Category Archives: Beauty on a Budget

Huge SauceBox Cosmetics Sale!

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Hi Babes!
I hope you’re all having a great Monday so far. I’ve been super busy getting ready for xmas and working through my finals. Counting down to next week, I’ll be off work until the 2nd :D.

I had to share an awesome sale going on right now over at SauceBox; all of their items have been marked down to under $7 :). The promo code for 30% can’t be used for this, but the deals are amazing so take a look and shop your heart out!

Once the sale is over, you can use the code again for some awesome new items that I can’t wait to share with you :).

Also, I’m getting ready to post a sweet giveaway of SauceBox goodies!

Click here to visit the SauceBox site.

Let me know what you pick up!

<3V

Saucebox Cosmetics: A Review & a Special Offer!

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Photobucket Click the banner to visit Saucebox’s website!

Hi Dolls!
I hope you’re all having a lovely Sunday night. I’m taking a quick break from studying (it never ends!) to share a couple of great products that I ordered from an up and coming cosmetics company here in LA called SauceBox Cosmetics. I heard about them through my makeup artistry school and decided to pick up a blush and some new shadows. Alla, one of their awesome reps, has extended a discount to my readers that I’ll share at at the end of the post.

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The banner at the top of the post is the artwork on the boxes their products come in, isn’t it adorable? The blush and shadows I ordered come in sleek black snap shut containers that are lightweight and portable.

On to the products:

-Blush in Cocktail: A cool toned candy pink with just a hint of frost. Very pigmented and soft powder that blends really easily. Loved the pop of color this provided. A little goes a long way and as you can see, it photographs well without being grainy/powdery.

-Bold Effect Shadow in Queen Bee: A bright, pigmented yellow with just a tiny bit of frost finish. Also really soft texture that blends very easily. I didn’t have any true yellows before, and I cannot wait to use this!

-Bold Effect Shadow in Torch: My favorite out of the bunch, this is a true orange shadow that’s beautifully pigmented, blends like a dream, and just stole my heart. I’ve been leaning toward citrus colors recently and I’m excited to use this with Queen Bee in an EOTD post.

Pricing:
Blush $15
Shadow $14

I’m really happy with my purchases and I’m looking forward to trying more of SauceBox’s products soon. The customer service was fantastic and thanks to Miss Alla, I’m happy to share a 30% off code with all of you lovely ladies. The code is NLM30 and shipping is free right now with every purchase (will find out how much longer that’s going for). Try them out and let me know what you think!

<3V

Dr. Scholl’s Fast Flats Review

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Hello Lovely Readers :),
How’s your Monday going? Hopefully it’s not too painful after the long weekend. I’m in go mode at work and in school, so no normal sleep until after December 14th! Even thought they’re not makeup related, I wanted to post a review on the Dr. Scholl’s fast flats I picked up last month before my trip to Vegas. I knew I was wearing heels and couldn’t stand the thought of having to walk the strip barefoot (gross). I got the black flats that came with a little gold clutch and don’t know how I had a clubbing/bar hopping night without these before.
Fast Flats range in price from $7-$14, you can buy them online or at Target and drug stores. They’re simple black ballet flats not meant to be work every day–they’re pretty thin and not necessarily pretty. I loved that these folded up into the gold clutch they came with or any of the other clutches I own, so I could carry them discreetly instead of dragging flip flops around. After walking a mile (no joke) in heels and dancing, my feet were dead and the staff at Tryst wouldn’t let us just take our shoes off and be barefoot. I pulled my flats out of my clutch and let the relief of being flat footed wash over me, LOL. While my friends were ouching their way back to the hotel in their stilettos, and buying over priced flip flops in the club bathroom, I was happy happily walking back pain free.
The downside to these is that you don’t have anything to put your heels in, but I can look past that and I’m fine with carrying them with me on the way back to the car/hotel.
Again, these aren’t meant for daily use. The upper part of the flat is very thin and the sole is as well, but it has a grip. I’d recommend these to all of my friends that wear heels for nights out and special events, they are a lifesaver and more sanitary than walking around barefoot in public a la Britney Spears :P.

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Have you tried Fast Flats?

<3V

Two EOTD’s Featuring Inglot Colors

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Happy Sunday Beauties!
How are you? I’ve been in my pj’s for most of the weekend, trying to get over being sick. Took a quick trip to Hollywood yesterday morning and I cannot wait to show you the haul from my new favorite makeup store :). Here are some EOTD’s I threw together using my new Inglot colors for most of the eyelid, blending out with some Urban Decay neutrals. I’m even more obsessed with Inglot now, they held up all day along with being really nicely milled and pigmented.

Featuring Pearl 423:
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Featuring DS 471:
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How have you spent your long weekend?

<3V

 

Z Palette Review

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Happy Tuesday Dolls!
How’s your week going? Ready for the turkey day festivities? I’m counting down to the delish feast that my best friend is putting together :).
On to the good stuff! As my kit/makeup collection grows, I’ve found myself buying shadows that don’t come in a little box/container–they’re the loose metal pans that are meant to be in palettes. I was getting pretty tired of having to keep the shadows in the plastic packaging because they were a pain to open up and they were easily damaged in my purse. I looked around for a while because I didn’t want to limit myself to one company’s shadow pan shape/size, I wanted to throw all of my loose pans together and keep them in one place. I found the Z Palette and couldn’t be happier with my purchase! The case is made out of sturdy cardboard, has a clear cover so I can see all of my colors, and it’s lightweight/easy to carry. The magnetic base grips the metal shadow pans really well, I’ve shaken it open and flipped it upside down and the shadows haven’t fallen out once. If you have non-metal shadow pans, you can just stick a little magnet to it (also sold on the site).

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I love the sleek look of the palette so much. They come in a large (above) and small size, and are available in different colors. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a freestyle magnetic palette.  Click here to visit the company website.

Have you tried Z Palette products?

<3V

Inglot Mini Haul and Swatches

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Hi Babes,
Happy Monday! I’m so excited that this is a short work week, looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner at bffs house and sleeping in all 4 days of my weekend. I’m heading out to LA/Hollywood this weekend to pick up some things for my makeup kit as well, so I’m excited to share those with you :).
I was in Vegas for Halloween weekend with my girlfriends, and while walking around the forum shops, I found the Inglot store. After a quick happy dance and some excited squeals, I headed in and picked out some shadows in colors that I didn’t already have in my kit.

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In natural light:
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With flash:
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-Pearl 423- a shimmery deep brown with copper and purple tones depending on where the light hits.
-AMC Shine 09- a gold with a slightly peach/pink shimmer to it.
-Double Shimmer 504- beautiful teal/aquamarine blue. LOVE this one so much.
-Double Shimmer 483- a deep shimmery navy blue.
-Double Shimmer 481- my favorite of the bunch, this is a khaki green that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Creates a beautiful subtle smokey eye.

I’m officially Inglot crazy and cant wait to pick more up at the store in Newport Beach soon. The colors are intensely pigmented, blend like a dream, and last all day long. I picked up the pans for their Freedom System and they came out to $5 each :)–seriously, how could you say no?! I’d recommend these to the newbies and the serious makeup artist looking to build up an amazing shadow collection. Click here to visit their website.

Have you tried Inglot before?

<3V

Review: E.l.f. Zit Zapper

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Hello Lovelies :),
I hope you’re all having a fabulous weekend! I celebrated my friend Liz’s bday this past Friday, spent yesterday recovering (fishbowl drinks…so delish, but they come with a side of regret the next day lol), and today I’m being lazy with the bf– getting ready to FINALLY watch the last episode of True Blood.
If you’ve been a reader for a while, you know I LOVE e.l.f. products, they’re amazingly affordable and some of them are really really great quality. A while back, my sister told me she’d picked up the Zit Zapper roller at Target and absolutely loved it so I thought I’d give it a try. This stuff works! If I have a pimple or zit, I just use the little roller ball after washing my face at night; when I get up the next day, my blemishes are visibly smaller and less red. I’ve also started using it under my makeup, applying it right after moisturizer for daytime treatment.
I really love the scent too, it smells kind of like minty tea to me. The e.l.f website lists Salicylic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, Witch Hazel, and Camphor as the main ingredients. I haven’t experienced any dryness or flaking from using this product, even when I’ve used it a few times a day.
This has become a staple in my kit and I carry it around with me to treat those random blemishes that show up out of nowhere in the middle of the day. At just $1 a tube at Target or on the e.l.f. website, you really can’t go wrong.

Have you tried Zit Zapper? What’s your favorite quickie blemish treatment?

<3V

Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara Review

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Hi Babes!
I know, I’ve been MIA, I’m sorry :/. I go through periods of writers block and it makes me frustrated to type anything other than work documents and those are done because I HAVE to lol. I’ve been working on quite a few posts for the next few days though, here’s the first and the one I’m so very excited about!

One of my best friends, Liz, spent the weekend at my house a few weekends ago and we went out for drinks with the girls. While getting ready, I noticed her gorgeous lashes and asked what mascara she was wearing. She pulled out the Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara and let me try it (I know, you’re not supposed to share mascaras…but I’ve known her for almost 20 years and we pretty much have the same cooties). I looooved how full and long my lashes looked after a few coats.
All of my regular readers know how devoted I am to my Covergirl Lashblast, so this is a big deal. The formula isn’t clumpy, it doesn’t have a weird smell, and it leaves my lashes really soft, even after many coats. It’s really easy to build up this mascara, so it’s great for a soft daytime look or dramatic lashes for a night out. The brush large, but it’s a pretty standard mascara brush, not a rubbery one like Lashblast’s.
Healthy Volume washes off easily and doesn’t leave smudgies, and it doesn’t irritate my eyes, even when I’ve slept in it. For about $7, it’s pretty amazing and I’d recommend it to anyone.
For extra drama, I alternate coats of Healthy Volume with coats of Lashblast and can build up really dramatic clump free lashes that look like falsies :). Check out the pictures below:

Sad, sad, naked lashes. They’re decent in length, just really light colored…you can’t even see the tips -_-.
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One Coat:
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Two Coats:
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Three Coats:
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What’s your favorite mascara?

Aaand a new beauty item! This was my bday gift from my bf last week and I’m very excited about it. I’ve been wearing Fantasy by Britney Spears for years and wanted a more grown up fragrance that isn’t too grandma or floral. This has Citrus Accord, Peony, Rose, Osmanthus Flower, Pink Pepper, Sandalwood. I smells very faintly sweet, kind of like a muskier vanilla without being vanilla. Okay, I’m awful at describing fragrances, but this one makes me feel seductive, pretty, and a little grown up.
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<3V

All Brown Smokey Eyes + A Mini Haul

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PhotobucketWhat my bed looks like when I’m getting ready :).

Hi Lovelies,
Happy Tuesday! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I love my black pencil and liquid eyeliner, I wear at least the liquid every day. I’m trying to step out of my comfort zone and decided to do a smokey eye without any black shadow/liner this weekend. Part of the inspiration came from Drop Dead Diva; Jane always has lovely smokey brown eyes that warm up her fair complexion. I played around with some MAC shadows and Ulta liner to create this:
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Products Used:
-UDPP all over the eyelid and along lower lashes.
-MAC Wedge e/s applied all over the lid, halfway to the brow past the crease.
-MAC Corduroy e/s blended into the crease.
-MAC Embark e/s blended into the crease and outer corner of the lid. Also applied along lower lashes and blended with a fluffy brush.
-MAC Mylar e/s blended into the inner corners of the eyes and along brows.
-Ulta Extreme Wear Gel Eyeliner in Perfection applied along upper lashes and winged out.
-Covergirl Lashblast mascara.

My birthday’s on the 10th, but I picked up some goodies with bday coupons my favorite stores sent last week. Check it out:
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-Victorias Secret Rockin’ Body Luminous Perfecting Cream. Price was $12, I paid $2 with my bday coupon.
-Philosophy Happy Birthday Beautiful body wash/bubble bath/shampoo. It smells like cake :D. This was free.
-Torrid earrings. Price was $10.50, I paid $.50 with my bday coupon.
-OPI InStyle Red. This was free with my subscription that I got myself for my bday.
-MAC Ample Pink Plushglass. This wasn’t for my bday, but it was new so I included it in the haul :P. MAC sells it for $18.50, I paid $13 for it on Ebay.

What have you picked up recently?

<3V

Purple Wings

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Happy Sunday!
I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend :). I’m over at the boyfriends house, counting down to the premier of the new season of True Blood! I felt like playing with color today, so I did my usual winged liner in purple, instead of black. Loved the way it turned out!

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Products Used:
-E.l.f. cream liner. Click here for my review.
-Covergirl Lashblast mascara.
-E.l.f. angled liner brush. I highly recommend this brush to any gel/cream liner newbies, it makes application so much easier than a foam tipped applicator or a normal liner brush.

Okay, it’s True Blood time! I’ve been waiting since last summer, can’t miss it :D.

<3V