COSMETICS CUTIE: The Perfect Summer Glow

By Jen

I am not usually one for bronzer, but I got some sun over the weekend and decided I wanted to enhance my glow a little. Because I was out of my element, I decided to go with a bronzer that was basic and inexpensive. This led me to the Sephora Collection Sundisk in Copper.

This bronzer gives you a perfect sun kissed glow and if you have a natural tan, it enhances your skin tone and gives it some depth. Plus, this is a huge compact so the product will last for a long time and for $10, you can’t beat the value.

If you’re looking to give your skin a little something extra, try this bronzer. You’ll be sure to shine with that perfect summer glow!

Made by: Sephora Collection

Found at: Sephora

Price: $10

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FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Bridal Blemish Emergency!

After several years of relatively blemish-free skin, I awoke a couple weeks ago to a massive zit on my face. After a week of trying to make it go away without success, TWO MORE showed up to join it, AACK! I needed something I could count on to make them disappear before the big day. My fiancé is actually the one who found Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion.

This stuff is similar to calamine lotion and has some specific directions (whatever you do DON'T SHAKE IT) but it has worked great and I'll definitely keep it on hand as the Wedding Day nears (T-18).

Made By: Mario Badescu

Price: $17 (cheaper then a trip to the dermatologist or a pre-wedding breakdown)

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Eyeshadow For That Twinkle In Your Eye

By Jen

Eyeshadow is a fun and versatile way to easily change up your look.  When I venture out of my makeup comfort zone, I go for a duo eyeshadow because the complementary colors are laid out with little to no guesswork, making a cosmetic change of pace all the more manageable!

I especially love the Sephora Collection Colorful Duo Eyeshadow. It comes in ten shimmery shades (my personal fave is "Gorgeous Pink") and it’s easy to blend if you want to work any of these colors into your smokey routine. Whether you go bold or are looking for just a hint of sparkle, give this duo a try and you’ll be sure to spark a twinkle in your eye.

Made by: Sephora Collection

Found at: Sephora

Price: $16

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Gorgeous, Glamorous, Glossy Lips!

By Jen

 

If there is one beauty product I can't get enough of, it's lip gloss. It works for almost any occasion whether you layer it with your favorite color or wear it alone. I am a particular fan of the Sephora Collection Shimmer Harmony Gloss Palette.

With six colors to choose from, you can wear sparkly red or pale pink and with the small blending bowl, you can mix the colors together to make a shade all your own.


This palette has great versatility and a reasonable price, so give your lips the star treatment and swipe on this gloss for a truly glamorous look.

Made By: Sephora Collection


Found at: Sephora


Price: $12

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COSMETICS CUTIE: You’re Positively Glowing!

By Jen

Valentine’s Day is Monday and whether you’re preparing for a romantic evening with your man or a girls night out on the town, you should be rocking fabulous make-up!

In the spirit of this romantic holiday, I recommend a romantic palette. Sweep on some shimmery eye shadow, give those lashes a subtle pop with a delicate mascara wand and swipe on some lip-gloss.

You’ll also need blush, courtesy of NARS. In a series of twenty suggestive shades from “Torrid” to “Orgasm,” you can have a Valentine’s glow with hints of sparkle and shimmer you can't get from your everyday blush.

If you’re going for the natural blush that accompanies a Valentine’s Day romance, then more power to you, but for the rest of us, NARS blush will keep you glowing all night long.

Made by: NARS

Found at: Sephora

Price: $27

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Building A Solid Foundation

By Jen

Freshmen year of college one of my roommates was obsessed with bare minerals. On a whim, I decided to try it and had a reaction. While the itching was no fun, I became intrigued by the idea of loose powder foundation.

Finding the right foundation is never an easy task. However, among loose powder, liquid and pressed powder foundations, I am by far the biggest fan of loose powder.

I especially love the Clinique Blended Face Powder. Not only does it provide coverage that stands up to its competitors, it does so without caking or streaking. Added pluses, it comes with it's own brush and its allergy tested, so no reactions here!

If you’re on the market for a new foundation, give loose powder a try. Your complexion will thank you for it.

Made by: Clinique

Found at: Sephora

Price: $20

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Hello Bright Eyes!

By Jen

I perpetually run late, which means my morning make-up routine sometimes gets the boot. It’s not my favorite ritual to sacrifice, but if this becomes the case, I make a split second decision and apply at least one product in the realm of cheeks, lips or eyes. The winning product is almost always mascara. With just the swipe of a mascara wand, you can make your eyes look brighter with little to no effort or time spent.

A great mascara to accomplish this goal is the L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara. The wand is perfect for separating lashes without clumping and it contains a mechanism to make sure you don’t get too much product on the wand. With the reasonable price and minimal effort it takes to apply, you can be sure this mascara will be your beauty routine timesaver.

Made by: L'Oreal

Found at: Ulta

Price: $8.99

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Eye Liner Up!

By Jen

I used to have a love-hate relationship with eye liner.  I loved what it did to define my eyes, but I hated how it would smudge almost immediately, no matter what brand I tried! I had sworn off eye liner for good when the gods of free samples smiled upon me and dropped in my lap a miniature Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner.

On first try, I was hooked and went out to purchase a full sized liner immediately. It’s the first waterproof eye liner I’ve worn that stays true to the name and is actually waterproof!  I love it in onyx (black) and it comes in four other colors from standard to surprising.  Added bonus, the cap is a sharpener, so you’ll never misplace it!

If you and eye liner have been on a break, I urge you give this one a try, you’ll be sure to commit for the long haul.

Made by: Smashbox Cosmetics

Found at: Sephora

Price: $19

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Out of Space? Not with this Brush Set!

By Jen

When packing for airline travel, efficiency is important; especially if you’re going to get your carry on luggage into an overhead bin without some serious struggling!  I for one have struggled with packing for quite some time, but when it comes to my make-up, I’m proud to say I’ve become an old pro at making my cosmetics travel proof. 

One of the easiest changes I made was investing in a set of travel brushes.  My all time favorite is a set of 4 duo brushes I picked up at CVS when I was in a bind.  Made by essence of Beauty, these are the ultimate space saving brushes. They come in their own zippered pouch and consist of four double-ended brushes.  There’s a fine-precision brush, a smudge-brow brush, a touch up-conceal brush and a smokey-angle brush.

With their small size and multi-purpose functionality, these brushes will give you one less headache as you complete your holiday travels.  At the very least, they’ll help you start the New Year off right by fulfilling that resolution to become a more organized traveler!

Happy New Year!

Made by: essence of BEAUTY

Found at: CVS

Price: $9.99

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COSMETICS CUTIE: Sultry, Sexy, Smokey…Eyes

By Jen

There is nothing more glamorous than a smokey eye.  The sultry mix of perfection and imperfection adds an astonishing intensity to any ensemble.  However, my love for the smokey eye did not come easily, in fact I fought it for a long time simply because I struggled with perfecting the application. 

The varying brushes and the choices in shade color alone can make this an overwhelming process.  With that in mind, I decided the only way I would be able to master the smokey eye would be with some guidance.  Enter the smokey eye tutorial kit by Too Faced.

I chose this kit because it contains a variety of smokey palettes and even comes with instructional cards.  It holds three smokey style choices; the darker palette is great for a night out, the brown palette works for day and if you’re looking for something unexpected, the blue and green palette is really fun!  Further, the brush that comes in this kit has a great angled tip for applying eye shadow on the lash line.

If you're not too confident about this make up style, investing in this kit might be just the boost you need!  Before you know it people will be asking you for make up tips!

Made By: Too Faced

Found at: Sephora

Price: $35.00

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COSMETICS CUTIE: You better watch out, and Rock that Red Pout!

By Jen

Last week I was told I would need to rock a set of red lips for a performance.  I was mildly terrified because I have stayed away from bright red lipsticks since some bad middle school make-up experimentation.  Clown comparisons were made, and it was not pretty.  I must admit, after the red lipstick transformation I’ve been through this week, I did my self a great disservice by staying away from this trend for so long!  Unfortunately red lipstick is not something you can go and pick out on the fly unless you have some idea of what you want.  As a red lipstick novice, I went on quite a journey.