the Anna Delores blog.

 with
{ LEONORA from Yellow Heart Art | HEATHER of Just Love.ly Things }

So I went to Ulta this weekend and pretty much went crazy.  That place is just too awesome!  I went to get a haircut (BANGS!) and stuck around a little for a makeup tutorial from the Smashbox rep and some shopping therapy (my favorite form of therapy as of late.  Like, to the extent that I'll need therapy for my therapy!).

It DOES work, for awhile...

Aaaanyway, I have been a Proactiv girl for years now.  There are two schools of thought on Proactiv: that it's the best product in the world (i.e. miracle-worker) and that it's the devil (chemicals = no bueno).  And it's possible to be a member of both; case in point: me.  I have been a loyal Proactiv customer since college as it has helped control my breakouts and left me feeling squeaky-clean, but I've also heard that it basically ages your skin 10 years with all the crap inside (and it smells a little like bleach and will discolor your towels and pillowcases, and I always figured that was kind of a bad sign).  And if all this weren't enough, it's kind of not working for me anymore anyway.

So, with encouragement from my new friend Smashbox girl, I went in search of some new facial care.  I was across the aisle from philosophy, and I've always been a fan of their fragrances and bath care, so I decided to try it out.  It's been ONE DAY and I'm already happy with my decision.

Here's what I scooped up (in trial sizes so as to ensure I'm in love before I make the investment): purity made simple one-step facial cleanser and hope in a jar moisturizer for all skin types.  The purity cleanser is pretty great: it starts out milky and creamy but works up into a soft lather (I LIKE lather -- I know that they say it's not mandatory for clean skin, especially because the addition of sulfates is often what creates lather, but I just like how it feels.  I FEEL cleaner afterwards!). 

philosophy at Ulta

I am also pretty smitten with the present, which is marketed as "clear makeup" which is what first intrigued and attracted me to its spot on the store shelf.  What compelled me to purchase, though, was that the instructions for use noted that it can used as a substitute for oil-free moisturizer, and my skin felt so lovely and soft after I tried it on.  YES.  I am always forcing myself to use facial moisturizer because it feels greasy afterwards (especially because I always try to do double-duty by using SPF face lotion), but THIS I can get on board with!

Drawbacks to the present?  Of course!  Nothing that feels so good is without consequences, right?  Some of its ingredients are not great, for example parabens, propylene glycol, and diazolidinyl urea (boo, hiss).

Check out the rest of the spread I got from Ulta...!

Clockwise from top: Nexxus curl-enhancing foam mousse (being discontinued so it was 50% off), Smashbox cream eyeliner palette, purity made simply by philosophy, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam, hope in a jar by philosophy, Eco Tools loofah facial sponge, Yes to Blueberries facial towelettes, DevaCurl Set It Free curl moisture spray, Alba Botanica Natural Even Advanced Sea Moss Moisturizer with SPF 15, and two travel sizes of Hawaiian Tropic tanning lotion sunscreen and SPF 30 sunscreen (going to Vegas in 8 weeks!).

xo,
Emily