ST. PATTY’S DAY MAKEUP TUTORIAL #2

Hey guys!

So while, I have another St. Patty’s Day makeup tutorial coming your way, I thought to myself “why not share the slightly different look that I wore to the parade yesterday?!”

Yesterday, my husband, my son, and myself went to the annual St. Patricks Day parade in New Haven (Connecticut) and had a great time! But the couple days leading up to the parade, I knew I wasn’t the type of person to wear the funny hats, and dress in head-to-toe green; but I knew I would try to create a killer green smokey eye!
Hey, some people dress their body, I dress my face – it is what it is!

In any event, I was actually really impressed with how the look turned out (despite being crazy rushed in the morning – I’m a mom before all else, and well, baby needs to be ready first!) and I wanted to share with you how I achieved my parade-ready look!
SIDE NOTE * It was quite warm out for March, with a touch of humidity, and my makeup did…not…budge!*

If you want to see how I created this look, then just keep reading!

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 Working with more pigmented, shimmery shadows than usual, I knew I wanted to do my eyes first. So I started by priming my eyes using the Urban Decay Primer Potion (still working off my little Sephora VIB sample), and then went over my lids and slightly into my crease with my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in ‘Milk’, and blended that out with my finger.

 

 First, I wanted a warm transition shade, so I mixed ‘Beaches and Cream‘ and ‘Peach Smoothie‘, both by Makeup Geek, and dusted that back and forth sloppily into my crease using a Morphe M441 brush.

 

 They shadows I’m using are samples of Urban Decay singles, I believe, that I received with an ULTA order sometime last year, and never really got around to playing with. So, I started with the shade ‘Mildew‘, which is a shimmery, mossy green shade with the slightest gold reflect. I tried using a Morphe M167 dampened with some MUFE Mist & Fix, but because they’re carded samples, I was having trouble picking up enough pigment, so I ended up packing it on with my finger, from the inner corner, to about halfway across my lid.

Next, I used my Morphe M433 brush to pick up some of the shade ‘YDK‘, which is a shimmery, golden/champagne-y/brown shade, and dusted that lightly over my crease where I laid down my transition shade, and running it just over the edge of the green shadow to soften the line. Then, using a Morphe M169 brush, I carefully started working in the shade ‘Blackout‘ into the outer V, and blending it out with a tapered Morphe M330 brush. You can build on that black color as much or as little as you want – I didn’t want it too dark, but I didn’t want it too light, either. Once I had almost no product left on my brush, I started to very, very lightly drag it over the green in the crease, keeping it very low – #hoodedeyeproblems.

Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black

Taking a baby wipe (I ran out of makeup remover wipes), I removed any fallout from under my eyes (and fair warning, there’s gonna be A LOT!) and also sharpen up the edges of the shadow, and then apply some winged liner using my Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner in ‘Blackest Black’ (yes, I finally replaced it!) and a Morphe M160 1/8 brush. Click here for my winged liner tutorial!

 

 Next I applied my foundation. I mixed Revlon ColorStay Foundation for Oily/Combo skin in the shade ‘Nude’ with a pump of the L’Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer on the back of  my hand, and applied it with a Sigma F80 brush spritzed with MUFE Mist & Fix.

 

 For concealer, I’ve been trying out a sample of the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW15, which I applied with my ring finger in a V shape, and blended out with a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Then, using ‘Lyric’ from the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette, I set the concealer under my eyes, and in the center of my face (forehead, nose, chin, etc) with a Morphe M438 brush.

 

 Back to the eyes – taking a Morphe M432 flat definer brush, I picked up a little bit of ‘Blackout’ and worked that really tightly up against my bottom lashes, matching it up to my winged liner and stopping about halfway. Then, using that M169 pencil brush again, I smoked it out using ‘Mildew’, all along the lower lash line. Finally, I just applied some Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara in ‘Black’ to my top and bottom lashes, and popped on some Kiss Blooming Lashes in the style ‘Tulip’.

I filled in my brows using the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in ‘Ash Brown’, and set them in place with my Anastasia of Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel.

 

 I used Physician’s Formula Argan Wear Bronzer and a Morphe M527 brush to warm up the skin, and then applied a light contour to my cheekbones, forehead, nose, and jawline using Makeup Geek Contour Powder in ‘Breakup’ and a NARS ITA brush. For blush, I wanted to keep it kind of low key, so as not to compete with the eyes and make myself look too overdone, so I chose Milani Baked Blush in ‘Luminoso’ on an angled blush brush (mine is from Walgreens) and used my Morphe M501 to apply BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in ‘Opal’ to my cheekbones, cupids bow, and the tip of my nose.

 

 Finally, for the lips, I chose Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss Lipstick in ‘Nude Light/Medium’, and gave myself a bath in MUFE Mist & Fix. And voila! All done!

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 And there you have it! My completed St. Patty’s Day parade look!
Sure, I could have just slapped on some green eyeshadow and walked out the door, but what kind of fun would that have been?! This look would be great if you’re headed out with your friends to a local pub (if you’re old enough!) or if you just feel like being a little extra festive that day!

Most importantly, have fun with it – make it your own! Makeup is supposed to be fun!! And if you recreate this look, tag me on Instagram (@dlynnesposito) so I can see it, too!

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LOTS OF LOVE!!

ONE-BRAND FAVES: REVLON

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post focusing on one specific brand! Today we’ll be talking about Revlon, which is probably one of my favorite drugstore makeup lines!

Now I did do one of these before, a one-brand favorites post about L’Oreal Paris (click here to read that post), and that particular one included products for just about every area of the face. This one, however, will not be that way, because well, I’m not necessarily fond on Revlon’s mascara or brow products, etc. But if you want to see what I do love from them, keep on reading!

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REVLON PHOTOREADY PERFECTING PRIMER

I can honestly say that this is probably my number one most reached for Revlon product. I did a full review on this primer (which you can read here) but basically this stuff fills in any pores and fine lines, it feels more lotion-y than silicone-y (silicone primers irritate me) and it doesn’t break me out! It keeps me matte all day long, which is unheard of for my skin, and it keeps my makeup in place all day long. I have a lot of drugstore primers, and honestly I don’t really love them. But this one is my go-to!

REVLON COLORSTAY WHIPPED CREME MAKEUP

I’ve got a full review on this stuff too (click here) – I don’t know what it is about this foundation, but the longer I wear it, the better it looks! Most foundations break up on me by the end of the day, at least in the most common places – the sides of the nose, the smile lines, the chin and the center of my forehead – this stays put, and looks more and more natural as the day goes on! It’s got more of a satin matte finish, which I like, and while it seems like it would feel heavy judging by the consistency, it’s actually quite lightweight, which I love; nothing is worse than makeup that feels like a mask – it’s just so uncomfortable. Pick some up and try it for yourself – you won’t be sorry!

REVLON COLORSTAY MAKEUP FOR COMBO/OILY SKIN

You guessed it, there’s another post about it already (click here) – and this is actually a great dupe for a much more expensive liquid makeup – but you’ll have to go read the post to find out which one! This is one that, unlike the formula above, is quite mattifying, and something that I rely on for like a summer wedding or something like that – where I know I want good medium to full coverage, but something lightweight that keeps me totally matte. We all have that one trusty, tried and true standby makeup that we can always rely on, and this one is mine, hands down! If you’re not oily but still want great long-wearing coverage, they do make this in a formula for normal to dry skin as well, so they’ve got everyone covered (ha ha!).

REVLON PHOTOREADY SKINLIGHTS FACE ILLUMINATOR

 

 I think these are a highly underrated product! They’re liquid highlighters, and they come in four shades – Bare Lights, Pink Lights, Peach Lights, and Bronze Lights – to suit every skin tone. These are a-m-a-z-i-n-g not just on the face (great for strobing!)  but on the body as well, using a little on the collarbone, chest, shoulders, even down your shins in the summer for a gorgeous glow! I feel like they just don’t get the love they deserve! I haven’t seen them in stores in awhile though, so I’m wondering if they’ve been discontinued. You can click the link above which is a link to Amazon and I’ve found them for you, if you want to try them for yourself – and you should!!

REVLON HIGHLIGHTING PALETTE

 

 I love these. They’re also great dupes for the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks *wink wink* and they come in three shades; a pink, a peach, and a bronze. There are five individual shades within each palette that can be used as singles, which is great for adding a gorgeous glowy highlight or some sheen on the lids or brow bone, or you can swirl them all together for an all over gleam! This is another of their items that I just can’t understand why hardly anyone talks about them, they’re wonderful!

REVLON PHOTOREADY CREAM BLUSHES

This is an item that I do believe is being discontinued, as I’ve been seeing them with the orange clearance tags at my local Walgreens, so now is the time to go snap them up! I’ve done a full review on these too, surprise surprise (click here) and I absolutely love them! I feel like they just look more natural and wear far longer than any of my powder blushes! I like to apply these with a stippling brush underneath my foundation for the most natural effect. If you want to try them and have trouble finding them locally, you can click on the link above and order them there!

REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPSTICK

 

 I think I can honestly say that as far as drugstore lipstick goes, this is the best of the best. Seven decades – that’s 70 years! – and 82 shades to choose from in 4 different finishes! The Revlon lipstick game is strong! With everything from nudes to reds to my personal favorite shade, Black Cherry, if I could only ever again recommend one brand of lipstick, this would be the one! They’re comfortable, they have amazing color payoff, they wear very well, they’re just all around incredible! And they won the “Allure Magazine Reader’s Choice Award” in both 2014 and 2015!! Guys, million of people can’t be wrong, can they?!

REVLON COLORBURST LIP BUTTER

 

 I’ve lost count on how many of these I own. I feel like every trip to the drugstore yields at least 2 of them to make sure I always have them on hand! They’re a gorgeous, hydrating gel formula, with great color payoff, and a great shade selection! Some of my favorites are Pink Truffle, which is like, the perfect MLBB (my lips but better) shade, Peach Parfait, a shimmery, summery peach, and Fig Jam, which looks intimidatingly brown but sheers out over the lips for the perfect deepened version of your natural lip color – Fig Jam is also a great dupe for Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey! Some shades have been discontinued already and some are on the list to be next so get them while you can!!

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What do you guys think of Revlon cosmetics? What different ones have you tried? Leave me a comment and let me know! Additionally, if there’s a specific brand you’d like me to focus on for a future post like this, leave me a comment on that as well!

And please go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

LOTS OF LOVE!!

TOP 5 BEAUTY PRODUCTS UNDER $5

 So a couple weeks ago I brought you guys my top 10 beauty products under $10. Well I thought it would be fun to challenge myself a little and see if I could narrow it down to FIVE products, all under $5!

Under $10 is a piece of cake – most drugstore products hit under the $10 mark. But it’s really difficult to find great quality products for under $5.

I used to think that if it cost less than $5 it was probably garbage – a waste of money – and I bet some of you thought the same thing, right? Well today I’ll show you MY top 5 picks for under $5 each!

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 WET N’ WILD COLOR ICON BRONZER – RESERVE YOUR CABANA ($3.99)

If you’ve been around here for awhile, you’ll recognize this product. You’ll also remember how I was hesitant to even bother with it for a long time. In the pan it looks like a regular pressed powder. It’s not even really a ‘bronzer’ – it’s a gorgeous naturally glowy highlight. And for $3.99 you get a lot of product! This pan is huge! Use a fan brush and apply this to the tops of your cheekbones to finish off your makeup look and give yourself that ‘lit from within’ glow!

 

 NYX COSMETICS SLIM LIP PENCIL ($3.49)

These are incredible. They’re pigmented, long wearing, smooth, and oh, did I mention that many of them are dupes for MAC lip pencils? Why spend $16 per pencil if there’s a $4 dupe?? I see no good reason to!

 

 ESSENCE LONGLASTING LIPSTICK – BARELY THERE ($2.99)

This is a gorgeous YLBB (your lips but better) shade! I have a few of these, but this is by far my favorite color – it’s so natural looking that it can be worn with barely any makeup, or a full face with a bomb smokey eye. I get pretty decent wear time out of these, probably about 4-5 hours before I have to reapply. I came across this on Pinterest and knew I wanted it because it was just SUCH a gorgeous shade! $2.99 is a steal, and you can grab a whole bunch of different colors for the price of the average lipstick!

 

 REAL TECHNIQUES LASH AND BROW GROOMER ($3.24)

I don’t know what I was doing all these years without a metal lash comb. I had the plastic ones but I feel like those did nothing. So recently I picked up a metal one. I’m sold. No matter how clumpy your mascara gets, a metal lash comb will power right through it and give you that fluttery separation you want. Just 2 tips for use, though;

• Use extreme caution if you don’t have a super steady hand – you will poke yourself in the eyeball, and it hurts. I know. I did it. This morning. Ouch.
• Care for this the same way you do your mascara – keep it clean and don’t share it without cleaning it, otherwise you risk transferring bacteria to your eye area leading to infections and styes. And no wants that.

 SALON PERFECT PERFECTLY GLAMOROUS LASHES – DEMI WISPIES ($2.97)

Maybe you feel like no matter how much mascara you apply, you’re just not getting the look you want. Maybe you’re someone who just loves lashes. Maybe you’re someone who HOARDS lashes (guilty!) but doesn’t want to spend $20 on a single pair?

Lashes can really take your look to the next level – there are natural, dramatic, colored, costume, individuals – so many lashes, so little time! One of my absolute favorites are these – they’re lightweight, super easy to apply, and while they’re marketed as ‘glamorous’, they still look very natural. Of course it looks like you’re wearing lashes – but it looks like you’re wearing high quality, EXPENSIVE lashes – no one needs to know they were under $3 but you and the cashier!

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That honestly was harder than I thought it would be! But I’m 110% confident in these products – I own them, I love them. I use them on a regular basis. What are some of your favorites? Leave me a comment below!

And please go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook! There will be a giveaway coming around Christmas and you won’t want to miss out!

LOTS OF LOVE!

 

BEST ‘YOUR LIPS BUT BETTER’ PRODUCTS

  With the never-ending choices of lip colors on the market, from nudes to reds, pinks to plums and so on, it can seem like such a daunting task to just find that perfect shade. You know the one I’m talking about – the one that makes people think “what is that lip color she’s wearing? IS she wearing a lip color? I WANT LIPS LIKE HERS!”. THAT, my dears, is known as the YLBB or MLBB (your lips but better or my lips but better) and it seems like it’s almost impossible to find. So I’ve compiled a list of shades from across the board that work on practically ANYONE, from the fairest of the fair, to the deepest, richest skin tones! Let’s get started!

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REVLON COLORBURST LIP BUTTER in PINK TRUFFLE ($6/WalMart)

  If I were to go in order of favorites, this would totally be my top pick. I have backups upon backups of this shade, for fear that they’ll discontinue it like one of my other faves, Macaroon, and it LOOKS like Fig Jam may be on it’s way out too! *sad face* But this is the perfect rosey-nude that just makes you look like you have gorgeous, perfectly pink, super hydrated and healthy lips. It’s always with me, and it’s one that I don’t even need a mirror to apply or touch up. It’s my ride or die.

ESSENCE LONGLASTING LIPSTICK in BARELY THERE ($3/ULTA)

  I don’t know that I believe the ‘long-lasting’ claim for this PARTICULAR shade, but maybe I just can’t tell because it almost perfectly matches my natural lip color. I DO have other shades, like ‘I Am Yours’ and ‘Natural Beauty‘ that do seem to last quite some time, so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. However for being a long wearing lipstick, I have to say that it’s VERY comfortable on the lips. You know how some can make your lips feel tight and dry? Yeah, not these. I wouldn’t go as far as to call them MOISTURIZING, but they definitely feel very nice.

RIMMEL LASTING FINISH by KATE MOSS LIPSTICK 08 ($4/drugstore.com)

  This is a beautiful dusty rose shade, that’s slightly lighter than my natural lip color, but still a great every day hue. I, personally, haven’t found these to be terribly long lasting, and I would highly recommend prepping your lips by exfoliating and maybe using a light balm underneath, especially if you’re dry because it can apply a little on the clingy side, but I still find this to be one I reach for quite often.

L’OREAL PARIS COLOR RICHE LIP BALM in NOURISHING NUDE ($6/WalMart)

  Yet another shade that I have multiple of – this and Tender Mauve – because they’re just THAT amazing. This definitely leans more to the sheer side, because it is, after all, a tinted lip balm. But my oh my is it beautiful. One thing I don’t really love is that the cap seems to be a little on the flimsy side for my liking, and I’ve cracked a few of them along the way. But when I’m having a no makeup day and just need a little hint of tint, these are ALWAYS nearby.

L’OREAL PARIS COLOR RICHE LE GLOSS in REALLY ROSE ($6/WalMart)

  I’m gonna call a dupe alert on this one! While I haven’t tried it myself yet, I’ve seen on Pinterest that this shade is a dupe for NARS Dolce Vita lip gloss. And if I can find a good drugstore dupe, you KNOW I’m all over that! If I had a real gripe about these glosses, it’s that they really have very little staying power. But the shade is just gorgeous, like you bit your lips and put a little gloss on (ya know, the old school way). GAWGEOUS!

ALMAY SMART SHADE BUTTER KISS LIPSTICK in NUDE LIGHT/MEDIUM ($6/Target)

  These are incredibly similar to the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters, probably because they’re made by the same company! Right down to the packaging, they’re nearly identical. BUT because Almay took pity on those of us who stand staring at a lipstick display like a deer in headlights, they broke it down to pinks, nudes, berries, and reds according to your skin tone. So light, light medium, and dark all have their own shades of the aforementioned colors. This doesn’t mean you have to stay within those guidelines of course! I fall into the light category, but prefer the shades in the light/medium. They allow your natural lip color to shine through, as they’re a bit more sheer than their Revlon cousins, and more like a balm than a lipstick. But nonetheless, there’s always this shade in my bag!

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I really hope this helps you guys! I know for the longest time I was clueless as to how to find that perfect shade, and then I discovered the term ‘YLBB‘ and took to none other than Pinterest! Do YOU have a favorite YLBB? Leave me a comment below!

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito.

LOTS OF LOVE AND LIPPIES!

XOXO – Donna