Summer Favorites: Lipstick & Nail Polish Under $10 Each (Review & Swatches)

Hey all! Happy June and welcome to the month that brings summer into our presence. It's time for some fun in the sun! What's fun in the sun without a few splashes of color? I love to play around with different lipsticks and bright nail polishes in the summer time, and I'm back with a review/showing of my favorite lipstick and nail polish colors for summer! I hope you all will enjoy this. If you pick up any of the colors, let me know how you like them!

Lipsticks

1. Wet n Wild 905D, "Smokin' Hot Pink" (CVS, $1.99)- This matte pink lipstick is a dream come true. It spreads easily, is not drying like most matte formulas, has buildable opaque coverage, and is suitable for all day wear. It's suitable for most skin tones, however, I would recommend wearing it with a plum or wine colored liner for darker skin tones. The price makes it even more amazing! 10/10

2. Milani 19, "Raspberry Rush" (CVS, $5.99)- I love this raspberry colored lipstick. It has a semi-matte finish, a slight bluish undertone, and light pink sparkles. It's also opaque with buildable coverage and smells wonderfully fruity, like all Milani lipsticks. The only complaint that I have is that it stains, but most good lipsticks stain a bit. 9/10

3. Wet n Wild 908C, "Sugar Plum Fairy" (CVS, $1.99) - This light wine colored lipstick is suitable for any time of year, but it's my favorite wine shade for summer time when I prefer a bit of a darker lip as opposed to the coral and pink shades I usually wear. The lipstick has a medium shine finish and stands pretty well to food and drink throughout the day, but it can tend rub off a bit. 8/10

4. Revlon 750, "Kiss Me Coral" (Walgreens, $7.29) - This has been one of my favorites for a few years! It's a pretty orange/coral shade that is suitable for ALL shades from the palest shades of ivory to the darkest shades of ebony. I would also recommend those with darker skin tones wearing this with a plum or brown lip liner. It has a medium shine finish and is long lasting, but doesn't stand up that well to foods. You will have to reapply this or wear a liner the same color underneath it. 7/10

5. Ruby Kisses, RLS05 "Burgundy" (K's Beauty Supply, $1.00) - This shade of coraly red is perfect for my skin tone and I enjoy wearing it! The color is opaque with buildable coverage. I wear a red lipliner underneath it to make it last all day long, but usually I do reapply at least once during the day. This is another color that I feel is suitable for all skin tones. The price is great as well, especially for those who want to give red a try but don't want to dive head first into the Ruby Woo (MAC) type of shades. 7.5/10

Nail Polishes

1. OPI NL I42, "Elephantastic Pink" (Gift, priced at approx. $8.75) - I got this for Christmas year before last and have not been able to find it anywhere since! It's likely that to find it you may have to order it online. This is my favorite shade of pink for spring and summer, hands down and it doesn't chip easily either. It's especially gorgeous on darker skin tones. 10/10

2. L.A. Colors NP427, "Summertime" (Family Dollar, $1.50) - As the name implies, this is a soft and pretty shade of pink that reminds me of the summer and fun in the sun. It's pretty opaque, but I would suggest wearing a base and top coat to prevent it from chipping. 8.5/10

3. OPI NL N25, "Big Apple Red" (Walmart, $8.75) - Perfect shade of summer red, doesn't chip easily, opaque, and yummy looking. Enough said! 10/10

4. Sally Hansen 530, "Please Sea Me" (Walmart, $6.48) - I absolutely love this shade of blue. I bought it last week and have been wearing it on my toes and nails for the past few weeks. It's opaque, doesn't chip easily, and is perfect for a fun beachy nail look! My only complaint is that it stains a bit. 9/10

5. Ruby Kisses RNP126, "Techno Purple" (K's Beauty Supply, $1.00) - This color is so gorgeous and vibrant. I love to use it on my toenails the most, but it also looks pretty great on fingernails. I must say, the smell is completely horrible. It smells like a mix of plastic and nail polish, to be quite honest. However, it dries pretty quickly and the smell doesn't linger for very long. 7/10

6. Sinful Colors 1123, "Citrine" - (Walmart, $2.98) This vibrant orange is new to my collection and has gained a spot in my favorites in the last 3 weeks. My other orange nail polish "Passion Orange" from Petites dried out and I wanted to find something new and discovered this shade. I love the formula and the color is very opaque. Perfect summer orange! It does stain a bit, however, and the stain takes a few days to fade. A base coat should keep that at bay. 9/10

7. Salon Perfect 112, "Dandelion Delight" (Walmart, $2.98) - I found this color while on the hunt for OPI's "I Can't Copacabana" (which I STILL haven't found lol), and I thought it would make a pretty good dupe until I find it. This is the first yellow nail polish I've ever bought or worn, and I can't believe I haven't done so sooner! It's opaque, super soft and pretty, not too golden, not too lemony, and it's just right for my skin tone. My only complaint is that this polish chips too easily in my opinion, but a good base and top coat can prevent some of that. 8/10

Hope you all enjoyed this! If you purchase any of these items please let me know if you love them or if they weren't exactly your cup of tea. I welcome your opinions and feedback on the items I post and talk about here! 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! ;)

Nude/Neutral Lipsticks for Brown & Dark Skinned Women (All Under $5!)

Hey all! So I just wanted to show my 4 favorite neutral/nude lipsticks for brown and dark skinned women. Nude and neutral colors can be worn any time of year and never go out of style. Although this post is more geared toward darker skinned women, these colors also look great on fair skinned women if you're looking for soft tan or brown (depending on your complexion), bold, but natural looking shades! 

1. Nicka K (NK) Cosmetics, Natural #934, $1 (K's Beauty Supply Store)

This is a cool toned, gorgeous and moisturizing color infused with Vitamin E for softer, more moisturized lips! I would suggest a plum colored lip liner with this one to make the transition seamless. The finish is shiny, but not overly glossy or oily looking.

2. Wet n Wild MegaShield SPF 15 Lip Color, Ring Around the Rosy #365S, $3 (Walgreens)

This lipstick has a high shine finish, is very moisturizing, and has SPF 15 to protect your lips from the sun's rays. It's warm toned, so it's perfect for people like me with reddish undertones. I would suggest a plum or brown liner with this one, or feathering it gently at the edges of your lips for a smooth transition.

3. NYC New York Color Ultra Last Lipwear, Plum Rum #410 $3 (Family Dollar)

This shade is the darkest of the bunch and is my favorite for really deep, dark chocolate skin tones. It's great for all day wear and has a medium shine finish. I personally never wear liner with this one, it's just perfect!

4. Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color, Bare It All #902C, $1.20 (CVS)

This shade is the lightest out of them all, and the only one with a matte finish. I absolutely LOVE to wear this with a heavy smoky eye for a night out on the town. It doesn't smear and holds up well to food, drinks, and even kisses ;). I don't wear this without lip liner because of how light it is, but with liner it's the perfect matte nude for me!

That's all folks! If you get any of these colors and like them, or even if you hate them, let me know your thoughts! 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! ;)

Let's Talk: Brown Women and "Ashy" Lipstick

Hey all! This is the first installment in a new series I want to start called "Let's Talk" where I address makeup issues, whether it's application, colors, or even products, and tips on how to fix it! The very first issue I want to address is one that has been weighing on my spirit for a while. As you can see from the title, it is the "ashy" lipstick look on black women. Some of our sisters that are not of color may be unaware of this issue, so before getting into it, let's talk about the cause. Black women, especially my darker skinned sisters, pale, frosty lipsticks are not our friends. Shimmery = yes, glittery = YES honey, Frosty = NO MA'AM. Here are a few examples of frosty lipsticks below.

Now, just looking at these colors, you can see why they would be a problem for darker skinned women. Not convinced? Look at this...

It's not exactly the most flattering color. With a less frost and a little more warmth, this color would have been awesome. Many of us have been guilty of wearing "ashy" looking lip colors from time to time, it's a part of the makeup learning experience, especially for those of us with darker skin looking at makeup colors called "nude" that are the color of the palms of our hands instead of the back of them. So the next question is, how do we choose complexion appropriate nudes? Well first, if you're a darker skinned, black woman, DO NOT buy lipsticks that say "Nude" anything. That is the nude shade of our fairer skinned sisters, and it's not even suitable for all of them. Here are my personal tips for choosing the best nude and neutral shades for your complexion.

1. Learn your undertones, and choose colors accordingly. Are they yellow or red? Cool, warm, or neutral?

2. Choose colors that are close in color to the concealer that you wear.

3. Avoid frosty shades of brown like the plague.

4. The internet is your friend! There are tons of helpful YouTube videos by awesome beauty gurus on how to choose the right nude for you.

5. Ask around! If you see a woman close to your complexion with a lovely nude or neutral color, don't be shy or afraid to ask her the brand and where she got it.

6. Buy a plum colored lip liner to mix with colors that may be a shade too light, it will help darken the color and enable you to make it work!

7. If all else fails, use your concealer and a gloss. It's effective and nearly foolproof.

My chocolate sisters, let's please stop with the poorly chosen, frosty nude lipsticks. There are many appropriate nude and neutral shades for us, it's just a matter of learning how to pick them to avoid looking like Tyrone Biggums (from a comedy sketch of Dave Chapelle) ;). Good luck!

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! ;)

Lipstick for Under $2!

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to build or diversify your lipstick collection. Many of the higher end lipstick tubes can cost anywhere from $15 or more, and that's lot to pay for only about 0.11-0.14 oz of product per container! Local beauty supply stores, dollar stores, and drug stores are excellent places to find good deals on beauty products. Certain brands, only sold in beauty supply, dollar, and drug stores, are sometimes overlooked and called 'cheap', but quite often, they offer products that work well and are effective. A 'cheap' prices isn't always synonymous with a low quality product. Below, I have swatched 11 different lipsticks that I own that all cost me under $2! They're from four cosmetics lines that specialize in affordable, but good makeup products: Ruby Kisses, Nicka K (NK), NYC, and LA Colors. Each of the lipsticks from Ruby Kisses and NK were $1 at my local beauty supply store, K's. The NYC and LA Colors lipsticks came from Family Dollar, and were each $1.99. The colors are shown in cool light (left) and warm light (right).

Thank you for reading! 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! ;)

Creating Cool Lip Colors with Eyeshadow!

With Halloween coming up, I'm sure many of us may want to experiment with some unique makeup looks, for those of us who will be dressing up for it. Unique lip colors, such a blue, green, yellow, etc. are extremely popular for costumes and costume parties, but can be very hard to find...not to mention expensive. However, chances are you already have what you need to create a cool lip color of your own! If you own eyeshadow, lip gloss, and a lip brush, you have everything you need to create some of the vibrant colors you may want to give a try! I'll be using four different colors to demonstrate how to do this, blue, green, purple, and deep pink. It will be sort of a pictorial ;)

• Dab your clear or light colored gloss (that's not very sticky so it will be easier to spread) onto the back of your clean hand.
• Use the tip of your index finger and get a generous amount of the eyeshadow color you want to use onto it. Press it onto a spot near the gloss and build up the color gradually until it's very opaque (pigmented).
• Use the tip of your index finger and mix the gloss and the eyeshadow together until well blended.
• Use the lip brush to scrape a very generous amount of the eyeshadow onto the back of your hand in a separate spot. It's important to do this because it will be unsanitary to dip the lip brush back and forth into the eyeshadow, so you need to gather as much pigment as possible to accomplish the bright color you desire.

• Apply a lip primer for longer lasting color. *optional
• With your index finger, rub the gloss and eyeshadow mix onto your lips.
• Use the eyeshadow on the back of your hand to press the color onto your lips, making sure to cover them well, and build the coverage until it has the color payoff you desire.

After that, you're done. The color is generally long lasting and will hold on pretty well, even better if you use a primer underneath. This will work well with most eyeshadows, but chalky ones may prove a bit difficult to work with. Here are the results below. My personal favorite is the purple, what's yours? Thanks for reading!

* 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! ;)