I wanted to start off with some basics that may not exactly be makeup, but that relate pretty directly. First, from the Sephora brand, there are two makeup brush sets that are really helpful and basic. There's the "Safari Pocket Brush Set," which has 5 brushes in total. It houses the brushes in a handy pocket that's perfect for travel, and only costs $14. For those looking for something that could house more future brushes, there's the "Summer Safari Pop Up Brush Set." It also has 5 brushes, but they come in a pop-up canister that could house some of your own brushes as well. The Pop-Up Brush Set costs $22.
There's also a sale on some of the Daisy Marc Jacobs items (no, not the perfume). This is a part of the sale I particularly love, because even though a new eyeshadow or blush is always fun to obtain, it's also great to get some really good practical beauty storage items that you know will last you a long time. The "Charming Candle Collection" might not be the best of buys if you're just looking for a nice treat for yourself, because there are so many more beauty-related Daisy goodies to be found. However, if you're looking for a gift, this would make a perfect one for someone whose tastes you don't really know very well, especially since it's only $25.
There's also a great brush set, if you're looking for something that's still well-priced but slightly more "designer" than the Sephora brush sets pictured above. It's $35 and has five brushes, and it comes in an adorable case with the trademark "Daisy Marc Jacobs" print. What I love in particular about this set is that the case can hold additional brushes, and has a little pouch on the inside for runaway items (like blot papers, makeup remover, Q-tips, etc.).
Finally, there are some makeup cases that you can use to house your own collection. There's a set of three cosmetic cases, each in a lovely shade of gold embossed with the words "Daisy Marc Jacobs," which is only $19. Then, there's a circular hard beauty case with a daisy on top. It's in the same shade of gold as all the other items, and it costs $25. Finally, there's another hard beauty case that's more of a "vanity case," as it is larger and resembles old-fashioned hand-carry luggage. Because it is bigger, it costs $42.50. All of these beauty cases are great deals, and I'm currently deliberating whether to get the small pouches and the $25 beauty case. If I do, I'll be sure to let you know how they are! Sadly, I don't think I have enough beauty items to merit getting the $42.50 case, but I know there are lots of girls out there that do.
Okay, now onto the real beauty products. Most of the lip products that I'll feature are from Hard Candy and Bourjois, but there's one from Sephora and one from Napoleon Perdis that I wanted to feature. The lipstick from Sephora is the "Gloss Lipstick." Sephora is offering a few of their other lipsticks on sale, but being the lover that I am of natural makeup, this lipstick is perfect for my makeup looks. It's not as opaque as most lipsticks, and yet still isn't completely a gloss. For me, Gloss Lipstick #27, or "Sheer Putty Pink" is one of my favourite MLBB colours. It's one of the few colours that's still available, so grab one quickly! Even if you've got darker skintones, this is a great lipstick for applying lightly and then moving around a lot for a sheer wash of colour that stays. Plus, the weird grape smell isn't something I'd like layered thickly on my lips. However, it's only $6 and it's a great basic everyday colour.
(this is Sephora's swatch, but it's a little bit more cool-toned in real life)There's also Lip Lacquer from Napoleon Perdis on sale for $10. This is sort of the polar opposite to the previous lipstick. First off, it's a gloss in every sense of the word. It's super sticky and tacky, which means that you'd better have a ponytail if you're rocking this on your lips on a windy day! However, the mauve shine doesn't have the usual teenager-style glitter on it -- instead, it's more of a subtle shimmer. I've seen this colour in person and it personally isn't my style (I'm more of a coral-lover), but for the paler and cool-toned girls out there, this is definitely something to look up.
As I mentioned before, one of the brands that is completely going on sale is Hard Candy. A lot of their lip products are on sale but available in limited colours, so you'll have to search hard if you're looking for a basic pink lip, but you should be able to find some great bargains if you want a wild purple lip or a bold orange lip. First, there's "Sweet Spot Lip Gloss," which I would suggest getting in Aquarius, a sheer light pink shimmer. It's great for simple and sweet days, and costs only $5.50.
There's also Candy Coating Lip Gloss, which comes in a "clickable" pen. The only colour left is Taffy, and while it's a lovely pigmented pink, it also comes with its own cherry scent. I'm all for cherries, but this one borders on Robitussin cough syrup cherry. I'd suggest giving it a quick test before purchasing it, even though the packaging is adorable and it's on sale for only $6.
Sadly, most of the lip offerings from Hard Candy have sold out. However, there are a couple from Bourjois that are definitely work taking a look at. Bourjois' lip selection is a little bit more broad, with just more than the typical tinted glitzy lipglosses, and they offer a lot of products that are great for first-timers. First, there's the "Baume de Nuit," which is a light, sheer pink balm that is to be worn during the nighttime. I'm a huge lip balm aficionado, and tinted lip balms are my HG of all lip products, and this product is definitely something I'd recommend. The packaging is adorable, and while this balm doesn't work miracles, it's also not ridiculously heavy like a lot of other repairing balms. I've tested this balm out before and it's a great product for summer, when your lips are dry and you're not willing to glob on typical lip healers. Plus, it's only $7.35.
One of my absolute favourite products in the Sephora sale is the Bourjois Lovely Rouge Satin Lipstick. Though the lipstick itself may not quite be as shiny as it is in the picture, it is most definitely soft. The glide is lovely, and the lipstick is right in between uber-pigmented and sheer. It seems like people agree with me, as the only shade left is Rouge Best 15, a vivid red shade. Even for those that aren't as into red, this is a good shade to start out with. If you end up hating red lipstick, it's still a lovely shade for dabbing on your lips for a sheer tint (something I am frequently guilty of). Plus, it's only $9.80.
Speaking of favourite products, here's one that I'm about to spring for myself. Hopefully they have it in stock when I go out to Sephora, but if not I just might buy it from the website. Bourjois' La Creme des Levres is a product that was pretty much made for me. It says in the description that it's a cross between a balm, a gloss, and a lipstick...and that's pretty much what it is! I love tinted lip balms with all my heart, because I really don't like looking overly made up, so this product is perfect because it's a slightly more makeup-y version of tinted lip balm. I would suggest getting this in Rose Doux 03, a typical soft pink colour, and Rose Molleux 05, a sheer coral (the swatch doesn't really do this shade justice). This product is most definitely work the $9.80 price tag.
There is quite a selection of eyeshadow, mostly from Hard Candy. The first product I wanted to highlight was this Cream and Powder Eyeshadow Duo from Sephora. It comes in many different colours, but being the neutral-loving gal that I am, I would suggest Copper Harmony 02. I love that you can use the powder shadow to set the cream shadow for more staying power, or even just use the two separately. I often find myself using the cream portion as a highlighter as well! It's also on sale for only $6.
There are a few Hard Candy single eyeshadows for $6.25 being sold, but the real star is the quads. If you're looking for a simple single eyeshadow, I would suggest picking up the Hard Candy Eyeshadow in Caramel, which is a nice, shimmery, peachy colour that's great for perking up some basic lids. It comes in an adorable slide-lid neon container.
If you're looking for a quad, however...you've got a lot of choices. Hard Candy has a ton of different quads, each with a different "style." In order, they are Techno, Drama Queen, Sonic, Frigid, Sushi, and Disco 2000. If I was getting a quad, I would probably go for Drama Queen. I might not have a whole lot of use for the lavender shade, but the combination of plum, green, and beige is a lovely spin in typical neutrals. Each of these quads is on sale for $14.
Hard Candy also has palettes, with three eyeshadows and three glosses. In typical Hard Candy form, the cute packaging is right on par with the cute product. In this case, each palette is a "mix tape," whose name goes with the colour selection. Each palette is only $7.50, which is a great deal for a portable case with three shadows and three glosses. In order, I have shown the Breakup Mix, the Party Mix, and the Workout Mix. Personally, I would go for the Workout Mix, even though I'm really not big on wearing makeup to the gym.
Phew! That was quite a post...let me know if you want really huge posts like this, or would rather that spotlight posts (like this one and the Etsy one) are done in pieces.
Man, now I really want a lot of those...
As I mentioned before, one of the brands that is completely going on sale is Hard Candy. A lot of their lip products are on sale but available in limited colours, so you'll have to search hard if you're looking for a basic pink lip, but you should be able to find some great bargains if you want a wild purple lip or a bold orange lip. First, there's "Sweet Spot Lip Gloss," which I would suggest getting in Aquarius, a sheer light pink shimmer. It's great for simple and sweet days, and costs only $5.50.
There's also Candy Coating Lip Gloss, which comes in a "clickable" pen. The only colour left is Taffy, and while it's a lovely pigmented pink, it also comes with its own cherry scent. I'm all for cherries, but this one borders on Robitussin cough syrup cherry. I'd suggest giving it a quick test before purchasing it, even though the packaging is adorable and it's on sale for only $6.
Sadly, most of the lip offerings from Hard Candy have sold out. However, there are a couple from Bourjois that are definitely work taking a look at. Bourjois' lip selection is a little bit more broad, with just more than the typical tinted glitzy lipglosses, and they offer a lot of products that are great for first-timers. First, there's the "Baume de Nuit," which is a light, sheer pink balm that is to be worn during the nighttime. I'm a huge lip balm aficionado, and tinted lip balms are my HG of all lip products, and this product is definitely something I'd recommend. The packaging is adorable, and while this balm doesn't work miracles, it's also not ridiculously heavy like a lot of other repairing balms. I've tested this balm out before and it's a great product for summer, when your lips are dry and you're not willing to glob on typical lip healers. Plus, it's only $7.35.
One of my absolute favourite products in the Sephora sale is the Bourjois Lovely Rouge Satin Lipstick. Though the lipstick itself may not quite be as shiny as it is in the picture, it is most definitely soft. The glide is lovely, and the lipstick is right in between uber-pigmented and sheer. It seems like people agree with me, as the only shade left is Rouge Best 15, a vivid red shade. Even for those that aren't as into red, this is a good shade to start out with. If you end up hating red lipstick, it's still a lovely shade for dabbing on your lips for a sheer tint (something I am frequently guilty of). Plus, it's only $9.80.
Speaking of favourite products, here's one that I'm about to spring for myself. Hopefully they have it in stock when I go out to Sephora, but if not I just might buy it from the website. Bourjois' La Creme des Levres is a product that was pretty much made for me. It says in the description that it's a cross between a balm, a gloss, and a lipstick...and that's pretty much what it is! I love tinted lip balms with all my heart, because I really don't like looking overly made up, so this product is perfect because it's a slightly more makeup-y version of tinted lip balm. I would suggest getting this in Rose Doux 03, a typical soft pink colour, and Rose Molleux 05, a sheer coral (the swatch doesn't really do this shade justice). This product is most definitely work the $9.80 price tag.
There is quite a selection of eyeshadow, mostly from Hard Candy. The first product I wanted to highlight was this Cream and Powder Eyeshadow Duo from Sephora. It comes in many different colours, but being the neutral-loving gal that I am, I would suggest Copper Harmony 02. I love that you can use the powder shadow to set the cream shadow for more staying power, or even just use the two separately. I often find myself using the cream portion as a highlighter as well! It's also on sale for only $6.
There are a few Hard Candy single eyeshadows for $6.25 being sold, but the real star is the quads. If you're looking for a simple single eyeshadow, I would suggest picking up the Hard Candy Eyeshadow in Caramel, which is a nice, shimmery, peachy colour that's great for perking up some basic lids. It comes in an adorable slide-lid neon container.
If you're looking for a quad, however...you've got a lot of choices. Hard Candy has a ton of different quads, each with a different "style." In order, they are Techno, Drama Queen, Sonic, Frigid, Sushi, and Disco 2000. If I was getting a quad, I would probably go for Drama Queen. I might not have a whole lot of use for the lavender shade, but the combination of plum, green, and beige is a lovely spin in typical neutrals. Each of these quads is on sale for $14.
Hard Candy also has palettes, with three eyeshadows and three glosses. In typical Hard Candy form, the cute packaging is right on par with the cute product. In this case, each palette is a "mix tape," whose name goes with the colour selection. Each palette is only $7.50, which is a great deal for a portable case with three shadows and three glosses. In order, I have shown the Breakup Mix, the Party Mix, and the Workout Mix. Personally, I would go for the Workout Mix, even though I'm really not big on wearing makeup to the gym.Phew! That was quite a post...let me know if you want really huge posts like this, or would rather that spotlight posts (like this one and the Etsy one) are done in pieces.Man, now I really want a lot of those...
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