Beauty for the Economically Challenged

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. GO TO EYESLIPSFACE.COM OR TARGET OR KMART. AND BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!!!
If that ^ is all the you get from this review, then that is totally fine.
This is going to be a rather short review, because really all I can say is that I love this product. It blends well, doesn’t crease (unless you put too much on, but that’s true for any primer, no matter how expensive/good it is), and goes on really nicely. In fact, even though it comes with a little brush to put it on, I use my finger, just because I like it better and I feel that I have more control that way. 
I’ve used this primer with powder and cream eyeshadow, and purposefully didn’t wash it off at night (bad, I know, but I wanted to test it out) and woke up in the morning with still-perfect eyeshadow. I repeat, I woke up in the morning with still-perfect, creaseless, eyeshadow. Is this stuff magic?!!
The only complaint I have-a very minor one-is that it feels pretty greasy when you first put it on, but the feeling subsides within 20 seconds.
And as a reminder, this is just the Eyelid Primer, not the Eyeshadow Primer. I haven’t tried the Eyeshadow Primer because I don’t feel any need to. 
Also, in true E.L.F. fashion, this primer is $1. ONE. DOLLAR. Can you beat it? No!
I give it an A! 

If you have a different opinion, please please please let me know! As I say and will say in every review, I made this blog primarily to learn, and I would love to hear what you think too!

xox

Noelle Alysse 

Today’s review is Rimmel’s Natural Bronzer.

Please excuse my dirty hand, I was testing out random eyeliners and mascaras that I had found in my makeup bag…

I use the color Sun Light, but I’m wary to tell the colors that I use because everyone really needs to figure out what works for them and I’d hate for someone to be using the wrong color just because I mention it.
As you may be able to see (I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures, the only camera I have is the built-in one on my macbook), it comes with a really cute sun imprinted in the powder, which just kind of makes me happy every time I use it.
I personally embrace the pale look in the winter, so I only really use bronzer on my face in the summer to make it match my body because I exfoliate and scrub often so my face is never quite as tan as the rest of me. 
Anyway, I really like this stuff, and it would take a lot of convincing for me to change. It’s a very tightly pressed powder so goes on well, but not too quickly, which I like, because then I can really control the amount I’m using. And it’s not orange-y at all, so even when I’m applying it in the horrible lighting of my dorm, I don’t go into natural light looking like I belong on Jersey Shore (though I have much love for Snooki…guilty pleasure I guess). 
The only negative I can think of for this product is the packaging. It’s just a bit flimsy. The cover screws onto the base, but it’s very shallow and never stops turning like a regular screw-on cover, so you never feel like it’s on tight. The first two times I used it, I honestly expected to find it broken up and sprinkled in my makeup bag because I thought the lid wasn’t on. Rest assured, though, it was on, and I have never had any problems at all with it.
This bronzer retails for $4 (which is, of course, another reason that I love it!).
In closing, I love this stuff, and I give it an A-.

If you have another opinion, please share it with me! I made this blog first to learn, and so I would really love to hear what you have to say!

xox

Noelle Alysse 

I really love these nails. I feel like they go fine with a casual outfit, but they could also be a little more dressed up too. And the best part is, they’re easy to do!

I realize that mine aren’t super gradient, but I think you can get the idea of it. I used a really low-quality glitter nail polish, which didn’t yield a lot of glitter, so it made it really hard to get the glitter where I wanted it and, in turn, make the gradient effect. I had just bought this polish and hadn’t used it before, and I definitely wouldn’t use it again for this style. It was Wet’n’Wild Wild Shine Nail Color in Kaleidoscope. 

Of course, you must start off with a base coat.

Then, choose any dark color you like. I used black, but I honestly like this better with a really dark blue or a really dark maroon. Apply one or two coats, it’s all up to you.

After that has fully dried, it’s time for the glitter polish. Use the brush to put a good (pretty large) amount at the base of your nail. You want the base of your nail to be realllllly glittery!

Wipe the brush off, and allow 15-25 seconds for the polish to dry a bit. Then, carefully use the brush to drag some glitter from the base of your nail up toward the tip. Pay close attention to how much glitter you’re getting, remember this is a gradient look. You can also use a toothpick or maybe even a sponge, depending on what’s easiest and how your glitter polish is working out.

Apply one or two top coats (the glitter can be rough, and you want a smooth nail!) and you’re done! Pretty easy, huh?

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and if you try this look, I want to see!

xox

Noelle Alysse

Okay, this is going to be a HUGE post, but I’ll try to make it as brief as possible.
To expedite things, I’m going to refer to my Shower Hair Products post, which you can refer to here. 

I generally shower (and wash my hair) every day, with the occasional lazy day sprinkled in here and there. My hair isn’t super oily or anything like that, but it does get some residue on the top/front that doesn’t go away with a normal washing if I haven’t showered for around 36ish hours.

For the everyday shower, I alternate daily between Head & Shoulders Smooth and Silky shampoo and conditioner and Infusium 23 Repair and Renew shampoo and conditioner. I do this because I find that the Head & Shoulders doesn’t clean my hair as well as I would like, but it leaves my hair incredibly healthy, while Infusium 23 cleans my hair really well and also leaves it nice and soft. I shampoo with cold water (and I’m not going to pretend that it’s not awful) because hot water opens up the cuticle of your hair and the shampoo gets in there and causes unnecessary drying and damage.
I always massage my scalp while I shampoo. I don’t scratch up and down with my fingernails, though! I do small circles all over my scalp with my fingertips (but being careful not to let my nails scratch at all-this is damaging). Massaging the scalp encourages blood flow, producing healthier hair and speeding up hair growth.
After I’ve rinsed all of the shampoo out, I switch to hot water to condition, because I want the cuticle to open to get the conditioner in there and really work as best it can. I also squeeze all the excess water out of my hair before I condition, so that the water doesn’t dilute the conditioner. I only condition the skirt of my hair because anything above that doesn’t need it because of the natural oils the body produces. I leave the conditioner in for three minutes or so, and then rinse it out.
At the end of my shower, I rinse my hair again with cold water to seal the cuticle and make my hair as shiny as possible, reduce frizz and all that fun stuff.
When I get out of the shower, I squeeze the water out of my hair and wrap it in a microfiber towel. A regular cotton towel that we use on our body is bad for your hair, just like sleeping on a cotton pillowcase is bad. It roughs up your hair and causes breakage.
Even with a microfiber towel, I do not rub my hair so that it dries. I just twist it on top of my head and let it sit for a little while.
When I take the towel off, I either fingercomb my hair or use a wide-tooth comb, never a brush, but I’m sure you all know why already; wet hair is especially fragile and a brush adds unneeded stress to it.
I air-dry my hair as much as possible, and when I do use heat on it, I always always ALWAYS use a heat protectant! But I’m sure you all knew that already. I’m not going to say which heat protectant that I use, because I haven’t found one that I’m happy with and that doesn’t weigh down my hair, and I don’t want to recommend or even mention something that I don’t like because that’s not what this blog is about!
I like for my hair to pretty much fully dry before I do anything to it (even if that doesn’t include heat) because again, wet hair is fragile!
If I’m running really late, or for whatever reason am going to style my hair wet, I am always careful of a few things:
-Braids. If I’m going to french braid or whatever braid my hair at all, and it’s still wet, I’m careful not to make it tight because all of that pulling and weaving on wet, fragile hair causes stress and breakage. Bad.
-Buns. Again, any twisting and pulling and pinning with wet hair is very damaging.
-Hair elastics. Pulling, twisting. I’m becoming a broken record here. It’s bad! 

Once a week (or, never more than twice) I use a clarifying shampoo in the place of my regular shampoo. I really like Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo. It’s really important to wash with cold water with this one because it’s meant to strip everything off your hair, and you really don’t want it to get inside the cuticle. On the day that I use clarifying shampoo, I make sure not to use heat on my hair because it’s stripped of everything and extra fragile. It sometimes takes some thinking ahead, but it’s important.
Clarifying shampoo not only removes residue, it also makes my regular hair products work better because the residue isn’t blocking my hair from getting the products in.  
Once a week, on a different day than I use clarifying shampoo, I use deep conditioner. I really like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask. I use hot water and squeeze the excess water out first. I put this all over my hair, from root to tip, making sure that the tips are really saturated. I pile it all on top of my head and leave it there for the rest of my shower, and rinse it out at the end of my shower. I try not to use heat on the day I deep condition also, just because I don’t want to damage my hair right after treating it, but it doesn’t really matter that much. 

With this regimen, my hair is the healthiest that it has ever been, and I couldn’t be happier. Even though it’s winter, it grows really really fast and is shiny and soft and I love it!

I hope some of you find this helpful!

xox

Noelle Alysse 

This review will be on Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara (I use Ultra Black…as you will soon find out, I like my lashes nothing but the blackest black, and big!). 

Since I started this blog, I have been very excited to write this mascara a glowing review…until tonight.
Tonight, my very very best friend in the world came over, and we were discussing makeup. I mentioned this mascara, as she was there the first time that I ever bought it, in mid August. And then I mentioned that I was ready to open my third tube of it.
“Your third?!” she said. “It shouldn’t be drying out that quickly.” 
And when I thought about it, I realized, she was right.
This product boasts that it is 100% natural, free of everything synthetic and chemical. Maybe its lack of preservatives is what causes it to dry up so fast. Don’t get me wrong, reading the package is quite impressive. The idea of the mascara is to keep your eyes and your lashes more healthy by not exposing them to the chemicals that are in other mascaras, and that’s what drew me in in the first place, because my eyes are dangerously sensitive (I’m even allergic to most contact solutions). Even the tube itself and the brush are 100% recyclable. I love to make even that small difference, so I thought, why not.
When I first used the mascara, I was converted, and I really thought that nothing could replace my beloved CoverGirl Lashblast (say what you want about that stuff but it has always worked great for me!). But this mascara applies and looks exactly like it, but again, is minus all the synthetic and harsh chemicals. It also has the same large brush that the Lashblast has.
This mascara worked so well, in fact, that one of my roommates asked me if I was wearing false eyelashes, when all I was wearing was the mascara (not even with primer underneath). So, there is definitely positive aspects of the product. It also washes off very easily, which I love. I hate hate hate waterproof mascara and anything that doesn’t wash off easily. And this is the only mascara that hasn’t burned my eyes when I cry or wash it off.
But it dries out so damn quickly! I’m trying to save my money, not spend it on mascara sooner than I need to. So, I do recommend this product, with the stipulation that it really doesn’t last. I’m going back to CoverGirl Lastblast (not sure which one yet because I love them all).
This mascara is usually around $10, but I’ve seen it selling for $11, and I’ve never paid more than $8.50. I give it a B/B-, I can’t really decide between the two. 

If you have another opinion, please please please let me know! I started this blog foremost to learn, so I would love to hear it. 

xox

Noelle Alysse

When I was a junior in high school, my very very best friend and I heard of a mani/pedi special at a spa near our school.This was my first (and only, thus far) manicure. When I was asked to choose my color, I chose what appeared to me to be a nude color with a pink hue.
As soon as the woman began painting it onto my nails, though, I realized that it was orange. Not slight orange, either. It was orange. I chalked it up to the lighting in the salon.

Fast forward to today around 3:00pm, and I’m standing in Wal-Mart marveling over a clearance bin full of Essie nail polishes. I chose three colors: Mamba, It’s Genius, and Buy Me a Cameo; but I was most excited to try Mamba-what I thought was a nude color with a bit of pink. Sound familiar? Yeah.
Well now here I am, typing, and forced to stare at my newly-painted nails.
Lucky enough, they aren’t as orange as my manicure from junior year, but I can’t help but notice a very orange-y quality to my supposed-to-be nude pink nails.
Essie’s website describes this color as “a shimmering cafe au lait”, but I swear on my eyeballs that there is a hint of orange.
Worst of all, the ‘cafe au lait’ really doesn’t suit my skin tone, and I am one unhappy girl. Why can’t I identify a nude pink polish? Blah. Maybe I’ll put a glittery gradient over it to make myself feel better…but for all I know, what I think is silver glitter could be bronze.

It looks like you can’t get a good idea of the color from the picture, but that’s exactly what it looks like in person too. Not cute.

Please excuse my hair, I had the entire day off so I just let it air dry.
Please excuse my lack of makeup, I had the entire day off so I spent most of it reading. :p
Please excuse my American Apparel Unisex V-Neck, I got it for $4 at a thrift store.
hehehe.

xox

Noelle Alysse 

College tightened my budget even more, so when halfway through my first semester (I’m a freshman) my beloved, go-to mascara (Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash in Ultra Black) started to dry up and stopped yielding as much as I wanted it to, I was reluctant to just toss it out. The bottom line was that I needed to buy a new one to get the look I love, but I still hated the idea of throwing out the old one. And so began a new strategy of using every last possible bit of my makeup.

I threw the old mascara into my drawer, which holds the makeup that I tend to use for early morning classes. I simply can’t pull myself out of bed early enough to do a full makeup look for an 8:30am class, but I also simply can’t leave my dorm with nothing on, so I opt for a quick, natural look. My old mascara was perfect for this, because with a really natural look, I don’t want the thick, long, dramatic lashes that I usually wear, but being blonde, my eyelashes are invisible without any mascara at all. It takes a little work-scraping the brush along the inside of the tube, and wiggling at the roots of my lashes, and spinning the brush as I move it up-but it gets me the perfect amount of mascara to look bright-eyed and awake that early in the morning. 

I discovered that the same is true with my brown eyeliner; whether it be pencil, crayon, or liquid. When it’s too small or short or dried out to produce a precise and clean line, it goes into my drawer for the mornings when I can swipe a bit on, again making myself look awake, but looking more natural without a defined line of eyeliner on my eye.

And again, for eyeshadow. Of course, this isn’t true for all colors, but with most neutral colors, when you’ve hit pan and there’s only a bit left in the corners, you can use your finger to quickly place some in your inner corners or along your lid or lashline to brighten your eyes a bit more.

One more: lipgloss or even lipstick. If it’s mostly worn down, use your finger to gather a bit of it and add just a little color to your lips, or use it as a tiny bit of blush on the apples of your cheeks for a little glow.

The possibilites with this are endless, and I’m sure you get the idea. Ultimately, this will save you money because instead of using your brand new makeup on less demanding morning looks, thus using it up faster, you’ll be using your old stuff, lengthening the life of both your new makeup and your old makeup. 

Let me know your other ideas for making makeup last!

xox

Noelle Alysse

In relation to my last post, I thought I would get this inevitable post out of the way. 
So, here are the hair products I use in the shower. 

Shampoo and Conditioner:

I use Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky shampoo and conditioner.

I just started using it about two and a half months ago when I was doing research on speeding up hair growth, and I agree with the whole “healthy scalp=healthy hair” philosophy. A common misconception is that Head & Shoulders is only for people with dandruff, but that’s not true. It’s important to keep your scalp healthy, no matter what. I also heard from a few different sources that pyrithione zinc helps your hair grow faster, and while I believe that it’s really almost impossible to use any outside sources to really speed up hair growth, this stuff works! My hair has grown SO MUCH since I started using this shampoo, I really can’t believe it and I couldn’t be happier. Not to mention, my hair is noticeably softer and healthier since I started using it. And of course, the most important part: as you probably know, you can find this at any drug store or grocery store, as cheap as $5 or $6 for a bottle. When I’m at school in Boston, I usually have to pay $7 or $8 at the CVS five minutes away from campus, but while I’m at home in Maine, I can get it for $5 or $6 at the grocery store, and I usually stock up then to save the cash. As I said, I absolutely love this product, and I don’t foresee myself changing anytime soon. The only complaint that I have is that it doesn’t clean my hair as well as my previous shampoo (Infusium 23, whichever line I felt I needed), but it still does a fine job and it’s worth it for the growth and health benefits. This brings me to my next product.

 Clarifying Shampoo:

I use Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo.

I don’t know what to say about this stuff other than that I love it! I’ll talk about it more in a post in the near future (my hair routine), but basically, it comes in a really fun bottle because it’s crystal clear and only has the words “Neutrogena Shampoo anti-residue formula” on it. I guess I just find it fun and appropriate that a clarifying shampoo would have such a clean and clear packaging. It also lasts forever, even for me (I’m a product over-user, I use way more than I need, which I realize isn’t helpful for my poor girl status). I’m only half done with my first 6 oz. bottle and I’ve had it since October, and I use it at least once a week. I usually find it for $6 or $7 at CVS on campus, and I’m pretty sure you can find it in most drugstores. I haven’t looked in any grocery stores for it.

Deep Conditioner:

I use Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask. 

In my brain, it makes sense that both my clarifying shampoo and my deep conditioner are Neutrogena. But that doesn’t matter. Anyway, I love this deep conditioner also. It comes in a pot, and you scoop it out with your hands, which is interesting to me, but I like it because I can better control how much I use. Another plus with this deep conditioner is that even though my hair is fine, it doesn’t seem to make it flat or volumeless after my shower, no matter how much I put on my roots when I use it. And again, it lasts forever, I’m about halfway through it and I bought it in October, at the same time that I bought the clarifying shampoo. It was $8 at CVS, but they were having a two-for-one on it so I got two for $4 each, yay!

Microfiber Towel:

The one I use is some cheap one from CVS for $5 and I will never for the life of me remember what it’s called, but it works, and it was only $5, so again, yay!

So, don’t believe the hype about salon products. You can get all you need from the drugstore, and it works great! All in all, if I took one trip to CVS and bought all of this, I would have only spent $34. $34 for shampoo, conditioner, clarifying shampoo, deep conditioner, and a microfiber towel. Does it get better?! :)

xox,

Noelle Alysse

I feel that it’s only appropriate to start this blog off with a post about my most prized feature: my hair.

This is not to say that my hair is particularly beautiful or amazing or long or perfect. Because it’s not. My hair is fine and rather thin, and very fragile…and I have a lot of it. But of everything on my body, I take care of my hair the best. In fact, I’m kind of neurotic about it. 

Here’s a brief (or probably not-so-brief) hair history:

Since I was born, I had long hair. I just always grew it and never really trimmed it except once or twice a year. I highlighted it, sometimes, to maintain its color. I’m naturally blonde, but my hair darkens a lot in the winter, and also during middle school and high school because I was a serious ballet dancer and spent almost no time outside. Looking back, ballet was my hair enemy, but I didn’t know that then.

Anyway, I had hair almost down to my butt that was damaged like you wouldn’t believe, because I didn’t know any better. Sometime, I may swallow my pride enough to post a picture of it at its longest, but that time is not now.

The summer before my junior year of high school, my GBF (gay best friend, who is essential to any poor girl’s beauty life…or at least mine) convinced me to release the emotional attachment and cut it off. And so the next day, I went to the hair salon and really cut it. I got an angled bob with lots of layers (but NOT stacked in the back, that is kind of my pet peeve, no offense), and it was the best haircut I have ever had. It flattered my face and my neckline and made me look much older and more mature, and best of all, it forced me to learn how to blow out my hair. I had never done it before. I kept the cut until halfway through my senior year of high school, because, as much as I loved it, I’m just a long hair girl. I decided to grow it out, thus beginning my hair-health craze, and also beginning my real interest in beauty. I’ve always worn makeup, but just to look better, not as a real interest. Now, it has become a real interest, but unfortunately, I’m no closer to affording expensive products than I ever was, and now here I am, starting this blog, hoping to teach, and really hoping to learn, and maybe hoping to commiserate with my fellow poor girls who love beauty just as much as I do.

xox

Noelle Alysse