DRUGSTORE BEAUTY BUYS

Something about winter always makes me want to change up my look. Sometimes it's dramatic: dying my hair dark, chopping a blunt bob, or getting harsh bangs (never again, not for me!) but sometimes it's as simple as just adding a new product to my makeup routine. This route is sooo much easier and doesn't require quite the unwavering commitment. That said, this year I decided to add a red lip into my beauty rotation. 

I typically go for nudes and pinks when it comes to my lip color, so darker hues are a little more out of my comfort range. Personally I've never been a huge fan of a red lip on myself, but I absolutely love the instant glamour it can add to any look when executed well. This set me on a mission to find the perfect red lip color for the upcoming holiday season. Oh, and there's one more condition: The lip color must be under $10! That's right, I'm stepping away from Sephora and heading to the drugstore to find it.

The first lipstick that caught my eye was Loreal Paris' Colour Riche Lipstick in Zoe's Red. I wear a lot of burgundy in the winter, so I love this deep wine shade. I was especially delighted by this lipstick's silky smooth matte finish which helped to mellow out the dramatic color. Surprisingly enough, it also kept its rich color and crisp lines much longer than my favorite MAC lipstick. Way to go, L'Oreal! I'm sold. 

Next, I decided to try out Revlon's Colorstay Moisture Stain in Stockholm Chic. I usually steer clear of lip glosses of any sort because I hate when they feel goopy and sticky, but I've heard great things about lip stains and their lasting qualities so I decided to give this product a go. This lip color goes on with a glossy finish but doesn't feel sticky. In fact, this gloss is made with Vitamin E and Aloe so it's quite moisturizing. The color is a very orange-y red, but it plays nicely with the subtle gold sparkles in this lip gloss. 

The reddest of all reds is Boots' No.7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Glam. We're talking BRIGHT. A little too bright for me, but it would look super chic with an all black ensemble. Despite the color, the lipstick went on smoothly and has SPF 15 which is an added plus! 

Standing in the aisle of Walgreens, I couldn't say no to the beautiful cranberry color that is Maybelline's Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Rich Ruby. This lipstick goes on creamy but dries matte leaving you with sophisticated and clean color. I think I'll end up wearing this color for the holidays and painting my nails a matching shade of red to complete the look. 

Lastly, I put Maybelline's 24 Color in All Day Cherry to the test. This lip color intrigued me since it was dual sided and included not just a gloss but a moisturizing lip balm, too. My lips always get dry during the chilly winter months so lip balm is my best friend. How convenient to have it built into the gloss! I love the dual-sided idea but was quite unimpressed with the lipgloss itself. It went on quite messy and I had trouble distributing the color evenly. This gloss might be nice in a lighter shade of pink, but I wasn't feeling it in red. 

This fun little experiment reminded me that I don't have to drop tons of money on prestige beauty products. The drugstore really does have some great options! If I had to choose, my favorites would be both of the matte lipsticks. With such a bold color I really do prefer the matte finish, just to tone down the color and give it an edge. I will definitely be wearing these all winter long.

What are some of your favorite drugstore beauty buys?? We want to know!

Celebrate Galentine's Day

This is a sponsored post by Memebox.

Galentine's Day is the new Valentine's Day, didn't you hear? This Valentine's Day make some room for the gals in your life and celebrate how much you love and care for each other. In my mind the perfect girl party has dresses, flower crowns, flower petals, makeup, wine and candy. What about you?

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For the perfect makeup look, Stephanie of SN Makeup Artist and my dear friend, created an EASY makeup look for you. Simply apply Memebox's I'm Lip Tint Balm #2 in Flash Neon Pink and you have the perfect lips. Done! That's right. A DIY with one step. That's what I'm talking about! Get 10% off your lip tint when you use the code AVE10.

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Malori Maeva of Hoot and Holler created giant pink and red crowns for us to wear, and I dressed Steph and I up in dresses from Frances Vintage. Put some wine and chocolate out and turn on some girl tunes, and you got yourself a lovely, memorable Galentine's Day.

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Photos by Michelle Herrick; Art direction and styling by A.V.E. Styles; makeup by SN Makeup Artist, florals by Hoot and Holler.

Perfect Makeup for Valentine's Day

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I remember it wasn't until I was 19 year's old that I finally had a Valentine. I never had a boyfriend in high school, so it was really special when Ryan, my husband, was my first Valentine. I will never forget that date. It was our second one and first official date because long story short our first date was a bust when Ryan's car got stolen. No joke! haha. (I'll be sure to tell you that story later).

I still have the J.Crew red skirt that I wore on our first official date, and I remember how embarrassed I was when he opened the front door wearing a red shirt and black pants, almost my exact outfit except flipped. We looked like a walking checkerboard. When we got to the restaurant we sat down only to find his sister and her husband just a table away. It was still romantic nonetheless.

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Do you remember your first Valentine? Do you remember getting dressed up for that special someone? Well, I hope you have a Valentine this year, and if you do I really hope you get to go out since it's on a Saturday night. Here's a gorgeous makeup look created by Stephanie Neiheisel of SN Makeup Artist using Memebox's "I'm Lipstick #5" in pink fuchsia and then adding "I'm Lip Crayon #4" in Juliet on top. For a total of $14 you could have Valentine's Day ready lips and get many more uses after that. Use code AVE10 for a 10% discount of any lip product purchase.

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Pair this makeup with a classic LBD and loose curls and you've got yourself a show stopping Valentine's Day outfit! Have fun!

Makeup by Stephanie Neiheisel, Photography by Michelle Herrick, Styling by A.V.E. Styles; Florals by Hoot and Holler and makeup products from Memebox.

Date Night In

Whether you can't find childcare or you simply want stay in your comfy clothes, date nights at home can be just the ticket to celebrate Valentine's Day. You don't have to get all dressed up and kill your toes in heels for you special someone to find you sexy. In fact, studies have shown that men prefer women with less makeup and natural lip colors. And though they may love beautiful lingerie, on the outside, skinny jeans and a t-shirt can be sexier than a tight red dress. In light of that information, I have created a date night and a makeup look with Memebox and SN Makeup Artist to show you how to look great for a date night in.

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1| Think like a Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn was adored by men just as much as women. She was the epitome of the classic, girl next door. Wear you black skinnies, a button up shirt or turtleneck and a pair of flats. Maybe even plan to watch Roman Holiday with your beau.

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2| Vintage inspired makeup. Forget the eyeshadow and just apply a black winged eyeliner. A pale coral lip is a great complement because it gives you some color, but not too much. I love Memebox's giselle lip crayon. Simply apply around your lips. It goes on smooth and has a bit of gloss to it. It's only $7.00 and you can get it for an additional 10% off when you use the code AVE10 at checkout. This applies to any lip crayon, lipstick or lip tint product.

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3| Coffee or wine, please. I don't know about your guy, but my hubby loves a great glass of wine or cup of coffee more than food. Granted, there needs to be food, but spend some thought on what you will be drinking just as much as what you will be eating.

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There you have it! A simple, cute date night look that's comfy and sexy. PS - don't wait for Valentine's Day to have a great date night in. You can do it anytime with ease. Just don't forget your lip crayon and use your AVE10 code at checkout.

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Photos by Michelle Herrick; art direction, styling and modeling by A.V.E. Styles, makeup by SN Makeup Artist.

Drugstore Face

It wasn't really a conscious effort. I started out with a makeup bag full of high-end makeup products that you can buy through Sephora, and I've ended this year with a makeup bag full of drugstore brands. These makeup products would NOT remain in my bag if if they didn't do the job I needed them to do. So, now I'm happy to say I have a drugstore face and some extra spending cash. And you should care why? Well, because YOU could have extra $$ and look great too! Duh!

So, before I put any makeup on my face I use other drugstore finds like St. Ives Apricot Scrub, Clean & Clear moisturizer and Ponds cleansing towelettes to keep my face squeaky clean and moisturized!

And now for the fun part...

I use L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup in natural buff. It has sunscreen and it moisturizes and blends well when applied with a foundation brush. It's seriously the perfect makeup for the winter time when your face is extra dry. It's oil free, so I don't ever worry about it clogging my pores.

I'm also obsessed with Maybelline's Lash Stiletto Mascara. I've blogged about it before, and it's still my favorite mascara. It really defines your lashes and it's easy to take off at night. I also love Maybelline's Unstoppable eye liner's easy, smooth application.

I used to use Benefit's Browzings ($30) compact to keep my brows looking perfect, but now all I use is CoverGirl's Brow & Eye Maker pencil. It's the exact brown I need and it's only $2.99 for TWO pencils AND a sharpener. Good buy if you ask me.

To make my eyes look pretty and natural in one, I really like Almay's Intense i-Color eye shadow trio. I chose the one for brown eyes, and I love it. I don't always wear the purple, but when I do it's the perfect shade. Now, I'll admit that I do play around with a lot of other eye shadows that I have, but it's because they seriously last FOREVER. The kicker though is that you HAVE to apply eye shadow with a brush and not the measly little sponge applicator. That goes for ANY eye shadow you EVER wear.

For my rosy cheeks I love Almay's Pure Blend powder blush in bouquet. It applies nicely on top of the L'Oreal base. Definitely use a fluffy blush to apply it though. Again, those applicators that come with the product stink!

And now for the grande finale, lipstick. Oh boy, these are my two favorite lipsticks in the whole wide world. Revlon makes fantastic matte lipsticks that stay on for a long time.

If you've been looking for a bright red lipstick for a while you have got to try Revlon's Fire & Ice. My friend Jessie and I are both addicts of the color. As you can see below...

If you want a more natural lip color, go with "mauve it over." It looks great with olive skin.

There is a tiny disclaimer though...You may or may not have noticed that I haven't said anything about concealer or eye shadow base. Those are still the only two things that I haven't been able to find at a drugstore that rivals the quality of Benefit's Boi-ing, Erase Paste and MAC's paint pots. And, I would have to say that the reason why my eye shadow looks as good as it does is owed to MAC.

But other than those three things, my face belongs to Walgreens, and my pocketbook is grateful.