Drugstore Beauty Finds

With the Right Brush, Everything’s Coming Up Roses for Milani’s New Rose Powder Blushes

January 26th, 2015 by Karen 21 Comments

Wearing Milani Rose Powder Blush in Tea Rose on my cheeks — That’s $7.99 Milani Rose Powder Blush in Tea Rose on my cheeks

Everything did not come up roses the first time I used Milani’s Rose Powder Blushes…

I made the mistake of using a cheek brush with a small, dense brush head to apply one and ended up with so much color on my cheeks that I looked like a Harlequin clown doll/vaudeville performer.

Milani Rose Powder Blushes from the left: Coral Cove, Tea Rose and Romantic Rose ($7.99 each) — The Milani Rose Powder Blushes from the left in Coral Cove, Tea Rose and Romantic Rose ($7.99 each)

The three available shades are preternaturally pigmented and matte, and therefore forgiving (pore issues, yo!), but they can look scary intense (think painted circles of bright pink) if applied willy-nilly with the wrong brush, i.e. blush brushes with a small, dense head. Same goes for large, fluffy blush brushes.

In case I haven’t stressed it enough, these blushes are VERY pigmented, and I get the best, most natural-looking results when I chill out and use a medium-sized, moderately dense duo fiber brush.

But I think a fan brush would also work well.

The flat finish looks divine in pics, and I dig the colors, which remind me of beloved shades I wear all the time, like MAC Blushbaby (01 Romantic Rose), and Chanel Malice (05 Coral Cove).

If these blushes didn’t have a logo or any branding, I’d assume they were from Sephora or Nordstrom and quite a bit more expensive (they’re $7.99 for a 0.60-oz. pan). There’s also no funny business with the fine powders. They sit on top of my skin, don’t require a lot of buffing, and last all day long.

Romantic Rose is a matte pinkish beige, Tea Rose a matte neutral rosy pink, and Coral Cove a warm poppy.

You might remember Coral Cove from last spring. This new version is more or less the same, but Milani added rose oil (although I don’t detect a scent).

Milani Rose Powder Blush in Romantic Rose — Rose Powder Blush in Romantic Rose

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How Did Your Last Makeup Purchase Turn Out?

January 22nd, 2015 by Karen 51 Comments

Loreal True Match Lumi — YASSSS, gurl! Magic in a bottle, otherwise known as L’Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous foundation ($12.99)

Fluffy baby kittens and pink cotton candy and glittery sprinkles and unicorns and a nap on Ryan Gosling’s abs. Otherwise, great. 🙂

My last makeup purchase went great. It was at Ulta a couple weeks ago, where I found a few gems…

Like truly moving makeup gems!

One of them was something I’ve been hoping to find for years — decades even — a drugstore foundation I could love with every fiber of my being, and I finally have. I cannot stop raving about L’Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous foundation ($12.99).

I went on a 10-minute sermon about its wonderfulness to a stranger sitting next to me at the dentist’s office yesterday, and I didn’t even care when her eyes started to glaze over. I think the poor woman was wondering if I’d ever stop to take a breath (I did).

It’s not just one of the best drugstore foundations I’ve ever found, but one of the best foundations of any kind, ever. Super affordable ($12.99), available in a wide shade range, and best of all, effortlessly natural coverage, like, “What, me? Wear makeup? Naw, I just woke up like this…”

And I don’t even have to resort to special blending methods or doohickeys to make it work. No primers or fancy tools. Just a bit applied with fingers. That’s all.

Right now I’m not using it with powder because my skin’s been incredibly dry, and powder makes it look even drier, but for more coverage I’ll just top it with either MAC Mineralize Skinfinish or Chanel Loose powder.

Holy grail.

How did your last makeup purchase turn out?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Drugstore Dupe Files: $7.50 Almay Brow Defining Pencil Versus $21 Anastasia Brow Wiz

January 16th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

$7.50 Almay Brow Defining Pencil in Brunette

It would probably be a fool’s errand at this point in my life to try to become an Olympic sprinter…

I’m barely 5’2″ tall, I’m in questionable physical condition, and one of my legs is shorter than the other.

The Olympic sprinting thing? Not the most realistic goal for me, but I do have other aspirations, like finding drugstore dupes of my favorite department store/high-end makeup.

Now THAT’s something I can do. 🙂

It’s not gonna be easy, for sure. Sometimes (but not always) with makeup, I do think that you get what you pay for.

So I’m on a mission. I’m a woman on a mission to find respectable, affordable alternatives to her favorite department store items.

Almay Brow Defining Pencil in Brunette on the left and Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown on the right — $7.50 Almay Brow Defining Pencil in Brunette on the left and $21 Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown on the right

This one here is Almay’s $7.50 Brow Defining Pencil, which I’d hoped would be a drugstore dupe for my current eye pencil love, the $21 Brow Wiz by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

I completely forgot to mention this pencil in the Ulta post the other day (it was buried at the bottom of that huge bag!), which is weird because, seriously, it took me a really long time to find in the store. I combed the aisles for a possible Brow Wiz dupe.

And then I saw it — Almay’s $7.50 Brow Defining Pencil — tucked away on the bottom shelf.

“Aha!” I exclaimed…to myself. 🙂

The size of the tip is what first caught my eye. It’s very thin, just like Anastasia Brow Wiz, and the pencil also has a brow comb on the back end, again, like Brow Wiz.

Unfortunately, I only spotted two shades on the shelf…

I figured, OK, well, maybe that’s because Ulta doesn’t carry all of the colors, so I checked online from my phone.

Apparently it only comes in two colors, Brunette (which is what I’m wearing here) and Dark Blonde, whereas Anastasia Brow Wiz comes in nine.

Obvs, the other major difference is price. Anastasia’s is $21, and Almay’s is $7.50.

WOWZA!

Now for some may-jah bare-faced action in three, two, one…

Before Almay Brow Defining Pencil…

Before applying Almay Brow Defining Pencil in Brunette in my brows — Untamed, naked brows (and face, because I’m makeup-less)

After Almay Brow Defining Pencil…

Wearing Almay Brow Defining Pencil in Brunette in my brows

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Eylure London Lengthening No. 080 Lashes: Take Highway 80 All the Way to London for Long, Lush Lashes That Still Look Natural

November 20th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

From this day forward, let the official makeup record show that “Never give up!” is my mantra when it comes to false lashes.

Eylure Lengthening 080 Lashes — Eylure London Lengthening Lashes No. 080 Triple Pack ($9.99)

Because today I almost gave up after 10 minutes, and if I had, I would have missed out on a great set of Eylure London No. 080 Lengthening Lashes.

It wasn’t because they were hard to apply or uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, actually.

The No. 080s weigh next to nothing and feel fab. Plus, they slip right on.

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When Halloween Spirits and Team Spirit Collide: The Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Colors in Pumpkin Queen, OMGhost, Night Fright and Scaredy Matte

October 27th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Colors from the left: Night Fright, Pumpkin Queen, OMGhost and Scaredy Matte, $5 each — The Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Colors from the left in Night Fright, Pumpkin Queen, OMGhost and Scaredy Matte ($5 each)

In line at Target last Sunday afternoon…

GIANTS SUPER FAN LADY WEARING HEAD-TO-TOE ORANGE AND BLACK GIANTS GEAR: “I like your Giants nails!”

ME: “Oh! Thanks!”

ME (INSIDE VOICE): I probably shouldn’t tell her that I know nothing about baseball…or that this is actually a Halloween-inspired mani.

GIANTS SUPER FAN: “That offense in game four…”

ME: “…nothing short of amazing.”

ME (INSIDE VOICE): What the hell am I doing?

GIANTS SUPER FAN: “How about that Sandoval?”

ME: “Right!? Amazing!”

ME (INSIDE VOICE): Change the subject, change the subject, change the subject…

GIANTS SUPER FAN: “I hope he gets over that stomach bug soon.”

ME: “Me too. Tummy troubles are the worst!”

Awkward pause…

ME: “You should totally do a Giants mani to match your Giants gear.”

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color in Pumpkin Queen — Clockwise from my thumb: Night Fright (glossy black), Pumpkin Queen (glossy orange) and Scaredy Matte (matte black)

GIANTS SUPER FAN: “I’d love that! But geez, I don’t have time to paint my nails.”

ME: “These Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Colors would be perfect for you then. They only take five minutes to dry.”
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I Like Big Buns, and I Cannot Lie: The $5 Mia Beauty Bun Ease Subdues Savage Strands and Sends Scrunchies Scurrying

October 24th, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

These days, I have about this much patience for my hair…

Seriously, I just can’t freaking deal! Even the curling iron feels like too much work.

So lately I’ve been all about #thatscrunchielife, because it only takes about 10 seconds to either corral my mane into a low side pony…

…or put it up into this haphazard ponytail/bun number I lovingly call my “crazy cat lady hair.”

I have come to the realization, however, that as tempting as it is, woman cannot live on scrunchies alone. Eventually, we have to leave the house, and when we’re out there in the big, bad world, it really does help to look like a responsible citizen. It makes strangers less likely to run away when you say things like, “I’m looking for a velvet king or princess costume for my 20-pound cat.”

In that vein, and to expand my hair style horizons, I’ve started using the $5 Mia Beauty Bun Ease.

I grabbed it primarily because of the instructions on the box, which make using it sound so easy (“Just tuck and roll!”). The six-piece kit comes with everything you need to whip up a large four-inch diameter bun — one bun-holder thingy, a ponytail elastic and four large bobby pins — so you don’t have to buy anything else.

Before using it, my major worries were 1) that it would give me a headache, 2) that it wouldn’t stay in place, and 3) that it would be a chore to use, but since it was only $5 ($6 at Target), I figured that I wasn’t risking too much if it didn’t work out.

I’ve been wearing it pretty much all week long, and I’m happy to report that it’s great! It stays in all day, doesn’t make my head hurt, and it’s a cinch to use.

With it I can knock out a casually messy bun in one or two minutes. I’ll just gather my hair into a ponytail, slip it into the bun contraption, spread the ends of my hair over the edge, and roll the bun down. Then I secure it with the four bobby pins that come with the kit.

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These $8.99 L’Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners Are Like Getting Two of UD’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils for the Price of One

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

“YOU DON’T NEED ANY MORE EYELINER,” yelled my friend Cindy over email yesterday as we discussed what to do on our next meetup (this was right after I proposed lunch and a trip to Ulta).

Oh, really, Cindy? L’Oreal’s new Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners ($8.99) would beg to differ. 🙂

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner shades from the purple to the silver: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver — Left to right, from the purple pencil to the silver one, those are Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver

When I hold one of these pigmented, long-lasting, silky smooth liners up to my ear, I hear one of my favorite sounds in the world… The sound of spare change jingling into my Hello Kitty coin bank. 🙂 Because they’re less than 10 bucks! And they’re more or less the same as Urban Decay’s $20 24/7 Glide-On Pencils, which means they’re pretty awesome.

Don’t dawdle after you apply them, because once they set (it takes about a minute), they don’t budge. I like using them, especially Pure Purple and Cobalt Blue, for pops of bold color along my lower lash lines and inner corners.

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner swatches from the left: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver — Swatches from the left: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver

The only thing I’m not crazy about is their reluctance to hang out on my water lines. On my lash lines? Not a problem. They’ll stick around for eight hours between touchups, but on my water lines, they’re gone within two.

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner in Pure Purple — Pure Purple (lipstick is Lipstick Queen Play It)

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L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blush Is a Tad Too Short-Lived to Be a Minor Makeup Miracle

September 30th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blush Review — The new L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes, $12.99 each

One day you may find yourself half-jokingly agreeing to run a half marathon.

Then, later, as the illustrious day approaches, you may find yourself hoping that the people who invited you to run the race with them, forget (oh please, oh please, oh please!).

Chances are, they won’t.

So you start training.

During your first 10-mile training run on the treadmill, maybe you develop a wicked case of chafing, and maybe it’s directly under the middle strap of your sports bra, right there on your solar plexus.

Maybe it hurts (it does, a lot).

And maybe the only painkillers that seem to work at all are happy thoughts.

Happy thoughts about happy things, like blush. 🙂 Like the new L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes ($12.99 each, and available in three shades).

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes from the left: Soft Pink, Soft Berry and Soft Peach — From the left: Soft Pink, Soft Berry and Soft Peach

Hello, genius! That’s what these new blurring blushes are, especially if you’re a dame of a certain age (if you catch my drift).

Imagine the slick, slippery, silicone-like feel of a Smashbox primer, but in more natural-looking colors, like light peach, medium pink and medium berry.

Introducing the L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes with a MAC Lipglass for scale — With a MAC Lipglass for scale

They feel kind of like a mousse…and I think they definitely make the skin tone and texture of my cheeks look more even and smoother.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur in Soft Peach — Soft Peach

These are really great disciplinarians when it comes to those pores that are constantly trying to out-diva each other. I have some on the apples of my cheeks that are like Christina, Mariah, Beyonce and Celine, and these blushes make everyone play nice. 🙂

Whenever I wear one of them, my pores look mellower and smaller (but aren’t completely gone, of course), and I swear my skin looks smoother.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur in Soft Pink — Soft Pink

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