Product Review-MAC Opulash Mascara

I stopped by my local MAC counter for the unveiling of their newest mascara Opulash, $14. MAC promises that it "sweeps and curls your lashes with the most extreme voluminization ever. It's all in the brush, enlarged and engineered to grab roots, lift, hold, replicate and exaggerate." I must say that I agree. I was a little weary when I first saw how large the brush was. But as soon as I swept it into my lashes, all my worries went away! It totally gave my lashes instant volume and curl! I was extremely impressed.

Naked lashes

After one coat

After two coats

I found that two coats achieved the affect that I was looking for. It did not clump nor did it dry super fast. This new mascara from MAC is definitely a winner!!!

Look For Less-Kim Kardashian Inspired

Love her or hate her, Kim Kardashian has style. What struck me the most about this outfit was how effortless it looked. All of the pieces work well together without being too "matchy matchy". It also hits all of the Spring trends; stripes, neutrals, statement necklace. But alas, she is wearing $1,195 Christian Louboutin shoes and carrying a $1,595 Balenciaga bag. So I set out to find something similar but well within my non-celebrity price range. This is what I came up with.

bag, $42, Aldo

necklace, $18, francescascollection.com

shoes, $34.90, alloy.com

skirt, $44.90, Mango (mangoshop.com)

striped boatneck top, $10.50, Forever 21

The look that I put together is $150! Now you can have the look for less.

Beauty Haul-MAC

While at the outlet mall, I walked into the CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet store). For those who aren't familiar, a CCO is the Estee' Lauder Group's outlet. It carries all of the brands under the Estee' Lauder Group; Bobbi Brown, Clinique, MAC, Origin's, Prescriptive's, and of course Estee' Lauder. The CCO will carry past limited edition collections and some overstock of permanent collections from these brands. If you miss out on a limited edition collection, you can wait about 4-6 months and try your local CCO and snag it on discount. I mentioned in an earlier post that I didn't own any MAC brushes. Well, I came across the coveted MAC 224 blending brush. It retails for $28. I picked it up for $19.75. That's about 30% off of retail price! I also snagged MAC's Notable blush from the Fall 2009 Makeup Art Cosmetics collection, which I missed out on the first time around. I got it for $13.00.! Their blushes retail for $18.50 normally. MAC describes Notable as a "dirty brick brown red". I found it more of a rose tone on my NC42 skin.

I also picked up a few things at the MAC counter in Macy's. I picked up some concealer, prep & prime skin refined zone treatment (used to control shine in the T-zone area), fibre rich lash mascara, and Dubonnet lipstick (a deep red color). Every woman should own a red lipstick. This one is nice because it is an amplified creme finish which glides on your lips so smoothly. I swatched it on my hand for you all to see.

I would definitely recommend this shade for women of color. It is not too dark and not too bright, it is the perfect shade of red.

Frugal Fashion Find-Cynthia Vincent for Target

I was browsing Target the other day, intending on only picking up the Sonia Kashuk brush, when I made the mistake of going to the shoe department. Okay, so it wasn't exactly a mistake that I ended up in the shoe department. I actually went there looking for some rain boots, when I came across the cutest flat black sandals. They were Cynthia Vincent for Target. Cynthia Vincent is a high end designer whose shoes sell in Bloomingdale's in the mid $200's to high $300's. She did a limited edition collection for Target offering her great designs for an affordable price. These were $24.99. Needless to say, I snagged the last 8 1/2 they had.

I do not normally go for sandals that have straps in between my toes because they irritate me. So I was little concerned about the comfort. Well I have since worn them four times and have had no irritation. They are super comfortable! I urge you to browse your local Target or http://www.target.com/ and check out this awesome designer's super affordable collection!

I did end up making a trip to Juicy Couture for the Friends & Family 20% off event. I've had my eye on a charm bracelet for the longest. I tried it on and found it too chunky for my tiny wrists, so I passed on it. I did however find their fragrance Juicy Couture to be quite nice. I am still deciding if I will purchase it. I normally have to smell a sample for about a week to decide if I like it before I purchase it. I ended up leaving the store empty handed. Oh well.

Product Rave: Urban Decay Primer Potion

I like to call this my genie in a bottle! Have you ever put on your eye makeup, then a few hours later it is a streaky mess? Well look no further, Urban Decay's Primer Potion is to the rescue! You put it on your bare, clean lids before applying your shadows. Let it dry and then apply your eyeshadow. It makes the colors more vibrant and they stay all day! I mean really, NO CREASING! It is amazing! I do not know what they put in this stuff, but it works miracles. I have really oily lids and I have worn it for 12 hours before, and my eyeshadow looked like it was freshly applied. It even keeps your eyeliner fresh looking! I recommend applying it with the doe foot wand that comes with it. I would avoid using your fingers, as they can transfer oil onto your lids.

It can be found at Ulta, Sephora, or http://www.urbandecay.com/. It comes in two sizes, 10 ml for $18 and 16 ml for $23. It will last a long time because a little goes a long way with this product.

Juicy Couture Friends & Family. Enjoy 20% off

The Juicy Couture in the Premium Outlets is having a Friends & Family 20% off event May 20-24. In order to redeem, you must become a member of the VIP Shopper Club. You can do so by signing up at http://www.premiumoutlets.com/. There is a Juicy Couture outlet in the Houston Premium Outlet in Cypress, TX. I will be making a trip out there tomorrow and will post any good finds.

The Quest For The Perfect Brushes

This is my inaugural post! I am currently on a quest for the prefect makeup brushes. I am now using Royal Brushes(http://www.royalbrush.com/). I purchased these about 3 weeks ago from their site. I got the 15 piece essential brush set and ordered the foundation brush and the crease brush a la carte. The set included a powder brush, blush brush, fan brush, eyeshadow brushes, eyeliner brushes, lip brush, eyebrow brushes, lash brush, and eyebrow brush/comb combo. It was a steal for the set at $39.95 plus shipping. The set includes brushes made of goat hair, sable hair, and synthetic fibers. Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the brushes. With that being said, I find the face brushes leave a lot to be desired. I have had numerous bristles shed each use and even during washing. I am hoping that this will subside as I am getting tired of picking goat hairs off of my face in the mornings! The eyeshadow brushes are excellent, no complaints, no shedding.

I also have acquired the Sonia Kashuk synthetic flat blusher brush available at Target for $14.99. I must say, this brush is a dream! I use it for my liquid mineral foundation. It blends my foundation to a flawless, airbrushed like finish. I am so in love with this brush. It can also be used for cream blushes and foundations and I've even used it for powder blushes.













I am determined not to purchase any MAC brushes unless I find them at a CCO (separate post about CCO to come). While I am very aware they are some of the best brushes around, I also feel you can get the same quality for a lot less.