My Favorite Products Under $10

Today I wanted to share with you some products I've loved for a while, all of which are well under $10 and are readily available at drugstores or Target.

First up are lip products. I love my Maybelline Sensational lipstick in Warm Me Up (hand swatch is the top one). It's a cool toned rose color that looks good on its own, or even better, combined with brown lipstick like MAC Chintz on Chintz (full review here)

Next is the  NYX lipgloss in Ice Princess (full review here). This is a sheer pink color with tiny sparkles. A bit ho hum to be fair, but a staple nevertheless.

This summer, I am taking sun protection very seriously, which means I am going through a LOT of product. This is why I love Coppertone oil-free sunscreen lotion for Faces in SPF 30, because A) it is a bargain, B) it sinks into the skin quickly and C) its completely invisible under makeup. I even slather this on my neck and on the hubby's face. Seriously, in the summer, sunscreen is as important as water. So don't buy Evian when you could buy a Brita filter and chug with no guilt. ;-)

Next is Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover with Iceland Moss. This is SUCH an effective eye makeup remover. I just take a small amount on a square cotton pad and hold it against my eyelids and lashes. My mascara melts off with nary a pull nor tug. Very very good for someone who is starting to notice fine lines (eeeeek!)

If you've read this blog long enough, you know I can't stop singing the praises of Maybelline Colossal Volum' mascara. It's FIERCE. One coat is great for work, and 3 coats would be accepted by...well...Prince Poppycock (look it up, its worth it).

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Revlon Colorstay in this list. Although its $12.99, and not technically under $10, a BOGO deal from Revlon can make this a bargain. This has been my go-to foundation for the summer because it does. not. budge. I apply it sparingly with a damp sponge, then set it with a mineral veil by Coastal Scents. And bam. I am matte and polished ad infinitum.

Last but not least is my little unsung hero: a Target brand eyelash curler. I have used this constantly for 1 year, and it still works, hasn't broken on me, and curls my lashes very well. With a bit of waterproof mascara, my lashes stay curled all day long. Lovely.

That's it for my favorite products under $10. A big thanks to Sarah from YouTube's Sardun1 and Bella Makeup for inspiring me to do this post.

I'm calling it! (project 10 pan, that is)

Whew. After just about 1 month, I've completely used up 10 products. I am reluctant to pat myself on the back though, since they were mostly bathroom products, which are easy to use up.

e.l.f. professional shine eraser: for $1, these are a great value for blotting sheets, and a total essential for the summer. I'm kicking myself for having purchased only one, so I suggest next time you place an e.l.f order, stock up!

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint: I love this lip gloss because it is tasty, smells fresh and minty, and imparts a high gloss tint on the lips. However, it can be very sticky!

Mario Badescu hyalauronic eye cream: I enjoyed using this scent-free eye cream and would suggest it to anyone with wrinkles around their eyes. However, I need something that targets dark under eye circles.

Coastal Scents Lip Smacks: I have this in Marilyn a Go Go. Terribly sticky, and overly shiny, I would not recommend this to anyone.

Target's Up and Up Eye makeup remover: Although it swiped away every trace of waterproof mascara, it always left a circle of dryness around my eyes unless I moisturized immediately. I've since moved on to Boots Botanical Soothing Eye Makeup Remover, which works just as well but doesn't yield raccoon eyes. (review here)

Cellnique Skin Purifying Cleanser: This is a cleanser and exfoliator in one, and was initially part of a regimen that really worked for my acne-prone skin. However, over time, the effectiveness diminished, which always happens to me with topical treatments. (full review here)

Olay Regenerist daily wipes: I am glad to see the back of this product (full review here). Although it felt refreshing and left no residue, the wipes were way too scratchy. I've since moved on to MAC Cleanse Off.

Lush Dark Angels: This is a wonderful charcoal-based scrub. I really really loved using it because it had an earthy smell and left me feeling squeaky clean. However, it is messy, so I always used it in the shower. The other downside is that it tends to expire quickly. (review here)

Biore blemish fighting ice cleanser: I have bought this salicylic acid cleanser time and time again. I literally did not repurchase because I was sick of seeing it in my cabinet for so long! But I wholeheartedly recommend it for combo-oily and acne-prone skin types. (see previous review here)

Shu Uemura Face Architect and Base Control: Although I do love these products, they are far too pricey to repurchase. I haven't fully used up either of these, but now I can't since my skin has become tanner.Great products though (full review here).

Armani Diamonds perfume: This scent was sophistication in a bottle. I imagine Charlotte York would smell something like this.

Merle Norman Super Lube: I have finally hit pan on this tub of lip salve after about 10 years. It's gonna take several more months to truly finish it up, but I think 10 years lands it as an honorable mention!
 

In total, I finished 13 products. Since most of them were bathroom products, I have to say this was not a very successful P10P. Oddly enough, I'm not itching to haul again. This project made me realize that although I have a nice makeup collection, I am sorely lacking in the clothing department, so I think for now, I will continue to build up my wardrobe rather than makeup. :-)

Lip Combo I'm Loving Lately

I have been religiously using this lip combo all month and thought it was time to share. It is Maybelline ColorSensational in Warm Me Up, paired with Ever So Rich Cremesheen Glass on top:

Out of the 3 pictures, I think the lowest one does the most justice to this color. I'm really happy with this lipstick, its a wonderful dusty rose that looks even brighter with Ever So Rich on top of it. It just brightens up my entire face! One of the best makeup tips I ever heard was from the amazing Carmindy, who says don't worry about covering up your imerfections. Instead, bring out your best features. I couldn't agree more. Although I do lightly cover up my flaws, I spend more time playing up my eyes and lips, which are my good features. It's like a psychological concealor because no one notices imperfections when your strengths are radiating!

Colossal? I'll Say!

Woohoo for good calls! I picked up Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara (really Maybelline? Any more adjectives you wanna cram in there?) recently, and have been loving using it thus far. The wand is thick, the bristles and soft and grab all the tiny lashes, and generously, but un-clumpingly lay down a lovely coat of blackest-black on each lash. I adore the effect of this mascara because I can happily pull it off day and night. My gateway drug into falsies can wait a few more months thanks to this badboy (I've taken to calling makeup things like puppy, bad boy, and baby. hmm....this could be diagnosable...)

Remind me one of these days to take a picture of the husband's eyelashes. They are pheeeenomenal, you have to see them. He gives me lash envy.

Back to the mascara. It's wonderful in every sense of the word, and a repurchase is very likely. It does not clump, yet adds volume, definition, and length. It stays on all day, does not smudge, and holds a curl without making my lashes feel brittle (I'm looking at you, L'Oreal Volume Shocking!). Maybe it IS Maybelline (sorry couldn't resist).

What is your favorite mascara to date? (Note that I said "to date" because I think its a fact universally accepted that a quest for the holy grail mascara is a never-ending one.)

Old Makeup, New Life: Part 1

I'm starting a mini-series on makeup that is unloved for whatever reason, and thinking creatively to give it a new purpose. A second chance at life, if you will. My first pick is my Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer. Although this product totally sucked as a bronzer, it is an incredibly wearable eyeshadow! Take a look:

I love using this brown shimmery color all over my lid, put on a bit of Fluidline, mascara, and I'm all set for everyday makeup! I use a Coastal Scents blending fluff to apply it. Best of all, its totally buildable, and you can always intensify this look color by using a dark crease color, or a foiling effect for night. I've made quite a dent in this baby since I found it to be such an appealing day-time color. I'm actually loving it so much that I might repurchase once its out. :-)

What makeup products have you given new purpose to?

Up and Up Eye Makeup Remover

After playing around with my DIY eye makeup removers (coconut oil, or olive oil mixed with water), I was ready to go back to a store-bought one. I don't know if I was doing something wrong, but these oils just didn't remove my waterproof mascara unless I rubbed really hard. Fail. So onto the buy:

Target's Up and Up eye makeup remover:

I think this is a great buy. You get a lot of product for a very low price, and above all, it works very well. I just dab some onto a cotton swab and hold it over my eyes for 10 sec, and without any rubbing, the mascara and everything else comes away. I repeat on the other eye, and then use a the back of the cotton swab to remove any traces.

Quick tip: don't throw away the cotton swab right away. Sometimes after cleansing the rest of your face, additional eye makeup may come off and settle around your lower lids. A quick swipe with the original cotton swab removes this residue.

The only con I've noticed is that this dries out my eye area if I don't apply a night eye cream to my eye area immediately after. Not a big deal because I use a night cream anyway, but make sure you do this too! If the drying factor sounds like its a big minus for you, I recommend the Mary Kay eye makeup remover. It worked quite brilliantly for me a while ago, but Up and Up  is easier to find and cheaper.

Overall, this gets a solid 4.5/5. Three cheers for drugstore finds!

It's my birthday and I'll haul if I want to

As any self-respecting makeup junkie would do, I treated myself to a birthday makeup and nailpolish haul last week. I went to my local drugstore and then to ULTA, and all in all, I think I did good because I got everything for around $50. Here are my new toys:

 

Left to right: 

Maybelline Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up 

Maybelline Sensational in Pinkalicious

Seche Vite

OPI Sand in my Suit 

OPI Italian Affair

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Hydrofuge (Classic Black)

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Ever So Rich (this was a gift from a dear friend and makeup enabler)

Pencils, from front to back

Prestige Waterproof Eyeliner in Surf

NYX Lipliner in Soft Brown

Prestige Eyeliner in Smokey Green

I got the Maybelline products at buy 2 get 1 free from Ulta, and the OPI nailpolishes were discounted to $6.25 each. 

L to R (on both pictures): Pinkalicious; Warm Me Up

Top to bottom: NYX Soft Brown, Prestige Smokey Brown, Prestige Surf

Without Flash:

With Flash:

 

I'm loving this haul so far. I find a restrained haul lets me enjoy each product to the fullest. I'll do full reviews in the upcoming days, but I'll give you a sneak peek now: I already know that Prestige Surf, Colossal, and the Maybelline lippies are all going into March faves. I'm also getting a soft corner for Sand in my Suit. But shhh, full reviews will follow once the honeymoon period is over and I've tested them thoroughly.

PS. I've just installed a third party commenting system called Disqus which allows comment threading and more. Please do me a favor by commenting on this post (even if its just a "hello") so that I can test whether it's working well. Thanks!

Make it Work: L'Oreal Volume Shocking Mascara

I recently bought L'Oreal's Volume Shocking Mascara not only because I wanted something more dramatic than Define-A-Lash, but also because it was deeply discounted from $15.99 to $2.99.

I find the packaging lovely and high-end. The blue side is the base coat and the black side is a comb for the mascara. I accidentally picked up Black Brown instead of Blackest Black, but no biggie since my lashes are already black.

The base coat wand has soft and fine bristles which get right into your lashes. The mascara wand is a comb and this design forces you to use a light touch with the mascara.

Here are my lashes with no mascara:

And here they are with Volume Shocking:

 

On the plus side, this mascara gives a huge amount of length and a decent dose of volume. However, there's a learning curve involved to apply it correctly. When I first applied this, I did 1 coat of base followed immediately with 2 coats of mascara. That led to a hideous spidery mess. The correct way to apply this is to use 1 coat of base, wait about 10 seconds, and then apply 1 thin coat of mascara. That's all you need. Comb away spidery-ness if needed. Even with all the care in the world, most days my look brittle and a bit spidery. However, at a normal viewer's distance, my lashes do look dramatically long, almost like falsies. Another downer is that its too much trouble to put this on my lower lashes, so I'm using Define-A-Lash for that.

This post is aptly named "Make it work" because that's what Volume Shocking demands of you. You can use this drugstore mascara to achieve epic length and decent volume, but it takes care and time to apply.

Bottom line: I will use it up, but would not purchase, and would recommend you to go with it only if you to find it for a sweet deal.

Drugstore Haul: L'Oreal mascara and NYX

Last week I wandered into a non-chain beauty store after work and went on a fairly impulsive haul. This place had insane sales, and it stocked NYX. Since the only place near my house is no-sales-no-variety Target, I was pretty stoked. This store also stocked oodles of Essie and OPI, and they were discounted to like $5.99! Considering that, I think I behaved by only buying these 4 things:

 

Top to bottom: L'Oreal's Volume Shocking mascara (snagged for $2.99, with original price of $15.99!); 2 NYX jumbo eye pencils in Yogurt and Milk. So far, I love Milk. Its a nice matte base for light eyeshadows and also makes a great highlighter for the browbone and inner corner. Lastly, I got an NYX Goddess of the Night lipgloss in a bronzey-coppery color. I'm already in love with my Ice Princess, which is a sheer pink.

Here are swatches of all 3 NYX products:

L-R: Goddess of the Night lipgloss (sorry forgot name!), Milk, Yogurt

Reviews and possibly EOTDs soon to follow using these products!

Coconut Oil as an Eye Makeup Remover?

"Well, your wife has done it again." I bragged to my husband. I'd found a way to use the coconut oil I had lying around the house to effectively remove my eye makeup (saving money = victory dance).

I use coconut oil as a weekly treatment for my hair. Since I had recently run out of eye makeup remover, I got to thinking: if coconut oil can condition hair, keep it thick, soft, and dark, and remove excess sebum...that sounds like a great recipe for eyelashes too!

I tested my theory using Dabur Vatika Enriched coconut oil ($2.99 from the Indian store!). Besides coconut oil, it also contains herbs to further nourish your hair. For example, it contains soya extract to promote hair growth, brahmi for shine, henna for volume, lemon for removing dead skin cells, and rosemary for softening. Not to mention the smell is divine. Not bad for $2.99 right?

Here's my eye with tons of eye makeup (I used stubborn products like Fluidline, Powerpoint, UDPP, NYX JEPs and waterproof mascara. The e/s is from the Kat Von D Ludwig palette):

And here it is after using coconut oil (Woohoo! Not only was it clean, but my lids felt baby soft!):

Since coconut oil is solid at room temp and hence hard to squeeze out of a bottle, I depotted it into an empty Lush jar. This way I could easily dip my cotton balls into it and the top layer of the coconut oil was liquid:

I for one am done buying expensive makeup removers. Coconut oil removes everything quickly and thoroughly and leaves my eyelashes and lids feeling baby soft. I have a feeling we will be very happy forever.

My first EOTD feat. Sleek Graphite!

After writing up my previous post called "Can Sleek Graphite work for tan skin?", a lot of you guys requested for me to do a look using this palette. Without further ado, here's what I came up with for my first EOTD:

#1 used all over lid and just below the lower lashline

#2 used on outer corner to create the V

#3 used to set my pencil liner on waterline using the sponge tip applicator

 The basics:

Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Waterline: MAC Powerpoint Engraved

Gel Liner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrak 

On browbone: a random Coastal Scents nude matte blush

Mascara: Maybelline Define-A-Lash Lengthen

I hope you guys liked my very first EOTD. I don't consider myself an expert with eye makeup, but blogging about it is going to make me practice more!

Can Sleek Graphite work for tan skin?

Hey guys, sorry I haven't blogged over the weekend, I feel like a humongous slacker. But in my little defense, juggling grad school and married life is really really hard. Ok let's get to the pretty colors. I won Georgie's giveaway for a Sleek Graphite palette and have been playing with the colors for a month or so now. Upon doing a quick web search, I noticed there are a lot of swatches available on many blogs, but mainly against fair skin. I want to show you guys how they look on tan skin:


All the colors in this palette are quite shimmery and a bit loose, so I'd recommend tapping them on your lid with a firm Maxine's Mop to prevent fall out. You can also try dampening the brush with some water first. Also, be sure to apply foundation, etc. afterwards, not before. These colors are quite dark, pigmented and shimmery! I always have to reach for some kind of makeup remover to edit the fallout.

 

Top row: The 1st color would be a great inner corner highlight. The 2nd one is a a great brow highlight.

Bottom row: Sorry this pic is dark; I wasn't able to capture the nuanced differences between these shades. Smokey eye lovers will have lots of grays to choose from. I love the 4th one from the left. It's a navy blue shimmery color I use all over the lid, and it even works for daytime.

Since my skin around my eyes is tan, I tend to stick to nude/bright colors. But when I am lemming to wear the a dark e/s, I start with UDPP all over the eye area to lighten my lid color by 2 shades. I then apply a sheer wash of dark e/s on the lid area and finish with a nice, bright brow highlighter. I don't put dark e/s on the lower lashline as that can make me look tired. For me, the key is to apply a sheer wash of dark color to just the lid area, and surround that dark color with bright colors. That way the dark color stands out, and is not mistaken for a very sleepy girl!

My Updated Skincare Routine

I've been using this skincare routine for a few months now and it has been working pretty well for me. This routine is gentle enough for normal acne-free skin, and yet strong enough to treat acne:

1. Remove makeup: I use Clean & Clear's Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser. It gets off all of my face makeup, and most of my eye-makeup. See my full review of this product here.

2. Cleanse: On most days, I use Biore's Ice Fighting Blemish Cleanser, which contains 2% salicylic acid (I reviewed it in my 2009's best skincare products post.

2.5. Exfoliate: About 3x a week, I substitute the Biore for my LUSH Dark Angels. Exfoliating with a charcoal-based product has revolutionized my skin by making it softer, brighter, and almost entirely acne-free. I've posted about it here.

3. Tone (when I'm not being lazy): I like to use Olay's Refreshing Toner with witch hazel (which is not only great smelling, but also a total bargain for around $4!)

4. Treat/Prevet acne: I apply LUSH Grease Lightning to my cheeks, where I tend to break out the most. See my review on it here.

5. Moisturize: Skin MD's Shielding Lotion is the perfect night-time moisturizer in my opinion. It goes on light, gets absorbed immediately into the skin, has no scent, and I wake up with a supple, smooth face every morning. I'll be posting a full review on that very soon.

I do all these steps at night, but in the morning, I use just the Biore cleanser, and then jump to moisturizing. Overall, I think this routine has been very effective for me. I think the only product I'm not completely satisfied with is the C&C makeup remover, so I will be trying something else once this runs out. All of the other products are amazing and staples in my collection! 

FTC Disclaimer: Skin MD's Shielding Lotion was sent to me to review. I was not paid to review it and this is my honest opinion. All of the other products mentioned were bought with my own moolah.

Removing the Day: St. Ives vs. Clean and Clear

When it comes to removing makeup, I'm looking for four simple things: 1) make it fast, 2) don't break me out, 3) make it thorough and 4) make it affordable. So in the last 6 months, I went through 2 drugstore makeup removers: Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser and St. Ives Fresh Skin Olive Cleanser. Here's how they compare:

Make it fast: Both Clean & Clear and St. Ives effectively remove powder foundations and mineral makeup in a jiffy. For liquid foundations (even Revlon Colorstay), Clean & Clear is much more effective. St. Ives makes it messy and requires a couple of rounds.

Don't break me out: Neither product has caused breakouts on my skin. So if you have problem skin, either one should be fine.

Make it thorough: Clean & Clear claims to remove ALL makeup, EVEN WATER-PROOF MASCARA. Not exactly true in my opinion. Afer several pumps of this product, you can at the most remove 100% of face makeup, and about 90% of mascara. But you will end up with little flakes of mascara clinging to your lashes and below your lids. St. Ives doesn't claim to remove mascara, and I appreciate the honesty. St. Ives can only tackle face makeup, not eye makeup (forget mascara, it can't even take on gel liners and eye bases). You absolutely need a separate eye makeup remover for it.

Make it affordable: Clean & Clear is around $11.99 at Target (6 oz). St. Ives is around $4.99 at CVS (6.5 oz). St. Ives wins this round.

Final thoughts: St. Ives can easily remove daily makeup like minerals and powder foundations. It's a bigger pain to tackle liquid foundations and it's impossible for eye makeup. Clean and Clear is a bit more effective because it does remove most of your eye makeup and liquid foundation is not a problem. However, I do resent that it states on the bottle that it can remove water-proof mascara, but that's just not the case.

Once I run out of Clean and Clear, I will either 1) repurchase it and also get a dedicated eye makeup remover, or 2) invest in something like MAC wipes, or MAC Cleanse Off Oil.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any holy grail products for removing makeup, please put them in the comments below!

2009's Best Face Forward

As you all know I believe that beauty starts with clear skin (hence my blog's name, Clearly Beautiful. Get it get it? ok moving on...). Ever since my first pimple at the age of 13, I've been devoted to trying out everything the skincare industry can throw at me with the promise of acne-free skin. Now that I'm in my mid-20s, I'm not only concerned with combating adult acne, but also preventing visible signs of aging. So for 2009, these were the products that delivered on their promises. Although I still suffer from breakouts, several problem zones of my face have been completely acne-free for a while (like my forehead and temples). So although the battle is only half-won, here are the VIPs of the year:

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: the active ingredient here is salicylic acid. This face wash is to be used after you've removed your makeup. I love how it has a non-foamy consistency, a refreshing cucumber smell, and a cool tingling sensation as you massage it in.

Olay Regenerist daily thermal mini-peel: the powerful combination of glycolic acid, thermal action, and microscrubbers combats both acne and dull skin (which contributes to an aged appearance). I adore anything containing glycolic acid, because I really see results overnight. Love this peel.

Lush Dark Angels: Honestly, please go buy this. Yes, charcoal-based products are a pain in the a** because they make a huge mess in your sink, but your skin will thank you for the effort. I love using this on particularly oily, icky skin days. The charcoal, rhassoul mud and black sugar make for a super duper exfoliator. I feel like I've had a microderm abrasion Lush-style.

Lush Grease Lightning: I gave my benzoyl peroxide the pink slip once I started using this serum every night. It prevents new break outs and quickly dries out blemishes. Best of all, it does not dry out my face like benzoyl peroxide did. And the tea tree scent is wonderful.

Aspirin: If you have nothing else in your arsenal for acne, keep a bottle of uncoated aspirin tablets around. Whenever I get a breakout, I mix 2 dissolved aspirin tablets with a cream cleanser and spread it on my face. After 30 min, I wash off, and presto, my blemish is zapped in no time. I call this my bazooka because it definitely works, but dries me out.

Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub: Ok ok, I know I have used only a sample of this stuff, and only for 1 month. But I'm so impressed with it that it's made it on this list. This scrub not only exfoliates away dead skin cells, but brightens my complexion so I look a couple shades lighter. I absolutely love the texture and luxurious experience it delivers.

So there you have it, my favorite skincare goodies for 2009. These items will definitely be permanent pieces in my vanity. However, you may notice that I haven't raved about any moisturizers or makeup removers here, because nothing I've tried has blown me away enough to give it this recognition. Hopefully I will soon hit upon some gems.

If you have any suggestions for great moisturizers and makeup removers, please let me know!

And the Oscar goes to...

As 2009 winds down I find myself looking back and thinking of all the holy grails I've discovered this year. The quest for amazing makeup is not something I want to end--I always want a product to out-preform my current favorite. And I test that limit every month when I buy a new product simply for the novelty and adventure of testing a new toy. But these products have stood up to my fickle shopping ways. Even if I did buy something new, I make sure these products are in my collection at all times as veterans of their industry.  

Oscar for best liquid foundation goes to Revlon Colorstay Foundation. Medium-full coverage, a low drugstore price, immense lasting power, and a wide color selection make this a winner. However, it does break me out if I use it on a daily basis and makeup removal is a b****!

The Oscar for the best powder foundation goes to MAC Studio Fix. As with Revlon, this gives medium-full coverage, is priced well since it lasts a VERY long time, and MAC is renowned for its color selection. This trumps Revlon Colorstay because it does not cause acne breakouts on me. However, the coverage is not as long-lasting, so I use it for work, not play.

The Oscar for best lipsticks goes to MAC. I love how moisturizing these puppies are, and the color selection is almost infinite. My favorites are To Swoon For and Chintz on Chintz.

The Oscar for best lipgloss goes to NYX. This gloss is priced reasonably, gives sheer or heavy coverage, depending on which shade you choose, and is in the sweet spot between sticky/long lasting, and non-sticky/short-lived.

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack takes the Oscar for best eye-liner: This liner is the perfect black, is priced well because it will last for eons, and applies like a dream, no matter how clumsy you are. Just use an angled liner brush, and you'll be lining like a pro in no time.

The Oscar for the best mascara goes to Maybelline Define-a-Lash. Do not be fooled by its humble drugstore status. This is one amazing mascara. The waterproof lengthening formula does EXACTLY what it promises: it separates, defines, lenghtens, and stays put until you've generously swiped it with eye makeup remover.

Kat von D in Ludwig wins the best eye-shadow pallete Oscar. Ok ok, I haven't tried EVERY eyeshadow pallete in the world, and certainly not MAC, but I have to say that for the price, this pallete will provide you with several looks, from neutral to bolder smoky looks. It all depends on which shades you use, and how you apply them. It's an amazing pallete that I reach all too often.

Last but not least, the ole'  faithful Oscar goes to Urban Decay Primer Potion. This Oscar is simply for a product that I've forgotten how to live without. I love using it even by itself to mattify and brighten my eyelids. And when I use it as a base, its not sticky, just perfect for applying e/s and having it stay on ad infinitum.

So there you have it folks. My top makeup picks for 2009. I hope 2010 exposes me to many more products because I have a humble, yet burgeoning makeup collection. I hope 2010 brings me more MAC faves and drugstore finds, but also opens me up to other brands. Thanks for reading!

I love you NYX Ice Princess!

Ice Princesss was my debut entrance into the wonderful world of NYX. And what a smashing entrance. I have to say NYX has blown me away with their quality, price and packaging. A+ in all three. On to les swatches!

Ice Princess is a sheer pink shade that can be worn alone, or layered over any shade of lipstick. I wanted to show you guys a picture of my lips with Ice Princess, but it looks quite sheer and since everyone's lips are differently pigmented, I thought this would be more helpful

My favorite way to wear Ice Princess is to apply it over 2 MAC lipsticks: To Swoon For and Chintz on Chintz. Here are all three shades:

Top to bottom: MAC To Swoon For, MAC Chintz on Chintz, NYX Ice Princess

As for texture, I find this to be not too sticky, and not too light--just right. It does require re-application throughout the day, but that's just the nature of the beast when it comes to lipglosses (unless you are using UBER sticky Dazzleglass, which I don't care for because my hair keeps sticking to it!).

When it's time for my next haul, I will be bee-lining to Ulta for many more NYX products, especially lipglosses and JEPs!

November Favorites +1 Regret

Part of why I'm so late on posting my November favorites was because I felt like I'd be harping on and on about products I'd already raved about. But honestly, I do love these products, and they have stood the test of time and have been favorites month after month:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation. I don't think I'll bother paying for MUFE HD or Nars. Why should I when I have this drugstore gem? Although it does break me out if I use it daily, so I save it for weekends.

Merle Norman Super Lube: I've had this one jar of lip balm for nearly 10 years. I've hit pan recently, but there's still plenty left on the sides, which I take out with a lip brush. It's like vaseline, but a little richer. My next purchase will probably be the MAC Honey lip balm tin (I'm hoping Ebay will come to the rescue!).

Kat von D Ludwig Pallete--middle two highlight colors (Clay and Tequila). I use the more nude color all over my browbone, and then dot the really bright white right under my brow's arch.

Maybelline Define-a-Lash: This mascara is perfect if you already have nice lashes, but need a little more length and definition. You get that sun-ray effect where each lash is separated. It also holds a mean curl all day long.


Coastal Scents Blending Fluff: perfect for an all over color on the lid.

MAC 252 (from a holiday set from CCO): perfect for crease work and putting a dot of highlighter under the arch of my brow.

1 Regret: Burt's Bees Day Cream: although raved about this earlier, as I hit pan on the sample, the moisturizer separated into oil and lotion. When I put it on, my skin looked so oily that I couldn't wait to get home and scrape the greasy feeling off my skin. What the heck? Overall, I regret buying the Burt's Bees Radiance Face Sample Kit. It has so not been worth it. Yes, I did like some of the products, but none of them won me over to the point that I'd purchase a full size, and that was the whole point of buying the samples. Do you guys have any BB products you really really love? I don't want to turn my back on it just yet...

 What are your favorites and regrets for this month?

Lush, MAC, OPI, & NYX Haul!

After months of holding myself back, I finally let loose and got a large haul thanks to wonderful Black Friday deals that extended all weekend. The wait was seriously worth it as I saved quite a bit of moolah. I'll review of all these items once I've tried them out but for now, enjoy the haulage:

MAC Strobe Lotion
MAC sharpener (for Engraved
MAC Select Cover-Up in NC45
MAC Moisturelush Cream sample (which I may add the stingy makeup counter lady was unwilling to part with because "people take advantage of it"...as I am checking out...with a boatload of makeup...WTF)

NYX Jumbo eye pencil in French Fries

NYX Lipgloss in Ice Princess (which I've been using this relentlessly and may hit pan at a record speed)

Lush Grease Lightning

Lush Sea vegetable soap

Lush Dark Angels

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly

A Grape Fit; You Don't Know Jacques!; Barefoot in Barcelona

This is love. Go buy it now.

Can't wait to review these products for you guys! Which ones would you like me to review first?

Also, a HUGE thank you to Beautygirl24, The Beautifier, xcharleym0ox and Krystle for the blog awards they've recently given me. I'm so grateful for every single one, and I promise to post it up ASAP. Just want to say thanks here. You guys are so awesome. :)