Must Have Makeup Brushes Under $15

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorite makeup brushes! I have a bit of a "thing" for makeup brushes, I have a huge collection at home and I can't seem to stop trying out new ones! Many of my favorites are from brands like It Cosmetics (their face brushes in particular are amazing, you can find a few at Sephora but they have a full line of brushes that are exclusive for ULTA), NARS (especially their #45 Smudge Brush, here at Sephora or at NARS), Laura Mercier (the travel crease brush and pony tail) and Bobbi Brown (her Ultra Fine Eye Liner brush).

Despite those expensive brushes, I have to admit that many of the brushes that I use regularly are under $15, and many actually only cost a few dollars. Brands like ELF and Coastal Scents have amazing brushes, and since they're so cheap, you can definitely afford to stock up! The $1 ELF Eye Shadow Brush is one that I have about 10 of (since I can then be a bit lazier about cleaning them), and I reach for it regularly instead of more expensive brushes from MAC.

I thought rather than just showing my favorite, I'd showcase my favorites to create a full kit of brushes. All of the brushes are under $15, most are under $6.

Eyes

1. ELF Eyeshadow Brush (at ELF): This is a great, basic fluff brush.
2. ELF Smudge Brush (at ELF): I have a lot of different smudge brushes, and I change the brush I use depending upon the look I'm after. This is a softer, more flexible smudge and creates a softer look.
3. Coastal Scents Classic Blender Crease Brush (at Coastal Scents): This is perfect for applying a crease color, or blending a little shadow under your lower lash line.

Face

4. ELF Ultimate Blending Brush (at ELF): I like to use this to buff/blend foundation or BB Cream.
5. EcoTools Micro Blending Brush (at ULTA or Amazon): This is my recent obsession for blending concealer, it is basically a very small kabuki brush. Check out my full review.
6. EcoTools Precision Blush Brush (from ULTA or Amazon): This is a fluffy blush brush, just the right size for a nice pop of color that isn't too intense.
7. ELF Bronzing Brush (at ELF or Amazon): This is a soft and very flexible brush, I like it for adding just a touch of highlighter to my cheekbones.
8. ELF Pointed Powder Brush (at ELF): I like to have a smaller brush for my powder, I mostly apply a light layer under my eyes and just down my t-zone.
9. EcoTools Perfecting Blender Duo (at ULTA or Amazon): I admit that I mostly use my BeautyBlender sponge, but I recently discovered these EcoTools sponges (check out the post here) and I love the shape of these! The flat sides and the point are great for blending around my eyes and nose.

An InLinkz Link-up

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links

10

Color Wars: My Favorite Shade of Pink

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



Beauty products all mentioned and linked below. Also pictured, Celine Vertical Tote (closest online is this larger Celine Horizontal Tote, or for less from Kate Spade, lighter pink at Etsy), and Ferragamo Verina Ballet Flats (mine are an old color, you can buy them in blush from Bloomingdale's)

I have a thing for hot pink. I buy a lot of this color. I have shirts, dresses, shoes, bags, makeup... you name it. This is my color. I'm obsessed! Today for Makeup Wars we're showcasing some of our favorite colors, and I couldn't resist showcasing some of my favorite hot pink or fuchsia items. I had a really hard time paring down this list, sorry it's so long!




Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-In-Stick Lipstick
Get it at Sephora, Nordstrom

Is it a lipstick or a lip balm? I'm in love with this lip formulation, I probably own about 10 of them. I have them stashed in all of my makeup bags, in my desk at work, I carry them in my pocket... you get the idea. My favorites are the bright pinks, 6 Pink in Devotion (#1) and 50 Fuchsia Stiletto (#2).




Lipsense
Yes, Lipsense. I've gotten emails from individual reps, but I won't work with reps from MLM firms for various reasons I won't get into here. But, I've heard about it from so many friends, that it lasts all day, etc. I've bought a few colors, and then a few more... I think it is safe to say that I've drunk the koolaid and love it! I'll post a full review soon. I buy mine from Lauren, the sister of a friend. She ships fast and is super friendly.

My favorites are A Kiss for a Cause (#1), Fuscia (#2), Purple Reign (#3).




NARS
Lately, NARS has just been amazing for me. Their new products are amazing, the shades so super pretty, I just want everything. All of the NARS, I want it all!

First, they just added new shades to their Velvet Matte Lip Pencil collection (get it from NARS, or Sephora), which is a well pigmented lipstick that I love. It's super easy to draw on to your lips, stays put for hours, and has a matte finish without being super drying. The hot pinks are Let's Go Crazy (#1) and 413 BLKR (#2).

Velvet Lip Glide is a well pigmented, shiny but not glossy, lip gloss. My favorite is Danceteria (#3, buy it at Sephora or NARS).




Chanel Rouge Double Intensité
Buy it at Chanel or Nordstrom

I really love the long lasting formula of Chanel's Double Intensité, read my full review here. I have quite a few of these colors now, and my favorites seem to be the bright pinks. Shocking Pink (#1) is pretty bright, I reserve that for when I really need a statement lip. Bright Raspberry (#2) looks more red in these images, but it definitely has a lot of pink in it. I've found that it works for pretty much any occasion, and it works for everyone, all skin tones.




Blush
I love pink blush, and I've found that the prettiest flush comes from a bright pink. As scary as it looks in the palette, with a big, fluffy brush this is the color that looks best on me!

NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palette (from Sephora or NARS) has a lot of pretty colors, though I mostly stick to the pinks in the top row.

Bobbi Brown in Pale Pink (at Sephora, Nordstrom or Bobbi Brown) has been my go-to color for a long time. I'm shocked that I haven't hit pan yet, it appears to be the never ending blush. So pretty!




BeautyBlender
Buy it from Sephora or Nordstrom

Do I even need to talk about this? If you don't own one, you need one. I always buy the sets that come with cleanser, often with more than one sponge. It works out in the end that the cleanser is free. Yes, these really are worth it, I pounce them on my skin when they are slightly damp, it blends foundation and concealer perfectly.




Nail Polish

I recently went through my thousands of nail polishes and gave them away to friends. What I found was amazing. I had about 200 bright pink or fuchsia shades. All nearly identical. At least I'm consistent? In reality, there are only about 4 that I actually wear (almost all of the others have found new homes already), and these are my favorites. I wear pretty much only one of these shades on my toes year round, and I'll wear the same color on my nails a lot during the summer.

1. Morgan Taylor Prettier in Pink, at Amazon
2. China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic, at Amazon
3. Chanel Desirio
4. Chanel Pulsion

An InLinkz Link-up

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links
The NARS was sent as a PR sample, I purchased everything else.

9

Makeup Wars: My Favorite Masks

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



Today for Makeup Wars we're talking about our favorite masks. Usually that would make you think immediately of face masks, but since I seem to talk about those a lot, I didn't feel like I had anything new to share on that topic! I decided I'd talk about my favorite hair masks, since I seem to be doing a lot of hair masking recently.

First, I want to say the reason that I'm masking is sooooo my fault. You might remember a few years ago when I fried my hair by overusing my BeachWaver, sans heat protectant. I've since grown out all of the damage, and my hair was super, crazy healthy. Despite lots of coloring and bleaching. It was so healthy that it was really hard to get it to curl. So, I had this great idea to get a perm (and retrospectively I wish I'd picked a digital perm, but I digress). It did rough up my cuticle some, and my hair just looks kind of wavy when it is wet now, but mostly it made it so when I curl my hair now, it actually stays. I still use product, but the perm made a big difference.

To prevent too much damage, my stylist (I go to Tiffany at One One Nine in Ann Arbor, she's amazing) added Olaplex to the perm. And we started adding it to bleach for my hair as well. And all was well. Until a few months later when I decided I wanted more dimension to my hair. Because I can't leave well enough alone. And I had Tiffany add even lighter balayage to the front part of my hair. It was sooooo pretty.

But that last bit of bleach (even with Olaplex in it) just put my hair over the edge. I started getting breakage and split ends in the area of the blond. I was cutting off split ends left and right! And masking.... lots of masking to help repair the damage and prevent things from getting worse. I've since cut off the damage (luckily I only needed a few shorter layers in front to remove it), but the whole experience definitely renewed my love of these hair masks!

1. Olaplex

Buy it from Olaplex, I would avoid buying it elsewhere due to diversion and fake versions.

First, the biggie. I mentioned Olaplex above, and it is pretty amazing stuff. It is not "just another conditioner", it actually works to repair bonds in your hair. (Labmuffin has an amazing explanation of how Olaplex works) There are 3 "steps", though you can do any of them alone, skip steps, etc. It doesn't need to be done in a step-wise fashion.

Step 3 is the one you can buy in the salon for use at home. The directions say to apply to clean, damp hair, and then wash off about 10 minutes later. Ummm.... no. Don't do that. I've done it, it helps my hair a bit, but since this treatment isn't a conditioner, leaving it on longer (ok, a lot longer) isn't going to weigh your hair down. I do what Tiffany told me to do, I use Olaplex as an overnight treatment! I apply to dry hair (you can dampen your hair a bit to make it easier to spread if you want), I start about 2-3 inches from the roots of my hair and apply down to the tips. My hair definitely has product in it, but it isn't wet. I then put my hair up in a bun and sleep on it! You'll need a towel on your pillow, but it doesn't make my head cold. I just wash it out in the am.

Since Olaplex is going into the hair shaft to repair chemical bonds rather than adding conditioning agents to my hair, it doesn't weigh down my hair. I still have a ton of volume! But, I definitely do feel an immediate difference in my hair. It is shinier, smoother and definitely stronger. It helps a lot with damage. I use it every 1-2 weeks.

2. Darshana

Available from Darshana and Amazon (note that the seller on Amazon is the brand, so you can safely buy it here)

If my hair is dry, instead of using Olaplex I'll reach for Darshana. You can read my Darshana review, but basically this is a special blend of oils that add a ton of moisture to your hair but don't weigh it down. It smells amazing (like oranges), and I use it exactly like I use Olaplex.

3. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

Get Moist at Amazon, Target, Walmart
Buy Strong at Amazon, Walmart

Both of the two masks I've mentioned are ones that I use overnight. I have to plan ahead for a day that I'm not on call (I can't head in to the hospital for a sick patient with a hair full of Olaplex, it looks crazy), I'm planning to wash my hair first thing in the morning, etc. I definitely have days like that, but it takes planning. But, there are still days that I think my hair is a bit drier than it should be, or I need a little something beyond just my regular conditioner. On those days I use the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle that I keep in my shower. There are different versions, I like both Strong (see my 3 Minute Miracle Strong Review), and Moist. I just swap it out for my normal conditioner, and it really does make a big difference. And it costs about $3!


What are your favorite hair masks?

An InLinkz Link-up

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links
The Aussie and Darshana were sent by PR, though I've repurchased the Aussie a lot and have been meaning to buy more Darshana (that bottle is empty, I actually keep it around just for pictures). I bought the Olaplex and have repurchased a few times!

15

Makeup Wars: My Favorite Face Oils

I Bought It, Product Sent for Review, Affiliate Links


My face oils hanging out on the counter this weekend. Yes, that's a lot of hair product in the background. I might have issues.


Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorite face oils! I admit that a few years ago, the idea of putting oil on my face was completely crazy to me. Why would I do that on purpose? But, I've definitely come around, I use them almost daily, and I can't imagine how I got through winter (or a plane ride) without a hydrating face oil!

I currently have 3 different face oils, which I use at different times. In the past there were a few others that I liked as well, and they're at a slightly lower price point. I'll discuss them at the end!

1. In the AM, Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate (from Kiehl's, or Nordstrom, full post here): This is the oil I use the least often. It is a lightweight oil that has a lot of antioxidants to help your skin fight off potential sources of free radicals, such as sun exposure and pollution. It also adds a nice hydrating punch, but if you give it a few minutes to sink in you can still wear makeup over it! I don't use it often because I use my Midnight Recovery so often, using both together is just too much moisture for my combination skin. But, if I've forgotten to use Midnight Recovery or I need a mid-day perking up, this is the oil I reach for.

2. In the PM, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (from Kiehl's, or Nordstrom): This is the oil I use the most often, and I go through about 2.5-3 ounces every winter. I've written about this face oil too many times to count! It is lightweight, sinks into my skin very quickly, and can add a lot of moisture to my skin when it desperately needs it!

I pay a lot of attention to how my skin feels at the end of the day, and if it is feeling dry at all (which definitely happens in the winter or when I've been traveling), then I'll add 2-3 drops of Midnight Recovery at the end of my skin care routine. I wake up with my skin much glowier and more hydrated!

I go through so much of Midnight Recovery because I don't only use it on my face, it also goes on my hands, neck, chest... you get the idea.

3. Heavier Duty, Bobbi Brown Extra Face Oil (from Bobbi Brown, or Nordstrom): In the past, I've packed a deluxe sample of Midnight Recovery every time I travel. But, now that it's been on so many trips, my little bottle suddenly fell apart recently. I took this as a sign that it was time to try something else.

I did a little looking around, and opted for Bobbi Brown's Face Oil. It comes in three different sizes, this is the 10 mL travel size, there's also a 6mL Rollerball (which would be great for in your purse, but I don't want a rollerball for travel) or a full 30 mL (which comes in a cute little bottle, but I can't tell on-line how you get the product out, is there a dropper? Do you just put in your fingers?)

Bobbi's oil is a bit heavier than Midnight Recovery (it is olive oil based), but it does sink in to my skin pretty well. I think it is best for night time, even with just a few drops it is too much for under makeup. But, this is some serious moisture, I think more than Midnight Recovery. Similar to Midnight Recovery, only a few drops are needed. In the morning I wake up glowy!


Other option:
• L'Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Facial Oil (at ULTA, or Amazon): This one is very similar to the Midnight Recovery, not surprising as Kiehl's is owned by L'Oreal. It's a great lower priced option if you want to try that one.

• Derma e Hydrating Facial Treatment Oil (at Amazon): This is a bit heavier and more hydrating than the L'Oreal. I've bought it in person at ULTA, but it isn't on their website.

An InLinkz Link-up

I Bought It, Product Sent for Review, Affiliate Links
Kiehl's has sent both of these face oils for consideration in the past, though I've probably purchased gallons of them on my own. I bought the Bobbi Brown on my own.

15

The Best Drugstore BB Creams and Foundations

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



There have been a lot of discussions lately amongst my friends regarding their favorite drugstore foundations. I wasn't surprised that this was of interest, drugstore foundations have come a long way in the last ten to fifteen years and are pretty amazing now. What did surprise me was how often my friends try new products and still come back to the same foundations over and over. There's a reason these products stand out!

For Makeup Wars we decided to share our favorite drugstore foundations and concealers. I had enough foundations to share that I decided to ignore concealers for today. I'll tackle those soon, I promise!

1. For Aging Skin, try Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector (at Amazon, or ULTA): This is more of a BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer than foundation, a sheer coverage product with hydration and active ingredients to help fight aging! You'll find Retinol, the gold standard ingredient for topical skin care to even out skin tone, increase cell turn over and improve fine lines and wrinkles. It also has a dewier finish, great for skin that has become drier as you've gotten older.

2. The Drugstore Cushion Compact worth trying is Maybelline Dream Cushion Foundation (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): I love the cushion compact foundations! They're lightweight and have good coverage with a more luminous finish. I use a more expensive version from Lancome, but this Maybelline version is very, very close. I've tried other drugstore versions, this is the one you should try first.

3. Cult Favorite L'Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): When this foundation came out, beauty junkies everywhere rejoiced! It offers a broad range of shades that blend well, have medium coverage than can easily build to full coverage, and has a luminous finish that looks great on oily or dry skin.

4. The best drugstore BB Cream is Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This light to medium coverage BB cream just blends perfectly into skin and stays put all day. It works particularly well on oily skin, and comes in the regular lightweight version and one with Salicylic Acid for acne prone skin (you can find that one at Amazon).

5. The Long Lasting Duo of L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte (buy it from ULTA or Amazon) and Pro-Glow Foundations (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This is a long lasting duo of foundations, one is matte and better suited for oily skin; while the other is a dewy finish and better for drier skin. They both offer medium to full coverage and can be built upon to add more coverage. I love to mix them together for a luminous but semi-matte finish! You can read my full L'Oreal Infallible foundation review here. Note that Maybelline offers a similar duo in their Fit Me foundations, but I have found they are a lighter coverage product and don't last quite as long as the L'Oreal.

6. For Acne Prone Skin try Neutrogena SkinClearing Liquid Makeup (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): If you want a semi-matte finish and need to fight blemishes, this foundation offers salicylic acid and won't clog pores. Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB also offers a salicylic acid version, but I've found this is a bit gentler and offers more coverage.

7. For One Step Coverage, try CoverGirl + Olay Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This is super creamy and moisturizing, but blends perfectly and is enough coverage that I don't need to pair it with a separate concealer.

8. For Dry Skin, try Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This foundation is actually a Red Carpet secret of many Hollywood celeb makeup artists! It is hydrating, offers great coverage and won't settle into dry, flaky areas.

9. To Customize Your Coverage, get NYX Total Control Drop Foundation (at ULTA or NYX): Super pigmented foundation drops like this aren't new, but in the past they've only been found at much higher price points. This one works just as well, but at a fraction of the price! You can layer more drops for additional coverage or mix it into products like moisturizer or even your foundation for a little more coverage.


Honorable Mention:
Both CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup (get it from ULTA or Amazon) and Revlon ColorStay (at ULTA or Amazon) have been mentioned by a lot of my friends. They both have medium coverage that can build to full coverage, blend well and last all day. I didn't include them in the graphic because I've tried them and the L'Oreal Infallible foundations, and I feel that the L'Oreal is simply better (for me at least!), though the CoverGirl and Revlon are close! It is likely one of those things where something just works a bit better for one person.

An InLinkz Link-up

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links
L'Oreal has sent me their Infallible Pro-Matte and Pro-Glow foundations (I've repurchased both), and CoverGirl has sent both products to me in the past as well.

9

The Best Highlighting and Contouring Makeup

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



While I keep saying that contouring is "out", the truth is that most of us do a little contouring every now and then! Today for Makeup Wars, my beauty blogging friends and I are sharing our favorite highlighters and contours! In theory we're sharing our favorite creams, but I don't really use just creams, I also have liquids and powders.

Highlighters

When using highlighters, I have a couple of different tactics I take.

First, if I feel like my skin is a bit lackluster, I might add a little highlighter into my moisturizer, foundation, or BB Cream. Usually I use the Armani for this as it is more subtle, so better for all over shimmer, but a little bit of the L'Oreal also works really well. You don't want to turn into a disco ball, but just a very small amount can make a big difference!

Second, I like to use a highlighter in very directed areas to catch a little light but without being really shimmery. On my cheekbone, a little on the bow of my lip (which does help my small lips look fuller), the inner corner of my eye, and my brow bone. I like a light shimmer in all of those places except for my brow bone, which I prefer is just lighter than surrounding areas, I like a matte or satin finish there.

1. L'Oreal Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator (at Amazon or ULTA): This is the most shimmery option here, if you're going to apply it all over use a very light hand and mix it into something. I think it works best for more targeted areas like the brow bone.

2. Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in No. 7(at Nordstrom, Sephora or Armani): This is the highlighter I use most frequently, I mix it into my BB Cream (YSL Top Secret All in One BB Cream) or my foundation (Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation). It has just the right amount of shimmer to make my skin look luminous but not shiny.

3. RMS Beauty Living Luminizer (at Nordstrom): Apparently this is Giselle's favorite. It is great to dip a finger in and tap it along your cheek bone or inner eye. I've had the same jar for almost 2 years, it lasts forever!

4. Anastasia Highlighting Duo Pencil (at Anastasia, Sephora or Nordstrom): I'm actually using a very similar Too Faced pencil right now, but it's been discontinued. I have this Duo from Anastasia also, and I love how it has 2 ends. I use the matte end on my brow bone, just draw it under the brow and then blend with a fingertip! I draw the shimmer end into my inner eye and then tap with my finger to blend a bit.

Both Highlight and Contour

5. NYX Wonder Stick (at Amazon or ULTA): This is very easy to use, they are matte creams and you just draw where you want to highlight or contour and then blend. I use this for travel sometimes because it is so compact.

Contouring

6. Maskcara Contour in Walnut (at Maskcara): I don't contour my nose very often, but when I do I reach for this cream from Maskcara. It's the perfect shade, easy to blend and it stays put on my oily nose.

7. NARS Contour Blush in Olympia (at Sephora or NARS)
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder (at Nordstrom, Sephora or Bobbi Brown)
Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer in Milk Chocolate (at Too Faced, ULTA or Sephora)

Usually when I'm "contouring" I'm just using a little matte bronzer underneath my blush. It does add a lot of definition and is subtle, I blend it out a bit when applying powder afterwards. At home, I use the Too Faced powder a lot, but Bobbi Brown also works great and comes in a wider range of shades. Finally, I do have the NARS Contour Blush as well, and the shade is similar but the pigmentation level is definitely higher! I need to use a much lighter hand when I use this blush. I have it in my NARS Pro Palette that I take with me when I travel. It comes with a highlighter shade, but it is basically the same color as my skin, so I only use the contour.



What are your favorite highlighting and contour products?

An InLinkz Link-up

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links
The L'Oreal Liquid Lumi, and Too Faced Bronzer have been sent to me previously by PR, but I've repurchased both with my own money as well.

8

My Favorite Bronzers for Pale Skin

I Bought It, Product Sent for Review, Affiliate Links


IMAXtree

Sometimes, it can be a little hard finding makeup when you're a pale girl. One of the hardest things for me has always been finding a good bronzer. Most bronzers are for darker skin tones. They come across on my skin as much too dark, and instead of looking sun kissed I look like I have dirt smudged all over. There's also a danger of looking too orange, similar to a self tanner.

During the summer, I do often do a very light dusting of bronzer at the end of my makeup routine. I just dust it on to my t-zone, and then my temple, cheek bone and jawbone (here's a quick tip on where to apply bronzer for a great sunkissed look).

After a lot of trial and error, I've found that there are bronzers out there that work for pale girls, read on to see some of my favorites!

6

Long Lasting Lipstick That Really Lasts: Yes, It's Chanel

I Bought It, Affiliate Links



As much as I love a great looking lippie, when I'm at work I am super low maintenance. I want to put on a lippie in the morning, and not think about it until that night. At the most I want to be able to grab something out of my pocket and swipe it on (while walking down the hall, so no mirror) and have it look decent without spending much time on it.

So, you can imagine that I'm pretty much left with stains, long wearing lipsticks and lip balm. Lippies that take intricate work to look great, such as a pigmented lipstick or even many tinted balms, aren't a great choice for me.

I've been using one lippie over and over for the last few months, and I thought since we're sharing our favorite long lasting makeup today for Makeup Wars that it was a great time to finally post about this lipstick. The Chanel Rouge Double Intensité Ultra Wear Lip Color. Yes, it's a huge splurge. But it is so worth it!

6

The Best Products from Oribe

I Bought It Affiliate Links




Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorite new brands. And while this brand isn't new (Oribe has been around for forever), I really only started using their products a few months ago and I have been OBSESSED. I buy at least 1 new product every time I'm at my salon, I buy them at Blue Mercury, I add a few things to a Neiman Marcus order... you get the idea. So far I have only really ventured into the styling products, but the samples I've tried of their shampoo/conditioner duos are amazing (and I refuse to start using them, because that would be a whole other obsession!)


Read on to see which products I'm loving, and why I keep repurchasing them.

5

My Favorite Highlighters and Illuminators

Product Sent for Review I Bought It Affiliate Links


Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorite highlighters and illuminators. I have a big collection of these products, and I've found great products at all price points!

I love to add just a bit of highlighter at certain places on my face to really highlight those areas. This is called strobing (check out my 5 tips for strobing the right way post), and you can think of it as the more flattering and easier cousin to contouring. While the Kardashians might be out there contouring their faces like crazy to change how they look, it can be hard to pull off in person. Somehow that contour that looks great in a selfie looks like a dirt smudge in real life.

8

The Best Drugstore Lippie Formulations

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



Just last week I shared my favorite long lasting red lippies, and while there were some drugstore products in that list, there were also some big splurges! (What else would you call a Chanel? That's definitely a big splurge!)

4

My Favorite Beauty Splurge vs Steal Products

I Bought It Product Sent for Review Affiliate Links



Today for Makeup Wars we are sharing our favorite splurges and steals. I thought that rather than just showcasing a few items that are dupes, I would do something that a lot of readers have asked for via email lately, create a couple of complete makeup kits!

Here's a peek at how I would create these kits, I'm going for a fairly neutral look, but with a fun, bright pink lip. In real life, I use a combination of products from each of these price points. When applying, note that I apply products in the order that I've listed them here, and I usually require 2 color correctors (green for any redness, pink/peach for undereye circles), though I don't have a luxe version of the green. All of these products are ones that I have and use myself!

11

My Favorite (Recent) Beauty Splurge: Winter Foundation Overhaul with Giorgio Armani

I Bought It Affiliate Links



Today for Makeup Wars, we're sharing our favorite recent beauty splurges. I alluded to this over in my recent post on The Best Luxe Beauty Products, but I recently spent a couple of hours hanging out with a few good friends at the Neiman Marcus Giorgio Armani counter at Somerset.

In those few hours we got our makeup done, something I definitely had not been planning on. I've been hearing about the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation for years, especially from my friend Nancy at Beauty 411. Nancy is my go-to resource for all things super luxe in the makeup world. If it is out there, she's tried it! And I trust her opinion. She'll flat out tell me if something isn't worth the money. And for her to say for years that this is her favorite foundation and that everyone must try it? Well, let's just say that I wasn't exactly hard to convince to sit down in the makeup chair!

When it was all over, I had perfect skin, that looked like I had almost no makeup on, and it looked amazing!

2

10 Great Beauty Stocking Stuffers Under $10

1. Maybelline Lip Gloss Palette
$9.99 at Target, also at Amazon and ULTA

5

Holiday Party Beauty Helpers: My Favorite Products To Get The Look

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IMAXtree

Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorite holiday party helpers. I thought that rather than sharing a look, I'd share different products of all price points that I've found to be helpful for getting my hair to have extra volume, giving my skin a little extra glow or the primer for perfect shadow all night long!

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The Best Luxe Beauty Gifts for 2015

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1. Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb 10th Birthday Set (from Saks)
I have this set (finally! I'll review this perfume as soon as I get over my horrible, never ending cold) and the little bottles are super cute! Perfect for travel, sharing with friends, keeping one in your desk at work, one at home, etc.

2. Smith and Cult Holiday Trio 2 (at Neiman Marcus)
I've been really wanting to try out this nail polish brand, and this set is a steal! It has 2 shades that look amazing.

• Kundalini Hustle: Opaque poppy red
• Shattered Souls: Large and small gold glitter particles suspended in clear base
• Dark Like Me: Opaque aubergine

3. DryBar Sparkle & Shine Set from Nordstrom
If you're in the market for a new blowdryer, this is a great set! Not only do you get some products included with the blow dryer (for the cost of the dryer alone), but there's also a great round brush included. Note that there's a similar set at Sephora (the Drybar Peace On Earth Good Hair to All set) which has a slightly different selection of products

• Buttercup Blow Dryer
• Double Pint Large Round Ceramic Brush
• Travel-size Sake Bomb Nourishing Shampoo
• Travel-size Sake Bomb Nourishing Conditioner
• Travel-size 100 Proof Treatment Oil
• Travel-size Sparkling Soda Shine Mist

4. Kate Somerville Red Carpet Essentials Kit (at Nordstrom)
This set includes my favorite at home peel and a super hydrating serum that I love!

• ExfoliKate
• DermalQuench Liquid Lift Advanced Wrinkle Treatment


5. Trish McEvoy The Power of Organization Purse Organizer and Makeup Planner Collection (at Neiman Marcus)
Someday, I will finally splurge and buy a Trish McEvoy Organizer! I love that it is so compact and includes a lot of what you need.

• Leopard-print Purse Organizer
• Petite Makeup Planner Classic Black
• Beauty Emergency Card For Eyes
• Petite Makeup Wardrobing Page

6. Bumble and Bumble Bestsellers Kit (at Sephora)
Lots of great hair products here! If you've been wanting to try out Bumble & Bumble or need to stock up, I'd splurge on this.

• Thickening Hairspray
• Tonic Lotion
• Thickening Dryspun Finish
• Prêt-à-Powder
• Surf Spray
• Repair Blow Dry
• Hairdresser's Invisible Oil VOC

7. Yves Saint Laurent Kiss & Love Collection (from Nordstrom)
Yes, that's a lot of nail polish and lipstick for a steal.

8. Chanel Le Top Coat Lamé Rouge Noir Gold Sparkle Nail Coat (at Nordstrom)
I love the gold shimmer in the polish! Great alone or over a dark red, it really is suggested to wear over Chanel Vamp but any deep red would work.

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My Favorite Ways to Transition from Fall to Winter

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It's that time of year... it is definitely no longer warm, which means that we should all be well into our annual fall to winter beauty transition. This means a lot of changes to my beauty routine every year. I change almost everything, making product swap outs left and right! Here's a peek at what I'm changing out, and why. What are your favorite changes to make to your routine?

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Adding Some Depth: Eye Makeup Alternatives

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As much as I love the classics, after a while black, brown and taupe get a little old when they are the only shades that you use to create your eye look every day. Yes, they're pretty, but sometimes a girl needs to do something a little bit different!

Currently one of my favorite ways to spice things up a bit is to use the Stila Got Inked Cushion Eye Liner in Smoky Quartz (you can read my full Stila Got Inked Eye Liner review from August). I love that this color has a bit of metallic shimmer, is neutral but definitely not boring!

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5 Beauty Favorites Under $10

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I'm a big fan of a great deal, and there are a lot of great ones out there in the beauty world! Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our 5 favorite beauty products under %10, and I had a pretty hard time narrowing it down to only 5 products. In the end I'm sharing 5 products that I reach for quite often, and I always have on hand in my bathroom.

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The Best Under Eye Makeup Products for Looking Younger and Awake

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I'm one of those girls that fights their under eye area. I have a little discoloration there, and depending upon how much sleep I get, I can have bags. Note, this picture is unaltered, pretty close up, and was taken after I was up every 2 hours all night, after about 9 months of never sleeping more than 2-3 hours, and I'm 38 now. So, I'm pretty happy with how my eye area looks! (Though that little bit of redness in the circle wasn't visible in person. Thanks camera!) Trust me, before the steps below, things looked much worse that morning. And they could look much better if I photoshopped it, but that's not really the point, is it?

In the past, I have published posts on Dealing With Under Eye Puffiness, The Best Eye Creams According to Dermatologists, Concealer Tricks No One Tells You, All About Under Eye Primers, and How to Use Concealer and Corrector. And that doesn't even take into account the huge numbers of concealer reviews on 15 Minute Beauty!

Yes, there's a lot of obsessing over the under eye area. But, given my "real" job (the one that makes me money!) and my 2 little girls, I don't get much sleep. And I really hate having people ask if I feel ok or if I'm tired.

Here's a peek at my favorite products for the under eye area and a few tips for how I use them. I've tried to include all price points, let me know if you have any questions! Don't forget to check out my fellow Makeup Wars bloggers, they're sharing their favorite under eye problem solvers today also!

Eye Creams

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Skipping eye cream is not an option for me now that I'm in my late 30's. I apply it first thing after washing my face, and then usually my BB Cream goes over it. While I usually use the same eye cream in the am that I use in the pm, that isn't always true (I only use the YSL in the am). My criteria are a few anti-aging ingredients such as peptides and anti-oxidants, and caffeine to help shrink things and tighten, even if only temporarily. The main thing I look for is good hydration, and I want it to sink in right away. The hydration will help plump up my under eye area, helping it to look much better than it should otherwise!

iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (buy it at DermStore or SkinStore): This eye cream was mentioned in my Best Eye Creams from Dermatologists post, and somehow has not had it's own post though I've mentioned it a few times! It has vitamins C, E, Retinol, tons of hydration, peptides to increase collagen and it also fights dark circles. I definitely think it makes me look more awake because my concealer looks so much better over it. It is pricey, but the bottle lasted me 6 months!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (at Kiehl's or Nordstrom): I reach for this one mostly in the winter because it is heavier duty than the others in terms of hydration. A little dab goes a long way!

Rodan and Fields Redefine Multifunction Eye Cream (you can buy from Rodan and Fields, my consultant is in Michigan, let me know if you want her name): I'm using this currently after buying it from a high school friend, and so far I do really like it! It has peptides and anti-oxidants, not to mention some optical diffusers to make things look a little better.

Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Eye Roll-On Pen (get it at Nordstrom, Saks or Bloomingdale's): This one also has optical diffusers and it absorbs very fast. I only use it in the am because it doesn't offer as much in the anti-aging department, but it

Color Correctors

When there's a lot of discoloration, it can seem that many layers of concealer still won't hide everything. A little color corrector under concealer can work a lot of miracles. You can read more about it in my post on How to Use Concealer and Corrector, but the general idea is that an orange or peach tone will help hide blue-brown discolorations under the eye. For more discoloration, you'll need a more vivid tone. Pat it directly on the discoloration, then cover with concealer.

Note that most women need correction for brown-blue tones, personally I have mostly red tones under my eyes, so I use green corrector.

Bobbi Brown Corrector (at Bobbi Brown, Sephora or Nordstrom): This is the "classic" under eye corrector. There are a lot of different shades available, but they vary in how vivid the peach is and the tone of the underlying "flesh" is. Which means, there should be one for pretty much everyone!

FACE Stockholm Corrective Concealer (at FACE Stockholm or DermStore): This is the corrector that I reach for most days. It has a very faint tint, and a little goes a long, looooong way! I have had the same little pots of the redness and blue correctors for about 3 years and with daily use they aren't even halfway used up.

NYX Concealer Jar (from NYX or Drugstore.com): The consistency of the NYX correctors is pretty similar to the FACE Stockholm products, but the colors are much more vivid, so great for those with darker complexions or more intense color to correct.

Concealers

When it comes to under eye concealers, I look for very, very pigmented formulas that blend easily and don't crease throughout the day. In large part this is because I have a visible capillary under my skin on one side (it's been there since I was a kid), and if it's visible about every 30 minutes someone tells me that I have an eyelash there. It's annoying. So, I use more pigmented concealer.

As I've gotten older, I've definitely found that this can cause issues. I have to use very light layers of the concealer, blend it well, and I don't put much under the outer corner, where I don't really even have crow's feet, but a lot of concealer there definitely doesn't look so hot. So, use these concealers at your own risk, if you have more under eye issues, skip ahead to the next section!

Clarins Instant Concealer (fron Nordstrom, Clarins or Bloomingdale's: This is a new favorite, it was sent to me by Clarins for a post over the summer on 5, 10 and 15 Minute looks, and it hasn't left my vanity counter top since! I really neeeed to stock up. It is well pigmented, blends easily, and lasts all day. I can add a little to a BB Cream to increase the pigmentation, and it looks perfect (I've mostly been using the Bobbi Brown CC Cream in Blushed Nude). I have 2 sitting in my Nordie's cart now, waiting for me to spend my birthday gift cards!

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye (at It Cosmetics or ULTA): This is the most pigmented of the bunch, it really does. not. budge. in water! Yes, it's great if you have any issues with disappearing makeup. It's similar to the Clarins, but slightly more pigmented, and heavier duty.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer (at Sephora, ULTA or DermStore): This one comes in a ton of shades, and is similar to the Clarins but with a little less pigmentation. I love that it also comes in a slightly smaller travel size!

LA Girl Pro Concealer (at Walgreen's or Drugstore.com): This is the only "budget" concealer that I use now, though I admit that I use the others much more often. It is well pigmented (though less than the others) and it blends easily. It doesn't stick around as well as the others when I'm outside and sweaty, but it outperforms anything else I've ever found at a drugstore.

Highlighters

As noted above, lots of concealer isn't so great when you're getting older (like me!). It can really emphasize every little wrinkle that might not be a wrinkle yet even. And if your under eye area is dry at all (this is why I insist on eye cream now)... forget it! Heavy concealer will fill in any slightly dry area and make you look much older.

So, that's when it is time to look for something with less pigmentation and a bit of light deflection. There really are only 2 options to use "alone" in the under eye area I think (the YSL and Maybelline Dupe). Or, you can custom blend your own slightly more pigmented version, I will use the Smashbox with one of the above concealers, and add in a little eye cream. Then I mix it all up on the back of my hand and apply.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (from Nordstrom, YSL or Sephora): This is an expensive classic, it offers just a little bit of coverage and the perfect light diffusion. I do think you need to be "of a certain age" to appreciate this product. I reviewed it about 4 years ago and kind of panned it, I just didn't get it. Now on particularly rough under eye days (and the picture above wasn't one of those days), I'll grab this instead of concealer and it really does make me look more awake.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (at ULTA, Amazon or Target): A decent replacement for the YSL, this one does have a little less light diffusion and a tad more coverage.

Smashbox Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener (get it from Nordstrom, Sephora, or Smashbox): This is a light rosy-champagne shimmer that would work anywhere you want to highlight, but is especially great to mix with a concealer! It diffuses the light and makes your eye area look better.




Want some more under eye products? Don't forget to check out what my friends in Makeup Wars are using to look younger and more awake!

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