• 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

Boots No7 Poppy King Lipgloss Reminds Me of a $10 MAC Cremesheen Glass

December 30th, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments

Let’s see how well I can type this with a 20-pound tabby draped across my right foreamr…

Oops! There’s a typo.

I thought I’d gotten used to touch typing beneath mounds of fur, but today Tabs is also head butting, which I think is his way of saying “you’re awesome,” but it’s getting in the way of my Boots No7 Poppy King Lipgloss ($9.99).

Maybe the headbutts are Tabs’ way of getting in on the Poppy King action. These glosses are good stuff, so I can’t really blame him.

Boots collaborated with Poppy King (the Lipstick Queen) to create these seven shiny, non-sticky glosses, which debuted at Target last month with an accompanying line of lipsticks, and each of the glosses has a lipstick counterpart of the same name.

Now, you know how much I love MAC’s Cremesheen Glasses, right? Well, I like these for many of the same reasons.

The thin, non-stick formula feels slick, smooth and oh-so-comfortable on my lips. I also dig their faintly orange flavor and scent, and that they don’t dehydrate my kisser, which is something many other glosses do.

I’ve been making out with testing six of the seven available colors, which deliver about two hours of wear time each.

boots no7 poppy king lipgloss (4)
From the left: Power, Glamour, Seduction, Intrigue, Confidence and Allure. Not pictured: History

boots no7 poppy king lipgloss (1)
Swatches from the left: Power, Glamour, Seduction, Intrigue, Confidence and Allure
[Continue reading…]

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: boots

These Boots No7 Poppy King Lipsticks Are All About History, Power, Glamour, Seduction, Intrigue, Confidence and Allure

December 29th, 2011 by Karen 29 Comments


Wearing Boots No7 Poppy King Lipstick in Allure on my lips

Wow, okay, December 29? And we’re still kicking? Shoot, we need to reward ourselves for making it through the holidays.

Yes, I’m totally serious! Perhaps some small token for artfully dodging the family drama (which takes tremendous skill), for enduring that undercover sibling rivalry that never quite goes away, or for cooking that monster meal that catered to everyone’s preferences and food allergies (SIDE NOTE: Does anyone else out there still like cilantro?). Whatever the justification, I think we’re all due a small “Woo-hoo, we made it!” kind of prize, and I can’t think of a better one than Boots No7 Poppy King Lipstick ($9.99).

The new line of seven limited edition lipsticks launched last month at Target, and there’s a lot to like about it beyond the price.

Boots enlisted the help of Poppy King, of Lipstick Queen fame, to craft the range of creamy nudes, pinks, berries and reds. With their smooth, silky texture (reminds me of the Clinique Almost Lipsticks), and unscented, unflavored formula, these lippies look and feel more expensive than they are.

Each one has a one-word name chosen to reflect the color in its tube — History, Power, Glamour, Seduction, Intrigue, Confidence and Allure.

All top-tier words, to be sure. 🙂 And I like the idea of reaching for a tube of lipstick that conveys how I want to feel.

  • History — A sheer neutral red
  • Power — A rosy brown
  • Glamour — A yellowish pink
  • Seduction — A sheer blackberry
  • Intrigue — A pinkish brown nude
  • Confidence — A nude beige-brown
  • Allure — A peachy pink


Swatches from the left: 1) History, 2) Power, 3) Glamour, 4) Seduction, 5) Intrigue, 6) Confidence and 7) Allure


History


Power
[Continue reading…]

There are 29 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: boots

10 of My Picks for Head of the Class: A+ Makeup and Beauty Drugstore Products of 2011

December 28th, 2011 by Karen 18 Comments

Best Drugstore Makeup and Beauty Products of 2011

Going to a drugstore after a long day is one of my favorite ways to unwind. I’ll flip through a few magazines, grab an ice cream cone, and cruise the cosmetics aisle looking for a little something I can get myself as a budget beauty treat.

It’s been a ritual of mine ever since I was a teenager. 🙂

Sure, I do love department store beauty and big brands like Benefit and NARS, but some of my favorite makeup and beauty products don’t reside at stores like Nordstrom, Sephora or MAC, and that’s why I’ll always have a soft spot for drugstores. Not only because they make it possible for gals on a tight budget to look great from head to toe, but because they also make it easy to treat yourself without breaking the bank.

I came across quite a few new drugstore loves this year, and here are 10 of them, each one costing less than $10. If you’re looking for a fun, affordable way to ring in the new year, try one of these A+ drugstore gems.

ELF Nail Polish Remover PadsE.L.F. Eyes Lips Face $1 Nail Polish Remover Pads

EcoTools Bath and Shower GlovesEcoTools $3 Bath & Shower Gloves

Burt's Bees Honey & Shea Conditioning Body BarBurt’s Bees $5 Honey & Shea Body Bar

Sula Beauty Lipstick in Awake Till Sunrise$8 Sula Beauty Lipstick in Awake Till Sunrise

[Continue reading…]

There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Just For Fun, Makeup Keywords: best of 2011

Agent Beauty Bourne Reporting for Duty with the Sonia Kashuk Luxe Agent Provocateur Train Case

December 23rd, 2011 by Karen 31 Comments

sonia kashuk agent provocateur (1)

Hotness!

When I spotted it online, I had a feeling the Sonia Kashuk Luxe Agent Provocateur Train Case ($34.99) would be all that and a bag of chips…

It is! But it’s even more than that.

It takes the bag of chips and adds a dozen cupcakes on the side.

Despite its slim profile, it holds a ton of stuff! We’re talking mountains of makeup and a tidy sum of tools. By changing the arrangement of the interior dividers, you’re able to adjust the size of the different compartments to fit your needs.

There’s also a large pocket and pouch under the lid for brushes and, perhaps, cans of Fancy Feast.

sonia kashuk agent provocateur (6)

sonia kashuk agent provocateur (5)
[Continue reading…]

There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews Keywords: sonia kashuk

The Sonia Kashuk Diamond in the Brush Kabuki Brush Really Is a Diamond in the Rough

December 18th, 2011 by Karen 5 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Diamond in the Brush Kabuki Brush (3)

I have a love/hate relationship with Sonia Kashuk’s new Diamond in the Brush Kabuki Brush ($12.99). In the love corner, it couldn’t be any cuter. I mean, just look at that sparkly handle, and I think the brush head is all kinds of fabulous.

But just like the similarly blingy brushes in the Prepping for the Party Lip & Eye Palette ($19.99), I don’t know if this one’s very well constructed. As a matter of fact, the bottom fell off the first time I used it.

Um…what’s up with that?

And then there’s the overall attention to detail, which just seems to be lacking here. Despite the blinding bling, I can’t help but notice the stray bits of glue peeking out from between the gaps where the metal bands wrap around the handle.

Annoying — because I like this limited edition brush’s swagger, size and how hefty it feels in my hand. It’s like a bigger, wider, slightly fluffier version of Sonia’s classic Flat Top Brush but with a shorter handle. The soft bristles feel good, too, neither scratching nor shedding, and the head applies face powder, blush and bronzer perfectly.

My issues with the brush are isolated to its handle, but that’s, ya know, a rather important part.

Sonia Kashuk Diamond in the Brush Kabuki Brush (1)

Sonia Kashuk Diamond in the Brush Kabuki Brush (2)
[Continue reading…]

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews Keywords: sonia kashuk

NYX Put Me in an Affectionate Mood With Their Latest $4.50 Lip Gloss

December 17th, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments

nyx mood lip gloss

“Sensory overload.”

That’s how I feel about many of NYX’s lip products due to their flavors and scents. Sometimes I think they’re just too strong, but I don’t feel that way about their new “Mood” Lip Gloss in Affectionate ($4.50), one of two new Mood Lip Glosses from NYX for the holidays (the second’s called Sensual, ooh-la-la!).

Still, Affectionate’s no lightweight when it comes to taste and scent. As soon as I remove the cap, the scent of strawberry hard candy fills the room. Subtle? Not hardly, but I find it kinda pleasant. At least I don’t think it tastes or smells synthetic, which is something, I guess.

The NYX Mood glosses take the idea of mood rings to new heights, beginning as one shade that changes to another once they’re on the lips. Affectionate starts out as a shimmery white but transforms into a natural-looking shade of shimmery pink (the pink doesn’t appear to vary for different wearers).


[Continue reading…]

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: nyx

Sonia Kashuk Went All Out Glam on Her Latest 6-Piece Brush Set

December 14th, 2011 by Karen 30 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Holiday 2011

Neat! Now here’s a brush kit that caught my eye. Of course, it’s hard to miss something with so many sparkles. 🙂

What an interesting selection of brushes in Sonia’s new All Out Glam 6-Piece Brush Set ($24.99) for faces, cheeks and eyes! I see a few brushes here that I can’t recall ever seeing before in a holiday brush kit, like the synthetic-fiber domed face brush, which I like for applying under-eye concealer, and the synthetic-fiber eye/concealer brush, which looks to me like a skinnier, stretched out version of the MAC 219.
[Continue reading…]

There are 30 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews Keywords: sonia kashuk

NYX’s New Pin-Up Tease and Le Frou Frou Holiday Mascaras Tantalized Me With Type

December 11th, 2011 by Karen 15 Comments

Font freak time!

I couldn’t wait to try NYX’s new Le Frou Frou and Pin-Up Tease Mascaras (about $9 each) mainly because of the typography on the tubes. The letter styling reminds me of the phase I went through in fifth grade when I was obsessed with fonts from the 1930s…

Yes, I was/am a nerd.

These are so brand-spankin’ new that they aren’t available for sale yet on the NYX website, but they are a holiday release and should be arriving on shelves soon.


Top pic: naked lashes; bottom pic: wearing two layers of Le Frou Frou on the left and two layers of Pin-Up Tease on the right
[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: nyx

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 37
  • Go to page 38
  • Go to page 39
  • Go to page 40
  • Go to page 41
  • 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.