In a pathetic attempt to spice up my cosmetic life, I determined that I needed to get a little more variety. After all. A girl can't get far with only two shades of eyeshadow, particularly when one of them is bright blue. So I took a trip to the DSW of make up, Ulta.

I learned about Ulta from my friend Francie. For the most part, Francie has been a girlish moderate, not particularly interested in wearing make up of any kind. Then she started a new job at a local high school. “I was in the bathroom one day and I saw these girls putting on their make up. And I thought, these girls are 15 or 16 years old and they're wearing make up and here I'm in my twenties and I don't wear any at all. So I just thought I should try it.”

Francie quickly discovered the joys of Ulta. Each Ulta boutique features rows and rows of brand-name cosmetics, fragrances and other personal-care products. A lot of these items can be found at your local drug store, but believe you me, the corner Walgreens can't compete with the variety of Ulta. I was flabbergasted by the long aisles of products stretching almost floor to ceiling. The glossy, almost life-sized faces of spokesmodels stared provocatively at my from the displays, urging me to buy whatever product they were wearing. Halle Barry, Julianne Moore, that chick from Resident Evil. There were other pretty women, but none of them looked familiar. I decided to skip their displays because my mother told me not to talk to strangers.

Some of the products I recognized from advertisements in Cosmo and Gamour. There were eyeshadows with “prismatic” color, all-in-one foundation and powder compacts, metallic lipsticks and wet-shine glosses. There was also a whole wall of brushes, puffs and foam applicators. Most of these items retailed for less than half of what I've seen them sell for at a pharmacy or grocery store.

Next Page