Well well, it’s the last “official” day of my staycation and I come to you bearing Ginger Ale.
Lots and lots of Ginger Ale.
Which does help with stomach “stuff” right?
This was the debate in our household this morning.
Somebody please tell me that I am correct so I can claim victory on yet another debate over meaningless topics.
Anyhow, while I go rest up and do all the stuff you do when you are sick, I have somebody special here to take over and talk make-up with y’all.
I am no make-up expertise by any means. Heck, the only thing I know how to do is the same thing every day which is this.
Please allow Alicia to wow you with her tips and tricks.
I know I was wow’ed.
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Hello all you lovely and gorgeous LIY readers! I’m Alicia, mother to a very energetic 2 year old, blogger, and accessories/handbag designer for WontonMommy.
Like all of you, I fell in love with the fabulous Erin and her hilarious ways a little over a year ago and have been a follower since. Erin has a few obsessions; clothes, shoes, mac and cheese, G and Bill, making people laugh, and the occasional glass of wine.
I have a few obsessions as well…
On the top of that list…
MAKEUP.
“Hi, my name is Alicia and I am a product whore”.
You would think with all my makeup buys, I would be burning a hole in my wallet right?
Not true.
Throughout the years I have found ways to be a budget savvy momma when it comes to my beauty purchases. How? You may ask…A few things called “compromise” and “balance”.
What I mean by this is when building your perfect makeup bag, you need to understand that its alright if there are a few products you splurge on and the rest of the products are ones you buy at the local drugstore. That is because the true secret to the beauty industry is that more often or not, that $20 tube of lipstick is just a $5 one in fancy packaging.
I know it’s difficult to ignore the sleek packaging when you’re at the beauty counter and its hard to avoid the lure of well-designed tubes packed with makeup goop at Sephora.
What should be in my makeup bag?
All women differ when it comes to what kind of makeup they wear on a daily basis. Some opt for the natural just chap-stick and mascara look, and some opt for the glam girl look. But there are occasions where a gal needs more coverage, whether that be date night, girls night out, or wedding, there are certain essentials every girl should have:
1. chap-stick or lip balm
2. foundation/face powder
3. perfect shade of concealer
4. palette of eye shadow
5. your perfect shade of lipstick/gloss
6. black or brown mascara
7. set of good makeup brushes
Where should I splurge and where should I save?
Splurge
I have two items that i spend over $20 or more on. Those items are Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion($20) and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer($36)
I have oily skin, and I work 9 hour days. My pet peeve is when my makeup runs and when my eyeliner and eye shadow start to crease and fade on my lids.
Both of these products work, and work well. I have yet to find another primer(that is less expensive) that does the job. Another plus is that each item also lasts me about 4-5 months.
My Primer and Potion never fails me. They are both quality products that I love and therefore, worth the extra investment. So think of the things you absolutely cannot live without, if they are costly then tell yourself its okay to purchase these must haves every now and then.
So what are some of your splurges in your makeup bag?
Other splurge worthy items may be:
THE Perfect Shade of Lipstick
A great Beauty Balm
Save
I find that I usually save on items like eye shadow; color trends change every season and brands like RIMMEL and even “Wet n’ Wild” have great colors and cost less than $4.
A good foundation or powder are easy to save on too. Although I am quite the fan of MAC Studio Fix Powder(mce_markerlt;/a>27), I discovered that I get the same coverage and feel when I use Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse($8.49).
Secret to MORE Savings:
“Shop High, Buy Low”
You know how big designers have their runway couture lines but also sell a more commercial, lower price point line in department stores? Take Vera Wang for example, A Vera Wang dress sells at Neiman Marcus for nearly $1,000, but you can buy a Simply Vera Wang dress at Kohls for under $50. Makeup companies do same exact thing.
Use Lancome as an example….Lancome is actually owned by L’oreal. L’oreal also owns Maybelline.
That means that the lower price point Maybelline has access to the same testing, technology, and formulations that the higher priced items over at Lancome do!
Here is a little chart telling you some of the bigger cosmetic companies and their sister brands(Estee Lauder by the way is like the head honcho of the cosmetics world. They own everyone! I showed just a few)
So, find out who owns who, head to the department store and find out what beauty counter products you like.Have a stylist/artist show you what color palette suits you best. Instead of buying, ask for samples of foundation, lipstick, blush, etc.(Don’t feel bad, they should be more than happy to do this for you)
Sephora is THE BOMB when it comes to giving you samples and in cute little jars! Some cosmetic counters do too, if not, use Q-Tips to get a sample of the color/shades that you like.
Now, take those samples and head to the local drugstore, Target, Ulta(sells prestige lines like smashbox, Urban Decay, Benefit, etc. but also carries CoverGirl, Almay, Revlon, etc.) and head over to the cosmetics section.
For example, say you found a great foundation shade at the Lancome counter, use your sample to find a similar shade in the Maybelline section…
Chances are, you will find a shade that is almost exact and much easier on your wallet!
So there you have it my loves! Tips for having a great makeup bag, but not breaking the bank for it.
Thank you for to Erin and all of you for having me!
Was that post not super informative or what? I seriously think I learned something new today
(a sentence I was NOT expecting to say while on vacation…)
Please oh please go thank Alicia over at Wonton Mommy for her wealth of knowledge.
And then please oh please go visit her shop where you will find some of the CUTEST things known to mankind. I am being serious. Remember these little polka dot gems?
The creepy satanic looking eye?
Totally from me.
Totally from me.
Okay kids, back to the couch I go. On the bright side of things, I will go back to work next week ten pounds lighter. Boooooo ya.
May your Friday be filled with all things non toilet related.
ps. come back tomorrow if you had signed up for the Ornament Swap to see who your match is 🙂
Founder and creator of LIY, Erin turned her dream of a hobby blog into a full-time career which she now runs alongside the LIY team! When not in front of her computer screen [with a La Croix or wine in hand] or in front of a mirror taking mirror selfies, you can find Erin spending time on the water, cuddled up with her two pups and husband most likely watching the latest Shark Tank episode, or getting lost in an easy beach read.
