The Sickness; Sephora and Ulta Haul Chatter

I seem to have a reasonably solid immune system and tend to only be taken down by the sick once or twice a year. Alas, this past week was one of those times. There’s been a lot of hot tea and chicken soup in this house in the last two weeks There wasn’t a whole lot (read: none) in the way of writing in the last week-and-a-half. The time I didn’t spend down and out (and re-watching Cowboy Bebop for the umpteenth time) I spent at work because I have a problem am a sucker didn’t want to leave things unfinished before my vacation (all are true).

Before The Sickness struck, though, I managed to get through my Ulta and Sephora purchases without going overboard.

Sephora Haul

Sephora still had Drunk Elephant’s Come C about Me set in stock, so I went for it. I haven’t gotten into any of the product yet; tragically the skin near my nose has been more reptilian than human since I received it. I’m excited to check out B-Hydra to see about the hype.

They also had had Adora marked as in stock so I jumped on it; at $12 it is scarcely more than a drugstore lipstick. I’ve never loved a lipstick shade as much as I love this one, so I figured it was worth it even though it was unplanned. I haven’t worn it yet, as it came right as I was getting sick. I imagine I’ll struggle with it and my Invisalign trays but.. man, it is gorgeous and the holidays are nigh.

That’s it! I really wanted an Hourglass blush, but ultimately decided to leave it out for now.

Ulta Haul

I bought a ton of stuff at Ulta. Some are presents I can’t share here because the recipients read this thrice-weekly drivel I publish. Some of it is a blog surprise. But here’s what I will share for now:

Tree Hut Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil – I’ve wanted to try this for a while but wouldn’t buy it off my no-buy. Uncharacteristically of me, I bought two without having tried it. You know when you have a good feeling about a product? This was one of those times. We’ll see.

Real Techniques Single Pocket Expert Organizer – I ended up using this somewhere other than my makeshift vanity. It lives on my fridge holding dry erase markers the neighboring board. It’s really sturdy! It would definitely hold brushes or pencils well. I like it a lot – so much nicer than markers perched haphazardly atop my ‘fridge.

OPI Avojuice in Ginger Lily – The manicure I received before my trip finished with this and it was really nice. Normally I hate scented hand lotions (seriously, hate) but I think this would my nice to mix with my usual unscented Skinfix or to finish off a pedicure. I even bought a bottle for my desk at work!

Ulta Haul ChatterMiss Spa Glitter Gel Eye Mask

This mask gets its own heading because it ended up being the MVP of the order. The purchase was frivolous to boot. My husband was helping me unbox this order and pulls this from the box. Incredulous, he looks at me, then it, then back at me. “What is this?! Did you seriously buy something like this?” I had visions of DIY spa-like treatments dancing in my head. He thought I was a dork.

Then, overnight a couple days later his round with The Sickness worsened. We’re talking fever, sweats, all that jazz. Meds weren’t quite breaking it, and we didn’t want to bring wet (cool) washcloths into bed. My 2AM brain had a, “Eureka!” moment and grabbed this. To our surprise, it helped. Immediately. Entirely unprompted, he apologized for teasing me about buying it.

I ended up catching The Sickness and needed it for the same purpose a few days later. This isn’t marketed as a medical device; it’s just a fun gel eye mask that you can heat or cool before wearing. I am so thankful we had it on hand because it helped us get control of a climbing fever.

The Bottom Line

In short, last week was a wash for me. I got some fun stuff that I haven’t really played with yet due to the mini-plague that has overtaken my home. I can’t wait to play with some of this more and to reveal some of the surprises I have in store.

For my fellow Americans, I hope you have a delightfully gluttonous Thanksgiving tomorrow. If you plan on shopping on Friday, please be safe because people are crazy.