Drugstore Beauty Finds

14 Pink Lip Colors for Valentine’s Day

February 12th, 2009 by Karen 32 Comments

There’s something about wearing pink lips on Valentine’s Day that just feels *right*!

If you’re looking for the perfect pink for your pout, consider one of these 14 pink lipsticks and glosses. 🙂

Bright pinks

Sometimes a bold, bright pink lip is the only way to go. Pair any of these dramatic lips with thick black cat eyeliner and some false lashes for a show-stopping look.

One of my favorites is MAC Hello Kitty Lipglass in Sweet Strawberry ($14), pictured above. Sweet and sexy at the same time!

Or, if you’re in the mood for something less shiny, how about Milani Velvet Lipstick Creamy Lipcolor in Royale ($5)?

For those who want to bring the bling, consider N.Y.C. New York Color Ultra Last Lip Wear in Blue Rose ($2).

Rosy pinks

Okay, so maybe a bold pink lip isn’t your thang; think about rose shades for a more conservative spin. I dig ’em with shimmery browns or pink shadows and blushes.

Budget lovin’ beauties might love Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Comfort Lip Color in Pink Blossom($10)…

…or Sally Hansen Moist & Matte Liquid Color in Taffeta ($8).

If you’re in the mood to splurge, Givenchy Rouge Interdit in Maharani Rose ($27) could tickle you pink…

…as could Yves Saint Laurent Pur Gloss in Pure Fuschia ($29)!

Cool pinks

Perhaps you’re thinking about wearing something cool on your eyes. How about one of these cool pinks?

Clarins Joil Rouge Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick in Pink Sugar($24) would look fab with gray smokey eyes or pale shimmery greens or blues.

[Continue reading…]

5 MAC Smokey Eye Looks

February 4th, 2009 by Karen 31 Comments

Smokey eyes can take a timid makeup look to the next level and help bring out your Queen of Sheba.

It seems like they’re never out of style. Maybe that’s because they’re easy to do, unmistakable from afar and don’t require lots of products to create.

The following 5 smokey eye looks feature MAC Cosmetics, but each look can also be done by substituting similar products from other lines.

1. MAC Smokey Eye Tutorial: Halloween Flashback

“Hey, ladies! On Halloween some of you asked for a tutorial describing the MAC Smokey Eyes look I wore to dinner. I was in the mood for MAC today, so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s heavy on MAC products, but you could definitely use similar products from other brands.”

2. MAC Red She Said Face of the Day: Navy Blue, Bronze and Brown Smokey Eye

“I tried this brown, bronze and navy blue smokey eye. When I was done with the look, I walked around the room by myself, pretending I was contemplating impressionist paintings in a fancy art gallery.”

3. A Smokey Eye Tutorial with MAC Cosmetics Metal Urge Gilded Ash Cream Shadow and Cocomotion Pigment

“I don’t know if I’ll ever tire of doing smokey eyes. There are just so many different ways to work the look, like this spin on a daytime eye for work. It’s a method I learned from my favorite MAC artist, Jen, using products from the MAC Metal Urge and Red She Said collections.”

4. MAC Cosmetics Mulch Eyeshadow Face of the Day

mac-cosmetics-mulch-fotd

“I started this face of the day with one pan — ONE PAN! — of MAC Mulch Eyeshadow. From there, it quickly spiraled out of control into a look with seven different shades. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I think it has something to do with an upcoming deadline. The more pressed for time I get, the more makeup I want to wear! I know I can’t be the only one who loves to procrastinate this way.”

5. 18 MAC to School Makeup Tips

“In Saturday’s class, I chose to do the club look, thinking I’d leave with some crazy, colorful eye like in the above chart. Instead, we ended up doing more of a smokey blue eye with light cheeks and bold pink lips.”

Can you share any tips or tricks to help others with their smokey eyes?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Heavy Hydration on the Cheap: Johnson’s Body Care 24-Hour Moisturing Body Wash and Lotion

February 1st, 2009 by Karen 23 Comments

The Battle of Karen vs. Dry Skin is raging, ladies! And my skin needs help, fast. It’s time for a full-on blitzkrieg against scaliness.

I wasn’t sure if the new Johnson’s 24-Hour Moisturizing Body Wash and Body Lotion ($6 each) would be up to the task. My skin needs heavy hydration, especially the skin on my legs (my driest area!), and especially in winter.

In winter my legs get so dry that iguanas envy me, but after using both the 24-Hour Body Wash and Lotion for a week things changed.

I’ve got soft and smooth legs for a change, yes!

Johnson’s 24-Hour Moisturizing Body Wash

Moisturizing Body Wash looks and feels creamy and rich. It’s a low-lathering wash, so don’t expect lots of big foaming bubbles, but it rinses clean and doesn’t leave a noticeable residue.

Now, the humungo 20.3 fl-oz. bottle is bigger than Ernest Hemingway’s ego, but because it’s so big I feel like I’m getting a good deal. I even tried to see how it would work as an emergency shave cream, and it worked great. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Johnson’s 24-Hour Moisturizing Body Lotion

Moisturizing Body Lotion penetrates quickly and leaves my skin feeling smooth but not waxy. I think it’s a fantastic hydrating body lotion. I like to apply it after rinsing and towel drying. Like the monstrous Body Wash, it’s not gonna win any awards for travel convenience (14 fl-oz. bottle), but you get a lot of product for your money. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Johnson’s packed both products with hydrating shea butter and vitamin E and infused them with a pleasing light rose scent. I think they’re fantastic drugstore deals. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Halt Fashion Emergencies with These 3 Items in Your Purse

January 24th, 2009 by Karen 23 Comments

What kinda stuff would go into your Ultimate Purse Survival Kit?

I’d want mine to have a Magic Eight Ball that gave out career advice: “It’s time to quit,” or “Update your resume.”

And no decent super purse would be complete without a Chocolate Materializer 2000, a device that at the touch of a button could create any chocolate food or beverage imaginable, yum!

I’d also want a Man-ometer, something I could point at guys that would indicate whether or not they’d make good dates for my single girlfriends.

But until technology catches up with imagination, I guess I’ll just have to settle for items that are readily available now, like…

Hollywood Fashion Tape ($7.50 for 36 pieces and a take-away tin)

Hello, double-sided goodness; goodbye, clothing malfunctions! When I’m out and about and something on my outfit goes awry, I reach for Hollywood Fashion double-sided tape.

They’re transparent, stretchy, super sticky strips of tape designed to adhere to textiles and skin without leaving a residue. I use ’em to hide bra straps, keep strapless tops and dresses from falling, to fix loose hems and to close gaps on button-up shirts (ugh, don’t you hate that?).

The convenient on-the-go canister holds 36 pre-cut strips and barely takes up any space in my purse. If I’m carrying a small clutch, I’ll just throw a few of the individual strips into my wallet.

Miss Oops Lint Roller ($5.95 for lint roller with 20 sheets and refill)

This mini-lint roller = PURE GENIUS. It’s light and easily tucks away into my purse.

I use it to remove Tabs’ cat hair, dandruff (hey, it happens) and random bits of lint on my clothing.

Each roller comes with 40 sheets rolled up like paper towels around the tube. Just peel off used adhesive sheets and throw them away.

Shout Portable Wipes ($4 for a box of 12 wipes)

I certainly have my hot mess moments, like when I accidentally brush the sleeve of my shirt against my lipgloss or splash Starbucks coffee on my jeans…

And when these moments happen, I remember why I like Shout portable wipes. They’re stain-removing towelettes that comes 12 to a box in individually wrapped packets.

Just tear open one of the packets, and rub the moistened sheet (soaked with an effective stain remover) on the stain. BAM! With these three things in my purse I don’t have to worry as much about the inevitable offending coffee/lipstick/pen stain ruining my outfit.

Because some things never change… 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Budget Beauty Booty: 5 Drugstore Bargains Worth Checking Out

January 14th, 2009 by Karen 13 Comments

1. Hairy Beast Be Gone! Neutrogena Rainbath Shower and Shave Body Wash

“I was cruising around my ‘hood the other day when I saw the above poster in front of a salon. It conveys how I’ve felt practically *every day* since puberty. Seriously, where does all the hair come from??? It’s like I’m a Play-Doh Mop Top Hair Shop!

The only good thing about being a hairy beast is that it always gives me a valid excuse to try new hair removal accouterments.”

2. Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover

Being called cheap and easy are compliments if you’re a bottle of Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, $7. It removes all of my eye makeup quicker than you can say ‘fierce,’ and it does it without stinging my pocketbook or my sensitive peepers.

3. Kashuk Tools: 3 Bargain Makeup Brushes that Rock

sonia-kashuk-tools-power-brush-3

Bargain brush goddess Sonia Kashuk’s gone and done it again. Her Synthetic Flat Top Blusher Brush won me over a few weeks ago, and now I can’t live without several of the brushes from her Kashuk Tools line. I’ve been reaching for the Powder Brush ($19.99), Large Eye Shadow Brush ($12.99) and Angeled Eye Shadow Brush ($9.99) so often that I might as well have all three surgically attached to my hand. Here’s why I love ’em, and why you might, too.

4. Get Green with L’Oreal, Maybelline and Lancome Eyeshadows

“Ever since MAC Parrot eyeshadow entered my life I’ve been a little obsessed with greens, and I’m not talking collards or peas, girl. Behold my current green shadow crushes.”

5. Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer: No More Sticky Neck

“Lotions tend to make my neck feel sticky (I can’t stand that feeling!), but I don’t want to end up with wrinkled turkey neck. I’ve tested different moisturizers over the years and finally found one that doesn’t cause sticky neck: Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer ($29).”

Happy Hump Day! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Skin Care on the Cheap: 5 Tips (and a Giveaway!)

January 6th, 2009 by Karen 136 Comments

Update: The contest is closed! I’ll be contacting the winner shortly. Thanks for entering. 🙂

Ballin’ on a budget? Yup, I hear ya. If you’re trying to think of ways to save money on your beauty and skin care routine, skin experts like Erin Welch, dermatologist at Denver Dermatology Consultants in Denver, Colorado, suggest hitting up the local drugstore.

“There is definitely a misconception that drugstore products can’t get the job done,” says Dr. Welch, “but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only are you saving lots of money by avoiding the department store for similar products, but you’ll find that some of the items are actually very impressive.”

Here are five drugstore skin care tips (and a giveaway) to keep that purty face lookin’ great!

1. Look for a gentle cleanser and avoid harsh soaps.

Skin produces a layer of natural protectant called the acid mantle, which contains a mixture of oils and other secretions that help it retain moisture and prevent the growth of unhealthy bacteria.

“If you wash your skin with a very harsh soap and strip off the mantle, it takes over 24 hours for the skin to regenerate it,” says Dr. Welch. And if you’re stripping off the acid mantle faster than your body can repair it, you’re leaving your skin vulnerable to drying and more prone to infection.

For sensitive skin, Dr. Welch recommends gentle pH balanced cleansers like pHisoderm Cream Cleanser ($5), pHisoderm Deep Cleaning Cream Cleanser ($5) and pHisoderm Unscented Facial Bar ($5). “All these cleansers will help maintain the skin’s protective acid mantle in order to retain the skin’s natural moisture and healthy balance.”

2. Opt for salicylic acid treatments if you have adult acne.

“Adult women’s skin is very different than teenage skin,” says Dr. Welch. “With time and with age our skin becomes drier, so if you’re experiencing acne, you want to be sure you’re using products that aren’t going to dry your adult skin.

“I tend to steer my adult patients to products that contain salicylic acid only and to use benzoyl peroxide in moderation (or to skip it altogether).” She likes Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash ($6), the Clean & Clear cleansers ($6) and pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Cleansing Pads ($5).

3. Incorporate an effective anti-aging product into your skin care routine.

With so many overpriced and overhyped anti-aging products on the market, how do you choose one that actually works? “I recommend Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum ($20) to my patients,” explains Dr. Welch. “Ranked number one in effectiveness for mass market anti-aging serums by Consumer Reports, this anti-aging serum contains pentapeptides shown to boost colagen prodution and stimulate cell row, helping to smooth out lines.”

4. Remember to apply sunscreen on your lips!

Yes, your face and neck need protection from the skin’s rays, but don’t forget to also protect your lips with a lip balm containing SPF. Dr. Welch recommends Softlips lip balm ($4). It contains SPF 20 and feels smooth upon application — perfect for layering beneath your favorite lipstick or lipgloss.

5. Find a nightime anti-aging treatment.

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream ($22) is an intensive anti-wrinkle treatment that works while you sleep to reduce expression lines and deep wrinkles. “This exclusive combination of pure Retinol and an essential mineral complex is a great alternative for people who find prescription strength Retin-A too irritating,” she says.

New Year, New Skin: The pHisoderm and Softlips Giveaway!

I think it’s time for a giveaway. 🙂 Win $60 in skin care products from pHisoderm and Softlips!

Enter today’s Phisoderm and Softlips giveaway by signing up to receive my updates by email or by leaving a comment on this post (or both!). If you’re already signed up for the updates, you don’t have to do anything else to be entered to win — you’re already entered — but you can double your chances by also leaving a comment on this post (a comment about anything at all). 🙂

The Prize

One lucky winner will receive 13 items from the pHisoderm skin care and Softlips lip care lines ($60 value).

pHisoderm Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin ($5)
pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Cleansing Pads ($5)
pHisoderm Unscented Facial Cleansing Bar ($5)
pHisoderm Deep Cleansing Cream Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin ($5)
pHisoderm Foaming Facial Wash ($7)
pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Gel Facial Wash ($5)
pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Body Wash ($6)
Softlips Raspberry with Green Tea Extract ($4)
Softlips Cherry ($4)
Softlips Strawberry ($4)
Softlips Vanilla ($4)
Softlips Tint in Rose ($3)
Softlips Tint in Bronze ($3)

How to Enter

Again, there are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them to double your chances.

If you haven’t already signed up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily email updates, then enter your email in the pink box below (or click this link).
If you have already subscribed to the email updates but want to double your chances, add a brief comment at the bottom of this post (be sure to use a valid email address).

I’ll choose the winners at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 8. The contest is open to all US and international readers. Good luck, my budget-loving beauties!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Burt’s Bees Radiance Travel Kit, aka Adventures in Mini

January 6th, 2009 by Karen 16 Comments

Dude, am I the only person who thinks the Burt’s Bees line kicks arse? I love their lotions, hand soaps and lipglosses, and I’ve had my eye on some of their fancy Travel Kits for a while.

I. LOVE. SAMPLE SIZES, and these travel kits are chock full of ’em. Those mini-bottles and jars make it easy to discover new products from a line without having to commit.

Case in point: the Radiance Collection Kit ($15), which I sampled last week.

It comes with seven mini-items from the Radiance Collection, a body care line featuring products containing royal jelly (a nutritious substance eaten by queen bees in the hive) to restore glow to dull skin: Radiance Exfoliating Body Bar, Exfoliating Body Wash, Body Lotion, Day Creme, Night Creme, Eye Creme and Lip Shimmer.

I liked everything in the kit, but my favorite product turned out to be the one I least expected to like — the Exfoliating Body Bar.

Scented with rose and freesia, she foams up like crazy and leaves my skin feeling clean without that annoying tightness some cleansers can cause.

I figured out that it also works fab as a shave cream, too (I have hairy Yeti legs…).

I was able to try a product I may otherwise not have tried and now may even spring for the full-sized $4 bar. 🙂

Burt’s Bees Radiance Collection Kit

Price: $15
Use: Seven sample-sized body and bath products from the Burt’s Bees Radiance Collectionn
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Whatever happened to Lil’ Ceaz?

I’m almost too ashamed to admit that I still know the lyrics to Crush on You, by Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Ceaz (“I know you see me on the video, TRUE!”).

Raise your hand if you remember being in a club when this song played. It always made everyone go NUTS! Ahhh… memories.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Watch out Sonia Kashuk! Here Comes Eco Tools

January 5th, 2009 by Karen 38 Comments

Drugstores aren’t always home to great makeup brushes, which is why Sonia Kashuk took so many of us by surprise.

But Sonia’s not the only one making superb yet affordable makeup brushes. Say a warm hello to Eco Tools and their fantabulous 5-Piece Brush Set ($10)!

They’re the softest drugstore brush heads I’ve ever used, even softer than Sonia Kashuk’s. That, coupled with the great price, makes this kit (which includes four travel brushes and a carrying case) a total steal.

From left to right: Eye Shading, Concealer, Powder/Blush and Baby Kabuki brushes

Made from the synthetic fiber, Taklon, Eco Tools brush heads feel both silky AND soft, LOL! — like my favorite fussy tabby’s fur (meow!).

The kit goes on sale next month and comes with the following:

Baby kabuki brush: While not as dense as my MAC 182 Buffer Brush, this lil’ baby applies powder with aplomb. The small brush head really gets into the nooks and crannies around my nose.
Powder/blush brush: You can use this brush to apply mineral foundation or face powder. I like to use it as a blush brush (both powder and cream), because the head fits precisely onto the apples of my cheeks.
Concealer brush: I like the precision of very thin concealer brush heads. This head’s a little too big for my taste, but it still works like a charm, applying Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows like a pro.
Eye Shading Brush: A tapered brush great for simple washes of color over the entire lid, for crease work and for blending.
Cosmetic Bag: Cute and tiny, this cotton and hemp bag carries all four of the kit’s brushes with room to spare.

Eco Tools wants to go green. Their brush heads aren’t made from animal furs, and their brush handles which fit nicely in the palm on my hand (I wish they were longer, though, sigh), are made from sustainable bamboo and recycled aluminum.
[Continue reading…]