Cheap to Steep

April 2012 Favorites

I can’t believe another month has gone by! I’ve barely posted this month, there have just been a million things going on. And because my life was too busy to post I didn’t have a ton of time to be trying out new products either, so this post is going to be more concise then your typical favorites post. That being said, there are a few things that I got this month that I just absolutely love, so I knew I had to share them with you.

DermStore Lip Quench ($12)

I got this item in my April Glam Bag and not a day has gone by that I haven’t used it, multiple times. It has a tiny bit of a tint if you look at it straight out of the bottle, but its not really noticeable on your lips. If anything it just kind of evens out your natural color a bit. But there are two reasons that I absolutely love this product, and the color isn’t one of them. First of all, it smells delicious. It’s a soft scent of strawberries that’s really nice when you apply it, but doesn’t linger for too long on your lips (which I find can be distracting). Secondly, the feel is just absolutely 100% what I look for in a lip balm. It easily clings to your lips without feeling sticky. It doesn’t slide around at all and it lasts for hours on your lips without reapplying. It’s a bit pricey at $12 a bottle, but that won’t stop me from repurchasing this. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow in Champagne Sheen/Gilded Bronze ($20)


I absolutely love these eye shadows. I was never a huge fan of Bare Minerals before because I tend to avoid loose powder products. In general, they’re just too messy to really bother with on a daily basis. Then I of course saw the millions of posts online and commercials on TV about the fact that BM was making some pressed powder products, but I never rushed out to try any of them. Now I’m disappointed that I didn’t. The quality and pigmentation is absolutely perfect. It’s almost creamy it’s so smooth. These are just really basic colors, but I did get to swatch a bunch of them and the pigmentation throughout the collection seems pretty solid. I’ll definitely be picking up a few other shades in the future.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Carnation ($8.99)
 
You guys know that I love Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks, but this month I’ve stepped back from my all time favorite shade (Petal) in favor of something a bit brighter and more fun - Carnation. It’s just a beautiful statement color that’s really easy to wear. The formula is great and lasting power is pretty good as well.   

So that’s all I really have to rave about for April. Kind of disappointing, but hopefully things will slow down for me soon and I’ll have a bit more free time to blog and test out products. See you soon!

Face of the Day: No Brushes!

Hey guys,

So I’m leaving tomorrow for a little trip - vacation this time, not a business trip - so I decided last night to wash all of my brushes before I went. The problem? They were still damp this morning when I was getting ready for work. So I thought I’d do a 2-in-1 post and show you what products I’m wearing today and an easy look to do without using any brushes (except those built into products, like a mascara wand).

Moisturize: Clean n Clear Pore Perfecting Moisturizer

I never use a brush to apply my moisturizer. If you usually do then the simple answer for not using any brushes is simple - just use your hands! Just make sure they’re clean before you begin!

Foundation: Maybelline Instant Age-Rewind

 
I skipped primer today - not for any reason really, I always use my hands to apply it - but I just decided I didn’t want to wear it today. It’s just an office day so there’s no real chance that my makeup is going to wear off anyway. Normally I would apply a thin layer of this foundation with my Real Techniques buffing brush (it’s a heavy cover foundation, and I find this is the best way to work it into your skin in a thin layer). Today though I just put a few small dots of this around my face and rubbed it in with my fingers. The application took much less time and the finished look is nearly identical to applying it with a brush.

*Normally I would set this look with powder now, but since I’m not using any brushes I just moved onto blush.

Blush: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Fresh Pink

Any cream blush is really easy to apply without using a brush, but since I wasn’t going to be setting my makeup with a setting powder like I usually do I wanted something a bit drier than the average cream blush. These are perfect for that. It dries to a beautiful finish once it’s on  your skin and it’s super easy to apply without a brush.

Eyebrows: NYX Retractable Eyebrow Pencil

I never really use this product because I prefer to just run a bit of eyeshadow through my brows and brush them into place. My brows are fine naturally, I don’t even really need to touch them at all I just do it out of habit. Anyway, I just dragged some of this through my eyebrows. It has a built in eyebrow spool, but I didn’t use it since the pencil strokes kind of brushes down my brows anyway.

Eyelid Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Again, this is a product I never use a brush with. I just apply a bit to the tip of my finger and apply it to my lids.

Eyeshadow: NYX Roll on Shimmer in Nude & Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

I applied this in the inner corner of my eye and under my browbone as a highlight. I used my finger to blend it out a bit. Then I moved onto the second part of my eyeshadow…
 

I couldn’t find a picture of the color I used, but it’s just a light tan/brown shade. These are really nicely pigmented and easy to apply with the roller ball. I just applied it all over my lid and then pat it in using the tip of my finger. 

Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On in Perversion

I applied this as close to the upper lash line as possible and then ran a bit through my waterline and lower lash line. Nice and simple, no brushes needed.

L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara

No surprises here, this is my everyday mascara. I guess technically this is using a brush, but I don’t wash my mascara wands, so I don’t ever have to worry about being without it. I applied this to both my top and bottom lashes.

Setting Spray: Urban Decay All-Nighter

Since I didn’t set my foundation with a powder like I usually do I just sprayed this onto my face after I had finished everything. It sets your makeup, makes sure it stays put and is nice and refreshing. It’s a good alternative to powder. (As a side not, I could have just used one of the millions of puffs I had laying around to apply powder, but I thought that was cheating for a no brush makeup look. If you have extremely oily skin though you might want to skip this and go for a powder instead).

Lips: Dermstore Lip Quench

This is my new favorite thing ever. I can’t stop using it, I love it so much. This was the last step for today. 

Hope you guys like this post. I’ll be away until Tuesday so no posts until then. Hope you all have a great weekend!

How To Wear Tangerine Tango (For $10 or Less!)

Hey everyone,

So I’m sure I don’t have to tell you guys that “Tangerine Tango” has been named PANTONE’s color of 2012. Described as “a spirited reddish orange”, the shade has been popping up in stores everywhere and I’ve received a bunch of questions about the best way to wear this trend. The thing about trends though is that they disappear just as quickly as they arrive, so I’ll be showing you the most affordable way to update your look with this trendy color. So here we go, the best ways to incorporate a trendy tangerine color, all for $10 or less.

Eyes: Maybelline 24/7 Color Tattoo in Fierce & Tangy ($7)

Wearing this shade on the eyes is probably one of the most challenging ways to pull of this trend. Wearing any kind of pink or red color around the eyes can be difficult, and oranges have always kind of fallen into that category. The pigmentation of these can be really intense if you want it to, but it’s also easy to apply a sheer coat. For a wearable Spring/Summer look I suggest using a soft creamy color over the lids and blend a bit of this onto the outer half of the lid and into the crease with a synthetic crease brush. You don’t need to set these cream shadows, but if you want to just use a bit of translucent powder if you don’t have a similar color powder eyeshadow.

Face: ELF Studio Blush in Candid Coral ($3)

Don’t let the $3 price tag fool you - ELF Studio blushes are excellent and the price tag means there is even more to love. The quality of these blushes is something I’ve talked about countless times before, but their color selection is really beautiful too. Candid coral is the perfect blush for Spring and Summer. Get a beautiful peachy glow if you apply it sheer or build the color up to a more vibrant coral.

Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle or Peach Parfait ($7)


I included two options for this one depending on your preference and skin tone. On the left is Creamsicle, a soft and wearable orange. On the right is Peach Parfait, which is your everyday kind of peach shade. Both work really well with this trend and both give off really nice pigmentation.

Nails: Pure Ice in Twinkle ($2) or China Glaze in Aztec Orange ($5)

Here is another category where I’m going to include two options depending on your preference. The picture of Twinkle doesn’t really do it justice. It’s a brighter orange than shown, but if you’re looking for something with a bit of red in it then I suggest China Glaze’s Aztec Orange. It’s much more on the coral side and less on the orange.

Hair: Forever 21 Braided Rosette Headwrap in Coral ($2.80)

For a cute splash of color and a fun hair accessory I suggest this Forever 21 headband. It’s affordable, cute and on-trend and a great way to incorporate this shade without going overboard.

Clothes: Forever 21 Fit & Flare Dress in Tangerine ($7.80)

So far I’ve focused a lot on the little things you can do to incorporate the tangerine trend into your wardrobe, but how about something with a bit more flash? This cute dress from Forever 21 is affordable and easy to wear. Just add a few cute bracelets and you’re ready to go!

Jewelry: Mango Braided Bracelet in Orange ($9.99)


This wrap bracelet is a trendy piece in any color, but why not go for a nice orange to pull off 2 major trends with 1 piece?

MyGlam Bag: Girls’ Night Out (April 2012)

Hey everyone,

So yesterday afternoon I received my April MyGlam Bag, and I was really excited about this one so I wanted to share my thoughts with you right away. In the interest of keeping this post short I’m going to jump right in…

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil


This is the kind of products I’m excited to see from MyGlam! The color I received was a beautiful medium toned blue (I’ll edit the name in when I get home and can look at it - I can’t remember it off the top of my head). I’m pretty sure Urban Decay makes three sizes of these pencils: the regular size, a sample size and a travel size. I’m pretty sure that the one I received was the travel size. In general, I think the sample sizes have clear plastic tops whereas the travel sizes have the standard UD gray top. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about this, maybe that’s just how it used to be done. Anyway, it’s a pretty big size sample and it’ll last forever.

If you’ve never used these pencils before you really should try them out. I swatched this one on my hand last night and let it set. About an hour later I loaded the dishwasher and hand-washed some pots and pans and even being soaked in warm water and soap didn’t do any damage to it. Then last night I quickly swiped it away with a makeup wipe before bed and thought it was all gone. Then this morning I took a shower and just now, after being under the strong lights in my office, I realized I can still faintly see the line. That’s crazy.

Yeah so much for keeping this brief lol.

All-Belle False Lashes

You’ll have to excuse me for not knowing too much about these lashes. They seem to be an Asian brand and the MyGlam site doesn’t really have any links to where you can purchase them from at the moment so the pricing information eludes me for now. Anyway, the lashes themselves are really nice and natural looking. I opened them up and felt them to see the quality, which I liked, but I didn’t put them on or anything so maybe a more complete review will go up after I try them out. On first glance though they did seem like they’ll need to be cut down a bit though to fit right, but that’s not a big deal.

DermStore Lip Quench

I absolutely love this product. I was concerned that I wouldn’t like it after receiving the similar Pur-Lisse product in a previous bag and not liking it - but this is totally different. We received a full sized bottle, which is nice of course, but the product itself is just great. It appears just slightly pink if you look at the product in the tube, but it applies clear. The product itself is actually really thick inside the tube - it takes a bit of effort to squeeze it out - but it applies beautifully onto the lips. It’s thick enough that you can feel it, it doesn’t slide around the lips at all, but its not at all sticky. And it smells excellent - it has a subtle strawberry scent that you can smell when applying it but not while you’re wearing it.

As for it’s plumping claim? I don’t know about that. It doesn’t sting like a standard plumper and I didn’t notice any difference, but I think it lives up to its main claim and that’s for a “smoother, hydrated appearance”. This is definitely something I’ll be picking up again.

MyGlam All-Over Eyeshadow Brush & Eyeliner Brush

So this month we added 2 new brushes to our collection. If you remember from a previous post, MyGlam had already sent out a travel brush case and blending brush. The packaging on these is the same as last time, a medium pink handle with the MyGlam logo. The eyeshadow brush is made with pony hair, the eyeliner brush with nylon. The eyeshadow brush is tiny, that’s my only complaint. I could see myself using it more as an outer-corner kind of brush. As for the eyeliner brush, I like it. I haven’t used it for eyeliner yet but I did use it with my browkit this morning and I really liked it for that. So overall, they’re certainly not Sigma quality, but they’re still good useable brushes. (If you’re wondering, I think the eyeliner brush would work really well with gel liner - I just haven’t actually tried it).

Final Thoughts: It looks like enough time has passed that they’re finally about to include some products based on everyone’s feedback and that’s great. These are the kinds of bags that people wanted to see. Like I said last time that I got a brush, I like the idea of including brushes, but I’m not crazy about the MyGlam ones. I’ll probably keep using the eyeliner brush with my browkit, but the others will probably not get a ton of use because they’re not up to the quality of the brushes I already own.

Affordable Spring Nail Polish Recommendations

Hey guys,

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a few days. I had an allergic reaction to something that I ate over the weekend and have pretty much been in a Benadryl-induced coma ever since. But I’m back up and running today so I thought I’d get to a recommended post for you - affordable Spring Nail Polishes!

You guys know that I obsess over Essie polishes, and it’s true that they’re my favorite, but I definitely still use more affordable options too. Check out my recommendations below!

Pure Ice in Twinkle ( $1.99 from Walmart)


The picture here isn’t doing this polish justice, so I really recommend taking a look at this in stores. It’s a bit brighter than shown, but not neon, and has the most beautiful golden shimmer throughout it. Not to mention that I just love the Pure Ice formulation. It’s honestly the best quality nail polish I think you can find for the price.

Pure Ice in Really Rio ($1.99 from Walmart)


This color is for those of you who like the idea of an orange polish, but want to stay away from something super bright. It’s another shimmer color, but something about the golden undertone with orange polishes just works so well and is just great for Spring.

Hard Candy in Sky ($4 from Walmart)


This color is, like the name suggests, a sky blue shade. It’s really pretty and light while still being a fun color. I think it’s a very wearable way to wear a blue polish without being too flashy or trendy. I’m torn as to whether I want to describe it as a pastel or not, because it does lean that way, but there’s something about the color that makes me hesitant to say it. It’s very white based, but definitely a noticeable blue when it’s on your nails.

Wet n Wild in I Need a Refresh-Mint ($1.99 from Walgreens)



This is a teal-toned mint green, if that makes sense. The color is absolutely beautiful and the formula of these polishes is surprisingly great. I’ve never been a huge fan of the standard Wet n Wild polishes (the 99 cent ones) but I’m really glad that I tried the megalast ones. My only complaint with these polishes is that they have that really wide brush that Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Polishes have and I find that really annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I suck it up and use it anyway, but I wish it just had a standard brush.

And speaking of Sally Hansen…

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Whirlwind White (About $5 from Drugstores)

I went to look up the price on this and found that you can get it anywhere between $4 and $7 depending on where you’re buying it from, but you can generally find these polishes anywhere… drugstores, Target, Walmart … just look around. Last year yellow was the kind of daring spring color that everyone was wearing - this year I think it’s going to be white. That sounds crazy, since white is obviously a neutral, but it’s actually really rare to see anyone with all white nails - mostly because white nail polish formulas leave a lot to be desired. I like this one though, it’s very opaque. It doesn’t have any shimmer or anything, but I love layering it with Winter Wonderland from Orly (which I’m not technically including because it’s not an “affordable” brand).

Sinful Colors in Dream On ($1.99 from Walgreens)



Dream On is a great bright purple/magenta shade at a price you can’t beat. I find Sinful Color polishes to be hit or miss, but this one is definitely a hit! I used to be all about purple polishes (and I still am, but on the more neutral side) but this seems to be the fun purple shade for Spring. I really love the contrast between having a shade like this on the nails and wearing something tangerine colored. It’s fun and unexpected.

If you’re feeling a bit more daring…

Pure Ice in Wild Thing ($1.99 from Walmart)



Want to do a neon nail? Neon pinks are easy to find, but if you’re looking for a neon that’s really eye catching then check out this polish from Pure Ice. Again, the picture doesn’t really capture how unique this polish is. Definitely search some swatches online to see how intense this shade really is. My recommendation? Get a good base coat if you’re going to use this. The color is really bright and opaque, but it can stain your nails if you don’t use a base.

Hey everyone,

I can’t believe it’s April already! Not going to lie, I totally miss winter. I’m not one of those people who always wishes it was warm when it’s cold and always wishes it was cold when it’s warm - I’d pretty much be content with it being cold all year long. Anyway, with Spring comes some fun new products, and some nice bright colors. Below are my favorites for March 2012.

ELF Essentials Eyelid Primer ($1)
You all know that I’m a huge fan of the Urban Decay Primer Potion, but if you’re not looking to spend a ton of money on an eyelid primer than this is great. I find myself reaching for this more and more in the mornings lately for a few reasons. First of all, I sleep until the last second and only leave myself 45 minutes to shower, do my hair and makeup, get dressed and get out the door. I find this primer to just be a much quicker one to use than UDPP. The doe foot applicator makes it easy to get just the right amount and the thinner consistency means you spend less time making sure its applied smoothly. And secondly, at only $1 it’s only 1/19th the price and you can’t beat that. If you have super oily lids or plan on spending the day swimming then this might not hold up as well as UDPP, but for general everyday use it’s great.

Simple Exfoliating Facial Wipes ($6)
You guys have probably seen the commercials talking about the Simple brands US release. They’ve been a pretty popular skincare company in the UK (and maybe elsewhere?) for a while now and I’m happy to see it hit shelves here. I decided to pick up these wipes while at CVS a few weeks back and I’m really glad that I did. I tend to like exfoliating wipes more than regular ones because they get more product off your face. These are actually really nice. The premise behind the brand is that it’s simple ingredients, nothing too fancy - but they get the job done pretty well. As with all makeup wipes I seriously recommend washing your face after using them or at least using a toner or astringent to get whatever you missed - but overall I think these do a really nice job of getting most of the makeup off your face.

Biore Triple Action Astringent ($11)
I hate to include discontinued products, but I picked this up at a beauty store that still had it on the shelves, so I’m hoping you guys will still be able to find it as well (and Amazon also has it). I really liked this astringent, and that’s saying something since I’m pretty loyal to my Clean n Clear astringent. Astringent can be really, and I mean REALLY, drying on the skin if you use it too much, but my skin seems to do really well with it. I use it pretty much every single night and it keeps my pores clean and my skin from being too oily.

Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy in Juicy Grapefruit ($30)
This product is definitely on the more expensive side, but I think YSL is one of those brands that is worth the splurge. The packaging is stunning, there’s really nothing that compares to it. But this shade is just perfect for Spring and I’ve been reaching for it all month long. The application is really nice and smooth, and the coverage is sheer but buildable in a way too. I really like it and the lasting power is pretty good as well. Definitely worth checking out.

Jo Malone Grapefruit ($55-$110)
Grapefruit is my favorite scent so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to this fragrance, but even I was surprised by how much I like it. It’s got all the sweet and crispness of the citrus and grapefruit scents but also a really nice warm base at the same time. I think it might have some rosemary in it, but I don’t remember. Anyway, if you’re looking for a citrus scent that isn’t too young then you’ll love this.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray ($29)
Setting sprays are great for keeping your makeup in place, but it’s really great for refreshing your makeup throughout the day during the hotter months. You can let this replace your setting powder if you like, or feel free to use both, but I find this to be a great way to not only keep your makeup from sliding around your face when it’s hot out, but also to just refresh it and keep it looking great all day long. (Also, spraying the mist onto your face in the warmer months is refreshing in it’s own way lol).

Philosophy 3-in-1 Shampoo/Shower Gel/Bubble Bath ($16)
You’re probably tired of hearing me talk about how great these are, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve been using this mango scented one for the last few weeks and it’s just perfect for Spring. Definitely check this out if you’re looking for a good shampoo or shower gel or bubble bath. You’ll love it regardless of how you use it.

Essie’s Da Bush ($8)
I think this was part of last year’s Resort Collection, but I just really love it. It’s more white than it shown in the picture above and it’s just one of those colors that is kind of neutral, but obviously more interesting. I just love those kind of shades and this is the perfect wearable green. Highly recommend checking out some swatches online if you’re interested because this picture really doesn’t do it any justice.

Laura Geller Dream Creams ($25)
This is a great multi-use product. First of all, it’s Laura Geller so you know the quality is excellent, but it’s just so versatile that I’ve found myself using it in at least one way every day for weeks now. You can use the lightest shade for a highlight (I love a soft peach glow as a highlight for Spring), mix the lighter shade with the second and/or third shades for a really nice glowing blush look, or just stick to the middle shades for a deeper blush when  you’ve got a tan. The darker end of the spectrum on this makes a nice bronzer as well, but use it sparingly as bronzer because it can be a little too glowy. Overall I’m just in love with this and I’ve found a million ways to use it on both my face and my eyes. (The far right 2 shades as a lid color and the light peach as a highlight is just stunning).