Drugstore Beauty Finds

I Say Yes to Cucumbers in My Hair: Yes to Cucumbers Color Conditioner

December 14th, 2010 by Karen 30 Comments

Tabs has really been riding me lately to find a good cruelty-free drugstore conditioner. He even threatened to swipe my ankles if I didn’t produce something this week worthy of sharing on the blog. I focussed the search on volumizing products designed to cut down on frizz, since those are both hair issues of mine, and I think I may have found something to save my ankles from Tabs. They call it Yes to Cucumbers Color Care Conditioner ($9).

With a mild cucumber scent, this lightweight, moisturizing conditioner is marketed to gals with color-treated hair, which I have, but I’m so impressed by it that I’d wager it would also do wonders for other types of hair (particularly fine, limp hair because it is quite volumizing).

Not only is it cruelty free, but it’s also made from 99.6% natural ingredients, including minerals harvested from the Dead Sea, organic cucumbers, centaurea extract (an extract from a flower that’s supposed to help prevent brassiness) and green tea. Most of the ingredients are also plant extracts, way up on list, and there’s no mention of silicones among the ingredients at all.

I love the volume I get from using this because it works without leaving behind a thick layer of goop — just lots of lift and body.

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With the Sonia Kashuk Reach for the Stars Nail Trio, Sonia Hopes You’ll Reach for Your Wallet

December 13th, 2010 by Karen 41 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Reach For the Stars Nail Trio Holiday Set swatches

When the goin’ gets tough, the tough paint their nails! Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly how the saying goes, but you know what I mean. 🙂 And when a nail polish goes on with near perfect application, like the pretty polishes in the Sonia Kashuk Reach for the Stars Nail Trio ($10), well, ain’t nothin’ gonna break my stride.

The limited edition holiday set comes packed to the gills with glitter in three full-size bottles — a warm peachy gold (looks like a sunset!), a gunmetal gray and a magenta. Sonia filled all three with pounds of pigment and sparkle to spare.

Where’s the party at?! I ask because these festive shades hit all the right notes, but the formula’s what elevates these polishes from good to great. The smooth, thin texture goes on without any streaks (reminds me of OPI’s texture), and because they’re so pigmented, the color is easy to build up with layers. Last week I painted my toes with the gunmetal gray, and it was one of the fastest and easiest at-home pedicures I’ve given myself in ages. Just two coats produced a solid, opaque layer of color. Heck, I probably could have gotten away with one layer if I’d been in hurry.

Sonia Kashuk Reach For the Stars Nail Trio Holiday Set swatches gray

Sonia Kashuk Reach For the Stars Nail Trio Holiday Set swatches gray and gold
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Burt’s Bees $6 Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream Makes Nails Cuter and Cuticles Better

December 11th, 2010 by Karen 22 Comments

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

Oh, Burt, baby, where’ve you been all my life? Your $6 Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream ($6) has been like manna from heaven to the shredded carrots I call cuticles. The rich, all-natural nail treatment smoothes the dry, cracked crevices around my nails while strengthening the nails themselves with sweet almond oil, vitamin E and cocoa butter. It keeps cuticles moisturized for hours, and the light lemony scent smells downright delicious.

The thick wax-like consistency takes longer to massage in than my trusty Sephora Cuticle Pen, but because of it the product also feels more substantial on my tips, which I like. I use it off and on throughout the day, but my favorite time to use it is right before bed, on both my fingernails and toenails (so it can work its magic overnight).

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream box
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$8 NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover Is an Orange that Sings the Blues

December 8th, 2010 by Karen 25 Comments

nyx eye and lip makeup remover review closeup

Um, why do I feel like rubbing orange slices all over myself? Oh, yeah — I remember. NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover ($8), one of the best smelling makeup removers I’ve EVER sniffed.

Fo’ reals! This dual-phase liquid (an oil and water emulsion; it turns a pale blue when shaken) smells fresh and sweet like a yummy (blue?) orange, and it digests le war paint almost as well as the much more expensive Lancome Bi-Facil, also a dual-phase formula.

They say the nose knows. Well, mine stopped paying attention as soon as it caught a whiff of this fragrant potion of orange and papaya extracts. As a matter of fact, I like the smell so much that I’m willing to overlook its few shortcomings, one of which has to do with mascara. It’s not that good at removing it as Bi-Facil (or any number of other eye makeup removers), but nothing’s perfect, right? Except perhaps the way NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover smells, LOL! 🙂

RANDOM SIDE NOTE: Wouldn’t it be freaky if our eyes could process scent?

Even though Bi-Facil whisks away mascara and waterproof products better than NYX’s remover, the later still manages to spirit away most of the non-waterproof lip and eye makeup I’ve thrown its way, doing so without irritating my sensitive eyes or clouding up my vision (I’m talking to YOU, Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover!).

nyx eye and lip makeup remover review

nyx eye and lip makeup remover review back of bottle

nyx eye and lip makeup remover review ingredients
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Was JK Jemma Kidd Eyeing MAC When They Created the Catwalk I-Kit?

December 8th, 2010 by Karen 20 Comments

jk jemma kidd catwalk i-kit review swatches photos open 1

Like the Dom PÃ©rignon of drugstore makeup palettes, the $26 JK Jemma Kidd Catwalk I-Kit will set your holiday budget back, but you may not mind if you’re a lover of sheer shadows and/or the classic neutral colors across the way at MAC.

The kit comes with a single creamy eye primer, a pair of dual-tipped mini-brushes and eight shadows (two of them, the highlight shadows, share a single large pan), quite a few of which look like sheerer versions of staple MAC neutrals to me.

At least they picked great products to use for inspiration, right? 🙂

Shimmery taupe Editor reminds me of MAC Satin Taupe, shimmery golden beige Vintage of MAC All That Glitters and matte brown Vanity Fair reminds me of MAC Cork.

jk jemma kidd catwalk i-kit review swatches photos
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$4 Petites Color Fever Nail Polishes: Another Reason to Love Rite Aid (and Drugstores in General)

November 28th, 2010 by Karen 15 Comments

Written by OIga

Let’s meet Olga of MakeUpAcademia at Rite Aid this afternoon so we can shop for new colors for our nails. She recommends a bangin’ budget line to try in today’s guest post.

After trying and being put off by a few drugstore nail polish brands before (including the regular Petites line), I’ve been sticking to my Sephora by OPI’s. Luckily, however, one day while I was browsing my local Rite Aid beauty section (is there anyone else who finds that therapeutic?), a small bottle of pretty grayish taupe polish caught my eye. It turned out to be a higher end Petites line called Color Fever.

I’ve purchased two Color Fever polishes so far — Periwinkle (525) and Vintage Gray (519) — but if I was not trying to cut down on my makeup expenses, I would have bought a lot more. 🙂

There are some very interesting colors in the line (although many of them are hard to find in stores), and in terms of quality both of the polishes I own are on a par with OPI. For the sake of comparison, the brush is slightly narrower and shorter than that of the brush that comes with a bottle of Sephora by OPI.

These are creamy opaque shades that go on beautifully and last a decent amount of time (up to a week with a top coat).

The Petites Color Fever polishes are more expensive than an average drugstore polish ($3.99 for 0.25 oz, but that’s versus close to $9 for 0.5 oz for Sephora by OPI), but I would still prefer these over OPI polishes — really, how often do we use up even half of a full-sized nail polish before it dries?

PRICE: $3.99
AVAILABILITY: Rite Aid
RATING: 10/10 overall

Written by OIga

This post was written by Olga from MakeUpAcademia, originally from Russia, but currently a graduate student in Baltimore, MD. She is passionate about physics equations, beauty and skincare products, travel photography and her cat Saathi.

Should You Say Yes To These Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes?

November 24th, 2010 by Karen 39 Comments

yes to cucumbers facial towelettes review

I experienced what can only be described as a euphoric scent-sory experience the other day with a Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelette ($6 for a pack of 30). El Hub walked in on me while I was holding one of them up to my nose and breathing deeply (smells like those cucumber water drinks you get at a fancy shamncy spas). I must have looked like Gollum from Middle Earth, cradling my little precious…

These softer-than-soft wipes are the latest additions to the Yes To ______ line of organic eco-friendly skin and hair products.

I think the company’s pretty cool, especially when they release something I really like.

The biodegradable cloths say “yes to” removing face and eye makeup without the need for water, but with the help of skin softening cucumber, aloe vera and exfoliating minerals collected from the Dead Sea.

Soft, they are, but they’re still able to cut through foundation, powder, blush and lipstick with ease. Eye makeup, however, is another story. I find myself having to use a second wipe to remove eyeshadow, liner and mascara, and, to take care of waterproof stuff, I give it a little help from Bliss Lid + Lash.

yes to cucumbers facial towelettes review wipe that smile on your face
Cute!
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Don’t Overlook the Earth Tone Sally Girl Eye Shadow Connecting Compacts

November 24th, 2010 by Karen 30 Comments

Written by Sam

Freelance makeup artist and blogger Sam finds a lot to like at his local Sally Beauty and shares with us in today’s guest post.

Shades from left to right: Auburn, Copper, Espresso, Brick, Champagne, and Mauve

With the nude face being one of Fall 2010’s hottest trends, it would be easy for you to just turn to your favorite shimmery champagne shadow, swipe a bit over your lid, and run out of the house. Skin glowing and cheeks instantly tinted red by the late-autumn chill, you’re the image of ultimate chic. But if you feel the look is too plain â€” too bare â€” and you’re tempted to reach for that black liquid liner and slap on a thick cat eye, why not turn to your earth tones instead?

On one of my monthly trips to Sally’s a while back, I had just finished my hair product shopping and was waiting for my father to pick me up. Having already examined the aisles twice (I’m always convinced I’ve missed some new, revolutionary product that’s been quietly tucked in between the Cholesterol Masques and the clarifying shampoo), the only display left was the makeup.

I’ll admit it. I’m a makeup snob. Seeing price tags of $5.99, $2.99, and, it pains me to say, $0.99, I was more than skeptical of these modestly packaged beauty items. I reluctantly bowed my head down towards the bare-bones rack.

I skimmed over the cheap looking glitters, eyeliners in simple glass pots, and miles of mini-palettes that I was sure contained less pigment than a freshly washed brush.

“Oh, those are greeeeeaaaat.” I snapped my head up in time with the bursting of the clerk’s gum bubble. She sucked the pink goop into her mouth between pastel lips and nodded. “Yeah, they’re like, comparable to MAC shadows. Really pretty. Great pigment. I looooove â€˜em.” She went back to examining her nails.

Comparable to MAC shadows? I thought she had to be exaggerating, but fortunately for me, there was one shadow available for testing.

And she was right.

The Sally Girl Shadows (the Earth Tones)
From left to right: Auburn, Copper, and Espresso

I bought 20. For less than a dollar each, I could afford to take the chance that the tester I had swatched was simply some mistake; a high-end department store brand shadow that had been cleverly or accidentally swapped into a Sally Girl compact to fool makeup enthusiasts like myself. How glad I am that this complicated confabulation was completely wrong.

I purchased a huge variety of shades, from blues and navies, to purples and magentas, to forest greens and day-glo limes. But being the season it is, the six earthtones I hauled have taken a semi-permanent spot in my kit (at least until purple becomes de rigeur again). Fortunately, these little marvels (1.1 grams, to be precise; for comparison, MAC shadows are 1.5 grams) come in connecting compacts, so you can organize them any way you want (I do it by color family so it’s easier to quickly find a shade on a job, but I know plenty of people who do it by “look”, like putting all the shadows they use for a smokey eye in one palette). My earthtones palette contains the shades Auburn, Copper, Espresso, Brick, Champagne, and Mauve. Honestly, I don’t know where half of these names come from. Don’t trust them. Go by the actual shadow. Each of them has a very fine shimmer, which turns metallic when applied wet.

The Sally Girl Shadows (the Earth Tones)
Left to right: Brick, Champagne, and Mauve

Auburn is a sort of orangey burnt-copper shade, perfect for this season’s orange eyeshadow look if you don’t want to be so in-your-face about it. This shade looks stunning with green eyes, and works well as an eyeliner if you want a no-fuss, simple-chic look for days when you have minimal time but need to look put-together.

Copper is actually more of a burnished, almost-antique gold (but with a bit more brown in it). The finish on this is absolutely gorgeous, and creates almost a slick sheen that’s nearly impossible to duplicate without the use of creams or gels.
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