Glam and Uncensored

We all have heard that in order to make your makeup last longer you should spray your face with setting spray. But with all the choices, how do you determine the best setting spray for yourself? Well after playing with makeup for many years, I have been able to determine the good from the bad. And below I have listed the setting sprays which have kept my makeup on for the longest.

1. CINEMA SECRETS SUPER SEALER – This setting spray is super awesome for someone with oily skin or one living in a humid climate. The setting spray gives a lightweight, matte finish for both over and under your makeup. Also, the brand is great for long-wear tattoo coverage and preventing any transfer of makeup to your clothes. The Cinema Secrets Super Sealer costs $24.00 for 3.4 ounces at Sephora.

2. BEN NYE SEAL SETTING SPRAY – I know there are some of you who have not heard of this product or the producer, Ben Nye. First, the setting spray is waterproof and smudge-proof. It locks in your color for hours on end, even through perspiration. The spray is best used before putting on mascara and may be used on a daily basis. Ben Nye Final Seal Setting Spray costs $14.00 for 2 ounces at camerareadycosmetics.com

3. MEHRON BARRIER SPRAY – This setting spray is a clear, liquid spray which sets makeup in addition to latex and adhesives. The setting spray is also great for those with sensitive skin. And after a little digging, I discovered that many professional makeup-artists like to use this spray under the makeup they use as it helps to impede sweat, making the product for models under hot lights and for those in TV and stage work. The Mehron Barrier Spray costs $12.99 for 2 ounces at www.amazon.com.

4. SKINDINAVIA FINISHING SPRAY – Now I am sure many of you are more familiar with the name (more so than those listed above). This award-winning setting spray will hold your makeup in place for 16 hours and prevents shine. It will also keep the colors of your makeup much more vibrant, help your concealer not crease, and has been proven to reduce the need for touch-ups or blotting. You can purchase the Skindinavia Finishing Spray for $22.00 for 4 ounces at www.amazon.com.

These are by far the setting sprays I’m loving now. All setting sprays keep your makeup on for long hours, make it more vibrant, and are good for those with sensitive skin. Plus, all of the setting sprays cost less than $40.00. So, choose one today and keep that makeup on for hours.

As we head into Winter, not only do we suffer cold temperatures, but any fight dry skin. We therefore, find ourselves researching which lotions best combat dry skin provide the most value for our money. Well, search no more!! I have researched the facial lotion which combat dryness and provide the most bang for your buck. The results are below:

1. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream – This moisturizing cream has been clinically proven to provide immediate and long lasting relief from very, very dry skin. Your skin automatically feels hydrated and smooth. You may purchase Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream for $17.99 at Target for 16oz.
2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream – This cream was developed by a dermatologist, and it combines all-day protection with skin-strengthening ingredients in order to soothe the driest of skin. In the end, this moisturizer creates more resilient, nourished and youthful-looking skin. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream sells for $28.00 for 1.7oz at Sephora.
3. Drunk Elephant LaLa Retro Whipped Cream – This is formulated with ceramides, which provides a replenishing barrier by reinforcing your skin’s acid mantel and defends against the effects of everyday stressors. Lala Retro Whipped Cream is rich and creamy without being heavy or greasy. The Drunk Elephant LaLa Retro Whipped Cream retails for $60.00 1.69oz at Sephora.
4. Weleda Skin Food Ultra-Rich Cream – Many, many makeup artists praise this as a top notch moisturizer. The moisturizer contains a blend of natural oils, therefore, it tends to go on a bit greasy. It is great for winter. But on the flip side, the product adds a natural glow to your skin. The Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream sells for $9.00 for 2.5oz. It may be purchased online at www.dermstore.com.
5. Olay Regenerist Deep Hydration Regenerating Cream – Olay Regenerist face cream will hydrate your skin all day and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Its Amino-Peptide Complex delivers moisturizing ingredients 10 layers deep into the skin’s surface. The moisturizer sells for $11.99, and may be acquired at Target.

As you can see, you do not need to spend a fortune to moisturize your skin, and fight dryness. Moisturizing your skin helps it stay looking young, and battles wrinkles and fine lines. Just remember to wash your face before moisturizing it, and do this on a daily basis.

We’ve got to give a shout out to all of the affordable drugstore brands which are cruelty-free! These are the companies that do not test their products or ingredients on animals. Thankfully, there are more cruelty-free drugstore brands than ever before. Below please find a list of cruelty-free drugstore makeup.

• Covergirl Lash Blast – As of 2018, Covergirl has committed to being cruelty-free. Their Instagram post states “Covergirl does not test on animals, and now Leaping Bunny certified by @crueltyfreeintl. Being Leaping Bunny certified means that Covergirl products are cruelty-, free on EVERY product sold. Lash Blast Mascara is smudge-free, sweatproof and finally clump-proof. The volumizing mascara can max out your lashes for up to 10x the volume. Covergirl Lash Blast mascara is sold at Target for $4.99,
• Mirenesse Mascara – The Mirenesse mascara is cruelty-free, PETA certified and 96% vegan. Hailing from Australia, the Mirenesse mascara is not completely vegan as some of their products use beeswax. Mirenesse Secret Weapon 24 Hour Super Long Mascara is clump-free and extremely long-lasting. It is easy to apply and builds volume. The brush’s full outer edge will help you exaggerate the natural flick of the lashes on your outer edge. Mirenesse Secret Weapon 24 Hour Super Long mascara is sold at Nordstrom Rack for $29.97.
• TARTE BIG EGO MASCARA – This mascara follows the curves of your lash line to help build volume from root to tip. The double-fiber bristle brush gives maximum pigment, to help coat every single lash. The Tarte Big Ego Mascara is brand certified by PETA and Leaping Bunny as cruelty-free. Tarte Big Ego Mascara retails for $23.00 and can be purchased at Macy’s.
• LASHTOPIA MASCARA MINERAL BASED MASCARA – Lashtopia is a mineral based mascara produced by bareMinerals. It provides almost 10 times the lash volume while lifting and separating for fanned-out fullness. It will nourish and moisturize your lashes with its 600 soft and staggered bristles enabling you to coat all of your lashes. Lashtopia is considered a vegan mineral mascara, and is never tested on animals. Lashtopia Mega-Volume Mineral base mascara is produced by bareMinerals and retails for $19.00. It may be purchased at www.bareminerals.com.
• TOO FACED DAMN GIRL MASCARA – This 24-hour mascara is an ultra intensity mascara made up of a unique blend of whipped melting waxes which give an immediate load of ultra volume without that heavy feeling. The Too Faced Damn Girl mascara’s formula is cruelty-free, just like all other Too Faced products. It may be purchased for $25.00 at Ulta Beauty.

These are a list of just some of the mascaras which are cruelty-free and affordable. Please share the cruelty-free mascaras you recommend.

Everywhere you look on the Internet today, you see websites charging $23.00 for lipsticks or $30.00 for mascara. There are times when you have three items in your cart and are being charged $50.00. It is not as if the customer makes $350,000 per year. But yet the online stores continue to charge higher rates for their products, and people continue to buy their products.

Finally, one day I decided I had enough. I logged onto my laptop and began a search for websites with name brand name makeup at cheap prices. And once I found the sites I wanted to share them. So below please find my favorite websites with makeup for cheap prices.

1. SHOP MISS A (www.shopmissa.com) – I came across this website while I was playing around on the Internet. The products on this website are $1.00. It is its own brand. Brands such as NARS, It Cosmetics and Lancome are not sold. Shop Miss A is its own brand. However, the quality to this product is there. And in addition to cosmetics, high quality makeup brushes sold.
   
2. MAKEUPMANIA (www.makeupmania.com) – This website was invented by a movie makeup artist when she was having a real hard time finding certain makeup brands outside New York and Los Angeles. So she decided to start her own website in which these products were sold to those who are not makeup artists. She put La Femme and Ben Nye on the site. Today Makeupmania caters to every realm of makeup.
   
3. BUY ME BEAUTY (www.buymebeauty.com) – This website concentrates on selling discounted makeup such as L’Oreal, Revlon and Maybelline. Buy Me Beauty also sells skincare products such as Erno Laszlo. Should you have any issues with the brands that they sell, it is very easy to communicate your problem and be issued a refund or exchange.
   
4. IMAGE BEAUTY (www.imagebeauty.com) – Around thirty years ago, Image Beauty entered the beauty business with its supplies of beauty and salon products. In addition to these products, it offers discount designer fragrances and beauty brands, and its thousands of products are incredible. What I like about this website is it offers high end products at low prices. Not to mention Image Beauty is among the few beauty websites that offers skincare and fragrances at low prices.
   
5. RUE-LA-LA (www.ruelala.com) – This website always has sales on very specific brands of beauty products. Each and every day Rue La La will pull together specific brands of beauty products for a few days at a time. The products are those you have come to love at prices nearly 75% off.
   

So the next time you are in the mood for a little shopping in the beauty department, and do not have a whole lot of funds, check out these websites. You will not be disappointed.