Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! We are so grateful to this wonderful, caring community–filled with friends we’ve known forever and some we’ve never actually met in person–that give us a space to share thoughts, ideas, insecurities and obsessions. In a relatively short amount of time, we feel we’ve taped into something real and we are proud to be on this journey with you. Thank you for traveling with us!
To show our appreciation–we offered one email subscriber a gift pack of Our Drugstore MVPs–picked at random, today, Thanksgiving Day, 2016. Using a very scientific “Random Number Generator”–it’s on the Internet so it must be legit, right?–we selected one number and matched it to our email subscriber list. And the winner…Rachel F!!
Thank you to all our email subscribers, Facebook fans, casual blog readers and generally awesome people we love! We hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving–and from Jess, Pam and me–we think you are all winners!!
Now–it’s back to eating and schooling the fam at cards for me! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! xoxoxo
Happy Thanksgiving!! We are so very excited to spend the day with our families and loved ones, enjoying too much delicious food and testing the limits of our stretchy pants. But, as seasonal Hallmark Channel movies love to remind us, sometimes the holidays can be a sticky situation of awkward conversations, pointed topics, and rehashing of tired memories. Before you decide to retreat into a whole box of wine tomorrow, let me help you brainstorm some fun alternative conversations for the day! (Real talk: this is as much for me as it is for you. Let’s do this.)
What movie do you just have to watch if you happen to notice it’s on TV?
For me, it’s either Jurassic Park (the original, obvs), Bring It On (the first one or the third one), or Deep Blue Sea, for which I also have a special knack for turning it on right as Samuel L Jackson finishes his motivational speech…
It’s the zombie apocalypse! What skills do you bring to our survival?
As a massage therapist who is too nice and optimistic, I personally struggle with what I will contribute, but I lift weights so I guess that’s a plus? For carrying stuff? I also worry that when the time comes, I will be wearing a really stupid outfit. I mean seriously- how is Michonne cool enough to have survived in fold-down studded boots?? I need them immediately.
Related: what 5 albums do you hope are downloaded onto your ipod after the zombie apocalypse?
There’s a new King Kong movie coming out that looks pretty rad! But really, how would an ecosystem of over-sized creatures work? What do they eat? Why isn’t the island full of giant poops? Discuss.
Which is scarier: outer space or the ocean?
This is a fun one, because both are scary, and both have reasons one is scarier than the other! You can set up your own rules, like, are you lost at sea or in space? How did you get here? Do you have any survival items? Is there a chance of anyone coming to help you? Everyone has an opinion and no one is wrong: it’s all terrifying, so we all agree. Hooray!
Have you seen this cheetah and dog who are best friends?
Keep this one in your back pocket just in case you need to deflect someone from going down a slippery conversation slope- watch this short video and let the “aawww”s abound. Look at their faces!! Such cute noses!! They are an unlikely pair of cuteness!! No matter if you are on “team dog” or “team cat”, no one can resist the adorableness of these scritchable ears and bellies.
OK friends- I hope this helps!! Please let us know if you have any good conversations starters, survival strategies, or good recipes to share. And we really want to know if you’re more scared of space or the ocean.
We love ALL the products–but we have a special place in our hearts for the ones that keep a little extra cash in our wallets. Regardless of cost, our mantra is: if it works, it works. And some of our MVP products happen to be of the drugstore variety.
To celebrate our MVP drugstore faves–and to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us since we’ve launched our blog–we are offering one blog subscriber a gift pack featuring ALL of our favorite drugstore products shared below!
So check out what we love at the drugstore, make sure you’re subscribed to our blog, and we will pick our winner on Thanksgiving, November 24th. And if you like our blog–please share it with friends–and make sure you’re a fan of our Facebook page, too!
And without further adieu, our MVP drugstore faves:
Pam:
I love my high end body washes that smell amazing and feel so fancy and luxurious. But in addition to those extravagances, I need something that is going to just do the work that I need it to at an inexpensive price point with no frills about it. That product for me is Neutrogena Body Clear body wash. I am prone to keratosis pilaris (KP) not only in the winter, but also sometimes in the summer months. If you’re unfamiliar with KP, I’m talking about the “chicken skin” that can develop on the backs of arms and in my case, on my legs – specifically the insides of my knees. With this wash having 2% salicylic acid, it effectively but gently exfoliates and smooths away the bumps without drying my skin out. It is one of the things that is always in our shower (in fact, we all use it!)
L’Oreal Brow Stylist is also on my list of drugstore finds I won’t stop using anytime soon. For whatever reason it always seems a little hard to find it, but totally worth the hunt. I feel like I have different versions of this product which are all good. And there’s not one I would say is better or worse, but at $9.99, this is a staple for me. It works so well to fill in, tame and set my brows. I use it almost everyday (and on the off days I use my Glossier Boy Brow of course, which I also cannot live without). And in addition to it coming in two shades, it comes in transparent, which is really great if you are just needing to tame and set what you have created with your other brow pencils and pomades.
Lyn:
I feel like I’m working through a hundred mascara samples right now–but my tried and true, nobody does it better, accept no imitations is the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lash Mascara in Blackest Black. Nothing makes my lashes look longer and fuller with less mess and more staying power than this classic–high end products included. It’s my gold standard that none of the samples have been able to exceed.
My lipstick collection is ridiculous. But one of my favorites–whether it’s from the drugstore or department store–is the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip Color. The color payoff is rich, the matte finish is legit and it has the benefits of a liquid lip in that you don’t have to reapply it crazy often, but it’s not drying. My favorite colors are Divine Wine and Touch of Spice. But I have a few and they are all great.
Jess:
Need to add a little life to your face after a flight? Soften up your powder? Set your makeup? Wake up? Refresh at the gym? Prep your face for moisturizer?? This product is beyond MVP around here- if we could buy it by the gallon, we would: Mario Badescu Facial Spray. It’s cheap, gets the job done, and just generally makes us very happy.
The holidays are a great time to play with a dramatic eye, so I would also love to give you my favorite drugstore eyeliner- the Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black by Physicians Formula. As I’ve told you before, this liquid eyeliner pen with a brush tip is a PERFECT dupe for my holy grail (well, second place holy grail now!) Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. I promise it’s easy to use, too!
Want to win all of this awesome stuff?? Just hit that subscribe button below and include a valid email address– if you’re already subscribed, you’re good to go! We really appreciate everyone who reads and joins the conversation here- thanks for sticking with us and helping us grow! Remember- we will announce the winner on Thanksgiving Day, and yes, we will be wearing stretchy pants.
xoxo
We really love these things! We have bought them with our own money more than once. Now we will buy them for you! What are your drugstore MVPs that keep you coming back?? Tell us in the comments!
We love getting requests for reviews and post ideas. Nothing makes us happier than hearing you are reading our articles and want more! (That and sharing E&N with your friends, hint hint.) But we will admit–we were really nervous when we got asked on our Facebook page if we could recommend some cost-effective eye creams. Generally, eye creams are the type of product we are willing to spend a little more money on. None of us had a drugstore eye cream we felt comfortable recommending. So we each agreed to abandon our nighttime under eye routines and test drive a drugstore eye cream for one month. Since we are all in our 40s, keeping signs of aging at bay is a shared concern. But–we decided our love for you was worth risking increased bags, circles and lines.
Our challenge was to test drive some drugstore eye creams was on. Would we find one that’s pretty good actually? Read and find out!
Eye cream is something I don’t generally skimp on price wise. I currently use (and almost through my second pot of) the Algenist GENIUS Ultimate Anti-aging eye cream which runs $74.00 for .5 oz. Not cheap. But does it work? Oh yes. HELL yes. In fact I noticed results only 5 days after I started using it. I was sold – hook, line and sinker. So naturally, I had reservations about trying something from the drugstore….. but in the name of blog research, you get what you ask for! So let us see whatcha got ROC. Promising to visibly reduce wrinkles around the eyes, crow’s feet, puffiness and dark circles at $19.99 for the same amount of product ( .5 oz.), it was definitely a bargain. First impressions: Smells normal and non offensive and has kind of a thin consistency. No big problem with that. I should note that I was initially a little wary of the retinol aspect of it, being so close to the eye, would it irritate them? Nope. In fact, retinol is down so low on the list of ingredients, I’m sure that there isn’t enough in it to have them even list the percent (which they don’t.) The first week I was slightly surprised to see it seemed to be doing a pretty good job! One of the nights I had been out for pho (salt) and wine (not water) and normally my eyes are super puffy the morning after that sort of meal. Using it that night, I was pleased to see it took care of those unfortunate side effects beautifully….. and I started to wonder if I would have to spend $74 bucks on eye cream ever again! Well, I wondered too soon. While it seemed to hold it’s own on the moisture front, I was beginning to see that my dark circles were getting darker again. Then I began to notice makeup settling into my fine lines which clearly showed me that I was indeed slowly but surely losing moisture and plumpness. It was two weeks in that I threw in the towel and went back to Algenist, again noticing results in just a few days….. and I will never look back…… or at least not for a while.
I’m pretty fairweather about eye creams, since I haven’t found my ride or die, and for some reason eye creams aren’t high on my priority list. My biggest eye-related challenges are oldness (my eyelids are getting crepey) and irritation, especially during allergy season. Because they are so touchy, I am cautious about using anything too hard core- even the most well-meaning products have left my tender eyeball area stinging and red. Not cute. Usually I reach for Simple Soothing Eye Balm. It’s fairly inexpensive (around $10), aroma neutral, and really does soothe and depuff my eyes, but it doesn’t really do much in the anti-aging department. It also doesn’t do well under makeup, so I tend to only use it at night or “as needed”. So for this post, I got brave and tried another drugstore find- Cerave Eye Repair Cream (also around $10- apparently I have a low threshold for spending more than a Hamilton on eye cream). Sadly, this did not knock my socks off. I have used- and liked- other Cerave products in the past, but this eye cream didn’t really seem to do anything, much less any repairing. In fact, I’ve noticed my eyelids feeling more crepey and dehydrated since using it. It’s not terrible, I guess, and it does dry down with a bit of a tack, so it’s ok under makeup. I might throw this in my travel bag, but for now, maybe I’ll go get a sample of that Algenist one… and consider increasing my eye cream budget.
Just like my sisters above–I was super nervous about this challenge. I have two eye creams that I’ve been using together regularly: Philosophy Miracle Worker Eye Cream and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Synchronized Complex II. (that’s a mouthful!) I put the later on first and the former on after. Both creams are pricey at $69 and $65, respectively. I’m so concerned about my under eye area (which I have previously discussed) I’ve also tried even MORE expensive creams in the hopes of finding magic in a bottle. But the others were disappointing (looking at you, Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum and Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream) so the combo above has been my ride or die for a few years now.
So when we decided to give a drugstore eye cream a one month trial, I feared it would set me back years. But then I remembered that beautypedia.com ends every eye cream review with a disclaimer that eye creams are a hoax–and who know? maybe they are–so I decided to just suck it up and give it a go. In selecting a drugstore eye cream, I had only one requirement: it must be a pump. I hate pots. So with that in mind, I went to Target and settled on the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Swirl Gel Cream Treatment. (clearly i like products with ridiculously long names.) I felt encouraged–it’s a pump, it’s got a swirl like one of my favorite night creams, Meaningful Beauty Creme de Serum, and I used the Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Daily Anti-Aging Daily Moisturizer throughout my 20s and really liked it. Plus the package says it “firms & brightens for younger-looking eyes” which is exactly what I wanted to hear!
And guess what–it’s pretty good actually!!! It shares my favorite feature of my Philosophy cream–it’s thick. Like super heavy and substantial but not waxy. I don’t like eye creams that are too watery. I feel like they just slide down my face and aren’t focused on the job at hand. And because it’s so thick, even one pump is too much. A half a pump is plenty. To conform to the challenge, I used it alone and didn’t double it up with a serum. And I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between my $68 eye cream and this one–which is pricey for a drugstore at $19.99–but it’s still much cheaper than what I generally throw down.
We have a winner!
I’m going to continue using the Olay Regenerist even now that the challenge is over but I’m going start partnering it with the Estee Lauder serum to see what happens. But regardless–I totally recommend saving some bucks and checking out this drugstore find!
What’s your ride or die eye cream? Do you have any drugstore eye creams you would recommend? We’d love to hear about them!
(Hoping to save money in the future, we all shelled out some of our own cash to purchase these drugstore eye creams.)
So, this is a pretty accurate picture of the inside of my brain at all times:
the linked article from waitbutwhy.com also really gets me
Throughout my life, I have always preferred to have too much going on than not enough. I like to have my hands in lots of projects and I am often having ideas about what to do next. Hilariously, though, I am also a chronic procrastinator. To add insult to injury, I also have a work schedule that has inconsistent hours and my busy-ness ebbs and flows from week to week, so I don’t have a good, structured routine to my life. As you can guess, my brain is always pinging around, thinking of all the random things I need and/or want to get done, but when I have a chance to actually sit down and do stuff, I am so unfocused and overwhelmed that I just zone out and watch YouTube videos, then wonder why I never actually get anything done.
Yes, I am aware of Evernote. And Google Calendar. And the Notes app. There are tons of tools out there that work great for some people, but I guess I have come to terms with the fact that I am more analog, more kinesthetic- I am way more inclined to remember something that I have physically written down with a (really nice) pen in a (really nice) notebook than popping into an electronic calendar that has no top or bottom or sides or frame for my brain to hold on to it with. I’ve tried traditional planners on and off over the years, and while some have had features that were flexible enough for me, most left me feeling too restricted, or like I was wasting pages that didn’t apply to me.
A few months ago, some articles related to Bullet Journals were popping up in my feed on Facebook. At first I rolled my eyes. I mean, sure, I’ve been sucked into watching videos of people planning in their Erin Condren planners and thought this was straight crazy- who has all this time to plan their week WITH STICKERS and templates and pages they bought from etsy?? You would have to plan your planning! It was all to twee for this girl, plus I could see it becoming a great way to procrastinate actually doing the things I was planning. But there was something about the Bullet Journal that made me click on one of these posts, and it suddenly all made sense:
A Bullet Journal isn’t a planner; It’s a place to put my brain.
The creator of the Bullet Journal system (Ryder Carroll) kept things simple. You need a notebook (any notebook will do!) and a pen. Each section is basically a list. A list of days in the month. A list of tasks and a simple system to note if you completed them, or moved them to the next list. A list of books you want to read. A list of your favorite songs for the year. Random ideas you have. Whatever. It is completely flexible and adaptable to YOUR BRAIN and how it wants to deal with information, but it’s kept in one indexed notebook, not scattered around on hundreds of random post it notes, napkins, and apps.
Here’s my bullet journal. It is a soft cover Moleskin with a dot-grid pattern on the pages. See, I’m a sucker for a nice notebook, so the tactile experience of opening and writing in this type of book really makes me happy, but you can use any notebook you like. I also have a few pens that I like- a Sharpie fine point pen, Stablio pens in a bunch of colors, and this Japanese mildliner. This is about the extent of my craziness. Ok fine- I have a few rolls of washi tape, which I use to edge pages that I want to be able to access quickly.
First Thing’s First: Time Management
future log
One of the first things you want to add is an index. After that, it’s up to you. I started mine with a Future Log, which honestly, I didn’t think I would use. Turns out, it’s a great place to stick stuff that you want to remember in the future, but don’t have a place for yet. For example, I needed to remember to renew my license plates in October, but when I started my journal in September, I didn’t have an October to write it in.
month view
Here’s October, over to the left. Now you may be thinking “Jess, um, are you really taking the time to draw a calendar when calendars already exist??” Yes, yes I am. I find it oddly soothing and settling somehow to look at a month, draw it, and then add all of my out-of-the-ordinary appointments, events, and anything else I want to see a “big picture” view of (like those blue E&N posts).
daily view
Next, we have weekly pages. I know! I hear you! “This is so redundant!!” But that, my friend, is the beauty. I can see the whole year, the whole month, then a whole week, and actually have a grasp on it. Some people go on to daily pages after their weeks, but I haven’t had a reason to drill down that far (I do still keep my daily work appointments on an electronic calendar). The weekly pages are my favorites- I divide it into days of the week for noting tasks or appointments that are attached to a day and time, and then have a list of “to do’s” that can get done any time that week. Another thing I like about the Bullet Journal is that you never have to go backwards- if I don’t complete a task one week, I “migrate” it to the next week’s to do list. If I find I keep writing the same task again, I can either decided if it’s even worth doing, or if I just want to get it done so I don’t have to write it again. And yes, I also really enjoy the ritual of sitting down on Sunday night, planning out the next week. It helps me gain some focus, and prepares me for what’s coming down the road. It takes me about 15 minutes.
Lists on Lists on Lists
planning a trip!
Here’s the fun part: rapid logging. These are pages just in and around your journal (again, thanks to the index, you can just put them wherever!) where you can keep lists. I have lists of blog post ideas, things I want to get done in my office, vacation planning, and ideas for holiday gifting. Eventually, I might also include some goal tracking, or maybe shows I want to catch up on. See? This way I don’t have to actively remember, or keep emails flagged, or worry that my notes app might disappear into the ether.
habits- do I even lift??
Another type of tracking I’ve been playing with is habit tracking- you list the things you want to keep an eye on, and then fill in square on the date you completed it. This has made me realize that while I tell myself I lift 2-3 times a week, I actually lift like once usually. Honesty is hard sometimes, guys.
If you do some poking around online on Bullet Journaling, you will quickly find that yes! People are crazy here too! A lot of Pinterest-worthy Bullet Journals have beautiful calligraphy, layouts that look like a graphic designer created them, stickers, drawings, and pages of shit that I don’t need. The beauty of a Bullet Journal, right at it’s core, is that it can, and should be, incredibly simple. It is a place to put your brain, so when you find yourself with an hour of free time and loading up YouTube, you can say “wait, is there something I can check off my list?”. I’m still a newie bullet-er, but so far, it has really helped me get my shit together. And really, isn’t that what we’re all chasing after in this crazy life??
How do you plan your life? What should I plan next??
You guys!! It’s Halloween time!!! My house is a-buzz with craft supplies and there is a steady stream of Amazon boxes trickling in with bits and pieces of my costume. At any given time, there is a spooky movie on TV. You can buy snack foods in the shapes of skulls and bats. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
When it comes to costumes, I like to make my own, but not in an intense cosplay way. Just like, the level below that. Details are important, but so is the ability to do some things “ok enough”. Here are some of my best tips for making your Halloween costume a hit!
Do Some Research
When planning out my costume, I usually obsess over my subject for a good week or so, then go to every thrift store, discount store, fast-fashion store, and craft store in town and just stalk until I can formulate my plan of attack. Is this intense?? Probably. But I firmly believe that to sell a great costume, you have to get some of the details nailed down. I also really believe, though, that you can get away with picking one or two key things to focus on, then edit the rest of your look to be “in the vein of” your character. You don’t have to create an exact replica. For example, in my Madonna Desperately Seeking Susan look, the jacket was the thing to focus on. I found a sparkly cardigan at a discount store, then used felt, duct tape, and a sharpie to complete the design. It worked out so great! The rest of my costume could be “pretty close to stuff Madonna wore in 1985”- a lace tank top, a bunch of necklaces and bangles, and some loose black pants. For Gracie Law, I spent the time on her head piece, which was made out of a fun foam duck hat and Christmas floral decorations, then didn’t spend as much time on the dress.
I also love researching and recreating makeup looks, and between YouTube and the ability to Google anything, you can find pretty specific resources. Big Trouble in Little China was super fun to re-create, and gave me an excuse (not that I need one) to watch the movie. One year, a group of us went as the Robert Palmer girls, and I found a tutorial by the actual makeup artist who did the look. Creating a Sasha Fierce eye look (see Bey below) was tons of fun. And speaking of makeup…
Use Decent Makeup
Weather you’re creating a beauty look or something more sinister, don’t rely on the crappy Halloween makeup kits you see- they will only leaving you feeling streaky, pilly, and sad. Now, I’m not telling you to pony up for a Flash Palette, but spending a few minutes taking inventory of your own stash (you might be surprised!), then supplementing in the Nyx aisle, may just pay off. I’ve already told you about how great their Primal Pressed Pigments are, and I also have to give a shout-out to their Jumbo Eye Pencils. If you are doing a look that requires a full white face, scribble on their pencil in Milk, blend it out, set it with either white shadow or colorless setting powder, and you will be ready to rock! Here’s three other pro-tips for you: if you are doing a black and white look, do the white parts first and leave the black parts open- this way you won’t get grey. Tip 2: use a primer! This will keep your face feeling like a face, plus keep your makeup from squiggling all over the place. Tip 3: Set any cream formula with powder!!!! Either a similar color eye shadow or translucent powder will work.
Dance Tights
Between pantless pop stars and super heroes, there are a lot of reasons to be pantsless on Halloween. There are also a lot of reasons that this is impractical. Let me let you in on a secret known by dancers, cheerleaders, and Hooters girls alike: DANCE TIGHTS. These are not your typical pantyhose: they are more like pants. Shiny pants that make your legs look like they are worth insuring for a million dollars. Plus, they are sheer all the way up, so you don’t get those “here is where the control top part starts” lines on your legs. Also! They keep you toasty warm on a chilling October evening.
My most important tip, though, is to just have fun!! Use Halloween as an excuse to play with a new look and really exaggerate it. Dance a ton, be safe, and take lots of pictures. Then share them with us!
What are you going to dress up as this year? Do you have any tips and tricks (and treats) to share?? Tell us below! xo
Days are sadly shortening. Jackets are coming out of the closets. Scarves are swinging around our necks. And our fall/winter fragrances are moving to the front of the vanity. These are our go-to scents that signal colder days are here.
Jess:
From September through April is the cold, dark half of the year- a time I refer to as “candy season”. See, this is the time of year when all the major candy holidays fall: Twix ghosts kick it off, then it rolls right into some Snickers Santas, followed by candy hearts, and finally winding down with Cadbury Mini Eggs. Maybe it’s because of this that I gravitate toward sweeter, spicier, darker scents once the days get shorter. I should note that I’m really picky about scents- I do poorly with heavily perfumed or fragranced things, as they either make me crazy sneezy or give me a headache. I tend to go for more subtle scents, preferably made from natural stuff. So like, B&BW lotions and sprays that are like I LOVE CAKE BATTER DON’T YOU LOVE CAKE BATTER YOU CAN SMELL ME FROM A BLOCK AWAY I SMELL LIKE CAKE BATTER aren’t really my bag. Here’s what I do smell like these days:
Winter skin is a thing that vexes me, but an equally terrible feeling is putting on lotion after a toasty shower only to stand there waiting in a cold bathroom for it to absorb before you put your clothes on. For days when I can’t even with lotion, this is a great solution- it’s a spray on light body oil that absorbs quickly and leaves a pleasant, gentle scent behind. I know, you’re like “Jess, coconut is clearly a summer smell!”. Maybe it’s the honey, but this doesn’t smell like suntan lotion to me at all. More like… I’ve been cozied up baking cookies all day. This is nicely understated and easy to wear every day.
I hate perfume samples. I hate them in magazines, I hate them in subscription boxes, I hate them showing up in the bottom of my Sephora bag. So I can’t explain why, when this sample showed up in a bag from a VIB event, I decided to smell it. Then spray it on my arm. YOU GUYS. I can’t stop smelling myself. This is a beautiful fragrance, brought to you by none other than the Olsen Twins. It’s main notes are violet, sandalwood, and vanilla, and it is described as “sensual, mysterious, and warm”. I made it through about half the sample vial before ponying up for the full size- this is GORGEOUS and I feel like a lady (but still a cool lady with tattoos) wearing it.
Pamela:
I don’t really change my fragrances with the seasons a ton. Having said that, I do have some very obvious spring/summer scents and some very obvious fall/winter scents, the latter of which I gravitate toward throughout the year. My tastes tend to go for the earthy, musky, woodsy, vanilla, smells. Sandalwood in particular is my absolute favorite. Santal 33 by Le Labo is my go to almost always, but after dropping a brand new bottle last fall and having it break all over the floor (uuuhhhh, what a waste), rather than shelling out another 90 bucks right away I began using my straight up sandalwood singular note from Aveda. While I will eventually re purchase my beloved Santal 33, this does quite a nice job as a less expensive place holder. Now I should mention that they have since discontinued this singular note. Everything I like eventually gets discontinued. Which brings me to my next fragrance, that is also discontinued, but I’m hoarding every last drop! Lush’s 25:43. I first smelled this on Lyn during our fall trip to NYC in August of 2012. I immediately went to the nearest Lush store and purchased it (and apparently should have purchased all of it.) This was a really special fragrance. It’s half citrus with notes of lime and lemongrass, and then mellowed down a bit with vanilla, tonka bean and ylang ylang. It is SO GOOD. It is definitely not just another citrus scent, but something altogether more complex. I will shed a tear when it is finally gone…. and it is getting close. In review, clearly I am in the market for a new fragrance.
Lyn:
Perhaps this is why we get along so well–the three of us smell the same! We definitely have a similar theme when it comes to our fragrances. Sadly, my bottle of Lush’s 25:43 is just a distant memory. But thanks to a visit to Las Vegas with Pamela, I am also a Le Labo convert. Do yourself a favor and get this Le Labo Discovery Set. For $30–you get samples of their most popular scents–and they are great alone AND layered. And like Jess–I’ve been enjoying the Nirvana Black for a few seasons. (but the Nirvana White is nasty. i haven’t tried the new Nirvana Bourbon or Nirvana Rose that recently launched…)
Since I also tend to gravitate to a warmer, musky, woodsy scents–when the days get shorter–I immediately reach for my old friend, Michael Kors, Michael for Women. I ended up grabbing a rollerball of this one when it first launched and have never been without a full size bottle on my dresser ever since. I even have the lotion for when I’m feeling fancy. It is definitely a heavy scent, but I love it. It is described as “a rich floral scent featuring notes of tuberose, freesia, gardenia, and white lily followed by sophisticated and sensual base notes of sandalwood, suede, amber, and musk.” I actually don’t find it particularly floral, but definitely heavy with the base notes. There are a ton of other Michael Kors fragrances in his line–I like the Sexy Amber for summer–but I find nothing beats the original.
Last year, Sephora had one of their 4x points on fragrances promotions. I used it as an excuse to check out a few new options and ended up grabbing this Bvlgari, Omnia Crystalline Travel Spray. It’s an interesting scent which I find kinda classy and grown-up smelling. It’s technically listed as a mix of “Bamboo, Nashi, Lotus Flower, Balsa Wood.” My daily routine ends with spritzing on a fragrance before I leave for the day, but it still takes me an Eternity to work through a full bottle (see what I did there.) I wore this one regularly in the winter and I still have half of the bottle left. Even though it’s a pretty small size–for $25–I think it’s worth it. And now that I’m back to wearing tights (i’m seriously wearing tights today and i’m very crabby about it) it’s nice to rediscover this new favorite.
Do you switch up your scents seasonally? What scents do you gravitate toward when the weather gets colder? Pamela’s in the market for something new and needs your suggestions–so leave them in the comments below!
(We procured these scents ourselves like the fancy women we love and represent.)
Just before summer started (and before E&N was born), a friend reached out to me- she had suddenly become sensitive or allergic to our beloved Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. A tragedy!! So she was wondering if I had any other liquid liners that I liked. Truth is, I was so devoted to the KVD, I hadn’t even bothered to try anything else. So, since I was about due for a fresh liner anyway, I set out on a quest to discover new liquid eyeliners! I mean, come on, my arm didn’t need to be twisted that hard.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper is ride or die. It is holy grail. It is the best liquid eyeliner to have ever existed. Why is it so great? Two things: the formula is bulletproof, and the unique brush applicator is so easy to use. It gives you a perfect delicate flick on the end of your wing. I’ve heard rumors of dupes out there, but I really believed nothing would live up. This summer, I tried three low end and two high end liners, hoping to find the next best one. The TL;DR version is that all of these liners are fine- great even- and yes! I have a new favorite I’m reaching for daily that might surprise you!!
These have all been on my eyeballs
Here are my thoughts on these puppies, in no particular order:
One of my favorite YouTubers, Claire Marshall, swears by this eyeliner so much, I’ve seen her buy several at once just to be sure she is not without it. It’s pretty good! It has a felt tip applicator, which is somewhat (but not too) flexible. It is easy to apply, the color is opaque, and it lasts all day without transferring. The packaging includes a nice little grippy spot so it doesn’t slip out of your hands. I say this is a perfectly fine eyeliner. I don’t reach for it every day, but when I do, I think “this is a perfectly fine eyeliner”. The only challenge I had with it was tracking it down- only one of the CVS stores on my side of town carries it.
This is a great Monday eyeliner. I know, there’s a meme going around about not applying liquid liner if you’re in a hurry, but I disagree- a liquid line and a bold lip can be a 3 minute face that looks like you actually tried. This liner also has a felt tip, but it’s longer and wigglier. This actually helps it to be super fool-proof and easy to use- you just lay it down on your lid, swipe it to the outside a bit, and boom. Done. The formula is a little thinner and less dramatic, which is great for daytime, but also means it fades a bit as the hours drone on. It does not transfer or flake, though, so again, fine for a Monday. I reached for this one a lot after I first got it, but it started to dry out within about a month of regular use.
Swatching this liner on my hand in the store, I was instantly enamored- the pigment is SO BLACK! I have had good luck with other Tarte products, so this one came home with me. First of all, this is a dual ended liner- it has liquid on one side, and a mechanical pencil on the other. Handy! But… with all this included, it actually changes the length and weight of the packaging- this thing is super tricky to maneuver! You know how hard it is to write with a comically large pen? Like that. Also, the product is SUPER MOTIVATED to come out of the felt tip applicator. So much so, I’ve even had it blob onto my lower lid. It’s also quite inky, and can really feather. If you use a light hand and hold your breath the whole time you have it near your face, it is really pretty and lasts all day, but I find it so stressful to use, that I don’t go for it too often.
You all know how much I adore Urban Decay, so when they reformulated and relaunched their Perversion liquid liner this summer, I was all over it- it’s possible I ordered it before I even got out of bed the day it launched. This, I expected, would be my new holy grail. It seemed to be a perfect replica of the KVD- same size, same shakey ink cartridge inside, same size tip. Sadly, though, the tip is a felt tip, not a brush, and a super hard one at that! Like, it can poke you if you’re not careful. Once you get used to the applicator, it goes on ok. It’s not my favorite. It looks great, though, and lasts all day. And the next day. Seriously, this stuff is IMPOSSIBLE to get off. Cleansing oil, makeup remover, facial cleansers… I have almost started crying in the bathroom late at night when I can’t get this off and I just want to go to bed!! Sometimes I will use this on top of one of my easier to apply options, just to add to staying power, but again, it is reserved for long, loooooong days.
Fact: I had no idea this would even be in the running, much less become my favorite. A casual side-comment about this liner being a KVD clone on a YouTube video perked my ears up, and had me scouring my side of town to find it. They sell it at Ulta, but not in the shade I wanted (Ultra Black). Walgreens and Target seem to have stopped carrying this brand. Ok- side tangent here- did you guys know that some Bed Bath & Beyonds sell MAKEUP?!? Mine does!! And it’s great! Not only did I find this liner in the shade I wanted (and all the other shades), it’s every day price ($8.79) is like $2 cheaper than everywhere else. I also picked up a mascara and some shampoo while I was there. Who knew?!
Aside from the budget-friendly price, the most exciting thing about this liner is that is has the same type of fine brush applicator as the KVD. I felt like running a victory lap around my house when I opened it up. But then… my heart sank as I swatched it on my hand- the formula was really thin and not very opaque. The next morning, I decided to shake it up and give it a go anyway, and much to my shock and delight, found that IT IS THE BEST. I don’t know what changed from my hand to my face, but this eyeliner is ACES. The thin formula and brush applicator make it super easy to get a clean line without much effort. THIS IS THE DUPE I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR. I have been reaching for it daily, on weekends, on no makeup days, fancy dress nights, you name it.
If history has taught me anything, it is that any products I love end up being discontinued, so I should by 72 tubes of it now.
Did I miss one that you love? Let me know in the comments! I bought these all with my own dumb money so I feel obligated to continue rotating through them all. I thought you should know in case you see me in a ball crying with a clean face but that UD eyeliner still looking fly.
Magicians keep their tricks close to the vest. And while we believe our patron saint, Gwen had it right when she sang “magic’s in the makeup” we are more than happy to spill our secrets!
Each of these products serves a specific purpose, but also acts as a secret multi-tasker and makes life easier all-around. But surprisingly–we were each unfamiliar with the others’ selection!
So here are the products we are dubbing our personal “undercover hero”–and perhaps just what Bonnie Tyler’s been holding out for all these years:
I’ve tried lots and lots of primers through the years and have never really seen the benefit of them… in other words, none of them seemed to do anything for me. Until this one. If I had to guess, this is just totally different because of the dual purpose it offers. We all love killing two (or in this case more than a few) skincare jobs with one product. Dermalogica’s Skinperfect Primer does just that with an SPF30 for sun protection, silicones paired with soy protein to create a smooth “primed” texture to the skin and peptides to improve the firmness of your skin. It also has a neutral tint which helps even out skin tone. In addition to all those awesome properties I feel it is by far the best primer I have used in regards to increasing the longevity of my makeup. I use this daily, over my moisturizer – sometimes on it’s own for a “no makeup” day, otherwise I wear my foundation or tinted moisturizer over it. Pro tip: Dermalogica loves to sample their products. If you can find a salon/spa that retails their products, swing by and see if you can get a sample!
This is seriously one of those products that you look at on the display at Sephora and roll your eyes. What the hell do you need a clear lip pencil for?? Lucky for you, I bought one during a sale where I needed one more thing to get free shipping, and now I’d be pressed to live without it. Here’s why:
As a lip primer, this thing is priceless. It is made with jojoba oil (my favorite!), so it adds some moisture to the lips, which I need-always. The formula, though, is more tacky than slippery, so it really works well to grab onto any pigment (lip color) that you put over it. This little pencil is a godsend underneath drying liquid lip or matte formulas, since it gives you that protective buffer layer and fills in any cracks or bumps in your lips that get magnified with a matte lip. Think of Ozone like double-stick tape for your face- I also like to use it in my waterline to help grab onto eyeliner and prolong the wear, or over a blemish to help concealer grab on.
But that’s not all! If you have issues with feathering, you can line outside your lip line to create a magic “fence” your lipstick won’t cross! If you didn’t do that, and have some feathering, or your lip color went off the rails and you need to clean it up, YOU CAN USE THIS AS AN ERASER. Did I just blow your mind?!?! You can also use it to erase non-lipstick emergencies, like when you sneeze just after putting on your mascara.
Both Sephora and Milani have great dupes for Ozone if you’re interested in giving a clear pencil a try. As we head into fall trends of deep, matte lip colors, I think it’s worth having in your makeup drawer!
I was born with dark circles under my eyes. And if I get three minutes less than my requisite eight hours of sleep a night, my bags are packed and ready. Plus I’m always running late in the morning. And by always–I mean–ALWAYS. Thank goodness I found this First Aid Beauty under eye treatment!
I use the light/medium, but it’s also available in medium/deep. As soon as I dry off from my morning shower, I dot a little of this pink cream under my eyes and smooth it across my under eye area with the flat metal applicator. The cool metal helps to settle down any puffiness and the pink cream has a little shimmer that brightens the dark circles and smooths out fine lines.
On low make-up days, I put on a little mascara and lipstick, and I’m done. When I’m going for a more polished look–after I brush my teeth to allow the cream to sink in–I’ll cover the area with my foundation or tinted moisturizer and maybe dot on a concealer. But the great thing is that I really don’t have to use anything else. It’s a fabulous product that accomplishes a bunch of stuff at once–just like the name suggests–and is a huge time saver on days when I need to get moving quickly! I get to moisturize my under eye area, reduce bags, and cover the circles in one sweep. Who doesn’t love a triple threat!
What’s your Undercover Hero? We can’t wait to give it a try! Share in the comments below!
These heroes were purchased with our very own hard earned cash–and are worth it! All photos courtesy of the brand websites.
NYX! It’s a brand that’s hit or miss for us, but when they hit, it’s a really good hit! I like to think of NYX as the Forever 21 of makeup- they stay on top of the trends, and if you’re willing to spend some time looking, you can score some gems on the cheap. While you can find NYX at a lot of stores, Ulta is a great place to check out their huge selection WITH TESTERS. Also: they often have NYX on BOGO50. !!!
PAMELA
The NYX Micro Brow Pencil is the best dupe I own. A dupe for what you ask? The Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil, which retails at $21.00, and that seems totally reasonable, because if you have used the Brow Wiz, you already know that it’s pretty frickin’ great. Do you want to know what’s great-er? Saving money. The Micro Brow pencil will set you back only $9.99. NYX has 8 shades to choose from, whereas Anastasia has 9, and they are all really similar so it’s pretty easy to find a match. The formula is a little stiffer than the Anastasia, but not enough to make you mad you saved money. Plus: spoolie brush. I feel all brow pencils should have a spoolie brush on one end…. life is just easier that way, you know?
Have I ever mentioned that I love highlights? Yes, I do. The NYX Illuminator in the shade Ritualistic is one of my favorites. It’s not too overwhelming and has a really pretty golden sheen. I think it’s pretty perfect for everyday. At $8.99 it’s a really great value, and I would say a great “starter” highlight for a first time highlight user. Feel free to use this highlight everywhere (who am I kidding? Use ALL highlights, everywhere!)
JESS
Did you know that NYX has BRUSHES?!?!? And they are really decent! I needed a fluffy blending brush, but was having a hard time finding one I liked at the drugstore, and didn’t want to spend $20 on a small brush. I use this Pro Blending Brush every day- it’s the exact right size, doesn’t shed, and lays your shadow down without much trouble. Sure, it’s $9.99, but they are often on BOGO50 (like right now!), so why not get two brushes?? I think you can only get these online for now, but I think I will be ordering a few more soon.
Last Halloween, my husband and I went as Jack Burton and Gracie Law. I needed a true red pigment for this makeup look, and planned to just use a “close enough” bright blush. But then Pamela suggested I check out NYX. BOOM. NAILED IT. The Primal Colors Pressed Pigments ($4.99) fit the bill perfectly. I assumed I would need to build this color with a few layers, but no- it went on bright in one sweep, giving my Urban Decay shadows a run for their money.
I’d like to give the Hot Black a go, and some of the other colors look like they would just be fun to have on hand. (Let’s see… at $4.99 and buy one get one 50% off… that’s about $30 for all 8. Cheaper than most palettes!)
LYN
I’m not sure what YouTuber first told me to set my undereye concealer with NYX High Definition Finishing Powder in Banana, but I’m sure glad they did! The yellow powder seems intimidating, but it is perfect under your eyes–and I promise you–my concealer never creases, no matter which brand I use. It only takes a little bit to do the job–so at $10–it will last you a long time. I use mine daily and I only recently hit pan!
My lip product addiction is real. So of course my next pick is from NYX lip line. I’ve tried their Matte Lipsticks, Soft Matte Creams, Butter Lipsticks and Glosses and the Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks. But my favorite is the Intense Butter Gloss. The pigment is insane and the texture is so creamy. Very rich–in both color and feel. One of my favorites is Spice Cake, a bright pinky purple.
Not only is it a great product–but the price is right. At only $6, you can try out trendy seasonal colors or colors that you aren’t sure you’ll wear that often without making a serious financial commitment.
Making NYX exactly like the Forever 21 of makeup! Have favorite NYX products? We’d love to hear about them. Share in the comments below.
We buy NYX with our own money. Luckily, their products are pretty inexpensive!
Here’s my bullet journal. It is a 
When planning out my costume, I usually obsess over my subject for a good week or so, then go to every thrift store, discount store, fast-fashion store, and craft store in town and just stalk until I can formulate my plan of attack. Is this intense?? Probably. But I firmly believe that to sell a great costume, you have to get some of the details nailed down. I also really believe, though, that you can get away with picking one or two key things to focus on, then edit the rest of your look to be “in the vein of” your character. You don’t have to create an exact replica. For example, in my Madonna Desperately Seeking Susan look, the jacket was the thing to focus on. I found a sparkly cardigan at a discount store, then used felt, duct tape, and a sharpie to complete the design. It worked out so great! The rest of my costume could be “pretty close to stuff Madonna wore in 1985”- a lace tank top, a bunch of necklaces and bangles, and some loose black pants. For Gracie Law, I spent the time on her head piece, which was made out of a fun foam duck hat and Christmas floral decorations, then didn’t spend as much time on the dress.
Weather you’re creating a beauty look or something more sinister, don’t rely on the crappy Halloween makeup kits you see- they will only leaving you feeling streaky, pilly, and sad. Now, I’m not telling you to pony up for a 
Between pantless pop stars and super heroes, there are a lot of reasons to be pantsless on Halloween. There are also a lot of reasons that this is impractical. Let me let you in on a secret known by dancers, cheerleaders, and Hooters girls alike: 
