From hair products to face masks, we tested out Ulta’s Top 9 beauty products. Now, you can decide which items are worth your purchase and which ones to skip! Here’s what we think about these well-known Ulta items.
NYX Butter Gloss in Madeleine
This gloss is awesome for the price. The Madeleine color is gorgeous and I feel like it would be great for a variety of skin tones. For five bucks, I would buy this gloss again for when I need a little tint on my lips. Obviously, this doesn’t compare to liquid lipstick, but I prefer glosses anyway. One major downfall I noticed is that you have to let it soak in a little before putting a mask on or it’ll get everywhere. I also really appreciated that it didn’t feel insanely sticky, it felt just right on my lips.
Living Proof Dry Shampoo
I’ll admit it: I’m lazy. It takes forever to wash my hair in the shower, and I just don’t have the time to let conditioner sit for five minutes when I’m already running late. (Okay, it’s poor time-management, not the five minutes of soaking. I know.) I’ve tried every brand of dry shampoo, and the results are always the same: it smells good, but my hair looks just as oily as ever because it basically rests on top of my roots. NOT the case with this dry shampoo. I let it sit for the recommended 30 seconds, fluffed my hair out, and was pleasantly surprised by how it looked. The white residue is a little strong, so I had to brush my roots out despite the whole point being to not brush my hair. But overall, I’d def use this again to revitalize my hair for an extra day (or two, who am I kidding)!
Vita Liberata Body Blur Skin Finish
I was excited about this product because spring is approaching, and I love to lay out by the pool when the weather gets warmer. I don’t self-tan and can’t tan in the sun (I burn) but sometimes it is nice to have a little glow! I tried this product on my skin and oh, boy. I am a very light pale woman (I often buy shades called porcelain or snow) and this made me look so orange and it was really hard to blend in. If you’re already tan, this might be great for you, but if you’re not, this will have you looking crazy. The product only comes in four tones: latte light, latte, latte dark and mocha. I think they might want to consider making a vanilla latte and espresso shade. If I ever use it again, I’ll probably add a drip of it to some body lotion and apply it that way.
Origins Retexturizing Mask With Rose Clay
This clay mask is perfect for the end of a long day! It makes your skin feel so tight and firm! It does wonders and I would definitely recommend this to anyone. I have relatively dry skin, especially in the wintertime and this really helped my skin feel refreshed and rejuvenated. After one use I could tell there was a difference in my skin and I’m hoping it will help my pores over a bit of time. My spa night is complete with this addition!
Loving Tan 2 HR Self Tanning Mousse
I don’t tan, because I burn super easily. So, I thought this mousse would be the answer to my problems. First of all – it says you need a mitt. Mine missed that, so I had to use my hands. Blending it into my skin, it looked subtle – I had a glow! Cool! I washed it off my hands and…it didn’t wash off my hands. As I type this, I have oddly-colored, too-tan-bordering-on-mauve fingers. My recommendations: First: USE A MITT. Any mitt. Please do not use your hands. Secondly: Use a bit at a time and build up, rather than going hard right off the bat.
Tarte Beauty Shape Tape Contour Concealer
It would be an understatement for me to say that the Shape Tape concealer changed the beauty game. I’m sure you’ve heard of this concealer before — it’s a customer favorite through and through and I’m one of those loyal customers! I believe this is my second or third tube and it has really set the standard for shade offerings, staying power, blendability, and coverage. I wouldn’t consider it to be super lightweight since it does offer full coverage, but I’m totally okay with that since it’s a good replacement for no-foundation days if you want a more natural look. I use this for spot-concealing problem areas (you can see I’m covering an acne scar in the left photo) and it blends like a dream. I’ve had no issues with caking or creasing but I also use it sparingly as I don’t like a very full, cakey face.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
I really like this foundation, but I have to say that it is not ideal for very dry skin. Some areas of my face (nose, forehead and cheeks) get a bit dry in the winter and this foundation made those areas looking dryer and cakey. This is a foundation you NEED to use a primer with, but even then, my t-zone was still looking a little flakey. I would recommend completely exfoliating and moisturizing before using this foundation. One major plus though was the variety of shades it comes in! The range is AMAZING and this is one of the only foundations that have matched my skin perfectly (a.k.a I bought the lightest shade possible called Cloud).
Tangle Teezer Ultimate Detangler Brush
I royally effed up my hair from my teens to my twenties with bleach, dye, and cuts using kitchen shears. So, hair is always being pulled out when I brush — especially when I’m washing it (RIP, shower drain). I also use a lot of conditioner, because I have a lot of hair. So I decided to try out this brush to see if it was worth the hype. And I am here to report: nah. I hate to say it, but it did nothing but pull out even more hair. The conditioner distribution also didn’t work that well — there wasn’t a difference between my hands and the brush. The amount of bristles couldn’t solve my hair woes. Bummer.
Real Techniques Setting Brush
Guys, Real Techniques is THE go-to affordable brand for makeup tools. I know I can always count on them. Even after years of wearing makeup I still find myself reaching for their products. On the left, I’ve taken a photo of the sculpting set which also includes the setting brush. I really have no complaints! The brush is on the smaller side so I use it to set my under eyes and around my nose (I love the precision and control it gives me) but it performs just as well to set the whole face.
Have you tried any of these Ulta favorites? Let us know your reviews below!
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