MORPHE MONTLY BRUSH CLUB – FEBRUARY 2016

Hey guys! I’m back today with another unbagging of the Morphe Monthly Brush Club!

If you haven’t read one of these posts before, this is a monthly subscription service, much like an Ipsy or Boxycharm, except instead of getting some sample size cosmetics from brands you may or may not have heard of before, you’re getting at least $30 worth of full size brushes each and every month!
And they’re Morphe brushes, so you know they’re amazing!!
This service is $19.99 a month with free shipping to the US and Canada, and you can sign up yourself at www.liveglam.com – and if you pay a whole year up front, they send you a FREE Morphe 35O Palette – which if you been around on YouTube or the blogosphere or the makeup world in general, you know just how coveted an item that palette is (mine should be here any day now, and you’ll get a full review and swatches so don’t you worry)!!

So let’s jump in and see what they sent out this month!

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MORPHE M495 DUO DELUXE FAN (out of stock)

 

 First up is this duo-fiber fan brush. You guys, this thing is massive – like, if you wanted to strobe in one pass, this is the brush you want. It’s got both synthetic and sable bristles, which means it won’t cake on a ton of product, and it’s insanely soft. I have tons of fan brushes, but I definitely see this one getting some use!

MORPHE M218 BLENDING FLUFF ($2.99)

 

 This sable haired blending brush might be a little big for my eyes, as they’re hooded and I need to use smaller, more precise brushes. However, I’m sure I can find a use for it – maybe I can use it to contour my nose and eyes – because it’s fluffy it won’t pick up or distribute too much product. I can’t wait to try!

MORPHE M333 CHISEL SHADER (out of stock)

 

 This densely packed, wide and slightly domed brush could be really useful for apply a light shadow all over the lid (a transition color) or even precise cream contouring! I’m excited to play around with it and figure out my favorite way to use it! Because as we know, there really are no specific rules when it comes to makeup brushes!

MORPHE M165 ANGLE LINER/BROW ($2.99)

 

 Alas, another angled brush – I love these! This one seems a little too long and thick to use with liner, but I’ll definitely use it with powder products to fill in my brows (I’ve been back to doing that lately) or maybe even on the lower lash line – yay!

MORPHE M334 MINI ANGLED BUFFER ($5.99)

 

 This is one of their newest brushes, and I’m most excited to use this for under eye concealer, because the angle can really get up in the inner corner of the eye – this would be another one great for cream contouring and highlighting – it almost reminds me of a little baby angled M439, which is my HG foundation brush, and probably one of Morphe’s best sellers! And because it’s synthetic, it’s perfect for any cream products, because the bristles won’t soak up and steal all of your product!

MORPHE M224 OVAL CAMOUFLAGE (out of stock)

 

 This is a synthetic concealer brush, technically, and they will work well at applying cream based concealers for a full coverage finish. I’m thinking I’ll use this brush in one of two ways; either to color correct, or to pack shadows onto my lid. It’s a nice flat brush, and if you damped it with a little setting spray or even eye drops, it will take any shimmer shadow or pigment and make it POP!!

MORPHE M169 ROUND CREASE (out of stock)

 

 This may be one of the ones I’m most excited about. I absolutely love small, tapered brushes, for their multi-functionality; you can blend out shadow on your lower lash line, you can use it to define and create a nice soft cut crease, you can use it in the outer V of the eye – like I said, because I have hooded eyes, I prefer smaller brushes for their precision. I have a few different ones, but every time I get one I get super excited – these and flat definer brushes, I just feel like you can never have enough of!

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 Alright guys, that’s this month’s brushes! I wish I was able to give you more pricing information, but when they’re out of stock, the website doesn’t show you the retail price. I’m not sure if they’re out of stock because they’re already popular brushes, or because they cleaned house to send them to their subscribers! I will tell you though, these brushes are amazing quality – amazing – and I’ve never ever gotten a bad brush, or one I didn’t like or couldn’t use! So if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to build your brush collection, be it for personal or professional use, this is a fantastic option! Not to mention, it saves you the cost of their shipping (which can be a little pricey, even for their brushes). Check them out at www.liveglam.com!

And please take a moment to follow me around on social media!

Twitter & Instagram : @dlynnesposito
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And don’t forget to reblog and share my social media with your friends! You guys are amazing!

LOTS OF LOVE!!

TOP 10 BEAUTY BUYS UNDER $10

  I love a bargain – that’s no secret.

O.K. – I’m cheap. I like a lot of bang for my buck, but I don’t like to spend a lot of bucks to get all the aforementioned bang.

I’ve been working on this for awhile, because you guys should know by now that I will NEVER recommend products that I don’t 110% believe in. So today I bring you my top 10 beauty products under $10!

Let’s get started!

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 MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCEALER – $6.99 at ULTA

 

  I think you guys already know how much I love this concealer – it’s my Holy Grail, my ride or die. I have high expectations when it comes to concealer, because ideally I want one product that works on my dark circles, my blemishes, as a primer for my eyeshadow, everything. And this concealer delivers 100 times over!

It’s creamy, lightweight, blendable, neutral in tone, doesn’t oxidize, and is a solid medium to medium/full coverage. It comes in 6 shades, which are not only great for concealing, but cream contour and highlighting! It’s easy to blend out with your fingers, a brush, or a damp sponge. It just does it all.

NYX COSMETICS DARK CIRCLE CONCEALER – $5.99 at ULTA

 

  As I mentioned above, I generally don’t like to have to use multiple concealers, mainly because when I toss one in my bag for the day, I’d like it to be just ONE. But sometimes, like it or not, we all need a little color correction under the eyes. I’ve actually totally ditched my usual yellow stick concealer for this stuff! This is creamy, peachy toned, and it hides dark circles so well you can’t even tell that it’s there. Be sure to set it with some sort of powder though, because it’s so creamy it WILL crease! This comes in 4 shades, fair, light, medium, and deep.

NYC SMOOCH PROOF LIQUID LIP STAIN in ON EVERYONE’S LIPS – $3.49 on AMAZON

 

 For a long time I was on a lip stain kick – I wanted to find that perfect, neutral rosy shade that mimicked the color of those lucky women with naturally very pigmented lips, since mine are by nature, super pale. After watching a review by Emily Eddington (emilynoel83 on YouTube) I went and found this in my local Walmart (unfortunately I haven’t seen them since). Looking back I’m glad I bought like 4 of them! This shade is a beautiful mauvey rosy brown, and while it looks super pigmented in the tube, it sheers out really nicely on the lips, and it’s buildable. It doesn’t apply patchy or thick, it’s actually got quite a bit of slip in the formula, and it dries quickly. If you can find these in a Walmart, Target, or CVS, grab one! You’re gonna love it!

MAYBELLINE VOLUM’ EXPRESS THE FALSIES MASCARA – $6.99 at ULTA

 

 I have tons of drugstore mascara. I even have a few of those deluxe samples of higher end mascara. And this is my go-to lately, hands down. Some mascaras claim some pretty spectacular things but never really deliver – THIS STUFF DELIVERS! I love the natural bristle brush, I love that it’s tightly packed, I love that it’s curved, and I love that the formula isn’t too wet like the typical Maybelline formula – this hits that nice balance between ‘too wet‘ and ‘starting to dry out‘. It really does make you look like you’re wearing false lashes, but without all that time spent glueing them on and nearly sealing your eye shut tighter than King Tut’s tomb. Obsessed.

REAL TECHNIQUES ORIGINAL COLLECTION BRUSHES – $9.99 or less / realtechniques.com

 

 I have many, many makeup brushes – Real Techniques, Soho, Posh, e.l.f., Morphe,and some no name brushes. My Real Techniques brushes are without a doubt my most reached-for brushes on a daily basis. Their ‘Bold Metal Collection‘ is a bit too pricey for my blood, but their ‘Original Collection‘ is pretty amazing! They’ve got you covered with sponges, face brushes, eye brushes, you name it. Though I will say that the eye brushes are a little on the rough side. I don’t like them for my eyes, but I do love them for spot concealing! These can be found all over now – I’ve seen them in Walmart, Walgreens, some Targets, and at ULTA. If you’re just starting out and you want some inexpensive, professional quality brushes, these are AMAZING.

NYX COSMETICS MICRO BROW PENCIL – $9.99 at ULTA

 

 For a long time I struggled with the best way to fill in my sparse brows. I tried powders, pomades, pencils, tinted mascaras, everything. Pencils were never my favorite, but I realized that was because I never found a pencil that I really liked. Then Anastasia Beverly Hills dropped the Brow Wiz, and while everyone swears by it, it’s just too expensive to use every day and have to repurchase so frequently. But NYX has totally duped it with this product! It’s a slim, slightly dry pencil with a spoolie on the opposite end just like the Brow Wiz, but for half the price! And ULTA often has them for ‘Buy 1 Get 1 50% off‘ so you can stock up!

REVLON COLORSTAY SHADOWLINKS EYESHADOW – $2.84 ea at drugstore.com

 

 These little things are pretty cool! They’re individual eyeshadows, but they interlock together, so you can build your own personal eyeshadow palette! Available in 30 shades and 4 different finishes, the looks are endless! Revlon shadows are great quality and super blendable, so they’re easy to work with and create looks for both day and night!

NYX COSMETICS HD BLUSHES – $6.99 at ULTA

 

 I don’t think I’ve ever loved a powder blush more than I love these – you can read my review on 2 of my favorites here. These are incredibly versatile, they compliment every single skin tone, and a few of the shades can even be used as a light bronzer for fair skin, or to contour! They’re so smooth and buttery and they blend out beautifully, and because they’re HD blushes they obviously photograph like a dream! They have great pigmentation and staying power – I just can’t say enough good things about this product!

HARD CANDY SO BAKED BRONZER in TIKI – $9 at WALMART

 

 Are you guys getting sick of reading about this yet? Ha ha! #sorrynotsorry! I love this stuff! Like I’ve said in the past, this is the furthest thing from a bronzer – it’s a beautiful, champagne-y highlight! It’s very pigmented, so a little goes a long way. I usually use a fluffy crease brush to dust this on the top of my cheekbones, the cupids bow, the tip of the nose, the inner corner of the eye, and I even love to use this on the eyelid to just catch the light and open up the eyes on those super tired mornings where I just can’t seem to look awake no matter what I do! It’s great on all skin tones too! Light to dark, anyone can wear this! And it lasts forever because you need so little!

MAYBELLINE LASTING DRAMA GEL LINER in BLACKEST BLACK – $7.94 at WALMART

 

 I was never someone who really wore liner. Like ever. I still only bust it out for special occasions. But I could never find a good gel liner that was smooth and creamy, and truly BLACK. Then on a whim (and a recommendation by Jaclyn Hill) I decided to try this out. I’m glad I did. This truly is the blackest of the black gel liners you will find anywhere! And it’s nice and thick so you don’t need multiple layers to get a good, matte black line, but not so thick that it drags on the lids making it impossible to work with. I will say, however, that I absolutely H-A-T-E the brush that comes with it – it’s useless. I prefer to use a nice teeny, tiny angled liner brush, like the Morphe M160 1/8 ($2.99) for a nice clean, crisp, cut-a-bitch sharp line!

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Alright guys, that’s it! My top 10 under $10! What do you guys think? Have you tried any of these products? What are some of your favorites? Leave me a comment and let me know!

And don’t forget to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

I WILL BE DOING A GIVEAWAY SOON AND YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IT!

LOTS OF LOVE!

 

MAKEUP FOR SICK DAYS!

We’ve all been there – you’re sick as a dog, and maybe you were fortunate enough to get a day or two off of school or work, but it’s time to head back and time to pull yourself together.

A couple weeks ago I came down with a sinus infection and bronchitis – lucky me! NOT! Well with a busy little 1 year old, I can’t just crawl into bed and sleep it off the way I used to. I had to get up, keep going, and occasionally had to leave the house and be seen by the general public. And when you’re sick, the last thing you want to hear from anyone you run into is “wow you look really sick!”. So this is a look and products specifically for that purpose. Let’s jump in!

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STEP 1. PRIMER

  After you’ve cleansed and moisturized your skin, you’ll want to apply a primer. When your nose is runny and you’re constantly wiping at your eyes, you want something that will grab on to your makeup and keep it in place. Additionally, when you’re feeling blah, it can show in your skin, so I like to use a radiance boosting primer or an illuminating primer. Two that I swear by are L’Oreal Magic Lumi Primer  ($13) and Revlon PhotoReady Primer ($11). You could even mix them to get the benefits of both.

STEP 2. UNDEREYE CONCEALER

  Whether you’ve been getting lots of rest or not much at all, being sick just seems to exaggerate the dark circles under our eyes. While covering them is the goal, an important and often overlooked step is color correcting them. Picture a color wheel from your elementary school art class – you always want to color correct with the OPPOSITE color on the color wheel – so in the same way that you would use a green concealer on a bright red blemish, you want a yellow/orange/peach concealer on dark circles. If they’re more blue in tone, use yellow, like Physician’s Formula Gentle Cover Concealer Stick in Yellow ($8). If they’re more purple, NYX Dark Circle Concealer ($6) is A-MAZ-ING. When you’re color correcting, the key is to ONLY put it where you need it, i.e. right on top of the blue/purple color. You don’t want to go all upside down triangle with this stuff – we’re not highlighting, we’re simply concealing. Apply it where you need it, blend it out, and then apply a skin toned concealer over the top, like Maybelline Fit Me ($7), and set it with a translucent or brightening powder, like E.L.F. Studio High Definition Undereye Setting Powder ($3). 

STEP 3. BB/CC CREAM

  I don’t know about you, but when I’m sick the last thing I want is to FEEL like I’m wearing makeup. This is where I like to use BB and CC creams. They moisturize, provide a sheer coverage, and just bring the life back to your skin. For super sheer coverage, apply it with a damn sponge like the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($6), and for a more full coverage look, buff it in with a nice dense, synthetic brush like the Real Techniques Buffing Brush (from their Core Collection, here) or Expert Face Brush ($9). Always make sure your brush is made of synthetic bristles when applying cream or liquid products because they more evenly distribute the product on to the skin and they don’t soak it up like a natural hair brush will. Some of my favorite BB and CC creams are :

• Aveeno Positively Radiant CC Cream ($13)
• Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream ($15)
• Pond’s Luminous Finish BB Cream ($10)
• Rimmel Matte BB Cream ($6)
• Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream ($8)

STEP 3. BRONZE, BLUSH & HIGHLIGHT

  The last thing I want to be bothered with when I’m sick is a full on contour – let’s face it, it’s a wonder I’m putting on makeup AT ALL when I’m sick. But when you just feel like your face looks lifeless, one of the quickest ways to perk up is to bring some color back to your face. Taking a big fluffy brush, like the Real Techniques Powder Brush ($10), I like to apply a light bronzer (no Snooki, sit your ass down) like Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light ($4), to the perimeter of my face. It just warms you up so you don’t look….dead. Then a nice girly, pink blush like Milani Baked Blush in Corallina ($9), which has a slight sheen to it, to blush and highlight at the same time, just making you look awake and fresh and healthy. Apply that with an angled blush brush and you’ll notice a remarkable difference.

STEP 4. BROWS

  I am a firm believer that brows really do frame your face and just pull any look together, be it minimal or full on glam. But am I going to bother with a full brow routine when I feel like crap? Nope. So the easiest and most natural looking way that I’ve found recently is to use a tinted brow mascara with little fibers, that lightly fill in the brows making them look polished but not overdone. I love the Hard Candy Brows Now ($6) for this, and the other end has a retractable highlighting crayon that you can pop under the brow and in the inner corner of the eye for that wide eyed, fresh, awake look. Fake it ’til you make it baby.

STEP 5. EYES

  When I’m sick, it shows in my eyes. They’re red, watery, and probably the LAST place on my face I want to put any sort of product. But if shadow and mascara are things you simply can’t live without, here’s a little trick – go back to that Rimmel Natural Bronzer, and take a fluffy blending brush like the SOHO Pro Crease Brush ($11) and using windshield wiper motions, buff that into the crease of the eye. It gives dimension, plays off that highlighter that we applied when we did our brows, and doesn’t require 8 other shadows to blend. It’s just enough to look like you’re trying when you really just don’t want to. Then taking any waterproof mascara, apply one or two light coats just to make your tired eyes pop!

STEP 6. LIPS

  In my September Favorites post (read it here) I mentioned a tinted lip balm called Nivea Kiss of Care & Color ($5). This stuff was like my saving grace when I was sick. It’s super moisturizing, and looks like your own healthy, natural lip color with just a hint of shine. The tinted balm is wrapped around a moisturizing core, and it comes in 4 gorgeous sheer shades. My NEW favorite is Sheer Crimson.

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Now throw that 3rd day hair up in a messy bun, pop on some pretty stud earrings, and we’re done! It may seem like a lot, especially when you’re feeling like death warmed up, but I’ve found that most times when I have to throw on some makeup and leave the house it actually helps me feel better, knowing that I’m just a little more put together and polished!

I hope this post was helpful! As always, make sure you’re following me on Twitter and Instagram – @dlynnesposito for lots of fun things coming up!

LoTs Of LoVe and ChIcKeN sOuP! ❤ ❤

XOXO – Donna

SEPTEMBER BEAUTY FAVORITES 2015

 Hey guys! I probably should have had this up like a week ago, but I’ve had bronchitis and a sinus infection and a cranky one year old, so……

Let’s just jump right in. This will be (obviously!) my September faves in beauty. I tossed back and forth between a GENERAL faves (non-beauty related items included) and landed on this. Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see a mix next month or just stick with beauty products!

HERE WE GO!

GARNIER REFRESHING GEL CREAM FOR DRY SKIN $7/WalMart

They have two formulas – one for combo/normal skin, and one for dry skin. In the summer months, I’m all about that combo formula, but as the weather gets cooler and the air gets drier, I always come back to the dry skin formula. I live and die by this moisturizer. It’s non-greasy, absorbs super fast, and it just feels like HEAVEN on your face! It doesn’t clog my pores which is SUPER important to me because my skin is so sensitive and breakout prone as it is, and it just makes you GLOW, like you’ve been eating your fruits and veggies. It’s amazing. Try it. Trust me!

REVLON PHOTOREADY PRIMER $11/drugstore.com

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with primers for as long as I’ve been using them. Some do nothing, some irritate my skin within minutes of application, and some make me look like a straight up greased chicken. This stuff? No. I love it. It fills in pores and fine lines and REALLY helps my makeup last longer, and it doesn’t break me out at all! There are days I’ve worn this alone, with a touch of concealer, and with a full face of foundation and on all occasions it’s really impressed me. It has the wear and staying power of a silicone based primer, but it’s more of a lotion formula. It keeps me matte, and by the end of the day (no touchups!) when I start to get a LITTLE shine peeking through, it’s more of a “lit from within” glow than greasy. It’s like photoshop for real life. I think I’ve found my ride or die.

BRAGG ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR WITH “THE MOTHER” $8+/- at most grocery stores

Some of you may be thinking ‘huh?’ while others know EXACTLY what I’m talking about – apple cider vinegar is the BUSINESS when it comes to skin care and hair care. I use this in two ways – in the morning I use it diluted, 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, and at night I use it straight up from the bottle, full strength, as a toner. Not only has it helped with my breakouts, but I’ve noticed that my pores look smaller, I’m less oily, and my acne scars have faded! It’s readily available in your local grocery store, just make sure it says “the mother” somewhere on the bottle. There’s a sediment on the bottom of the bottle and while it looks, well, gross, that’s what makes it work so well. It’s basically just strands of protein and enzymes and when you see that in the bottom of the bottle, it’s been filtered the least as opposed to something you’d find in say, the salad dressing aisle. It helps acne, scarring, pH balance, it’s basically the be all end all of healthy stuff! But be warned – if you have sensitive skin, please please PLEASE dilute it before applying it to your skin. It WILL cause a little redness, but it will go away. To me personally, it’s totally worth it.

NIVEA KISS OF CARE & COLOR IN SHEER BERRY $5/WalMart

This lip balm was like a gift from the gods when I was sick recently. Not only were my lips super duper dry and chapped, but regular Chapstick made me look like a ghost. Enter this lip balm. It has a moisturizing core wrapped with a tinted lip balm that looks like your natural lip color. And it’s really really moisturizing. I don’t think I could get through being sick without it! It’s great for that everyday no makeup makeup look. I typically don’t bother with tinted lip balms, I’m more a lipstick/gloss kinda girl, but this is now in my bag, readily available. I’m hooked.

NYX MICROBROW PENCIL $10/ULTA

I’ve always hated brow pencils. They were too thick, waxy, dry, fake looking, you name it. I had seen on YouTube everyone raving about the Anastasia Brow Whiz and how it changed their brow game – but was I gonna shell out $21 for a PENCIL? Nope! Then I saw someone compared the ABH to this product, the MicroBrow, and did a side by side comparison, and I decided to try it out – and was glad I did! It’s identical in formula, packaging, and it’s even made in the same place – dupe alert! I’ve been loyal to tinted brow gel and powder forever, so for me to try and LOVE a pencil speaks volumes! I haven’t used any other brow products since I’ve owned this!

E.L.F. FLAWLESS CONCEALER BRUSH $3/eyeslipsface.com and CVS

Usually when I apply my concealer, I was hellbent that the only thing that worked for me was my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. And while I still love it more than any tool I’ve used, this concealer brush is creeping up the ranks pretty quickly. I actually bought two of them, and plan to pick up a few more. It’s big and fluffy (for a concealer brush anyway) but it leaves you with the most BEAUTIFUL airbrushed finish that I’ll be totally honest, I DID NOT EXPECT from a $3 brush I picked up in a drugstore. E.L.F. is now being carried at CVS nationwide, so run down and grab 1 (or 4). You’ll thank me I promise.

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS CLEAR BROW GEL $22/ULTA

Now I know what you’re thinking – isn’t this a blog about beauty products for those on a budget? Yes. Yes it is. HOWEVER, I was able to scoop this up for $11 (that’s right!) when ULTA was doing their ’21 Days Of Beauty’ last month. So I got it for half price. Would I pay full price for this product? YES! This stuff is like SUPER GLUE on your brows! I have other clear brow gels, and none of them really hold my brows in place. Or they get flaky and funky by lunchtime. I have yet to find a good drugstore dupe for this product but it’s my understanding that NYX has something similar in formula, which makes sense since the Brow Whiz and MicroBrow pencils are basically identical. I love this brow gel. And I WILL be repurchasing when I run out.

UDDERLY SMOOTH CREAM $7/CVS

As soon as that summer humidity is gone, I have wicked eczema on my hands, more specifically on my ring finger – probably from all the dishwashing with my wedding rings on (I know, I know, USE GLOVES, right?!) and it makes it’s way slowly up my hands to my wrists, and in extreme cases my forearms. Over the years, I have tried EVERYTHING recommended to me for eczema – Aquaphor, Aveeno, Eucerin, Cortaid, even things like Vaseline and Jergens – the problem with all those products was while they were moisturizing to a degree, almost all of them contained some sort of fragrance compound that burned that delicate, cracked skin. Udderly Smooth does NOT do that to me. It takes a couple days of consistent use to really break through all that cracked dry skin but once it does, it’s like a miracle cure. I always recommend it to anyone who has dry skin. Always.

There you have it! I hope you guys found some useful suggestions, and as always I would LOVE to hear about some of YOUR favorite products!! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter – @dlynnesposito

LoTs Of LoVe!!! ❤ ❤

XOXO – Donna