Splurge or Save

Hello Everyone!

 When it comes to all things beauty, it is really hard to determine which items are worth shelling out the money and those that are not.

The question I often ask myself is: Is it  ALL necessary? Don't get me wrong, these companies have a right to charge the prices they do. They provide excellent quality products. But is it ESSENTIAL? Do we need MAC foundations, concealers, false eyelashes, eyeshadows. e.t.c ? Drugstore makeup has really improved over the years, so much so that the gap between drug store and department store is narrowing.

DISCLAIMER: If you have the money and you wish to spend it on  Smashbox, Lancome and previously mentioned department store makeup then by all means do your thing girl. 
This post pertains to those ladies who have to be frugal with their expenditure.

Here are my list of beauty items I think are worth spending top dollar on and those who can Save.

Splurge Time

1. EYE SHADOW, EYE SHADOW, EYE SHADOW, EYE SHADOW.

Eyeshadow is worth spending the money on. It is very difficult to find eyeshadows with great pigmentation, blend ability and smoothness in the drugstore especially matte eyeshadows. Most drugstore eyeshadows contain copious amounts of talc in them and appear quite ashy and chalky on the skin. Some may swatch beautiful but become powdery and dusty when applied to the eyes. 

Recommendations

The Sugar Pill Cosmetics 4 pan eye shadows. They retail for about US$34 dollars and can be purchased on the Sugar Pill website. For your bright eye shadow looks I would highly recommend these palettes.

 http://www.sugarpillshop.com/products/heart-breaker-palette

For my Caribbean makeup lovelies you can purchase them at the Facebook page:

Makeup Attitude for TT$250

http://www.sugarpillshop.com/products/heart-breaker-palette

For  more neutral eye shadow needs, I would recommend the Balm nude tude palette. It retails for $36 dollars.

Amazon-$36

http://www.amazon.com/theBalm-NudeTude-Nude-Eyeshadow-Palette/dp/B00683MOWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396188988&sr=8-1&keywords=the+balm+nudetude+palette

Makeup Attitude- TT$250
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=605294036156175&set=a.550489741636605.133230.480382931980620&type=3&theater

Makeup Haven- $240
http://mymakeuphaven.com/shop.php#!/~/product/category=4009430&id=21675612

2. Makeup brushes
This can be quite controversial topic. While I don't think everyone needs to have a brush collection filled with MAC brushes, I think certain key brushes need to be of good quality. Elf brushes are amazing but I wouldn't rely on their flat foundation or stippling brushes to apply my foundation. You want brushes that are soft to the skin, the hairs stay in tact and the ferrule and the handle are firmly glued together.


Recommendations
Sigma- They have great dupes for MAC brushes
They can be purchased on their website
Sigma Website
http://www.sigmabeauty.com/Brushes_s/47.htm

Or Locally at
Makeup Attitude
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=587081644644081&set=a.550489741636605.133230.480382931980620&type=3&theater

Beauty Insider Life
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=627490527318745&set=a.540177556050043.1073741828.533997736668025&type=3&theater


MAC Cosmetics
Can be purchased on their website
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/146/826/Products/Brushes/Face/109-Small-Contour-Brush/index.tmpl

Locally at their West Mall store.

2. Blush
Like eye shadow, it is all about pigmentation. It is quite difficult to find pigmented blushes that are super cheap. I have tried blushes from Milani, L.A girl and because of my deep complexion most cases they appear ashy on my skin.

Recommendations.

MAC Blushes
These can be purchased on the Mac website or outlets in your area.

Exception:
There are some good blushes from NYX.


Savings Time
 1. Macara. I never spend much on mascara. (although the price of Ruby Kisses and Milani in Wonderful World I may as well buy L'oreal and Revlon which are more reputable and cost more in the US. Wonderful World convert US products by the US price by 10, while Pennywise where brands like L'oreal, Revlon, Maybelline are sold multiple their items by 7. So a Revlon item at US $9 would be $63 while a $7 item at Wonderful from Milani would run you $70).
I don't see the need. When I spent money it is all about longevity.  It is all about the formulation and the brush. Some require more liquid consistency, others prefer drier texture, while others partial to one that is neither liquid or dry in consistency. Most women choose based on their mascara needs.
Most mascaras last no more than four months and even the ones that are packaged as lasting a year tend to dry out. In my personal opinion, spending $100 dollars for something that you may have to throw away three months later, worse yet if you only wear makeup on weekends to church or happy hour with friends.


Recommendations

I recommend Revlon's Lash Fatasy Total Definition. It comes with a primer that lengths the lashes with the mascara end provides volume.

                                         

Amazon- $19.95

http://www.amazon.com/Revlon-Fantasy-Definition-Primer-Mascara/dp/B001EKASZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396190684&sr=8-1&keywords=revlon+lash+fantasy+mascara

Pennywise- $40-$50

2. Lipgloss
Lip glosses aren't known for their opacity. Lip glosses are usually applied for high shine, therefore an affordable one will do just find.

Recommendaions

Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss
These are great if you just want that nice glossy look, that isn't tacky and has no taste.

Amazon- $4-$7
http://www.amazon.com/Revlon-Lustrous-020-Pink-Afterglow/dp/B000H3I3YK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1396191512&sr=8-5&keywords=revlon+super+lustrous+lipgloss

Or Locally
Pennywise-$34

3.Liners- Eye and Lips.
Unless you are looking for a specific or unique colour, eye and lip liners from the drugstore will work just fine.

Recommendations
L.A girl gel eye liner
These gel eye liners are super pigmented and creamy and will last you quite some time. I bought mine more than a year ago and while I don't use it as often it is still usable.

Jordana has a wide selection of great lip liners.



Depends

1. Lipcolor.
As fast as a MAC lipstick is released on the market, you will see dupe videos trailing behind. As such it has become quite difficult to discern whether or not you should shell out $15-17US on their lipsticks.
When it comes to most high end makeup, I usually purchase those items that are not only unique but something I will get the most use out of. If you want a pink or purple lipstick, there are many affordable options.

Recommendations (affordable)
 L.A Girl Luxury creme lipsticks are amazing. They have twenty four (24) beautiful shades.

Drugstore.com-$3.49
http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&srchtree=1&Ntt=L.A.+Girl+Creme+Lip+Color&Go.x=6&Go.y=15&CSRFToken=vbl6yewnSfvaIywl8lPrEKp6dYYAOdoaL5oXuceZ41Q%3D

Wonderful World- $14

Recommendations (high end)

Lime Crime velventines are everything. They are kiss proof, smudge proof,  are long wearing but guess what they are not drying.

Lime Crime Website-$20
http://limecrime.com/lips/velvetines-37.html

Locally
Makeup Attitude-$175
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=762482233770687&set=a.587296621289250.1073741826.480382931980620&type=3&theater

Beauty Insider Life-$200
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=666709416730189&set=a.540177556050043.1073741828.533997736668025&type=1&theater

Beautifusion Instyle-$200
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=534279179961002&set=a.483397648382489.1073741826.100001367754759&type=3&theater


2. Foundation and concealer
It can be quite difficult purchasing a foundation from the drugstore especially if you live in the US. You need to be color matched and many drugstores it isn't available. So it is quite understandable. It can be quite frustrating when you wish to test out a particular foundation  and your shade is not available. If you are someone who hasn't found that one foundation that you love or you just love trying new ones, it can be annoying. However, if just need that one foundation that matches you and you can easily find it in the drug store, then there is no  need to splurge on a higher end.

Recommendations (Affordable)

L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation

It comes in twenty three (23) shades from cool to warm tones and even some neutral shades.

Ulta.com- $9.99
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2094973&productId=fs1017872&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat80022


Recommendations (high end)
 MAC Cosmetics
While their eye shadows and lipsticks are quite famous, their foundations have their own cult following. They are often used as a reference for color matching.

One of their popular foundations is the Pro Longwear foundation. It provides excellent coverage, last long and comes in a variety of shades.

MAC Website-$31
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/158/10180/Products/Face/Foundation/Pro-Longwear-Foundation/index.tmpl

Locally
MAC West Mall

Concealer

One of the best concealers in my opinion is the L.A girl Pro conceal HD concealer. Comes in a variety of shades and at an affordable price you can mix and match to find your ideal shade.

Drugstore.com-$2.99
http://www.drugstore.com/l-a-girl-pro-conceal-hd-concealer-toffee/qxp503256?catid=183547

Locally

Makeup Haven-$23 (all the shades are available)
http://mymakeuphaven.com/shop.php#!/~/product/category=2260296&id=34067767


Wonderful World-$15 (5-10 shades available)


These are just my two cents. Feel free to disagree.

Rant, Rave and Misbehave: L.A Girl Pro.conceal HD. high-definition concealer

Hello Everyone!

I know I know. It has been a while. I have all this time and I haven't been blogging much at all.
Today I am actually going to review a concealer, that was actually one of the first concealers I ever purchased, simply out of natural born curiousity. I was in Wonderful World (a local store in Trinidad and Tobago) when I  saw the display and just selected the one that looked closest to my shade. I bought this concealer 2 years ago but this week I picked up a fresh batch of this concealer as well as in two additional different shades. I bought two (Toast and Chestnut at the Wonderful World Trincity mall branch next to Sincerely Yours yesterday and today I purchased Toffee from the WW branch next to Sports and Games in Trincity Mall. Originally yesterday I went to the branch closed to Sports and Games didn't see the shades I wanted and ended up in the one adjacent to Sincerely Yours. I purchased other items which I had previously owned up I will review those in upcoming posts.
So lets just jump right into this review:

Description:

According to the company's website:

Crease-resistant, opaque coverage in a creamy yet lightweight texture. The long-wearing formula camouflages darkness under the eyes, redness and skin imperfections. Provides complete, natural-looking coverage, evens skin tone, covers dark circles and minimizes fine lines around the eyes.


Packaging:

So it comes in a squeeze tube with a white brush that could be used for application. The tube appears clear with black writing. When products come to brush applicators are always find them unhigneic as I am of the belief that the concealer that was squeezed out from previous use can remain and along with it bacterial and dirt. Additionally, the brush being stained brown does not appeal to me. I simply think it looks GROSS. With that being said I can see many individuals loving this packaging. The brush makes it easy to apply on to the face for your own person use. I started using this two (2) years so I can't recall having to deal with water coming out with the concealer it self. I may have to check when I open my new tube of Toast and the other shades. The packaging makes it quite portable as you can just pop it into your makeup bag, section in your handbag and take it with you to work or on while traveling. I actually kept my old one in my makeup bag which I carried with me to school.

Product:

At first I wasn't too familiar with concealers so I was expecting a thick almost glue like product so when this concealer felt like just a heavy duty foundation I was dishearted. When I familiarized myself with the product I fell madly in love. This as I stated in the beginning was my first concealer ever, I had been into makeup for years but the only concealer I ever had before this was a  really thick concealer that was pale and smelt like lipsticks from the past with that pungent cow feces smell. 
But once you get the hang of it you will see the beauty of this concealer. It has a light weight feel but can cover blemishes beautifully. It is the only concealer that was able to cover my dark circles without me having to go over it several times. It is simply amazing. 
The concealer dries to a matte finish rather quickly so you have to blend it in right away. For those of you have ever used the Revlon Colorstay Liquid foundation, it has a consistency similar to that foundation. They both dry to matte finish right away so must be quick with your application.
Once you get the hang of it, you will love it.
My shades range from Chestnut and Toast. I know some people mix them but for me I feel like either one can be used for my entire face depending on where it is applied and what look I am going for.
Toffee is perfect for that Kim Kardashian highlight effect I may want to achieve. I can do that with Toast as well if I want lightness under my eye without being dramatic. Toast is light enough to go under my eyes but blends in perfectly to the rest of my skin. I know weird right. Some thing about it has a light look to it but at the same time has a dark undertone.
This concealer comes in eighteen beautiful shades so it is quite easy to find your exact match or you can mix them as well to get the shade you may desire. It is so affordable it wouldn't break your pocket.
It comes with 0.25oz of product. It is cruelty free and last eighteen (18) months from the day it is opened.

For shade swatches I would recommend going to cosmeticcandyfyi's blog. She has swatches of all eighteen (18) shades. They are clear so it would be super easy to find the shade you may which to purchase. If not you can buy 2-3 to get your perfect shades. They are so inexpensive.

L.A  Girl Pro.Conceal HD. high-definition concealer in Toast under my eyes set with L'oreal Translucide in Deep.

Price:

This can be purchased at any branch of Wonderful World Accessories in Trinidad and Tobago for $15 dollars. For US beauty lovers it can be bought online at ikatehouse.com for $1.99 each, which has 17 out of the 18 shades. They do not have Fawn on their website. (Which is a shame because many NW45 NC50 girls on Youtube use Fawn as their highlight, Fawn has beautiful yellow undertone that would be perfect as a highlight. There are other shades that can substitute for Fawn).
Cherry culture.com also has the concealer and right now selling it for half off for $2.50 each.
Beauty joint as well sells them at $2.50 each.
And of course, you can purchase them on the L.A girl website for its original price at $5.00 each.

Here are the links to purchase them if you are not a Trinidad and Tobago citizen or have no access to Wonderful World:

Ikate house
http://www.ikatehouse.com/la-girl-conceal.html

Cherry Culture
http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/l.a.-girl/la-girl-pro-concealer/17535&cat=289&page=1

Beauty Joint
http://beautyjoint.com/face/concealer/la-girl-pro-conceal

L.A Girl
 http://www.lagirlusa.com/Pro-Conceal-2243.html

Overall Rating:

A+



 

Thompson's Tips: The Highlighter

HIGHLIGHTING! HIGHLIGHTING!

Hello everyone,

2012 was the year of what I like to call the "Highlighting effect". Everywhere you turn girls were all going highlighter crazy. Highlighting has been around for ages but since Kim Kardashian's makeup artiste has revealed some of his secrets. Highlighting and contouring are just a few of these amazing secrets.
The issue with this Highlighting craze is that it has moved from being natural to almost drag queen in nature.
How many of us have watching makeup videos where the individual is showing us how to highlight using heavy cream or liquid foundations that creates an amazing effect on camera but when translated to the everyday setting is WAY too harsh and unrealistic. I am sure there are people who can do that makeup look everyday but for me I hate the feel of ALL that makeup on my skin.
A very popular technique for highlighting is using a cream concealer such like MAC studio fix in a shade that is at least 2 shades lighter than the person who is applying it. So someone like me would use MAC NW 40- NW43 studio fix concealer under the eyes and other sections of the skin that usually call for highlighting.

Enough with the chatting what is Thompson's Tip.

My tip is simple: Use a highlighting concealer in YOUR shade. These highlighting concealers while they are referred to as concealer are not for concealing but for highlighting the area in which you want brightening. You can apply your concealer in your shade to under your eyes and then apply  the highlighter. What it does is highlight your skin as if you have a natural glow or provides that dimension that you loose when you apply your foundation without the harsh look that lighter shade concealers provide.

A highlighting concealer that I would recommend is the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer or the L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Lumi Highlighter

Rant, Rave and Misbehave: Ruby Kisses No More Blemish Liquid Foundation

Hello Everyone!

Wow two foundation reviews for the week girlies and well my gents. We are on a roll. So I bought this foundation back in January. It was purchased at Wonderful World. This is the Fredrick Street branch. This was an impulsive purchase. I was on my way home. I was super tired after walking up and down looking for someone. So after that ordeal when I saw WW open I raced to the store.
Anyway y'll don't care. So I will jump into the review:

Description

According to company's website:

Our No More Blemish Liquid Foundation is enriched with 0.5% Salicylic Acid which offers healing and the confidence of coverage.  Fresh and natural wearing, this non-irritating and oil free foundation is designed to gently keep blemish-prone skin comfortable and balanced by minimizing excess sebum without drying out your skin. Natural antioxidants, such as green tea leaf extract and goji berry extract will help improve your skin, and then continue to safeguard your skin against future breakouts with acne fighting ingredient, salicylic acid.

Blemish free skin is possible!

Packaging:

This foundation comes in a standard tube like packaging with a blue cap. It reminds me of  a baby bottle. I don't know why. It also reminds me of a eye drop bottle. That is the perfect description of the packaging.  The plastic label comes off easily after multiple uses. It could be annoying for me as when it come to makeup I am a clean freak of nature. But for others it is simple as  just removing it.
When it comes to the function of this squeeze tube I think like any foundation once it contains enough foundation it is pretty simple to get the product out. Once you have used it for a few months it starts to be quite difficult to get the product out of the bottle. You really have to squeeze and put a lot of pressure to get some foundation . I realized by April that I no longer had sufficient product for it to be easy to obtain foundation which became really tedious as my other foundations were low in supply. That is the problem with using more than one foundation at the same time. When one finishes the others may be low as well. The foundation I reviewed previously is the only one I have left.

Product:

It has a thick consistency, however it isn't too thick. When you first place it on your hand or face you assume it is the typical light liquid foundation. Based on the consistency, you know it is medium coverage. It takes a while to blend into the skin. It isn't horrendously thick or anything but as someone who has only used either light foundations or full coverage foundations it was a shock. It does offer the coverage it promises. It can be built up to full coverage if needed without being too cakey. I actually love this foundation very much. Some days it may appear too pinky for my skin but most times I just love how it looks on my skin. That is just the thing about my skin. A foundation can be perfect shade today and the next day it appears too dark. Sometimes it could be oxidation of the product or it could be just the day your skin looks because I have had foundations look perfect today, next day it is too light. However, I loved it so much that I wasn't really willing to get a new foundation which is a shock for me as I love to purchase new foundations on the market. I have two shades in this foundation. Last year June, I purchased it in Cognac and it was too dark so it looked blotchy and didn't offer much coverage. I think because I didn't shake it up or something because the Cognac didn't apply this way when I tried it the other day when I got my ideal shade. 

My perfect shade is Caramel. (Apparently I am a Caramel in every foundation now. Only in foundations anyone would describe me as a Caramel girl. ROFL).

I think this is the first foundation I have had that was true to the company's description. It does have a semi matte finishes. It is not oily or grease. It is not drying or dead looking like many matte formulations tend to produce. It is your skin but enhanced. It will give you glowing skin.

I forgot to mention the foundation comes in 8 shades and appears to target those of African, Asian and Hispanic descent.

Here is a swatch of the foundation in Cognac on my left hand (Hence the mole lol):

 This shade was used as a contour shade.

Here is a swatch of the foundation in Caramel on my right hand:

 

This is my first application of the Caramel shade

Price:

It can be purchased at Wonderful World branches for $60. I purchased the darker shade at Trincity Mall and the Caramel Shade at the Fredrick Street branch.

Overall Rating:

A.

Rant, Rave and Misbehave: Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation

Hello everyone!

I am back with a foundation review. I was so excited to try out this foundation. Usually when people do reviews on a product and they are favorable, I always hype up the product in my mind and it is never as good as I anticipated. For me, foundations are like movies. The more people hype it up, the more I want to purchase the foundation.

So enough with the talking and lets get down to business

Description:

According to the company's website:

Finally, truly decadent makeup offers ultimate performance. The mousse-like texture feels like silk on your skin. And, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy. 

Packaging:

It comes in a glass jar with a black lid. In my personal opinion, it looks SO sleek and professional. I really love that aspect of the packaging. My issue with the packaging is what many have said in their reviews. The glass packaging while elegant looking makes it very heavy. When I carried it in my purse, I could feel the weight of it. I felt like I was toting something way heavier than a foundation. I keep my essential makeup products in a small little pouch. I can't see myself carrying this around. 
I would say that if you are going on vacation and you have a huge suitcase then it may be okay to carry with you. But if you are going to a friend's house or spending the weekend out, in MY opinion I don't see this as travel friendly at all.
Another issue that I have with the packaging is that like many glass products, it is more packaging thatn product. The bulkiness of the product you would think it contains more than it really does.
It comes with the standard 0.8 fluid ounces that most foundations contain.
Many came with a white cap that was sandwich between the black lid and the jar. However, I was not so lucky. 
The jar can make it quite difficult to see the foundation and compare it to other shades. I didn't really need to look much at other shades as I bought this in Pennywise so the consultants just gave me the shade that they thought would be best.
This product does not come with a tester. I wanted to purchase this for Christmas at the Tunapuna branch but they did not have testers. I purchased this one at their Arima branch which Surprise Surprise didn't have testers as well. Is that just normal for this product? I don't know. I would have to consult with my peers.

Product

Now for the product. It goes on very smooth and very creamy. When you place it on your face, it does feel like it would be super thick and disgusting. However, as soon as you blend it in, it gels with your skin. To me I have worn it many times and people don't realize I have on makeup. I wouldn't say it is full coverage at all. I would say it is a medium foundation that could be built up to full coverage. I think for it to be full coverage you would have to pat it on instead of blending it on. 
It has a butter like consistency when first applied to the skin. 
I love the look of the foundation on the skin. It needs to be applied with a good moisterizer or else the skin would look dry and unappealing.

Price
It was $72 at the Pennywise branch in Arima. I am pretty sure it is about $69 at Tunapuna and Trincity branches.


Overall Rating

A


 


 

New Glasses, New Hair, New Attitude

Hey, so my hair was long over due to be hone. In fact, my hair is supposed to be done every six (6) weeks. My hair went on four (4) months without being done. So of course I had to cut it. A large portion of my hair had to be removed. I know *sad face*. Yes so I did it. Next month my hair will change. lol. You know me lol. I am a girl. lol. Yes how many times can I say lol in this post. :)

Anyway, enough with the talking and now to the look. I always have issue doing my left eye. It always comes out badly not properly blended. Well that is how it looks in pictures. I dunno. It doesn't matter what camera. Now that is beauty thing I suck at.

                                                        
                                                                   Face:
                     Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation in Caramel 405 Version 1
                     Blush: Mary Kay Blush from Compact Mini (Sorry doesn't have a name

                                                                   Eyes:
                      Ruby Kisses 24/7 Eye Shadow Magic Primer
                      L'oreal Transcluide Powder in Deep.
                     Mary Kay Compact Mini- White, Taupe, Bronze.
                    Colorwork Shop palette/ Beauty Treats 88 shimmer palette.                                                                                                                     
                                                            Lips:  
                     L.A Girls Creme Lipstick in Pure Ecstasy
                     L.A Colors Glossin Go in Sorbet

I'm a Barbie Girl

Face

Black Opal True Stick Foundation

L'oreal Translucide Powder in Deep

Eyes

Pro Base by Arlene Villarule 

Beauty Treats 88 shimmer eyeshadow palette

Kleancolor Mascara

L.A Girl gel liner in black

Lips

Kiss New York Maxi shine Lipstick in Tea Rose

L.A girl lipstick in sorbet