Reviews of Drug Store Cosmetics

Photography By Hymon Smith
Bride-Maggie 6/15/10






Here are some reviews from drugstore cosmetic brands I have tried out, thought I would share with all of you, maybe next time you are in need of something this will help narrow it down .

1.REVLON
Hands down my very favorite drug store brand. Revlon keeps up on the latest cosmetic trends, from colors to textures to the latest products made for dept stores.
They are on the pricey side for drug store cosmetics, but with good reason and if you watch your newspaper ads for your local cvs/walgreen alot of times they will have buy one get one frees on lipshades ect.

MY REVLON FAVS
1.Primer- similar to smashbox but alot less expensive and easy access.A little goes a long way! So be mindful of that.

2.*NEW*Grow Luscious Mascara by fabulash- your lashes really do grow!!! But be careful smudges easily, not waterproof for obvious reasons, waterproof ingredients tend to dry out the lashes.

3.colorstay for the brows! Love this! stays put up to 16 hours...one end of the pencil is a tint/wax built it, the other end is a highlighter for under the brow to lift.

4.All of the lipsticks/glosses are excellent! awesome staying power.

5.Foundations best drugstore choice- very nice matte finish's to more luminous like the new Photogenic airbrush finish foundation most are full coverage.


L'OREAL

1.H.I.P bright eyeShadow duos are very nice, high pigment.

2.Vuluminous Mascara (original). Excellent mascara! impressive.

3. Telescopic liquid Liner- very easy application for anyone with a not so steady hand..liquid liner is tough to apply and this one stays well!


MAYBELLINE

1.Great Lash Mascara! an old time fav for alot of mua and women! I use it for trial runs all the time! very economical and works wonderful! comes in waterproof as well.

2.*new* Falsies mascara.LOVE LOVE this..new formula..I carry the waterproof for brides :)


BLACK RADIANCE
For ladies of Color..I really like this line! vibrant pigement..staying power is good and good products for the price!




Ok, I am not a Cover girl fan..Nor am I a fan of Rimmel London and if I have not mentioned wet and wild its for obvious reasons as well although some of these lines have great ad campaigns..the products I have tried are not worthy of noting here.

Chosing The Right Shades

Hello Ladies!

This post was requested by a few of you, So Lets talk makeup!
For some of us its second nature to see an eyeshadow palette or blush ect and just know without even a test, that it would be great for your complexion,hair color or eye color.
But, For others this can be a true challenge, and some of you may of speant countless hours either at your local drug store examining boxes, exhausting your options ( no testers provided) until you leave either empty handed or with a bag full of cosmetics that end up being the wrong shade, texture ect...

So, I wanted to send some ideas your way that can help you along your makeup journey.

One option if in your budget is to hire a makeup artist, Like myself in your area to help you out with this , by visiting you at home, finding out about your likes and dislikes, your rountine ect.. A good makeup artist can make a face chart and document everything customized just for you, shades , name brands she may of used that you like and where you can find them. This typically costs anyplace from $75-$200 per lesson depending on the length of the lesson and if their is travel involved ect.

Another option is to visit your local department store cosmetic counter or Cosmetic store such as Sephora or Ulta and visit with them and have them do a complimentary make over, keep in mind, although they may be happy to have you in their chair, they usually do expect that you buy at least a few items :) I know this from back in the day. So expect to purchase a minimum of 2 or 3 products, spending at least $50 or more.

But, in my experience, the following hair/complexion/eye colors go best with these shades.

Note: The best way to chose the right foundation/base shade for yourself is by having a lesson with a personal mua or visiting the counter, Also make certain you stand in the natural light as well to see how the shade looks as dept store lighting can be very deceiving! One of the things I suggest is a winter foundation shade and a summer foundation shade.. in between you can customize and mix a little.
But a drug store is not the ideal place to find a good match, as you certainly do not have the option of testing the shade, and running it across your hand does not do the trick ladies!

Brunnettes
Eyeshadows- we are the lucky ones! we can wear everything from cool to warm..
Plums/Mauves combos Browns/bronze tones combos or the smokey eye utilizing the greys/blks/silvers. If you happen to have an olive complexion you can even go a little brighter or bolder and use more dramtic applications.

Black eyeliner works best..deep browns for a softer look and if you are a brunnette with soft brown hair or hightlights. Navy blue looks nice as well, Plum is also a choice.

Blushes- Again.. from peaches to pinks to bronzer large variety to chose from!

Lip shades... stay youthful and stick with lighter shades such as sheer pinks/mauves/peaches/nudes with a clear gloss on top. If you line the lips with a pencil this helps the lip color stay longer and helps to avoid bleeding in some cases.


Blondes-Warm tones..but if tan or have an olive complexion you can go with some cool tones.
Depending on your eyecolor, eyeshadows that are most flattering are
the browns/bronzes/gold tones.. with another option being the mauves/pinks or carefully chosen plum family... But avoid the greys/silvers as they can tend to appear like someone punched you in the eye a few too many times...If you have a tan complexion you can try to get away with it though on a night out on the town and with a nude lip this can be very sexy.

Eyeliner can be dark brown for a softer look or black..whichever you prefer and for whatever occassion.. for daytime soft brown or dark brown may work best , depending on your eye color and just how blonde you are.

Blushes... Peaches and pinks... and ofcourse bronzers.. but avoid berry or mauve as they may be too harsh.

Lips.. again soft/sheer.. nudes,pinks,peachy tones work best.. avoid berry or red or dark colors as this is a very dated look unless its a night out on the town with a little black dress,, then by all means break out the red!


RedHeads...I personally feel like redheads look best in warm tones.

For eye shadows..
warm browns/cinnamons/bronzes/neutrals all work well.
In my opinion going with cool tones throws everything off...avoid blues/greens/pinks/mauves..as they will clash with your coloring especially if you have blue or green eyes ( light eyes)

Eyeliner..can be black if applied correctly..But dark brown is best.. avoid blue or colored eyeliner..again this clashes.

Again, if you are tan you can play around with a smokey eye for a night on the town but be mindful of making sure the lip is light or nude toned.

Blushes- bronzer ( light) and peach or warm brown blush works best.. pinks can be used but lightly..stay away from berry/red/or bright red tones.

Lips.. go warm!!!! light tan/nudes/peaches/ and you can get away with sheer pinks.


Mascara- My opinion.. black works best for everyone...Dark brown or colored mascara just doesn't flatter most women, remember these are my opinions.

Best Wishes!!

How to make your lips a lot more kissable and attractive

Exfoliate the dry skin on your lips daily. If you want to keep the skin on your lips smooth regular exfoliation is the key, You can do this with a clean, dry toothbrush (a new one, not the one you use for your teeth). Put on the lips a little bit of Vaseline and then gently brush your lips with the toothbrush for several seconds. Do not brush them too hard or they will be raw and sore. After that exfoliation you will feel your skin smooth and gentle.

Put on the lip balm as often as you can. Without moisturization getting smooth and kissable lips is virtually impossible.Don’t use lipstick with matte shade, because matte lipsticks tend to have more pigment but a fewer moisturizing ingredients. Don’t forget that the sun is damaging the skin on the lips – protect them with SPF 15 or higher lip balm under the lipstick. Try on a sun protecting cream too. The lips have a minimal amount of melanin and that’s why they don’t have natural defense against the sun.

Drink water. The skin on the lips is dry because you aren’t drinking enough water. Make sure to drink at least 2 l of water every day.

Put honey on your lips as often as you can. Wait to absorb and then put a lip balm. Honey contains many beneficial ingredients that will help you fight the drying of the lips.

Quit smoking. Smoking is damaging your health as well as your skin. It also speeds up the formation of vertical wrinkles around your mouth. Do not lick your lips as the saliva evaporates and pulls away the moisture and makes them dry.

Dear Brides To Be,Rememer your Lipstick/Gloss !

Dear Brides To Be!

Please remember to pick up Your favorite Lipstick from the makeup trial or another of your choice and don't forget about the gloss and lipliner if you are planning to use these as well, make sure you have that perfect combo that we tried at your bridal makeup trial, I always make it a point to write the shades/brands and let you know if they are available at a local dept store/cosmetic store or online.

Remember, that after the initial application on the wedding day you will be kissing the day and or night away and having beverages as well as eating your wedding meal and the cake! Who can forget the cake. In between all of this action, your photographer and videographer ( if you have hired one) Will continue to shoot!

Reminder, You may want to pick up tinted lip shades in pinks/peaches/nudes/berry shades for your bridal party so that they too will continue to look fabulous throughout the entire Wedding festivities!!!! Its easy for them to forget to pick one up!!!

So please dont let your lips get lost in the excitement! A good tip is to have your MOH or MOB or Bridesmaid help remind you or hold on to them for you!

Much Love

MUAHHHH

Lori

My fav Gowns For 2011 Brides!

Here are some of my favs for 2011 Bridal Gowns! Hard to chose with so many gorgeous gowns out...In my book these are some winners!!! Enjoy!

3 Ways To Avoid Makeup Meltdown At Summer Weddings

3 Ways To Avoid Makeup Meltdown At Summer Weddings!




One of the most popular wedding-beauty questions you guys have sent melately is: What's the best way to keep makeup from sliding right off during a steamy, outdoor summer wedding? Here are some of our best tips for helping your wedding-day makeup keep its cool.


1. Prep skin with an oil-absorbing base.

Use moisturizer only where necessary, and then smooth on a light lotion or primer designed to absorb excess moisture off your skin's surface. Two that dermatologists and makeup artists swear by: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and Vichy Normaderm Pro Mat. When you blend your foundation on top, it'll stay seamless and smooth for much longer, even when you sweat. Be sure to set your makeup with powder, too; just leave your cheeks powder-free (or more lightly powdered) if you want to maintain a glowy look.

2. Layer your eye makeup.

To keep liner and shadow from migrating amidst humidity and sweat, start with an eyeshadow primer that works similarly to the foundation primers mentioned above (but formulated so as not to irritate your eyes). Then, use a clean eyeshadow brush to dust on a bit of translucent face powder before applying your eye makeup. When you're done, dust on one more layer as extra insurance, to really set the color.

3. Mist on a setting spray.

When your face is fully finished, lock the makeup in place by spritzing on a spray designed to help offset the effects of heat and humidity, like Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix or Model in a Bottle. Or my my newest fav is urban Decay " All Nighter spray"

Finally, be sure to tuck some blotting papers in your clutch so you can sop up oil and sweat during bathroom trips without wiping off your meticulously applied makeup.