Walgreens haul! Wet n Wild 8-pan palettes, Yes to Carrots, L’oreal EverStrong

I’m so sick of winter! I know I can’t be alone…I’m done with cold, gray days and looking forward to spring (or at least the month or so of spring we’ll get here in Texas). When I’m feeling restless like I have this week because of the weather, one thing puts me in a better mood…shopping!

So, I bring to you a Walgreens haul from this afternoon. I didn’t go in with much of an intention, except to get at least one of the new 8-pan eyeshadow palettes from Wet ‘n Wild, which are only being carried by Walgreens and Wal-mart. And, score! My Walgreens had all three in stock, and I picked up two (the blue/silver one called Blue Had Me at Hello was tempting, but I didn’t think I’d be able to make much use out of it, so I couldn’t justify buying it).

I did pick up these two…

Comfort Zone, the neutral palette of the bunch with pretty olives, coppers, browns, tans, peaches, etc. I have all the neutral W’nW palettes, from Vanity in the ColorIcon collection to Walking on Eggshells in the trios, and Golden Goddess from the 2010 holiday collection, and I’m happy to say that these colors, while very similar to shadows in my other palettes, aren’t duplicates of what I already own.

Petal Pusher, another palette I was destined to get because I’m a sucker for purples. I also have the purple palette from the W’nW 2010 holiday collection (Sugar Plum Fairy) and sadly, the first three colors on the left are the exact same as what I got in the other palette. Pretty colors, but duplicates nonetheless!

After I got the Wet ‘n Wild palettes, I strolled down the haircare aisle. My hair has been giving me some trouble in the past couple of weeks. Normally, I have pretty dry, thick hair, so I don’t need to wash every day (or even every other day) because it just never gets oily. But, recently, I’ve noticed a lot of oil and/or product buildup just the next day after I’ve washed it, although the ends are still dry. Because my hair is thick, this kind of buildup really weighs it down and makes it look dull and lifeless.

I looked through just about every line at Walgreens and almost bought some John Freida products (they had coupons attached to them!) but after reading the ingredients and seeing that they contained parabens, I went with more natural products — Yes to Carrots Daily Pampering Shampoo and L’oreal EverStrong Overnight Treatment.

I’ve used the Yes to Carrots shampoo before and remember really liking it. I’m kind of fickle when it comes to shampoos and switch them around a lot, but if this does the job, I’ll probably continue to repurchase. I washed my hair with it tonight, and it foamed up so nicely and made my scalp feel so refreshed and clean.

I’ve never used the EverStrong treatment, but it was on sale for $5.99 instead of the regular $8.99 price, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I’ve used a ton of different leave-in treatments, but this one says it’s specifically for use before you go to bed and on dry hair, so I’ll let my hair air dry and put it on the ends before I go to sleep.

So, there’s what cheered me up today! I’ll do a separate post later with swatches and a review of the W’nW palettes.

Finally! Wet n Wild holiday palettes are mine!

Ever since I first heard (or read, I guess) about someone finding Wet n Wild‘s Color Icon Holiday Pixie collection in stores, I have searched high and low for them to no avail. I love Wet n Wild, especially the Color Icon Vanity palette (it’s the main ingredient in my 5 minute eye look!) so I was super excited to get my hands on these limited edition palettes — they follow the Color Icon formula of 6 complementary shadows, but they also come with an eyeliner!

There are four palettes in the holiday collection, and I went ahead and got them all. At $4.99 each (and using two recent $5 off a WnW purchase of $10!), I couldn’t help myself!

This one is called Golden Goddess, and it reminds me of the Vanity palette. But, this version has all shimmery shadows, while Vanity has three shimmers and three matte. Similar colors, though.

This green and blue palette is called Snow Sprite. I don’t normally wear colored shadows, except for purple (and that’s a very light application), but these look gorgeous and very wearable.

Ah, there’s the purple shadow! This palette is called Sugar Plum Fairy (apologies for the blurry photo), and I love it, without even swatching it! That bottom shadow on the right looks amazing…sort of a brownish purple with subtle pinky purple shimmers.

And, the most unique palette of the bunch (and probably the most unique drugstore palette I’ve ever seen) — Night Elf. Check out the variety here…you get white, silver, taupe, red (!!), a duochrome green/red, and a sparkly black! Can’t wait to try this one out.

I’m really excited to create some wearable but fun, festive looks with these. If I’m successful, I’ll of course post photos here.

August 2010 favorites

Just like last month, I’m a tad behind on posting my blog about my favorite products and things from the month of August. Oh well, it’s still in the single digits of September, so I’m not that late, right?

Makeup: Purples & lavendars (nails, lips and eyes)
I’m super excited to hear that purple is trendy for fall/winter makeup this year because I’ve found a way to make it work for me! You know I love a neutral eye look, so I was sort of intimidated to try colored shadow. But, there are some amazing purple shades in the e.l.f. Beauty Book – Neutral Edition that I bought earlier in the summer, and I wanted to make use of them.

I’ve started using the lighter, more shimmery purple (3rd column, 2nd row) as an all-over lid color and sweeping a more midtone brown (like the medium matte brown in the Wet n Wild Vanity palette) in the crease, and then deepening the outer corner with a combo of a darker plum (like the one here in the 4th column, 2nd row) and a darker brown (4th column, 3rd row).

After I dipped my toe into the purple shadow waters, I was hooked and wanted to try more, like the Maybelline Stylish Smokes quad in 06 Amethyst that I showed you in a recent CVS haul.

This is a great, inexpensive palette. Upon first swatch, all the colors seem really pigmented, but after blending out the lid color (top left) is the one that really keeps its color. But, they’re all good to blend and define into a pretty eye look.

I love the unexpected pop of purple! You could go all out and do a really bold colored eye look, but I’m sticking with soft and conservative! Here’s the lid close-up:

I’ve been topping off all of these purple eye looks with the Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Powerful Purple on my top lash line (but still using Bold Brown on the bottom lash line).

Purple has also found its way into my lip products!

I love doing a light eye with a pretty pinky peach blush and a bold lilac lip. I’ve found a couple good options at the drugstore for purple-y lip shades:

• Sally Hansen Natural Makeup Inspired by Carmindy lipstick in Lilac (see this post for a swatch)
• Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Lilac (see this post for a swatch)

I definitely plan on expanding this list over the fall and winter! I’ve also found what is quite possibly my holy grail nail shade in a purple tone:

This is Lucky Lucky Lavendar, from the OPI Hong Kong collection, and I’m in love! I first got a manicure with this last month and have since bought my own bottle. It’s definitely got a pink undertone, but there’s also that subtle, sort of quirky hint of purple that I love. Even though this was a summer color for me, I plan on wearing it into the fall and winter. Won’t that be unexpected and really pretty, to have a light lavendar nail when I’m wearing darker, heavier clothing?

Shopping: Target clearance!
Target put a bunch of its more high end makeup brands (Sonia Kashuk, pixi, Jemma Kidd, Napoleon Perdis) on clearance in August to make room for new products from each line. And I scored!

This was just Round One…I went back to different Targets many times throughout the month and built up a little stockpile of clearanced goodies! I also got some cosmetics — NP Set Lipstick (favorite is in Minneapolis, a creamy pink). I’ve only used the big powder brush from Sonia Kashuk above, not the brush set, but I’m really loving that particular one to set my foundation using the e.l.f. High Definition powder.

I’ve seen a few stragglers from this big Target cosmetics clearance in the endcaps along the health/beauty aisles, so be sure to check those out and you might be able to score, too!

Reviewing: All-in-one products
In August, I was really fortunate to review a ton of great products, and the highlight were a couple that I consider “all-in-one” products. Whether they’re intended or marketed that way, these two items have helped me to consolidate at least two products/steps into one, and that’s definitely a favorite!

I just posted a full review of the pixi Lid & Line, and it’s definitely one of my favorite all-in-one products of August. It’s a pen that has a matching shadow and liner, plus a smudger to make it nice and smoky — what more can you ask for? I’m also loving pixi’s YouTube channel where makeup artist Amanda Bell has videos about priming your eye and creating the perfect smoky eye. Really useful videos!

I’ve also reviewed (and loved!) the RUSK Deepshine Oil this month. For me, this was totally an all-in-one product because it gives me the benefits of two different products that I used to use as a hair treatment — argan oil and CHI Silk Infusion. It’s an argan oil-based product, so that takes care of that, and it gives me the same (maybe even better) results as the CHI Silk Infusion that I used as a styling aid to tame the frizz and increase shine when I blowdry. Love this stuff!

Fashion: Business dress with a twist!
I wish I’d been able to photograph more OOTDs for you guys in August because I had to come up with a ton of looks that were appropriate for business meetings and events, but I was able to style them so I still felt cute and comfy.

One standout for me was this awesome grey dress from Express Last Hurrah (an outlet version of Express) topped with a black blazer with 3/4-length sleeves and two buttons at the waist. I got the blazer at ROSS and love adding it to a really simple dress, like this one, to add that final element to tie everything together. It’s also good to top a summery dress or skirt to make it more business/office appropriate.

That’s it for August favorites. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing this month with me and reading my blog. I’ve been having so much fun posting about my favorite products and beauty finds. Stick with me in September. I’ve got tons of great posts planned, along with a giveaway or two!

 

5 minute eye look (featuring drugstore & high end products)

Sorry for the sporadic posts this week. I’ve been cuh-razy busy at work! But, I wanted to give a quick overview of a 5 minute (or less) eye look I’ve been going to just about every morning this week because it’s easy, fast and flattering.

As you can see, it’s pretty much my signature eye look…brightening and defining but not too dark or smoky. Call it boring (even though it’s not!) but it’s something that is appropriate for work that takes almost no time to pull together.

I start off with a double dose of eye primer. First, e.l.f. Mineral Eye Shadow Primer.

For $3 (either at the e.l.f. website or Target, if your store carries the line), this is hands down one of my favorite primers. It works just like Urban Decay Primer Potion and helps my eye makeup to stay put all day.

Once my lids are primed, I like to even out my skin tone with an eye base. I make sure to use light layers of both primer and base so it’s not too heavy. For this look, I go to MAC‘s Paint Pot in Painterly.

Next, I reach for my Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Vanity.

You get 6 shadows in this palette — 3 matte and 3 shimmer (each finish comes with a light color, a medium brown/gold and a deeper brown). I start by highlighting the inner corners of my eyes with the lightest matte shade (sort of a peachy skin tone color) using an e.l.f. Defining Eye Brush, which is a small eye brush with slanted bristles, perfect for placing shadow in a really specific area.

Next, I use the lightest shimmery shade, more of a white than a peach, to pack on my lids, using an e.l.f. Eye Shadow Brush — just your average flat shader brush.

After that, I use the e.l.f. Blending Brush to sweep the medium matte brown across my crease, to add a bit of definition and depth.

Then, I grab my flat shader brush again and take the shimmery gold (the medium shade) and sweep on the center of my lid, blending to the outer corner. I keep the inner part of my lid really light. Then, I grab a clean e.l.f. Defining Eye Brush and take the dark, deep brown and form an outer v on the outer corners of my lids. I blend it all out with the Blending Brush to make sure there are no harsh lines.

To finish, I line my bottom waterline with Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal eye pencil in pure white and add Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Bold Brown to my upper and lower lash line. Then, I curl my lashes and top it all off with CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion on my lashes!

I’d definitely recommend this as a quick work or school look. If you need an eye look in a hurry but don’t want to look like you sped through it, this is going to be great for you! And, I’m giving away one of the Wet n Wild palettes and Prestige liners in my August giveaway, so check that out and enter!

FTC: Even though I’m mentioning a lot of e.l.f. products, I purchased them all myself and was not provided any of the products mentioned by any company…I use them because they’re inexpensive and good quality!

Giveaway!: Top 15 Drugstore Beauty Products!

Do you like free stuff?

Do you like makeup/skincare/hair treatment products?

Great! Then you’re going to LOVE this giveaway! That’s right, What’s On My Face? just completed our first giveaway, and we’re rolling out the second. This one is for not one…not two…but FIFTEEN items! By entering, you’re competing to win one of every item from my Top 15 Drugstore (aka “Won’t Break the Bank”!) Beauty Products!

If you need a refresher, here’s a quick bulleted list of the Top 15:

• Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse foundation (the winner specifies the shade)
• e.l.f. Blending Eye Brush (these have unfortunately been out of stock on the e.l.f. website and I can’t find them in any of my local Targets, so a backup will be the Studio Tools eye blending brush — a nice substitution!)
• e.l.f. Custom Compact
• 1 Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner (in either Bold Brown, Fearless Teal, Powerful Purple, Strong Slate or Intense Olive)
• 1 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss (in a color chosen by me)
• e.l.f Studio High Definition Powder
• Milani HD Advanced Concealer
• Wet n Wild ColorIcon eyeshadow palette (in Vanity)
• CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume (orange tube)
• TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray
• Sally Hansen Natural Makeup Inspired by Carmindy lipstick (in Baby Pink)
• L’oreal HiP Jelly Balm (in a color chosen by me)
• Clean & Clear Moisturizer, Dual Action Oil Free
• Olay Daily Facials Express Wet Cleansing Cloths
• e.l.f. Beauty Book – Neutral Eye Edition (limited edition, and I think you can only find these in some Target stores)

Check out the Top 15 post to see what I think of all these products.

The only rules I have are:

• You must subscribe to this blog (Google Reader, RSS, whatever).
• You must be in the U.S. or Canada (sorry international readers, but shipping can get expensive).
• You must be 18 or older, or have your parent/guardian give permission. I’m going to need your address to ship out the prize if you’re the winner.

So, what do you have to do to enter? You have a few options…

• Reply to this post, telling me your favorite drugstore beauty products. You can do this as many times as you want (one entry per response), but each response must be a different product/tip.
• Tweet about this giveaway with a link back to my blog. (Make sure to reply to this post letting me know you’ve tweeted so that I can count it as an entry.)
• Post on your blog/YouTube channel/Facebook about this giveaway with a link back to my blog. (Again, I need you to reply separately about this so that it’s counted as an entry.)

The rest of the info…

• This giveaway will be open for one month — until August 31, 2010, at midnight CST (it’s a big giveaway, so I’m hoping to get lots of entries!)
• I’ll use random.org to generate a winner and will notify the winner through a blog post and by email (so make sure you leave your email address in your replies).

GOOD LUCK!

The fine print: I purchased the products for this giveaway with my own money and was not provided with products by any company.

Quick Face of the Day – 7/29/2010

I woke up this morning (actually, slept all night, too) with a migraine, so I stayed home from work. I wasn’t even planning on doing my makeup or leaving the house, but I need to get to the postoffice, and I’m watching YT beauty videos, so I figured why not?

This FOTD is inspired by my Top 15 Drugstore (aka “Won’t Break the Bank”!) Beauty Products that I posted last night.

Foundation is Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse (if you want details on my concealer/primer, it’s the same as in the FOTD in this post), and I also used my Milani HD Advanced Concealer to brighten my undereye area and the e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder to set it all. Blush is an NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink, which could have been on my Top 15 list…let’s call it #16! I set that with a sweep of NARS Orgasm Blush on both cheeks.

The eyes have it! That’s a combo of 3 things on my Top 15 list — Wet n Wild Coloricon palette (this one in Vanity), Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Bold Brown, and CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion mascara.

I wanted a pinky coral pop of color on my lips since my eyes are neutral. So, I paired Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy lipstick (not the Baby Pink that was on my Top 15 list…I used Perfect Pink instead) topped with Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze in Continuous Coral. Got this at Target the other day with a coupon, and I love it! It’s really opaque and pigmented.

So, that’s what’s on my face today! Don’t forget that my Holy Grail Hair Treatment Giveaway ends TOMORROW at midnight, so get those last minute comment entries in!

Top 15 Drugstore (aka “Won’t Break the Bank”!) Beauty Products

Here’s the thing.

I love shopping.

And I love cosmetics.

But, I love being able to pay my bills and not go below $0 in my bank account.

So, I’m a drugstore makeup shopper. Yes, I like Sephora and MAC and all of the high-end stuff, but I’m not going to turn my nose down at a good product even if it can be purchased in the same store where I buy tampons and Tylenol. A good product is a good product, and it’s even better if I can use a coupon or get a really good clearance deal.

I’ve tested out lots of drugstore makeup, and I feel like I’ve tried enough to name a handful of “must haves” — actually, I set out to make a Top 10 list and ended up with a Top 15. In fact, I probably could go to a Top 20, but I need to set some boundaries for myself, I guess!

Here are some of my favorites, no particular order:

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse (foundation)
If you watch beauty gurus on YouTube, chances are you’ve probably heard of this foundation recently. It’s been getting lots of raves, and rightfully so. Let’s start off with the practical packaging. It comes in a jar, so you can dab your brush (or sponge, if that’s how you roll) directly into the foundation, unlike so many drugstore foundations that come in bottles without pumps, so you’re constantly pouring out way more product than you need. Another great thing? This really is a mousse-like consistency, really creamy and it sets almost to a powder on your face. For around $6 to $8 (probably less if you grab one of the tear-pad coupons on the Maybelline displays in the drugstore!), this is a winner.

e.l.f. Blending Eye Brush
I’d love to say I have a collection of professional makeup brushes. I’m sure that the proper implement makes a huge different in how your makeup is applied and what it ends up looking like. But, at this point, I’m working with a piecemal collection of brushes, mostly from e.l.f. Fortunately, their brushes are so good that I don’t feel like I’m really sacrificing by not having higher-end, more expensive brushes. I especially love their Blending Eye Brush. I’ve said it before, but it’s the perfect tool to apply a light, soft wash of color in the crease without any sort of harsh lines. It’s soft and fluffy, but the tip is dense enough to get a bit of concentration in your application. And for $1? I’m going to buy 10 backups so I never have to live without this brush!

e.l.f. Custom Compact
You’re going to notice a trend here — I love e.l.f.! Their custom compact is a great product, even though it doesn’t come with any sort of makeup inside (you have to purchase their custom shadows separately to create your own palette). What do I love about this $1 steal of a deal? The compact fits MAC eyeshadow pans! That’s right, for $1, you can create your own MAC eyeshadow palette. The compact is already magnetized, so no need to worry about gluing magnets to your pans, and another major bonus? The huuuuuge mirror! Of course, you can also fit the custom eyeshadow singles from e.l.f. in here (that’s what the compact is made for), so you can mix and match e.l.f. shadows with MAC shadows to create the four color combination that works for you!

Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner
Pencil liners typically aren’t as easy to work with as liquid or gel liners, but these Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners completely redefine what a pencil liner is all about. They glide on, stay put and come in a great variety of colors (fearless teal, bold brown, strong slate, powerful purple, intense olive — my fave). What more could you want in a liner, pencil or otherwise?

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss
Scroll down a few posts, and you’ll see my recent rave review for the spring/summer collection of shades from the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss. The permanent colors are pretty amazing, too. This is the closest thing to liquid lipstick that I’ve found. Great shade selection, smooth application, opaque pigmentation…color me impressed.

e.l.f. studio High Definition Powder
I really do love e.l.f. Cosmetics this much to include so many of their products on my Top 15 list! I use this powder every single day to set my foundation and any cream products I use. For $6 (or cheaper if you catch it during one of their frequent online sales), you get a huuuuuge container of loose powder and a nice puff (actually useable if you don’t use a fluffy brush to apply setting powder). I love the soft look and finish it gives to my face.

Milani HD Advanced Concealer
This is another part of my everyday face routine. I love this product after I’ve applied undereye concealer to hide dark circles and foundation. I use this to brighten my undereye area…not so much as a concealer but not really as a highlight either. It’s just a fantastic brightener and really opens up your eyes and makes you look refreshed and awake. And I love the clickable pen applicator, so easy to use and keeps you from wasting product.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow (palettes and singles)
I first heard about these palettes from EasyAccessBeauty on YouTube, when she compared them to MAC shadows in both pigmentation and consistency. Her video convinced me to get one of the palettes, Vanity (of course, it’s the neutral browns palette, and in case you couldn’t tell, I’m sort of a neutral shadow whore!), and it was love at first swipe! I got several of the singles (Brulee, Penny, Nutty) and one of the trios (Walking on Eggshells). These are great for everyday and evening/weekend looks. With a good base and primer, this shadow will stay put longer than your foundation!

CoverGirl Lash Blast (Length, Volume and Fusion) mascara
If there’s one thing CoverGirl knows, it’s mascara. Forget the high-end stuff…if you want the effect of false lashes without the glue and pain, you must try Lash Blast. There are three formulas — Volume (orange), Length (yellow) and Fusion (purple) — and I find them all the be true to their names. But, if you can’t decide which one to get, go with the orange tube…I think Volume gives you full lashes and the appearance of length, too. Must disclose that I was fortunate enough to try out Lash Blast Fusion through BzzAgent (read my post about what the heck that is here), but I would have purchased it myself if I hadn’t gotten it for free. For$8 and such an awesome quality mascara, why not?

TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray
If you read my hair tips post, you know this stuff is holy grail for me! Smells glorious, comes in an awesome spray bottle and does the job. I blowdry my hair quite often, so I need something to keep it shiny and soft, despite the heat damage. This is another brand that you can usually find a “steal of a deal” on at Target or your local drugstore — keep your eyes peeled for coupons, buy one get one free, and things like that, so you can stock up on Heat Tamer Spray!

Sally Hansen Natural Makeup Inspired by Carmindy lipstick in Baby Pink
I picked up this lipstick (and other shades from the same line) by chance during one of the recent CVS 50-75% beauty sales. Turns out that what I thought was just a few cheap-o lipsticks includes my everyday, perfect pink pout! I also have the MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick, and even though this isn’t an exact dupe, it comes close.

It’s got maybe a touch more peach in it, but that makes it slightly more wearable than Gaga, which is a screamin’ baby pink. Love love love the consistency of this, too! Sort of like a cremesheen from MAC, this glides right on and you need just a coat, and you’re set. Perfect pair to my everyday, neutral eye.

L’oreal HiP Jelly Balm
This was another impulse, “must get because it’s marked way way down” buy that turned in to one of my favorite products. Super moisturizing, and depending on the shade, great to wear alone or on top of a lipstick. It’s a balm, but you’ll get a nice wash of color on your lips. I’ve heard that these are comparable to MAC tender tones, which you can only get at a CCO now because they’re discontinued. So, skip the CCO and try CVS (or Walgreens or Wal-mart or Target or…you get the idea) for one or two or ten of these!

Clean and Clear Moisturizer, Dual-Action Oil Free &
Olay Daily Facials Express Wet Cleansing Cloths
I’m using a picture of the two of these items together but counting them separately in my list of 15. I use a mix of high-end and drugstore skincare products. I think once you find what works for your skin, stick to it! But, some of us are on that eternal quest to find the perfect products for the clearest, softest skin, I know (which is why I’m still testing out some things…)! But, for drugstore skincare, I like these two! The C&C has salicylic acne medication and is especially made for dry skin, which is great for me (since I have both the occasional zit and skin that belongs in the Sahara Desert). I use it in the morning before applying primer. And, I love the Olay cleansing cloths to clean my face at night. They do a great job of removing my makeup and cleaning my skin at the same time.

e.l.f. Beauty Book – Neutral Edition
I got this product a week or two ago (see full review), and I’m LOVING it! $5 for 12 silky smooth, pigmented shadows that I can combine in a million different ways for a neutral, work (or play!) look. If your Target sells e.l.f. Cosmetics, look for the special endcap display with these Beauty Books — grab ‘em if you see ‘em! I get the sense that they’re limited edition, and for $5, they’ll be sold out before you know it!