make-up under ten dollars | Cupcakes and Commentary

Some refills and some new items to test out this month! First up, a few of my usual rotations:

Essie no chips ahead topcoat. You will never convince me another topcoat lasts longer than this one. I’ve tried many, and it’s the best.

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen. This is my current favorite primer for my IT CC cream. If I’m wearing the CC cream, I’m wearing this and I have yet to get burned this summer on my face.

Tarte lip balm in Nude. Love it, wear it almost everyday!.

I switch between Neutrogena and Clinique make up remover. They are pretty similar and I typically only use them for cleaning brushes, so I would go for the steal instead of the splurge.

My boys hate sunblock that smells (is their a kid out there that relishes the smell of sunblock?), so I’m always on the hunt for ones that don’t. Their favorite is the Neutrogena Clear Face, but the SPF on that one is kind of low, especially for being in the pool. I tested out the Sport Face one this month and I feel like it stays better, and no smell.

Ouai air dry foam. Wow does this smell amazing! It makes your hair super soft, and I think if I did double buns it would have had even more of a wave the next day.

Pixie eye patches. Tricky to put on, but they are very cooling, and make a big difference in puffiness under my eyes.

Morphe M105. A narrower countering brush, good for bronzer placement. First saw it on a Lindsey Regan Thorne make-up tutorial and I really like it!

I also picked up a few items for A this month:

Dove deodorant. Good smelling, not super strong.

With the amount of pool time the boys have had this summer, I needed to up their hair care routine. The boys have totally different hair types, so I tested out this shampoo and conditioner with A. It doesn’t have a strong scent and his hair has been super soft and healthy looking!

One of my goals with the boys is that they learn and understand the importance of good skin care and hygiene. This Supergoop moisturizer is for A to put on every morning. He really needs to wear sunscreen everyday, and this one has no scent and NO sticky feeling like most sunblocks. I tested it out and I love it for days when I wear no other makeup. So much so, that I may buy another container for myself.

Make-up picks under ten dollars

Since I spend a lot of my day chasing down two boys, I am very committed to using tried and true make-up. Whether it’s ten dollars or thirty plus dollars, I like make-up that is easy to use and that makes me look “done” without being overdone. I also know that I probably will have about ten to fifteen minutes every morning to put it on. I thought I would share some of my favorites, and this week I’m sharing my favorites that are under ten dollars. Enjoy!

1. L’Oreal true match foundation ($10). I have used thirty plus dollar foundations (Prescriptives & Laura Mercier) and I can tell you for my skin (slightly dry, and sensitive) I have loved L’Oreal’s foundation. I use the neutral soft ivory in the winter and neutral classic ivory in the summer (I have fair skin with yellow undertones).

2. Covergirl lash blast fusion ($9). I have this in the water resistant and non-water resistant. It does dry out more quickly than some other brands I’ve tried, but I like the look of it and it isn’t clumpy. I use very black, because I always use very black for mascara. How’s that for a recommendation?

3. Essie in sunday funday ($8). Confession…I buy spares of this when I see it because I think it’s seasonal and they will eventually stop selling it. I love the peachy-pink color with the bit of glitter in it, and it looks great on any time of year.

4. Revlon creme shadow palette in not just nudes ($5). I have been looking at this collection forever, and never actually bought it…until my sister said she had read a blog review of it and that it was great. We both picked it up, and I love the ease in which it goes on and that it provides that “done” look that I talked about before, without much work.

5. Sonia Kashuk make-up brushes ($4-10). I can remember my Grandmother telling me about these when they started selling them at Target probably close to fifteen years ago. I own a host of these and love them. The concealer brush is one of my favorites because you can use it for concealer, foundation, creme shadows, or dry shadows if you dampen it. I would recommend buying them individually instead of in a set as some of the sets tend to use shorter brushes that can be tricky to use. If you clean them regularly they last forever. Literally. Forever. Two hundred years from now, you will find twinkies, robots, and these brushes. HA! Moving on…

6. Revlon liquid stay color liner ($6). This liquid liner and I have been friends since high school. So, we are talking a good fifteen plus years. I think the name has changed a couple of times, but the product is the same. I have it in black-brown. I know that it can be difficult to apply liquid liner, but after fifteen years of working on a steady hand I don’t have that much trouble (unless I get a random line backer hug from one of the boys when I am applying it…and that has happened). I only wear it on my top lashes, and line the bottom with an eyeliner pencil.

June Make-Up Buys

Make-up picks under ten dollars