Ulta Haul: Eyes, Foundation & Skincare

This past Saturday was a shopping day for me. Ulta had a great 20% off your entire purchase deal going and I really couldn't resist. There were a couple of items that I had to pick up, and if I'm honest, a couple of impulse buy or two.

I began the journey by picking up a bottle of L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in (N7-8) Classic Tan/Cappuccino. I've heard so many great things about this foundation that I simply had to get a bottle of it for myself. I've been using it for the past few days and so far, I really like it. Dare I say, I think it might be a drugstore dupe for the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation, which is a current favorite.

I also made my way to the NYX display, which I find myself grabbing more and more products from the line because I'm always so stunned by the quality of the products at a bargain price! I ended up grabbing the NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Gun Metal for my Halloween costume this Friday and a more long-term use product, the NYX Nude Matte Shadow in Dance With Tides, a beautiful brown however slightly orange-tinted nude that is a perfect transition shade on the lids. I've only been using this for a couple of days, but I already notice that it's in regular rotation during my morning makeup application and the pigmentation is surprisingly stellar for only $4.50!

A spur-of-the-moment purchase that I made was the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown. I've wanted to give this a try since I absolutely adore my Anastasia Brow Wiz and figure if I'm going to venture into another brow product, Anastasia is the brand to stick with. I've only dabbled with this product once and oh my goodness, is it pigmented?! A light touch of product is all you need, but I'm sure practice will make perfect when it comes to this item.

I rounded out my jaunt in the aisles of Ulta with a browsing in the skin care sections. I came away with an old standby that I haven't revisited in a while, Philosophy Purity One-Step Facial Cleanser. Also, I picked up a Juice Beauty Green Apple Blemish Clearing Peel, which is something that I've had my eye on for a while.  While my skin is not necessarily blemish-prone, the benefits highlighted are hydration, rejuvenation and evening of texture and I do have some problem areas where texture could improve. I'll report back when I've tested this for a while.

Lastly, you'll also notice that there's a sneaky Laura Gellar mascara that made its way into my bag of purchases. This was a sample that I received because the nice ladies at Ulta were feeling rather generous that day, but hey, I'm not complaining.

So far, so good with all of the purchases, but I'd love to know what's been on your personal beauty wish lists lately. Also, if you'd like to see a thorough review of any products I've mentioned in this haul, let me know!

Repurchases & Discoveries: Ulta Haul

This past week, I ran out of two staples in my make-up bag and knew that I would have to make a trip to Ulta soon, so I did just that. And, it should come as no surprise that while I ventured to Ulta to replace my must-have products, I stumbled across a couple of new discoveries that I couldn't leave behind. 

The items that I purposefully ventured into Ulta to retrieve were my Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation, which I've raved about before, and the Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes which has been my go-to option for makeup remover for over a year. These wipes are oil-free and swiftly remove even the most waterproof of mascaras with little effort. After using the Aveeno wipes,  my skin feels calm and clean. Best yet, the air-tight packaging ensures that all of my wipes stay moist (ugh...) until the very last one! 

Now onto the unfamiliar, but exciting purchases. 

I snagged my very first It Cosmetics item, the Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector. I became fascinated with this product after I repeatedly heard a favorite blogger of mine, EssieButton, sing its praises. I definitely trust her opinion, and I was right to do so. The consistency of the cream is surprisingly lightweight while simultaneously delivering natural color correction and coverage. I've only dabbled with this product for a couple of days, but I'll keep you posted on how I get along with it. 

Finally, I picked up the Benefit Gimme Brow in an effort to find a quicker tool to get my brows done in the morning. The tinted brush-on fiber gel is delivered to your brows via a tiny spoolie, which is adorable, by the way! From my first foray with it, it gave my brows a very natural and kempt look. I could see myself getting very friendly with this product. Stay tuned!