Basically, Bobbi

Bobbi Brown's always been known for really high quality makeup basics. Sure, she may not have that crazy green eyeshadow that you've always secretly wanted to wear out with your girlfriends one night, but her makeup can go from nightclubs to country clubs without looks a tiny bit out of place.

Two products, which I encountered on http://discount.makeup.com, were a pretty pleasant surprise, just because I didn't expect them to be on sale. Usually, that makeup site stocks things in really unpopular colours. Not necessarily bad, but definitely not commonly used colours. This presents a problem in the world of B. Brown, because pretty much everything she makes is "commonly used." So you can imagine my surprise when I found two items that I know and love, the Cream Shadow Stick and the Cream Blush Stick, both at pretty good prices.


The Cream Shadow Stick is probably the less desirable item out of these two, because it only comes in two shades...and they're both really, really light. Iced Pink is a light peachy-pink, and Iced Ivory is just a plain off-white. This product makes a nice base for eyeshadow, and the stick form makes it really quick to apply. I also quickly dab it in the inner corner of my eye for an instant, non-caffeinated wakeup. It's $15.oo (originally $2o.oo), which is a pretty good deal, but if you don't really need any sort of light shadow colour or eyeshadow base, give this one a miss.


On the other hand, you should definitely not give the Cream Blush Stick a miss. These little sticks are genius...maybe not utterly original or different, but definitely worth your while. It's really easy to apply the blush, because you can just dab the stick directly on your cheek and rub it around a bit. The colour isn't too opaque and it isn't too pigmented, which is nice for when you want different intensities. And it isn't so goopy that you have to worry about your hair getting stuck in your cheeks. If you want something a little shimmery, you might have to dab a little bit of shimmery eyeshadow over the blush, because it's pretty much matte (as one would expect from basics-based-Bobbi). Just to warn you, you should probably check out the colour swatches on the Bobbi Brown website before purchasing one of these off of the discount makeup website, because some of their colour swatches are a little bit off. Some of them are discontinued though, so it might be hard to find those. I would personally go for either Sand Pink or Coral, depending on how dark your skintone is and whether you want a pink vs. a peach cheek tint. Both are equally versatile and wearable though, so really, it's up to you to pick whichever Bobbi makes you happy!

Neglected NARS

My makeup brand of choice may be MAC (surprise, surprise...), but I do share some love for many other medium-high end brands. I don't spend tons on makeup, and I really only own basic colours (with the occasional bright red lip). Though Bobbi Brown may seem like an ideal makeup brand for me, since it favours natural colours, I've often found myself attracted to many of the NARS products. Despite their potentially-inappropriate nicknames, a lot of their colours aren't over-the-top.

I've found it very difficult to find a beauty bargain anywhere. Unless it's some sort of brand-wide sale, which hardly ever happens, the idea of beauty products becoming discounted is getting to be pretty rare. That's why I love http://discount.makeup.com. They offer a pretty good selection of discounted makeup, at least, in comparison to other beauty sales. Their discounts aren't huge (usually you would find $37.00 products for, say, $32.00, or maybe $25.00 products for $19.00), and their selection isn't that varied (I remember excitedly checking the Juicy Tubes link every time I went to the site, only to find the same loner "Raisin Plum" shade as the only one available), but it's not a bad place. NARS has produced a couple of really popular products, and I was surprised to find that many of the products that were on sale at discount.makeup.com had been on sale for quite a while (I'm a pretty frequent checker of the site). Here are a couple of my NARS sale picks...I wouldn't feel too rushed to get them, a lot of things at this site have been on sale for a while...

1. NARS The Multiple in Maui (Dusty Rose), reduced to $32.50 from $37.00.
This product is great for summer -- I keep one in my bag and bring it with me wherever, because it's great for both cheeks and lips. Personally, I prefer using it on my cheeks, where a small dab is just enough to spread around for some livened-up colour, but it's also nice to dab on your lips when your previous lipcolour is running out. But don't apply it directly! Use a finger if you don't have a brush -- and don't be put off by the fact that it doesn't have the texture of a typical lip product. This product may be steep, but I don't really like heavy cheek colour and I only use it on my lips as a refresher, so it lasts me quite a while.


2. NARS Cream Eyeshadow in Maracaibo (Violet Haze), reduced to $18.00 from $21.00
I wouldn't put this product at the forefront of my list, but this is a great basic purple eyeshadow that would liven up any pair of brown eyes. Because I have brown eyes myself, I've heard much about the glorious effects of purple shadow. For the paler people out there, this could make a nice, light, smoky eye that's perfect for day. But I wouldn't call this a staple.


3. NARS Blush in Gilda (Coral), reduced to $22.00 from $25.00.
This may not seem like a huge bargain, and Gilda's no "Orgasm," but I happen to like this basic coral colour. For those of you that like the texture of NARS blushes, this might be a good place to pick up some extras while saving a couple of bucks. Personally, I like to go for minimal makeup during the summer, and this light coral blush is a great way to do that. The colour's pretty buildable, so you don't have to put on a ton, and I've found that peach is usually quite a bit more versatile than pink, because pink usually only suits lighter skintones while peach can be used to liven up even much darker skintones subtly.


4. NARS Cream Blush in Turkish Red (Red Coral), reduced to $20.00 from $24.00.
I know that "Red Coral" might seem a bit extreme for those that are used to more subtle blush looks, but that's what I really like about this product. NARS Cream Blushes aren't particularly goopy, so it's really easy to dab a brush in with just the slightest bit of product and just swirl it around your cheek for a bit. It takes hardly any product to add just a subtle glow to your cheeks, which I love for summer because it feels so light. The colour can be darkened for those that want a more dramatic look, but this colour can be worn surprisingly lightly. Plus, $20.00 for a blush isn't bad at all! Oh, and don't be put off by the swatch on the retailer's website -- it's the colour of a really huge goop of the product, and even then it's a little bit more orangey than in real life.


5. NARS Lipgloss in Dolce Vita (Sheer Dusty Rose), reduced to $20.00 from $23.00.
If I were to get one product from this selection, it would either be the cream blush or this lipgloss. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the NARS glosses, because they aren't too tacky but they're usually pigmented enough to give your lips some colour without needing lipstick underneath. Dolce Vita is, to me, the more subdued equivalent to the Bobbi Brown Mauve collection. It's a cooler, darker pink that's surprisingly suited to most skintones, but isn't nearly as extreme as Bobbi Brown's quasi-gothic lipglosses that came out with her collection.