Clinique: Eye Shadow Quad

Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad

(Photo courtesy of clinique.com)

I've tried a lot of eye shadows in my life. As a middle schooler, the first makeup my mom let me have was shadow (well after lip gloss that is.) This palette was given to me by a friend who no longer wanted it. The palette comes in a variety of colors and runs around $27 by Clinique. This product is 100% worth it. Some shadows I've tried either go on uneven or don't last throughout the day. This stuff stays exactly where I put it. It's easy to brush on and is just overall a good shadow. It is definitely worth the investment.

After trying the palette, my friend actually got a couple single palettes of a few of the colors in the quad. I have one that includes rum spice, champagne and two other colors. They're great for everyday use and for nights on the town. With some great liner and mascara, this shadow definitely counts as one of my favorites.

Urban Decay: Naked Foundation

Urban Decay's Naked Foundation

(Photo courtesy of urbandecay.com)

This foundation has me both satisfied and confused. For $38 at Sephora, you get a large bottle with a ton of foundation for at least 6+ months. Price wise, I think I could do better at a department store, but up to this point, I haven't found a good color match with department store brands. The color match is amazing on my skin and blends easily. The only issue I have with this is its setting power. I use a powder over it to set my foundation, but if its warm outside or I sweat, this stuff is gone faster than I can breathe!

It covers well and has excellent color matching, however I think I may be on the look out for a different foundation once this stuff is gone. I have generally combination skin and this stuff is a bit more oily than I'd like. I usually have to reapply midday since by then, my blush is completely gone. Overall, I think I may look into UD's other products or at least something with the same color, but not this stuff. I might be more successful with a foundation powder rather than a liquid.

This stuff also strongly smells like rum. I kid you not. I opened the bottle the first time and it took me a bit to place the smell, but I asked my roommate and she agreed. So if you can't stand a bit of a rum smell in the morning, this may not be the foundation for you.

Upcoming Products for Review

Look forward to hearing about:

Clinique's Eyeshadow
Urban Decay's NAKED foundation
Aerie's Underwear
Aerie Yoga Pants
Neutrogena's Makeup Remover
Maybelline's Plush Mascara
Maybelline's Discontinuned Define-A-Line Eyeliner
Liquid Eyeliner
Victoria Secret's Thongs
Maybelline Concealer
EcoTool's brushes
CoverGirl blush

and a ton more!

Maybelline: Lasting Drama Eyeliner

Maybelline's Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

(Photo courtesy of thecosview.com)

For a girl with twitchy eyes while trying to do any liner, finding one that worked for me was a challenge. Luckily, I discovered Maybelline's Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner through YouTube. One of the makeup tutorials showed it and I figured I would give it a shot. I've had bad luck with liquid eyeliners and have more of a pencil type for my waterline.

This liner comes with its putt and a brush. You definitely want to keep the brush as clean as possible. I wipe it off after every use and store it where it won't get bent or messed up. Really, you should be doing this with every brush, but especially liner brushes. Unlike pencils or liquid liners, this gel liner needs the brush.

I found, with my twitchy eyes, the brush actually allowed for more control than a liquid liner or pencil. This eyeliner is extremely creamer which gives it the ability for an easy apply. I love this liner. It's super easy for everything, to wing, to draw a simple line, to do anything. It also lasts forever throughout the day. Unlike my pencil, this stuff does not smudge easily! I actually have to give it a good scrub by the end of the day to get it off, no matter which makeup remover I use.

This liner costs about $9 at your local CVS or Walgreens and lasts at least 6 months.

Victoria's Secret: Cotton Push Up Bra

VS's Cotton Lingerie Push Up Bra

(Photo courtesy of victoriassecret.com)

Forever we girls are always searching for a better bra. Something more comfortable, something cute, something convertible. We have a reason for each bra in our drawer. This one's for sexy times, this one's for my strapless shirts, this one's for anything white. Now Victoria's Secret isn't known to always be the most budget friendly, trust me I know. But what's important with VS is how you shop. The bra I'm reviewing here is one of their 2 for $49.50 deals and it's completely worth it. I now own 4 of them in cobalt, mint with animal print, white, and black and white falling daisies.

The first thing I said when I put this bra on was, I forgot I'm wearing a bra. It was one of the best feelings ever. Although I'm fairly small (34A), this bra worked perfectly. And it's not just good for the small girls. I have a friend who also became hooked the bra that's bigger than me.

One of the best things about this line is that VS has a full selection of different styles in their cotton lingerie line. Although I love the push up for what it gives me, they also have unlined and full coverage bras. I've washed my bras already a couple times and they definitely withstand the wash test. I've found that a few of VS's bras in the Body line pill and pucker after a few wears and washes. Not these! They still look completely new.

The bras range in prints and colors, everything from nude to solid colors to exciting prints. It can be worn classic or crossback which makes the summer tank tops a lot easier to wear! I definitely fell in love with this bra for everyday wear and in the right color, I can definitely rock it for a night on the town.

Face Lotion: Enzymion from LUSH

LUSH's Enzymion

(Photo courtesy of lush.com)

This is one of my personal favorite products. For the longest time, I was looking for a good face lotion. It's hard to find  face lotions a lot of times because a lot of product lines don't recognize that your face needs different moisturizing than the rest of you. I've seen girls use hand or body lotion for their face and that's just really not a good idea. It's a much different world of oils on your face. One of the reasons I love Enzymion is that it's made to balance out oils so for those of us with a more oil based face, this stuff works wonders.

I try and apply it before bed and then about a half hour before I do makeup or else right after I get out of the shower. The reason being so that it's got some time to soak in. You don't want to put foundation over a newly moisturized face! This stuff is wicked easy to apply, just dip in a finger and dab on your face and spread it in.

This stuff has worked wonders on my usually temperamental face. It moisturizes where I need it to, but doesn't leave me with an oily residue. And one of the best parts is for the product's price of $39.95, the product lasts a bit over a year. And LUSH makes it easy to tell with its expiration date stamped on the bottom because since it is made homemade, it does need to be used in a reasonable time (which is typically about a year.)

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what's the difference between a Sephora product and one in the department store? Have you gone to a small beauty shop and wondered what made their homemade products different from anything else you've tried? And how about affording that all on a college budget?

My name's Kaitlyn and as a senior in college, I've been through the trial and errors of many beauty products. Some have become my best friend. Others have had me call foul. This blog's purpose is me going through my beauty products, clothes and anything else to help review them and help you make a decision on whether they're worth it or not. I'll post local prices and let you decide. I'll do anything from face lotion to eyeliners to bras. 

A bit about me:

I'm a 4'11, pale, small breasted girl. I typically range in a size 8 region and have some of the smallest hands and feet ever. (5.5/6 for shoes!) I have dark brown hair that I will NEVER dye and dark brown eyes, along with some freckles that come out in the spring and summer.