Chi-Chi’s Recent Favorites  Hello darlings! I wanted to share some of my favorites that I’ve purchased relatively recently - new products are wonderful y/y? OPI Natural Nail Strengthener | $9: This is the saving grace of my nails - my nails are quite fragile and soft, and this product has made strong enough to grow consistently! Avon Ultra Luxury Eye Liner in Black Flash | $6: This is rivaling my love for the Tarina Tarantino liners mentioned here - creamy, takes a bit to set, does not move on my oily lids. Very black and quite shiny (Avon should make a matte version - would purchase!) Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in Deep | $9.99: This is a wonderful, soft powder that sets most of my foundations nicely, including my cream and liquid foundations.  Wet n Wild Fergie Eyeshadow Primer | $4.99: Pretty much this is the only eyeshadow primer other than NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Base that works on my oily lids. Has the consistency similar to that of UDPP (but works better because UDPP does nothing for me). Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in Dark Beige (12) | $32: This concealer is hard to work with under the eyes; however, it does not move on after it sets until you want it to move. I’m…in love. Maybelline Blush in Coral Burst (from the Spring 2013 LE collection): I saw Muse’s review of this blush and determined that I must have it because it looked absolutely beautiful. Then I bought it and it exceeded expectations so I went back and bought a backup. i regret nothing What have you been loving recently? Comment with your current favorites - we’re always open for recommendations! <3 o/~ Some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase them, we’ll get a small commission — less than 10%. These aren’t advertisements and are products we actually like and use though. Read more about our disclosure practices here. ^__^ High-res

Chi-Chi’s Recent Favorites 

Hello darlings! I wanted to share some of my favorites that I’ve purchased relatively recently - new products are wonderful y/y?

  1. OPI Natural Nail Strengthener | $9: This is the saving grace of my nails - my nails are quite fragile and soft, and this product has made strong enough to grow consistently!
  2. Avon Ultra Luxury Eye Liner in Black Flash | $6: This is rivaling my love for the Tarina Tarantino liners mentioned here - creamy, takes a bit to set, does not move on my oily lids. Very black and quite shiny (Avon should make a matte version - would purchase!)
  3. Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in Deep | $9.99: This is a wonderful, soft powder that sets most of my foundations nicely, including my cream and liquid foundations. 
  4. Wet n Wild Fergie Eyeshadow Primer | $4.99: Pretty much this is the only eyeshadow primer other than NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Base that works on my oily lids. Has the consistency similar to that of UDPP (but works better because UDPP does nothing for me).
  5. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in Dark Beige (12) | $32: This concealer is hard to work with under the eyes; however, it does not move on after it sets until you want it to move. I’m…in love.
  6. Maybelline Blush in Coral Burst (from the Spring 2013 LE collection): I saw Muse’s review of this blush and determined that I must have it because it looked absolutely beautiful. Then I bought it and it exceeded expectations so I went back and bought a backup. i regret nothing

What have you been loving recently? Comment with your current favorites - we’re always open for recommendations! <3 o/~

Some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase them, we’ll get a small commission — less than 10%. These aren’t advertisements and are products we actually like and use though. Read more about our disclosure practices here. ^__^

I have been pretty good with resisting all of the new drugstore collections that have been coming out recently, but I finished some products and cleaned out my collection a tad (tossing old products and giving some away). My skin has not been doing too hot as of late as well, so I&#8217;m returning to some old favorites and simplifying it again. The products I bought include: My Beauty Diary All-in-One Set (Pink) 15pcs + 1 Eye Mask | link: I splurged a bit and bought this because my skin has been acting up as I said, and these masks have always helped my skin return to normal. I absolutely love these and so does Arabelle. There are different masks for everything! Naruko Perfecting Elixir | link: I used this a ton over a year ago after seeing how much fuzkittie liked Naruko products (;_;7 fuzkittie) and it completely changed my skin. I am in need of a skin savior right now so I purchased it again and I&#8217;m questioning why I ever stopped - this is the perfect night moisturizer for my skin right now. It consists of mostly rosehip oil (plus other good ingredients), which provide deep hydration for the skin. love love love it! Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 104: This is a medium pink toned lipstick that turns into a pink-toned beige nude on my lips. Same great formula and lasts for four hours on the lips. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Penthouse Sweet (A036) | link: Mentioned in this post that I would probably get a couple more lipsticks from both this collection and the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, and well. It&#8217;s bright pink! Couldn&#8217;t resist.. Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup SPF 20 in Caramel (260) | link: Decided to jump on the hype train and see what this was all about after finishing my Estee Lauder foundation. Tried it for the first time and my first impressions are: it really feels like nothing on the skin, medium coverage at most if applied carefully and why is there no pump?! Will this be the drugstore foundation I feel comfortable recommending - only time will tell. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment in Medium/Deep | link: I&#8217;m on the lookout for a new concealer since the Bobbi Brown one that I&#8217;ve been using is not working for my skin anymore. This is technically for dark spots (hence the name) but I&#8217;ll try it as an under-eye concealer and see how I like it. Also going to pick up the new L&#8217;oreal stick concealer eventually. (Update: This product is okay, both as an under-eye concealer and spot concealer. I can&#8217;t comment on the treatment part of the concealer since I haven&#8217;t been using it for long enough for that to have an affect yet. As a concealer, it&#8217;s either good or bad - merely okay and it&#8217;s not something to rush out for in the slightest.) And that&#8217;s it! As usual, drop an ask if you want additional pictures or mini-reviews. &lt;3! High-res

I have been pretty good with resisting all of the new drugstore collections that have been coming out recently, but I finished some products and cleaned out my collection a tad (tossing old products and giving some away). My skin has not been doing too hot as of late as well, so I’m returning to some old favorites and simplifying it again. The products I bought include:

  1. My Beauty Diary All-in-One Set (Pink) 15pcs + 1 Eye Mask | link: I splurged a bit and bought this because my skin has been acting up as I said, and these masks have always helped my skin return to normal. I absolutely love these and so does Arabelle. There are different masks for everything!
  2. Naruko Perfecting Elixir | link: I used this a ton over a year ago after seeing how much fuzkittie liked Naruko products (;_;7 fuzkittie) and it completely changed my skin. I am in need of a skin savior right now so I purchased it again and I’m questioning why I ever stopped - this is the perfect night moisturizer for my skin right now. It consists of mostly rosehip oil (plus other good ingredients), which provide deep hydration for the skin. love love love it!
  3. Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 104: This is a medium pink toned lipstick that turns into a pink-toned beige nude on my lips. Same great formula and lasts for four hours on the lips.
  4. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Penthouse Sweet (A036) | link: Mentioned in this post that I would probably get a couple more lipsticks from both this collection and the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, and well. It’s bright pink! Couldn’t resist..
  5. Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup SPF 20 in Caramel (260) | link: Decided to jump on the hype train and see what this was all about after finishing my Estee Lauder foundation. Tried it for the first time and my first impressions are: it really feels like nothing on the skin, medium coverage at most if applied carefully and why is there no pump?! Will this be the drugstore foundation I feel comfortable recommending - only time will tell.
  6. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment in Medium/Deep | link: I’m on the lookout for a new concealer since the Bobbi Brown one that I’ve been using is not working for my skin anymore. This is technically for dark spots (hence the name) but I’ll try it as an under-eye concealer and see how I like it. Also going to pick up the new L’oreal stick concealer eventually. (Update: This product is okay, both as an under-eye concealer and spot concealer. I can’t comment on the treatment part of the concealer since I haven’t been using it for long enough for that to have an affect yet. As a concealer, it’s either good or bad - merely okay and it’s not something to rush out for in the slightest.)

And that’s it! As usual, drop an ask if you want additional pictures or mini-reviews. <3!

A tiny lipstick haul which is probably Part 1 because I might love these two collections a tad too much. Apologies for the odd lighting, I am never home when there is natural lighting and when I am home…it’s cloudy. Midwest winter > Purchased these all at Walgreens! Swatched in the same way that the lipsticks are pictured -

  1. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Old School Glam (A037): I saw a preview picture of these on Nouveau Cheap, which is the worst thing for my wallet right now because look at how many collections are coming out I cry. My first impressions are a combination of this is very pigmented in one swipe and the formula doesn’t feel as drying as the Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Colors. 
  2. Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Perfect Pout Lip Color in Fuchsianista (A039): I feel like I don’t have enough of this type of color in my collection, so I purchased this. Wore it to work for the first time and I’m in love - it is one of the longest lasting formulas I own (wore on me for eight hours before starting to fade). Super opaque and easy to work into the lips for a vibrant lip. love love love love
  3. Kate Moss for Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 110: I love Rimmel lipsticks so much they last forever on me and I should have picked up the other two colors I was interested in. This is like an orange/coral/pink hybrid (I am quite bad at describing colors) and I love it. I haven’t been able to try the lipstick on my lips yet but I hope it shows up more matte than how it swatched.

Let me know if you want extra pictures or a review of anything, and I’ll see what I can do. Have a great week! o/~

Products I have been liking/What I&#8217;ve purchased recently Ohai PD! Since the semester started, I have put most of my beauty hauls and purchases on hold because uni is expensive, so I&#8217;ve started to &#8216;shop my collection&#8217; and spend less than 10 dollars on beauty every two weeks. &#8230;surprisingly easier than expected and I&#8217;ve been finishing products left and right. I finally finished another one of my base products so I&#8217;ve started to use the L&#8217;Oreal Lumi foundation, which I will be doing a full review on when I&#8217;ve used it for a longer period of time. Speaking of my collection, I&#8217;ve never actually taken pictures of it&#8230;hm. Maybe another time. Anyway! Onto my recent likes and things I&#8217;ve purchased (semi)recently. Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder in Golden Orange | $36: I actually got this because the nicest person ever who sold me my Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer gave me one of her unopened testers. Fast forward a year, I opened it and fell in love (why is it the expensive things I fall in love with most of the time really). Up until recently, I set my foundation with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and liked it for the most part, but I found that it does start to look cakey and I would get oily regardless. With this loose powder, it does not look cakey, it feels very light on the skin and I get oily around hour 11 instead of three hours after applying my foundation.  Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick - Kate Moss Collection in 06 | $4.99-$7.99: I know I said that I do not need any lip products for a very long time, but I met the nicest couponers when I was in CVS one night and we bonded over the fact that American BB Creams are horrible and they gave me coupons so I got it for $1.99. Could not resist and I am so happy that I caved in to the pretty lipstick - this is one of my favorite drugstore lipsticks that I own. Completely opaque coverage with a great color for fall and decent lasting power - with minor drinking, it lasted for four and a half hours. It&#8217;s actually the lipstick I wore in this post and I feel especially awesome when wearing it. I think Rimmel lipsticks get overlooked when it comes to their formula, and I completely recommend this lipstick. YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in No. 11 Rouge Gouache | $32: Continuing with the lip products, I actually did a full review on this product previously here. Pretty much I may have forgotten I owned this product, used it again recently and remembered why I adored this product. Wore it at work the other day and had five people complement me on my lips. Great fall red yes/yes? Wet n Wild MegaLast Salon Nail Color in Bite the Bullet (207B) | $1.99: I got this polish for free because CVS had buy one get one free on all of their Wet n Wild products (purchased the Wet n Wild Crème Eyeliner - never tried it). I already own eight of these polishes and these are hands down my favorite drugstore formula, especially for the flat applicator brush. Opaque in two coats, and with a top coat, lasts on my nails for six days. And it&#8217;s cheap! Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black | $12-$17: This is my favorite black liquid eyeliner, and this semester has reminded me of that again because it&#8217;s easy to apply when half-asleep and running late for class. Just enough control to do a quick flick or cat eye but not too fine of an applicator that makes building a thick line tedious. I did a full review of this product previously here. Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Olive Martini (LE) | $9.99: After seeing one of my favorite YT gurus emilynoel83 rave about this quad, I decided I must own it. After using it a couple times, I&#8217;m torn. It swatches absolutely beautifully, but I found that building up the color on my lids to be a tad difficult, which is odd because I own the Give me Gold quad from the same line and those shadows apply beautifully. However, with a little bit of work, the colors look absolutely amazing on the lids and create a great smokey eye. If you can still find it, I recommend purchasing! And that&#8217;s it! Next up, either a finished products post, mini products on blast post or a collection collage. Toodles~ o/ High-res

Products I have been liking/What I’ve purchased recently

Ohai PD! Since the semester started, I have put most of my beauty hauls and purchases on hold because uni is expensive, so I’ve started to ‘shop my collection’ and spend less than 10 dollars on beauty every two weeks. …surprisingly easier than expected and I’ve been finishing products left and right. I finally finished another one of my base products so I’ve started to use the L’Oreal Lumi foundation, which I will be doing a full review on when I’ve used it for a longer period of time. Speaking of my collection, I’ve never actually taken pictures of it…hm. Maybe another time. Anyway! Onto my recent likes and things I’ve purchased (semi)recently.

  • Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder in Golden Orange | $36: I actually got this because the nicest person ever who sold me my Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer gave me one of her unopened testers. Fast forward a year, I opened it and fell in love (why is it the expensive things I fall in love with most of the time really). Up until recently, I set my foundation with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and liked it for the most part, but I found that it does start to look cakey and I would get oily regardless. With this loose powder, it does not look cakey, it feels very light on the skin and I get oily around hour 11 instead of three hours after applying my foundation. 
  • Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick - Kate Moss Collection in 06 | $4.99-$7.99: I know I said that I do not need any lip products for a very long time, but I met the nicest couponers when I was in CVS one night and we bonded over the fact that American BB Creams are horrible and they gave me coupons so I got it for $1.99. Could not resist and I am so happy that I caved in to the pretty lipstick - this is one of my favorite drugstore lipsticks that I own. Completely opaque coverage with a great color for fall and decent lasting power - with minor drinking, it lasted for four and a half hours. It’s actually the lipstick I wore in this post and I feel especially awesome when wearing it. I think Rimmel lipsticks get overlooked when it comes to their formula, and I completely recommend this lipstick.
  • YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in No. 11 Rouge Gouache | $32: Continuing with the lip products, I actually did a full review on this product previously here. Pretty much I may have forgotten I owned this product, used it again recently and remembered why I adored this product. Wore it at work the other day and had five people complement me on my lips. Great fall red yes/yes?
  • Wet n Wild MegaLast Salon Nail Color in Bite the Bullet (207B) | $1.99: I got this polish for free because CVS had buy one get one free on all of their Wet n Wild products (purchased the Wet n Wild Crème Eyeliner - never tried it). I already own eight of these polishes and these are hands down my favorite drugstore formula, especially for the flat applicator brush. Opaque in two coats, and with a top coat, lasts on my nails for six days. And it’s cheap!
  • Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black | $12-$17: This is my favorite black liquid eyeliner, and this semester has reminded me of that again because it’s easy to apply when half-asleep and running late for class. Just enough control to do a quick flick or cat eye but not too fine of an applicator that makes building a thick line tedious. I did a full review of this product previously here.
  • Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Olive Martini (LE) | $9.99: After seeing one of my favorite YT gurus emilynoel83 rave about this quad, I decided I must own it. After using it a couple times, I’m torn. It swatches absolutely beautifully, but I found that building up the color on my lids to be a tad difficult, which is odd because I own the Give me Gold quad from the same line and those shadows apply beautifully. However, with a little bit of work, the colors look absolutely amazing on the lids and create a great smokey eye. If you can still find it, I recommend purchasing!

And that’s it! Next up, either a finished products post, mini products on blast post or a collection collage. Toodles~ o/

Drugstore.com had a pretty sweet 40% makeup sale last week and I decided it was too good to pass up so I picked up some things I ‘needed’ (because you always need another eyeliner, you know?) and were curious about. I’ll just highlight what I purchased and if you’d like a review let me know, I’ll get around to it eventually. I did swatches indoors because I was watching the debate while unpacking this order — so I don’t have any makeup on other than the lipsticks and the lighting is bad, but at least the swatches are clear! Some of the things were free (from parties, the nyc products) or sent for consideration and i’ll review accordingly (brush set) but everything else was purchased by me. Click for details on what and where to buy. 

Well I have successfully broken my makeup ban and purchased a couple things that I have been eying for a while…and some other random products. As always, drop an ask if you want reviews and/or swatches of anything. A note: for the two foundations pictured, if you would like a review of them, it will be a while because I promised myself to finish two of my current foundations before opening any new ones, including these two. I own…a lot of foundations so I need to actually finish products for once. With that said, descriptions and links to the products ahoy!

  • L’oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup SPF 20 in Classic Tan/Cappuccino (N7-8) | $11-15 | link: Can I first say how happy I am that so many companies are doing different undertones in foundations now for darker skintones? It used to be almost exclusively pink/red undertones but now there’s yellow-based and neutral! Wonderful progress. Anyway, my friend Serenna mentioned that she saw this in store and it looked really nice so when I had the coupons I purchased this foundation and the Revlon foundation for $15. In the L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder (link), which may low-key be one of PD’s favorite drugstore powders, both Arabelle and I carry this around in our makeup bags, I use Classic Tan (N7), so N7-8 looked like the closest match to my skintone. 
  • MUA Bronzer in Shade 3 | £1 | link: I wanted to try a new coutouring bronzer, and I needed one more product to get the free international shipping promotion that MUA UK was doing when I ordered from them. I hope it’s nice, I haven’t even opened it yet.
  • Revlon ColorStay Whipped Crème Makeup in Carmel (340) | $12-15 | link: I bought this because both Jen from frmheadtotoe and G from Nouveau Cheap recommended it/gave a positive review. It looks like it gives a nice flawless finish with medium to full coverage, which is perfect for my acne scarring.
  • Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Pinkerbell (968) | $1.99 | link: I had been searching absolutely everywhere for this shade in my area (it’s one of the newer Wet n Wild lipstick shades and no Walgreens, Walmart, CVS or Target received this color), but I was randomly at a Shopko and lo and behold…they had every single color that the lipstick comes in. …for further reference, just going there if I want something from Wet n Wild. Wasted all my gas too (T_T) I have quite a bit of these and I think they’re great lipsticks for the price, all matte, pigmented, quite long-lasting and under $2.
  • MUA Liquid Eyeliner in Shade 2 | £1 | link: Another random addition to my cart along with the bronzer - more colorful liners are always needed.
  • Milani Color Play Felt-Tip Liquid Pens in Pink Point (03), Blue Definition (02), and Black Line (01) | $6.99 | link: This is a limited edition release that I have been searching for since early August after seeing G’s review of the pens. I found mine in Walgreens, but for now they’re still available on the Milani website as I linked. I’ve only used the blue one and swatched the pink one and THEY ARE GLORIOUS OKAY they do not move on my upper lash line at all during the day and I have oil slicks for lids. love love love
  • MUA 12 Shade Poptastic Palette | £4 | link: It was colorful so I bought it. And I needed to balance out my neutrals palette purchase. …yep.
  • MUA 12 Heaven and Earth Palette | £4 | link: This is supposed to be a dupe of the Naked 1 (or 2??) palette and I already own the Naked 1 palette but if you have been following PD for a while, you might know that I adore and must collect all the neutrals ever. It’s so pretty. ;A;

I’m done buying stuff for a while. Like always, drop an ask and request away! Toodles~

favorite drugstore products of 2011

You asked, we delivered: our favorite drugstore products of 2011. We did a favorite drugstore eyeliners post you guys liked here, just for reference (and also to avoid unnecessary asks re: drugstore eyeliners. We get a lot.) Some of these aren’t necessarily 2011 releases but they’re products we reach for time and time again, not just over other drugstore products but high end equivalents, too.