If you haven’t noticed, drugstore makeup lines are on a roll lately, pumping out some pretty awesome products and many of them already have a cult following.

Being a beauty fiend, I spend an absorbent amount of time on the internet looking for what’s big in the world of beauty.  One thing that seems to be on many people’s minds, well, actually lips, lately is Revlon’s new Colorburst lipstick line.  One color in particular:  Baby Pink.

I spent a fair amount of time reading reviews and staring at girls puckering up their Baby Pink lips in pictures (mostly wondering how they get those great shots) until finally I decided that I could not live without a tube of Revlon Baby Pink lipstick and I promptly high-tailed it to my favorite store (that unnamed store starts with a T and ends with arget).

I have to admit, while staring at the tube of pink lipstick, I was a little scared that my lips would look like someone melted pink cotton candy on my lips, but I decided to buck up, telling myself that I’ve never been scared of color and I’m not starting now.  But, I think what surprised me the most was what the lipstick actually looked like when I put it on.

I was expecting candy pink lipsticks, maybe even slightly porno looking lips, but what I got was a very sheer, sweet shade of pink that was very flattering on my fair skin…and the next day, flattering to my fair skin with the helpful addition of bronzer.  Nice!

So the packaging itself is ubber-cute with the quilted black tube, very much an upgrade from some of their previous (ahem, and current) lipsticks.  The lipstick itself went on very smooth and didn’t have that waxy feel that many drugstore lipsticks tend to have.  The longevity of the lipstick is about what you’d expect, especially since they aren’t claiming it’s a long-wear formula.  I managed to wear it for about 3 1/2 hours before I had to reapply and that time period included a cup of coffee and a lot of talking.

While, I’m really happy with my Baby Pink lipstick, depending on your skin tone and style, it might not be the shade for you.  But, with 20 different shades and a price tag under $10 you can splurge on more than one in your quest to find your perfect shade(s)!

I tend to ramble, so I’m going to try to make this post short and sweet.

As you know, I’ve given my pricey mascaras the heave ho and traded them in for some pretty spectacular drugstore favs (check out past choices here and here).  While, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my economical finds, so many new frugal versions keep popping up that I can’t truly be loyal to just one.

My latest foray into drugstore mascaras lead me to L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes, an update on the line’s original Voluminous mascara.  The VML mascara got a lot of press in many of my favorite beauty and fashion magazines from makeup artists and beauty assistants raving about it, so I knew I needed to try it.

I bought my tube at Target for around $6.99, which is a steal.  While, I’m more honed in on how the product works, rather than how it looks, I do have to say I was liking the shiny gold aerodynamic packaging.  What really made me want to try it was the built-in wand wiper which helps remove excess product, preventing unsightly clumps.  I also liked that the wand head was fat and flexible, making it easy to layer on coats.

I never judge mascara on my first few uses, for me, it seems to take about a week to really break in a tube of mascara.  But, after using it for a few days I knew I had found a keeper (granted, I’ve already moved on to a new brand…it’s so hard to be loyal!!).  I loved that the mascara gave me thick, voluminous lashes, without the clumps.  I also liked that it was easy to layer on and  gave nice separation. 

So, would I buy this product again?  Of course I would!  But, the odds of that happening are very slim being that so many wonderful new versions are waiting for me to try out.  But, for those of you who are still caught up in mascara snobbery (I know, it’s hard to walk away from Dior and YSL, but I did it and I’ve never been happier!) or stuck on the same old brand, you should definitely branch out and try L’Oreal Voluminous Million mascara, it’s worth the pocket change!

If you read my blog, you know that I fall in love with perfumes in the same way that Elizabeth Taylor fell in love with men.

Lately, I’ve been trying to be more faithful to my past flames, by trying to use up some of my old fragrances before splurging on a new bottle.  But, shortly after the start of the new year I started a new love affair with the newest edition from the Chloé line of perfumes, appropriately called, Love, Chloé.

It started off innocent enough with me admiring the glamorous 70′s inspired ads.  But, my interest started to peak when I realized I couldn’t find this fragrance in any of my local department stores…playing hard to get has always been a tactic I fall hard for. 

Finally, while at Nordstrom, I got a whiff of the fragrance and it was love at first smell, but I didn’t quite understand why.  Most of my fragrances fall into the white floral category with a few roses/violets mixed in.  The two notes that I am most turned off by is anything musky or powdery and Love, Chloé screams both of these notes, but somehow in the most sophisticated, pretty, and somehow fresh way.  I knew I couldn’t continue without it.

It didn’t take my husband long to take ear to some of my very obvious hints and on Valentine’s Day I was gifted with the Love, Chloé gift set from Nordstrom.  Even with all the hints I was not expecting him to buy the fragrance for me…I had already been scoping out eBay for a deal, because this perfume is not on the cheap side (as if!), running $85 for a 1.7 oz bottle.  So, imagine my surprise when not only did I get my beloved perfume, but I also got the tricked out gift set!  I was in love…mostly with my husband, but also with my new perfume.

Even though I love perfume, I’m by no means a perfume expert.  However, I do know what I like and I know what smells good.  I really love finding fragrances that wake up my senses and make me feel a certain way.  For me, Love, Chloé, makes me feel sophisticated, pretty, flirty, mysterious, and fresh all at the same time.  I wear the fragrance almost everyday and have no problem wearing it to work or out for the evening. 

If you think you might be smitten with the Love, Chloé fragrance, make sure to check it out and ask your local sales associate for a sample to take home (currently, Love, Chloé is only sold in upscale department stores or online) because you never know how the fragrance will develop on you (my love story could be your heartbreak).  The notes in Love, Chloé include:  orange blossom, pepper, hyacinth, iris, lilac, wisteria, heliotropine, musk, talc, rice powder.

If you’re interested in the gift set I received, it retailed for $110 at Nordstrom and  included a full size (2.5 oz) bottle of the Love, Chloé perfume, a travel size bottle of the perfume (.17 oz), body lotion (3.4 oz), and a chic little leather makeup pouch (All this is the same price as the 2.5 oz bottle, and you get that in the gift set…you can’t go wrong with the set).  All this far exceeded my expectations, but I know that I’m going to use every drop…and probably go back for more!