March beauty treats

In March I allotted $100 for non-essentials: entertainment, clothing, gifts, anything other than eating out (separate category) that wasn't a necessity. Most of the month was spent studying for a licensing exam that I just took (and passed!) this past Saturday, so I ended up spending nothing on entertainment, which is rare. About $25 went toward a birthday present and $3 was spent on three Laura Ingalls books from a resale shop- I'm a sucker for childhood classics. With the rest I was super happy to be able to pick up a few pretty cosmetics.

I absolutely love beauty products. They are my guilty pleasure and what I choose to splurge on. I hoard gift cards, stalk sales, request as gifts, and use mostly credit card points/cashback to fuel this vice. Recently I realized my make up was becoming more like a collection, so I am much more selective about what I buy because I do want to be able to use and enjoy all of what I have.

Everything aligned, starting with it being a low spend month. Ulta was having their annual 21 Days of Beauty, where each day they featured a popular beauty item on sale at a steep discount. Last year they had the Too Faced Sweethearts blushes listed, and I had missed them after hemming and hawing too much. Well, they were back this year at 50% off! I also got 5% cashback by using my Discover card and had a $27 gift card, so I picked up all three blushes and the new Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette. Too Faced is one of my favorite brands, they are of excellent quality and I love the cutesey packaging. Total value (before tax): $126. Total out of pocket (including tax): $62.20. Still too expensive for some, but for me it was well worth it and I have been enjoying these new beauties.

My mom always cautions me about sales by saying, "Even if the savings are incredible and you only spend ten dollars, you are still spending ten dollars." I think that's a great mindset to have when shopping. I'm happy about my steal of a deal because I was able to stay within budget.