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!

I generally save bronzer for the summer months to give myself a sun-kissed glow, but about a month ago my complexion was looking a few shades lighter than pasty (thanks to the never-ending sunless days here in the wonderful Pacific Northwest), so I decided to sweep on my newly purchased Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer that I had bought for my March trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

I walked into work that day, and one of my favorite co-workers (Hi, Barb!) stopped me to compliment me on my glow…then she added, “are you pregnant?”.  No, no…sorry family, not pregnant, but I was very pleased that just a few sweeps of bronzer could give me that pregnancy…uh, I mean, sun-kissed glow.

There are endless reasons why I love Tarte’s Mineral Bronzer, so I’ll start listing them: 

• paraben free
• sulfate free
• free of synthetic fragrances
• free of Petro-Chemicals
• free of Phthalates
• cruelty free
• fragrance free
• talc free (talc=clogged pores)

And if all that wasn’t enough, it’s loaded with skin-loving ingredients such as:  minerals that soothe and soften, vitamin A for some antioxidant action (see ya, free radicals!), which also promotes collagen production that can aid in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, vitamin C, which also prevents free radical damage and premature aging all while brightening skin, and it contains vitamin E, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps prevent free radicals.

If this all wasn’t enough, the bronzer also gives you a beautiful, sun-kissed glow, with the slightest bit of golden sheen (not to be confused with glitter).  The bronzer comes in two-shades:  Park Ave. Princess (light yellow gold) which is perfect for fair skin-to light/medium tones (this is the shade I selected), and it comes in Hotel Heiress (deep bronze), which works best for medium/olive/dark skin tones.

Park Ave Princess

Hotel Heiress

I am so happy I found this bronzer, not only does it give me a wonderful glow (which is what a bronzer should do…stay away from orange tones, people!!), but it also has good for your skin ingredients, and hello, it’s good for the environment as well.  In the beauty world, we call that a triple threat.

I’m pretty frugal when it comes to makeup brushes.  For eyeshadow brushes, I find that drugstore lines work just fine (my fav:  Sonia Kashuk for Target).  But, I have found that there are two brushes that I don’t mind spending some extra cash on…my eyeliner brush (I use this one) and powder brush.

For the last few years I have been using Bare Escentuals Flawless Application Face Brush, which I received in a starter kit from the line.  I’ve long abandoned the BE mineral powder (not a love, seemed to be on the orangey side), but I kept using the brush to apply my setting powder (which I LOVE, Physicians Formula Correcting Powder, read my review here).  But, the last few months the bristles have been looking a little haggard, so I decided to invest in a new brush.  I had no idea what brand of brush I wanted, but I knew it needed to do double duty for applying my powder and bronzer.

What I ended up with was, Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush.  After looking at countless brushes on Sephora, and reading the reviews, The TF brush seemed to be the best all around because it got great reviews, it was a good price at $32, and it was really, really cute.  I was intrigued with the “teddy bear” hair and the fact is was supposed to be cashmere soft…not to mention, cruelty-free. 

Buying the brush seemed like a no brainer, and I’m so glad that I did, because I’ m smitten with this brush.  Aesthetically this brush is super cute.  I love the pink handle and the black little bow (not sure how long I’ll manage to keep that on).  To the touch, the bristles feel amazingly soft, and the head of the brush is the perfect size for both all-over powder application and bronzer application.  But, what really wowed me was the first time I used it on my powder compact; I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t a huge gigantic mess. 

When swiping the BE brush (or any other brush, for that matter) over my powder, powder fragments would get all over the compact, my hand/wrist, sink, and my clothes if I wasn’t careful.  I never liked this, but I just kind of accepted that it went along with the territory.  But, then I used the Too Faced brush and was shocked and amazed that it could pick up the powder without creating a mess.  What I realized was the bristles were so soft, compared to other brushes, that they didn’t cause as much friction on the powder, creating a huge mess.  So, not only are you not creating a mess, but you’re also not wasting as much powder.  Genius.

So, I feel really good about my new purchase (insert a pat, pat and a smug face).  I feel like a got a really excellent product and the price was really decent.  If you’re in the market for a new makeup brush, or if you’re reading this and realizing that your makeup brush might be a stinker like mine was, you might want to invest in this one by Too Faced.  If I wasn’t happy with the rest of my brushes, I would be more than tempted to splurge on the whole Teddy Bear Hair Brush Set.  Twist, twist (that’s my arm).

I don’t care how tough you think you are, if you are part of the female gender, you cannot escape the cuteness factor that is Hello Kitty.

Me personally, I’ve never been too cool for school, so when I found out that Sephora had an exclusive Hello Kitty Makeup Collection, I knew they had me at ‘hello”…kitty.

Really, here’s all you need to know, the packaging itself is enough to drop some coin, and as a bonus, the makeup and makeup accessories are quite fetching to boot.  The HK Collection includes everything from eye palettes, lip/cheek sticks, nail polish, fragrance, makeup brushes, and even a shower cap.  To find out what you can’t live without, head over here.

Here’s my, ahem, edited list of what I can’t live without:

Say Hello Palette-Memiors Of A Kitty:  This tiered palette contains a beautiful neutral-toned eyeshadow quad and two blushes, one peach and one rose, that are sure to give you a warm, cheeky glow.  For me, this palette screams summer and utter-cuteness…I’m dying for the cherry blossom embossed Hello Kitty cover with the mint green bow.  I’m also loving that the makeup ingredients include antioxidants and lovely stuff such as strawberry, apple, and grapeseed extract to help keep free radicals at bay and your skin looking youthful.

Hello Kitty Brush Set:  This set belongs on my bathroom counter.  The metallic silver Hello Kitty brush container, the candy pink tipped brushes and makeup handles…l-o-v-e love it!  The fact, that these brushes live in a gleaming metallic Hello Kitty makes this set too perfect (and, dare I use the word cute again?).  Your other makeup brushes will not only be jealous, they might even become null and void. 

Apple Balm:  I have to admit it, I don’t really care so much about the balm, as I do about the fact that the balm is housed inside an apple shape container.  Need it.  I do have to say, the antioxidant-packed balm does look pretty, and they pretty much sold me on, “non-sticky, long-lasting wear.”

Hello Kitty Shower Cap:  Why the hell not?

I truly am smitten with the whole collection and I think some of the pieces (mirrors, compacts, etc.) could become collector pieces down the road.  Whether you’re a HK super fan or just can’t resist the cuteness factor, there is something in this collection for everyone.  To sum it all up, the Hello Kitty Makeup Collection is…cute. cute. cute.

While perusing through my March issue of Allure, I became quite obsessed with a watermelon gloss that was worn by a model.  Turns out this gloss is the newest color from the Dior Addict Ultra Gloss collection, called Pink Veil.  Since today had turned into a snow day for me and work was cancelled (albeit there was no snow actually sticking to the roads…technicality here in the Pacific Northwest) I decided to high-tail it up to Sephora to check out this gloss in person.

Walking into Sephora, I stayed on course, dodging a friendly salesperson and a pack of tweens (who were also reaping the rewards of a day full of semi-sticky snow) and made it to the Dior display and was relieved that I had the aisle completely to myself.  After finding the gloss and a tester gloss stick, I started lacquering up my lips.  I l.o.v.e.d loved the color.  Did I love the $27 price tag?  no.  Did I love that I really rarely wear gloss and the last thing that I needed was another lip color? no…because I really wanted to buy it.  But, the frugal mini-me on my shoulder reminded me that sooo many drugstore brands have fantastic products out and growing color palettes.  So, before I could splurge, I had to hit up my drugstore.

Walking into Fred Meyer (think Super Target, not as fun), I high-tailed it to the cosmetic section, dodging several senior citizens and a man wearing one too many pieces of camo.  After less than a minute checking out the displays from Maybelline, L’Oreal, and CoverGirl, I noticed a display from Revlon full of glosses…and one that looked almost identical to the Dior Ultra Addict gloss.  Wait, what’s this?  A $3 off coupon?  Sold.

The Revlon gloss I bought is part of a new collection called, ColorBurst and the color I matched to the Dior Pink Veil gloss, was called Strawberry.  Now, I’ve worn enough glosses in my day not to rave about the longevity of either of these glosses.  Dior promises a featherweight formula “flash-plumping”, “spotlight shine” and Revlon claims their gloss will give you a weightless feel with 5x more shine than patent leather (is that a good thing?).  But, in all honesty, I’ll be happy if either  gloss lasts more than 2 hours. 

What I am over the moon about is that I saved $19 buy buying the Revlon gloss ($27 for Dior and $8 for Revlon)…but, really I saved $22 thanks to my $3 off coupon.  The power of frugality…not quite priceless, but pretty close.

When it comes to skin, I feel that there is always room for improvement.  Whether you’re battling breakouts, wrinkles, dark circles, fine lines, age spots, dark spots, spots in general, there is always something about your skin that you’d like to change. 

Last year, I had a bout of acne that sent my self esteem back to freshman year of high school.  This year, I have zero acne, but I’m noticing crow’s feet and dark circles under my eyes.  Like I said, there is always something.  Instead of sitting by and letting Mother Nature take her toll on me, I’ve instead taken action with high-potency eye creams and dark circle reducing concealors.  The results have been hit and miss…love the eye cream, all the concealers are less than fabulous.  But, the other day I was introduced to a product that just might help me save face…and I liked the results so much that I’m this close to shelling out $40 for a product that is only 0.1 oz.

What issss this mircle product you ask?  Yves Saint Laurent (YSL for you fashion hounds) “Touche Éclat”…or for those of us who don’t speak French, Radiant Touch.  This stuff is amazing, it’s like a super concealor.  Let me tell you about it.  Supposedly it’s the best kept secret of super models and the world’s top makeup artists, but apparently the secret’s out.  Basically, YSL Radiant Touch, is 8 hours of sleep in a clickable pen.  Apply it to dark circles, shadow spots around eyes, fine lines, signs of fatigue (think of the wrinkled brow look between your eyes), anywhere you want to look refreshed and radiant.  I’ve used it the past few days under my eyes, along my brow line, and between my brows to give me a rested look, and I have to admit I love it.  I don’t know what’s in this magic pen, but it really does make you look super refreshed and my dark circles disappear under it.

Radiant Touch does more than just hide flaws, it also helps bring out your features.  You can use it to contour the bridge of your nose, the bow above your lip, and the hollow of your chin.  And a little goes a long way.  I have one of those tiny samples where you peel back the protective paper to get to the product and it has lasted me two days now and it looks like I haven’t even touched the stuff.  Depending how you use the product, it could last you a really long time.

While I’m more of a bargainist when it comes to makeup, I think $40 is worth the splurge when you look good and feel good about yourself.  $40 for a confidence booster?  Sold!

A few weeks back, I wrote about an amazing sale that was going down at Lorac…the VIP Discount to be exact.  Well, I’ve gotten the products in and have had many opportunities to try them out so now I’m going to share my opinions on what worked, and what thankfully didn’t cost me full price.

To drive my point home, I’m rating the products best to worst.

Lorac Lip Polish:  This stuff is A-MAZING.  The two colors that I got, Groovy Fruit and Sizzle, are beautiful and so wearable.  Groovy Fruit (strawberry guava sparkle) is great for everyday and Sizzle (berry with gold shimmer) is perfect for a night out.  The consistency is a little thicker than most glosses I’ve worn, but definitely not a lipstick.  The color has great staying power, doesn’t stray from lips, and is void of anything sticky feeling.  The bottles themselves look like mini nail polish bottles…and pretty much are, minus the nail polish.  The brush applicator makes applying the lip polish easy and helps to keep the polish on your lips.  Another bonus is that the lip polish smells amazing and yummy.  Talking about bonuses, the lip polish is on sale from $17.50 to $3.00…stock up on this one for sure (and amazingly enough, all the colors are in stock!).

Lorac Lotsa Lip Lipstick:  I was really excited about this lipstick for two reasons.  One, I was excited to try out the color I purchased, Spankin (sheer pink), because it was a step away from what I usually wear.  Two, I haven’t really played with lip plumpers and this lipstick just happens to have MAXI-LIP, a natural tripeptide that is supposed to visibly enhance lips by stimulating lip collagen.  When I tried on the color, it was very sheer, so I didn’t get that pretty nude lip I was hoping for.  In terms of plumper lips…I had actually forgotten the lipstick was supposed to plump up my lips until just now when I looked over the product description.  Maybe a different color would have sweetened the deal, but at $4.00 from $18.50, I’m not too shook up about it.

Lorac Oil-Free Foundation:  I had high hopes for this one, I really did.  I had fallen for Lorac Breakthrough Performance foundation, but with a price tag close to $40 (ouch) I just couldn’t justify not trying out the discounted foundation.  Sadly, it wasn’t a love…or really a like…it was more like a meh.  The foundation color was fine, no orangey after glow, but the coverage was so sheer and I had the dreaded sinking into pores action that I am just not okay with.  Original price $30, sale price $7.50 (still cheaper than many drugstore brands).

Lorac Under Cover Lover Undereye Concealer:  Out of all the products that I bought, I wanted to love this one the most, but as you can see this has made it to the bottom of my list.  I’m usually pretty simple when it comes to concealers…one product better do a bunch of things, but I really wanted to try out this undereye concealer because it promised to de-puff, brighten, and basically solve all my undereye problems.  Yeah, all lies.  First let me start with how teeny, tiny the tube was…I would never, never ever pay full price for something so tiny…let alone $11!  But, I let this slide at first, thinking how amazing the product was going to be.  Wrong, wrong.  This stuff was less like concealer and more like spackle.  It was impossible to blend, dried too fast, and the color was like 15 shades too light and I have fair skin!  Once on it looked dried and cracked and settled into every fine line…and lines that I didn’t even know existed.  At first I thought I might have put too much product on, but I found out that it was impossible to control the amount of product that came out of the pump.  No matter what I tried I always got way too much concealer, so I was left washing almost half off it off my hands…such as waste.  Original price:  $22, discounted price:  $11.

So even though there were some misses, there were also some hits…and at a total price under $30, I really couldn’t go wrong.  There are also tons of other products that I didn’t purchase that were on sale, so make sure to stop by Lorac to do some perusing…and most likely, some shopping!

Being a beauty junkie isn’t always easy on the wallet, but one of the perks of my blog is that I get sent some amazing products, and in turn, I get to host some amazing giveaways! 

When I was approached by Rosie Jane, celebrity makeup artist and creator of Leila Lou Fragrances and Rosie Jane Cosmetics, I was thrilled to try out her products.  Little did I know, I would fall head over heels for them and I have been using them on a day-to-day basis for almost two months now. 

In July, I held the Leila Lou Fragrance contest and now I am excited to announce the newest contest which features amazing products from Rosie Jane Cosmetics! 

Here’s the scoop:

Cheek Gloss in Poppy:  I am a sucker for cream blush, and this one happens to be so amazing that I wear it almost every day.  The blush is super blendable and an ease to apply (I smile big, tap onto the apples of my cheeks and start blending out towards my temples).  The color goes on sheer, leaving you with a nice healthy flush and glowing skin (colors also comes in Marigold and Rose).  I also like that the cheek gloss does double duty as an amazing lip color; not quite as heavy as a lipstick, but much more color than a tinted lip balm.  And hello, how cute is that hot pink bow on the packaging?!

Eye Defines in Beech Tree:  Out of all the Rosie Jane products I got to try, I think I actually did a little twirl in my bathroom when I saw this eye pencil.  You might be wondering how an eye pencil could make me so giddy…well, hopefully you will be lucky enough to see for yourself!  Let’s start with mechanics.  The pencil twists up, which means you don’t have to worry about sharpening.  The pencil is also slanted, like an eye liner brush, how genius is that?  Going from a pointy pencil to a slanted one makes application so much easier and more natural to apply.  Now let’s talk color.  I was so happy to see the rich bronzy, coppery, brown color in the tube.  The color goes on rich, smooth, and is super blendable.  I’m personally obsessed with all four colors (additional colors include: Fern, Grape, and Night) and would love to have them all in my arsenal.

Lip Dew in Apple Blossom:  Until recently, I’ve been on a bit of a gloss vacation, but lately I have been warming up to gloss again and this particular one has found a home in my purse pocket.  First things first, I was obsessed with this hot pink color as soon as I saw it.  Bright and punchy in the tube, sheer and pretty on my lips (also comes in Elderberry and Tara).  I also don’t have any problems with that sticky, white goopy gloss aftermath.  This gloss goes on with a gorgeous sheen and fades beautifully…all while keeping my lips moisturized (thanks to Shea Butter and Bees wax).

If you don’t want to take my word, then you might take the word of some of Rosie Jane’s celebrity followers.  Oh you know, people like:  Cameron Diaz, Katherine Heigl, Rachel Bilson, Courtney Cox, and Eva Longoria…just to name a few.

So here’s where it gets fun.  Starting today, you can enter to win all the lovely cosmetics that I have mentioned above:  Cheek Gloss, Eye Defines, and Lip Dew (total retail value: $57)!  The contest will run until Midnight on Tuesday, September 28th and is open to U.S. residents only.  Good luck!

You can also check out Rosie Jane and Leila Lou on Facebook and Twitter!

I need to give a high five to drugstore beauty brands, because lately I have been loving me some budget-friendly mascaras.

My latest find just happens to be Revlon’s Grow Luscious mascara…a mascara that I thought I would never buy when I first saw the ads.  But, when my tube of Rimmel Glam’Eyes bit the dust, I knew that I had to try out a new brand (I’m hardly loyal) of drugstore mascara and I have to admit…I was intrigued by Revlon’s Grow Luscious mascara, but I wasn’t expecting any miracles.

As you’re well aware, the new hot beauty products are the ones that promise to help you grow new, longer, and thicker lashes (think Latisse).  There are several mascaras, serums, and prescription treatments on the market right now promising new lash growth.  So, when Revlon jumped on the bandwagon with Jessica Biel as their spokes model (ahem, wearing false lashes in the ads) I turned my nose up at the idea of actually purchasing their mascara.  That is, until I ran out of mascara and wanted to try something different (I have little willpower).  So, I thought it would be fun to at least try out an inexpensive “lash hype” version of mascara…and if it didn’t work, I was only out $8.99.  What I wasn’t expecting, was to actually really, really, like it.

Here’s Revlon’s claims on Grow Luscious:
*96% saw instantly longer lashes
*Lash enhancing formula complements your own lash growth cycle, improving the overall condition and appearance with each use
*Lashes grow stronger each day with daily use

Here’s my two cents:
*The mascara brush head was HUGE, it looked exactly like Benefit’s BADgal mascara…a mascara I loved to death in college
*The mascara went on easy with no clumps, great separation, length, and volume
*The very first day I wore the mascara someone commented on how long my lashes looked
*While I haven’t noticed any growth (my lashes are naturally long), I have noticed less lash loss
*I’m obsessed with the aqua green tube

All in all, I’m really pleased with this mascara and I would recommend it to everyone.  It comes in four shades:  Black, Blackest Black, Blackened Brown, and Black Shimmer.  I almost caved and got the Black Shimmer, but the last time I did that I didn’t notice any shimmer at all, so I opted for the Blackest Black and I’m super pleased.  Like I said, I haven’t really noticed any growth, but I’m only a few weeks into the tube.  But, I will say I love the formula and how my lashes look and you can’t beat the price tag (under $10)…I have no doubt this mascara will grow on you.