• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

Drugstore Beauty Finds

Saving the World $6 at a Time: Milani Instant Eye Makeup Remover Is a Worthy Superhero Sidekick

July 19th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

milani instant eye makeup remover

I figure it’s only a matter of time before it happens…

…a bite from a radioactive spider, a shot of super soldier serum, contact with a meteor fragment from the other side of the galaxy — sooner or later, it’s bound to happen, but since one can never predict the exact moment of their superhero transformation, it’s a good idea to be prepared.

You’ll need an outfit (cape or no cape?), a heroic hairstyle and oh! — can’t forget the makeup.

Superman might be able to just tear off his tweed blazer, toss his glasses aside and slick back his hair, but we ladies like to go the extra mile, like Catwoman, with her black liner and red lipstick (I can only imagine the leaps and bounds her credit card takes at Sephora).

Superhero Karen wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without long-wearing, waterproof eye makeup on her lids and lashes, since saving lives frequently involves 1) perspiration and 2) inclement weather.

(And it’s a fairly safe bet that she and Storm would cross paths every so often.)

One thing’s for sure — she’ll need a really good eye makeup remover, something able to vanquish everything, including waterproof mascara.

Wait! — what’s that?! Up there in the sky! It’s a bird, a plane, it’s Milani Instant Eye Makeup Remover!! 🙂

A dual-phase liquid formula free of oil, silicone and artificial fragrances, it bats aside eye makeup like the Hulk bats aside cars. Cost: $5.99.

milani instant eye makeup remover

milani instant eye makeup remover
[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Milani, Product Reviews Keywords: milani

A Lovely Lipgloss That Costs Less Than Lunch: Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss

July 17th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

neutrogena moistureshine gloss copper power
Wearing Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss in Copper Power on my lips

Currently on my list of things I can’t get enough of…

1. Nude heels

For the longest time I was all about black shoes because I thought, hey, they go with everything, right? These days, I’m all about nudes. Nude heels, nude sandals and — oh! I’m think I’m gonna need to find a pair of nude boots by fall.

Basically, if it’s in a nude color, goes on my feet and appears to make my legs look longer (as nude shoes are wont to do), I’m there.

2. Cat stickers

I always use the tabby ones first. 🙂 One of these days I’m going to make some Tabs stickers. That would be rad to the Nth degree, for real! Of course, there would have to be several stickers showing off his husky tum (of course).

3. Smiles


My mum
[Continue reading…]

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup, Neutrogena, Product Reviews Keywords: neutrogena

Whether Flawless Like a Diamond or a Cubic Zirconia, ELF’s Flawless Eyeshadows in Golden Goddess and Party Purple Look Great for $2 Each

July 11th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

elf golden goddess

Just a few pics of the ELF Flawless Eyeshadows in Golden Goddess and Party Purple, $2 each (!).

LOVE the color combinations in the quads — so bangin’!

elf golden goddess
Golden Goddess

elf golden goddess

elf party purple
Party Purple

elf party purple flawless eyeshadow
[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, elf, Eyes, Makeup Keywords: elf

These Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadows Could Teach a Class in Perseverance, But Could Use Some Help Blending In

July 6th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow

“Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Be on the lookout for cheap makeup thrills. Repeat, cheap makeup thrills.

“Suspect was last seen shimmering on eyelids for $2.99. I repeat, $2.99. Over.”

With the Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadows, shimmery, long-lasting color is just 299 pennies away.

These pigmented cream shadows are great for quick washes of shimmery color, and they cling like crazy to my skin. On my combination dry/oily lids, I get from 7-8 hours with primer and 5-6 without.

Not bad for $2.99, but I think they’d be even better if it weren’t for a few things…

The texture

Seems a little hit or miss. Of the four shades I’ve tried, 09 For Fairies feels the best — almost like a mousse. It’s soft and fluffy and just glides across my lids.

The other three shades, however, 01 Coppy Right (great name!), 02 Glammy Goes To, and 07 JM-ME Blue, feel denser and drier to me, which makes them a tad tougher to blend and apply.

Blending

I’d hoped to be able to easily blend a few of these colors together in the same looks, but they have a tense relationship… The colors don’t transition well, or at least easily, into each other.

If all I’m doing is softening the edges of a single shade on my lids, no problem — the blending goes a little better — but they’re still not as easy to blend as a MAC Paint Pot or Benefit Creaseless Cream (although they’re an awful lot less expensive).

Layering

Tricky! Apply a milligram too much, and these begin to appear heavy and caked, and almost too metallic. For me with these, one thin, single layer works best.

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow
From the left: 02 Glammy Goes To, 09 For Fairies, 01 Coppy Right and 07 JM-ME Blue

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow swatches
From the left: 01 Coppy Right, 02 Glammy Goes To, 07 JM-ME Blue and 09 For Fairies

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow
Wearing 01 Coppy Right
[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

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

It’s My Latest Love’s Time to Shine: L’Oreal’s New Paris Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black

July 5th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner

Not to get all Real World confessional on you, but can you keep a secret…?

I’ve been holding it in so long that I’m going to explode if I don’t tell someone!

Here goes… Deep breath, Karen.

I’ve been cheating on the love of my life, and I don’t plan to stop any time soon.

Wait — did you think I was talking about El Hub? Oh, gawd no. I’m stuck on that man like cheese on macaroni. I’m referring to my other love, my favorite black gel liner in the whole wide world, also known as MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

I don’t know why I did it… Boredom, perhaps. Blacktrack and I have been rolling deep since 2007, and despite dalliances with many other gel liners along the way, I’ve always, always come home to Blacktrack. I think it’s just the smoothest, longest-wearing, darkest black gel liner around.

But then my eyes wandered to a new gel liner last week called L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black ($9.95), looking all mysterious in its little pot, and I couldn’t restrain myself.

It actually reminds me of Fluidline in some ways. Both of them deliver smooth, dark lines, either sharp or smudgy, on my lash and water lines in just a swipe or two.

L’Oreal claims Blackest Black is able to last 24 hours, but after spending time with it for a while, I sense a bit of beauty bravado there. I get more like 6 hours along my water lines and 9-12 along my lash lines when I wear it without a primer on my combination dry/oily lids.

Not too shabby, cocoa tabby, and again, comparable to Blacktrack.

So what’s the attraction? Why haven’t I been picking up one of the five pots of Blacktrack scattered around the house (no, seriously!)?

Two words: glossy finish.

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner
Each pot of Infallible Lacquer Liner comes with a brush, which works surprisingly well!

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner Swatch
[Continue reading…]

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Loreal, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: loreal

The Ultimate Moisturizer for Lazy Lasses! ELF Milk & Honey Lotion Wipes Wipe Out Dry Skin in 30 Seconds or Less

July 5th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

elf lotion wipes review

Saw the new Spider-Man movie last night (loved Andrew Garfield as Spidey!), but there’s a creature in the movie, a scaly reptilian beast, that reminded me of my shins.

Yes, I believe I’m on the verge of a dry skin crisis, one brought on by professional exhaustion.

You see, ever since his movie career started taking off, Tabs has been working me to the bone.

On the one hand, it’s good overtime, but by bedtime, I’ve been so exhausted that I haven’t been wanting to moisturize my bod after my shower, so I’ve been skipping the lotion and crawling straight into bed, ashy legs and all (please don’t tell my mom).

I come from a long line of dry skin sufferers… Growing up, lotion was revered in our house like it was manna from heaven, and if I had a penny for every time I got lectured about applying lotion on my legs before going outside to play, well, I’d have a few hundred extra pennies right now.

Segue to ELF’s new $3 Milk & Honey Lotion Wipes. Yes, babe: wipes. 🙂

They’re like makeup remover wipes, except instead of containing makeup remover, they’re soaked with a lightweight liquid moisturizer.

They come 16 wipes to a pack, each of them infused with helpful hydrating ingredients like aloe, cocoa butter, vitamin E, soy, gingko biloba, coconut milk and sweet almond oil.
[Continue reading…]

There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, elf, Product Reviews, Skin Care Keywords: elf

Edging Closer to Cat Eyeliner Perfection With the ELF Studio Eye Makeup Remover Pen

July 4th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

ELF Makeup Remover Pen

Yes, Tabs, I’m well aware that you and your feline friends laugh at me behind my back whenever you see me drawing thick cat eyeliner on my upper lash line and flicking out the ends.

I’ve watched you, laughing at me… “Haha!” you say. “Look at her trying to look like us. Haha! Silly human. We wake up like this!”

Well, you better watch your six, kitties, because this human is getting closer and closer to cat eyeliner like yours thanks to the ELF Studio Makeup Remover Pen ($3).

It’s a moisturizing liquid makeup remover made with a meow mix of Vitamin E, cucumber and chamomile, and it comes in a felt-tip pen.

I’ve been using it to correct minor mistakes, smudges and smears with wayward mascara, liner or eyeshadow (even the waterproof stuff) without messing up the rest of my eye makeup. It’s quick and easy and works without the need to rinse.
[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, elf, Eyes, Makeup Keywords: elf

Bold, Shimmery Eye Makeup That Doesn’t Break the Bank: It’s Easy to Fall for These Six New L’Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Shadows

July 3rd, 2012 by Karen 52 Comments

loreal infallible endless
Wearing L’Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Endless Sea

I’ve been kind of feelin’ the spirit lately with my eye makeup, you know, wanting to wear looks with 20 steps involving primer, 10 different shades of eyeshadow, liner (pencil, liquid, gel AND cake) and false lashes. Basically any and all eye makeup I can get my furry little hands on.

SIDE NOTE: And I’m so not kidding about the fur! Here’s what nobody tells you about your dirty thirties: they’re hairy, as in you start noticing hair growing in odd places (LIKE ON YOUR FINGERS), and suddenly questions like, “Is it faux pas for a woman to shave her hands?” cross your mind.

Ahem! Inside voice, Karen.

Right. But what about those days when Tabs is blowing up my phone with “urgent” pet assistant requests, like, “Please alphabetize my gravy cans, thanks!” and I have the inkling, but don’t have the time, to indulge in complicated eye makeup?

Well, there’s always one of the six new L’Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Shadows ($7.95 each). 🙂

Liquid Diamond, Golden Emerald, Endless Sea, Glistening Garnet, Bottomless Java and Smoldering Plum join 12 existing permanent shades in L’Oreal’s faboo Infallible Eye Shadow line of long-wearing, easy-to-blend powder shadows so satiny smooth that they make velvet jealous, and so shimmery that I keep expecting cherubic angels to emerge from the clouds and say, “DAYUM, GINA!”

And did I mention they’re long lasting? Worn with a primer, they cling to my lids for 8-10 hours without creasing.

loreal endless sea
Endless Sea

loreal infallible golden emerald
Golden Emerald

loreal infallible glistening garnet
Glistening Garnet
[Continue reading…]

There are 52 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Loreal, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: loreal

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 30
  • Go to page 31
  • Go to page 32
  • Go to page 33
  • Go to page 34
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 83
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 893

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 892

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 891

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 771

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.