The Top 3 Budget Mascaras

Photo found here

Mascara is one beauty product that I can't live without.  Honestly, I've tried.

About 7 years ago I had laser eye surgery and part of the healing process was no eye makeup for 6 months.  Waking up everyday and not wearing eye makeup was the hardest thing, ever, because I felt naked.  After those 6 long months passed, I got back on the mascara horse and have never looked back.

I don't know about you but there are quite a few things I require from a potential mascara and if it doesn't deliver, I move on to a different type/brand very quickly.  I need my lashes to be volumized, the mascara formula needs to be non-clumpy, a brush that separates the lashes AND lengthens them all the while not breaking the bank.  Here are my top three budget-friendly picks that meet my extensive must-have list...

Photo found here

1. Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara (Curved Brush)

I wrote a REVIEW about this mascara before and, since then, have incorporated it into my daily beauty routine.  This mascara separates lashes, lengthens, volumizes AND doesn't clump.  Such a bargain at only $7.

Photo found here

2. Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Mascara in Extreme Black

I also reviewed this mascara HERE quite sometime ago and nothing's changed since then... I still adore it.  I use this product every morning as my first two coats.  I love this mascara because it lengthens my lashes extremely well and doesn't leave any added build-up.  The only issue I have with this mascara is that it doesn't fully coat the lashes in one stroke.  (You have to double-dip the wand in the container.)  Aside from that, every couple months I have no problem paying $8.99 for this mascara.

Photo found here

3. Avon SuperSHOCK Mascara in Black 

This mascara has surprised me the most.  First, I never usually like abnormally large brushes (and this brush is HUGE) but for some reason it works extremely well.  Also, it's one of the most volumizing mascaras I've used in quite some time.  The only downfall is that it can be a bit clumpy if you're using more than two coats.  Either way, it's a steal for $4.99

Have any of you ladies tried these mascaras before?  What are your thoughts?

Fall 2011 Favorites: Lipstick!

Lipstick makes me happier than ribs slathered in my favorite BBQ sauce.  Honestly, I'm just sayin'.  As scrumptious as ribs (or any BBQ food) are there is a certain je ne sais quoi about a fabulous colored lipstick.  Well, for me anyway.  It adds a bounce to my step and can sometimes make me feel fabulous even on the worst day.  With that in mind, here's a list of my favorite lipsticks that completed my looks this fall:

Maybelline Fifth Ave. Fuchsia #160

I'm swooning just looking at this picture.  There is nothing sexier than rocking a fabulous fuchsia lip with some killer over-the-knee boots.  Honestly, this was my staple color for about three weeks.  I love this one by Maybelline because the color lasts a long time, the smudging is minimal and the actual color of the lipstick is divine. 

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Bouquet

I love the Bite line because it has an all-natural ingredient list.  Plus it's jam-packed with antioxidants that leave your lips smooth and moisturized.  This color is one I wear to the office a lot because of the sunny pink tone.  It's not too overwhelming as a color but gives your lips a nice pop color. I highly recommend this color and product line.

Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Berry, Berry Nice

I bought this by accident.  I thought I ordered a wine color but instead received a bright red berry tone which has actually taken the place as my favorite red over Youngblood's Crimson.  (I know, shocking.)  Either way, this color suits my skin tone to a tee because it's blue-based.  I have honestly been on the hunt for a blue-based berry red for so long and it's crazy to think I found it for under $4.  This lipstick is rich in color, wears well, doesn't smudge too much and looks great on.  I do wish that the color would last a bit longer on my lips though.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Love That Pink #435

I find the name of this color funny because, once on, it almost looks a bit orange.  Either way, this color is on the list for a reason.  I apply this color a couple times first thing in the morning and the color lasts all day, even through lunch.  I love the feel of it on my lips and my lips obviously love it since they stay moisturized all day.  Plus, it was on sale and I bought it for only $3.99...such a steal.

I should probably mention that I use a nude/natural lip liner with all my lipsticks, not a colored one.  I like nude lip liners because they hold the color of your lipstick in place and don't leave a horrible line around your lips when your lipstick fades.  My go-to is Rimmel London's 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Natural.  I definitely recommend it if you're on the hunt for a bargain.

What are your favorite lipsticks for fall?  Have you tried any of these before?

PS - It's time for another Wedding Wednesday Post so check it out at www.rubyna.com

My Shopping Spree Weekend (Part 1)

Target n' Macy's n' Sephora n' Victoria's Secret, oh my!

I adore shopping (yes, I know...a redundant statement.)  However, I adore cross-border shopping so much more than shopping in Vancouver because of the fabulous deals.  (There are so many!!!) As I'm sure you know, I went shopping this weekend and, let me tell you, I bought quite a few things.  (So many, in fact, that I had to split this blog post into two.)  I spent all day on Sunday shopping with my two girlfriends in the States, Saturday with a girlfriend shopping here in Vancouver AND Friday shopping with Allan at Metrotown (the biggest mall in BC).

I've split these posts into cosmetics (part 1) and clothes/shoes/accessories (part 2).  So, without further adieu:

Friday shop with Allan involved Sephora.  I purchased Benefit's BAD Gal Lash Mascara (which has been on my wishlist forever), Benefit's Feelin' Cheeky Minis and Bite's Luminous Creme Lipstick Trio. 

Adorable right?  The $18 package contained a mini PosieTint, a mini HighBeam and a mini BeneTint.  The sizes are perfect for travel AND trial.  (it's nice to know that Benefit creates smaller containers for people to try out prior to committing to the bigger bottle.)

Beyond obsessed with this new eco-friendly Canadian brand, Bite.  Get this...the product line is free of all petrochemicals AND packed with reservatrol (meaning that each product has the equivalent of five glasses of red wine's worth of antioxidents.)  Phenomenal.  My trio included Pepper, Bouquet and Rhone.

Left to right: Pepper Lipstick, Bouquet Lipstick and Rhone Lipstick.  Sigh, they are so gorgeous and moisturizing.

Sunday shopping spree to Victoria's Secret included Vixen Eau de Parfum and Noir Love Me Eau de Parfum.  So, typically I don't choose fragrances from VS but they were having a 75% off all beauty products sale and I just couldn't turn them down.  These fragrances were under $9 each.  Of the two, Vixen is my fave.  It reminds me Britney Spears' Fantasy but if you're not familiar with that one, it smells like candy and apples.  Love it.

Also from VS, and only $4 a piece, I picked up two new shower gels, one body spray and a new body lotion.  The pink bottles are the scent Wild One Midnight Raspberry & Sexy Lily while the blue bottle is Love Bitten Forbidden Apple & Sultry Woods.  Since I can't wear fragrances to work, I always use a scented lotion and/or body spray so these two will be going in my work bag.

Target purchases included these amazing lip glosses.  Ummm, am I the only one that had NO idea the Vitamin Water franchise had branched into lip glosses?  Either way, I snatched up the XXX flavor balm (my favorite Vitamin Water flavor) and was super stoked to see it packed an SPF of 20.  The two other balms are from the brand Say Yes to Carrots.  I grabbed two and bought Ready Red (left) and Sunset Pink (right).

I had wanted the Maybelline palette (right) for some time and can not wait to put on that bright blue color.  The palette on the left was bought on a whim, cost $1.50 and is probably the worst eye shadow but I really liked the eggplant color (middle).

Target is awesome for cosmetic deals like this one here from E.L.F.  The custom palette and eye shadows were only $1 each. I selected Sage (shimmer golden green), Dusk (shimmer charcoal), Moondust (shimmery bronze) and Periwinkle (shimmer purpley grey).

Last makeup purchase of the weekend came from Macy's.  As you know, this palette was also on my wish list.  Because we've been sold out of this item at most locations in Vancouver, I figured it was doomed to stay on my wishlist indefinitely.  I was wrong.  They had only ONE left at the Estee Lauder counter in Macy's and I snatched it up immediately.  Look at these colors....

I am so thrilled with my cosmetic purchases from the weekend and can not wait to show you all the colors with some up-and-coming EOTD's, etc.  Stay tuned!!  How was your weekend?  Did you buy anything noteworthy?  XO

Foundations: The Good and The Bad

Foundations are an extremely personal choice.

What might work for one, could be a horrible selection for another.  However, if a paste-y sister says that a specific foundation is perfect, I'm the first to run out and purchase it because finding a product that actually matches my skin tone is a pain.  That's what this post is about today.  After reading many of my favorite blogs and hearing great things about three different foundations, I knew I had to try them out myself.  I don't do comparisons to often, but these three were worth it:  Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Porcelain Ivory, Diorskin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless Makeup in 010 and L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup (Cool) in Alabaster.

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Pros:

Full coverage 

Matches my pale skin tone perfectly 

Cons:

Too oily 

Coverage is much too thick

Takes a long time to fully blend into my skin

No SPF

I wanted to love this, I really did.  But it was lacking in too many areas for me.  I found that during the day with this product on, my skin became extremely greasy and almost slick looking.  No matter how much I blotted my skin, it stayed very oily.  The oddest thing is that I don't have oily skin normally.  Another issue was how long it took to blend into my skin and I even used a sponge.  I will say that if you live in a dry climate and are needing full coverage, this may be a good foundation for you.

Diorskin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless Makeup

Pros:

Silky smooth finish

SPF 25

Full coverage without the weight

Looks like you're not wearing anything

Full/sheer coverage 

Cons:

Price 

Of all the foundations I've ever tried (and trust me, there have been a lot) this is, perhaps, the best one I've ever used.  Not only does it provide full coverage (should you need it) but it can also be applied lightly for a more natural look.  This foundation has an SPF of 25 (YAY!!!) and leaves your skin silky smooth AND it stays that way all day.  The only downside to this foundation is its price tag: $55 it quite a bit for a foundation.

L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

Pros: 

Light feeling on skin

Full/sheer coverage

Blends well 

SPF 17

Cons: 

Almost too liquidy

Halfway through the day can become slightly oily

$20 for a drugstore foundation is a lot

For a drugstore foundation, I actually don't mind this one.  Yes, it's not perfect but, to be honest, most foundations aren't.  This one offers great coverage, is one of the fairest colors I've ever seen and still offers an SPF.  I will say that it is rather liquidy, even for a liquid foundation.  The product seems abnormally runny but yet still blends well and matches my winter-fair skin.  Oh, and another thing, it keeps my skin from looking slick.

This picture shows a comparison of the three foundations together.  From left to right, Maybelline, Dior and L'Oreal.  As you can see, the Maybelline one is very thick compared to the other two while the one on the far right (L'Oreal) is extremely runny.

 All in all, I will definitely be repurchasing the Dior.  It's become my everyday foundation and I can't live without it.  However, if price does become an issue, I'll be knocking down L'Oreal's door for sure.  Have you used any of these products before?  What are your thoughts?

XO

Review: The Maybelline Mascara Battle

I typically don't stray too far from my two beloved mascaras: Rimmel Lash Accelerator and Lancome Definicils. However, while at Shoppers Drug Mart the other day, I stumbled upon the Maybelline display and was instantly drawn to the pretty pink tubes....how can you resist right?

I purchased the Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara in both the straight and curved brush. Though the packaging may look slightly different, they are both the same formula aside from their brushes. (Curved is on the top while straight is on the bottom.)

Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara Curved Brush

This mascara is surprisingly good. It's funny because I totally tend to gravitate towards a straight brush but think that in this case, the curved brush adds something special. You can definitely see that it's lengthened my lashes very well WITHOUT clumping. (I have two coats on my lashes, in case you're wondering.)

Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara Straight Brush

Hmmmm, where do I begin. Now I know that lashes are always better on one side of the face BUT I really expected more from this mascara after seeing it's sister in action. This one really fell flat for me. Yes, it lengthened a bit and may have added a bit of volume, but it's extremely clumpy. I actually had to separate my lashes with my fingers as I was coating them. (Again, this is two coats.)

So, I guess the answer is obvious. I will, without a doubt, be purchasing the curved brush formula again. Oh, and the best part is, it was only $6.50

Have any of you ladies tried this mascaras before? What did you think about them?

OOTD & FOTD: Lovely Blues

It's been raining in Vancouver for, oh, about the past week and a bit so this morning I made the decision to wear a dress. Not just any dress but one of my long maxi dresses (strapless) to make me feel like I was in Mexico or at least somewhere that isn't raining. And....It totally worked!!! Not only did the rain break for a bit but I paired it with my awesome new aviators and got so many compliments.

Here's the dress:

I love this dress because it was inexpensive ($25 Old Navy last year) and is extremely forgiving, if you know what I mean.

Man, this is a crap picture. Either way, you can sort of see the blue I used on my eyes.

This picture is much better. ( I, of course, blame poor lighting...ha) I, as usual, have my shimmer all-over glow going on as well as a light coral lip.

FACE
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Porcelain Ivory
Joe Fresh Duo Concealer in Light
Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Makeup in Shade 102 (N)
Youngblood Brow Artiste in Dark

CHEEKS
Marcelle Graphic Face Pressed Powder in Prismatic Neutrals (All-Over Glow)
Mark Good Glowing Custom Pick Powder Blush in Star Glo
ELF Studio Simmer Palette (Highlight under eyes)

LIPS
ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine in Goddess

EYES
ELF Eyelid Primer
Rimmel London Color Rush Trio Eye Shadow in Maritime
Mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow in Night Owl (amazing color!!!!)
Youngblood Intense Color Eye Pencil in Blackest Black
Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara

PS - I told Allan (the BF) that I would give him a shout out for taking the pictures. So, thanks babe!! xo

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone

The Truth About Mascara

I can not leave the house without mascara.

I tried it once and felt so boring and plain that I walked into a shop, at night, with my sunglasses on. Granted, I wear sunglasses at night quite frequently, BUT I flat out refused to take them off this time. Now, don't get me wrong, I go without makeup periodically, but there is something different about not wearing mascara versus bronzer, blush or powder. I guess there are certain products one can't live without....

It has taken me years to compile a list of mascara's I heart and here they are....

1. Estee Lauder MagnaScopic Mascara is actually really good. I used this for years before branching into other brands and types and I chose this one because it was always consistent. The brush is really easy to use and does prevent clumping. (Unless you are using the tip of the brush a lot. If so, this will tend to cause clumping.) It does give volume, length and definitely creates fuller lashes.
2. Clinique High Impact Mascara is another one of my faves. This mascara is also good because it does create full lashes. Again, like with almost all mascara, be careful when using the tip of the brush, as you can get some clumping.
3. Maybelline Full n Soft is actually my favorite mascara right now. Yes, it's not department store quality BUT it does exactly the same thing as the Clinique brand and only costs about $5.99. Love this product and highly recommend it.
4. Lash Stiletto Voluptuous Mascara is one I use everyday. I will start with the Full N Soft as the first coat and then this as the second (and third). I ONLY use the Voluptuous Stiletto (red packaging) product as I disliked the original Lash Stiletto (black packaging). I will also say that this is not something I would use on it's own since it will add length but not the volume as it claims.

I am also veerryy lucky since I, naturally, have long long long lashes that curl. I have never had to use an eye lash curler or any lash primer for that matter. I do, though, need fuller lashes. That's why I tend to gravitate towards products that create the illusion of full lashes.

As always, tell me what brands you love and what products work well for you!!!