I love looking my best...but I hate to part with my money! If you're like me, you're always trying to find good makeup for cheap. Well, I'll save you a little time and effort by sharing the places I find the best looking deals.
The Drugstore
So often you see beauty magazines, blogs and videos where all they talk about are the high-end beauty brands. MAC, Estee Lauder, Cargo, Benefit, Dior...the list goes on and on. But you can find dupes for most any of those pricey products in your local CVS, Walgreens or even Target and Walmart. To find duplicates of that lipstick that looks gorgeous but costs a small fortune just look on the good ole internet. Entering searches such as "MAC Dainty Cake lipstick dupe" or "Clinique blush dupe list" will reveal tons and tons of affordable alternatives to that $40 product you've been wanting.
Join the Club
How many times are you at the register paying when the cashier asks if you want to join their stores "reward program"? Most of the time we politely blow them off because we know that the "special members card" they want us to sign up for is actually a big rip-off. This is not the case with the beauty stores. Places like Ulta and Sephora (<-- my favorite!) have clubs that you can join to rack up points for every dollar spent in their stores. And you also get first dibs on new products and special "insider" deals by signing up for emails from them. The rules are straight forward and there's no catch.
Coupons
Yes. Coupons. For makeup. But you have to know where to look. Sites like Amazon.com and RetailMeNot.com are great places to find the makeup you want for less. eBates.com offers coupons on beauty products and cash back just by doing your on-line shopping through their website. Enter terms like "beauty", "makeup" or "cosmetics" into the search to find deals.
Buying On-line
While we're on the topic...shopping on-line has become more and more popular over the last few years. Not only can you find that summer dress on-line but you can also find all your beauty stuff on-line too. And often times the prices you find on-line are the same or cheaper than the prices you'll find in store. Plus, if you're favorite beauty store is 2 hours away...you save money on gas! Some great sites to check out are drugstore.com and its sister site, beauty.com. Before you buy ANYTHING check if you can buy it for less on-line!
Swapping
A newer trend in beautifying on a budget is swapping makeup. Websites like MakeupAlley.com are places where you can swap your new or barely-used beauty booty with others. To be honest, I think it's gross. I don't advise it because you don't really know what you're getting or where it's been. But, swapping unused makeup with people you know is a safe, wallet-friendly idea that I am okay with. We all end up buying something that we never even opened or you get a gift that isn't exactly your style. Swap it with your family and friends for the stuff they've never gotten around to using (and never will!). That colorful eyeshadow you regret buying is perfect for your niece or sister and the shade of foundation that you thought looked right when you saw it at the store is the same shade one of your friends wears.
Returns
Last, whenever I'm buying makeup products, I like to check the store policy on returns before I make a purchase. Some stores will take the product back and give you a full refund (with the receipt) if you find out you don't like your purchase. If you make a habit of buying from these stores when trying something new, you can save yourself the worry of wasting money if you absolutely hate the shade of red lipstick you bought.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Drawing Inspiration: The First Red Robin of Spring
Although winter seems as though it may never end, I have hope that somewhere from beneath the snow spring will emerge because over the last couple of weeks I've spotted several robins. I thought that their cheerful orangey-red feathers served as great inspiration as we wait for the colors of spring to arrive. Here's my take on the first sign of spring!
As always, prep the eye area with an eye primer. Next apply a white base to the lid area only. I used my NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk. This will make the colors we use pop! I find you get a more even application if you apply this with your ring finger.
With a slanted flat brush or a clean finger apply a yellow-white shadow below your brow and in the inner corners of the eyes. This color is barely noticeable but draws light into the eyes.
Now, using a fluffy round brush and a skin toned shadow with an orange tint to it, brush on a layer of color from the lash line up to just below the brow. This step is to give that orange base that enhances the other orange hues and more importantly to create a layer of powder that makes blending other colors easier. If you don't have this shade just skip it!
Next, with a flat shader brush and a creamsicle orange shadow, pat on an even layer of color that covers the lid. The left over can be swiped along the lower lash line. This shadow should either be matte or satin finish, frosts will look too flashy.
To add dimension to the lid you can pat on a burnt orange on the outer and inner corners of the lid (without completely covering the inner eye highlight). If you don't have another darker orange color you can simply add another layer of the creamsicle orange or even a little touch of a light brown or soft red. A bit of bronzer can do the trick!
After that, with a fluffy blending brush, lightly layer on small amounts of a neutral/warm medium brown in the crease. When you get to the outer corner of the eye, instead of connecting the color to the outside corner of the lash line, sweep the brown up and out, leaving a space about the width of a pencil between the color and the outer corner of the lashes. Blend the brown and oranges into one another until the line is blurred slightly.
With a slanted liner brush and a dark warm toned brown, line the upper lash line and the outer 1/3 of the lower lash line. At the corner make a soft wing. Soften the top of the line gently with a Q-tip. Add black pencil to the waterline for an extra kick then put on a few coats of black mascara.
Finish with natural looking flush on the cheeks. I combined several powdered blushes to get the color I have and applied it with a jumbo cotton ball. Keep the lips warm but natural. I mixed up a soft rose lip color and topped it with a gloss that had a hint of shimmer to it. This look is soft but with a fresh pop of color that works for day as well as night. If you're trying to get into using colors more this is a good look to try!
As always, prep the eye area with an eye primer. Next apply a white base to the lid area only. I used my NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk. This will make the colors we use pop! I find you get a more even application if you apply this with your ring finger.
With a slanted flat brush or a clean finger apply a yellow-white shadow below your brow and in the inner corners of the eyes. This color is barely noticeable but draws light into the eyes.
Now, using a fluffy round brush and a skin toned shadow with an orange tint to it, brush on a layer of color from the lash line up to just below the brow. This step is to give that orange base that enhances the other orange hues and more importantly to create a layer of powder that makes blending other colors easier. If you don't have this shade just skip it!
Next, with a flat shader brush and a creamsicle orange shadow, pat on an even layer of color that covers the lid. The left over can be swiped along the lower lash line. This shadow should either be matte or satin finish, frosts will look too flashy.
To add dimension to the lid you can pat on a burnt orange on the outer and inner corners of the lid (without completely covering the inner eye highlight). If you don't have another darker orange color you can simply add another layer of the creamsicle orange or even a little touch of a light brown or soft red. A bit of bronzer can do the trick!
After that, with a fluffy blending brush, lightly layer on small amounts of a neutral/warm medium brown in the crease. When you get to the outer corner of the eye, instead of connecting the color to the outside corner of the lash line, sweep the brown up and out, leaving a space about the width of a pencil between the color and the outer corner of the lashes. Blend the brown and oranges into one another until the line is blurred slightly.
With a slanted liner brush and a dark warm toned brown, line the upper lash line and the outer 1/3 of the lower lash line. At the corner make a soft wing. Soften the top of the line gently with a Q-tip. Add black pencil to the waterline for an extra kick then put on a few coats of black mascara.
Finish with natural looking flush on the cheeks. I combined several powdered blushes to get the color I have and applied it with a jumbo cotton ball. Keep the lips warm but natural. I mixed up a soft rose lip color and topped it with a gloss that had a hint of shimmer to it. This look is soft but with a fresh pop of color that works for day as well as night. If you're trying to get into using colors more this is a good look to try!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring Cleaning and Shopping Your Makeup Collection
Spring is just around the corner and that means...dun dun duuuunnnnnn...spring cleaning.
But spring cleaning isn't just about cleaning house it's also the perfect time to clean up and clean out your beauty products.
First, make sure to regularly clean all your brushes and other beauty tools. This is sooo important to maintaining healthy skin. Plus, clean brushes means better makeup application. If you haven't already, read my post on the importance of sanitizing your kit.
Next, you need to discard any products that are expired. How do you know if something's expired?
The rule of thumb: Toss powder products, such as eyeshadows, powder blush, face powders and brow powders, that you opened more than 2 years ago. Toss cream products, like cream or liquid foundations, cream shadows and lipsticks, after they've been open 1 year. To make this process easier for next year, write the date that you open a product on the bottom of the container in permanent marker!
And last, here's a fun way to rediscover your makeup collection! Survey your entire kit. Separate your makeup into two piles. In the first pile place all the items you regularly use: your go-to eyeshadows, the blush you use every single day and that lip gloss you use all the time. In the other pile put all the makeup you don't routinely use: the lipstick you got as a stocking stuffer, the eye liner that's migrated to the bottom of your bag and the eyeshadow you bought but never seem to wear. Put the items in the first pile in a bag, drawer or other container out of sight. Use only the items from the "neglected products" pile for a set time...say...a week or a month. By shopping the makeup you already have you rediscover your makeup and refresh your beauty routine without spending a penny!
But spring cleaning isn't just about cleaning house it's also the perfect time to clean up and clean out your beauty products.
First, make sure to regularly clean all your brushes and other beauty tools. This is sooo important to maintaining healthy skin. Plus, clean brushes means better makeup application. If you haven't already, read my post on the importance of sanitizing your kit.
Next, you need to discard any products that are expired. How do you know if something's expired?
The rule of thumb: Toss powder products, such as eyeshadows, powder blush, face powders and brow powders, that you opened more than 2 years ago. Toss cream products, like cream or liquid foundations, cream shadows and lipsticks, after they've been open 1 year. To make this process easier for next year, write the date that you open a product on the bottom of the container in permanent marker!
And last, here's a fun way to rediscover your makeup collection! Survey your entire kit. Separate your makeup into two piles. In the first pile place all the items you regularly use: your go-to eyeshadows, the blush you use every single day and that lip gloss you use all the time. In the other pile put all the makeup you don't routinely use: the lipstick you got as a stocking stuffer, the eye liner that's migrated to the bottom of your bag and the eyeshadow you bought but never seem to wear. Put the items in the first pile in a bag, drawer or other container out of sight. Use only the items from the "neglected products" pile for a set time...say...a week or a month. By shopping the makeup you already have you rediscover your makeup and refresh your beauty routine without spending a penny!
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