SECRETS I Learned while Working at Ulta Beauty

Hey guys! So some of you guys might not know but I used to work at Ulta Beauty! I worked at three different locations for a total of 2 years. I started off as a Beauty Advisor and became a lead cashier. I was almost promoted to a manager, however I had to decline the offer due to schooling. I'm pretty knowledgable about how things work over there so I thought I would share with you guys there most interesting things about working at America's biggest beauty chain! Here we go!   

1. We LITERALLY had to Destroy Products: So this is probably the first thing that surprised me while I was working there. Most items that get returned had to be physically destroyed before thrown out to avoid any dumpster divers. This also included testers, I had to do it a couple of times and it broke my heart! Some products were still sealed and brand new and I still had to ruin them! Now don’t get me wrong Ulta does resell SOME stuff and thats only if its still in perfect condition. I did ask my manager if I was allowed to keep anything before damaging and I was told if I took anything I would be fired because it was considered stealing from the store. So that sucked!

2. The TRUTH About The Credit Card: Like most retailers nowadays Ulta has their own credit card. Now I'm not gonna lie I do have the credit card because it doest have it's perks, unfortunately it was the pressure of having to get people to sign up for the CC that stunk. Managers were always stressed about meeting their goal for the day/week which put pressure of the workers as well. Unfortunately I have many shady stories about how desperate my stores would get which I could definitely share in another post.

3. Store-To-Door: So this is something I wish more people knew about! If you walk into an Ulta and they’re out of stock on an item you want, you can ask them to order it online for you PLUS they give you free shipping!! This actually counts towards the stores sale so they’ll be happy to help you out!

4. Free Shipping Codes: So this the store to door thing doesn’t work out, MOST of the time the workers have free shipping codes behind the counter. They’re only supposed to hand the out if somethings out of stock and you wanna order it online. Although, sometimes if you ask them nicely they might just give it to you. 

5. Their Rewards Systems is Amazing: I never realized how few people have heard of their reward system! I LOVE their loyalty program! Every 100 points is $3, however the more points you rack up the more they’re worth! You literally get $$$ off with their points! You can use it towards ANYTHING in the store including their Services! Personally, I prefer this so much compared to Sephora’s where they only give you such a small selection of minis for your rewards. Plus they send some REALLY good coupons in your email when your'e signed up! 

There you have it! That's about as much as I could think of! I hope this was helpful for you guys! If you guys really enjoyed this I could do a part two! If you have any questions let me know!

The Best Ways I've Learned To Shop At Sephora

With Black Friday and Christmas around the corner it's important to know how to shop smart.  November and December are the best months to do all your shopping. I love all the Christmas and Cyber Monday deals. While the deals are no doubt incredible, there are some even better ways to shop at Sephora and save even more money! Here are some of the best ways to shop smart at Sephora:

1. Earn Cash Back:

Most people don’t know they can earn cash back when shopping online. If you do most of your shopping online like me, this can be a great money saver. I like to use a website called Swagbucks to do all my online shopping. You can get 4% cashback when you shop at Sephora. The great thing about it is that it works on a bunch of other sites too. Amazon offers 6% cash back. You get your cash back in points called “Swagbucks” and if you save up enough you can redeem for gift card, paypal ect. I have actually redeemed my point for Sephora gift cards before. There are other ways to earn Swagbucks, but this way was the easiest for me.

2. Shop Numerous Stores At Once

A great new app I recently found helps shop numerous stores at once. Instead of checking out and paying for shipping multiple times, this app actually combines them all in one cart and you get free shipping. The app is called Dote Shopping. It has made online shopping so much easier for me. Plus when you first sign up you get $5 credit with the code QTX3!

3. Buy It Used

Okay I know “used makeup” sounds really gross, but it’s not as bad as you think. I mean “used” as in someone is selling their makeup. There are some products that are slightly swatched and those are the ones I aim for. Honestly this tip has helped me save so much money. I use the app Poshmark to buy some of the higher end products at discounted prices. Besides the fact that I get makeup and other stuff discounted, Poshmark also has great customer service. You get expedited shipping and it’s insured. They are strict on what people are selling and your experience with them so I’m always happy and feel safe when I order from them.  My code BETTYTURNER365 can get you $5 and you can use it to get free shipping. For some people, when they use my code they get $10 so it varies.

The great thing about these sites is that they don’t only apply to makeup. You can get perfume, clothes, accessories, ect! Plus you use these tricks all year round, but since Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas are all happening now’s the best time to get started on your shopping! So go ahead and treat yo’ self!

5 Signs Your Hair Is Damaged

Raise your hand if you have damaged hair

 

It's okay, I feel your pain. Damaged hair is embarrassing. But how do you know if your hair is damaged? Here are 5 signs you should look out for to know the damage has been done.

1) Check your pillow

         -If your pillow has small pieces of hair on it , chances are your hair is either damaged or it's getting there. If the pieces are long, your hair is just falling out but damaged hair is fragile hair and breaks apart and onto your pillow. Try getting a silk pillow cover instead of cotton so your pillow is gentler on your hair.

2) Your hair stretches

        -That's right stretches and rips. Take a piece of hair and pull it apart.  If your hair snaps after stretching a little it needs more moisture. If it stretches more than usual and then breaks it needs more protein. This is cause from pulling your hair and putting a lot of tension of it such as putting it in tight ponytails or being too rough on it when you flat iron your hair. Give your hair a break and try a deep treatment for your hair.

3) Running your fingers through your hair is a problem

        - Rough texture screams damaged hair. Smooth and soft hair is full of moisture so it's easy to run your fingers through your hair. But if your hair rough and brittle, you should be the one running and grabbing every hair treatment. Apply olive oil to your hair to add more shine and moisture. A healthy and balanced diet is also essential for your hair.

4) Brushing it is a workout

         - Healthy and strong hair is easy to detangle but damaged hair has two ingredients: tangles and knots. Using cheap, plastic brushes rather than those with nylon bristles will tear at your head and leave your hair in a tangled mess.

5) Split ends everywhere
     -Okay, maybe not everywhere, but they're there. Split ends are the worst and are the number one sign of damaged hair. (They're what make the hair damaged-duh). Split ends occur for a number of reasons; frying whether it's a flat iron or blow dryer, too much exposure to the sun, not enough protein and being to rough on it. Protect the ends of your hair with a bun or trim off your splits. If you're growing out your hair, you don't have to do a fully chop, just at least one inch. Also, focus on conditioning or deep hair masks on your ends. If you don't cut the breakage, or try to repair them, they will worsen.

Bonus:
Another red alert for damaged hair is it lost its texture. If you no longer have those gorgeous curls or it's just a bunch of kinks in all direction, I hate to break it to you but you're hair is damaged. If you don't believe me maybe Ariana Grande can convince you. Remember when Ariana said her hair is so damaged it's not curly anymore? Then when she did a couple of hair treatments, stopped styling and poof! They came back! It's all subtle hints your hair is trying to give you before you completely fry your hair. 

It's important to give your hair a breaking once in a while and ease off on the heat and tension.

Make sure to take advantage of these amazing deals! 

Use Code: Confident13 to get 10% off Studio Gear Cosmetics

Use Code:  BBBETTYS50 for 50% off your purchase on http://www.simplyspoiledbeautyproducts.com/ 

Use the code: TTYT10 & get 10% off  jewelery and accessories plus 

free shipping from bornprettystore.com! ♥

*Leave any questions or comments below!*

How To Test Out Products For Review

Getting free stuff sounds great doesn't it? You hear it all the time how bloggers can get free stuff in an exchange for a review. While there a couple different way you can do that, I'm gonna show you one easy and fun way to test out products. PinchMe is a monthly service where you get a box filled with goodies. The great part is it's all completely free and all you have to do is write a review on the products. That's it! I was lucky enough to be sent a premium box and I am so excited to share what I got and how you can get the same thing.

PinchMe Review

So you've signed up and get an inbox saying you're gonna receive box, now what? Well, to start off not everyone is guaranteed a box, but you do have a good chance of getting one. Also sipping was actually pretty fast it took it about a week or so to get to me. Once you're approved for a box you'll receive one much like the one in the photo above. Keep in my mind that my box is premium so you won't get exactly what I'm getting. 

Once your box arrives now comes the fun part: The Goodies! I got so many wonderful goodies, some from brands I've heard of and others were new to me. These were all of the goodies I got (I also got a coupon!)

I got two SlimFast snacks. One was a bag of sour cream and onion chips with only 100 calories and another was a chocolate smoothie that helps suppress your appetite. I have never tried these nor have I heard of them but the chips had a lot of flavor and chocolate shake surprisingly held me down for a couple of hours. I also got this V.I Poo spray, which if I'm correct is an air freshener for your toilet. You basically just spray it in and stink-no-more! It had a fruity smell to it and I'm surprised I've never heard of this before. One of the funnest parts about PinchMe is trying new products.


My box also came with an Olay body wash and a nail polish from Essie. Essie was one of the first nail polish brands I ever tried out so I was happy to see I got one in my box. The Olay body wash smelled so good and I've used it once so far and it was actually really good. The cold weather has been so harsh for my skin and this really helped quench its thirst. The last products in my box was a lip gloss and eyeliner from Covergirl,a coupon for a Covergirl mascara and samples of Covergirl's tru foundation. 

Overall, you get a couple of makeup goodies, some coupons and miscellaneous products. If you don't get approved for a box, no worries! There's always next monnth and they also have some awesome coupons on their site you can check out! So what are you waiting for? Sign up here




New samples arrive on Tuesday so make sure you sign up before then! 

Nail Polish Subscription Box Review: Sol Style Color Changing Nail Polish

Calling all nail lovers! Would't it be nice if you could receive three new nail polishes at your doorstep every month? Well look no further because your wishes have been answered! I got the opportunity to review Sol Style's Nail Polish Subscription review. SO let's get to it

Sol Style Subscription Box Review

The subscription costs about $20 a month plus you get free shipping. In each box you get three nail polishes. One is a brand new one, another is a best-seller and the last one is customized based on the package. The three colors I recieved are: BLUE-TIFUL, GLITZ & GLAM, and HOTTIE. I must hottie, the pink nail polish, is my favorite. Also, another cool thing bout these is that they CHANGE COLOR! They change once they are exposed in the sun which is pretty cool. The quality of the nail polishes were nice but you do have to put two coats for it to look really nice, which they do. 

If you are a nail addict I highly recommend checking them out, it's pretty cool receiving new nail polish every month that change color. 

#delsolnailpolish
Get your subscription here:

http://www.delsol.com/nail-polish-subscription

Salon Giojé Keratin Protein Mask Review

Hello everybody! If you have damaged hair then this is the review for you. I have tried multiple hairs mask, whether it's store bought or home remedies. Some worked while others were a total waste of time. However, I got the chance to review this product from Amazon. It's called Salon Giojé Keratin Protein Mask. Enough chit chat let's get started on the review!

Salon Giojé Keratin Protein Mask

This mask was surprisingly good. I didn't have much hope for it at first because I've never heard of th brand before and it's from Amazon. It definitely made my hair feel super smooth and silky. I think the protein and keratin in it really gave my hair the boost it so desperately needed. That was one of the things I really liked about the product: The ingredients. If you hair has a lot of breakage and split ends then that means you're lacking protein so this product will help.   

There were a few cons however. One is the smell was strong and smelled like cologne. I didn't mind it but I know some people would  find it irritating. Also, another thing was the size of it. You only get 8 fl. oz. for $25. The price honestly isn't an issue for me, but the product ended too soon and i wish i got a couple more uses out of it. 

Overall, I would recommend this product for anyone with hard to manage hair like me. I would give the quality of this product 5 stars, but overall all 4/5. 

You can get this product here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0163RKRGK/ref=s9_simh_gw_p194_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0J43XHHVKKYQZ4BF4NKP&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2253014322&pf_rd_i=desktop 


#SalonGiojeNYC

Studio Gear Cosmetics Review: Liquid Lipstick and Contour Sticks

Hello everybody! I am so excited to review these brand new releases from Studio Gear Cosmetics! They have definitely stepped up their A game! Let's get to the review! ☺

TRUE Lipstick Addition

So starting off, this really isn't much of a review because I've already posted about their lipsticks, but they have added more shades to their collection. If you're not familiar with their TRUE collection, all of the lipsticks are matte, super pigmented and last all day (no kidding, they really do last long and stay in place). The new shades added are as seen on the picture to the left. I must say True Peach is my favorite but they are all super gorgeous! Highly recommend checking these lipsticks out!

Featherweight Contour Sticks

 I'll be honest when I first saw these products I wasn't expecting anything life changing. However, I tried the light stick as a foundation and it surprisingly worked really well. It blended easily (even better with a damp beauty blender with a drop or two of facial oil). It also provides full coverage and does not cake at all! To be honest I thought it would cake up if used as a foundation but I can see why they called them featherweight. But the icing on the cake was their new PEARL HIGHLIGHTING STICK! It had this beautiful shimmer to it as you can see in the image. Cream highlighters are subtle, non-glittery and have a nice glow to them. And that;s exactly how this highlighter is. I love the way it glided onto my skin and blended in so it looked very natural. 

Whipped Stained Liquid Lipsticks

 And now for the main event, to top it all off, Studio Gear finally released Liquid Lipsticks. I got the mini set, however they do come in full sizes. The texture of these liquid lipsticks was kind of mousse and creamy. I really loved how light they were and they felt comfortable on my lips. The colors were absolutely stunning and once applied, they didn't smear or run. However the only issue I have (which really isn't an that big of a deal) is that I wish they were a little more matte. Even when they dried there was still a little shine to them. But if you pat a little off with a tissue the shine will go away. 

♥♥If you see something you like, you can use the code CONFIDENT13 for an extra 10% off at Studio Gear Cosmetics♥♥

MUFE Charli XCX Aqua XL Eye Pencil Review

Boom Clap! Makeup Forever's done it again, this time with Charlie XCX. MUFE has collaborated with Charli XCX and has created what is known as the greatest eye pencils our generation. Okay, maybe that's a slight exagerration, but these eye pencils really do stand out from the rest and you''l see why once you keep reading. 

MAKE UP FOR EVER: AQUA XL Eye Pencil Review

The first thing I noticed about these liners is the variey it comes in. Not only are there many different colors to choose from but the colors also come in shimmers, mattes, metallic, satiny. iridescent or diamond. You can find a liner for any ocassion and even do an onbre event or stack them on top. I personally love purple liners because it gives my look a pop and is perfect for this time of the year.

The tuxture of this is creamy but it stays in place. Even though they're creamy, the liners were still light enough for you to blened it out and do a blurred effect. These liners are so pigmented and you can tell in the photos below. In my swatches, it was all in one stroke. I left the swatches on my arm for a couple of hours to test them out and wore some on my eyes to see how long they last. These suckers can survive an apocalypse. They did not smear AT ALL! I actually got kinda worried that they would be hard to remove like Loreal's Infallible liners but, they I wiped them off with a makeup remover wipe and they left witout a fight. These are $21 each, or you can get a kit 4 of Charli's favorites from her collection for $48. I think the price is a bargain for the liners, this is a really good deal, but if you feel like it's too much I would recommend getting at least one color that you really like because these will autimatically become your new fav. Some people aren't fans of colored eyeliner but I DON'T CARE! I LOVE IT

(not my swatch but the other ones are)

Pur Cosmetics: New Highlighting Products + Help Fight World Hunger

Hey everyone! So sorry I've been MIA, I have been super duper busy with so many things, especially with finals week and essays and all that mumbo jumbo. But I'm back with another review and with a cause. There are so many things that I love about PUR Cosmetics and they keep adding to the list. Pur Cosmetics has teamed up with Action Against Hunger and a portion of your purchase goes to helping hunger around the world. It's part of their Give Back. Glow Foward campaign and I think it's so incredible and generous of PUR Cosmetics to help those less fortunate. One of the millions of reasons to love them!

PUR Cosmetics 

Fully Charged Mascara $22

 The Fully Charged Magnetic Mascara is the mascara you dream about. Its formula is creamy and grips on perfectly to your lashes. It honestly really did feel like the mascara was magnetic to my lashes. The wand of it was pretty long, but I prefer that over shorter ones. i think it compares with the Too Faced Better Than Sex because, even though it's only a dollar cheaper, the results I got where way better. If you look through my instagram, you can compare the two yourself, there is a difference. The picture below shows what only ONE coat looks like! It made my lashes look like falsies, and I didn't even need a second coat. I think the best way to use this, is to start at the base and wiggle your way upp to get the maximum length and thicknes.  

I think the results speak for themselves

Glow Together Jumbo Bronzer $34

Pur Cosmetics is not kidding around when they mean JUMBO bronzer. I'm going to be honest with you guys, I never really liked bronzers, but this one was too good not to like. One, it's GOR-GEOUS! I mean look at it! 

Not only is it fun to look at, it's also comes in gradient shades that are half shimmer and half  matte. It feels soooo soft and the pigmentation is flawless. Since there are so many shades, this bronzer will go well with sny skin tone. It's texture is very light and there isn't any fall out with it. I know for some people $34 may be too much for a bronzer, but I feel like since you're getting so much use out of it and that you're money is for a good cause, it is well worth it. 

The picture shows swatches of one matte shade and one shimmer. How can you not drool at that?

Moonlight Glow and Sun-Kissed Glow Strobe Palettes $34

Try not to fall over your chairs when you see the next product. Forget all of the highlighters or strobing palettes you know and pay attention to these. The Pur Cosmetics Strobing palettes have shades for all skin tones and undertones. If you're on the light-skinned side, the moon palette would best suit you and if you're on the darker side, the sun-kissed palette would work best for you. They have a light shade, pink shade and a tan shade that all look beautifully seperate or together. I like to mix the pink shaded one with the yellow shaded one for a nice bright highlighted effect with a hint of pink. They have a velvety, dewy texture which I luuuhved. 

Swatches from the Sun Kissed

Swatches from the Moon Light

Honestly these palettes are something I'd want to bathe myself in. They are perfect for everyday or any occassion and I think Pur Cosmetics has outdone themselves.