Have you picked anything up from the #21DaysofBeauty sale at Ulta? In case you need an instant replay, Ulta is basically giving away a crapload of beauty products for 21 days, all in the name of a spring refresh. (Holla at #springrefresh!)
Obviously, there are dozens of products on sale – most around 50% off – so choosing my favorites would be nearly impossible. That being said, there are a few Ulta-exclusive, limited beauty products and some favorite beauty products in the 21 Days of Beauty sale that are definitely worth mentioning.
Benefit “The Flawless Four” Set
First, Benefit’s “The Flawless Four” set is a complexion-perfection quad including a primer, concealer, foundation, and setting powder. More specifically:
- Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer (0.04oz)
- Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation (0.17oz)
- Hello Flawless Pressed Cover-Up (0.14oz)
- Fake-up Concealer (0.01oz)
Benefit’s sets include some pretty notoriously small samples, but this one appealed to me because it was chock full of products that I’ve never used, but are all things I’m currently in the market for. This way, I get to try all of them for a way lower price than if I were to try them all individually. Plus, I’m not wasting a bunch of product if/when I don’t like one.
After trying all of them, I have a clear favorite product. Fake-Up Concealer is definitely on my to-buy list next time I’m in an Ulta.
All it took was a couple swipes of this thick, velvety concealer wrapped in a donut of vitamin E and apple seed extract, and my under-eye bags were as good as gone. Thanks to the hydrating ring, nothing ever felt cakey or dry at any point during the day. No migration, no caking, and full coverage. I like it, my skin likes it, I’m definitely buying the full size of this one.
The rest of the products were fine, if I had to pick a second favorite, I would choose the Hello Flawless setting cover-up powder. Mostly because, well, I need some and it did a good job. /shrug
BECCA Cosmetics Beach Tints
I am completely unfamiliar with BECCA Cosmetics and actually had never even heard of them until this sale. Turns out, they’re an awesome little company that makes some really easy-to-wear products.
I fell for a few of these products, to my surprise, and two out of three are rouge tints… And I’m a girl who never, never wears blush. Seriously, never. But I saw this Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Watermelon/Moonstone, a vibrant coral creme with pale gold throughout – and I actually could not stop myself from putting it on my own face.
I feel terrible because I used this little pot of magic before I could take a photo of how absolutely beautiful it is without fingers all over it, smoothing out the crisp, shimmering rivers of gold that run throughout this best example of “watermelon” colored beauty products, ever.
No, really. I cannot photograph either of these in a way that will adequately show you how vivid and watermelon-y these colors are. And by “these colors,” I mean the shimmer soufflé pot above, and the Beach Tint in Watermelon.
I was scared out of my mind once I saw this stuff come out of the tube looking nearly radioactive in its brightness, but once you blend it around lightly, it fades into the most natural-looking flush color. Note to the crew of beauty enthusiasts who are as clueless as I am: don’t use as much product as I put on my arm. You literally need a pin-head amount. This tube will last forever! It’s awesome on cheeks or lips, or nipples if you’re a stripper!
There’s also a Shimmering Skin Perfector that is good, too, but I’m not sure it’s the absolute best. I’ll get back to you on that.
Urban Decay “The Ultimate Pair” Lipstick & Liner Set
The Ultimate Pair from Urban Decay is, like, a very delicious and mildly X-rated set made for the most vixen-red lips you could imagine. Included is the very vampy Revolution Lipstick in 69 and 24/7 Glide Lip Liner in F-Bomb. Scandalous, right?
There’s also a set featuring a nude lipstick and lipliner, and I’ve never done such a serious nude lip before, but I would love to try it.
I’m a huge fan of red lips, and this color is the perfect, not-too-bright red. It’s the opposite of natural-looking, but I would absolutely recommend it for hardcore red lipstick lovers! Buying The Ultimate Pair set for $26 instead of individual products for $42 will save you $16!
Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer
Aside from the time I spent testing out literally every UD Primer Potion, Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer has been my daily go-to. It’s a super thick, matte gel that goes on really smooth. After letting it sit for a few seconds, you can tell that your shadow and liner are going to stick from the way they apply over the primer.
The best part of this primer is how little of it you need for each use. Literally as soon as you see any of this stuff come out of the tube, you don’t need to squeeze anymore – it’s that effective.
Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner
It’s been a long time since I’ve gone back to my non-liquid eyeliner roots. I started out loving makeup due to smudgy, black liner back when everyone wanted to look like a cast member of The Craft. If I’d had Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in junior high school, I’d probably be some kind of amazing makeup artist, or at least a professional glarer.