Essence

While shopping around Ulta the other day, I came across an inexpensive brand of cosmetics called Essence.  I don't think anything there was more than $5.  Since drugstore makeup has come a long way, I thought for the price, why not try them.  I purchased three eyeshadows and three nail polishes.  The eyeshadows are pretty big, .08 oz.  As you can see in the picture, the eyeshadows are quite pigmented.  I have worn the dark brown shade called "Get Ready" with my Naked Palette and it held up as well as the Urban Decay did.  Which was impressive as the price for the shadows is only $2.99!  They have a decent variety of colors, and come in different finishes.  They go on well, though I recommend using an applicator or your finger, not a brush...they just seem to go on better that way.  Some of the colors are a bit bright, and I think the line is geared toward teens but if your looking for some fun, inexpensive makeup to play with, I'd try it!  The nail polish bottles are small, .16 fl oz, but honestly, when was the last time you used an entire bottle of nail polish?  I bought all pastels and the colors are really pretty, and wear well, and the best part is they are .99 each.  In the below pictures, the nails match up with the nail polish (except the pink one) .



Metropolitan (sparkling effect), Get Ready (shimmer effect) and Party all  night (metallic effect)
Polishes are Dress for a Moment (purple), Modern Romance (peach) and You Belong to Me (green)



Forever 21 Goodies

My daughter and I went shopping on Saturday to celebrate her birthday.  We hit up Kroger (great makeup selection!), then O'Charleys for lunch, then decided to head down to one of our local malls.  We didn't go in many stores, just Macys and Forever 21 (and of course got some cookies from The Cookie Company).  We checked out one of the new MAC collections, Daphne Guinness, and I wanted to get the cremesheen glass, Japanese Spring....it was so pretty, a milky pink color.  Unfortunately it was really crowded, and there was a DJ there playing ridiculously loud club music.  I like music, but we had to shout over each other to be heard.  We waited for about 10 mins but the heat of the lights combined with the music was just too much, so we left.  After I checked myself out in regular light, I decided that I didn't really want the lipglass after all.  So off we went to Forever 21.  It was equally hot in there, and if you stare at all the clothes for too long, you could get dizzy lol.  Mostly we checked out the jewelry and makeup and found some really cute things, and one GREAT makeup purchase.  My daughter got a few pairs of earrings, some pretty hair clips and some nail polish.  I got a pair of earrings, some nail polish, a lipgloss, and a makeup palette.  This is where we scored.  It's called the Natural Palette and it very closely resembles the Naked Palette.  The colors are extremely similar except it has less sparkly colors, and more mattes and shimmers.  I swatched it after I paid for mine, so my daughter could see if she wanted it.  Great color payoff.  I wore it today to work and it lasted all day (with UD primer potion).  If I didn't already have the Naked Palette, I wouldn't have bought it after getting this.  And best of all it was $6.80!  Yes, that's right, $6.80!!  What a steal it was!  Made the whole trip worth it.  I had heard their makeup was decent, but didn't realize how much so until I got this.  They also had a Smokey Palette, with darker colors and more black and greys.  There were only about 6 of each and it was a relatively new display, but it's definitely worth the trip if you can snag one.  I checked the website and it's not listed anywhere.  Not sure what that means, but if you can find it, grab it!

Nail polish is in Lavender

I didn't take a  picture of the swatches, but they really are nice, especially for the price!

L'Oreal "Balm"

With the huge demand for the Revlon Lip Butters, I figured it wouldn't be long before other cosmetic lines joined the lip butter/gloss/lipstick/balm bandwagon.  And I have to say L'Oreal is off to a great start with their version called "Balm".  The color selection is much smaller, I believe their are 7 or 8 compared to the 20 Revlon Lip Butters colors.  The packaging on the Balm is very sleek and "elegant" if you can use that word to describe a lip product.  They are square and sleek, with a gold bottom and inside tube.  The cover is a transparent version of the actual product, and you can see it on the top through the cover.  I've heard some people complain that it should be totally clear so you can see the product, but I don't agree, I think they look really "upscale" this way, and you can see the product through it enough to get the gist of what the color is.  I purchased Tender Mauve first, then went back and got Nourishing Nude and Pink Satin.  I plan on getting at least two more, Plush Plum and Caramel Comfort.  These are advertised as a tinted SPF 15 balm, and claims to keep your lips conditioned for up to 2.5 hrs after removing it.  I haven't timed it myself, but they do make my lips feel good, especially considering we are in the middle of winter.  They do not have a taste or scent to them, and you can put them on without a mirror, which is a plus for the busy gal that needs a swipe of color as she's heading out the door.  The color and conditioning feeling stays on for a while (as long as you aren't eating, drinking, etc).  They cost approx $8, though I've seen them for less then $7 at my local department stores (Meijer, Target, Walmart).  I recommend these, and I know they will especially come in handy in the summer when I'm looking for more of a minimalist feel to my make up.

Tender Mauve, 518

Nourishing Nude, 818

Pink Satin, 118

Tender Mauve, Nourishing Nude, Satin Pink (swatched heavily)

Leave a msg and tell me what your favorite lip products are!