I'm back - upcoming posts, and the best drugstore beauty products?

I'm baaaa---aaaaack.  and I have red hair now.

Hi, beauty lovers.

I took a (LONG) break from blogging here to focus on some other things in life, and found myself missing it.  So, here I am.

While I am no longer officially working in a beauty advisor capacity for Macy's (that period of life was lovely fun, but naturally ended as things evolved), it's still a major love and hobby.  I have amazing friends who work in the beauty industry, and they keep me well-informed, and I plan to feature some of them shortly!

So, in upcoming posts, we'll have some recommendations for primers, cleansers, hair products and more...and of course, if you have any questions, send them my way, happy to post!

In the meantime, Influenster just posted some videos on their top drugstore beauty finds under $10 - check those with links below if you're interested.

10 Best Drugstore Concealers

10 Best Drugstore Mascaras

10 Best Drugstore Foundations

I admit I haven't tried any of these products, but if you're on a budget or need to grab something quickly at the drugstore, these could be good places to start!

More to come...

xoxo
jess

Clinique Favorites: November 2014

Continuing in the favorites vein, I thought I'd post a few recommended products from the Clinique line - they have some good holiday gift sets, so it may be worth considering.  Clinique is formulated to be hypo-allergenic and good for people with really sensitive skin.  I admit I don't use many of their products, as they seem to work best for very young skin...i.e. teens to early 20s.  However, I know people of all ages who seem to love it, and the price point is lower than other counter brands.

Three favorites:

1. Fresh Bloom All-over Colour: Love this stuff.  It comes in three flattering shades (pink, nude, plum tones) that go on lightly to give a sheer/subtle flush of color without being too bright.  I love some dramatic blush, but when I need some easy color, this is a go-to. $30

2. Perfectly Real Foundation. Natural finish, medium coverage, oil free, non-acnegenic. Comes in LOTS of shades.  Love the coverage and the fact that it doesn't feel heavy. $26 

3. High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara.  If you like dramatic lashes, this is definitely worth checking out - this is a thickening formula with a rubber bristle brush to separate lashes.  The effect is not quite as natural as some mascaras, but it's definitely dramatic, giving BIG lashes. $16.50

Am I missing anything you love from Clinique, folks?

Early Summer 2014 - New Products

Through spring and early summer, I've been trying multiple new products.  A quick review of just a few:

Lush Shampoo Bar

My sister bought me one of these for my birthday, and I was really pleasantly surprised!  Lush's Shampoo Bars are preservative-free and environmentally friendly, with no harmful packaging (mine was a travel size so it came in the tin), and are made to last as long as three bottles of liquid shampoo.  They come in different formulas, but this "Squeaky Green" is made to deep cleanse scalp and hair.  It smells like tea tree oil and rosemary - very nice.  I'd definitely try the other versions of this - they make them for softening, oily hair, volume/shine, de-tangling, dandruff, thinning hair, etc.  $12

 Lancome's Rouge in Love Lipsticks

I don't wear many lipsticks - they generally feel too heavy on my lips. However, these new lip colors from Lancome are definitely cool.  They come in the very in-style bold shades, but they are a VERY lightweight matte finish, so they wear a bit more like a lip stain - and they are 6-hour wear! A light sweep of color gives me a good base shade for long wear, and I can pop a little gloss over it if I want more shine. They've been very popular at Macy's so far. $28.50

 Guerlain Lingerie De Peau - Invisible Skin Fusion Foundation

In my search for a light-weight foundation with a lovely finish, I found this on Sephora's website, with extremely high ratings. It has SPF 20, and is a light to medium coverage formula.  Goes on really smoothly.  The color is not a perfect match for me, but since I like the feel, I've been blending it with just a little foundation in another shade to add a bit of pink undertone.  Goes on well with a blending brush or a blending sponge.  At $61, it runs higher in price than some counter brands, but it's a little nicer, too.

Dirty Works Supreme Cream Body Butter

You all know about my love affair with body butters. I grabbed this one on the cheap at TJ Maxx - the brand is sold mostly overseas, but at $7, it seemed like a good buy.  It's more whipped-feeling than other body butters - more like a light cream.  It smells great (shea butter and sweet almond oil) and leaves the skin silky.  It's not a product I can grab at my local store, but I'd buy it again.  Plus...the retro packaging is a bit fun.

Murad T-Zone Pore Refining Serum

I've had this product for a couple of months and have been putting off blogging about it, because I simply can't tell if it's working or not.  I bought it at the recommendation of an aesthetician who gave me a facial.  I rarely break out, but occasionally get some trapped oil in the larger pores on my cheeks, or near my nose.  Even if they don't turn into actual breakouts, they annoy me. This serum is supposed to tighten pores, dissolve oil, and prevent excess oil production.  It doesn't smell bad, but doesn't smell good like some of my other serums.  I don't use it every night - maybe twice a week?  I will say I seem to have less trapped oil in pores, but I'm not sure if it's due to this serum.  It runs $42, and doesn't seem to hurt anything, but I'm just not certain what I can attribute to its use.

What about you, ladies?  Tried any new products this spring/summer?

Dior vs. Armani: Who wins the foundation battle?

When I saw that Armani was so very recognized for their Luminous Silk Foundation, I was excited to try it. It won things like "best liquid foundation of 2013" by InStyle. Alas, it was tough to find in Atlanta - only Nordstrom carries it, and I wasn't in the mood to trek to Perimeter Mall or Lenox Mall.  So, I waited.

In the meantime, my skincare consultation at Dior was scheduled, so by the time I got out to Perimeter, I was buying Diorskin Nude Foundation...because...well, because Dior gave me an entire skin care consultation and it was sort of fabulous.

Long story made short, I found Armani Luminous Silk in a Sephora in Le Defense in Paris.  Got color matched. Picked it up pronto.  Over the course of the next several weeks, I have used both foundations to see which is better.

The winner?  Definitely the Diorskin Nude.  It's lighter, and goes on much more naturally, while still giving lovely coverage.  It lasts all day (over a primer, of course) and is overall more naturally beautiful on my skin.

This is not to say the Armani isn't good - it is.  But in this case, Dior takes the ribbon. Other designer foundations I am curious about are from Givenchy, Guerlain, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs. Thoughts on this TBD...as I run out of foundation!