YouTube Made Me Buy It: Drugstore Edition

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I really enjoyed having a theme week earlier in the month (Face Primer week) and I received positive feedback on the posts, so I thought I would have a drugstore theme this week!

This first post will feature five drugstore products that I bought because I saw them on YouTube. There are definitely more than five products I was influenced to buy, but these are products that I might not have known about or tried if I hadn’t heard about them on YouTube.

1. NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in 741A Transparent

This is a setting powder that Jessica Murphy (JAMbeauty89 on YouTube) raved about. I have not been able to find a setting powder I like yet, so I figured I would try this one out. It is only a couple bucks at the drugstore and I had a $1 manufacturer’s coupon—score! A full review of this product will be coming during Drugstore Week.

2. L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara in 335 Carbon Black

A lot of YouTubers say this is their favorite drugstore mascara and they have repurchased it time and again. It’s been in the back on my mind, but I don’t tend to spend money on mascara since I can get it for free with coupons all the time. So, when I was doing a L’Oreal Saving Series deal at CVS one week I knew I would be getting this mascara. A full review of this product will also be coming uring Drugstore Week!

3. Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 070 Airy Fairy

According to YouTubers, this is one of Rimmel’s most popular lipstick shades. Naturally, I had to try it out to see what the fuss was about. I featured this lipstick in my Favorite 5 of February 2015. It is a great everyday lipstick color, very appropriate for work or school, especially if the atmosphere is more formal. It is a semi-matte pinky nude. It is a bit of a thicker formula so I would definitely recommend wearing lip balm underneath it.

4. Milani Color Statement Lipliner in 09 Spice and Maybelline ColorSensational Matte Lipstick in 660 Touch of Spice

I count these products as one since they are similar in color and I always wear them together. The lipliner is on the brown side, but it is still pretty and pairs perfectly with the Touch of Spice lipstick. The lipstick is the perfect muted berry/reddish brown color and this matte formulation is not drying at all. I would definitely recommend the Maybelline ColorSensational line if you’re looking for matte lipstick.

 

From Left to Right: Airy Fair, Touch of Spice, Spice

5. Milani Baked Blushes

I have heard the Milani Baked Blush in 05 Luminoso mentioned so many times! It is a great peachy blush that could also double as a highlighter. I often pop this blush on top of whatever other blush I’m wearing to give my cheeks a nice glow. I also have 03 Berry Amore, a great medium berry color with a hint of gold. The formula of these blushes is great; they apply very smoothly and are blendable. They are not powdery at all and the color is buildable. I’m sure I will be adding a few more of these to my collection in the future. Milani is a great drugstore brand.

Those are the 5 (well, 7) drugstore products that YouTube “made” me buy. In all honesty, they are all actually great products for me. If I try something and don’t like it, I return it (unless I got it for free) and you usually hear about it in a Bye Bye Series post. I watch YouTube to get ideas for products to try and tell you about, but only buy things that I think I will actually like (you don’t see me buying fake eyelashes even though YouTubers talk about their favorite ones all the time). What have you been influenced to buy? Did you like it? Let me know!

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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Favorite 5: April 2015

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It’s May!!!! That means Spring is here, right? Right?! New England seems to ignore that memo longer ever year. We had hail/snow/sleet last week. Either way, another month has come and gone. Here are the products I was loving during the month of April (in no particular order):

1. e.l.f. Blushes in Candid Coral and Twinkle Pink

For most days in April I applied both of these blushes to the apples of my cheeks and back up my cheek bone. First I applied Candid Coral (a light dusty peach) and then I topped it off with Twinkle Pink (a light brighter peach). Twinkle Pink has a hint of shimmer so it gave a highlighting effect as well. These two colors go great together and were easy to blend. You can get e.l.f. at Target, online and at Christmas Tree Shop (and apparently at the checkout line of my Old Navy??). The blushes are only $3 and they are amazing!

2. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 720 Notting Hill Nude

I can’t get enough of this lipstick! It was one of my February Favorites. It is a great everyday color to wear—a nude with a very slight orange undertone—and  goes with whatever makeup you put on. It applies smoothly and leaves a bit of a shine to the lips. It wears pretty well and is easy to reapply. I recently took this lipstick out of my everyday makeup drawer so that I would use some of the other lip products I have. I miss it…

 

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Liptick in 463 Sassy Mauve

The other lip color I couldn’t get enough off was this nude mauve color from Revlon. It is a crème formula so it is very smooth on the lips and easy to reapply. I don’t like overly pigmented lip products—this is pigmented (you only need one coat), but does not feel heavy on the lips. I also put this lipstick away so that I would start wearing some more spring-like colors. The Super Lustrous line is a very popular line from Revlon that has been around forever and there are a kajillion shades.

4. Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadow in Rio De Rose Gold

I got this for Christmas in a Josie Maran kit. It’s kind of a weird concept for an eye color. The pigment is mixed with coconut water, but you have to shake the product up for a bit because the pigment and coconut water separate. You can then apply the product with the dough foot applicator, your finger or a brush. I put use the brush to put a dab on my eyelid and then blend with my finger. It is a beautiful bronze-rose gold color. When I wear this I typically only use this one color. I concentrate the pigment on my lids and then blend the color up into the crease. The color has enough dimension that it doesn’t look flat or like you are only wearing one color. It has good staying power as well, and I don’t even apply a primer when I wear this.

 

5. MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC15

In April, my face seemed to hate any foundation except my MAC foundation. I’ve fully reviewed this foundation in my Beauty Battle of Full Coverage Foundations so I won’t ramble on here. Easy to apply and blend (with a sponge) and provides very full coverage.

That’s my five! What products did you love during the month of March? Let me know! You can see all my monthly favorites here.

Disclaimer: These items were purchased with my own money or by my lovely husband and all opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you.

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Favorite 5: March 2015

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At the beginning of every month I’ll let you know what my top 5 favorites were in makeup and/or skincare for the previous month. 

Here’s what I loved during the month of March:

1. Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Mascara

I have a first impressions of this mascara. I loved it then and I still love it. This mascara is amazing. It really holds the curl and length all day while still keeping your lashes looking natural. If I were ever to splurge on a mascara, it would be this one (the full size is $24, I got mine as a free sample with purchase from Sephora.com).

           

2. Urban Decay Naked 2 Eyeshadow Palette

Even though I have a bunch of new eye shadows I want to use (like the new limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoos), I have found myself reaching for this palette most mornings. It has a good mix of light to dark shimmery shades. I don’t find the shimmer to be too much. These shadows last all day too. The double-ended brush that comes in the palette is high quality—one end it good for putting color on the lid and the other end is good for lining the eyes. The matte shade (Tease) is perfect for the crease. These shadows are so pigmented and blendable. Lately, I’ve been putting Verve (silvery-champagne color) all over my lid, Tease (taupe with the slightest hint of rose/purple) in the crease, Snakebite (medium brown) on the outer corner, Foxy (matte yellow-cream) on my brow bone and Bootycall (peachy champagne) on the inner corner. It’s my simple go-to look for mornings when I’m too tired to think about my eye makeup.

3. Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Black

I received this in my FebruaryBirchbox and have been loving it to tightline. This is a creamy liner so it’s perfect for tightlining. I haven’t needed to put liner on my upper lash line because this eyeliner is so pigmented.

4. L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Night Cream

This stuff is amazing! I’ve been using this since my eco-beauty moisturizer ran out and have loved it. It is a very thick cream so a little goes a long way. It absorbs into the skin nicely and when I wake up in the morning my skin looks and feels so hydrated and smooth. I got this using my points at Sephora. I would love to purchase it but it is super expensive ($7.2 for 1.7oz.). I hope Sephora has the deluxe size sample again because I would definitely use my points!

5. Essence Lipliner in 11 In The Nude

I mentioned this lipliner in a recent haul post. This lipliner a great browny-pink nude color and is the other lip product I’ve been reaching for this month. I wear this alone with some lip balm over it or under most any other lipstick I’m wearing. It doesn’t dry my lips out and leaves a nice color when my lipstick wears off.

What products did you love during the month of March? Let me know!

Disclaimer: These items were purchased with my own money or by my lovely husband (or were bought with Sephora points/a free sample with purchase, as noted above) and all opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you.

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Favorite 5: Beauty YouTubers

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Below are my five favorite beauty YouTubers (in no particular order). Check them out!

1. essiebutton. Estée Lalonde is a London-based (originally from Canada) YouTuber. She seems very down to Earth and her skin tone is similar to mine so what she uses usually works for me (see my Bronzer& Highlighter Routine). She has gotten more high-end lately, and the drugstore brands in London are different than the U.S., but I still enjoy her. She has recently started a book club too!

2. Tati. Holy video production! Tati really knows her stuff. She posts five days a week too. She really puts products to the test, has great makeup/skincare tips and has a nice mix of high end and drugstore products. She has an app too.

3. jambeauty89. Jessica posts really, really thorough reviews. Her videos tend to be long, but I like that. She also seems really honest which is nice. Like essiebutton, her skin tone is similar to mine so her recommendations often work for me.

4. missglamorazzi. Ingrid Nilsen is a very popular YouTuber. She is actually the first beauty YouTuber I watched. Her videos are very high quality. Her channel is more of a lifestyle channel now, not just makeup. She has great everyday makeup tutorials.

5. HollieEatsLipstick. Hollie has great, quick reviews and easy to follow makeup tutorials. She features a good mix of drugstore and high end products.

Honorable Mentions: ShadesOfKassie (great lip swatch videos); jen luv’s reviews (weekly “What’s Up in Makeup” video on Sundays, subscription box unboxings); eleventhgorgeous (funny, but many find them annoying, focus is on drugstore makeup).

Other Popular YouTubers: Jaclyn Hill, Zoella, KathleenLights, emilynoel83, MakeupByAlli, RachhLoves, itsjudytime, and many, many more!

Let me know who your favorite YouTubers are!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own.

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Favorite 5 of February 2015

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At the beginning of every month I’ll let you know what my top 5 favorites were in makeup and/or skincare for the previous month.

Here’s what I loved during the month of February:

1. Maybelline Color Tattoo in 140 Rose Riot

            Since I got this in a Saving Series last week I have been wearing it non-stop. It is the perfect amount of shimmer without being glittery. It is a champagne-y pink color and has excellent staying power (it is advertised to last for 24-hours). I put this all over my lid and then add the darker shade in the 12 True Love eyeshadow duo by Sonia Kashuk in my crease; a very simple and quick look for mornings when I just want to get out of the door for work (a common theme if you have read my earlier posts).

2. eco-beauty  good day. day moisturizer

            I’ve talked about this a couple times so I won’t say too much. I received this moisturizer in an ipsy bag and it instantly became part of my every day morning skin care routine. Super moisturizing, but absorbs fast. Love! I’m sad it’s just about gone.

3. Tarte 12-hour Amazonian Clay Blush in True Love

I got this in the FebruaryPOPSUGAR Must Have Box and the color is so perfect for me. I’ve been wearing this pretty much every day since I received it. I also feel like it would look nice on a lot of different skin tones. It gives that natural flushed look, like you just came in from the cold (which, well, isn’t a lie since it’s the coldest month ever on record for Connecticut). I would highly recommend Tarte blushes, they are long lasting and don’t contain parabens, phthalates, etc.

4. Rimmel Lipsticks in 070 Airy Fairy and 720 Notting Hill Nude

            Airy Fairy is one of Rimmel’s most iconic lipsticks. I hear it raved about all the time on YouTube so I had to pick it up for myself. It is a great everyday pinky nude. It has a semi-matte finish so I would recommend exfoliating your lips and putting on a lip balm before using this lipstick. Notting Hill Nude is a nude with an almost orange undertone. I love it. Such an easy-to-wear color. It has a slight shine to it and is very smooth on the lips. Both are hydrating, have decent staying power and are easy to reapply.

 

Rimmel's Notting Hill Nude (Left) and Airy Fairy (Right)

5. CoverGirl Ready, Set Gorgeous Concealer in Fair

            In February, I’ve been neglecting all my other concealers in favor of this one. It is great for general concealing, but also to brightenup the undereye area. It’s very hard for me to find a concealer that is light enough for my skin tone, but that actually still conceals. This one does the trick. I’m considering trying out the foundation in this line. It’s oil-free and ranges in color from fair to deep.

What products did you love during the month of February? Let me know!

Disclaimer: These items were purchased with my own money or by my lovely husband and all opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you.

Favorite 5: January 2015

At the beginning of every month I’ll let you know what my top 5 favorites were in makeup and/or skincare for the previous month.

Here’s what I loved during the month of January:

1. Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Serum.

            This is my Holy Grail serum. Nothing leaves my skin as moisturized and even. I’ve been using this for almost a year and I will not be without it. I have very sensitive skin and this does not irritate it or make it red. I put this all over my face and neck and a little extra on areas of concern. You can find this at Sephora in varying sizes.

2. NYX butter gloss in BLG07 Tiramisu.

            This color had been sold out for months at Target and CVS. I finally found it at CVS one day, after I had stopped looking for it in vain. The NYX butter glosses feel like buttah! They go on so smooth and are creamy and hydrating all day long. I wear this light pinky nude-brown color alone or on top of pretty much any color lipstick color to tone it down (like my #5 favorite below). I generally don’t like glosses, but the butter glosses aren’t sticky at all. I have these in a few colors and want more! They also smell like yummy vanilla cake batter.

3. Revlon Lip Butter in 001 Pink Truffle.

            I went on a road trip to find this lipstick, and it was worth it! I couldn’t find it at some stores, and it was $9.49 at CVS (no sale or ECBs). I finally went to Walgreens where it was on sale for $6.49 or $5.49 and then there was a $1 Walgreens coupon for it. Score! This is a great everyday fall/winter color. It’s a “your lips but better” color with a hint of brown. Love the color and love the formula—it’s very creamy and opaque, with a hint of shimmer. You can find this at drugstores and Target.

4. Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Ethereal.

            I received this in my January 2015 ipsy bag and have been using it basically every day since mid-January. Like I said in my ipsy January 2015 post, it’s the perfect light champagne color. I’ve been putting it all over my lids and up to my brow bone before adding a darker crease color.

5. Nars Lipstick in Fast Ride.

            The Sephora website describes this lipstick as a sheer mulberry color. I would say that is pretty accurate. It’s a very deep purple-y berry. I got this at the 20% of VIB sale a few months back. I wanted a quintessential fall/winter lip color and this fit the bill. I don’t normally wear very dark lip colors, so the fact that this is sheer works well for me. You can definitely build the coverage so that it is fully pigmented, but I tend to keep it sheer.

I see these all being favorites in February too. What did you love during the month of January? Let me know!