Ulta Haul ~ April 2017

It has been such a long time since I posted a haul on my blog and I’m so excited! I got an Ulta gift card from my future in-laws for my birthday back in January and I am so proud of myself for not spending it all at once. I think I’ve finally gotten over that stage of feeling like gift cards will burn a hole in my pocket if I don’t spend it all right away. Instead, I took my time, took advantage of different sales, and used multiple coupons to stretch it as far as possible. #Adulting
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The first purchase I made, I didn’t really go in there looking for anything specific. Of course, I have a running wish list in my head and just looked for things that were on sale. I had heard great things about the Garnier BB Cream, so I decided to pick that up. This is a product I have been using nonstop and is one of my current favorites. In case you missed it, you can read my full review on it here.

Trying to stick with items that were on sale, it was mainly skincare since that’s more what Garnier is considered. It actually took me a while to pick something out, but I decided to go with Bioré’s Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar. I’ve only used one face wash bar in the past and I really liked it. Charcoal is supposed to be great for your skin, so we’ll see how this one works out.
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Ulta always has sales where you spend a certain amount of money on Ulta brand products and you get a bag full of goodies. Honestly, I don’t ever take advantage of those sales. Even though I like many Ulta products, I usually think the bags are boring and not worth it. Not this time, though! When purchasing in store, you had to spend around $21 I believe.

I bought a nail polish in the shade Hot Spot because I already know that I love their polish formula. Clumpy mascara is the worst and I have yet to add a metal lash comb into my collection, so I decided to pick one of those up. And I love the feel of the Revlon Lip Butters, so I figured I would try Ulta’s to see if it’s just as comfortable. The shade I got is called Enticing. I love the formula and the color!
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With that purchase, I used one of their $3.50 off coupons and came in just at the mark to get the gift bag. I also took this time to pick up my POREfessional birthday gift. The bag itself is just okay, it’ll probably end up at the back of my closet like my other old ipsy bags. But what is inside is amazing! You get a pencil sharpener, eye makeup remover pads, a blush and highlight palette, an eyeshadow primer, a lip stain, a blush brush, an eyeshadow palette, a matte lipstick, a dual ended pencil eyeliner, a brow tint, a mascara, and a $5 off coupon. What?!?! Yes.
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The pencil eyeliner included the shades Smoke (dark charcoal) and Majesty (purple). When swatching them, Smoke was definitely more smooth in consistency which showed in the color payoff on my hand. Pencil eyeliners are just okay. I would prefer a retractable pencil instead so I don’t have to sharpen it.
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The eyeshadow palette came with six eyeshadows which included three mattes, two shimmers, and one glitter. I love the shades they included! The bronzey tones are beautiful and the blue accent is perfect for Spring! The palette didn’t have a mirror, but it did come with a sponge applicator.
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The mascara and brow tint are both full size products, which is amazing. The mascara is their Amped Lashes mascara in Jet Black and the shade of the Brow Tint is Medium. I’ve never tried any of their mascaras before, but I’m happy that it has a rubber wand. I do already own this same exact brow tint and although I like the formula and applicator, I think the shade is a little too dark for me.
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The highlight and blush palette is also beautiful and the quality is amazing. They both feel like butter and are super pigmented. The highlight is called Fresh Glow and the blush is Nude Pink. I don’t typically like highlights with a pink tone, but I think these shades look beautiful together. They’d also work perfectly as an eyeshadow duo!
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The Lip Stain is called Treason, which is the bottom swatch. The middle swatch is the Lip Butter (Enticing) and the top swatch is the Matte Lipstick in the shade Petal. I love all of these shades and although I haven’t tried the stain yet, the other two are definitely my current favorites. They’re very comfortable and look beautiful paired together. I’ll put Petal as the main shade and just pat Enticing right in the center of my lips for some contrast in shade and texture.
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On my last trip, I finally picked up one of the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Chromes in the shade Beige Luster. I had been waiting for these to go on sale and they finally did. The Maybelline brand was buy one get one 50% off and I decided to pick up a backup of my favorite Instant Age Rewind Concealer in the shade Fair. That’s something I know I will always use and the one I currently have is looking a little low, so better be prepared!
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I just needed to spend a few more dollars to finish out the gift card and be able to use another $3.50 off coupon (and $3 in rewards points), so I decided to go over to the Essence section since I’ve never tried anything from their brand before. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about their Make Me Brow and decided to give that a try. Hopefully I chose the right shade, Soft Browny Brows! I’m happy that it has such a small wand and that it doesn’t look like too wet of a formula.  
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By stacking coupons upon multiple trips and taking advantage of sales, I was able to stretch the gift card further and get $21 more than if I were to have just spent it all at once. I feel so smart! I guess that’s what they mean when they say patience is key?! All these new products have me so excited! I’ve already started using some of them and will continue to use others, but you better believe there will be a haul update coming at you in a month or two with reviews.

If you have any questions, please leave them for me in the comments! Also, I’d love to know if you’ve tried any of these products before and what you thought of them!

~Christina~

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