#pretty nerdy

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I have a confession. Before two days ago I had never stepped into an Ulta store. But now I seen the light and have realized what a beautiful thing Ulta is. I didn't want to go absolutely insane so I only got a couple of things I really, really wanted, but I will definitely be back for more very soon.

The first place I headed was the clearance section, as I would in any store. There I found a couple of nail polishes that I got a really good deal on.

The first thing I got was this The New Black nail polish set. I really dig simple but unique manicures and I figured this would be a fun thing for me to have. If I recall it was originally $14.99 and I got it for $9.99 or so. I plan on using this very soon so I'll let you know how it comes out.

The last thing I got in the clearance section was this Orly nail polish in Luxe. It was originally $3.99 and I got it for $0.97. I needed some more staple colors so this will definitely be one of them.

Next I went straight for the lipstick, because lately that has been my obsession. 

First I picked up this balm stain from Revlon that I have been dying to try. This is in the color 001 Honey.

Here's swatch. I really love the texture and how it has a good pigmentation for a balm. I haven't tried this yet, but I will write a review as soon as I have.

Next I got two more NYX Extra Creamy Round lipsticks because these are my all time favorite at the moment. As, you can see I got the colors LALA LALA and POWER. Both of these are fabulous and super moisturizing so it's great for super chapped lips like mine. Plus, all the colors are to die for!

The top swatch is LALA LALA and the bottom is POWER. I have tried both of these and I am IN LOVE. I could wear these every day.

Now, here's the thing. I am a stinge, so I hate spending copious amounts of money (anything over $20) on a single item so higher end makeup is my dream but I have time convincing myself to pay for it. Thankfully at Ulta, though, I found my solution. I found a couple of sample pallets and a sample box of higher end products so I can try before I buy the full size, which inevitably I will.

The first pallet I got was the Stila Not So Nude pallet. For $20 it has 6 shadows,  a highlight, and a lip/cheek color. And super adorable packaging!

The shadows are Sugar, Fawn, Barefoot, Buff, Mink, and Dolce. The highlight is Kitten, and the lip/cheek color is Lily. I'll put together a look soon using these products.

The next pallet I got was the Lorac Pro mini pallet. It includes three shadows, Nude, Pewter, and Espresso. I actually was thinking of buying a Lorac full size pallet before I found this. I'm super happy I did!

The last thing I got was the Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings box. As you can see in the picture it includes a bronzer in Chocolate Soleil, and sample sizes of their Primed and Poreless primer, Better Than Sex mascara, and Shadow Insurance eye shadow primer. 

Bt possibly the most exciting part was this:

YAY! My goal is to become a Platinum Member as soon as I can! I had so much fun during my first trip to Ulta. Do you remember your first time? ;)

Recently Kim and I went on a day date to Austin to go to Asian grocery stores since we are kind of obsessed with that culture. Also, I have recently been on the hunt for Asian makeup, specifically Korean, because of the quality. While I didn't find any Korean makeup, I did find some Japanese skin care item that I wanted to do a first impression of for you. But before all that this was our haul as a whole!

It included lots of snacks, drinks, and candy that I have been digging into the last couple of days. There are also some masks pictured that I won't be talking about in this post, but I will in the future. Oh, just so everyone knows I got all of the skin care products at Asahi Imports in Austin, TX.

Now to the first impression!

Here are all three products I picked up. They include a milk cleanser, pore peeling mask of sorts, and a face lotion. 

First step is cleanse your face! This is the Softymo Speedy Cleansing Milk. The lady at the store described this as a cream makeup remover, but just to make sure I got all the day's makeup off my face I first used a makeup wipe and then followed with this.

First you apply some to a cotton ball and from there apply it to your face. As you can see by the swatch, it is a very creamy consistency and feels a lot like a lotion. After you have cleansed your whole face you can either rinse or wipe the cleanser off. On a website I looked at when I was trying to figure out exactly how to use it, they suggested for extremely dry skin to wipe it off and for everyone else to rinse it. After I rinsed the cleanser off my skin felt very smooth and not at all sticky, which I really liked.

Next is the Pore Peel.

This is the Tsururi Pore Peeling. I found it was half way between a mask and a gel cleanser. On the packaging it says that it unclogs pores.

The unique thing about this gel is that it clumps together when it is rubbed in, as you can see in the second picture. It is a little hard to get all the little clumps off when you are rinsing it off, but it leaves your face feeling very clean and fresh. It also gently exfoliates so it is good for a nice deep clean.

The last step is to moisturize.

This is the Sana face lotion. I was especially interested in a Japanese face lotion because they are so light, unlike most creamy moisturizers that I find more commonly.

As you can see it is simply a clear liquid and it has a very watery consistency and feels very light on your skin. It also doesn't make your face feel sticky like some face lotions can. And a big plus is the adorable bottle.

So far I am really enjoying all the products and will keep you updated on how they continue to work out for me! Let me know if you liked this first impression or if you have any questions.

My name is Macy and over the past year I have discovered that I love makeup. It started with a desire to learn and with continued practice I'm constantly gaining new skills. Another passion in my life is nerdy things. I have been a "nerd" all my life. I was the classic mousy, quiet girl throughout middle and high school and a lot of that is still very much me. Kim, my lovely fiance, has also introduced many nerdy hobbies into my life that I thoroughly enjoy. That's just a little about me and my premise for this blog, so let's get to know you! I'm very excited about this adventure so please join me, because everyone is beautiful in their own way and aren't we all a little nerdy?

I have a plush turret from the video game Portal