It's been a while and I have a lot to share! I've picked up some new goodies lately and I wanted to share them with you before sales/promotions have ended. I also wanted to share the new Target Beauty Bag contents if you don't already know about that awesome freebie!
Lets get started!
Here are some great drugstore products I've picked up-
Below is Maybelline's Colossal Volume Express mascara. I've heard some people like this mascara and since I'm always willing to try a new one, I gave it a shot. It's not bad but it did transfer somewhat under my eyes. I do like the brush however and I do feel that it added nice volume to my itty bitty lashes. You can pick up a tube at your nearby CVS/Walgreens for around $5.
The next goodie is a concealer. I still battle under-eye circles and I've read decent reviews about Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser.
It's basically a concealer that you twist to make the product come through a soft applicator tip. Does it work? It works enough for me to want to finish the bottle but not well enough for me to purchase again. I find the formula lasts and doesn't crease but is a little thin and doesn't cover my circles well enough. It's available for around $9.
Right now CVS is having their 50%-75% off beauty sale. A few times each year CVS puts certain products on sale with deep discounts. If you go to your local CVS you should see a wide variety of items for 50% and 75% off. I picked up a few recently that I wanted to share.
For 75% off, I picked up this nice Revlon Custom Eyes palette in Metallic Chic that was originally priced at $9.97.
L-R- a soft gray, a medium bronze, a warm gold, a deep green and a cool gray.
For 75% off I also picked up a bottle of Sally Hansen's HD nail color in DVD! I also picked up a bottle of Sinful Colors polish in 24/7 at my local Rite Aid which is pictured below as well. DVD is showing up blue in the picture below but it is really a deep, glittery purple. 24/7 is a hot pink that is super bright. Sally Hansen's HD polish is usually priced near $6 a bottle and Sinful Colors is always $1.99/bottle.
I also picked up Loreal's HIP pencil in Gold Charge. I've been looking for a replacement for my Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Baked and this is not a bad trade. This pencil was originally priced right under $10 and I got it for 75% off.
Swatch of Gold Charge
I love when things are on sale but I also love getting things for free. If you are not familiar with the Target Beauty Bag then let me fill you in. A few times each year Target gives out a beauty bag which is basically a makeup bag filled with samples and coupons. Usually you can request one via their website but their last beauty bag was available to only those who subscribe to their Target Style Facebook page. I was lucky enough to request one before they were all gone and mine came in about a week ago. Hopefully Target will release another one soon since they seem to do that every few months. They are always free!
Pictured above is the Target beauty bag with samples of the following-
1 Contents makeup bag
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch sunblock
Tresemme Split Remedy Conditioner
Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo
Sample of Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
Aveeno's Daily Detoxifying Scrub
Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo/Conditioner samples
Target Coupon Booklet
Another freebie I want to share is currently available at Macy's and www.macys.com If you are in the need for a new foundation or skin care product from Estee' Lauder, now is the time to pick one up. For each foundation/skin care purchase you make that is $35 or more, you can get the free gift pictured below. Do note that my free gift differs from the one that is currently being offered online (the gift online is a tote bag instead of the makeup bag and has a comb included instead of the lipstick tray). In order to get this free gift I purchased a bottle of Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation in Ecru which retails for, you guessed it-$35.
Free gift includes makeup bag, Pure Color lipstick in Crystal Pink, Sumptuous mascara in Black, Resilience Lift face and neck creme, Resilience Lift eye creme, Perfectionist [CP+R] serum and a lipstick storage tray.
If free Estee Lauder and Target samples were not enough, my mother in law added the icing to the cake this week with some more freebies she bestowed upon me. She had recently ordered some Mally makeup (www.QVC.com) and she didn't like the colors so she gave me the whole kit instead! Of course I took the makeup with a smile since I've been wanting to try Mally makeup for such a long time. I received 3 mascara's, 3 eyeshadow sticks, 3 lip gloss tubes and 2 eyeliners.
First let me share the gloss. Each color is very lovely and let me say I've enjoyed wearing this gloss lately. It's pigmented and stays on without drying out my lips or without being sticky. My favorite color is Mally's Baby. It's coral/pink shade with shimmer. You can purchase High Shine liquid lipstick at www.QVC.com for $20 each.
L-R- Fuzzy Navel, Orchid & Mally's Baby
I also have enjoyed both of the Evercolor Waterproof eyeliners. I've been wearing Tiger's Eye (deep brown) all week and it's held up nicely. Fierce Forest is a deep green that is unlike anything else I own. It doesn't smear and the staying power has been impressive. You can purchase a duo of these eyeliners for $22 at qvc.com
Top-Bottom- Tiger's Eye & Fierce Forest
Here are some swatches of the gloss & liner shades:
L-R- Fuzzy Navel, Orchid, Mally's Baby, Tiger's Eye & Fierce Forest
Today I found out how awesome the eyeshadow sticks are. The temperature here was over 95 degrees and these stayed on ALL DAY. Once you apply and they dry, they are not going anywhere. The eyeshadow sticks are my favorite Mally product that I've tried so far and I highly recommend them! They are available for $25 or for a set of two for $35.
Each eyeshadow shade comes in a retractable tube.
L-R (with flash)- Firework (shimmery champagne), Purple Rain (deep purple) & Twilight (taupe brown).
Same colors as above with no flash.
Last but not least I tried a tube of Mally's volumizing mascara in Black. This was my least favorite Mally product. It applies well and does volumize nicely but it does transfer. This mascara is available at www.qvc.com for $20.00
You would think with all the freebies listed above that my makeup-loving self would be satisfied. I was until I made the mistake of hitting up the MAC and Lancome counters. I've had my eye on a few items for a while now and I decided to pick them up.
MAC Hug Me & Blankety Act lipsticks, MAC blush in Dollymix and Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara in Black.
Hug Me and Blankety Act have been on my makeup wishlist for some time now. Both are simple lipsticks that are perfect for everyday wear. Hug Me (Lustre) is slightly brown and has a nice sheen whereas Blankety Act (Amplified) is more of a pinky nude. Both are available at www.maccosmetics.com for $14.50/ea.
Dollymix is a hot pink blush with slight shimmer. The key to using Dollymix is to not be scared of the bright color. MAC blush is my favorite product that they carry and Dollymix doesn't disappoint. You can wear this color sheer or build it for more Oooomph! You can get Dollymix for $20.
Lancome's Hypnose Drama is my go-to mascara when I'm needing super-long, dark lashes. I don't care for this mascara for everyday wear since it does tend to transfer but it's great for occasional wear, especially if I am doing a smoky eye look. Each tube costs $26.
Top-Bottom-Hug Me, Blankety Act and Dollymix swatches
Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara wand
Close-up of MAC's Dollymix blush
Since my birthday was a few weeks ago, a good friend gifted me an awesome palette by Elf. If you read my blog often enough, you know I adore Elf makeup. Elf gives a lot of bang for your buck and their eyeshadow palettes are a great way to experiment with color without spending a lot of money. Pictured below is Elf's 100 piece eyeshadow palette (which differs from their pro palette). It's available at Target for $10-well worth every penny! A lot of these shades are perfect for the summer and some are dual colors that can be blended together to form another shade.
I wanted to share some other things I've been loving lately-
My new summer scarf :)
AND
I got to meet Rowlf the Dog-childhood fantasy come true!
