COLLECTIVE HAUL!: Sephora and Ulta

The Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette in all its glory...

  I was super excited to have some play money this tax season and be able to stock up on some things for this year.  Two stores in particular I have heard so much about and wanted to give a go-Sephora and Ulta. I have been wanting to get my feet wet in trying some more high-end cosmetics.  I have seen many reviews and tutorials based on the Urban Decay Naked Palettes  While I do love soft neutral, shelling out fifty dollars for one palatte from a brand I have never tried before seemed too much.  So, you can only imagine my delight when they came out with a cheaper alternative, the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette.

Too Faced Suddenly Sexy Palette

  Then I saw some sets at some very reasonable prices. For twenty-five dollars, the Too Faced Suddenly Sexy Set (limited edition) came with a palette, which included eight shadows, four lipglosses (I discovered upon arrival smelled like chocolate!), blush, a sample of eye shadow insurance primer, a glossy black eyeliner, and a makeup bag. I was surprised to discover how small the palette was, along with the makeup bag. The makeup bag is also supposed to be limited edition; it's the size of a pencil case.  I think if you were traveling and wanted to just carry small basics, it would be ideal. However, if one wanted to transfer a lot of big bulky items from place to place, it wouldn't be practical. After swatching the

shadows and lipglosses for a friend of mine, I saw that a few of the lighter shadows didn't have much of a color payoff and faded into my skin. Which, I am not surprised, for I have had the same problem with my Too Faced Romantic Eye Kit. The darker shades however, were stunning. As were the lipglosses! They are gorgeous!! In fact, after I tried removing them with a makeup remover wipe from my wrist, there was color still left behind. The stains were still there after I did four loads of dishes by hand. So, the lipglosses are very color fast.

My lovely Tarte Palette and primer.

  The other set I stumbled across was by Tarte.  Not sure of this brand, I asked a close friend of mine, Honey, CEO of http://www.honeyxo.com, if the product would be worth my while. After she affirmed that not only it would be a bargain, but it was a very good quality brand, I decided to purchase it, as well.  Marked down from forty-four dollars to thirty, the Tarte Eye Couture Day-to-Night Palette sports a purple quilted case, embossed with a gold lock and key, holds ten huge full sized shadows (five bronze tones, and five charcoal tones), a step by step guide for four makeup looks, a dual ended eye shadow brush, and a eyeliner.   When I received this set in my order a sample tarte eye shadow primer also came with it.  I have been using this set these past few days, and already I love it! The shadows blend so well together. It is like having the color impact and blending payoff you would get from loose mineral pigments, but in the easy form of a hard shadow.  If I can tear myself away from using it daily, I might be able to relay later how my other palettes are after some use.

A forty-one dollar set for twelve bucks! What a steal!!!

  Not long ago, I purged out a lot of my lippies. Majority of them because they were old, and the rest because I just didn't like them.  So my own supply was pretty sparce.  There was a Stila Sealed With a Kiss lipglaze trio, regularly sold for forty-one dollars, on sale for twelve, I also decided to purchase after reading many reviews.  Thus far, I have tried the darker purple shade of the three. It is very sticky, but the color payoff is very desirable, and does graze your lips with a subtle color.  I am glad I read all the reviews, as I was warned more than once to take my time clicking the product up so it doesn't spew everywhere in a hurry. I bought all these products at Sephora online and with them I recieved three perfume samples (Justin Beiber's Girlfriend, Juicy's La La Couture, and Lancome's La Vie Est Belle), and a Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Flirt. I am thrilled to have another sample of Flirt. I still use my other sample from my previous order from Too Faced and am addicted, but really don't like spending nineteen dollars on a full sized.  I would much rather invest money in other cosmetics that I do not have to reapply throughout the day after eating and/or drinking.
    At Ulta online, I made a much smaller economical order.  Upon the release of NYX cosmetics' Lip Gloss Butters, I have been wondering what they were like.  I purchased four: Cherry Cheese Cake (a bright orange), Creme Brulee (a soft nude), Peaches and Cream (a bright pink), and Apple Strudel (a softer bright pink). I have tried the Cherry Cheese Cake, and prefer to wear it with a brown neutral makeup look. I have also tried the Creme Brulee, also good with a neutral makeup look, and the Peaches and Cream. I do not know if they smell like their names, but they do have a distinct yummy scent to them.  I also believe if you are considering trying out some of the really bright color lippies now in trend, but don't know if its for you then the Cherry Cheese Cake and Peaches and Cream would be a good way to discover new horizons. They are bright but if put on minimally they can offer that bright color without being too "loud" and can certainly be built on.  So far I am very pleased with them and would love to try other "flavors."
   I have been wanting a waterproof brown eyeliner for my softer neutral looks and to use in tandem with my Urban Decay Basics palette; something more soft and less harsh than the black I normally use. And at a very reasonable price Essence offered one.

 With summer in my radar, I have searched for a eye shadow palette designed for the warmer months. I wanted something that offered not only brown tones, but a pale yellow and blue and green shades as well. For under five dollars, there was the Essence Sun Club Glamour South  Beach palette.  All the shades I wanted in that one palette.
  Ulta sent me so many samples! I was sent a orange gauze bag filled with so many goodies from skin care to hair, and they sent a trio sampler pack.  It would take me a while just to list them all.  I qualified for quite a bit of it for making an order that was at least twenty-five dollars.
  All in all, it's exciting to try out some new things.  If it is of interest to the reader, after some time of usage, I can certainly write reviews on said products.

<3 Beth.   
I want to send out a BIG thank you to my dear friend Honey for helping me decided what to purchase (Tarte, Stila, Urban Decay, and Too Faced), and recommending these online stores (Sephora and Ulta).  I would have been at total loss, as to what to get. Check her out on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/destne146  And keep up with Honey at her blog at: http://www.honeygirlsworld.com/blog.html

FTC: THESE ARE PRODUCTS I HAVE PURCHASED WITH MY OWN MONEY. I AM IN NO WAY BEING COMPENSATED TO DISCUSS OR PROMOTE THE PRODUCTS MENTIONED. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS BLOG POST WAS DONE OF MY OWN FREE WILL AND NOT OF OBLIGATION TO ANYONE.

I AM IN NO WAY PROMOTING SEPHORA, ULTA, TARTE, TOO FACED, URBAN DECAY, NYX COSMETICS, OR ESSENCE COSMETICS. I AM AFFILIATED WITH HTTP://WWW.HONEYXO.COM  COSMETICS AND ONLY HTTP://WWW.HONEYXO.COM COSMETICS AND RECIEVE(D)  FREE PRODUCT FOR MODELING AND PROMOTING SERVICES.