Cheap Makeup....It's good, Sometimes.

I'm going to get to writing a long 2014 Favorites post. I swear. But first, this. Cheap makeup. All my tips and tricks for cheap makeup. I love high brands. I love Nars, Urban Decay, Hourglass, Tarte. I feel no guilt dropping $30 on blush. BUT I can't always afford that and there are some really great cheap options out there.

My first rule of drugstore make up. Don't buy it at the drugstore unless you have to. Target. A lipstick that cost $5.50 at Target usually runs $8-$9 at CVS or Walgreens. Some brands only release new products at those stores. I picked up my latest Rimmel lipstick at Walgreens. It was $6 and they were on sale buy one get one 50% off, so that's worth it in my book. The new shades aren't at Target yet. Sign up for all the Walgreens/CVS cards. Download the Cartwheel app for Target. Clip coupons. These things will save you money. I'm going to include a list of my favorite drugstore products, but first we're going to skip to the internet.

Shop the internet. There are some really great, really cheap makeup brands online. If you are looking to add some crazy colored eye shadows or lipsticks to your life RUN to Colour Pop. This website is incredible. All of their products are $5 and there are some great colors. My personal favorite shadow shades are Get Lucky, Sequin, Hammered, Slave2pink, and Envy. For lips I love Scandy. Bichette, Heart On, Grind, and Brills. 

For basics Makeup Geek is your answer. $10 blushes that rival most of my $30 blushes. Romance, Smitten, Hanky Panky, and Spellbound are all fantastic options. Great quality brushes for dirt cheap. And the eye shadows. If you are trying to start a makeup kit this is wear you need to be. Corrupt is one of the best black shadows around. Beaches and Cream, Frappe, Creme Brulee, and Cocoa Bear are all great every day shadows. Bitten, Prom Night, Cosmopolitan, Shimma Shimma, and Wisteria are shades that can add a lot of spice to a basic look. All of the shadows, brushes, and blushes are great and lip products will be released soon!

Now back to the drugstore

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Foundations- 

For full coverage I love the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous. There are a ton of shade options, it has a gorgeous matte finish, and it's less than $10 at Target.

For a more medium coverage I swear by Loreal True Match. If you have dry skin or like a dewy finish get the True Match Lumi. Loreal True Match is one of my all-time favorite foundations. 

For a lighter coverage Maybelline Dream Wonder Liquid Touch. This is my hot summer day foundation. It's light, but totally evens out your skin tone. It feels like there is nothing on your face. It's a gorgeous foundation.

Concealer-

For brightening and highlighting I am all about the Maybelline Dream Lumi in Radiant. 

For coverage and actual concealing I love the Loreal True Match concealer.

Blush-

Drug store blush can be the best. Makeup Geek's blushes are my favorite. After that I swear by Milani (available at Walgreens and CVS) particularly in the colors Luminoso, Delizioso Pink, Corallina, and Coral Cove. Nyx blushes are fantastic and you can get them at almost any drugstore and at Ulta. I love Dusty Rose, Terra Cotta, Peach, Pinched, and Apricot.

Powders- My favorite drugstore powders are the Rimmel Stay Matte, Nyx HD Powder, and Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder.

Eye shadows- First and foremost this Sonia Kashuk palette is a great place to start. Yes, it's almost $20, but it's got everything you need. This and a few shimmery, bright shades is all you need for any makeup look. It's beautiful and will come in handy. For shimmery shades I absolutely swear by the L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour eye shadows. They are all beautiful shadows that hold up to high quality, expensive shadows. I use some of these more than I use my Urban Decay shadows. My personal favorites are Amber Rush, Bronzed Taupe, Endless Sea, and Midnight Blue. You cannot beat these beautiful shadows and they're $6-$7. I also really love the Maybelline Color Tattoos. They are beautiful cream shadows and very easy to apply.

Eyeliners- I love, love, love Jane Cosmetics water resistant liners. They are perfect for the water line. I'm also a huge fan of the Rimmel Scandaleyes Pencils and the Loreal Silkissime liners. For a winged liner I swear by the Maybelline gel liner, but I've heard a lot of great things about the NYC liquid liner as well.

Mascara- The Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara is awesome, but for the most part I swear by Loreal Mascara's. I love the Miss Manga mascara and the Voluminous in Carbon Black.

Lipstick/Lipgloss- I have a lot of favorite lip products. For lipsticks I love the Maybelline Colorsensationals especially the Matte line. I'm also a huge fan of the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate line and the Nyx Butter lipsticks. They're all less than $6 and are beautiful products with gorgeous shade options. For glosses I love the Loreal Colour Riche, the Rimmel Show Off lacquers, and the Revlon Ultra HD lip lacquers. 

All in all I swear you can find some really great make up at the drugstore or for super cheap online. These are all products I use on a daily basis and absolutely swear by.

Frosty Box!

I received my Influenster Frosty box in the mail today. It's my first frosty box and it's all very exciting. I'm just digging into it and I'm super excited to try out some new products. It's full of fun things I'm dying to review.

The box is full of all sorts of goodies from tea and candy to samples of Boots serum and a Rimmel eyeliner and eye makeup remover. It even had a new EcoTools hair brush inside! So many fun things!

 A few of the fun goodies inside!

It's here and I am in LOOOOVE.

I finally got my hands on my beautiful Urban Decay Vice LTD palette. It actually arrived last Thursday, but I had a crazy busy weekend and thus I'm just getting around to writing this. The weekend did provide several opportune moments to try out the palette however. Hooray for pretty eye shadow.

The packaging is perfect. I'm not a lime green lover, but this packaging is super luxurious and the mirror is great quality. Perfect for travel. It's got this great little button and it opens super easily and gives the whole thing a very fancy feel.

And that's all before you even open it up. The colors are perfection. Almost all of them have perfect texture. Smooth, buttery, yummy, just absolute perfection.

All of the colors are absolutely stunning, but I've decided to focus on my five favorites. I'm a color girl so my favorites are Junkshow, Freakshow, Provocateur, Crystal, and Vaporize.

Junkshow is quite possibly my absolute favorite in the palette. It is the perfect BRIGHT pink. It's a gorgeous fuchsia with a lovely cool undertone. It's simply stunning and so bright. I am in love

Freakshow is a great purple. It's a gorgeous warm shade with the perfect frosty finish. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing not to love about this perfect purple.

Vaporize is the perfect taupe. It's frosty and has great shine, but there is no chunky glitter or anything of that nature. It's a great warm gray taupe. It has an almost deep silver feel to it without being silver. It will look good on almost anyone. It's just a great color. Super usable and blendable. 

Crystal is a little tough to work with. I'm not going to lie. But the color is just so, so pretty. I cannot help myself. It's going to require some work to get the color in the pan, but it's work the work so I will be packing that baby on. It's a cool icy blue with metallic shimmer. It's slightly glittery, but not chunky and the color is just perfect. I've never come across such a lovely icy blue. It's got a slight gray/sliver-ishness to it.

And finally Provocateur. Oh this color. It's one of those fabulous colors that looks good an almost anyone. It's an icy metallic pink somewhere between pink and rose gold. It contains some microglitter, but it's very finally milled and doesn't look tacky. The micro glitter definitely comes off as a shimmer. It's a simply beautiful pink.



My honorable mention/sixth place definitely goes to road stripe which looks like a regular old white in the pan, but is actually a beautiful iridescent white with a purply/blue shift. You've gotta love that duo chrome look. It's a stunning shade that I cannot get enough of.

My least favorite is probably Goddess. It's a beautiful color, but just lacks the creaminess/color pay off I'm looking for from Urban Decay.

All and all it's a great palette and I'm so glad to have gotten my paws on it.

So here's my round up.

November Favorites.

It's taken me a while to put this together. Narrowing down favorites is tough stuff. But here it is.

1. Number one is the Bite Beauty Lush Lip Trio. I got this awesome little set at Sephora on Black Friday for $10. You can't purchase it any longer. But the glosses in it are AMAZING. It comes with three travel sized glosses. The shades in it are Rambutan, Currant, and Strawberry. I love them all, but Currant is definitely my favorite. Here is a link to the full sized glosses. They run $22 a piece, but they are the perfect texture.


2. The Naked Basics Palette This beauty will cost you $29, but it is so versatile. I honestly use this palette on a daily basis. It's full of neutral matte shades. They are blendable, soft, and perfectly pigmented. I use the shade Naked 2 EVERY SINGLE DAY.


3. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Strobe Light I own a LOT of nail polish. From Chanel to Sinful Colors I've tried them all. I'm not usually a huge fan of this particular Sally Hansen line, but I saw it in Target and the gorgeous light pink shade instantly caught my eye and for $2.48 I could not pass it up. I own a ton of glittery polishes and a ton of pink polishes. News Flash!!! Pink is my favorite color. This one is easily topping my list of favorite glittery pinks. It's sort of like a rose gold glitter, but with silver in it. I honestly cannot even begin to describe it, but I am in LOVE.

4. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder This sucker will set you back $30, I got it in a gift set almost two years ago and it's been my go-to bronzer ever since. It blends well, looks good, and smells FANTASTIC. It genuinely smells like a chocolate bar every time you open it. How can a girl not love that?


5. Nivea Lip Butter $3 I usually use the Vanilla & Macadamia But version. This month I have the original unscented one. I love the yummy delicious vanilla one, but I prefer this unscented one for before bed. It doesn't fight with toothpaste flavor. It is completely unscented and has no taste. It's smoothly, moisturizing, and definitely works on chapped lips.


6. Nicole 3-in-1 Top Coat/Base/Strengthener $5.99 I was in need of a new base coat and picked this up on a whim during one of my Target trips. I'm not convinced one way or the other about it's Strengthening abilities, but it is a great base coat and top coat. It does it's job well and isn't too pricey.


7. Olay Regenerist Luminous Brightening Cleanser $8.99 another product picked up on a whim at Target. I have a lot of these. Target is my obsession. I am really glad I picked this up. It's a great, gentle daily cleaner. It seems to work well with my skin type. I tend to get really bad dry patches during our SoCal Santa Ana winds. They are winds from hell. My skin hates the dryness. This is creamy, gentle, and moisturizing. It really helped me through our windy Fall period.


8. Lorac Alter Ego Lipstick in Vixen $16 this is a gorgeous bright, Fuchsia pink and I love it. It's creamy, buttery, and smooth. It's got a great texture for the price point. It's super pigmented. And I am in love with this color.

9. Real Techniques Setting Brushv$7.99 Don't get me wrong, I love my Sigma and Mac brushes, but there is something about this little guy that I just cannot get over. It's technically a setting brush. I own three. I use one for setting my concealer, one for adding my highlighter, and the third for contouring. Contouring is probably my favorite way to use this brush. It's just the right size for a cheek contour. I own some actually contour brushes, but most feel too large to get in there and get the job done. This one does the job perfectly. And you can't beat that prices.


And there you have it, my favorites for the month of November. I'm already excited about December favorites so get ready!

On Lipsticks and Life.

Or something like that. I love makeup. I love all makeup. But the makeup I love most of all is lipstick. I love it because I can change lipstick shades ten times a day if I want. A good red lipstick always makes me feel pulled together. I can be a complete mess, but lipstick can always save the day. I love all the finishes, textures, shades, colors, glosses, stains, balms....the options are endless. And it is so much fun to explore and play with. With that in mind I've put together a post on my favorite Fall lipsticks.


These lipsticks are all Fall appropriate. They run the gauntlet from deep berries to vampy reds to warm nudes. I think with this post I cover it all.

1. MAC Rebel My love for this lipstick is endless. It's $16 and stunning. The only way one can truly describe it is to say that it's the darkest pink you can imagine. MAC describes it as a deep plum. That sums it up pretty well. It's a gorgeous satin finish. It's vampy, vibrant, and so much fun.

2. Urban Decay F-Bomb $22 is a touch pricey for a lipstick. But I've never met a red a love so much. It's a truly classic red with a blue undertone that makes teeth look whiter. It's creamy, buttery, vibrant, and super intensely pigmented. It's my idea of the perfect red lipstick. And every girl needs a perfect red lipstick. It's the LBD of lipsticks. I am in love.

3. MAC Heroine This baby runs $16 and it's worth every penny. It's a perfect vibrant matte shade. It's a super intense purple. It takes a brave girl to pull it off. But I can guarantee you that you can do it. It's stunning.

4. Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte in Lust for Blush I am constantly proclaiming the virtue of this lipstick. It's the perfect neutral pink. Creamy, soft, and matte. It's a buttery matte which is basically impossible to come by. It's a beautiful lipstick and at $5.50 you cannot beat it.

5. NYX Butter LIpstick in Big Cherry This is my go-to, everyday red. It's a butter lipstick so it's very easy to wear. It's vibrant and pretty richly pigmented, but it feels like you're wearing a lip balm. Urban Decay's F-Bomb may be my all time favorite red, but this is probably my most worn. Because it's easy. It doesn't even require a lipliner. It's just magic. And all that magic for only $6

6. Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte in Touch of Spice This beauty is the perfect matte brown. It's a brown lipstick. For me the idea of a brown lipstick is drab and overwhelming. I love brights. I don't even know how to wear brown lipstick. But this one is wearable. In fact it's easy to wear. The tones in this lipstick are basically universally flattering. This sounds crazy, but it's a bold and exciting neutral that anyone can pull of and hello $5.50.

7. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 09 This shade is beautiful. It's a universally flattering red with blue undertones. It's dark and has a pinkishness to it without ever being pink. It's practically flawless and runs for less than $5 if you can find it at Target. It's beautiful.


I could go on for days, but these are my favorites.

October Favorite 2014.

So I'm late to the game. We're almost halfway through November, but here they are. My favorite products for the month of October.

1. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product.  $18This stuff makes my dry, curly hair...well, less dry. It's a serious miracle. It's one of the only reason I can manage my insane hair. I have dry hair. This stuff makes my hair feel soft. I don't know if my hair had ever felt soft prior to this stuff making it's way into my life. I am obsessed. Like in love, can't live without it, I must have back up bottles obsessed.

2. Essie Spa Pedicure Swept off my Feet nourishing oil. $10.99 Dry, cracked heels are just part of my lot in life. I have accepted that. But this stuff is a game changer. I'm going to get my hands on the foot cream ASAP. I rub this oil into my heels post shower, let it dry, add some lotion, and slip on some fuzzy socks. And it's helping. A lot. My feet have never felt this soft. It's amazing.

3. OPI San Francisco Nail Lacquer in Keeping Suzi at Bay $9.50This nail polish is gorgeous. It's the perfect dark blue/navy for Fall. It's pretty, deep, and very autumny. It looks absolutely gorgeous with a paired with a silver or gold glitter. I am completely hooked.

4. Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip Color in Lust for Blush $7.99 (Target has it for $5.50!) This lip color is practically Fall perfection. It's not a nude. It's not a pinky pink. It's just this perfect creamy, rosy, matte pinkish color. Sort of muave, but sort of rosy. It's soft and creamy. It has the typical Maybelline lipstick smell, which I don't care for, but that fades quickly and the color and formulation of this lipstick are worth the less than perfect scent. It's beautiful. I also cannot get enough of Touch of Spice and Divine Wine. These lipsticks are amazing.

5. The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighting Powder $24 This is an intense highlight. But I love it. It's smooth and creamy. It's shimmery, but there's no real glitter involved. It gives that perfect inner glow. You just need to have a light hand when applying it. A little goes a LONG way. It's a beautiful color. It's perfect for the tops of cheek bones and the inner corner of eyes. It's a perfect highlight and it's so intense that it'l last forever because it takes such a small amount. I am in love.

6. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush $6.99 I've been singing the virtues of these amazing L'Oreal eyeshadows for ages. But I looked over this one for years. I don't know why. Amber Rush is the perfect shade for every eye color. All of the shadows in this collection are on point. They are shimmery, smooth, creamy...they're are butter on your eyes. And the colors POP. But this one. This one is absolute magic. It's transforming. It's beautiful. You cannot go wrong with this color. Or this price.

7. Nyx Slim Lip Pencil in Plum $3.49 This lip liner is perfect for a vampy fall lip. It looks great with Mac's Rebel and is about $12 less than a Mac liner. What's not to love about that?

8. Jane Cosmetics Water-Resistant Eyeliner in Black $6 If you line your waterline you need this eyeliner in your life. Yesterday. It's all you need for the perfectly lined waterline. It's dark and richly pigmented. It's water resistant. It doesn't smudge and smear. It's easy to apply. And it's $6. Thank you Jane Cosmetics for making something so perfect.

9. Tangle Teezer Salon Elite $8.95 I've had this brush for over a year now. It has completely changed my life. It can be used on wet of dry hair. I get out of the shower, towel dry my hair gently, spray my It's a 10 into my hair, and then use this brush to comb through my hair. It's wonderful. It detangles my insane hair. It makes the detangling process easy. And it feels like a massage for your scalp. I don't think I could love a brush more than I love this baby. It's magic.

Yes....I am a make up addict

Make up has been my "thing" for a long time. Although there was a brief period a few years ago where I momentarily swore off of it in search of my more natural "hippie" self. That didn't last too long and I've been make with a vengeance for a while now. There was a lot of wasted time and missed products to make up for. I am obsessed. And I am completely okay with that. From Maybelline to Urban Decay. From Loreal to Mac. I love it all. Bright colors. Neutrals. Sparkle, matte, glitter. It's all beautiful in my eyes. There isn't a color, finish, texture that won't grace my eyelids. Red lips, nude lips, purple lips. I love it all. So this is where I dive into sharing my addiction with the rest of the world.