Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ulta Beauty | Makeup Haul & Review

Collage of 4 images with text. Text reads: Ultima Beauty Ulta Beauty Haul & Review. Image 1 pink Ulta makeup bag with mascara, lip gloss, nail polish, eyeshadow, blush, lip balm, face primer; image 2 opened mascara tube and wand; image 3 lip gloss; image 4 three eyeshadow quads


Hello Beautiful People!
Today on the Blog I have some lovely products from Ulta Beauty!
Ulta is one of my FAVORITE shops to buy makeup and skincare products.
They have drugstore brands as well as prestige and high end brands.

One of the best parts about Ulta is that a few times a year they have a sale where you get a special makeup bag filled with all kinds of free makeup products, with the purchase of Ulta brand makeup. 
Two things I love: Makeup and Free, especially in the same sentence!



For this fabulous promotion I spent $19.50 on products (which I was going to do anyway).  
Here is what I bought:

Brow gel, eyeliner pencil, eyeshadow single
Ulta Clear Brow Gel
Ulta Glitter Top Coat in Fairy Princess
Ulta Gel Eye Liner in Silver Dust


And here is what I got for FREE:

pink Ulta makeup bag with mascara, lip gloss, nail polish, eyeshadow, blush, lip balm, face primer

So much makeup!
I had a blast playing with all of these colors!
Below is my quick review of each product with some swatches 😊



Eyeshadow Quads:

Three eyeshadow quads

Three opened eyeshadow quads


Back label of three eyeshadow quads: Classic Eyeshadow Quad: Seashell, In the Buff, Silk, Social Climber; Dramatic Eyeshadow Quad: Iceland, Twilight, Lock & Key, After Hours; Chic Eyeshadow Quad: Sahara Sand, Sunkissed, Mosaic, Glittering Sand

Dramatic Eyeshadow Quad

Close up of Dramatic Eyeshadow Quad

Swatches of Dramatic Eyeshadow Quad with text. Text reads: Iceland, Lock & Key, After Hours, Twilight


A Nice Combo: Iceland on brow bone. Twilight on lid. After Hours in crease.

Classic Eyeshadow Quad

Close up of Classic Eyeshadow Quad

Swatches of Classic Eyeshadow Quad with text. Text reads: Silk, Seashell, Social Climber, In the Buff

A Nice Combo: Silk on brow bone. In the Buff on lid. Social Climber in crease.


Chic Eyeshadow Quad

Close up of Chic Eyeshadow Quad

Swatches of Chic Eyeshadow Quad with text. Text reads: Sunkissed, Glittering Sand, Sahara Sand, Mosaic

Finish: All Shimmer (except for Low Key in Dramatic Quad, Matte)
Formula: All Pressed Powder
Fallout: Yes
Blendable: Yes
Chalky/Flaky: A Little/No
Lasts For: Approximately 6-7 Hours 
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⋆⋆ (3 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Probably

Overall: For a more inexpensive eyeshadow they are very nice.
They are slightly chalky, and do have a bit of fallout. 
The colors go on light but can be built up to a bolder shade.
I would definitely use an eyeshadow primer with these shadows; the color goes on stronger, less fallout, and lasts longer.



Mascara:

Ulta Voluptuous Volume

Ulta Voluptuous Volume mascara

Opened Ulta Voluptuous Volume mascara tube and wand

Color: Jet Black
Waterproof: Yes (Cry-proof)
Formula: Volumizing
Wand: Traditional, Bristles 
Clumps: No
Smudges/Runs/Flakes: No/No/No
Lasts For: 12 Hours
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⋆ ( 4 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Yes

Overall: I love this mascara! It has quickly become my go-to. 
It gives a ton of volume, and I think it gives decent length as well. It doesn't run or streak in humidity and it's "cry-proof" (studying for midterms put that to the test 😅). 


 Lip Colors:

Super Shiny Lip Butter

Super Shiny Lip Butter lip balm

Swatch of Super Shiny Lip Butter

Name of Shade: Vienna
Color: Nude Coral
Finish: Satin
Formula: Cream
Smudges/Drying/Sticky: No/No/No
Lasts For: About 4 Hours
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⋆⋆ (3 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Maybe, in a different shade

Overall: Very smooth application, with a subtle burst of color. Comfortable to wear, not drying at all. The shade is not my style but it is a good lip color.

Super Shiny Lip Gloss

Super Shiny Lip Gloss

Opened Super Shiny Lip Gloss tube and applicator

Swatch of Super Shiny Lip Gloss

Name of Shade: Illusion
Color: Peachy Blush Pink
Finish: Gloss
Formula: Liquid Gloss
Smudges/Sticky: No/Minimally Sticky
Lasts For: Approximately 4 Hours
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⋆ (4 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Yes

Overall: This gloss goes on so soft and plush. It is only minimally sticky and is very comfortable to wear. It gives the right amount color with a pop of cute pink. 


Eyeliner:

Dual Ended Eye Liner

Dual Ended Eye Liner

Swatches of both shades of the Dual Ended Eye Liner

Color: Black & Deep Brown
Finish: Matte
Formula: Pencil
Waterproof: Yes
Smudges/Streaks/Runs: A Little/No/No
Waxy/Chalky: Yes (for Deep Brown)/No
Blendable: Not Really
Lasts For: About 6 Hours
Star Rating: ⭐⋆⋆⋆⋆ (1 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: No.

Overall: As with most Ulta eyeliner pencils (not the gel pencils though) these are rather waxy. 
The Black shade is not too bad, but Deep Brown is very waxy. 
I don't like waxy eyeliners because they tend to tug and drag along the delicate areas of the eyes.
These are a no-go for me.



Blush:

Pink Blush single

Name of Shade: Sweet Cheeks
Color: Pink
Finish: Matte
Formula: Pressed Powder
Blendable: Yes
Chalky/Flaky: Slightly/No
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⋆⋆ (3 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Maybe

Overall: A very competent blush. It is ever so slightly chalky, but it blends well.
It gives a nice muted flush, nothing too over the top. This blush gets the job done, and lives up to its name. 


Primer:

Matte Prime

Mini Matte Prime tube

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⋆ (4 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Yes
Thoughts: A lovely, non-greasy face primer. I apply it before foundation and notice that it keeps my foundation in place longer, with less streaking and shine.



Nail Polish:

Pink Nail Polish

Color: Bright Pink
Finish: Cream (Standard)
Number of Coats for Bottle Shade: 2
Dry Time: Average
How Long Before Chipping: About a Week
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⋆⋆ (3 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: Probably Not

Overall: This is a decent nail polish. It is about on par with your typical nail polishes. 
I'm a bit of a nail polish snob and mostly use OPI, but this is a nice alternative.


Brushes:

Eyeshadow 

Sponge Tip

Contour Blush

Three makeup brushes: Eyeshadow, Sponge Tip, Contour Blush

Eyeshadow & Contour Blush brushes

*The Sponge Tip brush is just your typical sponge makeup applicator, so I did not review it*

Star Rating: ⭐⋆⋆⋆⋆ (1 out of 5)
Would I Purchase: No

Thoughts: These brushes are actually quite rough. Their bristles are too firm and are unpleasant to use on face and eyes. They tug on the skin and the bristles splay after washing.
I would recommend a better level of makeup brushes, it makes all the difference in makeup application and you don't want any unnecessary tugging and pulling of the face
 (say no to wrinkles 👎).


All of these products come in a cute pink bag, with a skincare coupon for 30% off a product.



There we have my quick little review of the free products Ulta is offering during their current promotion. 
Some of the products are total gems and a steal to get in this deal, definitely worth buying on their own.
 A few of the products are not worth the buy, and you would be better off opting for a different brand.



Thanks for stopping by the Blog today!
There is more to come, so stay tuned
If you missed it, check out my last post on My Oscar Makeup Favorites
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XOXO
Ultima Beauty
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