Cheap Makeup Gone Wrong

Agree? Disagree?

Cheap Makeup Gone Wrong

See which low-rated makeup products you should avoid.

This is a TotalBeauty.com cheap makeup article Total Beauty readers give us the lowdown on 16 low-rated drugstore makeup products. See products

No. 16: Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length Mascara, $6.94

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.9

"I know hate is a strong word but ... I hate this mascara! …"

No. 15: Milani Loose Makeup, $7.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.6

"The coverage is horrible: it looks patchy and uneven …"

No. 14: CoverGirl Trublend Microminerals Foundation, $10.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.6

"It clogged my pores …"

Want to see what other products made the list? Click here!

TotalBeauty.com: Summertime Makeovers

3 nice makeovers. I liked #2 the most. Guess why? LoL.

Summertime Makeovers

Check out these women's transformations and get wallet-friendly beauty tips on how to give your look a boost.

This is a TotalBeauty.com makeover article Three working mothers were pampered and given a makeover by team of experts. They came out on the other side with an extra bounce in their step. See makeovers

HAIR: I finally did it...

Yeah, yeah, more about my hair.

Without thinking too much about it. I went to the salon and the hair stylist chopped it off...6-7 inches of hair, maybe more. Eeek! I felt strange afterwards. Well, I'm still feeling like that, still processing.

The hairstyle is nothing spectacular, like I would have wanted (remember this post?). I ended up with style similar to #2, but I will let it grow back a little to end up with the #7 style.  I needed this haircut not only because my hair was too long but due to a hair scalp condition and other things, it was falling like crazy! I was glad to see less hair in my brush this morning.

 Before and After, lol!

Boy, do I look tired in these pics. And my makeup too, hahaha.

This hair length is about 1-2 inches shorter than the last time I got a haircut (see it here). 

Positive things: I can see in my pictures that my hair grew very fast in a year, maybe 'cause of the vitamins and treatments and also this morning I remembered how easy it is to manage hair this short, LOL.  So now I just hope for it to stop falling, geez.

Hope you're having a nice day.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

LOOK: Work/Interview Appropriate Makeup

Hey guys, hope all of you are doing well.  These past few days have been very rainy so we have stayed home pigging out and playing PS3 and Wii, yay! But it's time to come back to reality.  LOL.

I actually wore this look for a job interview. This look is about softly enhancing the things I like the most about my face (eyes and lips), very naturally. In my line of work I don't want my makeup to be distracting, even more in an interview.

You can check out other neutral looks that are very appropriate for work under my LOOK: NEUTRALS/NATURAL(click) tag.

A funny note: I meant to use the ELF Warm Bronzer but applied the Golden one by mistake. I noticed it after applying it....oops. That one is more illuminating (frankly I consider it a highlighter for my skin tone) but lucky for me, it gave me a nice glow! I guess it worked well with the matte texture of the ELDW.

**CLICK ON ALL PICS FOR ENHANCED VERSIONS**

**Click on the given links to see swatches of some of the products**

FACE

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Light

No Concealer

ESTÉE LAUDER Double Wear Foundation in 4W1 Shell Beige -- Loving it, talk about a flawless finish.

ELF Golden Bronzer

CLINIQUE  Mocha Pink Blush

MAC Fix+ Spray -- to set makeup

EYES

ESTÉE LAUDER Double Wear Concealer in Medium

MAC Sculpt & Shape Duo in Bone Beige/Emphasize (BB as a wash, Emph. on crease -- just a touch to define it)

MAYBELLINE E/S QUAD in Natural Smokes (I just used the Outer Corner Dark Brown shade to define lash line; an E/S like MAC Espresso can also be used)

ESTÉE LAUDER Lash Primer Plus -- I got a sample from my EL order.

COVERGIRL Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black

MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud

STILA E/L in Topaz

LIPS

SALLY HANSEN Healing Butter for Lips -- as primer

REVLON Super Lustrous L/S in Nude Velvet

LAURA MERCIER Ambre Rose L/G

So yeah, I'm "back". I have a few reviews pending, so see you soon.

¡Vivan, amen y rían! 

Taking it easy...

Hi guys. Just here to mention I've been taking it slow these past few days in terms of this blog. I have had to concentrate on some other things and trying to make the most of my time while my kids were with their grandparents these past few days.  Work (well, looking for one that actually pays, that is), money and yes---spending some time alone with my husband in the pool or theather. It's been nice.  I'm looking forward to go to the beach again!

I've been testing the MUFE foundation alongside with my Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in a new shade, 4W1-Shell Beige.  I'll let you know how I feel about them in a few days.

Thanks and I hope you are having a fun summer.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

TotalBeauty: Top-Rated Cheapie Hair Products

Top-Rated Cheapie Hair Care Products

Check out this list of awesome hair care products that'll cost you less than $10

This is a TotalBeauty.com hair care products article You don't have to spend your whole paycheck to maintain your hair -- take it from Total Beauty readers who swear by these hair care products that are under $10. See products

No. 15: Suave Professionals Sleek Shampoo, $2.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.5

"It leaves my hair feeling softer and cleaner than ever before ..."

No. 14: Neutrogena Triple Moisture Smooth Shine Anti Frizz Cream, $4.79

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.7

"Really detangles and moisturizes while protecting my hair from the sun ..."

No. 13: Pantene Relaxed & Natural Intensive Moisturizing Shampoo, $6.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.7

"This is the best shampoo on the market for African American women ..."

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Foundation Brushes Photo Comparison: MAC 190 vs. Revlon

MAC 190 -- $32 USD

REVLON Foundation Brush -- $10.99 to$12.99 USD (varies by location, I paid $10-something at Walmart)

Similarities/Differences?  Take a look.

Both are great tapered brushes with synthetic hair. Perfect for liquid or cream products in general.

To me, the most important differences (besides the price) are :

• The Revlon brush has more bristles (higher volume) but it is still a firm brush.  It makes the application and blending of foundation/cream products easier than with the MAC 190, IMHO.
• The handle: Revlon's have an ergonomic handle so I feel it "works" better between my fingers and the palm of my hand.
• The metal ferrule: the one in the Revlon brush looks...cheap, as if it were very poor quality. I'm afraid it will detach from the handle. I've just had it for less than three weeks so I don't know if that will be a problem (I don't feel that insecurity with my MAC brushes).
  

My MAC brushes are a good investment, great quality for an accessible price (compared to other H.E. brands). BUT for the moment, Revlon has won this round.  I think the Revlon foundation brush is the best I can find at the drugstore and a great product for the price. I'll let you know ASAP if it breaks or gets rusty.

Do you have a Revlon foundation brush? For how long? How has it worked for you? I would appreciate some feedback!

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

LOOK: Summer Sultry Eyes with Urban Decay

So this summer look is very very different from others I've done before, basically because is heavy in eyeliner. This is more of a night look. I wanted to use warm metallic colors and UD's Smog and Jones were perfect.

Some of the products I used:

**All pics are clickable**

FACE

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Light Primer

No concealer on face

MUFE HD Foundation in 128

MAYBELLINE Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium -- Excellent, excellent product

ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder -- Love it!

EYES

TFSI

MAC Rubenesque PP on lids

UD E/S in Jones (eye lids); Smog (Crease, outer V and lower lashline); El Dorado (inner eye area near tearducts)

MAC E/S in Vanilla (above crease) and Ricepaper (browbone)

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline (upper and lower lashlines)

UD 24/7 E/L in Zero on waterlines

COVERGIRL LashBlast Mascara in Very Black

MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud

LIPS

SALLY HANSEN Healing Butter for Lips (as primer)

REVLON L/S in Blushed and Nude Velvet (mixed)

REVLON L/G in Nude Lustre

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

TotalBeauty.com: Summer Beauty Style

Do You Know Your Summer Beauty Style?

This quiz has the answers to which celeb beauty look will work best on you

This is a TotalBeauty.com beauty tips article Are you into the whole dramatic, smoky eye thing or do you barely make it out of the house with mascara on? Our quiz will point you to your celeb summer beauty icon and suggest wallet-friendly products you can use to get her look. Take quiz

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Quick Review+Swatches: Stila Topaz E/L and Lancome Electric Pink L/G

I recently bought the above mentioned (and shown) products from the ACW website. I received them yesterday and tried them on today. LoL, my hauls are so small lately, recession has hit us kind of hard.

I've been wanting the Lancome La Laque Fever in Electric Pink (Reg. $26.50 USD, I paid $8.99) for a long time.  This shade is a super bright fuchsia pink with multi-color shimmer.  Super "electric" indeed. This gloss is very pigmented and it does provides great coverage in just one application, as Lancome claims. It is very glittery and somewhat sticky. Not much, but just enough to last a few hours. So if you don't like those two properties, this product is not for you.

I def. love the applicator, very soft and great for precise application. And the packaging is so cute! -- though you wouldn't know if you are about to finish the product...

What I don't like is that it can feel a bit drying while it is fading, mainly because of the glitter. It is recommended to use on exfoliated and primed lips (which I didn't do for these pics, I wanted to see how it worked alone).  Mind you, some other shades are more creamy and doesn't have all the shimmer (I would love to try them). Also, I don't think it'd last 8 hrs on my lips.  

The cost is extremely high for a gloss that is really great, but not one of a kind.

Overall I think it's a great product and I look forward to try other shades.

Artificial Lighting, No flash

(Sorry, I don't think the lighting do justice to the color)

When I saw swatches and videos of the "Topaz" Stila Kajal E/L (Reg. $18 USD, I got it for $9.99), I wanted it right away! I tried it today and love it. As Stila mentions on it's website, you really don't need to tug the skin around your eyes. This pencil is very soft and pigmented! Because of that, I had to be careful not to overdo it when applying. In general, it gives me a more natural wake-up and clean look than white eye liner.  Trying to sharpen the pencil is a bit tricky since the product is very soft (I can't see it as a CON, since that's its nature) so be careful and have patience. Also, it doesn't lasts more than a few hours due to it being so blendable and soft .

It looks so natural, I see this e/l becoming a staple on my everyday routine.

A subtle difference...

ETA: I forgot to mention --serves me right for posting things at 130am (or was it 2am already?)--, this works great as a lip liner and even as a spot concealer.  Not too much is needed, so that rocks. Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying full price for this product.

I also forgot to add a pic of me using these goodies.

No Flash / With Flash (both fluorescent lighting)

 

(On my skin: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in 70-Fresh Beige; MAC SF Powder in NC40; MAC Neo Sci-Fi's X-Rocks Blush; MUFE Full Coverage Concealer #10 on eyelids with Revlon PR Translucent Powder on top; Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Mascara in Glam Black; Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil in Dark brown; Stila Kajal E/L in Topaz on waterline; and Lancome La Laque L/G in Electric Pink on my lips)

HELLO BRA-STRIP!!!! (sorry about that)

Hope you find this post helpful. Did you have fun in your weekend?

¡Vivan, amen y rían!