Ulta Haul

 I hardly ever go to Ulta because of it's distance from where I live, however I was in the neighborhood a few weeks ago and was excited to grab some things.

Here is what I picked up:

NYX Xtreme lip cream in 08 Skin Tone and 09 Strawberry. I have a previous post about the NYX Soft Matte lip creams and these are just as wonderful PLUS they are very creamy and hydrating.  These lip creams are amazing!! Swatches below.

Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil. These pencils are very similar to the MAC eyebrow pencils but retail for half the price. I have been having difficulty finding them in drugstores lately, but if you can get your hands on them, I highly recommend. I purchased two!

Essence Clear Mascara/Brow set. This is your standard clear mascara - I use it to set my brows and keep them in place all day.

Katy Perry lashes in Oh, Honey! Haven't worn them yet, but they look promising. Each box contains 1 pair of lashes, 1 small tube of lash adhesive, and an insert with tips to apply lashes like a pro.

Essence gel eyeliner in 01 Midnight in Paris (black). For such an inexpensive brand, thus eyeliner works pretty well and stays all day.

NYX Eyebrow Shaper. This was pencil is supposed to groom browns into shape. I purchased this to use on clients with unruly eyebrows.

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone (obviously not from Ulta). Your pores will become invisible and your skin will be as soft as butta. This can also be used on non makeup days for a smooth, mattified look.

Have you tried any of these products? I think the NYX lippies may be my favorite so far!

What has your makeup done for you lately?

This post is super late, but I picked up the Tarte ‘What has your makeup done for you lately?’ set which was available as a QVC exclusive on July 13th. This set came with the full sized products listed below.

· Maracuja Miracle 12-hour Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

· 100% pure Maracuja Oil rollerball

· LipSurgence Lip Shine in smitten soft pink with built-in sharpener

· Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara in black

· modernEYES waterproof creaseless shadow/liner duo

· Retoucher bamboo foundation brush

· There was also an eye cream added to the mix as a ‘Sneak Peak’…nice touch, Tarte.




Photo courtesy of Musingsofamuse.com


Clearly everybody and their mama copped this set (or was gifted this set) and are raving about it
all over bloggerland. I’ll add my two cents in a series of brief posts, quickly detailing my experience with each product.

First up: the eyes. I have been using the Maracuja C-Brightener Eye Treatment religiously for the past several months and overall, I think it is a good product. It is not a moisturizing as I would like, but I have noticed a slight decrease in my dark undereye circles.
The modernEYES waterproof creaseless shadow/liner duo in plumberry and plum brown is a dual ended pencil with a plummy eyeshadow stick on one side and deep purple eyeliner on the other. I used this in the look below and got fantastic results. It applied easily, there was no tugging or unevenness, and it lasted all day with ZERO creasing even though I used it with a sub-par eyeshadow primer as an experiment. Needless to say, I am impressed.

And can we take a minute to discuss this mascara. The Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara is a gift from above. I am seriously in love and will repurchase this mascara as soon as I run out. It lengthens, volumizes, and adds some serious sexy to the lashes. Yes, ma’am!

Do any of you have this set? I was skeptical before purchasing because I have not used many Tarte products, but so far, so good. Up next we’ll discuss the LipSurgence Lip Shine.