My Beauty Favorites: Blushes

It feels like I didn't really start caring about blush until a few years ago. When I was in high school, I don't think anyone I know used blush. In the early 2000s, bronzer was a big deal; I remember my friends covering essentially their whole faces in bronzer. I never rocked that look (I'm way too pale), so I mostly just wore foundation, powder, and that was it. I took all the color out of my face with foundation... and didn't add any back in!  

The first blush I can remember buying, at least in the last 5 years, was Wet'n'Wild's Pearlescent Pearl (a very dead-on dupe for NARS Orgasm, if you're looking!) and while I love that blush, it's not one of my current favorites.

You see... blush is now one of my favorite items to buy, one of my favorite beauty items to put on, and something that I'm a little obsessed with. Most days, I wear foundation or concealer, powder, and blush, maybe some mascara if I'm feeling fancy. So most days, blush is the thing that really makes a huge difference in my look. 

So after a very taxing decision process, I picked out my top 3 favorite blushes. (And I'll also include my 2 favorite brushes for applying blush!) 

1. Pixi by Petra in Peach Honey

I received this blush in my first Ipsy bag and when I first reviewed it, I thought it was more of a highlighter than a blush. However, after applying it one day and getting to work, I realized the truth: my bathroom lighting just sucks! It's definitely a more subtle blush and being peachier than what I usually wear, it definitely falls into the category of being outside of my go-to. However, it has such a nice, natural effect that I think it's one of those blushes that looks good on everyone. 

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Paaarty

I (and almost everyone else) received this blush in the 2017 Sephora birthday gift. (If you chose the skincare gift, don't worry, you can purchase it solo.) I love this blush, even though the name is actually one of the worst ever; I never remember the correct number of "a"s. It is a perfect pink color: very traditional, very cute, and very perfect on nearly every skintone. 

3. Ulta Beauty Blush in Rose

I debated including this blush, even though it is my current "I wear this every single day" color because, well, I couldn't find it on Ulta's website! The problem sometimes with free gifts is that they don't always have everything for sale. However, this is the same shade as the Ulta Beauty Blush in Sweet Pea here; so if you want to buy it, that's a great option. This shade is a dusty, slightly mauve-y pink. I wear mauve lips almost every single day, so if I'm going for a monochromatic look, this is what I reach for. It's super pigmented, super blendable, and absolutely lovely. 

Bonus: My Favorite Brushes

I used to use my fingers to apply blush, then I would sweep it out with my powder brush (yikes). Now, I have two dedicated blush brushes (three actually, but that's neither here nor there) that I love using, depending on the formula and look I'm going for. 

1. Crown C141 Small Chisel Brush: this brush is great for blushes that are a little less pigmented and you need to concentrate to a specific area. (I also love this brush for packing on mattifying powder!) I use it specifically with my Pixi by Petra blush. 

2. F.A.R.A.H. 30F: this brush is angled, so it gives you a great sweeping look. If you're using a highly pigmented blush, this is the one you want to go for; being softer and fluffier, it blends out blush much easier. 

Beauty Review: The Ulta Beauty 12 Days of beauty Calendar

When I purchased the Ulta Collection 12 Days of Beauty advent calendar, I did so with the strict intention of 1) treating myself to something I've never done before (a beauty advent calendar!) and 2) testing to see if everything in it was absolutely worth the price tag. 

Luckily, this calendar wasn't particularly expensive: full price, it cost $18, but I bought it on sale for $13.50. That's a right bargain, really, for 12 new beauty products! Even Ulta's collection, which is quite affordable, you couldn't buy that many products for that total. 

In this review, I want to answer the question: was this advent calendar worth it? I define worth in a few ways: firstly, is the value of the calendar the same as or more than what I paid for it? Secondly, are the products things the average person (or, in my case, a 29-year-old mother) would use? And thirdly, was it also fun? 

Let's jump right in! 

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Dec 9, 2017 at 6:51pm PST

1. Metallic Lip Gloss ($9) 

This was an exciting first day surprise! Metallic lip gloss (and lipstick and liquid lips) are very popular this season, so this was a fun find. I wore it over my favorite liquid lip, Rebel Rose by Wet'n'Wild, and really loved it. It is definitely on the stickier side, but it's very pigmented and very metallic. 

I couldn't find any metallic lip glosses on Ulta's website, which is a little odd, but this gloss is a lot like the Color Rush lip glosses (which I have used before and really love). It is quite close to the color Carrie and so I have valued it at around $9 for a full size. 

2. Gel Bounce Eye Shadow ($8) 

I really love this eyeshadow. It's a bronzey-gold shade with a slightly greenish tint. It's not super pigmented, but great for packing on top of another eyeshadow to make it into a more glitzy night look. It's also something I would use during the day to highlight my inner corner. I did find it transferred quite a bit if I wore in on my eyeliner, but a better primer might be necessary. 

This is another product that I couldn't find an exact match for on Ulta's website, but it is very close in color and texture to the Glitter Eye Top Coat in the shade Bronze Bombshell. 

3. Glitter Tears Eyeliner ($10) 

This definitely falls into the "fun, but not something I would use category"! It's quite cool; it's a glittery gold eyeliner that is surprisingly easy to use. I could see myself putting it on top of black winged eyeliner for a party look, but not something I would reach for every day. 

So this eyeliner is actually the same as was in a kit, sold earlier in the year, and is the exact same as Ulta's Liquid Eyeliner in the color Gold Glitter. (The only difference is the bottle shape.) 

4. Face & Body Glitter in the color Holographic ($8) 

Just like the glitter eyeliner, this is something that is very fun (glitter!) but not super practical. As a mom, I just don't need to be covered in glitter all the time! It is quite fun though and if I was younger, I would mix it with lotion for a summer day out. This definitely went into my bin of things to donate to my husband's students (they will love it, honestly). 

This is one of the few things I found an exact match for on Ulta's website. 

5. Tinted Glossy Balm ($9)

After 2 days of mild disappointment, I was so excited to get something I genuinely love. I'm a lip balm freak and I love tinted balms; this one is on the glossy side, but still hydrating (and doesn't have peppermint oil, thank goodness). It is a pretty berry color: a little bright, but quite pretty. 

However, this was another product I couldn't find an exact match for on Ulta (making me incredibly suspicious that this calendar was just repackaged leftovers), but quite similar to the Butter Balm Lip Gloss in the shade Poppsy. 

5. Duo Chrome Illuminator in the shade Fairy ($10)

Aha, another exact match! Finally! I was so excited to see this. It's not a traditional highlighter, but rather an illuminator; it is like the Hourglass Afterlight powders that you put in for lowlight looks. More strobing than highlighting, really. This color is very pretty: icy pink that shifts blue-lavendar. I've been wearing it as highlighter over my blush and loving it. 

7. Matte Lip Cream ($9)

I love matte liquid lips and I quite like Ulta's matte lip creams, so this was an exciting day! This color is also lovely. Another exact match (we're on a roll!), although since the tube isn't labeled, I have to guess the color. My guess is either Artistic or Bombshell. However, the color is really, really lovely: right up my alley as a medium-toned, mauvey pink! 

8. Clear Brow Gel ($7)

I'm not typically a "brow girl", as I say, but I was excited to try this product. I have natural brows that can be quite unruly and I've been meaning to try a brow gel for ages... but just never bought one. Ulta pushed me into it! This brow gel is quite nice, keeping my brows in line without looking fake or feeling too stiff. 

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Dec 17, 2017 at 9:17am PST

9. Bouncy Blush ($9) 

I'm a sucker for blush! I love blush! And this one is no exception although it is quite sparkly, which is my only problem with it. Not for everyday use, but the color is lovely and it makes an excellent eyeshadow shade as well. 

Again, I couldn't find an exact match, but the Ulta Velvet Blushes look very close. The shade Pink Out is very, very close, although I feel like this blush is certainly a little sparklier. 

10. Brow Pencil ($10)

As I said, I'm not someone who typically does my brows, so brow products tend to be a waste on me. But this pencil is quite lovely and matches my hair perfectly, so maybe I'll morph into a brow person! 

As well, this is another not-exact match because in the calendar was a sample size without the spoolie on the end (so the value isn't exactly the same, of course). 

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Dec 15, 2017 at 6:26pm PST

11. Eyeliner & Shadow Crayon ($8.50) 

This shadow crayon is lovely! It is quite thick though, so I can't imagine using it for eyeliner (except in my waterline), but as a shadow, it's lovely for a single color look or to cover the lid after doing a transition shade. The color is a bronzey color with a subtle shimmer. 

The closest I could find from the Ulta Collection were their Cream Eyeshadow and Liner Crayons, which are a twist up product (while this is a stick product you have to sharpen). The closest color is Mauve on Over. 

12. Body Jewels ($3-5) 

This is an item I couldn't find on Ulta at all; there are non-Ulta brands that had them, but not Ulta. I estimated the value of this item. This is another item I'll be donating to my husband's students because I genuinely can't see myself wearing body jewels anytime soon! 

Was It Worth It?

So the big question: was this calendar worth it in the end? Let's go through the factors. 

1. Was it worth it monetarily? Yes! If you bought all of these items in the closest match possible in the store, it would cost $100.50. Yes, some aren't exact matches, but the closest thing. But still, for $13.50, you could not buy 12 items (especially these 12 items). That's an absolute win to me! 

2. Was it worth it in terms of wearability? Basically, are these items wearable? Yes. Mostly. There are 3-4 things I would most likely never use (the glitter, the glitter eyeliner, the body jewels, and the brow pencil) or buy myself. However, those items are still wearable for some people--just not for me! I will be donating anything I definitely don't see myself using. 

3. Was it worth it in terms of fun? Was opening the calendar each day fun? Absolutely! It was exciting and I only found myself disappointed 2 or 3 times (and you know which things that was for). I received quite a few things that I can see myself using over and over (the illuminator, the liquid lips, the eyeshadow crayon, and the eyeshadow especially), and possibly repurchasing. 

So, final answer, was this calendar worth the purchase? Absolutely. 

But I do want to talk about some downsides. 

A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Dec 16, 2017 at 7:07pm PST

The Downsides

I enjoyed this calendar. I had fun! I like almost everything!

But, Michelle, you wonder, we're talking downsides, here? Yes, we are. 

While researching each item to link here (because I want you guys to be able to purchase these items that I post about and talk about!), I found a lot of older blog posts featuring these exact items... that are no longer on the Ulta website. The main culprit is the Glitter Tears eyeliner, which was sold (in that exact bottle) in a kit.

I started to suspect, about halfway through my research, that a lot of these items are either:

1. discontinued items from past collections
2. items that have been discontinued in favor of a rebrand (such as the Bouncy Blush becoming Velvet Blush) 
3. items from kits that didn't sell.

Basically, I started to wonder if this was a calendar of leftovers. 

Absolutely, I would prefer a brand to sell a calendar of discontinued products rather than putting them in dumpsters or landfills. But it makes it very difficult to link to those products or repurchase them if you like them. It feels like it lacks transparency. 

I'm still quite happy with the calendar and I'm glad I bought it. I just wanted to share what I found out (and what I'm mulling over!) 

Did you purchase a beauty calendar this year? I'm already keeping my eyes peeled for ones for next year!