Oops I did it again....

My parody of Brittney Spear's song would be, "Oops I dyed it again. I played with my hair!"

I am pretty sure that could be a number one hit as anyone who has ever attempted to dye their hair probably can relate to the lyrics. If you are reading this, you are most likely one of those people.

I, myself, often mess up my hair the most when I try to dye it red. It seems it always ends up too dark, too purple or pink, a little orange, maybe burgundy or black. It just does strange things. I have read that a lot of my current hair dying issues are caused by highlights and low-lights having been put into my hair, so if you are someone that has also had these put into your hair then use drugstore permanent dyes with caution.

***Now would probably be a good time to throw in my disclaimer, I am not a beautician or professional stylist. My only experience and expertise in what I am about to discuss is my personal experience with my own hair. I am not paid to endorse any of the products that I am about to discuss and I am not affiliated with any of the companies. My hair color is naturally dark brown and I dye my hair often (usually every six weeks). I either pay my beautician of ten years or dye it myself at home. Take or leave my advice.***

O.k. so here is the scenario, you've just dyed your hair, the beautiful model on the box is smiling back at you in a mocking way while her shiny gorgeous hair laughs in your face, you look up in horror to see, bright red roots, red, purple, oh hell, is that green? It is awful. It is unbearable! What are you going to do?

At this moment, you have two choices. 1) Wear a ball cap for the next few days until you can get an appointment with a trusted professional and then you must duck your botched head in shame and walk into that beautician and let them fix your disgraced mess of a self. Afterward, you will pay a hefty sum for your dishonorable mistakes. or 2) You can take matters into your own hands. This is not for the faint of heart. You must be brave. You must be willing to put on that same ball cap and do the walk of shame into your nearest Walgreens, Ulta, CVS, or if you must, Wal-Mart and you must be prepared for the war you are about to embark upon, because it is a now or never, take it or leave it type of moment. You must commit. You must look into that mirror and say, "Purple, pink, green hair, you are going down! I will persevere!" ***fist thrust into air, finger pointing toward the heavens.***

Still reading?

O.k. here is what you need to get: a box of Color Oops (if you have long hair or thick hair you may want two or three because this is not a product that you can run out and buy mid-process when you realize you do not have enough), a box or two of hair dye, and a safety color. Here is the problem in my advice when it comes to color, depending on your natural color, is what determines what shade of hair dye you need! I will give you examples of what I do, but you will need to make adjustments based on your natural hair color and hair undertones. Like I previously stated, my hair is naturally medium/dark brown, I have red undertones, so when I buy a color to fix my mess up, I choose an ash color, typically, L'Oreal Excellence in "Light Ash Brown." My "safety color" (the color I know will always work because I have used it numerous times) is L'Oreal Excellence cream in "Medium Brown." I also sometimes use "Dark Brown."

Other things you may want to purchase while you are making a trip to town: a clarifying shampoo, a deep conditioner, a protein mask, and a prayer.

First, you are going to begin with the Color Oops. It should look like this:

You want the extra strength. This stuff smells bad and is runny so prepare yourself. Be in a well ventilated area, turn on exhaust fan, open a window. Wear clothes you don't care to get messy, use gloves, and work quickly, saturate all of your hair and try to avoid your scalp getting soaked. This is hard to do, but I recommend applying mixture about an inch to two inches away from scalp and then working it toward the roots with your fingers to avoid your scalp getting too much mixture on it and causing any irritation. Then, use plastic bag enclosed with product to cover your hair. You may use a hair dryer to heat product, keep the dryer about a foot away from head and move in circular motion off and on throughout the 25 minute wait. Don't worry I thought my hair might explode into a blame of flames as well, but it doesn't.

Check periodically and DO NOT leave on for any more than 25 minutes.
If your hair is light and processes quickly you may want to remove the product sooner.

When the time is up, take off plastic bag and hop in the shower and prepare for a lot of washing and rinsing. You MUST use COLD water so if you have a good sink, you may opt to rinse there. This is when you should use the clarifying shampoo. Wash your hair two to three times and stay in the shower rinsing your hair for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Yeah, cold water for twenty minutes is torture so take breaks and pace yourself for this step.

After this, your hair will most likely look like this:

DO NOT PANIC. It was suppose to remove the color. If you have never bleached your hair, then it will be darker, if you have had your hair lightened, it will look like this! Deep Breathe!


When you have completed this step, apply a deep conditioner and let it set for 30 minutes. I recommend a protein mask from Sally's Beauty Supply, but if you do not have that readily available, an Organix hair mask would work.

So, if you don't have this:

Then use something like this:

If you can, I would recommend waiting 24 to 48 hours before coloring your hair again, but if you do not have time for that, then feel free to let your hair dry and then apply your desired hair color.

Once again, I usually pick a color that has "ash" undertones or is a "cooler" color such as this:

When dying your hair, begin with the roots. I always start with the roots when using a darker color than my hair and let them set fifteen minutes, then I work color into my ends from my roots down and let color set another 10 minutes and then rinse and condition. Watch your hair very closely, because your hair will absorb color much more quickly than normal after using Color Oops. You do not want it to turn too dark or black which is why I recommend a light ash brown or dark ash blond for this step.

After all is said and done, this is what my hair looked like:

Not too bad.

If you are still not happy with the color though, use your "safety color." You want to add color back gradually to avoid having to use Color Oops or other ligthening dyes. It is easier to go darker than to go lighter again.

And last but not least, do not wash your hair for a couple of days, buy some hair pampering moisturizers. I like to use Beyond the Zone Protein Cocktail to tell my hair how sorry I am after using Color Oops.

Finally, it says you can use Color Oops two to three times. I have used it three times in a 2 month period before (gosh, that was a bad two months for hair). It is VERY drying and I would not recommend getting yourself in that situation. My hair did not break or fall out by any means, but it was dry and had to have lots of tender loving care for quite some time afterward so please, please use with caution. I have healthy, thick and curly hair that can stand a lot (obviously), so keep that in mind. I would honestly not recommend using this product more than once.

If you have any questions, please comment below. I will be posting as much as possible, but for sure, there will be a new review or tutorial every Friday night.

Thanks and best of luck in your hair dying endeavors.



Red Red Red lips

Luscious, seductive, pin up, vintage, smart, classic, glam, sexy red lips. No matter how you describe them, red lips are hot. And I always get it stuck in my head that I want my lips to be a lovely red. But, like a lot of things my body's chemistry usually mixes with the color pigments and my lips end up too bright and sometimes pink or orange. So, I've been on a kick to find an awesome red lipstick to make my little lips pop. It has been a journey of many failed attempts but finally I decided to be brave and try the shade options offered by one of my favorite lip colors, Revlon's lip butter. Marvelous. They are a balm meets a lipstick and really are as smooth as butter. I bought Red Velvet and Candy Apple and surprisingly both of them are very pretty. They aren't harsh like a lot of reds I have tried. They are soft and subtle. They can be darkened by pairing with a lip liner, but all in all I have been very pleased with my two new shades. I added some pictures, but I will post more of them on my lips along with some of the other disasters I tried to give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

Zip zapping show down

In the left corner we have Neutrogena's Rapid Clear 2 in 1 Fight & Fade gel, weighing in at .5 oz and costing about $10. It packs quite the punch with 2% salicylic acid. In the other corner, we have MaryKay's acne treatment gel, outweighing its opponent at a whole 1 fluid ounce. It fights with 5% benzoyl peroxide.
So, who will win this epic battle??
Personally, I think Neutrogena's gel works faster at getting rid of pesky zits, but I wouldn't rule out Mary Kay's gel because it seems more gentle. Plus, it costs only $7 and gives you twice the product. 
My overall review is that if you have a zit you need rid of fast, use Neutrogena, but for acne prevention, you may want to opt for the gentler Mary Kay product.
Good luck and hopefully, this finds your face "facing" summer with more grace and pose than mine!

Save your Money Monday

Since it has been awhile I thought I would write a quick review for this eyeliner. At first, I liked it, but it dried out too quickly. It is Maybelline Master Duo liquid liner. The dual tip does make it easy to apply and get different line thickness, but like a lot of liquid liners, it takes awhile to dry once applied. However, it didn't take long for this little bottle to dry out. I just don't feel like I got my money out of it. I still prefer gel liners to liquid any day.

Just in case you doubt my love

Just in case you doubt my love for Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB cream 8 in 1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector. I own it in every shade but Deep.  Summer has posed a major problem with finding the right shade, but I now have that covered!

Get your tan on! Tips, tricks and best self tanners

I own a tanning bed and spent a month tanning before my vacation to Texas but my tan was a little more uneven than I wanted and I decided that I really wanted to try my hand at using self-tanners, so I found some good ones. Of course, I used drugstore brand, because this was something I had never really done before and I didn't want to waste my vacation money on expensive brands or a salon booth spray tan. Plus, I surely won't let an actual person spray me down. No scarring others in my pursuit of a good tan.
So here are my tips and tricks of using self tanners.
I started off by reading some reviews and then selected three. The first one I already blogged about: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze self-tanning mist. If you missed that post just know that unless you are really dark with warm undertones this probably won't work for you unless you want a job at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. If so, then by all means go for it.
The second two products are considered lotions and I bought them  at the same time. One is a gradual tanner while the other is pretty much an instant tanner so comparing them seems unfair so I will just talk about the good and bad of both. 

I tried Banana Boat's Summer Color Self-tanning lotion in Light/Medium. They also make it in a Dark. I probably could have used it, but I was going for subtle and natural. All in all this product will give you the best natural color. It is tinted and almost starts working instantly so it is easy to apply. It has self-adjusting color so you just put it on at night and wake up with a gorgeous tan. One thing I did not know before using a self-tanner is to exfoliate, shave and moisturize. Doing all of these things will improve the quality of your tan. I started by applying lotion on thighs, mid-calves, stomach, mid-chest, and upper arms. That's where I started with my healthy "globs" of lotion and then I worked the lotion in circular motion around, adding and covering areas, while making sure my elbows, knees, and feet were not over covered with lotion. I washed my hands afterward with exfoliating scrub and/ or baking soda to remove tanner from palms.
My overall review of Banana Boat's tanner is that it works great. Banana Boat has been around for a long time so they make good stuff. It only cost around $6 so you cannot beat the cost. My one complaint, and it is one I did not read about, is that it takes forever to dry. So don't think you can slap it on right before bed and then just instantly jump into bed because it won't work out for you. It is a long process of drying. It feels a little tacky to touch for at least an hour. Also, my husband complained about how I felt greasy and oily. He did not like the feel this product left. It didn't smell too bad but it did have a smell, but it was one that went away with one shower as did the greasiness. Even though this product isn't advertised as a gradual tanner, the more you apply, the darker you get. Oh and it fades away with dignity and grace unlike the Sublime Bronze stuff. So good news, no looking like a leopard here.

The last product I tried is Jergens Natural Glow. It is a gradual tanner and it is pretty much awesome. It looks like a lotion, goes on like a lotion, dries fast and is very subtle. In fact, most of you white girls looking for a fast tan might not like it because it is so subtle. It would take time to build your tan with this product alone. But if you are looking for something that just improves the look of your skin while giving a soft glow, this is great. Also, Jergens improved the odor so no funky smells. I must admit I didn't build my tan with this so I am not sure if with multiple coats it would turn you orange or not. It seemed to have a different hue than Banana Boat, which was perfect for my skin tone, but I still think it looked really natural at least with a max of two coats which is what I tried.
Lastly, let's say one of these products doesn't work for you or let's say you try a totally different one and you look like an Oompa Loompa, do not panic. There is a way to fix or undo most of the damage.
Here is what you will need: exfoliating buffer, baking soda, Epsom salt, Olay Daily Exfoliating Body Wash, and Tree Hut's Shea Sugar body scrub. I am not sure if all items are necessary but I used them all. First, run a warm bath with about two cups Epsom salt added to it. I also added BeautiControls Detox bath soak. I don't think this is necessary to remove the tan but it smells good and is relaxing. I started by soaking awhile, just laying back and relaxing. After about 15 minutes, I started adding baking soda to my areas of biggest concern. I let it sit where I could and scrubbed it with the buffer. I scrubbed and soaked, using handfuls of baking soda and the buffer for thirty minutes or until satisfied with removal. Last I scrubbed down with the Tree Huts Shea Sugar scrub. It smells WONDERFUL and costs less than $5. By the way, at this point your buffer will be on its last leg and your tub will look gross!! I just scrubbed the tub while I was in there. Lastly, I shaved, and then used the Olay Daily Exfoliating body wash in the shower. I applied I love Cosmetic's "I love coconuts & cream" and my skin felt heavenly. In fact, even if you don't have a botched tan, I would still recommend this routine just to remove dry dead skin cells and make your skin soft and pretty. It works amazingly and you can get all the products listed (aside from the BeautiControl) at Wal-Mart.

Think Twice

A "Save your Money Monday" on a Monday? I know. Shocking. But, here it is. This post is a little different in that I am not saying the product is bad, but the actual color. I love Wet N Wild matte lipsticks. They are long wear. A little dry sometimes, but overall nice for $2. Normally, I buy the shade "Bare it All". In fact, I have three times. It is a good color and product. For weeks, I have debated about getting "Think Pink." It looked so pretty, but it is oh so wrong. ***refer to pictures below**** Aaaahhhh! If I ever need a shade of lipstick that says,"I'm kind of a sleaze, I am now officially set." Unfortunately, at no point in my life have I ever wanted to advertise such a thing. At least it was only $2 I wasted this time!

Drum roll please

I know I have talked about Maybelline's BB cream before, but by accident, or fate (you decide), I discovered it becomes even more dreamy when paired with Mary Kay Mineral powder. Side note: Mary Kay Mineral and loose powder both rock!! O.k. so recently, in the sleep versus beauty daily fight, sleep won....... again. Alas, I wake up throwing on clothes and make up, saying sailor words, yelling, and running late. I did not have time for make up but I was going to work and I hate going to work without it so I threw on my BB cream, saw the powder, brushed it on, stopped........
took a second look and thought, daaaaaaaammmmmm........lama dingdong that worked wonders!" So, there you have it. Go find yourself a Mary Kay consultant and your face will thank you.

Favorite Neutrals

I am pretty sure I have talked about all of these products before, but I figured I would talk a little more about my current eye make up routine.

My favorite new product discovery is Maybelline's 25 hr Color Tattoo Metal Eye shadow. I have two shades but the one I use most is Barely Branded. I use it as a base. I don't think it looks as shimmery/shiney in person as it does in the pictures. It costs about $5.95.

I then use Hard Candy's Naturally Gorgeous palette. It has ten shades of brown and you can go very neutral or smokey with this palette.

I finish off with Maybelline mascara and Wet N Wild black gel liner.

A favorite

I know. I have been slacking on posting, but I have been sick and my son had a huge social studies project due. Busy, busy, busy!
Anyway, I am going to try to post a couple of things tonight, but as I was washing my face, I realized that I should share this product, so I am going to start out by talking about some Mary Kay. I have used this product in the past, but had ran out, so it has been awhile since I used it, but I just reordered it and oh my goodness I forgot how great it is!! It is Mary Kay's Velocity facial cleanser. It is an acne cleanser. Honestly, I think the product is aimed at teens/ young adults, but since my skin is a tad bit immature and acts like a teen with raging hormones and a thin mint addiction, this product really suits my rebellious skin and meets my needs. First and foremost, it removes my make up so need of doubling up on products. Two, it leaves your face feeling all nice and clean and THREE, it helps with the break outs. Yippy! And!!!! (Wait for it.......) It costs $10 and it lasts awhile, but you better find a MaryKay consultant because you are going to want more. It is great stuff.

Better late than never to save your money

Simple. Sensitive Skin Experts. Exfoliating facial wipes. Double sided cleansing action. I had big expectations for these and they were not met. In fact, I like Dollar General Make up Remover tissues better than these. I would rather rub my face down with sand paper and they definitely do not remove make up, not that it really even boasts those claims, but you'd think it could remove makeup....maybe?! I just didn't care for them.

Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline & some other stuff.

Last Friday, I posted about how to get flawless picture perfect make up with so many steps that no woman could or should do that on a daily basis. Yesterday, my mom asked, "What are you doing different to your skin? It looks amazing." Now, if you know my mom, you'd know she is very honest with me and so there must really be an improvement in my complexion or a decrease in her vision. One of the two?! Of course, she made the joke about me painting on a porcelain face, but yesterday I was slacking in the make up department, so I know it wasn't that! I have decided to share my daily routine when it comes to cleaning my face and general daily make up routine.

My nighttime routine:
I recently discovered Maybelline The Flash Clean Makeup Removing Lotion. I really, really like it. It goes on like a lotion and you wipe it off with a damp cloth to remove your makeup. It claims to remove makeup, cleanse, and moisturize in one. I don't know about all of that, but I do like it for a make up remover. It is even gentle on eyes; however, if my eye make up isn't wanting to come off I use Maybelline Clean Express Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover.
To cleanse my face, I use one pump of Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and one pump of Clean & Clear Advantage 3-in-1 foaming acne wash. I am not sure if Cetaphil has their own acne solutions line, but at the time of the purchase I did not see any and I had the Clean and Clear leftover from before the purchase. The Clean & Clear has Salicylic Acid in it, which helps prevent breakouts.
If I am feeling overly ambitious, I finish with a moisturizer and like I mentioned in a previous post, I have been trying out Garnier Moisture Rescue.

My morning routine:

I usually just splash water on my face or I might use some MaryKay Blemish toner if my face feels ick.
Then, I have been using Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream. I either wear it alone or under my Revlon PhotoReady foundation. I started doing this because Revlon PhotoReady does not contain an SPF, which is ridiculous. Maybelline BB cream has an SPF of 30! Heck yes for protecting our faces from the sun!
After I do all that, I apply eye make per my enthusiasm and I never do much with my lips except some lip gloss.

Dupe shupa dupe

I found a pretty nice drugstore dupe to one of my all time favorite products. I love, love, love Clinique Moisture Surge and I have used it for years (when I could afford it). Since I have used it since high school, there were some years during college and when I first got married that I couldn't use it. It costs approximately $40 per 1.7 ounces. I have never tried to find a replacement for it though. If I couldn't afford it, I just went without it or any other moisturizer. I would always bank on a Clinique sale offering me some in a sample to pull me through.
Recently, Garnier has been running a lot of coupons and I have read a lot of good things about their products, so I decided to try their Moisture Rescue for dry skin. Mostly because it looked so much like Moisture Surge by Clinique. And low and behold, a dupe was found. It is really quite similar. I don't think it feels as "smooth", but it is $8 (sometimes cheaper if you find a coupon like I did). I mean for $32 worth of savings, I think I can deal with a slight difference. I would not expect it to be a perfect dupe for the price difference, but dang, it is so close!
Check it out. It is worth it!

Save your Money Monday: DG Eye Makeup Remover

I decided to try some Dollar General eye make up remover and make up remover whips. I think together, they cost $5, so not a lot of money to waste. I figured if I could find awesome products at the Dollar Tree, I might find some hidden secret magic eye make up remover at the Dollar General. In this case, it was a big, fat no. Don't bother. Just spend the extra $2.50 or so and try a different drugstore option. The make up remover whips were o.k., but they work better at cleaning off your product containers than getting make up off your face. I would say for $2.50 though, they are worth it to clean up make up brushes and palettes.

How to get flawless skin

O.k. ladies, if you too have imperfect skin and are looking for a way to have beautiful flawless skin, I know what it takes! It is rather simple really and anyone can do it. All you have to do is paint on a new face. Oh, you may be laughing now, but after you read this product list and procedure, you'll be quoting Sweet Brown, "Oh Lord Jesus.....Ain't nobody got time for that."
And no, this is not my everyday routine, I am lucky if I get in two of these steps, because I am a mom and I ain't got no time for that neither. However! There are times in my life in which I want to look all pretty and I am willing to take a little extra time to do so.......like for weddings, photographs, date nights, or when I just want others to be undoubtedly aware of my flawlessness. That sounded vain. Blame my hairdresser. She gave me this sassy new do and now, I go around like I own the world.
O.k. I will stop blowing smoke and let you in on how to get this done. I recently discovered this technique. I owned and used all these products individually. Some of them, like the bronzer, I use almost everyday and others I bought just to try out for fun, like the BB Cream and E.L.F. coversticks, but recently while getting ready for a wedding, I discovered a routine that got me a lot of compliments so I decided to share that discovery.


Step 1:
Get out the primers. I have been using E.L.F. Mineral Infused Primer $6 and Wet N Wild's Fergie "Take on the Day" Eyeshadow Primer $4.99.
Smear those on your face and let them dry.


Step 2:
Use a BB Cream. This will even skintone. I used Maybelline Dream Fresh in Light Sheer $9.99. It has an SPF 30. Yeah, you are going down damaging sunrays!!! (I haven't discovered a favorite BB cream yet so I will have to report back. Those of you that don't like a lot of make up would probably like this stuff).

Step 3:
Conceal, conceal, conceal. You will probably repeat using these products but start now. BeautiControl Extra Help (approximately $12) is great for really bad complexion days, but I didn't use it today. I used an E.L.F. All Over Cover Stick in Rosy Beige $1 (I also have a cover stick in persimmon that is a good under eye concealer & highlighter in later steps) and Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser/ Concealer approximately $6. Apply to problem areas: under eyes, around nose, red areas and zits.

Step 4: E.L.F. Tone Correcting Powder. $3. This stuff is amazing. Mix colors and apply all over with a bronzing brush or use the separate shades to correct imperfections.

Step 5: Highlight under eye with E.L.F. Coverstick in Persimmon and then apply foundation with a foundation brush. This is where you literally paint on the new face. For this I use Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in shade 200 Sand Beige approx. $12.99. It is a heavy makeup so I only wear this for special occasions. Let it dry before proceeding.

What step am I on?
Step 6: Apply any additional concealer, usually one more time under eyes for good measure and then use E.L.F. Translucent Matifying Powder. $3. Another great E.L.F. product that actually sets your make up.

Step 7: This is pretty much the putting on the finishing touches step. Apply a bronzer. My favorite is NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in shade 720A Sunny. $2.99. I think it would work for almost anyone.
Last apply your favorite blush. I have been using an E.L.F one $3 and as much as I love my E.L.F. products, I don't really care for it. It is in shade Tickled Pink. It is o.k., but a little too pale and dry for me.

Optional: Step 8: Spray face with E.L.F. Makeup Mist & Set. $3 It contains aloe, Green tea, and Vitamins A, C, & E. This isn't really necessary, but adds a little extra moisture and sets makeup. It just feels nice.
Now, you have to put on the rest of your face like lipstick and eye make up. So, I suggest using Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded (approx. $6) as a base to start your eyeshadow routine.



Phew, hope you had time to read all that. Now, go be flawless and beautiful. ;)

**please excuse the unfinished look of no eye make up or lipstick** ;)

Favorite Foundation

Revlon PhotoReady is my favorite drugstore foundation for everyday wear. I have worn a few of the shades depending on the time of year and how tan, or more often how not tan I am and they always blend so nice. I have a pretty neutral skintone though that doesn't have a lot of yellow/olive or pink/ orange undertones. I have read other reviews say that with certain undertones that Revlon does not offer a lot of shade options, but for me it matches and blends very well. It wears well and does not cause breakouts. My biggest complaint about any drugstore foundation is trying to find the right match when you cannot test the product,  but I was recently told Walgreen's will return open makeup products if you do not like them. I am not sure how true this is or how many other stores have this policy, but it is definitely worth looking into if you are trying out a foundation for the first time.

Neutrogena Skin Clearing Make up Review

Since I missed "Save Your Money Monday," I guess we will go with a "Try at your own Risk Tuesday." Good title, right? The topic of this post is Neutrogena Skin Clearing oil-free makeup with Microclear technology. It claims to have a blemish treatment and contains Salicylic Acid. This make up has been out for awhile and may have went extinct for all I know or care. I am pretty sure this bottle is expired and I am pretty positive the reason the bottle is still almost full is because I did not like it. I obviously purchased this in the summer because it is in the shade of Fresh Beige. I believe I bought this when I was first trying to find a drugstore foundation alternative to my usual Clinique foundations. LOVE Clinique foundations by the way. A lot of them! But ANYWAY, I am sure my hope was that Neutrogena's Skin Clearing foundation would be a replacement for my Clinique Acne Solutions foundation. It wasn't and while, I cannot remember much about this foundation, I do know that it could never compare to Clinique. It swatches super dark and seems orangey after drying and boy, oh boy did that swatch dry. I would wager to bet it also sucks the moisture right off your face, so if I were you, I'd save my money on this product no matter what day of the week it is! Check back tomorrow to find out what drugstore foundation I did find that works great as an alternative to my beloved Clinique.

Smokey Eyes in 10 minutes or less for Under $10

This is for a friend of mine. I wanted to make it more of a tutorial but it didn't work out as well as planned so for now, this is more of a checklist and review of products needed to get a smokey eye look without paying a fortune since I know my friend would never spend a ton of money on make up. You will only need three products and a couple of make up brushes.
My first suggestion is to pick out an eye shadow palette. There are lots of high end and drugstore options, but for the pictures you will see in this post, I used a Michael Giordano Colors palette. I got it for 99 cents at Walgreen's and for fifteen shades with enough pigment to get a smokey eye look, it is probably the best deal around.
To get the smokey eye look. You will begin with one of the lightest shades. I prefer one that closely matches your natural skin tone. You will put this shade all over your lid and up to your brow line then you will pick the second darkest shade and put it all over your lid up to eyelid crease (usually a brown or grey), followed by the darkest shade on the outer part of the lid and eye crease (usually a matte dark brown or black) and last use the second lightest shade to highlight your inner lid (usually something with shimmer).
The second product I would recommend is a gel liner. One of the best is also the cheapest and that is Wet N Wilds Black Gel Liner. I believe it costs $1.99-2.99. It is currently kind of hard to find because of Fergie's new line. You want the original Wet N Wild gel liner, not the limited edition Fergie kind.
When applying the eye liner you can use an eyeliner brush to get liner close to lashes for a fuller look. I line completely around my eye.
The last product you need to finish the look is a Maybelline mascara; whichever you like will probably work, because Maybelline makes awesome mascara. But, for this look, I used Maybelline Express Falsies Blackest Black mascara. My favorite is Maybelline Express Turbo Volume in Blackest Black. Most Maybelline mascaras cost between $5-$7 and coupons are usually easy to find to get them even cheaper.
When applying the mascara lift lashes and try to apply to all lashes, let dry and apply another layer.
Lastly, if you want to ensure your eye shadows are dark and stay put, you can go over the $10 budget and buy an eye primer. For this, I would recommend the limited edition Fergie eye primer called Take on the Day Eyeshadow primer, which you apply all over eye lid up to brow and even under the eye before following the above mentioned steps.
And that's it. I didn't even use expensive brushes. I used a couple that I bought at the Dollar Store for $1 each. Once you get the hang of it, you can accomplish this look in ten minutes or less.

Save Your Money Monday

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Compact Make up. It has an spf of 55, which is awesome for summer. If it was not so oily, thick and horrible to blend. Save your money on this messy make up.

Hard Candy Pallette in Naturally Gorgeous

Hard Candy just came out with a bunch of new palettes and they are only $6 each. I picked this one up to try and it isn't bad for $6, though some of the colors swatch in pretty much the exact same shade so that's a little odd and pointless, but overall, good for the money.