ULTA Haul: Just a Few Little Goodies to Brighten My Day! (Pictures Below)

Photo is mine (above)

So I finally got out among the living today and went over to ULTA to see what's good. I have been eyeing a couple of things for months now so I ended up finally buying them. First, the Lorac Baked Matte Satin Blush in "Exposed", a beyond gorgeous shimmering peach-pink that makes NARS Orgasm look like compressed dirt. Don't get me wrong, I like NARS Orgasm but Exposed takes it to another level and is the perfect summer blush. If you haven't tried the Lorac Matte Satin blush, you need to. They are so incredibly pigmented and you need the slightest bit to give you amazing color. The best part is they are kind of like a highlight/blush all in one because the color has such a gorgeous sheen that you could totally forgo the highlighter. I am so pleased with this blush. I also have the Velvet Rope shade which is a pretty rose color with all the same great qualities as Exposed. 

Photos taken by me, Lorac blush in Exposed, swatched below next to the Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner

Next, I see that Bare Escentuals has taken this whole "ready" concept to another level with their latest release of a gorgeous array of pressed powder blushes and a couple of bronzers thrown in for good measure. We are talking A-List style colors, absolutely stunning! But I kept my eye on the prize and the prize was the Bare Escentuals Ready quad in The Dream Sequence which includes a matte purple, an iridescent purple, a taupey-lavender, and  matte ivory. I have already mentioned a few times that I live and die by the BE The Truth quad so I thought, let's give it another go!

Photo taken by me, Bare Escentuals Ready quad Dream Sequence, swatched below

Third item is the Prestige Total Intensity Waterproof eyeliner (swatched above in the Lorac blush picture) in the plum shade that I can't remember the name of but am too lazy to get up and find out. Prestige claims 10 hours of wear with this liner and they have yet to disappoint me in the eyeliner department. I have a real problem paying over $20 for an eyeliner when there are perfectly amazing eyeliners like this one for under $6. Plus they didn't were all out of the Stila Smudgestick in Stingray which is the real reason for why I opted for a cheaper alternative. But I felt good doing it. 

Finally, I picked up one of my staple items which is a pack of the Ardell individual false lashes. I love individuals, they looks so much more natural even though they take a lot of time to put on. And they are $2 less than the Eyelure individual lashes. 

While I was there I smelled the Katy Perry Meow Perfume. If you like Pink Sugar, you will like this. And you get a bottle that is the shape of a cat's body with a cap that is the cat's head. And its pink.

February Favorites! Most Used/Loved Products of the Month!

I don't do monthly favorites unless there is a variation from one month to the next. It would be boring to read my favorites if they didn't really change from month to month, right? But February is special because I used a lot of new stuff! Here's a list of what I reached for most in the month of February broken into categories.(Pictures below!)

Face Stuff:

Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion: This a sulfur-based acne fighting product that you put on your face at night either all over or as a spot treatment. If you find that the benzoyl-peroxide acne products don't work for you, try something sulfur-based because I find that I do better with these. I apply this to a zit(s) before bed and it really helps to dry them up and speed up the "get the hell off my face" process.My skin is dry so I don't use this all over. 

Estee Lauder Doublewear Light, Intensity 1& a dash of Intensity 2: You know I love my original EL Doublewear but I do find that it clogs my pores even though it doesn't give me full-on zits. It is oil-free but not pore-clogging free. So I tried the "light" and I really like it because it has the same staying power as the original but it is much lighter and allows my skin a little more breathing room. A big complaint is the shade range. I love the original EL because of the shade range they offer of cool, neutral, and warm, but the "light" version only has Intensity 1, 2, 3 and so on. If you are cool or neutral toned but not fair, you will have trouble finding a shade because 1 is fairly pink and 2 is really yellow-based. Other than that, I have no complaints. 

Smashbox Hydrating Halo Powder: This stuff is a-m-a-z-i-n-g but breaks me out like a teenager going through puberty. So why is it a favorite? Because I can use it on my cheeks and forehead and in the highlight area of my cheekbones and it won't break me out. I will use this stuff wherever I can because it gives such a beautiful glow and helps to de-cake your face if it looks too foundation-y and dry. Love.Love.Love.

MAC Stereo Rose MSF: This is a limited edition MAC product that I use as a blush/highlight. It has a beautiful sheen to it that is enough to not have to use a cheekbone highlight if you're wearing this. I absolutely love this MSF for the sheen it provides and the natural lovely pinkish/rose color that is incredibly pigmented.

Sigma F80 Flat-Top Kabuki Brush: This is one of those must-have brushes that can change the way you apply your foundation. A lot of people from YouTube talk about this brush which is how I found out about it. This is an amazingly dense brush that works really well to stipple your liquid foundation on and then buff in. It could also be used to buff in mineral powder foundation or blend any blush or bronzer lines away. And its synthentic, holla! And doesn't shed If you want to check out Sigma, click on the ad over there in the right sidebar -------------------------------------------------------------->

Sigma F55 Small Duo-Fiber Brush: Another winner from Sigma, this is the smaller of their duo-fiber brushes. Its the perfect size and shape to apply highlighter when you want to be careful not to apply too much. I also use it to apply blush and bronzer because it will apply it in a sheer layer and allow you to build up the color if you want to add more. I would recommend this brush for your powder products (blushes,bronzers,highlighters) or to set your concealer under your eyes with a light dusting of powder.

Eye Stuff:

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Whiskey: I love this shade of brown, its my favorite shade of brown eyeliner in that its just a flat, matte brown with a hint of a reddish-undertone. Whisky made its debut in the original Naked Palette as part of a dual ended liner w/ the Zero (black) liner. I have since used it all the way down to the last bit that can be sharpened. 

Anastasia Brow Duality Matte & Shimmer Highlighting Pencil: I love the matte side of this pencil especially to highlight the brow bone. Its the perfect matte pale pink which you can apply from the pencil and then blend in with your fingers. And if you aren't feeling matte, there is a shimmer side that does the same thing but with a little extra glam. The dual-ended pencil concept is a great idea that I'd like to see more of. 

Bare Escentuals Ready Eyeshadow Quad in The Truth: My #1 go-to palette that I pretty much wear every single day. My favorite shades are the darkest brown ones which are the perfect shades of brown to make blue eyes stand out. I find that these shades have tremendous staying power if you layer them and blend them really well while of course using a good primer. I am super impressed by the BE pressed eyeshadows because they are super pigmented and supposedly contain anti-aging ingredients. I don't know if that is true or not but I'd rather be lied to and go on believing they do.

Kat Von D Sin-Ful Mascara: I did a separate post about this yesterday so scroll down and check it out. This is a good volumizing and lengthening mascara that is easy to build and build to achieve the desired look.

Revlon Colorstay Cream Eyeliner (black): I was super excited to try this because I love cream eyeliners BUT I don't love them if they don't stay put. I have found that when Revlon says "Colorstay", they mean it and so I trusted it would do what it claimed. First, I really like the consistency and the pigmentation. It comes with a brush that is fairly thick so if you want to get a thin line then use a different brush and problem solved. I like the staying power and consistency better than MAC Fluidline. And I like the convenient packaging of having a brush and the cream liner in the same packaging mechanism. 

Trish McEvoy Correct & Brighten; This stuff was way more expensive than it should be but I really like it. I have found that I don't really have dark circles or darkness under the eyes and so a normal concealer isn't really necessary unless I've had a really bad night. This is why I prefer to use an illuminator to brighten under the eyes but without the thickness of a concealer. The Trish Correct & Brighten is similar to YSL Touche Eclat in the purpose and consistency. Also good for highlighting other areas of the face.

Lip Stuff:

Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee: This product has seemed to make its way into my lip routine at least once per day whether its an "in-car" touch up or a base before applying another shade. I love the consistency of this one in that it is smooth and creamy and leaves my lips hydrated. Some of the Lip Butters have a grittier texture (like Peach Parfait) that I don't enjoy as well. If you love nudes, you will love Creme Brulee! 

MAC Myth Lipstick: Myth is a favorite of mine every single month because I wear it every single day either underneath or over top of another shade. I would never be without my Myth.

Estee Lauder Doublewear Light, Smashbox Halo, Sigma F55 & F80

MAC Stereo Rose MSF, Bare Escentuals quad The Truth, Kat Von D Sin-ful Mascara, Revlon Colorstay Cream Eyeliner, Urban Decay 24/7 Dual Liner Whiskey/Zero

Same as above but with the Anastasia highlight pencil & Trish McEvoy Correct & Brighten

Revlon Lip Butter Creme Brulee & MAC Myth lipstick

Mascara Rave: Kat Von D Sin-Ful Lash

Kat Von D Mascara Sin-Ful Lash: I would have never purchased this (I'm sure all cosmetics companies love to read reviews that start out that way) but it was one of the Sephora 100 point perks and I was feeling like taking a Kat Von D kind of risk. Glad I did because I really like it! Its got the big wide brush symbolic of a volumizing mascara but I find that it lengthens as well as it volumizes. The brush kind of looks similar to Benefit Bad Gal (which I hate) or Prestige My Biggest Lashes (which I like). But despite having a big brush, it gets my corner lashes very well and lengthens them as well as the easier to reach lashes. Plus it has a weird smell. I know, how is that a good thing? Well I happen to like when mascara has a scent that isn't reminiscent of any of the chemicals used to make it. If you have ever tried Too Faced Lash Injection and notice that citrus scent, that's what the KVD smells like. I have heard that when you do not notice that scent anymore, its time to throw out the mascara because it went bad. Moving on.. I haven't experienced any deal-breaking smudging or flaking and I also find the formula to be quite buildable. Which is a must have for people who like to wear 12-15 coats of mascara. You know when someone asks how many coats of mascara you put on, they expect you to say 2 or 3.. well my answer is that I put on as many coats as it takes to arrive at that point right before my lashes start to crisp up. And if that point is 5-6 coats, so be it. We all have our limits, and that is mine. Nice job, Kat Von D, I shall now add this mascara to my list of other KVD winners which now makes that list two items long (the other being Celebutard lipstick).