Ulta Platinum vs Sephora VIB

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Ulta Platinum vs Sephora VIBUlta Platinum vs Sephora VIB

Beauty chains companies are realizing that they have a a fiercely loyal group of customers that it is wise to maintain. Ulta features Ultamate Rewards and Sephora features Beauty Insider, respectively. They work differently and have different perks but they do have one thing in common – a tier system to reward their, “frequent fliers,” and top spenders with premium perks. So when it comes down to Ulta Platinum vs Sephora VIB which wins?

In late 2014, I hit Platinum status at Ulta and got to keep that status this year. I have no idea how this happened (reality, not being cute); I was shopping at Ulta less frequently than Sephora and I tended to spend less there; so I’m chalking it up to occasionally shopping with a friend who was content to have her purchases apply for my rewards.

In Spring 2015, with the purchase of the Silk’n Flash n Go Freedom (no longer sold at Sephora) and the Foreo Issa, I hit VIB at Sephora.

So between Ulta Platinum vs Sephora VIB – which is better?

This was originally published in December of 2015, but felt it could use some refreshing. Not joining rewards programs is like leaving money and/or product on the table, so I want to help educate my readers!

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MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

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MAC Pro Longwear ConcealerMAC Pro Longwear Concealer, $22

The NC15 I bought in my May Haul is too damn light for me. I usually do a fair job of estimating foundation and concealer shades, but I really missed the mark with this one. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15 would probably be appropriate for me at my absolute lightest, but it is definitely too stark for me to wear outside of winter. It isn’t all bad, though – I grabbed a tube in NC20, and now have the ability to mix custom shades as my pigmentation fluctuates throughout the year.

As far as the product itself, I’m generally happy with it and have only one main complaint. Here’s the breakdown.

Coverage

It’s opaque in even the smallest amounts. It can also be somewhat easy to overdo, so blending it with a damp beautyblender or similar sponge would be a good idea – even if beautyblenders aren’t your thing, it’s a good way to start out.

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Urban Decay Naked Basics

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So my approach with Urban Decay Naked Basics was a little backwards, having bought Naked2 Basics first. Don’t judge. I’ve really been feeling matte neutrals lately. My energy’s been zapped lately, so I need foolproof…and mattes are exactly that. Let’s be honest – you know what the packaging looks like, so let’s jump right into it.

DSC_0378Urban Decay Naked Basics

Urban Decay Naked Basics isn’t a new palette. I’m not going to hold your hand through it. But even though it isn’t new, I AM excited about it.

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They Can’t be Serious: Invisibobble

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invisibobbleInvisibobble

I often come across new products when aimlessly browsing. It seems like it has been a while since I encountered something that elicited a, “They can’t be serious…” response, but the Invisibobble Traceless Hair Ring did just that.

Yes, the Invisibobble looks eerily similar to one of those coil wristbands used as keychains in the 90s.

coilkeychainThat’s because it is.

Why anyone would think, “I want to do my hair with one of those!” is entirely beyond me. It’s like they decided to market a product after finding themselves in desperation needing a hair tie and not having one. Can it hold the hair? Probably. That doesn’t make it a chic or functional solution to shill at Sephora.

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Going Silver, pt 2 – Silver Hair Q&A

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Silver HairSilver hair found @ modernsalon.com

In my last post about silver hair, I shared that I am living vicariously through a close friend who is now living her love of silver hair. She had two appointments the most recent of which was last month, and she graciously agreed to allow me to interrogate her ask her a slew of questions to share with you. Some responses were minimally edited for clarity.

It’s important to note that neither my friend nor I are salon professionals. We haven’t been to beauty school, are not licensed cosmetologists, hair wizards, etc. We are, however, very curious and research obsessed. We tend to exhaust topics like these before jumping into them. Our word is not law and you should always do your own research – including consulting experienced professionals.

Q: Did you like silver hair when you first saw it out there, or did it take seeing it a few times?

A: I guess it would be a bit of both, some people pulled it off really, really well and it looked fantastic – usually those with the darker and more metallic grey-silver. For others it just looked like regular grey or greying hair. Which was flattering on some and not on others, as anything could be. So I guess it took seeing it a few times and establishing a pattern of how and on whom it looks good for me to like it for myself.

Q: How long did it take for the, “You know… maybe I could do that?” thoughts to strike?

A: I guess I answered the second question a bit with the first response! It took a while, between in person and online it was easily a few dozen exposures

Q: You’re naturally blonde, you were masquerading as a brunette for a while. When was the last time you colored your hair prior to your decision?

A: The last time I coloured my hair prior to going silver would be… I want to say March or April of 2015. A combination of my regular stylist going on maternity leave and my fantastically lazy personality I carried with that for much longer than I should have and had significant root growth, which is certainly relevant in this process.

Q: What criteria did you look for in the salon you’re trusting with such an epic task? I’ve seen some people try to go to a Regis with that quest and it didn’t turn out well.

A: What I looked for in the salon was something of a younger, modern, edgier ‘persona’ of the salon itself and how it was marketed, the staff and their personal style, and the pictures posted by the salon of past clients. I figured [a salon with] a more modern and different style would be best. Of course I looked through some examples of silver hair in the gallery to know they were capable of pulling it off.

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Tarte Blissful

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Yet another little product from the Paint it Pink set, Tarte Blissful is an awesomely subtle powder blush from Tarte’s Amazonian Clay line. You’d have to be trying to overdo it with this in order to get any kind of awkward, unnatural look. Despite its appearance in the pan, it is a light, sheer shade once applied, and would suit light to medium skin tones both warm and cool. Regrettably, I don’t think it would do much for deeper skin, so I’d skip this if I were a deeper skin tone.

Tarte Blissful Amazonian Clay Blush

Blissful appears matte in the pan but has the slightest sheen – in the swatch on my finger below, the camera flash makes it look like more than it is. This is not a highlight-imbued blush like any of the Hourglass ALBs or like Milani Luminoso.

Tarte Blissful

Notice how pigmented it looks on my finger? That was about three passes of my ringfinger. You’d be hard pressed to get that level of payout on your face – which means it’s hard to overdo. I love that about Tarte Blissful; I definitely think it would be user-friendly for those just figuring out makeup. That way, if you’re inadvertently a little heavy-handed, you won’t look like you’ve been dabbling in clown makeup.

Below, you can see it swatched and minimally blended on right right side of my wrist, here.

tarteblissful-swatch2Tarte Blissful, swatched

I’m definitely a fan of subtler blush shades (you will never catch me in a purple blush. EVER!) and Tarte Blissful delivers that.

As far as wear goes, I feel it disappears by six hours of wear – disappointing for Tarte’s Amazonian Clay blush line. I’m chalking that up as a challenge of being a light, sheer shade. Pleasantly, needing to refresh an existing application is smooth and does not end up looking, “broken up,” or awkward.

The Bottom Line

I’m glad this was in the Paint it Pink set; I wouldn’t have purchased it on my own. Unfortunately, Tarte Blissful misses the mark on being universally flattering, and it does not have the most incredible longevity. It is pretty, easy to apply, blend, and reapply, and would be a really nice first blush for a makeup newbie. There is also a corresponding blush balm stain that could probably be used in concert with the powder blush to enhance longevity. You can purchase this at Sephora, Ulta, and Macy’s.