About a week ago I was emailed a $5 off $10 coupon that was valid for anything Ulta sold. It had been ages since I had received an offer from Ulta, as I never get the 20% off prestige coupon that is supposedly so frequent. (Seriously, the last time I think I got one was spring 2017.) When I got the email my mind immediately went to the Nudestix eye pencils that have been lingering back there for a few months now. I was so excited to finally get one.
I was finally able to drive out to Ulta on the last day the coupon was valid, and I happily made my way over to the Nudestix display. But when I got there it was like my mood suddenly shifted. I swatched a couple of eye pencils that I had been interested in, hoping one would jump out at me as the one to buy. Instead, all I could think about was how I didn't really want one. At least, not for just $5 off. $21 was still a lot of money to spend on something that felt lackluster in the moment.
It feels strange to reflect on it now, but if I had used that coupon on a Nudestix eye pencil like I had originally planned it would've been almost like using a 20% off coupon on it (just a 20¢ difference). For some reason though knowing it was a solid amount of money off instead of a percentage made me more cautious in how I spent it. I think if it had been a trio of eye pencils like the one that had initially drawn me to the brand those few months ago I would have purchased it that day.
I wandered around Ulta for a bit, trying to find something a bit more practical. I had been wanting the OPI Matte Top Coat, but I always seem to miss when it's on sale. "Perfect," I thought. "This has got to be more than $10." And yes, I was right, but the $10.50 top coat was also sold out. Figures.
I walked around some more, enjoying my me-time but also wanting it to end. I saw some banana-scented Body Shop products, including the shampoo and conditioner I had so badly wanted to try three or four years ago. It amused me to finally see it in person after all this time. Back then, I never bought it because I didn't want to make an online order from Body Shop's website. Now that it was here in front of me though I still couldn't purchase it. Before I would've jumped at the opportunity, even without a coupon. I would say that's when I realized how far I've come in my makeup journey thanks to the shift in the online makeup communities I frequent.
Rarely now do I feel the urge to shop just because I have a coupon. I'm not sure what sparked that urge with this Ulta coupon. Maybe it's because $5 off $10 seems like such a good deal, until you start realizing that what you actually want is likely much more than $10. I probably would have been quite content with the matte top coat, but I'm also satisfied with what I ended up buying.
Truthfully, I was so close to walking out empty-handed. I didn't want to buy something just to buy something. Then I saw it. It was like a spotlight was directing me straight to its awkward spot near the bottom of the gondola. At $6 ($11 sans coupon) it felt like the perfect price, and it was something I really did actually need. So that's the story of how I went into Ulta to buy a frivolous makeup item and ended up with a new pair of fingernail and toenail clippers. Practical, right?
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