Drugstore Beauty Finds

Depending on How You Feel About Watermelons, You Might Like These Six New Milani Spring 2014 Color Statement Lipsticks

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Milani Pink Love 41 Color Statement Lipstick, new for spring 2014 — Pink Love, one of six new spring 2014 shades just added to Milani’s Color Statement Lipstick line

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of juiciness, it was the age of fiber, it was the epoch of watermelon…

It was July 2011.

In one month, I kid you not, I must’ve eaten at least 10 extra large watermelons all by myself.

‘Twas glorious! And I was, um — well, let me just put it this way: the kids were regularly getting dropped off at school, if you know what I mean.

You know, regularly? 🙂

If these new 2014 Milani Color Statement Lipsticks had been around back then (during what I call “The Great Watermelon Caper of 2011”), I may have felt differently about their watermelon flavor and scent than I do now.

Milani Spring 2014 — The six new Milani Color Statment Lipstick spring 2014 shades ($5.49 each)

Milani Spring 2014 Color Statement Lipstick Swatches from the left: Sugar Glaze, Cabaret Blend, Pink Blend, Rose Femme, Pretty Natural and Cinnamon Spice — Swatches from the left: Sugar Glaze, Cabaret Blend, Pink Blend, Rose Femme, Pretty Natural and Cinnamon Spice

Milani Sugar Glaze 39 Color Statement Lipstick, new for spring 2014 — Sugar Glaze

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Brilliant Work, Milani! Your Majorly Moisturizing Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses Shine Like Diamonds

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Milani Bare Secret Brilliant Lip Gloss 01 — Milani’s Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Bare Secret ($5.49)

Just in case you were wondering…Milani’s new line of Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses will not make it through an intense chow-down session with your (my) favorite salad in the whole wide world.

Tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin — The King of All the Salads! — the tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin

They will, however, make it through an intense 35-minute-long eye rolling session while watching Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Actually…I’m sure they could’ve lasted the movie’s entire 90-minute length (wear time is from 2-4 hours), but the movie was just so, so bad that I couldn’t sit through it (not even the J. Renn eye candy/savory biceps could save it).

Drugstore shoppers, these absolutely gorgeous glosses are smooth like the skin on J. Renn’s bulging biceps and have a comfy, non-sticky formula, mountains of moisture and a light and lovely butterscotch scent (they are unflavored, though).

But be warned… The formula’s quite thick and reminds me of Guerlain’s Gloss D’Enfers, so you may want to wear your hair back in a ponytail. Yes, when you wear these, your mane will get caught in your kisser if you whip your Victoria’s Secret hurr back and forth.

Sometimes I like the way thicker glosses feel on my lips, so I don’t mind.

And ooh! — the choices here. Lots of colors, finishes (cream, shimmer and frost) and coverages ranging from sheer to opaque, and thanks to the flocked sponge applicator, all of the shades, even the deepest, most intensely pigmented ones, are easy to apply.

Milani Brilliant Lip Gloss Swatches from the left: Bare Secret, Mai-Tai, Luminous, Mauve Fetish, Berry Timpting, Ravish Raspberry and Pink Lady — Swatches from the left: Bare Secret, Mai-Tai, Luminous, Mauve Fetish, Berry Timpting, Ravish Raspberry and Pink Lady

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These Milani Power Lip Lasting & Moisturizing Gloss Stains Pack a Powerfully Pigmented Punch

January 9th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Milani Power Lip Mango Tango — Wearing the new Milani Power Lip Lasting & Moisturizing Gloss in Mango Tango

Yeah, I’m turning into *that* girl — the one who applies a glossy lip stain right before bed just to see if it’ll still be there in the morning.

I did it the other night with one of Milani’s new Power Lip Lasting & Moisturizing Gloss Stains, and El Hub was like, “Why are you wearing lipstick to bed? Got a hot date?”

“First,” I replied, “it’s not a lipstick. It’s a stain. And second, yes, babe, Tabs and I are going as soon as you fall asleep.”

LOL! As if. Tabs is a total night owl, whereas I’ve usually zonked out by 11. I could never hang…but if I could, I’m sure any of these eight stains could hang with me.

These glossy lip stains are DOPE! They cling to lips like I cling to outdated ’90s references. 🙂

Milani Power Lip Swatches from the left: 01 Red Control, 02 Cabaret Blend, 03 Raspberry Tart, 04 Pink Lemonade, 05 Macaroon, 06 Strawberry Sugar, 07 Mango Tango and 08 Creamy Cafe — Swatches from the left: 01 Red Control, 02 Cabaret Blend, 03 Raspberry Tart, 04 Pink Lemonade, 05 Macaroon, 06 Strawberry Sugar, 07 Mango Tango and 08 Creamy Cafe

So, back to that bedtime test I was talking about, the following morning, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the coffee pot and saw the stain from the shade I’d applied before bed (07 Mango Tango).

That’s an 8-hour wear time! — assuming you’re just dreaming about RyGos and mumbling in your sleep. Add munchies and meals to the mix, however, and the wear time drops to 4-6.

Still not bad at all, considering that each tube is only $6.49.

I like these. They remind me of YSL Glossy Stains, only not…

I mean, they’re the same idea — they look and feel like shiny glosses but eventually wear down to satin lip stains — big come in totally different packaging.

The YSL Glossy Stains come in a tube with a doe-foot applicator, while the Milani products come in a click pen tube with a brush applicator.

I don’t mind the click pen, in this case, but I’m not exactly crazy about it. I think it’s a little more challenging to use, like to line the edges of my lips, than YSL’s doe foot, in part because it’s difficult to control how much product it applies. I can’t, for example, imagine using it in the passenger seat as we’re driving to the movies.

Milani Power Lip in 01 Red Control — 01 Red Control

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The New Milani Lip Intense Liquid Colors Are More Intense Than Daniel Craig’s Eyes and Prettier Than a Posy

January 8th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Makeup Math Word Problem No. 1

QUESTION: At noon a train leaves St. Louis for Chicago. On that train sits a cat lady obsessed with her tubby tabby. Quantify the intensity of her obsession, which, as you know, is quite intense, and double it. Now, multiply that by 20, and add 10. What do you get?

ANSWER: LOL! I have no idea. 🙂 But whatever the answer is, it approximates the intensity of the pigments in these new Milani Lip Intense Liquid Colors.

These pigments are insane! To quote Joey Lawrence from Blossom, “WHOA!”

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color swatches from the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict — From the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict

I’m having a hard time believing these are less than $7 each ($6.49 to be exact). If these four full-coverage liquid lipsticks played dress-up in fancier packaging, I think they could hang with Chanel.

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color wands from the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict — Wands from the left: 01 Red Extreme, 02 Pink Rave, 03 Fiery Coral and 04 Violet Addict

They feel so good on my lips — like thin, non-sticky glosses — and last a good, long while (I get about 6 hours), almost like they’re long-wearing liquid lipsticks.

YES!

I do, however, have to watch out for that white line that appears on my bottom lip… You know the one I’m talking about. With these I see it after about three hours of wear. No biggie. When it shows up, I just wipe it off with a makeup wipe or Q-Tip.

As for flavors and scents, well, I’d probably love this one if I wasn’t trying to get back in shape (uh…someone had a A LOT of chocolate over the holidays). These taste and smell like butterscotch.

Mmm…butterscotch.

Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color in 04 Violet Addict — 04 Violet Addict

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7 Ways to Win a $100 Gift Card From Ulta Beauty and $29.97 in Products From the COVERGIRL Bombshell Collection! (Ends Monday, Jan. 13)

January 3rd, 2014 by Karen 420 Comments

You know how in every group of gal pals, each gal kinda has her own role? You’ve got the mother hen, the braniac, the tomboy, etc.

Me? I usually fall into the role of “the funny one,” or “the weirdo writer.”

I always thought it would’ve been fun to be the one all the boys flocked to, aka “the sexy one,” but alas, seduction was never my forte.

I seriously could not seduce my way out of a paper bag. (Remind me to tell you about the time I dove into the ocean without my glasses or contacts on and swam away from a cute guy…who ended up being El Hub.)

Even though I’m not a seductive siren by nature, I still think it’s fun to role-play, especially with makeup. It’s like stepping into someone else’s shoes for a while or playing a character for a day.

Covergirl Bombshell Collection — A few things from the new Covergirl Bombshell collection…

Characters like “The Bombshell.”

Enter COVERGIRL. This spring, COVERGIRL is channeling bombshell beauty with their vampy new Bombshell collection of cream shadows, liquid liners, mascaras, lipsticks and nail polishes in colors designed to tempt and seduce.

Which brings me to this…

You know what I’m about to say, right? 🙂

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!!

And mini-tutorial time, too. I’ve joined forces with Ulta Beauty and COVERGIRL this week to bring you a bodacious bombshell giveaway and a sneak-peak at a makeup tutorial I’ve been working on using products from the new Bombshell collection.

To go along with this, I’ll be posting a step-by-step coppery golden eye makeup tutorial to YouTube next week.

By the way, if any of the COVERGIRL makeup in these pictures catches your eye, all COVERGIRL products will be buy one, get one 50% off at Ulta Beauty stores and online at ulta.com from January 5-25, 2014. #ULTABombshelling

A coppery golden eye look with cat eyeliner using the COVERGIRL Bombshell collection…

Applying COVERGIRL Bombshell Shineshadow in Gold Goddess ($8.99)

Applying COVERGIRL Bombshell Shineshadow in Copper Fling ($8.99) — Blending COVERGIRL Bombshell Shineshadow in Copper Fling ($8.99) in the crease

Applying COVERGIRL Cheekers Bronzer in Copper Radiance ($4.99) — Sweeping COVERGIRL Cheekers Bronzer in Copper Radiance ($4.99) into my outer crease ($8.99)

Covergirl Bombshell Intensity Liner in Pitch Black ($8.99) — Lining my upper lash lash lines with COVERGIRL Bombshell Intensity Liner in Pitch Black ($8.99); by the way, I’m also wearing COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant Glossy Nail Color in Bombshell ($5.99) on my nails

Lining my lower lash line with COVERGIRL Bombshell Shineshadow in Gold Goddess ($8.99)

Coating my lashes with COVERGIRL Bombshell Mascara in Very Black ($11.99)

Applying COVERGIRL Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Cherry Twist ($8.99) on my lips for a daytime look

Switching to COVERGIRL Lip Perfection Lipcolor in Bombshell ($6.99) to turn up the intensity

Now, on to the giveaway!

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. You can read the full terms and conditions there, but here’s the gist of it: the giveaway is open to U.S. readers 18 and up (you must be an adult according to your local laws) and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2014.

One lucky lady or gent will win…

A $100 Ulta Beauty gift card
COVERGIRL Bombshell Shadowshine Eyeshadow ($8.99, color TBD)
COVERGIRL Intensity Liquid Liner ($8.99, color TBD)
COVERGIRL Bombshell Intensity Mascara ($11.99, color TBD)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Today I Got Naked at the Mall and Had My Favorite Salad in the World

December 12th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

The New Herbal Essences Naked Collection…

What’s shakin’, bacon? How’s it going this afternoon?

Yeah…I’ve been waiting all afternoon to use that phrase up there in the title of this post. 🙂 “Today I got naked at the mall and had my favorite salad in the world.” (Explanation to follow.)

Ah, the joy of being easily amused…

Over lunch today I stopped by the mall to do some Christmas shopping and saw the most awesomely rand-o cat lady gift at Urban Outfitters.

Note the use of the word “literally” in the name.

From the packaging: “will not fit chunky kitties.” Sorry, Tabs!

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See Jane Line and Shine With Jane’s $8 Water Resistant Liquid Eye Liners

December 9th, 2013 by Karen 9 Comments

Wearing Jane Water Resistant Eye Liner in Metallic Lilac on my lash lines

Cat eyeliner-lovin’ cat ladies cannot line on gels and pencils alone. The cosmetics-loving cat enthusiast community is completely united on this point.

It simply can’t be done. I, for one, have liquid liner coursing through my veins. That’s how much I love the stuff.

The last liquid liner I had a lecherous liaison with with was Tom Ford’s flawless Eye Defining Pen in Deeper, but good grief, Charlie Brown! — that $55 price tag is totally insane.

Since then, I’ve had my sights set on more affordable liquid liners…

Jane Water Resistant Eye Liner in hand — With human paw for scale…

I wondered if Jane’s $8 Water-Resistant Liquid Eye Liners were worth their drugstore price, and well — for $8, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. Perfect, they’re not, but they are available in a wide range of colors (13, to be exact); have a high-gloss, waterproof finish; and you can get a similarly shiny look to MAC’s $19.50 Superslicks Liquid Liners if you don’t mind putting in a little work.

What do I mean?

Two words: the brush.

I don’t know what it is with me and thin, flexible brushes, but we just don’t get along. And these are like Olympic gymnasts (read: very flexible), so drawing really sharp edges, like at the wing, is no easy feat. With these I definitely have to (or at least should) run a Q-tip dipped in makeup remover along the edges to clean up any mistakes.

If you’re an experienced liquid liner wearer, you’ll probably be fine, but beginners might need some time to really get the hang of it.

Even considering the brush, though, I do think these have major potential, and I’d even go so far as to call them respectable dupes for the MAC Superslicks.

Sure, I find myself needing several layers of Jane’s liners (as opposed to just one or two of MAC’s) to achieve that signature Superslick look, so that’s also something to consider. That, and I have to remember to keep my hands off my eyes when I wear them, because any rubbing at all and they flake, flake, flake.

I’ve tried three of the 13 colors so far (a dark metallic navy blue, a metallic purple and a pale pink with silver glitter), and I’m partial to the darker colors. Seems like I don’t have to layer them as much to get a good amount of color.

Jane Water Resistant Eye Liner swatches from the left: Metallic Pink, Metallic Lilac and Bleu Marine — Swatches from the left: Metallic Pink, Metallic Lilac and Bleu Marine

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Honey, These Bees Like To Party: Burt’s Bees’ Two New Massively Moisturizing Party Lips Gloss Sets in Neutral and Pink

December 6th, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

Burt's Bees Party Lips Set — Wearing Burt’s Bees Spring Splendor Lip Gloss from the new Pink Party Lips set

Two sets. Four lip glosses. One big reason to get buzzed!

Hey now, it’s not that kind of party. You won’t have to worry about the sting of a hangover (says the lightweight who can’t handle more than two glasses of wine in an evening), because this holiday pretty party’s themes are moisture and shine. 🙂

Burt's Bees Party Lips in Neutral on the left and Pink on the right, $14.99 each — Party Lips in Neutral on the left and Pink on the right ($14.99 each)

Honey, I’m buzzin’ over Burt’s new Party Lips lip gloss sets ($14.99 each). Both two-piece duos/sets — one called Neutral and the other called Pink — come with two full-sized tubes of Burt’s 100% Natural Lip Glosses (BTW, they have doe-foot applicators).

Burt’s benevolent bees loaded these with hydrating ingredients like sunflower and olive oil, and my lips are lovin’ the moisture. It’s been dropping into the low 30s this week, and between the chill in the air and the heater kicking on throughout the day, my lips have been dry, dry, dry!

I really like the way these feel. The texture’s a lot like the texture of MAC’s Lipglasses — thick and kinda sticky — and they last from 3-4 hours on me.

Now, these may not be ideal if your cat (and/or pooch) jumps in your lap and gets all up in your grill. Just an FYI, as your fabulous friend’s fur will stick to yo’ pout.

Both limited edition kits contain never-before-seen colors created for the sets. Pick the Pink set if you like wearing glosses with a fair amount of color (but not too much), or grab Neutral if you want more of a nude lip look. Either way, brace yourself for some seriously shiny, sheer, natural-looking color and gallons of moisture.

Burts Bees Party Lips Set Swatches — From the left: the Neutral set glosses in Autumn Haze and Sweet Sunset; and the Pink set glosses in Ocean Sunrise and Spring Splendor

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