eye creams for every budget...

for any beauty maven, eye creams are essential. for the prevention and/or treatment of dark circles, discoloration, fine lines and wrinkles, it's safe to say that these concentrated creams {and gels} play a major part in the skincare routine.

when it comes to which are best for you, more often than not, it's not just a matter of which product is best and actually will work, but also what is most affordable for your budget.

thankfully, there are many fabulous options on the market that are effective and won't send you into debt. i've used the following eye creams {on their own, separately, over the last several months} and they are all effective and have varying price points...

Caudalie Premier Cru the eye cream is the priciest {just under the hundred dollar mark}, but lives up to its promise of delivering a healthy, youthful look to the eye area. tetrapeptides and grape seed polyphenols {antioxidants!} are to thank for the results this rich, iridescent cream gives. highly concentrated, this gem gave my skin a more hydrated feel as well as a supple and radiant look.

Philosophy Eye Hope is in the mid-price range and my favorite for reducing puffiness and keeping fine lines at bay. this popular eye cream is heavy with antioxidants and hydrating ingredients, but is completely lightweight and fast-absorbing.

the Yes To brand offers eye products that are affordable and can be found in your local mass retailer {CVS, Target}. Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel {not pictured} does exactly that, thanks to ingredients like chamomile and cucumber, while Yes To Blueberries Eye Firming Treatment gives eyes a radiance boost and aids in keeping the delicate area of the eye firm. both are rich in antioxidants and didn't irritate my eyes at all.


tell me: do you spend more on your eye cream because it's what works best for you and is worth the splurge, or do you only use what you can afford??

caudalie and yes to brands sent to me for review consideration; pic taken by me :)

Total Beauty: 10 Best Budget Beauty Tips

looking to save money on your beauty routine? want to pamper yourself without blowing your budget? using foods and other household items you probably already have is not only cost-effective, make you look and feel awesome, but is amazingly healthy as well!

check out this fun article from Total Beauty that shares some fabulous tips for pampering yourself naturally and still keep your bank account happy.

enjoy!

10 Best Homemade Beauty Products

Those leftovers that even the family dog wouldn't eat are actually great ingredients for homemade beauty products

This is a TotalBeauty.com budget products article These bargain beauty tips will show you how to turn kitchen leftovers and more into everything you need to look great. Bonus: These tips all use natural ingredients. Get how-tos

bathing beauty: Caress Cashmere Luxury Body Wash

back in 2010, as 2011 approached, i really took time to think about what it was i wanted to do and accomplish by year's end. one of the few things i decided to do (among saving money and getting back in touch with my creative self) was to stop spending money on things, especially beauty products and clothing, that didn't make my beyond ecstatic each and every time i used or wore them. my ultimate desire was to spend only on items that were of absolute necessity and of great quality. so, i cleared my beauty stash of items i hadn't used in months and bagged up clothing, bags and shoes that didn't fit or hadn't seen the light of day in over a year.

everything i could donate or give away, i did.

to be honest, i can be a very impulsive buyer, so i thought this new practice would be a hard one, something that i'd have to keep "starting over" with. as it turns out, this "resolution" has been much easier to stick to than any other in my life.

maybe this quality over quantity mentality comes with age, LOL!

in any case, one of my absolute, favorite body washes, Caress Cashmere Luxury, definitely falls into this category, and it also happens to be wallet-friendly. my saving money plan is also being put into practice (btw, i am loving hellowallet.com as a tool for helping me manage and save more moolah)-- yay!

Caress Cashmere Luxury key ingredients include white orchid milk, warm vanilla essence and sunflower oil. the creamy, rich texture lathers up beautifully and feels just as the name suggests, like luxurious cashmere. it leaves skin so incredibly soft and lightly scented. i love it!

next time you're looking to gift yourself a simple, yet luxurious, treat, try this body wash, won't you?

pic taken by me:)

beauty on a budget: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm

lipstains are the hottest thing in the lippie world right now and for good reason. they leave lips perfectly flushed with color and last a lot longer. the only issue is that you have to apply some sort of gloss or balm over them to give lips moisture and shine.



to the joy of lips and lipstain lovers, Revlon has included a balm with their new lipstain, cleverly named, Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm.

i chose to purchase Just Bitten in Forbidden, a pretty coral shade that gives my lips just enough color to keep them looking natural, but can be layered to punch it up a notch.



the felt tip is the same as CoverGirl's Lipstain and lasts just as long on my lips, but the balm that comes with Revlon's version has me hooked (and i can't help but appreciate that they included vitamin C in it for anti-oxidant protection). it moisturizes and leaves lips with a soft shine (if you want a super-shiny, glossy look, just apply your fave gloss over it). while my experience with the balm has been positive, and hasn't happened to me, i have read and talked to a friend via Twitter that it breaks of after a few uses, so be careful!

Just Bitten comes in 10 shades and can be found at your favorite drug and mass retailer. visit revlon.com for more info.

xo
pics taken by me :)

beauty in a budget: Olay Total Effects Cream Cleanser + Blemish Control

keeping blemishes at bay as i get older isn't always easy since many different things can trigger a blemish to appear. i also have to keep in mind that my skin isn't the same as it was even a year ago, so i have to look for products that cater to that reality as well.

ugh...

Olay, thankfully, makes keeping my skin looking radiant and clear a bit easier with their fabulous Total Effects Cream Cleanser + Blemish Control cleanser. i discovered and bought my first tube a few months ago and can't get enough.

this cleanser contains micro-beads, providing skin with gentle exfoliation (perfect to use daily) and salicylic acid to treat (and prevent) acne. i love that it's cream-based (typical foaming formulas can over-dry even the oiliest skin), and the anti-aging benefits-- exfoliation, enhanced tone, added moisture, pore and skin texture refinement, and minimization of fine lines-- are the added bonus in my beauty book.

if you're looking for an anti-aging cleanser that will also keep you skin clear, i recommend you try this one! find it at your local drug and mass retailers. visit olay.com for more info.

xo
pic taken by me :)

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara

one mascara that had me (and many other beauty fanatics) in a frenzy over the summer was Maybelline's new Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara.

have you tried it yet?

if your answer is no, um...why not??!


this mascara has a keratin fiber formula that gives lashes more oomph and the cool "spoon" wand makes getting every lash coated super easy.


clearly the name itself is enough to draw in a mascara junkie like myself, but it's the results that have kept me on the Falsies bandwagon. in my opinion, this is almost the drugstore equivalent of Lancome's Hypnose Drama-- my absolute favorite high-end mascara-- and if the pics don't convince you to try it for yourself, i don't know what will...


before


after

you can find Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara at my favorite mass retailer, Target (where i purchased it). visit maybelline.com for more info.

xo
pics taken by me :)

beauty on a budget: Aveeno Positively Nourishing Hydrating Body Wash

i am in love with this body wash from Aveeno. Positively Nourishing Hydrating Body Wash was sent to me as a travel size sample, and from first use i was hooked. not wanting to be without it before it ran out, i looked for in-store.

no luck.

when i finally did find it, it was sold out. multiple times (sigh). i think i looked for the Fig & Shea Butter flavor over a month before i finally found it in stock! the women in my area know a good body wash when they find it, i must say (LOL!). the smell is divine and the shea butter leaves my skin so gorgeously soft. the creamy formula lathers up nicely and rinses away easily, i can't get over what a fabulous product this is-- it's such a treat after a tough morning workout and even at the end of the day before bed. :)

find Aveeno Positively Nourishing Hydrating Body Wash at a drugstore near you.

xo
as stated in this post: initially a travel-size sample was sent to me; pic taken my me of product i bought :)

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer

Covergirl and Olay have outdone themselves by creating a fabulous product, the new Simply Ageless Serum Primer. it's an anti-aging serum. it's a primer. it's a brilliant light moisturizer that i simply can't get enough of.

i was first introduced to this beauty by Molly R. Stern at the CoverGirl Lounge event in los angeles back in may. she used it to prep Rashida Jones' skin for the gorgeous look she ultimately created. Molly herself, a makeup maven, admitted that she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of a primer-- she never used them before (good moisturization of the skin works just as well as a primer in most cases, fyi)-- but after using it, and seeing the results it gave, she became a fan.

i, on the other hand, was beyond thrilled to know that CG was stepping it up and adding this to their Simply Ageless line! i couldn't wait to try it myself.

i've been using it for a couple of months now, and i adore it!

it's made with Olay Regenerist ingredients, of course, so my skin doesn't just get prepped for foundation, but is also given an anti-aging treatment every time i use it (multi-tasker alert!). i love its delicate consistency and the way it quickly smooths over my skin without a hint of oil. it doesn't leave my skin matte, but rather looking fresh, pretty and lightly moisturized. i don't have any serious wrinkles, so i don't know how it would be in treating them, but i do know i like the way my skin has been looking since using this.

hope you'll give it a try! look for it soon in your local drugstore.

xo
product featured given to me by representatives of the CoverGirl brand at an event mention in this post.

Beauty on a Budget: L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara

i love mascara. maybe a little to much, but hey, whatever. i could have worse addictions you know. with that said, it's no surprise that i was uber-excited when L'Oreal's new Extra Volume Collagen Mascara showed up on my doorstep.



this mascara contains a hydra-collagen formula (includes collagen and hyaluronic spheres) that promises to deliver full-volume lashes. the wand is big and voluminous itself, so the expectation is high-- so does it deliver?

in a word: yes!

see the pics below? voluminous, don't you think? if these don't convince you to try it, you should know that it doesn't clump, flake or smudge as the day goes on. my lashes stay relatively soft, and it's easliy removed. plus, you can get this at your local drugstore for a fabulous price-- love that!


before



after


Extra Volume Collagen Mascara also comes in a waterproof formula, and can be found at drugstore.com

xo
pics taken by me :)