Audrey Dao

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow ($9.99) Rich color. Smooth feel.
Now silk makes shadow new again. Our exclusive formula with silk pigments creates the ultimate shadow texture and luminosity.

My Thoughts:

I kept seeing the ads for these new shadows in magazines and got so curious about them. I jumped at the chance when there was a BOGO sale. I originally got Mad Mauve and Pink Persuasion. I say “originally” because as soon as I went home, I tried them out and immediately fell in love with them. I went right back to the store and grabbed all of them.

Yes, the eyeshadows are pricey for a drugstore, but they perform so well. The eyeshadows are very pigmented and easily blendable. What I love about these quads is that the shadows are so silky, smooth they are almost creamy.  I was afraid the colors would give too much shimmer, but they didn’t. It’s more of a sheen shimmer instead of a glittery shimmer.

I highly recommend this. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone crazy over a drugstore product.

Loreal Paris Age Pefect Skin Supporting and Hydrating Makeup Foundation ($16.99) I know this is suppose to be for “mature skin,” but you know what? I don’t care because it works wonders! It’s long lasting and doesn’t budge. The hydrating quality gives your complexion a non-greasy, radiant, healthy glow. I like that it is a mousse texture so I don’t have to worry about it being runny or spilling. The foundation provides medium coverage and doesn’t settle into fine lines. It’s non-cakey and looks very natural. It does come with it’s own foundation brush, but I like to use my own. I would have to say this one of the best drugstore foundations. I cannot tell you the number of compliments I received every time I use this foundation. Everybody kept telling me I had such wonderful skin. Little did they know, it was the foundation.

Carmex Original Tube ($2.99 for a pack of 3) I think I have found my HG (holy grail) lip protectant. Carmex has worked mircles! For 2 weeks, I was suffering from dry lips. I could not get rid of it. I chugged lots and lots of water thinking maybe it was because of dehydration. That didn’t work. I used my beloved and always-solves-everything Vaseline. Nope. Still dry lips. I used my favorite Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer SPF 15. Nothing. Finally, I dug through my stash of lip balms and treatments hoping to find something that could help. At the bottom of my stash was my pack of Carmexes. I don’t know what made me try it. Thank goodness I did! Within 2 days of using Carmex, my dry lips were gone! Not only were my lips no longer dry, but they were super moisturized. I didn’t have to reapply for hours. What I really like about Carmex, besides the healing and protectant effects, it really soothes. The menthol-like cooling sensation is not very strong where it burns. Instead, it’s a light cooling feel. I LOVE CARMEX! It’s super affordable (approx. $1 a tube) and long lasting. A total must-have.

E.L.F Mechanical Eyelash Curler ($1) This innovative eyelash curler has a special curved design which angles to suit all eye shapes. Its silicone rubber pad applies the appropriate amount of pressure to curl lashes naturally and allows for damage-free heating. Get long-lasting curled lashes both easily and safely. Add a swipe of e.l.f. Water & Earth Mascara and curled lashes remain in perfect shape all day.

My Thoughts:

For something that only costs $1, it works pretty good. It fits my lash line perfectly and curls all my lashes. No crimped lashes here! The eye lash curler is very easy to control and easy to use. You don’t need to use a lot of pressure to curl your lashes. Just a quick 3-5 second squeeze. The one thing I don’t like about it is the packaging. The spring in the curler doesn’t allow for the handles to collapse. This makes it sort of bulky and so it will take up some space. Other than that complaint, I find this very comparable to Shu Uemura and Shiseido eye lash curlers.

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette ($24.95)

We have come up with a winner here! This is the Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette, it is exclusive to Coastal Scents.

This palette is for everyone!  a  favorite for the professional, wedding makeup, natural photo’s, smokey eyes and more.  The huge plus about this palette is that it is toned in a way that any skin tone can wear the majority of the shades. We have combined matte with shimmer and pearls, there are 42 matte shades, the rest are shimmer/pearl.

Women of all ages and backgrounds will be able to use this palette.

Colors contained are in Silver blues, camo greens, earthy peach and stone, rich plums and so many shades of brown (everyone’s favorite!) There are plenty of highlight colors for below the brow line and inner eye that will work with any look you create.

The case has a matte surface and measures 9″ x 6.5″ (23 cm x  16.5 cm) closed, The pots are Dime Size around and contain plenty of powder for many excessive uses.

My Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite palettes. It’s perfect for day and night looks. The colors are neutral and pigmented. This palette contains a mixture of shimmer and matte eye shadows. You get the best of both worlds! You get so many colors to work with and to test and create different looks. Overall, a great buy.

Don’t be fooled by the photo or the videos on youtube. This palette is actually quite small in real life. Remember, it only measures 9″ x 6.5″ (23 cm x  16.5 cm). That is smaller than a piece of paper. The diameter of each eyeshadow is roughly the size of a dime (1.79cm). Be careful when handling the palette. It’s not very sturdy. Also, don’t use the 2 sponge tips that come with the palettes. It is rather cheap, and once you take it out, good luck getting it to snap back in.

Coastal Scents Ultra Shimmer 88 Eye Shadow Palette ($19.95)

For those of you who love shimmer shadows you will not be disappointed. These are very pigmented and offer a bit  more shimmer than the 56 piece palette.

The case has a matte surface and measures 9″ x 6.5″ (23 cm x  16.5 cm) closed, The pots are Dime Size around and contain plenty of powder for many excessive uses.

My Thoughts:

Just like the Coastal Scents 88 Color Eyeshadow Palette, I think this is a good palette for people who are just starting out or who are interested in wearing colors but don’t know where to start. It’s also a great way to figure out which colors work for you before investing in full size eyeshadows. This palette contains all shimmery eye shadows. There is a range of shimmer between each eyeshadow. Some are glittery while others just shimmer a little bit. Like the Coastal Scents 88 Color Eyeshadow Palette, the majority of the eye shadows are pigmented. There were some (less than 10) that looked a bit chalky or where just chunks of glitter. The shadows go on smoothly and are blendable. However, if you blend too much, the colors can end up looking muddy. Overall, a great buy if you love all thing shimmery.

Don’t be fooled by the photo or the videos on youtube. This palette is actually quite small in real life. Remember, it only measures 9″ x 6.5″ (23 cm x  16.5 cm). That is smaller than a piece of paper. The diameter of each eyeshadow is roughly the size of a dime (1.79cm). Be careful when handling the palette. It’s not very sturdy. Also, don’t use the 2 sponge tips that come with the palettes. It is rather cheap, and once you take it out, good luck getting it to snap back in.

Coastal Scents 88 Color Eyeshadow Palette ($18.95)

Highly pigmented shades, all shadows can also be applied wet for a deeper longer lasting effect. The compact case makes it easy for storing and traveling.

The case has a matte surface and measures 9″ x 6.5″ (23 cm x  16.5 cm) closed, The pots are Dime Size around and contain plenty of powder for many excessive uses.

The colors do not have a ton of shimmer in them if this is what you are looking for, you can always dust shimmer over top as I did in the above photo. It is nearly a 50 50 mix of matte and satin with slight shimmer.

My  Thoughts:

I think this is a good palette for people who are just starting out or who are interested in wearing colors but don’t know where to start. It’s also a great way to figure out which colors work for you before investing in full size eyeshadows. This palette contains a mixture of shimmer and matte eye shadows. You get the best of both worlds! You get so many colors to work with and to test and create different looks. The majority of the eye shadows are pigmented. There were some (less than 10) that looked a bit chalky or where just chunks of glitter. The shadows go on smoothly and are blendable. However, if you blend too much, the colors can end up looking muddy. Overall, a great buy.

Don’t be fooled by the photo or the videos on youtube. This palette is actually quite small in real life. Remember, it only measures 9″ x 6.5″ (23 cm x  16.5 cm). That is smaller than a piece of paper. The diameter of each eyeshadow is roughly the size of a dime (1.79cm). Be careful when handling the palette. It’s not very sturdy. Also, don’t use the 2 sponge tips that come with the palettes. It is rather cheap, and once you take it out, good luck getting it to snap back in.

Loreal HiP high intensity pirgments Pure Pigment Shadow Stick ($10) Oi! Not a good product at all and not to mention expensive too! It was so difficult to get the color onto my brush or my eyelid. I had to push so hard just for a little bit of color to show up that my eyelids got irritated. Whatever amount of product you do get to show up won’t last very long either. Within a few hours it was gone. No trace of it all. There’s a plastic wrapped around the stick that keeps it from crumbling. If you peel it off, hello Crumbleville! Do yourself a favor. Stay away from these shadow sticks. Even if they are on sale, stay away.

Loreal Wear Infinite Eye Shadow ($4.48) There are 2 versions of these eyeshadows: perle (shimmer) and matte (no shimmer). The perle shadows work well as a highlighter and the matte shadows are rich in color. I feel these shadows are hit or misses because of the shades are really dark or too shimmery. It really depends on your taste. The shadows go on powdery, soft and are easily blendable. Not only are they blendable, but extremely long lasting! Imagine the staying power when you combine it with an eyeshadow primer!

Loreal HiP high intensity pigments Intensely Moisturizing Lipcolor ($10) I love these lipsticks! They are so moisturizing and pigmented! Everything Loreal advertises them to be. They smell and taste good too! Besides being so moisturizing, I love that they feel so weightless. There is nothing I hate more than for a lipstick to feel thick and heavy. The lipstick isn’t super shiny or super matte. It’s somewhere in between. The only downside of this lipstick is the price: $10. That is expensive for a drugstore lipstick. It’s only a few dollars cheaper than high end lipsticks. I would only buy the lipsticks during BOGO sales. Love BOGO sales!