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More New NYX Spring 2014 Products!

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Last week, I posted about some new NYX products launching for 2014, and now there are more!

I want to try all of these!  Seriously- I was just on their website and I can't decide what to get...aaahhh!
Definitely the Lip Primer, Full Coverage Foundation and Infinite Shadow Stick for starters.

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Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask Review

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Ever since I tired Carol's Daughter Monoi Anti-Breakage Spray (see my review here), I've been dying to try the rest of the Monoi line.  I had a Macy's gift card from Christmas, so I decided to get the sample kit ($26) to try it out before I decided to spring for the full sizes. 

The kit includes Monoi Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Mask.

Here are the claims:
  • Using the Shampoo & Hair Mask, only once, studies showed:
  • Prevent breakage by 96%
  • Hair lives 13X longer
  • Condition of hair was improved by 86%

  • Using the Shampoo & Conditioner, only once, studies showed:
  • Prevents breakage by 92%
  • Hair lives 5.5X longer
  • Condition of hair was improved by 84%
  • When used with the Monoi Repairing Conditioner:
  • 92% less breakage after only 1 use
  • 5.5X longer hair life after only 1 use
  • 82% better conditioning and detangling after only 1 use
  • Monoi Oil gently conditions your hair all over
  • Hibiscus Extract help quickly detangle any hair type, but especially delicate, damaged hair
  • Coconut-derived cleansers are gentle enough for even the most fragile, distressed hair
 Ever since I had the baby, my hair has been a mess...falling out everywhere and damaged from going back to blonde and heat styling.  

The directions say to use all three products, which I did.



The shampoo is sulfate free, so it didn't lather that much, but it also didn't dry out my hair, which is what I was going for.  The conditioner was nice, but I liked the Repairing Hair Mask the best- it was buttery and thick and when I rinsed it out, my hair felt like silk. 

This also has that Tahitian Monoi scent (Gardenias and Coconut)  that makes you long to be on a tropical island somewhere.

After using this set, my hair felt so soft and my split ends were all but hidden!  My hair actually had shine, and here's the proof.  The pictures below show my hair the day before, where I used John Frieda's Go Blonder Shampoo and Garnier's Damage Eraser Mask.  I didn't use any other styling products- just blow-dried my hair.  
It looks pretty awful, but I wanted this to be a true test, without any styling products to add shine or softness to my hair.

Here's what it looked like after using the Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo, Conditioner and Repairing Hair Mask.  Again, no styling products were added- I just blow-dried afterwards.  Oh, and the color looks different, only because the above picture was taken in daylight and the other at night, so my hair looks a little darker.

It's still not perfect, but it's so much smoother and healthier looking!  I actually didn't need to use any additonal styling products, such as split-end repair or shine serums!
Unfortunately, this is so amazing, I'm going to have to find room in the budget for the full sizes ($20, $22, and $32...yikes!).  But they're worth it, if they save my hair from falling out and allow me to keep growing it.  At the very least, I'll make it last by using it only a few times a week.  As a new mom, I don't do my hair everyday anyway! :)

This is definitely splurgeworthy!  If you want to try it, I highly recommend the sample kit.





Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream Review

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Ever wish your skin could be smoother and full of moisture, just like a baby's?  I always look at my son's skin and wish mine still looked that way- no sun damage, smooth, plump, hydrated.  It's beautiful and perfect. I'm jealous!


Ok, this post is about to get a little nerdy and scientific on you...one reason that babies have perfect skin, aside from no sun damage, is that their skin is full of Hyaluronic Acid.  HA is a humectant that can hold 1,000 times it's weight in water.  We lose it over time as we age, and our skin no longer has that plumpness.  So how do we get it back?  Well, short of having it injected (Restylane), topical products only replenish it temporarily, since it sits on top of the skin.

Enter Hada Labo Tokyo, a Japanese skincare company that has recently landed in the US. I found the line at my local Walgreens.  Their products contain Super Hyaluronic Acid, which is a combination of three types: 

  • Macro Hyaluronic Acid, which acts on the surface of the skin and seals in moisture.
  • Hyaluronic Acid Plus, which holds 2x more hydration than regular HA and is oil friendly so it mixes well with the oil layer in the skin. 
  • Micro Hyaluronic Acid, which is 100x smaller than Macro HA and goes deeper into the skin. 
For those of you interested in the science of how this works (it's pretty darn cool), this short video explains it. If not, skip down for my review.






I purchased the Skin Plumping Gel Cream $24.99, a combination serum and moisturizer, designed to plump up fine lines and wrinkles.  The texture is really unique to other skin creams on the market.  It feels like a gel, so it's lightweight but it moisturizes like a cream.  Usually if I need moisture I stay away from gels because they don't hydrate as well as creams do, but this is amazing!


Description: 
This luxurious silky gel cream combines the skin perfecting power of a serum with the intense hydration of a moisturizer. Its high concentration of Super Hyaluronic Acid™ saturates skin with rich, long-lasting moisture helping to plump fine lines and wrinkles. Skin is left hydrated, cushiony soft and smooth with a youthful, natural bounce.


It has no scent at all, which is nice and has a ton of slip when applying to the skin.  In fact, you only need a pea sized amount for your face...a little goes such a long way.  This 1.76oz. jar will last me a long time.
Since I'm dry to begin with and this polar vortex is causing record-breaking low temps, my skin is like the Sahara.  So I've been using this as a serum under my night cream.  It's light enough that it absorbs quickly and although I could use it alone, I still like to add retinol to the mix.  So it's nice that I can layer this without it being too heavy.




So does it give me baby skin?  I don't think anything can turn back the clock that much, but it definitely has a plumping effect on my skin and adds a ton of moisture without the heavy feeling.  I'm in love...think I'll try their retinol cream next! 

More info: 

HADA LABO
Walgreens


Tarte Power Pigment Review Exposed Swatches

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On Sunday my husband Eric needed a haircut, so we headed over to the mall.  While he was in the salon, I pushed Henry in the stroller down to Sephora to check out what was new.  I was feeling in a buying mood, and I decided that I wasn't leaving without something in that little black and white bag (gotta keep my VIB Rouge status, you know!). 

While trying to navigate the stroller around all the girls standing around swatching their hands (no easy feat!), I spotted Tarte's new Power Pigment lip pencils $24.  These are slimmer and smaller than the LipSurgence Lip Tints, are supposed to have great color payoff, and are inspired by their famous cheek stains. 


I chose the color Exposed, which is described as nude with pink undertones.  In my never-ending quest for a my-lips-but-better shade, this seemed like a contender, at least when swatching it on my hand. So pretty!


This pencil is easy to apply, and the color feels a bit waxy going on with not a whole lot of glide.  After applying my lips felt a bit tacky but the color was pretty.  Fast forward 15 minutes though, and my lips are feeling a bit dried out. In the photo below, you can see the dry patches starting, especially on the right bottom.  
The dryness continued and a few hours later I had no color left and cracked/ lined lips. And they still felt tacky besides. I went reaching for my Bite Agave Lip Mask...ahh relief!
Now I should mention that I do have dry skin, and that goes for my lips too. Plus it is Winter and the air is super dry.  So others might not find this so drying, but I wasn't happy with this one. Sorry Tarte! I love their products usually, but this was a miss for me, so I can't recommend it as Splurgeworthy. 
Has anyone else tried these and had the same or different result?


Win a Bag Full of Skincare Samples!

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I'm reposting this contest because the winner never claimed her prize.  So you have another chance to win this!

This week's giveaway is a makeup bag full of awesome skincare samples. From cleansers to masks, hand creams and face creams, this has it all! This is what you could win...

Some close ups and details: 


(1) Sample of EmbryoLisse Lait-Creme Concentre- A versatile cream that Makeup Artists use as a Primer, Moisturizer and Makeup Remover!
(1) Sample of Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist- Tone and hydrate with this refreshing blend of rosehip, ylang ylang, resveratrol grapeseed oil and antioxidant-rich organic juices for a fresh, radiant complexion.
(1) Sample of Michael Todd Pumpkin Mask- Pumpkin and Glycolic Acid make this a powerful exfoliating treatment.
(1) Sample of Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream- This powerful and luxurious anti-aging cream delivers ultra-firming and restructuring benefits.
(1) Sample Tokyo Milk Bon Bon Bubbling Bath- Gorgeously scented bubble bath with Lily, Peony, Vanilla Bean and Violet Petals.
(1) Sample of Sephora Age Defy Moisture CreamAn antiaging facial cream to reduce the appearance of fine lines and produce an even skintone. 
(1) Sample of LA Fresh Oil Free Face Cleansing Wipes (10 Pack)- Fragrance Free, Paraben Free, Gently Cleanses, Removes Light Makeup.
(1) Sample of Wei Pomagranate Buffing BeadsTurn your favorite cleanser into your favorite scrub in just seconds. Finely milled Pomegranate peel mixed with micro beads gently slough off dead skin cells, making dull skin bright and fresh.
(1) Sample of Boscia Luminizing Black Mask-A groundbreaking, mineral-rich mask that peels off to deliver powerful detoxifying, purifying, and brightening effects.
(1) Sample of Dior Hydra Life BB Cream-A highly-effective BB cream for smooth, hydrated, healthy-looking skin.
(1) Sample of Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel- A skin perfector that instantly per-fekts and enhances the appearance of the skin offering an easy alternative to traditional foundation, primer, color corrector and powder.
(1) Sample of Love & Toast Sugar Grapefruit HandcremeShea butter, Macadamia nut, Olive fruits, Avocado & Sunflower oil, love&toast's "can't live without it" botanical perfume blend.
(1) Sample of Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing GelOil-free, anti-wrinkle technology helps to rejuvenate, clarify and brighten with Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, extracts of Peach, White Oak Bark, Lemon, Lime, Linden, Grapefruit, and Arginine.
(1) Sample of Ole Henriksen Perfect Truth CC Creme- A supercharged skincare multitasker with makeup benefits that brightens, protects, and perfects in one simple step.  
(1) Sample of Library of Flowers Linden Perfumed Hand/Body Cream- A triple scented body cream meant to be worn as a perfume alternative.

Enter to win all 16 Samples Below and good luck! 
Get extra entries (3 for liking the Budget Beauty Blog on Facebook) (1 per day for Tweeting about the giveaway)!



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Wet N' Wild Take On the Day Eyeshadow Primer Review

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I hate spending so much time on eye makeup, only to have it fade a short time later.  I currently own Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and I really like it, but it's expensive ($20 for the original but I'm using the Anti-Aging one, which is $24)!  So I went out in search of something a bit more reasonable that would do the job just as well.

I saw Wet N Wild's Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer at Walgreens ($5), and it's part of their Fergie collection.  It's not a new product...I think it launched last year.  But I hadn't gotten around to trying it yet. 




It comes in a tube that you squeeze to dispense product.  It's very easy to control the amount you need, which isn't much at all!
Here's a swatch on my hand.  I have to admit that I was skeptical that this would work, as the texture was very slippery and not as thick as the Urban Decay version, which has a thicker more velvety feel.

Here it is next to Urban Decay Primer Potion (right):

So I did what any good reviewer should, and decided to do a direct comparison.  
So here we go, Wet N Wild Vs. Urban Decay!


I'm using Urban Decay Anti Aging Primer Potion, and L'Oreal's Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe.  This eyeshadow has pretty good staying power on it's own, so I wanted to see how long I could make it last with the primers.

I applied each primer to my arm and added the shadow by itself (top), then over Urban Decay Primer Potion (Middle) and then over Wet N Wild Take on the Day (bottom).  The Urban Decay one looks slightly darker...it's not looking good for the Wet N Wild primer!  


5 Hours Later, as I was going to bed, they looked like this.  I was pleasantly surprised that the Wet N Wild primer seemed to be holding up much better!


Finally, this is what they looked like when I woke up this morning: 


I am thoroughly impressed with Wet N Wild's Take on the Day Primer!  It's proven to not only be a dupe for Urban Decay's Primer Potion, but actually performs better at less than a quarter of the price!  I'll be pinning this to my dupes board on Pinterest (which currently has 400 followers, by the way- thank you! :) )

I recommend you all pick one up the next time you're in the market for an eyeshadow primer.  This stuff is incredible!

Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighter Stick Review Sparkling Sand. Benefit Watts Up Dupe!

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I recently got a deluxe sample of Benefit's Watts Up highlighting stick, and I've been loving it!  I never knew quite what to do with liquid highlighters so the stick makes it pretty much foolproof- a little swipe across the tops of my cheekbones, maybe a little on the brow bones, and voila!  Instant subtle glow.  

But as my sample runs out, I was getting a bit concerned with my newfound love of highlighter, and feared that I might have to shell out $30 for the full size.  So what's a girl on a budget to do?  Find a suitable dupe, of course!  

This morning I headed out to Target with my little man, Henry.  He has his first tooth coming in and won't nap unless I either hold him, or if he's in his carseat.  I have a nifty Peg Perego stroller base that his carseat snaps into, so these days I've been going out to the mall, the drugstore, anywhere- just so I can get him to sleep peacefully and give my arms a little break- this kid weighs 23 lbs! 

Wandering the beauty aisles, I came across Sonia Kashuk's Chic Luminosity Highlighting Sticks.  They come in two shades, Sparkling Sand (champagne) and Persian Sunset (pink), and cost $10.99. 


I chose Sparkling Sand, because it seemed to be closest to Watts Up. It comes in a swivel-up stick for ease of use...just the way I like it!




Here it is swatched on my hand- it's such a pretty shade and the formula is creamy and long lasting! I didn't blend it out so you can see the color better.


Now, how does it compare to Watts Up?  Lets find out...

Again, my Watts Up is a sample size- the original is much bigger!  In the tube, the shades are similar with Benefit's being just a tiny bit darker. 


And here they are swatched side by side.  They look almost identical! The Benefit has a tiny hint of bronze to it, while Sonia Kashuk's is pure champagne. Both are creamy and easy to use.




This is definitely the dupe I was looking for! I'll pin this to my dupes board.  

And my little man woke up happy, so it was a good day all around. :)

Beauty Box 5 January 2014 Reveal and Unboxing

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I've been reviewing more and more subscription boxes lately, and I love them because for a small monthly cost, you get to try so many great products that you may never have tried, plus it's always fun to be surprised each month.  I've found that the majority of them also give you way more product than you're paying for, which makes them a budget-friendly way to try the latest and greatest in beauty.

I was recently so excited to have the opportunity to try Beauty Box 5 for the first time.  This service is $12 a month, or if you buy 3 months, it's $30, or a yearly subscription is $99, so you can save quite a bit by signing up for more than a month at a time.

So, ready to see what I got? Here we go!



H2O+ Sea Lotus Body Wash 1oz..  The full 12.5oz size retails for $18.50.  This body wash smells fantastic- like a spa!  I can't wait to use this in the shower tomorrow with my new gloves, which brings me to....

Swissco Exfoliating Gloves.   So much easier than a shower pouf- just wear these gloves, add soap and rub them together to lather.  They have just the right amount of roughness to take off the dead skin, but are gentle enough to use daily.  These will be perfect for when I start self-tanning this Spring.

Nubar Cuticle and Nail Oil .  Full size is .5oz for $10.  This winter has done a number on my hands, so my cuticles can really use this.  With a new baby around, I'm not able to go out and get manicures much, so being able to do it myself is a must!

Jergens Daily Moisturizer .  Full size is $6.99 for 21 oz.  This is a great moisturizer and the perfect size to stick in my purse.  

Epic Blend Hemp Coconut Lip Balm- (Full Size- $3.50).  This brand is from Canada, and I hadn't heard of them before.  But this lip balm is awesome!  The coconut scent is delicious and reminds me of summer.  Usually I expect lip balms in a tube to be somewhat hard and waxy, but this one just melted right into my lips, and was so soft.  Love!

That Awkward Moment Compact Mirror- "That Awkward Moment" is a new movie starring Zac Efron that actually comes out today.  This mirror is really slim but has a nice sized mirror- perfect for my purse, or if I'm out it'll still fit in a clutch.



Overall, I really liked my Beauty Box 5! I got some great new products to try.  

Have you tried Beauty Box 5?  What do you think?









Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Ink Swatches

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Today I was at Sephora and spotted these new Sephora Brand Rouge Infusion Lip Inks, $14.  


These are a new water based lip stain that leaves a shine finish.  It's supposed to be a 10 hour finish that keeps the lips hydrated rather than dry.  The packaging was pretty cool.  I thought these were pencils at first glance, but they twist open near the top and have a lip gloss wand inside.  

They only had 6 testers out of 12 shades to try, but I swatched them so you can see some of the shades.  The color on these is intense!  They remind me of a more affordable version of YSL's Glossy Stain.

Right to left: #10 Red Essence, #4 Magenta Ink, #5 Fuchsia Concentrate, #6 Coral Extract, #8 Tangerine Ink, and #12 Cherry Nectar. 

I loved #6 Coral Extract- it looked like a MLBB shade.  It looks much more orange on the Sephora website, but in person it looked more pink.  I would have purchased it, but that particular shade was sold out! 

Have you tried these yet?  What do you think? 


Olay Fresh Effects Exfoliating Cleansing Wet Cloths Review

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I'll be the first to admit that I hate taking my makeup off at night...especially since having a baby. My sleep is too precious these days!  Sometimes I get on a kick and start a nighttime cleansing routine, and when I do, my skin looks so much better. But after a few nights, a week tops,  I go right back to my old ways, which is to quickly run a cleansing wipe over my face, slap on some moisturizer and call it a day.
The problem with this "routine" is that most wet wipes leave my skin feeling like I didn't quite get all the day's grime off. When I wash my face in the morning, I find that there's still traces of makeup so who knows what else they failed to pick up.
I was in need of more wipes and saw these new Olay Fresh Effects Exfoliating wipes at Walgreens ($5).  I've tried exfoliating cloths before, thinking they would really deep clean, but they didn't do that much. Well, I wasn't prepared to have my mind blown, but that's pretty much what happened.

These cloths have a smooth side for removing makeup, then you flip it over and the other side has these mini crystals embedded in the wipe, which give it serious smoothing power.   I know it's not the best description, but it feels almost like sandpaper (well, sandpaper that could be used on your face). I haven't tried many face scrubs that were this hard-core, let alone a wipe!

If you're sensitive, these might be too harsh for you, but on my dry flaky skin, they act almost like a microdermabrasion, leaving my skin smooth, soft and flake-free.  The White Tea and Honeysuckle fragrance is amazing, fresh and clean. In the morning, there was no trace of leftover makeup and my skin felt clean and refreshed. You must try these.
Love! 

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow Review and Swatches

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I love cream eyeshadows and have every one of Mabelline's Color Tattoo Shades.  But a few of my favorites are starting to dry out, so I had planned on replacing them.  I got a Macy's gift card for Christmas and was originally going to get some post-baby weight clothes, but after looking around I just wasn't feeling anything that they have out at the moment.  So I wandered over to the beauty counters and was drawn to Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows. I tested a few out on my hand and purchased three shades that I thought would replace my Color Tattoo faves.

 Birthday Suit (a bronze shade), Skinny Jeans (pewter), and No Pressure! (light brown).  


These are very soft and easy to work with, just swipe and blend!  These colors are fantastic as well, and they have a beautiful sheen when applied, not shimmer or sparkle, but just a pretty glow.  
The pots they come in are bigger than Maybelline's Color Tattoo, but these are $20, as opposed to $7 so they're quite a bit more expensive.  
I thought I'd do some comparison swatches against the Color Tattoo shades to see if the colors were dupes. 


Benefit Birthday Suit and Maybelline Bad to the Bronze.  These were pretty close, and looked very similar in the pots.  On my skin, Birthday Suit was a little bit lighter than Bad to the Bronze, but they both had a pretty sheen.


Maybelline Tough as Taupe and Benefit Skinny Jeans.  These are also very similar in color, but Tough as Taupe is a matte shade, while Skinny Jeans has a sheen to it.  


Maybelline Matte Brown and Benefit No Pressure!.  Same as above, the Maybelline shade is matte, while the Benefit one has a bit of a glow when applied to the skin.




Overall, the Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows are great- the shades are beautiful, they last just as long as the Color Tattoo shadows and they don't crease at all, which is so important when using cream shadows.  
But Maybelline's Color Tattoo performs just as well at $7 vs. $20, so when these are gone I'll probably go back to my Color Tattoo's since the shades are similar enough.  

Have you tried Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows?  What do you think?





Make it Stay Hair Primer and Style Extender Review

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Do you spend tons of time either curling or straightening your hair in the morning, only to have it revert back to it's natural state before the day is even half over?  So frustrating!  I have straight hair, but I love to add in some beachy waves now and then.  Unfortunately, it tends to fall flat by lunchtime, and all that work goes down the drain.
Last year, I bought Living Proof's Prime Style Extender, which is supposed to lock your style into place all day.  It worked pretty well, but it costs $20 a tube, and was the only hair primer option around.  
Last week, I noticed a new hair primer called Make It Stay ($13.99) at Rite Aid (I later saw it at Walgreens for $9.99).  Upon reading the box, it sounds like it's supposed to do the same thing as Living Proof's version, although the ingredients are quite different. So I had to try it out and see if it works!




I decided to try an experiement and apply Living Proof's Prime Style Extender to half of my hair, and Make It Stay Primer and Style Extender to the other half.  I divided my hair down the middle in the back and applied a quarter sized amount to each half of my head from roots to ends. 
They have very different textures.  Living Proof's Prime is white and feels like a styling cream.  Make It Stay is translucent and feels much thicker, like a gel.  


The first thing I noticed while blow-drying, was that while they both seemed to cut down on drying time, the side of my hair that had the Make It Stay was dry in no time flat!  I was shocked, as it normally takes ages for my hair to dry.  After I was finished, I took a large barrel curling iron and started making waves in my hair.  Usually, if I want waves I have to make tight curls and in an hour or two, they fall out a bit into waves.  Usually if I start out with waves, my hair is straight again in 2 hours or so.  

The following pictures were taken at 8am and then at 8pm- a full 12 hours later.  I should also mention that I tucked my hair behind my ears more than once, which I have a tendency to do and always makes the waves come out sooner.

Living Proof's Prime Before and After- My waves stayed way longer than if I had nothing in my hair, but after 12 hours, they were pretty much gone.  I would say that this side lasted about 6-7 hours before it started to fall flat.  Not bad.


Make it Stay Primer-  Um...wow!  The fact that there's this much wave in my hair 12 hours later is amazing! 


I am so impressed by Make It Stay!  I loved that it not only made the waves last longer in my hair, but it cut down dramatically on blow-drying time.  It also made my hair feel soft and didn't feel sticky at all.  It actually felt like I had nothing in my hair at all.  
I loved it so much, I went out and bought another of their products for damaged hair called Make It Healthy, so look for my review on that soon!  They also have a formaldehyde free straightening product called Make it Straight.  

For more information, visit their Make It's Website

I'll pin this to my Dupes Board on Pinterest as a Living Proof Prime Dupe!




Wet N Wild Take on the Day Shimmer Review- Urban Decay Sin Primer Dupe!

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Last week I posted a review of the best eyeshadow primer ever, Wet N Wild Take on the Day and found that it outlasted my UD Primer Potion!.  They recently came out with a shimmer version ($5) that is a total Urban Decay SIN Primer Potion dupe!  Take a look...




The packaging is the same as the original, but the Shimmer version is a gorgeous champagne shade that I would wear all by itself.  It's almost too pretty to cover up with shadow, but when I do, this will give it a bit more richness and glow.

 Blended out...

This looks so much like Sin, so I'm posting this to my Dupes Board.  I love this primer!!  I bet you will too.

Bourjois Paris is now at Walgreens!

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For those of you who aren't familiar with Bourjois Cosmetics, they are a French cosmetics brand that has a long history.  They invented the first powder blush in 1863 and it's still sold today.  They actually own Chanel and many of the products are the same, minus the hefty price tags.


When I worked at Sephora, we sold Bourjois, but in recent years, you could no longer find it in the States.  I just found out that Walgreens has bought a stake in the U.K drugstore Boots, and will now be carrying Bourjois on their website...yay!

So if you've been missing Bourjois, head over to Walgreens.com. Unfortunately, it's not currently sold in Walgreens stores, but at least we can still order it!

Urban Decay Naked Gloss Arrives at Sephora! Naked Gloss Swatches

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Today at Sephora I spotted Urban Decay's new Naked Gloss ($20).  These come in gorgeous rose-gold tubes with the word Naked cut out so you can see the product shade through it.  Aside from the cute packaging, these are supposed to be a gloss and balm in one. It also has Hyaluronic Filling Spheres™, vitamin E, avocado oil, and shea butter to hydrate and condition lips.  They're all gorgeous shades of nudes and pinks. 


I was able to get swatches of all the shades and I swatched them in the order they appear in the display, above. They were missing a tester for Beso, so I don't have that shade in my swatches. 

From left to right: Freestyle, Walk of Shame, Lovechild, Nooner, Naked, Liar, Streak & Rule34.

I loved Naked and Liar and I think I might pick those up soon.  Naked was a bit more nude and had shimmer, where Liar was a pinky-mauve without shimmer.

Have you tried these yet?  


Simple Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer and Nourishing 24 Hour Day to Night Cream Review

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I had the opportunity to try two new products from Simple that just launched this month.  For those of you unfamiliar with Simple, it's a skincare brand that focuses on being gentle yet effective.  All of their products contain no dyes, artificial perfumes, or harsh irritants that can bother the skin, and are hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and and PH Balanced.  

The first product I received was the Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer ($9.99 at Target).  

It comes in a pump bottle which I really love- less mess and totally portable!  


Here's a shot of the packaging and ingredient label:


I thought that this moisturizer was fantastic!  The gel soaks right into the skin with no residue, so you can apply makeup right away. It has no scent whatsoever and left my skin feeling smooth.  It packed a lot of moisture for a gel, probably due to the glycerin, but was still a bit lightweight for my super-dry winter skin. But in the summer when my skin is more normal, this will definitely be my go-to moisturizer-especially considering how fast it absorbs-this it won't leave you feeling greasy in the humid weather. Anyone from oily to normal will love this one!  Here's what it looks like:


Next is the Nourishing 24 Hour Day to Night Cream ($9.99 at Target).

This one comes in a jar and is an opaque white cream that's light in texture. 

Here are some packaging shots:

This cream packs a punch in terms of moisture, containing glycerin, shea butter and Oat Kernel Oil, yet it's lightweight and not greasy at all!  My ultra-dry skin drank this right up and it didn't leave any residue or heavy feeling.  This also had no scent to it at all, which sensitive people will love. 
 I plan on using this for the rest of the winter, and then I'll switch to the Gel Moisturizer in the summer.  Here's what it looks like:
I'm loving these new moisturizers from Simple!  Do you use Simple products, and if so, which are your favorites?  What do you think of these new additions?  

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Benefit POREfessional Dupe- NYX Pore Filler

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One of my readers, Aly wrote and asked me if I could find a dupe for Benefit's POREfessional, and well, I guess great minds think alike, because I was planning just such a post for this week!

NYX is a brand that I absolutely love for their high-end quality at low price points.  They're also a cruelty-free brand which is a huge plus.  I came across their Pore Filler while on a trip to Ulta.  I don't have an Ulta near me in CT, which is crazy, but when I go to Long Island to visit the in-laws, I make sure to stop there once in a while and stock up on the brands that I can't get where I live (NYX being one of them!). 

Here's what Pore Filler looks like:



It comes in a .67oz squeeze tube and costs $13.99 at Ulta.  Benefit's POREfessional is $30 for a .75oz tube- quite a big difference!  So how do they compare?  Let's find out...


I'm using a sample I got of the POREfessional in my January Ipsy Glam Bag.  Both feel almost the same in texture and look very much alike.  Benefit's version is the slightest bit creamier, while NYX's version is a tiny bit drier but both make the skin feel velvety smooth.  When swatched, they look identical, other than the color.  Both are tinted, but not meant to add any color to the face- they disappear when blended.  Both hid my pores really well and gave a soft-focus, airbrushed finish to my skin.


The ingredients are also surprisingly similar!  Here, I've color-coded the ingredients so you can compare them. The first few are the main ingredients, and after that are just preservatives and colorants, so I didn't bother cross-referencing those.

NYX Pore Filler - Dimethicone / Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide ( CI 77891 ), Iron Oxide Yellow ( CI 77492 ), Iron Oxide Red ( CI 77491 ), Iron Oxide Black ( CI 77499 ).

Benefit The POREfessionalCYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONECROSSPOLYMER, ISONONYL ISONONANOATE, SILICA, ISODODECANE, PHENOXYETHANOL, POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), MICA, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), LIMONENE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, BHT. N° 04932

So as you can see, these products have the same active ingredients, just in a slightly different order.  At $13.99, NYX Pore Filler is the perfect POREfessional dupe!  I'll add this to my Dupes Board on Pinterest.

Have you tried Pore Filler yet?  Found another POREfessional dupe you'd like to tell me about? 




WIN IT Wednesday! $25 Sephora Gift Card

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It's Win It Wednesday! This February, I'm going to give away a prize every week on Wednesdays.
This week's prize is a $25 Sephora Gift Card, and there are so many exciting new products you can use it for!  

A few of my recent favorites:

Bite Agave Lip Mask $26- Ok, so it'll almost cover this but it's worth it!  Check out my review HERE.

Urban Decay's new Naked Gloss $20-  Gorgeous packaging and 9 beautiful nude shades to choose from. What's not to love?

Josie Maran Coconut Water Cheek Gelee $22- This is one of my favorite blushes, so sheer, pretty and blendable.  




Good luck to all!  Get 3 entries for liking the Budget Beauty Blog on Facebook, get 1 per day for Tweeting about the giveaway, and 1 for posting a comment below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OGX Organix Sunkissed Blonde Lemon Highlights Shampoo, Conditioner and Citrus Oil Mist Review

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My natural hair color is a boring mousy shade so I have been dying my hair since high school.  I've been platinum to black and every shade in between.  When I was pregnant last year, I went medium brown because I didn't want the maintenance of blonde.  After my son was born with platinum blonde hair, I felt like being blonde again to match him.  But as all blondes know, buildup can seriously dull your color.  I've been using John Frieda's Go Blonder Shampoo and Conditioner for years and it really keeps my hair bright, while subtly lightening over time.

I saw that OGX (formerly Organix) had recently launched a line of Sunkissed Blonde products, and picked them up at Walgreens.  I purchased the whole line...Shampoo, Conditioner, and Citrus Oil Mist ($5.99 each).

Here's what they're supposed to do: 

The shampoo is sulfate free, but it creates a nice thick lather.  The conditioner is medium weight and both smell amazing!  When I first sniffed them in the bottle, I wasn't crazy about the scent, but when I used them on my hair, I realized that they smell wonderful- like a tropical beach...or maybe a Pina Colada.  I'm glad that they don't smell like lemon, which is what I thought from the packaging because I'm not crazy about lemon scents...they always smell like cleaning products to me.

Here are the ingredients: 
Shampoo- Water , Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco , Isostearamide , Glycol Distearate , glyceryl Stearate , Citrus Limon Fruit Oil (Lemon) , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Citrus Limon Fruit Extract (Lemon) , Leaf Extract , Chamomilla Recutita Flower , Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract (Key Lime) , Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract (Grape) , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract , Lactic Acid , Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine , Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate , Coco-Betaine , Polyquaternium-10 , PEG-23M , glycerin , sodium chloride , Tetrasodium Edta , propylene glycol , Diazolidinyl Urea , Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate , Citric Acid , fragrance , Yellow 5 (Cl 19140)
Contitioner- Water , Cetearyl alcohol , Behentrimonium Chloride , Cetyl Alcohol , glycerin , Ceteareth-20 , Citrus Limon Fruit Oil (Lemon) , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Citrus Limon Fruit Extract (Lemon) , Leaf Extract , Chamomilla Recutita Flower , Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract (Key Lime) , Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract (Grape) , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract , LActic Acid , Glycol Distearate , Glycol Stearate , dimethicone , CyclopentaSiloxane , dimethiconol , Polyquaternium-37 , Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate , Dicaprate , PPG-1 Trideceth-6 , Isopropyl Alcohol , propylene glycol , DMDM HYDANTOIN , methylchloroisothiazolinone , methylisothiazolinone , fragrance , Yellow 5 (Cl 19140)

The Lemon Oils and Chamomile are what lighten and brighten the hair, but keep in mind that it is gradual- these don't contain peroxide or anything that will give immediate results.  I doubt they are strong enough to lift brown hair.  

The Citrus Oil Mist also contains the lemon oil, and I use this on damp hair, figuring that the heat from the blow dryer might help the lemon oil along a little bit. you can also use this on dry hair as an anti-frizz mist. It has coconut oil to smooth and add shine, and has the same scent as the shampoo and conditioner, so my hair smells delicious after using this.  This feels very lightweight, like a dry oil, so I didn't have issues with this weighing my hair down at all. 


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I haven't used this line long enough to know if it lightens my hair, but so far it has definitely kept my blonde from looking dull.  My only complaint about this line is that it's not overly moisturizing so if your hair is super parched like mine, it may not be enough moisture for you.  My hair was left feeling a little bit dry and I had to add a moisturizing product in afterwards.  But then again, my hair is dryer than average.  Compared to the John Frieda Go Blonder line, I would say that I like the scent of this better, and it brightens using the same ingredients.  The OGX Lemon Highlights is also cheaper than John Frieda, which are about $8-$9 each, but the John Frieda Go Blonder line is a little more moisturizing.  
All in all, I like the Lemon Highlights line!  Any blondes out there...would you use this?





Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream Review

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Remember the Crypt Keeper- the host of "Tales from the Crypt"?  Well my hands look kinda like his most of the time.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit, but they have been compared to an 80 year old woman's before. So far, there's not a whole lot I can do about it. Part of the problem, aside from heredity, is that I wash my hands a lot- but it's flu season, plus I'm handling an infant all day, so I'm not gonna stop.  Hand creams work temporarily, but by the next washing these hands are right back to splitsville.

While in line at Sephora recently, I saw a tube of Yu-Be cream in those impulse bins by the register.  I used the tester and rubbed some into my hands, thinking it couldn't hurt, and OMG I bought some right then. It was not a large tube and cost $16 but did I care?  Nope.  A miracle had just been performed on my hands.
Okay, there I go exaggerating again.  But when you have hands so dry that they often hurt, anything that makes them feel better seems pretty miraculous.  Pretty soon, my little tube was getting used up fast, so I put the larger sized jar ($25) on my Christmas list and retired the tube to my purse.



Yu-Be is a skincare brand that was created in 1957 by a Japanese Pharmacist and is the #1 selling skincare cream in Japan.  Here's some info on the box:


This cream has an incredibly high glycerin content, which draws moisture out of the air and into the skin.  You can use Yu-Be head to toe, even on your face and lips!  A few weeks ago I was outside a lot and it was windy and bitter cold.  Later that night my face felt chapped so even though I worried about putting something this rich on my face, I slathered it on instead of my regular moisturizer and woke up to soft, plump, glowing skin with no breakouts.  I use this once a week now as an overnight treatment on my face.  
It's a thick cream that's light yellow in color.  A little bit goes a long way and once absorbed, it's not greasy at all!


Now for the scary part...a picture of my super-dry hand. I went several washings without applying hand cream to get this before shot.  I wanted to show you what an amazing difference Yu-Be makes  but to do it, I had to get my hands nice and dry. Don't say I didn't warn you-yuck.
Actually, they've been much worse than that, but anyway, the next picture is 5 min later after applying Yu-Be.  

Yu-Be makes an amazing difference in my skin, and it's such a versatile product!  My only complaint is the smell- it's very medicinal due to the camphor, but like the package says, the scent completely disappears within a few minutes.  The first time I used it, I thought, "gross, this smell isn't going to go away" but it absolutely does.  So even though it isn't the best scent while applying, it's totally gone shortly after, so it's ok.  

This is going on my Splurgeworthy list!  If you have dry skin, you will love this.









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