Becky's Beauty Bargains

Those that know me well know that I loooove a good deal.  Unfortunately cosmetics aren't something that go on sale very often (at Sephora or Ulta, etc) BUT because the different brands roll out new products four times a year with the season change, that means they have to go 'out with the old'.  Works for me!  Plus, it gives me the chance to read online reviews and look at swatches prior to purchasing to see if it's something I will really use. 

Here are a few current sales and my thoughts on an item or what I'm interested in:

Urban Decay - Free Shipping on $50

•  Preen Shadow Box- Worth every penny!  This includes a mini UDPP ($9 sold alone), a Zero 24/7 Liner (love!) and it's 2/3 the regular size so $12 worth- full size is $18 and then six shadows!  Urban Decay shadows have very little binders and so the color you see in the pan is what shows up on your lid and with only one or two swipes of the shadow- the color payoff is amazing!  I don't have this because I own all of the shades except for Mildew but for $10.. I don't know if I can resist!
•  Loose Pigments- Several of these shades are amazing!!  My favorites are Asphyxia (it's a pink/purple duochrome), Graffiti (a grass green), Shattered (bright aqua-blue), X (a peachy melon that's metallic- looks AMAZING layered over greens or reds), Shag (brighter bronze) and Smog (darker bronze).   These are definitely worth $5 for the product but as a side note, the packaging is horrible- they come with a brush that you're supposed to use to apply but the pigments falls all over. If you foil these they look even better!!
• Cream Shadows- I have Mushroom, which I love and can be worn on it's own (although I lightly dust shadow on top to help set it) and Delinquent (which is hard to get a good even coverage and I HAD to put some shadow on top to keep from creasing but it works great as a base).  I want Weeds!
• Liquid Liners- I have a few and these are kind of hard to apply- the brush is long so it's harder to have control.  But, the metallic finish is HOT!  I would LOVE to have Ecstasy or Minx.
• Box of Potions- I want this!  They are all full size and the full size UDPP alone is $18 and the entire set is only $19.  I'm *dying* to try the eyelash primer (which has mixed reviews)- if any of you get this, I'll buy this one off of you lol.. the lip primer is supposed to rock (and it has SPF in it) and the face primer is supposed to be pretty good as well.
• Apocalyptic Nail Kit- 7 little high-quality nail polishes for $8 in a super cute bag??  Fantastic deal and perfect for upcoming fall.  These last much longer on your nails than the cheap-o ones you pick up from Walmart or the Dollar store and don't have formaldehyde in them.
• AVOID- the Ink for Eyes.  It's pretty much JUNK!  I bought it for $4 I think it was and the makeup part away, I have the brush and case (mirror in it) in my travel makeup bag.

philosophy- Free shipping on everything until 8/3 with code: august  lots of items under $15!

• I love their body wash!  It lathers well and gets all foamy I feel it does a great job cleaning.  It smells great and not artificial although it doesn't linger for a long time (which I'm ok with).  It can also be used as shampoo and in a pinch, I have done so, but it won't ever be a replacement for my shampoo.  My kids have sensitive skin and this does not irritate their eczema. 

        **These would make GREAT Christmas presents!!**

• I love their lip shines, I have Mimosa, Licorice (mmm lol) and Creme Brulee.  These are thicker/stickier but very glossy and moisturizing.  I have the Mimosa and Licorice by my bed to put on every night and I keep Creme Brulee in my purse.

Sephora- there are some great Sale items!!

• Lots of Stila items- their 'old' packaging/formula for their Tinted Moisturizers (I really like the oil free version- I do mix in a tiny bit of my own lotion to make it a little more spreadable) is only $10!  I love their Smudge Sticks, they have a very fine end and are water proof.  I have Koi (the gold) and will wear it on my lower lashline as a pop of color, gold really makes my hazel eyes pop! Their Kajal Eye Liner is very pigment and super soft, I have Onyx (not part of the sale) and have to set it with a shadow to keep it from traveling off my eye lol.  All of the Collectible Beach Palettes had good reviews, I would refer you to musingsofamuse.com for her swatches and thoughts if you're interested. 
• Kat Von D has a few palettes on there for $24- each palette has 8 shadows.  These do 'kick up' a bit more shadow than UD's when your brush touches the shadow but they're all smooth and pigmented.  I have one palette (not on sale now) and a holiday edition and really like them. 

Don't forget to use a coupon code to try out something new and make sure you select your 3 free samples (ahem, Colleen...).

Let me know if you see any other great deals floating around!!  :)

My Must Haves: Eyeshadow Primer!

My first Must Have is... drum roll please... Eyeshadow Primer!

Prior to using primer, I pretty much stuck with one or two eyeshadow shades- a really light lilac and a random brown.  I would try other shadows but nothing would blend well, everything would fade and crease on me within hours and if I attempted to wear eyeliner? Hello raccoon eyes- everything was a melted hot mess by the end of the day. 

Then, three years ago, the planets aligned and my friend Janae introduced me to her friend's makeup blog, Classy Cosmetics where she talked about Urban Decay Primer Potion.  This, THIS, is what I had been searching for! 

What are the benefits of using an Eyeshadow Primer???

• Your shadows will having something to cling to (rather than sliding around an oily lid) and really maximize the shadow color- vibrant shadows will stay vibrant!
• Prevents Creasing and Smudging- I always apply from lid to brow and under my eye as well
• Keeps your shadows looking fresh and just-applied all day long, there is no fading
• Depending on the type/shade of primer, they will give your shadows a different effect/sheen

All of the above is totally worth the simple added step of smearing primer on your lids.  Trust me, if you wear eye shadow, you NEED this! 

If you'll remember from yesterday, I mentioned how much I love having options.. and options, I have for you!  You're Welcome.  :) 

 click below to view a larger picture of the swatches

('swatches' is a makeup term for when you swipe a product to show off it's shade)

Urban Decay Primer Potion aka UDPP: 

$19 for .37oz in a squeeze tube at Sephora or $18 for .34oz in a bottle with a doe foot applicator at Ulta

• Original is a sheer nude
• Eden is a matte Tawney
• Sin is a shimmering champagne
• Greed is a metallic gold

My Thoughts: I loooove the original UDPP as well as Sin and experience zero creasing with them.  Those two are my favorites and I have purchased the original twice (and wouldn't hesitate to do it again) and I'm still working on my huge XXL Sin bottle that I bought over a year ago.  Sin compliments most skin tones and can be worn on it's own but it's a little on the frosty side so I prefer to at least dust another shadow on top of it. I will sometimes have a tiny bit of creasing with Eden but this is fabulous for when you're using a matte shadow and truly want it to remain matte. It's very yellow based and need very little product so that it's blended out without being noticeable.  If you are someone that has redness to their lids, Eden will really neutralize the red and give you an even toned lid to work with).  Greed has some sparkle to it and will also give your shadows a metallic sheen to them.  This is not a primer that I can wear on it's own as I am much to cool toned to pull off all that yellow.

Helpful Hint: Urban Decay usually includes a mini bottle (which is about 1/3 the size of the original bottle) of their primer with their palettes, this is a great way to try it out (that's how I collected my Eden and several of the Original bottles) or you can purchase those alone for $9.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base 

$24 for .26oz in a bottle with a doe foot applicator at Sephora

• There is just one formula and it is truly a nude matte base

My Thoughts: This stuff is the bomb.com.  I got a little bottle of this as a Sephora Points Perk and it works every bit as good as the original UDPP.  If you want your shadow to show up without any influence of a base, this is your friend. Should there ever be a day where I ran out of mini UDPP's I would purchase this in a heart beat.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance aka TFSI:

$18 for .35oz tube at Sephora or Ulta

• Original is a sheer nude
• Candlelight is a shimmering (light) gold

My Thoughts:  Unfortunately, the original TFSI creases on my oily lids just a little bit, it's enough that I don't use it. My friends with drier lids just love this stuff though and have zero problems.  Sometimes the formula will separate a little in the tube so you just need to squeeze it a little prior to using, don't ever apply it directly to your lid!  I got Candlelight as part of a set and I don't have a problem with it creasing. It's a really light gold (much lighter than Greed) and while I don't initially notice a difference in the shadow after applying, I have noticed that as the day goes on, there is more of a metallic sheen, I love it! 

Pretty sure I rambled on enough to last a lifetime but hey, you never know.. please let me know if you have any other questions!

Let it begin!!

After talking about starting a makeup blog for... let's say... forever, I finally set one up!  I'm really excited to have some where to officially ramble about my beauty addiction.  Yay for me!

Let's see.. I guess for this first post I'll write a little about myself.  Hi, I'm Becky and I've always been fascinated with makeup.  When I was little I would drool over the vanity and makeup sets in the Sears catalog.  Any mall trips with my Grandma included a stop at the Hello Kitty store so that I could drool over the lip gloss.  Then, I graduated to the joy of the children's grocery store makeup (helloooo bright blue- I thought I looked amazing but my mom would never let me wear it outside of the house- thank you, mom!!).   Once I was able to buy my own makeup, I was still conservative with my choices but I loved that there was so many options.  Options!  I LOVE OPTIONS!!  

A few years ago I was introduced to the world of beauty blogs, youtube tutorials and Urban Decay Primer Potion and I've been seirously hooked ever since then.  I'm a stay-at-home mom who doesn't take herself to seriously and loves to laugh and ramble about things I adore.  I don't have any type of makeup artist certification or schooling although that is something I would love to look into more once Kaitlyn (my baby who's 3 1/2) is in school.  Everything I have learned is from reading and experimenting.  I do take the time to put on makeup pretty much every single day (even if it's a crazy day and I have to wait until 3 in the afternoon), I love that it's my 'me' time and I get the chance to be creative with using eye shadows and creating 'looks'.  I also love feeling more put together and ready to concur the world (again, even if it's a crazy day and I have to wait until 3 in the afternoon, hahaha)! 

I hope you'll follow along and please!!! send me any topics or questions you have at shadowsandshimmers@gmail.com  or leave comments!  I *love* comments! I'm sure you've heard this before but there really are no stupid questions and if you are wondering about something, chances are that someone else is also wondering.  Ask away!  :)