beauty on a budget: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm

lipstains are the hottest thing in the lippie world right now and for good reason. they leave lips perfectly flushed with color and last a lot longer. the only issue is that you have to apply some sort of gloss or balm over them to give lips moisture and shine.



to the joy of lips and lipstain lovers, Revlon has included a balm with their new lipstain, cleverly named, Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm.

i chose to purchase Just Bitten in Forbidden, a pretty coral shade that gives my lips just enough color to keep them looking natural, but can be layered to punch it up a notch.



the felt tip is the same as CoverGirl's Lipstain and lasts just as long on my lips, but the balm that comes with Revlon's version has me hooked (and i can't help but appreciate that they included vitamin C in it for anti-oxidant protection). it moisturizes and leaves lips with a soft shine (if you want a super-shiny, glossy look, just apply your fave gloss over it). while my experience with the balm has been positive, and hasn't happened to me, i have read and talked to a friend via Twitter that it breaks of after a few uses, so be careful!

Just Bitten comes in 10 shades and can be found at your favorite drug and mass retailer. visit revlon.com for more info.

xo
pics taken by me :)

beauty in a budget: Olay Total Effects Cream Cleanser + Blemish Control

keeping blemishes at bay as i get older isn't always easy since many different things can trigger a blemish to appear. i also have to keep in mind that my skin isn't the same as it was even a year ago, so i have to look for products that cater to that reality as well.

ugh...

Olay, thankfully, makes keeping my skin looking radiant and clear a bit easier with their fabulous Total Effects Cream Cleanser + Blemish Control cleanser. i discovered and bought my first tube a few months ago and can't get enough.

this cleanser contains micro-beads, providing skin with gentle exfoliation (perfect to use daily) and salicylic acid to treat (and prevent) acne. i love that it's cream-based (typical foaming formulas can over-dry even the oiliest skin), and the anti-aging benefits-- exfoliation, enhanced tone, added moisture, pore and skin texture refinement, and minimization of fine lines-- are the added bonus in my beauty book.

if you're looking for an anti-aging cleanser that will also keep you skin clear, i recommend you try this one! find it at your local drug and mass retailers. visit olay.com for more info.

xo
pic taken by me :)

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara

one mascara that had me (and many other beauty fanatics) in a frenzy over the summer was Maybelline's new Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara.

have you tried it yet?

if your answer is no, um...why not??!


this mascara has a keratin fiber formula that gives lashes more oomph and the cool "spoon" wand makes getting every lash coated super easy.


clearly the name itself is enough to draw in a mascara junkie like myself, but it's the results that have kept me on the Falsies bandwagon. in my opinion, this is almost the drugstore equivalent of Lancome's Hypnose Drama-- my absolute favorite high-end mascara-- and if the pics don't convince you to try it for yourself, i don't know what will...


before


after

you can find Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara at my favorite mass retailer, Target (where i purchased it). visit maybelline.com for more info.

xo
pics taken by me :)

beauty on a budget: Aveeno Positively Nourishing Hydrating Body Wash

i am in love with this body wash from Aveeno. Positively Nourishing Hydrating Body Wash was sent to me as a travel size sample, and from first use i was hooked. not wanting to be without it before it ran out, i looked for in-store.

no luck.

when i finally did find it, it was sold out. multiple times (sigh). i think i looked for the Fig & Shea Butter flavor over a month before i finally found it in stock! the women in my area know a good body wash when they find it, i must say (LOL!). the smell is divine and the shea butter leaves my skin so gorgeously soft. the creamy formula lathers up nicely and rinses away easily, i can't get over what a fabulous product this is-- it's such a treat after a tough morning workout and even at the end of the day before bed. :)

find Aveeno Positively Nourishing Hydrating Body Wash at a drugstore near you.

xo
as stated in this post: initially a travel-size sample was sent to me; pic taken my me of product i bought :)

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer

Covergirl and Olay have outdone themselves by creating a fabulous product, the new Simply Ageless Serum Primer. it's an anti-aging serum. it's a primer. it's a brilliant light moisturizer that i simply can't get enough of.

i was first introduced to this beauty by Molly R. Stern at the CoverGirl Lounge event in los angeles back in may. she used it to prep Rashida Jones' skin for the gorgeous look she ultimately created. Molly herself, a makeup maven, admitted that she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of a primer-- she never used them before (good moisturization of the skin works just as well as a primer in most cases, fyi)-- but after using it, and seeing the results it gave, she became a fan.

i, on the other hand, was beyond thrilled to know that CG was stepping it up and adding this to their Simply Ageless line! i couldn't wait to try it myself.

i've been using it for a couple of months now, and i adore it!

it's made with Olay Regenerist ingredients, of course, so my skin doesn't just get prepped for foundation, but is also given an anti-aging treatment every time i use it (multi-tasker alert!). i love its delicate consistency and the way it quickly smooths over my skin without a hint of oil. it doesn't leave my skin matte, but rather looking fresh, pretty and lightly moisturized. i don't have any serious wrinkles, so i don't know how it would be in treating them, but i do know i like the way my skin has been looking since using this.

hope you'll give it a try! look for it soon in your local drugstore.

xo
product featured given to me by representatives of the CoverGirl brand at an event mention in this post.