The Beauty Bargain

The Beauty Bargain | Annabelle Demure Lip Liner

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Given that Annabelle is one of those few Canadian beauty brands, it shouldn’t be too much of a shocker that their products aren’t talked about often in the blogosphere and but I think that their lack of buzz is why I haven’t tried more of their products. With this in mind, however, the products that I have tried from them have been great and the lip-liner ranks up there with the best of them. The Annabelle Lip Liner in Demure ($5.95) is a creamy and comfortable liner that I can use either as a liner or all over the lips with some balm over the top to feel like I’m channeling my inner Lisa Eldridge. It’s a natural rosy hue that leans warm, which I find flattering, and is only subtly different than my natural lips – much rosier and less drained – but can make a big difference. Also, it doesn’t dry out my naturally chapped lips. For these reasons detailed, this liner was the one that converted me over into the realm of liners.

 

DSC_0663As I’ve already hinted, this liner is incredibly versatile. It actually works nicely in the place of lipstick, worn with some balm over the top but also suits any sort of nude or neutral lip perfectly. When worn with more nude lip offerings, it helps to add shape to the lips and avoid the dreaded concealer lips effect and with slightly deeper shades, it adds a bit of added longevity while perfecting the lips and making things look a bit neater.

If you’re looking for a creamy liner or just want to try one, I would highly recommend this one. Canadians can pick it up at drugstores and it can often be found at Target and Walmart for much less than the typical price but Americans also can purchase from the website. Look at me, being all concise and stuff and below, I’m wearing the liner on its own (left) and the liner with MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick (right)…

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Have you tried anything from Annabelle?

Maggie, x.

The Beauty Bargain | No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser

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DSC_0389I’ve said multiple different times that the Boots no 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser is one of the best bargains of the beauty variety because even ingredients-wise, this indulgent creamy cleanser performs with the most luxurious of them and for a little over a ten dollar bill (and less most of the time because Shoppers seems to consistently have the line on sale), you can get 200 mLs of product and a nice muslin cloth. I believe that Americans can purchase the line from Ulta, and obviously those from the UK can purchase the line from Boots.

The packaging is rather nice and convenient but admittedly not the most compact for traveling purposes; my only issue with it can be chalked down to user error. I have this tendency to either forget to put the top on after use or somehow end up losing it altogether and this tends to make the first part of the cleanser come out with a hardened patch that I have to discard.

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The cleanser is designed to be a more affordable alternative to the famous Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish but I can’t comment because I haven’t and don’t plan on trying it because it contains essential oils unlike this version. It has a rich and nourishing cream texture but it doesn’t feel heavy in the slightest while it works to soothe the skin and cleanse/ remove makeup without stripping the skin. The cleanser has an emollient base and is also rich in glycerin and cocoa butter. It’s not great for the skin, but at least the fragrance is somewhat low on the ingredient list and the fragrance makes the product seem more indulgent than the price-point would suggest, emulating that spa-like feel. The scent doesn’t smell artificial or particularly strongly and it is actually rather pleasant, if you ask me.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tribehenin, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Methylparaben, Parfum (Fragrance), Dipropylene Glycol, Ethylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hydroxide.

As I have been for numerous months, I use this cleanser as my initial nighttime one to remove makeup. Now I don’t use it to remove my eye makeup as directed but I’m sure most could get away with that — my eyes are far too sensitive to tolerate a cream-based product without burning or any other form of reaction. This detergent-free non-drying cleanser is very effective at removing makeup when paired with some sort of washcloth (or muslin cloth if you prefer) and never seems to irritate my skin, even when it’s in its most fragile state. I’ve also found that this is a nice cleanser in the morning when you want a bit of a treat because it soothes and hydrates the skin after being rinsed away and leaves things looking a bit brighter; it takes a little more effort but it is rather nice when I’m rather sleep deprived and looking dull, or my skin is just not at its best. As regular readers would be aware, my skin is definitely on the drier and more sensitive side of things and this is an appropriate cleanser for that but I also think that it would be suitable for more combination skin types as it is not heavy. It also does not contain mineral oil, if you have an issue with that ingredient.

Have you tried this cleanser or another ‘hot cloth’ cleanser?
Maggie, x.

Five of the Best Beauty Bargains

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Rather than introducing you to yet another affordable beauty product that I hold in high regard as of now, I thought that I would give a roundup of the affordable products that I’ve been relying on and valuing heavily at the moment. I can’t promise that what I say about these products and the products themselves won’t have appeared around here times before, however. Isn’t a little repetition a good thing?

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L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in 04 Universal Sun ($15 CDN)– full post here

I can’t even. Honestly this newer bronzer release has blown me away and I haven’t been able to stray from the smooth-textured blend able soft-matte bronzer for long since picking it up. The formula is pigmented but easy to work with and doesn’t sit on the skin stiffly and unnaturally like most powders do and rather glides on creamily. These come in a variety of shades but I’ve only tried this medium-toned warm bronzer with reddish undertones and I love the colour for adding natural bronziness to my face whilst being able to add a bit of shadow to the cheekbones because it’s not orange-y in the slightest. I swear this bronzer is easy to use and builds like a dream and will never betray you by looking chalky or muddy. I’ll stop now… You’re welcome.

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Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($9-11 CDN)

This is definitely one of the unsung heroes of my personal assortment of beauty products, both in the sense that I don’t feel that others rave about the prowess of the product enough and that I don’t give it the credit it deserves on a frequent basis. It’s basically the gentlest cream cleanser in existence that not only doesn’t include detergents and therefore doesn’t strip or irritate the skin but also nourishes the skin. It’s only downside is that it’s not one that removes makeup well in the slightest. However, it’s a great second cleanser or morning cleanser that easily rinses clean.

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Annabelle Smoothliner in Black ($6-7 CDN)

Even without putting the wallet-friendly price into consideration, this is among the very best liners that I’ve ever tried and it’s my favourite for using on the top waterline because it does not transfer to the lower lashline or budge. However, it’s not absolutely perfect because the creamy texture ensures that it needs to be sharpened frequently (if not, it comes out really unevenly) and therefore the product goes quickly. With this aside, the waterproof formula is creamy rather than waxy and stays put for ages. The shade is a richly pigmented black and it also can be smudged nicely as long as you work quickly. In short, I love this liner and will repurchase it after I use it up which shouldn’t be too far into the future.

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DSC_0205From the top: L’Oreal Universal Sun, Maybelline Deep Bronze, Maybelline Pink Rose

Maybelline Master Hi-Light Light-Boosting Blush/Bronzer in 20 Pink Rose/ 60 Deep Bronze ($14-16 CDN) – full post here

I’ve raved about the Deep Bronze shade time and time again as a gorgeous rosy copper blush (rather than its intended use) and that love has not wavered in the slightest and since having such success with that shade, I picked up the true rosy pink shade (Pink Rose) and have been enjoying that shade as well. They’re not the cheapest but the texture and formula of these powders is so gorgeous that they are truly a bargain; the shimmer is so fine that it reads like a glowy sheen, the pigmentation is on-point and lasts as such and they blend seamlessly into the skin like the most finely-milled of products. I highly recommend trying at least one of these.

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Rimmel Colour Rush Intense Colour Balm in Lady Marmalade ($7-8 CDN)

This is definitely the newest product (to me) of the bunch but I’ve worn it a good amount and it has been so impressive; it may just be my favourite of the balm pencils, at the drugstore at least. The true pinky-coral hue doesn’t lean so warm that it tends to pull out the yellow in the teeth and goes over dry patches like a champ, actually hydrating along the way with the balm quality but it also served so stain my lips after wearing it for an hour or two — the colour lasted for six hours through a snack and a small meal. It seems to both be comfortable to wear and effortless while still providing on the longevity front, at least if you leave it on the lips for long enough to set.

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What’s your favourite budget buy at the moment?
Maggie, x.

The Beauty Bargain: The Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balms

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This might be surprising but as far as I’m aware, I haven’t given the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balms ($9-10) the credit (through rambling form, of course) that they deserve; I mean I’ve mentioned before that I love them but they really are among the best of the best formulas in my opinion and I wear them constantly. Of all three of the Revlon lip pencils, they are easily the most moisturizing and forgiving on the lips along with having the most subtle mint-induced tingly sensation on the lips that can irritate some. The formula of these strikes me as a slightly amped-up version of the MAC Lustre’s in pigment with the same general characteristics — buildable pigmentation, actual hydrating quality on the lips and forgiving texture. The darker shades of the Revlon offering might have more longevity than the MAC options as well and they tend to be much more pigmented to boot! The brighter/deeper shades that I have do tend to stain the lips slightly and wear for a good 4-5 hours through some light drinking but nothing too strenuous the lighter shade that I have wears more at the 3-4 hour range but this doesn’t bother me as these lip products are so low-maintenance and fuss-free.

Others seem to complain about the visible shimmer/glitter found in these shades, especially as the colour of the product wears off, but I only notice the flecks in my lightest shade, 105 Demure, and even then I don’t find the flecks to be overly noticeable or problematic. Being one of the paler shades in the lineup, this one has the least pigmentation — beginning with sheer payoff but buildable to medium opacity — but at the same time it’s one of those foolproof natural-looking hues. It reminds me a great deal of my lipstick love, MAC Patisserie, but it has slightly more pink in it and a bit less brown but it doesn’t lean pink in the slightest, allowing those like me who cannot pull of pink usually to wear it in a flattering way.

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120 Vivacious is a stunning punchy fuschia shade with some corally undertones to it but in all honesty I wear it the least because it’s such a statement lip on me – It pulls bolder than Ruby Woo on me! — but it is a stunning one and doesn’t resemble a cool-toned pink in the slightest. Along with the next shade, there is no sheerness to the opacity in this one by any means – without compromising its balmy texture, the lip crayon gives off vibrant payoff.

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150 Enticing is easily the shade I’ve talked the most about as it was the one that was my gateway into the formula and I’ve had it since last year and this isn’t just by chance; it’s a neutral-toned deep red that seems to suit my colouring to a t. Because it’s a deeper hue, it doesn’t have the same dramatic punch that brighter shades do without stepping into vampy kind of territory and it seems to be that effortless dark lip. It’s certainly more of a Fall/Winter kind of shade but I’m known to wear it throughout other seasons…

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Have you tried any of these – what were your thoughts?
Maggie, x.

 

The Beauty Bargain #5: Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain

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To tell you the truth, I used to think that the whole “the simplest things in life make me the happiest” was bullshit but as I sit down at the table, wearing clothing that would be acceptable to wear to the gym, enjoying the feel of my makeupless face and being thankful that it’s not boiling hot today, I sort of get it. I haven’t gone all out of character on you, I promise, though, as I’m here at least talking about all things makeup-wise. The product in question? The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Milan Moment ($14-16 CDN). I’ve more than hinted in a few posts that I’ve been loving this offering and now the time has come that I feel confident to provide a (glowing) review of the rather expensive liquid lip-stains.

The texture and formula was what initially impressed me and after use, it still strikes me as the standout attributes of the product. I’m not a lip-gloss girl and these looked like a long-wearing gloss-stain hybrid so I was nervous about the stickiness factor — I’m pleased to report there is no stickiness in sight. The nondescript-smelling liquid lip-stains glide onto the lips without highlighting dry patches in the slightest, with a somewhat glossy balm texture that reminds me of the L’Oreal L’Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks – with increased longevity, of course. Upon initial application (and until three hours where the stain only remains), the lips feel soothed, a bit hydrated and as comfortable as can be. Strictly speaking, the formula isn’t drying but it can be slightly on my sensitive chapped lips after the balm has worn off and the stain has been left for hours (without any balm application or reapplication) but unlike every other product that has this quality, they do not irritate my lips in the slightest and a wee bit of balm brings them back into health afterwards.

While these are flattering on my sore chapped lips and are remarkable in that aspect, they do apply sheerly at first, requiring some building up and can be a bit streaky or patchy at first, so they’re not infallible in formula. Also, the product itself isn’t a longwearing one but it’s the stain that the product leaves behind that is long-lasting; the glossy balm texture lasts about 3-4 hours on my lips with a little bit of eating and/or drinking but won’t last a meal or anything, but the even stain that the product leaves behind after being left on the lips lasts ages and ages. Unlike many lip products, my lips don’t feel raw after the stain is only left and the stain is even around my lips. They are low maintenance and because of this, I’ve found this one ideal as an everyday kind of shade. I’ve only tried the Milan Moment shade, which is a neutral-toned muted tangerine colour but the shade range is intensive with 11 or 12 shades in total, spanning from nudes into vampier hues. This shade is a unique one, adding a slight bit of brightness to the lips without being bold in the slightest — it’s about the lightest shade that could actually stain my pale lips — and flatters my warm undertones without being unflattering on the teeth. I’d say that stain lasts five to six hours, also, but if you’re looking for the longest lasting and most intense stain in the world, I don’t think these are for you. I think these are ideal for a low-maintenance staining lip colour that feels comfortable and hydrating on the lips instead of drying them out beyond belief. I definitely have my eye on more of these. I haven’t included a swatch photo of the shade in this post but I swatched it here, in my Summer Edit. And here I am, wearing it again here:

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Have you tried these yet? If not, do you plan on trying these?
Maggie, x.

The Beauty Bargain #4: L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in 04 Universal Sun

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There are three things that I’m compelled to disclose in this post, aside from the usual details and general ooh-ing and ahh-ing. One, I acknowledge that it is a stretch to call the drugstore bronzing powder a bargain as it does retail for $15 dollars but it’s so fabulous and high quality that I had to. Two, I have only had the product in my possession for three days or so but the love was instant so I feel confident that its praise here is neither premature nor impulsive. And three, it began with an error in beauty-related recollection which very rarely happens. After hearing Amelia Liana praise this product for sculpting and bronzing the face at once, I had been on the lookout for the L’Oreal release here in Canada and I suspect that I was so excited to find them in Shopper’s that I bought a different shade than the one she was raving about – one that was more of a traditional bronze hue with subtle red undertones and warmth and clearly not suited as well for contouring – but I’ve fallen in love with this shade nevertheless. This seems to be getting rather confusing but bear with me. I had intended to pick up the L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in 06 Golden Bronze but ended up grabbing L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in 04 Universal Sun instead but I’m not altogether too unhappy about my mistake seeing as I’ve fallen for both the formula and the true bronze hue of the shade.

DSC_0737 Swatched with the lightest hand in comparison to NYC Sunny, which is the bottom shade, applied with a heavier hand

It’s the formula of this bronzer that strikes me as incredible. Not that price is consistently a sound indicator of a product, this bronzing powder feels expensive and even more than that, luxurious, with the smooth finely-milled texture that one would expect of a Dior or Chanel product — much in the same way that I feel about their more recent mineral powder that is housed in similar packaging. The pigmentation is definitely impressive and therefore this bronzer would actually be suitable for darker skin tones, seeing as it can actually be built up far more than how I would wear it but at the same time it remains blendable and sits seamlessly on the skin (even on drier patches). I wore this the other day when I was out and about, walking around in the sweltering and muggy heat and it was ten hours before it even began to fade; while I might not believe the claim that the beta-carotene and Vitamin E in the formulation enhances a tan and “prolongs a sun-kissed glow”, the product definitely is a matte long-wearing bronzer as they say — er well kind of. In the sense of there being shimmer or sheen within the powder, the bronzer is definitely matte but it doesn’t look flat on the skin but rather has a velvety kind of finish that can add shape as well as add that bronze-y hue to the skin.

As I have been with a good number of L’Oreal’s releases in the last year or so, I am impressed with the compact packaging. It’s not say as sleek as NYC Sunny, the packaging is more durable and more attractive without adding significant bulkiness. I like the bronzy rounded square packaging and more than that, I’m a fan of the small hidden mirror beneath that comes with the not altogether horrible brush — the brush can be used to add some shape to the face, I would assume. I particularly enjoy the mirror being hidden beneath because then the powder does not get the mirror dirty.

Above, I acknowledged the rather high pricepoint (for the drugstore) of this product but it really is a bargain when you take the quality of the product and the sheer quantity that you receive into account. You may be paying $15 CDN for this bronzer but you are getting 9 grams or 0.32 ounces, which is actually rather economical per ounce, coming in at $46.90 per ounce, whereas a higher end bronzer such as NARS Laguna tends comes in at the signficantly heftier price tag of $153.60 per ounce. The L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in 04 Universal Sunmight be rather new to me but it was one of those products that impressed me upon my first use and I doubt I will be putting it down anytime soon. And here I am wearing a very-light application of the bronzer – with admittedly out-of-control hair:

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Happy Thursday! I’m serious when I want to hear your thoughts so I’m leaving you with two questions: (1) Have you tried any of these new L’Oreal Monos? (2) What is your favourite drugstore bronzer?
Maggie, x.

The (Kind-Of) Beauty Bargain: Bourjois Cream Blush in 04 Sweet Cherry

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Hiiiiii I’m here hoping you’re doing as well as can be expected on his June tuesday and here bringing you another one of these budget beauty posts in a relatively short span of time. I do admit that it is rather difficult to call this a bargain in these parts as the Bourjois Cream Blush in 04 Sweet Cherry retails for $20 Canadian in these parts but they are less expensive than MAC and don’t cost considerably more than the more expensive drugstore brands (L’Oreal, Physicians Formula etc.) and if the darkest shade is anything to go by, they are a fantastic formulation in their own right. In terms of details shmetails, there are four shades in the “cream to powder” range housed in these compact pots with 0.08 oz of product and they do have quite a perfume-y scent to them.

Sweet Cherry is a subtly warm-toned slightly dirty rosy mauve shade that gives that natural-looking rosiness to the face along with seamless definition. In the picture above it’s the only product on my cheeks in terms of colour, if you’re interested. Although it seems to be marketed as a cream formula that loses its creaminess as it sets, I wouldn’t necessarily agree and for me and my dull dehydrated skin this is a good thing — the lightweight mousse-y cream formula is easier to work with than traditional cream formulas but it doesn’t lose the gorgeous finish of a true cream, leaving the cheeks luminous but without any shimmer or glitter. The cream blush has surprising longevity on the cheeks by itself and has impressive buildable pigmentation that allows them to give off colour without being overwhelming. And look, I managed to take an in-focus swatch picture on my new camera – yay:

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Although I’m someone who is intrigued by the radiance and texture-smoothing properties offered by these cream-textured blushes, I tend to find them more difficult as they can be more difficult to apply than their powder counterparts but this formula is an exception for me and makes me want to pick up the rest of the range. When it comes down to it, unless you’re of a dark skintone where it’s unlikely that any of these shades will show up without looking chalky, I highly recommend giving these a go if you’re interested in a creamy formulation of blush!

Have you tried any of these? What’s your favourite cream blush?
Maggie, x.

 

 

The Beauty Bargain: The “True Nude” Lipstick

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Following the usual theme here at beautylitandramblings, I really intended to bring you the second post in this series much sooner than this but obviously I agonized over what product deserved to be featured next and got distracted – at least I’m honest with myself. Like future-editions-to-come, I’m talking about a product that I’ve reviewed before but I believe still deserved its own mention in this new category of affordable beauty purchases. While the Maybelline ‘The Buffs’ Colorsensational Lipstick in Blushing Beige ($9 CDN)is a little bit too pale and too much of a true nude to be one of those less-traditional nude shades with more colour to them that can be even flattering with even the most minimal makeup (a la MAC Patisserie) but nevertheless, it’s the ideal shade to pair with an authentic smoky eye for that classic vibe.

I’m sure I said this in the initial review here, but I’m mentioning how similar (yet improved) this shade is to the classic MAC Creme d’Nude yet again; it’s not quite as pale and has a much more forgiving and flattering formula on the lips but has that same strong peachy undertone that keeps things from looking ghastly or washed-out in the slightest. However, the scent is not nearly as nice as instead of that classic vanilla scent, you have to deal with that play-doh one but I don’t mind too much. The smooth formula doesn’t dry out my sensitive lips either and lasts for a good amount of time. If I were a lip-liner kind of girl (read: if I had the ideal my-lips-but-nicer shade in my possession), I would be tempted to go for it to add some definition back between the lips and the skin but it’s not completely necessary, if you ask me. And as one might expect, this warm-toned nude is not going to provide any teeth-whitening sort of favours.

P.S. I’m in shock that I managed to write this post without going overboard, actually hitting at just 300 words. I’m aware of my issues with rambling and concision…

What’s your favourite affordable drugstore lip?
Maggie, x.

 

 

The Beauty Bargain: The Summery Bright Lip

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Honestly I’ve wanted to begin this rather generic beauty blogger series but I’ve been angsting over creating a name that wouldn’t just be copying every other beauty blogger alive but I’m forcing myself to get over the drama and contemplation, going with the unoriginal The Beauty Bargain as I title to begin to share with you these affordable products that perform as well if not better than their higher end counterparts. The first product in question to begin this whole series – I actually do plan on making this a regular thing – is the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Stellar ($7-8 CDN), a glossy (but not overly so) vibrant coral liquid lipstick that stays put on the lips for ages even for those of us who might not necessarily be the neatest eaters for a good six hours without feeling heavy or sticky at the least.

I know I’m rather late to the party on this popular lip product but honestly I picked this one up at the end of the fall last year, wanting to try the formula that I had heard such great things about without truly realizing that it was not a seasonally-appropriate shade in the slightest. You know how I feel about corals, but I know bold coral lips are not a seasonless essential for the masses so I held off on sharing my love for this one until now. I haven’t gone for any other shades in the range as none of them have popped out at me as shades that suit me and that I don’t already own duplicates of so I can’t comment on that front but judging by the following of these, I believe its safe to assume that the formula is fantastic around the board. In my eyes there’s only one real downside to the formula, the creamy texture’s tendency to slip and slide before setting into their more satin finish, sliding onto your teeth if you’re not careful – but others might object to the candy-scent but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, especially in comparison with those artificial floral scents that lipsticks of the drugstore tend to have.

Aside from the fabulous pigmentation, longevity (i.e. wearing off evenly) and comfort of the lip lacquer, Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar is remarkable in it’s non-drying formula that glides over dry patches and uneven texture in the lips, especially considering the bold nature of the lipstick. If you’re looking for a comfortable long-wearing formula that applies precisely without loads of effort or skill on your part, I recommend this offering and I definitely recommend this shade if you’re after something bold but unlike the standard bold fuschias and reds.

This really doesn't showcase my application skills at their finest but I promise it looks much better in real life...
This really doesn’t showcase my application skills at their finest but I promise it looks much better in real life…

Have you tried any of these Rimmel Lip Lacquers?

Maggie, x.