$20 Makeup Challenge: Neutral Eye

          So you all know about the $20 Makeup Challenge, I would say there is about a 1000000 of these on youtube. So I thought I would switch things up and do a blog version of this. There are probably 1000s of these out there too, but I figured "Hey, someone might just like to know what products they can get for under $20 to achieve a look they want!"

Face:

$6.99 (Retails for 7.99 but I used a $1 off coupon)

$3

Cheeks:

$0.69 (This was on clearance at Ulta)

Eyes:

$2.99

Lips:

$3.60 (Just wait for 40% Rimmel at Rite Aid) :)

Total: $17.27

          So can we do a natural look under $20? Yes! Now, for other looks under $20... stay tuned... :)

First Impression: E.L.F. Studio Baked Blush

          This is my review of the E.L.F. Studio Baked Blush. I have been wanting these FOREVER! I have 2 colors: Pinktastic (#83352) and Passion Pink (#83353). Pinktastic is a beautiful champange/golden highlight color and Passion Pink is a shimmery light pink. The only way to get these is on the ELF website.... or so I thought. I bought these off of the Walgreens website for 3 reasons. One being, I am an ebates member and Walgreens is apart of of ebates. Two, Walgreens was doing an extra 20% beauty products at the time of my purchase. Three, Walgreens had free shipping over $25+ purchase.

          According to the E.L.F. website, there are 4 colors in the Baked Blush line. I have Pinktastic and Passion Pink. They come in the standard black packaging for the E.L.F. studio line and cost $3 like more Studio Line items. There is 6g/0.21oz of product. These are only sold on the ELF website or the Walgreens website and are not in Target stores like most E.L.F. items.

          These are some of the claims the packaging makes about these blushes:

"The long-lasting formula provides a gorgeous, smooth, and even application.

Infused with active key ingredients Jojoba, Rose, Sunflower, Apricot and Grape to nourish and hydrate the skin.

The soft and shimmering color creates a natural healthy glow."

          Along with the claims, ELF also has directions on how to best apply these blushes. According to ELF, it is best to use a brush. If you want a more vibrant effect, you should dampen your brush first.

          As for the claims....
          Do I think it is long-lasting? Yes!
          Do I think it provides a gorgeous, smooth, and even application? Yes!
          Do I think it hydrates the skin? No, I don't think powders are hydrating.
          Do I think it creates a natural healthy glow? I think the glow can be quite unnatural if you apply way to much. So you must use a rather light hand to achieve this.

Some interesting facts about this product:

1. There are parabens in this product (Methylparaben). (Interestingly, it was in one but not the other).
2. E.L.F. does not test on animals. 

          As for my two cents on this product, I think they are quite beautiful. However, I don't think these can be worn as just blushes, especially not Pinktastic. They are so shimmery that it makes more sense that these be worn as highlighter and that is exactly what I did. Take a blush brush, apply the baked blush to the tops of your cheeks and BAM! you got an amazing glow! They definitely do last all day. Though it claims to have amazing hydrating qualities, I do not think it really hydrates the skin. It is hard to believe a powder product can hydrate the skin. I also don't like that you can only buy these online. Another thing..... I also noticed that Pinktastic was definitely more pigmented than Passion Pink. See for yourself....

Passion Pnk

Pinktastic

         I had to really work at Passion Pink to try to make it show up on my cheeks, but Pinktastic was effortless. They definitely come off more vibrant when dampen. I don't know about the other 2, but if it is variable then it makes it hard to buy because you don't know what kind of quality you are getting.

My Overall Rating: 85/100

If you have the other two, how do you like them??

How To... Be a Smart Blog Sale Shopper

           Blog Sale 101....WHAT WHAT!!

          So as you may have gathered from the title, this will be a post about how to be a smart shopper at online makeup blog sales. This will be your guide as to how to buy and make offers on products in a blog sale and how to get the best deals on makeup products.

          First off, why buy from a blog sale? Well, most of the time, products on a blog sales is way cheaper than if you bought it at a store. Who doesn't love to save money? Blog sales are like yard sales but for makeup. Most of the time you will find gently used products or even unused products. It really depends on the blog you shop at.

          Now you may ask, I want to shop a blog sale, where do I go? Most of the time I find my blog sales online. I use http://muablogsales.wordpress.com/ quite a lot. The girl that runs the blog will post almost everyday with new and updated blog sales. (Of course, when I make this post, the blog is on break as the girl that runs the blog is on vacation.) You can also find them just by googling blog sales or each search twitter using #blogsale or #blogsales or #makeupblogsale. Youtube is also a great resource as many people post videos of their blog sales instead of making a blog post.

          Now that you have found a blog sales, what is the next step? Well I guess that depends on you, what are you looking for? Here is my list of things that are okay to buy and what is NOT okay to buy in a blog sale:

What open products are safe to buy in a blog sale (from safest to least safest):

1. Any new and unopened products
2. Clothing and accessories
3. Body products (i.e. lotions, body wash, shampoos, conditioners, etc)
4. Face powder
5. Powder face products (i.e. foundation, bronzer, blush, highlighter)
6. Liquid face products
7. Powder eyeshadows in a pan
8. Pencil lip liners and eye liners
9. Lipstick
10. Anything that can be sanitized properly

What open products are NOT safe to buy in a blog sale:

1. Pen eye liners
2. Lip glosses
3. Cream eyeshadow
4. Eyeshadow that comes in a tube (i.c. NYC Sparkle eye dust)
5. Anything that cannot be reasonably/properly sanitized

           As you may notice, the safest thing to buy in a blog sale is a product that has not been opened or touched. These will have the least amount of contamination as they have not be used or have not been opened. The next are clothing items that can be easily washed or sanitized. Body products are next because most of the time, they have pumps to keep from contamination or are used on the body away from any openings. The same goes for makeup products. The farther away they are applied with openings (i.e. eyes and mouth) the safer they are. Powder products are safer than liquid products as they are easier to sanitize with alcohol than liquid products. Lip liners, eye liners, and lipsticks are at the bottom because these products come in direct contact with your eyeball or mouth. If you ever buy these last 3 products used, PLEASE discard the used bits then sanitize the product. I cannot stress the importance of hygiene when dealing with cosmetics. If you don't, you run the risk of contracting pink eye, herpes, or any bacteria infection. You don't know what the other person has and you don't want to find out when it is too late. 

          As for the what NOT to buy products, most of these should be obvious based on sanitary reasons. If it can give you a bacterial infection and you cannot sanitize it, don't buy it. You rather just pay it new yourself to protect yourself. 

          Great! Now that we have determined what is okay to buy, lets talk money! You will run into some basica fees: Shipping and additional items. Most of the time sellers will charge anywhere from $2 to $3.50 for shipping and $0.25 to $0.75 for additional items. So if you buy 2 items you will be charged say $3 and an extra $0.50. It is very rare for you to find a blog sale with free shipping and if you do, it will be already added to the items. You will also find that some sellers require a minimum purchase as well (sometimes $10 to $15).

          As for the items themselves, it depends on brand (drugstore vs. high-end) and the seller. I will say this... some sellers have no idea what economy is. So you must work extremely hard to find the deals. The way I judge if it is a good deal is:

1. If it is a new product, is the product plus shipping cheaper than if I went to the store and bought it myself?
2. If the product is gently used, is the price cut in half (with shipping included)?

          Normally, if they do not meet these criteria, I will not buy. There is absolutely no point in buying a used product that cost just as much as if I bought it new from a store or a new product that cost more than if I bought it in store. Some sellers don't have any idea of this, which led to my earlier comment. Now, you will find that sometimes, people sell hard to get items or discontinued items. If you are interested in those, my advice, how much is that product worth to you? In my experience, most of these sellers are selling authentic items. Most of the time, they are just regular people, hoping to make some extra cash. Sometimes you can make offers and maybe even negotiate a lower price!

          After you determine what you would like to buy, email the person! Ask if the items are still available and you are interested in buying them. Now would be the time to make offers. If you have any questions about the products or how reputable the seller is, now is also the time to inquire. 

          The items are available to buy, how do I pay? Well, Paypal will be your source of payment. If you are unfamiliar with Paypal, it is an online service that links with your checking account and pays other people for you. Paypal will have access to your account and with your permission, it takes money out of it to pay people. YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE ANYONE YOUR CREDIT CARD/DEBIT CARD/CHECKING ACCOUNT NUMBERS IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!! This is why most people use Paypal, it protects the buyer and the seller. 

          Now that you purchased your products, what now? Well that's it! Just wait for your products to arrive! Once they do, SANITIZE and ENJOY! :)

If you have any questions, post a comment! )