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Monday, January 27, 2014

BEAUTY NEWS!!

     It's the last week in January, which means and end to what I liked to call "Brush Month". I'll share my reviews of a few brushes I've tried. Maybe I'll do one wrap up video at the end of the month to complete this section.
     I think I'm finally organized enough to try multiple products at once. I also NEVER thought I would be using excel in my everyday life. I actually thought about blogging about parts of my life...we'll see how that works out. It'll be easier to do, but not as much fun. I'm not  a stranger to hard work (even though I do have my lazy days).  Right now I just wan to talk about sales and what's up for next week!
     Next week and throughout February I'll be talking all about skin care products. I have just sampled my last mask, from my stash. I am also trying other eye creams and moisturizers.

SALES!!!

CVS
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, Wet n' Wild, Almay, Revlon, Cetaphil, Simple, Clean & Clear, CVS, Ponds and St. Ives.

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, Revlon, Maybelline, Almay, Wet n' Wild, L'Oreal
Simple cleansers and wipes $5
Physicians Formula BOGO FREE!!!

Walgreens
BOGO 50% Covergirl, Almay, L'Oreal, Olay, Ponds, Simple, Eucerin, Aquaphor
Wet n' Wild $1.49

See you all soon and don't forget about my Youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5drRFeyICQ4

Friday, January 24, 2014

WEEKLY REVIEW: Eyeshadow Brushes

     So next up for "Brush Month" Eye Shadow Brushes! I have tried many, a lot of them not so high end...I actually got NYX shadow brushes 3 for $5 at this "hoochie clothing store". They were on clearance. They had ELF stuff too, but it was over priced, I would have done much better getting it from the website. Who sells ELF items 3 for $12? Anyway...on to the review.


ELF Eyeshadow Brushes ($1/$3) eyeslipsface.com-I love these brushes and have been using the ones from the studio set for over a year. They're still very well put together. The essential brushes are just as good. I own quite a few. I even had them as a $1 *GEM* last year.


Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Brush BRCN02 ($4) coastalscents.com-I love, love, love this brush! It's study, fluffy, soft, picks up a lot of shadow and spreads it evenly! After getting a free brush in one of my beauty boxes, I ordered more. I never thought I would like natural brushes. I had fears of break outs and the smell of the brushes when they're wet is a little of putting. BUT if you wash them with shampoo and conditioner they smell better.


NYX Shadow 1 Brush ($5) nyx.com-NYX brushes kinda scare me. Out of the package they already look "well loved". After the initial wash, they look better, but it doesn't take much for them to start to look bad. Once I got these brushes, I discovered the TRUE meaning of brush keepers. It works well, I actually went and bought a few more, but I wonder about the longevity of these brushes.


Crown Eyeshadow Brush ($20/ for the set) crownbrush.us or hautelook.com-the M.O. of these brushes seem to be that they're light, and don't have tightly packed bristles. I use this and the blender brush to apply color, but not to blend. The brush just isn't strong enough to blend colors. The brush head is just too long and not built for the blending process.


 Bdellium Tools Antibacterial Eyeshadow Brush 774 ($10) bdelliumtools.com- This brush is made very well, but something about it makes it too light and hard to maneuver. I think the brush head is just too long. I have been thinking about cutting down the bristles to make them shorter and easier to maneuver.

I have PLENTY more brushes to review, these are just a few for now. Stay tuned! I have more coming.
I do have some brush I DO NOT love or even remotely like! I'll let you know all about those products later, maybe even in a video...HMMMMM...

Monday, January 20, 2014

2013 $1 *GEM* AND $10 BEAUTY PRODUCT WRAP UP

     Since I started I tried to bring you the BEST, CHEAP, beauty products. Here are 24 products that are a MUST HAVE!!! This is a comprehensive list of some $1 *GEMS* and  products that are a must have at $10 or less from 2013.
Some of these you can even find at your local $1 store.
I also made accompanying videos on youtube! For some reason I was only allowed to connect video to the blog, but I post the link to the other.

$1 *GEMS*
1-ELF essential eyeshadow brush- eyeslipsface.com
2-ELF Zit Zapper Stick-eyeslipsface.com
3-ELF Shimmer eyeliner-eyeslipsface.com
4-ELF Blotting papers-eyeslipsface.com
5-Jordana Liquid Eyeliner-$1 stores/drugstores
6-Bio Swiss makeup wipes-( I mentioned another type of wipe earlier, but the Bio Swiss are readily available and easy to find) -$1 stores
7-Q-tips (cotton swabs)- $1 stores/drugstores
8-Ruby Kisses eyeshadow-beauty supply stores
9-Witch hazel-can be use to clean up minor makeup mistakes and also as a toner after cleansing.
10-Cotton Rounds-$1 stores ( will cost more in beauty supply stores and makeup stores. the cheap ones are just as good)
11-LA Looks lip gloss-$1 stores and beauty supply stores
12-ELF all in one makeup stick-eyeslipsface.com



Best $10 (or less) items
1-Sephora Waterproof Makeup Remover $9.50 (currently selling for $10.50 unfortunately, I'm still buying it though)
2-Ruby Kisses Build your own palette $8 ( includes palette and 4 colors of your choice)-beauty supply stores
3-NYX white eye base $6-beauty supply stores and ULTA
4-NYC makeup primer $4-drugstores
5-ELF mineral mascara $3-eyelipsface.com
6-ELF stipple brush $3-eyeslipsface.com
7-Family Dollar Cleanser $3.50- family dollar stores
8-CVS brand makeup wipes/Neutrogena  wipes/Walgreens wipes-$5-$9 any of the wipes I tried will work!! If I haven't told you about a particular "cheapie" wipe, don't use it!
9-Nivea Lip Butter $4-soothes cracked dry lips, with instant moisture. Absorbs quickly, moisturizing and non greasy. -drugstores
10-Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeshadow stick $4-drugstores
11-Wet n' Wild gel liner $3-drugstores
12-Crown Brush flawless face blender $10 AWESOME tool and surprisingly easy to clean! Blends foundation seamlessly! Soft and latex free!-crownbrush.com

Saturday, January 18, 2014

REVIEW: Powder Brushes

     I own several different brands of brushes I will be reviewing only a portion of the brushes I own. I'll save the rest for a future review.
      A good brush is just as essential as having a good foundation match. I have my favorites. My personal preference for face powder brushes, is that they are big and fluffy! The bigger and fluffier the brush, the more surface area I can cover in a shorter amount of time...and I'm all about less time when it comes to applying makeup everyday.
*TIP* Make sure you wash all your brushes BEFORE you use them for the first time.

Speaking of BIG and Fluffy let's talk about our first brush...


NYX B01 " The Big One" ($30) - This is a BIG all over face brush. I LOVE the size of the brush, but there's a problem, after a couple of uses the brush get rough. So I washed it hoping it would soften up more with a REAL wash. It did, but after a couple uses, it was once again rough. I washed it with shampoo and conditioner, but let the conditioner sit on the brush overnight. After I rinsed it out, I was left with a softer brush which so far has not reverted back to it's original form.


Bdellium Tools 959 ($17)- Smaller than I liked and would imagine. It's almost the size of a blush brush. Study design, appears to be very well made, with soft bristles. The color will get trapped in the bristles easily. If you're anal retentive like myself :/ then you would be scrubbing a lot, to get the color out. This brush is from Bdellium's antibacterial line.


EcoTools ($8/set)- Small yet effective. Almost like an animal hair brush. It's durable. The size and rounded shape is more suitable for blush application. I'd prefer it for that purpose rather than foundation application.


ELF powder brush ($3)-There are a few ELF face brushes The white 'professional' brush for $1 is terrible!! It's hard, gets disheveled and looks worn out after only a few uses. The black brushes are MUCH better. The are soft, sturdy, and professional looking. These brushes actually peaked my interest in more expensive brushes. If a $3 brush can be made this well then a $40 brush must be awesome!


Crown ($24.95/set)- This brush is a little light and not as big as I would like it to be, but it does the job. It's soft and easy to clean. It doesn't pick up and hold a lot of product…that could be why it's easy to clean. Nothing can be said so far about the durability, but it's a little skeptical.


Wet N Wild ($10/set) -I was surprised by this brush. It's about standard size ( same as the ELF brush). Soft bristles, sturdy design. Applies powder evenly.


Friday, January 17, 2014

BEAUTY NEWS!!!

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!!!
Another week has ended...even though I have to work tomorrow, but it's all good! I would actually like to work MORE! I bet you never heard anyone say that before!
 
In other news, I am OFFICIALLY on youtube. You can check out my first video at the link below!
http://youtu.be/137mGCnhjHU

PLEASE!! Check me out!
 
I will be shooting the '$10 Must Have' video tonight and hopefully I get to the '3 minute makeup challenge'  this weekend. I can't wait to do that last one, I've been watching them and hopefully I learned a few things.
 
Now on to sales! Starting Sunday
 
Walgreens
BOGO 50%-L'Oreal, Revlon. Neutrogena, Garnier
Also Walgreens now has a winter beauty club where you can earn 50 points for every $1 you spend on beauty products until 3/1/14
 
Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- Maybelline, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Cetaphil, Clearasil, Covergirl, Revlon, Aveeno, Renewal Skincare.
Revlon Colorburst/Just Bitten- $5.99
Almay Eye- $6.99

CVS
BOGO 50%- Neutrogena, Almay, Milani, Aveeno, Eucerin
2/$12 Neutrogena cleansers
Physicians Formula 40% off
* don't forget to get your $5 off of $15 of cosmetics coupon from the instore coupon machine.*




Monday, January 13, 2014

MAKEUP BRUSHES: Which brushes are the essential brushes?

     What brushes are a MUST have for any makeup application? This might be hard to answer being that everyone uses the different brushes for different things, even their unintended purposes. I do it too, it's not a crime! If it works for you, do it!
     Below is a list of MUST HAVE brushes for makeup application. I'll get into brands and reviews throughout the month on each brush type.

1- The 'fluffy' Powder Brush
This brush is used for powder foundation application. I like fluffy big brushes! I feel like they cover more area in a shorter amount of time and provide a lighter application.
The powder brush is essential because you use it to apply powder to set you liquid or cream foundation. You can also use it to apply bronzer.


2-The Eyeshadow Brush
Of course you use this to apply eyeshadow. BUT, there are different eye shadow brushes I like to use.
I like "C" shaped brushes with a fluffier tip if I'm applying shadow to my entire lid. These type of brushes usually hold a lot of powder and cover the area quickly and evenly. You can even feather the eyeshadow or blend colors using this type of brush.
There are other types of shadow brushes, like the "squared" tip. In my opinion these brushes aren't good for blending. They can apply shadow, but you would need a blending brush to aid in your application.
*TIP* I usually have at least 2 eyeshadow brushes on hand to use.

3-The Blush Brush
I think the blush brush is essential ONLY if you wear blush/bronzer. You could use your powder brush, but you would have to clean it between uses. People have their favorite shape of blush brush.
Angled- can be used for contouring as well
Round- typical type of brush. the roundness mimics the roundness of the cheeks. May be easier to manipulate for beginners.
Pointed (Arrow)-can also be used for contouring. This is my personal favorite. It's versatile and can mimic a angled or round brush.

 
4-The Concealer Brush
Again, self explanatory. Not everyone use concealer, but it's still an essential brush.
The concealer brush can not only be used for concealer, but for color corrector, eye primer and cream eyeshadow.

5. A Brow Brush
ANY type of brow brush will do!
For powder or gel application, use a small angled brush.
(this brush can also be used to for gel or cake liner)
For pencil application, a spoolie brush is great.
For general grooming a regular brow brush/comb combo tool will be just fine!

If you are looking to more BEYOND the basics, try these...
Lip brush- for even application and creating fun looks, by mixing colors or an ombre effect.
Blending brush-used in conjunction with your eyeshadow brush to blend colors together. I also use the brush to add a highlight color underneath my brows.
Contour brush-I use different sizes for different purposes. A small angled one can be used on the nose (you can also use an blending brush).
A larger angled or oval tip contour brush is used to contour the rest of the face.
Stipple brush-I LOVE this brush! It's a person FAVORITE! I use it to apply liquid foundation and sometimes even blend it. It aids in a light, even application.
Liner Brush-For gel, or cake liner application.
Foundation brush-used for cream or cream to powder foundation.
Fan Brush- Honestly, I use to think this brush was a waste. It came in every brush set I own. I keep a couple in my kit to cleanup eyeshadow fallout on the cheeks. Recently, I used it to contour my nose. It worked out very well!


Friday, January 10, 2014

Beauty News!!!!

     Another week, another review, another bunch of information and possibly another challenge :)
     As we are continuing "Brush Month", next week I plan to bring you a list of "basic" brushes and a review of different types of brushes each week.
     In February I wanted to do another challenge, but wouldn't be fair since it's only 28 days. 
I'll save the challenge for March so get all you palettes ready!
Instead in February, I'll do a bunch of skincare products.
March will be about eyeshadow!
I am working on a youtube video...it's a process and I'm the most nervous and least tech savvy person I know. I hope to have it at this months end.
I also have a list of $10 must haves and $1 *GEMS* to share with you (hopefully this is what the video will be about).

What I have planned for this year for "Beauty on a Budget"
-homemade products
-Another "No Buy Month"
-more makeup challenges weekly/monthly
-videos
-free samples
-Once I reach 100 followers/people in my circle, I would LOVE to do a giveaway!

Sales, Sales and more Sales
As usual, Sephora has their specials on a sale page on their website.
Ulta's sales from last week are still good this week.

Walgreens
BOGO 50%-Revlon, Covergirl, Shea Moisture, Maybelline
BOGO FREE- Lumene

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%-Covergirl, Olay, Rimmel, Maybelline, Noxema, Almay, Simple, L'Oreal, Biore, Revlon
30% off Wet n' Wild

CVS
BOGO 50%-Essence of Beauty, Rimmel, Covergirl
Buy 2 Get 1 FREE Almay


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

WEEKLY REVIEW: Brush Cleaners

     So how do you clean your brushes? I have tried MANY things before using the methods
I use now. I advise you to do what works best for you, weather it's for time or money conservation.
For example: Sephora washes their brushes daily with Purity.
The Body Shop washes their brushes with their own Tea Tree oil face wash.

ELF Daily Brush Cleaner $3 -2 0z bottle  (eyeslipsface.com)- As specified it's definitely for DAILY use. It's light and seemingly non toxic. It doesn't harm the skin or make any change in the look/feel or the brushes.
I wish it came in a larger bottle, being that it is a DAILY brush cleaner. Ideally, you could go through an entire bottle in 2 weeks.
It does not work well on brushes used with cream based products or brushes that have caked on powder.

 

Essence of Beauty Brush Cleaner $3-$6- 4.2oz bottle (drugstores, online)- This formula is SO light. It's comparable to the elf cleaner. They mirror eachother. Except, the bottle is almost 2x's the size. Safe for skin and brushes. Just don't use too much on the brush or the product will become foamy on the brush. Approx. 2 sprays on and eyeshadow brush is enough.



 


Cinema Secrets $8- 2oz bottle (cinemasecrets.com)- I got the small spray bottle size, because I wanted the spray bottle. *Side Note* the spray bottle is a GREAT tool to have for brush cleaners. You use less product and avoid soaking the brush in the liquid. 
Especially this one. It's very strong and should not be used on cheaper brushers. It will melt the glue and destroy your brush. Other than that, it cleans amazingly! I spray it a couple times on the brush. Then wipe the brush on a towel until the color disappears. Then I rinse will soap and water. 
To check if I got all the color out, I fan the bristles.
 
 

 
Monda $8- 4oz bottle (amazon.com)- Pretty much identical to the
Cinema Secrets cleaner. I use it the same way.
I don't have a preference for one over the other. This one does come out being the better deal, but only if you buy this size. As the sizes increase the Cinema Secrets gets cheaper. The largest 32 ounce size averages out to about $1 an ounce. These 2 cleaners are great because they can be used for all brushes and cuts through cream makeup.


 

 

ELF Brush Shampoo $3- 4.1oz bottle  (eyeslipsface.com)- This is a very light shampoo. It will clean, powder brushes, but cream brushes are a problem. Instead of using this there are better, less expensive alternatives.











 

Shampoo $.99 and up (grocery & drug stores)- This is a little stronger than the ELF shampoo. It will work or powder brushes, but for cream brushes it will remove the makeup from the surface, but you would still find makeup trapped in between the bristles. If you use this in conjunction with a conditioner, you can soften a brush.

Dawn $1 (grocery & drug stores)- This Is one of my favorite things to was brushes with. It's non toxic, easily accessible and inexpensive. I prefer the Olay blend, but you can use any type you like. For cream brushes I apply the soap directly on the brush and work it in a little with my fingers.
I use it with water to rinse my brushes after I use a spray cleaner.

Biore $8 (drugstores)- I call this the "miracle cleanser". When all else fails I use this cleanser for everything. Which on exactly? Any one! They are designed to cut through oil, so that's why it works for brushes used on cream makeup. I also use it to clean my beauty blender.

Olive Oil $2 (grocery & discount stores)-I bought a small bottle from my local $1 store (and it still cost me $2 lol ) I only use it on the brushes used with cream makeup ( my foundation and concealer brushes) I explained the method in a previous post. I only use this method when I run out of my monda/cinema secrets. The biore works too, but the oil works quicker.

Wet n' Wild Eye Makeup Remover $4 ( drugstores)-I only used this because I didn't want to waste it. As you may recall, I didn't care for it as a makeup remover. I loaded this into a spray bottle and it worked for my powder brushes, but not for my cream brushes. It couldn't even clean my skinny gel liner brush.

Monday, January 6, 2014

HOW...I clean my brushes!

     Since January is "brush month"...at least it will be to us, I am going to tell you how I clean my brushes.
     I tried everyday to at least spray my brushes with a gentle cleaner and wipe them off, but that never worked out because I was always in a rush :/
I do clean my brushes weekly. I feel that after 7 days of use, my brushes, ESPECIALLY the eye shadow brushes need a good cleaning to remove the left over colors from the last application.
     Since I am blogging and testing, I often rotate my brushes weekly. This isn't necessary for the non blogger/tester. You can use your same brushes over and over again.
SO what do I do to clean my brushes?
I use several things to clean my brushes for different reasons.
-chemical brush cleaner
-mild dish soap (preferably dawn olay blend, it cuts through oil)
-brush shampoo
-olive oil
-gentle brush cleaner

NEW BRUSHES:
I use the mild dish soap OR brush shampoo mixed with water to clean my new brushes before I use them. I let them soak in the mixture for a few minutes, swish the brush around, then rinse with warm water.

CREAM MAKEUP BRUSHES:
For brushes that you have used with cream and liquid based products, I find it VERY hard to get them clean with just soap and water and even some brush cleaners. I use a shot glass and to hold the olive oil. Then I swish my brush around in it, coating the brush and making sure the oil gets in between the bristles. Then I wipe the brush on a paper towels, until there is nothing left on the brush. Lastly, I wash the bristles (using the above method) with dish soap and water to takeout the oil and any left over makeup residue.

POWDER BRUSHES:
I like to clean these brushes by spraying the bristles with a chemical brush cleaner, them wiping the brush on a towel or paper towel until the residue on the brush is barely visible.
The step might have to be repeated for thicker brushes.
Then I rinse them using the method I use to clean new brushes.

For any of these above methods, I usually shake off excess water, slap on a brush keeper and dry on a towel on a flat surface.

DAILY CLEANING:
For daily cleaning I will use a gentle brush cleaner in a spray bottle. I'll spray the brush a few times, wipe it on a paper towel or towel and place it right back in my brush cup for the next application. Since it's a gentle cleanser, you don't need to rinse them.

Come back later for a product review of Brush Cleaners...and products that act as brush cleaners.
I'll let you in on my personal faves and hot messes :)


Sunday, January 5, 2014

BEAUTY NEWS!!!!

     Hello beautiful people!!! I really tried to follow my own schedule and have these specials here for you on Friday, BUT because of the snow, I didn't get any new flyers left on my doorstep and even my mail was late! Sucks! not really because I never got the chance to make it to Ulta and my book just came this morning! So now I know what to get, if anything...is there anything left for me to get?

     Also, sad news, my phone is on the fritz, it's DEAD! I have to call up and order a new one. I am crossing my fingers that I am able to get my pics off of it before I send it back!

     As I have told you previously, this is brush month! And I just got this amazing little product from Sephora, that I've been coveting! I haven't used it yet, BUT I already love the design!

I'll be posting my brush cleaning article this week. ( in 3 days I've already written 4 articles, EXCITED)

Now on to sales!
First, do you know about eBates? You can earn cashback for shopping online. No this isn't a solicited message, BUT what I found interesting is that they have Sephora, Ulta, Drugstore/Beauty.com and eyeslipsface as their included companies. You can earn as much as 4% back on purchase, to buy MORE beauty products!!

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%-Neutrogena, L'Oreal, NYC, Covergirl lip, nail and eye, Maybelline face products, Almay, Clean & Clear, Aquaphor, Eucerin, Aveeno, Roc, Revlon

CVS
BOGO 50%-Neutrogena, Wet n' Wild, Physicians Formula, L'Oreal, Almay, NYC, Revlon, Cerave, Lumene, Olay

Walgreens
BOGO 50%-Neutrogena, Aveeno, Covergirl foundation, primer, blush, powder and concealer
Aquaphor, L'Oreal, Revlon, Studio 35 products
L'Oreal Skincare 20% off

Ulta
35% off professional skin treatments (treatments starting at JUST $13!!!!)
FREE GIFTS with the purchase of MANY skincare products.
20% off select cosmetic bags
BOGO 50%- Almay (plus free gift), NYX, Jane, Covergirl (plus free gift), Rimmel and MANY more!!
30% off Ulta skincare
15% off skincare


Thursday, January 2, 2014

Beauty News!!!

     HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! AND WELCOME BACK!
     We are growing closer and closer to my bloggerversary. That might be the wrong word for it , but dammit it's my word!
     THANKS for sticking with me, especially through the rough patches. I am coming up with a new system so that I will ALWAYS have blog article at the ready.

Here's what I have planned
1. $1 *GEMS* stick in effect! although I may trim this down to once a month. For several  reasons...ex-it's hard to find $1 beauty products, AND post every week along with my other articles takes up time and space, I could be using to bring you more important information.
2. Best $10 I ever spent, still in effect on it's usually schedule -once a month.
3. Reviews-WEEKLY
4. Sales-WEEKLY
5. Youtube videos...coming soon (hopefully)
6. Side-by-side looks-Monthly
7. Celeb looks-Monthly
I will also throw in other articles, like "what to do with products you don't like."
Prepare for MORE challenges.
Another NO BUY- Makeup fast
Make your own cosmetics and skincare products.

NOW get these things before Sunday!

Coastal Scents is having a 40% off sale until January 2nd! I placed my order even though I didn't buy enough for free shipping...can you picture it? me NOT buying enough! Truth be told Coastal doesn't carry some items anymore like their liquid foundation and lip pencils. And they were out of the revealed palette, which I will be willing to sell my non existent first born for.

BH cosmetics is also having a sale. $14 deals!

Ulta is now giving you a coupon for a FREE item on you birthday(if you are a rewards member). I will be picking mine up on Friday! Along with my Sephora gift and VIB welcome kit.

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- Cetaphil, St.Ives, Simple
$7.99 L'Oreal butterfly mascara, true match foundation and Color riche gloss and lipstick

CVS
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, Rimmel, Milani, eyelashes, Cetaphil, Simple

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%-Covergirl, Olay, Revlon colorstay, photoready & age defying, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Almay, Wet n' Wild,  Ecotools, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, eyelashes and cosmetic bags.

I'm going to make January ALL ABOUT BRUSHES!!
-how to clean
-how I clean
-which brush does what
-which brush is best
...and more.
Stay tuned!!
I will also bring you a list of $1 *GEMS* and AWESOME $10 (or less) products.