Valentine's Day Makeup for Under $35

Here's the thing about being a girl in your early twenties in college: you really want to have nice things (ie: clothing, jewelry, makeup) but you also really like buying coffee and greasy fast food while you attempt to study and also seriously contemplate getting a sugardaddy so you can just drop out already. Take a look at my bank account activity and you will see this: Walmart- $30, Wendy's- $7, Whataburger- $12, QuikTrip, $5, McDonald's- $5, Starbucks- $5, etc. etc. 
And I promise you that $30 at Walmart did not go to anything but Ramen (enough to feed a small army), Taki's (3 bags, please), coffee, and coffee creamer. And maybe a pack of Orbit gum if I'm feeling extra wild at the self-checkout lane.
Bottom line? I want to be cute but I want my #1-no-mustard-sub-ketchup from Whataburger way more.

And that's where my frugality comes into play. Makeup is fun but it's ridiculously expensive and the lady at the counter is going to do it way better than you ever will so you're basically dropping $60 on a foundation that you're not even sure how to apply and I find that absurd. If I spend $10 on a foundation and it doesn't work out as well as expected, then darn, that was 2 (tall) Starbucks drinks I just threw out the window. But it's really not a big deal. But you just have to experiment a little with drugstore products and I promise you you'll wind up with a couple of things that you love for a fraction of department store counter prices. And you'll look just as hot.

I threw this look together this morning in preparation for Valentine's Day in under 20 min and spent less than $35 on the total cost of all of the products.
Here's what I used:

Revlon Photoready Primer- $10
Revlon Colorstay 24hr Foundation- $10
Elf Sheer Blemish Powder- $3
Elf "Natural" Lash Kit- $1
Elf Blush/Bronzer Duo - $3
Elf Marker Eyeliner in Black- $1
Elf Lipgloss in "Michael" - $2
NYX Highlight/Contour Stick- $1
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder- $3

Ps- my dog is obsessed with lotions and makeup and she will attempt to lick off every drop of makeup I put on my face every morning. Look at those crazy eyes. She means business.

top 3 beauty steals of the moment

As I'm not exactly a "beauty guru," and I generally have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to my makeup, I try to keep my beauty posts to a minimum. But I have picked up a couple of items lately that I've really loved, so I thought I'd share!

1. ELF Lip Exfoliator ($3): I've been a long-time user of ELF products, but I will start with this: they are always a hit or miss. Some are great, some are awful. I remember taking a trip to the dermatologist after a bad reaction to one of their products a few months back. Since then, I've been weary about using their products, but recently decided to give them another go. The lip exfoliator (a tube of brown sugar scrub in the format of lipstick) is incredible. I'm prone to getting dry lips while wearing lipstick, but if I use this before I apply it, my lips hold moisture so much longer and my lipstick actually lasts! Plus, it tastes amazing. 5 stars for this product.
2. ELF Stipple Brush ($3) : Another ELF product from my package I ordered recently that works extremely well for the cost! I'm a huge blush fanatic, and I've been in dire need of a new blush brush (as my other had just worn out from so much use). I read that this type of brush does a really great job of letting you build your color, so I decided to give it a try. It's wonderful! It's super soft, the brush hairs don't fall out, and it does a really wonderful job of letting you pick the intensity of the color you want (and then build on it). I 100% recommend this brush!
3. L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm ($6): I used to dye my hair a lot and use tons of heat on it a couple years back, and my hair never fully recovered from it. I've noticed lately that my hair has just been extremely limp and dull, but I wasn't looking to spend tons of money on all the conditioners I was recommended. I found this deep conditioner while browsing at Target before work and decided it was worth a shot...and boy am I glad I picked it up! After only ONE use, my hair felt sooooo much better. Now that I've been using it a couple times a week for a few weeks, my hair looks healthier, shinier, and fuller. I never notice that much difference after only a few weeks of using something...so that alone speaks volumes about this product! A must-have for anyone looking to renew their hair.

xo Susie 

beauty essentials

I often receive the question on my tumblr, "What are your beauty essentials?" So I thought I'd do a short post on that for anyone who might be curious!
As I am with clothing, I'm not one to spend  endless amounts of money on beauty products. I just can't justify it in my mind. So most of these things you will be able to find easily and you won't break the bank on them!

Photo 1- Jergen's Natural Glow is such an awesome product for anyone with really light skin like me. I only apply it 1-2 times per week, because I don't want to get an actual tan from it, I just like the healthy, glowy look it gives my skin!
St. Ives Apricot Scrub is something I've used for years. It works wonders with exfoliating your skin and keeping blackheads at bay!
Lastly, I use John Frieda's Full Repair heat-styling spray on my hair after I shower any time I plan on using heat on my hair.

Photo 2- These are my main beauty essentials. I always keep hand sanitizer with me just because germs are gross, but I keep one in my makeup bag as well so that I can make sure my hands are clean before I use my hands to apply any makeup to my face. I just recently started using Revlon Photoready foundation (in place of Maybelline Fit Me) and I love it. It gives me much better coverage, and lasts so much longer! For my lashes I use Covergirl lashblast "Clump Crusher" and it's one of the best mascaras I've used to date. My lashes are pretty long, so I always have an issue with my lashes rubbing mascara off right below my eyebrows...but this doesn't smear at all! Plus, as the name says, it keeps my lashes clump-free! It's great. As for primer, this is one of the things I splurge most on. It's Smashbox "Photo Finish" and this tiny little .4oz tube costs nearly $20. But it's entirely worth it- it makes my skin look much more smooth and keeps my foundation looking fresh for longer.
For lips, I have 3 items. My rosebud salve keeps my lips really smooth and hydrated, especially if I'm going to put lipstick on after. One of my favorite lipstick's is from Topshop, in the shade Brighton Rock. It dries my lips out just a tad, so I have to make sure they're hydrated and exfoliated before I wear it, but the color lasts a really long time and stays very vibrant. I always get compliments when I wear it! And as for lipstain, I love Covergirl Outlast. It stays on well and I've yet to find a shade from them that I don't like (which says a lot!)
Lastly, I use Ecotools brushes. I've used them for years, and they're wonderful. They're good for the environment, the softest brushes you'll ever find, and they're pretty inexpensive!

So there ya have it! My beauty essentials.

xo Susie