Making The Ulta Move From Sephora

Hey There!

I think I will probably make the switch from Sephora to Ulta. It's nuthin' against Sephora, really. It's just that I've noticed recently I haven't been purchasing a lot of high end products and when I do, I like to get the best point/perk value for them.

Sephora uses points and once you reach a certain point you can choose from some mini sized products. Well, I'm currently sitting on about 1000 points and nothing seems to tickle my fancy. That happens a lot and it's kinda a problem.

Ulta give you points that turn into cash. So, when you get 100 points you get $3 to spend. If you save up to 2000 points you get $125 to spend. Right now in Sephora world, I have $50 to spend in Ulta money but I've got 10 crappy perks or 3 or 4 kinda ok perks.

Also, Ulta sells a lot more stuff than Sephora. You can get NYX beauty products, a nail file, the latest Revlon nail polish and a pack of hair rollers. And then you get 15 points for your purchase.

Both places have "Baller Perks". Sephora has VIB Rouge (when you purchase $1000 worth of merchandise in a calendar year) and ULTA has Platinum (when you spend $400 in a calendar year). The Sephora VIB perks consist of free shipping, random gifts, makeup appointments, special events. The ULTA Platinum perks consist of earning points faster (1.25 points per $1 spent), your points never expire and you get a bonus birthday gift.

I've read the online reviews of both programs for months and I just have to say, ULTA is probably going to be my go-to. I like being able to get facial wipes, the new BareMinerals lippie, an EOS lip balm and a Zoya nail polish, all at the same store. That just works for me.

Have you thought about this showdown? Which place works better for your needs?

Quickie Preview - Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday Gift for 2015

Hey there!

Happy Birthday to me is coming up soon! You know what I do all April for my birthday. Oh yes, it is the month of treats! I am treating myself all month and celebrating the big 4-3! Yes, I said it loud and proud. 43!

In the month of April I treat myself to little goodies that I wouldn't normally treat myself to. That could be makeup but it also could be food, clothes, jewelry, you know, all the little things that you don't really need but you really want. If you need an excuse to pamper yourself a little, use my April birthday as an excuse. Go ahead! It's ok!

My first gift of the year was from Sephora. I went in and picked up my 2015 Birthday gift which is a NARS lippie duo. It's a NARS Satin pencil in Rikugien (.05 oz) and a NARS Velvet Matte pencil in Cruella (.06 oz). I am very excited to try these because I've never had a NARS lip pencil. The normal sizes are .07 oz and .086 oz respectively and they run $26. That's a birthday steal! Almost $50 worth of product for free (well, not free, not really).

If you haven't signed up for Sephora Beauty Insider, you really should, just for the goodies. Even if you only spend $25 for the year (like THAT is really gonna happen), it's still worth it. It's free to sign up. No, they didn't make me say that, I just like to tell you good people about good deals.

And I plan to catch ALL of the good deals in April. Just you wait and see folks! Just you wait and see!!