Beauty on a Budget: Affordable Favorites 2015

before I get started, I wanted to state the obvious that I revamped things a bit. I hope you guys like the new look! but because its a completely new template and layout it has messed up some of the posts from the past.. things may not line up correctly so bare with me! thanks, management :-)

beauty on a budget 

Here are some of my favorite products that can be purchased in drugstores, WalMart, Target, Ulta, etc. These aren't just products that I scrounged up to make an 'affordable makeup' post, these are products I use and love on a daily basis. 

eyes

• L'Oreal La Nude Palette 1 

• CoverGirl The Super Super Size Mascara 

• Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette (in Comfort Zone

• L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Eye Shadow (in Iced Latte)

• Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

face

• L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation

•  Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser

• CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Powder

• Physicians Formula Airbrush Pressed Powder

lips

• E.l.f. Lip Exfoliator (loooove this for soft lips!)

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

• Revlon Color Stay Kissable Balm Stain

brushes

• Eco Tools Eye Enhancing Duo Set (Eyeshadow Brushes)

• Sonia Kashuk Core Collection Synthetic Buffing Brush

• E.l.f. Blending Brush (only $1!)

• Real Techniques Core Collection 

• Real Techniques Starter Kit

**The two above are sets and if you're new to my blog then you've missed all 3,439,843 

I've raved about them. Real Techniques brushes are very affordable, excellent 

quality, and you need them... now! 

I included links to each product, but SHOP AROUND! The L'Oreal palette above, I paid $14 for. At Target its a dollar or two more, and at Ulta its $19.99!! I would definitely say WalMart and Target are the cheapest, and the priciest would be CVS & Ulta. 

I hope this was helpful! Let me know your inexpensive favorites!

xox Katie

Naked Smoky Palette Review

Like I posted on Instagram yesterday.. I have to confess that I've had this palette since it came out (in July) and I have yet to do a review or even tell you guys about it! I'm honestly pretty indifferent about the palette. I definitely wouldn't say its my favorite, but I use a few of the shades daily, so I definitely wouldn't say I hate it.

I realized that you guys were probably curious about it.. so I thought I'd post swatches with a description of each shade, as well as some pros and cons so you can make up your own mind (heh, get it?) on whether its a palette you'll use or not :)

Here's the breakdown though- in case you can't make it through the whole post: it isn't an everyday palette, its a smoky eye palette (duh). That means that you're spending $54 on a palette you'll mainly use for going "out", hot dates, or formal events.. and lets be honest, I don't do those things very often. If smoky eyes are something you have perfected and love doing, this palette is for you. If you like cool-toned shadows- this palette is for you. Okay, read on.

I'll get started! Here are the swatches..

Shimmers:

• HIGH: a super shimmery (but not sparkly- don't get it twisted!) iridescent with a pinky/beigy undertone

• DIRTYSWEET: a shimmery gold, almost a rose gold. very creamy.

• RADAR: as you can see, this one didn't want to show up on my arm, its very similar to my skintone. its a medium brown with gold sparkle.

• ARMOR: a somewhat taupe-y color with a bit of a purple/steely grey undertone. definitely the most sparkly shade in the palette and a bit more flaky than the rest

Satins:

• SLANTED: looks very blue in the actual palette but on my skin looks more of a dark silver. it has a bit of sparkle but definitely more of a satin than the shades to its left.

• DAGGER: this also looks very blue in the palette, but I would call it a dark charcoal. very nice texture

• BLACK MARKET: okay this shade bugs me because its supposed to be black (hence the name) but I definitely don't consider it black. it looks very blue in the palette, AND on my eyes, although on my arm it just looks dark gray or black. hmm.

• SMOLDER: smolder is a really pretty purple although in the swatch it doesn't look it. I think I may have had a bit of black market left on my finger which messed up the swatch. its actually a very vivid eggplant-like color with a really pretty sheen.

Mattes:

• PASSWORD: a matte, dark grey with a slight purple undertone.

• WHISKEY: this is another one I don't feel swatched as well as it looks. I think my tan arm must be throwing it off. its definitely a warm-toned chocolate brown.

• COMBUST: a really creamy peachy-pinkish color great for blending/transitioning

• THIRTEEN: strangely enough, my favorite shade. its a very opaque (as you can see) white/ivory shade that really pops. its great for the inner corner or brow bone, especially since its matte.

Pros..
- The same excellent quality you can expect from all Urban Decay products, the shadows are nice, pigmented and last a long time.

- I really like the packaging. its very sturdy with a nice, big mirror. it also has a hinge which means the top stays open so you can use the mirror without having to hold it up (if that makes sense)

- There are some really pretty shades. I use thirteen almost every day to brighten the inner corner and along my brow bone. Combust is also really nice for blending because its not too pink to blend in, but its also not your typical matte brown blending shade. High is also really pretty for highlighting and is very pigmented. Password is great for the crease if you're going for a smoky eye (and this is a smoky palette, soo..) it would, however, be too dark for an everyday look.

- There are four matte shades, more than I think in any other Naked palette. I'm a huge fan of mattes so this is a really great bonus

- The brush is nice, as usual. It has a small, tapered end good for smoking out your lower lash line, and a really nice blending brush which has more of a pointed (not as round/dome shaped as the others) which is great for getting a color right into the crease.

Cons..
- It is almost an entirely cool-toned palette.. and I guess depending on who you're talking to, this could be a good thing. For me though, I don't do cool tones on my eyes often, at least not for an entire look. When you think of smoky eyes though, you do think of cool-toned grays and silvers so I know that's what they were doing. It just isn't my favorite look.

- The shades are all pretty dark (except the obvious white/ivory/beige shades). This seems a little silly to complain about- it is a smoky palette which means dark, smoky shadows; however, most people don't wear looks like that daily, so it isn't a palette you'll get everyday use out of. I just think when spending $54 on a palette, I want to use the crap out of it.

What do you guys think? See why I'm a bit torn? Let me know you're opinions!
xox Katie

Tyra "Oops" Liquid Liner

"Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she's late" 

But really ;)

HOWEVER.. I have recently found a liquid liner that makes it so much easier. I would even consider this to be a great liquid liner for beginners, because its so easy to use. 

Tyra (yes, as in Tyra Banks) has a beauty line and its new to me. I had never heard of it until Kate introduced me. Today is the first time I tried the Oops Liner and I'm hooked! The beauty of it? It has a correcting tip on the opposite end that erases any mistakes or makes your wings more precise! How amazing is that? 

Even without the "oops" end, I loved it because it was extremely easy to use. Whenever I try a new liquid liner it can get a little iffy because I'm getting used to the tip, the size/shape of the liner, etc. But I almost got it right the very first time! And when I did mess up? You guessed it, I just used the oops end to fix it :) 

As you can see, I swatched the liner in a thin line, a thicker line, and another thin line, and then used the erasing end to draw a liner through the swatches, as well as completely 'erase' the last line. Although I did have to wipe the excess off with my fingers, you can see how well it erased the liner, which would be amazing for mistakes, uneven lines, etc! 

Note: it is very important to wipe off the eraser end on the back of your hand after ever use. It wipes off the black so that its clean for the next time. This part is really important! 

Here's what else you need to know:

• if the tips get dull or dry, you can actually pull it out and flip it around, and reinsert for a sharper tip! ......I mean, right? ♥ 

• it should be stored with the liner part down 

• it is long-wearing and water-resistant. I swatched it earlier today and my hands got wet (unintentionally) and it stayed put! 

It retails for $24 which is right around the same price point or cheaper than any of the other high-end liquid liners I've been using.. and considering you can freakin' flip the tip around for a sharper point, I definitely think its worth it! 

You can order it here, and check out the full Tyra beauty line here.

• • • •

Seriously, if you're iffy about trying out liquid liner, or you think you're not 'skilled' enough to do winged liner/a cat eye, TRY THIS LIQUID LINER. It does take practice and no one gets it right on the first try (I even struggle sometimes and I do it weekly!) but this Tyra Oops Liner makes it so much easier and a whole lot less scary since you can just fix your mistake! 

xox Katie

StitchFix Round 2

Sooo.. I got my second Stitchfix. I wasn't sure if you guys wanted to hear about it, but it seems as if people are curious about my second box, so I decided to snap some quick pictures.

First of all, if you're wondering what StitchFix is read this post. 

When I originally started this post I was a bit frustrated and about to cancel my subscription alltogether.. but after I calmed down (I may be a bit dramatic) I decided to give it a couple more months to see if I can manipulate my stylist show my stylist(s) what I'm into- and for the record, I'm not into cargo shorts. :-)

And I'm willing to admit that maybe I'm not cut out for StitchFix... I'm picky, boring, and I know what I like. So maybe that doesn't work well with having my own stylist from afar. I think the biggest issue is that my style doesn't mesh with StitchFix's style. Yes, I said StitchFix's style. More on that later. First, let me just show you what I got.

Filagree Ribbon Tank, $48

Iriss Twill Short, $58

(sorry for the awkward wedgie butt shot! just trying to show the pockets lol)

Corinna Striped Dolman Top, $48

Tami Floral Dress, $68

Huron Mixed Material Reversible Tote, $54

I think I may come across as impossible to please, and I promise, I'm not. 

Here's my issue: search the #stitchfix hashtag on Instagram, look at the photos on Pinterest. All the clothes look the same! The same style. Sort of preppy, flowy tops, geometric prints with unique detail like ribbon straps or an open back. In my opinion, Stitchfix doesn't exactly personalize a wardrobe just for you. I think they have a warehouse of lookalike clothing for moms and they pick and choose 4 or 5 items without really giving it much consideration. Oops. 

I'll let you decide.. these are the things I specifically told my stylist(s) from the beginning and made very clear in every comment

- I don't wear a lot of color

- I hate prints

- I don't like flowy tops because I'm busty and they make me look pregnant

- I prefer edgier clothing 

- I prefer black and grey

- I did not want a lot of accessories

also, here's a screen shot of my 'style' board on pinterest, which she is supposedly going off of. does it look anything like my last 2 fixes?So.. in short:

• the pink top isn't me, in any way, shape, or form and it was actually very unflattering and flowy, which I specifically said I didn't want

• the shorts were awful. very comfy, but nothing that I would ever wear. you can't see well in the picture but they had big bulky cargo pockets and were very high waisted, but not in a cute way, in an... old lady way (sorry)

• the dolman sleeve top is very cute and I'm keeping it, but I'll have to save it for fall obviously since its 3/4 sleeve and very thick.

• the dress was way too big and nothing I would ever wear

• the tote was actually pretty cute, but felt cheap for $50 and I don't usually use big bags anyway

So.. am I being entirely too picky? I KNOW that these clothes aren't ugly or unfashionable. I just think since I'm technically paying a stylist to learn my style.. they'd try a little harder than to send the exact things I said I prefer not to receive, right?? right?? Or am I being a brat? If I am, you're allowed to tell me. 

All that said.. I'm giving it 2 more boxes. I'm going to give lots of detailed responses about the clothing I received, and update my style profile so that there is NO QUESTION ABOUT IT- I DON'T WANT PRINTS OR COLORS :-) shew! 

I seriously NEEEED to hear your thoughts. Am I being crazy?? Tell me!

Katie xox