Posts tagged ‘maybelline’
I ♥ Duane Reade
The drug store is one of my favorite places on earth. Whether I’m going in to refill a prescription or buying a new batch of toilet paper, I inevitably walk out with a plastic bag full of extra unnecessary goodies. And it’s never a “quick trip”. I can spend hours in Duane Reade, meandering through every aisle from lotions to bandaids, excited at the prospect of filling my medicine, beauty, and cleaning cabinets with more more more!
There’s something thrilling about testing new products, especially when they’re sold at moderate prices. I don’t think I’ve ever purchased the same toothbrush twice in a row (I like to change up the bristles and colors!), and discovering new cleaning products gets me as excited as the house wife I have yet to become.
Since I discuss a lot of my pricier beauty products on here, I thought I’d share with you some of my latest discoveries and staples that can be purchased at your closest Walgreens, Duane Reade, Rite Aid, CVS, and if you’re lucky, grocery store.
From left to right: Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch, Cherry Me, & Grape Vine; Revlon lipstick in Sultry Sable, Wink For Pink, & Kiss Me Coral
I buy a significant amount of my lipstick from Duane Reade. My favorite brand is Revlon as I find it lasts the longest, has the largest variety of colors, and offers a number of different finishes from matte to shiny. I’ve also recently become obsessed with Maybelline “Baby Lips”. I have them in every color and find that they’re perfect for when I want something a bit more subtle. They also smell and taste good…
From left to right: L’Oreal Power Volume Mascara, Revlon Color Stay Eyeliner, Covergirl eyeshadow, Revlon eyeshadow
Even though DiorShow Mascara is my #1 go-to, I like to switch up brands every once in awhile. L’Oreal’s Power Volume Collagen mascara coats the lashes evenly while still giving a touch of clump for that extra full look. I’m still mastering the art of the cat eye, but have found the angular brush and dense color in Revlon’s Color Stay eyeliner to yield the best results. Now it’s all about steadying my hands. And while I’m not big on eyeshadow, I love the color variety in these CoverGirl and Revlon palettes.
From left to right: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, Garnier Moisturizing Gel, Aquaphor
The lotion aisle may be my biggest time waster, which is kind of silly since I really don’t moisturize my body enough. I’ve tried a number of different brands but Cetaphil remains the winner for least greasy application. I go through face lotion by the month and sometimes it’s just not worth spending a fortune on. So I alternate each month using either Dr. Jart’s Water Sure Gel from Sephora or Garnier’s Moisturizing Gel (they’re both ridiculously refreshing). I cannot praise Aquaphor enough. From nurturing my chapped lips to hydrating dry skin on the go, these tubes can be found in every single one of my handbags.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, Almay Makeup Eraser Sticks
Since I wear mascara and eyeliner on a daily basis, finding a good eye makeup remover is crucial for the cleanliness of my white pillow cases. I use Dove Cold Cream for the initial removal and then follow up with Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. I like to keep Almay Makeup Eraser Sticks with me for days when my liner or mascara get a little too smudgy.
Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Deodorizer, Simple Soothing Facial Toner, Burt’s Bees Sugar Scrub
I used to use Dove’s deodorant religiously. But then my friend introduced me to a natural deodorizer that works as well as an antiperspirant and smells divine. Arm & Hammer’s Natural Deodorizer feels like butter when I put it on and lasts me throughout the day unlike many of the other natural deodorants I’ve tried. After washing my face at night, I like to use a light toner to wipe off any extra dirt or makeup. Simple’s Soothing Facial Toner is alcohol free and leaves my skin looking as refreshed as it could look at the end of the day. And lastly, I’m all for weekly exfoliation. Since I go through these pretty quickly, I try not to spend too much money on them. Burt’s Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub is moderately priced, smells like candy, and does a heavy duty job on scrubbing away any excess skin.
Do you have any drug store favorites? If you do tell me so I can go waste some more time in my favorite store.
A Week in Review
My new breakfast obsession: homemade blueberry banana cacao smoothies
I woke up this morning and I swear I could smell spring. Aside from the cliché of birds chirping (they were), there was a crispness in the air that had a hint of sweetness you could almost taste. Then of course I went outside with Finn and remembered that it’s still freezing and that I should have worn my puffer coat. But now that we’re over the hump of the worst two months of winter, I can really start to look forward to all the things to come. Like iced coffee. And barbecues. And frequent foot massages because my toes will finally be visible and will thus need constant pedicures! It’s the little things, you know?
And as far as this weekend goes, I plan to appreciate the little things that come with it like friends birthdays, mornings spent writing, and oysters for dinner tonight.
My best friend is engaged! Badabing badaboom!
Hands down the best tinted moisturizing lip balm I’ve ever come across
Bring it on Spring. I am ready for you.
An adorable clutch with a debatable statement (just kidding)
Like this jacket? Want it? I’m selling it and more of my wardrobe HERE!
Beauty Board – The Essentials
I recently got an email from a reader asking there were any new products added to my must-have items. Seeing as how my last Beauty Board post was well over a year ago, you better believe I’ve introduced all kinds of new products into my routine! So much so that I’ve actually decided to divide this post up into two: the essentials and the subsidiaries.
Today I bring you the essentials, which are all listed below:
Hair:
Bumble & Bumble Seaweed Shampoo | Aveda Color Conserve Conditioner | Moroccanoil Hydrating Cream |Frederic Fekkai Full Blown Volume Spray |Moroccanoil Hydrating Mask
I’m still a believer that your shampoo and conditioner don’t have to be by the same brand. I love the smell and freshness of Bumble and Bumble’s Seaweed Shampoo and how Aveda’s Color Conserve Conditioner not only leaves my hair super soft, but keeps me nice and blonde throughout each season! Moroccanoil is my BFF — this Hydrating Cream keeps my waves intact without giving them any of that icky crunch that comes from so many products. Sometimes I like to add a little more volume to my roots, so I spray a bit of Fekkai’s Full Blown Volume Spray onto them and then blast them with a hairdryer for a minute or so. And when I’ve spent too much time pooling around or think my locks could use an extra bit of love, I spend 10-15 minutes with Moroccanoil’s Hydrating Mask in my hair, which make it super shiny.
Skin:
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser | Clarisonic Mia | Fresh Soy Moisturizing Cream SPF 20 | Mario Badescu Drying Lotion | Neosporin | Mario Badescu Cucumber Tonic Mask
In the past year I’ve run into pimples, something that I’ve never really had a problem with. I think I’m finally starting to get them under control with Fresh’s Soy Face Cleanser and the Clarisonic Mia, which I use only at night. I’m a firm believer in lotion with sunblock and found that Fresh’s Soy Moisturizing Cream is not only light (aka doesn’t clog pores) but also has SPF 20. Win. When I do have an outbreak, I switch between using Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion one night and Neosporin the other. The last thing you want to do is dry out your skin so much that it has to make oils for itself. I also try to use Mario Badescu’s Cucumber Tonic Mask once a week (often when I’m using the aforementioned Moroccanoil Hydrating Mask — I look really pretty during these moments).
Concealer:
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer | Bare Escentuals Original Foundation | e.l.f. Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter | Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
Concealer can be really gross. I hate when you see people with it so caked on to their face that if you drew a fingernail across their cheek you would pick up residue. Barf. Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer is a fantastic concealer as it’s extremely thin. I really only use it on my t-zone and then follow up with a bit of Bare Escentuals Original Foundation to even everything out. On occasion I will use e.l.f.’s Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter for days when the bags are too big to carry onboard and Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage for icky breakouts.
Lips:
Nars Bronzer in Laguna | Nars The Multiple Orgasm | Benefit Moon Beam | Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Pale Gold
My cheek routine is pretty minimal. I’d say on a day-to-day basis I really only use Nars Bronzer, but sometimes it’s fun to jazz things up in which I use a smidge of Nars Orgasm cream blush. I’m always a fan of the tanned and dewy look, so if I’m going out at night or feel like trying something different, I’ll use Benefit’s Moon Beam and Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil on my cheek bones, the bridge of my nose and around my brow line. It’s supposed to be an eyeshadow pencil, but I have yet to use it as such.
Eyes:
gloMinerals gloCream in Espresso | Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler | DiorShow Mascara | Yves Saint Laurent Eyeliner
The eyes are the most important part of my makeup routine, and I have to say, not much has changed in terms of products. There isn’t a day that I don’t use gloMinerals gloCream eyeliner, you all know how much I love my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, and I always top things off with DiorShow mascara. Sometimes at night I’ll darken things up with a black eyeliner or cat eye look in which I use Yves Saint Laurent’s felt tip eyeliner.
Lips:
MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo | Revlon ColorBurst Lip Gloss in Papaya | Lucas’ Papaw Ointment | Egyptian Magic Balm | Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry
Oh, lips! You are so fun to decorate! Recently I’m all about the reds and rarely venture away from them. MAC’s Lipstick in Ruby Woo is my immediate go-to (it doesn’t smudge, goes on evenly, and immediately pumps up a look), but for something a little less dramatic I use Revlon’s ColorBurst Lip Gloss in Papaya, which still adds a solid amount of color but is less in your face. I’m a big lip balm addict and use Lucas’ Papaw Ointment all throughout the day (you can find it at one of my favorite NYC shops, 143 Ludlow) and Egyptian Magic right before I go to bed at night. For subtle color that still has some moisturizer in it, I use Maybelline’s Baby Lips in Cherry.
And that’s a beauty essentials wrap!
