up at Ulta for $32. It was overpriced at $54, but $25.60 was just the right price. I tried the palette immediately and LOVED the shadow colors. Just the color “Dive” alone is worth it – metallic rose w/golden micro-shimmer. The Naked Lip Gloss “Sesso” is also nice.
I also picked up an Xmas present for Lily – the NYX Mega Glam Nail Polish Set. These little mini polish bottles are perfect for her tiny hands. I’m fairly certain she doesn’t read this site, so I think I’m safe in posting it.
I’ve finally figured out that the best day to order online from Ulta is Beauty Break Wednesdays – when they always have a free gift going. This time, I got a 4 piece sampler from bliss, with Fabulous Makeup Melt gel-to-oil cleanser, Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, Triple Oxygen Radiant Protection Energizing Serum and Instant Energizing Foaming Mask. I also got samples of L de L Cosmetics Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Facial Oil, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub.
I can’t wait to use my Sephora VIB 20% off next week!
Matte Lips!
Finally! NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in “Cannes” is mine!
Last week, Ulta had NYX on sale for Buy 2, Get 1 Free, so I went ahead and ordered it. I also got 2 of the new NYX Liquid Suede – “Sandstorm” and “Stone Fox”. I don’t know how the slate gray will look on my lips, but Halloween is coming…
For my samples, I ended up with single use cards of Benefit The POREfessional and tarte Smoother Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Finishing Powder. They were also running a deal for free shipping with a $1 breast cancer donation…and of course, the usual $3.50 off coupon. I got all this for $12.34!
Matchy Matchy
I found the perfect polish to match all my new lipstick – Ulta “Sunset Bronze” – a tiny little bottle from one of my old gifts with purchase.
Although it was thick, the polish went on smoothly, but there were a few bubbles on the second coat. I couldn’t decide on shiny or matte, so I did both – “HK Girl” and Zoya Matte Velvet Top Coat, with Orly Bonder as the base. I like the matte better, but my husband likes the shiny better.
I found an eye shadow that matches perfectly – theBalm “Flirty”. I even wore a sweater and shoes to match – matchy matchy!
On a Mission…
When you’re on a mission and you still don’t find what you’re looking for…but still come home with several bags of goodies…
My mission – to find some dupes of Kat Von D “Lolita” (Sephora exclusive) and Anastasia Beverly Hills “Veronica” (Macy’s exclusive). As painful as it would be to spend $20 on a lipstick, it’s more annoying that both are very hard to come by – forever out of stock in stores and online. So I did some googling and found some cheaper alternatives. I hadn’t used my 20% off Ulta coupon, so I went in search of some NYX and Essence dupes. I saw online that NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in “Cannes” and NYX Intense Butter Gloss in “Chocolate Crepe” were close. Nope – no luck. I did, however, pick up another Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in “Soft Brown”, another Zoya Remove+ and Ulta Dual Tipped Foam Applicators (I can’t quit foam applicators). I also hit a Target and HEB looking for NYX, Essence and wet n wild dupes – but no luck.
That was Saturday. On Sunday, I scammed my husband into dropping me off at a different Ulta – I did manage to find NYX “Chocolate Crepe” – but no “Cannes”! I did grab NYX Butter Lipstick in “Pops” – it looks close, too. And then I saw the Fall Ulta Gift with Purchase (a leatherette bag with the usual – eye shadow quads, blush, mascara, polish, brushes, eye liner, lip gloss, etc.)…I picked Ulta Shiny Sheer Lip Gloss in “Smoky” (I thought it would be darker, but it just made my lips vaguely gray and glittery) and Ulta Liquid Liner in “Black Pearl” (Glittery black eye liner is good, but they were out of the Rose Gold I wanted). That was only $19 and I needed $19.50, so I grabbed Ulta Cotton Pads.
Last stop, HEB to grab some soda for my M-i-L…and I found wet n wild Megalast Lip Stick in “Spiked with Rum” ($1.93). Still no “Cannes”, I’ll keep searching, but look forward to some lipstick swatches coming soon…
HUGE Ulta Haul
Those “gift with purchase” deals get me every time. Last week, Ulta was offering a pink plastic Beauty Bag, filled with samples – free to Platinum Members with a $60 purchase. There just happened to be $60 of stuff I needed…a back-up Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Finishing Powder in “Medium Light”…2 more Freeman Beauty Masks that were BOGH (I’m a total mask addict now) – Avocado & Oatmeal Clay and Golden Grain Brightening…5 Ulta Brilliant Color Lip Glosses on sale for $3 each – “Rich Plum”, “Toast” (a back-up), “Spice”, “Guava”, and “Cupcake”…and I broke down and tried Poo-Pourri in “Rosy Cheeks” (I tried it earlier today – although I didn’t smell poo-poo, it seemed to be a mostly non-offensive load – more research is needed).
Inside my beautiful pink bag (perfect for my upcoming Vegas trip): Lancôme Defincils Mascara in “Black”; Ulta Sweet Fantasy Vanilla and Caramel Silky Smooth Body Lotion; it Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in “Black-Brown”; Juice Organics Brightening Shampoo and Conditioner; Dolce & Gabbana “light blue – Sunset in Salina” (reminds me of my mom – smells a little bit like “Lauren”); it’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In for Blondes (I gave away the last one I got, but I’ll give this blonde version a try); Thierry Mugler “Angel” (I think a friend of mine wear this – so I never will); Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (I have SO many samples of this shit); Whish Body Butter in “Almond”; Biolage Matrix Exquisite Oil; dermalogica Ultrasmoothing Eye Serum; Laura Geller Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation in “Golden Medium”; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Booster Serum (good stuff – I used up my last sample); Kate Spade “Live Color Fully” (I might actually wear this one); Benefit It’s Potent eye Benefit cream; and a mini Ulta Brilliant Gloss in “Toast” (I guess I didn’t need that back-up I ordered?). Gee, I’ve got finger cramps from typing.
Two more samples came with my order – HASK Coconut Monoi Oil Shampoo and Conditioner and Cargo HD Picture Perfect CC Cream. I also used my $3.50 coupon. Excited to play with my new stuff!
Smoky Naked
The new Urban Decay Smoky Naked Palette launched back on July 12th at Ulta, so I’ve been watching the mail every day since I ordered it that morning. Yesterday, it finally came! I guess I could have gone to the store that morning, but I didn’t want to risk having to go store hopping.
It’s everything I hoped it would be. A full range of 12 matte and shimmery shades – I used it for the first time this morning (“Combust” on my lid, “Whiskey” on my crease, with “High” as a highlight) and the result was perfection. The shades were slightly less buttery than my other Naked palettes, but nothing I couldn’t work with.
The best part? I had $53 worth of Ulta Points saved up – so it was only $1. I’d been saving since around Xmas – so worth it. For samples, I got Laura Geller spackle Supercharged fortified under make-up primer and HASK Mint Almond Oil Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner.
On top of that, this was the purchase that put me over the top on Platinum Status for 2016. Mmmm…
Vice Deal
Sometimes, Ulta has an offer I can’t refuse. The Urban Decay Vice Ltd Palette for $39 (normally $58) was an offer I couldn’t refuse, especially with a $10 off ANYTHING coupon.
When I opened the palette and ooohed and ahhhed over the colors, I excitedly told my husband that there’s a color called “Backdoor” and it’s BROWN! My son said, “But our back door is white?” I hope he stays young and naive forever.
I also got Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm in “Medium”. I had been searching everywhere for “Light” – in several stores, online, but no luck…except on the Urban Decay site and they won’t give me points. Luckily, I tried “Medium” this morning and it looked exactly the same on me as “Light”. So, I dunno what the point of having two colors is.
My samples were a tiny little card with a smidge of Benefit The POREfessional (insulting!) and Biolage keratindose Shampoo and Conditioner.
Ulta Adventure
Oh the disappointment when one opens up an online order and one of the items is damaged! I ordered 2 NYX AVANT POP palettes (BOGO50%off) – and the “Art Throb” palette was shattered. Luckily, the “Surreal My Heart Palette” was in fine shape. I also ordered a clearance Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in “Woodstock” (hot pink!) for $10 and 2 Palladio lip stains – “rose” and “mocha”.
Because my order was over $40, I got the NYX Beauty Break Set, with Love in Paris Palette in “Merci Beaucoup”, Doll Eye Mascara in “Extreme Jet Black”, Butter Gloss in “Maple Blondie” and Slide On, Glide On, Stay On & Definitely a Turn On Waterproof Extreme Shine Eye Liner. (I like this set better than what I actually paid for.) For samples, I chose skincare and got CoTZ Face Sunscreen and Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil.
This morning, I went on an adventure to replace the shattered palette and use my $10 off ANYTHING coupon to get another Urban Decay Naked Skin BB Cream. The Copperwood Ulta didn’t have the paletter OR the BB Cream. I did pick up another Zoya Remove+.
The Willowbrook Ulta did have the NYX palette – phew.
Lily also begged for Sally Hansen “Sweet Nectar”. It was 79 cents on the clearance aisle, so why not. It’s sickeningly orange, but you never know when it will come in handy.
It’s not Saturday without a quick trip to Bath & Body Works. I’d been jonesing to experience the Semi Annual Sale in person, since I’ve been ordering online.
It was a fairly conservative trip – 2 50% off 3-wick candles, plus a metal candle holder. Just 5 50% off Hand Soaps – I just needed enough to use my $10 off $40 coupon.
I need a nap – I am plumb tuckered out.