City Color Cosmetics Review

It's review time for a few of the City Color Cosmetics selection's that I received and wore in my Budget Beauty FOTD. I'm pretty excited about this brand because they're very on trend with new product releases like BB Cream's and Shadow Pencil's and the prices are beyond reasonable. I have a soft spot for the inexpensive because it's those cheap drugstore brands that allowed me to teach myself makeup back in the day. It can be a bit mind-boggling that a product that costs only a few bucks can be just as good as a $20 one. If I've learned anything it's that expense and quality don't always equate, and who doesn't like to save money right?

And if Pat likes it..So do we!

 Keep Reading for the City Color Cosmetics Review, Swatches, & Discount Code

Budget Beauty FOTD: Slashing $250 off my Everyday Makeup

Today I'm test driving some pr samples of the new to me budget beauty brand  City Color Cosmetics who recently debuted directly to consumers at IMATS LA along with launching an online store. After being impressed by the $1.99 Ultra Pink Matte Lipstick and quite a few of their other bargain product's it got me thinking how much my everyday makeup look costs and if I could do the same makeup for a whole lot less.

My typical Everyday Makeup Look Products:
NARS Blush ($29), MAC Strada Contour ($21), Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer ($36), Too Faced Primed & Poreless Powder ($30), Tarte BB Cream ($34), Anastasia Ash Blonde Brow Pencil ($23), Anastasia Eye Lights Matte ($21), Milani Grandissimo Mascara ($5.49), MAC Blanc Type Eyeshadow ($15), Urban Decay Naked 2 Eyeshadow Palette ($50), Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner ($23), Red Cherry Lashes ($1.99), MAC Lip Pencil ($15), MAC Lipstick ($15)
Total: $319.48

The Budget Beauty Everyday Makeup Look Product's & FOTD
City Color Cosmetics Intense Blush Quad 1 ($4.99), NYX Blush Contour Taupe ($4.99), Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer ($7.94), Maybelline Dream Matte Powder ($6.94), City Color BB Cream ($3.99), Maybelline Define a Brow Light Blonde ($5.97), City Color Eyeshadow Primer ($2.99), Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Cream Shadow Barely Branded ($5.94), Coastal Scents M09 hot pot ($1.99), Cover Girl Super Thick Lash Mascara ($4.24), City Color Gel Eyeliner Black ($3.99), Blackheart Beauty Hot Pink Lip Pencil ($3), City Color Matte Lipstick Ultra Pink ($1.99), Red Cherry Lashes ($1.99)
Total: $60.95

That's a savings of over $250+. Pretty eye-opening! At the same time it shows you can do the same makeup at a fraction of the cost. There are a few things I'd have a hard time giving up. My Anastasia Brow Pencil is the perfect shade, and how could we ever live with out the Urban Decay Naked Palette trifecta? Drugstore Mascara's and Red Cherry Lashes are already inexpensive and I'd choose them over higher end's any day.

Same goes for this lipstick. City Color's $1.99 Ultra Pink Matte is pretty dang close to MAC Pink Pigeon. It feels weightless on the lips, non-drying, and has excellent color pay-off. I kind of want them all, but that sort of defeats the purpose of saving money on makeup right? Except I have a discount code below! So maybe just 3 or 10 :)

 If you'd like to pick up this Lipstick or any of City Color's other budget friendly products,
(A few of my favorites so far are the BB cream, Shadow Pencil's, Blush Palette, & Matte Lipstick's)

 is offering my readers a 15% OFF DISCOUNT

PROMO CODE: 13MS1B15

Valid until 6/1/13. 1 Per Person.

citycolorbeauty.com

Milani Color Statement Lipstick Plums & Berries Review

I have my final set of Milani's Color Statement Lipstick's to review today (press sample). The Plums & Berries Collection are the same rich full-bodied formula's as the pink, coral, and red's offered up in seven beautiful Fall-esque shades. It may be off-season, but it's been 50 degrees and raining here so there's no hesitation in throwing a berry lip on in the middle of Spring.

Wearing: Milani Colorstatement Lipstick Uptown Mauve

Uptown Mave was my favorite from this collection, for a plum shade it's incredibly natural looking and easy to wear.

 Keep Reading for the Color Statement Plums & Berries Lipstick Review

Anastasia of Beverly Hills HyperColor Brow & Lash Tint Review

It was almost as if they were reading my mind because right as I was wearing my Oxblood Mascara Experiment the new Anastasia of Beverly Hills HyperColor Brow & Lash Tint's arrived! The latest addition to the HyperColor family are an intensely pigmented neon-ombre brow gel that doubles as a curling mascara with a vividly-bright finish.

The inside promo photo resembled the Ombre Brow look I did awhile back with the Hypercolor Brow Powders. If those were any indication, I knew the tint's would be full-on-color amazingness too.

Keep reading for the Hypercolor Brow & Lash Tint Review

FOTD: Lip Color for the Eyes? OxBlood Lashes

At the Donna Karan New York Spring 2013 runway show, makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury crafted an “unexpected, and a little twisted” pink eye look. I'm attracted to "ugly makeup" and this was so unsightly I had to put to test a real world version of it. Having been described as conjunctivitis and zombie apocolypse who wouldn't want to try it?

To re-create the exact runway makeup: MAC lip liner in Magenta was used to trace over the upper and lower lashline. Instead of mascara, lashes were painted pink with MAC Pro Chromaline in Process Magenta.

To make it slightly more "wearable" than the pink, I created my own Oxblood Mascara by painting my lashes with MAC Flammable Paint over Physicians Formula Hazel Mascara. If you want to invest in an actual burgundy mascara Yves Saint Laurent Luxurious Mascara # 05 Burgundy is a fine choice. I have yet to try the Rouge Bunny Rouge line, but the Dramatic Lash Mascara in Oxblood Panache looks very nice as well. The rest of the makeup was done using the balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette.

One picture too many. Don't think I'll be wearing this one out anytime soon! I just look like I need a course of antibiotics. I do think the shade would look a million times better on those with darker hair..oooh or red hair! you would be cute not contagious :)

It does amplify eye color so it's not a total fail I guess? Worn lightly or over black this would give a subtle color boost to blue and green eyes. Still...Pink Eye is a Spring Trend I'll be skipping this season!

In my Coachella Beauty Bag (traveling makeup-light)

One advantage to blogging is that it's like your own little reference book. All I had to do was look back on my Coachella Beauty Essentials to see what to pack for this weekend. Checking glamour at the gate and taking the "less is more" approach this time around. It's hot...like really..95 degrees hot, sweaty, dirty, and if it wasn't? What fun would that be? SPF, quick lip, some eye makeup that won't run and you're set. Half of these people won't even be showering for the better of 3 days, just this is pretty high maintenance.

I tried to copy my BFF who manages to pack all of her makeup in to one of those tiny "normal people's" makeup bags, something I can never do! You really don't need 25 eyeshadow's and lipstick's for 3 days in the desert...or ever.... yet I still feel like something's missing. I'll probably sneak in the Naked Basics palette and a few Bright Lipstick's last minute :)

Keep Reading for a mini-review of each item

Enjoy the Festival season!

Rock Your Hair by Michael O'Rourke Hair Styling Line Review

Rock Your Hair by Michael O'Rourke (LA Celebrity Stylist and founder of Big Sexy Hair) is a fierce and fun styling line aimed at bringing back BIG, BOLD HAIR! The neon pink packaging bedazzled with a crystal heart evokes a girly and over the top 80's vibe. With the promises of all the added oomph I couldn't wait to get started trying this line. I have long hair but not "big" hair. My hair is baby fine, chemically-processed, and in much need of a trim and some new layers put through. I also have an obsession with clean hair so I shampoo and heat style nearly every day. Sooo bad I know! All of my "hair dont's" mean getting any volume that doesn't immediately fall flat proves difficult.

You'll probably catch your boyfriend doing a double take at these products in your bathroom. Size Matters and Spray It Hard..if only they read some of the names on our makeup...these are tame!

Did Rock Your Hair Rock my Hair?  

Keep Reading for the Rock Your Hair Line Review