ULTA Haul: What I got with my 20% savings card

I recently received a post card from ULTA that offered 20 percent savings on an entire purchase -- always a fun thing to get in the mail. But here is the kicker, ULTA upped the anti, the coupon could be used toward the purchase of premium cosmetics! Usually, their 20 percent off coupons exclude the high-end cosmetics brands. I went in on Saturday (the last day of the sale) to find a mob of people. Everyone wanted in on this deal, and who could blame them? I was so psyched when I verified with staff that I could use the coupon to purchase high-end cosmetics. Even though I'd read the coupon's fine print, I still couldn't believe it. I needed verbal verification.

I didn't go overboard, since I'd just made a HauteLook purchase two days earlier. I did take advantage of the sale to pick up one of the new Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil ($20 regular; discounted price $16). I was hoping they would have those (or the regular 24/7 pencils) on the HauteLook sale, to no avail. Hey, a gal can hope, right? Maybe next time, when the products aren't as new to market... Fingers crossed. While I wait on the next HauteLook Urban Decay sale with baited breath, I figured I'd pick up at least one of the shadow pencils. I decided on Rehab, which is a gorgeous dark taupe (shout out to G over at Nouveau Cheap, since we both seem to share an obsession with taupe shadows) that borders on brown, seems to have a bit of a rosy undertone, and definitely has a gorgeous shimmery finish (but no glitter).

You can use these (much like the 24/7 pencils) as eyeliner or as eyeshadow (or a shadow base if you prefer). They are creamy, glide on easily, are smudgeable (is that a word?) as long as you work quickly, and waterproof. Once they are on, they will not budge. I haven't had too much of a chance to try it out. I'm curious to see if they will crease or not? The jury is still out on this for me, since I haven't tested it without primer. But the color is gorgeous. I'm in lurve. It boasts the quality, pigmentation, and creaminess you would expect from an Urban Decay product. It's basically a 24/7 pencil on steroids. Bigger so that it's easier to apply to the entire lid.

UD 24/7 Glide-on Shadow: Rehab

Rehab swatch

While I was perusing the isles at ULTA, I found something that made me super happy. I recently wrote about my love for the Sonia Kashuk blending sponge (a dupe for the Beauty Blender sponge) and it's more affordable price tag ($10 compared to the Beauty Blender's $20 cost). Well, my beauty aficionados, I found an even better bargain. ULTA sells its own version of the Beauty Blender for a mere $5. That's a quarter of the price of the original. I immediately grabbed the last two that were on the shelf at my local ULTA. You can find them in the same isle as you would find the disposable sponge applicators.  Check out my side-by-side photo comparing it to the Sonia Kashuk sponge.

ULTA sponge (left); Sonia Kashuk blending sponge (right)

Now that I have used them both, I can tell you, they are essentially the same exact thing. There are some minor differences that I noticed (nothing that I would consider a deal breaker). First, as you can see from the photo, the ULTA version is a bit squatter and rounder, while the Sonia Kashuk is a bit pointer. The pointier end is nice to have since it helps you get in to corners easily (like the corner of your eye for applying concealer), but the difference is not so grand that you don't end up getting the same effect. Second, the material for the ULTA sponge is denser, making it less squishy (yep, that is a technical term there for you). This is not necessarily a bad thing. While the sponge doesn't feel as soft, it's certainly not rough at all, and since it is denser, it absorbs less of your foundation. At the same time, it absorbs less water, so when you get it wet, it's easier to squeeze the excess water out of it and use it. The final result for your makeup application is the same. The only difference: you have an extra $5 left in your wallet to do with whatever you please. I used mine to buy an extra, so that I would have one at the ready while the other was drying from being freshly cleaned.

While I was standing in line I found my last two goodies: a travel-sized Benefit Boi'ing and Eye Bright duo for only $12! I love both of these products and was psyched to see them in one package that would make it a lot easier to carry them around with me; and a Tarte cheek stain (called The perfect pink) infused with Amazonian white clay in an adorable travel-sized container (0.17 oz for $10). I knew the Benefit purchase was a steal because I use both of those products religiously and thought picking up the Tart cheek stain would be a great way to test out this well-known product without spending $30 on its full-sized counterpart. I wanted to make sure I liked it before committing, you all know that I need to test drive my products before I commit. 

Available only at ULTA

Benefit Boi'ing & Eye bright to go

I also purchased a gift for Mr. Girly Things while I was out. He was a good sport, patiently waiting around for me while I dutifully looked at every single item at the ULTA store. Ok, ok I exaggerate a bit, but I did take a while to finally decide on these items and hemmed and hawed over whether or not to buy some extra goodies (but I decided to be good). He got a new cologne of his choosing. He decided on a Givenchy cologne. So even he got to cash in on the sale fun.