Brands that I Love! NK Cosmetics

NK (Nicka K) Cosmetics has been a favorite brand of mine for at least 3 years. The very first item that I purchased from this brand was a plum colored lip liner (which I have to repurchase every so often, it goes with nearly everything!), and I was sold. The next products that I purchased were lipsticks and glosses, and from there I have even begun to buy their nail polishes and eyeliners as well! Each of their products come in a vast array of cool, lasting colors, and are of good quality. The prices are also great, I've never spent more than $5 on any item that I've purchased. The only product that I was less than pleased with was just one of the nail polishes. All of the other nail polishes caused no problems and were long lasting, even without the use of a base coat and top coat. NK Cosmetics products are found in beauty supply stores around the United States. I've seen the products in every one I have been to so far. If you give them as shot, let me know how they turn out for you!

- Lindsi

* If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Brands that I Love! Ruby Kisses

Most women who have been to beauty supply stores have seen Ruby Kisses products. There are a vast variety of products made by this company, and I love most of the products by them that I have tried! The very first Ruby Kisses product I ever bought was a wine colored lipstick in college. This is around the time I was first getting into makeup, and I didn't have a lot of money to spend on makeup (and still don't lol). When I first put it on when I got home, I was really impressed with the quality of the lipstick. I honestly thought that it wouldn't be much good, considering the fact that it only cost me $1. Ever since that first purchase, I have bought countless other Ruby Kisses lipsticks and other products as well. Their eyeshadow primer works really well, and their colored mascaras are highly pigmented and last all day. I also love their lip glosses eyeshadow sticks as well. The only product that I was displeased with that was a nail polish. The smell is very offensive, the color takes a long time to dry, and also chips extremely easily. That is the only product that I have purchased that I hated. Ruby Kisses products are found in beauty supply stores. Every item that I purchased has been $5 and under, which is an amazing deal for the quality of their products. If you try them out, let me know how you like them!

- Lindsi

* If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Brands that I Love! Milani

Hi! I'm back with another post. This is the first in a new series of blog posts that I will be doing called "Brands that I Love!". They won't be a review, more like suggestions of a brand you may want to give a try, why I like it, and where to find products. My absolutely favorite brand of cosmetics at the moment is Milani. It has only been in the past few months that I have started really loving this brand. The first Milani product I ever purchased with a pressed powder foundation. It ended up being a shade too light and I was pretty sad about it; however, I discovered that it was the perfect powder to use to set my concealer underneath my eyes for a brightened, awake look! On days I don't use concealer, I use it alone and the effect is essentially the same. It lasts long and had great color pay off, and I use it practically every day. After this purchase, I bought one of their lipsticks and fell head over heels in love. The smell is WONDERFUL. Each of the lipsticks has a sweet, berry candy sort of smell to it. The finish of the lipsticks are more of a sheen than a high gloss and are easily mattified by blotting or using a translucent powder. I also own one of their baked blushes and a volumizing mascara, and I love them both. I haven't bought any product from Milani that I haven't ended up absolutely loving. The pricing is pretty reasonable as well. Milani can be found in drugstores. All my Milani products were found in either CVS or Walgreens. Each one of the products that I have bought from this company have been under $10! Check them out, and let me know what you think ;)

- Lindsi

* If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

How to make your eyeshadow pop!

Hi everyone! If you're an eyeshadow lover like me, you know that pigmentation and staying power are very important qualities for eyeshadow colors to have. One problem that I have found with drugstore and beauty supply store eyeshadows and palettes is that many of the colors are not very pigmented and do not last long. If you're putting on a blue eyeshadow, chances are you want it to be opaque and show up boldly right? What about colors like purples, greens, and other bright colors? You want to see the color in the palette show up on your skin! There are a few ways that I have found to effectively, and cheaply, counter these problems, and I want to share them with you! Most people know to use an eyeshadow primer before applying shadows, but sometimes, the difference is made in what type of primer you use. The very last method I use may come as a surprise to some of you. On each picture, the left swatch contains the product, and the right swatch is the eyeshadow by itself. Please enjoy the tips I'm offering below, and feel free to let me know if they helped you! :)

Ruby Kisses Xxpress Liner and Shadow, K's Beauty Supply Store - $1.99 each

My absolute favorite method is to use an eyeshadow pencil the same color as the shadow you're using, before putting the eyeshadow on. The left swatches have the pencil underneath, the right swatches do not. The difference is pretty evident! The colors on the left are much brighter and more pigmented.

KleanColor Smokin' Cream Cream Eyeshadow, K's Beauty Supply Store - $1.99 each

As a person with very oily skin, cream eyeshadows have never been my favorite. With my skin type, they would crease and slide all over the place, creating a bit of a mess. However, a month ago I discovered that they're great to use as a base for powder eyeshadows! They help the colors adhere and significantly brighten them.

Claudia Stevens Eye Prep Lid Primer, Sally Beauty Supply Store - $5.49

Most of us know that it's important to use a primer if you want lasting eyeshadow looks; most people use a clear one or one that matches their skin tone. However, there are benefits to using a white or very light colored primer (for those of us with deep complexions). White primer or beige primer instantly lightens any eyeshadow color. This is great for if you want the colors you're using to be more noticeable! This Claudia Stevens primer is my absolute favorite of all time. It doesn't crease, is under $10, and helps your shadows last ALL DAY. That's right, all day! If you ever see one around, try it out! I promise you won't regret it.

Water! $0.00 ;)

Yes, that's right, water! Dampening your brush before applying eyeshadow brightens the color, increases the opacity, and makes it easier to build for a great coverage. This method works best with loose pigments, NOT pressed powders. However, if you want to use this method with a pressed powder eyeshadow, use a butter knife and gently scrape some of the powder onto the back of your clean hand and you can use it that way.

* If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Blushing Beauty! Favorite Drugstore Blushes

Hey everyone! I'm sorry for being gone for so long, but I'll be in with two posts today so hopefully you'll forgive me ;). In the past year or so, I have really fallen in love with blush. I used to think that blush wasn't something that women of color needed, but boy was I wrong! A hint of blush is a great way to liven up your face, create a youthful flush, or even to do a fierce editorial look! High end blushes can be very expensive, and that's why I love Walmart and drugstores! Here are my top 3 favorite blushes. Each of these companies sell a variety of colors that are of just as great quality of the ones I will list below. I chose these three because they work with every complexion from the very fair to deep ebony complexions. I have used each of them on my friends and family members when I have done their makeup, and the results have been beautiful each time! I will list them in order of price, from lowest to highest. Each of them have AMAZING color pay off and blend beautifully. This isn't a review, just a suggestion for affordable blushes that I think everyone will love!

Wet 'n Wild ColorIcon Blusher, 833E Mellow Wine, Walgreens - $2.99

• This price is my personal favorite! The blush is very pigmented; however, the coverage is buildable. You can either do a very light application or a heavier one, depending on the look you're trying to achieve.

Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blush, 8306 Toasted Almond, Walmart - $4.74

• Out of all of the blushes, I use this one the most on myself. It's an absolutely beautiful, warm color that is very flattering on everyone, but especially on women of color with warm undertones. The color is intense, so if you purchase this, apply lightly and gradually build coverage.

Milani Baked Blush, 07 Fantastico Mauve, Walgreens - $8.49

• Although this is the most expensive of the three, the money is well worth it. Very highly pigmented, so apply with a light hand, or you may end up overdoing it. It's a dusty rose color with fine sparkles, so pretty! I love using this on women with cool undertones. I wouldn't recommend on those with lots of acne on their cheeks, since sparkles and shimmer accentuate bumps and acne and make them much more noticeable.

* If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)