Time to shop shop shop!!!

There's so many great sales going on so I just thought I would take the chance to sum up some of my favorites for you guys before they're gone!

Today's the last day of Sephora's VIB Sale so GO GO GO!!! Sephora never offers sales so 20% off of everything is HUGE! Treat yourself to those items you've been craving or stock up on gifts for the holidays!

It's also 3x points at Ulta for Platinum members and 2x points for regular members. Make sure to activate your offer online first before you shop! They're also offering a 3-piece serving set with any $40+ fragrance purchase, and all Ulta eye, face, lip and nail cosmetics are all $5 each. Don't forget to use the $3.50 off of $10 coupon on your purchase!

Bath & Body Works is having their 2 for $22 3-wick candle sale and it ends tomorrow (11/11). Also, if you order tonight (11/10) before midnight you'll get free shipping on all orders of $25 or more, by using the code WINTERLOVE. They're also doing "Buy 3, Get 3 Free" or "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" on their Signature Collection items, and 4-for-$18 or 6-for-$24 on all hand soaps. So all in all, it's a great time to shop at Bath and Body Works!

There's an amazing sale going on right now at The Body Shop where you can get 40% off your purchase! Also, all hand creams are 50% off right now and you can get free shipping today only on any size purchase.

Nordstrom is having their November clearance event going on where you can save up to 40% off on clearance items online and in store! Nordstrom Rack is also doing their Clear the Rack event which is an extra 25% off all clearance items and it ends tomorrow.

Ending tonight at midnight, Gap is having their friends and family sale offering 40% off your purchase using the code FFSALE.

Macy's is having their Veteran's Day Sale currently and is offering many specials throughout their store/website and an extra 15% off or $10 off your purchase of $25 or more.

ASOS is offering $10 off purchases of $100, $25 off of $150, or $40 off $200 using the codes 10OFF100, 25OFF150, and 40OFF200.

Ann Taylor LOFT is offering an extra 40% off all clearance items with no promo code needed and $20 pants and jeans.

Vera Bradley is having a special sale where if you buy one specific sale item you get one free through tomorrow. They're also doing a holiday sale of 30% off specific colors and styles. Also, if you spend $125 online, you can pay an extra $5 to get a full-size tote bag.

All boots at Target are buy one get one 50% off so it's a great time to stock up on boots for the winter! Also get 20% off cold-weather clothing and more!

Also, don't forget to sign up for ebates.com, where you can get cash back on purchases you make online! It really adds up over time, I've already made $30 in only a couple of months!

Are there any other sales going on right now that you're really excited about? Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Meg

Ulta: Lipstick (Matte, Cream, Shimmer)

Today's review is of four of Ulta's collection of lipsticks. I have 2 cream, 1 shimmer, and 1 matte shade of these lipsticks. I tried to get a variety of colors and finishes to give you guys a good idea of what the product is like in all its forms. All of the lipsticks retail for $8 for 0.12 oz of product, but you can often find them on sale for 50% off or buy one get one free (which is really the same thing in the end). In general, my Ulta store seems to always be sold out of the more popular colors so I usually buy these online.

 The four colors I picked up are:
     - Wicked (#253 Matte)
     - Think Pink (#235 Shimmer)
     - Bit of Berry (#246 Cream)
     - Perfect Nude (#226 Cream)
In terms of packaging, this lipstick is very sleek and classy for a relatively inexpensive product. It comes in a long gunmetal silver tube with a clear see thru top so you can see the color easily from above.

Here are some hand swatches of the four different shades. 
From left to right: Perfect Nude (cream), Wicked Red (matte), Think Pink (shimmer), Bit of Berry (cream).

Overall, I found that the formula of these lipsticks varies a lot between the different types. 

I absolutely LOVE the cream lipsticks - they are smooth and oh so creamy! They glide on the lips so nice and effortlessly, and look so natural. The cream lipsticks are also pretty moisturizing and don't dry out the lips. I will absolutely be buying more of them in the near future. 

My next favorite was the matte lipstick, but I have to warn you, it was VERY matte! Unlike some matte lipsticks which say they're matte but aren't actually matte, this lipstick was very matte. It went on smoothly but it was definitely a bit drying on the lips (which is common for many matte lipsticks). The color payoff and opacity of the matte lipstick was absolutely phenomenal though! What you see in the tube is what you'll see on your lips. I just wish that there were more color options for the matte lipsticks as Ulta only has 6 shade options. I am considering purchasing the Basically Berry or Sweet Caramel colors in the future though as I do love matte lipsticks. 

My least favorite formula, and one I definitely wouldn't be purchasing again, is the shimmer lipsticks. I find that this formula has very poor color pigmentation and the glittery pieces are too large so you can very easily see them on your lips which I don't like. In the tube, the color I bought looked incredibly bright, almost neon, but when swatched on the hand or the lips it appeared very subdued and required multiple coats to achieve a color that was visible. In general I don't usually like shimmer lipsticks (I think I bought this one accidentally in stores where they don't distinguish between the cream, sheer, and shimmer lipsticks) and I really don't like this one. For a shimmer lipstick to look good in my opinion, the shimmer needs to be very fine so it doesn't stand out which unfortunately isn't the case with this lipstick. I would advise not purchasing the shimmer lipsticks and instead go for the matte or cream lipsticks.

Below are some lip swatches and additional photos and information on each of the four colors I purchased.

Perfect Nude (#226 Cream)
I absolutely adore this color, it's absolutely gorgeous! Nudes can sometimes be difficult to wear, but this one leans more pink than brown which makes it totally wearable and perfect for everyday!


Wicked Red (#253 Matte)
This is your quintessential red matte lip! I love it!

Think Pink (#235 Shimmer) 
As I said above, I absolutely hate how large the shimmer in this lipstick is, as well as, how translucent and no opaque it is. The color in the tube looks vibrant and bright, but on the lips it's very subdued.

Bit of Berry (#246 Cream)
I love this color - it's going to be perfect for fall! It does look a tad bit more intense in the tube than it does on the lips.

All in all, I highly recommend trying out the cream and matte Ulta Collection lipsticks and passing on the shimmer lipsticks. I think you'll enjoy them a lot and get lots of use out of them!

Have you tried any of the Ulta Collection Lipsticks? What are your favorite shades and formulas? I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!