My First ULTA Haul!

**I meant to post this earlier today, but totally forgot because I was packing for the beach!  I'm sorry!  I hope you all like the changes I've made to my little blog; and enjoy this post :) **

Hi, everyone!  I have exciting news.  Ok, it's exciting to me, but maybe not for you. Unless you live locally.  The closest city just got an Ulta!  I LOVE shopping for high end products, and having a store within an hour's drive is probably very bad for my budget, but it's great for me!  
I haven't ACTUALLY made it to the store yet, but I DID place my first Ulta order online, and had a FANTASTIC experience.  Not to mention, I got several items FREE!

Oh, you want to know what I purchased?  Do you?

Well, you are IN LUCK, because I am THRILLED to share it with you!

All the products below are available at Ulta's website, and I have also listed the manufacturer's site when available.  I think it's always good to go to the source, just to check out what the company has to say about their products, and to see what they stand for.

I always LOVE it when I get a package in the mail!

This box is absolutely HUGE- and I was really surprised by the size of it.  It BARELY fit in my extra-large mailbox!

First peek inside my awesome order

After clearing away the plastic bags filled with air (that my kid promptly went nuts popping on the floor!), I began pulling the little bags out of my box.  The first thing I pulled out was a bag of three free samples.

DERMAdoctor Photodynamic therapy; Exuviance Targeted Filler T5; dermalogica Skinperfect Primer SPF 30 Foil pack samples

Ulta advertises that they always include 3 free samples with every order, and they definitely did!  I don't particularly care for foil pack samples, but hey, they were free, and maybe I'll find something that I like in them!

DERMAdoctor Photodynamic therapy liquid red light anti-aging lotion with broad spectrum SPF 30; 2 mL foil pack sample

I've never heard of DERMAdoctor before, but then again, I don't really do a WHOLE lot of skin care, so my research is kind of nil.  The Photodynamic therapy is said to lift and firm skin around the eyes.  Kind of like the Mary Kay timewise volu-firm eye cream that I have become very fond of?  If you would like to try this product out, it's available for purchase HERE; 15 mL, $65.  My little foil pack has a retail value of $8.67.

Exuviance Targeted Filler T5; .03 oz foil pack sample

Another new company to me, Exuviance Targeted Filler is meant to help fill in deep lines in your face, like forehead creases or other expression lines.   The full-sized product comes in a syringe-type tube (without a needle!), and retails for $75 for .35 oz.; available HERE.  This cute foil packet is valued at $6.43.

dermalogica skin perfect primer SPF 30, foil pack sample, no size indicated

I regularly use dermalogica products, switching out with Clinique from time to time, during my skin care regimen.  I've had pretty good luck with this brand, and I am excited to give this primer a chance.  According to the packing, it should help even skin tone, fight the signs of aging, and bring world peace.  Ok, I made that last one up; but even still, this looks to be a nice primer.  If you would like to give this one a try, it's available HERE; $48 a tube.  I'm not sure how big the tube is, I couldn't find a weight listed on dermalogica's site.

Benefit Big Time Prime set: The POREfessional and "That Gal"

The next thing I found in my box of awesomess, is the Benefit Big Time Prime set.  I knew that these were going to be a smaller size, but I was surprised at just HOW small these were!  Cost: $12.  Retail value: $16

Benefit The POREfessional tube, .25 oz

The POREfessional, aside from being a super cute name, can be used under or over makeup to reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines.  I have rather large pores on some parts of my face, and have yet to find something that works well to cover them.  The Porefessional is lightly tinted, and blends very well.  I'm excited to try this out!  If you want to give this a try too, a full size tube is $30 (.75 oz), and available HERE; they also carry my little tube too, for $8.

Benefit's "That Gal", .25 oz tube

What better to pare with pore reducing makeup, than an awesome primer?!  Benefit's "That Gal" is a brightening face primer- and who doesn't want a brighter face?!  According to Benefit's website, That Gal "contains light-reflecting pigments to help brighten all skin tones and raspberry & chamomile to soothe skin." The product has a pale pink color, that blends easily.
I'm excited to give this a try!  If you would like to try this too, head on over HERE, a full size twist-up tube (.37 oz) is $29; my small sample is also for sale, for $8.  But seriously, people- get the sample size.  Do the math- you get more product for your buck with the small tubes (if I were sizing it down from the large size, my tiny sample would be $19.59, instead of the $8 they are selling it for). 

Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW brightening makeup liquid foundation, in Petal. .17 fl oz

Ulta was running a special when I placed my order, if you purchase any Benefit item, you receive a free 10 day supply of Benefit's foundation, Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW brightening makeup.  Although they did not have the shade I wanted, I did receive this sample in Petal "I'm plush and precious. " I love the color names!  This foundation comes is a super cute mini pump applicator, and goes on super smooth.

This shade is NOT a perfect match for me, but it's close enough that when I start to get my tan on, it should work nicely.  A little goes a long way, and I love that too!  If you would like to give this a try, Benefit has the full size bottles (1 fl oz) at $36, and the smaller sample size that I received (.17 fl oz) for $10. 

Benefit's The "Ulta"mate Sexy Six: Posietint Cheek & Lipstain, High Beam Liquid Highlighter, "That Gal" primer, BADgal Lash mascara, Stay Don't Stray Primer, and Hoola bronzer

Benefit Cosmetics is known for some really fantastic products, and the smart people that they have working in their marketing department decided to sell some of their best-sellers in a gift pack, called The "Ulta" Mate Sexy Six!

A closer view of the Sexy Six from Benefit

This set retails for $24, which I thought was a no-brainer.  There are so many "must haves" in this set!  The retail value of this set is: $49.09.  WOW!

Benefit Hoola Bronzer, .1 oz

I love bronzers, as I have very fair skin.  Bronzers give me a bit of a sun-kissed look all year round, and as I live in a beach community, that look is pretty popular in these parts.  The Hoola bronzer is an awesome shade, and works well with my skin tone.  The picture above is NOT color perfect- I couldn't get a great one; it's darker than this but not too terribly dark.  

Swatch of Hoola.  It's above the packaging, I swear.

I will say one thing about this item- I HATE the packaging.  Seriously, a plastic foldy- pack?  I would have been happier with paperboard, honestly.  The packaging feels very cheap, but the product is of high quality.  If you want to try this awesome bronzer out yourself, hopefully with better packaging, you can find it HERE: a .28 oz package is $28. My sample (.1 oz)  has a value of $10.

BADGal Lash Mascara from Benefit, .14 oz tube

You all know I LOVE mascara, and I just can't WAIT to try out Benefit's BADgal Lash!  Just look at that amazing wand!  I have serious high hopes for this mascara, but I have 2 open tubes already, so I'm hanging on to this one for later. What I love about Benefit is that they sell the smaller sizes of their products, and mascara is one thing I try to ONLY buy in Trial/Travel size- this works very well for me.  If you would like to try out this amazing mascara, you can find it HERE: this travel size (.14 oz) is $8; the full size (.3 oz) is $19.

Benefit's Stay Don't Stray under eye concealer and eyelid primer, .08 fl oz tube

I'm a HUGE believe in eye makeup primers.  I have always had serious problems with creasing and transfer; primers make this NOT happen for me.  I'm excited to try the Stay Don't Stray primer from Benefit.  This one works a bit differently than my Urban Decay Primer Potion- you put three tiny dots under your eyes, and then blend; then do the same to your lids.  My sample is in the color light/medium, but Benefit has now added a medium/deep shade.  If you would like to try this out for yourself, a .33 oz tube with applicator is available HERE for $26; this makes my little sample size worth $6.30.

Benefit's "That Gal" face primer, .25 oz tube

In my Sexy Six, I also received a tube of "That Gal" brightening face primer.  I sure hope I like this product, otherwise I'll be passing this on to a friend!  This tube is $8 added to this set's value.

Benefit's Posie Tint Lip and Cheek Stain; .13 fl oz bottle

I'm kind of on a blush kick right now, and I've never tried cheek stain before.  I am super excited that Benefit's Posie Tint lip and cheek stain is in this set!  To use this product, simple brush three strokes on each cheek and blend, or dot on your lips and blend.  

swatch of Posie Tint from Benefit

This shade is such a pretty pink, I'm excited to use it!  If you would like to give this your own stamp of approval, it's available HERE; a slightly smaller sample (.09 fl oz) is $8; the full size (.42 fl oz) is $30.  My "medium" sized container has a retail value of $9.29.

Benefit High Beam Luminescent Complexion Enhancer, .13 fl oz bottle

The final item in this Sexy Six set is the High Beam highlighter.  I have never really had good luck with highlighters, so I am excited to give this one a try.  I think will have better luck with a liquid product I can dab on, rather than a powder to brush on.  Add to that that this is a very light color; which I think will compliment my fair skin.  

Swatch of High Beam from Benefit

The product has a little shimmer in it and it's absolutely perfect for my coloring!  I'm super excited to add this to my spring makeup lineup!  If you would like to try this one out too, it's available HERE; a full size (.45 oz) bottle will cost you $26.  My little bottle has a retail value of $7.50

Benefit Cosmetics bag- free with $30 Benefit purchase from Ulta

Because I spent over $30 on Benefit cosmetics, I qualified for a free cosmetic bag.  I was all, "oh, cool", and figured it would be a smallish bag, that would hold just a couple little things.  This bag is an amazing size, and holds all my little samples.

The front of the bag has a really cool pop-art-style graphic, and the rest of the bag is black.  I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to store in here, but I definitely will be using it!  I checked out Benefit's site, and while I couldn't find the exact bag I received, I DID find this awesome mermaid bag, and now I totally want it.  Sigh. First world problems.  I'll assign the retail value of the mermaid bag to this one, as they appear to be the same size; $26.

Tarte Prime, Shine & Define To Go Kit: Clean Slate Poreless, Amazonian Clay BB illuminating moisturizer (.3 fl oz) and Gifted Amazonian Clay smart mascara (.16 fl oz)

I'm also seriously in love with Tarte cosmetics.  Tarte's products are cruelty free, and many of them are "green".  I love this little High-performance naturals set, and at $12, it was a steal!  The retail value of this set is $16.48, and you can pick it up at Ulta or direct from Tarte.

Tarte Clean Slate Poreless, .25 oz tube

In my quest to find a product that will reduce the appearance of my pores, I found the Tarte Clean Slate Poreless, a 12 hour pore-perfecting primer. This awesome product is clear, and goes on very smoothly.  It is a nice primer and holds your makeup on longer, with the added bonus of reducing the appearance of pores for a flawless face.  If you want to give this one a try yourself, it's available HERE, a 1 oz tube for $30; making the retail value of my little tube of $7.50.

Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Illuminating Moisturizer, .3 fl oz tube

Tarte cosmetics introduced this line of Amazonian Clay products a while back, but this is the first chance I've had to try them out for myself.  This BB Illuminating Moisturizer uses the amazing aspects of Amazonian Clay to it's advantage: it absorbs oil and moisturizes dry skin, at the same time!  What's really neat about this particular BB cream is that it is also an Illuminator-  it gives your skin a soft glow!  This seems to only come in one shade (which blended very well for me), called Champagne.  I'm excited to give this a try!  If you want to check this one out for yourself, it's available HERE; a 1.7 fl oz tube is $32; my tiny tube has a value of $5.64.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Mascara, .16 fl oz tube

I absolutely LOVE the packaging of this mascara!  Tarte's Gifted Amazonian Clay Mascara has an adorable tube, with the feel and appearance of being made of wood.  Except it's actually plastic, and therefore easier to keep clean.  Nifty!  The wand is wonderful, and did a fantastic job applying the product to my eyes.  The formula works very well for me too- I had NO raccoon eyes, and only very minimal clumping.  The formula is also supposed to help make my lashes healthier, and who doesn't want that, right?  If you want to pick this up for your very own, you can get it HERE; $19 for a full-sized tube (1.1 oz); my sample has a value of $3.34

Tarte High-Performance Naturals BB Tinted Treatment 12 Hour Primer; 4 .016 fl oz pots

Because I made a purchase with Tarte Cosmetics, Ulta was running a special, where I could receive a sample of Tarte's new BB tinted treatment 12 hour primer, with broad spectrum SPF 30.  This sample is really cool, because it gives me 4 color choices in one packet; and could mix and match if there isn't a shade perfect for me.  Or, I could share the other shades with a friend with a different complexion.  Love that!  I didn't swatch this one, because I haven't tried it yet, but I will keep you posted as to whether or not I love it.  I absolutely LOVE BB creams, so I am really looking forward to giving this a try! If you would like to try this out, it's available HERE; $34 a tube (1 oz), in the shades fair, light, medium or tan.  Each pot on this sample has a value of $0.54; making the whole card $2.16.

Bare Minerals Try. Believe. Love kit, in Light.  Contains matte foundation, original foundation, concealer, mineral veil, and two brushes.

I've also been looking for a new foundation routine.  I've been breaking out a lot more, and I think it's from my current foundation, so I wanted to try something new.  I saw this kit from Bare Minerals, and really wanted to try it.  When I saw the price of it was only $20, I seriously jumped for joy.  Plus, I'm a brush whore.  I absolutely LOVE makeup brushes, and HATE sponge applicators.  With a serious vengeance.  This complete kit comes with a 30 day supply of Bare Minerals matte and original foundation, a mini pot of concealer, and a pot of their mineral veil; plus a flawless face brush and a concealer brush.  This kit really is an awesome value: if I add up the retail prices of everything in it, it comes to $35.03.  You know I LOVE a deal!  This is SUCH a great idea, and I wish other high-end products would make smaller kits for customers to try.  Not all of us want to commit $100 for a new foundation routine and brushes; what if they don't work for you skin type, or you have an allergy to them? $20 for two brushes and a month's worth of products is a great deal, and a great way to try out mineral makeup.

The full set of Try. Believe. Love ftrom Bare Minerals.  Retail: $20

All of the products in this kit were sealed up tight, including the brushes (but I didn't photograph them in the plastics; sorry!).  I love knowing everything is sanitary and brand new, just for me!

Bare Minerals Concealer brush, travel size, retail value $10

Because I love brushes so much, I'm beginning to notice a HUGE difference between them.  The Bare Minerals Concealer brush is a great brush, and according to AMAZON, sells for $10.  I've seen a few reviews that hate on this brush because it's so small, but that actually works very well for me, I have a LOT of brushes now, and it's hard to store them all!  This brush has very soft, yet firm bristles, and they pick up the product with ease.  Love it!

Bare Minerals Mini Flawless Application Face Brush, $12 retail

The real star of the brushes in this set, is the Mini Flawless Application Face Brush.  This brush fits perfectly in the lids of the Bare Minerals product pots, and do a great job of applying product to the face.  If you would like to try this brush out, you can purchase it separately at AMAZON for $12, but honestly, just pick up this kit; it's only a few dollars more!

Bare Minerals SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque; .02 oz

 I love the idea of mineral makeup- it's much more natural, and hopefully will provide a medium to full coverage.  The Bare Mineral Concealer, medium size (0.07) retails for $18, is available HERE. My little container retails for 5.14.  This shade is Summer Bisque.

Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Light; 0.03 oz

The Try. Believe. Love Kit contains two different foundations; the original and the matte.  The original foundation is a great place to start, I think, in my quest for the perfect foundation.  This is available in the large size (.28 oz) for $27,  HERE. This size (0.03 oz) has a retail value of $2.89.

Bare Minerals Matte SPF 15 foundation in Light; .03 oz

Bare Minerals Matte foundation has a lovely flawless finish, and goes on very smooth.  It's available HERE; the large size is $27 for .21 oz ,  For the pot that is in the set, it's retail value is $3.

Bare Minerals Original Mineral Veil; .03 oz

Bare Minerals Original Mineral Veil is a very fine finishing powder, to give your skin a flawless finish.  This powder absorbs oil, and gives your face a nice, luminescent finish.  If you want to try the mineral veil, the medium size pot (0.3oz) is $20, available HERE. The pot in this kit has a retail value of $2.

My first Ulta haul!

So, that's my awesome haul from Ulta!  Not too shabby for my first time, right? 
Total Cost: $68,  free shipping
Total Retail Value:  $169.86

I tried to keep this short and sweet; I will do dedicated posts on the products I tried and liked (and those I didn't like!), especially if you let me know what you want to hear about first!

So, tell me, did I miss anything awesome at Ulta?  Have you tried any of these products?  Love them? Hate them?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Until next time, my beautiful friends, stay gorgeous...and OnlyAverage!

Disclaimer: I purchased these items with my own money, and any gifts with purchase were because I met the purchase requirements to receive them.  I was neither requested nor required to review these items, and all links in this post are NOT referral links.

PS- Did you know I have a facebook page now??!!  Go HERE to like Only Average Mom on the 'book, and I'll let you know all about everything that is going on here, plus other little updates, things too small to post.  Thank you!