Not that one ever needs a legitimate reason to visit Ulta, but my official “on the books/for the record” reason last weekend was because I needed a replacement for my stick of Anastasia Brow Wiz (which I wore down to the nub).
That, and it was the first day I felt almost like myself again after that awful cold.
I’m serious, even the little routine things that usually cheer me up, like showering and putting on body lotion afterwards, weren’t working. I felt pretty terrible.
So when I started feeling better again, I said to El Hub, “Drive me to Ulta,” and he said, “OK, I’ll drop you off…and then I’ll go to Home Depot.” 🙂
Of course, it took me all of 30 seconds in the store to grab the brow pencil, which was followed by another 30 minutes of looking around (you know how it is).
Here’s what I got… Some of these I needed, and others I’m just playing with/testing.
1. Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex Hand & Body Scrub, $9.99
2. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Bath & Body Massage Oil, $9.99
3. Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze, $4.99
4. Maybelline Brow Drama in Deep Brown, $7.99
5. Covergirl Natural Lash in Clear, $5.99
6. Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown, $21
7. Hot Tools Black Hair Pins, $3.49
Have you done any beauty shopping lately? What did you get?
Nice little picks. How is that Rimmel bronzer? And the Maybelline brow thing? I have read mixed reviews but I am almost out of my Anastasia BH Brow Powder Duo and I need something else. Not that there is anything wrong with the duo but I just like to try new things!
My last Ulta haul included some false eyelashes, Urban Decay Sheer Revolution lipstick and two Essie nail polishes.
Tell me all about items 2-4! The bath/body oil sounds like it would smell amazing and I was interested in that brow sculptor product too! Curious about the Rimmel bronzer too!
I bought the new Guerlain Meteorites Baby Glow foundation, the Nars Dual Intensity Palette, some indie nail polishes, two Illamasqua polishes, Too Faced Melted Chihuahua from Ulta, Too Faced Hangover face primer, Melt cosmetics lipstick in Dark Room…and in other news declared bankruptcy. haha. Just kidding!
My excuse was it was my birthday so I let loose with the spending. Oh and I also orderd 2 pairs of Zella leggings and new Asics running shoes. Hooray!
Now I am back to being good!
I went on a drugstore binge at Ulta a couple weeks ago. A bunch of Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows – bronze, bright emerald, metallic pink, forest green matte, purple matte.. I couldn’t help it. I also got the Dream Fresh BB cream (which is my go to for sunscreen).
I have the Rimmel Bronzer in Sun Light. My experience with it is that it is easy to work with and gives a nice natural finish as long as one does not go overboard with it. Also recently picked up the Maybelline Brow Drama in Blonde. It adds just a liitle natural looking definition to my brows. However I apply it after I’ve powdered my face and as a result the brush picks up a little bit of the powder when I use it. I might try trimming down one side of the ball section of the brush to see if that helps.
My Ulta haul consisted of that same CG Clear mascara to use on my eyebrows instead of using my usual Anastasia clear gel (I should have purchased the New Maybelline clear gel instead because the container is dark so I won’t be able to see how disgusting it will turn after using it over my ABH colored brow gel). I also picked up Sally Hansen triple shine in 460 Deep End & 290 Vanity Flare (GORGEOUS!) and Sally Hansen insta dry in 432 Re-Teal Therapy, NEW Glossy Black Liner.
stupid autocorrect, it was supposed to read NYX Glossy Black Liner.
I’ve been on two Ulta binges in the last couple weeks: a “stress-shop” and then a “post-stress-treat-myself-shop.”
Haul #1
– Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara
– LORAC Pro Palette 2
– LORAC Unzipped Gold Palette
– Bare Escentuals Complextion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Creme (love it!)
– Real Techniques sponge
Haul #2
– Maybelline Full Fan Effect Volume mascara
– Revlon Age Defying CC Cream
– Loreal True Match Lumi foundation
– Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme foundation
– Real Techniques Expert Face brush
I like Shea Moisture products, especially their bar soaps. I’m on a quest to try them all. Luckily, my local Rite Aid carries almost every kind. My favorite so far is still Black African soap.
I recently picked up the L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper, looking for a less expensive alternative to the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel, and I really like it. It was a little too wet and smeary at first but it has dried out a little and is the prefect consistency. It has a tiny cone-shaped mascara brush that makes precise application quick and easy, and the “medium to dark” is a believable dark brown. It does what I want it to, which is give my brows a little more oomph, fill in a patchy area, and hold them in place all day. It’s a quick, easy one-step product for full polished brows. Check it out!
Ah, Ulta…sneaky, wallet-slimming establishment, you. I just attained Platinum status, which brings me great joy because I’m there practically every week and insider points don’t expire, but also great woe because – ya know – said wallet-slimming.
Anyway, that specific hand & body scrub is my (Superfruit) JAM, Karen. I could never find an inexpensive body scrub gritty enough to tackle my scaly arms and elbows as the impossible-to-find Burt’s Bees pomegranate scrub – which MBB introduced me to – until this one! I hope you enjoy it! Body scrubs are definitely *my* bad-day relievers.
Ulta/Nordies/Amazon hauls:
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel; Hall’s Sugar-Free lozenges in lemon; Cerave Eye Repair Cream (night); Biolage Shampoo & Conditioner Volume Bloom; NARS lip liner in Costa Esmeralda (per you);
and on the way in the mail: Sigma E54 brush, medium sweeper (per you); Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm (per you).
I hope the Shea Moisture stuff is good!
Ooooh I’m sure you’ll enjoy that massage oil next weekend 🙂 Sounds lovely.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about those Shea Moisture products! I’ve heard a lot of good things about them and have been meaning to try a couple of products. Ironically, I just came from Ulta too lol. Had no idea they sold Shea Moisture. Probably because I zeroed in on the NYX aisle to grab a handful of the new spring stuff lol. I do want to go back though for the new matte lip creams and hopefully a contour kit if I can find one in stock
I couldn’t resist the Bobbi brown brightening brick from the new collection. One came home with me
That Shea moisture scrub looks awesome, you had me at mango and coffee extract? Clear mascara is not my thing, I mean what’s the point? And I have never liked covergirl mascaras. I wouldn’t mind a brow pencil for on the go or quick touch ups since all I have are brow pots you have to use with a brush.
I’m always up for a shopping trip to Ulta.
Oh I wish we had Ulta (and Target, Sephora…) here in Germany. Sigh!
The Shea butter oil looks awesome! 😀
I’m all about the skincare right now being here in a record setting snowfall frozen tundra state.
I just picked up Philosophy’s new moisturizer, Renewed Hope In a Jar, which I’m loving.
I also got a new GlamGlow–thirsty mud hydrating treatment, which I haven’t tried yet.
I got a sample of Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting cleanser but I haven’t tried it yet.
And I got my Sephora birthday gift of Nars lip pencils. I’m loving the pink and am afraid to try the red, it is sooo red.
p.s. love the drop off while he goes to Home Depot. I know All about that. It’s either Home Depot or GameStop….
Yes, but what did El Hub get? HAHA! I actually had a nice little basket going at Sephora (online) until I saw that the Tom Ford Lipstick 100 point reward was no longer available. I also had the Brow Wiz in there (in taupe) but I don’t need it right away so I’ll wait until another freebie catches my eye. 🙂
I was at my local ULTA last Saturday and had my makeup done by an Urban Decay makeup artist, what fun! So of course I had to purchase $75 of Urban Decay to get the free gift with purchase. I got the new concealer, which I may exchange because it’s a bit matte for my almost-60 skin, Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Ladyflower, which is a gorgeous pink that I love, and Moondust Eyeshadow in Intergalactic and in Ether, both of which I’m finding to be much, much more wearable than I thought they would be, and with no fallout during wear even without any kind of glitter glue! The ‘free gift’ was a deluxe sample of Perversion mascara, which I’m delighted to use, a mini Velvet Eye Pencil in Plushie, which works great with the eye shadows I purchased, and plastic bubble size samples of four Revolution lipsticks, I’ve gotten before and will pass on to a friend, all in a really, really cute bag that immediately became the makeup bag I’m carrying in my handbag, it’s the absolutely perfect size. When I exchange the concealer I’m going to get the Moondust eyeshadow in Cosmic and maybe Moonspun or Zodiac and start a make-your-own palette of Moondust eye shadows.
They also had just gotten in a lot of new hair do-dads, so I picked up four new headbands — love headbands for spring — one beaded, one animal-print, one lace, one plastic in the same color as my hair. I also got some CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, which I’m using at night after removing makeup, and using the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle cream cleanser in the morning to remove moisturizer and serums. CeraVe makes some really nice products. Their eye cream is super-moisturizing, which I need this time of year when my undereye area is dehydrated as well as dry. I use it to seal in Paula’s Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum, which is loaded with antioxidants as well as retinol and is safe to use in the eye area.
I’ve been trying to keep my spending down this month but…I did just buy my first item from MAC, ever, a duo palette so I can condense my single eyeshadows into one palette!
I recently picked up the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm after reading about it from you and a few other blogs. I still love my Blistex Medex but this is so hydrating. When I saw $17 for a lip balm I almost said no, then when I opened it and it’s packed to the top… totally worth it. I also recently picked up Too Faced Hangover RX, Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Peach Beach and Something About Berry, Essence blushes in heart shaped packaging, Almay brow pencil which has replace Anastasia Brow Whiz for half the price, a couple Masque Bar sheet masks, D&G Dolce perfume, Balenciaga B perfume, PTR Brightning Bubbling Mask, Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette, Tarte QVC Holiday set which wasn’t available to Canadian shoppers until after Christmas on the Tarte site, Tarte Skinny Smolder Eyes pencil set, GlamGlow Power Mud and Thirsty Mud treatments, Josie Maran Argan Oil Creamy Lip and Cheek Duo, 3 Hourglass Eye Palettes in Field (thanks to you), Infinity and Exposure, Viseart Matte shadow palette, a few Ardency Inn single shadows in RoseGold, Disco, Peacock and Hell, Tarte Tarlette palette, Kat Von D Ladybird palette and Interstellar palette, Clinique Neutral Territory palette, Smashbox Double Exposure palette and the entire Essie Cashmere Matte collection. Last on my list I want to find are the new Milani Blushes. And then I’m putting myself on a strict ‘NO BUY’ until April/May because actually typing out this list is scary!!! Although I currently have 2 Marc Jacobs perfumes sitting in my Sephora bag just crying out for me to hit purchase before my VIB Rouge coupon expires!
I just ordered four eyeshadows from ColourPop! I’m looking forward to finding out if the formula is as mind-blowing as everyone says.
When I was still living in the Sacramento area, ULTA opened a store near Roseville Galleria. That was years ago and I wasn’t into makeup that time yet. I love going in the store, but never really buys anything. Instead, I always end up buying stuff from Best Buy which was next to ULTA. Lol! But now that we’ve moved to the Philippines, I miss ULTA. I’m pretty sure I’ll be buying lots of stuff from them, too, now that I love makeup! 😀
Let’s see, my last haul- Benefit They’re Real mascara, KVD Tatoo Liner, MAC Viva Glam 2 (back up that I forgot I left in my cart at Nordie. Pretty sure I got the last tube left on the planet #score), two mini bottles of PTS Oilless oil (my local JCP Sephora sells the mini bottles of this stuff. Makes my skin soft like a baby’s bum. Kinda addicted), Sephora tote- it’s pink & was only $5 online. Currently lemming for the release of the TF all matte palette. From the one review I read, the brown shadows lean warm. Spring/Summer couldn’t get here fast enough 🙂
I must say I am so in love with Shea Moisture body scrubs. Not only do the smell heavenly but leaves my skin very moisturized.
Great haul! Everything looks great! I so wish we had Ulta here too.
I brought Shea Moisture co-wash and leave in conditioner from Walgreens. I’d never used a co-wash before but thought it might be better for my hair than regular shampoo. I only tried them once but my hair was soft and felt more conditioned than usual. I was impressed! Ulta is further away than Sephora so I rarely drive there.
I haven’t hauled anything in a while. I’ve been wanting to up my brow game but I’m holding off on products as I’m considering a radical hair color shift.
Ulta is dangerous! I always come out of there with way more than I need. The stuff you got looks like good stuff!
My last beauty haul was at CVS about a week and a half ago. I was picking up some Garnier Fructis hair dye to freshen up my hair and came out with two boxes of that; John Frieda Clear Glaze; John Frieda deep color conditioner for after coloring; new Milani foil shadow quad in Venice (haven’t tried it yet but it looks interesting); and 2 of the Maybelline Color Tattoo loose pigments in the buff shade (was going for Downtown Brown but the buff shade happened to be in the slot when I grabbed it by accident…will have to grab Downtown Brown next time though I like the buff shade) and Pink Rebel.
Pink Rebel pairs great with the UD Black Palette for a pink smokey eye. Yesterday I paired Cobra on the lash lines and smoked it out with Pink Rebel. I really liked the look and it stayed all day. It was kind of girly tough. You have me hooked on blending eye makeup to have a smokey effect!
I swung by Ulta too, to get more It Cosmetics tightliner mascara and CC cream (I mix it with MUFE’s Mat Velvet Plus). I also just ordered Better Than Sex mascara and the white Beauty Blender plus the cleaner, because I didn’t like the way it leeched pink when I washed it and it took forever to get clean with Dr. Bronner’s bar soap (which works for all my regular brushes – a great tip from you!).
Ulta is my jam. My favorite thing that I constantly repurchase and buy backups I’ve is the Hada Labo Tokyo face mask. Glowy, moist, plump skin. I recently purchased Oscar Blandi braid paste (I’ve been into crown braids lately) and the new Nyx Micro Brow pencil in blonde.
My last beauty shopping trip was Walgreen’s. I actually went to get allergy eye drops, but I had to check out the makeup, of course.
There were buy one, get one half off sales. I ended up with Milani’s Rose Powder Blushed (all three shades), and the Baked Blush in Rose d’Oro. I also got Lava Lips gloss in Mango Lava, Ooh-la-Lava, and Lava-Nder.
I have tried Shea moisture 3butter body wash and it was ahhmazzingg !! .. I am sure u will love that scrub and oil.. I want one for myself too 😛 ..
I want to know how this Maybelline brow will perform !! .
That happens with me all the time.. Buy the thing u really want and then look for other things that can come home with u 😉
Yay! You got the Shea Moisture body oil! I love that stuff after my shower.
I wish we had Ulta here in Australia…and products at US prices!!!! (sad face).