Love those Lips!

I wanted to stop by for a short blog about lip liners.  I don't really use lip liners much.  I have less than 10 in all and I only use about 3-4 on a regular basis.  Since I am always on the lookout for a deal, I thought I would share with you a little secret...the best lip liner only costs .99!  They are called Jordana lip liners and they come in tons of colors.  You can find Jordana lip liners at your nearest Walgreens.  I find that these lip liners are highly pigmented, go on smoothly and that they don't tug.  They are truly a steal for only .99 and I challenge you to find a better liner at a price point this low!

L-R
"Deep Purple", "Mahogany", "Petal" and "Natural"

Swatches L-R
"Deep Purple", "Mahogany", "Petal" and "Natural"

Deep Purple is good for a plum/wine colored lip.  It blends nicely with most purple-based lipsticks and glosses.  Mahogany is good for a deep red or brown lip.  It looks nice even on small lips like my own since the darker color provides a stronger line of definition.  Petal is a good choice for pink or mauve toned lips...it's not too bright and has good color payoff.  Natural is a good choice for nude looks, light browns or light mauve lip colors.  I find that I use Natural most often.

Luxe for Less

It's that time again...another luxe look for less!

The pick for this week is another lip look.  I've paired a lip liner, lipstick and gloss again.  All items are affordable and can be easily found.  The pictures below really don't do the look justice.  This look has more of a "berry" and/or "plum" feel to it than what comes across in the pictures below. 

Lip gloss--$6.99 at CVS--Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour gloss in "Fashion Diva"
Lipstick--$5.54 at Target--Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in "Plum-Tastic"
Lip liner--$.99 at Walgreens--Jordana lip liner in "Deep Purple"

Total for look--$13.52

L-R swatches-
Milani gloss, Jordana lip liner and Maybelline lipstick. 


The Milani 3D gloss is full of sparkle!  The gloss goes on thick but it is not totally opaque.  This gloss has tons of glitter and shine which can fake a good set of lips on anyone.  The gloss has a slightly sweet smell to it and it goes on smoothly.  This gloss would be a great accessory to anyone going out for the night or going to work.  It's not too bright but it still makes a point to shine and enhance your lips.  The only drawback is that this gloss doesn't have the staying power like other glosses do.  Oh and did I mention the super-cute bottle it comes in?  Fancy isn't it?

Jordana Lip Liners are truly one of my favorite drugstore finds.  I am not a lip liner kind of gal.  I don't mind lip liners but I rarely use them unless I wear dark colors.  I had been looking for a nice plum color to enhance my lips since I think purple tones look good on me.  This liner (and every other Jordana liner I've tried) worked well.  It doesn't pull or tug on the lips and the color payoff is rich and vibrant.  You also can't beat the .99 price tag either.  Buy one and it just may make you a new fan of lip liners!  I know I love them now!

The Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick line did not interest me too much when it came out.  I had thought it was just another way for a makeup company to get more money for the same item they sold (and repackaged) in the past.  Well, I am going to change my thoughts.  The Color Sensational line is not my favorite however I do like the formulation, texture, color payoff and packaging (somewhat).  I now own 4 lipsticks from this line and each give wonderful color pigmentation.  Some of the colors are really flattering and moisturizing as well.  The only drawback is the packaging.  I don't mind the lipstick case itself...it is sleek and easy to open.  The bad thing about this packaging is that ANYONE at the store can open it up, play with it and then put it back on the shelf.  There is no protective seal around the cap which freaks me out a bit.  Anyone could have played with the lipstick you chose to buy a mere few hours after that touchy-feely person left the store.  The possibility of germs coming from a new, unsealed lipstick is slightly overwhelming. 

The final look--this picture doesn't really capture the true plum tones that this look gives.  The picture above is slightly too pink however it does highlight the nice gloss coverage and pigmentation that the lipstick gives.

ELF Haul

Cheap makeup...most people either embrace it or shun it.  When I use the word cheap I'm making reference to the price, not the quality.  There is probably MORE makeup that works well at a lower price point than you would find at the department store.  I love going to Walgreens, CVS, RiteAid, etc and searching for a deal.  I like it even more when I can find items for "buy one get one free" or even 1/2 off.  I even love digging through the clearance bins in search of a deal.  I discovered one of my favorite lip glosses (Rimmel's Vinyl Shine gloss in "Surreal") in a clearance bin once and I never ignored those bins again!

After watching YouTube and reading blogs I discovered the ELF (Eyes Lips Face) brand.  Even though I have a local Target, it's not sold there so my first exposure to the brand came via my local Kmart.  I bought a gloss and one of those awesome fillable palettes for a dollar.  After I bought a few shadows, I began to play with the brand.  I really found the quality to be good and for only a $1, the price couldn't be beat.  Soon after checking out the $1 items, I discovered the Studio Line on their website.  I ordered more items including the whole Studio Line brush set.  Majority of the items I ordered turned out well (there were a few duds) but for $1-$3 a piece, you can't really complain.

Below you will find my latest purchases from ELF and my thoughts about each one.

Pictured above are the items I recently ordered from eyeslipsface.com  At that time there was a coupon for 55% off (except for the 100 eyeshadow palette) every item site wide.

I purchased the 100 eyeshadow palette, 2 mineral blushes in "Rose" and "Bliss", a stipple brush, plumping lip glaze in "Oasis", nourishing cuticle pen and the daily brush cleaner.  My total including s & h was $25.05.

Pictured above is the Elf Mineral Blush in "Bliss". 
$5.00 each
I found this blush too lightly pigmented for my skin tone.  I had to layer this blush HEAVILY in order for it to appear.  I think this blush would be great for someone fairer than myself though.  The texture of both blushes I ordered is nice and easy to work with. 

Above is the Elf Mineral blush in "Rose".  I really like this color.  I can layer this blush on lightly for a slight flush on my cheeks or I can put this on heavier for a more dramatic look.  This color suits my skin tone better and would be great for either warm or cool skin tones.

"Rose" is on the left (in the picture it appears more coral than it actually is) and "Bliss" is swatched on the right.

Top picture-plumping lip glaze in "Oasis" (with flash)
Bottom picture-same gloss (without flash)

$1.00

This gloss is nice but doesn't last as long as I would prefer.  The gloss has two ends and on one end there is the plumping formula which is milky-white in color.  You apply this before you apply the colored gloss.  I noticed slight plumping action but it mainly made my lips tingle than do anything else.  The color is nice though and I like the gloss well enough despite its so-so plumping action.

Pictured above-Elf's 100 Eyeshadow Palette

$10.00

I really debated on getting this palette.  I watched Emilynoel's video reviewing it and that is what swayed me.  I already have the Coastal Scents 88 palette (which I like) so I wasn't sure if this would be too similar.  Now that I have the palette, I'm glad I ordered it.  I have the original 88 palette so I feel that the Elf palette provides more shimmering colors than the 88 palette does.  If you have the metallic or shimmer 88, then this may be too similar for you.  There are matte shades and some shimmers.  There is also a few glitter shadows as well.  I believe this palette is worth the $10 it costs however not all the shadows are winners.  There are some in the palette which are poorly pigmented but there are some great shades (which I plan on swatching for my next blog).  Overall it's a good buy.  The price of this palette is lower than the 88 and you get more colors but the pigmentation in the 88 palette is better.  It's not a tie but I think there is room for both palette's in my collection.


The other 3 items I bought were as follows-

Nourishing Cuticle Pen
$1.00
I think I would like this product better if I could actually use it.  The pen applicator is extremely dry and became lodged in the casing.  There is a small tip of the applicator still exposed which does dispense tiny amounts of oil but it's a hassle to use.  This purchase was a dud.

Daily Brush Cleaner
$3.00
I've read a lot online about this cleaner.  Some hate it and say it stinks and some don't mind the smell.  I think the cleaner works well.  It is definitely not a deep cleansing product but its great to use everyday.  The smell is strong but nothing I can't look past.  I recommend this product for cleaning smaller brushes but I don't find it as useful on my blush or powder brushes since the product doesn't saturate the bristles enough.

Stipple Brush
$3.00
I have all of the Studio Line brushes which are by far my favorite Elf purchases.  They work well, don't shed and are extremely cheap ($3.00 a piece except for the kabuki brush which is $5.00 for the small one and $8.00 for the larger version).  When I saw that they added a stipple brush to the collection, I was excited.  I feel that this stipple brush is a good deal and is a great beginner brush for those unfamiliar with how to use a stipple brush.  I do find that the hairs are not as dense as I would prefer but the brush does a good job overall and is a neat way to save money since MAC's version-the 187-costs $42.00!!