ELF Glitter Primer Review

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The e.l.f. Glitter Primer is, as the name suggests, an eye primer meant especially for glittery shadows. If you’ve ever worn glittery eye shadows and noticed little bits of sparkle flaking off and ending up all over your face throughout the day, you understand why the need for such a product exists! I mean hey sometimes glitter all over your face is the look you’re going for, and if that’s the case rock on with your bad self. But for the rest of us, there’s e.l.f. Glitter Primer.

Unlike other eyeshadow primers that leave your eyelids basically just feeling like a smoother version of themselves, e.l.f. Glitter Primer leaves the lids feeling slightly tacky or sticky. It feels a little weird, but the stickiness is what keeps the particles of glitter in place. I use an amount roughly the size of a lentil on each eyelid. It feels smooth going on and doesn’t cause irritation at all. It really cuts down on fallout! I have used this primer successfully with ColourPop’s glittery SuperShock shadows, as well as some of Urban Decay’s sparklier shades with much success. I also really like using this primer with baked shadows! Baked shadows tend to be shimmery and kind of all over the place since essentially you’re scraping powder off the surface to apply it to your eye. Having a stickier base helps keep the powder in place and look more vibrant when it is applied in a packing or patting motion.

Each tube of Glitter Primer is 10.5 ml, or about the size of an average lipgloss tube. The price is a pretty unbeatable $2. I haven’t seen this primer in store displays at Target, so to my knowledge you can only get it from e.l.f.’s website. I definitely recommend giving this a try!

Maybelline The Nudes Palette Review

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Maybelline’s The Nudes palette is a 12-pan eye shadow palette chock full of beautiful neutrals. It’s thoughtfully configured into duos, trios, and quads, and even has suggestions on the back of the palette for how you might use the shade in an eye look.

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The Pros

  • Nice array of colors and finishes.
  • Great value – 12 shades for $10-$15 depending where you buy.
  • Tons of different ways to use each shade.
  • Included suggestions on how to use the colors.
  • Simple, lightweight packaging that is easy to open/close and store.

The Cons

  • There’s some inconsistencies between the shades – not all the shades are really pigmented.
  • Texture-wise, they’re not the worst shadows I’ve ever used, but  I had some difficulty blending, and they were not quite as smooth as I would like.
  • Some of the more shimmery shades have a LOT of fallout. Do your eyes first, then foundation!

 

I tried Maybelline’s The Nudes palette with a few different eye primers, and by itself. I got the best results when I wore it with NARS Smudge-Proof Eyeshadow Base or Urban Decay Primer Potion. I would suggest using a primer that gives a smooth canvas for easier blending rather than a sticky base like a MAC Paint Pot or NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil. Wear time for me usually isn’t an issue since I have dry skin, but without any primer at all I did notice some slight fading at the end of the day. I was still impressed because ‘end of the day’ means I’ve had my shadows on for a good 12 hours.

The price of this palette varies depending on where you get it. I’ve heard as low as $9.99 at places like Ulta and Target but I’ve also heard closer to $14.99 at CVS. I would suggest waiting til one of those 40% off sales or using coupons to get this even cheaper if you’re interested. Ulta currently has it for $9.99 and eligible for their BOGO 1/2 off sale.

Since there are so many great neutral palettes out there (both high and low end), I can’t say this one is a must-have. It’s certainly a nice addition to my collection though since I’m a neutral nut.

 

The Best Drugstore Skin Care Products

Welcome to cheap thrills – drugstore edition! While I’m an advocate of splurging whenever you can on skin care – because you DO get what you pay for when it comes to skin care, that doesn’t mean nothing in the drugstore is worth trying. Au contraire! There are also quite a few inexpensive gems to be found there.

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#1 – Fruit of the Earth 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel

I ALWAYS have this on hand. Aloe is a soothing, cooling moisturizer that won’t upset your skin. It’s great for those of you who are prone to redness as well. My only caution is keep it away from your eyes. It tends to make my eyes sting/water if I get it anywhere near my eyes at all. Available in a mini size bottle for $1 at most drugstores.

#2 – Freeman Face Masks & Scrubs

Hi, jr high called, and said to remind you THAT CHEAPASS DRUGSTORE MASK WAS THE SHIT! And you know what, they still make it! And tons more! Freeman masks are the TRUTH. I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t love! The cucumber peel-off mask is delightfully gross (if you are the kind of person that enjoys peeling dried elmers glue off of yourself, you’ll love this…), and have you even imagined anything more decadent than a chocolate strawberry detox mask? These suckers are available at Ulta, drugstores, and online (for the whole huge selection, go there!) at freemanbeauty.com from $1.99 to $3.99 each.

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#3 – Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Line

There are 6 products in Neutrogena’s Acne Stress Control line and they’re all pretty fan-effing-tastic. They’re formulated with salicylic acid (chemical exfoliant and known acne zapper) as well as soothing cucumber. Zaps zits effectively, and cheaply. If you have dry skin you’ll want to either use lots of extra moisturizer, or only use this every other day. Each product in the line is $6-$7 at drugstores.

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#4 – Epielle Facial Cleansing Tissues

These face wipes are the bomb dot com. They come in several varieties in addition to the “original” cleansing wipe, including Aloe, Cucumber, Citrus, and Green Tea! Green Tea are my personal favorite, but they’re all amazing. Not sure where to find these? Big Lots is a sure bet. A pack of 24-30 will run you a whopping dollar.

#5 – Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream

Duh, this product made my favorites! And I gave it a good review! So you know it’s going on my best of drugstore skin care list. Lazy person version of my review: it’s surprisingly great, more gel than cream, and is as refreshing as advertised! It’s about $8 or $9 at the drug store.

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#6 – Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Intensive Skin Repair Serum

Lest you think you can’t get skin care that goes beyond basic cleansing at the drugstore – voila! Yes To Blueberries has this nifty little serum for a mere $20. This serum is chock full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and more goodness to help prevent signs of aging. It also smells good, so if you’re not into the science-y part of skin care, there’s that.

There are countless other products I could get into from the drugstore that are equally fab if not moreso than their high end counterparts. Have you tried any of the six products I mentioned above? Which are your fav cheap thrills in skin care?

Morphé Brush of the Month Promo – BCA Edition

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Each month, Morphé Brushes has a brush of the month. That brush is usually discounted (10%) for the duration of the month. This month in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, Morphé is changing it up a bit.

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An Eyeliner That Lasts On The Waterline – Really

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When I first became an Avon representative, I knew one of the first products I had to try – Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner Pencil. I freely admit I was attracted to it because I always saw the Pixiwoo girls using it in their videos!

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Avon Product of the Week: mark. Full Service 5-Piece Pro Brush Kit

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Aren’t these cute? This week’s Avon product of the week is the mark. Full Service 5-Piece Pro Brush Kit. mark. is really pulling out all the stops during their anniversary year – the products they have been launching are so pretty.

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Milani Color Statement Lipstick Review

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Milani’s Color Statement Lipsticks aren’t exactly new to the beauty world still – they were released earlier this year. However, I hadn’t tried them until recently. The launch started with a whopping 30 colors in 4 color families.

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Avon Product of the Week: mark. Ultimate Hook Up Kit

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Now that I’m an Avon representative I will be featuring an Avon or mark. product each week. It might be a full review, or it might just be something cool that I thought might be fun to share. This time it’s a pretty sweet deal, and a great gift idea, the mark. Ultimate Hook Up Kit.

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Summer Must-Have: eos Fruit Basket

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Now here’s a fruit basket I can get behind…

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Funky French Manicure

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This month I got my very first Ipsy Glam Bag, and the theme was Pretty in Pink. One of the items in my bag was a full size bottle of Sation nail polish in the shade Love At First Byte. [Read more…]