Review: Revlon Cream Blushes; Flushed, Pinched

When I find a formula that I like in a particular cosmetic item, I go crazy and think in my head that I have to have every single shade. Which is how I feel about the Revlon cream blushes! They are the perfect face product if you are starting, or wanting to start using cream products.

In the past, the NYX cream blushes have been my favorite, and I still love them, but you need to be very careful with them. I've completely messed up my look using them since they are really dewy and pigmented.

The Revlon cream blushes, are dense and silky, and blend so well! They aren't opaque, but you don't want your blush to be opaque. They seriously are so pretty and well formulated. I got 2 shades from the 40% off sale at Rite Aid last week, and have used them every day since I got them, and I really want to get more of the shades! Flushed is, of course my favorite color. But, pinched is so stinking pretty, and would look STELLAR on bronzed/tan skin for a natural summer look!

Revlon Cream Blush in "Pinched"

 Revlon Cream Blush in "Flushed"

These blushes are perfectly pigmented, and sheer out beautifully. They have a very skin-like texture when blended. The packaging is great and isn't big or bulky. It has a black screw-top lid and the product sits in a clear jar. 

These have a retail of $12.99 and are sold wherever Revlon cosmetics are sold. They come in 3 shades, "Pinched", "Flushed" & "Coral Reef". I highly recommend them if you like cream blushes. The colors are perfect for summer and the formulation gets it done so well.  

Review: Maybelline Color Whisper in "Lust For Blush"

I found the most perfect nude pink lip color in the world! I absolutely love a nude lip. It's hard for many to achieve since having a nude lip can sometimes make you look dead. So, a lot of us look to nude pink shades to counter that balance of a nude lip and a dead face. However, pinks are hard, too. Some are too bright, some are too brown etc.

I'm so happy to have found this lip color. It's the perfect balance of it all and it look so pretty with my fair skin tone. The Maybelline Color Whisper in "Lust For Blush" is now in the archives as my favorite drugstore lipstick! It's so beyond perfect for a variety of shin tones, and it feels like a chap-stick. It's very hydrating, and not too heavy, like some lipsticks.

I find pictures of lips a little creepy and weird, but I thought it would be helpful for you to see what it looks like on my lips in natural light.

This lipcolor retails for $7.50 at most drugstores or wherever Maybelline is sold near you. I definitely recommend it if you love the idea of a nude lip, but can't seem to find one that looks good on you. This is such a nice color, and the price is budget friendly!

Friday Haul: LOTS of Revlon & Almay

I'm ready for the weekend! I'm super excited to share with you my haul this week, though. Rite Aid has been the place to shop lately, and I'm loving the deals there. But I also hit up CVS for a money maker on Almay and Revlon. Lets get started!

This week at Rite Aid, they have Revlon cosmetics for 40% off! And, as if that wasn't good enough, they are also giving you a $5 up+ reward when you spend $15!! AND, if you go here, they are giving you 3 different coupons to use for this deal!!! Wow, wow, wow! GO to Rite Aid if you love Revlon. You can do this deal 2 times for a total of $10 back in up+ rewards. Here is What I picked up:

$2.99 x 2 Revlon ShadowLinks in "Oyster" & "Taupe"
$7.49 x 2 Revlon Clolorburst Lipglosses in "Crystal Lilac" & "Hot Pink"
$9.99 x 2 Revlon Cream Blush in "Flushed" & "Pinched"
$6.49 Revlon Tweezer set (ad states that these are excluded from up+ reward, but it worked for me on Monday)
-$16.37 (40% off sale - only on makeup, tweezers are regular price)
-$3.00 (in-ad coupon for $3 off $5 Revlon beauty tools)
-$3.00 ($3 off $5 eye products coupon from here)
-$3.00 ($3 off face product coupon from here)
-$3.00 ($3 off face product coupon on my receipt from a previous purchase) 
-$4.00 ($4 off 2 lip products coupon from here)
-$2.00 (2 $1.00 off lip product coupons from here. You can use these in conjunction with the video values)
-$10.00  (up+ Rewards for next purchase)
$3.05 for 7 Revlon Products - only $0.43 each!

Note: The cream blushes rang up at $12.99, but the price on the shelf clearly said that they were $9.99 (most places have them priced at $12.99, so this was no surprise), so the manager adjusted the price for me. You may not be able to get these blushes at this price. 

Now, lets head over to CVS. They have a magical beauty coupon that will print for EVERYONE this week that is for $3 off any $15 cosmetics purchase. Combine that with one of their many sales, and it's a great deal! I used mine with my $4.00 off Almay coupons that I mentioned last Friday, since there is a $3 extra buck deal on Almay this week. Then, I added a few Revlon ShadowLinks because the red machine printed a $5 off 2 Revlon cosmetics coupon for me. Here is how my transaction looked:

$5.99 x 2 Almay Lipglosses in "Blooming Balm" & "Apple-a-Day"
$2.99 x 2 Revlon ShadowLinks in "Candy" & "Plum"
-$8.00 (2 $4.00 off any Almay cosmetics coupons, go here for more info.)
-$3.00 ($3 off any $15 cosmetics purchase coupon from red machine)
-$5.00 ($5 off 2 Revlon Cosmetics Coupon from red machine)
-$3.00 (Extra Bucks for spending $10 in Almay products)
-$1.79 (10% back for Beauty Club membership - 10% is always taken BEFORE coupons)
-$2.83 --> A sweet moneymaker for me this week!

That's it for today's haul. If you take it all into consideration, I spent $0.22 on my beauty purchases this week. That's $65.39 worth of cosmetics for less than a quarter!

I also want to mention, that CVS is also having a sale on Physicians Formula this week. If you buy $20 worth, you get $10 extrabucks back. If you have the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons found at Target, then this is a great deal paired with the $3 off $15 coupon from the red machine! My Target was out of the coupons :(

Also, if you want to get 2 Almay shadow softies instead of the lipglosses like I did for the CVS deal, the $3 extrabucks will still print for you. I have all of the shadow softies from previous purchases, so I opted for the glosses, but it would have been a better moneymaker with the shadow softies!

Smackdown: Revlon's PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator in Bronze Light vs. Physicians Formula Glow-Boosting BB Cream in Light to Medium

I'm finally doing another Smackdown! Today I'm comparing Revlon's PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator in Bronzed Light vs. Physicians Formula Glow-Boosting BB Cream in Light to Medium. Sheesh, what is it with these long names of products? Anyway, starting off I'm going to tell you what the company's of each of these products have to say about them.


About Revlon's PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator in Bronze Light:
With Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator its easy to get a healthy glow in any light. Brighten and illuminate skin for a radiant complexion. Wear alone to highlight and brighten. Wear with foundation to banish dullness and even out skin tone.

About Physicians Formula Glow-Boosting BB Cream in Light to Medium:

Instant Natural Bronze Glow. Instant & Lasting Bronze Glow!1st Ever BB Cream Bronzer. Bronzer + BB Cream Benefits. Replaces: Moisturizer,Foundation, Bronzer, SPF. Mistake Proof Formula. Stain-Free, Streak-Free, Orange-Free, Odor-Free. Glow Activator Technology. - See more at: http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/face/bronzers/06222.html#sthash.GyABSPEF.dpuf

Instant Natural Bronze Glow. Instant & Lasting Bronze Glow!1st Ever BB Cream Bronzer. Bronzer + BB Cream Benefits. Replaces: Moisturizer,Foundation, Bronzer, SPF. Mistake Proof Formula. Stain-Free, Streak-Free, Orange-Free, Odor-Free. Glow Activator Technology. - See more at: http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/face/bronzers/06222.html#sthash.GyABSPEF.dpuf

Instant, natural and lasting bronzed glow! 1st ever BB cream bronzer. Bronzer + BB cream benefits. Replaces Moisturizer, foundation, SPF, bronzer. Mistake proof formula. Stain-free, streak-free, orange-free. Glow activator technology.

So, on to my opinions. These are both the same type of product to me. I don't care if one is labeled "BB" and the other one is "PhotoReady". They are both liquid bronzers that are supposed to give you a healthy/tan complexion. I realize that most of my smackdowns involve a high end brand and a drugstore brand, and I'm sorry but these are very similar in price. I wanted to compare them for myself, and I thought someone else would like the info. Revlon retails for $12.99 and Physicians Formula is $14.99. I have seen the Revlon everywhere, Target, Walmart, CVS etc. And, I have seen the Physicians Formula only at Ulta. So, Revlon is much easier to obtain.

These are both Silicone based, and feel the same on my face. The Physicians Formula does have SPF where Revlon does not. When heavily swatched, the Physicians Formula is clearly lighter in color. But when blended out, they have a very similar tone. On me, the Physicians Formula is a tiny bit more orangey, but is completely a matte finish. Revlon has a very slight shimmer to it, which when photographed I cannot detect.

 Swatched heavily

Blended swatch

So, my final verdict on these 2 products are that they are basically pretty similar. I think I'm going to lean slightly toward the Physicians Formula BB Bronzer more, just because I like how it has an SPF, and that it also is completely matte. That's not to say that I'm going to give up on the Revlon, though. There are days that a slight shimmer is great, and I think that this one blended in with your foundation is a superb idea!

Instant Natural Bronze Glow. Instant & Lasting Bronze Glow!1st Ever BB Cream Bronzer. Bronzer + BB Cream Benefits. Replaces: Moisturizer,Foundation, Bronzer, SPF. Mistake Proof Formula. Stain-Free, Streak-Free, Orange-Free, Odor-Free. Glow Activator Technology. - See more at: http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/face/bronzers/06222.html#sthash.GyABSPEF.dpuf

Instant Natural Bronze Glow. Instant & Lasting Bronze Glow!1st Ever BB Cream Bronzer. Bronzer + BB Cream Benefits. Replaces: Moisturizer,Foundation, Bronzer, SPF. Mistake Proof Formula. Stain-Free, Streak-Free, Orange-Free, Odor-Free. Glow Activator Technology. - See more at: http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/productdetail/face/bronzers/06222.html#sthash.GyABSPEF.dpuf

Tip Tuesday: How to get more pigmentation out of your products, plus get a more even blend

Hi everyone. I get asked all the time about brushes. Which ones I use, which ones are better, which are cheapest yet still do the job, and more. Today, I want to share one makeup secret, that I feel a lot of makeup artists don't do or don't tell you that they do.... Use your fingers. It's kind of crazy for some people to think about that. I mean, it's free, we are constantly bombarded with expensive brushes and sponges. Your fingers are always there for you to use for lots of different things, why not your makeup application? I use my fingers a lot in my makeup routine. Plus, don't you find it kind of funny that you always use your fingers to blend moisturizer or serums into your skin. Why not foundation, blush, and eyeshadow? I find that especially with eyeshadows and other colorful products, like blush and bronzer, the pigmentation is more concentrated when you use your fingers vs when you use a brush. Here are a few tips that I use when I'm using my fingers to apply my makeup:

1. Make sure your fingers are clean. You don't want to be spreading bacteria all over your face.
2. Only pick up a small amount of your product. Especially if you don't know how pigmented it's going to be. You can always grab more if it's not enough.
3. Use a light touch when you're applying the product to your skin. You don't want to drag or tug anything. Plus, it blends things a lot nicer when you use a light touch.
4. Try to only use your fingers with lighter products. I find on myself, that I can get a great blend with lighter cosmetics when I use my finger than with darker cosmetics. But, that also depends on the products pigmentation, too. So, play around. You may love how your bronzer looks when you apply it with your fingers. 

So, do you use your fingers in your makeup application? 

Review: Too Faced The Secret To No Makeup Makeup

Guess what? Summer is just around the corner (thank goodness!), and I'm not sure about you, but for me, that equals less time for my makeup routine. Plus, with swimming, sports, camping and playing outside, I feel like even if I do my makeup, it just melts off anyway. I wasn't necessarily searching for an all-in-one palette that can do my whole face with ease, but when I saw this Too Faced The Secret To No Makeup Makeup palette I thought this would be an awesome basic summertime healthy looking face kit.

I normally start with the packaging, so let me explain that first. It comes in a tin housing with a magnetic closure. When you open it, there are 6 products with labels for you to know what is what. The top has an insert/guide and when you remove it, there is a very small mirror behind it.

Here is what Too Faced has to say about this palette:
This multitasking face palette is your answer to creating the illusion of flawlessness. The collection is dedicated to complexion perfection—for a flawless “I was born perfect” look—any time of the day. With Too Faced’s signature how-to Glamour Guide included with three looks to get you started, the kit has everything you need to create a complete makeover, so it’s great for traveling or overnight stays.

This palette includes:

Bronzing Veil (Powder)
Creme Blush (Cream)
Blush (Powder)
Concealer (Cream)
Luminizer (Cream)
Brightener (Cream)

The Bronzing veil in this kit is nothing short of stunning. However, I personally wouldn't classify it as a bronzer. It isn't terribly dark, and even on my fair skin tone, it doesn't really "Bronze" my skin. It does illuminate and blur imperfections beautifully.

The Creme Blush is another stunner! This is a beautiful classic pink. A little goes a long way with this blush. It has a matte, yet dewy finish and it also has a slight staining effect, making it super long wearing.

The Blush in this palette is a light baby doll pink. This is the product in this kit that is just okay to me. It's decently pigmented, and it has a lot of sparkle, but it doesn't stick around that long. I would suggest using this over the Creme Blush for a longer lasting effect.

The Concealer is pretty good. It's a tad dark for me, so I can't use it under my eyes. It's great for minor imperfections and for canceling out slight pigmentation problems.

The Luminize is a peachy highlight that can be used for emphasizing the cheekbones, browbones, and down the bridge of the nose. I really like this product, and my only complaint is that it's not big enough.

The Brighten is a matte, peachy-yellow under toned correcter product. This is great for concealing dark circles, and to contour your face. I was very surprised how dark this looked in the pan vs. how light it was on my skin.

The insert that tucks inside this kit has three different looks that you can create using this palette, giving you a step-by-step color coded guide, and then on the flip-side there is a model demonstrating each look. I found this guide to be very helpful and a great resource.

This palette retails for $39.00, and is available wherever Too Faced cosmetics are sold. I think this is a great value for 6 products, being that they are pretty and pigmented. It's also very flattering on a lot of different sin tones. Overall I'm in love with this purchase, and can't wait for summer so that I can practice my "no makeup" look!

Friday Haul: Maybelline, Physicians Formula, The Balm

Hooray for the weekend! I hope your week was awesome, and that you were able to score some great beauty finds. This week, I went to Ulta, Kohls, and Rite Aid. Here we go...

I went to Kohls this week because they sent me a coupon for $10 off anything in the store. I originally wanted to get some new clothes, but looked them over and didn't find anything that suited me, so of course I browsed the cosmetics to find something there. I had no idea that Kohls sold theBalm cosmetics! I found this "Smoke Balm" eyeshadow palette for $12! Easy desicion at that point. A $2 trio from theBalm after my $10 coupon. I reviewed this item yesterday, so click here for more info.

Then, I hopped over to Ulta. I posted on Facebook that they are having a 40% off sale on a lot of drugstore brands. Maybelline and Physicians Formula are 2 of the 5 brands that are 40% off right now. PLUS, you can use a $3.50 off your $10 purchase coupon for even better savings, and Ulta takes Manufacture Coupons as well! So as I was browsing, I found this BB Bronzer with an attached $5 off coupon. Then, I got some things from Maybelline that I've needed and wanted as well. Here is how this sweet deal ended up:

$14.99 Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Glow Boosting BB Cream
$6.99 Maybelline Define a Brow in Dark Blonde
$4.99 Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer (Can you tell I'm gearing up for summer?)
-$10.78 (40% off sale)
-$5.00 (Coupon attached to Bronze BB Cream)
-$3.50 (Ulta $3.50 off $10 purchase coupon)
$7.68 For $27 worth of makeup!

Last, I went to Rite Aid for one of my favorite sales ever! They do this sale every now and then, and I JUMP on it! Spend $15 on Physicians Formula get $10 up+ rewards (excludes eye & clearance)! Already that is a sweet deal, but combine it with a coupon, and you can get a smoking deal! PLUS, you can do this twice. That's a $20 savings if you spend $30. I've told you about the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons that I found at Target. I went and got another one, then ran to Rite Aid and found more coupons stuck to the products there as well:

$14.95  Physicians Formula Nude Wear Bronzer (Yes, another bronzer this week)
$13.95  Physicians Formula Super CC Color Correcting Powder
$6.55 Physicians Formula Gentle Cover Concealer Stick
-$13.95 (Buy 1 Get 1 Free Coupon from Target)
-$3.00 (Coupon stuck to CC powder at Rite Aid)
-$20.00 (up+ Rewards for next purchase)
-$1.50  --> An awesome money maker, if you can find the coupons at Target!

So that's all for my haul this week. I got $74.42 worth of makeup for only $8.17 this week!

I want to mention, that there was a $4 off any Almay cosmetics coupon in the Sunday paper. If you were lucky enough to get one, then you can get some free stuff at Ulta and CVS this week! CVS has the lip glosses for $5.99 with a $2 reward, so free after the $4 coupon. And Almay is included in the 40% off sale at Ulta, so choose your scenario there. I was super lucky and scored 2 of these wonderful coupons, thanks to my sweet neighbors, so I'll be saving mine for a money making scenario next week! So make sure you come back next Friday. And, have a great Easter weekend!

Review: theBalm Smoke Balm Smokey Eye Palette

Hey everyone! I have an exciting review for you today. theBalm Smoke Balm Smokey Eye Palette! This is a 3 shade palette that I found at Kohls this week. I got a GREAT deal on it (come back for more about that tomorrow). This is the first time I have played with theBalm shadows, and I gotta say, I'm impressed!

Can we start with how cute the packaging is? These shadows come in a cardboard housing with cute and fun graphics. The side has a picture of what looks like a matchbox striking strip (because this is a "smokey" palette ;) And the back of the package has a guide for how to apply these to make your eyes look smokey. Of course though, you can do whatever you want with these shades!

The three shades that come in this palette are:
Kindle, a dark green with a charcoal undertone that has a slight shimmer.
Glow, a matte medium brown shade &
Combust, a golden champagne shade with lots of sparkle.

All three shades feel velvety and smooth and are very decently pigmented. I never build up my swatches to give you a false hope of what cosmetics look like. One swipe and that's all they get. If you can see it then great, if not maybe it's not a good choice.

 I think these colors work together very well, and are a great addition to your collection! It retails for $12 at Kohls, and I'm pretty sure it's exclusively there. I could be wrong on that. What do you think of this palette? Worth $12 or is it a pass for you?

Whats New: elf Blush Palette

I decided to go back to a little whats new today. I've told you about this product in one of my hauls in the past, but I decided to take some more in-depth photos and swatches for you.

There are 4 shades in this palette. There are two different palette options on the elf website, light and dark. I only purchased the light one, and I'm liking it so far. Three of the shades are pink, with one being a bronze color. So, this would be a great item to take traveling with you if you like options when you travel. The only shade that has any sort of sparkle is the bottom right shade. The other three are matte. These are decently pigmented, but not overly or surprisingly so.

One of the features of this palette that suprized me, was the fact that you can pop each shade out from the palette housing. Making me wonder, if elf is going to do something like sell the shades or new/other shades individually in the future.

 

Overall at $6, I think this is a great buy. You get four shades and they are all very pretty and blend-able. It's also a decent size, yet compact enough that I don't think it would be hard to travel with.

Tip Tuesday: Using Eyeshadow for Eyeliner

Ever since I started doing makeup some 10+ years ago. I'm pretty sure the #1 question I've been asked, is how I apply eyeliner to make it look blended. Especially lately, since I've started this blog, I've had at least 1/2 dozen requests about eyeliner techniques. I'll try to get to a few others that I have up my sleeve in later posts, but today I want to touch on how to use eyeshadow as eyeliner. A lot of people think that since you can buy something specifically to line your eyes, that that is the one and only way to do it! I'm going to give you 3 reasons why I think using eyeshadow is BETTER than using an eyeliner pencil/pen/gel/etc:

1. You can save some $. Just buy an eyeshadow palette that has a good range of colors that you can use for lots of different looks. Chances are that there will be some good eyeliner shades in there!
2. Your eyes look bigger when you use eyeshadow instead of eyeliner. 
3. Some people get carried away, and don't emphasize their eyes properly. Eyeshadow is more forgiving when it comes to making your eyes look like your eyes only better!   

A huge pet peeve of mine is seeing ladies wear eyeliner ALL THE WAY AROUND THEIR EYES!! With a liquid eyeliner. NO!!!!!! Do not do this I beg you! Our eyes are the most gorgeous things on our face. Think of them as a work of art. would you frame a work of art with a thin, bold, tacky frame? Instead, frame them with a dark shadow that is (gasp) three times the width of that eyeliner pen that you use. I promise it will look better! That being said, there is a  way that you can gracefully use that liquid eyeliner, so don't throw it out. I'll try to get to that in a future post.

Below, I've taken a very horrible shot of my own peepers to demonstrate the difference between lining with eyeshadow vs. lining with a liquid eyeliner. On the Left, I used a dark brown eyeshadow with the elf defining eye brush, only taking the shadow about 3/4 of the way from the outer corner to the inner corner. And on the right I used a liquid eyeliner all the way around my eye. Can you see how on the Left, my eye looks softer and bigger than on the right?

Another way to use your eyeshadow as liner and have it look more nighttime/smokey is to use a pencil eyeliner (NOT liquid), and then blend it with an eyeshadow that goes with it well (you can use a black eyeliner and blend it out with a charcoal eyeshadow for example). Or, you can also use a waterproof pencil eyeliner in your waterline (space between your eyeball and your eyelashes), then blend a coordinating eyeshadow underneath your lashes.

One thing that you want to keep in mind as you do your makeup, is that the outer portion of your eyes always needs to be darker than the inner portion UNLESS your eyes are very far apart. So, using a light shadow around your inner tear duct is another great way to open up your eyes.

There are lots of ways to use your eyeshadow as a liner. Try out some different ways on your own eyes, and let me know if you notice a difference in how your eyes look! Also, if you are more interested in my other tip/tricks of eyeliner, comment!

My Holy Grail High End Products

Makeup

Primer: The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost

Foundation: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation

Concealer: Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer

Powder: BareMinerals Mineral Veil

Lip Balm: N/A

Lip Gloss: Buxum Lip Gloss

Lipsick: Tarte LipSurgence Skintuitive Lip Tint

Lip Liner: N/A

Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

Bronzer: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil

Highlight: Stilla All Over Shimmer Duo in "Kitten"

Finishing Spray: MAC Fix +

Eyeshadow Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyeshadow: Lorac PRO eyeshadow

Eye Liner: N/A

Mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex

Eyebrow Product: Tarte emphasEYES in Taupe

Skincare

Facial Moisturizer: The Body Shop Aloe Night Cream

Facial Oil: Argan Oil

Eye Cream: Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment

Scrub: dr. brandt Microdermabrasion

Mask: The Body Shop Nutriganics Soothing Mask

Clensing Oil: The Body Shop Moisture White Shiso Cleansing Oil

Body Moisturizer: Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter

I will add/change this list as things change or I find new products that fit my liking.

 

My Holy Grail Drugstore Products

 

Makeup

Primer: Monistat Soothing Care Powder Gel

Foundation:  L'Oreal Visible Lift Serum Absolute

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Powder: Coty Airspun Powder in "Translucent" 

Lip Balm: EOS Lip Balm

Lip Gloss: NYX Butter Gloss

Lipsick: Maybelline Color Whisper in "Lust For Blush"

Lip Liner: NYX Retractable Lipliner

Blush: Physicians Formula Sexy Booster in "Rose"

Cream Blush: Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in "Flushed"

Bronzer: Revlon Photoready Bronzer

Highlight: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Powder in "Translucent"

Finishing Spray: NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray

Eyeshadow Primer: Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Primer in "For my Primas"

Eyeshadow: Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio in "Walking on Eggshells" 

Eye Liner: L'Oreal Silkissime Eyeliner in "Black"

Mascara: Maybelline Volum'Express The Rocket Mascara in "Very Black"

Eyebrow Product: Maybelline Define-a-Brow in dark blonde

Skincare

Facial Moisturizer: St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer

Eye Cream: Lumene Vitamin C+ Anit-Puffiness roll-on eye serum

Scrub: Freeman Facial Polishing Mask Charcoal and Brown Sugar

Mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Cleanser: 365 Everyday Facial Cleanser

Body Moisturizer: Alba Botanica Cocoa Butter Lotion

I will add/change this list as things change or I find new products that fit my liking.

Ipsy: April 2014

Have you heard of Ipsy? It's a beauty subscription that costs $10/month and they send you 4-5 products inside of a cute little makeup bag. I've been subscribed to them for around 11 months, and I always get my moneys worth, with some of my bags valuing at over $50! Plus, it gives me a chance to try things that I normally wouldn't try. I love it! Here is what I got in this month's bag:

This Months theme is "Beauty Rocks", and of course, the bag matches that with a blue vinyl fabric with what looks like an old school record player on the front! I also feel like a lot of the products tie into this theme as well.

 

The first thing that cought my eye in this months bag, was this Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow single in "Champagne". Retail of this is $12.99. My bag is already paid for with just this full size shadow.

 Next up is the brand new eyeliner from Urban Decay in "Black Velvet". This has a retail of $20. Although this one is not full size, so it doesn't have a $20 value.

 I think this is the first time that Ipsy has collaborated with Mary Kay. I used to sell Mary Kay! Ha, that feels like a whole other lifetime. But this new lipgloss from Mary Kay in "Berry Me" is full size with a retail of $10.

 Next is the dr. brandt microdermabrasion. This is a deluxe sized sample of the product, which at full size, retails at $78!

 Last, is another deluxe sized sample from St. Tropez. This is the Gradual Tan Anti-Aging Multi-Action self tanner for face. This at full size has a retail for $25.

This was a great month for me. Had I actually purchased each item from this months bag, I would have paid nearly $150! I love only paying $10 to be able to try these things at a very discounted price!

Friday Haul: Wet n Wild, NYC, Almay and more!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope your week has been great so far. I have an exciting haul today... have you been to Rite Aid this week? If not, you are missing out! They have some GREAT sales on makeup right now.

 First, lets start with the Wet n Wild deal! At Rite Aid through Saturday, all Wet n Wild cosmetics are 40% off, plus, if you get $10 worth, you get a $3 up+ reward for your next purchase. These cosmetics are such a great bargain anyway, that I had to get this deal! Their shadows always blow me away with the pigmentation. So, I got 2 shadow palettes that are fairly new to the line and I didn't have. Then, I got one shadow palette that I've gotten before and wanted a backup to depot or something! And, I also got 2 of their new Balm Stains. The new stuff (2 newer shadow palettes and Balm Stains) had $1.00 off coupons stuck to them, making this deal even sweeter! Here is how the deal worked...

$3.99 "Tunnel Vision" eyeshadow palette
$3.99 "I'm His Breezey" eyeshadow palette
$2.99 "I'm Getting Sunburned"eyeshadow palette
$2.99 "Nudest Colony" Balm Stain
$2.99 "A Stiff Pink" Balm Stain
-$6.78 (40% off sale)
-$4.00 (4 $1.00 off coupons from 4 of the products) <--- there is also a coupon from Sunday's paper
-$3.00 (up+ rewards for next purchase)
$3.17 for 5 products! Only $0.63 per item!

Now, onto Rite Aids NYC deal. All NYC cosmetics are buy one get one 50% off. Plus, if you buy 2, you get a $1.00 up+ reward for your next purchase. And, coupons.com has a coupon for $1.00 off any NYC product that retails for $1.79 or more. You can do this deal twice, and get a total of $2.00 up+ rewards. I purchased 4 sparkle eye dust's and here is what the deal looked like for me:

$2.99 x 4 (4 Sparkle eye dust @ $2.99 each) =
$11.96
-$2.99 (Buy one get one 50% off sale)
-$4.00 (4 $1.00 of coupons from here - you can print 2 per computer)
-$2.00 (up+ rewards for next purchase)
$2.98 Only $0.74 each eye dust!

And the last thing from Rite Aid, was another shadow softie. I have all of these shades, but I couldn't pass up a free item, so I'll save this for a friend or something. All Almay cosmetics are 40% off this week. Plus, I went to Rite Aid a few weeks ago, and I got a coupon that printed with my reciept for $3.00 off any (1) Almay Eye Cosmetic Product! So, combining the sale with that coupon, I got a free shadow!

$4.99 Almay shadow softie in "Creme Brulee"
-$1.99 (40% off sale)
-$3.00 (coupon from a Rite Aid trip last week)
FREE Shadow Softie!

 And, last thing for the week, is from bareescentuals.com where they have a promotion going on every Monday for a month. These items were from March 31st. I told you all about this deal on Facebook, so make sure you go and "like" me so you can get in on these great deals! So, for new customers, when you add yourself to the email list, they send out an email for you to get a free eyeshadow. Then, on that Monday only you could enter the code SWAK at checkout for a free full size lip gloss! You had to actually purchase something, so I got one of my go-to shadow shades in "Well Rested". Here is how the transaction worked:

$9.50 "Well Rested" Eye Color
$9.50 "Real Deal" Eye Color
$18.00 "Go Getter" Lip Gloss
$3.95 (Shipping Charge)
-$9.50 (Free Eye color for joining mailing list)
-$18.00 (Free full size lip gloss for entering code SWAK at checkout)
 $13.45 for 3 full size BareMinerals cosmetics!

I absolutely love drugstore deals. I saved $55.26 this week! I got over $70 worth of cosmetics for under $20! What were you able to get this week?

What's New: Wet N Wild Coloricon 5 Pan Palettes

Wet n Wild is best known for their eye shadows. The original 8 pan and 3 pan palettes are my all time favorite drug store eye shadows because of the awesome pigmentation and great value compared to even other drugstore brands! So, when Wet n Wild comes out with new shadows, I'm like a kid in a candy store! I get all sorts of giddy and can't wait to buy them. So, about 4 months ago when they came out with these new 5 pan palettes, you know I had to have them! I purchased "Floral Values" and "The Naked Truth" back in February and they have been fun to play with. Then, yesterday, I was able to score a great deal at Rite Aid (more about that on Friday) so I picked up the "Tunnel Vision" And the "I'm His Breezey" palettes. I've swatched them below so you can get an idea of the quality. The pigmentation of these palettes are hit and miss. I feel like all of the shadows in "Tunnel Vision" are greatly pigmented and the other three have some shining stars and some duds. Overall, for the price, these cannot be beat! I own some very high end shadows that don't hold a candle to some of my Wet n Wild shadows! So, take a look next time you're at the store and see which ones you think you'd like. I'm definitely recommending the "Tunnel Vision" palette if you are a fan of dramatic black smokey eyes!  

 Tunnel Vision

I'm His Breezey

Floral Values

The Naked Truth