One of my latest skincare loves is the L’Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Serum, available at Walmart. Packed with antioxidants, Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid it works to help renew the skin’s surface for smoother and more radiant skin.
The L’Oreal Midnight Serum comes in a 1 fl oz dropper bottle and one pump is enough to cover my entire face. I love that it has smooth lightweight feel that absorbs easily into the skin. It has a nicely hydrating feel and I love that it’s not sticky and non-greasy. The serum helps lock in moisture during the night and skin and after consistent use for several weeks, my skin is noticeably smoother, fine lines are starting to soften, skin is refreshed in the morning.
I prefer a lightweight texture in my night time skincare so just the serum alone is perfect for night. It also works well layered under moisturizer if you need extra hydration. They recommend applying the Midnight Serum nightly on clean skin and then pairing it with their Cell Renewal Night Moisturizer which I just started using and love. I also started incorporating the Age Perfect Cell Renewal Eye Cream to help with anti-aging and fine lines. It has a nice creamy texture with good hydration, smooth texture, good dry down (works well under makeup too!).
If you’re looking for a good moisturizing serum for your night time routine, you can check out the L’Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Serum available at Walmart. Other skincare items in their Age Perfect lineup also available here. I’m a huge fan of L’Oreal Makeup but am relatively new to their skincare line. If you’ve tried any other skincare from L’Oreal let me know your favorites!
Today I’m excited to share a budget beauty roundup for the new year! A few of my holy grail products are from L’Oreal and long-time readers know the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara and Primer have been my go-to’s since the day they launched. It was love at first swipe and based on some of your feedback I decided to give a few other formulas a try. I’ve partnered with Walmart to give you a closer look at some new favorites! Read on to see how they held up on my super straight lashes.
L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Primer and Waterproof Mascara
First another look at my favorites the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Primer and Waterproof Mascara. The primer has a light pink tint which I find helpful so you can actually see that you’ve coated your lashes evenly. I apply the mascara on top when the primer is still wet for the best results. This has been the best formula for my straight lashes. It holds the curl and does not smudge while adding volume and length. It does take a good remover to take off at the end of the day but I don’t mind the extra work if it means I don’t have racoon eyes by afternoon!
L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara
The L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara has been rated one of the best consistently among magazines and I tried it many years ago and couldn’t remember what I thought so I decided to give it another try. I really like the volume it gives and it did not smudge on me. I think it’s a good everyday no-fuss kind of mascara. I prefer the other formulas I tried for holding the curl but if you don’t have issues like me I do think this is a good one to try out. (I’m going to try the waterproof version of this next.)
L’Oreal Telescopic Lengthening Mascara
There are a few formulas of the L’Oreal Telescopic Lengthening Mascara and I tried both the Regular formula (gold tube) and Waterproof formula (blue tube). This has a super skinny rubberized wand with a four sides. The flat sides allow you to load product onto the lashes while the comb/teeth separate and lengthen product. This is the best lengthening formula I’ve tried. I was impressed that both formulas did not smudge and held the curl. If you want more volume you can layer this one with 2 coats (or layer another formula on top). But if you want length this is a great one. I can also use this on my bottom lashes without getting product on my skin. I prefer the regular formula since it’s easier to take off at the end of the day. Since it doesn’t smudge on me I give it a huge thumbs up! It held up during a sweaty workout too.
L’Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara
The L’Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara has a chubby bristle brush and gives mega volume with a few coats. I like that it’s not clumpy but coats the lashes with an even semi-thick layer of product to add serious volume. It feels weightless like the name implies so it’s not heavy at all. You will need to give the bottle a couple pumps to get it going.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
My new holy grail is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara. I tried the regular washable version and it has rubberized applicator. This coats the lashes evenly, adds volume in a natural way, applies smoothly without clumping. I just ordered the Waterproof version to try in the next week to compare, but I love the regular formula. It holds the curl, doesn’t smudge, adds length and volume.
My top two favorites out of the new ones I tried are the L’Oreal Telescopic and Maybelline Sky High. I still really love the L’Oreal Lash Paradise but sometimes it’s nice to have other options to rotate with. I’m even more thrilled to find non-waterproof formulas too that don’t smudge so taking it off at night is easier! I feel lucky I haven’t had any recent fails with mascara testing. I will be adding more to my try-on list so if you have any suggestions let me know!
So many of you have asked for long-wear makeup recommendations that are budget-friendly. Today I have the best of both with a holiday makeup round up! I’ve partnered with Walmart to share a few of my go-to makeup staples that can take you from a daytime to a more dressy look.
Base Essentials
For a long-lasting base the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation has been one of the best long-wearing matte finish foundations I’ve tried. My match is 3W1 Tawny. It has full coverage but doesn’t look flat. To brighten or conceal dark under eye circles the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is probably my most-used concealer! It’s creamy, easy to blend, doesn’t crease on me and once set with a powder, stays put and looks fresh for hours. To set my makeup I have quite a few loves, but the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder is my holy grail no-fuss powder to keep everything in place.
Bronzer + Blush
For a good bronzer, I have raved about the ones from L’Oreal so many times. I think they’re easy to use and they have a good range of shades to pick from. I reach for the L’Oreal Summer Belle Bronzer in 03 Amalfi the most for a budget-friendly option. For blushes I’ve been really impressed with the ones from Milani and love the Powder Blush in Coral Cove. It’s a really bright coral pink and you only need a tiny sweep of color to brighten the complexion and make you look more alive. The powder is easy to blend and layer, plus it has very good lasting power.
Lips
I have SO many loves for lips! The L’Oreal Rouge Signature Matte Lip Stain has been one of my absolute favorite liquid lipsticks with a soft matte finish. They’re not drying and they have a pretty satin matte dry down so they look soft and pretty. The formula comes in a wide range of colors, I love I Create for a soft everyday pink rose and I Empower is an easy to wear peach nude beige. They feel weightless on the lips and have excellent coverage and lasting power. (Colors swatched top to bottom: I Empower, I Create, I Rule, I Choose, I Represent.)
One of my newest tries is the L’Oreal Infallible Matte Lip Crayon. It’s an opaque twist up style lipstick in a slim tube. It has smooth opaque coverage with intense color payoff. I bought a few of the shades to try and love 500 Caramel Blondie with the Maybelline Lifter Lip Gloss in Ice layered on top for a pretty pink look. For a brighter holiday lip look 502 Sweet and Salty is a really pretty berry pink.
I swatched a number of the Maybelline Lifter Lip Glosses in my post here. If you’re looking for a good plumping gloss with high shine I highly recommend checking them out! (Colors shown Ice, Topaz and Opal.)
Eye Makeup Staples
For eye makeup, I have a soft spot for L’Oreal. The L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara Base is one of the few lash primers I have used, loved and repurchased many times. It has a pale pink tint to it so you can make sure you’ve coated all the lashes. I apply and then follow with the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara Waterproof when the base is still wet for a lot of volume and definition. This combo gives me the best look for my super straight lashes – and it holds the curl! For a good long lasting eyeliner you can’t go wrong with the L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Eyeliner. It’s easy to apply and truly does stay put.
For eyeshadows I have been so impressed with the Wet N’Wild Icon Eyeshadow 10 Pan Palette in Nude Awakening. It is a great palette of wearable basics and has everything you need for a complete eye look. Every color has good color payoff and the darker matte shades have really intense pigments that are easy to blend.
If you’re looking for some easy to wear long-wear makeup for the holiday I hope this gives you some ideas of what to try! You can find all the beauty items available at Walmart.
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Many thanks to Walmart for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.
So many of you have asked for more budget beauty features and I’m thrilled to share a Budget Beauty Gift Guide with some cute stocking stuffer ideas! I’m partnering with Walmart to share some of my latest finds. I have a roundup of some new discoveries along with a couple tried and true favorites.
My Favorite Lash Duo
The L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara has been my favorite for several years. I love both the regular and waterproof version. They have a cute Lash Paradise Mascara and Primer Holiday Kit at a value price. I use the primer almost daily (it’s one of the few mascara bases I really like and have repurchased countless times).
Best Plumping Lip Gloss
The Maybelline Lifter Glosses are my latest budget beauty discovery. I love the sleek simple packaging and these are some of the prettiest plumping lip glosses I’ve tried. They have a sweet cookie like scent and give the lips a plumping look and feel without an intense sting (they will tingle a little). They have Hyaluronic Acid and make the lips look super glossy. I cannot pick a favorite! I’m wearing Moon in this post which is a sheer smooth shimmery pink. There are some cream colors without shimmer too. A few more swatches below.
Best Bronzers
The best budget-friendly bronzers I’ve tried are from L’Oreal. I love the Summer Belle Bronze Please! in the shade Amalfi (Medium). I recently bought the darkest color in Taormina (Dark) which is a good non-orangey deeper bronze. If you want a softer look the True Match Lumi Bronzers are also nice for a luminous glow.
Favorite Affordable Brushes + Tools
So many friends and family members ask what the best affordable makeup brushes are. Many of them have teens or younger ones just starting to get into makeup and want to know what a good brush set is to start. Real Techniques Brushes are my favorite. They’re well made and functional. They have several cute sets or you can buy them individually. Sometime last year I discovered the Everyday Essentials Makeup Brush Set and use all the brushes in the kit. Brush 200 is perfect for foundation, 401 is a great multi-tasking brush and I love the other two for highlighting or blending.
I just bought the Artist Essentials Brush Set (one featured in this post) and think it’s a great addition to my current lineup. They’re soft and gentle on the skin but effective in picking up product. I also picked up another Concealer Brush because it’s one of the best I have tried and super versatile for both concealer or cream eyeshadow.
For beauty sponges the Elf Blending Sponge is hands down the best drugstore sponge I’ve tried!
Cute Stocking Stuffers
Elf Bite Size Palettes make for super cute stocking stuffers! I think they’re super cute – the Bite Size Eyeshadow Palettes have 4 shades for a complete look and I bought a few extras to keep for myself. The Bite Size Face Duos have a mini blush and highlighter in the same size compact in easy to wear colors.
Best Nail Care Picks
For nail care Tweezerman makes the some of the best nail tools. I swear by their Pushy Nail Cleaner to push back cuticles and also their Cuticle Clippers. This Mini Manicure Kit is a great buy – they have a few variations and I think they’re one of the most underrated accessories.
OPI nail polishes are perfect for any beauty lover. Out of all the gifts I’ve given, any OPI nail polish seems to get more excitement than anything else! I’ll sometimes put together a mini nail kit basket or tie a couple up in a cello bag for gifting. A few of my favorite neutrals swatched below.
That wraps up my Budget Beauty Holiday Gift Ideas roundup! It’s super easy to take a couple of items and make a cute gift with a pretty bow or tiny ornament. I hope this gives you some ideas in case you need some quick and easy ideas for stocking stuffers!
I can’t believe another month has flown by! It has been a busy summer for us with the move and we’ve had lots of company visiting us from out of town to take advantage of the summer beach weather in Florida. Today I have an updated budget beauty post for you! There are several things I bought recently that I’ve promised an update on and I’ve teamed up with Walmart to share the latest with you. I have a round up of my best beauty buys and added to my top shelf.
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Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss
I’ve always been a gloss girl and the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Glosses are my lastest discovery! I love that they have a smooth glossy shine and no scent. As much as I love a good budget lip buy, sometimes they’re too heavily fragranced with either a strong lipstick or plastic kind of scent. These have been going through a repackaging (same style tube, just slightly different exterior so the tube may look different. I bought a couple to try in Solar Coral 243 (bright peach cream) and Blissed Out 246 (shimmery peachy gold rose) and am obsessed! I need to try more colors. I’m wearing Solar Coral in this post.
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L’Oreal Summer Belle
L’Oreal is one of my favorite budget beauty brands and the Summer Belle collection is exclusive to Walmart. It took me a while to track these down because they kept selling out but it was worth the extra effort and searching! The stand outs to me are the two cheek products. I think the bronzers are a must.
The Bronze Please! La Terra Sun Powder is for Face and Body and has a soft almost creamy feel. They’re very natural and you can build it for more color. I can wear either 01 Portofino or 03 Amalfi. They are softly scented with a sweet summer like scent but it’s not overpowering. There’s a tiny bit of gold shimmer mixed throughout but it’s a sparse kind of shimmer so the bronzer is not overly frosted. It gives the skin an almost airbrushed bronze effect. I swatched it next to the True Match Lumi Bronzer in 02 Medium for reference. I find the True Match option a little more red based and a little more powdery.
I also picked up both shades of the Blush Please! Shimmering Blush in 11 Blushin In Riviera (peach gold shimmer) and 12 Blushin In Saint-Tropez (shimmery brown rose pink). Both are on the high shimmer side and they give the skin a very luminous glow. For me they are more highlighter material but I think they’re really fun and beautiful on the skin. Pigment is incredible and intense but you can easily blend and buff out.
Adding the peachy Blushin In Riviera below
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Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter
I discovered the Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in the Molton Gold formula in the spring and loved it so much I bought a few more. They’re amazing. If you want the best budget highlighter with a smooth buttery texture and extreme glow, the Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter is IT! I love the Peach and Topaz shade.
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Real Techniques Brushes
Last but not least are the Real Techniques Brushes. I bought the Everyday Essentials Makeup Brush Set and think the brushes are excellent quality! They’re super soft and sturdy. I also bought the fluffy Ultra Plush Powder Brush and it’s made the top of my list for powder or bronzer. My niece has asked me for some brush recommendations. I’ve given her a few over the past year but am going to order her a few of these sets. I also recently bought the Brush Cleanser Set which I’m still testing and will keep you posted as I try other similar types of silicone pads.
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That wraps up some of my favorite new budget buys and tries! In case you missed past posts, you can check out some of my go-to staples here and here. Do you have any recent budget beauty favorites or new tries? I still swear by the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara and love that they now stock Bioderma which I always keep on hand. Let me know if you’ve tried anything new! If you have any good budget lip glosses you love that don’t have a heavy scent let me know what I should check out next 🙂
Many thanks to Walmart for partnering to sponsor this post.
I have another budget beauty roundup today and a peek at a new shelfie in our new place! I’m still in the process of getting everything organized and setup. I’ll be sure to show you the beauty room/closet as soon as I can. The recent budget beauty roundups have been a hit with so many of you and I’ve written down all of your personal recommendations to add to my shopping list! I’ve partnered with Walmart again to share my budget beauty shelfie with go-to’s and a few things I’ve hauled. I’m always amazed at how much they stock when I go into a store, I always find something new!
My top 6 budget beauty staples I always like to keep in stock in my beauty stash (in other words my most repurchased items):
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel is my go-to for reducing the swelling from acne that is just staring to surface. There are different kinds and stages of acne which require different kinds of ingredients and acids to treat. (More on what we’ve tried coming soon.) This one has 10% benzoyl peroxide but doesn’t leave a red mark on the skin like some other treatments do. Andrew uses this as well! We’ve gone through around a dozen tubes.
Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads for Longwear and Waterproof Makeup is a recommendation thanks to many of you! I had such a hard time removing waterproof mascara, this was the most recommended and it is hands down the best I’ve tried. There is also a larger size but I like to buy the smaller one because it’s more travel friendly.
Dove Body Wash Mousse is one of the most fun shower products I’ve tried and also hydrates dry skin. The winter and spring can be harsh on the skin, even in Florida. The shower creams and gels from Dove never fail me. I like the Rose Oil one the best, but have also tried the Argan Oil and Coconut Oil ones. It has the best foaming action!
philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel is an amazing shower gel, but I actually use as a bubble bath. I have used this since my college days. It has such a clean and relaxing scent that melts any and all stress away.
Bioderma Sensibio H20 is always on hand in my beauty cabinet, it never stings or irritates, even on super sensitive skin days.
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara is still the best for me. It holds the curl, lengthens, doesn’t clump and holds up to Florida heat. My bestie asked me recently if I had any other new favorites in the mascara world since I test a lot. This is still my favorite!
Some new beauty haul picks:
Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in Molten Peach is a recent beauty buy. I was so impressed by the Molten Gold I went back to check out the other shades. I haven’t had a chance to open it yet but will keep you posted!
Beautyblender Nude is now carried at Walmart and I could not be more excited. It’s discounted from the full price which is a huge plus for me because I’ve never been able to find a good dupe.
Elf Blending Sponge is something I just bought in hopes of a cheaper beautyblender alternative. Most of the other sponges I’ve tried just aren’t soft or bouncy enough, but this one seems to have a good amount of squish. I’m going to start testing it this weekend.
Real Techniques has been highly recommended so I bought the Everyday Essentials Makeup Set and the brushes feel super soft and plush. I also hauled one of the Powder Brushes and will be trying them out soon.
Essie Speed Setter Ultra Fast Dry Top Coat caught my eye in store. My go-to fast dry top coat has hit near the end of it’s life and has also been discontinued so I’ve been on the hunt for another option. This one does indeed dry the nails fast, but I have to make sure the polish underneath is fully dry/set. I’ve had this one on my fingers since Monday with no chips or tip wear so it’s promising! Will need to test it some more with other formulas.
Milani Strobelight Instant Glow Powder in Sunglow also caught my eye in store. I just played with it a little and it has a super soft texture with a really impressive multi-dimensional glow. For those who’ve been asking for a budget-friendly highlighter option, I think these are great!
I hope you enjoyed this budget beauty shelfie! I can’t wait to share more of our home as we decorate and get everything setup. Have you found any new budget beauty loves recently? Let me know in the comments!
Sponsored by Walmart. As always all opinions are my own.
Summer is officially here which means having a good clean shave is essential for swimsuit season. When things in life get busy or hectic for me having a good wind-down relaxation routine at the end of the day makes all the difference. My self-care time is usually in the bath tub in the evenings (I’ve always been a bath person). I’ll do a little spa time whether it’s a face scrub, face mask, bubble bath soak. Once every other week I’ll add in shaving, sometimes more frequently in summer. I have been experimenting more with different razor brands and shaving gels/foams this year. I truly love that there are more options for women! My latest discovery is the Joy razor line available exclusively at Walmart. They reached out and asked me to try their products and I’ve been pleasantly surprised, especially by the shave gel and shave mousse!
There are currently six items available in the lineup. They have two color razor handle options, Pink or Teal, each one comes with two razor cartridges that are the Gillette five-blades. Blades also come in 4-pack or 8-pack refill options. For the shave products they have the Shave Gel and the Shave Mousse.
The razors themselves are super sharp and give a really close shave. I like the size and weight of the handles. They have a nice non-slip material on the handle which makes holding it easier. There is a strip on the tip to help prevent irritation, but as with any razor using a good shaving cream, gel or mousse is essential to lubricate the skin properly to prevent razor burn.
I’ve always been more of a mousse kind of girl for shaving but hate the way most of them smell with the dry down. I love that foaming action but they usually have a chemical scent! For many years I’ve just used a shower gel to shave (or borrowed some of Andrew’s shaving cream products) because I really cannot stand the way most shaving mousses smell. The ones by Joy are so much better! The Shave Foam is called Summer Lily and it has a beautiful summer fresh floral scent. It has a really amazing foam and helps give you a super close shave. The Shave Gel is called Cucumber Aloe (teal) has a nice cucumber aloe scent, a cushiony feel, and hydrating smooth finish. I love the lather of these products, if I had to pick one to try first I’d recommend the gel as it feels a little more hydrating to me, but both are really nice.
The Shave Foam Summer Lily and The Pink Razor
The Shave Gel Cucumber Aloe and the Teal Razor (dispenser for the gel is different from the mousse, but both are well designed)
Overall love this line, especially for the price (these won’t break the bank). The Shave Gel is something I definitely see myself repurchasing in a near future. I like the way it foams and lathers up, plus is smells like a relaxing sweet cucumber. It’s been a nice added step to my bath routine for summer to get a really close shave without irritation. I think the razor handles are really cute and definitely a step up in aesthetic from the basic plastic handle ones that come in bundles. The grip handle comes in handy too.
You can find the Joy Razor line exclusively at Walmart. Have you tried these yet? Or any of the new razor brands that have launched recently? What did you think?
Many thanks to Walmart for partnering to sponsor this post! And special thanks to each of you who shop the brands that help support this blog.
