Can a fresh tube of lipstick really make you feel like a new woman? Last Friday morning, I decided to see for myself when I went into the newly opened Ulta Beauty store at our local mall. I had chatted with their PR reps prior and knew I’d be meeting with someone to help me achieve an easy, mom-with-little-spare-time look. I really didn’t know what to expect. Would I get a full tutorial on how to make this work or just a quick promo of best selling products?

I also want you to know that although this is not a sponsored post, a rep for Ulta Beauty set up my appointment and also sent me a gift card that covered a portion of my purchase. Many thanks to them for the invite and the gift and to my inlaws for watching the kids so I could be alone for the morning!

If you saw my Instastories from last week, you know I’m thrilled with the result. Simply put - I feel lovely. I feel beautiful even, which isn’t something I really ever think to myself. So yes, fresh red lip inspired a mother load of confidence. 

Here’s how I got there…

After introducing myself to the manager, she told me that Gigi from the MAC department would be helping me out. I told her about my lifestyle - I’m a mom that has very little time to get ready and I wanted to feel polished but not too done up. I told her I usually just do some light foundation or BB cream, my brows, mascara and maybe something on my lips.

Everything she used on me was really easy to apply and the whole sit down was around 40 minutes and that was with instructions and a few interruptions (it was the morning of their grand opening and the store was crowded). I think she did a really good job - not just with putting the makeup on and selecting the right colors, but she explained what each step was for but it never felt salesy. Things like “You can apply this with your fingers instead of a brush” or “use the eyebrow pencil like this and brush backwards with the spoolie.” You won’t be surprised to hear my favorite part of the whole look is the lip color. I’ve worn a lot of bold lipsticks in the past but not that regularly since Bea was born. This shade is actually what Gigi was wearing and I loved it on her and love it on me too! It makes my smile look so bright! It’s MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Dance with Me incase you’re interested! I also liked the feel of the foundation and brow pencil, so I bought those too. Additionally, I got a mini sample size of MAC lipstick in Chili which I wore in yesterday’s post and also really like! 

Having a little time to myself and updating a few products into my makeup routine has really made me look forward to getting ready in the morning. It’s something just for me, which I don’t do a lot of these days. There’s something about a woman who wears red lipstick. It’s says - Look at me! I’m confident!! And that’s exactly how I feel about myself.

In this post I’m wearing: MAC Next to Nothing Face Color - Tinted Cream in Medium, MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Brunette, MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Dance with Me along with my own makeup (Covergirl Waterproof Mascara and NARS Blush)