I’m a Beauty Director—How I Saved $81 on 15 Staples During Ulta’s Spring Sale

I won’t beat around the bush—Ulta’s Spring Haul Event has landed, and the deals are pretty epic—like, being able to stockpile and save up to 40% on your favorite hair, skincare, makeup, and body essentials kind of epic. I have the type of luck where every time I need to stock up on one of my favorite beauty staples, there isn’t a sale running, and whenever I don’t need a re-stock, there is. Well, finally the universe has aligned, and just when I need to re-up on handful of my daily non-negotiables, they’re significantly more affordable on Ulta’s website

Ulta’s Spring Haul Sale Event runs through the 15th, so you have a limited number of days to make the most of your potential savings. I recommend browsing the site and seeing which products out of your own lineup (or wishlist) are currently up for grabs, but I’m also sharing my personal shopping list below if you’d like some guidance. Keep scrolling for 15 beauty products I love and highly recommend snagging. 

I apply this vitamin C-spiked eye cream every morning like clockwork alongside my SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF serum. It’s more of a gel than a cream, and I like how lightweight it feels on my eye area. Additions like niacinamide and caffeine also help de-puff and noticeably reduce the look of my gnarly dark circles. 

I have these de-bloating capsules from Lo Bosworth’s brand Love Wellness on me at all times. (Especially if I’m going out to eat!) There are a lot of supplements that promise bloat relief, but these are the ONLY ones that have ever worked for me, and other beauty editors I’ve talked to have told me the same. 

Come summertime, people are always shocked by my smooth, hairless bikini line because—wait for it—I don’t wax, sugar, or get any other fancy-schmancy hair-removal treatment. That said, I did get the area lasered a few years ago, but I definitely still get regular hair growth, even if it’s sparser than it would be normally. I truly regret the years I went without a separate cream for my sensitive areas. How much ingrown hair and super-uncomfy irritation could I have avoided if only I had had Fur’s soothing and smoothing Stubble Cream? I apply it the second I get out of the shower or bathtub wherever I’m freshly shaven, and it’s like a magic potion for preventing sensitivity, bumps, and any other ills. It’s my secret for flawlessly smooth, soft, and even-looking skin down there.

So help me God, this after-shave oil smells so effing divine. Smooth, baby-soft, and completely hairless is my personal preference when it comes to both my legs and down-there area, and smothering this cooling, flash-absorbing serum over every inch takes that aesthetic to new levels I never thought possbile. It doesn’t leave behind an ounce of oily or greasy residue, and it also keeps your skin moisturized and free from ingrowns and shave-induced inflammation. I pair it with the lotion above from Fur and the results are unmatched. 

I did the riskiest thing imaginable almost a year ago, to date. Pre–first date, I tried a new self-tanner I had never used before. I wanted some glow and a nice dose of color fast, so when I found this unopened express formula from Bali in my self-tanning cabinet (yes, I have a self-tanning cabinet), I had a true Jesus-take-the-wheel moment and decided to take it for a spin. I had heard from my fellow beauty editor Caitie Schlisserman that it was amazing, and let me just say she wasn’t lying! This is hands down one of the best self-tanners I have ever tried—and I have tried hundreds. (That’s not an exaggeration, I’ve been regularly self-tanning since middle school.) It applies like a dream and has a nice color guide—definitely use a mitt—and you can leave it on for just one to three hours depending on how deep of a tan you want. Also, thanks to the aerated texture of the foam, it’s touch-dry instantly! No stickiness, no transfer. I left it on for three hours and was left with the most even, natural-looking tan that continued to develop hours after I rinsed it off. If you apply a second coat a few days later, the results will last a full week, and the fade is so even and unnoticeable. It ticks every box.

I love this oil—not only is it one of the few oils out there that is non-comedogenic and doesn’t clog my pores and make me break out, but it’s also legendary amongst editors for its major reparative benefits that improve and fade the look of scars, stretch marks, and uneven skin tone. 

This milky ceramide-rich serum just makes my skin look and feel happy. It improves the health of your skin barrier while also delivering the most delicious glow and dose of hydration. It happens to be one of my favorite serums of all time, and I’ve gotten all of my friends onto it!

I’m so freaking obsessed with Byoma, and anyone who wants highly efficacious formulas, but at totally doable price points, will be too. (Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the packing is so damn cute, as well.) Byoma prioritizes practically every single thing I look for in transformative skincare products: clean, noncomedogenic, dermatologist-approved ingredients specifically designed to improve and repair the skin’s barrier function while simultaneously hydrating, balancing, and brightening. A proprietary Tri-Ceramide Complex is touted as the line’s MVP, and once you try this hydrating serum, you’ll scoff at any other formula with a higher price tag. This guy deems them unnecessary!

I’m pretty breakout prone, and surprisingly, so many cleansers end up clogging my pores thanks to sneaky, comedogenic additives. I love that I can find this staple at Ulta or at the drugstore—the strategic congestion-busting ingredients like salicylic acid heal and prevent breakouts, but the cleanser itself is still moisturizing and gentle enough not to send my skin into a complete tizzy.

I love a double-cleanse, but my double-cleanse routine consists of a micellar water as step one and my normal cleanser as step two. I love this affordable find from Garnier that easily removes makeup, cleanses, and calms with just one swipe. 

I love Colourpop’s Super Shock Shadows so much that I have the urge to buy every single shade while they’re buy one, get one half off. If I had to recommend one shade, and one shade only, however, it would be Ritz. To me, there’s nothing prettier than a light-catching

There’s a reason this mascara became a TikTok sensation, y’all. Whenever I wear it, random people will literally stop me on the street to ask me what I have on my lashes. I’m incredibly particular when it comes to mascara, and ever since my first swipe (probably back in junior high), there are only a few formulas that have truly ticked every box for me. This one delivers, and it’s go-to drugstore favorite. The ultimate mascara, in my opinion, needs to curl and lift (no easy feat when you have naturally long and straight lashes like I do), lengthen, and thicken without getting clumpy and goopy. Check, check, and double-check!

If you’re looking for a sign not to spend more than $5 on your lip liner, this smooth, pigment-packed one from Nyx is it. I’m constantly adding more shades to my collection, this pretty pop of coral—Life’s a Bech—is next on my hit list.

I love a brown liner, and this liquid formula from Revlon is one I’ve been reaching for a lot lately. I just hit empty, so it’s the perfect time to re-stock!

Up next, Run Don’t Walk—These 14 Cult-Loved Beauty Items Are Finally on Sale