Beauty Bar – Page 2 – The Sol Compass

How To Shop For Makeup

how-to-shop-for

The title of this post changed quite a few times as I was writing it. “Who’s this chick that thinks she has any authority on how I buy my makeup??” If there’s one thing I’m incredibly good at, it’s getting the most value while shopping. Does this mean my friends make fun of me for having coupon codes at the ready? Absolutely. Does it mean B rolls his eyes every time I make him go into an extra store because they have 100 kicks that day? You betcha. But stretching my dollars means more clothes in my closet so no shame. This post is going to be a long one based solely on the depth of information I have to share with you, so definitely go grab a snack before diving in.

Makeup is one of those things seems to never be on sale. It scarcely goes out of style and if they can charge full price for it, why not? So my number one trick for affording the makeup that I want is maximizing the point systems to my benefit. I usually only voice my positive opinions on this blog and just choose to omit the more negative ones, but I’m going to break it down for you guys and give you my real opinion so you can hopefully maximize your own hard earned cash too.

Stop Number One: Ulta Beauty. Ulta’s point system is the. best. in the business you guys. You get points for everything you buy, and you can redeem them on absolutely anything. Zero exclusions. You can redeem your points at any value, so no waiting to spend $1000 to earn a measly $20 reward. Since they also hand out coupons like it’s going out of style, I buy 100% of my drugstore beauty needs from Ulta. That’s everything from Burt’s Bees and Conair to NYX and OPI. If it can be found at Ulta, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be buying it there. For starters, there’s the coupon situation, but for seconds this helps me earn points towards the prestige brands.

Prestige brands, while not included in the regular coupons, frequently have other deals going on inside Ulta. Whether it’s $10 off a bareMinerals purchase or 5x points on an Urban Decay purchase, I’ve found that patience in waiting for these deals always pans out in my favor. In November I went on a huge Ulta shopping spree for free because I had $175 in points saved up. That included everything from an Anastasia Beverly Hills palette to Buxom lipgloss and Urban Decay Naked foundation. It was a good day.

Stop Number Two: Nordstrom. While Nordstrom’s point system is not as lucrative as Ulta’s, I do spend a lot of money there on clothes so it makes sense to also use my Nordstrom card benefits towards makeup purchases. If Ulta doesn’t carry a brand, I go straight to Nordstrom. Brands like MAC and Bobbi Brown are frequent Nordstrom purchases for me. They also have my favorite Sigma Beauty brushes for powder foundation and liquid foundation. Despite the fact that I think their price points are perfect for the quality makeup you’re getting, I also love the specialized training the girls at their respective makeup counters have. Combining the quality and knowledge with a decent points system makes these a solid double in my book. Granted it seems to take forever for me to get a Nordstrom Note (return on investment), but it’s the best option available for sure.

(It’s important to tell you guys that I used to buy all of my NARS products at Nordstrom before they were carried at Ulta! Ulta doesn’t have the full line yet, so I’ve still been buying the classic NARS lipstick and lip glosses at Nordstrom, but anything that Ulta carries will always be bought at Ulta!)

(Also worth noting is MAC’s Back to MAC recycling program. You can return six empty MAC products to your MAC counter or store, and receive a free MAC lipstick as a thanks for your commitment to the environment!)

Stop Number Three: Sephora. I know I know. I love Sephora as much as the next girl. But if you can get past their sleek black and white interior and the really good lighting, their rewards program is kind of garbage. You can spend tons of money at that store and you’re still only able to redeem it on things that they say you can. And even then, more often than not they’re only sample size products. Don’t get me wrong, I have gotten some really great samples from them, like Urban Decay eyeshadow primer or a Sunday Riley cream I was dying to try but afraid to drop $65 on. But when I know there’s so much more return on my investment I could be getting, it’s really hard to justify spending my money at the place with the better bag. For this reason, I usually only buy things at Sephora that can’t be found at Ulta or Nordstrom, i.e. Bite Beauty, Marc Jacobs, or Kat Von D. They also tend to have much, much more in the skincare department, so masks and face serums are frequent Sephora purchases for me. In addition, Sephora’s service is 1000x better than Ulta’s, so if I really need advice on a new contour color or new facial oil, I will definitely go to Sephora and just bite the bullet on the rewards points because it’s nearly impossible to get the same friendliness or knowledge at Ulta. But when I’m going to replace the same concealer I always use… I just have to go through the chain of command.

how-to-shop-for-makeup

Moving into a slightly more shopping-neutral territory, I use ebates and shopkick religiously in my shopping escapades. Most of my actual purchasing is done online, which you would never know if you asked B how frequently we go to the mall (about once per week). While I love the experience of seeing things in person and am a total mall rat, I’ve found you can really maximize the bang for your buck by doing your actual purchasing online. First step is I can add and take away things from my cart without the pressure of a sales person breathing down my neck. I add things, think about them for a day or two, and then can decide whether or not I really need/want it without the pressure of deciding in 37 seconds (nothing flares up my indecision quite like the pressure of time). After I’ve added everything to my cart, I can wait a day or two to see if it goes on sale (this is particularly true with GAP brands. They have always have 25-40% off, so paying full price there is just straight silly).

The other part of online shopping that gets me the most cash back in my pocket is ebates. Since I do so much online shopping, it would be just straight silly to not use ebates. Even if you don’t do that much online shopping, anything is better than nothing. All you have to do is go to the ebates website, find the store you want to shop at, and then click through their link. Then once a quarter, they will send you a Big Fat Check in the mail with all of your cashback. Yes, seriously. It really is that easy. Click here to get an extra $10 when you sign up! Last time I used my check to help ease some of the holiday season bills, but I’m thinking I might use February’s to splurge on some face masks or Too Faced’s Peach line. My nose says buy the delicious smelling makeup, but my brain says face masks. Skin first, makeup second.

Thank you all so much for reading! I hope this is helpful as you go about building those stellar makeup collections!

xo, C

Verb

Welcome back everyone and happy Friday! Today I want to share with you a haircare company that I have absolutely fallen in love with recently. One of my favorite natural beauty brands, w3ll people, is based out of Austin, and so when I was planning my trip down I was looking to see what other brands are located in Texas’ natural beauty loving capital. When I discovered Verb, I dove headfirst into finding out everything I could about their product line. Developed by stylists for their clients, Verb is a brand of high-quality products designed at price point that doesn’t punch your bank account in the gut.

I have a terrible bad habit of buying troves of Pantene shampoo and conditioner when Target has a sale or promo deal going on, so my closet was a little bit backed up with conventional products at the time I first discovered Verb. While the hydrating shampoo and conditioner instantly caught my eye, I only picked up this mask. After treatment I fell in love with the soft, shiny, and smooth hair I suddenly had.

When I’m traveling for short periods of time, I tend to leave the hair products at home and go a little lower maintenance. The week before we went to Florida for ten days though, my hair was already feeling a little sad and on the dry side from the first onset of winter, and I knew it would only get worse using hotel shampoo for over a week. With Sephora swooping in to the rescue, I managed to snag this Hair to Go kit to bring with me, excited that I could bring hydration with me in such a small portable package and try out more of Verb’s products.

Sephora is also still selling a lot of amazing holiday bundles with Verb products at amazing price points, all of which you can find here.

The Breakdown

Ghost Oil – A restorative hair oil. Perfect to add extra softness to your hair and to tame frizz.

Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner – Excellent for smoothing and hydrating. Helps with volume a surprising amount for not being the “volumizing” shampoo. Cleaned my hair thoroughly enough that I didn’t feel like I had to wash it again the next day (my number one complaint about shampoos).

Leave-In Mist – Detangles, shines, de-frizzes all in one miraculous little bottle.

Hydrating Mask – If you hate having soft, shiny, smooth hair, then I’m sorry I can no longer help you. But if you want your hair to resemble Gigi’s on the runway, get this. That’s all you need to know.

Sea Spray – The perfect product to toss in your hair after a day at the pool but before dinner, this sea spray adds just the right amount of texture for that effortless beach babe look.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope you all have an amazing weekend!

xo, C

November Lipsticks

(Bite Beauty ‘Fig’, NARS ‘Catfight’, MAC ‘Kinda Sexy’, Urban Decay ‘Barfly’)

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while since I shared some beauty products with you guys, so today I thought I would post my four favorite lipsticks this month.

Bite Beauty ‘Fig’ This rosy nude shade is unbelievably hydrating, as I’ve come to expect from Bite Beauty products. It’s incredibly pigmented-just one swipe gave a perfectly even satin lip color.

NARS ‘Catfight’ ‘Catfight’ is a semi-matte mauve color that retains a bit of a sheen on your lips. Since it’s a nude mauve, ‘Catfight’ is a great way to bring some color into your look without being overpowering.

MAC ‘Kinda Sexy’ ‘Kinda Sexy’ is a warm nude that has slight coral tones in it. This is the perfect subtle shade to add that effortless je ne sais quoi to pull literally any makeup look together without looking too try hard. (Kinda Sexy is the perfect name for this shade).

Urban Decay ‘Barfly’ This peachy nude is loaded with nourishing oils which help the creamy, buttery formula glide on with ease. The cream finish is hands down my favorite of the six new Vice finishes and they are packed with pigment and deliver a really rich payoff.

Bite Lush Lip Wipes Between shots, I used these wipes to take off my makeup. They’re formulated specifically for your lips and infused with melon fruit for hydration. Since Bite Beauty is focused on using natural ingredients, you don’t have to worry about accidentally ingesting any chemicals from using them on your lips.

(To keep the rest of my makeup simple and let the lipstick do the talking, I created this soft pink eye look with the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette. I used the shade Buon Fresco for my crease and lower lash line, Tempera to highlight my brow bone, and Vermeer on my lid and inner corner).

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

xo, C

July Beauty Haul

Hi everyone! Welcome back. I feel like I haven’t blogged in so long, when in reality it’s only been a week since my last post. Unfortunately my laptop hasn’t been working, so my outfit photos are MIA this week-but I’m praying to the Apple Geniuses that they’re able to fix it when I bring it in tonight!

In the interim, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of my recent beauty purchases. My sister Michaela will attest to the fact that I am definitely not the first to jump on indie beauty brands or celebrity trends-in fact, I am usually the last. Most of this has to do with the fact that I like products to be tested by pretty much everyone under the sun before I’m willing to put it on my face. With that, I usually do an extensive amount of research before buying beauty products and am reasonably confident that I will like them before I even try them, and so far these ones have not disappointed.

These amazing sticks are the only item in this haul that you can’t find at Sephora. If you live in Boston you can find W3ll People at the amazing and reliable Follain, and if you don’t you can find them online and at Target! I first heard about W3ll People from one of my favorite bloggers, Grace Atwood, whose opinion on beauty products I always trust (I may be biased because we went to the same college, but alas). I had kept them on my radar for a while before I finally pulled the trigger but oh my goodness. I can’t believe I didn’t have these in my life earlier. The sticks are so fun and easy to use, they make contouring and concealing an absolute breeze. This all natural brand’s motto is “Hippie Tested, Diva Approved” and there may be no greater beauty sentence ever said.

The reason I went to Sephora in the first place was to pick up the coveted Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette. It’s true that I’m a sucker for a good limited edition (hello, Gwen Stefani and Ellie Goulding collabs), but this one is definitely worth the hype. The colors are just unbelievably versatile, the packaging is so glamorous, and you really can’t argue with getting two highlighters and three blushes for only $52. To get such beautiful shades created by Jaclyn Hill combined with the luxurious Becca formulas is totally worth it. (The palette is sold out online, but you can use the store locator to find one near you!)

As I mentioned in my lip products post, I am always on the hunt for new lipsticks and glosses to try. I don’t really change much in my makeup routine on a daily basis, so different lip products are sort of my way of experimenting and changing up a look. Since Anastasia Beverly Hills has been having so much success and hype amongst experts, aficionados, and newbies alike; I figured I couldn’t go wrong with one of these lip glosses. My shade of choice was Dainty-a soft peach hue that is just beautiful paired with tan summer skin. Urban Decay never lets me down, so I also picked up two pretty pink lipsticks from their new Vice collection. These shades are ‘Native’ and ‘Weirdo’, and it’s actually kind of embarrassing how similar they are. But when they make such a smooth and creamy lipstick, what else do you expect me to do?!

Korean cosmetic brands are receiving their fair share of hype these days, so when I stumbled across one that had two products I desperately needed I didn’t think twice. Too Cool For School is a self processed “rule breaking” beauty brand full of fun and artistic packaging of makeup and skincare products. During the summer I desperately need transportable blotting papers that leave my makeup intact after running to catch a subway or getting into my hotbox of a car when it’s 95 degrees outside. This adorable Dinoplatz case fit the bill perfectly and so far has not disappointed my skin, my makeup, or my wallet. Next up, I have been dying to get my hands on some makeup-remover-infused-cotton swabs to touch up pesky mascara that forces its way onto my carefully blended eye shadow, and this ready-to-travel case is the perfect answer to my prayers.

Thank you all so much for stopping by! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

xo, C

Spring Makeup Updates

Happy Friday! I hope you all had an awesome Cinco de Mayo yesterday! I know Cinco de Mayo isn’t one of the blockbuster holidays in Mexico, but I’m down to celebrate anything that commemorates the underdog while allowing me to consume copious amounts of tacos.

While spring wardrobe updates are obvious (and required), something I think about less is updating my makeup routine. By the time the weather starts to change I desperately need a change though. Whether it’s adding a coral lip or bright warm toned nail polishes, here’s a quick roundup of some of my latest beauty buys!

I usually stick with nude and pink nail polishes, but all this gray weather has gotten me into a major slump, and I needed to shake things up and some unconventional nail polishes seemed like the perfect way to do that! The nail salon I go to uses OPI hand lotion and it is the bomb.com. I love these mini versions that are perfect to keep in your purse or car! Winter wreaks absolute havoc on my skin, so I’m constantly putting on lotion and OPI is one of my favorites.

Nail Polishes: OPI Got Myself into a Jam-balaya, OPI Purple Palazzo Pants, OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI, OPI Hand Lotion Set

95% of the time, I’m wearing either Burt’s Bees lip balm or a pale pink on my lips (a la these ones from the Lip Product Lineup). But spring does weird things to me and I suddenly felt much more adventurous then I usually do with my lip makeup. I ordered Caitlyn Jenner’s ‘Finally Free’ from MAC (100% of the proceeds are going to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative), and the rosey nude mauve color is so universally flattering I think everyone needs this in their makeup bag!

On one of my weekly Ulta trips, I went on the hunt for a coral color to liven up my spring wardrobe, and saw that the Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks were 50% off this month. Without hesitation I scooped up the Sheer Streak and am loving the result-the sheerness makes the coral slightly more palatable than the conventional hue!

Lastly, old habits die hard, and I couldn’t resist adding another pink lipgloss to the repertoire. You’ll find this Naked ‘Liar’ shade nestled in my purse right between the old reliables.

Lip Products: Naked ‘Liar’ lipgloss by Urban Decay, ‘Finally Free’ lipstick by MAC, Sheer ‘Streak’ Revolution lipstick by Urban Decay (50% off this month!)

I am by no means a mask expert. I’ve only started recently using them because my tired skin needs some extra love. As someone who isn’t super willing to drop half of my paycheck on makeup and skincare products, these Sephora masks are the perfect price and do a great job of giving my face the extra boost that it needs. Between the harsh dry winter and just overall lack of sleep, I find that there is a mask solution for pretty much everything! I’ve been loving alternating them and seeing the magic come to life!

Masks: Sephora

Face Products: bareMinerals ‘Complexion Rescue’ in Opal | W3LL PEOPLE Contour Kit (also available here)

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

xo, C

Real Techniques

I’ve been hearing a fair amount of hype from beauty vloggers and friends about Real Techniques, so when I decided I needed to purchase some more eye makeup brushes (after expanding my use of eyeshadow that I mentioned here), I decided to give them a go. For starters, this sponge is a total miracle dupe. I’ve never been able to justify spending $20 on a sponge a la beauty blender, so I was amped to find this $6 dupe and it definitely did not disappoint!

The eye brushes (purple) were what I needed most so they were the first items I added to my cart. I was not expecting any set of brushes under $20 to pick up eye shadow as well as they did, and as a result I put WAY too much on the first time I used them! They’re super soft and apply makeup so easily. I’ve heard some people that were less than thrilled with the results, but for the price I can’t imagine finding a more effective brush set! Also, how can you argue with them when they come with their own travel case and stand?!

Because I was just so in love with the vibrant pink, I decided to scoop up this cheek and lip brush set as well. Again I loved how soft and gentle the brushes were, and how well they picked up and held my powder makeup.

Product Details – Miracle Complexion Sponge | Starter Brush Makeup Set | Cheek & Lip Brush Set

(For a full list of Real Techniques retailers, click here)

Thanks for reading! Happy Hump Day!

xo, C

Eye Makeup Routine

You may remember I recently shared my favorite lip products, so today I thought I would share my every day eye makeup routine. I am not someone who’s willing to spend a lot of time on my makeup, so fancy things like contouring tend to get skipped with me. My eye makeup routine is like a well oiled machine and I can whip through it even when I’m half asleep and/or squished in front of a gym mirror with a dozen other women.

The cornerstone for my makeup routine for the past five years has been bareMinerals’ mascara and eyeliner. I’ve tried so many other mascaras and almost all of them irritate my eyes or clump or are just frustrating to apply evenly. These two gems are perfect for a natural makeup look and for someone who just wants to swipe on makeup and get on with their day.

In my Pixi by Petra post I included these two gems, but they have become so essential to my makeup routine I couldn’t imagine leaving them out today. This eye bright liner and eye zone brightener are crucial to making tired eyes look bright and fresh no matter how little sleep I got the night before.

I never used eye shadow for day to day makeup until I was gifted these Urban Decay palettes by my kind and beautiful friends and generously taught how to use them by my patient and talented sister. If a makeup amateur like I can figure out how to mix shades, then it’s not nearly as difficult as it seems. The Naked Palettes 100% live up to their hype. They are super easy to apply and definitely worth the price tag once you realize how many options you have. Plus an eyeshadow that stays put all day and doesn’t crease cannot be passed up. I love the colors in this Vice palette my friend Kelsey gave me, and I’ve slowly been starting to learn how to incorporate the brighter and bolder hues without scaring people off/getting confused for a ten year old on her way to a ballet recital.

Lately I’ve been lusting after the UD x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette-it’s an insanely versatile palette, with a perfect mix of neutrals and jewel tones to complete any look, day or night! I know I’ll love the formula as I do with my current Urban Decay eyeshadows and it’s just a matter of time before I’m able to convince myself that yes, of course I need more eyeshadows! 😉

Urban Decay Vice Palette (old, new version here) | Urban Decay Naked3 Palette | Urban Decay Shadow Box (old, new version here)

The newest additions to my routine are Urban Decay’s Subversion Lash Primer and Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Clear Brow Gel. Lash primer is definitely not an every day product for me, but it sure is a game changer. I generally only use it for blog posts, date nights, or other special occasions. I am a HUGE fan of this clear brow gel. It’s super easy to put on, it keeps my eyebrows in place all day long, and tames any rogue strays; without the terrifying factor of me with bold eyebrows. For those lucky souls who can pull off the thick eyebrow trend, I’m sure the tinted brow gel from ABH is equally as amazing because the formula is 100% effective.

Thanks for stopping by! Do any of you have any must haves that I need to start incorporating into my routine? Sound off in the comments! Have a wonderful weekend!

xo, C

Acure

I’m always trying to find new drugstore products that I love, and Target has been making this quest so much easier on me with all their newly introduced natural beauty brands! One of my new favorites is Acure. My friends are always mentioning how young my parents look for their age, and at some point I had no choice but to accept that they must be making some great lifestyle choices- including diet, exercise, and skincare. I had been picking my parent’s brains for new products to try, and my dad recently picked up some Acure Organics Day Cream at Whole Foods, when I stumbled upon the same product line at Target! Not to discredit skincare selections at Whole Foods (they carry some of my all-time favorite products lines), but I tend to be more in and out ASAP there and more leisurely at Target, with the bigger aisles and a chance to peruse and examine products more carefully. I was in the market for a new body wash and am always looking for new lotions to try, so I decided on picking up these two along with these cleansing towelettes, and I cannot stress how happy I have been with the results! It can be frustratingly difficult to find skincare products that are natural and also effective, but these Acure products definitely did not disappoint. Finding organic products that smell nice and are reasonably priced can be so hard to find but I’ve been so impressed with the results so far!

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of your week!
xo, C

Pixi by Petra

While shopping one of my favorite Target beauty lines, Sonia Kashuk, I turned around in the aisle and found myself facing a wall of light and bright products in the Pixi line. I was intrigued to say the least, especially when I saw the series of brightening products at extremely reasonable prices. A quick Google search told me all I needed to hear- that the line I was looking at was designed to make tired and busy skin look bright and healthy, using natural ingredients. I 100% lean towards the natural beauty look, and a line of products designed to enhance natural beauty instead of covering it up sounded perfect to me. Pixi products do exactly that- liven up tired skin quickly and efficiently to help busy women looking their best.

Since I am a terrible creature of habit and sometimes have a hard time parting with the items I already love, I opted for three products that I don’t have a stand by for; the makeup fixing mist, eye zone brightener, and eye bright liner. They are all hands down must haves for everyone’s makeup case. I don’t like to wear a lot of makeup, but these are all perfect for those mornings when I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep and my skin needs a little pick me up. The quick extra steps are so worth the drastic results of brighter, glowing skin.

In somewhat related news, I am unbelievably excited to tell you all that I have five giveaways of some of my favorite products planned out for (hopefully) March! I plan to roll them out as a celebration when I reach 500 followers on Instagram, so I need your help! Follow along here and help me reach my goal soon, so we can get the giveaways rolling!

Thanks you all from the very bottom of my heart for supporting The Sol Compass. It is truly a dream come true to know that at least one person besides my mom is reading the things I blog passionately about. This site is a major labor of love and it means so much to me to think that just one person might get just one recommendation out of reading it. Happy Hump Day!

xo, C

Lip Product Lineup

I am extremely (sometimes irrationally) picky about lip products. I am constantly applying lip balm, so I have to really love a lip product to be willing to give up the Burt’s Bees for an hour or two (seriously, it’s a problem). Luckily for you all, this means that I have found la crème de la crème of lip products over the years and today I will be sharing those products with you! It may seem like there are a lot, but it’s nothing compared to how many I’ve tried and disliked!

Leading off, we have the MAC x Ellie Goulding collab. I fell in love with it before I even saw it in person. For starters, I love Ellie Goulding (her voice is electric and her personality magnetic), but more importantly we have similar skin coloring so I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about color matching too much. The colors are all colors people actually wear in real life, which is what really sealed the deal for me. I’m not a fan of purple lipstick or green eyeliner or some of the crazy celeb collaborations MAC has produced in the past (looking at you, Ariana Grande), so makeup that works for every day use is a home run in my book. The attention to detail that was paid in this collection (down to the logo embossed lipstick) is something I can greatly appreciate. I picked up these three pink shades at Nordstrom, but I also loved the golden shimmer of the Explosion lipgloss that I tried (the store was out, so I had to order it online. Yep, tester was THAT GOOD). Timeout: I desperately wanted to try the Halcyon Days/Halcyon Nights palettes, but I had just loaded up on eyeshadow before the holiday season and, ya know, money. So if anyone wants to bring back a full report on those that would be swell!

Lipstick: Without Your Love | Lip Crayon: Innocent | Plushglass: Goodness Gracious

(I linked to Nordstrom, since I love their easy navigation and free shipping, but you can shop the collaboration at MAC and Macy’s, too!)

On deck, we have my reliable every day lip glosses: NARS’ Turkish Delight and Bobbi Brown’s Petal. You can find one of these in my purse (or car) at any given time. Any lipgloss that’s in contention for daily use with me has to be light pink, not sticky, and have just the right amount of shine. I love these two formulas, and the colors are perfect for every day use.

NARS lipgloss: Turkish Delight | Bobbi Brown lipgloss: Petal

In the hole, Spice Spice Baby. This Too Faced lipstick comes recommended by my friend Kelsey (she’s an aesthetician and I treat her recommendations like gold), and it came recommended to her by one of our friends who works at Ulta. So yeah- it’s kind of a big deal. The creamy and rich formula cannot be beat. It’s so hydrating that I don’t even miss my lip balm when I wear it! A lot of the colors are too rich for my personal every day taste, but there are quite a few pinky and nude ones I have not yet tried, and Spice Spice Baby is universally flattering. Or so I’ve been told, I haven’t accosted random pedestrians on the street to test that theory. Yet. Stay tuned.

Lipstick: Spice Spice Baby (also available at Sephora)

(I have officially run out of baseball expressions).

After spending a bit too much money at the MET Bar, my friend Amanda and I spent a rainy day at the mall googling MAC dupes for Jenner-worthy lips. Our favorite result was NYX Ever lipliner and NYX Tiramisu butter gloss. It’s possibly the darkest I’ve ever had my lips while still liking the results! You can sort of see how they look in this post. My sister also loves the NYX butter gloss in Crème Brûlée! It’s a really soothing and creamy formula that’s perfect for every day, and you can’t beat the price.

Lipliner: NYX Ever | Lipgloss: NYX Tiramisu

The last batter in today’s lineup is this little Buxom rockstar. Also highly recommended to me by a friend, it acts like a balm, liner, and lipstick all in one. All my friend needed to do was tell me it was owned by bareMinerals (though sold exclusively at Sephora) to get me on board instantly (bareMinerals addiction last expressed here and here). This stick is crazy hydrating, and I love how it looks like a lipstick but has the precision of a liner- especially useful with someone with inferior makeup application skills like myself! I’m dying to try Amsterdam and Bombay next!

Lipstick: Buxom Dolly

Do any of you use these products? Are there any that I need to add into the cycle? Sound off in the comment section!

Thanks so much for reading!

xo, C