Favorite drugstore beauty buys of 2011

Happy new year everyone!

Are you broke from Christmas? Want to treat yourself to a little something without breaking your wallet?

Well, I've got a list here of inexpensive but awesome drugstore products for those that want to be beautiful on a budget.

This is not my top 2011 list (that is coming soon) but these are all really good products and I'd recommend trying them!


From left to right:

• Cover Girl Lash Blast 24 Hr $9.99 CAD
  This literally blew me out of the water! I almost gave up on drugstore mascaras, until I tried this. It lengthens and volumizes all while holding a curl like nothing else! It stays on all day without flaking or smudging.

• Wet n Wild coloricon palette in greed $6.99 CAD
  Almost every color in this palette is a MAC dupe, and the quality of the shadows in lust are by far superior to those in other WnW palettes I've tried. This also looks amazing with green eyes!

• NYC smooth skin pressed powder in translucent $2.99 CAD
  One of my all time favorite powders ever. It's very light and doesn't oxidize, doesn't emphasize dry skin like so many powders do and it covers pores for a flawless look. You really can't go wrong with this.

• Maybelline super stay 14 hr lipstick in beige forgood $10.99 CAD
  This color is a fantastic neutral beige nude. It stays on for hours and doesn't dry my lips out. This is one of my top lipsticks right now.

• Maybelline baby lips lip balm in peach kiss $3.97 CAD
  Although the artificial scent and taste aren't to my liking, this is a nice light hydrating balm to wear by itself or under lipstick. I have found since using this daily my lips do not feel as dry or chapped as before.

• Cover girl lip perfection lipstick in romance $ 8.99 CAD
  I was pleasantly surprised to find lip perfection lipsticks are super pigmented and rich. They last a while and hydrate, it's hard to believe these are made by cover girl. Romance is a lovely pinked mauve shade with slight shimmer, it looks great on pale skin!

• Maybelline color tattoo 24hr cream gel eyeshadows $6.97 CAD
  These cream eyeshadows are just super. I love my MAC paint pots but these are just as good. You can see more about them here.

• Revlon colorstay blemish concealer with softflex $10.99 CAD
  This is the best concealer I have found that covers minor imperfections and redness. I always feel better after I put it on because I know it won't come off until I decide to take it off. The amount of Salicylic acid is too low to have any anti-acne benefits but this is still a great choice if you want to keep covered all day.

Well that's all for now, do you like any of these drugstore picks?

Three great bronzers for pale skin with photos and swatches

Guess what? Pale girls can wear bronzer too. It's totally possible.

For the first time in my entire life I went out and bought some bronzers to play with. I've never bothered with it before because 1) I love vampire white skin 2) I never saw a need for it and 3) They always look so orange and disgusting on my skin.

Well, this winter I was pasty and white and felt I was just looking a bit dull. I needed some warmth in my face and blush just wasn't doing it.
That's when I figured I should try and find a bronzer for my skin tone.
When I tried it I actually saw my face come alive with some glow! I guess that's why bronzer is so popular.

For reference here is my face without any blush or bronzer, just foundation:

My skin is extremely pale, most foundations are way too dark. I have blue and green veins so my undertone is neutral (a mix of cool/warm).
My best match in foundation is L'oreal true match N1 porcelain ivory. It is the exact color of my skin. You can imagine how hard it is to find a bronzer that doesn't look orange on my skin!

Well here is me wearing MAC 'bronze' bronzer, (quite heavily) sorry it's blurry but I was pouting too much in the other shots:

Pretty big difference a sun kissed look can give! It definitely perks up my skin and makes it look more 'alive'.
Here are 3 different bronzers with different tones that I would recommend to pale ladies and gentlemen such as myself. They are all quite affordable and easy to find.

Maybelline bronzer 01 sunlight $7.99 CAD

This is the very palest bronzer I could find. It is a light golden tan with shimmer. It isn't very pigmented but it's great for a subtle look. The shimmer isn't over the top but it is noticeable, so if you don't like shimmer than this isn't for you.
This would suit fair to very fair neutral, warm and olive/yellow skin tones best.

Maybelline sunlight swatch:

Wearing sunlight:

New York Color smooth skin bronzing face powder in sunny 720 $3.99 CAD

I picked this up on a whim because it's so inexpensive, and it turns out that it's pretty great!
The base color is medium brown, and it's got some warm orange and red tones to it but they aren't too much. You can layer to get a more sun baked look, or use lightly for a little bit of color.
The finish is matte, no sparkle or shimmer here. It looks quite natural.
I think this would suit fair to medium warm, olive and neutral skin perfectly.
This might not work for cool skin tones as it could bring out any redness or pink undertones.

Wearing NYC sunny bronzer:

MAC bronze bronzing powder (pictured in limited edition packaging) $27.50 CAD

I think MAC bronze bronzer is my favorite of the bunch. I really like the finish, because it is a little shimmery yet not noticeable on the face. It looks more glowy than anything.
The color is perfect, it's a nice deep brown bronze with a very subtle golden orange tone.
I would have to say that this would suit almost any skin tone. It's quite neutral and can be layered to deepen the color. When applied lightly it can look great on even the whitest skin.

Wearing MAC bronze bronzing powder :

There are a lot of bronzing powders out there and they are hit and miss. It's challenging to find the right tone that doesn't make you look fake.
I find it easiest to apply bronzer with a large skunk brush, since it doesn't pick up much product. That way I can use just a little at a time to ensure I don't put too much on.
Sun kissed skin is beautiful, and using bronzer instead of tanning can save your skin from harmful UV rays and irreversible damage (like age spots and wrinkles!).

You can even use bronzing powder on your body in the summer, to achieve a contoured glow without risking your skin. Just invest in a large brush so you can cover more area.
I love to use Lush Charlotte island body tint. I mix it with my moisturizer and it leaves just a hint of color on my skin. It also smells like chocolate! It's very nice because self tanners tend to smell horribly. I will never touch them again with a ten foot pole because they make me orange.

I hope this has been helpful, I know it's hard for pale people to get a nice fake tan! But it is possible :)