My Ulta’s “21 Days of Beauty” picks

I get weirdly excited when I get an Ulta catalog in the mail–which is funny–because I’m notoriously terrible at going through my mail! I’m seriously going to miss jury duty and be jailed. I’m sure of it.

But there’s something about getting that pink catalog with all the pictures of makeup and skin care that has to be what it was like for straight boys in 1981 to get their magazine in the black wrapper. I shouldn’t even look, but of course, I’m going to. The objects are unattainable for anyone pretending to be on a budget. And it’s possibly all fantasy anyway.

It didn’t stop them, and it’s not stopping me.

So let’s manage our excitement for spring colors, new palette launches and BOGO50s together, shall we?

These are my picks for the “21 Days of Beauty” sale that starts on Sunday, March 18th–our own version of March Madness–if you will.

(and reminder–i’m still trying to go cruelty-free–so my picks reflect this ethic.)

March 23: Urban Decay, Eye Shadow singles (Was $20/Now $10) $10 is a great price for these shadows. They are super pigmented, there are tons of color options, and they last and last.  And loading up a palette customizes your favorite shades and looks without wasting money on shadows you never use. My recommendations are Sin (an E&N classic), Mushroom (warm gray shimmer)and Spike (a super wearable orange matte).

I’ve got my eyes on picking up X (peach shimmer w/gold shift), Rockstar (deep aubergine shimmer) and Fireball (peach w/pink shift).

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What’s more satisfying than a good scrub?

Not much, IMO. Ever since I was a kid scratching my skin off with way too much St. Ives Apricot Scrub, I’ve loved the feeling of getting my skin as clean as possible.

Of course, now we know it doesn’t have to be harsh to be effective, but I still get so much satisfaction from a good exfoliating scrub.

With winter trying it’s best to flake all my skin off, here are my favorite ways to take control of my exfoliating game and get that so fresh and so clean feeling today.

photo courtesy of dermastore.com

JUARA Radiance Enzyme Scrub

This one is by far my favorite. I’ve mentioned it before in an empties post, but it’s definitely worth bringing attention to again.

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Thirsty?

I don’t think I can understate how badly this winter has affected my skin…. and it’s only just begun!  I cannot remember a winter that has been so cold and so dry so early on in the season.  To say my skin is dry and dehydrated is one thing, but it’s a whole new level of red and irritated on top of that.  I have had to pause any use of exfoliants and retinols, and up my mask game big time.  Here are the three masks that I’ve been rotating between to find some order and relief:

Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask

This mask is hands down my favorite mask of all time.  I’ve been using it for about 13 years now, and it never does me wrong.  It’s super soothing and calming, but also replenishes, hydrates and plumps fine lines.  It saves me in winter, but is perfect in summer as well (I’ve treated a mild sunburn with it.)  It’s just the best.  If you’ve not tried it, you need to.  I’m going to go use it right after I finish this post! Continue reading