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.

March Favorites

It's been a wonderful month of new purchases and rediscovering gems I already had. Here are the products I've loved all month long:

Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer: I have been LOVING this as an all over lid color for my eyes! It's a perfect shimmering bronze and the mousse consistency is a dream to blend. I think the mousse line needs to launch eyeshadows too! Click here for my full post on it.

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Ever So Rich: This is my go-to gloss for a swipe of sheer baby pink. It complements any lip color you have underneath. No really. Any. Repurchase is very likely. Here's how it looks over a bronze lip.

Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm me up: a perfect dusty rose color. Not sure why this is categorized in the brown section of the lipsticks, but who cares. It's an amazing color. Pair this with Ever So Rich, and you'll have Victoria Secret lips! Here is the full post on it!

Shu Uemura Face Architect: What I love about this foundation is how easily it goes on, blends, and stays put. It also doesn't break me out. What I still don't like is that it is pricey as heck, therefore repurchase is unlikely. Anyway here's the full review.

Prime Time Foundation Primer: This was a pretty affordable primer I purchased from Sephora a year ago. It stayed dormant in my drawers because a lot of makeup gurus skip primers, but I recently tried it again and fell in love. I only use it on my T-zone, which is never prone to acne. It controls oil very well, and a little goes a long way!

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Turbo Mascara in Blackest Black: Repurchase is 100% guaranteed, and this is a Holy Grail for me. Enough said. :)

My DIY 188 brush: My Coastal Scents stippler brush has made a comeback into my life as a MAC 188 dupe! A simple rubberband reunited me with this little gem. Here's my full post on it. I love applying blush with this brush. It's small and precise enough to fit right on my cheek bones, but blending very highly pigmented blushes can be an issue, so be careful how much you pick up in the first place.

That does it for March. Now that it's April I'm roaming out and about in skirts and light jackets! Spring is here! I now leave you with my current mood:

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?

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.

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!

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!

Products I Regret Buying

The best thing about being a makeup blogger is that even my duds get some use. Here are the products I regret buying. I've chosen them based on poor/wierd consistency and quality rather than things like products that broke me out, because that can be very subjective.

Face

MAC (gasp I know) Mineralize Satinfinish: the thick, gel-like consistency makes my skin feel suffocated and I always look mask-like, no matter how little I apply.

BareVitamins Prime Time primer (from Sephora): This feels very silicone-y, and made my skin feel suffocated. It didn't really help my foundation last longer anyway.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer: Although I love my Dream Mousse blush, the bronzer does nothing for me. Its just bits of golden shimmer, not much pigmentation. Maybe it matches my tan skin too much, but its not really a bronzer. More like a shimmer-er.

Lips 

Coastal Scents Lip Smacks: at $2.95, I was tempted to amass tons of glosses. However, there isn't a lot of pigmentation, and its UBER shiny, so I find myself putting it on only to dab it off with a paper napkin. If you must purchase, avoid the shimmery ones because after a while, your lips end up with random bits of silver glitter and no color or shine. Not sexy. Lancome Pink to the Club: Got this as a gift for buying a perfume. This is too sheer for a lipstick, is not very moisturizing, and chunky glittery bits. 

Elf Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15: lame color, sucks the moisture outta my lips, and chunky glitter bits.

Eyes

 

Lancome Color Design Quad: I got this as part of a gift for buying Miracle. There is very little color payoff, just makes my eyes look kind of shimmery with not much color.

Mary Kay Signature Liquid Eyeliner in Black: the nib is not at all flexible, which makes for sloppy lining. The consistency is watery, and there is no staying power.

Hope this helps you guys. Hey, a penny saved is a penny earned right?

What's in my travel makeup bag?

Hi guys, sorry I haven't updated my blog in a while; I was away in Chicago for a conference. For my 6 day trip, I packed makeup that made me look polished, but not colorful. After all, this was a scientific conference. No one was going to appreciate a Manish Arora pallete on my eyes.

I picked up a generic travel kit that included a soap case, hairbrush, toothbrush holder, and 2 empty bottles ($2.99!). I didn't take the bottles or hair brush, just the toothbrush holder, the soap holder, and the travel kit. The soap holder was filled with hair accessories, q-tips and toothpaste. The travel kit contained makeup:

Face:

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation

Maybelline Dream Mousse in Soft Plum

Mary Kay Mineral Powder Brush

Mary Kay Signature Concealor

Loew Cornell concealor brush

Eyes:

Lancome eye makeup remover

MAC Powerpoint Engraved

MAC Fluidline Blacktrack

Kat von D eye palette in Ludwig

Loew Cornell 1/8" angled shader

Coastal Scents blending fluff

Random Target eyelash curler

Maybelline Define-a-Lash

Lips:

Egyptian magic (sample size)

MAC Fastlane

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine

I was kind of strict about how many "me too" products I took along just cuz I like to travel light. I'm overall quite happy with everything I took, but the only thing I'd change is to take more than one lip color. What kind of stuff can you not live without when you travel?

Mini Haul: Maybelline Dream Mousse

UPDATE: Eliza mentioned in the comments that the Dream Mousse disappeared right after putting it on. After using the Dream Mousse for a few days now, I have to agree that its staying power is not that great. Its not a big deal for me because my Coastal Scents blushes also don't stay on all that well either, and I tend to use a very light hand in the first place. I'm gonna try to increase the staying power by setting my makeup with my rose water spray (my uber cheap Fix+ substitute!). But that's something to be aware of before buying! Ok here's the original post:

Walgreens was having a a BOGO 50% off sale on all Maybelline products last week, so I hurried over and snagged a couple of things from the Dream Mousse Collection. Bubblegarm has raved about it, and the products looked divine on her. I got:

Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum
Dream Mousse Bronzer in Sunglow
Nivea Creme, mainly because Fafinettex3 raved about it before, and its only 99c.

I gotta say, the Dream Mousse collection is AWESOME. It really feels like mousse! Its like you dab on bits of mousse, and then it transforms into an airbrushed shimmery finish on the face. And because you apply it with your fingers, the application is precise yet seamless, hence airbrushed. I also quite like the shimmer. I first thought it would only be suitable for nighttime, but you don't see the shimmers until you face the light and are close to a mirror. Here are the textures. It's so moussey! My husband wanted to eat it. ;)

The coverage is sheer to medium, which makes this a very buildable blush. I guess the one downside is that you're using your fingers, so you have to make sure its clean and then wash off the blush from your fingers once you're done. But I don't mind, since I'm now able to skip the additional step of putting an illuminator/highlight on my cheekbones. Definitely loving it.

The one question in my mind now is whether this is a good dupe for MAC's Mineralized Skin Finish Blush. I think this might be since both the dream mousses are blushes with bits of gold sparkle.

As for the Nivea...well that's another story...I'm glad it was only 99c otherwise I'd be taking this back to the store. It's quite greasy, doesn't sink quickly into the skin, and there's no way in hell I'd put it on my face. I guess I'm just gonna stick it in my purse and use it on my hands over the winter because its a majorly intensive moisturizer.

I also tried Carmex while I was in the store to see what the fuss was all about and...well...how does everyone stand the smell? Its so medicinal! I'm going to stick with Softlips for now.

So to sum it up:

• Maybelline Dream Mousse: 2 thumbs up
• Nivea Creme: 1 thumb down for performance, 1 thumb up for portability and price
  
• Carmex: 1 thumb up for performance and price, 1 thumb down for smell

Tag: Top 10 Drugstore Products

Fafinettex3 did her top 10 drugstore products the other day on YouTube, so I thought I'd chime in with my two cents.It's probably useful to first explain my skin. I'm an NC45 with a South Asian background. I have combination skin. I get oily on my forehead and cheeks, but always dry on my nose and chin.

1.Maybelline Define-A-Lash: this product does exactly what it claims. It defines and lengthens every single lash without clumping. It does not volumize though, so if you're happy with your lash length, go for this one. I also love the waterproof formula and how it holds a curl all day long.

2.Soft Lips: This works so wonderfully well. The consistency and non-greasy moisture is way better than Chapstick.

3. Tresemee Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray: I have to either blowdry or straighten my hair every day, so I know I'm protecting it by using this before doing all that stuff. Ooh and it smells good too.

4. Goody StayPut Elastics and Hairbands: These elastic scrunchies and hair bands are amazing. They are nonslip, grip really well, and don't pull out my hair when I take em off. I use the headband when I workout or play tennis--not one hair outta place.

5. Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: I've bought this for the 2nd time now and love it even more. I've written about it in an older post.

6. Oil of Olay Refreshing Toner: Wonderful smelling stuff, and it contains witch hazel. You're better off buying this over the expensive department store toners. Again, blogged about this before. 

7. Johnson & Johnson Baby Lotion: This is so much to love here. It's gentle, quick absorbing, nice smelling, super moisturizing and non-greasy. It's good in the winter and summer times. Not to mention the price! Seriously, I used to buy stuff from Bath and Body works, but its so greasy, over-perfumed and hard to absorb, that I am just gonna stick to this forever.

8. Uncoated Aspirin: This stuff is the cheapest and most effective exfoliator/face brightening mask. I mix it with honey, yogurt, random cream cleansers or masks, and I have a great weekend treatment.

9. OPI nailpolishes: sigh how can you not love these beauties? Their color selection and staying power are BEST, I just wish that I could find these somewhere for a better price!

10. Random brand Eyelash Curler from Target: I haven't tried any other eyelash curlers, but this one works great for me.

What are your top 10 drugstore products?