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