I smell a deal...

Had to get this post up quickly! In case you missed it, Walgreens is having an awesome sale on Revlon this week!  Pretty much everything is 40% off!  I wanted to let you know about a sweet deal on the new Revlon Parfumerie scented nail polishes that should work with this sale.  I found two different two packs at my local Walgreens for $10 each (see pics below).  At $5 per polish, that's not bad, but take 40% off and that's $3 per polish! But wait, there's also a $1 off Revlon nail polish coupon available in store in Walgreen's November coupon book.  So that's now a total of $5 or just $2.50 per polish!  A big thanks to G. at Nouveau Cheap, without whom I wouldn't have know about the 40% off sale!

Spotted these on a high shelf!

China Flower & Pink Pineapple

Sugar Spun & Bordeaux

Bargain Beauty

Who doesn't love a good deal on a great product? Some of my favorite beauty products are actually super affordable (and often better than their high-price counter parts).  Here's a list of my can't-live-without, must-have picks!

Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion I have a confession to make; I pretty much never wear perfume.  The thing is, I get headaches really easily, and perfumes can trigger them.  Luckily, this lotion has a light, beachy scent that's just perfect to me.  It's a very subtle scent, but it lasts.  As for moisture, this lotion absorbs very quickly and doesn't leave your skin feeling sticky or slick.  Sometimes in the winter I do wish it was a bit more moisturizing, but most of the year, it's just right.  Best of all, you can find it at pretty much any big box or drugstore and a huge bottle of this as cheap as about $3! 

Freeman Facial Charcoal & Black Sugar MaskWhile it may seem a little strange to put black goop on your face, this mask is awesome.  I've never used anything that makes my skin feel so soft immediately.  I don't find this to be overly drying, and the sugar in it isn't too rough of an exfoliant.  I've even used this as more of a face scrub when I didn't have time to use it as a mask.  Either way my skin comes out super smooth.  This can be a bit difficult to find in store.  I paid $3.50 for a large tube of it at Bed Bath & Beyond (with an extended beauty section), and I think I've also seen it at Christmas Tree Shop, but I haven't been able to find anywhere else, other than online.  If you see it, grab it!

Turbie Twist 

If you have long hair, these towels are a must! I have the microfiber version, but I assume the cotton ones also work well.  These are so much more comfortable than wrapping a bulky towel around your hair after getting out of the shower.  They really help absorb a lot of water and definitely speed drying time.  Mine have held up well to repeated washings, and I find that they dry pretty quickly after each use.  I even bring one with me when I travel since it's so small.  You can find these in any drugstore or on Amazon for $5-7 a piece or sometimes even less! 

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Yes, another Queen Helene product.  But, it's hard to beat a huge tube of this super effective mask for less than $4.  In fact, I've had the same tube of this stuff for years and it's still going strong.  It hasn't even dried out at all.  Speaking of drying, I use this when I feel like my pores are getting clogged and it does a good job of clearing them.  I have normal to dry skin, and have no problem tolerating it.  If you have super dry skin, this may be a bit too strong for you.  This is another easy product to find at pretty much any big box or drugstore.

The Wet Brush

Usually you're told that brushing your hair while it's wet is a big no-no, but this brush is made exactly for that purpose.  It really does detangle my hair, even if it's dry.  My mother has fine, fragile hair and had always sworn by combs.  After a decent amount of coaxing, she finally gave this brush a try.  I think her combs have been retired.  At about $8 this is the most expensive item my list, but if you buy it at Ulta, you can use one of their frequent $3.50 off coupons on it!  I haven't seen this at drugstores, but if you live near a Christmas Tree Shop, they also carry them.  You can also order one online at Amazon or thewetbrush.com.

Mix & Match

As I've previously mentioned, I love lip products.  For years, I've layered and mixing different lip products on top of one another to make just the right shade.  Recently I've been experimenting with layering eyeliners as well.  I find that this works particularly well with colorful liners, allowing you to both tone down a bright color, as well as blend and create new shades.  In the swatches below, I've used three NYX eyeliners to come up with four blended liner looks.  Two of the NYX liners are the retractable style, and they are great.  The other one is their traditional eye/eyebrow pencil (all pictured below) and that formula is just okay, FYI.

NYX Retractable eye liners in Deep Purple & Gypsy Blue, NYX eye/eyebrow pencil in Black Brown

(From L-R) First Row: Deep Purple, blue over purple, purple over blue, Gypsy Blue

Second Row: Black Brown, blue over black brown, Gypsy Blue

Third Row: Black Brown, purple over black brown, Deep Purple

I'm wearing the combination in the second row today, and it's a great way to tone down that teal color.  I'm also loving the electric blue color that the purple over blue made. Do you ever mix your eyeliners together to create new looks?  Any favorites or recommendations?

Top Taupe

Since moving back to Massachusetts this summer, I've found myself trying to tone down my everyday makeup look at bit.  The Bay State just doesn't seem to embrace a daytime smokey eye the way the Windy City did.  In order to achieve a more natural eye look while still getting use out of some of my more colorful shadows, I've been pairing many looks with taupe eyeliner.  Here are the three drugstore taupes that I've been working with.  Each has it's pluses and minuses.

• Maybelline Master Drama in Taupe Takeover is the best formula out of the three I have.  It goes on smoothly and lasts really well.  Bonus points for not having to sharpen it! This is a limited edition shade from spring or summer, but I'm still seeing it around.  My only complaints are that the color can look a little red or purple, especially on the lower lash line, and I'd prefer if it was matte.
• Wet N Wild Coloricon liner in Taupe can actually be used as a liner or a brow pencil.  While it's too dark for my brows, I like that it's totally matte, and the shade is really ideal for what I'm looking for in a taupe liner.  Unfortunately, this doesn't go on that smoothly and the lasting power isn't great.  I really have to press firmly when applying this, and even then it tends to skip.  But for 99 cents, it isn't awful.

  

  L to R: Maybelline, Wet N Wild, Rimmel

• Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in taupe claims to be waterproof.  It lasts pretty well, but maybe not quite as long as the Maybelline one.  The formula is super creamy and smooth.  Application is simple.  I do think that this wears down quickly and I find myself sharpening it often.  Not a huge deal, though I prefer an automatic pencil.  This is the liner that I've been reaching for the most of the three.  I hesitated to pick this up for quite a while, since the ones in the drugstore or Ulta didn't have safety seals on them and often looked like they'd been tested.  On a recent trip to Chicago though, I found them individually packaged and priced at $3.99 in Target.  I think they are priced a bit higher in CVS.  So if you're interested in any of the Rimmel liners,  I suggest heading to Tarjay.

Do you have a favorite taupe?  Please comment below if there's one I need to try!