I've found my new PERFECT facial sunscreen, and I am so fucking happy!

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Remember how my favorite sunscreen was discontinued? And I kept trying to find something to replace it? And then I decided this was as good as it was going to get?

I was wrong!

UPDATED: Avon Glazewear Lip Gloss Swatches, Photos, and Review

UPDATE: I redid the photos of these glosses, since I really hated the old ones I had, and added a new shade (Plum).

Avon Glazewear Lip Glosses, natural light: (left to right) Diamond Dazzle, Mirage, Iced Pink, Darling Pink, Cinnamon Apple, Rave, Crimson, Intense Plum, Cherry Liqueur

Avon Glazewear Lip Glosses, with flash: (left to right) Diamond Dazzle, Mirage, Iced Pink, Darling Pink, Cinnamon Apple, Rave, Crimson, Intense Plum, Cherry Liqueur

This isn't usually the sort of blog where I swatch a single product in a bunch of different shades, and holy shit, it was a lot of work! I don't know how swatching bloggers can stand it. But I love Avon Glazewear Lip Gloss so fucking much! I bought a bunch of minis recently, so I thought I'd post some photos. I hope they are useful, because the color swatches on the Avon website are not very accurate, and they don't provide descriptions, so it's difficult to tell what you're getting. For instance, from the website, I would have guessed that Rave is brownish, when it's really a purple-pink. 

I've raved about the formula and finish of this lip gloss before, and I still think it's one of the best ones out there. Note that I don't say best for the price. I mean this is one of the best glosses out there for any price, period. It's not sticky, it's moisturizing (or at least not drying), it stays put, and it has absolutely no smell or taste (I think that's ideal, since every scent will annoy someone). They don't bleed, and most don't settle into lip lines at all (the "Intense" shades do, slightly, but it is only noticeable very close up). They come in a nicely sized tube with the use doe-foot applicator. I have no complaints about the packaging at all. I've been impressed with every shade I've tried. The regular price for these glosses is $6, which is good to begin with, but they are frequently on sale or part of some BOGO type deal. I've never had to spend more than $3 on one.

Cheap dupe (but better!) for Zoya FeiFei and OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service: CoverGirl Midnight Magic (with review and comparison photos)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

I recently added a few CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polishes, ahem, nail "glosses", sorry, to a drugstore.com order. I'll do a more thorough review of the formula and performance of them generally soon (spoiler: great), but I wanted to alert you to a dupe first. I ordered the shade "Midnight Magic" suspecting that it might be a dupe for Zoya "FeiFei", and it turns out I was right! The difference is really negligible, though I think the CoverGirl might be a exact match for OPI "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", which is itself for all intents and purposes identical to FeiFei, but I don't own that one to compare here.

In natural light, left to right: one coat of Zoya "FeiFei", one coat of CoverGirl "Midnight Magic",
three coats of Zoya "FeiFei", three coats of CoverGirl "Midnight Magic"

ipsy Glam Bag review ($10 beauty subscription)

ETA: For an update, check out this recent post comparing Ipsy and Birchbox.

I've been getting the Glam Bag from ipsy for 9 months now, so I feel pretty confident about making some sort of general judgements about its quality. (I pay for my subscription myself, just to be clear.) In the past, I tried Birchbox (which I subscribed to for about a year) and I tried BeautyBox5 for one month, and Glam Bag is by far my favorite. I haven't been disappointed. It's only $10, and you always get fun stuff.

It includes an average of five products per bag, and there is always makeup and/or nail polish, plus a few other things including skin and haircare products. Added up, what you get is definitely worth more than $10. There has been the occasional wtf-provoking product, but they are rare, and never anything silly like cardboard coasters or protein bars, which I got in Birchbox. I also appreciate that there are very few anti-aging creams - in fact, I don't think I've ever got one. I never use those. And perfume samples are rare.

This month's bag just out of the envelope.

Blistex Moisture Melt Lip Protectant SPF 15 (awesome $2 filler for your Amazon order)

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If you're ever trying to get your Amazon order up to $25 to get free shipping or to get your add-on items to ship free, and you're just under, but you don't want to buy some useless pack of zip ties or something, this Blistex Moisture Melt is what you should get. Get two or three of them, if you have to.

I think it's one of the best lip products I've tried in a long time, and I'm a really, really, picky bitch when it comes to lip products. I'd say that like 80% of lip shit feels good when it's on, but leaves my lips as dry or drier than they were before once it wears off. And I'm including more expensive products - that Fresh Sugar lip balm? Not moisturizing, in my opinion.

Anyway, this one feels good on, doesn't have any tingling (i.e. irritating) crap in it, has SPF 15, and actually improves the condition of my lips. Nouveau Cheap has a more detailed review of it, if you're interested.

It'll cost around $1.89, whether you buy it on Amazon or in a drugstore, and it works as well or better than most pricey stuff.

$1 lipstick for people who hate lipstick: Photos and review of e.l.f. Essential Lipsticks

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Remember how I don't like lipstick? Well (some of) these cheap bastards are a rare exception. The shades I like best (Gypsy and Posh) have a texture, feel, and wear similar to Revlon Balm Stains. I don't like this format as much as I like the big pencil thingy, but then these are 1/8 the price. One of the things I hate most about most lipstick is the constant paranoia that it's going to smear. And it usually does. There's less risk of that with these.

They all have different textures and finishes, and the e.l.f. website is completely useless when it comes to telling you what to expect, so I hope that this information will be helpful when it comes to the 5 shades I have. Also, the photos and color swatches on the e.l.f. site are often inaccurate, as are their descriptions/names. It's not even necessarily that easy to tell what you're getting when you look at the product in the packaging. If you combine my photos and descriptions, hopefully you can get a decent idea of what to expect.

Fix Your Face: Swatches and Reviews of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream and Butter Gloss and Revlon Balm Stains and Lip Butters (with LOTS of photos) AND 40% off from ULTA this week)

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ULTA has a sale on this week only (until April 13) for 40% off NYX, Revlon, Physician's Formula, and Almay. It's both online and in store (and you can combine it with their usual $3.50 off $10 coupon, code available on their main page).

I thought I've give you some options by swatching a few things that I've been meaning to post for a while now: NYX and Revlon lip products. None of these products are brand new, so if you want to find product shots or information about the packaging, etc., a quick google search will yield plenty of results. I thought I'd just give you my own opinion and show you what I've got on hand.

You may have noticed that I haven't had a lot of luck with most of the NYX products I've tried so far. But a couple of exceptions that you might like are the Soft Matte Lip Color and Butter Gloss. Here are swatches of the two shades I have:

NYX Soft Matte Lip Color in San Paulo and NYX Butter Gloss
in Creme Brule (natural light).

Wait, a mask that actually does something for oily skin and blackheads? Review of Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

So, I really just bought this shit on a whim. I was trying to pick out enough stuff to get free shipping on an Ulta order when I was buying some gifts for my sister and mother. I figured I'd compare it to Queen Helen's Mint Julep mask, another cheap clay mask, which I actually really don't like.

As you may know, the Mint Julep mask is a sort of cheap cult favorite. I was really disappointed with it, though. First of all, the mint is pointless. It's just there to make your skin tingle, so that you think you can "feel it working", when actually it doesn't do you any good. It just causes low-grade irritation (or burning, if you're sensitive), which damages the skin. Beyond that annoyance, it didn't do anything for me. My skin didn't look or feel any better after I used it. It just felt tight and dry and needed moisturizing.

Your Claws: Near dupe for Essie Butler Please (but better)

In my ridiculous collection of nail polish, I have more blues than almost any other color (in close competition are purples and teals). I kept seeing swatches of Essie's Butler Please from last fall, and I decided I needed it. It was my first Essie. But I was disappointed. It's really thin and streaky. I put it on one hand and was so annoyed that I just took it off. Blah.

But then I noticed that I already have something almost identical! Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Pacific Blue. You can see in the swatches below that it is very close in color, though Butler Please is just slightly darker. And the formula of Pacific Blue is a MILLION times better, and I don't think I'm exaggerating. You can pretty much get away with one coat of the Sally Hansen, and it will be completely opaque. For the Essie, you need to use 3-4 coats minimum, and even then it can be a little uneven and somehow lumpy. The Sally Hansen blue levels itself much better, and you get a perfectly smooth surface. Also, the Sally Hansen polish dries to a shinier finish. The Essie just looks dull. Can I emphasize any more how much fucking better Pacific Blue is?

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Pacific Blue (left) and Essie Butler Please (right)
in natural light.

Fix Your Face: Avon Glazewear Lip Gloss Swatches

UPDATE: New swatches have been posted here.

Badass Hair Review: John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer

I'd been wanting to try this for a while, since short, broken pieces of hair that stand on end are the bane of my otherwise smooth hair's existence. So when it went on sale on Amazon for less than $2, I was on it. Right now it's about $4 on Amazon, but that is still the best place to get it, since it is usually $7-9 elsewhere.

It's not a lot of product, but it works. It contains a little more than your average tube of mascara and has a similar style brush, though quite a bit fatter. You just take the brush and swipe it over the flyaways in the direction you want them to lie, and that's it. It's simple. At first, it can look a little wet where you've used the product, but that disappears quickly. Make sure not to drag the brush right through your hair from the scalp - just catch the flyaways and lightly comb them against the top of your hair. Use a light touch, or you'll leave too much behind. It keeps the pieces in place really fucking well. The three photos below were all taken on the same day.

Fix Your Face Review: e.l.f. Studio 3-in-1 Mascara (A $3 Tubing Mascara!?)

Disclosure: Affiliate links.
Spoiler: I've already revealed that I love this stuff, so you know what the outcome is going to be. Let me get straight to why.

First things first: I believe this is a tubing formula (here's a pretty good description of what that is). So if you like tubing mascaras, you should try this out. If you don't, it might not be for you. I have never personally used a tubing mascara, and I don't own one, and I'm not willing to spend the money right now to buy one just to compare with this. But if you have tried any of the tubing mascaras out there, like Blinc or the one from Too Faced or L'Oreal's, and you've tried this e.l.f. mascara, I would love to hear from you. If it is directly comparable, then what we have here is a $3 version of a type of mascara that usually costs $10-30.

Let me talk about the qualities this stuff has that lead me to believe it is a tubing mascara, which are also some of the things I like about it. Once you put this mascara on and it sets, it's not going anywhere. It's not waterproof, but it will not run from tears or rain, etc. I also have a bad habit of touching my face, and I have oily skin, and I always wear sunscreen, etc. Despite that, this doesn't smear. Basically, it doesn't dissolve. If I happen to I wake up in the morning with this mascara still on, it hasn't transferred to my pillow and it's barely flaked. It's still there. Now, I know that no one's necessarily looking for a mascara that will hold up over night, but I think that's a good demonstration of its tenacity.

Fix Your Face Review: e.l.f. Studio Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow

This is an unusual eyeshadow. It's a sort of spongey, moussey, springy texture. It's not super soft or moist, so you don't have to worry about getting a big glob when you stick your finger in it. And it works best when applied with a fingertip. Without primer, it will crease if you have oily lids. But it's worth it, since you can get a nice metallic finish that will last with primer. It's also buildable. In fact, you really need to apply two layers to get a really opaque, solid finish, but you can apply the second layer immediately, so it's no trouble.

Fix Your Face: Baby Wipes

Compare the ingredients of a typical pack of sensitive skin makeup removing wet wipes and a pack of sensitive skin baby wipes. For example:

Pampers Sensitive Wipes:
Water, Glycerin, Aloe Barbandensis Leaf Juice, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Bis PEG/PPG 16/16 Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bisabolol

Olay Sensitive Wet Cleansing Cloths:
Water (Eau), Glycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Butylene Glycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Polysorbate 20, Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Nothing in the former that's going to hurt your face. Look up the ingredients in this Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary if you're curious (I did). The only thing to be concerned about, if you have dry skin, is the benzyl alcohol, but it is only a problem if it is among the main ingredients. In this case, it is far down on the list, which means it's not there in a major amount. You can probably find some without even that type of alcohol if you you spent 8 minutes looking for them, but I only spent 3.

For 5 bucks, you can either get 20-30 face wipes or 64+ baby wipes. I have used the Pampers Sensitive Wipes, and they leave my skin soft and clean. They do an excellent job of removing makeup. The texture is soft and thick. Think about it: if they're sensitive enough for a baby's ass, they're going to be safe for your face. Worth trying.

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link.

Fix your Face: e.l.f. Makeup Brushes (and a sweet deal)

From today until Jan. 7, you can get the 11-piece Studio Brush Collection for $2.13 with a $20.13 purchase from e.l.f. using the code BRUSH2013. That's cheaper than the regular cost of just one of these brushes alone. The regular price of the set is $30 (basically, you get one brush and the case free, normally).

Here are some things I have recommended in the past that you buy (or don't buy) from e.l.f. to get you to that $21 threshold.

Good:

• Essential Concealer Brush (for cuticles)
• Studio Lip Lock Pencil
• Studio Cream Liner (more)
• Nail Polish
• Studio Eyebrow Kit

Bad:

• Studio Waterproof Eyeliner Crayon

And another list of the goods and the bads (not half price anymore).

It'll be worth it, because those brushes are damned good. Soft, thick, just wonderful. They also come in a nice case for travel that is big enough to also hold other brushes and eyeliners, etc. Here is what I think of each brush in the set, and what I use them for (often not what they're designed for).

• Eyeshadow 'C' Brush: I use this to apply lighter shades to my lid and browbone. Anywhere I need to cover a wider area.
• Complexion Brush: This is the perfect blush brush. It's big and fluffy, so you get a natural application. Make sure to use a light touch and tap off excess powder before you apply, because the thick bristles will pick up a lot of color.
• Small Smudge Brush: This is what I use to fill in my eyebrows with NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Auburn/Red. It's ideal if you like a more natural shape with rounded edges. If you like a more dramatic eyebrow with sharp corners, the Small Angled Brush below might work better for you.
• Small Angled Brush: This is one whose perfect use I haven't discovered yet, though I think it would work well for applying gel eyeliner or eyebrow powder.
• Small Precision Brush: This brush is exactly what you need if you have problems applying eyeliner pencil neatly. You can just draw a messy, uneven line and then use this tiny, stiff brush to smooth out the edges and blend it toward your lashline. You can't fucking lose.
• Fan Brush: Okay, I'm still working on this one too. I guess you're supposed to use it to dust away particles on eye makeup that have fallen on to your cheeks. I usually just use a sponge or my big fluffy powder brush (not from e.l.f.) to do that. Other ideas, anyone?
• Flat Top Powder Brush: This is a really lovely quality brush. It's so dense and soft that it almost feels like a powder puff. I haven't used it much yet, since I have an old brush that I prefer for applying pressed powder. This is supposed to be great for getting your foundation blended smoothly (explanation here from Makeup Withdrawal).
• Angled Foundation Brush: I don't wear foundation very often, but this seems to do the trick for applying it.
• Concealer Brush: I don't use this one too often yet, since I already have an under-eye concealer brush, but this will make a good replacement some day.
• Blush Brush: Personally, I think this is too small for blush, but it's perfect for contouring. I use Wet N Wild Color Icon Bronzer Pressed Powder in Goddess, which is a good matte contouring powder for pale skin. You might still be able to get it on clearance at CVS (link above only for informational purposes - you should not have to pay $7 for that shit!).
• Contouring Brush: Nice, multipurpose eyeshadow brush.

Another good e.l.f. brush not listed above:

• Studio Retractable Lip Brush: It's a pointy brush with a fine tip that is ideal for lining lips. And the retractable mechanism is just fun: you put the lid on the other end and it lengthens the handle and pushes the brush out. Plus it keeps the brush from attracting lint. And cat hair. Ahem.

So there you go. These are phenomenal brushes for beginners or the makeup obsessed alike. Get them while they're cheap (if you wait a while, they will be on sale again. Maybe not this cheap, though.)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Your Claws: Cheap Gold Flake Look

So, the thing this winter seems to be topcoat with flakes of real gold leaf in it. There's one from OPI, one from Zoya, one from Sephora by OPI, etc. They're pretty, but I'm never going to spend $30 on a bottle on nail polish. I'm probably never going to spend $15 on one. So I found a way to get a similar look for much cheaper.

Badass Hair: Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo

I previously reviewed Suave's regular dry shampoo and liked it. I thought I'd give their new version, also $3-4, a try.

Your Claws: Cuticle Cleaning Brush

I got the e.l.f. $1 concealer brush, because I'd read that it was what a bunch of nail polish bloggers used to clean up around their cuticles after painting their nails. I didn't have much confidence in my abilities, but it turns out that this is really fucking easy to do.

You just dip this little brush in some nail polish remover and swipe it back and forth around your cuticles. It makes everything neat and pretty. And you don't really need a steady hand, because you can just sort of use the cuticle as a guide. My non-dominant hand looks better, but the other one is pretty damned good too. Lots of bloggers use 100% acetone to do this, which might be faster, but I just used regular remover, and it was good enough.

Here's my attempt at one of those pretty nail photos. Um, not great, but it'll do.

While you're at it, you should really pick up this Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polish in The Real Teal. It's one of my favorites, ever. Look at the shimmer!

You can get it at most drugstores/grocery stores/big box department stores (is that how we categorize Target etc.?) for around $3.

You Smell: Celebrity Perfume

Okay, this is kind of embarrassing. A little. Maybe? But anyway, this is my "signature scent" or whatever. The perfume I wear most of the time when I wear perfume. It's Live Luxe by Jennifer Lopez.

I mean, if I were going to be all fancy and spendthrift, I would wear this, instead. But this JLo shit actually smells really, really good. Give it a shot. It's surprising. The last time I bought it was when I randomly decided to ask the guy at the counter in JC Penney if they had any, and for some reason it was on sale for $8. It was like fate, so I bought two bottles. Usually it's $20-40.

And for what it's worth, dudes always comment on how good I smell when I wear it. I mean, not creepy stranger dudes, but the ones I want to sleep with and/or have slept with.

What's your favorite affordable scent?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Which e.l.f. products are worth trying and what you should avoid!

e.l.f. cosmetics has 50% off everything right now on orders over $25 with the code 50WIDE. I’ve made a list of things you should or shouldn’t buy, if you’re overwhelmed by choice and cheapness.