Beauty Haul

I might have gone a little nuts with this. Maybe. But all of the stuff was so gorgeous that I had to get it! That's always the excuse, I know, but I did it anyway. And I am so happy I did.

My first stop was Ulta, where they are doing a promotion. I had to buy some things by Ulta, but that doesn't really bother me. I love their eyeshadows and they just launched a bunch of new things, so I didn't mind trying some stuff out in order to get a bunch of free makeup.

To get the free bag, I got a BB Cream in the shade Light, an Automatic Lip Liner in the shade Flesh, and a body wash from their new Vanilla & Cocoa collection. The body wash smells super good, the BB Cream has worked well for those days when I just want to throw on face makeup without a fuss, and the lip liner is the perfect nude shade for me. All three items have been well accepted into the Bri Beauty Family.

My favorite products from the free bag (I picked up the pink one called 'Modern') are the Super Stretch mascara, the Glitter Eye top coat in Bronze Bombshell, the eyeshadow quad with four brown neutral shades, the Extreme Wear eyeshadow primer, the Gel Eyeliner in Black, and the Nail Lacquer in Sunset Bronze. The mascara has a fiber want rather than a synthetic one, and it works to complete a natural eye look. I love all Ulta eyeshadows, and this glitter top coat over the colors from the quad looks amazing. Even the eye primer works pretty well to keep the shadow in place--not as well as the Urban Decay potion, but what ever is? Plus, this one was free. Bonus.

This eyeliner also works surprisingly well. Ulta must have redone their formula, because this one is way softer and more buttery than previous liners I've received from them. I use it on the upper lash line as well as the corners to add a little definition and it goes on like a dream. The nail polish is a perfect shade for fall, with a little shimmer to add interest and a nice dark berry color. I also own tons of Ulta nail lacquers, so I know this one will get a lot of use.

But I go to Ulta to buy more than Ulta brand things! I picked up a bottle of Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing cleanser on recommendation from Claire, a bottle of The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing toner, a package of my favorite Earth Therapeutics Hyrdogel eye patches, a bottle of All Over Shimmer in Rose Gold by Stila, a travel sized bottle of Mario Badescu SPF Moisturizer for mornings, and a Ms. Manicure Block Party four sided nail file. All but one of these are new purchases, and I'm loving every one so far.

I'm questioning returning the Tea Tree toner, only because at the moment I think it's doing more harm than good on my face, but updates on that later. My favorite purchase would have to be the Stila liquid blush, as it's easy to put on and blends seamlessly with my skin. I love it as a base for another blush that I got later!

My next stop was a local CVS that I had never been to. I went to pick up a prescription and left with a bag of makeup. How typical of me. Anyway, I got a Nyx Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee (also a recommendation from Claire, which I love), a Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink, a Milani lipstick in Plumrose (a bright pink mauve shade that looks one step past natural) and Sangria (a killer violet purple shade that comes off a little subtler than it looks in the package), and a SoftLips cube in Vanilla Bean.

Albert says hi, as he was helping me take pictures

I absolutely love the gloss, and I layer the Milani blush on top of the Stila shimmer. It's got quite a bit of sparkle, so I use it sparingly, but it actually as a lot of pigment as well. Great for nighttime eye catching, which is how I've been using it. Sangria is a little dark for summer, but I've worn Plumrose a heck of a lot lately and loved it. They taste a little funny, but I'm spoiled by the vanilla goodness of Mac, so it doesn't surprise me that I think it's an odd taste. The lip cube is perfect for pre-product smoothing, and it tastes wonderful.

Before I end this haul, I have to say a piece about the goat's milk soap I got from my local grocery store. They just remodeled the entire thing, so they have this amazing new beauty section with a little shelf of handmade soaps. Set up in blocks and sold by weight, the customer can select how much they want, slice it off, and put it in a bag. I decided to try this as a preliminary foray into goat's milk brush soap, as I was eyeing the London Brush Company one before.

I must say that I adore this method of cleaning brushes. I'm another one of those lazy bums who will use a dirty brush again and again simply because I can't be bothered to wash them. But with this soap, it's literally one swirl, one gentle rub, and clean as a whistle. It's absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anyone, anywhere. And the scent of Almond Coffee wasn't too shabby either. Check out their website for more scents and mail orders!

My favorite purchase has to be the Mario Badescu moisturizer. I use it every morning and it does exactly what I need it to. But I also love the Minali blush--it's so pretty, even when it's just sitting in my drawers! But honestly, I don't know what I'd be doing without my goat's milk soap.

Love!