Spring Ulta Haul and Review

Hello, you beautiful people!

A little while ago I was feeling quite down about life. I was upset about school and work, and the fact that I spend most of my time doing things I hate in order to get somewhere in life that I'm not even sure exists. I was in your average, run-of-the-mill rut. I knew this feeling was temporary and that everything I'm doing now is in order to have a better future, but in order to get myself out of this rut a little faster, I decided to treat myself!

After revamping my wardrobe and getting a new backpack and seeing how happy those refreshments made me, I decided I needed to carry it on with other aspects of my life, including my makeup. I have been using the same, shitty makeup for years. Aside from a Too Faced mascara and a Clinique foundation that I bought myself for prom two years ago, I have never allowed myself a high-end piece of makeup or skincare. Those of you who are far more into makeup than I am will probably laugh at the items I bought, but this is a step up for a frugal, money-conscious person like me! 

Without further ado, here are some of the pick-me-up goodies I bought from Ulta!

The first and least exciting item that I picked up was this dual-ended NYX eyebrow brush. I haven't had a normal-sized angled brush for two years. I lost my last angled brush on the day of prom, funnily enough! This is the second time I've purchased this brush from NYX, and compared to its more expensive alternatives, this $10 version does a decent job! The bristles of the brush are softer and slightly longer than I prefer, meaning it's not as dense or precise as a shorter, sturdier brush. It's great if you prefer a more natural brow, but I'm a big, blocky brow girl and I love my precise lines. I'm sure if you were to season this brush and cake it with eyebrow gel, it would be stronger and more precise. It's all about the products you use and the look you're going for!

The second item I picked up was the Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara by Tarte. This mascara and the Tarte brand itself are on the more attainable side of high-end makeup, but still quite expensive. I have no problem buying drugstore mascara, but I had to pick this mascara up that day due to the fact that is was only $10! For those of you who aren't familiar with this mascara, that's over 50% off. This mascara definitely gives you volume, which I need in order to match the density of my eyebrows. This mascara can be a bit clumpy, but I'd still repurchase it!

Another item I haven't bought in years is a new nail polish. All of the current nail polishes I have are dried up and very unpleasant to use, so seeing as it's finally spring, I thought I'd buy some springy colors! These are the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail colors, ringing up at $4.99 each. From lightest to darkest, the colors are Mauve It, Shakin' Sherbet, and Just In Wine. I believe I'll wear Mauve It predominantly in the spring, Shakin' Sherbet in the summer, and Just In Wine in the fall. Who knows, maybe I'll get a little crazy and mix it up a little! I picked these shades because I thought they would go with my yellowy skin tone and prevent my hands from looking dead.

After using the Mauve It nail polish, I have to say that I'm not very impressed. The colors are gorgeous, but my nails were chipped after 24 hours. They don't have the best staying power, but they're cheap! I feel like these polishes would be great for a photo shoot, or another situation where you'd have to rapidly change nail colors.

In the skincare department, I picked up a couple items from Clinique. For moisturizer, I bought the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream because it was advertised as a cult favorite. I was originally going to buy one of the Moisture Surge moisturizers, but their slightly varied names confused the hell out of me and the pressure of the influential Ulta employees was just too much! Also, this moisturizer was $12 cheaper at $27. This moisturizer is for dry combination skin, which sounds like it was made just for me!

This cream is an absolute dream to wear. It's the perfect consistency; not too heavy, but just rich enough so that you don't have to reapply it in ten minutes. My dry-skinned friends know the struggle! This moisturizer is also fragrance-free and allergy tested, making it a great option for those with sensitivities. Also, it didn't burn at all when I used the moisturizer around my eyes. Always a bonus! If you don't have dry skin but you still wanna try out this product, Clinique has two different formulations of the same moisturizer for normal and oily skin.

Although I didn't buy a Moisture Surge moisturizer, I did pick up the Moisture Surge Overnight Mask for $35. I just really wanted a Moisture Surge product, and this mask was $4 cheaper for almost two more ounces. There's that frugal side coming out! This mask is great for people of all skin types. It's thinner in consistency than the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream, and I could probably even wear this as a daily moisturizer in the warmer months. Just like the moisturizer, this product is fragrance-free and great for people with sensitivities, and it doesn't burn around the eyes.

This was my face the morning after using the mask. Normally in the morning I wake up with tight, dehydrated skin with visible dry patches. After using the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream and the Moisture Surge Overnight Mask on top of it, I was left with moisturized skin and not a single dry patch! I definitely feel like this product gave me a surge of moisture, and I am thoroughly happy with both of my Clinique purchases! Although my skin felt great at the time, I did put a thin layer of moisturizer on before going out for the day, as I knew that feeling wasn't going to last for another 24 hours. Overall, I am very impressed with this product!

The final product I got with this gorgeous eye palette from Smashbox. The whole reason I went to Ulta, besides to make myself feel better, was to pick up a warm-toned eyeshadow palette. This palette is called the Covershot: Ablaze Eye Palette, and boy is it on fire.

Look at the crazy packaging! Whoever thought of this concept is an actual genius.

This palette features three matte shades and five shimmery shades. The eyeshadows are all very warm, and most of them have a quite purpley undertone. The pigment is great when you first rub your finger on the shadow, but when you transfer the shadow onto another surface such as the back of your hand, it loses some of its intensity. When I used the shadows over an eyeshadow base, however, they were quite pigmented! I believe that using a base is the key to a vibrant eye look.

These are the names of the eyeshadows going from left to right and top to bottom.

These are the eyeshadows photographed using flash.

This is the look I created with six of the eyeshadows! To create this look, I applied Relaxed all over my eyelid as a base. I then applied Torch across my mobile eyelid as my main color. Next, I used Throwback in the crease as a transition color, as well as applying it to the lower lashline. In the crease, on top of Throwback, I used the color Nirvana. To finish off the eye look, I popped a bit of Moccasin in the inner corners to brighten them up. To fill in my eyebrows, I used the color Dark Horse. The two colors I didn't use in this look were Siesta and Delirious, as they were a bit too pinky and neutral for the look I wanted to create. They're gorgeous too though!

That's it for my spring Ulta haul! I hope you enjoyed seeing my picks, and that it gave you a little inspiration if you planned on doing a spring clear-out and shop!

I will see you next time for another spring-themed post.

Until then,

Jordan x