Makeup

Fabulous Fall Skin in a Flash: Look Polished and Put Together with These Beauty Bargains

October 11th, 2011 by Karen 53 Comments

This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

There I was, just minding my own business in front of the house yesterday, enjoying a brief respite from the recent rains and daydreaming about some of my favorite fall noms, like candy corn, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes (Mmm… gravy), when it hit me: CRAP! I have a ton of stuff to do this month.

Summer lulled me into a trap, and now I’m paying the price. I spent so much time lounging around, lapping up the sunshine and generally doing everything at a slightly slower pace that now I feel unprepared for fall.

BAM! Now there are cat costumes to find, pumpkins to carve, presents to buy, cards to send and recipes to perfect before Thanksgiving. This fall, if you’re trying to make the most of your budget and your time (while saving up for your cat’s Christmas present), look no further than these beauty bargains for eyes, cheeks and lips.

Eyes

Jordana Easyliner Retractable Eye Liner Pencils ($1.99) — Shave minutes from your morning routine with these creamy, pigmented pencil liners. They’re twist-ups, so no sharpening required. For a quick smokey look that lasts, I’ll line my lash and water lines with my favorite shade, Eggplant (a dark purplish brown), and smudge out the edges with a Q-Tip or brush.

Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover ($6.99) — Sauron says, “It’s the drugstore eye makeup remover to rule them all!” Rimmel Extra Gentle whisks away makeup like an Olympic sprinter, and it even works without rinsing. I use it all the time to remove excess mascara on my lids (which seems to happen, like, every morning!).

Cheeks

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer ($12.99) — I’ve been a huge fan of these powder duos forever! Each of the four pans — Raisin Glow, Posie Glow, Natural Glow and Rosy Glow — comes with an easy-to-blend blush and a bronzer, side by side, so no more having to hunt and peck for your cheek products. I feel like my favorite of the bunch, Rosy Glow, lights up my complexion without looking overdone.

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These Jordana Easyshine Glossy Lip Colors Look Like They Should Cost More Than $2

October 10th, 2011 by Karen 36 Comments

Wearing Jordana Easyshine Glossy Lip Color in Raspberry

Like the Two-Buck Chuck of the hybrid gloss/lipstick world, these $1.99 Jordana Easyshine Glossy Lip Colors could be giving department store brands conniptions.

Remember the highfalutin $34 Dolce & Gabbana hybrids we looked at earlier this fall? Like those pricier pretties, these bargain basement beauties feel soft, slick and super moisturizing on my lips, and while slightly less pigmented than their more expensive counterparts, their shiny sheer-to-medium coverage should still turn heads (especially when spotters hear about their fantabulous price).

A gal could get all 12 available shades — Sugar Plum, Berry Colada, Grape-Tini, Raspberry, Cotton Candy, Pink Lemonade, Watermelon Juice, Sweet Strawberry, Mango Delight, Fresh Melon, Brown Sugar and Sugar Cookie — and leave the store having spent just about $24.

Sweet!

Just like these flavors and scents. Each one tastes and smells like its name suggests (another nice touch). The flavors and fragrances seem a little strong to me at first, but thankfully they fade within a few minutes.

jordana easyshine glossy lip color
From the left: Sweet Strawberry, Berry Colada, Watermelon Juice, Sugar Cookie, Sugar Plum and Raspberry

jordana easyshine glossy lip color swatches
Swatches from the left: Berry Colada, Raspberry, Watermelon Juice, Sweet Strawberry, Sugar Plum and Sugar Cookie
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The Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eyeshadow Palette Takes It Easy on Eyes and Glitter

October 10th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

bobbi brown black ruby sparkle

Do you remember the last time you wore glitter? Hey now, your answer better not be, “I don’t do glitter.” And did I just see you roll your eyes? 🙂

Even if you’ve never been a glitter girl before, or if you have but just haven’t had the time lately to rock it often and well, Bobbi Brown’s new Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette ($45) contends that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time (or shimmer) to sparkle.

The limited edition eyeshadow palette hails from Bobbi’s new holiday collection and comes with glittery powder eyeshadows in shades of pink, silver, ruby and onyx.

Don’t worry too much about going overboard with this particular breed of glitter. Bobbi generally takes a restrained approach to makeup, one that won’t leave you looking like a dancer in a Vegas revue (although, I must say, despite wearing pounds of makeup, those ladies usually look smokin’ hot). You get just enough color and sparkle for brighter eyes with a subtle glow.

bobbi brown holiday 2011 black ruby sparkle eye shadow palette

bobbi brown black ruby sparkle eye palette swatches
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Now I Gotta Cut Loose (Footloose), with These Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Oh La Luxe Swatches

October 9th, 2011 by Karen 29 Comments

bare minerals oh la luxe

I won’t pretend that I didn’t try to fit Tabs into the case that comes with the new Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Oh La Luxe holiday kit ($79, available now at Sephora and also online), but you know…husky.

Here are those swatches I mentioned I’d do. Not really up to a whole lot today. So far I went for a run, cleaned up a little, started reading a new book (All These Things I’ve Done, by Gabrielle Zevin), and now I’m craving pumpkin gelato and trying to think of a way to sweet talk El Hub into getting me some.

Yup, action packed day. 🙂

How about you? What are you up to this afternoon?

bare escentuals bareminerals oh la luxe

bare escentuals bare minerals oh la luxe swatches eyeshadows
Eyecolors from the left: Amour, Clover, Queen Phyllis, Celestine and Exotic Victoria
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Even Unwrapped, the Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Oh La Luxe Kit Looks Like a Present

October 8th, 2011 by Karen 31 Comments

bare escentuals bareminerals oh la luxe

This luxe lovely is already dressed for the holidays. 🙂 Bare Escentuals bareMinerals loose shadow fans, the new limited edition Oh La Luxe holiday kit, available now at Sephora stores and also online ($79), wouldn’t even need wrapping paper to look good under the tree.

The kit comes with…

9 loose Eyecolors
1 loose Liner Shadow
3 loose Blushes
2 All Over Face Colors
The snazzy two-tiered zippered makeup bag (CUTE!)

bare escentuals bareminerals oh la luxe

bare escentuals bareminerals oh la luxe
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Performing Now, for Your Viewing Pleasure, the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen Taster Trio

October 8th, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

pixi endless silky eye pen taster trio

I know, I know, and I agree. Some Pixi pieces, cute as they are, don’t always seem like great values. It’s true. But before you file away the limited edition Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen Taster Trio into your “Ooh, that’s spendy!” category, check this out: it’s only $12.

To top it off, I think the three petite waterproof pencils it contains — a shimmery purple, a matte brown and a matte black — are kindasorta great.

Their smooth texture and intense pigment remind me of the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-Ons, and once I get them along my lash line, BAM! They aren’t going anywhere, even when I wear them without primer.

Other things I like about ’em…

They don’t contain parabens, mineral oils or preservatives
They DO contains vitamin E and natural pigments
They weren’t tested on animals

pixi endless silky eye pen taster trio

pixi endless silky eye pen taster trio pencils
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Looking for Some Haute Stuff… In New Jersey! The NYX Haute Jersey Leopard Couture Kit

October 7th, 2011 by Karen 14 Comments

nyx haute jersey swatches

Behold the rise of New Jersey!

Seriously, who knew New Jersey was such an entertaining place? I had no idea, yet there it is, rising to the top of the reality TV charts like a Creature from the Bronze Lagoon!

Before geography, I thought New Jersey was just the name of a Bon Jovi album (I kid), but now I know better.

SIDE NOTE: I wonder how John feels about the whole Snooks/Jionni (“JIONNI!”) debacle and if he watches the Jersey Shore, Jerseylicious and/or Real Housewives of New Jersey…

New Jersey It’s also the Garden State, and Jersey girls are inspiring everything from TV shows to makeup. Makeup like the new NYX Haute Jersey Leopard Couture kit ($25).

The palette’s colors are supposed to complement gals with shore-worthy tans, but I dunno… I usually fall hard for NYX shadows, but these seem awfully light on pigment (which considering the Jersey tie in, I did not expect). I had to really pack ’em on, AND use a flash, to be able to see them well in these swatches, and the textures look surprisingly chalky and powdery on my skin.

I prefer the blushes, bronzer and leopard highlighter here. None of them have the finest milled powders I’ve ever seen, but they feel soft and deposit plenty o’ pigment, which is always a plus.

As for the two glosses, they’re sheer, non-sticky and come sans any added flavors or scents.

Swatches of the first row of eyeshadows
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Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lip Collection and Afternoon Distractions

October 7th, 2011 by Karen 15 Comments

bare minerals pretty amazing lip collection

I don’t know if I’ll be watching American Horror Story again next week… Come to think of it, I wish I could un-see the series premiere. I’m sitting here at my desk in the middle of a perfectly fine afternoon, and I’m freaking the eff out!

I keep looking over my shoulder, half expecting to see this dude watching me from behind.

Safe place! Safe place!

The only thing keeping me sane right now is good old-fashioned distraction, and to that end I’ve been looking at pictures of kittens, devouring Kind Bars (Almond and Coconut, of course), and checking out a few kits from the new Bare Minerals bareEscentuals holiday 2011 collection, including this cutie patootie called the Pretty Amazing Lip Collection ($28).

bare minerals pretty amazing lip collection box

Have you tried any of the Pretty Amazing Lip Colors yet? If you like long-wearing liquid lip products, this limited edition kit comes with four of ’em — little minis in both sheen and glossy finishes.

I plan to try a few looks with some of the many Bare Escentuals bareMinerals holiday kits next week, but for now, here’s a quick peek at the Pretty Amazing kit, along with some swatches. 🙂

bare minerals pretty amazing lip collection box back

bare minerals pretty amazing lip collection tubes
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