How to Get the Most Out of Ulta aka Why I Prefer Ulta to Sephora

Dear Mimi,

When you become old enough to start buying makeup, you may think Sephora should be your first stop. But nay! Steer towards Ulta. Always steer towards Ulta if possible, unless there’s a specific brand which ONLY Sephora carries, and Ulta doesn’t (which aren’t relatively many). Otherwise, Ulta all the way. And here’s why.

Not too long ago, I received the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette ($49), Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette ($42), Tarte Shape Tape Concealer ($24), and an eyelash serum ($50) FOR FREE!!! (Well, I payed $7 for the eyelash serum, but still!) How did I do it? One word: points.

Sephora and Ulta both have a points system that works in similar ways. You sign up for their rewards program (this has to happen in order for any of this to occur) and you get one point for every dollar you spend. However, Sephora only allows you to redeem your points on samples or sample sets, never on full size products.

Project Pan 2017

Dear Mimi,

As we’ve all fully established that I have way too much makeup (and enough extras for the next 2 years), I have decided to give myself a challenge. Introducing my Project Pan for 2017!

I first saw this idea on YouTube and thought it was such a clever idea. It’s a great way to make sure you are using up the products instead of wasting them, throwing them away, having them expire, or just letting them sit there on your shelf for God knows how long.

I have so many products that I would like to get to using up just so I feel like I didn’t waste my money buying them. Everyone does this challenge a little differently, so here are my rules:

1. There will be 15 products I have to try and “hit pan on”.
2. I cannot go out and buy more makeup of that category until I finish the product, unless I absolutely need it. For example, when I finish my current foundation, I can go out and buy another one since I won’t have one anymore. But, unless I finish a lipstick, I cannot go out and buy another one since I have way too many already (exemptions will be made for limited edition products IF I absolutely truly need to have it).
3. For powder products, I just have to hit pan to complete the challenge (this will be hard enough since there’s usually more product and I don’t wear makeup everyday). For all other types of products, I need to finish them, unless otherwise stated.
4. Some products I don’t have to finish because there’s way too much of it, but I do have to try my best to complete my goal, which I will outline.

Without further ado, here are the products I will try to finish by the end of 2017:

2016 Favorite Finds (with Emojis!)

Dear Mimi,

2016, although crappy in general, was great for beauty. So many new and fantastic products came out and this is the year when I really got into makeup and I figured out what thing were, when to use them, and how. My skincare regimen also paid off and I found some products for life! Brace yourself, it’s going to be a long post, so I’ve separated them into categories. I won’t go into too much explanation for each product, mainly just emoji ratings with a brief explanation, so just know I love all of them haha. Check out my October, November, and December favorites or Internet Made Me Buy It for more explanations, if mentioned.

Makeup:

Primers

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer ($39 for 0.5 oz): 😁 So soft and creamy, foundation goes on flawlessly with this primer.

Laura Geller Spackle Primer ($32 for 2 oz): 😎 I didn’t have high hopes for this primer at first, but it works so well! Every time I use it, I love it even more. It’s so light and moisturizing, and makes my foundation last wonderfully.

Smashbox Photofinish Primer ($36 for 1 oz): 😊 This primer is more silicone-y, but really smooths my face and makes it even for the foundation to adhere to.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($20): 😋 My go to eyeshadow primer. The only thing that I don’t like about it (and I’ve only noticed it the last few times) is that it will crinkle and crease when it accidentally transfers under my eyes, on top of my concealer. It leaves a mark which emphasizes my dry spots and looks super weird. It doesn’t go away that easily either. But use this before doing your face makeup and it’s great for eyeshadows!

Smashbox 24 Hour Eyeshadow Primer ($21): 😙 Found this recently, but I love it! Really lightweight, no creasing, and makes all the discoloration on your eyes go away for a clean canvas.

Didi’s Delightful and Disastrous! December 2016

Dear Mimi,

This is it. We’re saying goodbye to 2016. And honestly? I couldn’t be happier.

These are the products I used a lot specifically in December, but check out my 2016 Favorite Finds (out tomorrow!) for all the products I loved during the whole of 2016.

*Disclaimers*: None of these links are affiliate links or sponsored. These companies have no idea I exist, and I merely add the links to their websites to make it easier for you to check them out, if you’d like. The end.

Struggles of Perfume Hunting

Dear Mimi,

After I decided I have enough makeup for 3 lifetimes (which I later realized looking at other people’s collections that I am still impoverished in makeup, relatively), I decided to dedicate my efforts to another obsession: parfums.

Literally my only perfumes were an Adidas toilette that I received 2 years ago and a Victoria’s Secret rollerball. Part of adulting is finding some good scents Mimi and I was severely lacking in that department.

So I set out to find some more fragrances yet and it was way, way, wayyyyyyyyy harder than I imagined.

I started off doing the logical thing, in my opinion. I ordered a sampler kit from Sephora, which contained 8 samples of the most popular fragrances from this year. Here’s what was included and what I thought of them using emojis (which if you read my October & November favorites, you would already know some):

• Angel by Thierry Mugler: 😷😷😷😷😷
  • This just smelled like BO mixed with Lysol in a bottle
• YSL Mon Paris: 😍😍😍😍😍
  • A very girly scent, it’s a mix of fruity & floral. Smells very princess-y.
• Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence: 🙂🙂🙂
  • This is a very elegant fragrance which smelled like your classic department store perfume.
• My Burberry Black: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
  • I can’t quite describe the notes in this, but it was very muted, yet confident and sensual. Definitely liked it better than the original My Burberry.
• Tom Ford Orchid Soleil: 😊😊😊😊
  • It smelled like orchids, which was nice and it had a sweet undertone. I quite enjoyed this.
• Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose:🤕🤕🤕
  • This was just meh. It was very spicy, with a little bit of sweet, but it didn’t appeal to me.
• Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon: 😓😓😓😓
  • No. While I liked it eons over Angel, I hate the smell of Bourbon, which is exactly what this smelled like.

MIM: Home Remedy Face Mask

Dear Mimi,

With the winter months upon us, it’s too easy for our skin to get dry, dull, and dark. My solution? A DIY facemask that has been popular in India for hundreds of years!

Indian brides usually apply this face mask a few days before their weddings, so you know that it’ll give you bright, healthy, glowing skin! Best of all, it’s super simple to make.

Didi’s Delightful and Disastrous! November 2016

~Note: There was a bit of an issue with this post as it wasn’t showing up correctly. But that’s all fixed now! 🙂 Sorry for the inconvenience. (Technology, amirite?)

Dear Mimi,

I can’t believe there’s only a month left in the year °o°. That is INSANE.

November was a whirlwind, so sorry this is a little late. One of my close friends got married, and then there was Thanksgiving, and holiday shopping, and whew! I didn’t even realize it went by that quickly. Anyway, I still did get to try out a few products and here’s what I think were worth it and not.

*Disclaimers*: None of these links are affiliate links or sponsored. These companies have no idea I exist, and I merely add the links to their websites to make it easier for you to check them out, if you’d like. The end.

My Skincare Routine

Dear Mimi,

I had great skin in high school. Not to brag, but acne was not something I struggled with, and people used to ask what I used to do to keep my skin looking so good.

Then college happened.

College does not do great things for your skin. My acne erupted like no other, and huge welts covered my forehead, nose, and chin. It was ridiculous, embarrassing, and confusing. Even when I wouldn’t pick at them, the scars were inevitable. By the end of it, you could pinpoint every single pimple I had had on my face like a trail on a map. I refused to leave the house without makeup since I looked so atrocious, and my self-esteem was almost non-existent.

So, when I turned 21, I told myself I would make a change. Even though it was going to be a little pricey, I wasn’t a college student anymore, so it was time to make an investment in myself and in my skin. I put aside the money, put in the effort and commitment, and I swear to you, IN ONE YEAR, I was a completely different person. ALL MY SCARS had vanished and no one could even believe the “before” pictures. Once again, people started to ask me what I was doing to my skin to keep it looking so fresh and it was incredible. My skin looked even better than it did in high school, and for the first time in years, I felt confident enough to step out without makeup. It was enlightening, to say in the least.

Here is what I did and these are products that I swear by and that I will continue to use for eternity.

*Disclaimer: Once again, these are not affiliate links and I do not receive anything for anyone clicking on them nor am I sponsored in any way, shape, or form. I just provide them for your ease should you choose to purchase any of these products yourself.*

Didi’s Delightful & Disastrous! October 2016

Dear Mimi,

As I am going through life, trying new things and experiencing different moments, I will come across things I like and would wholly recommend to you, and things that I would stay away from.

Hence, my new monthly tidbit, Didi’s Delightful & Disastrous! At the end of every month, I will share with you, from all the stuff I have tried, things that I like (those would be “delightful”) and things that I would rather not repeat (aka “disastrous”). Hope you enjoy!

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October was definitely a busy month for me. I was trying some new skincare products, taking a break from my beloved Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate (I will be going back, don’t worry. Just wanted to see how some other samples, which I’ve had for longer than I’d like to admit, performed). I was also in the market for a new fragrance, and that has been a struggle in and of itself. So, without further ado, here’s what was delightful and disastrous for this month!

*Disclaimers*: None of these links are affiliate links or sponsored. These companies have no idea I exist, and I merely add the links to their websites to make it easier for you to check them out, if you’d like. The end.

Beauty Products the Internet Made Me Buy (and How I Feel About Them)

Dear Mimi,

When you get older and start exploring in makeup, there will be things that you hear about that everyone is buying. Literally everyone and their moms. And sisters. Everyone. I don’t know if YouTube will still be a thing in 10 years, but if it is, (and even if it’s not), you’ll hear people talking about these ah-mazing products and guess what? You’re gonna want to buy them and try them out for yourself. And most of them will be kind of expensive. You’ll start racking up those Ulta and Sephora points like it’s your job. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything (*nervous laugh*).

Well, here are the products that I did not have enough self-restraint to escape from purchasing and what I really think about them. Were they worth it? Were people just lying/pretending? Or were they really things I would buy again AND tell you to buy too? Let’s find out.