August Drug Store Beauty Haul - Review on NYX products!

EEEEEK! Ok, so my new found obsession with Ulta (like Sephora but carries 'drug store' brand makeup lines like Maybelline and Cover Girl) has just sky rocketed.

I LOVE NYX -- its an awesome 'drug store' makeup line that border lines being professional in my book! I love makeup, but I don't always feel like spending a fortune on something I will wash off at the end of the day.

So when I went to Ulta this last time I was fully prepared to get in and get out... well you ladies know how that goes right?

I purposely went in to grab my It Cosmetics! brow pencil BUT, after I saw that they carried NYX and they were STALKED to the brim with makeup, well, like any self respecting frugal fashionista I headed on over to see what I could score.

And I did just that, I SCORED.

For a long time I've been searching for NUDE and WHITE eyeliner. I LOVE the nude eyeliner on the bottom water line to create a very FRESH looking face.

The white I LOVE to outline a dark cat eye liner. White on top of black just looks classy to me, and it keeps things simple and your natural features front and center.

So the total haul were the following AMAZING products:

• NYX Retractable white eyeliner - AMAZING. Goes on smooth and is a crisp white!

•  NYX Shine Killer - AMAZING - I have normal to oily skin (much more oily in hot weather) and I'm always trying to kill the shine. I don't like the 'dewey' look on me when my dew is a little too natural, know what I mean?!

• NYX Pore Filler - AMAZING.Literally filled my pores/minimized the look and create a very beautiful matte look! 

• NYX Brow Marker - GOOD, but I would make sure that your face is completely dry, especially if you apply a moisturizer because wet won't go on top of wet very well. I def love the precision of this marker and the color (I bought DEEP brown) 

• NYX Brow Pencil and Pushup Bra - if your eyebrows need a push up bra then this is it! If you want to highlight your brow bones and make your eyebrows stand out, you need this pencil. Hands down, amazing. 

• NYC Wonder Pencil - WonderFUL is right! I LOVE this pencil, I got it in Light and I absolutely love it for the bottom waterline of your lid. Great for highlighting! 

Honestly, I LOVE them all. They're all great products at a great price. So if you're into saving money, but also looking like one sophisticated gal, then these are all great finds! Check them out and let me know what you think! <3

My 3 Favorite and Not So Favorite E.L.F Cosmetics

Good ole E.L.F … elf? Eyes lips face… whatever. Either way that stuff is CHEEEAAAP! $3 for just about everything… but just cuz it's 3 bucks doesn't mean you're necessarily getting the bang on it all! So out of the things I have tried, here are my favorites and my not so favorites…

FAVORITES:

• Lip Exfoliator: Maybe it's because it's sugary and tastes sweet, but I really like that for $3 I can rub this stuff in circles on my lips and takes off the dead skin. Can't really have a lip stain on with chapped lips unless you want to look like a 3rd grader who got into her moms makeup. 

• Concealer and Highlighting Pen: In LOVE. Seriously, great for those under eye bags and especially for gals like me who have them genetically (thanks dad!) and/or sleep deprived. Use the concealer side FIRST, then use the highlighter after. The highlighter is my favorite part, it really brightens up those under eyes so you don't look like a cast of The Walking Dead! 

• Kabuki Brush: I couldn't find it in stores so I bought it on Amazon, which costed a bit more but it was still under $6 so I can't complain. AMAZING brush, great for evening out powder and foundation. 

NOT SO FAVORITES:

• Lip Stains:  wooooh talk about SMELLY after a few days… I don't know if I got a bad one but you know how some markers smell like … there are no words… but you know… terrible? Yeah… mine ended up like that! GROSS. And it didn't really 'stain' at all.

• HD Blush: MESSY. I mean it will def give you that rosey cheek look if applied RIGHT, otherwise watch out, here comes the Circus! Ever heard the saying, "too much of a good thing, isn't a good thing"? Well in this case, its true. So if you do get it, pump a little onto the back side of your hand (A LITTLE for all you hard to read die hard blush gals) and then lightly swirl your blush brush around it, and LIGHTLY (see the key word being repeated) brush onto apples of your cheeks. It can look great, IF done right!

• Tone Correcting Powder: This CAN be a great product, but if you use all four colors and your naturally pale, watch out Casper! ;-) If you use lightly and only use the colors you need to correct redness on the face, it can work pretty well. Correct with caution! ((Yellow neutralizes red & brightens, blue neutralizes orange, green neutralizes red, & pink neutralizes grey))

As time goes, I'll do another blogpost about my favorite products, but for now that's what I could think of that I haven't shared quite yet! Don't forget to click on the beauty tab at the top to see more quick beauty tips!

CIAO! 

DIY Make Up Brush Cleaner

Hey dirty girl. I saw those brushes. I saw your face breaking out. They feel a little heavier. Looks like your makeup is going on in layers of cake.

EEEEKKKKK. HOLD THE PHONE!!! That was my inner monologue to myself this morning… I realized how disgusting my brushes got and I had to stop it. Right. then. and. there.

If you don't have a brush cleaner formula (I had Bare Minerals before, and I've also used regular shampoo) then this is a great alternative, and personally using other methods weren't as effective as this.

This is a super duper easy DIY brush cleaner… I saw a fellow blogger post something similar (a while back and I would give them credit but I cannot remember who it was) and I used what I had to make this…

You Will Need:

• Gentle Dish Soap -- I just used Ajax under the sink
• White Distilled Vinegar
• Water 
• Dirty Brushes<< essential ;-)
• papertowels

Directions:

1. Mix one part vinegar, one part HOT water, and one part soap in a small bowl

2. Place each brush in the bowl and swirl around, use your fingers to massage the bristles 

3. Run under hot water, and rinse the brushes thoroughly until the water runs clear, you may have to empty the bowl if gets too dirty, then put the concotion back in. 

4. Dry on a paper towel lying flat and reshape them with your hands carefully

*I have done this method TWICE and it's shown great results, the bristles don't fall out, the hot water and vinegar strip bacteria, the soap cleans the brush and your face is happier. 

Personally, this formula and method works better than anything I've tried. When I used shampoo it took forever to get the makeup out! This is very quick and efficient! 

Happy Cleaning loves, let that face glow! 

Drugstore Beauty Haul December

So something that never gets old for me is cruising the aisles of any drug store, Wal-Mart, or Target for their killer beauty deals.

I'm a girly girl… as much as I love soccer, the beach, hiking, working out and drinking the occasional beer while bar hopping, I think it's a DUH nowadays that women can tap into ALL of their personality, their interests, and their passions without shame.

Anytime I have to run somewhere to grab a few things, I find myself browsing the "cheapie" makeup sections… but just because its cheaper than most high end brands held at a Sephora doesn't mean it won't get the J-O-B done.

1. Milani Lipstick in Sangria- Fall weather brings darker colors (usually, but I'm determined to keep rocking a few neon pieces to keep things fresh) and I'm O B S E S S E D with this color. A dark lip and lighter eye or simple winged eye liner can do WONDERS for a fall face! 
2. OPI-Lincoln Park After Dark: MY GO TO for nail color. I'm loving the deep purple and black hues that keep this color a year round statement -- class and badass. Two of my favorite styles to rock. 
3. Sinful Colors-Snow Me White: Just because it's fall doesn't mean that white after labor day is still a rule to follow. Rules are meant for breaking right? Nothing says white wonderland and holiday seasons like a gorgeous white nail color. Plus it makes me look tanner than I really am!
4. ELF HD Blush: When I first saw this I sort of scratched my head… HD? I don't even know what that means! But I bought it because it was $3 (hello ELF is the ultimate cheap girl makeup and a lot of works just as good as the top brands). Applying this blush is quite interesting. First you gotta pump that sucker (just a little should come out, too much is TOO MUCH, use sparingly) onto the back of your hand then smooth it out with your finger, then dab your blush brush onto it lightly and apply. Do not go blush happy, this stuff goes on thick. 
5. ELF Angled Contour Brush- My favorite contour brush thus far. This is a GEM. Or dynamite or whatever! But this is a MUST pick up! Great for contouring the nose to look slimmer, the cheeks to be more profound and even works great in the crease of your eyes. LOVE LOVE LOVE, 5stars! 

Have fun saving! 

XO,

Abby