Birthday Haul 2015

Last month I turned 30.
Along with all my other birthdays, since I'm signed up for quite a few rewards cards, I was drawn into having Birthday Savings at a lot of different places, as well as receiving giftcards.

Here's what I got from...

Sephora



I got the Nars lip pencils as a Birthday Gift from Sephora for being a Beauty Insider.
I also treat myself on my birthday every year to something else from Sephora since I'm already there, and decided to get the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette. It is now one of my favorite palettes I have ever owned, and I find myself using it almost every single day. All the colors are so wearable for my skin tone, and are just gorgeous.
I also picked up a new Urban Decay eyeshadow in Lost, and it goes quite well in my Urban Decay palette.



I purchased Sin either last year or the year before (I honestly don't remember), and it was so lonely. Now it has a buddy, and they look beautiful together.


Ulta


A couple of friends of mine gave me giftcards to Ulta for my birthday, so I decided to use them to get some things I had my eyes on, but never bought with my own money.
The CoverGirl mascara was kind of a dud- it's definitely not up there with my favorite mascaras, or even ones I just tolerate.
The foot scrub and foot balm were a couple of products I had been eyeballing, and when I went in they were BOGO 50% off, so I decided to try them and give myself a pedicure. Okay, a pregnant girl giving herself a pedicure is like the funniest thing, ever. If only you guys could have seen me. I will say both the scrub and the balm worked great, and I'm definitely glad I have them for after my pregnancy, but for now I will either ask my husband for help or leave it to the professionals.
The Morrocan Oil Mask is something that is so incredibly hyped that I just had to give it a try finally. I had been holding out to see if maybe I would receive it in a subscription box, but no such luck. I now know that it's definitely worth the money, and I can see myself saving rewards points to purchase this in the future.
The Eucerin hand lotion is something I always have at my desk at work. It's non-greasy, and unscented. And incredibly moisturizing.
The Covergirl Ink It eyeliner is another thing I've heard a lot about, and even though I didn't really need a new black eyeliner, I bought it. And I'm glad I did- I really enjoy it. It's very black, and does not go anywhere.
And, finally, cotton pads. I bought these because I knew I was getting the Marcelle eye makeup remover in my February 2015 Birchbox, and I didn't have cotton pads.



This is my second Ulta purchase in the month of February. It was only after I bought everything above that I remembered I get a birthday gift with Ulta, but it doesn't come until your actual birthday. So, this year, they gave away that eyeshadow palette (which, okay, that's fine, but I really liked the CKOne Mascara from last year and wish it was a higher-end brand product), and since I'm a Platinum Member I also received $10.00 off anything. I combined that with about $20 worth of rewards dollars, and purchased the Matrix Oils you see above. I had received samples of them from the girl that does my hair at Ulta, and they are pretty great.
I also got a sample of the itCosmestics Universal Brow Pencil from an email coupon- it was free with any purchase.



Overall, other than that Covergirl mascara, I'm pretty happy with all of my purchases. I've been really careful lately to truly think about what I'm buying before I buy it, and if I'll actually use it. I actually impulse buy a lot less now that I do a couple of subscription boxes, and I actually research everything I buy before I buy it, at least in terms of cosmetics. With the kid on the way (and the cost of daycare in the front of my mind all the time), I know I need to watch my dollars as carefully as possible!


FTC: These products were either purchased by me with my own money, with giftcards provided by friends, as birthday rewards gifts for being signed up for loyalty programs, or as a gift-with-purchase. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ulta Haul #1

I decided to place an order at Ulta.com- the Naked2Basics had just come out, I needed a new thing of Too Faced Shadow Insurance to have as a back up (plus, it was 1/2 off that day, thanks to Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty!), and there were a couple of other things I wanted to get with my $3.50 off of $10.00 for the month.



I am almost out of my Biore Charcoal Cleanser, and that is now a must-have item for me, so I had to pick it up. I also wanted to try the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash because I've heard it's great for dry skin, and my skin has felt super parched. I also picked up a black eyeliner from Ulta. It's not waterproof, and the one I'm used to is, so I'm reserving judgement on it until after I open it, but I'm not opening it until after my other one is used up.

And I almost always opt to get the variety sampler, and this is what I got. I just put it with my other samples I get like this, to try out "one day".


I am intrigued by the Deodorant Wipe, though.


FTC: All products have been purchased by me with my own money.

This Month in Nails - April 2014

Love & Beauty in Wine with a top coat of Revlon's Facets of Fuchsia






This wasn't one of my favorite combos ever, but I forgot how much I love Facets of Fuchsia! Definitely the anti-Spring nail, but it was fun.


Ulta in Baby Doll with a top coat of Wet n' Wild Fergie in Rock n' Roll



 

This is one of my least favorite combos ever- I thought it would look so much better in my head, but forgot how dark the base was in the Fergie polish. Oh well, lesson learned.
Baby Doll is one of my absolute favorite neutrals, though. Love it.


So, that's it, because I had a really bad experience with my nails. *Sigh*   
I told you guys, it's a process. 


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

This Month in Nails - January 2013

Ulta Beauty in Celebutante with a topcoat of Avon Urban Splatter in Purple Graffiti






My mother-in-law bought me THREE of the Urban Splatter polishes. I'm not super happy with Purple Graffiti- you can't even tell it's purple. BUT I do love how it looks and all the different mixes of glitters.
And Celebutante is a favorite of mine- I would repurchase it if I ever ran out. I feel like it's coming off more blue than it is, but trust me- it is extremely purple.


China Glaze in Santa Red My List






My sister-in-law bought me this in a set that China Glaze had out during Christmas time. I hit the motherload in nail polish this Christmas! I feel like this is an exact dupe for Color Club's Hot Like Lava, but I love it, so I don't mind having this little "back up".
I also really like the length of both my pointer and ring fingers here. Random observations!


Zoya in FeiFei






OMG. I really wish the swatches of this were coming off better and the tips weren't so worn. Unfortunately this is about three days in on the wear, because every time I would remember I still needed to take pictures, it was dark.
This is really more blue than it seems in the pictures, and I love it. I got it during the Zoya promo (Buy three, pay $12.00), and I'm so glad I decided to get this one. I wore it during the NFC Championship game (Go Seahawks!) and it really was near the perfect color to be wearing. I might even pop it on during the Super Bowl! I still haven't fully decided what I'm doing yet.


Sally Hansen in Jaded, Pat on the Black, Red My Lips, and Please Sea Me




I did a complete post on these polishes here. I received three of them in an Influenster Vox Box, and the other in the Allure Fall Beauty Box. The more of these polishes that I get, the more I like them!



Zoya in FeiFei with Accent Funky French with China Glaze in In The Lime Light




(My apologies for the tip wear- I forgot to wrap the tips and after typing all day it just tore my nails up!)



This is the nail look I did for the SuperBowl. I had to do it a little early due to plans over the long weekend, and needing to get two weeks worth of blog posts written because I'm going out of town for a long weekend next weekend (Sunday is my Birthday). I like how it turned out, and you can't really see it in the pictures, but the green from In the Lime Light really played off the shimmer in FeiFei. 
I purchased In The Lime Light partially because it was just so obnoxious and really the perfect "Seahawk" green, and partially for the name. (I'm a huge Rush fan, and they have a song called Limelight. I know, nerd alert!)


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

Top 10 Makeup Products I Can't Live Without

About a month ago, I posted a "Top 10 Makeup Products I Can't Live Without", but it was a guest post by my sister-in-law, Jenna. I have never actually done my own.
After about a month of thinking about it, I have finally decided on my own Top 10.


1. The Lorac Pro Palette



As of this post, this is my absolute, cannot live without it, don't know how I never had it before, palette. It has every single shade I need to do all of my eye looks. It's the one I pack when I go places. And to be honest, when I don't have it in my makeup bag, I miss it. A lot. It has both matte and shimmer shades, and it's just the perfect palette, in general.


2. Too Faced Shadow Insurance



I never do my makeup without an eye primer, and this is my go to. As you can see above, I even have a backup. This is what I use when I do my makeup for any type of occasion where I know I need my eye makeup to stay put. I wore it on my wedding day. I wore it to my high school reunion. I wear it in the hot, 100+ degrees days of summer. My eye makeup NEVER creases when I wear this under it, and I never have to worry that it will do so. It really is a product I cannot, under any circumstances, live without.


3. Ulta Waterproof Automatic Eye Liner (specifically in black)



I know everyone goes on and on about the Urban Decay 24/7 liners, but this is really my holy grail liner. It is so black, and it never goes anywhere other than where I put it. It glides on super easy on the water line, and really stays put there. And it's cheap- at the most, it costs me around $8.00, but Ulta almost always has some type of bogo deal on all of their branded products. If you're still looking for that great, very black eyeliner, I recommend at least trying this one.


4. BareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Fairly Light



I did live without this product for a few months, and now I'm not sure how. Yes, my L'Oreal powder foundation is good. But there is just something special about the way this goes on, and the way it matches my skin so flawlessly. And the way it never seems to cake up on my skin, even if I do go a little overboard. I can never see myself being without this product again.


5. NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder



I didn't really start filling in my brows until about a year ago, but it really does make a big difference. Even if all I do it put on a little mascara and fill in my brows a bit, it makes me look so much more put together. And this kit really matches my eye brows well- I tend to go dark blonde when I dye my hair, and for the first couple weeks, I can use the darker shade, and for the last couple of weeks, I mix the two.


6. Too Faced Lashgasm Mascara



When I was thinking about my list, this is one of the first products I thought of. It's not a mascara I use all the time, but it is a mascara I will always repurchase, and always want to have on hand. It really thickens and lengthens, and never flakes on me. And it never clumps. It's pretty much the only mascara I own that I don't need to have a spooly to run through my lashes to de-clump them a bit. It is pricey, but completely worth it.


7. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette



I thought long and hard about this, but this is a must-have for me. It's surprisingly versatile, and has the best matte black (and yes, it is better than the one in the Lorac Pro Palette) I have ever used. All the shades are super creamy, and go on like butter. If all my other palettes just disappeared, I would replace the Lorac Pro first, and this second. And it would be enough for me.


8. Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin



I choose the Lorac Pro over my Naked palette, but this shade is one I cannot see myself never having. It is the perfect shade for my skin tone- it matches beautifully. It goes on smooth. It's my go-to color when I'm having trouble deciding what else to wear. And right now, it's the only palette color I've loved enough to go out and buy a full size of.


9. Physician's Formula Mineral Wear blush in Pink Glow



Ahh, this blush. I get so happy every time I see it in my makeup kit, because it is my absolute favorite. It gives my skin the perfect flush, and still looks natural. And a little goes a long way. If all my blushes disappeared, this would be the first one I would replace, because it looks good with every single eye look I have worn with it.


10. Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray



I went out and bought this the night of my high school reunion because I was out. That is how much I cannot live without this product. Do I use it every day? Of course not! But on those days/nights where I really need to make sure my makeup stays put, this is all I use. It really does work.



I feel like this would be something fun to do maybe once a year or so, to see how much things change- because I feel like every time I try a new product, it becomes something that could be a product I can't live without. At one time, I did not own anything above, and now I would grab all of these things first. And, funny enough, I could do my makeup with all of these products and get a complete look (other than lips- I'm not really a lip product junkie so I don't have one I can't live without).

What are some products that you can't live without??


FTC: All of the above products were either purchased by me or a gift. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.