CVS Beauty Clearance Sale

     If you are unaware, twice a year CVS has a big beauty clearance sale. They get rid of things that are being discontinued, or need the stock rotated. Most things are usually 50%- 75% off. The thing is, prices and items vary store-to-store. Also, some CVS locations don;t put stickers up on anything, so you wouldn't even know it was on sale by looking at it. This is where the awesomeness of the internet comes in. Nouveau Cheap (awesome blog, if you don't follow her, you SHOULD) writes up a Master List every time the sale comes around. Readers let her know what they find on clearance at their stores, and she compiles it in one easy place. You can read the Master List by clicking it. If your CVS does not have any signs or stickers up, take the items you want to the red scanner, and check the price. That is what I had to do. 

To make a long story short, I wrote down the couple of things that interested me, and headed off to CVS this afternoon. I was really hoping to find the Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Nude on sale, and some of the Physicians Formula gel liners. So what did I end up getting?

Revlon polish in Blue Lagoon - $1.49

Nicole by OPI (Kardashian Kolors) in Paparazzi Don't Preach - $3.99

Milani 3D Holographic polish in HD - $1.37

Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Nude - $2.49

Wet n Wild bronzer in Princess - $1.49

PF Gel Liners for Blue Eyes - $5.49

I also had a $1 off Revlon coupon, bringing my total to: $16.36 (including tax)

I want to also mention that a lot of things on clearance at CVS are also on clearance at Meijer, plus a lot of other great products. So if you don't find what you are looking for at CVS, go check your local Meijer! I picked up the NYC polish in Python from the 2012 Fall Collection for only 44 cents today! I also saw a bunch of L'Oreal Infallible shadows for 20% off at Meijer.

Do you have a CVS? Did you pick up any clearance items? What did you get??

Christmas Gift Guide to Show Your Guy 2012!!

     It's that time of year again... time for me to show you some of the awesome options out there for Christmas. I do this list so you can show your boyfriends/husbands exactly what you'd like (they need specifics girls!), but keep in mind you can also use this list as ideas for people you are shopping for also. Think Mom, Sister, Aunt, BFF, Teacher, etc. 

     There are WAY too many things on this list to have a picture of every single thing. Almost all product descriptions will be clickable links where you can go check it out. This list is composed of both drugstore and higher end products. I try to keep everyone's budget in mind when compiling this list. Also, let me say this: don't ask for mascara or foundation. I don't know why, it just seems too weird and personal to me. Besides, shade matching on ourselves it hard enough, don't even bother trying to have a guy do it LOL. 

HUGE HAUL!!!

It's my 1 Year Blog-iversary!!! I'm so excited! This has been such a fun year for me. Finding all these new exciting makeup products, the beauty community, making new friends, and finding something I love to do. I want to THANK all of you for all your support. You have all been so amazing, and I appreciate all your kind words and encouragement. Such amazing people I have found. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart <3

For something fun for my 1 Year post, I have a HUGE collective haul! There will be a video linked at the bottom if you wish to check that out. Below the jump I will have pictures and swatches of everything I got. Enjoy loves!!

My Latest MAC-cusitions

    I stuck to my budget of only purchasing one MAC product per week, or so. I did not buy anything this week, but I did last week. I also picked up 2 things during the holidays using Christmas gift cards. So what did I get?

Painterly Paint Pot - $17.50

I louvre this product!! It matching the skin tone perfectly! I use this probably 4 or 5 times in a week. I love this as a base to my eye shadows because I have VERY hooded lids, and usually everything creases on me. I have found with paint pots that my eye makeup DOES NOT budge throughout the entire day. It's wonderful! This particular color is a pink, nude color. If you are thinking of taking the plunge into Paint Pots, I highly suggest this be your first purchase. If you have a darker skin tone, I would consider Quite Natural, or Groundwork.

Rubenesque Paint Pot - $17.50

Image Info

This was the second Paint Pot I was most intrigued by. This particular color is a soft, almost sheer, gold. It's very beautiful. I like to use this under bronze and gold colored shadows, like Urban Decay's Half Baked, or the bronze color in the Wet n Wild trio, I'm Getting Sunburned. Staying power is that of any other Paint Pot: incredible. I will defiantly be looking into more of these products. 

MAC Trax eye shadow - $15.00

I talked myself out of buying All That Glitters as my next eye shadow. Every time I went to the MAC counter I was drawn to this particular shade. It's amazing to look at. It's a very complex color, in my opinion.  It's defiantly a purple, but it also has a gold shift to it, with a slightly plum or cranberry undertone. This has a Velvet finish, and I love it. Frosts and shimmers tend to have more fall-out, or be too shimmery. This shade has more a sheen to it. It's quite lovely. I like to pair this with a gold eye shadow, to bring the gold shift out in it. If you are a purple lover, Trax will not let you down. 

Those are all the MAC purchases I have made to date. I do not regret any of them, and look forward to trying out more colors. For reference, there are pictures below of the two MAC shadows I purchased previously. 

What are some of your favorite MAC products?

Gift Guide for the Makeup Junkie Teen in Your Life

    I had a question from aunt this morning, on some gift set ideas for her teenage sons girlfriend. I thought to myself just now, what a good blog post! I previously did a Christmas Gift Guide, but those were things you or I may want. Teens don't necessarily need such lavish things, maybe they just need a "start up kit". Do you have a makeup loving teen in your life? Here are my suggestions to her, and maybe you will find the perfect thing for that special teen in your life also.

Christmas Gift Guide to Show Your Guy

    Let's face it ladies: men have no idea what to buy their significant other for Christmas (or birthdays). I received a DVD player last year for my birthday. Yes, I cried.
    I'm here to break it down for you (I like to keep it real haha). If you like beauty products, or want an idea of something to try out, show your man this list. Give the guy a break, they can't read minds girls! (Trust me, I learned this the hard way.... DVD....)
    There are WAY too many things on this list to have a picture of every single thing. Almost all product descriptions will be clickable links where you can go check it out. This list is composed of both drugstore and higher end products. Also, let me say this: don't ask for mascara or foundation. I don't know why, it just seems too weird and personal to me. Besides, shade matching on ourselves it hard enough, don't even bother trying to have a guy do it LOL.

Eye Shadows/ Eye Liners
    I think if you are going to ask for eye shadow, go for a palette. It has more to offer, and there are some great gift-able palettes out there around the holidays. I'll list some basics. These are mostly neutrals, because you can't go wrong there.

• NYX Runway Collection "Champagne & Caviar" - $8.50 - $12. Available: beautyjoint, cherryculture, Ulta
• ELF Essential Beauty Eye Books "Natural" - $5. Available: Target, eyeslipsface
• ELF Studio 144 Piece palette - $15. Available: Target, eyeslipsface
• Coastal Scents 28 Neutral Palette - $19. Available: Coastal Scents
• Coastal Scents 88 warm Palette - $25. Available: Coastal Scents
• Urban Decay 24/7 Travel Liners Set "Naked" - $32. Available: Sephora, Ulta
• Too Faced Natural Eye palette - $36. Available: Sephora, Ulta
• Urban Decay Naked palette - $48. Available: Sephora, Ulta

Too Faced Natural Eye palette

Blush
    I have a couple options here, but blush is something that has a lot to do with preference. Don't forget to specify if you like pink, peach, pinky/peach, berry.... etc.

• NYX Powder Blushes - $4.50 - $6. Available: beautyjoint, cherryculture, Ulta
• NYX Cream Blushes - $5 - $7. Available: beautyjoint, cherryculture, Ulta
• ELF Studio Blushes - $3. Available: Target, eyeslipsface
• Wet n Wild Color Icon Blushes - $3. Available: anywhere
• Milani Baked Blushes (I LOVE Luminoso) - $7. Available: Walgreens, CVS, Meijer, cherryculture
• Coastal Scents 10 Blush palette - $16. Available: Coastal Scents
• NARS Danmari All About Cheeks palette (this includes Orgasm & Super Orgasm) - $65. Available: Sephora

Lips

    There are quite a few lip sets out for the holidays right now. Here are some choices for you lip product junkies out there ;)

• Sinful Colors lipglosses - $2. Available: Walgreens, cherryculture
• ELF Plumping Lip Gloss Collection - $3. Available: Target, eyeslipsface
• Buxom Fashion Show & Tell 7 piece set - $15. Available: Sephora
• Coastal Scents Lip Quad Set - $22. Available: Coastal Scents
• Coastal Scents 32 Lip Palette - $19. Available: Coastal Scents
• Sephora Ultra Shine Mini Gloss set - $22. Available: Sephora
• Stila Lip Glaze 8 Piece set - $25. Available: Sephora
• Kat Von D Love & Foiled Lipstick Set - $28. Available: Sephora

Kat Von D set

Nail Polish

• Wet n Wild Color Craze Set of 6 - $4. Available: Dollar General
• ELF 5 piece Holiday Collection - $5. Available: Target, eyeslipsface
• Sephora by OPI full size 2 piece Set - $10. Available: Sephora
• Ulta "I've Got the Denim Blues Vol 2" - $10. Available: Ulta
• Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland 6 piece Minis - $22. Available: Sephora

Glimmer Wonderland set

High End Combo Sets

• Ulta Getaway Glamour 58 piece collection - $18. Available: Ulta 
• Ulta Complete Color Collection - $25. Available: Ulta
• Benefit: Project Flawless - $32. Available: Sephora
• Sephora Faves: Glitz & Glam - $40. Available: Sephora
• Tarte: Putting on the Glitz - $44. Available: Ulta
• Tarte: The Starlet Collection - $52. Available: Sephora
• LORAC: Bejeweled Day & Night Jewelery Box - $56

LORAC Jewelry Box

Skin Care

• Olay Luscious Embrace Holiday Set - $10. Available: Walmart
• B&BW: True Blue Spa Foot Set - $15. Available: Bath & Body Works
• Philosophy Much Mistletoeing Lipshine Set - $20. Availble: Sephora
• The Body Shop Body Butter Collection - $20. Available: Sephora
• Philosophy Holiday Hugs Trio - $22. Available: Ulta
• Philosophy Sweet Kisses & Merry Wishes - $36. Available: Sephora

Sweet Kisses & Merry Wishes set

Fragrance
    There are always so many great fragrance sets this time of year. Places like Walmart and Meijer always have sets that include perfume and lotion for $15- $30. They have all the celebrity fragrances, and also brands like Lucky. Another option are "Rollerballs". Basically what a rollerball is, is a tube of perfume with a ball on the end that you roll onto your skin. They are $19, and are available at Ulta and Sephora. I'm sure other places sell them for cheaper if you look around for them.
    Sephora also has a pretty cool Roller ball set for $65. It is a set of 7 different full size rollerballs, which retail for $19 each. I think that's a pretty cool way to try out a bunch of scents before spending $60 on a full bottle. They used to include a certificate in this set that was good for a FREE full size of your favorite, but I'm not sure if they still do that or not.

• Sephora Favorites Rollerball Collection - $65. Available: Sephora

I hope this helped you out for your Wish List this holiday season, maybe you got a few ideas of gifts to GIVE also =) Hopefully this helps the guys out there out too. Now nobody tell me they got a DVD player this year (unless you asked for one of course!)

Happy beautifying lovelies!!

Where to buy...

Wet n Wild:  Walmart, Meijer, Kmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, pretty much anywhere
NYX: Ulta, cherryculture.com (cheapest), makeupgeek.com
NYC: Walmart, Meijer, Kmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, etc
e.l.f: Target, eyeslipsface.com
Milani: CVS, Kmart, Meijer, cherryculture.com
Jordana: Kmart, Meijer, cherryculture.com
Coastal Scents: coastalscents.com
BH Cosmetics: bhcosmetics.com
Revlon, Rimmel, Covergirl, Maybelline: available everywhere

Higher end brands:


Too Faced, Bare Escentuals, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Urban Decay, Lorac: Available at Sephora and at Ulta.
Kat Von D, NARS, Makeup Forever: Available only at Sephora
MAC, Estee Lauder: Macy's