color me badd

November 9th, 2008

I have a lot going on in my world and you don’t know how good it feels to just be able to logon here and discuss nonsense because really the last two months of my life has been nothing but hospitals, campaigns, work, and family drama that I decided today to reward myself a bit for all the gray that its been for a while with a whole lot of color.

I have a slight obsession with makeup.

You’d never know it by knowing me. But I collect makeup. I have a train that’s packed and a drawer in my dresser that’s really beginning to scare me. I can’t bring myself to spend M.A.C. money trust, I’m of the school that believes to invest in the bases and go cheap on the colors. I have good skin for the most part so I wouldn’t want to fuck it up with cheap foundation and such so I’m just gonna go over my favs and share sites where you can get good quality makeup for cheap and serious discounts on name brand ones.

THE ALL DAY EVERY DAY’S – More than likely I always have this on.

Bare Escentuals bareVitamins – Skin Rev-er Upper $21. I discovered this when I got that Bare Escentuals kit as a gift way back when and I just loved the way it made my skin feel. It’s essentially a daily multi-vitamin supplement for your face. Most of the time (especially in the summer) this is all I’ll wear. It’s light you only need a little bit and it just makes my skin feel really really good and smooth. It’s a small bottle (only 2.3 oz) which is such a downer because seriously for 20 bucks you expect more, but like I said, I’m okay with investing on something that goes on my face 24/7 as opposed to once in a while (like eyeshadow). You can buy it at sephora.com or anywhere else that sells bare escentuals.

Neutrogena® Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15 $10. I’m a believer in moisturizer, not only because I have dry spots but because growing up that’s all my mom would ever use on her face and she still looks young despite being 60. For those of you who’ve met my mom, yes she’s 60. I swear by this one because it’s literally takes like half a pump to get what you need, it lasts forever and it’s only 10 bucks. It has SPF which is good for me considering I’m terrible about ever wearing any. There is a tinted version as well but I stick with the regular only because I’m always weary about the tinted stuff, I feel like I’ll put it on and it’ll look weird or streaky. That and I have freckles so I feel like it’s really obvious looking when I have any type of liquid color on my skin. You can really find this at ANY drugstore. It’s a rarity that it’s not there.

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve $6. I have about 3 pots of these at any given time because anytime I’m at sephora I randomly pick one up forgetting I have some at home. It’s really amazing, keeps my lips super smooth and its incredibly multi-purpose. I always rub it on my knuckles and on parts of my hand that’s a little dry as well as my elbows. From what I hear it also relives irritation, minor burns, conditions skin and alleviates diaper rash. Who knew? Anyway, it’s awesome, worthwhile, smells good and I always have some with me. You can pick it up at sephora.com.

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara $8. I don’t count mascara as coloring because I usually put it on a few time a week when I remember. I’ve actually used all kinds of mascara [Including that crazy ass Givenchy one with the ball applicator. Yea that one was definitely not for me. I had mascara all over me.] For the longest time that Maybelline one in the pink bottle with the green cap is what I swore by until I bought the blackest black one and it smudged every. single. time. I wont lie I first bought this cover girl one because the wand looked fun but it’s turned out to be the best mascara I’ve ever used. You can do light coverage with one little swipe if you’re going for a natural look, or a few more for more dramatic. Totally recommend it, you can get it at any drugstore.

THE COVERAGE – For when I’m looking a little dead or just have time on my hands.

ALMAY® Smart Shade® Concealer $9. I generally only wear the skin revver upper and moisturizer, but being anemic I get really bad under eye circles so when they look worse than normal I’ll dab some of this on. I’m terrible about figuring out my colors which is why I dig almay’s since it’s foolproof. It’s not very thick at all, it’s more liquid based so you have to be careful when you squeeze it out. I don’t like things that give heavy coverage because like I said before, I feel like it’s too obvious on my face. I’ve tried all types of concealers too, this one just works best for me. It also has an SPF of 15 which you know, anytime you can get that in makeup is a good thing. Also, like the moisturizer, it’s oil free, which is important to me since I have combination skin so it won’t clog my pores. You can literally get it at any drugstore.

Bare Scentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation $25. I rarely if ever wear foundation, however when I do (usually when I’m going out out) this is the only one I count on. I use loose powder because I like sheer coverage and when I sweat it’s always on my face so when I wear liquid makeup I can feel it. I only like mineralized foundation because its free of preservatives, talc, oil, waxes, fragrances, and other chemicals that can irritate skin and cause breakouts on me. It’s going to sound cheesy and very infomercial like but it does look like that airbrush effect whenever I do wear it. I justify the price tag on the fact that it lasts me forever since I don’t really wear foundation all that often, and that its completely not damaging to my skin. You can find it at a sephora or anywhere else that sells the brand.

THE COLOR – For when I’m feeling brave.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion $16. I don’t wear anything on my eyes without this. I swear it’s magical. It makes 99 cent eyeshadow pop, drugstore makeup suddenly looks like MAC products, seriously, amazing. It lasts forever, never creases. It really is worth all the hype people give it. It’s pricey for the amount of product you get but it’s definitely worthwhile considering it does what its supposed to do. What I like most is that it’s completely nude because a lot of bases have a color to them which can effect how your colors come out, and this one does not. I love the packaging because it looks like a little genie bottle, corny I know. However the packaging makes you lose a lot of product which is why I suggest anyone who owns it to watch this video by EnKore who shows you how to ensure you get all the product out of it and save the rest. You can find it at any sephora or ulta.com which I’ll talk about later.

NYX Eyeshadows $2 – $8. Do not sleep on NYX it’s pretty much the secret weapon of broke ass makeup lovers. It is comparable to MAC eyeshadows in that they’re highly pigmented and long lasting. They come in every color under the sun so you can experiment with whatever look you desire and they’re great quality which is important. When I buy NYX shadows I usually go for unorthodox colors that I wouldn’t normally buy so I could experiment with them. I think that’s the best bet to be frank because it’s what they’re good at. Really vibrant colors. A real favorite of people is their jumbo eye pencil in cottage cheese or their single eye shadow in cream cheese as a base. So while you can nab some at their website, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. You can get them even MORE discounted at Cherry Culture. You’ll thank me I swear.

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 4-Kit Shadows $5.50 & Maybelline Expert Wear™ Eye Shadow Quads $6.30. I’m a fan of quads because they come in complimenting shades and it’s really idiot proof in creating looks since the rules usually are: lightest color as a base, medium color on the lid, darker color in the crease, darkest on the outer corner and liner. Maybelline’s even spells it out for you really. It’s great for when you’re starting out or to travel with so you can have consistent looks without carrying a shitload of stuff. As part of my big order yesterday I actually got the CoverGirl Tropical Fusion quad solely because of this video I saw on youtube because it looked so pretty. Don’t judge by the beginning of the video because her webcam doesn’t pick it up well, wait until the middle or end where she shows the pictures from her camera on how it looks because it’s really beautiful. My favorite Maybelline quad is probably Luscious Sorbet because it’s very peachy and shimmery and fairly sheerish actually so it looks really nice on the eyes. Of course you can find these at any drugstore.

Tropez Sunrise to Sunset Eyeshadows $4. I know, I know, it looks cheap. Eight eyeshadows for $4 bucks of course it can’t be great right? I came across this when I was killing time once before meeting up with someone by wandering around the walgreens on 34th street. It was cheap so I didn’t think much of it but when I went home and did swatches I was amazed by the fact that they were actually extremely pigmented. I had the Bali Blue one because that was all they had at the store but I was literally shocked by the quality of the color. Granted not all of them are great, I found that the pinkish color was a pink chalky and not at all colorful so I didn’t like that one. However I felt the rest were so it was a pretty good bargain in my book. I’ve never seen these anywhere but at a walgreens so if you have one, go get ‘em.

Coastal Scents 28 Piece Eye Shadow Neutral Palette $22. If you don’t know about Coastal Scents then You’re Welcome. Because this place is literally breathing on Sephora’s and MAC’s neck like sup, I got quality shit too and it’s mad cheap and what! I’ve heard about this place a milllion times from the people on youtube and then someone at work ordered from them and I was converted. The quality is incredible. I just recently bought the neutral palette and you will not believe the range of colors within it and the kinds of look that can be made. There are literally dozens of tutorial videos both on their site by their staff and on youtube by cutomers. They have great customer service, send you a shitload of samples with every order and to top it off, they make awesome brushes. I’ve only recently gotten into brushes and theirs feel so soft and do great coverage but anyway, this is supposed to be about the shadows and they are fab, check them out on coastalscents.com.

Maybelline Superstay™ Gloss $7. It’s literally the most long lasting lip gloss I’ve ever had. It’s annoying to put on but worth the pay off. You first put on the color and wait two minutes for it to dry and then you put on the gloss on top. The colors are beautiful though and I’ve had many compliments every time I wear it. I can eat a full meal without a single smudge and it doesn’t wipe off on any glass or anyone else. The removal is easy but equally annoying because you essentially have to rub it out and you have to use a balm or something to condition your lips after removing it because it’ll leave them dry. Just as a warning. It’s shimmery but not in that overly annoying way that looks 80s. The one I have (Glass Rose) actually works for a natural look. You can find it at any drugstore.

MAX Factor’s MAXalicious Lip Glaze $4. I got a ton of these for free when I went to this People VIP event where Katy Perry was performing. I’ve never really bought any Max Factor stuff but I wouldn’t deny any freebies of course. The lip glazes is what I loved most, especially Girl’s Night Out. The color is perfect because it’s that natural pink that leaves your lips healthy looking. I’ve already finished it and am in need of a refill but I’d suggest any of the colors because all the ones I’ve tried are fun. They all have different tastes too which is whatever because I don’t really care about fruity tastes. It leaves lips looking pretty and it’s sheer coverage but not too sheer where it’s like what’s the point of it? It leaves a nice tint. Find it at any drugtore.

NARS Blush – Orgasm $25. Okay I actually don’t own this blush BUT, if I ever did wear blush, this is what I’d wear. I had one of those makeovers at sephora done and I loved how it looked on me at the moment but I couldn’t bring myself to fork over 25 bucks for it. I put it on this list though because I approve of using it hah. Same with the lipgloss, NARS in orgasm is gorgeous but twenty-four bucks for a lip gloss seems ridic to me. However! Yesterday I got curious and got to searching if I could find something comparable for cheap and came across this site. So I decided to order one of the ones used which was Milani Minerals Blush, Luminous $5. Hey a twenty dollar difference is a big deal to me. So when it comes I’ll let you guys know how it is. You can find NARS at sephora and I found Milani at walgreens. Hopefully it’ll be worth it when I do end up using it.

Bare Escentuals Warmth All-Over Face Color $20. I didn’t pay twenty bucks for this, it came in a kit I have and I still have LOADS left. It only takes a little tiny bit of it on a powder brush and I use it to contour. Apparently you can only get it at the Bare Escentuals website or Ulta because I couldn’t find it on sephora but it gives a nice refreshed look, like you have a glow about you. They call it sun-kissed on the website. I wouldn’t call it a bronzer per se, but it does give that bronzer effect. Actually it is a bronzer but whatever. It’s good stuff, and like other bare escentuals products, doesn’t mess with my face. Highly recommend it, just make sure you use VERY little of it otherwise you’ll look a bad kind of brown.

So where can you get all kinds of stuff for affordable prices? Here’s my website list of places to hit up.

So what do y’all use?

Entry Filed under: Fashion