In August, Ulta had a 10x points promotion, and I picked up a few things. I already wrote about my China Glaze holo from the OMG Flashback collection, TTYL, and the Morgan Taylor React Base Coat here.
I also picked up a travel size Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara (reviewed here), my current mascara of choice, and the ColourPop Fame pressed powder eyeshadow palette. It’s a cool-toned neutral palette that I thought would suit me. I haven’t started using it yet. I’ll write about it another time, but here are a few sneak peeks.
Yesterday, I picked up the BeautyBlender Blendercleanser Solid, one of my favorites for cleaning sponges and brushes, for $8 during the 21 Days of Beauty Sale.
I now have more than $8 in Ulta dollars to spend in the future. Not too bad.
During last week’s Sephora VIB sale event, I picked up things that I needed to replace:
- Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb: I got two samples in both my Ipsy and Sephora Play bags, and this was a terrific firming and moisturizing eye gel for me. I just finished up the full size jar I bought a few months ago. It is much more affordable than either PCA Skin Ideal Eye Complex Revitalizing Gel (reviewed here) and Shiseido Ultimune Power Eye Concentrate (reviewed here), both of which I adore but are definitely pricey.
- First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer: I got a travel size sample of this in one of my Sephora Play bags (gee, I guess I should resubscribe some day because I really did get turned onto several products that I ended up buying in full size). Anyway, I just finished up the travel size sample, and I found that I loved this relatively lightweight moisturizing primer (a 2 in 1 product) that was quite perfect for hot weather. It has a slight tint, and it gives skin a wonderful glow. I don’t recommend this for oily skin, but for dry skin like mine, it’s great for summer and warm weather. I bought the 0.75 fl. oz. size for $14, but it also comes in a larger size as well.
I also decided to use 100 of my Sephora points, and I got a sample size Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in the shade, Babe.
I love the shade: it’s a very pretty cool-toned pink-red.
It’s a semi-matte formula that’s not drying, but not particularly hydrating either. I like it, but it isn’t long lasting. Within a couple of hours, it’s gone. I’m glad I got to try it, because I had been eying another Bobbi Brown lipstick shade for a couple of years now, and I don’t think I would spend the money since it fades so fast after trying this one.
Frankly, there seem to be too many sales going on at once. And if you add in the goody bags from Barney’s New York and Space NK, it’s overwhelming! Gotta draw a line somewhere 😈
What, if anything, have you gotten during the recent Sephora and Ulta sales?
That Belif Eye Bomb sounds wonderful! I will have to try to get a sample. I LOVE that BB lipstick on you! You showed great restraint at these sales!
Thank you, Helen! I love the Bobbi Brown lipstick shade, I just wish it lasted a little longer on me. I really need so little, I was mostly replacing staples
The solid blender/brush cleaner looks awesome! Gonna try that. I’ll be interested to see how you like the Colourpop palette–I have one called “California Dreamin” or something like that, and the shadows are mostly glitter and very sheer, almost too sheer in my opinion. Curious to hear about the matte colors!
This is the 4th solid blendercleanser I’ve bought because I love how it cleans my blending sponges. I wanted to try the liquid but since this was half price I decided to get another one. I’ll let you know about the ColourPop palette. I mostly like their bouncy cream(ish) shadows, but I liked these cool toned neutral shades and decided to give it a try. 🙂
I like the liquid blendercleanser and feel like it might have the edge on cleaning my sponges faster, but I am also acutely aware that I go through it much faster as well.
So, I had wanted to try the liquid blendercleanser, and that was my plan (tho I am afraid I’ll use it up too fast too!), but when I saw the tried and true solid for half off, I had to do it! I have another solid cleanser that I got in my Beautylish box – Clean Apothecary Brush Shampoo with grapefruit scent – that I still haven’t tried out yet. The scent seems mild. I am almost finished with the solid blendercleanser, so I’ll finish it, store the new blendercleanser and try out the one from Clean Apothecary. You did well on your haircare haul. I love the sound of the rose volumizing paste – I wish I needed that product coz I’d love the scent. Email me with your address when you have a chance, and I’ll send you whatever dry shampoos I have because I don’t use them.
Recently I had a 20% off coupon at Ulta. I used it on some hair products that I was in need of. So I am keeping my debit card put away as there is nothing that I really need at either Ulta or Sephora. In fact I need to use the products that I already have. Too easy to wear the same products everyday. I also recently ordered a couple of products from the Derm Store. In fact one was a product that you recommended in your recent empty review.
Except for the ColourPop palette, I was mostly replacing staples so I didn’t buy much either. What did you get at Dermstore? I just got cotton pads from Koh Gen Do, or was that from Lovelyskin? Hard to keep track 😉
I love the solid BB cleanser too! I use the Sephora branded solid as well and I like it enough, but the scent on that one is more of an all-encompassing-olfactory-experience… LOL. BB solid is just nice and clean smelling, no weird sensory field-trips required. Sadly I couldn’t get to Ulta and pick one up when you mentioned it was one sale! Usually their 21 days offerings are pretty meh for me but that was one I really could have used!
And thank you for the heads up on the Bobbi Brown Babe lipstick. I’ve had that same mini floating around in the drawer for a while now (don’t know where I got it) and hadn’t used it yet. Now I know I can just pass it on to someone who might enjoy it more.
Aside from a Sephora brand blender sponge/solid cleanser set (including the aforementioned olfactory flight of fancy soap) my sale code usage was mostly a hair care haul. I’m trying out the Olaplex shampoo and conditioner, so far so good. I also finally picked up some Christophe Robin that I’d been eyeing- the rose volumising paste. Haven’t used it yet, but it smells divine. VERY rosy. I also couldn’t resist yet another dry shampoo sampler box, because I love having minis for travel and this newer set was a nice mix of formulas I already love and new ones I’ve been wanting to try. Well, minus the Drybar. Someone has to love that one because it’s always in there! Just not me, hahaha. It’s always sooo perfumed, I might just go ahead and pass it on.
I think I showed restraint. 😉
I have that same Bobbi Brown lipstick and I agree, it fades so fast and now it’s left aside untouched. Great haul, Allison, I bought so little during Sephora sale, honestly I don’t need anything.
That Bobbi Brown lipstick doesn’t even stay on for two hours, for goodness sake! What a disappointment! Except for the CP shadow palette that I definitely didn’t need but wanted to try out for review, I only bought staple items.
My head led the way for this sale rather than my heart, so I picked up just a few items at the Sephora sale. I really like the colors in the Colourpop Fame palette that you bought at Ulta.
Thanks, Stacie. I hope Fame will be a nice palette. Other than the CP palette, I stuck to replacing staples as well.
When I tried the BB solid cleanser it smelled like lavender. Does it still? It’s funny that you like BadGal Bang while in my review I said I didn’t. They all work differently on us.
Nice haul and I totally agree that it’s so difficult with so many sales on at the same time.
Marcia, I don’t want to open my new blendercleanser because I am going to use the grapefruit-scented solid cleanser from Clean Apothecary that came in my Beautylish bag months ago. I have a pretty good sense of smell, but to be honest, BB blendercleanser hasn’t struck me as having any strong smell, and because I do like lavender, I might have noticed it. I’ll let you know when I get around to opening the new one!
I bought and returned an item ILIA tinted moisturizer, it broke me out so bad and it had awful smell too. Yeah, too many sales happening, I need self-disciple lol
I had a feeling you would return the tinted moisturizer. Too bad it didn’t work out, but better to return it. Yes, way too many sales at the same time!
great choices!