Beauty on a Budget

Is it possible to have a professional makeup look without spending a fortune on products? OF COURSE!  If anyone understands being on a budget, it’s me.  There are tons of extremely expensive products I would LOVE to buy, but just can’t justify spending that much on one product. I think the real trick is knowing what products are closest to their brand name counterparts.

It is truly impossible to be a label snob in this business.  I know there are some people out there who swear by only using MAC products, but the truth is this: MAC is not the end all be all in cosmetics. *gasp*   Don’t get me wrong… I love MAC eyeshadows and blushes, and I swear by their brushes, but I don’t get caught up in wanting to spend all my money in one place. 

There are some fantastic products at your local drugstore or grocery store that I think are definitely worth purchasing.  And the best part… drugstores and grocery stores have these things called SALES and COUPONS.  :o)  I just picked up a Revlon Colorstay Foundation for $5.95 the other day!  There are also times when CVS and Walgreens will run a buy one get one free sale.  That’s definitely the time to go!

A recent drugstore treasure I discovered is NYX.  This is like the drugstore brand of MAC; they carry bright, highly pigmented eyeshadows, Shadow sticks, Tons of Lip Glosses and their blush is great, too.  The only downside to NYX is that it isn’t always widely available.  I found it this week at the new HEB in Sugar Land, but it isn’t in any drugstores around me.  Fortunately, if you can’t find it close to you, there are quite a few places to order it online.   (While I'm on the subject, HEB has EXCELLENT prices in their cosmetics section... definitely cheaper than most drugstores/grocery stores!)

Here are my personal drugstore favorites:

Foundations: Revlon Colorstay: Silicone based, full coverage and will truly last all day.

          

          Loreal TrueMatch.: Water based, won’t break you out, tons of shades, and    
                                              super, super blendable. 

                                                

                      Revlon Photo Ready: Medium Coverage with a tiny bit of shimmer. (not
                                                           for those with lots of fine lines)

                                                           

Concealer:  Revlon Photo Ready- Creamy and blendable!

                                                        

Lipstick: Rimmel Moisture Renew, Revlon Matte Lipstick, and NYX lipsticks

                                                       

Mascara:  Loreal Voluminous in carbon black- use any lash primer underneath for extra
                                                                                great results!

                                                                     

Lashes:  Ardell false lashes:  These are wonderful and come in a large variety of strips
                                                and individuals.

Eyeshadow: Loreal HIP is good for bright and deeply pigmented colors, while NYX and
                     Avon all have a large variety of blendable shades in both matte and shimmer
                     to suit almost anyone. I’m actually a big fan of Avon shimmery colors. (click here for a  
                     great Avon rep!)

                                                              

Liners: Revlon liquid ColorStay liner works very well to stay all day.

Powder: Coty Airspun Face Powder- translucent: Light formula that really helps to set makeup.

                                                          

If you do decide to splurge, but you only have a limited amount of cash to spend, splurge on those basic tools that will enhance the drugstore products like UD shadow primer, a good shadow brush or two (or three J), or a good foundation primer.

In the end, it’s all about what product makes you feel beautiful or happy.  Everyone, including the professional makeup artist, has at least one cheapie drugstore product they swear by.                          

                

What’s yours??

Happy Budget Beauty Shopping!!

p.s. if you have any topics you'd like to hear about, please let me know! :)

The Two Products I Can't Live Without

My taste in makeup products is constantly evolving, however, there are 2 products that are game changers for me. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and MAC 224 tapered blending brush.


Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably own this product, or at the very least, have seen it around. If this is your first time hearing about it, or you've been on the fence about purchasing it, let me try and convince you. Just buy it. If you wear this product, your eyeshadow will remain intact all day, with no creasing! Even the oiliest of eyelids are safe with this product.

Apply just a small amount of this product to your eyelids with your fingers or a thin, flat shadow brush and... magic. Your colors will be brighter, staying power greater, and best of all, your look will be instantly transformed. The silicone in the product helps your eyeshadow to float on top of your lid and stay that way all day instead of settling into the crease.


Take a look below at a swatch I did on my arm...

The color on the right is just plain shadow on skin. On the left is the same color shadow on top of the Primer Potion.  You can see the effect this has on the color alone! I used a blue as an example because I can't tell you how many years I stressed over never being able to make my blue shadow show up. Even the most expensive and pigmented colors can seem thin and wear away quickly on a bare lid.  Primer Potion changed the way I think about eyeshadow.
I can't say enough good things about this stuff! This summer I was doing makeup for a wedding and when I reached into my kit to find my primer potion, it wasn't there. I  was ready to bolt  panic stricken... luckily it had just fallen to the bottom of my box and was hiding underneath some shadow palettes. But I'm so serious about my Urban Decay that I would have had to do some serious brainstorming on how to duplicate the stay, knowing that nothing would work as well. (I've since learned my lesson... I always do a kit check now!)

My other must have... the MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush.

Why? Because this is one of those things that can give you a professionaly blended eyeshadow look even when you're in the biggest rush. I use this brush daily! It's a fluffy domed brush that has some give and is perfect for creating light layers that blend out well. 

Here's how I use it in it's most basic form: After applying primer potion, use a flat shadow brush to apply a layer of nude shadow (as close to your skintone as possible). Then take the 224 brush and using a medium colored shadow, swipe the end of the brush in the color, tap off the excess, and sweep it across the top of your crease in a light back and forth windshield wiper motion. Apply in thin layers until you get it to your desired shade. When you've finished that step, use the brush to blend it up and out towards the outer corners of your eyes. (for this step, do not put any more shadow on the brush... you are only blending what is already on your eye. Add eyeliner and mascara and you have a completed look.

*For the basic neutral look try a medium shimmery brown or a grey... my favorites are Praline by Laura Mercier and Satin Taupe by MAC*

Easy and Fast... my favorite!


Every girl has some product she swears by... What are your must-haves?

A Quick and Easy Foundation Fix (for combination to oily skin)

As a teacher and a mother of 2 small (and slightly crazy) children, I have an extremely limited time to slap on some makeup and become beautiful in the mornings.  It is a rare occasion that I can really sit down and have fun with liquid foundation to perfect my skin.  I discovered MAC Studio Fix about 2 years ago, and it changed my life. Ok, maybe not my entire life, but it certainly changed the way I think about morning makeup.  :)

What I love about this product is that it's fast, extremely effective in covering up imperfections and redness, one step (no extra powder required), and is versatile enough to use as a foundation alone or setting powder to control oil in the T-zones without becoming cakey when used with a full coverage foundation. **If you like Bare Minerals but have oily skin and it cakes in your pores, this product is for you!!**   It is also great for setting concealer under the eyes to cover dark circles.  Studio Fix is easy to tote around as well- throw it in your purse to use for touchups or if you're like me, grab it at a red light on the way to work. It's excellent for oily skin as it really soaks up any oil that's present, and it seems to last throughout the workday for me.  An added plus... even if you've been wearing it all day, it only takes a few small swipes to make it look perfect if you're headed to dinner. 

I will say, and I may get some hatemail for this... I'm not a big fan of the liquid version of this.  It is extremely heavy, does NOT do well with oily skin and, like most MAC liquid foundations, the colors tend to become a little orangey if one has particularly pale skin.

As a pledge to keeping it real, I've taken a before and after picture of myself using the product.

You'll notice right away I have a TON of red undertones, and I'm having a bit of a problem with blemishes this last week.  

I applied concealer (MAC studio finish) with a concealer brush to my blemish areas very lightly, then using a plain circle sponge I went to town with the Studio Fix.  For a full coverage feel, use the sponge like a powder puff in any pressed powder set.  If there are some areas that need a little extra, just make sure there is a little extra powder on the sponge.   If you prefer a lighter, more flawless look and have extremely clear skin, then use a big fluffy powder brush to apply. Just dip it in and swirl it in big circles across the entire face.  Either way, please don't forget to blend it down the jawline and onto the neck! As with any foundation, always apply moisturizer (even if you have oily skin... you can get an oil and fragrance free one) and, if you have time, a foundation primer.

So you see the difference, right??  HUGE!  And it is so FAST.  I really can't tell you how much I love this product.  It is available in an extremely wide range of colors, and if you go into the MAC Store or a MAC counter at Department Store, the Makeup Artists there are always ready and willing to match you to a particular shade.  Listen carefully when they do so you can pick up any tips they may share about the product!  (That is one of the best ways to learn new application techniques!)

And I have to add in a finished picture. I would never leave the house in just foundation...

(The lighting in my house is just not agreeing with me today.  I tried to fix the colors, however, unfortunately I am terrible with photoshop... so I apologize for the needed color correction, but you get the picture, right?? :))

Here is the link to the MAC website for the Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation.

Like all products, there are a couple of situations in which I would not recommend using this product; Formal occasions- use a heavier quality liquid foundation such a Laura Mercier or Makeup Forever HD foundation.  Extremely dry skin... (see below), and last but not least... sporting events.  This product will hold up in humidity, however not through tons of sweat.  Better to try a silicone based product for that, or just go without.

If you have dry skin or some light wrinkles, MAC offers a creamy version of this product that dries to a powder finish.  Still the one step, very blendable and quick, Studio Tech will do the trick for you!


Thanks for reading!  I have endless topics coming up soon, including eyeshadow brushes and application techniques, how to find quality cheap products, makeup reviews on various colors, mascaras and other products, how to shape, maintain and fill-in the eyebrows... LOTS of things I'd love to share! 

Happy Fast-Foundationing!