The duochromes always get me: Review of L'Oréal Infallible Galaxy Lumiere Holographic Eyeshadows in Crescent Moon, Full Moon, and Moon Kissed

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Two duochrome posts in a row? Is that allowed? (As usual, we ignore the word "holographic" when it's in the name of a makeup product.) I love duochromes, and they make me pay more for drugstore eyeshadows than I normally would. More for eyeshadow singles in general (though there was that time I paid full price for Urban Decay X, and I don't even really like it). These (deep breath) L'Oréal Infallible Galaxy Lumiere Holographic Eyeshadows are $13 a piece, so I suggest waiting for a sale, which will always come sooner or later for drugstore makeup. I had a B2GO Free deal from, but if I hadn't also had Ulta points from my credit card to spend, I might have balked even at that.

None of that is to say that I don't think these eyeshadows are amazing and totally worth picking up if you are a duochrome fiend like I am. They're absolutely lovely.

The formula of these eyeshadows is interesting. Though they have the "Infallible" name attached to them, they're not the same as the regular Infallible singles (reviewed here), which come with little plates on top to keep them densely packed. These Galaxy shadows have a more spongey texture--not as squishy as Colourpop Super Shock eyeshadows, but if you press your finger into the pan, you can feel it compress a bit. I dropped Full Moon on the floor and, instead of shattering, the whole shadow came loose in one piece inside the pan. I was able to press it back in place with a finger. Like the L'Oréal Infallible eyeshadows and the Colourpop Super Shock shadows, these apply best with a finger. With a brush they go on very sheer and a little patchy.

How about I let my many, many photos do the talking? My swatches were made with a brush without primer. Each one is several layers, because these shadows are sheer, and in swatch form they don't show up clearly in a single layer.

Left to right: Crescent Moon (sheer beige with green shift), Full Moon (white gold), and Moon Kissed (purple with blue shift).

ULTA Holographic Eye & Cheek Palette: My alternative to the Kat Von D Alchemist and Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Palettes (and all the others)

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This is really just a post about something fun and shiny I've been playing with lately. Tons of photos, so be prepared! I got this Holographic Eye & Cheek Palette recently using some ULTA points (it's normally $16, but on sale for $8 right now). I'd been moving the Kat Von D Alchemist palette in and out of my Sephora cart for a few months. I love anything duochrome or shifty, but I had a hard time justifying $32 when I don't wear noticeable highlighter very often, and I doubted how much I'd actually use it as an eyeshadow transformer. I'm more of a 1-2 shades of eyeshadow person. For while I considered the BH Cosmetics Blacklight Highlight Palette, which contains 6 huge pans of iridescent highlighter for $17--but then I remembered that I was trying to minimize the amount of makeup I traveled with, and carting around an enormous highlighter supply probably wouldn't help me achieve that goal. (I'm not going to do a whole price-per-ounce analysis right now, but I can tell you that in the BH palette, you'll get a lot more product than in the ULTA palette for close to the same price, and in the KVD palette you'll get significantly less for twice the cost.)

So I settled on this ULTA option, in part because of my points, and in part because I've had good luck with ULTA brand products in the past. I think they're pretty underrated--the eyeliners are particularly great--and they always have some sort of sale on the store brand, so that you should never have to pay full price for anything.

As it turns out, I'm very happy that I bought this palette and equally happy that I didn't buy Alchemist, because while it's a lot of fun to play with, my predictions about how I would or wouldn't use it were accurate.

ULTA's Holographic Eye & Cheek Palette includes, as you can see, four iridescent, shifty, sheer highlighters. Have another look at the pans, and then I'll show about a million swatches after the cut.

It looks really pretty in the bathroom lighting, ok?

Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss 50% off today

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I have a real post almost finished that should go up later today, but in the meantime, I wanted to alert you to just about the only interesting thing I've seen so far in the ULTA 21 days of beauty sale, which is the Butter London Glazen Eye Gloss, which is on sale for $12. I have the shade Oil Slick (below, swatches here), and it's great. Have any of you tried the other colors? I'm tempted.

Well this is now officially the messiest makeup product I own. . #makeuplove #beauty #makeup #eyeshadow#makeupstash #bblogger #bbloggers #instabeauty#beautyblog #beautyblogs #beautyblogger #beautybloggers #butterlondon #duochrome #oilslick #glitter #shimmer

A post shared by Lyn (brutally honest beauty) (@brutallyhonestbeauty) on Aug 16, 2017 at 9:37am PDT

Ulta 20 Days of Beauty (lots of things 50% off)

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Ulta has their March sale going on now where they mark down a couple of items per day. From what I understand, it's usually better to order online, because stores can sell out of the popular stuff quickly--but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I don't have an Ulta nearby, so I have never tried to visit one during a sale.

I'm a little bummed, because they usually have my sister's favorite Bare Minerals mascara in this sale, but not this time. I've given her that mascara twice a year for about 3 years now! Also, aren't the Butter London polishes usually marked down to $7.50, not $10? Anyway, there are still a lot of good deals, like Urban Decay Sheer Revolution lipstick, Anastasia brow pencil, and Tarte mascara. The full list is here. Anything you especially think is worth trying for half price? I'm sort of considering the Mally Face Defender, and I've heard good things about that Dermablend Setting Powder, but maybe I already have enough powder. But it's 50% off and it'll never go bad . . .

ULTA "Cyber Fundays" deals + Sephora Black Friday preview

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If you're interested in this sort of thing, you've probably already come across this information. But just in case you haven't: ULTA has a bunch of deals today and tomorrow, which they say are better than what they will be offering on Cyber Monday. Some things are 50% off. Here is the full list. There's also a code there for $10 off $60 (303907), and shipping is free over $35.

Sephora has also listed the $10 deals they'll be offering on Black Friday. Nouveau Cheap posted the full list. I'm kind of interested in the Nest rollerballs, but I'm not going to make any special effort to get them. If they're still available when I have a chance to get online, I'll buy them. If the Formula X nail polish on the left side of that duo is Iconic, then it's definitely worth buying, because it's stunning. Here's a photo of it from my Instagram. You might also want to consider getting the $10 flash shipping subscription if you think you will be buying something from this sale and also ordering a couple more times from Sephora in the next year. You get 2-day shipping for a year - otherwise you'd spend $6 to ship a $10 set, which makes it less of a deal.

Anything look good to you?

Swatches and mini-reviews of all my retractable/automatic eyeliners

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This is another one of those posts that is the result of my swatching all of the products I own in a certain category in order to determine if I want to keep them all. I'll write a more detailed post in the near future about how I decide what's working and what's not, since I'll be moving in a couple of months, and so I'm try to sort through my hoard and do away with things I don't need. For now, here are swatches of all the retractable eyeliner pencils I own. There weren't as many as I thought before I pulled them all out! But still too many, in general.

Oops, not the best camera setting. They are all quite straight in reality.

I swatched most of my regular pencil liners (i.e. the type you have to sharpen) a while back. As a rule, twist-up liners are stiffer and/or don't set as well as pencil types (for the reasons outlined here - scroll down to #4). Some of these retractable liners are just as good as some of my pencil liners, though.

On to the swatches!

Swatches (left to right) of:

• ULTA Automatic Eye Liner in Golden Eyes (wearing it in this post) ($8)
• Avon Glow Eye-liner in Copper Paradise ($6 I think? discontinued - but still available on Amazon)
• Jordana Easyliner in Eggplant ($2)
• ULTA Smokey Eyes Automatic Eye Liner in Cobalt (wearing it in this post) ($8, discontinued, but the cobalt one here might be similar)
• Stila Smudge Stick in Blue Ribbon ($20)
• ULTA Automatic Eye Liner in Teal Blue ($8)
• Essence Long-Lasting Eye Pencil in Tu-Tu-Turquoise ($2.50)
• Milani Liquif'Eye in Green ($7)
• NYX Retractable Eye Liner in Gray ($5)

BOGO Free OPI nail polish from ULTA for Rewards members

If you are signed up for ULTA's mailing list as a , check your spam folder (or read your email). I got a unique code that can only be used by me. It expires May 25. Did everyone else get this too?

40% off Maybelline, Revlon, Almay, Physician's Formula, and Jane from ULTA

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The title pretty much says it all. Available online or in store, no code necessary. You can also use the $3.50 off $10 code on the main page to cut down on the shipping cost if you order online. You'll an extra get 8% back if you use Ebates (invite link). There's also a big beauty sample bag that you get free with a $60 purchase. Looks decent.

Prestige Cosmetics products deeply discounted at ULTA

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I don't know if this is because things are being rebranded, but all the Prestige stuff is on serious sale on the ULTA website right now. The well loved Total Intensity eyeliners are marked down to $3, for example (look how black the black is!). Also, you need the Total Intensity eyeshadow in Bewitched, which is on sale for $4. It's the most gorgeous, but totally wearable duochrome. Look:

Battle of the fairly-quick-dry topcoats: NYC Grand Central Station ($2) vs. Orly Polishield ($10)

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I love quick dry topcoat. So much. I'm pretty sure that discovering Seche Vite is the main thing that enabled me to become a nail polish hoarder.

Okay, maybe I need to rethink my love for it.

But until two or three years ago, I had no idea there was a way to paint your nails without having to sit around completely still for 45 minutes afterwards and then still wake up the next morning with the impression of your pillowcase on at least three fingers. Patience is not one of my great virtues, nor is memory. As in remembering that I just fucking painted my nails and so now is not a good time to anything at all.

The most convenient quick dry top coats that I've tried can be applied within minutes (or even seconds) of the last coat of color, and it will dry to the touch in less than 5 minutes. In less than 10, you can zip your jeans on or off, wash dishes, open beer cans, etc., without any damage. Living the dream. I've tried a shitload of different brands, and my favorite one was Butter London's - but since it is exorbitantly, horrifyingly expensive, Sally Hansen's is a very close second. Poshe is also good. Seche Vite works fast and is very shiny, but causes too much shrinkage, in my opinion. Nubar's Diamont is shitty.

Big fucking eyeliner comparison (also: an excellent alternative to expensive liners from brands like Urban Decay or Tarina Tarantino for significantly less than $10)

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First thing first: This post is loooong. I'm long-winded. You should be used to that by now. But gird your loins or steel your . . . buns, or something.

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, until everyone is sick of it: ULTA brand makeup is underrated. They have some good shit, and it goes on sale very regularly for very cheap. There's no reason why you should ever have to pay more than $4 for most things, and often you'll get them for less than $3. (To be clear, I am in no way affiliated with ULTA. In fact, they kicked me out of their affiliate program a long time ago, because of the foul language, I'm sure. I've just been repeatedly impressed by their in-house line.)

But for whatever reason, it's relatively hard to find useful information on makeup blogs about this brand (maybe they don't send out press samples). Plus the photos on the ULTA site are not always very informative or accurate. I just went ahead and bought some of their gel eyeliner pencils on the basis of some good experiences with their other liners. I hope the swatches below will be helpful. I was also curious how these would compare to some other, more expensive favorites, like those from Urban Decay or Tarina Tarantino. You remember that all makeup pencils come from the same few suppliers, right? So these could actually be manufactured by the same supplier as those fancy brands. I got out all my pencil liners (i.e. ones that need sharpening) to compare (see above photo).

Two Cheap but Awesome Polishes: ULTA Lav-ish and Spoiled Jewelry Heist (picture heavy post)

I'm going to try to do the nearly impossible, for me and make this post light on the words. Let the pictures do the talking, etc. There are lots of them!

The first cheap polish I want to show you is ULTA Lav-ish. I think ULTA's store brand nail polishes are underrated/overlooked in terms of quality as well as the unusual options they offer. They go on sale all the time for super cheap. Right now they are 3 for $9, but I've got them for $2 in the past, too. Lav-ish is a dusty light purple with gold shimmer that looks pink in some lighting. It reminded me of the kind of something Zoya might make, so I compared it to Zoya Lotus. Obviously it's not a dupe, but it's in a same ball park - the Zoya is darker and just has pink shimmer, no gold. Check it:

Swatch of ULTA Lavish

Review and swatches: ULTA Super Shiny Lip Butters in NYC, London, and Milan

I liked the first ULTA lip butter I got so much, that I picked up a couple others on sale a while back. I think ULTA brand makeup is pretty underrated. They makes some really good shit, and it frequently goes on sale for super cheap. There aren't many swatches and reviews available online of these lip butters, so I'd thought I'd post some photos. It's also hard to tell what the colors are going to look like from their website. Hope this helps for these three, at least. I included the one that I swatched previously for comparison.

In natural light (left to right): ULTA Super Shiny Lip Butters in
NYC, London, and Milan.

ULTA 21 days of Beauty Steals

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ULTA has some decent deals on a bunch of stuff for the rest of the month. Each day 1 or 2 things will go on sale. You can check out the calendar here. The things that look best this week are the Too Faced eyeshadow primer, which is half price ($10) today, and Butter London for $10 on Sept. 14 (still too expensive for me, but I know some of you will be into it).

I was going to review some ULTA sunscreen that's pretty good . . .

But it seems like it's been discontinued. I got it in the spring, but it's no longer listed on their website. Maybe it's just temporarily out of stock.

Anyway, if you see something called ULTA Sun Faces Clear Complexion Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 in an ULTA store, it's worth trying. It's easy to apply, comfortable to wear, and dries quite matte. Like the Neutrogena stuff, but better and cheaper ($5). Not as good as my favorite sunscreen, but much less expensive.

Guest Post from Savannah Scorpion: Do I Need This? Customer Loyalty Programs

The enigmatic and magnanimous Savannah Scorpion is back with more of the insider scoop on how to buy beauty products without throwing your fucking money away. As always, comment below or email with any questions or future topics you'd like her to address! 

Hello again!

This is Savannah Scorpion, your friendly neighborhood seller of Expensive Cosmetic Shit, back with another post. 

I was invited to send a picture, and I chose a film still from Butterfield 8. While I do not look like Elizabeth Taylor, I have been tempted to write rather nasty things in lipstick on men's mirrors/car windshields. The only thing that has stopped me is that most of the lippies in my collection are pricey, and I'll be damned if I waste one of my $25 Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils on damaging the property of some hipster douchebag. I think I'm going to buy one of the $1 e.l.f lipsticks and designate that as my official "Writing On Glass Surfaces" lipstick. [I should add that to my review as a possible use. - Ed.]

Anyway....

I'm sure y'all have been offered to sign up for different loyalty programs at different restaurants and grocery stores. Cosmetics retailers have loyalty programs, and I'll give you the rundown on how they work. Do you need them? Yes. Even if you don't buy cosmetics all that much. 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Box (9 shadows + mini Primer Potion) $10

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It's small, but it's cheap, and I have never used up an entire eyeshadow palette yet. Only at ULTA. It's excluded from coupons, but you get free shipping when you spend $25.

(Found this via Musings of  Muse.)

Apologies for broken links (Or: I'm too "cool" for ULTA)

ULTA ditched me from their affiliate program, so some (all?) of my old links to ULTA aren't working. I'm slowly going through and editing them, but I link to ULTA a lot because they have decent sales, so it's a big job. I mean, I know you can all look things up on your own, but it might be annoying to click on broken links. Sorry about that.

Add ULTA to the list of companies that find my schtick offensive. Bad words! Oh no! I'm so edgy and shit. Ladies who wear lipstick do not say the f-word, apparently.

ULTA cosmetics on sale starting at $1

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I'm a big fan of their store brand stuff, especially the eyeliners, cheek stain, lip crayons, lip butter, and nail polish. Use code 104828 to get $3.50 off $10. Check out all my previous ULTA posts for ideas about what to get.

Quick Review: ULTA Lip Butter (photo, swatch, review, comparison)

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ULTA Lip Butter in London.

I recently got the ULTA Lip Butter in London, to see how it compared to the Revlon lip butters, which I like and others love. I reviewed and swatched some here.