Ulta Sale Haul

Lookie all the stuff I got from Ulta for less than $6 each! Yippee! All items were on sale for 50% off or more!

Garden Botanika Vitamin E Stick $6 (originally $13)

I intentionally stopped by Ulta just to pick this guy up cause I was just about to run out. I got there and was devastated. The area where they usually keep the Garden Botanika line was in a complete disarray. Testers were used up, smudged or missing and the shelves were full of empty space with damaged product boxes scattered randomly. I felt this uncomfortable feeling creep up as I saw a sign that read "All Garden Botanika 50% off (while supplies last)". I desperately searched for my little Vitamin E lippy and finally spied the last 2 at the back of a bottom shelf. Of course I quickly snatched them up Golem-like and chanted devilishly (in my head), "My precious!"

I hate to see Ulta stop carrying this line because that means I'll have to resort to ordering them online or finding a replacement product. Not a huge issue but definitely an inconvenience. I really love this product and highly recommend it! I know Estee Lauder also makes a Vitamin E stick that is the exact same. I actually started using Estee's vitamin E stick first until I spied Garden Botanika's version at Ulta a year ago. It's cheaper and I like the packaging so much better. Estee's packaging looks like granny lipstick - You all know what I mean. Garden Botanika's packaging is so cute and green and delivers the same moisture kick I need.

The Verdict: Garden Botanika Vitamin E Stick

I just love vitamin E sticks because they glide on smoothly and the moisturizing effects last for hours. They have no taste, smell or color and they don't have any cooling ingredients added to them. I use these in place of chapstick or lip balm all the time. They give my lips a natural sheen and bring out the natural pigment. I always get compliments when I wear this and people always think I'm wearing lip color. Run, don't walk to your nearest Ulta to stock up before it's too late! I know I have a few Ulta's near me that I need to raid so that I can sleep at night.

Sugar Cosmetics: Lip Gloss and Eye Shadow


I've never tried anything from Sugar Cosmetics but they had fun "try me" products in the sale bin and I thought why not? Apparently Sugar Cosmetics has gone under already - I tried going to their website but it just doesn't exist anymore. I picked up two Sugar Shellac Lip Glosses in Watercolor $4 each (originally $17) and Sugar Cream Eyeshadow Color Sticks in Blue, Pink and Purple $4 each (originally $17).

Below are a couple of swatches that I did of the Sugar products (with and without flash). At the top is a smear of the Lipgloss by itself and blended. Directly below are the color sticks blended and the very bottom are the color sticks applied without blending.

The Verdict: Sugar Shellac Lip Gloss

There is a built-in brush applicator and it goes on sheer and a bit sticky with tiny specs of glitter. It has a strong sugar cookie smell and somewhat sweet taste too. After a few minutes the smell dissipates and the stickiness goes away too. I really like this as it give my lips a deep pink/fuschia tint without looking too reflective. I'm glad I picked up two because I can see me carrying this around a LOT! Again some more pics of the gloss with and without flash below.

The Verdict: Sugar Cream Eyeshadow Color Sticks

These reminded me of the MAC Sugarsweet Shadesticks and I think maybe what compelled me to buy them. The only difference is they are very glittery when applied. They apply opaque but become sheer when blended. The blue shows up on me the most, followed by the purple and then the pink. The pink is actually the sheerest of the three and almost looks a bit peachey on my skin tone. Same is true of the purple, it looks kinda pinky-purple on me. You can wear these as bright or light as you'd like just depending on how much you blend. I really like these colors and I can't wait to play with them!

Essie Nail Color: Looking for Love #634 $0.99 (originally $7)

I also spied some sale nail polishes and grabbed this pale blue Essie one. I really love the pale blue color! I think this color is versatile for both summer and winter. In the past when I've purchase Essie nail colors, I find that they chip very easily. I hope they've improved their formula and these don't disappoint!

Einstein Lip Therapy Hydrating Pot

These always catch my eye whenever I go to CVS and I always tell myself, "I'll get one next time" but I never do. So when I dropped into CVS today and saw them staring at me from the counter I said to myself, "Today is THE day!" Unfortunately, I then spent the next 5 minutes trying to figure out what the difference is between the 2 that are available and which one I wanted.

There is a red pot and a pink pot. At first glance, the only difference about them is the color of the cap. But if you look closer, there is small captioning on the cap that gives a minimal description of the use for each. The pink one says it's for hydration and the red one says it's for cooling relief. I chose the pink one becuase I wanted something to condition my lips and I figured the red one is probably similar to typical cooling lip balms.

The pink one is the Einstein Lip Therapy Hydrating Lip Cream $6. It contains Vitamins A, C, and E to restore moisture to reveal softer, smoother, more supple lips. The consistency of this is more like a lotion and it has yellow vitamin C beads to exfoliate your lips. As you smooth this on, the beads dissolve and make the cream feel thicker. It has a menthol smell to it and it also has a bit of a cool feel when applied. Kinda feels like a very extremely gentle lip plumper. There's no numbing or stinging feeling but there is a "filling" sensation.

The Verdict

One of the cutest lip product packaging I've seen and what attracted me to them in the first place. I have to say I'm not happy with the amount that you get (only a measly 4.5 grams). It may depend on the surface area that you need to cover but amazingly a little bit goes a long way. When I apply this I literally touch only the very tip of my ring finger into the pot. I don't have to "dip/scoop in". My lips aren't very big so I think I can make this last at least 3-4 weeks with daily use (applying every night).

I really like how this feels when I smooth it on. It thickens a bit as it's rubbed in and then gets absorbed into all the little crevices. I would definitely re-purchase this product along with the red one just to see how they work together.

The Body Shop Haul

On this shopping trip I went to The Body Shop looking for a flannel washcloth that Lindi from over at http://www.bubzbeauty.com/ recommended.

Luxury Facial Flannel $6.50

I really didn't know what to expect of this thing. When I got to the store the SA helped me find this washcloth and it was packed in a ziplock baggy and was flexile and bendy. It did not look at all like..."cloth". It reminded me of a white shammy and looked silicone-like in texture. I was weirded out even more because the SAs had taken one out of it's packaging and it was dry and hard and looked like a piece of styrofoam. They assured me that once it touched water it would return to it's soft state and work just like new. But hey Lindi said it's fantastic so I bought it anyways. I was not at all disappointed by this thing. Remember I said it looked silicone-like? Well it works just like a rubber spatula for your face but it is also soft to the touch. I tried it with my normal cleanser and saw this guy in action. It wipes away all traces of the cleanser in one swoop! It's really amazing but I'd rather use it to wipe away a mask or something. I like splashing my face with water to rinse off my normal cleanser.

Vitamin C Skin Boost $26

Okay the SA told me that Vitamin C boost (one of their best sellers) would help diminish the appearance of acne scars. I really didn't have any faith in this product's claims but when she put some on my wrist I like the texture of it. It feels almost like a silicone primer. I figured if I could wear this as a primer without getting shiny and it's also doing good for my skin - why not? It also smells just like fresh cut oranges - which I happen to love. If you don't like orange citrus-y smells, it may be a bit overwhelming. Since it has that silicone feel to it, it really does help with evening out skin texture without the feeling of plugged pores.

The Verdict
I don't think this should be labeled a moisturizer. The gel texture of this sits on top of skin and is very slowly absorbed into the skin. Because of the slow absorption I'm loving it as a primer. It's weightless and does feel like it's clogging my pores. It leaves my skin silky smooth and prepped for makeup. Although it's not a cure, I find it does help smooth out dry patches around blemish so that makeup doesn't cake.

I'm not sure if it's working to diminish any dark spots- at least I can't really tell. I'm also still on the lookout for a primer as this one made me a bit shiny. I like to wear it alone when I'm in a rush just to even out the texture of my skin. I really really love the flannel washcloth though! I will definitely go back to get another one to stash away.

Freebies
I was pleasantly surprised when I went to check out and the SA added all these goodies to my bag! I received a Cloth Woven Makeup Bag filled with travel sizes of Strawberry Body Butter, Vitamin E Moisture Cream, Divine Calm Heavenly Shower Gel (not pictured), and Mulberry Hi-Shine Lip Gloss (not pictured). I gave the items not pictured to a friend before I could take these photos.

This smells just like strawberry icing! I need to be careful with this. The whole time I was wearing it I had a craving for cupcakes!


This is very fast-absorbing and non-greasy but nothing too special about it. I've been using it at night before bed.