My Holy Grail Drugstore Makeup List

Foundation: Depending on the day, there are 2 foundations that I consider my "go-to's…"
L'Oreal True Match Lumi is perfect for days when my skin is on the dry side.  I also consider this foundation my favorite for daily use.  The coverage isn't too intense and it's very easy to blend this product into airbrushed perfection. 

Revlon Colorstay 24 Hr is my favorite long-wearing foundation.  I reach for this stuff on days when I want a very full coverage look.  Also when I know I might be sweating, traveling, or gone for a long period of time.  

Both of these foundations are incredible.  I still have not found a high end foundation that I like more than these two! 

Concealer:  I think I've tried every single concealer that is available at the drugstore (or close to it anyways).  I was beginning to accept that an amazing drugstore concealer may just not exist for me until I discovered L'oreal True Match Super-Blendable Concealer.

Again, I have yet to find a high end concealer that even remotely compares… 

This stuff is incredible! It blends like a dream, lasts for hours and hours, and does not crease as long as it's set with a powder!

Eyelid primer: It's taken me a long long long time to establish good eyeshadow skills.  Does anyone else feel that way???

Beautiful eyeshadow is perhaps the most difficult to achieve (for me anyways) when it comes to makeup, so an outstanding eyelid primer is critical!  My 2 favorites are: 

NYX Jumbo eye pencil in the shade "Milk" and Jordana 12 HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in the shade "continuous almond."

These are not your typical primers, however I find their thick & creamy consistencies and opacity to be absolutely GAME CHANGING when it comes to making your eyeshadow POP.  Trust me, either of these eye bases will change your life. :) 

Eyeshadow: I'm not gonna lie, I'm a snob when it comes to eyeshadow.  I typically reach for my big expensive palettes, but I thought I'd give an honorable mention to the Sally Girl Eye Shadow Connecting Compacts from Sally's beauty supply.  These babies, are a cheap thrill that offer some pretty impressive color pay off.  

Eyebrow pencil: My one and only, Maybelline Define-A-Brow Eyebrow Pencil.  Perfect for the girl who is nervous about her brows looking too "drawn on."  

Eyeliner: For the waterline, my all time favorite is Revlon Photoready Kajal Intense eyeliner in the shade, "Carbon Cleopatra."

For the eyelids, Revlon Colorstay Creme Gel Eye Liner "Brown" has been absolutely game changing for me.  I've struggled with eyeliner for years and years… I'm not sure if it's the gel formula or the fact that brown is a little more forgiving than black, but this product has revolutionized the way I do eyeliner!

Powder: Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder is my favorite for setting foundation (especially in my T-Zone), and e.l.f. Studio Tone Correcting Powder is my ALL TIME favorite for setting my under eye concealer.

Mascara:  If you follow me on Instagram, it will come as no surprise that I think Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara is THEBOMB.COM!

Bronzer & Blush: This is a recent rediscovered favorite of mine, and it has iconic status in the beauty blogging world… e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in "St. Lucia"

Highlighter: This subtle, finely milled highlighter is gorgeous! It smells a little bit like coconuts too...Wet N Wild Coloricon Bronzer in "Reserve Your Canbana"

Setting Spray: If I'm feeling like I look a little too "cakey" or my powder is more visible than I'd like it to be, this setting spray is a life saver!  NYX Dewy Finish Long Lasting Setting Spray

Lips: There are way TOO many AMAZING drugstore lip products to have a sole favorite, but I'd like to give a special shout out to the Milani lipsticks and lip glosses for being so incredible when it comes to pigmentation, texture, taste, longevity… and they are SOOO affordable!!

There you have it! My list of holy grail makeup products (at least for the time being #makeupjunkie).  I hope this inspires you to try some new things! 

Until next time, 

NAKED 3

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate!

As an avid, EXTREME lover of beauty products in general, I have a very special love for eyeshadows in particular. My obsession with eyeshadow started when I first purchased the original Naked palette back in January of 2012. It was my first major beauty splurge and I've made several eyeshadow purchases (both inexpensive and high end) since then.  

In fact, my eyeshadow stash is probably the largest within my entire makeup collection.  That being said, I don't think I've so much as touched a different shadow or palette since receiving the Naked 3 palette on Christmas day. 

Yes, it's THAT good!  I've gotten more compliments on my eyeshadow in the past 3 weeks than ever before.  Most likely because the Naked 3 palette has totally unique colors and hues.  It took me awhile to adjust to using rose/gold colors on my eyes, but I'm now in a good groove and I marvel at the beauty of these shadows every single time I use them. 

If you're looking to invest in a high quality palette, I most definitely recommend this one.  The creamy, buttery, smooth, and blend-able shadows will make you swoon. I'm going to stop gushing, but seriously, the Naked 3 palette helps me feel feminine and pretty even on average work days.  You can't put a price tag on that! 

What I love most about it is the fact that my dear sweet boyfriend searched long and hard because he knew how much I wanted it for Christmas.  My boyfriend is as rugged as they come, so when I picture him searching Ulta, Sephora, and Urban Decay (.com) in a desperate attempt to locate this oh-so popular and sold out item, it makes me feel like such a lucky girl. 

Ultimately, he ended up locating the product at Macy's of all places! I didn't even know they carried Urban Decay products, but that's very helpful to know for future reference. :)

I realize there are a ba-jillion reviews out there on this product, but I just thought I would break my blogging hiatus with my own personal take on the Naked 3. 

Until next time, 

 

Beauty Products that actually WORK!

Seche Vite- This is the best top coat I've ever used.  I know that's a bold statement, but nail polish and I go way back... I've tried soooo many top coats and none of them have locked in my color like this one.  It also leaves a very shiny almost "salon-like" finish.  I bought mine at Sally's Beauty Supply, but I've also seen this product at CVS. 

Wet Brush- One of my most dreaded beauty rituals is brushing my hair after showering.  It doesn't matter how well it was brushed before I got in the shower or how much conditioner I use, I get tangles like WHOA (my sister can feel me on this one).  Something that has dramatically helped the dreaded process is my Wet Brush from Sally's Beauty Supply (also sold at Bed Bath and Beyond).  The bristles are little miracle workers that rake through the mess without a lot of tear.  I'm in love with this brush.

got2b POWDER'ful volumizing styling powder- I stumbled on this product by accident...essentially I needed to purchase a got2b product from CVS to earn a huge Extra Bucks reward and this was the one I randomly selected.  Lucky for me, this product ROCKS.  Need a little volume at the roots?  Massaging a little bit of this powder into your scalp will give you just that! Promise :) 

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer- Face primer isn't crucial if you have an oily complexion, however if you have a dry complexion like mine this primer will rock your socks.  It absolutely does the job that it claims! I feel like is smoothes my skin, minimizes my pores, and makes your foundation look fresh for hours and hours.  

Tangle Teezer- I love me some BIG hair.  In fact, for years I haven't worn my hair has big and poofy as I would like because I'm always afraid of creating a ratted, tangled mess.  With this product I'm now able to get as crazy as I want with the teasing because it gently and miraculous smooths out even the gnarliest of teases.  It's totally a one of a kind product and I'm lost without it!  I got mine at Sally's, but I've also seen them at Walgreens. 

Real Techniques Lash/Brow Groomer-  The picture above does not do justice to the sharp little bristles on this tool.  I first saw this product at Ulta while randomly browsing and I just had a feeling that this tool would be amazing at combing through clumpy, mascara coated eyelashes.  Sure enough, I can't live without this product anymore. I find myself combing my lashes before and after mascara application because I just feel like it makes the lashes look that much longer and natural.  

Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder- There are a lot of great pressed powders out there, but this one is currently my favorite.  Primarily because it not only locks my foundation and concealer into place, it leaves my face shine free ALL DAY LONG.  This is the most impressive Revlon product I've ever used, and it just so happens that I'm a huge Revlon fan so that says a lot :)

Aquaphor Healing Ointment-  The purchase of this product followed a long line of other products I've tried over the years in a desperate effort to eliminate the dry cracked skin that forms around my nose as soon as the weather starts getting chilly.  I very skeptically picked this product up feeling certain that it would not help with my dry nose issue.  Man, did it feel good to be wrong :)  FINALLY there is a solution to my problem, and I highly highly HIGHLY suggest this product for extremely dry, cracked, annoying patches of skin.  End rant.  

Palladio Pencil Sharpener- Until about 3 months ago, I didn't own a single makeup product in pencil form.  Gradually different kinds of eyeshadow and eye liner pencils started popping up in my collection and becoming a part of my makeup routine.  It didn't dawn on me until several of my pencils were dull that I needed to invest in a quality sharpener (side note-->I ruined a few pencils trying to sharpen them with the cheap sharpeners that often come included.  My advice is to spare your pencils and just buy a good one).  I picked this one up at Sally's Beauty and it works like a dream!  It only takes a few rotations to get your pencil looking like new again, it has 2 blades (one for jumbo pencils and one for standard pencils), AND it has a nice clear case that keeps all the shavings contained.  Hallelujah! 

Isn't it awesome when products actually live up to their claims???  It makes me giddy :)

Drugstore Deals of the Week!

 There are some AMAZING deals going on at the Drugstore this week!

 Let's start with Walgreens...

Earlier this week I picked up TWO of these bad boys (both in the scent "lavendar jasmine") at Walgreens for $6! In addition, I received $3 is store credit toward my next purchase.  This is an outstanding shave cream!

I'm planning to make one more trip to Walgreens this week to redeem my $3 reward and to take advantage of a Covergirl sale that's going on (Buy one get one 50% off).  I know from experience that the outlast nail polish is really something special, in addition, I have a manufacturer's coupon for $1.50 off any 2 Covergirl outlast nail polishes.  That being said, with these 3 discounts it will take my total from $11.98 to $4.49!! 

Moving on to Rite Aid...

 Currently, Rite Aid has a Physicians Formula deal going on where you get $10 in store credit for every $15 you spend on Physicians Formula products.  What makes the deal even sweeter is that you can take advantage of this offer TWICE!  Therefore, I took the opportunity to purchase the Eye Booster Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum, 2-in-1, Medium Black for $7.67 and the Shadow & Liner, Custom Eye Enhancing, Nude Eyes palette for $8.37.  With the $10 in rewards that I earned I'm planning to purchase... 

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls, All Skin Tones, Translucent Pearl

Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Bronzer, Pressed, Glow-Boosting

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips, Riviera Strips/Sand Bronzer

I plan to take my first $10 in rewards and apply it to a second purchase of $15 or more in Physician's Formula makeup.  This will earn me a second $10 in rewards in which I will make a 3rd and final purchase.  The 3 products above are the ones I'm targeting for my next 2 Rite Aid transactions, however I'm slightly torn because CVS is also having a an awesome sale on Physicians Formula this week.

Which leads me to my next purchase...

ALL Physicians Formula cosmetics are 40% off at CVS this week!  I popped in there the other day to redeem a $2 extra buck reward I had that was about to expire.  I came out with just one item, the Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara, Ultra Black.  First of all, I had hoped to include this product in my Rite Aid purchase, but they didn't have it.  Second of all, I may or may not go back to CVS and purchase some more Physician's Formula items that I've been interested in trying.  40% is a pretty awesome deal.  We shall see... 

Anyways, as if spending $3.99 (40% off + $2 extra bucks) on a mascara that retails for $9.99 is not awesome enough, the formula is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! 

This was a recommendation from one of my favorite youtubers of all time: GlamLifeGuru.  This is her "holy grail" mascara and I totally understand why.  The packaging is a little goofy in my opinion and the brush is slightly larger than I would prefer, but the formula makes those drawbacks totally worth it! 

Hopefully this post inspires you to take advantage of some of the great deals going on this week! :)

 

NYX Cosmetics: Haul, Review & Sale Details

I've had an ongoing list of NYX cosmetics that I've been interested in trying for quite some time.  The opportunity to purchase them all presented itself last week when Ulta had a 40% off sale on ALL NYX products.  

As soon as I got the email I knew I was going to take advantage of the sale.  I originally planned on going to the store as opposed to placing an online order because I was so anxious to get the products! Fortunately, I remembered that the last time I visited my local Ulta all of the NYX cosmetics were really picked over and they didn't have a lot of the products I was looking for.  

Ultimately, I realized it was worth it to wait a few days for an online order to arrive to ensure I could get all the products I wanted at 40% off, so this was the route I ended up taking.  I managed to score a few more discounts as well: 

• Typically Ulta requires you to spend $50 in order to get free shipping, but I searched through my email and found a promo code that allowed me to get free shipping by spending $35.  
• I also found a promo code on the homepage that allowed $3.50 off of a purchase of $10 or more. 
• Lastly, I redeemed $3.00 in reward cash that I earned for previous purchases. 

When it was all said and done,  I spent about $35 for about $68 worth of products.  Not too shabby :)

Matte Body Bronzer by Nyx Cosmetics Light

I've been wanting to try this bronzer for awhile now and the quality did not disappoint!  It's 100% matte just like it advertises and the light shade is perfect for my fair-ish skin tone.  The packaging is quite nice and convenient too...I really appreciate a good ole' round compact with a mirror!

Powder Blush by Nyx Cosmetics Mocha

I've heard so many great things about this particular shade, "Mocha."  It's much peachier in real life than the image appears.  I really like it, but it's highly pigmented and not the easiest to blend so it's important to use a really light hand when applying it.

Powder Blush by Nyx Cosmetics Summer Peach

 The summer peach shade is essentially the same color as mocha, however this one has some shimmer in it.  I'm not a big fan of shimmery blushes, I prefer to apply my own shimmer (highlight) after my bronzer and blush go on. 

Jumbo Eye Pencil by Nyx Cosmetics Iced Mocha

Jumbo Eye Pencil by Nyx Cosmetics Cottage Cheese

 I own the NYX jumbo pencil in "Milk," and I LOVE it! So I took this opportunity to snag a few more colors... iced mocha and cottage cheese (awesome names, right?).   The pencils are awesome for adding a little color under your lash line or using as a primer/base.  I also tend to reach for these when I'm in a rush because you can just rub a little on your eye lid, blend it with your finger, and you're good to go!

Lip Gloss w/ Mega Shine by Nyx Cosmetics Chandelier

Lip Gloss w/ Mega Shine by Nyx Cosmetics La La

Lip Gloss w/ Mega Shine by Nyx Cosmetics Nude Peach

The Mega Shine lip glosses... probably one of the most iconic products NYX has to offer!  I owned 2 prior to this purchase and narrowing down the shades I wanted was probably the most challenging part of this haul.  Ultimately, I learned an important lesson... the way the colors appear online is not at all accurate!  Chandelier for example (the biggest disappointment in the bunch)...see how it appears to be a baby pink? In reality, it's a very shimmery maroon color.  I'm not a huge fan.  La La and Nude Peach are nice, but in reality they are almost the exact same color!  Ultimately, I still really like these lip glosses and will continue to use them but if I could do it over I would pick different shades. 

Eye Shadow Base by Nyx Cosmetics Skin Tone

I knew I would like the skin tone eye base because I have the white one and it's been a total game changer for me.  Sure enough, it's amazing! My eye primers are practically going extinct because these NYX bases are all I seem to reach for these days :)

Nude Matte Eyeshadow by Nyx Cosmetics Birthday Suit

This eyeshadow was such a disappointment! It's chalky, thin, and has very little pigmentation.  I was really looking forward to having a light pink shadow in my collection, but unfortunately this was not what I was expecting.

Single Eye Shadow by Nyx Cosmetics Irises

This was a pretty out of the box purchase for me.  I'm trying to branch out and experiment with different eye shadow colors and this one just called to me.  I haven't worn it a ton, but I definitely find the formula to be better than the matte shadow I mentioned above.  

Butter Gloss by Nyx Cosmetics Éclair

Butter Gloss by Nyx Cosmetics Merengue

I am in LOVE with these butter glosses! While it appears they are the same color, they're actually not.  Eclair is a pretty sheer, soft pink and Merengue is a thicker more opaque bright pink.  I've been wearing these constantly because they're so cute, so creamy, and so girly! 

So there you have it! My NYX haul and product impressions.  My favorite products from this purchase are definitely the bronzer, the eye base, and the butter creams.  My not so favorite products are the mega shine lip glosses and the matte eye shadow. 

If you're interested in trying out some NYX cosmetics, I suggest checking out: 

cherryculture.com

makeupgeek.com

ulta.com

I've also seen the line at Meijer! Hope that helps :)