Brand New Perfect Red Lipstick from Milani Cosmetics

A brand new lipstick from Milani--it's not even on their NEW product list on their website yet! It's called Perfect Red Lipstick (not to be confused with their regular Color Perfect lipstick line that comes in an array of colors) and I purchased it at my local CVS for $5.49.

The lipstick is housed in this adorably chic gold and silver-detailed container, which definitely doesn't look like something you can pick up in a drugstore.

Milani's Perfect Red lipstick comes in only one red color, and it claims that it reacts with your body's pH level to create your perfect red.

Well--does it work? After swatching on my hand as well as using it on my lips, I didn't see much of a color difference than it was in the tube. Granted, this is a product that will supposedly work differently depending on the individual, so maybe it was already my perfect red color? The formula of the lipstick is extremely glossy, which makes it more wearable than a matte-type lipstick, but can pose some problems since it can easily smudge and smear, and will probably need touch-ups during the day.

I think this Milani lipstick is worth a try. I suggest purchasing it at a drugstore that has a great return policy on cosmetics, such as CVS. Have you seen this lipstick at your drugstore? Did you have different results than I did?

NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Review / Swatches

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils can be used an eyeshadow, an eyeshadow base, or an eyeliner!

I buy my pencils at Harmon (my local one doesn't have the full collection of colors), but you can also get them at Ulta or NYX's website. Each pencil is around $3.50. They are creamy, blendable and a quick, easy way to do your makeup and get out of the door!

Left to right: Yogurt (#611), Gold (#612), Strawberry Milk (#605), Milk (#604), Dark Brown (#602), and Black Bean (#601). A full list of colors (although the website's swatches are not true to color) are available at the NYX website link above.

Allure Magazine March 2010 Maybelline Eyestudio Ad

The current issue of Allure magazine (March 2010 with Jessica Simpson on the cover) is full of makeup tips and inspiration! Page 46-47 is my favorite, which is an advertisment for Maybelline NY Eyestudio!

The page has sticker tabs consisting of all 12 of their Color Plush silk eyeshadow collection colors palettes, and all four colors of their Lasting Drama gel eyeliner collection.

Here I marked page 146 with one of the sticker tabs. It's an article called "Shadow and Fog" and tells you how to wear Maybelline's swirled eye shadows!

Normally I would leave the picture as my blog uploads pictures, which is a clickable link that zooms in the picture, but for this particular one I disable it. You'll have to pick up this copy of Allure yourself! I bet you'll find all new ways to wear Maybelline's swirled eyeshadows!

Bellaboo Natural Skin Care Brand Review

Bellaboo is a brand of skin care from Australia targeted for teens, but of course can be used by anyone! The products are made with 99.5% natural ingredients, and have no parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals, artificial colors or fragrances, mineral oils, or animal-derived chemicals.

The squeeze tube bottles look like this, with #1 being the cleanser, #2 the exfoliator and #3 the moisturizer.

The cleaner is a clear liquid that works into a nice lather. The exfoliator has beads that slough away dead skin suspended in a a cream type cleanser. All three products have a natural green tea/herb scent due to the natural botanicals in it. If you've ever tried Dermatological products, the scent is very similar.

The only problem I had with the skincare product was that it says "no mineral oils" but that does not mean it is completely free of oils. I had to stop using the face moisturizer because the natural oils in it made me break out, so unless your skin can tolerate it and is not prone to breaking out, I wouldn't suggest this moisturizer. Otherwise, the cleanser and exfoliator are very gentle and effective!

You can get to the website by clicking here. You can find the products right now at Rite Aid, which carries full sizes of the cleaner, exfoliator and moisturizer for $10 each, or you can purchase a travel size kit of all three for $10. The website has slightly higher prices than Rite Aid does, but they also carry products that aren't available in stores, such as their serum and mask.

Bellaboo is definitely worth checking out because it's natural and we all know our skin could use a break from makeup and other harsh cleaners!

Awesome Makeup Organizer

Want a great, cheap and easy way to store your cosmetics of all shapes and sizes? Try a craft or scrapbook organizing tote! The intended use is to store paper, trims, markers, scissors and stickers to scrapbook with, which makes them perfect candidates to hold eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascaras, powders and more!

You can get these at any craft store (Michaels, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, etc.). This one was originally a little more than $20, but I had a 60% off any one item coupon at Michaels, (these coupons are always floating around the internet, so it's worth a search) and I was able to get it really cheap!

This is a top view of my organizer. It's separated into 5 sections with barriers. Top left: eyeshadows, Top right: cheek stains, blush, bronzer, highlighters, Middle: Eyeliners in a jar (blacks and neutrals) , eyeshadows, eyeshadow paints, cream/gel eyeliners, gel glitter eyeshadow.

Side view where I keep all my brushes. Right are face brushes (I keep all my foundations and foundation brushes in a separate area), and left are eye brushes. The tiered pockets make it really easy to find what brush you're looking for.

Side view: Zippered pocket where I keep all my primers (face, eye, lip, lashes).

Side view: Blushes I don't regularly use, colored eyeliners, cream eyeliner.

Side view: Eyeshadow pencils, mascaras, eyeshadow palettes.

I love this setup and I don't know what I did without it. I do have a lot makeup that I use less, so I store it somewhere else to save room for my more used makeup. What do you think of this way of organizing? Would you give it a try?