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Drugstore Beauty Finds

Try Essence of Eye-Opening Energy for Sleepy Afternoons: Essence Crystal Eyeliner Is a Perfect Pick-Me-Up

April 18th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Essence Crystal Eyeliner
Two of five new Crystal Eyeliners by Essence ($2.99 each)

Some people use coffee or tea for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Me? I like glitter liner because 1) it doesn’t give me the shakes or keep me up at night, and 2) it works almost as well as caffeine.

A little glitter on my lids or along my lower lash lines is a fantastic pick-me-up.

After lunch this afternoon (homemade tuna salad on rice cakes, which, OK, may sound weird, but it’s actually really good), I started feeling run down. I was getting the afternoon sleepies, so I thought, “needs glitter.”

I busted out Gold Rush and Twinkly Starlight, two of the five new glitter liners by Essence.

Essence Crystal Eyeliner
Twinkle Starlight (top) and Gold Rush (bottom)

They’re $2.99 each and new additions to the Essence line. They’re on the creamy side, too, because they have a gel base, so they’re a little easier to work with than your run-of-the-mill liquid glitter liner.

Because the flecks of glitter are different shapes and sizes, the formula looks bumpier and more textured on lids than, say, something like the Heavy Metal Glitter Liners by Urban Decay, which have tiny flecks of uniformly shaped glitter.

Twinkly Starlight (left) and Gold Rush (right)

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There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Essence, Eyes, Makeup

Party-Ready Eyes for Just $2.99: The Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadows

April 18th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow
The new Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadows, $2.99 each

So much metallic, glittery, shimmery goodness for just $2.99! I almost can’t believe it’s true, because sometimes, when you add glitter, metallics and discount together, the formula equals “something sketchy.”

But in this case the formula equals fun.

Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow
Three of five new $2.99 Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadows

You know how I feel about sci-fi… LOVE IT! And that might be one of the reasons I like these new $2.99 Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadows. Pressed metallic shadows with a glittery overspray, their shiny, shimmery metallic finish looks kinda like Terminator-esque liquid metal/chrome.

Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow in Jewel Up the Ocean
Jewel Up the Ocean

You can wear them wet or dry, but I prefer wet because it turns up the intensity of the metallic effect (metallic-ness?). And I figure that if you’re going to wear metallics on your lids, you might as well go all out.

For me, they were a little tricky to apply at first, but once you get the hang of ’em, I think you get a lot of bang for your buck.

I mean, shoot, they’re only $2.99.

Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow in Coffee to Glow
Coffee to Glow

The trick is figuring out how to keep the fallout under control. Use a fluffy brush like the MAC 217 or 224, and you could very well end up with sheer shimmer on your lids and glitter all over your cheeks.

Now, if that’s what you want, it’s all good.

Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow in Frosted Apple
Frosted Apple

But I like to just use a clean wet finger. It gets the job done and eliminates fallout. Plus, because the finger’s wet, it cranks up the intensity of the pigments and shine.

Essence Metal Glam
Metal Glam, man!

I’ll wet a finger with MAC Fix+, swipe it across the pan a few times to pick up some product, and apply on my lids.

BOOM! — dramatic metal.

Essence Metal Glam
Can I get that coffee to glow?

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There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Essence, Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews

Double Duty Drugstore Beauty! Multi-Talented Makeup From Neutrogena

April 15th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Multitasking makeup products from Neutrogena
Wearing a few double-duty products from Neutrogena! — Crease Proof Shadow in Improper Copper as a highlighter on my upper cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose, Healthy Skin Blends Bronzer in Sunkissed as an eyeshadow on my lower lash lines, MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Healthy Peach as a blush on my cheeks, and Nourishing Long Wear Liquid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 20 in Warm Beige as a concealer under my eyes

It’s true.

You really do learn something new every day — like yesterday I learned that a ton of Neutrogena makeup products actually double as…well, they double. They’re multitasking, which is super cool, for one, because a) they’re drugstore, so they’re totally affordable, and b) if you’re traveling somewhere or just want to lighten your makeup load, it’s always nice to have a product that can do a bunch of things.

Celebrity Makeup Artist Amy Oresman broke it down for me in Nashville yesterday as I sat (OMG!) in her makeup chair. She just broke it down, man. She had some great product recommendations from the Neutrogena line, like the brand’s Crease Proof Eye Shadows…

1. Crease Proof Eye Shadows in Stay Golden and Improper Copper ($8.49 each)

Amy Oresman
Improper Copper in my crease…

There are two she really loves — Stay Golden and Improper Copper. Stay Golden she compared to, basically, Nylon or Shroom Eye Shadow from MAC, but in cream form.

Cream shadows with a built-in primer, these were designed for lids, but they work on other parts of the face, too — especially as a highlighter. Amy will take either one, Stay Golden or Improper Copper, and apply it directly to the skin. Then she buffs it down with a foundation brush.

On me, because I have a deeper skin tone, she used Improper Copper, which is kind of like a coppery gold with subtle shimmer.

Amy Oresman has worked her makeup magic on a multitude of makeup-loving mavens, including Madonna, Heidi Klum, Victoria Beckham, Hayden Panettiere, Vanessa Hudgens, Emma Roberts and Kate Bosworth. “When it comes down to it,” she says, “we all want the same thing — to look and feel beautiful.”

She applied it directly from the stick, too, right into the crease of my eyes, and then brought it out to my upper cheekbones, still just using the stick. Then she blended it all in with a foundation brush for a super soft, really glowing highlight.

And you can use it on other parts of the face — wherever you would apply a traditional highlight, like down the bridge of the nose, Cupid’s bow, that kind of thing.

Stay Golden works great for all skin tones, but it rocks the Casbah on fair skin; Amy recommended Improper Copper for medium and darker skin tones.

Yay, so that’s one thing.

But there’s more… 🙂

Sometimes Amy also likes to rub the stick shadows in her palm to get some product in there, and then she’ll mix that with a foundation. Yesterday she did that with Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup Foundation, a liquid foundation, mixed those together in her palm, and just applied on me where she wanted more of a shimmery, dewy finish.

So, yeah, that’s one majorly multitasking product in the Neutrogena makeup line.

Amy also recommends the MoistureSmooth Color Sticks, which are first and foremost sheer lip balms, and I love these.

2. Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Sticks ($8.49 each)

Amy Oresman
Amy applying Healthy Peach MoistureSmooth Color Stick Gloss on my cheeks as a blush

I use Fresh Papaya. Love it, wear it all the time, but what I didn’t know until yesterday was that these also double as cream blushes. You can put them on top of foundation, powder, bare skin.

Amy will apply the Color Sticks directly on the cheeks, on the apples of the cheeks, and then just blend that in with a foundation brush to give a nice, sort of light, sheen to the cheeks with a pop of color, and then, if you don’t want to deal with finding a coordinating lip color, you just take that same Color Stick and apply it on your lips.

Next up, Healthy Skin Blends Bronzer in Sunkissed. One of three Healthy Skin Blends Bronzers from Neutrogena — these are the ones with the little squares inside the palettes. Amy calls Sunkissed a great eyeshadow palette that nobody knows about.

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There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tips/How To, Neutrogena

The $7.50 NYX Adorable Shadow Palette Is Darling, Dahhhling

February 12th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

NYX Adorable Palette
Cray-cray adorbs! The new NYX Adorable Palette.

“This palette is just darling, dahhhhling.”

Why, yes, I have been watching too much Bravo.

What gave it away? Was it the way I said “dahhhling” like Lisa Vanderpump from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Because that’s how this new spring eyeshadow palette makes me feel.

NYX Adorable Palette
Hey there, cutie!

With its cute crop of neutral browns, beiges and a dreamy pinkish peach, this palette has adorable written all over it.

No, really, it does. Right there on the front of the packaging. “Adorable.” Says it right there. 🙂

NYX Adorable Palette
The $7.50 NYX Adorable Palette

Anywho, don’t these six powder shadows look great together? I can see them working in a bunch of neutral looks.

Like this here pinkish brown smokey eye I’m sporting today…

That’s Bobbi Brown’s Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Antigua on the apples of my cheeks and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light on my upper cheekbones.
NYX Adorable Palette
I’m also wearing MAC Smolder Eye Khol on my water lines and upper lash lines, MAC Brun Eye Shadow in my brows and MAC Extended Play Gigablack Mascara on my lashes.

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There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Makeup, NYX, Palettes, Product Reviews

Milani’s New Delizio Pink and Bella Rosa Baked Blushes Arrive Just in Time for Valentine’s Day

February 7th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

 Wearing the new Milani Baked Blush in Delizio Pink on my cheeks, and MAC Shock Value Pro Longwear Lip Pencil and MAC Cremesheen Glass in Playful Petal on my lips
Wearing the new Milani Baked Blush in Delizio Pink on my cheeks, and MAC Shock Value Pro Longwear Lip Pencil and MAC Cremesheen Glass in Playful Petal on my lips

I hope El Hub doesn’t get jealous of my Valentine’s Day dates this year.

Yes, girl, “dates,” as in the plural. I’ll be painting the town rosy pink next week with these two new matte Baked Blushes from Milani.

Milani Bella Rosa Baked Blush
Bella Rosa Baked Blush

Both are pretty cool cats, not that El Hub isn’t, but ya know… 🙂 The first one, Delizio Pink, is a cool matte bluish pink, and the second one is matte bluish red Bella Rosa.

These two dudes have the moves!

Milani Delizio Pink Baked Blush
Delizio Pink Baked Blush

They’re smooove, like that guy who orders you a slice of raspberry cheesecake AND a scoop of salted caramel ice cream when you head to the ladies’ loo after dinner because he knows you won’t be able to pick between the two…

Sorry, I’m craving something sweet right now.

Anyway, smoooooove…

With the amount of pigment you get and the soft, fine feel of the powders, I feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck with these. Both of them pack a ton of color yet remain really easy to buff and blend. On top of that, they aren’t patchy or streaky at all. I just use a blush brush and a light hand, and that’s it. Flushed, natural-looking cheeks.

Swatches of Milani's Baked Blushes in Bella Rosa (left) and Delizio Pink (right)
Swatches of Milani’s Baked Blushes in Bella Rosa (left) and Delizio Pink (right)

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There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Face, Makeup, Milani, Product Reviews

NYX Introduces Tempting New Shades of $5 Butter Gloss To Excite Lips and Make Tummies Rumble

February 4th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

NYX Angel Food Cake
Angel Food Cake

I can’t even begin to understand the concept of skipping dessert.

Well, that’s not true… I get it. Sometimes I do it, too. But I hate it whenever I do. Every time.

It’s easy for my friend Cindy, though. Whenever a waiter asks, “Would you like to see the dessert menu?” she can easily say no (she’s more into salty snacks than sweets), but that’s not even an option for me. I have to see the dessert menu because I live for the sweet stuff, man.

A meal doesn’t seem complete unless I’ve had a piece of cake or a scoop of ice cream at the end, and if it were more socially acceptable to completely skip appetizers and the main dish entirely and go straight to dessert, I totally would.

I like to get my sweet on any way I can, which is why I have a soft spot for these NYX Butter Glosses.

Have you taste tested these sheer glosses before (I meant figuratively, but they do have a light brown sugar and vanilla flavor and scent that I like)? They cost $5 each and originally arrived last spring, when they were added to the permanent line.

They have a satiny finish, a lightweight, super comfy, non-sticky formula and delectable names like Peach Cobbler and Cherry Pie.

They tend to apply a little patchy on me at first and only last about an hour, but I like ’em for what they are, and the price seems right.

NYX recently added 10 more shades, including the three yummy-sounding ones here — rosy nude Angel Food Cake, hot pink Cupcake and berry Raspberry Tart.

mmm-cupcakes

NYX Butter Gloss
NYX Butter Gloss
NYX Butter Gloss in Cupcake
Cupcake
NYX Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake
Angel Food Cake

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There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, NYX

At $6 Each, These NYX Baked Shadows Make Wallets Say, “Sweet!”

January 30th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Wearing the new NYX Baked Shadows in Lavish, Kush and Sugar Babe on my eyes
Wearing the new NYX Baked Shadows in Lavish, Kush and Sugar Babe on my eyes

OK, so maybe NYX’s new Baked Shadows are neither nutritious nor delicious, but they are a treat, and where else can you get a baked dessert this good for $6?

$6… I almost can’t believe that price is real. Almost. Hey, this is NYX. Everything on their makeup menu is super affordable.

Oh! — and calorie-free, which makes my muffin top shimmy with joy/relief. 🙂

First things first, like NYX’s new Baked Blushes (and many other delicious desserts), these have a crunchy outer shell, beneath which exists the really good stuff. Break through the crust (seriously, what’s up with that?), and you’re rewarded with eyeshadows utterly devoid of fallout.

Zero. Zip. Nada.

And blending these shadows is easier than saying “yes, please” to a second brownie. Buffing and softening lines between these eyeshadow colors is a total cakewalk. All it takes is a few swipes of my trusty blending brush.

NYX Baked Shadow
Time to bake…
NYX Baked Shadow in Lavish
Lavish
NYX Baked Shadow in Blue Dream
Blue Dream

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There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Makeup, NYX

Ever Since I Started Wearing These Milani Gold Label Nail Lacquers, Spring Fever Has Been Spreading From My Fingers to My Toes

January 16th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Milani Gold Label spring 2014
The new $4.69 Milani Gold Label spring 2014 nail polishes

Currently…

  • I am wearing a tabby t-shirt covered in cat hair (without a sweater for the first time in months)
  • I have glitter all over my hands
  • My hair is up in a scrunchie
  • The windows are open, and there’s a nice breeze blowing through my office

There’s only one thing that could make this moment better… Oh, look at that! There it is. 🙂 The 12 new Milani Gold Label nail polishes.

This all seems too good to be true…

Wait — maybe I’m dreaming. Karen, wake up! Get up, get up, get up!

Nope, I guess not. I guess this is real, and look — it’s even 70-something degrees outside.

Cat lady says what now?

Weird…

It’s gotta be these new $4.69 Gold Label polishes (part of a new Milani line). The springy, cheerful colors — six creams and six glitters in playful pinks, purples, greens, blues and corals — must be contagious. Seeing them on my paws, I almost forget it’s still winter and that tomorrow isn’t the day of the big Easter egg hunt.

Like the polishes in Milani’s regular Nail Lacquer line, these new USA-made Gold Label lacquers are DBP-, toluene- and formaldehyde-free.

They also have a mightier brush, or rather, a flatter brush that I think makes them a little easier to use. Maybe that’s why they cost a tad more ($4.69 each versus $4.49).

I’m not sure yet about the formula — if it’s different than Milani’s regular polish formula — because I haven’t had enough time with them yet, but I’ll know more by tomorrow. I’ll let you know what I find out.

They definitely do seem thick (think Essie) and smooth, and the flat brush is great. Makes it easy to paint nice, crisp edges along the bottom of my nails.

I do notice that I have to be careful about unloading the brush before applying to make sure I don’t lay down too much polish. They are quite thick.

Here’s a quick look at the 12 shades coming next month. Oh! In each of these pics, I’m wearing two layers.

Milani Showy Sea-Green 01
Showy Sea-Green
Milani Popping Pink 02
Popping Pink
Milani Splendid Strawberry 03
Splendid Strawberry

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There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Drugstore Beauty Finds, Milani, Nails

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