ProductWhores

Foursome Fever

 

You guys, as much as I like higher end makeup, I also love drugstore makeup.  Like, a lot.  It can sometimes be hit or miss, but when you find a great product for a great price, it's definitely worth it.  (More money for shoes!)  Almay's new Shadow Quad Eyeshadow comes in fifteen different shade combos (there are A LOT of neutral browns and beiges) and each small quad has the same shade in four finishes - matte, satin, metallic, and glitter.  Such a great idea!  Obviously you need more than one to create a look (for the most part) but they're so cheap, that's easily doable.  I bought four of them this weekend at ULTA and they were buy one, get one free at $6.99, plus I used a $3.50 off $15 coupon, so I got four of them for only $16.40 (plus tax).  I haven't played around with them a ton yet, but so far, they seem fairly pigmented and stayed on (without primer) about six hours or so before I noticed them starting to fade.  I also love that they're so tiny - no, you don't get a ton of product, but for that price it's totally fine and it makes them super portable.  I'm obsessed with the blue-green shade in Thrill Seeker - it's super pretty and fun for a night out, but I wouldn't want to spend a ton of money for it since I won't wear it often, so this is perfect.  If you're looking to boost up your shadow collection without putting out a ton of cash, get thee to an ULTA before everyone else snatches them up.  (Also because any excuse to go an ULTA run is a good one)!   

Portable Shadow

For various reasons, I'm trying to stick to a stricter makeup budget right now, but let's face it, there's no way I'm giving up buying it entirely so that just means I've been spending more time trying to find great drugstore bargains.  One of my recent finds is Almay's Intense I-Color Shadow Sticks.  The double-ended shadow sticks come in four different color combos - they're coordinated by eye color, so you can buy them for blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes and hazel eyes.  I bought the one for green eyes first, but I've since gone back and picked up the other three because I liked those shades too and I'm just a rulebreaker like that.  (And as a side note, am I the only one who doesn't know exactly what color hazel eyes are?  I always thought they were close to brown, but according to Almay, apparently not since they get a whole separate stick).  The shadows are a cinch to put on and blend easily once you've applied them, plus the whole stick thing makes them easily portable and packable.  I also like the fact that they're only around $8 each and easy to find in the big Almay displays at drugstores.  (I think I'm getting crochety as I get older because I'm very easily annoyed lately if there's something I want to buy and I can't find it anywhere.  I'm trying to give you my money, random companies.  Make it easier for me!)  Yep, I'm totally taking all the ones I bought with me on vacation next week.  Look out, Europe!

Taking Off The Day

I was using one of Almay's Hypo-Allergenic Eye Makeup Remover Pads last night and it occured to me that I'd never written about them here before, even though they've been a staple in my nighttime routine for a really long time now.  As someone who has ivory sheets and HATES when makeup rubs off on my pillowcases, I depend on these to get rid of all my eye makeup before I climb into bed at night.  I pretty much love everything about them.  They're cheap (the last jar I picked up at ULTA was on sale, but there were 120 pads in it and it only cost $8), not oily at all (my pet peeve in an eye makeup remover) and they don't dry out the skin around my eyes.  And they really work.  The pads are small, but just one usually takes off all my eye makeup and if I use two, it's definitely history.  (Unless I'm wearing one of Stila's Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liners, which are seriously indestructible).  Short of them also doing my laundry and making my bed for me every morning, I don't think there's anything else they could do that would make me love them more.  Plus, there's always a ton of them at my local CVS, so buying them is easy and doesn't involve any effort.  I love not making an effort!      

The Eyes Have It

There is something unsettling about scrubbing your eyelids vigourously before bed but then waking up with raccoon eyes anyway.  I always assumed I had some special mascara that was resistant to any eye makeup remover.  That is, until now.  Almay's Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover gel is amazing.  First of all the stuff is perfect for sensitive eyes - no stinging whatsoever, even when I've accidentally gotten some in my eyes (I never claimed to be smooth, people) and it's made for contact wearers (like myself) so even if you swipe your contacts with some accidentally you won't get that weird foggy stuff.  It's a nice thick gel consistancy so it stays on my cottonball even if I tip it, which I appreciate, and it gets off all my eyeshadow, liner and mascara with minimal scrubbing.  I was stunned to wake up with no mascara clumped beneath my eyes.  I can safely say I have found my new makeup remover, and at the cheap price, I'm really proud of myself.  It's nice to be addicted to something inexpensive for once.

Not So Smart Blush

I love the idea of a blush magically transforming on my skin to give me my perfect after-workout glow.  There's something very space age and downright magical about it.  I got hooked on the cream blush by Smashbox (based on my fellow productwhore's recommendation), so when I read that Almay was putting out its version (much cheaper version) I was excited to test it out.  After I forked over eight bucks, I swiped the stuff on my cheekbones and waited patiently for something to happen.  Nothing did.  Unless my "perfect shade" is skintone, I am clearly missing the benefit of using Smart Shade Blush by Almay.  I bought the pink shade and while the texture is nice (a thick cream eyeshadow consistancy), it provided no color to my pale face at all.  They hyped up their special shade-changing beads (really?  that's the best name you could come up with for the magic ingredient?) but I was stunned to not even see a bit of change on my cheeks.  The rose shade is deeper so maybe that would be a better choice, but I really am not willing to throw away another eight bucks to find out.  Some things are better left a mystery to me.