• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

walgreens

Sleek and Chic: 3 Easy Party Hairstyles

March 13th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments



This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

It used to seem like I had endless amounts of time to get all dolled up for different things, like parties, dancing and baby showers, but now? What I wouldn’t give to have a whole afternoon to get ready.

These days, on the rare occasions when I actually do have something to get dressed up for, it seems like I’m always rushing. I’m lucky to have enough time to fill in my brows, let alone do something special with my hair.

Still, even when I am rushing, running ragged and far behind, the last thing I want to do with my ‘do is just throw on a hat and call it a day (although I am totally guilty of doing exactly that more than a few times).

When all I can swing is 5-10 minutes on hair, I’ll shoot for one of these three quick party hairstyles. Each one is light on muss and fuss, and can be done with styling products from the drugstore.

First things first: the prep work.

This stuff is güd

Assuming a shower isn’t completely off the table, I like to start with one, and lately I’ve been bringing two products by güd from Burt’s Bees with me.

I love how citrusy Orange Petalooza Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner smell ($6.99 each), and the combo leaves my hair feeling silky soft, lightweight and conditioned.

If I had my druthers, I’d always air dry my hair, but sometimes that’s not an option. Hair dryers do speed up the process, and when I’m going to use one, I try to work in a heat protecting product, like the new Suave Keratin Infusion Heat Defense Leave-In Conditioner ($3.49), to protect against heat styling damage.

When I can’t squeeze in a shower at all, well, that’s when I turn to dry shampoo. Definitely not ideal, but the good ones do freshen my ‘do and give some lift to my roots. I really like Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo. It’s designed for all hair types and costs just $3.49.

With the prep work done, it’s time to pick our hairstyle! 🙂

1. Retro in a rush

I’ve been wearing my hair a lot like this lately. I call it my “Ode to Mad Men,” and it’s kind of a rushed take on an old-school beehive.

I start by parting my bangs to the side, but if you don’t have bangs, just take about a two-inch chunk of hair in that same area, and part it to the side. Then, to get the look of long side-swept bangs, secure the chunk in place with bobby pins, like the Styling Essentials Bobby Pins by Conair ($1.39).

Next, I put my hair into a low ponytail secured with an elastic ponytail holder in a color that matches my mane. I like Goody Ouchless Gentle Hair Elastics, 1) because a pack of 27 costs just $3.99, and 2) they don’t break my strands when I pull them out.

To build some height at my crown, I grab a pencil (here, I’m actually using an eyeliner), stick it into the roots up there, and then gently pull up to loosen the style and create some height.

I don’t usually worry about it looking too neat, because with this style, I kind of like how it looks a little undone.


[Continue reading…]

There are 29 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Beauty Tips, Drugstore Beauty Finds, Hair Keywords: sponsored post, walgreens

Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Makeup to Last Through Rain, Sleet or Snow

February 14th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments



Makeup to Last Through Rain, Sleet or Snow

This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

Yesterday I wasn’t quite singin’ in the rain, but I did hum as I walked in it. 🙂

Yep, it’s been raining here in Northern California (Sunday night was even stormy!), and I’ve been doing my best to stay dry. I’ve been mostly successful at it, too, except for an incident yesterday…

I had to brave the elements to run a few errands, and when I walked under an awning outside, one of those streams of 33-degree almost-freezing water shot straight down the back of my top.

I could have screamed! And I almost did, but I talked myself down by thinking about some of my favorite makeup for inclement weather.

Products like…

1. Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Waterproof Mascara, $8.49

A friend of mine who works for a high-end makeup brand turned me on to this budget bad boy. We were commiserating one afternoon by email about our short, stumpy lashes when she confessed her love for Maybelline’s Full ‘N Soft Waterproof Mascara.

It’s also become a flake-free, smudge-resistant favorite of mine, thanks to sweaty yoga workouts and rainy days. Not only does it plump and lengthen, it also keeps my curled lashes lifted all day long.

2. Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer, $7.49 each

Rimmel’s Eye Definers have superhuman strength, because once they latch on to my lash and water lines, they don’t let go!


Clockwise from the gold shade on the lower left: Precious Gold, Purple Shock, Deep Ocean and Emerald Sparkle

I love the fun, funky shades, but Rimmel also included a couple of conservative colors for good measure (like black and brown).

3. L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows, $7.99 each

Not quite a cream or a powder, these spongy new potted shadows feel soft to the touch. Waterproof, sweatproof and crease-resistant, too, the Infallible Eyeshadows are also easy to apply with a finger, which makes ’em prime candidates for rainy days when I’m in a rush.


From the left: Golden Sage, Perpetual Purple, Iced Latte, Continuous Cooca, Sultry Smoke and Eternal Black

4. Revlon Cream Blush in Rosy Glow, $9.99

I like to apply this sheer pink cream blush beneath my powder blushes when I know I’m heading out in the rain. Rosy Glow gives the staying power of other cheek products a boost.


[Continue reading…]

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To Keywords: sponsored post, walgreens

New Year, New You: Jump Start Your Style with These Five Lip Looks

January 17th, 2012 by Karen 58 Comments



This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

Don’t you just love fresh starts and clean slates? I do! — and that’s what Januarys (and sometimes Februarys) are all about. New year, new excuse/opportunity to try something new, like perhaps pink streaks in your hair. 🙂

But say you’re not quite ready for a full-on commitment to a funky hair color. No problem. You can still freshen up your look, starting with your lips (and you don’t have to spend a small fortune).

Thanks to drugstore beauty aisles and brands like Revlon, Rimmel, Covergirl, Jordana and Maybelline, your new lip look could be less than $10 away.

Here are five affordable lip looks to give you some ideas…

1. A bright reddish pink

Nothing says “new start” like a bright reddish pink, unless you apply Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry ($7.79) atop Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 12 ($5.99), in which case it says it in all caps, with an exclamation mark, like this: “NEW START!”


Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry on the left and Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 12 on the right


Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry on the left and Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 12 on the right

2. A shimmery golden pink

How about a tender touch? Something soft and romantic, like a shimmery rosy peach? Here, I mixed both of the colors from Covergirl’s new Blast Flipstick in Snap ($9.79) and topped them with Jordana’s Lip Out Loud Super Shiny Gloss in TTYL ($1.99).


Jordana Lip Out Loud Super Shiny Gloss in TTYL on the top and Covergirl Blast Flipstick in Snap on the bottom


The two colors from the Covergirl Blast Flipstick in Snap (far left and center) and Jordana Lip Out Loud Super Shiny Gloss in TTYL (far right)
[Continue reading…]

There are 58 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup Keywords: sponsored post, walgreens

A Few Fab Foundations for Flawless Skin This Fall

October 18th, 2011 by Karen 47 Comments



Foundations for a Fab Fall

This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

As much as I love easy, breezy makeup and tinted moisturizers in summer, I always look forward to fuller coverage products, darker colors and matte textures each fall.

There’s a season for everything, and for me, fall means dressy, dramatic, and oh so much fun — like moody lipsticks, darker nail polishes, cozy fragrances and seductive smokey eyes.

Here are a few drugstore foundations to go with your fabulous formal makeup looks this fall.

1. L’Oréal Visible Lift Smooth Absolute Instant Age-Reversing Foundation SPF 17

Because it gets hotter here in summer than Ryan Gosling’s rippled abs, I usually wear sheer, lightweight makeup like tinted moisturizers and face tints, but when fall rolls around and the temperature drops, I like to switch to liquid, cream and powder foundations (and sometimes stick) for coverage from medium to full.

L’Oréal Visible Lift Smooth Absolute Instant Age-Reversing Foundation SPF 17 ($15.99; available in seven shades), one of my favorite drugstore liquid foundations, offers long-lasting, medium-to-full coverage that doesn’t look like cake, and I also think it photographs really well.

TIP: Because you can’t always test foundations at the drugstore, pale pretties might want to look for colors labeled beige or buff; gals with medium skin tones should opt for warm, medium or golden shades; and darker damsels should seek out colors labeled tan, sable or chestnut.


Sand Beige (left) and Sun Beige (right)


[Continue reading…]

There are 47 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Keywords: sponsored post, walgreens

Fabulous Fall Skin in a Flash: Look Polished and Put Together with These Beauty Bargains

October 11th, 2011 by Karen 53 Comments



This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

There I was, just minding my own business in front of the house yesterday, enjoying a brief respite from the recent rains and daydreaming about some of my favorite fall noms, like candy corn, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes (Mmm… gravy), when it hit me: CRAP! I have a ton of stuff to do this month.

Summer lulled me into a trap, and now I’m paying the price. I spent so much time lounging around, lapping up the sunshine and generally doing everything at a slightly slower pace that now I feel unprepared for fall.

BAM! Now there are cat costumes to find, pumpkins to carve, presents to buy, cards to send and recipes to perfect before Thanksgiving. This fall, if you’re trying to make the most of your budget and your time (while saving up for your cat’s Christmas present), look no further than these beauty bargains for eyes, cheeks and lips.

Eyes

  • Jordana Easyliner Retractable Eye Liner Pencils ($1.99) — Shave minutes from your morning routine with these creamy, pigmented pencil liners. They’re twist-ups, so no sharpening required. For a quick smokey look that lasts, I’ll line my lash and water lines with my favorite shade, Eggplant (a dark purplish brown), and smudge out the edges with a Q-Tip or brush.
  • Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover ($6.99) — Sauron says, “It’s the drugstore eye makeup remover to rule them all!” Rimmel Extra Gentle whisks away makeup like an Olympic sprinter, and it even works without rinsing. I use it all the time to remove excess mascara on my lids (which seems to happen, like, every morning!).

Cheeks

  • Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer ($12.99) — I’ve been a huge fan of these powder duos forever! Each of the four pans — Raisin Glow, Posie Glow, Natural Glow and Rosy Glow — comes with an easy-to-blend blush and a bronzer, side by side, so no more having to hunt and peck for your cheek products. I feel like my favorite of the bunch, Rosy Glow, lights up my complexion without looking overdone.

[Continue reading…]

There are 53 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To Keywords: sponsored post, walgreens

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

About Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

SHOP THE STORE


Long Live Lipstick Tee 💄



Blush Is My Crush Tee



Mascara & Kitties Tee



Thank You For Being a Friend Tee



You Hair Me Tee


Recent Posts

honest beauty get it together eye palette

Mauve Smokey Eyes | Day 2 With the Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette

honest beauty get it together eyeshadow palette

A Soft, Springy Plum Look With Bronze and Mocha (and Warm Nude Lips)

you will figure it out

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 666

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 647

tray of play food

Saturday Surfing, February 20, 2021

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

red brown smokey eyes tutorial top pic 2

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips [MODERATE SKILL LEVEL]

Copyright © 2020 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.