Thursday, December 5, 2013

Beauty Products That Deserve More Love {Drugstore Edition!}

Hello, everyone! Today I am going to be talking about beauty products that deserve a bit more love in the beauty community. These are products I have been using for a while now and can attest their awesomeness.

Loreal Infallible Foundation
The Loreal Infallible Never Fail Foundation (my shade is 602, Soft Ivory) is probably my favorite foundation-EVER! I remember back in the day, like in High School, this foundation and the Revlon Colorstay foundation (my shade is Buff) were my two must haves! I quit using both for a while because I wanted to try new things and repurchased both the Colorstay and Infallible foundations again about eight-ish months ago. I wasn't too impressed with the Revlon Colorstay (original formula, I love the Whipped), but rediscovered my love for Loreal's Infallible! Loreal claims this foundation will give yo"18 hours of uninterrupted, flawless coverage--no touch-ups required." They also claim that "Infallible Advanced Never Fail Makeup, fights the five signs of makeup meltdown. It's energizing vitamin and mineral complex combats the signs of fatigue. Continuous concealing hides imperfections. Smoothing pigments resist fading and rub-off. Oil-absorbing mattifiers stop shine. SPF 20 and anti-humidity ingredients fight the elements. Now with 18 non-stop hours of comfortable fade-proof wear!" I agree that the staying power is amazing. I don't think I've ever worn makeup for a solid 18 hours, but the 12-14 hours I have had this foundation on, it wear beautifully. I use two pumps of this foundation and find it to be quite universal: it can be more full coverage when buffed into the skin with a brush or more light/medium coverage when applied with fingers or a sponge. I use all three methods to apply and love the finish for each. My shade, Soft Ivory, is absolutely PERFECT for my pale skin. This does not oxidize on my skin and the finish is pretty natural. Obviously, using fingers or a sponge will give you a more natural look than using a brush, but on certain occasions, it's nice to have full coverage makeup. The Infallible foundation stays looking fresh on my skin all day. Price: $12.99 (at Ulta, but it might be cheaper at Wal-Mart or Target).

Is your hair a damaged hot mess? Mine has been lately from coloring it and the VO5 Hot Oil Treatment has been my hair's saving grace! I first learned about VO5's Hot Oil Treatement about 5 years ago when I was at the hair salon and was complimenting my stylish on her hair. She said she used VO5's treatement once a week to help keep her ends in good shape, since she damages it a lot with heat and chemicals. At first, I was confused. "Hot oil on your hair...doesn't that damage your hair or make it oily?", I asked. She said it doesn't damage your hair and went into the fancy hair salon lingo about how it helps keep your ends strong and smooth. That day, I went out and bought some hot oil and fell in love! I haven't tried any other hot oil brands because this one has worked so well for me, I am loyal to this one. 

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Primer
I must admit, I'm really not a primer kinda girl...face nor eyes. However, this past summer, like most of us tend to, I became an oily mess! You could literally fry chicken with all the oil on my face- not cute, ladies! Because of my anti-primer ways, it never occurred to me to use one. I remember watching crystalis007's YouTube channel and she was talking about how much she loved Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Primer- and she has tried fancy high end brands and lower cost alternatives. During my weekly Wal-Mart run I picked it up not really knowing what to expect, since I really don't use primers. I got home, washed my face, and reapplied my makeup (using the Complexion Perfection Primer). By the end of the day, my skin was matte and still looked fresh. I couldn't believe it. Granted, that day I stayed in for the most part, but my makeup looked just like it did when first applied. The next day, I used it knowing I would be out and about in the grueling Alabama heat. I eventually braced myself to look in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised that my makeup still looked nice. I would be lying if I said I staying totally and completely matte, because sweat happens and makeup runs/fades, but my skin looked great and had a satin-dewy look. I don't wear this primer- or any primer for that matter- on a daily basis, but during the warmer months or if  I need my makeup to last all day and not budge, I use this on my t-zone before using my foundation knowing that by the end of the day, my makeup will remain in tact. Oh, and did I mention the best part?! It's very affordable: around $4 at Wal-Mart!   

Essence of Beauty Duo Crease Brushes
The Essense of Beauty Duo Crease Brushes are such a drugstore gem! I first learned about this dynamic duo from EmilyNoel83 a few years ago. I must admit, I don't have the biggest brush collection, but I don't know what I would do without these two! The larger of the two is great for the crease and I like the smaller one for either creating a shape in my crease or using it to smoke out my lower lash line. They clean beautifully and are great for people (like myself) who don't have a tone of makeup brushes or would even be a great addition to those with a bigger collection. I think the duo was around $5 at CVS. 

Maybelline Expert Twin Brow and Eye Pencils
I cannot begin to express my love for the Maybelline Brow Pencil. I don't like my brow pencils to be super creamy like an eyeliner; I prefer my brow pencils to be a bit more dry. I feel using a drier formula brow pencil really makes it last longer on your brows and not transfer or smudge during the day. I use the shade Blonde and I think it is such a great, universal shade. I use it with my natural hair color, the reddish brown I am currently rocking, and I have even used the blonde shade with dark brown hair. As a personal preference, I don't care for super dark brows...it's just not my taste. I think with my fair skin, it can look a bit odd. The Maybelline brow pencils come two in a pack and are a steal at around $3! 



Daily Dose of Pretty
* My computer is messed up so I am blogging on the Blogger app! Sorry if the pictures aren't turning out...they are from my iPhone. 
* Chevy got his stitches out yesterday and is cone free! He is pretty excited about it. 
* I am going home at Alabama in a month for three weeks! Can't wait to see my family and be apart of my best friend's wedding. 
* Our living room furniture came in two or three days ago. It has been such a treat sitting in something other than a wooden kitchen table chair! 



What beauty products do you think deserve more love? Let us know in the comments section! 

Monday, December 2, 2013

Chevy had surgery! (picture of him in a cone!)

Hi, friends!
Wednesday, the 27th, Chevy had surgery to remove a mass on his ear, to extract five teeth (one canine and four incisors), and had his ears flushed and treated for an ear infection- life of a previous stray! The day he came home after surgery, he was still out of it from the anesthesia and/or pain medicine the vet gave him. It's been five days since his surgery and he is feeling a lot better and back to his normal sleeping and playing routine! He has a cone so he doesn't scratch his ear and mess with his stitches. It might seem a tad ridiculous to do a post about his surgery, but I think he looks absolutely adorable with his cone on and just wanted to share his handsomeness with y'all! Lol

Makeup Storage Solutions for Limited Space

Happy Cyber Monday, Friends!


Today and am talking all about makeup storage solutions for limited space. This post is picture heavy, but I really wanted you to see jsut how much stuff you can put in this clear storage cube. 
As some of you may know, Ross and I moved across the country to Oregon about a month ago. Because we only took whatever fit in the car, we had to get rid of basically everything- which included a ton of my makeup and the storage that went along with it. When we moved into our new apartment in Oregon, I realized that there isn't that much room on the bathroom counter for makeup nor is there a lot of room for storing makeup in the bedroom or in the closet- bummer! I brought two smallish makeup bags full of goodies and gave the rest to my sister or threw away the things I knew she wouldn't care for. I stumbled across the InterDesign Clear Drawers on Amazon for an affordable price- less than $20! I wasn't working with much counter top space and refused to pay an arm and a leg for makeup storage so this was perfect! The dimensions are 6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches and weighs about a pound. It doesn't hold all of my makeup, which I wasn't expecting it to, but this handy little cube (surprisingly) hold a ton of products...if you strategically put them in properly. Think of it as playing tetris. I divided the drawers into sections: the top drawer is for face makeup, the middle drawers is for eye products, and the bottom drawer is for cheeks and lips. 

As mentioned above, this clear three drawer storage container is 6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches and weighs about a pound. It is made out of a sturdy plastic and I don't find it to be flimsy at all. I bought mine on Amazon for under $20 and this cube has been working perfectly for me. I don't typically store mine as full as the pictures below, but I wanted you to see exactly how much stuff you can put in there. Once a week, I go through my makeup collection and pull out whatever products I want to use for the week and store the rest of my makeup in the makeup bags I carried with us during the move. I  haven't found a permanent storage solution for all my makeup, but for now, this is working just fine! I think going through your makeup once a week (or every other week) let's you pull out different products to keep you from getting in a makeup rut and using up your collection. 

Okay, now for the goodies inside the drawers...


Top Drawer
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation, Loreal Infallible Foundation, Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream, Black Radience Complexion Perfection Primer, Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Corrector Concealer (discontinued), Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer, Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer, Revlon Colorstay Blemish Concealer, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer (in Brightener and Fair), two samples of the Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer, and a sponge wedge.

Middle Drawer
Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Palette, Black Radiance 8-pan Palette, two Revlon Colorstay Quads (the discontinued quads), Covergirl Quad, Maybelline Chic Naturals Quad, Wet-n-Wild Trio, Covergirl EyeEnhancers Single Eyeshadow, seven Wet-n-Wild ColorIcon Single Eyeshadows, Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner Pencil, Rimmel ScandalEyes Kohl Pencil, Maybelline Expert Wear Brow Pencil, Milani Eyeshadow Primer, Essense Gel Eyeliner, two Almay Intense i-Color Eyeliners, Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner, Maybelline the Falsies Mascara, and Revlon Precision Lash Glue.

Bottom Drawer
Wet-n-Wild ColorIcon Cheek Highlighter, NYC Bronzer, three ELF Studio Blushes, Wet-n-Wild ColorIcon Blush, three Milani Baked Blushes, two Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains, Revlon Colorburst Lipstick, Avon ANew Lipstick, Clinique Lipstick, Revlon Lip Butter, Ioni Cosmetics Lipgloss, and Milani Crystal Lipgloss.


Before Makeup Storage

After
Front View
Side View


Overall Thoughts...
I give the InterDesign Clear Drawers two thumbs up! I think this is a great storage solution for someone with limited storage space (like in a college dorm), someone that doesn't have a ton of makeup but wants to keep their makeup organized, and/or someone that doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a storage container, but doesn't want to sacrifice quality. I'm sure that the InterDesign Clear Drawers don't come close to Clear Cube in quality, but I think the plastic on this product is pretty sturdy and for $20 compared to Clear Cube's $300 plus price tag, you really can't beat the deal! 



How do you like to store your makeup/beauty products?
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