Collective Holiday Sephora & Ulta Hauls

I took advantage of some holiday sales but didn't go too crazy. I also have upcoming MUA and e.l.f. hauls to post but first my latest Sephora and Ulta hauls. I fell in love with the L'Occitane hand cream from November's Sample Society Box so I wanted to try more. L'Occitane has a holiday set featuring 1 oz tubes of five of their hand creams.  They are Lavande, Pivoine Flora, Classic Shea Butter, Fleur Cherie, and Cherry Blossom. Unfortunately it was sold out a BeautyBar.com. So I picked it up from Sephora (where it is also now sold out). These retail indiviually for $10. I picked up the set for $40 and I believe I got 8% cash back from Ebates.

L'Occitane Hand Cream Confections Set

I can't decide if I'm going to keep them all or send a couple to my mom and sister with the beauty goodie bags I'm putting together for them.

Sephora Freebies

Sephora Freebies

I got a pile of free stuff with my order.First up are my picks for the usual three free samples. Benefit So Radiant which features samples of the Triple Performing Face Emulsion, Total Moisture Facial Cream, and It's Potent Eye Cream. I've try the eye cream in the past and liked it. I wasn't amazed by it but I did like it. Clinique High Impact Mascara was my second choice because I'm always up to try a new mascara. Third choice was Lady Gaga's Fame perfume. I have to admit I was curious. The scent reminds of Liz Taylor Poison from back in the day. Sephora was also offering mystery bags of samples. Mine included two cards of Sephora foundation in Light and Medium, a foil pack of Sephora Instant Moisturizer, Clarins High Definition Body Lift, DDF Amplifying Elixir, and a mini bottle of Versace perfume. I had a sample of the DDF before but it traded it. I may keep this one and actually try it out. I'm pretty sure I'm sending the Versace to my mom though. I'll definitely try the rest.

Ulta was still doing a buy one get one 50% on Real Techniques brushes so I took advantage of that. I picked up the Expert Face Brush and the Stippling brush. I also decided to try a new moisturizer and eye cream. I'm not really loyal to any particular moisturizer and I still haven't found my HG eye cream yet. I like the Eucerin so far but haven't been impressed with the Neutrogena eye cream.

Ulta Holiday 2012 Haul

My Ulta order also contained several items for my Mom but I won't post them on the off chance that she reads this. There was a mix of makeup and skincare products for her. I also scored cash back from Ebates for my Ulta purchase.

Overall, I managed to rein myself in a bit. I'm really trying not to go crazy with my spending lately. I managed to stay mostly on budget as far as gift buying is concerned and only bought a few things for myself. YAY.

What were some of your holiday hauls?

Ulta Mini Haul

Even though I'm trying to do a Low Buy for the next few months, I braved a trip to Ulta. I had $5 off coupon on a purchase $10 or more and my quarterly reward to pick up (which I've never actually used before). Ulta had also mailed me a postcard announcing their new Clinique counters. To celebrate, they were giving away a free lipstick. So I made my plan of attack and went in. The only two items I was intending to buy were the Real Techniques Blush Brush and OPI Nail Polish in Bubble Bath. Ashley over at Blush Bug did a post not too long ago about her Favorite Nude Polishes and I fell in love with Bubble Bath.

• O.P.I. Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath Original price $8.50 after coupon $6.07.  This polish is the perfect pale pink color. I did two coats and it's still pretty sheer but still gives a hint of color. Love!
• Real Techniques Blush Brush Original price $8.99 after coupon $6.42 I don't have a blush brush that I love. Everyone raves about these brushes so I thought I'd give it a shot. It was a tough call between this brush and the Expert Face Brush. I'll definitely get the Expert Face Brush next time around.
• Clinique Long Last Lipstick in All Heart Original price $15. FREE! I believe this is full size but I can't find the weight on the tube. The color All Heart is a deep mauve/berry color. It really suits me. I used to use a lot of Clinique skincare products but I haven't ever really used many of their makeup products.
• Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil  .35 oz Original price $6.50 FREE! I hardly ever cash in my quarterly points at Ulta. I always forget. When I saw this as one of the options, I was way more motivated than usual. I love this stuff! I'm still working through my 1 oz bottle from Beauty Army. I swear I'm actually going to buy it one day.

Even though I went to the NYX display twice and everything was buy one get on 50%, I managed to not walk away with anything. I'm so proud of myself for sticking to my plan of action. It definitely was not easy! My total spent before taxes was $12.49 that's like a record low for me.

Review: NYX Pin UP Tease Mascara

Some of you may recall that before I went on my no-buy, I was on the search for the perfect mascara. I picked up NYX's Pin Up Tease mascara when they were having a NYX sale. It typically retails for $6 from NYX. It's described as "Features a smudge-free formulation that adds major curl to the lash as it coats them with sexy, vibrant color. Hard bristle combs help separate lashes and shape their curl. Part of the Boudoir Mascara Collection, seven distinct NYX mascaras featuring unique formulations and wands."

 The wand is very curved and definitely stiffer than other mascara wands I've used. 

 I have to say that I'm in love. The formula is neither too wet nor too dry. You don't have to scrape a big gob of mascara off the end.  With one or two swipes, my lashes are longer and have a definite curl to them.

Bare Lashes

2x Swipes of NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara

Bare Lashes

2x Swipes of NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara

I find this doesn't cause any dark circles. It may flake a little if you rub your eyes a lot. It provides a nice soft and full looking lash without getting chunky or fake looking. My lashes still look great after an eight hour day at work.  NYX cosmetics are Cruelty Free.


Bat's Rating: 10. I really can't find anything I don't love about this mascara.

What's in My Travel Bag?

I just got back from a four day/three night business trip to Burbank, CA. My makeup collection and skincare routine have changed drastically since I last traveled for business in September. I decided that I didn't want to deal with the hassle of checking my luggage so this was all in my carry on luggage. It was really difficult for me to decide what would stay and what would go and I was really trying to pack light.

Makeup Remover Wipes, 3-1-1 Liquids Bag, Cosmetics Bag

The makeup remover wipes and my cosmetic bag were in my carry on suitcase and I wasn't required to pull them out for inspection.  I was able to fit a lot of products in my one quart sized bag for liquids.  I also took a full sized bottle of contact solution which doesn't count as part of your liquids. So don't waste valuable real estate in your liquids bag on those small bottles of contact solution. In the US this is considered a medication, you have to pull it out to be scanned with the rest of your liquids but it doesn't have to be 3oz. When I left Vegas, they pulled me aside and did an additional scan on my contact solution to confirm it wasn't anything dangerous. When I went through security at Burbank, they didn't care. 

Contents of my 3-1-1 liquids bag

I got all of this in my bag of liquids and had a little bit of room to spare. Oh thank you subscription services! 

• Crest Toothpaste
• UD Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Wallflower (free w/purchase)
• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Buttery Nude reviewed here
• Lorac Lip Gloss in Rich Garnet reviewed here
• Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer in Ivory
• Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in Extreme Black (free w/purchase)
• Kerastase Elixir hair serum (Birchbox)
• UD Primer Potion in Original 
• Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation in Buff 4C (free sample from Ulta)
• Harvey Prince Yogini Perfume (Birchbox)
• Inglot YSM Foundation in 41  (free w/purchase)
• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (free sample from Ulta)
• Regenepure DR Shampoo (My scalp is super sensitive so no using the hotel shampoo for me)
• Regenpure NT Conditioner
• Boscia Cleansing Gel (Sample Society)
• Mac Fix+
• Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer (Birchbox)
• Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Charcoal 

Cosmetics bag contents

• UD 24/7 Eyeliner in Whiskey
• UD 24/7 Eyeliner in Peversion
• Almay brown eyeliner (I use this to dip in my gel liner to apply to the waterline)
• My Inglot Neutral palette ( #353, 341, 337)
• My Inglot Smokey eye palette (# 324M, AMC #36, 387M, 348M, 391)
• Milani Baked Blush Luminoso
• Dermalogica Microfoliant (Sample Society)
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light
• Cover Girl Powder Natural Ivory
• compact mirror

Travel Tools

This case is the one the e.l.f. 11 piece Studio Set comes in. I like it because it's super flat and fits easily in a suitcase.

• Estee Lauder Powder Brush
• e.l.f. Powder Brush
• e.l.f.. Blush Brush
• e.l.f Fan Brush
• e.l.f Mineral Concealer Brush (free w/purchase)
• MAC 217
• MAC 239SE
• e.l.f. Contour Brush
• MAC 219SE
• e.l.f Small Smudge Brush
• Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge

So that's pretty much what I can't leave home without for a few days. I could do a nice neutral day look or a dramatic smokey eye for evening. What can't you leave home without?

February Favorites

I know I'm a little late in doing this. The month of March crept up on me even with that extra day thrown in there!  I've been so busy at work that I've been neglecting my blog. boo.

February Favorites

• Ulta Nail Lacquer in Goddess Is a sheer pink/gold champagne color. It adds just the right amount of shimmer

• Maybelline DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory:  This is a pretty good color match for me. Applies smoothly and blends easily.  Just the right amount of brightness under the eyes.

• Milani Minerals Blush in Luminoous A soft pink/peach color. Looks great on the apples or the backs of the cheeks. The compact comes with a built in mirror and brush. I used the brush for the first time the other day. It's very soft and picks up a good deal of product. 

• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Buttery Nude:  I've already rave about this in my review.  I'm still reaching for this several times a week. 

Review: NYX Xtreme Lip Creams

I picked up two of the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams when they were BOGO at Ulta.  NYX describes them as "It's not lipstick, nor is it gloss. It's like nothing you've experienced before. It's liquid lipstick that goes on with full Xtreme color and intense shine." I have to say the texture is somewhere between a lipstick and gloss. It's creamy and soft and glides easily. These are a tad small at .023oz but I've found a little really goes along way.

NYX Xtreme Lip Creams

These come in eleven shades. I picked up Buttery Nude and Natural to try out. 

L to R: Buttery Nude and Natural

Here's how they look on my lips. 

Normal lip color

Buttery Nude

Natural

Overall, I love the texture of these. They are also pretty moisturizing. At first I thought I'd like Natural more than Buttery Nude but the more I wore Buttery Nude the more I liked it.  I've been wearing it quite frequently since I bought it.  I like Natural but I think it is a bit too nude for my tastes. I'm going to try to layer it with something else to see if it grows on me. I'm definitely interested in trying out more shades of these especially Bonfire and Absolute Red.Bat's Rating: 9.

You can find these at NYX Cosmetics or Ulta for $6.00

Ulta and CVS Haul

So I told myself I was just going into Ulta to get my points from my last purchase and pickup UD 24/7 in Perversion and one or two things from they NYX section. I also needed to the nail polish I bought last time but my Mom liked it so much I gave it to her. I just needed to go in CVS to return some blush (Maybelline FitMe blush sucks btw). What is it they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

The Haul:

• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner Perversion
• NYX Mechanical Lip Pencil  Plum 
• NYX Mechanical Lip Pencil  Nude
• NYX Hi Def Photo Concealer Green
• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream Buttery Nude
• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream Natural
• Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital Teinte Natural
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Steppin' Out  
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Goddess
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Freshwater Pearl
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Dance Teal Dawn
• Maybelline DreamLumi Touch Concealer Ivory
• Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eye Shadow Tough as Taupe
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
• Sample of Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation Buff 4C

Ulta products are still buy two get two free. My CVS still has a good selection of the Color Tattoo shadows. Most everywhere else is sold out or only has purple. Word has really gotten around about that one being the dud in the batch. 

NYX Round Lipsticks Doll & Peach

I finally got around to test driving my NYX lipsticks from My Ulta Haul.

NYX describes these as "our classic lipstick for all-year round. The mineral-based emollient formula offers a beautiful velvet texture, saturated color and it resists wear and smudging. It’s your go-to lipstick."

I picked the colors Doll and Peach. Both shades gave me about three hours of wear without applying a lip liner beneath. I had better results if I applied a lip balm first. But hey it's the desert. They glide smoothly. They can smear a little bit so be careful. They also tend to transfer if you're eating or drinking anything.  Overall though they can't be beat for the price ($3.99).  So you can experiment with different colors without making a huge investment. I'm just starting to branch out and try different lipstick colors. Before my lipsticks were either red or red.

NYX Round Lipstick in Doll

Doll: I would describe Doll as more of a mauve color. I've heard it described as pinkish berry shade. I wouldn't call it a totally matte shade. It has a tiny bit of sheen but is not glittery.

Doll Swatched

Doll is fairly opaque in one pass. I found it to be slightly more long lasting than Peach. It also stains a little bit more than Peach but overall staining is moderate. Bat's Rating: 7.5

Peach: I'm really not sure why they named this shade peach. It doesn't look like any peach I've ever eaten! The color is very similar to Doll. Peach is a little bit more pink shifted and shimmery.

NYX Round Lipstick Peach

It applies very sheer. I'd definitely recommend pairing this with a lip gloss. It lasts for about two hours of wear. Bat's Rating: 6.5

NYX Peach Swatched (daylight)

NYX Cosmetics can be found online at NYX Cosmetics.  You can also by them online or in store at ULTA

Ulta Haul

Here's my Ulta haul from Sunday. I finally gave in...

Urban Decays' Naked 1 Palette, Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Wallflower, NYX Lipsticks in Peach and Doll, and Ulta Nail Polish in Goddess.  I've been thinking about the Naked palette for a long time. I'll do a look with this soon. I need to play around with it a little first. I had a sample size of Wallflower and I loved it. It's smooth and long lasting and I love the color.  I'm trying to explore more lipstick colors and at $3.99 a pop how can you resist the NYX lipsticks?  Some of them have gotten really good reviews. I didn't find the two shades I was looking for but we'll see how Peach and Doll test out.  Finally, Ulta Nail Polish in Goddess to replace my China Glaze Temptation Carnation which seems to chip on me a lot and has a weird texture.  I don't really wear nail polish all that often though. We shall see how that goes.