My Beauty Wish for the Holidays

Oh the holidays, a time of joy, a time of giving, and a time of treating oneself to fabulous holiday sets at Sephora and Ulta!! With single pots of eye shadow running me $14.50 a pop (hello MAC!) or $18 a pan (ouch Stila!), who can resist the fabulous deals on eye shadow kits out around this time? I have two faves, and both are AH-MAZING because not only do they include a ton of shades, but they have a little tutorials too for beauty queens in the making. Now which one should you get? Well, that’s completely up to you and where your loyalty lies with brands...but I went ahead with Smashbox.

Smashbox's Eye Wish Set

Smashbox’s Eye Wish palette is making me wish I met this eye shadow brand before I met MAC. Their vibrant colors go on smoothly thanks to Vitamin E, and this $45 palette includes Smashbox’s famous Photo Finish Lid Primer—an amazing sample (and almost as good as Urban Decay’s Eye Shadow Primer Potion…check back later for reviews!) and their incredibly volumizing lash DNA Mascara (still, Maybelline is great and less pricey). With 12 incredible shades, 4 cream liners, AND 8 tutorials on how to apply them for the bombshell in the making, this is a deal I could not resist. Ok fine…I really didn’t know about the tutorial until about five minutes ago…but I plan on using them!

Stila's Color Wheel

Do I regret my purchase after I saw Stila’s $38 beauty deal, the Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette? I’m not so sure now. Stila’s individual eye shadows retails at a whopping $18 a pan, this 37-color wheel is an outstanding deal and a big competitor. Smashbox includes primer and mascara, but no brushes. The color wheel includes a 16-page tutorial, two double-ended eye shadow brushes, and 37 vibrant shades. I sound like I’m in regret heaven (or hell?)…but I’m pretty pleased with my Smashbox Eye Wish palette. Maybe if I make it on Santa’s Nice List this year he’ll get me the Stila set for Christmas? *HINT HINT TO MY FIANCE*

There is no denying that both brands offer solid colors and are both incredible sets to share or purchase for oneself. I personally find them to be a better deal than MAC’s Holiday “A Tartan Tale” collection which has just 6 shades and retails at $36 at Nordstrom. Not worth the money at all! Their holiday brush set is $49.50 and sells out QUICK!, however, since their brushes retail at about $18 each, I think these are totally worth the price. I’ve had mine for over two years and have had no complaints.

MAC's A Tartan Tale Collection

For all the beauty geeks out there who are suffering still from this recession, the holidays are the BEST time to get amazing deals on palettes and sets like this, so I highly recommend you stock up now.

Next post: me trying to use the tutorials that Smashbox includes!

Lost-Lasting, Lucious Liners

I can be quite lazy with my makeup, and that is especially true when it comes to my eyeliner. I can’t be counted on to have a sharpener on hand no matter how many I buy, and I never, ever seem to be able to locate mine, so for that reason, I stick to liquid eyeliner. First, because I am so angry about this product, I will talk about the one I absolutely loathe with a passion. I hate this $16.50 eyeliner so much that I returned it within a week. It looked so cool, but this eyeliner stirs up nothing but negative feelings. Mostly because I feel bad for the poor girls who think this type of liquid liner will convert them to the liquid side of liners…but it really does nothing but disappoint.

I’m talking about you, MAC Penultimate eyeliner ($16.50). Here you come on the scene, a nifty pen type liner with a felt tip that reminded me of the felt pens my teachers used to grade my homework in elementary school. You seemed so easy to apply, and sure, compared to the gel pot liners, you were. You didn’t require extra effort or thought, it was a quick swish and there you were lining my eyes. Sometimes it was two swipes. But by lunchtime, this sneaky product faded to gray. Having to reapply did not go well with my laziness. It made me hate you, MAC Penultimate eyeliner. I needed a liner that lasted the entire day! Not an awful product that lasted just half a day.

• Cons: Didn’t last all day, not as dark as I’d like, required two applications to be dark
• Pro: Easy to apply, fast-drying

So of course, I took the advice of my cousin who showed me her fantastic L’Oreal Paris Telescopic Precise Liquid Eyeliner that lasts all day! The pointed brush wasn’t too soft or too long like some liners, and the texture of the liner was great. It didn’t smear or smudge which was so important to me. The best part—it did last me all day. I only had to reapply if I was going out at night, which I didn’t mind. The "brush" is actually quite stiff, similar to the MAC Penultimate, but it may take a while to get used. The price can’t be beat! It is just about $8 at your local drugstore, less than half the price of MAC’s Penultimate liner.

• Cons: it can go on thick and it doesn't dry fast, so if you aren't careful and blink right away, you'll end up with liner on the top of your lids. It's happened to me before.. not pretty.
  
• Pro: long-lasting, thick texture, rich, easy to apply, the black is super bold, matte finish
  

Another liner I love is the Sephora brand liquid liner. It is only $10, and while it is a bit more “watery” than the L’Oreal Paris liner and has a thin, long brush, I still did enjoy this product greatly. I am more loyal to the L’Oreal, but the Sephora brand is great too.

• Cons: Not water-proof like it claims to be, doesn't last all day (you might need a touch-up)
  
• Pro: good color, goes on super thin thanks to the brush
  

Stay tuned for my NEXT POST: Pencil Eyeliners

It's All About the Eyes!

Did you know that you’re supposed to change your mascara every 2-3 months? I definitely didn’t know this until a few months ago. The moist tube is a breeding ground for bacteria, ew! You can get a sty from this, and I might go so far as to blame my pink eye a few years back on my mascara (I know, TMI). Why do we spend SO much money on our mascara when we have to throw that tube out every 3 months?

I started asking myself this when I tossed a perfectly useful tube of Dior Show out recently. A $24 tube, might I add. I loved my Dior Show mascara; it went on nice and dark, and was better than the other stuff I’d used before. It really is a great product and I recommended it to everyone. My only complaint is it does get a little stiff sometimes. It plumped like it said it would, it curled like it said it would, but it put on a fight when it came time to removing it at night. I like my mascara to make my eyes pop while making my lashes feel soft.

I visited the Fresh makeup store in New York, and the sales girl knew right off the bat I used Dior Show mascara because of the way my lashes looked. She recommended I try her Fresh Supernova Mascara. I was hooked! This went on softly, and it made my thin lashes appear full and lovely. I felt that it did a bit more curling than my Dior Show. And the tube is super cute!! It runs for about $25, and up until a few months ago, was only available at their boutiques. Now, Fresh Mascara is available at Sephora so I planned on getting my new one there.

Then I heard the awful “change your mascara every 2-3 months or you’ll get some crazy eye disease” story (like pink eye!), and I realized that my expensive mascara habit would cost me $100 a year! (and that’s before LA’s 9.75% sales tax!!).

So of course, I was on a quest for less expensive mascara at my most favorite store, Sephora. (my stories always involve me ending up here!)

Did you know that Sephora sells mini products in their check out stands? They sell mini glosses, creams, and mascara! Fresh sells their mini-mascara duo here for just $10! This comes with the Supernova Mascara and the Firebird Mascara, which the product detail claims:

Lashes are scientifically proven to have 34% more eye-opening curve after applying Supernova and to be 44% fuller and more voluminous after applying Firebird. For your best lashes, apply two coats of Supernova followed by one coat of Firebird.

All that scientific talk is making my head spin and sounds convincing enough to me….so I went for it. If we have to replace our mascara every 2-3 months, why are we buying such huge tubes? I have never finished a mascara tube and I’m not sure most women have. Actually, I used to be a habitual breaker of the 3-month rule and I used my mascara for way more than 3 months. The mini tube saves $15, I am down with the $10 duo pack and I highly recommend it!

If you are one of the rare women who actually runs out of mascara, then you can always go for these low cost alternatives.

When I was a little money-strapped, I caved and tried to Maybelline Great Lash Mascara that famously sells for under $5 at stores like Target or Wal-Mart. I actually really liked it. I felt it was more like Dior Show than it was like Fresh Supernova. It’s also the self-proclaimed #1 selling mascara. And at just five bucks, I don’t even feel bad throwing this thing out after 3 months. It does the trick by really lengthening and darkening your lashes, though it does feel a bit dry. This product is widely available and it really is a good alternative to the $100/year Dior or Fresh mascara habit. It only sets you back $20 a year! That’s an 80% savings with little to no compromise. (Well, the bright green bright pink packaging is a little distracting and childlike to me, so I keep this at home when I go out).

For those who prefer a soft finish to their mascara, I recommend trying Sephora Collection Triple Action Mascara for just $14. This sets you back $56 a year, so about a 50% savings over the pricier brands. I do love the Sephora Triple Action Mascara it’s what I’ve been using! I got this as a free sample and I have been hooked! It claims to offer “long lush lashes with full volume thickness, and deep rich pigment.” It certainly delivers!

Happy shopping!

*all photos from Sephora.com

The Acne Problem

I've been one of the lucky few who had very minimal issues with acne and pimples in my teens. I only recently started getting any blemishes, and last year when a few became a little too noticeable on my cheeks, I completely freaked out because at age 23, I had no idea how to treat acne.



I drove over to my favorite store Sephora for some assistance. Sephora carries tons of make up products, but I knew they would have acne treatments for me too. After speaking with a sales clerk for a while, she pointed me out to a brand called Peter Thomas Roth and showed me that their Acne Spot And Area Treatment supposedly stops pimples from before they even appear. What? There are products for that? I was sold! I don't like acne, I didn't like it on my face, and if I can stop it from before it comes heck ya! So... I took it to the register, and found out that itcosts $32!!! For Acne Medication. I know right, what kind of a crazy person spends $32 on Acne medication? I was honestly just determined not to walk around with any zits on my face and thought this expensive product would do this trick.

Wrong.

At first I thought I was just thought God was out to get me and was determined to make me go through break outs at 23...but then I realized this $32 product just really sucks. It did absolutely nothing for my acne, not even after 2-3 continuous days of use. Worst of all, if I put it on in the morning before work, there was visibly white filmy residue on my face. Not at all attractive.

So I went to Target and looked through the acne aisle and found a little tube of Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel for about $8...huge savings. I took it home and used it on the same acne spots and am so grateful to have discovered this product!! I now understand why it's the dermatologists recommended brand, this little tube helped save me. As a matter of fact, I got a little pimple on my chin tonight so I used this Gel and I am confident that by tomorrow the pimple will be gone. It contains 2% salicylic Acid which apparently is one of the strongest sold OTC, so good deal Neutrogena!


Verdict: Buying expensive OTC acne treatment is not always in you best interest....so if you have mild acne stick with brands like Neutrogena. However, I'm no Dermatologist, so see one if your acne is really bad for a prescription for something stronger, or better recommendations.

Lip Gloss is Poppin'

Oh Givenchy, how I love my Givenchy Pop Gloss in Impertinent Nude. It goes on so smoothly and the colors Givenchy offers are beautiful. The cube tube is too cute, and the gloss glides on my lips perfectly.

I've been using my Givenchy Pop Gloss since my freshman year of college...but now at $25.50 a pop, I had to find a good alternative! I used to use MAC Lipgloss before I discovered the glory of Givenchy, so I took a trip to the MAC make up counter to find a suitable alternative.

I forgot how inexpensive MAC was compared to Givenchy lipgloss!! It is only $14 for a tube of lip gloss and the applicator is a lot better because it's not a brush and it helps prevent gloss coming out in big goops like Givenchy.



The new color I use is Lust (accurately described as a "soft, muted pink" on their website), and it's really pretty and smooth. I saved $10, and MAC has a ton more shades than Givenchy...and they have fun names like "Enchantress" and "Nymphette" for their glosses. SO cute and fun!

Verdict: Downgrade OK!

*note, the pictures on this post are not photos of the colors I've described.
*photo credit, MACCosmetics and Sephora.com

Meet Me

I was inspired to begin this a year ago, when I quit my job and had a bit of trouble landing a new one (thank you recession). My savings was depleting and I refused to go out in the world looking like a mess. I had to cut costs without cutting my beauty regimen, and I thought I might share my experiences with those who might be looking for great alternatives for otherwise overpriced products.

There are many blogs about dressing chic in this economy, but far too few about personal care in this economy.

I overheard Ryan Seacrest on KIIS FM one morning and he was suggesting we women cut down on our Sephora shopping trips. And you know what, I was absolutely appalled just like you readers probably are. But then I realized that I've been frequenting my favorite store a lot less lately, and it's because I've found comparable products with far lower price tags!

I used to be a hair care product JUNKIE! Just like I swore I would never give up my designer jeans (and still have not!), the thought of giving up Enjoy hair products and my favorite Bumble and Bumble hair serum was far too depressing that I balked at the idea of buying--gasp!!--hair care from Target. True story.

My hair still looks pretty darn good, and I've been maintaining the flawless skin I've been complimented on for ages. My blog will detail some of the things you SHOULD do, and some things I absolutely recommend leaving up to the professionals.

Enjoy!