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I Got My Ulta Catalog, and Yes, I Want Everything

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Augustana chapter.

     I, like most broke college students, am apprehensive about spending money on things I “don’t need.” Most of the time I’m pretty good at discerning between a need and a want.

     Of course, we all have our vices and, for me, makeup always seems to blur that line between “need” and “want.” Do I want another liquid lipstick? Of course I do. But do I need another liquid lipstick?

     Well, it’s hard to say really. What if this shade is one that I’ll need later on? What if it’s the last shade that will complete my collection?

     If you couldn’t already tell I am a makeup fiend and am always enthusiastic about finding new items to try out. So, when I got my Ulta catalog for the month, I had already started creating a wishlist of all the beauty products I wanted to try out. Here are the top ten items on my Ulta wishlist!

10. L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer ($4.99)

     I’ve seen a lot of online beauty bloggers use these and I’m more interested in using the color-correcting concealers they have. There are a lot of dull spots on my face and I think the orange color-correcting concealer would really help me out. Plus I wouldn’t be breaking the bank with this product!

9. Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops ($42)

     At a completely opposite price point than the concealer the Cover FX Liquid Highlighter will most definitely leave a large hole in my savings. But I have seen these drops all over Instagram and they are so versatile! You can mix them with your primer or foundation to give your skin a radiant glow, you can use it as a highlighter, or use it on your eyes and lips!

8. Lancôme Grandiôse Extreme Mascara ($32)

     A friend of mine who works at the Lancôme counter at Dillard’s first told me about this product and showed me the bent wand. I always have trouble putting on mascara and making sure I got all my lashes because I always have to tilt the wand but, with a bent wand, application becomes so much easier!

7. CoSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner ($17)

     I have never used a toner, and I am not familiar with what it’s supposed to do, but this one by CoSRX “exfoliates and revives dull skin, controls excess oils, and prevents blackheads.” As I have all of the above this product sounded like a great introduction to toner!

6. Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Super-Curling & Lifting Mascara (reg $24; $12 on September 9th)

     I currently use the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and it gives my lashes a lot of volume. However, it doesn’t really make my lashes curl. While I could get an eyelash curler I like the idea of having a two-in-one mascara that can give me the volume and curl I’d like.  

5. Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleansing Micellar Water ($22)

     This a new product and only available at Ulta. Micellar water is another beauty product I don’t have a lot of experience using. I currently use a Neutrogena soapy makeup cleanser to remove my face makeup but it ends up leaving my face dry. This micellar water promises to “easily remove makeup without [leaving] an oily residue.” The best part? There’s no rinsing needed!

4. Laura Geller New York Downtown Cool Eyeshadow Palette ($42)

     I don’t wear eyeshadow very often but this palette really spoke to me. This palette has a lot of cool, dark tones that are great for dramatic eye looks or smokey eyes for nights out. Though the colors are all pretty dark I think they will pair well together.

3. NYX Liquid Suede Metallic Cream Lipstick ($7.49)

     I have never worn metallic lipstick before and I’m a little nervous to try it out. Because I have a darker complexion (and because I love dark lipstick shades) I would choose one of the darker plum or red colors. These liquid lipsticks are inexpensive and have a variety of shades that I can pick and choose from so they would be a great way to test out metallic shades!

2. BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition–21 Color Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette ($22.50)

     This palette is amazing. I am lost for words. I like that it has so many eyeshadow and highlighter shades to choose from and, for only $22.50, that is an amazing deal. There are multiple matte and shimmer eyeshadow shades that are mostly neutral and pink. I love that there are so many highlighter shades so that people with different skin tones can find a highlighter that works for them in this palette!

1. Smashbox Be Legendary Triple Tone Lipstick ($24)

     Of course my number one most wanted item is lipstick. These Smashbox lipsticks are so cool! There are three tones in one lipstick so that when you put it on it creates an ombré effect. I think an ombré berry or dark red look would be so amazing with these lipsticks. I’ve seen makeup gurus and enthusiasts create their own ombré lip looks on Instagram and this Smashbox lipstick does all the work for you!

     I love makeup and there is a special place in my heart (and in my wallet) for beauty products. Clearly, the total for this wishlist is beyond my means, but alas, it’s nice to dream.

Ila Mostafa is currently a Neuroscience major and Biology minor at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family. She is usually either starting a new story without finishing an older one or studying. Ila hopes to go to graduate school and eventually do research on Parkinson's Disease.
Augustana Contributor