Beauty Gifts Under $50 : Eye Shadow Pallettes

The holiday season is upon us, and as an avid bargain hunter, I can say this is one of the best times to stock up on all your favorite beauty items. Not only do stores have incredible deals but the online deals combined with coupons..holy moly, I'm in retail heaven.

With the holiday season also comes gift giving time, and from experience I can say that finding that perfect gift for that special someone can be a daunting task, so for the next few weeks, I will be sharing my ideas for beauty gifts all under $50. So lets get started, today I bring you..eye shadow palettes.

Name: Urban Decay Naked Palette

Price: $24-$50 USD (depending on size of palette and location purchased)

Why: The Naked series has changed the way we look at makeup and truly created a huge fan following. With a focus on more neutral and soft colors, any palette from the Naked series is a sure winner for bother beginners and pro's alike.

Bonus: If purchased online, many retailers included free bonus products

Name: Too Faced Chocolate Bar

Price: about $49 USD

Why: A fairly simple palette to play with, the color pay off is amazing, the tin packaging is different from the typical palette and girls of all ages could use this with great ease.

Bonus: IT SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE

Name: it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette

Price: $40-$45 USD

Why: Like its name this palette truly is very pretty. From the velvety cover to the beautiful shades of purples, tans and blues, this palette is a must have for the girl that loves all things pretty and pink.

Bonus: Besides some incredible color payoff the palette comes with a "transforming pearl" shade that changes the finish of any shadow its put over, which means more bang for your money.

Name: Too Faced La Belle Carousel

Price: about $49 USD

Why: I realize this isn't really an eye-shadow palette, but it was too cute to not include. Besides the adorable packaging the carousel includes eye shadows blushes, bronzers and mascara. A truly all-in-one kit

Bonus: The packaging alone can be used as a decor piece

Name: Lorac The Royal Eye shadow Collection

Price: $38 USD

Why: A phenomenal price point for a higher end product, this collection includes four palettes with beautifully pigmented eye shadows. With whimsical names to appeal to girls of all ages, the collection can be mixed and matched to create looks for all occasions.

Bonus: The palettes are portable making them easy for travel. Also you can split the collection up into four separate gifts.

Name: E.L.F Eye shadow Palette

Price :$10-$15

Why: E.L.F truly has a cult following. Probably one of the cheapest makeup lines on the market, products range form $1-$70, depending on the product, size, and availability. Referring specifically to the eye shadow palettes, even though he quality is not as good as the higher end palettes, the color combinations are endless, palettes can be customized, and they are a great beginner palette

Bonus: Cyber Monday sale, everything is 50% off

I broke another brush...time for a detangler

Sigh...here we go again. Officially on the hunt for yet another brush. Why? You may ask. Well this smart one broke it. No, no my brush wasn't involved in some catastrophic apocalyptic war that caused it to split in half, it was my hair. Yes ladies, my flippin hair broke my brush!

After years of damaging my hair with color treatments, heating tools and overall abuse, after each shower it becomes a hot mess of tangled tresses that are...well...capable of snapping a brush. Ever so frustrated and annoyed I called up my BFF aka my sister, to spill my heart and shared my woes, when she introduced me to probably the most genius product of all time....Suave Detangler...FOR KIDS!!

Yup, I just admitted it, I now shop in the kids aisle! But what am I supposed to do, this stuff is AWESOME! One quick spritz and poof! My hair is instantly transformed and can run a comb through it without a single snag!

Now before you dismiss me as a total weirdo, check out the pros and cons

PRO:

1. Two quick pumps is all it takes

2. Smells AMAZING (green apples is my fav)

3. Doesn't sting your eyes, yes I speak from experience (tastes ok too)

4. CHEAP ($3-$5 USD)

5. Light weight formula doesn't cause build up

6. Obviously child safe

7. Lasts forever! Totally depends on how much and how often you use

8. Adorable packaging

9. Reduces flyaways

CONS:

1. .....cant think of any :)

So ladies, if you have a pile of hot mess on your head that you call hair, go give this product a try. I can't begin to tell you how elated I am not to see a pile of hair on the floor every time I comb my tangled hair.

Sephora "Give Me Some Lip" Value Set

Hola my peeps :) So after my 6 month long hiatus from buying makeup I may have gone a bit overboard but that's cool, more stuff for me share with you guys....right (insert audio of you all patting my back while telling me its okay). Anyways, I love lip products, so lets get right into it.

Because I am a lip product junkie, I love bundle items like this that let me sample multiple  items/brands at once. Not only can I sample brands that I may have avoided thus far, but I can really get a feel for the product before throwing down an exorbitant amount of cash for a silly lip product

What: Sephora "Give Me Some Lip" Value Set

How Much : $25 USD (online)

Products included :                      Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment 

                                                             Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Pink

                                                            Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly

                                                            NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight

                                                       Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb

                                                          Tarte LipSurgence Lip Luster in Glitzy

(Swatches in same order as listed above)

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment ($22.50) -Very nice "high end" lip balm. It gives you the perfect sheer, supple, red tint to your lips without going overboard. The consistency is slightly waxy/buttery and the product has a very pleasant "clean/lemon" smell. However, BEWARE, due to the chemical makeup of the product (or lack of chemicals) this product melts ridiculously fast, don't leave it in the sun or your pocket for that matter. If I was looking for a fancy "chapstick" I would definitely buy this.

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Pink ($24)- This is a very sheer gloss that left me with a SLIGHT milky/peachy sheen on my lips. I did not find it to be sticky, tacky or slimy at all. I has a slight sweet (vanilla?) scent to it so keep that in mind when testing this product. Overall I really like this product however for the price and the lack of color, I will not be running to the store to buy the full size tube anytime soon.

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly ($22.50)- A very nice mauve color with a slight hint of shimmer. The consistency is on the thicker end and it is tacky. Buxom products usually promise to be long-lasting so the tackiness definitely helps with this. There is a minty smell and feel to the product which helps with the illusion of fuller and poutier lips, but don't worry, the tingly feeling is short lived and not irritating. I have multiple Buxom lipgloss' and I adore all of them.

NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight ($24)- Synonymous with Kim Kardashian, this product is exactly what I thought it would be: sheer and milky. Like the Laura Mercier gloss, there wasn't much color pay off but I did like the smooth texture of the gloss. However unlike the Laura Mercier this gloss did have a slight chemical based smell, which I mean is manageable but still prevalent. Overall, I think this would be a great gloss to put over a nude lip color, but I don't see myself running to buy this color.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb ($24)- I have never tried any Bite Beauty products so this one really caught me off guard. What a wonderful lip product! Following the trend of twist up jumbo pencil lip products this is a twist up matte lip stick that feels very comfortable on the lips and lasts a decent amount of time. The color is beautiful deep rose/red shade which I found made me look more tanner then I really was but on my sister (who is much lighter then I) it really accented her porcelain skin. Great product, definitely would buy!

 Tarte LipSurgence Lip Luster in Glitzy ($24)- I am a huge fan of the entire TARTE Insurgence line and this product is just another in a line of great products. With its signature minty taste and smell, this product glides on smoothly and the color is very similar to the Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Balm, but with a slight sheen/shimmer kick. Just a great everyday lip color to throw on while running out the door.

Overall: Well worth the $25 USD. Yes there were some definite hits and misses but then again that was due to my own personal preference. So if you have not already bought/tried this product...go on....go and get you some lip by Sephora :)

LORAC (Holy Moly Awesome) Pro Pallette

I'm on a makeup high and I am taking you with me. Now I'm a sucker for palettes because my delusional a** thinks I am getting more for my buck, but for this pallette, yup just roll me over and take all my money cause it is AWESOME!

WHAT: LORAC PRO Pallette

 

COST: $44 USD (cringe worthy, I know!)

COLOR PAYOFF: Oy where do I even begin? These have to be some of the softest most pigmented colors that I have ever used. The matte shades blend flawlessly and the shimmer/sheen shades are oh so pigmented. Its like butter baby, BUTTA I TELL YA! 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Pros

• highly pigmented
• beautiful neutral shades
• easily bendable
• convenient

Cons

• Fallout, ugly ugly fallout
• some colors easily dupeable by cheaper brands

You know what ladies we have all heard the hype about this palette and I feel that it is well worth the hype because I'm a lazy little bugger that likes all her products in one place. So while I may totally be in love with this palette at the moment because its all new and pretty, don't take my word for it. Go out try  it for yourself and leave me a comment sharing how you feel. Anywhozzles, love you all, till next time, adios my peps :)

Ahh! I've Just Been Bitten...by a lip balm

I know I am waaaaaaaaay late in jumping in on this bandwagon, but a month back I finally did, am boy am I glad I did! 

Product: Revlon Just Bitten Kissables (lip balm/stain)

Packaging: On trend with all the other chubby pencil designs, the balms look like a giant crayon that you wind up from the bottom for  more product.

Pricing: Anywhere from $5-12 USD depending on location and availability

Colors: Colors range all the way from a soft nude to a deep red. I bought three: (top to bottom, left to right) Darling, Cherish and Honey

Finish/Texture: Go on like a balm, very moisturizing, with a slight frost (depends on color) and always glossy finish.

Overall: I love these, and I know I say that about most of the product reviews I post, but seriously my Kissable, especially Honey (on the far right), have become my morning routine staple. They go with everything, no mess, no fuss. DEFINITELY a must re-buy

Time to get Nude with Tude

Hello my lovely readers :) So lately I've had a no makeup kind of attitude. After literally dumping all my makeup on the floor and calculating how much damage I had done to my wallet, I swore off buying new makeup until I finished the one I had.

Well this idea lasted all about 2 minutes :) 

Recently I signed up for HauteLook (Review up later) and on the first day they had discounts on TheBalm products, so you know me, I HAD to buy something! So what did I buy? Only the awesomest palette EVER!

The Nude 'tude palette comes in an adorable casing

Take it out of the case, open the magnetically held cover and Voila! pretty colors for a nice neutral with a pop kind of look.

Oh yeah, the dual headed brush included...pretty nice. Fits nicely into my crease and gives nice sharp lines.

SWATCHES! You know you wanted to see some swatches :) The colors are a nice mix of frost and matte.

Overall: Ok, so this palette isn't the most awesomest palette ever, but it definitely is very nice. The colors are very pigmented, go on easily with little fall out and last a very long time. Lately I have been using the darker shades just as a smudged liner  and the effect is very sexy sultry but wearable.

Normally this palette sells for $36 USD but I bought it for half the price, and for that price, yup this is definitely my go to palette :)

I whip my foundation back and forth! Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation

Yup, I just referenced a ten year old's hit single...so sad. But what ev's let's get to the review :)

 Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation.

Packaging : The foundation comes in a cool sleek glass jar. Very similar to Chanel packaging. When you open it, there is a plastic cover to keep the foundation in place.

Product: Advertised as a light-weight formula that lasts 24 hours, this foundation is a wet mousse type of consistency. No, it is not the same as the dream mousse line by Maybelline or the spray foam foundation. Rather when you first look at it, it looks like the regular Colorstay that has been dumped in the jar

but when you touch it with a brush, you can see the wet foamy bubbles.

Pricing: $12-$16 depending on location and availability

Pros:

• feel light weight
• wear flawlessly throughout the day
• long-lasting
• need very little to get full coverage

Cons:

• Very expensive for a drugstore foundation
• sinks into pores/ cakes around blemishes
• limited color selection

Overall: I really like this foundation. At first I wasn't too sure about what to make of this product. Is is liquid, is it mousse? I couldn't decide, but it felt great on my skin, not the same thickness as the regular Colorstay. My only problem however is that I felt I needed a primer because although it looked gorgeous on  my skin as the hours passed, it also sank into my pores and caked around dry patches and blemishes.

Would I buy it again? I think so, I mean I wouldn't wear on the days I have a breakout our problem skin, but I for long work days or a night out, it is great.

Meet my homegirl Mia....She's a Clarisonic!!!!

About a month back I purchased a Clarisonic and after using it about three times per week and then reducing it to once  or twice  a week, I can honestly say I love it :)

So if your interested in an in-depth  review keep reading :)

Product: Included in the kit were:

• Clarisonic® Mia with one speed (Waterproof), international pLink™ Charger for worldwide use, sensitive Brush Head and trial Size Cleanser
• Nutritive Cleanser-with Alpha Lipoic Acid and DMAE ($14 Value)- It is formulated to reveal a brighter and smoother skin surface and helps to minimize the appearance of enlarged pores. It leaves skin looking radiant and perfectly prepared for treatment.
• Neuropeptide Firming Moisturizer ($37 Value)- This superior hydrating cream delivers advanced proprietary Neuropeptide technology to help firm sagging skin while correcting the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Developed for skin that is dehydrated and has lost elasticity.

Pricing: $119 USD, but with coupons and online rebates, I paid $90.

Pros: 

• After the first use my skin felt smoother and cleaner
• After three uses, my skin saw a decrease in redness, and smaller pores started to disappear
• Removed makeup even after I thought I had removed everything with traditional cleansers
• After 2 weeks saw a reduction in oiliness of face
• Price motivated me to maintain a cleansing routine
• Very portable and compact
• Built in timer assures proper time is taken to cleanse

Cons:

• Price  for both machine and replacement heads that you need every three months ($40 USD)
• One brush head regardless  of  skin type or need
• Brush head was a lot rougher then I thought, took  some breaking into.

OVERALL:

I love it! Honestly I didn't have any expectations for this product. Yes, I read reviews, watched videos and was enticed to buy it, but I really thought it was just gonna be something that I used sometimes, maybe if I remembered. 

However, this little sucker has changed my life , for reals. My skin looks fresh, hydrated, and dirt free. My pores are shrinking and my blemishes are gone. Plus as an unexpected bonus, I use less foundation! My skin is looking so healthy that I no longer feel the need to wear much makeup :)

So if you have been thinking of getting one, I say do it! It is well worth the investment : )

My sister tried the Clarisonic for two weeks and this is what happened!!

AHAVA Mineral Botanic Cream Body Wash Cream Body Wash- Hibiscus Fig

Products: AHAVA Mineral Botanic Cream Body Wash- Hibiscus & Fig

Claims to use natural minerals and salts for the Dead Sea for therapeutic powers and cosmetic benefits.

Price: $23 USD for 17oz.

Performance: Uhhh, hello silk in a bottle :) Ya'll I didn't have any expectations for this product, I mean I had heard of AHAVA but was never really interested. So when I got in the shower and poured some on my loofah, I was shocked by the amount of  lather and suds this product made, a very pleasant surprise. Furthermore, as I started to loofah away, the smooth and silky feeling was awesome, so awesome that I actually giggled because I was so surprised about how nice the cream wash felt on my skin. As an added bonus, since a small amount really does go a long way, one squirt of product lasted my whole shower.

Benefits: I am not a fan of summer because it is wretched for my skin. Due to high temperatures (it is a 112F in Cali where I live, today) and sun exposure, I always get mild heat rashes, discoloration on my face and just overall irritated skin. What the AHAVA did right after the first use, was calm my skin and sooth the irritations. Within a few days, I saw  my skin kinda clear up and look refreshed.

Overall: I would recommend this product for people with sensitive or dry skin. Designed specifically for dry skin, I can see how this product can be moisturizing and soothing, but on my normal/combo skin, while it helped calm my skin, it didn't do much for moisturizing. And although the product does have a very nice slightly floral smell, it does not linger on the skin very long, which can be a plus for people who have skin allergies to added oils and scents.

Would I buy it again? For the summer I definitely would just because it is so gentle and light weight, but for winter I would definitely opt for a more moisturizing body wash.

Clear off the counters, space saving idea

I'm in a transition period in my life between college student and official adult, and as per obligatory requirement, I live in a tiny, dingy, always smells like...old!? apartment. Seeing as I don't have much room to breathe, let alone clutter my counters with bath products, I have had to resort to more crafty ways to make more space. Case in point, shoe hanger.

Due to the nearly non-existent bathroom space I have, my hanger has become my new bff. Not only do I have a special pocket for all my hot tools, but all my other accouterments, that would have cluttered my counters, now have a special home of their own.

Whats more, this handy dandy andy can be used in many more space saving ways. I have used one to organize my belts, scarves, bangles, accessories and leggings. 

Furthermore, I have seen it used to organize spices in the pantry, in the garden as a hanging planter, in the garage to organize tools, the list goes on.

So think outside the box and invest in a $6 shoe hanger, trust me, you will appreciate all the free space :)