NYX Beyond Basics Holiday Kit 17

Confession: I was trolling for a new palette at Ulta recently during the 5X point multiplier (I have something in mind for my 20% off coupon and I want to combine with as many points as possible to lower the price.). I was literally frustrated, and this attacked me in the leg.

So, I brought it home.

Say hello to the NYX Beyond Basic Holiday Kit- Version 17 ($20, in-store only at Ulta but online here at NYX Cosmetics). According to the brand's website, there are two versions of this kit.

For your $20, you receive three items- a six pan eyeshadow palette (same size as the Lingerie palette if you're curious), a black Matte liquid liner, and a Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Rose.

I'll be honest, I haven't had much time to play and test this because I got it 48 hours before the allergic reaction on my eye. So this is more of a swatch overview in case you'd like to pick this up as a last-minute gift.

For me, the six-pan shadow palette is the star. There are five mattes and a lone shimmer.

The six 0.04 pans are only numbered. It's worth noting that the brilliant magenta is marked as a pressed pigment that's not eye safe.  This usually means that there's a non-FDA approved dye involved. It's also worth noting that there's an explicit waterline warning because this contains carmine. So, don't use this on the waterline.

These shades just look like this time of year, don't they? Here's how they look swatched:

That creme is almost the same as my NW15 skin, that's why you can't see it. I'll get a lot of use out of this and will be sure to report back once I've thoroughly tested it.

To pair with the palette, you receive a Matte Liquid Liner. This looks to be close to full size, if not equal.

It's got a brush tip, and will be pulling this into my rotation in 2018.

Lastly, there's a Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Rose in the kit. I've not seen this formula on their site, or in a NYX store before. It's close to a full size though.

Admittedly, I didn't let this dry down before taking the photo, but it's representative to the color. With my furnace now running all the time, I have to be careful with drying items on my hands. Nude rose is a nice warm nude that I'll be happy to try once it gets a little warmer and my lips a little less chapped.

This is a fun little stocking stuffer- I know we're up on it in terms of holiday shopping, but there were plenty of years where I worked until the 21st, shopped for 14 hours on the 22nd, drove home to my parents' home on the 23rd, and wrapped the 24th. So I know there are still people shopping. These kits appear to be in-store at Ulta but online from NYX. I think it's a nice little value for sure.

Sleek Hella Good Eyes for Holiday 2017

One of my favorite new drugstore brands at Ulta has to be Sleek. I've long coveted products from this British brand, and one of my local Ultas was an early adopter. I've slacked on reviewing the products I have from the brand, but keep in mind I've got a huge queue- and permanent products slot in where they can. This time of year, it's all holiday sets!

I spotted the Sleek Hella Good Eyes Set at my local Ulta and snapped it up. For $20, you get two of the 12-pan eyeshadow palettes.

They're packaged really well and look really cute. These are two full-sized palettes, and I think they're both in the permanent line.

The two palettes are 1152 Gleaming in Gold and 141 Vintage Romance.

Here's a shot of both palettes together- sadly after I'd already played with them.

Let's dive on in.

As an aside, this is what all Sleek palettes look like on top:

Palette Gleaming in Gold is different in that it's all shimmers.

These look really pretty in person, but honestly I can't work with just an all-shimmer palette very much these days. Gold is tricky though- and I'm always looking for more.

This palette has twelve different interpretations of gold, one of my favorite shades on my eyes.

Here's what the top row looks like:

And the bottom row:

I haven't had the time to play with it this much, but I wanted to share the contents of this gift set in case you saw it at Walgreens or Ulta and wanted to grab it for yourself or someone else. I'm planning to dive into Sleek as a brand in 2018.

The other palette is Vintage Romance.

This has a mix of mattes and shimmers, and leans more cool-toned. There are pops of pinks but it's predominantly a cool palette- which really draws me to it.

I feel like I own this somewhere in my messy beauty room. I originally purchased two Sleek palettes and feel like I have this on account of that matte transition share in the upper right.

Let's dive in.

Row 1 is lighter:

And the bottom, deeper row:

I feel like Vintage Romance will produce more varied looks than the Gold palette, but I'm glad to have both. This won't be the last that you see them on this space.

Given that you are getting the palettes at a discount, I found this set to be a good value.

Ulta Beauty 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Hello, and welcome to the first of my reviews on the 2017 Advent Calendars. They may seem a bit pointless, but here's why you should care.

1. They often go on sale after Christmas and if you like the contents, it might be worth scooping them up.
2. Having done advent calendars for multiple years, they tend to be consistent in terms of quality. So if there's one that interests you, watch out for it in 2018.


This 12-day calendar retailed originally for $18, although I saw it on sale in the $13 range once December began. Each of the 12 items are in boxes rather than paper doors (bonus points for that, Ulta), and they come in this very compact container- with a plastic sleeve to keep the boxes in place.

This kit promises 12 items from the Ulta Beauty line- which if you didn't know, is cruelty free. It's also frequently on sale at Ulta, so never pay full price for an item. This brand has been a sleeper lately- lots of really fun and trendy products.

I'd originally planned to make this a second half of the month calendar (I've got five 24 day calendars and three 12-day calendars if I'm counting correctly without going and looking), but one of my favorite YouTubers decided to open it for her Vlogmas. So, I was going to get spoiled.

Here's a close-up of one of the boxes:

And here's the contents of the calendar:

Day One: Metallic Lip Gloss  (0.04oz) Don't see this formula but lip glosses $9/0.16oz $2.25 value
Day Two: Gel Bounce Eyeshadow (0.06oz) Don't see this formula but appears to be full size $8-8.50
Day Three: Glitter Tears Eyeliner (no size) Appears to be close to full size, don't see formula $10ish
Day Four: Face & Body Glitter (0.06oz) Full size $8/0.19oz $2.52 value
Day Five: Tinted Glossy Balm (0.27fl oz/8ml)
Day Six: Duo Chrome Illuminator (0.11oz/3g) This could be Unicorn, full size is $10
Day Seven: Matte Lip Cream (0.04 fl oz/1ml) Full size is 0.12oz/$9. Could be Courageous $3 value
Day Eight: Clear Brow Gel (0.17fl oz/5g)
Day Nine: Bouncy Blush (0.11oz/3g)
Day Ten: Brow Pencil (0.03oz/0.85g)
Day Eleven:Eyeliner & Shadow Crayon (0.05oz/1.5g)
Day Twelve: Face & Body Gems (what a letdown!)

All in all, would I pay $18 for this bundle? If I was looking for shiny things, yes. I do think I used the $3.50 off $15 coupon on it, making it $14.50 for 12 items. And that's really reasonable. I couldn't work out values on all of them because a lot of these aren't on the website.

This wasn't my favorite calendar, nor was it the best value. That said, I'm going to have fun playing with all of my new goodies.

The Body Shop Tea Tree 1,2,3 Rescue Kit

Happy Holiday-Week Monday (for my US-based readers). Although I've got a slew of palettes to review, I wanted to keep it rolling with the skincare sets.

Part of the reason I got behind on having a buffer of holiday posts was that I went away over the long weekend. Somewhere along the line, my skin exploded in acne that I literally hadn't seen in 20 years (I'm 35, dear readers). As my skin has responded brilliantly to tea tree sheet masks, I couldn't help nabbing this set from The Body Shop, which is an Ulta exclusive.

The Body Shop Tea Tree 1,2,3 Rescue Kit ($16) has three travel/small sized products from the line. I was drawn in when I spotted the tea tree oil, which I was thinking of purchasing on its own.

This appears to be a holiday kit- it's different than the three other The Body Shop Tea Tree value sets at Ulta.

Let's talk about the set, my experiences, and whether I'd consider it a good gift.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash (60ml/2oz): This is the only product of the three that I haven't tried as of yet- I didn't want to shock my sensitive skin despite it currently being broken out. I'm going to save this for a time when I'm even more broken out- or breakouts during the summer. I remember seeing this size in-store at my local Ulta, but it's not online. According to The Body Shop, it retails for $5.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner (60ml/2oz): I'm glad this wasn't the first product in the line that I tried, otherwise the tingling would've freaked me out. Looking at the ingredients, it's likely the witch hazel. However, Alcohol Denat is the second ingredient so please follow with an exceptionally hydrating cream because that's such an awful dehydrator. This size retails for $5.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil (10ml): This is the smaller bottle, which retails for $10. My breakouts are responding so well to this treatment, and just the smallest bit goes a long way. Again, beware of the high Alcohol Denat content. (This is why I'm doing hydration masks with this anti-acne regimen)


All in all, this retails for $20 individually, or $16 in the kit. It's not the greatest value, but it's a nice little kit if you're interested in the line. I'm flagging the Denatured Alcohol content as a real issue for everyone, but these products are known to be great. It'd be a nice stocking stuffer- with a hydrating mask- and I love having this in my arsenal.

Ulta Love Your Curls Kit

I think it's time I come to terms with my new reality: I no longer have straight hair. After years of longing after messy waves and spending a ton of time curling it, my hair has undergone an evolution. First came the summertime frizzies. Then, I started getting little curls around my forehead. Now, if I don't fully dry my hair, flat iron, and pin it up to sleep, I get waves.

This is a whole new world from someone who used to have hair that would shed a curl within 2-3 hours. So I'm still trying to figure my new hair out.

Enter the Ulta Love Your Curls Kit.

To be fair, this has a sample of one of the items I was mulling in-store and I thought it might be a good set to try. I'm not going to go too deep into each item, but if you're familiar with them please leave your thoughts in the comments!

This kit cost $9.99 and claims to be a $56 value.

Let's take a quick look at the products inside:

1. Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Oil (full size: $38)

Honestly, this is one of the products I was mulling. I'm at the end of my Drybar oil, and I love putting a bit on my ends. I'm a huge fan of Living Proof and nearly purchased the travel size ($20).


2. DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture (full size: $36)

This is a Matcha Butter Conditioning Mask. I've been loving a matcha cleanser, and I'm into hair masks... I'll probably try this very soon.

3. Matrix Air Dry Twisted Boho (full size: $18)

This is one of two products I don't see myself using anytime soon. I already own the Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow It cream and will be using that for quite awhile!

4. Bed Head Screw It Curl Hydrating Jelly Oil (full size: $21.99)

This is the other product I don't think I'll be reaching for. I'll play with it this winter because it perplexes me. That said, this is a huge product.

5. Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel (full size $26-75)

I wish I'd seen this a couple of months ago. I'm very interested to pro/con this against my Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream!

6. KMD Moist Repair Anti-Breakage Spray  (full size: $23.50)

For some reason, I didn't photograph this. Whoops.

I'm in. I use a protein spray on my hair several times per month, and I'm always looking to rotate my products.

I'm so happy that Ulta is stepping up their game with these kits- I almost picked up a drugstore skincare one at the same time. I'm looking forward to digging into this kit- and figuring out my new hair!

QBB Hauls: Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Wrap-Up

Get yourself a drink and a snack, because this is going to be a long one.

Let's wrap up the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty. I was going to do this week-by-week but held off.


Beauty Steals Purchased Week One:

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Trios (9/8), Ofra Beverly Hills Highlighter (9/8), CoverFX Perfect Setting Powder (9/9)

Here's what I said in my Week One Preview:

What I'm planning to pick up from Week One: Tarte Double Duty Beauty Lip Sculptor Lip Gloss/Lipstick (September 6), Too Faced Sketch Marker Liquid Eyeliner (September 7), Ofra Highlighters (September 8), CoverFX Setting Powder (September 9)

Here's why I didn't purchase 50% of what I anticipated. I swatched the shade range for the Tarte lip products and didn't see anything unique to my collection. I then did some research on the Too Faced eyeliners and decided to purchase two of my favorite liner Week Two insted.

Hot Buys Purchased Week One:

bareMinerals GenNude Liquid Lipstick- Swank, Ulta Demi-Matte Foundation, Ulta Adjustible Coverage Powder Foundation, Ulta Mineral Foundation

Beauty Steals Purchased Week Two:

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Eyeliner (9/10), NARS NARSissist Cheek Palette (9/10), It Cosmetics Brushes for Ulta #115 (9/16), Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipsticks (9/16)

Hot Buys Purchased Week Two: Ulta Body Wash & Body Butter- Nectarine Rose (given as a gift, hence why I can't show)


Here's what I said during my Week Two Preview:

What I'm planning to pick up from Week Two: NARSisst Cheek Studio Palette (September 10), Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Eyeliner (September 10), Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer (September 11), Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid (September 14), ABH Brow Powder (September 15), It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation (September 16), It Brushes for Ulta (September 16), Dose of Colors Liquid Lipsticks (September 16)

Here's why I passed on a few items. I looked at the amount of primers I own and decided I didn't need the Too Faced. I'm also working on using up my color correctors, so purchasing UD ones doesn't make sense. If I want to try one in the future, I'll be ok paying full price. I don't need any more brow powders and was away from my computer most of that day, and I have too many face powders at the moment-hence passing on the It powder.

Beauty Steals Purchased Week Three:

Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara (9/18), Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara (9/22), Benefit Ka-BROW! (9/23), Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss (9/23)- and the Ulta Hot Soap (Hot Buy)



Here's what I said during my Week Three Preview:

What I'm Planning to Purchase from Week Three: MAC Lipstick (September 20), Laura Geller Balance n Brighten Baked Color Correcting Powder Foundation (September 21), Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara (September 22), Benefit Ka-Brow! Eyebrow Color (September 23), Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss (September 23)

Here's why I did some major passing. I found my Velvet Teddy, so I didn't need to repurchase. I also decided to stop buying powders.

Don't worry, I bought a lot of other stuff. I'm stocked for items to review for months.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector- Lilac Geode

Chalk this up to one of those purchases that was inevitable. I knew that this isn't necessarily my best shade, but I really love Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors. So when there was a small GWP offered during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, I had to pick up the brand-new Ulta-exclusive shade- Lilac Geode.

It's the same size and price as the permanent collection ($38, 7g/0.25oz of product). Like many of the recent LE products, the outer ring reflects the shade rather than being the standard black/silver. I like it.

It also makes identifying the different Shimmering Skin Perfectors much easier. So thank you, Becca.

Let's talk shade. Lilac Geode is described as "cool pink with golden pearl finish." I find it to be a very warm pink- especially for something called Lilac.

It's stunning, isn't it? I love the textured design that Becca's been featuring as of late.

Now, the real question is if I can pull this off. My suspicion going in was that this is a highlighter for those with warm undertones- those for whom Prismatic Amethyst (which I need to get a backup of, stat) pulls chalky.

Here's a representative swatch:

OK, so it might be tough for me to do on the cheeks. Not surprised. By the way, it took artificial light to get it to photograph true to color.

I have to use the lightest of light hands on my cheeks. I use it more in the inner corner, particularly with the Lila Palette (oh yes, just wait for tomorrow).

Becca has been doing a lot of pinks and purples this past year. How does Lilac Geode compare?

Aren't they pretty? They're some of my favorites. OK, here's the swatch comparison:

They're all completely different and unique in my collection- and I'm happy to make Lilac Geode work with my extremely cool and fair complexion.

Do you need this? Go to your local Ulta and swatch in person. That's the best way to tell. We all own so many highlighters that highlighter's not a need at this point. I do like it though.