When it comes to high end make up, there are only a few brands that really stand out (Chanel, NARS, YSL, Dior….to name a few). However, their prices can often be very high (in a department store). So what do you do? Well, the one thing you shouldn’t do is settle for a lesser brand simply because it’s cheap. The internet offers several authentic websites that provide high end cosmetics at discount prices; much cheaper than what you will find at a retail outlet or CCO. Often the discount you find online is over half of the recommended retail price and they offer lots of variety from lip glosses, lip pencils, and lipsticks to eye makeup, blushers, bronzers, foundations, gift sets, professional makeup brushes and many more.

There are only a few things that one needs to be able to purchase makeup at a discounted price. All you need is a computer, Internet access, a source of payment, and a bit of common sense. If you have all these, then you are ready to start saving! In my opinion, go ahead and buy the cheap mascara, lip and eye pencil. I feel those items are things that you don’t need to go overboard on and put a huge dent in your wallet. The following websites have high-end cosmetics for deeply discounted prices.

www.strawberrynet.com
www.hautelook.com
www.amazon.com

Now another way you can save money on your favorite beauty products is start out by buying a kit. Why waste $30 on one single item when you can get a kit of items that you can try out without having to spend a lot money. I can’t tell you how many times I have purchased a full size item and hated it. I should have gotten the kit first…Just walk into any sephora or ulta and have a blast! These are just a few my tips on how you all can save money on your favorite beauty items. Have a beautiful day!

picture credit: www.angrymillionaire.com

Needless to say I walked away shaking my head in disbelief on such a crappy product. So a warning for you all, don’t buy this product, because it totally sucks. Hope you all are having a wonderful week! Have a beautiful day!

What do you all think of this product? Have you tried it?

photo taken from www.ulta.com

This is for those who use a lot of products and heat on your hair. Try these Do-It-Yourself Hair Masks and get back that “virgin” hair you once had as a child! Masks are a proven for bringing your weakened and damaged hair in a good condition. It often turns out that home-made masks for hair are more effective and safe, because they do not contain dyes and various harmful chemical additives. Ditch the chemicals and expensive treatments. Your home cupboards hold the key to keeping your tresses naturally gorgeous.

You want Massive Volume in your hair try this:

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of flat beer
• 1 TBS of honey

Mash up the banana, and add your egg to create a smooth a consistency. Next add your flat beer (Why beer you ask? Beer contains properties that thicken hair, giving the appearance of fuller voluminous hair) and honey. Last apply to your scalp and roots working it in to the tips of your hair. Place a shower cap over hair and let sit for a few hours. Then shampoo out…..Thats it!

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You want to tame that FRIZZ…try this:

• ½ cup of plain yogurt
• ½ cup of honey
• 1 tbsp of almond oil

Mix the three ingredients together and apply all over your hair. Leave it in for 20 minutes and then rinse off with a shampoo. Your frizz will be under control if you do this at least once a month. This one is my favorite one!

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If you have oily hair try this:

• 5 tbsp of plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp of baking soda
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Mix the three ingredients together and rub all over your hair focusing on the roots. After 30 minutes rinse off. If your hair is extra oily, try doing this mask once a week.

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Now for those that just want a treatment for their hair they can use twice a week or so….try this. On amazon they sell something that is called hair fertilizer, and coconut oil. Mix those two together in equal parts and put all over your hair. Focus more on your scalp and then comb the rest through with a wide tooth comb. Put a shower cap on, and sleep with it in overnight. Wash out the next morning, it may take you 3 washes to make sure you have washed your mask out. But I promise you will not be disappointed in the results.

So these are just a few natural hair mask you all can try that I promise you will love. Let me know which one you try and which one works for you! Have a Beautiful Day!

photo taken from: www.beautyideas.com

Questions

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows? Lose all of my palettes and eyeshadows
2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?I would rather chop off all of my hair…(EEkkk, I can’t believe I just typed that)
3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?Coral
4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup? That’s easy….buy clothes!
5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick? Apply lipstick as eyeliner, the other choice is just weird
6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora? Sephora….lots more choices!
7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life? One lip color for the rest of my life…….
8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter? Summer clothes in winter….I can layer if I need too
9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round? Dark nails!
10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product? I would rather give up my favorite eye product…I think!?!
11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun? Ponytail……
12.) Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss? Never be able to paint my nails again.
13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday? As much as I hate to say this, probably Sharpie them in…(Sharpie has a range of colors these days).
14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish? Live without nail polish.

So that my entertainment can extend far beyond my own answers of these silly, crazy  questions, please do this tag as well!  Leave a comment with the link below and I’ll pop over and read/watch yours too. Can’t wait to hear what YOU say for the sharpie question….that one was a tough one to answer. Have a Beautiful Day!

Price:

$10-$12

What is Divaderme Lash Extender? (Product claims)

Lashes in a bottle. Instantly brush-on lash extension that add hundreds of tiny natural lash fibers enriched with panthenol.

My thoughts:

Application is a little tricky – when I first opened the bottle, there were fibers flying everywhere (thought to myself, this isn’t gonna be fun). So here is my first piece of advice……open the product….. s-l-o-w-l-y and try to shake off any excess back into the bottle (twisting the wand towards the top of the bottle works well for me). The first step is a coat of mascara. Then, while it’s still wet, apply a dose of the Lash Extender fibers onto your wet lashes using the spiral applicator brush. A great tip is to apply the fibers only to the tip of , or middle to the tip of your lashes. A further coat of mascara “seals” the fibers, helping them to attach to your lashes throughout the day. DivaDerme’s advice is to use fresh, runny mascara, as this helps the fibers to adhere. Now a lot of you don’t have fresh, brand new mascara for every application, so a great tip is blast your hairdryer to the side of your mascara bottle so it can warm up and be a little more thiner than usual. The process can be repeated as many times as you like to create greater length and volume. For the best results apply the fibers only 2-3 times. I definitely recommend this product to all those girls who want to have long, thicker and wow-effect lashes without using false lashes or spending hundreds a year visiting the salon. Have a Beautiful Day!

Photo taken from: www.dermapoise.com

If you haven’t already started taking care of your skin, there’s no better time than now. Skin care for women can be overwhelming today because there are many products promising results with ingredients you can’t pronounce, let alone know what they do. One thing my mom always taught is to take care of your skin. When I was in my teens I watched my mom spend so much money on skin care products. When I asked her why she is wasting her money on creams and serums for her face, she responded with, “Well, when you get older, you get wrinkles”. So, I remember I was about 13 or so and I would sneak into my moms super expensive skincare products and slather them all over my face . Of course I had no clue what the heck I was doing or even if I was applying the products in the right places. But I knew I didn’t want wrinkles so I started early.

All skin types may be different but here are few tips that may help you along your skincare journey!

• Drink plenty of water. Water hydrates your skin and flushes out the toxins from the body.
• Take vitamins & supplements. Fish oil supplements contains omega-3 fatty acids that prevent sagging skin and dehydration. Gross who wants to have “saggy face”. Antioxidant vitamins help fight free radicals from the inside of your body.
• Don’t overuse anti-aging products. Excessive application can irritate your skin.
• Avoid the sun. UV rays can cause wrinkles, age spots, skin dullness, and skin cancer. (This is a must! The skin is the largest organ in our body, we need to protect it!) Apply sunscreen…even in the winter months.
• Quit smoking. Smoking speeds up the aging process.
• Hook up the humidifier…..Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. Place several small humidifiers throughout your home; they help disperse the moisture more evenly.
• Wash your face twice a day and put on the proper treatment products. Don’t forget to wash it in the morning! A lot of icky stuff collects overnight — dead skin cells, dirt, and dust!
• Touch your face less and wash your hands more! Your hands are always getting dirty and you don’t want that dirt to get on your face and collect in your pores.
• Exfoliation is the step most people skip in their weekly skincare routine. But trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference. I exfoliate twice a week.
• Plus always do your 4-step process when washing your face! Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize, and apply sunscreen. I did not add in any treatments (serums, anti-aging creams, masks) to this process because I believe everyone’s process is different.

The key is to find skin care products that match your skin type and that responds well to your skin. The time you’ll spend on the tips I mentioned above wouldn’t be wasted, in fact, you’ll gain something good from it………..great looking skin you can be proud of. Have a beautiful day!

Photo taken from www.skincarehow.com

Cost: $8-$9 (prices and locations vary)

Claims: taken from www.maybelline.com

Build 4mm of measurable extensions!
• Fiber-fix brush has 6 different contact points with each lash for optimal fiber placement
• Breakthrough formula contains fibers up to 4mm in length
• Sealing formula stretches lashes and seals fibers to lashes
• Washable, also available in waterproof formula

My thoughts:

I bought this after being lured in by the title of the mascara. Once I got home and tried it on, I was SO disappointed. I hate this mascara. This mascara left my lashes looking worse than I ever remember them looking. The initial application provided lots of clumps. It didn’t coat evenly….it just looked like a hot mess. Applying another coat after the first only created more of a clumpy mess. One thing I can say for the mascara is that it did stay on all day, and it did not smudge or flake. But who the heck cares if it stays on all day if it looks like crap? Obviously, I can NOT recommend this mascara. Have any of you all tried this mascara? What do you think? What are your favorite mascara brands?

Cover photo courtesy of www.musingsofamuse.com

The products I have tried from their line are their eyeshadows, a few palettes and their primer. The eyeshadows are really good. They are smooth, and have rich pigmentation. Honestly you can use these shadows with or without primer. But I always recommend a good primer for eyes just so you have that lasting coverage all day!

My only fuss with this cosmetics line is the packaging with their palettes. As beautiful as it is I find it unnecessary.  I mean its cute and all but I want a product that is functional, meaning its  easy for travel and “on the go”.  In my honest opinion I think people want a product that is sturdy, sleek, and well put together. Why not put it in a plastic or metal case. That way you would not have to worry about it getting crushed which can break up your products ending up in a huge mess.  Comparatively speaking other high end makeup companies charge the same amount for there eyeshadow pallets and they’re enclosed inside a plastic or metal case. So like I said, I love the products but the I wish the packaging could be be revamped.

What products are you loving from this line? I wanna know your thoughts about the packaging too (I may just be too picky)! Tell me some of your favorite cosmetics lines! Have a beautiful day!

Check out my reviews on Toofaced products:

Primed and Poreless Primer

Extreme Wrinkle Filler

photo taken from www.chicprofile.com

What is it? Taken from www.toofaced.com

Vitamins A & C, Mulberry extract and a powerful dose of Retinol virtually banish pores while tired skin is left hydrated, firmer, and detoxified. Primed & Poreless creates the perfect canvas to allow powders, bronzers and foundations to airbrush onto the skin seamlessly and perfectly blended. Skin appears brighter, fresher and younger. Color stays true and in place all day

Cost: $30

My thoughts:

Primed and Poreless is the first primer (beside the drugstore brand Revlon PhotoREADY Primer) I’ve tried that really does improve the appearance of everything that goes on over it. It comes out of the tube a light beige color, but when applied the color vanishes and I can’t tell it’s on there. It improves the appearance of both liquid and powder foundation, giving you that airbrushed look! What I absolutely love about it is that is makes my face feel really soft and doesn’t make your face feel like you have put heavy spackle on it. I was so happy to see that it covers the enlarged pores on my cheeks, since this was exactly the reason why I bought it! It also helps my foundation stay on longer and really helps prevent “cake face”. So since I have used it , I understand that my pores will come back once I have washed my face but while wearing it with my normal makeup routine I can say my pores have gone bye-bye! I recommend this product for those seriously wanting to diminish the look of pores. Have a beautiful day!

What do you all think? Have you all tried this product?

photo taken from www.sephora.com

Claims: taken from www.ulta.com

Ink intensity. Tattoo tenacity. Dare to wear the longest lasting shadow. Maybelline’s Eye Studio Color Tattoo’s ink technology creates the most saturated shadow. Cream gel smoothes on for vibrant, crease-proof color that never fades. Dare to get inked.

Price: $6-$7 (for drugstore cream eyeshadow, this is a steal)

My thoughts:

I love this product, for a drugstore cream shadow it is by far the best quality than some of the other higher end cream shadows that are on the market. I only purchased one of the colors so far….Tough as Taupe. It is a very pretty matte taupe with purple undertones. It reminds me of “Tease” from the Urban Decay Naked 2 pallet.  I have to say this product is a dupe for MAC Paintpots (but cheaper)! The texture and longevity of the product is just like the Paintpots but better. They glide on easily to the skin, very pigmented, and last all day on my lids. Once you apply, and let it dry your shadow will stay put (seriously). You can apply with your fingertips, a synthetic brush, or use as a primer for your pressed shadows. I am definitely going to be picking up a few more of their shades (I hope I can find them, they are sold out everywhere I have gone).  From what I see on other beauty blogs, they have a good variety of bold vivid shades that would look great on any skin tone and help you be as creative as you can be with your look! I know some of you must have purchased a few of these! Tell me what you think and what shades you picked up. Have a beautiful day!

Photo used from….www.hellocotton.com