Beauty Products That Are Worth The Hype {Drugstore Edition!}

Hey, y'all! Hope everyone is doing well. I am kicking this post off with a little mini series. I have been wanting to do "worth the hype?" blogs for months and now I am finally getting around to it! As you can tell from the title, this post is all about drugstore beauty items that I think are worth the hype. I will be doing two follow-up posts with things I don't think are worth the hype and things I wish got a little more love. 

 L to R: Concentrated swatch of Sunny; Sheered out swatch of Sunny

NYC Bronzer in Sunny has a huge cult follow and for good reason! I tend to prefer warmer, slightly orange based bronzers over ones that are more cool tone. On my fair skin, I feel like cool tone bonzers look a little muddy on my face. Not cute, ladies! Sunny is great for fair/medium skin girls (and guys) and it works beautifully as a contour or as a light dusting to give your skin a little warmth. This is a matte bronzer and is a steal at around $3 at the drugstore.

Random swatches from the Eye on Neutral palette.

Sonia Kashuk's Eye on Neutral palette is seriously God's gift to the drugstore, well, Target! The drugstore has been lacking for years in the matte eyeshadow department (or mattes in general, really) and finally Sonia Kashuk has listened to the beauty bloggers and vloggers plea for affordable, yet incredible matte neutrals. The shades are beautifully pigmented and are buttery smooth...the first two brulee-type shades don't have as much color pay off, but I have enough skin tone shadows, so I don't mind! I use this palette all. the. time! The matte colors look incredible on their own and I even use this palette in addition to some single shimmery shadows I have, to get a little more depth and contract. This palette is $19.99 at Target and for 10 eyeshadows that go on like a dream (remember, I'm not a fan of the top two!) and blend seamlessly, I give this palette two thumbs up!

L to R: First three swatches are from the Walking on Eggshells (trio); Envy (single); Panther (single); Nutty (single) 

Gorgeous, wearable colors and check out the intensity of that matte black!

Wet-n-Wild eyeshadows are hands down the best of the best at the drugstore; they are incredible pigmented, blend beautifully, and are very affordable! I remember way back when the quality wasn't up to snuff, but in recent years Wet-n-Wild has really stepped up its game! All of their eyeshadows are dreamy: palettes, trios, singles- I love them all! There is a bit of fall out with some of these shadows, but if you just tap off your brush before applying, fallout won't be an issue! 

L to R: Brightener and Fair

Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Concealer has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years now! I love that it is thin in texture, but is opaque enough to conceal dark under eye circles. My shade is Fair in the concealer and I also enjoy the Brightner. I have been through three tubes of the Brightener. I only use the Eraser concealer under my eyes so I cannot attest to how well it covers blemishes.  My under eye area is very dry and I don't notice it sinking into my fine lines too bad. Oh, and have I mentioned how amazing the staying power is?! Incredible! You can find the Maybelline Erasers at the drugstore for around $7-10 bucks, depending on where you buy!

With Flash

Without Flash

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks have been in my makeup collection for as long as I can remember. I've always been a lipstick girl and these come in a wide range of colors, finishes, and textures. I prefer the Creme finish, personally, but I do have one that's a pearl finish that I enjoy wearing in Fall/Winter. I think these lipsticks are comfortable on the lips and the staying power is pretty decent, too. My favorites are Fire and Ice, Berry Haute, Primrose, and Coralberry!

FOTD: Purple Lips!

Hello, dolls! I woke up this morning feeling like complete crap (took a sleeping pill too late) and was in desperate need of a fabulous lipstick to perk up my day! For the look, I wanted it to be all about the lips with a defined, but not dramatic eye. I was also pleasantly surprised that when I got home from furniture and home decor shopping that my makeup still looked nice and my lips still had some color-with no touch-ups throughout the day!

Face: Revlon Whipped Foundation (in Buff), Maybelline Eraser (in Fair & Brightener), Revlon Colorstay Blemish Concealer (in Light).

Eyes: Coastal Scents Hot Pots: Peach Puff (inner third of my eyelid), Peach- previously known as S33 (on the rest of my lid), Midnight Rodeo (with a light hand I wedge this in my crease), Dreamsicle (all along my lower lash line), and Sundried (on the outer half of my lash line). I lined my upper lash line with Almay's Intense i-Color Liquid Liner (in Brown Topaz). I used two coats of Maybelline's Falsies Mascara (in Blackest Black).

Brows: Maybelline Expert Eyes Twin Eye and Brow Pencil (in Blonde)

Cheeks: I mixed Elf's Mellow Mauve and Milani's Corallina.

Lips: I layered Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (in 660, Berry Haute) and JordanaTwist & Shine (in 06, Cranberry Crush).

The Goods...

L to R:  Coastal Scents Hot Pots: Peach Puff, Peach, Midnight Rodeo, and Sundried

L to R: Revlon Super Lustrous (in 660, Berry Haute) and JordanaTwist & Shine (in 06, Cranberry Crush).

The look about 6 or 7 hours later...

Don't mind the swatches. I bought two lip colors at Marshall's and wanted to see what they looked like. Chevy wanted to join in on the swatch party! 

FOTD: Rediscovered Products

I was totally inspired to use some old pink finds when I saw Emily Noel's Gloss Daily post on great summer eyeshadows. None of the shadows I've used are ones she mentioned, but it was nice to shop my stack for some great spring shades. Some of the things I've used are discontinued, but hopefully this will inspire you to shop your stash and rediscover some amazing products. 

Face

Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream (in Light/Medium), Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation (in 805 Ivory), Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer (in Light), Wet-n-Wild Blush (in 833E Mellow Wine), and Revlon Mineral Finishing Powder (in Brighten).

L to R: Revlon Mineral Finishing Powder and Wet-n-Wild Blush in Mellow Mauve.

 
Eyes

Loreal Single Eyeshadow (in 805 Morning Light), Clinique Color Surge Eye Shadow Duo (in 104 Strawberry Fudge), Revlon Colorstay Quad (in 06 In the Buff), Wet-n-Wild Mega Liner (in 868 Dark Brown), Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara, and Maybelline Brow Pencil (in Blonde)

Lips

Loreal Color Juice Sheer Juicy Lipgloss (in 500 Watermelon Crush)

 About the Look

 Because I used pinks on the eyes, lips and as a highlight, I wanted to keep the skin flawless and natural. I typically don't use Wet-n-Wild blush in Mellow Wine in the Spring/Summer because I love my bright pinks during those months, but because this was already a pretty pink look, I decided to warm up the skin using a deeper mauve color. I know the blush color isn't showing up well in the picture, but it sure packs a punch in real life. For eyes, I used Morning Light on the inner part of my lid and then sweeped the pink shade in the Strawberry Fudge duo over the rest of my lid and blended a little of the pink into the golden champagne shade I laid down first. I used the top shade in the In the Buff quad as a highlight and then used the third shade in the quad to blend the colors and add a little contour to my crease. I didn't smudge any shade under my eye because I liked the easiness of leaving it bare. I then used a dark brown eye liner to add definition, but still keep the look soft. Lastly, I added two coats of mascara.  

FOTD: Black Radiance 8-pan palette in Downtown Browns

Happy Monday, lovelies! I don't typically wear purple-y shades, but I woke up with a little extra pep in my step this morning and decided to use the lovely Black Radiance 8-pan palette in Downtown Browns. The colors are more on the purple side than brown, but are equally as gorgeous! I also busted out some products I don't use much, like my Almay liquid liner in Brown Topaz and Loreal Colour Juice gloss in 500 Watermelon Crush.

Face: Revlon Colorstay foundation in 150 Buff, Hard Candy Glamoflauge heavy duty concealer in Light and Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in Brightener.

Cheeks: ELF blush in Fushia Fusion and Wet-n-Wild highlight in Reserve Your Cabana.

Eyes: Black Radiance 8-pan palette in Downtown Browns (left side), Almay liquid liner in Brown Topaz, Covergirl Professional Super Thick Lash mascara in Very Black and Loreal Volumnous Carbon Black mascara over the CG one.

Lips: Loreal Colour Juice lip gloss in 500 Watermelon Crush. 

First Impressions: Black Radiance Downtown Browns and Full Effect Mascara

I saw this little jewel in Wal-Mart today and picked it up because I saw Emily Noel (from Beauty Broadcast) talk about it on her blog. 

Downtown Browns

I had seen the palette in CVS a long time ago, but passed on it because I wasn't sure about the quality. If you're a fan of the Wet-n-Wild eyeshadows like I am, then you'll love these! I love that the shades are neutral, but some are plumy-neutral. The brand claims that there are "8 ultra-pigmented shades in matte, pearl, metallic and shimmer." Although I do love the colors, there are no matte shades in this palette. I was thinking the third shade on the right (the purpley-plum shade) would be the matte one, but I find it to be a satin finish.                   

Maybe you can get a better idea of how they capture the light with both pictures.

Ride Side...

Without Flash.

*Note: I know the last two shades look matte in the picture, but they are a satin.*

With Flash.

Left Side...

Without Flash.

With Flash.

*Seriously, how gorgeous are these shades?!*

Full Effect Mascara

I've never tried any of Black Radiance's products before, but I am very curious to try this mascara. The claim is that it "instantly volumizes and defines lashes" and that it's "infused with Shea Butter and Argan Oil." I have really high hopes for this mascara because we all know how wonderful Shea butter and argan oil are. The brush has long spikes on it so hopefully it will work to really separate the lashes. 

♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• It's been a hell of a weekend! I have three tests and a paper due this week, so I was super busy with school. Come on, May!
• I went to Ulta today and bought two of the Stay With Me lip glosses by Essence. I got Kiss Kiss Kiss (the red) and Pretty Witty (the hot pink). Look for a review soon!
• I had a wonderful chat with my grandma today! Can't wait to go home and spend time with family!

What do you think of the Black Radiance palettes? What would you recommend from the line?

TAG: Pretty in Pink (for Breast Cancer Awareness Month)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

I've known several women who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, as I'm sure many of you have, too. Even though Cervical Cancer hits closer to home- my mom lost her battle to Cervical Cancer October 27 2009- I remember getting up with her early on a Saturday in October to participate in Curves Breast Cancer Awareness walk. We participated in the walks for three years and I met the sweetest people and heard some inspiring stories. Since pink is the awareness color and a lot of people wear pink in October for awareness,  I thought it would be fun to create a tag and share our favorite pink beauty and fashion items.

Tag questions...
What is your favorite pink eyeshadow? I absolutely love the pink shade in the Walking on Eggshells trio by Wet-n-Wild. This is probably my favorite eyeshadow trio I have. I've repurchased at least three  or four times. EmilyNoel83 has duped the pink shadow to MAC'S Naked Lunch. Watch her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YILFQeZZ5SI

What is your favorite pink blush? Elf's Blush  from the Studio line in Fushia Fusion. This is a gorgeous bright blue-pink that goes on matte. I know there is shimmer in the pan, but I don't find that my brush picks up the shimmer. Also, some really pink blushes can pull a little red on me and I like that this one doesn't. Elf's blushes are crazy pigmented (as you can see) so a little goes a long way. I think it's pretty obvious that I really like this blush!

What is your favorite pink lipstick? I recently purchased the NYX lipstick in Fig and I can already tell it's a favorite. The color is so opaque. I like this color because it's a natural-pink lipstick that packs a punch.  Oh, and the best part...these are only $3.99 at Ulta. *Picture below of me wearing NYX's Fig.*

What is your favorite pink lipgloss? My favorite is NYX's Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige. I have no idea why they named this lipgloss Beige when it's obviously pink, but nonetheless, it's amazing. Once again, the NYX lipglosses are so pigmented and I love the scent.

What is your favorite pink nail polish? This one was very hard, so I thought the best thing to do would be to choose the shade I wear the most because clearly that means I love it. Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear nail polish in 23- Fushia Power is a pretty classic pink. This is not a unique shade, but it's a color I wear a lot.

What is your favorite pink piece of clothing? I'm not super crazy about the high-low trend, but this sweater was the exception! This was great during the spring months when it was still a little chilly from winter. Because October is all about pink and Breast Cancer Awareness, I'll definitely wear this again...and I'm still obsessed with bright neon colors. 

People I Tag...

• EmilyNoel83 (from BeautyBroadcast)
• Crystalis007
• Michelle1218
• Hollyannnaeree
• Neha Mishra

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I had a wonderful time in Auburn this weekend visiting Ross. On Friday we ordered pizza and just stayed in and on Saturday we made homemade lasagna and he bought us a few bottles of wine. After dinner, he took me to the movies for a date to see Lawless. We thought it was a great movie! 
• I talked to one of my besties today! I was thrilled we were able to catch up...it's been months since we've talked! 
• I also talked to my sister today and I get to babysit my niece and nephew this coming up weekend. I cannot wait! My niece is talking up a storm and my nephew just started walking not long ago! :)

Fixing to leave and watch Lawless. 

Face makeup: Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in 100 Ivory, NYX HD concealer in CW02 Fair, Maybelline Age Rewind in Brightner, Elf Blush in Mellow Mauve (contour) and NYX blush in Summer Peach.

Eye makeup: Revlon Colorstay Quad in 500 Addictive, Elf Cream Eyeliner in Black and  Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Very Black

Lips: NYX lipstick in Fig

What are your favorite pink products?

Review: Wet n Wild Comfort Zone

All I can say is WOW! 
Wet-n-Wild has hit this one out of the park! What an amazing palette (and it's super affordable)!
This palette has a wonderful selection of bronzy- browns and gorgeous greens. If you're into earth tone shades like me, you'll love this palette! The pigmentation is amazing, to say the least, and I didn't experience too much fall out. These are not chalky or powdery at all and glide on so smooth; they have a kinda velvet smooth texture. Also, I don't use a primer/base for these shadows. I'm a firm believer that I shouldn't have to use a primer (because I don't have oily eyelids) to make a shadow vibrant- it should preform well on it's own.  Wet-n-Wild eyeshadows are hands down some of the best from the drugstore. This 8-pan palette is more on the warm side and doesn't have any matte shades. In general, I prefer a palette to have a nice assortment of  matte, shimmer and satin...these are all satin (which is my favorite finish), but I love the colors so much that I don't mind them all being the same finish.

Introducing the shadows...
Left Side: Bronzy Browns

The top shade is listed as the brow bone color. It is a gorgeous shimmery golden ivory shade. This color makes a wonderful inner corner shade. I have used this color as a brow bone highlight, but I prefer a matte shade for my brow bone.
The next shade is listed as the brow bone color. This one is hands down my favorite color in the entire palette. It's an amazingly beautiful coppery, golden brown. This color looks great all over the lid and really makes my blue eyes pop!
The next shade is listed as the crease color. This is a midtone brown and looks great in the crease. I love pairing this with the coppery, golden brown. It makes a beautiful day look that could easily be taken to night.
The final side of the left side is the definer color. It is a dark, sultry brown and I'm seeing just a smidge of purple. This color is gorgeous in the outer-v and even works great on the lower lash line.
Right Side: Glamorous Greens.

The top shade is listed as the brow bone color. It is a beautiful greenish taupe. I use this shade all over the lid and it's stunning.
The next shade is listed as the eyelid color. It is a really pretty green that's more on the cooler, brighter side than any other color in the palette. I used this color a good bit in the spring/summer, but now that we're moving into fall, I'm not sure I'll be reaching for it as much this season.
The next shade is listed as the crease color. It is a dark, smoky olive green that is stunning in the outer-v. I find myself reaching for this one a good bit because it's a great alternative to browns, in case you want to switch up you're look.
The final shade of the right side is the definer color. This is definitely the most interesting color of the bunch. It's a green and brown duo-chrome very similar to MAC'S Club. Honestly, I didn't think I would use this color as much because I'm not a huge duo-chrome fan, but I love it. I've only used this on the outer third of my lower lash line, but I think the effect it gives is pretty cool. Maybe I'll be a little more daring in the future and use it in the crease or outer-v.

Overall thoughts...
This is an excellent palette and you can't beat the price. I think it was $4.99 at my Rite Aid...that's less than a dollar per shadow. What a steal! I cannot say enough good things about this palette. I will definitely be buying a backup because I never want to be without it!

Note: All of these shades have MAC dupes or very similar alternatives. The first picture shows the dupes or alternatives. Credit: I found out about these dupes through Youtube's ToMyMakeupFans

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I am fixing to go to the grocery store to stock up on munchies for my long study weekend.
• I talked to one of dearest friends today that I don't get to talk to as much anymore...so nice to catch up with great friends!
• This is my very 1st blog post and I'm kinda excited about it. Special thanks to my friend (and old roomate), Holli, for helping me with a few things! :)

Have you tried Wet-n-Wild's eyeshadows?