Drugstore Beauty Finds

Should You Be Sweet on Rimmel’s Royal Gloss?

April 9th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

This one’s for my fellow typography hounds. I had my latest You know you’re a font nerd… moment the other day when I laid eyes on the scripty font on these here tubes of Rimmel Royal Gloss ($7 each).

Isn’t it cute? I’ve been trying to track it down, but no luck yet.

I have two of the 10 new shades, Sweet Lust (the shimmery pink) and Candy Rush (the shimmery coral), and I think both of them are aptly named because, daaaang, they’re sweet! They take the phrase, “Give mama some sugar,” to a whole new level.
[Continue reading…]

Have You Tried Boots Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes?

April 6th, 2010 by Karen 37 Comments

I’ve been on a serious Boots kick 🙂 lately that really kicked into high gear when I gave their Expert Sensitive Cleansing & Toning Wipes a try.

Target now carries at least, like, six different varieties of Boots makeup wipes… And I’m on a mission to test them all!

Last week I started using their biodegradable Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes, which Boots packed with botanicals like mallow to sooth and calm the skin.
[Continue reading…]

The $3 Glossy Mascara: Wet ‘N’ Wild’s New Mega Length Is MEGA Affordable

March 29th, 2010 by Karen 32 Comments

Here’s what may be a strange observation, but doesn’t it seem like mascaras are more expensive than they used to be? Around the time DiorShow turned up, I started seeing more and more costing $30+, and now they even top $10 at the drugstore all the time.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I heard about Wet ‘N’ Wild’s new $3 Mega Length… THREE BONES, PEOPLE! Of course I had to give it a try. 🙂

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old lady — wait, I *am* a cranky old lady — these days, you can’t buy much for $3!

The brand’s always been affordable, but now they can add their sophisticated new packaging to the list of things that makes them tempting.

Mega Length is billed as a lengthening/lifting mascara and comes in a single, simply-named shade called Very Black. My wimpy lashes and I took it for a spin last weekend, hoping to find the “Three Buck Chuck” of the mascara world.

Nekkid lashes

First things first — Mega Length gets extra gold stars for pigment, imparting a deep, glossy, rich look to lashes that takes it well beyond the meager price.

And it also resists smudging and flaking like a champ, while remaining surprisingly easy to remove.

But how does it do as far as length and lift?
[Continue reading…]

Branch Out This Spring With Sonia Kashuk’s Bamboo Brushes

March 23rd, 2010 by Karen 39 Comments

This is probably gonna sound weird, but all my life I’ve been bringing home random branches. If I like a stick’s shape or texture, I’ll find a way to haul it home, even if it involves jumping into hella cold SF Bay water (remind me to tell you the story of the giant driftwood someday).

Anywho, I guess that’s probably part of the reason why I like Sonia Kashuk’s new Straight From Nature Brushes. New for spring, Sonia crafted these limited-edition eye, face and cheek brushes from eco-friendly bamboo, cork and a mix of natural and synthetic fibers.

There’s something kind of branch-y and natural about them, like, if the Swiss Family Robinson wanted to make elegant makeup brushes, these are what they’d look like, ha!

If you’ve tried and liked Sonia’s seasonal brushes, then you might really dig these. The brush heads feel pretty darn soft for drugstore (the only one that’s a little scratchy is the Wooden Wonder Kabuki), and I like the sturdiness of the handles.

A few stand outs:

Straight From Nature Bamboo Powder Brush ($20): This brush’s narrow shape and slightly pointed tip should work great for powder application on specific parts of the face
Straight From Nature Bamboo Foundation Brush ($17): The brush head for this is also smaller and more narrow than foundation brushes I’ve used in the past; I bet it’ll get into the small spaces around my nose and chin really well
Out of the Woods 4-Piece Set ($13): This four-piece travel set for eyes and face comes with a mini version of the awesome Sonia’s Flat Top Blusher Brush; I’ve never seen a mini version of this brush, so I’m pretty stoked

The entire Sonia Kashuk Straight From Nature Brush Line includes…

Straight From Nature Bamboo Powder Brush, $20

Straight From Nature Bamboo Foundation Brush, $17
[Continue reading…]

Are Milani’s Infinite Liquid Eye Liners Drugstore Duping MAC?

March 18th, 2010 by Karen 66 Comments

When it comes to long-lasting brush-on liquid liners, MAC’s Liquidlast Liners pretty much set the bar for me, combining rich color AND awesome extended wear time. Once I even left a swatch of it on the back of a hand, you know, to see how long it would last? No joke — TWO DAYS!

Yup, and that includes showering and washing my hands. 🙂

Liquidlast has rockin’ wear time and comes in a bunch of fun colors … but they’re not exactly cheap ($18.50 each).

[Continue reading…]

A Glittery Green and Gold St. Patrick’s Day Look with Milani and MAC

March 16th, 2010 by Karen 118 Comments

Hawaiian fun fact of the day: It’s not unusual to meet mixed race islanders. The state’s basically a big ol’ melting pot! It’s one of the things I love about Hawaii. 🙂 Ask a local their nationality, and they’ll usually rattle off a long list.

El Hub happens to be one of those kids, and his laundry list of nationalities includes Irish… I’m sure you see where this is going, LOL!

Every St. Patrick’s Day, he gets the urge to celebrate, and I get to be Irish for a day!

On the agenda for tomorrow night: a pub that serves green beer, and since I want to look the part, this morning I worked on my St. Patrick’s Day green and gold eye look using MAC and a mix of new drugstore stuff from Milani.

Cheeks: MAC Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach; Lips: MAC Lip Pencil in Mouth Off, MAC Lipstick in Victorian, MAC Naked Honey Salve

Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden (entire eyelid), Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Gold (enter eyelid and lower lash line), Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner in Eternal (on lid and barely into the crease), Milani Liquif Eye Metllic Eye Liner Pencil in Black (waterlines and upper lash line), Milani Crystal Eyez in Gorgeous & Glowing (on lid), MAC Fix Studio Lash in Black (upper and lower lashes)

From left: Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Gold, Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Black, Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner in Eternal, Milani Crystal Eyez in Gorgeous & Glowing
[Continue reading…]

10 Beautiful Reasons to Love Target

March 13th, 2010 by Karen 32 Comments

Living one mile from a Tar-ghay has its pros and cons… In the pros column, I have easy access to great, affordable beauty brands like Boots and Sonia Kashuk, but the flip side of that is how easily I get distracted every time I want to just run in to buy TP or cat food, gah!

Here are 10 of my favorite Target beauty buys. Can you think of anything else we should add to the list?

Sonia Kashuk Bent Eyeliner Brush

“Turns out this bad boy’s all that and a bag of baked Cheetos! — an affordable, all-purpose eyeliner brush (part clouds; insert heavenly music *here*) with a pointed brush head (soft synthetic fibers), an angled barrel and long handle.”

Full Review | $6.00

Sonia Kashuk Matte Oil Blotting Papers

“Sonia Kashuk went big with her Matte Oil Blotting Papers ($7), not only making them significantly larger than comparable ones from MAC (about a quarter of an inch longer on all sides), but also giving three times as many sheets for just about half the cost (100 sheets for $7, versus 30 for $13.50 of the ones from MAC).”

Full Review | $7.00

Clairol Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly

“Hoping for hot-mama hair of my own, I started using the shampoo, conditioner and spray gel from the new Clairol Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Line ($4 each). I honestly didn’t think anyone would notice, but you gals have such a good eye! After I put up this face of the day, a few of you asked in the comments what I’d done differently with my ‘do.”

Full Review | $4.00

Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss

“If it weren’t for their faint mint flavor and fragrance (which dissipates quickly), they’d almost be knockoffs of the MAC Lipgelles, which cost twice as much ($14). They have a similar smooth and shiny, non-stick texture and also broadcast seriously intense color.”

Full Review | $6.50

CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Liner

“CoverGirl claims Exact Eyelights Eyeliner brightens eyes by 4x. I didn’t notice particularly brighter eyes, but I like it as a basic liner that stays put for a *very* long time. I’ve been using the Vibrant Pearl pencil for the past few days, and this puppy stays put like nobody’s bidness.”

Full Review | $7.00

[Continue reading…]

Extra, Extra! Sonia Kashuk’s Matte Oil Blotting Papers are EXTRA Large

March 1st, 2010 by Karen 51 Comments

Sonia Kashuk went big with her Matte Oil Blotting Papers ($7), not only making them significantly larger than comparable ones from MAC (about a quarter of an inch longer on all sides), but also giving three times as many sheets for just about half the cost (100 sheets for $7, versus 30 for $13.50 of the ones from MAC).

If you’ve never used blotting papers before, they’re usually just thin sheets of tissue paper used to absorb oil and remove shine from skin without the need for additional layers of makeup. Lots of different brands make ’em, including MAC ($13.50), Shiseido ($17), Too Faced ($12) and Clean & Clear ($6).

You wouldn’t think there’d be much difference among different brands of blotting papers, but there can be, both in terms of size and performance; some feel softer than others, too, and use different kinds of paper or fabric. Some even contain absorbent powders or clay.
[Continue reading…]