Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Starts Sunday (Feat. Smashbox x Becca Champagne Pop Swatch)

The sale runs from August 28 to September 17, 2022. If you are a regular Ulta shopper then you likely already knew about this. For those of you not familiar with this sale, during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty, you can get select high-end beauty products for 50% off. It can be a great time to restock your staple products or maybe try something new. Each day there are different deals happening for that day only (ending at 11:59 pm CT). Certain deals are online only so make sure to pay attention if you prefer to shop in-store. If you have the ability to purchase in-store, that is really the best way to do it. Then you can just buy the one item you want on the day it is available and you can avoid the temptation to add things to your cart to get free shipping. The free shipping threshold for Ulta online is $35, but if you are a diamond or platinum Ultamate Rewards member you will qualify for free shipping on any of the beauty steals.



  • 50% off Select Black Owned Products $5.00 – $42.50, regular price $10.00 – $85.00 (online only): Keys Soulcare jumps out at me here. I haven’t tried anything from the brand yet. I have, however, checked it out in-store and the textures of the moisturizers have me curious, and the packaging is very nice.
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40% Off Smashbox Cali Contour Palette (Product Update and Smashbox Bestsellers Sale)

The Smashbox website is currently having a sale for UP TO 50% off Bestsellers and the Cali Contour Palette is one of the featured items. I reviewed this palette back in May of 2021 and while I still think that it would be best for normal, combination, and oily skin types, I figured that this was an excellent occasion to share how I get it to work for my dry skin. I can use the top right and top left shade on my dry skin throughout the year without any issues. However, the yellow setting powder, two highlighters, and the bottom right bronzer shade are the ones that give some trouble.

It’s really not difficult to work with if you have dry skin, it is just that, in my opinion, these powders need to absorb some moisture to look their best. I find that when worn over dewy foundations (the more moisture the better), they melt into the skin and do not appear dry. When I wear some of the powders in this palette with my top foundations (Estee Lauder Double Wear, NARS Natural Radiant Longwear) they can look dry and powdery. However, over dewy bases like the Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer and the Urban Decay Hydromaniac, they melt into my skin nicely with no dryness.

Smashbox Cali Contour Medium-Dark (Deep) Palette swatches Medium dark skin
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Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Make Me Blush (Swatch)

If you’re not new here, you have probably already seen my review of the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks from April 2021. Although I didn’t review them until last year, this formula has been one of my favorites since about 2012, and I continue to sing its praises. In that post, I swatched the shades Rum Raisin, Raisin Rage, and Desert Escape (click here to see that post). I have now posted 202 blog posts on this website, and to this day, the Revlon Lipstick review remains my most viewed blog post. Since there is still clearly interest in these lipsticks and I couldn’t find anyone else with this shade (Make Me Blush), I figured it was a great occasion to share it with you.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Make Me Blush 763 Swatch

If you aren’t familiar with the Revlon Super Lustrous line, it is a traditional cream lipstick. They are comfortable, provide decent pigmentation, don’t accentuate lip lines, and are fragrance-free. This formula does have a lanolin ingredient (C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters), so keep that in mind if you are allergic to lanolin.

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Affordable Makeup Storage and Organizer Ideas

Organizing your makeup doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I thought I’d share a few of the ways I’ve stored makeup over the last several years to give you some ideas. Most of what I use is under $20 per item (or was at the time of purchase), and these items (or similar) can be found at Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, and Amazon. Of course, I have to give you the standard blogger disclaimer that I have a lot of makeup because I review products, and you don’t need this much stuff unless you want that much. Also, keep in mind that these photos are just sections of products throughout different periods in time, so it is not necessarily everything I own at present. As a military spouse, I move a lot, so these examples are from different houses, and I’ve had to declutter and rearrange out of necessity over time.

Affordable Oranization - Makeup Beauty Storage/Organizer Ideas and tips (No Ikea Alex Drawers)
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Bobbi Brown Chocolate Lip Liner and Rose Lipstick (Swatches and Review)

While I’m still disappointed that Bobbi Brown, the actual makeup artist, is no longer affiliated with the brand, I’m happy to say that I haven’t experienced any quality changes with the products. I have a decent amount of Bobbi Brown content, so I’ll be brief and just shout out a few of the products from the brand that I’ve been using lately.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Dark Peach, Lip Liner in Chocolate, and Lipstick in Rose Swatches
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Dark Peach, Lip Liner in Chocolate, and Lipstick in Rose

If you are interested in knowing more or seeing past posts on the brand you can check out these links:

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Makeup Fails and Just OKs (NARS, bareMinerals, Armani, Urban Decay, and Covergirl)

NARS Copper Mini Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette, bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm, Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400, Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 60 Medium Dark, and Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Red Maple Bloom Swatches

Sometimes, products just don’t work out, and it’s important to share those items, even if I don’t want to dedicate a full review to them. These are just some quick thoughts on these products, as I won’t be continuing to test them for more in-depth reviews. Today I’m talking about the NARS Copper Mini Voyageur Eyeshadow Palette, the bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm, the Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400, the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 60 Medium Dark, and the Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Red Maple Bloom (limited edition shade, but permanent formula).

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

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Covergirl Trublend Bronzer in 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony (Swatches)

Covergirl Trublend So Flushed High Pigment Bronzers 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony Swatches
CoverGirl Trublend Bronzers (L to R) 420 Warmth and 400 Ebony

I resisted buying these bronzers for a long time, but I finally broke down last month. I have a soft spot for CoverGirl, I think because it was a brand that got me started with makeup. I did mention these back in a Window Shopping Wednesday when they were newer to the market. A purchase like this is a big reason I don’t often do Window Shopping Wednesday posts because they end up becoming a shopping list of sorts. Anyway, I’m always paying attention to what CoverGirl releases. I was curious to see how these bronzers compared to the ones previously part of the CoverGirl Queen Collection. While I don’t have those older bronzers to do a direct comparison, I’m hoping it is still helpful to see what the new colors look like. The claims are big for the CoverGirl Trublend So Flushed High Pigment Bronzer (they seriously could have chosen a shorter name 🙄). The brand claims it’s comfortable, high pigment, easy to apply, cream-like, lightweight, and blendable, and I mostly agree. We’ll talk about the application and blendability near the end, which is my only slight disagreement. Alright, let’s get into some swatches.

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

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Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 689 Mitzah (Swatches)

I know that small eyeshadow palettes from luxury brands aren’t for everyone, but they are definitely a favorite of mine. I love smaller eyeshadow palettes and quads in general, but Dior eyeshadow palettes never fail me. I just find them easy to use and flattering to wear.

The empty tray on the right usually holds a double-sided sponge tip and a double-sided brush. Sorry, I’ve already gotten rid of them and don’t have them to show you. I haven’t used them since I tried my first Dior palette back in 2016 or 2017 so I wouldn’t be able to tell you much about how they work anyway.

Update February 28, 2025: This is the old formula of the Dior 5 Couleurs; they were reformulated in 2023. You can spot the new formula by checking for corn starch in the ingredient list. If it has corn starch, it is the new formula.

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette 689 Mitzah Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette 689 Mitzah
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