Revlon baby sticks review

Y'all know I have a mad obsession with cream blush, and lately I have been really loving the quality Revlon has been bringing to the table. Their glosses and their just bitten lipsticks are to die for!

Gucci Westman, makeup artist extraordinaire, has been designing their collections for quite some time now and I have been loving nearly all of it...

I was stalking my neighborhood Walgreens for these cheek and lip tints, only to be completely let down by them. NO pigment whatsoever! It's like trying to use cherry chapstick as blush. just the merest hint at color. Don't waste your money on these; mine are headed back to the store!

REVIEW:ROC Retinol Correction wrinkle resurfacing system

I have been hearing great buzz about ROC for quite some time now and saw this product very positively reviewed on the Today show, so I thought I would give it a go.
For anyone who has used the purest form of Retin A, you know that it is effective, but it is also A)expensive and B)highly irritating to the skin
Same goes for glycolic peels. They are around $100 a session and two-three days later you start molting. All your skin peels off in sheets and you usually also break out since your skin is "purging" itself. Not terribly attractive!
So what's a girl to do if she wants a more even skintone, more smoothness, fewer fine lines...but is on a budget and doesn't want to be unsightly in the process?

This two step night treatment claims to give the same effect that peels do, only more gradually and more gently. I have been using it about two weeks now and my initial reaction was to the high quality feel of the product. My years of high end retail have made me quite the texture snob, and generally when i use a drugstore moisturizer, I am very put off by the cheap scents and the formulations don't seem to absorb very readily into the skin. This product felt expensive to me right away. The first step is the retinol lotion and the second is billed as an "activator". It has a very silicone-y, primer type texture that gives you that instant gratification of a smother look to your skin. I found that a bit gimmicky for a night cream but at the same time I admit I liked it.

I am a pretty tough critic when it comes to skincare. I wasn't blessed with "good" skin and really have to work at it constantly to keep breakouts at bay, even now. But I can honestly say that after four days on this system I started getting compliments from girlfriends. I went to breakfast with no foundation on at all and one of my makeup artist friends demanded to know what I was using. This NEVER happens to me.
As I continued to use it I saw an increase in smoothness and just better clarity; less dullness.
I would HIGHLY recommend this to a bride who wants to improve her skin for the wedding but is afraid of anything drastic that could make her face look worse before it gets better. And the price point is right around $26 so you cannot beat the value, considering its effectiveness!
Let me know what you think if you purchase this; I would love to know!

Long wear shadows...really??/review by BRIDEface Richmond makeup artist Aaron

Do They Really Last??

 

 

 

 

Today I thought we would take a look at some of the "drug store" eye makeup out there that claims to be "long wear". I picked up a couple of Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadows as well as the ColorStay Smoky Shadow Sticks. Now as many of you know, it is weird, but I put these on myself so I can review them first hand. This time I happened to do it while visiting my parents in Ohio, Needless to say my dad was kind of confused on what I was doing!!

I tested the Revlon products against some that were a bit more expensive. In this case it was Urban Decay's eyeshadow in Oil Slick and the Buxom Stay-There cream/gel shadows in Schnauzer and Saint Bernard. I basically created a smoky eye on each eye with these brands.

While the Revlon seemed like it was going to work very well, I found there were a couple of issues. First, the longevity was just not there. When I did just the powder shadows, or just the cream sticks, they did not last past a couple of hours. However, when I combined them (using the cream sticks first and then layering on the powder) the longevity was much longer. Another issue I found was that the color did not stay vibrant. I was quite pleased at the look of the pigment when I first applied, but then it just sort of seemed to become dull over the course of the evening. Finally, I was less than thrilled with the fact the product did not blend easily. You really need to work the product in to get a good smooth finish and if you don't it can look very "cakey". Once it dries you can't blend anymore (which is a good thing) but you have to make sure you are happy with the initial application.

The Urban Decay and Buxom products proved to be much better. The color stayed much more vibrant and true. My eye looked like it had true pigment even hours later. Again, the longevity was increased when I layed the products vs. using them individually. And of course they were much easier to blend. I loved the feel of the Buxom shadows. They are very "cushy" and easy to apply. I also liked how I could build the color by letting the creams dry for a minute and then putting another layer on.

My thought is that the Revlon is great for everyday wear. Although I don't think you can get 16 hours, you can certainly get by with these. However, if you are trying to get "fancy" for a dinner or an event, these just won't cut it. I feel you would be much happier pulling out the big dogs (like Schnauzer or Saint Bernard) for such occasions.

The Revlon powder shadows can be found for $6 to $8 and the sticks can be purchased from $7 to $9. However you can often pick up a buy one, get one 50% at Walgreens or CVS. The Urban Decay shadow and Buxom shadows can be picked up for $18 each at Sephora.

Happy Make-up Wearing!!

Makeup Artist BRIDEface Richmond/Splurge or Save

I was downtown conducting some business with the City of Richmond and got to talking with a government employee. Once she found out what I did for a living, what was supposed to be a 2 to 3 minute transaction turned into a 15 minute mini makeup lesson. She asked the age old question, "What do I spend money on in terms of cosmetics and what can I save on?"

I hear that question so often that I think I should get the answer printed on the back of my business cards...hey, I think I am on to something here!! Well you can imagine my lack of surprise when Yahoo had a news story about this in their daily scroll bar.

I have to say that for the most part, I think Yahoo got it right! People, don't only listen but please HEAR me when I say you shouldn't scrimp on things like foundations and concealers. These are the staples to your cosmetic wardrobe and you very rarely need to vary them. A shade for spring/summer and a shade for fall/winter is about as much variation as you will need (except if you want to include a second form of coverage like light weight and medium coverage). Would you "go cheap" if you were building a foundation for your home? Of course not! You would never want to be sitting there, enjoying your Ben and Jerry's and a glass of wine, watching you favorite guilty pleasure TV show (mine is Bad Girls Club...any season) and have your home collapse around you!! The same holds true for makeup. Spend the bucks on good foundations and concealers like Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizers and Secret Camouflage, MAKE UP FOR EVER's lifting concealer, or Chanel's new foundation, Perfection Lumiere.

You can then "dress" the rest of your face with less expensive items for your eyes and lips.  Technology has come such a long way that many of the "drug store" items are just as comparable to the higher ticket department store brands. And beside, as people we get bored easily. We see a new shade or feel a pretty texture and we want to buy it. That is not hard to do when you are only paying $5 to $10 for a fun eye color at Walgreens versus $45 (yes girls I did say as expensive as $45) for some of the department store colors.

Don't get me wrong, luxury brand cosmetics are fabulous and often have wonderful pigmentation, but they are often just that, a luxury. When you can't go luxe, just be smart and pay for the items that you will get the most out of. Hope that answers this question!!

my favorite budget finds of 2009

It's been awhile, so I thought I would let you know of a few fabulous drugstore products I am currently obsessed with:

CVS Essence of Beauty brush cleaner-I am a stickler for sanitation on my makeup tools, particularly my eyeliner brushes . This spray-on, wipe off cleaner is only about six bucks, smells nice, and is just as effective as my beloved clinique or MAC brush cleaner. Good for when you have no time to properly shampoo your brushes.

Maybelline define-a brow pencil- a great knockoff of MAC's skinny brow pencil, only almost a third the price. Super skinny, plus it has the nifty comb. the shades are really good; many time mass market brow pencils have very odd ashy undertones but this seems very high end. I love a teeny brow pencil for those precise, hair-like strokes.

Wet n Wild creme eyeliner-brilliant, $4 pot of super waterproof, non flaking, REALLY black liner. Rivals just about any high-end gel liner around, I swear! Plus, it gives you a bit more 'play' time than Smashbox jetset. All they need is a navy...

So although I am generally a big snob when it comes to makeup, there are a few diamonds in the rough out there!

Recessionista srategies part III

So I have been examining mass market brands with a fresh new eye towards what I could recommend to the Truly Frugal or the Truly Broke or a little bit of both. We are also branching into the prom market (more on that later this week) and I want to be able to tout allowance-friendly products too!

I already love Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara, it is one of my faves. I use it more on a personal basis than on clients though, because what makes it stellar is the giant fat brush and of course I have to use my wimpy disposable wands. But there is a new colored version of Lash Blast that I scooped up on sale at the Grand Opening of our luscious new Target. It was not only about two bucks cheaper than Walgreen's, but I got a free eyeshadow as well. The snob in me knows I will be disappointed in the pigment of the lime green shadow, and will most likely pass it on to Ella to play with. She has a plan to open a lemonade/makeover stand this summer and call it kidface. Seriously. So she will need some inventory.

I snatched up my beloved Almay makeup remover pads for four bucks at Target. I am also testing Loreal HIP brand. I have been trying to find a replacement for a black cream shadow from MAC (damn you for discontinuing stuff) so I thought I would give HIP a whirl. Comes with a cute little brush too, that doesn't even look worthless. Haven't used it yet so can't review but looks cool on my hand.

Then yesterday I was at Bigg's buying groceries and cruised through cosmetics so I could see what I saved on the Lash Blast. I found a line called POSH that sells brushes, sponges, puffs, and sharpeners. There was a brush set marked down to $5 that had a powder brush(useless and mangled looking but I'm gonna try to wash it and see if I can reshape) a lash comb (only okay) a wide shadow brush (really nice shape and quality) a foundation brush (not bad)and a very cool synthetic oval brush that I would probably use for concealer, but they call an eyeliner brush. It also came with a spray bottle of a very nice quick-dry brush cleaner-but I couldn't find it sold seperately. And it comes in a cute bag; what a great starter set for the Brush Virgin. I also bought a couple more brushes-a teensy synthetic one to attempt to replace a fab one I lost, and a really cool squat dome brush; each about 3-4 bucks. Overall, very impressive quality for the price.

Recessionista Strategies Part II

I am really hair impaired, so I asked my friend Liz Carter of The Rustic Pear to give us some of her expert advice. (She loves to do on location wedding hair so give her a call! 513 312 5005)Liz, take the floor-


Saving money on hair....first of all...I don't recommend many drug store products..there is a difference between professional products and store bought ones....and you won't save money buying diverted "professional" products in the stores either. My favorite line is Tigi/Bed Head....they are reasonably priced and do what they say....also, a little goes along way....one of the biggest mistakes people make with hair product is thinking more is better.....when the reality is, less is more. Also, using up what you have before you buy new is something I ALWAYS recommend.Cutting...make sure your stylist does some texturizing and personalizing after the cut is dried and styles....properly texturizing and blending a haircut will make it last longer and grow out nicer.Color...If you are coloring to cover grey maybe adding in some hilites and lolites so that as the grey grows in, it's more camoflaged...also, you can get those little root touch up kits at the store that aren't permanent and they're pretty effective in stretching your color another week or so. If you get hilites....definitely using more than one color and get the hilites in a fine weave rather than slicing...looks more natural and you get more mileage out of it.

Recessionista Strategies

This was sugggested to me as a new feature-how to stay looking fabulous even when many of us have had to cut our beauty budgets. One of my friends who favors department store products even asked me to shop CVS with her to attempt to find good relacements for her favorite products.
Before you even step into a store though, do what any good wardrobe consultant would tell you; look at what you own first. Here is where I need to practice what I preach.
I have a terrible habit of buying new things for my kit that I already have and then using the new stuff before the old is gone.
See what you can salvage from those half finished lipsticks. Have a foundation that never really matched? See if you might be able to blend it with another shade to make it work.
See if you may be able to repurpose products that didn't work for you-a stick foundation, for example, can be used as a nice undereye concealer, if it has the right consistency. If it is way too dry to use under your eyes, try it as an eyeshadow base. A shadow that ended up being way too dark or too sparkly might make a great eyeliner when used with a small damp brush. This sounds a little 1950's, but some lipsticks might make a cute cream blush.(don't try this if you have very oily, break- out prone skin though)
Be resourceful, but while you are at it, toss anything that looks seperated in the bottle, smells "off" or is non-salvagable. Lipsticks and glosses go bad very quickly and harbor all kinds of cooties; if it smells funny, pitch it. If you have some old skincare lying around, chances are it's no good-maybe a cleanser has more chance than an eye creme or moisturizer.

You can go on Makeup Alley and swap your barely used or unused makeup mistakes; (caution-it is very addictive and very time consuming!) I was a frequent swapper during my Saks days (read:before kids) and it was fun to try different products but the shipping back and forth was a annoying. I was also an avid ebay-er in those days so it was all part of the grind to go to the post office every day.
More budget friendly ideas to come...

Drugstore items in my kit

I was just telling a client the other day that I rarely use mass market brands on brides because they don't tend to be as long wearing as prestige products, but I do have a few things I just couldn't live without:
-Almay eye makeup remover pads;I like the moisturizing version. Super cheap, gentle, and they take every bit off, even waterproof and lash glue!
-Cover Girl Lash Exact mascara;love the rubbery wand. i use the waterproof for brides and the regular for myself.
-Ardell lash/brow growth accelerator; maybe it's a placebo effect, but I swear this had helped my brows fill in a bit on the ends, so i keep using on my lashes at night in the hopes that it will make them look like my 3 year old's.
-Neutrogena RapidClear acne eliminating spot gel;clears up blemishes but doesn't leave you overdry and crusty!
-Revlon Brow Fantasy; this has a brow pencil on one end and a tinted brow gel on the other. genius!
Drum roll.....I adore Incoco nail strips(exclusive at Walgreen's)I believe Avon had these first but I just got turned on to them a few weeks ago and they saved my holidays! I can rarely get in for a pro manicure, and giving myself one at home is rarely practical (try pulling a toddler off a preschooler with wet nails)and these go on super fast and look amazing. They have a shade that looks exactly like "I'm not really a waitress" by OPI.
What are your must haves??

prestige brands v. mass market cosmetics

Okay, first a disclaimer-I worked at Saks for over eight years so I have definitely sampled the most expensive lines out there, both skincare and makeup. That said, I will admit to being a bit of a snob, but I do also think there are products found in department store that would be more at home in Walgreen's; some lines that call themselves high end are basically drugstore makeup in prettier packaging.
There are some products that I simply would flat out refuse to use from mass market:
Eyeshadow. You simply don't get the payoff, level of pigment, wearability, or blendability you get from a line like Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Nars, or Smashbox. You want a color that gives you a lot of bang for your buck, because you don't want to load down the eye with a lot of unnecessary texture-you end up with a very unattractive, chunky look that creases very easily.
Foundation. Drugstore brands tend to have odd undertones, like orangy-pinks. no one is that color! They also have very little actual pigment, so you end up using way too much product and buying it more frequently, so are you really saving any money? I prefer products with light reflecting qualities, so your face doesn't look flat and makeup-y.
But. I love many inexpensive mascaras (No, not Great Lash. What is that mania all about?)I
adore Loreal Voluminous and Volume Shocking(this has a lash primer and the mascara has a tiny comb instead of a wand.)I also love Cover Girl LashExact and VolumeExact; those rubbery brushes are the bomb!
I have found some nice lip and brow pencils low-end; I prefer a drier consistency in those pencils to a creamy one anyway. I usually find eyeliner pencils to have too much drag and no pigment; not a big pencil fan anyway-prefer cake liners and creme liners.
I have seen some decent brushes lately by Sonia Kashuk for Target-I would definitely recommend to someone on a budget, but I will also say if you invest in higher quality, they last a lot longer because the hairs are hand tied instead of merely glued into the metal ring(that is called a ferrule, for you makeup junkies out there)That means less shedding, especially when you shampoo them.
As for anything with a shimmer-blushes, shadows, glosses, highlighters-you will find a much better sheen from most high end because the powder products are usually baked, which makes for a much more uniform shimmer throughout. The glimmery particles are also much finer, so you end up with a glow instead of a frosty look.
As for what I carry in my kit, I am all about longevity because the makeup has to last for many hours, often in humidity and direct sunlight, perspiration...I have used the foundation in a workout video and it worked beautifully.When you need a look to last all day long you simply have to use super high quality products.If you use things with a low percentage of pigment, you have to apply too much and you're having to touch up every couple of hours.
That is why I have so much invested-obviously if I used cheap products I would have lower overhead and keep more of my products,but what good is a pretty face on a bride that only lasts an hour?

Off my soapbox; tell me your fave cheap and expensive products?