Drugstore Beauty Finds

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

May 9th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 33 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Blush was the last, most recent category of makeup I got into, because I’m really fair, and while I’d say that my skin tone is generally more neutral, I do still get rosy. Since I thought that the point of foundation was to even out your skin tone, and getting rosy plays into that, I guess I just figured that blush was sort of a contradiction and would work against my efforts.

So I rocked a pale face for a long time. Then, well, I found Luminoso.

I’m pretty sure it was the first blush I ever tried, too, and what a good choice it was. It’s not just pink, and it’s not just peach. I feel like it’s the color that was meant to be there, like its found a home on my face.

Milani’s baked blushes are wonderful, and they’re not just good for the price (around 7 bucks). They’re good across the board.

I feel like Luminoso, especially, is kind of a one-stop shop. It isn’t matte, and it isn’t overly sparkly. It’s just a healthy peachy glow with a slight and very fine white/gold glow.

I think it looks phenomenal with, like, a really flawless base down, a strong brow, loads of mascara, and a classic red lip. Luminoso just like brings it all together.

Bolder lipstick shades wash you out pretty instantly, and Luminoso brings the life back into my cheeks.

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Brush Up on Bright With the New Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture Brush Set

May 3rd, 2016 by Adia Goss 13 Comments

Now, I thought the Zoeva Complete Brush Set brushes were/are gorgeous, but I was floored by the brushes in the Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture Brush Set ($21.99)!

The brushes in this four-piece set all have colorful floral-print handles and coordinating bristles, and they’re a sight to behold, but looks are nothing when it comes to brushes. What I want to know is how do they work? Do they make it easier to apply my makeup? Does my makeup look better when I use them? Let’s see…

The Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture Brush Set comes with a domed powder/blush brush (purple), synthetic contour/buffing brush (orange), tapered powder/highlight brush (pink) and a duo fiber foundation/concealer brush (yellow), and I think we can all agree that these are some super cute brushes.

Are they as good as they look?

Well, the domed powder/blush brush works nicely as a blush brush. It’s a little smaller and more dense than what I typically reach for, but it picks up pigment nicely and is very, very smooth.

Here’s a comparison of it to other blush brushes in my collection:

The Sonia Kashuk domed powder/blush brush is larger than the Zoeva Luxe Highlight Brush but smaller than the Zoeva Luxe Cheek Finish Brush, so it’s on the small size for a blush brush. That being said, it does a fine job of applying my blush.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue Medicated Balm

April 22nd, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 22 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

I’ve got dry lips.

Like, Sonoran Desert dry.

Many have tried to figure out why, I assure you, and many have failed. Between the overall dryness of my skin, to its tendency to eczema and how my lips aggravatingly seem to need to really get in the mood for our six-month winter here in the arctic tundra that is Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, my lips are wrinkled and peeling for way more of the year than I’d like.

I’ve gone through favorite lip balms like Taylor Swift goes through boyfriends. (Too soon? Sorry, T, just shake it off.)

I repeatedly feel like I’ve found “the one” and love it for weeks — months, even — and go through a whole slew of backups only to see my lips eventually reject the formula seemingly out of the freaking blue. It drives me nuts. What I don’t do is write songs about it… Maybe Taylor can help me with that?

Anyway, when Maybelline released their main Baby Lips line a few years ago, I tried one of the original tinted formulation balms and wasn’t that impressed. It looked great, but because of my lips, it felt like the balm itself was just sitting on top of my dry lips, rather than sinking in and really making a difference.

So I gave them a pass until I noticed a new product in the Baby Lips fam called Baby Lips Dr. Rescue, which I spotted while ~~getting some much needed “mommy alone time”~~ running errands. I grabbed the clear balm and applied it immediately in the car.

*queue angels singing*

It felt INCREDIBLE.

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Blur the Line Between Drugstore and High End with Maybelline’s Master Contour Kits

April 19th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 23 Comments

Maybelline Master Contour Kit in Light to Medium 10 — Mid-application of Maybelline’s Master Contour Kit in Light to Medium 10

I seriously love me some Maybelline. The first palettes I gravitated to as a tween makeup lover were Maybelline, and, as an adult makeup lover, the brand continues to be, by far, the most purchased affordable makeup in my collection. At their price point, I often find their quality to be unrivaled — finely milled powders, fabulous cream shadows that apply like By Terry’s Ombre Blackstars and long-lasting pigment for days.

First time I saw the new Master Contour Palette in Light to Medium 10, which goes for $12.99 (available in Medium to Deep 20, as well), I was immediately reminded of Estée Lauder’s 2016 Bronze Goddess Summer Glow Multi Palette, which retails for over four times as much!

Comprised of a contour shade, a coordinating classic pink blush and a champagne highlighter, this gem poses as an excellent and wallet-friendly substitute to some similar, considerably more expensive summer 2016 releases.

Maybelline Master Contour Kit in Light to Medium 10

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The Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons: An Amazing Drugstore Find

April 14th, 2016 by Adia Goss 33 Comments

I’ve talked about how much I love eyeshadow sticks, so I was already primed and ready to like these Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons.

I was not, however, expecting to LOVE ❤ them!

Here’s just a quick look at all 10 of these incredibly smooth and crazy pigmented eyeshadow sticks. Plus, they have major staying power. The packaging says up to 24 hours…but I didn’t test them for that long. Suffice to say, they last a full workday with no fading at all. I am so impressed with these shadows that I won’t be disrespectful and say that they’re only “good for a drugstore brand.” They’re just awesome period, and the icing on the cake is that you can get them at Target for $6 each.

Since there are 10 shades in the line, I broke them down by color family.

The pinks and purples…

maybelline eye studio color tattoo 24 hr concentrated crayon — Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons in Pink Parfait, Lilac Lust and Lavish Lavender

As you can see, these are very sparkly, but still very pigmented. I find Pink Parfait to be very similar to Pink Pearl by Boots No. 7, and Lilac Lust and Lavish Lavender seem more unique to me, especially among the world of eyeshadow sticks.

Of this group, my favorite is Lilac Lust.

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Everyday Makeup Look: All Drugstore Products!

April 6th, 2016 by Adia Goss 32 Comments

When I was re-organizing my makeup collection, I realized that I have a fair amount of drugstore products. Most of my makeup is from Sephora or Nordstrom, but I’ve always mixed in drugstore buys into my everyday makeup routine. So, I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could do a full face of makeup only using my drugstore products. Turns out, I can! I actually really love all of the products that I used, so I’ll need to make a point to reach for them more often.

Foundation

drugstore makeup — Two great drugstore foundations: L’oreal True Match Lumi Cushion and L’oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation

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My LoTD With the Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude and Twist Up Longwear Liner in Black Diamond

March 30th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 16 Comments

sonia-kashuk-velvety-matte-lip-crayon-top — Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude ($7.99) and Twist Up Longwear Liner in Black Diamond ($7.99)

Do ya’ll ever just try a product, no matter what kind of product it is, and realize…

“How did I live my life before this? How could I possibly have functioned as a human being before I had this [wonderful thing] in my life?”

That’s how I felt when I discovered the Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayons.

I recently got my first Sonia Kashuk products, her Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude and Twist Up Longwear Gel Eyeliner in Black Diamond, and I haven’t been disappointed.

I’ve always been curious about the line, eyeing it every time I’m at my local Target store, but nothing had ever pushed me toward one thing or another (with the exception of this brush cup).

Then this happened.

Sonia’s Velvety Matte Lip Crayons have completely changed my faith in the entire lip crayon philosophy and model.

I’ve always found other lip crayons to be so hit or miss. If they’re too big, they can feather easily, and if they’re too skinny, they feel very dry, but to me the Velvety Matte Lip Crayons are comparable to, if not better than, the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils.

I’ve been using and loving them in one of my favorite looks, which is a simple cat eye with a bold lip. Even when I’m just going to a coffee shop to write or get some other work done, I try to put a little makeup on because it makes me feel good, and since this look was so easy to create in a matter of minutes with these lip crayons, I thought I’d share my quick LoTD (Lips of The Day).

sonia-kashuk-velvety-matte-lip-crayon-face — Rosey? Yes. Nude? Not a chance.

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Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color: Review & Swatches, Part 1

March 29th, 2016 by Adia Goss 27 Comments

The $6.99 Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Colors are, in a word, VIBRANT, and almost all of the colors go on fully opaque with a single layer, but despite what their name suggests, I didn’t find them to be particularly matte. I’d describe them as more satin, with some of them even appearing a bit glossy.

Also, they never quite completely dry down, and they aren’t nearly as transfer resistant as the liquid lipsticks by Kat Von D, ColourPop or Sephora.

That being said, they aren’t as drying either, so that’s a tradeoff.

I do love the color range and how comfortable they are, but I don’t love the incredibly strong scent or how easily they smudge and transfer. If you’re sensitive to fragrances, be very careful about these. Upon application, there’s a strong powdery floral scent (possibly freesia?) that’s still noticeable after 20 minutes (though less so). I also feel a bit of a tingle on my lips right after I apply them, but I’m not sure if it’s just a reaction to the scent or due to an actual ingredient.

It’s not painful, and it doesn’t make my lips red or swollen or anything like that, but it’s something I feel I should note.

Overall, if you’re looking for intense pigmentation in a comfortable, affordable liquid lipstick, these are worth checking out; however, if you’re looking for something long lasting (or you’re sensitive to fragrances!), you may be disappointed.

Here are first impressions and swatches of the first five shades (the nudes and pinks) — Nude Thrill, Nude Flesh, Pink Charge, Electric Pink and Berry Boost.

maybelline color sensational vivid matte liquid lip color — L to R: Nude Thrill, Nude Flesh, Pink Charge, Electric Pink and Berry Boost

Nude Thrill.

This one is very much my kind of nude lipstick. It goes on smoothly and opaque, even with one layer. The color really reminds me of Maybelline’s Truffle Tease.

Nude Flesh.

As you can see from the swatches, Nude Flesh looks similar to Nude Thrill, only with more pink. On my lips, the difference is more noticeable.

I think they’re both great nudes, and I can see myself wearing either one daily.

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