Black Friday at Ulta

Every year there is a time that stores are in complete chaos. You all know what I'm talking about. Black Friday, and now Grey Thursday are huge for stores around the country, and cosmetic and beauty supply stores are no exception.

There are two important things to survive this time of year. The most important is to set a budget. I made the mistake of not setting one last year and ended up kicking myself for the month of December. This year I set a budget for each store that reflected my own finances and what specials each store I went to was having.

The second important thing is safety! I usually go with a group of people and wait for 10 to 15 minutes after the stores official opening to go in. This may mean I lose something I had intended on purchasing, but it's better to lose out than get trampled by the mob trying to get into the store.

This year my group selected Ulta for one of our stops. Naturally I was thrilled. I set a budget for Ulta at $100. I would have gone higher, but we had plenty of other stores on our list.

When I walked in to Ulta I wasn't 100% sure what I was going to get, so I looked at each sale table and grabbed what I deemed a must have.

Urban Decay Dangerous Palette

Sale $16 Normally $36

I realize that this was on sale on Urban Decay's website starting a month ago, but this was a way to get the sale price without having to pay for shipping. I was unsure of how deep the colors were as I lean towards more neutral tones but this palette and a few other recent discoveries have me going bold with my eyes this year and I don't regret it.

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Hairspray

Sale $6 Normally $17.95

This is my favorite hair spray, I use it all the time. I can set my spikes or keep the shape of my sleek face framing looks. It works for everything. At the sale price Ulta had there was no way I was leaving this deal alone.

Lorac Platinum Status Palette

$12 at a $110 value. Ulta Exclusive

This was not in their ad, and when I went to look it up today on their website it wasn't there either. I didn't have any Lorac products, and since Ashleigh raves about them I thought I'd give it a try. It's the perfect size for a to-go palette in your purse, and small enough to fit in a clutch. Don't let that fool you though, there is plenty of product in each pan of shadow. The shades were some of my most used, so having them all in a small package was great.

Stila Masterpiece Series Eye and Cheek Palettes

Sale $29 Normally $39

This set has 15 eye shadows and 3 blushes in one adorable package. There are three palettes to work with and the quality is high, just like my other Stila products. This wasn't a huge sale but it was enough of one that I couldn't resist adding another Stila product to my collection since it's a limited holiday set.

Laura Geller Sparkling Rose 5 Piece Set

$19 at a $90 value

Champagne and rose tones? Yes please! This set had a few things I'd tried before but not purchased and some new things to try. I'm in love with the lipstick and mascara. I have not tried the other products yet but if they're anything like the ones I have tried I see many more Laura Geller products in my future.

In all I spent $82 + tax. I was quite proud of myself for not only sticking to my budget, but staying below it! All in all it was a successful haul.

NOTE:

For you Urban Decay fans I spoke to the Ulta store manager about the Naked 3 palette as it is currently only sold on Urban Decay's website and they're sold out. She said the expected arrival date in stores is Mid-December so keep your eyes open!

~Amanda