Wednesday, August 31, 2011

20% off all of Benefit's Top Sellers today & tomorrow!

Use code SOPOPULAR for 20% off all of Benefit's "Top Sellers" on benefitcosmetics.com.  Coupon expires 09/01/11 at 11:59 pm.  Happy Shopping Dolls!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Do cosmetics expire? Yes, they do! Find out when here...

Hey beauties!  I really wanted to write a post about the shelf life of cosmetics and when you should be replacing your favorite products.  Below I have a few highlights from a convo I had with a beauty consultant from Benefit Cosmetics.  For the most part, I agree with what she said, but always keep in mind, that if your products isn't performing as it normally does, they it's probably time to throw it away (or recycle if it's from MAC).  Hope this list is useful for you!

Most skincare products have a small image of an open jar with a number such as "6M". This number is the life of the product after the container is opened, with the M standing for months.

Here are some general cosmetic shelf life lengths:
•Powder: 18 months
•Concealer: 12 months
•Creams & gel cleansers: 12 months
•Eye liner: 18 months, sharpen regularly
•Eyeshadow: 18 months
•Brushes: Wash every month in a mild detergent
•Sponges: Wash weekly & discard monthly
•Foundation: water-based 12 months, oil-based 18 months
•Lip liner: 3 years
•Lipstick: 18 months (If you store lipstick in the refrigerator, it will last longer.)
•Mascara: 4 months (If you don't want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don't pump the wand in & out, you're only exposing the product to drying air.)

So, like I said, I don't agree with every point here, but it's a great guideline to begin with.  For instance, I know (just based on my bio background) that you don't really have to throw out an eyeshadow after 18 months because it can last much, much longer than that.  A rule of thumb I like to follow is that if it is moist or contains water, then it runs the risk of becoming contaminated.  Also, it's smart to disinfect products that you will be sharing.  Need further clarification?  Just ask!  =)

Monday, August 15, 2011

Sally Girl Hydrating Lip Gloss

Hey dolls!  So I am so freakin' excited to share this great find with y'all!  I found a mini lip gloss at Sally that is part of their "Sally Girl" collection and it impressed me so much, I decided to write a post dedicated to only it!  These glosses are orignally $0.99 each, but when I went in, there was a special for 6 Sally Girl items for $5 and so I got 4 mineral eyeshadows, a black eyeliner pen, and a pink lip gloss.  The lip gloss was the first item I tried and I LOVE IT!  (Maybe I'll do another post about the other products if I fall in love with them!)  It's so pigmented and moisturizing and very comfortable to wear!  They come in about 10 colors, so I'm sure you'll find at least 1 or 2 that you'll want/need to add to your collection.  Here are some pics of the glosses for your viewing pleasure.  (If you check out my "Casual Lunch Date" post, you'll see me wearing the pink gloss.)  Thanks for spending part of your evening with me!


No names, only numbers.  388459 for a pink blush!
388426 for a clear, pink shine!

Or, try layering them for an ultra-glossy lip look!  =)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Casual Lunch Date Look

Hey dolls!  Recently, I've been on this "cheap makeup" high and I wanted to do a look that incorporated some of these items.  The look I was going for was fun and casual.  I had a lunch date today with my old best friend from 5th grade and I wanted to look cute, but then my effort went to waste because he ended buying food and bringing it over to eat, hahaha.  OK, so here is the look in regular and close-up views.  (I hate these pics 'cause you can really, really see the scar above my lip, eeek!)


Face-
L'oreal Face Secrets Magic Perfecting Base (#1 best primer ever!  I have recently also tried UD's face primer and Smashbox's cult favorite face primer, but both DO NOT measure up to L'oreal's.)
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NC40
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NC35
MAC Blush in Blushbaby (All-time fave blush color.)

Eyes-
E.L.F. Eyeshadow Pigments Trio ($2.99 at Ross!)
L'oreal Carbon Black Eyeliner Pen
L'oreal Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara (I love all of their Carbon Black products!)
Benefit Brows-a-go-go (This has been my go-to brow color as of late...)

Lips-
Sally Girl Lip Gloss (83 cents at Sally, yes 83 cents!  I'm going to write a separate review about this and another cheapie gloss that I'm totally in love with right now.)


The colors on my eyelids are gold, cranberry, and smokey blue.  You can't really tell, but they were really cute together.  These 3 colors came in a set.  A primer is a must for these though because they're "sticking power" is not very strong.  Actually, I recommend using a primer every time you use any type of shadow.  Thanks for checking out my casual lunch date look.  Hope you like it!  Take care beauties!




Monday, August 8, 2011

Mascara Dilemma

 Hey beauties!  I am in desperate need of help...  Your help!  I am looking for a mascara that doesn't end up smudging under my eyes after only a few hours of wear.  The mascara can be volumizing or lengthening or both. I don't really mind, just as long as it doesn't smudge.  I feel like I have tried a lot of different ones, but I always end up looking like a raccoon by the end of the day.  =(  If you don't mind sharing your favorite mascara and whether or not you have the same problem as me, please do tell!  If I find that I love your mascara too, I'll award you a prize!  (Not sure what yet though, but I'm thinking I'll buy you a tube of the mascara) as a way to say "Thank you and I love you for introducing me to a bomb mascara."  =)  Thanks for reading!