Ulta Beauty Haul

Hey everyone!! This is my first official "haul"! I've seen SO many beauty bloggers and vloggers out there with their hauls and have always wanted to do one myself!

Today is the third day on the anti-inflammatory/elimination diet, as prescribed by my ND. Matthew and I are doing the diet together, which makes it SO much easier than if I were doing it on my own. I noticed, though, that in the evenings, I am so used to mindlessly snacking that I've become accustomed to it. Last night and today I've had pretty intense sugar cravings - gummy bears, chocolate, ice cream - and most of the time, the desire for these foods has been more to fill a void - a void of boredom, a way to soothe anxiety, or a way to avoid whatever it is I need to do (like the pile of laundry and dishes, the kitty litter box...)

So, instead of the usual sugar/carb/baked good gorging session, I decided I needed some self-pampering. With some extra Christmas money I received as a gift, I stopped by Ulta and picked up a few goodies while Matt shopped at Powells:

I've been dying for a really good quality black liquid liner recently, and with the extra money I had from Christmas, I was finally able to splurge and get one worth keeping. Sometimes brands like NYX or Wet n Wild just don't cut it in the eyeliner department. I've been addicted to MAC's fluidline, but need to switch it up every now and again. I've heard great things about Urban Decay's liquid liner. This is the color "Perversion."

I absolutely love cream blushes. You know those flawless looking girls who work at MAC and Nordstrom counters? No reason to be jealous of their skills - just try a little cream blush blended on top your foundation, along the cheekbones. Top it off with a powder foundation or a lightweight powder for lighter coverage and you're all set. These are in the colors "Coral Reef" (left) and "Flushed" (right). Flushed actually looks intensely purple with flash, but is actually a very vibrant pink-magenta color.

Okay, magazines and beauty blogs everywhere lately have been raving about BB (beauty balm) creams. These were first popular in Asia, and have now been successful in the West as well. I've been looking for a lightweight, build-able coverage foundation. Tarte's "Smooth Operator" is a paraben-free, vegan, cruelty-free beauty balm or BB cream. This is especially useful for women who don't need or want a lot of coverage but want a silky, smooth feeling to their skin. It also contains vitamins a, c, and e to help nourish the skin. It goes on smooths and sets to a natural, satin-y finish.

I love the little bunny on their packaging!

I have never heard of nor have I ever tried AG brand hair care, but these huge pro-size bottles were on sale, and the "Thikk" shampoo smelled absolutely heavenly, so I splurged. I have a really sensitive scalp and I am always looking for good quality shampoos that don't weigh down my hair and aren't hard on my scalp. I think people tend to forget that your scalp needs moisture, even if your hair is oily - like the skin, too much oil does not mean you should forego moisturizers. Too much oil is usually a symptom of your scalp being stripped of all it's moisture. So give it some love already!

 Lastly, I "indulged" in the Ulta brand Beauty Smoothie. It's an all-in-one bubble bath. This stuff literally smells like you are bathing in a chocolate cupcake. If that doesn't sound relaxing (and delicious)... I don't know what does!

 I am by no means saying that this bubble bath takes the place of a chocolate cupcake - but, when you're trying to cut back and give your body a break, your waist will thank you for it.

And some Powell's postcards, because they were free.

What do you guys do for self-care? Do you often find yourselves mindlessly eating or grazing when you're not really hungry? Share your tips and tricks to feel better without food in the comments.

Becky