Review: Concealers

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while, I have been slaving away at university. I decided I would take the time to do a concealer review, but then I had a better idea! This is a review and comparison of EVERY CONCEALER I OWN!

The concealers I'm going to talk about are CoverGirl TrueMatch, CoverGirl + Olay concealer stick, Revlon Photoready concealer, Maybelline Age Rewind, L'Oreal Perfect Match, Benefit's Lemon Aid, and Vichy solid concealer. I have only tried the lightest shade in all of these products.

CoverGirl TrueMatch: This is a liquid concealer with low-medium coverage. I really like this one, and I used to use it a lot because it's not too thick. It matches my skin tone really well, and doesn't feel heavy! I often pair it with the CoverGirl foundation from the same line.

CoverGirl + Olay: This is a concealer stick that I've heard a lot of good things about. Personally, I find it a bit dry for my skin type. However, it does give you decent medium coverage, and is not overly drying for a concealer stick. It's just not my favourite.

Revlon Photoready: This is my favourite concealer stick! Feels less dry than the CoverGirl + Olay, and it matches my skin tone really well. Provides medium coverage, and doesn't feel to heavy on your skin! If you're going for slightly more coverage than a liquid concealer, this does the job!

Maybelline Age Rewind: This is a dark circle eraser, which means it's a light concealer with illuminating properties, and it helps cancel out red and purple tones under the eyes. Personally, I love this concealer. So much that I use it all over my face! It's really light and provides just enough coverage to get rid of minor red areas or small pimples. For someone with no acne problems, this concealer works great for the whole face, and really helps wake up the eyes.

L'Oreal Perfect Match: To be honest, I was really disappointed. This is a liquid concealer that has a brush dispenser. The idea of it sounds really convenient, but the concealer dries up on the brush. This concealer is very drying, and has an orange tone. It got chunky and gross from staying on the brush, and it wouldn't come out evenly. I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone.

Benefit Lemon Aid: This is a yellow concealer made for covering dark under eye circles. For the price, I don't really think it's worth it, but it does help cancel out purple tones really well if you have bad under eye circles. The texture is really nice, and it goes on well.

Vichy concealer: This stuff is very drying, but extremely high coverage. If you have really bad acne, acne scars, or any injury (cut, bruise, etc.), this stuff will cover all of it. The lightest shade is still a bit too dark for me, but I put some normal concealer on top and it looks fine. I use this for the rare moments I have bad acne. I also used it when I hit my head and got a massive bruise, and it hid everything! A high coverage concealer like this is worth having for those moments.

If you have questions or comments about these products, let me know! Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

Big Shoppers Drug Mart Haul

This is what happens when I have a crappy day... Oh well, I got some awesome stuff! I definitely splurged, which ended up with me buying $112.97 worth of beauty stuff. But that's okay, because I'll use it all!

Yes To Cucumbers soothing eye gel. $13.99. Made with green tea and camomile, it's supposed to help make my eyes look less tired by reducing puffiness and discolouration. The formula is hypoallergenic and paraben-free, so I hope it does the trick!

Urban Decay All-Nighter setting spray. $35.00. Oil-free and paraben-free, this is a long lasting finishing spray that claims to make your makeup last up to 16 hours! That excites me! Hopefully that claim is right. It protects your makeup from rain, wind, and heat. I'm going to an outdoor wedding in two weeks, so I figured a setting spray might be a good investment.

Benefit Prime and Proper. $38.00. Comes with Pore-fessional primer and It's Potent! eye cream. The primer on it's own is $36, so I got an eye cream in this kit for only an extra $2. Sounds good to me! I've heard so many good things about this Benefit primer, that I had to try it out.

L'Oreal Voluminous Original waterproof mascara in Black. $9.99. Simply put, I needed a new waterproof mascara, my favourite got discontinued, and this one has a very similar brush.

Balea 3 in 1 cleasing cloths. $2.99. Super cheap, and I've heard really good things about these. Hopefully a student budget must-have!

5 Maybelline Products Worth Buying

Hi everyone! I got so many positive responses from my post "5 CoverGirl Products Worth Buying" that I decided to make a series out of it! So here's the second post in the 5 Products Worth Buying series. Hope you enjoy!

The reason I chose to do Maybelline is because it is (along with CoverGirl) a brand that I use almost every single day. That means I'm very familiar with these products, and I truly believe that they are worth the money!

From left to right: Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach, Baby Lips in Cherry Me, Line Stiletto in Blackest Black, Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Fair, and Great Lash in Clear.


Color Whisper lipstick in Pin Up Peach: Gorgeous coral colour, more of a pink coral than orange. I love how comfortable this is on the lips! I keep forgetting to buy more, but they are definitely worth having. They feel very similar to the Revlon Lip Butters, but not as thick. This particular colour is so beautiful, and it's very easy to wear because it's not an intense colour. Great for people who are just beginning to use lipstick, and also great for everyone in general!

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me: I can't even begin to explain how much I love these! I have another one in Peach Kiss, and they are the most comfortable and nicely pigmented tinted lip balm I have ever used. The packaging is really cute, and they can look like a lip balm, or a lipstick if you really layer on the colour. I always bring one of these with me so that after work (I work at a swimming pool), I can just put some on and I'm ready to go shopping or to a movie. It makes a makeup-free face look a little more put together and distracts people from uneven skin tone or breakouts. Definitely a must-have!

Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black: I've always hated liquid eyeliner, I found that it was impossible to apply, the line would always be too thick, and the formula would smudge really easily. This is the ONLY liquid eyeliner that I actually like, and I love it! It's really easy to apply because of the super thin felt tip, and the formula is not overly thin so it doesn't smudge easily, and dries fast. If you are scared of trying liquid eyeliner, this is a great starter product because it is as easy as a pencil.

Great Lash mascara in Clear: I love this stuff, but not as a mascara. I actually use this as a brow gel because is works as well as any high end gel, and costs less than $10! I got this idea from Tiffany D (check out her YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKdCadbo4eN_toHMa4-FSA ) because she swears by it, and I agree! The clear formula keeps you brow hairs from messing up the shape of your brow, and the transparency allows you to apply as much as you want without making your brows look darker (and mine are black, so I really can't afford to have darker ones with my blonde hair).

Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Fair: This is a treatment concealer for the eye area, made with goji berries and haloxyl. Goji berries are a natural anti-inflammatory which reduces the puffiness of undereye circles, and haloxyl reduces the signs of redness in your eye area. I bought this product also because of Tiffany D, and I really like it! The formula is thinner than a normal concealer, so it won't cake up. It also makes your eyes feel really refreshed! My only problem with this, is that I have really bad undereye circles, and this product doesn't provide enough coverage on bad days. I often have to pair it with Benefit Lemon Aid undereye corrector to really cover all of the purple tones under my eyes. However, this product always work great on my eyelids (which always look red).

If you have any comments, questions, or requests, Tweet @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com .

Review: Revlon Lip Butters

I admit, I'm a bit of a lip butter junkie. I purchased my first one (Creme Brûlée) two months ago, and now I have six! I know, it's crazy, but they really are my favourite lip product! You can find these practically anywhere, and they usually cost between $8 and $10. 

 

From left to right: Creme Brulee, Sugar Frosting, Tutti Frutti, Creamsicle, Berry Smoothie, and Candy Apple.

These lip products have the most universally flattering shades, are super hydrating, have great staying power, and are a definitely more than worth the already modest price! I can apply one in the morning, and it will last a good 6 hours without making my lips feel dry, and they don't feel greasy either. The formula is fantastic, and the staying power is remarkable for the type of product.

 

Creme Brulee is a neutral shade with a bit of shimmer. Sugar Frosting also has a shimmer, and is a really pale pink colour. Tutti Frutti is a gorgeous coral colour, a little more of an orange-coral shade. Creamsicle is a soft orange shade, which was popular because it was the one Emma Stone wore in the ads. Berry Smoothie is a beautiful berry colour that is more of a wine colour than purple, I think it looks great on most people! Candy Apple is a soft, yet bright red, which is perfect for those who want to try a red lip that's not intense in colour.

 

Give them a try! They may become your favourites too.

Storing Makeup in a Small Bathroom

Don't have enough room in your bathroom to store all of your makeup? Or maybe you like to keep your makeup in your dorm room? For those who do not have enough space for their makeup, here's a solution: the shoe organizer. I bought this one for $20 at Bed Bath and Beyond in the closet storage section. It's a clear, vinyl organizer with 24 shoe pockets, and two thinner pockets at the top. This is ideal for storing a decent amount of makeup and/or skin care products.

After filling my organizer, I was really surprised to see the amount of space left (the entire bottom row is still empty), and the pockets can really hold a lot! The two top pockets are great because they aren't deep so it makes things a little easier to reach. I'm 5 feet tall, and I can reach everything in this organizer without any trouble.

 

In the top row, I have my makeup remover cloths. In the second row (from left to right), I have my ProActiv, my other acne care, my deodorants, and my eye tools (tweezers, brow comb, sharpener, trimmer, and lash curler).

 

In the third row (left to right), I put my mascaras, brow products, Revlon lip butters (yes, they have their own pocket), and my other products. The fourth row holds my concealers, foundations, EOS lip balms, and primers. The third and fourth rows are pretty much at eye level, so I put my most used types of products in those (minus the brow products, I don't use them as often).

In the fifth row (left to right), I put my blushes, eyeshadows, bronzers/highlights (most are in my z palette), and my lip liners. The sixth row holds my lip balms (including Maybelline baby lips), eye rollers (dark under eye circles are a HUGE problem for me), pencil eyeliners, and other eye liners (liquid, gel, and glitter). The seventh row is still empty!

 

I am still amazed by the amount of products this organizer holds! $20 is a small price to pay for so much storage. Hope you like this idea!


If you have any questions/comments, you can Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com !

Walmart and Lawtons Drugs Haul

It's time for a new haul! This morning, I had some spare time so I went to Lawtons to look for a nice blush. Blush is the one thing I don't have a favourite product in, so I'm always looking for a perfect blush. Anyway, I only bought 2 items (I'm on a strict budget this week!), which came to $13.51. Again, there were no sales at Lawtons, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed!

 



 

 

1. Annabelle Multi-Blush palette in Fresh Pink. $5.97. This was actually on display near the front of the store, and I believe it was on special (for that price, how could it not be). There are 5 shades of blush: 3 shimmery, 2 matte. I really like the bottom shade, so I'm excited to try it out! I know I tend to like Annabelle powder products, so hopefully this will become a favourite.

 

2. Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese. $5.99. I actually heard about this from one of Emily Eddington's videos (love her! Here's her youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtC8m_F7jX2fGOQ3_nomg4g ), and it looks like a nice shimmery off-white colour for the inner eye and brow line. Now if only I could get the cap to come of!!!

Next, I went to Walmart, and the prices were AMAZING as always. My total came to $23.64 for 3 items.

1. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. $7.97. I LOVE the lip butters, I have about 6 of them now and they're all gorgeous. Plus, they feel so smooth and they don't dry out. Definitely a makeup staple for me!

2. CoverGirl Lip Perfection jumbo gloss balm in Haute Pink Twist. $6.97. I already have the one called Blush Twist, and I absolutely love it! This one is bright pink, which is a new shade for me (usually I go nudes, light pinks, or soft reds). I hope I like the colour!

3. Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliner in Nude. $5.98. I needed a nude pencil for my waterline because it's been really red lately. I've heard this is really creamy, plus it's waterproof so I hope it does the trick!

If you have tried any of these products, let me know what you thought of them! Tweet me @PennilesBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

Love you all!

My Favourite Palette: Naked Basics!

 

Here it is! My favourite palette is the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. It costs about half the amount of money as the Naked and Naked 2 palettes (so about $30), and it contains every basic shadow you would need for a nude look. The shadows, like all Urban Decay shadows, are really well pigmented and last all day! This palette is super sturdy and contains 6 shadows and a mirror.

 

 

  The 6 shadows (shown below) listed from left to right are Venus, Foxy, WOS, Naked 2, Faint, and Crave.

Venus is a shimmery off white colour that is perfect for the brow line and inner corner of the eye.

Foxy and WOS are skin-toned shadows: Foxy matches my skin tone because I have a yellow-ish tone. WOS will match people with more pink-toned skin. Both are great shadows for the lids.

Naked 2 (probably my favourite shade), is a light brown/taupe colour. I tend to use this in my crease with Foxy on my lids and Venus on my brow and inner eye. This makes the perfect "no makeup" look for warm toned skin! Very easy to blend, and this shadow is not too dark, but still deep enough to emphasize the crease.

Faint is a medium-dark brown. I often use this or Crave to smudge the look of my black or brown eyeliner. They also work great for making a smokey eye! If you have darker skin, I suggest using this in your crease with Naked 2 on your lid. It will look more natural. Also a good dramatic look for pale skin.

Crave is a basic black eyeshadow. Another note, all of the shadows are matte except Venus. I use Crave mostly as a liner unless I want a really dramatic smokey eye.

So, this palette can provide multiple natural looks that can suit any environment! This is the only shadow I bring on trips because I can use it to go anywhere. If I really want some colour, I'll bring a single eyeshadow to combine with my palette looks for a pop of colour. Plus it's a very good deal!

Hope you all find this palette as FANTASTIC as I did!

Lawtons Drugstore Haul

Another haul from Lawtons Drugs! I decided to splurge a little and get a few new makeup products. I was a little disappointed by the lack of sales at Lawtons today, so my total was $74.12 for 7 products.

1. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Honey. $9.95. The colour is darker than I expected, and a little more purple-y, but the colour still looks nice and I've heard that these feel great on the lips!

2. CoverGirl Lip Perfection jumbo gloss blam in Blush Twist. $7.19. Has a bit of shimmer, and the colour is exactly the same as the cap, so there's no mistaking the colour! I've heard so many good things about these pencil-style balms that I had to get a few of my own.

3. Milani eyeshadow primer in Nude. $9.99. This is my first eyeshadow primer, and I'm not entirely sure why I haven't bought one in the past! It says it works on all skin tones, so that sounds pretty good to me.

4. CoverGirl + Olay concealer balm in Fair. $7.99. I really like my Revlon PhotoReady concealer stick, and I've heard this one is just as good or better. I guess I'll have to find out!

5. Garnier Moisture Rescue cleasing cloths for dry and sensitive skin. $8.49. I'm currently using the oil-free Neutrogena cleansing cloths, and I am not a fan at all. Hopefully these will be better! I'll be doing a makeup removing cloth review and comparison soon!

6. Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid eyeliner in Blackest Black. $9.99. I've tried the CoverGirl felt-tip liquid liner, and I was extremely disappointed. This one claims to have really good precision, so hopefully this product will make me like liquid eyeliner. So far, I'm a pencil girl only.

7. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind dark circle eraser in Fair. $11.99. I've heard so many good things about this product! I've been dying to try it for a while now, so I finally bought one, and I just tried it out... I actually quite impressed! It's like a liquid concealer, but it doesn't feel dry or thick, and it actually kind of feels refreshing! The coverage is good for people with some darkness around their eyes, but mine are really bad so I might have to layer it on. I was actually a bit worried when I started twisting the collar and nothing was coming out. It took a while to get the product to the surface, but I still think it's worth it!


If you have tried any of these products, let me know what you thought of them! You can reach me by email at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com or Twitter @PennilessBlog


Have a lovely day!

My First Z Palette!

Hello again! I'm on vacation at the beach right now, but I figured I should still do a little post about the new Z Palette I bought! This one is the green Cherry Blossom (Limited Edition) in large. I bought it from Makeup Geek who delivered earlier than the estimated delivery date, and even sent a little hand-written message on my receipt! I was really impressed by their service. The Z palette cost me about $40, but that included taxes, international shipping, and an extra bag of round magnets. I still think it's a great price!

I had originally intended to fill this palette with my eyeshadows. I started depotting my shadows, which wasn't too hard (though I accidentally cut myself with a pair of nail scissors, which I had been using to depot). Once I had depotted everything I wanted, I realized that the round magnets were way too big for my shadows. I had seen a tutorial saying you can cut them, but cutting the magnets makes them bend at the cut area, and also makes them very sharp. I ended up really hurting my hands trying to put magnets on my eyeshadow pans.

 

Eventually, I gave up. My hands were hurting a lot, and the pans weren't staying flat on the palette. I ended up having to put all of my depotted shadows into a plastic bucket, and then depotted blushes, bronzers, powders, and some larger eyeshadows (the Annabelle singles are the exact same size as the round magnets). This is what I had the time to do so far, I can post a finished palette once my hands have healed (sigh). Not a great first experience, but it looks awesome when it's done!

 

 

If you know of any products that are already magnetized, or have a better solution to my magnet cutting problem, please let me know! You can tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

 



How to Travel With Only a Carry-On

It's finally here! So I've been planning this post for about 2 weeks now... I have tried to pack my carry-on suitcase so that it can hold as much as possible. Tomorrow, I'm going on a week-long trip to my cottage. We spend the majority (if not all) of our time on the beach, so I want to make sure I have everything I need to spend my whole day at the beach.

To start, this is the carry-on I will be using (20" Heys Portal Smart Luggage in Burgundy).
I bought this at Sears for 55% off, so I'm really happy about that! This suitcase has four wheels, a laptop compartment, and a zipper divider.

The main thing I was looking for when I was searching for a new suitcase was a divider that zippered completely shut so I could separate my clothes from other things! When packing a carry-on, it's really important to make a list of everything you need. That way it's harder to forget things or over-pack. I like to put everything I'm packing on my bed so that I can see everything that needs to go in the suitcase. I started off with one pair of jeans, and three pairs of shorts:



I also added a thin, small beach towel (I already have some at my cottage) just in case. Most people say to roll your clothes, which is true for some things, but not bulky items like jeans and towels. So I lay them flat in the bottom of my suitcase to pad the bottom. I like putting thick, tough clothing on the bottom, and more delicate clothing on the top.

As you can see, I put the jeans and towel in flat on the bottom, and laid my shorts on the top. Next, I have two coverups, 7 shirts, 2 tanks, PJs, and a sweater.

I put the sweater on top of the shorts, then rolled everything else a tight as possible. If you have clothing that are cut in an A-line, make sure to fold the ends in to make your clothing more rectangular before rolling. This makes it easier to roll, and the roll won't be as long and skinny!

Next, I folded a dress and a scarf, and laid them on the top. I then secured the straps.



For the pockets of the divider, I folded my underwear and socks, and placed them in the top zippered pouch. My swim suits went in the bottom pouch.

For the small zippered pouch on the side of the suitcase (shown in the bottom of the picture above), I put my goggles so I can swim some laps along the coast for a bit of exercise.



I put my bras in the laptop compartment because I am not bringing my laptop, and it is a very secure pouch. I balled up some tissue and stuck in under the bras so they don't lose their shape.

For my shoes, I put my black sandals, and my hiking boots in a Lulu Lemon Athletics bag. You can use any plastic bag for your shoes, but I really like these types of bags.

For my toiletries, I put my non-liquids in the toiletry kit I got for $5 at my local grocery store.

I'm bringing a hair brush, a tooth brush, a hair clip, some hair elastics and pins, a travel brow comb, some bandages, a razor (some flights won't allow it, but you can always bring the razor handle and buy cartridges when you arrive at your destination), some Dove soap (I'm only taking this; body wash and facial cleanser take up too much room. Dove works well for both!), my Nivea deodorant and sun lip balm, and my Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me (has SPF 20!). I also added some stud earrings in a small Ziploc bag, and put them in as well.



For liquids, I'm taking some Off bug spray (for the evenings), my waterproof CoverGirl exact eyelights mascara, my CoverGirl liquid concealer, Vichy sun lotion, some Bath & Body Works moisturizer, which I put in an old Proactiv bottle, some travel shampoo and conditioner from Herbal Essences, Crest toothpaste, some Proactiv oil-free face moisturizer (which I put in a travel pot), and my CoverGirl BB cream (also in a travel pot).

I was able to fit it all in a plastic Ziploc bag, so I know it is under the maximum amount. Also, all bottles are under 3.4 ounces, so I'll be fine going through security with this.

Back to my suitcase packing, I put the shoe bag and toiletry kit on top of the laptop pouch (no liquids yet!). I zippered up the divider and was able to close the suitcase no problem! There was even a bit more room left, so I was really impressed.

For my 'personal item', I am putting everything in a beach bag. It's much bigger than a purse, and can easily hold things like my sunhat! Even for non-beach trips, I carry my personal items in a tote. I even put my purse inside it! That way if I buy anything, I have lots of room.

There's my navy/white beach bag! I'm putting in my RayBans (with case), my wallet, my fast flats makeup pouch, a Ziploc full of chargers, my Ziploc of liquids, my Kobo e-reader, my phone, my iPod, my iPad, and a sunhat!

My fast flat makeup pouch will hold a pack of gum (ALWAYS), my Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss, and a compact mirror. Usually I keep the one I bought in Paris in my makeup pouch, but this one is less delicate, so I won't need to worry about breaking it or sand scratching it.

And it all fits perfectly!

Hope you like my packing tricks! They apply to most types of travelling, and I really can put a weeks worth of stuff in a carry-on. Also, for trips that require more makeup, half of my toiletry kit was still empty when I packed it. I'm not worried!

I'll by doing another packing blog post later in August to show you how I pack for a wedding! I'll probably use the same size suitcase, but I'll most likely check it so I can bring more liquids.

If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or requests, feel free to Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com

Have a nice day!

Lawtons Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart Haul (Canadian Drug Stores)

Hi again, we're having very dreary weather here, so I thought this would be the perfect time for another blog post! Today, I went to Lawtons Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart to look at some products that I had been doing a bit of research on. I'll start with my Shoppers haul:

I only bought 4 things, and the total came to $27.10, which isn't too bad considering the quality of Quo products.

1. Quo Blending Sponge $5.00 (Similar to a Beauty Blender, but cheaper!) Quo is a Canadian company that sells makeup products, makeup brushes and tools, nail tools, and nail polish... Basically everything beauty-oriented.

2. Quo Brow and Lash Definer $4.00 (Great for travel, bought it for my upcoming TRAVEL POST!)

3. Off! Deep Woods insect repellent $5.99 (Also great size for travel, and will be featured in my upcoming TRAVEL POST!)

4. Annabelle Perfect Bronze bronzing pressed powder in Sun Kissed $8.99 (Now, I need to say a few things about this brand because it has REALLY impressed me! Annabelle cosmetics is a Canadian brand - based in Montreal - that makes hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and perfume-free products. Whether or not you live in Canada, I would definitely advise checking out this brand in any Canadian drug store or online. This line of cosmetics is absolutely perfect for sensitive skin!)

Now for my Lawtons Drugs haul! I was extremely impressed by some of their sales, especially their Maybelline mascara sale and their Revlon lip product sale. I always get really good deals at Lawtons.

The total for these 4 products came to $20.18, which is amazing considering the lipsticks and mascara should usually be about $10 each.

1. EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet $3.39 (I actually just put some on while I was writing this, and it smells just like strawberry ice cream... YUM)

2. Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes mascara in Glam Black $4.49 (It claims to leave no clumps, and give you a cat eye look. The brush has the same shape as the CoverGirl Clump Crusher - which I love - so I figured it's worth a try! Especially for the price... WOW!)

3. Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle $4.99 (I LOVE the Revlon Lip Butters! This shade looks really bright, I think it will be a nice summer colour)

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Matte lipstick in Nude Attitude $4.99 (I swatched this nude shade, and I find it goes really well with my skin tone. Can't wait to try it out!)


If you have tried any of these products, let me know if you liked them or not! You can tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com ! Once I've tried all of my new products, I'll post a review. I'm definitely thinking of doing a brand review for Annabelle cosmetics... So many blog post ideas!

ALSO, keep checking this blog for my new TRAVELLING CARRY-ON post! It will be up before this Saturday, and I can't wait! Packing and organizing have always been my thing, and I have some really cool tips and tricks to share with you all!

Until next time,
Penniless Blogger

Walmart Haul

Hello everyone! So today I decided to browse Walmart for some drawer organizers... Instead, I ended leaving with only makeup products. Anyway, I decided to do a haul to show what I bought for ONLY $33.87! I was actually kind of impressed.

So these are the 6 items I purchased. I have heard great things about all of these products, and I have tried them before. I'll do a review once I've tried them all!

1. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Silver City Pink $6.97 (Definitely cheaper than drugstores)

2. NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny $2.97 (Such a good price, really hard to find one that hadn't been opened)

3. Maybelline Define-a-Brow in Dark Brown $7.46 (Hopefully this will be dark enough for my black eyebrows... Why can't my eyebrows be blonde like my hair? Ugh)

4. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear/Transparent $4.96 (I've heard this works great on brows)

5. Wet n' Wild Coloricon trio in Walking on Eggshells $2.97 (Awesome price, and gorgeous nude shades)

6. Wet n' Wild Coloricon eyeshadow collection in Petal Pusher $4.64 (Another awesome price, and has the most beautiful shades of purple... I think I'm going to enjoy this one!)


If you have tried any of these before, let me know what you thought! Tweet me @PennilessBlog or email me at pennilessbeauty@gmail.com . You can also Facebook me at www.facebook.com/PennilessBeauty

Have a lovely day!

The Many Uses of Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is a natural disinfectant that can be used not only for cleaning, but also for skincare and health remedies! The bottle I own is from Holista, and it is 100% Pure (very important) Tea Tree Oil. Like it says on the bottle, it's considered a herbal antiseptic.

1. Treats acne
This is the main reason why I started keeping a few bottles of Tea Tree Oil in my house. Because it is a natural disinfectant, it will clean out your pores and make acne disappear. I find the best way to use it is to put a drop on a cotton swab, and press it directly on any pimples you may have. Another option is to add 20 or so drops to you bottle of face wash, though I would only recommend that if your face wash is a mostly natural product. You don't want to risk adding Tea Tree Oil to something that won't react well with it. It could cause irritation and redness.

2. Insect repellent
Add 15 to 20 drops of oil to 1L of water, and place in a spray bottle. Very effective, and this way you're not putting chemicals all over your skin!

3. Antiseptic for cuts, blisters, and burns
We all know that blisters on your heels hurt like crazy and prevent you from wearing your favourite (though uncomfortable) shoes. With Tea Tree Oil, just clean the blister, burn or cut. Then, apply 2 to 3 drops of Tea Tree Oil on the wound, and let it sit for a few minutes before putting on a bandage. This keeps the wound from getting infected, and also speeds up healing!

4. Helps relieve cold and flu symptoms
There are multiple ways of using Tea Tree Oil for relief of cold and flu symptoms. The first, add 2 to 3 drops into a pot of boiling water. Remove the pot from the stove, and breath in the steam once it has started cooling down. This is also good for any kind of chest congestion or asthma. The second, add 10 or so drops with some Epsom salt in a warm bath. This also helps with muscle pains, and any chest congestion. You can also dilute it with another oil (like grapeseed or olive oil, 1 drops per tbsp. of cooking oil), and apply directly on your chest. It acts like VapoRub.

5. Anti-fungal treatment (for Athlete's Foot and Eczema)
For Athlete's Foot, clean your feet, then apply Tea Tree Oil directly on any affected areas. You can dust corn starch on it after to wick any moisture. Do not do this more than twice a month, since Tea Tree Oil is very strong, and should not be used in large quantities.

6. Help with dandruff, dry scalp and head lice
Add 20 to 30 drops of Tea Tree Oil to your daily shampoo. You can also add a drop or 2 to your lip balm to help with dry, chapped lips.


Hope you find this helpful! It's definitely a cheaper, more natural solution to most of these problems. Plus, there are dozens more uses for this natural antiseptic! These are just the ones that I've heard good things about.

P.S. I'll have a post on travelling carry-on up later this week! You can follow me on Twitter @PennilessBlog

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5 CoverGirl Products Worth Buying

Hi everyone! So this is the first post of my new series called Products Worth Buying. I'm starting off with CoverGirl because I truly believe that they make a lot of good quality products that are great for all skin types! For now, here are the 5 that have impressed me the most:

In this picture, we have the CG Smoothers BB cream, the TruBlend foundation, the Instant Cheekbones contouring blush, the Clump Crusher mascara, and the Exact Eyelights waterproof mascara.

1. CG Smoothers BB cream: I have this in fair to light, and I really love it! It blends in well, so it will pair seamlessly with most skin tones. It's also extremely hydrating, and has a very creamy texture. I find most CoverGirl products work really well for sensitive or combination skin, and does not make me break out. I have very dry areas on my face, and this evens out the texture and tone of my skin. However, there isn't a lot of coverage, so it won't completely hide under-eye circles or blemishes. BUT, that's what concealer is for! Overall, this is a great product that I use every day.

2. TruBlend foundation: I have this in ivory, it's much lighter (almost white) in person than in this picture. Like the BB cream, it is great for sensitive or combination skin because it does not cause me to break out or get dry patches. It never looks caky either! The texture is very nice, and it blends really well. This is definitely more coverage than the BB cream, but it's still not a full coverage foundation. TruBlend is perfect for young people with no severe facial problems, and comes in so many different shades!

3. Instant Cheekbones contouring blush: This trio of blushes is perfect for any beginner or for people who need a fast way to do some contouring. The light shade on the far right, is a very light pink highlight with the smallest amount of shimmer. I like to put it at the very tops of my cheekbones. The medium shade in the middle is a very natural-looking pink blush. The dark shade on the far left is a darker pink shade which you put on the line under your cheekbone (the fish-face line), to give your cheekbones a little more definition. Terrific instant contouring!

4. Clump Crusher mascara: The Clump Crusher mascara is AMAZING! It lengthens, volumizes, curls, and stays clump-free for the whole day. Really easy to apply, and the staying-power is really great! I consider it part of the LashBlast line because it is so similar, so I'll give an honourable mention to the LashBlast volumizing mascara. It is super volumizing and has very similar characteristics to the Clump Crusher. The only thing is that I like the wand of the Clump Crusher better because it is curved and really gets every lash (shown below).

5. Exact Eyelights waterproof mascara: As a lifeguard, I tend to spend a lot of my time in the water. This is by far the best waterproof mascara that I have tried! I have this for blue eyes, and the staying-power is remarkable. I've worn this while teaching swimming lessons, and it never causes me to have raccoon eyes or leave any mascara on my face. It actually stays on my lashes underwater! Luckily, it comes off fairly easily with makeup remover. Awesome product!