My Favorite Things Contest Winner

I would like to thank everyone for participating! It really helped to get my blog out there. The winner of the contest is Jo from California! Thank you for linking me in four different places, I will be contacting you shortly. You may take your links down now if you wish, but I would love if you kept them up. Thanks again everyone!

Web Tour: 3/28/07

I'm leaving for Monterey tonight so I am posting the Web Tour a bit early, enjoy!

Lilan from The Daily Cookie has found a new love in MAC Heatherette!

Mischo Beauty shares her best tips on how to prepare for a bikini wax and what to expect!

Jennifer and Christine from Beauty in Real Life are having a giveaway! Click here to take you there!

May is declared National toss your makeup month. What is your tossing habits? Check out Casual Lavish and give your thoughts.

The Beauty of Life finally figures out how to banish undereye circles for good! Check out her two miracle products!

Dealing with those pesky ingrown hairs with Daily Dose of Coffee.

Laurie from Beauty's Spot has a coveted moment's peace with Exhale Massage

Joy from Makeup Junkie gives us the scoop on Fall/Winter beauty trends from Toronto L'Oreal Fashion Week !

Got 10 minutes? Beauty411 reviews Clairol Perfect 10 haircolor and tells you how your haircolor can go from drab to fab!

Try This: Urban Decay and Besame Sale

I love/hate it when products are discontinued. I love it because they are offered at ridiculously cheap prices, but I hate it because the product will be gone forever. I especially hate that Urban Decay Lip Gunk is on its way out, but for those of you who want to try it, they have two types up for only $6! Almost all of Urban Decay''s discontinued items are 50% off right now, while supplies last, no code required. You can check them out the Urban Decay site here. My picks would be Lip Gunk (of course) and those awesome Liquid Eye Liners for only $7!

Besame Cosmetics is also having a sale on products that are being discontinued or repackaged. It is while supplies last and no code is required, the site reflects the prices. I picked up their Souffle Foundation, originally over $30, now just $10. Also check out their Cashmere Powder Compact which is a beautiful metal compact with powder inside, now just $20. I bought it yesterday and look forward to receiving it. Just browse through the products here and look for low prices.

Note From Me: Reminders

Sorry todays post is a boring one, but it must be done!

1. If you leave me a comment, I will do my best to get back to you. I usually respond to everyone who comments, either in the post they commented on (usually below theirs) or back on your blog if you have one. If you do not have one, look back on the post where you commented, a reply will usually be there. I try to get to every comment, but sometimes I miss a few.

2. I will be starting a new section called Worth the Splurge. I know that this blog is dedicated to inexpensive cosmetics, but if I find something that is a really good value or really worth the money, I will let you know. These posts will be found under the Try This tag.

3. Please take the time to join my contest and you may win 10 brand-new full sized makeup items! If you promote me at even one place, you still have a shot at winning. I have only had a few entries so far, so your chances are good. Remember that you must e-mail me (kgraulty@gmail.com) the locations of where you linked my blog in order to qualify. This contest ends March 31st, so please continue to participate. Check here for complete list of rules and a list of what you can win!

Try This: Makeup Outlets

There is a way to get high-end makeup on sale without waiting for internet codes or sales. You can go to an outlet store specifically for makeup! There are two that come to mind instantly, the Estee Lauder Cosmetics Company outlet (also known as a CCO) and the Lancome Designer Fragrances and Cosmetics Co. outlet. Each carry different brands, for example at the Estee Lauder outlet you may find MAC, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, and maybe some Stila (which used to be owned by Estee Lauder) and at the Lancome outlet you may find Lancome, Shu Uemura, and other companies owned by Loreal. The best part is all of these cosmetics will be less than retail. When there is overstock, discontinued products or packaging changes leftover products go here. They are legitimate stores owned by the companies, and a great place to get cheap cosmetics. The downside to these places is each one has different stock so you never know what you are going to get, plus they do not tell you what is there over the phone or ship out. You have to find one near you and just check. Want to locate one (in the US)? Try here for Estee Lauder outlets and here for Lancome outlets.

I am super excited because I get to go to both of these stores in Gilroy on Friday! I will definitely post my haul and let you know what is there when I get back.

Reminder and Web Tour: 3/21/08

I'd like to also remind readers that I have a contest going on where you can win a lot of great makeup. See details in this post.

The Daily Cookie reviews Elizabeth Arden Intervene Cream.

A Mom in Red High Heels and other beauty bloggers are in the news.

Talking Makeup looks at a new mini flat iron.

Fifty-Cent Head takes a look at the new Chanel Summer collection.

Casual Lavish (aka Pampered and Primped Up) talks about Toss Your Makeup Month.

The Beauty of Life shares a Victoria Secret beauty deal.

Beauty's Spot shows us how to win Kiehls stuff.

Mischo Beauty shares a beauty reader favorite, Loreal Sublime Glow.

Steeping Beauty shares an awesome new website called Taaz.

Makeup Junkie is at Loreal Fashion Week in Toronto.

The Jet Set Girls have a great place to get affordable jewelry.

Beauty 411 asks if you play the beauty high-low game.

Makeup 2 Beauty shares a new makeup book that that you will want to own.

Beauty in Real Life looks for the ultimate hand cream.

Get The Look: i-sparkle Starlight

In this tutorial I will show you how to get a light, fresh spring pink eye, perfect when you want some color but do not want to overdo it. You will need the i-sparkle quad in Starlight and any base, mascara, and eyeliner of your choice.

First, apply your eyeshadow base from your lash line to your brow bone, and on your lower lid. Apply highlight color (the light pink in the background of the quad) to your brow bone and bring it down into your inner corner.

Apply your lid color (the bright coral petals of the big flower) all over your lid and above the crease. Blend into the highlight.

Take the rose-gold color (the smallest flower) and pat some on your inner eye and about halfway on your lower lid.

Take the darkest color (located at the center of the big flower) and work into outer v and outer crease. Take some on the outer half of your lower lid. Blend well with touching colors.

Apply eyeliner and mascara, groom brows (which I did not :P) and you're done! Looks great with a soft pink lip color and rosy cheeks.

Try This: Wet n Wild i-sparkle Eyeshadow

Wet n Wild has some new limited edition eyeshadows out! They are called i-sparkle shadows, and as you can see above they are quads with flower shapes on them. I love Wet n Wild shadows, so I naturally love these. The only drawback to the shadow quads would be the fact that the shadows are touching, which can make them look muddy if you run a brush directly across. The colors are gorgeous and great for spring, especially the light purple Twilight quad. The best part is they are super cheap, just $3.99 each (at my local Walgreens). I will definitely post a tutorial using one of these tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Review and FOTD: KLS Makeup

I finally got around to trying the Kimora Lee Simmons makeup, also known as KLS, and let me tell you, there is a reason this line is being clearanced. The colors for the shadows were pretty, yet sheer. It tried to make them more pigmented by putting them over a base, which kind of worked. Alone though, they're kind of dull looking as you can see from the swatch picture (no base, no flash).

The problem was the texture. The shadows were super powdery and they got everywhere, under the eye, on my nose, all over my counter, etc. They were also almost impossible to blend. To be fair I was able to do a pretty eye look with Asian Azure (turquoise) and Royal Rose Gold (brown/gold), but I messed it up with liquid liner, so no picture. I did get a picture of a sub-par eye look using KLS Red Carpet Ruby, KLS Princess Pink and NYX Black shadow. In this picture I am also using KLS Beauty Powder in Brilliant Butterscotch (please ignore the hairs across my face).
I actually love this powder, it gives me a glow without adding too much bronze. Before it I used Pink Champagne, and the shimmer was so overloaded it looked white on my skin. I had to go over it with my foundation to get it to look ever close to normal. If I had to go back in time, I would only buy Brilliant Butterscotch from this line. The rest was a waste of money. Addicted to makeup as I am though, I might go back and buy a KLS blush. I actually heard those were good. You can find this line full priced at beauty.com or on clearance at (some) TJMaxx.

Haul: 3/15/08-3/16/08

I hauled this weekend, but this time I hauled discontinued makeup from TJMaxx, Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack. I love those places, it can be a great way to get makeup, but always check the packaging to make sure nothings broken (I had to exchange a shattered blush) and no one swiped anything with their fingers, because usually there is a lot of that. Also, be sure you like the product, because if you use it and you don't, you may not be able to return it.


Anyway, I picked up 3 Too Faced Blush Duos that I love, I'm going to get the fourth later. Each were $6.97 from Nordstrom Rack. I also got a Too Faced Glamor Gloss for $3.99 and a Too Faced Good Girl Bad Girl palette for only $7.99 from TJMaxx. For $12.99 I got a one ounce Hilary Duff With Love Perfume (Marshalls). I love those purchases and am glad I made them.

As for the other stuff, well... I have no opinion on Kimora Lee Simmons, I don't like her or dislike her. I found some of her makeup for dirt ($2.99) cheap at TJMaxx and bought a bunch. I like the packaging, to some it may seem tacky, but I don't care, I like what I like. What I am worried about is the products themselves. I have yet to find a thorough review of this makeup. It is mostly either, 'I hate her, so the makeup sucks' or 'I love her, it rocks'. I don't care if you hate/love her, I just want to know about the makeup! I am afraid to try it, because if I use it I can't return it, but I want to try it because it might be great. I think I'll just try it and if it isn't good I'll take the hit. So if it sucks/rocks I'll let you know!

Web Tour: 3/14/08

The Daily Cookie gives her take on MAC Beauty Powder Blushes and shares a FOTD.

A Mom in Red High Heels shares a MAC look straight from LA Fashion Week.

Talking Makeup dishes about the new Smashbox for the Pussycat Dolls Collection.

Fifty-Cent Head introduces us to the PowderPuff Squad.

Pampered and Primped Up shares pictures of the new OPI Summer Collection.

The Beauty of Life gives us a heads up on a great Lancome beauty event.

Beauty's Spot has an interview with Alexis LaMontagna at LA Fashion Week.

Mischo Beauty teaches you how to apply false eyelashes.

Steeping Beauty looks at Afterglow Mineral Cosmetics Kabuki Brush.

Makeup Junkie shows us how to get Charlize Theron's golden look.

The Jet Set Girls share how to go green for St. Patty's Day.

Beauty 411 takes a look at Creme de la Mer.

Makeup 2 Beauty shares how to win Dior's Spring makeup.

Review: Loreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lip Color

The Loreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lip Color is really a great lip color, less of a gloss in my opinion. It has some shine, but it is not at all like other glass like glosses. The colors are very pigmented and there is a wide range of them. This product comes in nudes, browns, reds, pinks, with a wine or coral/orange color thrown in there, so I wasn't bored at all. It is kind of thick and lasts longer than most drugstore glosses that can be gone in an hour. The smell is sweet and unoffensive, it is a vanilla or caramel smell that goes away after a while. There are very little negatives I can think of about the lip color, but I'll mention them anyway. The lip color can bleed a little if used alone, so I would recommend a lip liner. It has a doe-foot applicator which I feel doesn't give you as much control as a brush like applicator. Lastly, the price is a little high for it, but if bought during a buy one get one sale, it can be reasonable. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a pigmented lip color that isn't a matte. These can be found drugstores nationwide for about $11.99.

Try This: Aquafina Hydrating Facial Spray

You may be wondering what the point of a facial spray is. Though it is mainly used to cool people down during hot days (summers coming up) it can also be used for makeup related reasons. Facial spray helps set the makeup and give you a 'glow'. It works especially well with dry, powder makeup. Though there are pricey sprays out there, I chose to try Aquafina Advanced Hydration Hydrating Facial Spray. This is because the price was so low for it, $6 on the site, or where I found it on clearance, $3.50. It has vitamins A and C, aloe and jojoba oil infused in the water. Though I am not sure what the vitamins do, the aloe really sooths, and the jojoba oil moisturizes, but doesn't feel oily on my skin. The only possible drawback to the product is that it has fragrance in it, but it isn't overpowering and goes away in about a minute. I recommend this to anyone skeptical about trying a facial spray that doesn't want to spend too much money, in case they don't like it. I was like that at first, but now I am hooked!

Win It: My Favorite Things

I am looking for a way to get the word out about Budget Beauty Love, so I have started a contest to get the ball rolling. All you have to do is get the link to this blog out there. Add it to your signature, link to your site (I'll be happy to link back of course), post about the blog somewhere, ect. Then, email me links to the places you promoted, and if you have the highest number of places, you will win a makeup package of some of my favorite things.

There are some rules:
1. Do not post where it is not allowed, I don't want you to get in any trouble.
2. Communities used specifically for promoting everything and anything like the ones on Live Journal do not count. Beauty related communities always count though!
3. Do this only if you really feel that this is a good blog.

The winner will receive some of my favorite budget beauty buys:
N.Y.C. Loose Translucent Powder
N.Y.C. Browser (you choose color)
Revlon Color Stay Foundation (you choose the skin type and color)
Wet n Wild Eye Shadow Palette in Sand Castle
Sally Girl Eyeshadow (random colors)
Maybelline Mineral Power Blush in Gentle Pink
HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lip Color (random color)
Plus three extra products (random)

That is a total of 10 full sized, brand new products for you to play with!

The deadline to e-mail me (kgraulty@gmail.com) is Monday, March 31st at 6 p.m. Pacific. The winner will be announced later that day. Have fun!

Web Tour: 3/7/08

A Mom in Red High Heels shows you how to get the perfect blow dry at home.

The Daily Cookie has the battle of the toners, drugstore vs. high-end.

Talking Makeup takes a look at MAC Beauty Powder Blush.

At Beauty Interviews you can check out an interview with Heidi Klum.

Fifty-Cent Head has some great MAC Lipglass swatch comparisons for 'Cult Fave' from the Fafi collection.

The Beauty of Life shows you the hot new look of day-glow eyes.

Beauty's Spot looks at the best lip balm ever.

The Jet Set Girls show you how to get that west coast look.

Mischo Beauty shares a beauty reader favorite, Benefit Cosmetics.

Pampered and Primped Up has an awesome nail polish marbling tutorial.

Steeping Beauty gives you info on how to get involved with World Water Day.

Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick

I got Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Wild Thing and Scream recently, and I already had it in Birthday Suit. The reason I bought these is because Rimmel is repackaging their line of lipstick and these were on clearance, so I couldn't resist. These lipsticks go on smooth and creamy, not at all dry. The consistency is sheer on Birthday Suit and Wild Thing, but able to be built up for more dramatic color. The color shows up very strong on Scream, but I think this is an exception because it is a bright red. The color range is great for this product, there are a lot of colors to choose from. My problem with the lipstick is that though to me it smells like nothing, the taste is awful. It tastes like plastic. The packaging is chunky looking (for a cylinder), plain dark brown, and not very sleek, but I can get over things like packaging. The lipstick itself did not wear longer than any other drugstore lipstick that I had, so I wonder why this is being marketed as 'Lasting Finish'. Would I buy this lipstick again? Yup, but only at it's clearance price around here, $3. As for the individual colors, I have posted pictures to let you decide what would look good and what wouldn't. Remember these are on NC42 skin, and they were very sloppily done (without lip liner!)

Birthday Suit:

Scream:

Wild Thing:

You can try to find these on clearance at you local drugstore, I found mine at Longs Drugs, or you can pick up the repackaged ones for about $5.99.

FOTD: Green Spotted Puffer Inspired

This face of the day is inspired by my lovely Green Spotted Puffer fish. Even though he's not looking at the camera, I find him adorable!



Eyes:
HIP Cream Shadow Paint in Secretive
NYX Single Shadow in Vanilla Sky
HIP Bright Shadow Duo in Riotous
Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black
N.Y.C. Browser in Brunette

Lips:
Victoria Secret Beauty Rush in Slice of Heaven

Face:
MAC Studio Fix in NC 42
Revlon A Floral Affair Blush in Peachy Keen

PS: Ignore the hairs across my face.

Review: Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black

When I decided to buy Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black, it was because of all the rave reviews I had heard about it. It is many people's favorite mascara. I however, was not too impressed. There are some good things about the mascara. The best part is that it goes on soft and doesn't end up crunchy or flaky (unless you rub your eyes). It holds a curl ok. The bad part about it is that with the slightest bit of water from your eyes, it smears. The 'Carbon Black' isn't really that much darker than other black mascaras, so no brownie points there. The worst part for me was that I expected really dramatic lashes from this product. Unfortunately, I got mediocre ones. While this is good everyday mascara (granted your eyes don't get watery) I would not use it to glam up. I will continue to use this because I shelled out money for it, but will still be on the look out for something better. This really proves that your mileage may vary with mascara. You can find Loreal Voluminous in Carbon Black at your local drugstore, I paid $7.49 at Longs Drugs.

Before:

After:

Haul: 3/2/08

I love weekends, because every Sunday you get new ads for drugstore cosmetics. And Saturdays are great days to catch the deals you found the previous Sunday. Here is my super deal filled weekend haul.



On Saturday I picked up 2 HIP shadows for $6.99.
Later that day I picked up 2 more for $6.99.
On Sunday I got 2 HIP Liquid Lip Colors for $11.49,
a Loreal Voluminous mascara with free HIP shadow for $7.49
and two Rimmel lipsticks for $3 (on clearance then buy one get one free).

I got 5 shadows, 4 lip things, and one mascara for around 36 bucks. That comes out to like $3.60 a product!

I will post many new reviews, looks, etc. using these products this week. I already know I'll be going back for more buy one get one HIP Liquid Lip Colors!

Web Tour: 3/1/08

Whats going on in other beauty blogs this week? Well....

A Mom in Red High Heels is having a giveaway for Aveeno Positively Ageless Lifting and Firming.

The Daily Cookie is reviewing Cover Girl Lash Blast.

Talking Makeup talks about the new Beauty Rush treats at Victoria's Secret.

Beauty Interviews features the glamorous Melania Trump.

Fifty-Cent Head takes a look at Benefit's Erase Paste.

The Beauty of Life dishes on some great Smashbox deals.

Beauty's Spot helps you banish winter skin blues.

The Jet Set Girls examine sexy versus slutty.

Mischo Beauty shares a reader favorite, Black Radiance Blush.