Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Guide - September 2018
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It’s seriously the best time of the year. September is here tomorrow and that means fall will be here at the end of the month. That means cooler weather and sweaters and cozy joggers and ALL the pumpkin scented candles. That means the holidays are also going to be here super soon (already started listening to Christmas music this week and I’m NOT sorry about it.) September also means that the BEST beauty sale is coming around again: Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty!! It feels like it was just yesterday when I was sitting down to write out my guide to the March sale, but here we are, 6 months later and gearing up for the next one!
Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty is a semi-annual event (held in the spring and fall) where they mark down a ton of high-end products for one day (usually 50% off or more.) Each day features a new product at a significant discount, so you have to act fast to get your hands on that product because once the day is over, the discount disappears! Most of the sales are offered in store, but there are also a some that you can only get online. There are also hot buys” for the whole 21 days, where products stay marked down for the whole time. Additionally, Platinum and Diamond members get additional perks and sales and there are usually some last-minute sales added the day of that aren’t advertised!
The 21 Days of Beauty sale is my FAVORITE excuse to treat myself to new makeup (or to stock up on favorites!) It’s my goal as a beauty blogger to reduce the overwhelm you might feel when you walk into an Ulta and want to buy some new makeup and not know where to start. I want to help you get the best products and the best deals, so you can treat yourself to something that will help you feel a little sassier and vibrant in your skin. So, here’s the HTC breakdown of all the products to buy and all the products to skip out on, along with my own personal wish list of products I WILL be snagging to try for the first time!
But first, some tips for getting the most out of this sale:
- Most of these one-day deals are offered both in-store and online. There are some deals that are offered only online, however. Although I have yet to see it for this sale, Ulta normally offers free shipping if you buy something from the 21 Days of Beauty sale that day. If you are going to order a product online, the deals normally launch at midnight, so I’d recommend getting on the night before if you’re up to order. If not, try to do it as early in the morning as you can, because these deals go FAST. I usually set calendar reminders on my phone for the deals I want to get to remind me to get on and order them!
- If you are going to shop in-store, the same thing applies. I’ve swung by Ulta during my lunch break to find that the product was already sold out.
- I’d also sign up for the Ulta emails if you don’t have them coming to you, to begin with. Like I said, they sometimes offer last minute deals that they don’t advertise and that’s the first place to find out about them!
What to Buy:
On to the good stuff – Here is the complete calendar for products that will be on sale, and my top recommendations on what to pick up during this sale are below:
September 2nd - Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer (ON SALE for $17.00 - regular price $34.00) This primer is one of the best high-end primers out there. It’s super moisturizing and uses ingredients like coconut water to boost brightness and smoothness. Plus, it smells really good.
September 5th - Juice Beauty PHYTO-PIGMENTS Illuminating Primer (ON SALE for $18.00 - regular price $36.00) If you are someone who struggles with super dull or dry skin, I’d recommend this primer over the Too Faced one. It adds the most beautiful glow to the skin and it’s made without silicons, so it’s really great for those who have sensitive pores. This deal is online only
September 7th - Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara (ON SALE for $12.50 - regular price $25.00) This. mascara. is. everything. For years and years, my holy grail mascara has been the Too Faced BTS mascara and while that’s still a really awesome mascara, this one has replaced it. It delivers so much volume without clumping and it lasts alllllll day long. Plus, it comes in the deepest, boldest shade of black possible, which earns it bonus points. I hate using a black mascara and not being able to see my lashes against my eyeshadow because it’s really not that black.
September 11th - Lancome Cils Booster Vitamin Infused-Mascara Primer (ON SALE for $12.75 - regular price $25.50) Want to know what’s better than the Monsieur Big mascara? Monsieur Big Mascara PAIRED with this mascara primer. This duo is UNSTOPPABLE and I get super long and voluminous lashes without clumps and with added length. I cannot recommend this duo enough (especially at this price.)
September 12th - It Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil (ON SALE for $12.00 - regular price $24.00) I don’t know what magic was used to create this eyebrow pencil, but I’m convinced there was magic involved. Why? Because it really is a universal eyebrow pencil. I use this on my super dark - almost black - eyebrows and it looks great. My super blonde sister can pick it up and use it on her very blonde -almost white- eyebrows and it looks just as great. I don’t know how Icosmeticsdid it, but they did it. And if you are in the market for an easy to use eyebrow pencil, this is the one for you.
September 16th - Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette (ON SALE for $24.50 - regular price is $49.00) Okay. Friends. If there is only one thing you buy this sale, let it be this. This eyeshadow palette has been my ride or die for 3 years now and I CONSTANTLY recommend it over Urban Decay Naked Palettes to all my friends. It’s the perfect eyeshadow palette to pick up if you are wanting to get into high-end eyeshadow without dropping the amount of money a palette normally costs. It has a lot of great neutral shades with a few pops of color, all of the mattes blend out beautifully, and it smells like chocolate. You cannot go wrong with this palette.
September 17th - First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser (ON SALE for $10.00 - regular price is $20.00) I picked this up a few months ago when I finally ran out of my other cleanser. My sister has nothing but amazing things to say about First Aid Beauty and she has super sensitive skin, so I wanted to give it a try. I LOVE this cleanser. It’s gentle, leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, but also does an amazing job of removing makeup and dirt. Plus, I haven’t had any reactions or “hot face” so it definitely passed my sensitive skin test.
What to Pass on:
I actually don’t have a TON of things to pass on for this sale, mainly because they have so many products on sale that I haven’t tried yet. However, these two are definitely ones you don’t need to purchase and here’s why:
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Blush Trios - These blushes are actually fantastic, but don’t buy them during this sale because I’ve seen a TON of them at tjMaxx recently for an even lower price than they will be during the sale.
- Benefit Hoola Bronzer - I know a lot of people who love this bronzer, but it’s the last bronzer I reach for. I just have so many others that I like way more (here’s looking at you, Too Faced Sweet Tea and Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer.)
What I’m Buying:
- Dose of Colors Lip Gloss (Hot Buy $10.00 - regular $17.00) My friend, Taylor, said that she really loves the shade Can you Not?. I also go my eyes on the shades Honey I’m Home and On Repeat. You can never have enough nude glosses…right?
- Ofra Cosmetics Highlighter (ON SALE for $14.50 - regular $29.00) I only own one Ofra highlighter - a limited edition one called You Dew You - and it’s one of the best highlighters in my collection. SOOO pigmented and luminous without being glittery and chunky. They are pricey, which is why I haven’t added another one to my collection, but I’m excited to snag one during the sale. Online only - on sale September 8th
- BareMinerals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder (ON SALE for 11.50 - regular $23.00) This stuff has AMAZING ratings online and I’ve always wanted to try more BareMineral products. +add to cart. On sale September 9th
- Estee Lauder DayWear Multi-Protection 24H-Creme (ON SALE for $17.00 - regular $34.00) Well, after spending this week testing out the Double Wear Light foundation on Instagram stories and having NOTHING but amazing results, I am ALL for adding more Estee Lauder to my collection. I need a new day-time cream and this one also has fantastic reviews!
WHEW! That was a lot, but we made it through! I hope that this is helpful and that you’re able to snag a fun product or two during the sale. I’ll be updating my FB page and Instagram stories daily to remind you when my recommended products go on sale, that way you don’t miss out on them
