Ulta, MAC, & Walmart Haul

Hey everyone. So over the past week or so I've been doing some shopping and I picked up some items from a bunch of different stores, including Ulta, MAC, and Walmart. I've been really into reading other beauty blogs (which is what inspired me to make one) and there are so many different products and suggestions out there for what to buy. I try to take it all in and choose what products would work best for me and my preferences. Here's what I got:

 Revlon Colorstay Concealer- Light/Pale

I'm a fan of liquid concealers, and I usually use a MAC concealer. I got this new Revlon concealer for the purposes of highlighting. I got it in the lightest shade that it comes in, because I already have very fair skin, especially in the winter. I've been using it to highlight under my eyes, my nose, and forehead. It actually works very well, and is half the price of my MAC concealer. It's nice to know that you can still spend half the amount on a product without sacrificing quality! I think I will be buying this concealer again once my MAC one runs out. I bought this from Ulta.

 Benefit They're Real! Mascara

I'm not a big mascara user unless it is a special occasion or I really feel like going all out. However, I have heard SO many good things about this mascara that I felt like I should try it. Even when I was at the register buying it, the girl at the register said she was wearing it now and loves this mascara. I love that it came in a mini-version--you will notice that I buy a lot of minis because they are great for when you are just trying out a product to see if you like it. They are also usually half the price of the original size product so you don't have to waste the money buying it if you don't know if you will like it or not. Since I'm not a big mascara-wearer as it is, I thought this size was perfect. This mascara works very well in terms of making your lashes look longer and separating them. I do feel it made my eyes "pop" or stand-out. However, it didn't really make my lashes look fuller or voluminous. I like this mascara but I don't think it made me look like I was wearing falsies! I got this at Ulta.

 Clean&Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub

I bought this face wash at Walmart (another mini!) because I was just looking for a product that would supplement the face wipes that I use to remove all of my makeup and cleanse my face. I love the way this product smells: very orange-y and citrus-y, and I also love the way it feels. It contains "bursting beads" which are little beads that help to scrub your face and exfoliate. Even thought it's called "Morning Burst," I only use this product at night, since that is generally when I wash my face. My skin is sensitive and dries out easily, so I don't like to use too many products on it. After using this product, my face feels very clean and smooth. I love that clean, no-makeup feeling! Who doesn't?

 Johnson's Baby Shampoo

Does this product even need a review? I picked up this mini at Walmart just for washing my makeup brushes with. Clearly not the intended use, but it works. It's gentle and cleans them well. It's also great to use because since it's a baby shampoo, there aren't any harsh chemicals in it. I try to clean my brushes every 1-2 weeks, otherwise, bacteria will build up on them and cause breakouts. Brushes also last longer if you clean them. I actually just used it last night to wash my brushes and remembered how AMAZING this product smells! I don't know if I love the smell because it is just an inherently good smell or if it's because it reminds me of how little babies smell, but either way I love it! lol :)

 MAC Fix+

I've been hearing a lot about setting sprays in the blogosphere lately, so I decided to get one. I got the mini version (of course) which was half the price of the original size, but they actually didn't have this size in stores so I ordered it from the MAC website. The purpose of this spray is to spray it on your face once your makeup is done and it will give it a more natural look. Like I said, I have dry skin, so sometimes when I have makeup on, it looks dry and very obvious that I'm wearing makeup, which I hate. When I used this, it gave me more of a dewy finish and like my makeup blended into my skin. It just looked more natural. However, if you have oily skin, I wouldn't really recommend this product, or adding any more liquid onto your face for that matter.

 MAC Foundation Pump

I use MAC liquid foundation, so I thought this foundation pump was a nice little addition to my collection. I actually looked for it in my MAC store twice and they didn't have it either time! So I ended up ordering it online. (it was free shipping, might as well!) This makes it easier to get the foundation out of the bottle, and helps you to use the amount you need to use so that you aren't wasting makeup. It's great to be able to pump this out right onto my hand, instead of having to pour it out of a big hole. Here is what it looks like once it is placed into the foundation:

It is self-capping which is great, and also comes with a cap for extra protection so that it does not leak all over all of your other makeup (disaster). I'm not sure if this cap fits into other brand foundations besides MAC, but I would imagine so.

That's all for now! xo