Drugstore Beauty Finds

$5.49 for a MAC Lipglass? Almost (But Not Quite), With Milani Crystal Gloss

February 23rd, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

Milani Crystal Gloss raspberry
Wearing Milani Crystal Gloss in Raspberry Icing

I was having dinner with friends a few weeks ago when one of the gals asked to see a picture of Tabs, and since that’s a request I’m always happy and quick to oblige, I grabbed my purse and reached in to fish out my phone, which at any given time contains at least 700 pictures of Tabs on the camera roll.

As I fished and fished, rooting around inside the purse, I kept coming up phone-less, with fistful after fistful of gloss.

“Um…” said one of the girls, “just how many lipglosses do you actually have in your purse?”

You know, I wondered, feeling my cheeks flush, that’s a good question… “A lot?”

And now, thanks to Milani’s five latest $5.49 Crystal Glosses, I don’t see myself scaling back any time soon. 🙂

Glittery fuchsia Raspberry Icing, hot pink Fruit Punch, the succinctly named Clear, pinkish coral Pucker Up and berry Sheer Dark Honey, all new for spring, have set up shop inside my current handbag.

Sometimes referred to as drugstore MAC Lipglasses, Milani’s line of Crystal Glosses have a similarly thick texture, slick when applied and slightly sticky on the lips, and come in a wide range of colors. They range in coverage from sheer to almost fully opaque.

Beyond that, they’re not big on bells and whistles, and that’s fine by me. A good price, a convenient doe-foot applicator, lots of colors to choose from, and I think they work really well.

I also like the shiny finish and how the pigments don’t seem to separate or do any other funky stuff as the day wears on. I get about three hours of wear time out of them, and all the while they feel comfy on my lips.

Milani Crystal Gloss
From the left: Clear, Sheer Dark Honey, Fruit Punch, Pucker Up and Raspberry Icing

Milani Crystal Gloss swatches
Swatches from the left: Clear, Pucker Up, Fruit Punch and Sheer Dark Honey

Milani Crystal Gloss swatches
Raspberry Icing
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With These New Illuminating Face Powders, Milani Might Be Making MAC Sweat

February 22nd, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (3)
Wearing Milani Face Powder n Hermosa Rose along my cheekbones and Beauty’s Touch on my cheeks

Bargain loving babes and/or fellow fans of the $28 MAC Pearlmatte Powders, these new Milani Illuminating Face Powders do a pretty good MAC impression for $9.49 each.

Designed for all skin types, they even multitask, and can be used as blushes, highlighters and bronzers that deliver a hint of color and glow, just like the pricier Pearlmattes.

And they’re available in three easy-to-wear shades…

Amber Nectar: a warm, peachy coral
Hermosa Rose: a peachy golden tan
Beauty’s Touch: a cool pink

Just look at those cute pans (it’s hard to go wrong with roses)! 🙂

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (1)
Clockwise from the powder on the left: Hermosa Rose, Beauty’s Touch and Amber Nectar

The soft glow I get from Milani’s powders reminds me again of the Pearlmattes. The finish is somewhere between a matte and a sheen, and I think the powders from MAC are a smidgen more pigmented and maybe a tad more matte.

Milani even rocked the house with the texture of these. They’re so buttery and soft that I can hardly believe they’re drugstore.

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (4)
Swatches from the left: Amber Nectar, Hermosa Rose and Beauty’s Touch

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (2)
Wearing Hermosa Rose along my cheekbones and Beauty’s Touch on my cheeks
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Oh, These Are Haute! The New Milani Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipglosses

February 22nd, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

milani in a flash
Wearing Milani Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipgloss in In a Flash on my lips

A hella pigmented, high-shine glittery gloss for less than eight bucks? Hook it up, Milani! 🙂

The new Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipglosses cost a mere $7.49 each, and yet they deliver flashy, full-coverage color the likes of pricier department store fare (I’m talkin’ to you, MAC, YSL and Chanel).

Like distant, disco-crazed cousins of the MAC Kissable Lipcolours ($19), these six Haute shades are loaded with pigment, so a little of each goes a long way, and have super skinny tubes and sponge tip applicators, but unlike their Kissable kin, they also glisten with glitter.

Both the Haute Flashes and Kissables start off feeling slick and smooth on my lips, but the Haute shades aren’t content with that. They seem to thicken and get much stickier after the first 15 minutes or so, and just generally, I think they like being babied.

Because they tend to catch on dry flakes and settle into every lip line, if my lips are anything less than perfectly smooth and moisturized, the Haute Flashes can look pretty janky. Exfoliating and prepping my lips with a lip balm beforehand definitely helps them look their best.

And have I mentioned how pigmented these are? I only need to use a minuscule amount, which is neat. Of course, if I happen to apply a tad too much, the Haute Flashes make me pay for it by looking thick and messy.

milani haute flash
From the left: Quick Flash, Star Flash, Golden Flash, Flashy, Hot Flash and In A Flash

milani quick flash
Quick Flash

milani flashy
Flashy
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It Looks Like NYX Got Crafty With Their New Multicolored, Multitalented Blotting Papers

February 19th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

I remember a time, intrepid makeup moppets and whippersnappers, when blotting papers were rare, or at least before they hit it really big and went mainstream.

That year was 1996. Or ’97. Thereabouts.

One of my coworkers and I were on our break when she pulled a powder blue packet of Shiseido blotting papers from her purse, and I was like, “Ooh! What’s that?”

She tore one in half and handed it to me. “Blotting paper,” she said, “for soaking up shiny oil.”

Brilliant! 🙂

I’ve been a regular user of blotting papers ever since, and now they’re carried practically everywhere, even at drugstores.

The newest ones I’ve tried hail from NYX. The budget line just released three themed packs for $6 each (100 papers apiece).

Each pack caters to a different skin care issue, like, the Blemish Control pack’s papers contain salicylic acid to help zap zits, the Green Tea papers contain antioxidant-rich green tea powder to soothe and nurture mature skin, and the Tea Tree papers help to prevent blemishes with (surprise!) tea tree oil.

They’re pretty straightforward to use, as you can imagine. Just remove one of the sheets from its packaging, and press it against your face to absorb excess oil and eliminate shine.

The papers are a good size for me and kind of delicate, like thin paper streamers, and one is usually enough to absorb all of the excess oil on my face.

The Green Tea and Blemish Control papers are unscented, while the Tea Tree papers have a fairly strong medicinal tea tree scent. I’ve been bouncing between all three packs and like them equally.

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I’m Hungry for More From L’Oreal Magic Smooth SoufflÃ© Blush

February 17th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

Loreal Magic Smooth Souffle Blush

Depending on how ravenous I am at any given moment, I’m enjoying this trend of makeup that looks good enough to eat. Like the new L’Oreal Magic Smooth SoufflÃ© Blushes ($12.99 each). If I didn’t know better…I’d think they were dessert!

Available in four potted shades that look like mousse (the kind you order after dinner) in their serving platters/pots, they feel firm and dense when I tap them with a finger, and yet feel smooth, dry and something like silicone when I get them on my cheeks.

I’ve been wearing two of the four shades this week — Celestial, a cool matte pink, and Angelic, a light matte peach — and both produce a faint flush of very natural-looking cheek color, especially in pics.

loreal magic smooth souffle blush (1)
Celestial (left) and Angelic (right)

loreal magic smooth souffle blush (2)
Swatches of Angelic (left) and Celestial (right)
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Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Makeup to Last Through Rain, Sleet or Snow

February 14th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

Makeup to Last Through Rain, Sleet or Snow

This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

Yesterday I wasn’t quite singin’ in the rain, but I did hum as I walked in it. 🙂

Yep, it’s been raining here in Northern California (Sunday night was even stormy!), and I’ve been doing my best to stay dry. I’ve been mostly successful at it, too, except for an incident yesterday…

I had to brave the elements to run a few errands, and when I walked under an awning outside, one of those streams of 33-degree almost-freezing water shot straight down the back of my top.

I could have screamed! And I almost did, but I talked myself down by thinking about some of my favorite makeup for inclement weather.

Products like…

1. Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Waterproof Mascara, $8.49

A friend of mine who works for a high-end makeup brand turned me on to this budget bad boy. We were commiserating one afternoon by email about our short, stumpy lashes when she confessed her love for Maybelline’s Full ‘N Soft Waterproof Mascara.

It’s also become a flake-free, smudge-resistant favorite of mine, thanks to sweaty yoga workouts and rainy days. Not only does it plump and lengthen, it also keeps my curled lashes lifted all day long.

2. Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer, $7.49 each

Rimmel’s Eye Definers have superhuman strength, because once they latch on to my lash and water lines, they don’t let go!

Clockwise from the gold shade on the lower left: Precious Gold, Purple Shock, Deep Ocean and Emerald Sparkle

I love the fun, funky shades, but Rimmel also included a couple of conservative colors for good measure (like black and brown).

3. L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows, $7.99 each

Not quite a cream or a powder, these spongy new potted shadows feel soft to the touch. Waterproof, sweatproof and crease-resistant, too, the Infallible Eyeshadows are also easy to apply with a finger, which makes ’em prime candidates for rainy days when I’m in a rush.

From the left: Golden Sage, Perpetual Purple, Iced Latte, Continuous Cooca, Sultry Smoke and Eternal Black

4. Revlon Cream Blush in Rosy Glow, $9.99

I like to apply this sheer pink cream blush beneath my powder blushes when I know I’m heading out in the rain. Rosy Glow gives the staying power of other cheek products a boost.

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My Dry Lips Love Moisture Rich L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm SPF 15

February 13th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

Sheer lippies are sure having a moment right now, aren’t they? Drugstores have been downright brimming with ’em lately. Especially moisturizing ones like the Maybelline Baby Lips and Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters. I must spot a new sheer lipstick, gloss or balm at the drugstore every time I visit.

L’Oreal is even getting in on the game with a new line of unflavored, unscented, super sheer hydrating balms with SPF.

Available in eight non-sticky, barely there colors for $7.99 each, the new Colour Riche Balms deliver luminous lips with a tinge of tint and SPF 15.

And they are loaded with moisture. I mean gallons of it! According to L’Oreal, they’re supposed to keep lips quenched for a full eight hours.

Now, I don’t know about eight hours…but after switching back and forth between Caring Coral and Pink Satin both days last weekend, my lips feel great. They haven’t been this smooth and soft since the beginning of winter.

The Colour Riche Balms remind me of the Revlon Lip Butters, which I think pack a little more pigment, but I prefer the texture of these. They seem — I don’t know — more elegant? And slightly slicker and smoother, almost like Dior’s $28 Addict Lipsticks.

Caring Coral on the left and Pink Satin on the right
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Brushes and Bodies Are Buzzing Over Burt’s Bees $5 Mango & Orange Energizing Bar

February 5th, 2012 by Karen 50 Comments

Burts Bees Energizing Body Bar

Initially, I brought home this $5 Burt’s Bees Mango & Orange Energizing Body Bar from Target 1) because I can always use a little extra energy, and 2) because I thought it kinda looked like food, ha!

Burts Bees Energizing Body Bar I ended up liking the invigorating citrusy scent so much that I started using it to clean more than mah bod.

When I used up the last little slivers of my bar of Becca Brush Soap, I grabbed Burt’s Mango & Orange bar on a whim, using it to clean a couple of skunk brushes that I’d used with a bright blush and a MAC 239 brush crusted over with concealer.

As luck would have it, Burt’s invigorating body bar worked wonders on the brushes, removing all of the funk from their stinky ferules and the gunk from the handles and brush heads themselves.

I’d like to shake the little hand of the bee who developed this bar and thank him/her for doing such a great job. Not only do I think it’s one heck of an energizing, moisturizing body bar, it’s also one of the better brush cleansers I’ve used in a while.

And fast, too. It cuts through hard-to-remove products like dried foundation just as quickly as Becca’s Brush Soap does and rinses without putting up a fight. After air drying, my brush bristles feel soft, clean and malleable, not crunchy or stiff.
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