Drugstore Love Affair: Spotlight on L’Oreal HiP

And now, ladies and gentlemen, a post that I have been meaning to write for AGES! So here it is, my chance to share with you one of my favorite drugstore brands: L’Oreal High Intensity Pigment cosmetics. With HiP, L’Oreal has created a line of smooth, crease-resistant eye shadows in a large range of colors with relatively high color payoff, and some of the creamiest, richly colored eyeliners in all of CVS. And Walgreens. And wherever else they may exist. Let the swatches commence!

Eye shadows

Without flash

With flash

Cream Shadow Paint in Commanding – a brown, shimmery, eye shadow that can be used on its own or as a base. I love it as an eyeshadow, though heavy-handedness can lead to creasing, and it does great as a base as well.

Metallic Shadow Duo in Platinum – I love the silver shadow in this duo – it is *so* shimmery and pigmented! The black is not as pigmented as I would have liked, but it with some layering you can get it dark enough for a smoky eye look.

Matte Shadow Duo in Striking – I don’t really know when I’m ever going to use a yellow shadow, but I adore how bright this one is! I wish the navy shadow was a bit more pigmented, but like the black one, you can get it fairly dark through layering. If only I had the patience! Or any patience. Of any kind.

Concentrated Shadow Duo in Lively – I don’t get what’s so lively about this one… it strikes me as the dullest (and least-pigmented) of the three. You can’t really tell here, but both shadows have a bit of shimmer to them, which I like. I feel like they could both be really pretty if they just had higher color payoff! :/

Eyeliners

Kohl Eyeliner in Burgundy – All the Kohl eyeliners come in little tubes filled with loose powder with a little applicator, kind of like liquid eyeliner except… powder. This one produces a *lot* of fallout, which is kind of a deal breaker for me. HOWEVER – if you are willing to deal with some major under-eye clean up time post-application, it has a really pretty color and is easily smudge-able for a smoky eye look.

Color Chrome Eyeliners in Gold Charge, Violet Volt, and Black Shock - As mentioned previously, I adore these liners. They are creamy, smooth, *very* highly pigmented, and stay put once you have them on – no fading or smudging throughout the day. I’ve tried a lot of drugstore liners, and these are definitely my favorite. I just wish they came in a wider range of colors – there’s these three plus one other silver one and that’s it. :(

Makeup-Free February Update

Well, I’ve managed to resist the temptation of buying makeup for one whole week. I’m actually pretty proud of myself – there were a couple times where I almost gave in – like when I found out Sephora.com was having free shipping for orders over $25 during Superbowl weekend – but I managed to stop myself at the last minute. And I do mean the very last minute – as in I had filled my shopping cart, picked out my samples, and started entering my shipping information before my mind got the better of me.

Okay, so I might have bought a Soap & Glory face mask. And a hair mask. And a set of EcoTools brushes. Maybe. But there was NOTHING in my resolution about masks & brushes. It was all about makeup. So… I’ve broken no resolutions! Mwahaha!

…in pictures

…some requested, some just ‘cuz I feel like it :)

The cashmere sweater! It's sooo soft...

Olive bearing her fangs

And Max, curled into an awkward position to hide his deformed body (these two are for Arianne <3)

I got mah nails did for the first time in, like, 2 years last week (Pamplona Purple from the OPI España collection)

Stash part 1. I am the epitome of organized.

Stash part 2. There's even more in the drawer below it. And a mug full of eyeliner above it. :o

Hope you’re all having a great weekend. I have today & Friday off, but I’m trying to avoid the mall (to resist the temptation of Sephora) and I don’t really know what to do with myself! Ah well, I can always do some therapeutic chocolate shopping ;)

<3 Rebecca

Frederic Fekkai: making the world more brilliant, one hair at a time

Ah, New England winters and me… we’ve never really gotten along. How could we? It’s only ever brought me bad moods, numb hands, dry skin, and dry, dull, static-y hair.

Now, the static I don’t think there’s much I can do about, but I decided a few weeks ago it was time to officially take a stand against dry, dull hair as a big “screw you!” to winter. I started with Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing shampoo ($23 for 8 oz.).

FFBGS, as it shall be known henceforth (er, did I forget to mention it’s talk-like-you’re-from-the-17th-century day?), makes some pretty big claims – apparently, it uses “breakthrough encapsulation technology to help deliver brilliantly reflective shine from root to tip.” I have absolutely no idea what all the “breakthrough encapsulation technology” shizz is about, but the brilliant shine part sounded nice, so I picked up a bottle.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that FFBGS contains olive oil, which at first freaked me out a little. I mean, as counterintuitive as it may seem, my hair does get oily. Even though it’s dry. Same goes for my face. Yup, I’ve got the best of both worlds. Anyway, oil didn’t really sound like something I wanted to put in my hair, but I figured I ought to give it a try anyways.

It actually was quite evident in my first trial using FFBGS that it contained oil – it felt heavier than most shampoos and didn’t really work into a lather. It has a light smell, which is a plus in my book – I’m not a big fan of strong, perfume-y smelling shampoos. I didn’t notice much of a change in my hair at first, but once it had dried, I was surprised to find it looked significantly shinier & healthier than it had before. I’ve been using it every day since, and not only does it look glossier and moisturized, it also feels softer and more manageable. Best of all, the oil doesn’t weigh it down or make it look greasy!

Overall: 4/5. Makes hair look & feel shinier and healthier. Would be 5/5 if it wasn’t so pricey.

Makeup-free February: a resolution

So remember that haul I told you about? The “first haul of 2010?” Well, that wasn’t the only haul I had last month. Not even close. In fact, I think January has been my most haul-full month of the year. And unfortunately, while I am a big fan of drugstore cosmetics, most of what I buy comes from Sephora and costs quite a bit.

As a cashier, I don’t make that much money, but it’s a good amount for someone my age who doesn’t need to pay rent/food expenses. Despite the fact that I initially had plans to save up my money to buy a laptop and (someday) a car, I always, without fail, end up spending nearly all my money on makeup as soon as I get my hands on that paycheck. Which brings me to my resolution for February: No more makeup purchases!

I know I’m way too much of a makeup junkie to quit cold turkey, so I’ve made a few exceptions. I can buy makeup:
1) If there’s a really, really, really good sale happening. I’m talking, like, 75% off here. And even then I can’t buy much.
2) If I run out of/lose my mascara or concealer, because those are essentials for people with skin & eyelashes like mine…

My goal is to save 70% of the money I earn this month and NOT withdraw it on a later date to spend on more makeup. (And just so you know, this doesn’t mean I won’t be posting makeup reviews – I’ve got tons of makeup that I haven’t made posts for yet, and hopefully this will give me the push to getting around to doing them!)

I’ll let you know how it goes!

NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Skorpios – Review & Swatches

It’s time for me to come clean: I have a pretty major addiction to copper eye shadows & liners. I try to expand my color selection, and I think I’ve done pretty well – I’ve got purples, browns, greens, blues, blacks, even some muddy reds…. But I always feel myself being drawn back to the copper pencils and shadows of every makeup store.

So you can imagine the joy that accompanied encountering my first NARS Soft Shadow Stick in Skorpios ($24), a metallic copper (the best kind ^^). It functions as a highlighter, shadow, and liner (though it’s a bit thick to be used as a liner, especially if you like crisp lines).

Swatched on my wrist

Blended

As you can see, it’s pretty light, though it’s still a bit too dark to be used on my skin as a highlighter. I mainly use it as a shadow, and it gives my lid a nice subtle sparkle while darkening them just a little. It’s easily blendable and great to wear to work or school, but! do NOT skip the primer on this one, or it’ll crease like nobody’s business. Granted, I have fairly oily lids and most eyeshadows crease on me without primer, but this is one of the worst I’ve used. After just 3 or 4 hours of wear, a good amount of copper shadow had built up in the crease on my eyelid, and even with primer it starts to cake up by the end of the day.

Overall: 3/5. Nice color, blendable, but creases very easily

Dear drugstore foundation companies:

You and I have had a long history together – going on three years now. It seems like just yesterday that I was browsing down the aisle of CVS when I spotted a little tube of Maybelline foundation, strategically placed under a poster of a model with perfectly clear, smooth, radiant skin – all of which the foundation promised to deliver. I was hesitant at first. Do I really need this? What if it looks thick and obvious? What if it doesn’t make a difference at all? But then I caught sight of my face in the mirror next to the eyeshadows, looking sallow and wan under the store’s fluorescent lights. Maybe it will help with those dark circles, or the redness on my chin. Maybe it’s worth a try.

Fifteen minutes and nine dollars later, I was back at home, anxiously pulling my first bottle of foundation out of it’s cardboard and plastic casing. I squeezed some on to the tips of my fingers… huh, that doesn’t look right. Maybe it’ll change when I spread it on to my skin.

Well guess what, Maybelline foundation? You let me down. Guess what, all FIVE other drugstore foundations I’ve tried? You let me down. Here’s a little news flash for you:

NOT EVERYONE HAS YELLOW UNDERTONES. SOME OF US DO NOT APPRECIATE LOOKING LIKE OOMPA LOOMPAS. We’re not all Snookis and Lindsay Lohans, for Christ’s sake!

So here’s a crazy idea for you: start making foundations without the yellow tint, for us really pale ladies out there. Believe it or not, I think there’s a pretty significant untapped market out there of women who want cheap makeup for their fair skin.

For now, I hate to say it, but I’m giving up on you. I think six chances are more than enough.

Sincerely, Rebecca

P.S. Does anybody have any ideas for what to do with six bottles of unused foundation?

First haul of the decade, Pardon me, & major sale alert!

Okay, so I’m not really a big fan of haul posts, but I went shopping last weekend for THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR!

Yes, I know, it’s been 2010 for like, three weeks, but still.

Clockwise from left: CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast in Citrus Flair, Frederic Fekkai glossing shampoo, Benefit Gee... That Was Quick! makeup remover, Dior Hydraction Serum for eyes, on10 Mickey Mouse lip balm, Calvin Klein eye shadow in Gold Lamé, MAC Powerpoint pencil in Uniform, and NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Skorpios

It’s not exactly huge, but there was a cashmere sweater at BCBG Max Azria calling my name. Which sadly left me without much money to spend at Sephora. Sad face.

Now to get rid of that sad face, or any sad/angry/unhappy face you may be experiencing due to the fact that tomorrow is Monday…

Watch this. Please. I’ve watched it about seventeen times, and I think it may be stuck in my head permanently. But it is SO worth it.

[Thanks to Robert Popper, who I found this through. And muchos gracias to Vanessa, who told me how to embed videos into a post. (You copy and paste the code that says "embed" on youtube. I am an idiot.)]

P.S. I just went to CVS and they are having a HUGE SALE!!! Like, 75% off select makeup products, and they selected quite a few! Most of the sale items are lip sticks & glosses, though there are some eye shadows and foundations on sale as well.*

*about the foundation thing – almost all the foundations on sale are only on sale for darker shades. I’m not sure why, and maybe it’s just my local CVS being silly, but if you’re a dark skinned lady I would check it out, because there could be quite a large (and cheap!) selection for you!