Beauty Products That Deliver...

and don't break the bank. Y'all know I'm a thrifty girl. And when it comes to beauty products, thriftyness still applies. I'm sure that Creme de la Mer is amazing, but at $285 for just 2 ounces, my gag reflexes kick in and I kind of throw up a little bit. Just a little. Seriously? I don't care how profound it's "powers of transformation" are, I can't go for that. Does that mean that the other 99% of the world that isn't insanely wealthy can't have beautiful skin and look great? Mais Non!

Beauty is for everyone and can be found at every price. Here are a few of my faves...

A Good Clean Start: I should begin by telling y'all that I've had problem skin most of my life . Cystic and hormone induced acne have plagued me into my adult life. Add to that the highs and lows of trying different birth control options that only exacerbated the problem.  For years I used ProActive, but I got to a point where I just didn't want all those chemicals on my face and it stopped working after a while too. I have finally found the magic formula for my skin - In the shower, I wash with St. Ives Green Tea Scrub. It's amazing; great clean smell, exfoliates and leaves my skin feeling so clean. At night, I wash my face with Cetaphil bar soap. (Both my boys have sensitive skin so we always have plenty of this on hand.) For moisturizing, I use Target's Dual-Treatment Moisturizer (oil free) at night and Olay with SPF for my daytime routine. The Dual-Treatment moisturizer is inexpensive, hydrating and has a great new scent. I know it's strange to have separate day and nighttime routines, but it's what works for my skin.

The Foundation: I think it's easy to get wrapped up in all the hype here, but I'm not one for a lot of make-up and I don't think you need a lot to bring out your natural beauty. I recently found NYX cosmetics and whoa baby... I am in love!  They are inexpensive and provide great results. To even my skin tones and give my skin an overall glow, I've found the following products work great. NYX finishing powder "Set It & Don't Fret It". It works just as good, if not better, than Bare Minerals at half the price. If I'm going to church or out for dinner, I add L'Oreal's B.B. Cream in Light for a bit more coverage. Adding color to the cheeks completes the foundation. I use NYX blush in two different shades (because they are so dang affordable) a more neutral mauve tone for a bronzer underneath the cheekbones and a pink shade for the apples of the cheeks. Voila! A fresh natural looking face.

Eyes That Sparkle: I typically go one of two ways with my eyes - just mascara or the works. But no matter how subtle or how bold, I start both looks with NYX Concealer Wand. After two littles and countless sleepless nights, that aged me more than I care to admit, I have circles under my little windows to the soul. Dark circles. To open my eyes and give myself a restful look, this concealer does the trick. It is truly the best I have tried and I've tried loads. I also use it on any red spots around my nostrils or chin. Love it. For my liner I love a duo stick because I do a copper brown and black both. NYC has a great duet pencil for just $1.99 and it works great. Recently I found a new eyeshadow palette that I die for by Mabelline. It's called Color Plush in Copper Chic. I use the darkest shade to set my eyeliner, the copper and pinkish tones are awesome hues for the lids and the highlighter works on brow bones as well as the inside corners of the eyes. (I also use it as a cheek highlight when I want to kick it up a notch.)  Mascara is basic and straight forward - blackest black. I think Cover Girl is the best for volume, defining and zero clumps. But that's just one girl's opinion. 

*The eyes are where I splurge. Shu Umera has the best, yes, THE BEST, eyelash curler on the market. It has a rounded pad so it doesn't crimp your lashes unnaturally and it won't pull them out either!

The Cherry on Top: Lips. lips. lips. I am all over the place here. Cherry Chapstick is my number one fave, providing just the right amount of under-stated pink hue. If I want more color Revlon has a great neutral and NYX does as well. I think finding the right lipstick is like finding the right underwear... it's personal and you have to try on a lot to find the right one.

So there you have it. If I'm right, you are currently thinking, "why the heck am I gonna take make-up advice from a gal who rarely shows her face on this blog and mostly does crafts?" Answer. I have no idea. But I will say that I have loved make-up since I was 5 and have considered it my medium of choice since introduction. When I have time, I love wearing it and making friends up too. Lastly, I love a good deal. Not cheap stuff; inexpensive but good quality items. And I want to share what I find with you! xo