BEAUTY: Ulta Birthday Gift 2015

In case you missed it, I recently shared my joy over the 2015 Sephora birthday gift (NARS lip pencils!) and I thought you might also like to see my free birthday gift from Ulta. Much like Sephora, once you're signed up with Ulta Rewards (a free service which gets you points for dollars spent and fun coupons) you will receive a coupon for a free birthday gift during your birthday month. The gift for those with birthdays in January, February and March 2015 is the Ulta Complete Eye Palette in Indie:

Oh, why thank you, Ulta!

Last year, Ulta gave out a free full size CK One mascara for every birthday, so this year is a bit of a departure in that they seem to be changing the gift up quarterly. Not sure what the idea behind this thinking is, or if they'll actually follow through with it, but every source I've seen has specifically listed this gift as intended for those with birthdays in January-March.

The good news is that if you like this eye palette and happen to have a birthday outside of those months, you can purchase it outright for $12.00 here. {Side note: last year's mascara gift was valued at $18.00 for those counting at home.}

This palette has a mix of 4 shimmer and 1 matte shades (only the medium brown is matte). The texture is smooth and blend-able, and pigmentation is very nice. None of these shades is patchy or sheer, and there are enough colors to create a nice brown smoky eye situation. Overall, this was a nice, albeit kinda boring, gift. But, hey - free eyeshadow is free eyeshadow, right?

This palette reminds me of one of my drugstore favorites, Wet n Wild's Silent Treatment, which I swatched here a million years ago.

SWATCHES: Ulta Complete Eye Palette in Indie

ON MY EYES: Ulta Complete Eye Palette in Indie

To get this gift from Ulta you WILL need a coupon they send via email (unlike Sephora, where you can just walk in and ask). I got mine on my birthday, so expect it on or around the big day. For those of you with birthdays later in the year, make sure to sign up for Ulta Rewards now and wait to see what your gift will be...I hope I'm not jealous of it!

Do you get free birthday gifts from Ulta? What other awesome free birthday finds have you scored?