Ulta Haul [again...whoops]

This Ulta trip was not planned at all. I had my free birthday gift to pick up and honestly just needed to get out of the house. [when you work from home it's very easy to become a hermit.] With my birthday money in hand and an evening to myself I headed off to wander the aisles of Ulta. Here's what I walked out with and what I think about it. 

I have worked with my esthetician to come up with a solid skincare routine and we both agree that the Mario Badescu line is amazing! 

The facial spray is so refreshing. The rosewater in it gives it a light floral scent. I have been using it in the morning and evening after cleansing. I also will spray it on during the day to refresh my makeup. It is very comparable to the Urban Decay setting spray. 

The buffering lotion is used on trouble spots. I just shake it up and tap a drop of the lotion on in the evenings before my moisturizer. In the morning the spot is gone. 

Not your Mother's Kinky Moves: In an effort to wear my hair in it's natural state I am searching for a product that will let my curls do their thing but keep the frizz away. This product first off smells really good. The grape and jasmine are a perfect scent combination. I have used this both on wet hair and on dry hair. It works best for me when I apply it to my air dried curls. It tames the frizz and smooths out the curls. I found if I used it on wet hair and let it air dry that the frizz was worse. 

Not your Mother's Beach Babe: Now with all the texturing spray hype I thought I would try this one. I haven't really used a spray like this before because my hair has enough texture in it already. [yay for being a latina!] I did not like this at all. It made my hair feel really chalky and the scent of the sea salt was not great. I returned it. 

Revlon ColorBurst in Audacious: I saw someone use this and thought it would be something I could be brave enough to wear but... it wasn't. The color was very very orange for my skin tone. And I personally didn't think it was that flattering on me. So, I returned it. I will stick to my nude balms for now. 

Calvin Klein Mascara: This was my free birthday gift. First off, the packaging is just gorgeous. If I had a line of cosmetics I think it would look just like this. Matte black and a glossy white! This mascara isn't anything special. It is a nice dark black pigment but I will stick with my L'Oreal Telescopic for now. Thanks Ulta for the full size product. 

Essence Colour & Go [let's get lost 128]: Here is the real winner of this trip to Ulta! *Here's an Ulta shopping tip-> go with naked fingernails and test out the polishes that you plan on buying.*

There is nothing worse than buying a polish that looks great in the bottle but dries matte instead of glossy! I had painted Essie 'Strut your Stuff' on a fingernail and was debating on purchasing it or not until... I found a great dupe for it from Essence for $1.99! The whole polish line from Essence is amazing! I am slowly building up a collection.

Ulta Haul [under $20]

Happy Tuesday! 

I was given an Ulta gift card last week and decided to challenge myself to come as close as I could to the total without going over. I went over by 10 cents! I'd say that was a success. I bought things that were on my "if I go to Ulta" list I keep on my phone. 

Here's what I got. 

Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Mask: I had gotten a sample mask of this a few weeks ago and loved it! I put it on my list to purchase the full size one later. This mask warms up when it's on your skin. It's not your typical mask that you let harden and wipe off with a warm towel. I don't leave it on long. The black sugar granules need to be moved around to exfoliate your skin. Once you wash it off you're left with a freshly exfoliated face that is nice and polished. [hence... a polishing mask.]

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap: This is one of those "saw it in a youtube video" purchases. I have been looking for something to help with split ends and dryness on my ends. My ombre dyed hair seems to be getting lighter with more sun and the lighter it gets the more damaged it looks. This is supposed to help with all of that! I bought the smaller travel size version before committing to a $18 full size bottle. 

EOS Lip Balm: Pretty self explanatory. These lip balms are awesome. You need them in your life. 

Organix Nourishing Coconut Oil Hydrating Mist: I am all about coconut when it comes to summer. The smell just screams summertime to me. I thought this mist would be great to add shine and moisture during the months when my hair is exposed to an excessive amount of sunshine.  

Essence Colour & Go [that's what i mint]: I have never tried any products from Essence but the $1.99 price tag on their polishes had me curious. I am pleasantly surprised by the quality and pigment of their polishes. It's long lasting and my favorite part, it's quick drying! This picture was taken 3 days after painting my nails. No chips, no pealing, still perfect nails. I will be back to pick up a few different shades.