So...I've been a bit naughty.
I mostly blame CVS for having such ridiculous sales and an amazing customer loyalty program. You could say it would have been more naughty for me to pass up the opportunity to get some of these products at the prices I did.
Whichever way you want to look at it, I've amassed a little collection of new beauty products since my last drugstore haul post. Here's a rundown of these new goodies I'm putting to the test.
Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturizing Spray
$15.99
How awesome is it that CVS has started to carry brands like Toni & Guy?? Being able to use coupons and extra bucks towards salon quality hair products is a savvy shopper's dream come true. I first heard about Toni & Guy from Birchbox (in a sneak peek video, if I remember correctly). My flat-as-a-pancake hair loves anything with the words "volumizing" or "texturizing" attached to it, so this sea salt spray was definitely calling my name. It might be a little early to make the call, since I've only used this a few times, but this may be a new front runner for my favorite everyday styling product. First off, it smells amazing. Not in the ocean-reminiscent way you might be expecting, but amazing nonetheless. I spritzed a bit of this in my damp hair and let it air dry (as I do most days). I was surprised at how much movement and bounce my hair had to it without feeling even a bit gritty, dry, or sticky. The next test will be to see how well this helps my hair hold a curl (cause I'm all about the beachy waves).
Toni & Guy Casual Flexible Hold Hairspray
$13.99
I couldn't help myself from also picking up this hairspray while I was at it (didn't hurt that I got $10 extrabucks back, just sayin'). I'm also still testing this one out, but it seems to be a really nice lightweight hairspray that helps to keep hair looking polished without also making it feel sticky, crunchy, or weighed down. It has the same scent as the sea salt spray, which is lovely. I will definitely be using this more on days where I'm heat styling my hair.
L'Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara in Blackest Black
$8.99
Mascara is one of my all-time beauty staples. Even if I'm feeling too lazy to put on shadow or liner, a little mascara really goes a long way to opening up your eyes and making your face look more polished and awake. I was intrigued by the very unique wand of this particular mascara from L'Oreal. It's tapered with a wing-like shape that is supposed to fan your lashes out to give them a dramatic butterfly-esque look. I would say that the formula is a true, rich black, and does add considerable length to lashes. I think the wand did help with separating and fanning my lashes, although it's a bit tricky for me to get the effect even on both eyes. It's not the most volumizing of formulas, although it looks like they've just upgraded the formula to now be called the "Volumizing Butterfly Mascara" so perhaps that fact was already recognized and dealt with. I don't notice much smudging, flaking, or racooning for the first 10 hours or so, but if you're going from morning to night without reapplying, I would maybe look for a more long-lasting product.
Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso
$8.49
I. Am obsessed. With this blush. I don't necessarily believe in love at first sight when it comes to people, but with beauty products? Yeah. Totally a thing. I know I already raved about this product in a recent post (which you can read read here, if you missed it), so here's the short version - long wearing, high quality pigmentation that blends with ease, subtle shimmer, with a natural pinky-peach flush. The packaging is a tiny bit bulky (I could have really done without the built in brush and mirror in lieu of a slimmer overall product), but it's still quite beautiful looking. The whole range of colors is gorgeous, and I definitely want to try more!
Milani Baked Eyeshadow in Intermix
$7.99
And then there was the eyeshadow. When I bought this, CVS has Milani products on a buy 1 get one 50% sale. My gut said, buy two blushes (or really, all the blushes). But noooo. My brain had to logic me into buying two different products, because it seemed more sensible. I actually first picked up the Runway Eyes Shadow in Girls Luv Pink, with my aforementioned and at the time, unwritten, pink spring makeup picks post in mind. Between the lavendery-pink shade and the massive amount of glitter I was sold. Unfortunately, my high hopes were essentially crushed by lackluster pigment and blendability (even when used wet). Back to CVS it went, and with little faith, I decided to exchange it for this baked shadow instead. Once again, it looks so pretty in the pan - swirls of shimmering bronze, chocolate, and white shadows all marbled together - but just isn't so easy to work with. I know that baked shadows are naturally harder than a pressed powder, but I felt like it was impossible to pick up much color on a brush when this was used dry. Using it wet definitely helps with the pigmentation, but also makes it a little harder to blend. Moral of the story? Next time, buy the blush.
Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Cream Eyeshadow in Beige-ing Beauty
$6.99
You can never have too many of these Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows. Cream eyeshadows are the lazy girl's best friend. Just blend a little of one of these babies onto your lids using your fingers and voila! Makeup done. I saw this shimmery champagne shade in one of the end-cap displays, so I can only assume that this is a limited edition shade that is part of Maybelline's latest collection of nude lip, eye, and cheek products. It's a bit less pigmented than other Color Tattoos I've tried, but pretty nevertheless.
L'Oreal Infallible Advanced Never-Fail Makeup
$14.19
It's been quite a while since I've tried a drugstore foundation, or really, any liquid foundation period (if we're putting BBs and CCs in a different category). But, in the spirit of adventure, I decided to go outside my comfort zone and give something totally new a try. I actually haven't seen much in the way of reviews on this particular foundation, so I thought it might be fun to give it a whirl. I would say that this is a solid medium coverage foundation with a satin sort of finish (not too matte, not too dewy). It clings a bit to any dryness, so I like to make sure I've exfoliated away any flakes before applying. As for the claim to 18 hour wear, I would say that this holds up pretty well from the beginning of the work day to the end, although I do notice a bit of fading, particularly over blemished spots.
Maybelline Fit Me! Shine Free Foundation
$8.99
After seeing a few positive posts about Maybelline's new Fit Me! line in the blogging world, my interest was piqued. The first product I decided to try was this matte stick foundation. As a person who is always on-the-go, it seemed like the kind of base I could use in my life. The formula is on the sheer side - maybe a light to medium coverage at best, and does have a relatively matte finish. I'm not totally in love with the texture, which is a little...balmy? Maybe? Which makes my face feel both weirdly greasy and matte at the same time. I also don't think it has a ton of lasting power. By the end of a crazy work day my coverage has mostly faded. Still, I love the ease of application. All you need are a few swipes and fingers to blend things out. It's very small, compact and handbag friendly. Final verdict? As an everyday base I'm not so much in love with this product. But if you need something that's good on-the-go, and takes minimal time to apply, this gets the job done.
Dove Purely Pampering Nourishing Body Wash In Pistachio Cream with Magnolia
$8.99
So I have to give some credit to picking up this product to one of my new blogger friends, Caitlin from A Cheeky Fox. Because of one of her posts I've been totally lusting after Laura Mercier's Bath and Body line, particularly the creme de pistache scent. Alas, all of those products are kind of insanely priced, and I just can't justify dropping that kind of cash right now. Enter, Dove's new Purely Pampering Nourishing Body Wash in Pistachio Cream with Magnolia. It smells absolutely lovely - a gourmand scent of pistachio and vanilla, balanced out beautifully with floral notes of Magnolia. It also feels amazingly soft and moisturizing on your skin. I was (once again) able to score this at a great price thanks to coupons and sales, and for the price I paid I can't think of any better body wash out there. If pistachio isn't your thing, the rest of the line has some pretty spectacular scent combinations, so I'm sure there's a perfect fit for you!
Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them! All and all I'd say some pretty successful finds, with a few slightly underwhelming contenders. I've also been doing some damage at ULTA....so expect another haul post in the near future.
In the meantime, I'm off to go enjoy what's left of this absolutely GORGEOUS day. Spring finally decided to show up in New England. Thank you, Mother Nature, for getting with the program. Until next time!
<3 Lauren
