ULTA Makeup Haul | Fall 2015

I did a big makeup purge over the summer and while it was freeing and space saving, it left me with such a limited selection of eyeshadow shades that I felt like I was in a tan/taupe/grey vortex! Variety is the spice of life so to spice things up I went shopping and did a little Ulta Makeup Haul!

I ended up buying FOUR eyeshadow palettes (which is probably more eyeshadow than I can use in a lifetime) and a few other things for my away-at-college-daughter. But who am I kidding? It was mostly for ME!

I haven’t used any of it yet so I won’t really review anything here, it’s just my first impressions of each.

For the UMiami care package:

IT Cosmetics Eye Lift In A Tube*: Darling-daughter loves this double-duty product with it’s double-doe-foot applicators! It’s Bye Bye Under Eye on one end and Hello Light on the other.

IT Cosmetics Hello Light Powder Illuminizer*: Apparently, DD likes to just glow, so she also asked for more Hello Light in the powder compact.

NYX Pump It Up Lip Plumper in Kim*: She didn’t ask for this one, but I’m sending it because it’s one of my new faves and I thought she’d like it. This tinted satin-gloss plumper gives just the right amount of shine and just the right amount of plump without stinging or burning. The soft apricot shade is the perfect final coat to achieve a one-of-a-kind nude lip. In the picture above I’m wearing it over the following: Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Liner in “Liberated”*, and Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Biscayne Park*.

For Me:

Palettes always seemed like a waste of money to me because there are always those shades I just don’t use (too dark or too bright), or those shades full of glitter, or both! But lately the makeup companies have been coming out with more all matte or mainly matte palettes in subtle wearable colors so I had a really time choosing just one:

Pur Minerals Love Your Selfie Palette*: This package is more than an eyeshadow palette, it’s a bundle that contains 8 eyeshadows, bronzer, blush, highlighter, lip gloss and mascara (a $125 value for $39)! The eyeshadows are a combination of 5 mattes and 3 shimmers in an interesting array of colors. Two of my favorites are the shimmery pale pinky-grey called “filter”, and “flash” which is a nice golden shimmer.

 

Too Faced Natural Matte Palette*: The little tin box that this comes in is what first attracted me to it, but on opening it, I really loved that the 3 most usable shades are in bigger pans than the 6 other darker and more colorful shades. The palette is all matte with a nice mix of warm and cool tones so it seemed very versatile.

Ulta Gilded Gold Eyeshadow Palette*: I impusle purchased this palette on the way to the registers because I’d reviewed both the Maybelline Blushed Nudes and the L’Oreal LaPalette Nude 2 and they each left something to be desired, so I’m hoping this Ulta palette has better color pay-off than those two. The Ulta palette seems to be competing with the Lorac Unzipped palettes which like this one has one row of matte shades and another row of similar shades in varying levels of shimmer.

Lorac Mega 2 Pro Palette*: Now that I have this one home, I’m having buyer’s remorse. I’ve seen so many people reviewing it and saying how FAB it is that I just had to have it. It is a gorgeous crayon box of colors, but I’m not so sure that much color is great for eyeshadow (especially on mature lids)!

I think the first 4 shades down the left hand side are all too similar and some of the colors are unwearable. I’m hard pressed to even see 3 or 4 shades I could make an everyday look out of. But I’ve never tried Lorac shadows before and they’re supposed to be so great! I think I could get one of their 3-shade “To-Go” palettes for $18 and get more use out of it!

 

LORAC Touch-Up To Go Concealer/Foundation Pen in “Golden Light”*

I have yet to find the perfect under eye concealer that doesn’t settle into lines and wrinkles but of those I’ve tried, the LORAC Touch-Up To Go pen comes closest. The concealer is thin but pigmented and I like the applicator brush.

Benefit Air Patrol Eyelid Primer*:

I’m so happy someone came up with the idea of an eye primer with environmental protection in it! This yellowish primer contains SPF 20 from Titanium Dioxide and Octinoxate that hopefully won’t irritate my sensitive eyelids. It’s also got Benefit’s “EnviroDefend Complex” to help defend against pollution and smoke. I love the adorable packaging and that this has an oversized silicone doe-foot applicator that Benefit calls the “Cushion Calm Tip” that’s supposed to be pressure-free, and softer than your pinkie! That said, the price tag of $29 gave me sticker shock, so it better be good!

Too Faced La Crème Lip Cream in “Spice Spice Baby”:

I went into Ulta a couple weeks ago to get this lipstick in “Naughty Nude” but it was sold out so I tried on “Spice Spice Baby” instead. Every time I saw myself in a mirror that day I LOVED the lip color and couldn’t believe how long-lasting and non-drying it was so it made the list of things to get this time! On me, it’s the perfect reddish-pink somewhere between pink and rust and it’s not too dark or opaque.

 

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This is not a sponsored post.