Beauty Benefit

benefit cosmetics has always been one of my favorite beauty brands on the market.  with their adorable packaging, fun names and quality products, you just can't seem to go wrong with anything they make!

 

since moving to brentwood, i am that much closer to the benefit cosmetic store on montana avenue and have been going every three weeks to get my brows tinted and waxed for $32!  these girls know what they are doing and i can honestly say that the store is always packed with customers, a testament to their results!

 

the only problem i encounter when i head into benefit to get my brows done, is i end up leaving with a bag full of products i didn't realize existed until i tried them out.  one of those products is the  instant brow pencil in light...

if you tweezed a little too much in your lifetime and need a little help filling in where some hair is missing, this pencil is for you!  the color is spot on and it fills in your brows without them looking "drawn on" with the help of the brush at the end.  a permanent staple in my makeup bag now! 

my other favorite recent purchase is the finding mr. bright makeup kit...

 

this is the perfect kit if you like glowing skin and products that you can fit in your purse to take with you.  seriously, everything in this kit is amazing!  i had not used the girl meets pearl luminizer before and have to say thank goodness it had a mini size in here as i LOVE it.  i use it now every single day.  i feel flat without it. 

 

i have long been a fan of the posietint product, but love it even more in the travel size, since a little goes a long way!  again this product giver you a pretty, glowy, dewy complexion which is perfection!

 

i have already shared my love for high beam here and the love continues with the mini version.

 

the last perfect piece is the erase paste which is a soft creamy concealer which has brightening undertones to help conceal not only dark circles but also yucky blemishes.  the texture is creamy and doesn't leave your face dry and feeling cake-y like some other concealers do. 

 

best party about the kit is all four of these products are travel ready for under $30! 

 

i also shared my love of their they're real mascara earlier this year here. 

 

if you haven't already jumped on the benefit bandwagon, might i ask you to join me now, as looking fresh, dewy and bright is always in style.  also, if you live close to a benefit store, be sure to pop in and get your brows some loving, they do a marvelous job and it really makes all the difference in the world!

Sephora Staples

 

as much as i love my drug store beauty goods, there are just a few staples that require a visit to my local sephora.

 

during christmas i purchased this stila seeing stars smudge-stick waterproof eyeliner set fully intended to break it apart and gift each eyeliner to a friend and wouldn't you just know that i accidentally kept them all to myself and am hooked?  these eyeliners glide on so smoothly and they last all day long!  but what i love most about these eyeliners is they make lining the inner rim of your eye so simple and it actually stays put all night long (all night) - score!  plus it is important to mention that these liners are sold individually for $20 each so you are getting a steal of a deal at $32 for five of them! 

 

i love my l'oreal voluminous mascara oh so much and wanted to HATE the benefit they're real mascara so bad, but let me just tell you...THIS MASCARA IS AMAZEBALLS.  it really does make your lashes look extraordinary!  i purchased the travel size and was feeling sad when it began to dry up, but luckily for me sephora's b*day gift for beauty insiders in 2013 is a travel size of this mascara AND a travel size of the watt's up (which i am still learning how to use).  if you are still on the hunt for a kick-ass mascara, be sure to give this one a try, it's that good!

 

lastly, i have been blogging about urban decay's eyeshadow primer potion tube in sin for years and years now and i will continue to share this incredible product with anyone who is still clueless.  this stuff is a must-have for everybody, it is available in a variety of different shades (in case you hate shimmer) and is the perfect addition to any makeup bag.  it keeps your eyeshadow in place, is the perfect quick product to rub on your eyelids before hitting the gym or running errands and one tube lasts a whole year (if not more)!  i kind of go into panic mode when i am getting near the end of the tube in fear that i will run out. 

 

do you have any sephora staples i am missing out on and need to try out immediately?  do share! 

 

 

Drug Store Beauty Booty

it's that time again!  below are some of my favorite (and some serious fails) beauty products you can pick up at your local drug store. 

1 ~ l'oreal paris hip studio secrets professional color chrome eyeliner in silver lightening. i use this for my inner eyelids to lighten thing sup a little and it glides on so easily and stays put.  great product!

2 ~ organix nourishing coconut milk conditioner.  i love anything and everything coconut and tried this fabulous conditioner when a friend was in town.  it is a thick conditioner that really moisturizes and smells amazing.  i buy the travel size since i just use it at the ends of my hair and the scent in the shower is luxurious and the softness of my hair after using it is incredible.

3 ~ maybelline eye studio master precise liquid eyeliner.  i thought i my search for an over the counter liquid eyeliner was over when i found this one, but my thoughts they are a changing and i am now in love with this maybelline product.  it is about the easiest liquid liner to use and the color is true black and the thin tip allows you to really make it simple or layer it up and make it all dramatic.  amazing stuff.

4 ~ dove refresh+care invigorating dry shampoo.  if you have read my blog at all, you know that i rely heavily on dry shampoo to make my shampoos last that much longer. i have tried may dry shampoos and definitely have my faves but finding one for under $5 that actually smells good and works was sort of like hitting the jackpot for me (okay not even close - but i was happy). 

5 ~ l'oreal voluminous power volume 24h washable mascara is the mascara to beat all other mascaras.  i think that i am done searching for mascaras and it feels great to have one that is so wonderful and comes with such a little pricetag.  if you like any of l'oreal mascaras i am pretty darn sure you will love this one as well.  one coat provides great coverage and elongates those lashes.  two coats leaves you with a phenomenal set of lashes, no falsies needed.  seriously, do yourself a favor and give it a try.  it is a mascara to put an end to all other mascaras.

6 ~ burt's bees radiance serum.  i am a big fan of serums under my daily moisturizer and can no longer go without using one.  my fave serum is a bit of the pricey side ($65 min) and i am always on the hunt for a good serum for under $30.  when one of my fave bloggers sequins & stripes shared that she loved the burt's bees i set out to buy it immediately - only to find that it is really hard to find or always sold out wherever i go.  luckily one day i found it at cvs and i have been using it for over two months now and while i haven't noticed anything dramatic, i do think it has had a good effect on my skin.   

and now onto the fails, which luckily are outnumbered by the loves!

maybelline volum' express mega plus mascara - before i found my trusty l'oreal i tried out this mega plush one and was excited at the potential.  well i was a bit of an idiot and bought it in waterproof (which i hate) but had already opened it and was so mad at myself i went back and bought the normal version as well. 

big mistake.  the bendy brush that is supposed to be so helpful and allow for great ease of applying didn't bend at all and was actually on the flimsy side and annoyed me.  the mascara was also very wet and made my eyelashes stick together in wet long clumps leaving a less than desirable look.  i gave it 5 tries and then tossed it.  boo.

covergirl lineblast eyeliner - this little diddy was purchased for $12 in a von's grocery store in estes park underneath the stanley hotel in colorado.  i was low on my maybelline precise liner and wanted to get another one in case for the wedding and unfortunately all they had was this covergirl one.  i was hopeful and optimistic that this shorty would be even better than my maybelline product. 

not so much.  this liner is very wet and does not go on black even though the color is enduring black.  in fact my first time using it straight out of the package required me to go over the line i just drew three or four times to get the proper coverage i wanted.  i don't use the word hate very often (except when discussing magic) and i quite hate this product. 

there you have it my friends.  my fave (and least fave) drug store finds that are all under $10!  isn't it nice to save some cash-ola and spend it on something nice? 

any other drug store beauty i am missing out on that i must try!  please share!

Drug Store Beauty Booty

it took me over a month to finally find the maybelline baby lips lip balm in my local target after i searched any and every store in LA for this raved about product.  i ended up purchasing the grape vine color (pictured above) and have to say, i just love it!  less than $3.99 a tube and it leaves my lips with a pretty barely there tint, a light grape taste and baby soft lips.  plus the packaging is just adorable.  i forsee (if i can find them) many more baby lips lip balms in my future. 

i didn't think it was possible for me to find a liquid eyeliner pen that i loved as much as the stila one i raved about here, but believe it or not i did!  the revlon colorstay liquid eye pen was not immediately impressive to me as the color didn't come out as dramatic and black as i had hoped.  however, quick thinking on my part and storing the pen with the tip down made a big difference and i have been so happy with this product since. 

a lot of people ask me how i get my liquid liner so perfect and i always say the liquid eye pen is the trick.  this eyeliner stays on all day as it promises (even after a major sweat session at circuit works) and washes off pretty easily (with the help of almay eye makeup remover pads). 

this pen and i are going to lifelong friends.

i ran out of moisturizer recently and realized i have not bought any in a long time (thanks to my mom who always sends me her rejects or gifts me good stuff) and was a bit stumped as to what i should buy. 

i have always read such great things about olay products and decided that i would give the olay total effects 7-in-1 anti-aging daily moisturizer w/ spf 15 a shot.  i may have also been swayed that it was on sale if i am being completely honest. 

turns out i really like the stuff.  i haven't really noticed a lot of improvements to my skin, but i do like the consistency and spf factor.  i am not sure if i would buy it again, but i don't hate it! 

now i realize this isn't "technically" from a drug store, but it was only $7.50 so it seems to fit well enough into the category. 

i have been suffering from really dry lips these past few weeks and no matter the amount of product i smear on them, they still felt rough and flaky and totally hating it. 

last friday, i popped into bath and body works for some home scents and came back with some new scents as well as this tube of my favorite night balm by c.o. bigelow.  well i thought the package was a little cocky, i am quickly changing my tune as it has become my favorite night lip balm.  i apply it before i lay my head down and awake 5-6 hours later with balm still on my lips!  it's a miracle.  and in the short time i have been using it, i can see a vast improvement to the condition of my lips. 

buy this immediately...whomever you are kissing will thank you!

i've said it before and i will say it again.  eye cream as we get older is so important.  and not just any eye cream...hydrating eye cream.  moisturizer is our best bet again wrinkles and let me just tell you, this neutrogena ageless essentials continuous hydration eye cream does just that. 

santa brought me this little guy in my stocking this past christmas and i love it. i am almost at the end of the tube and will be buying it again once it is empty.  the cream leaves your eyes feeling soothed, moisturized and with a healthy sheen/glow.  my undereye concealer goes on so much smoother and doesn't cake or fall into the cracks. 

and those my friends are my favorite products as of late.  do you have any favorites that are missing from the list that i must try?  do you think there is a huge difference between drug store and retail beauty products?