Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Mistletoe for Holiday 2011

I was rushing past the new Revlon display for the holidays, and Mistletoe Top Speed Nail Enamel (#350) reached out and grabbed me. Normally, I pay little attention to the latest drugstore makeup at CVS. I do, however, pay attention to dark greens. I love dark green in clothing, on cars and houses - everywhere. Recently, I purchased a Dooney & Bourke Black Watch plaid handbag - just because it was

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The Pulse Network Segment: Best Beauty Products

A few weeks ago, I was a guest on The Pulse Network's beauty and fashion show, The Look. When host Maggie Rulli asked if I'd like to be interviewed and chat about my favorite products, I was all "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille."

So if you're looking for some great product picks, press play for my round-up of the best in beauty!

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Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

My natural nails, sans polish, are so dull that I'm kind of embarassed to go without polish. So when I saw Revlon's new Crazy Shine Nail Buffer at my local CVS, I snatched it up. And, let me tell you...the name is accurate. Crazy accurate, in fact. My iPhone photo above doesn't do the shine justice.

The double sided buffer smoothes and evens out the nail surface - creating an outrageous, mirror-like finish. The tool promises to create 400% more shine than bare nails. To be honest, I couldn't tell you the difference between a 100% and 400% increase in shine, but I will say that it looks like I'm wearing a clear topcoat on my nails. And this was achieved in about three minutes (all 10 nails) - no drying time necessary. What I also love is that you can use the white side on polished nails - to restore shine when your mani is looking a lil murky.

Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer retails for $3.99 - but right now it's on sale at CVS for $2.99.

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Makeup Mondays With Mario: How To Do Drugstore

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hi Mario,

I don't have a big budget for cosmetics, but it seems that most of the inexpensive products I buy don't look very good. Can you recommend some drugstore makeup that is comparable to department store makeup?

Thanks, Kourtney

Hi Kourtney,

When using drug store cosmetics, you should try switching up your technique and tools during application. An extra step or two should have you satisfied with the way your makeup looks. For example, a eyeshadow color that you love at the drugstore looks great in the package but when you bring it home and apply the color, it probably doesn't glide smoothly or evenly stick to your lids. In this case, make sure your lids are primed with a shadow base or a bit of your foundation/concealer and set them with loose powder. This will ensure a smooth and even application. Your brush should not be too "fluffy" unless you are blending so choose a shadow brush with shorter, firmer bristles and dab/press the shadow onto the lids a few times. Using a cream shadow first followed by a powder also works well and gives a richer look.

A tip for making inexpensive, hard liners easily glide on to give you nice pigment is to first heat them with a blow dryer or a lighter. You'd be surprised at how the texture of the pencil becomes rich and emollient. If you try this, please wait a few seconds before you apply the hot pencil to your face.

Drugstores do carry so many great makeup brands and products that are comparable to department store brands. L'Oreal True Match Foundation, Revlon lipstick, NYX shadows and blush and CoverGirl concealers are just a few of many, many good products that can be found in drugstores. Just like with inexpensive clothing or furniture, it takes more effort to make it look good but you learn so many tricks along the way.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario


Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!xo,

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Drugstore Beauty Must Haves!

After a brief television hiatus, I'm back on the tube again...this time, dishing on my favorite drugstore beauty must haves.

We all know that it doesn't actually cost a million bucks to look like a million bucks. But there are thousands of skin/body care products and cosmetics at your local drugstore...and choosing what should go in your basket and what should stay on the shelf can be overwhelming.

So reporter (and fabulous style blogger) Lilliana Vazquez asked me to share my beauty expertise with Philadelphia's NBC10 viewers and name my top drugstore beauty buys. Some of my current faves include:

L'Oreal Paris Ideal Skin Genesis Complexion Equalizer Day/Night Cream, $19.99 (comparable to Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20, $42.50)

Revlon PhotoReady Makeup, $13.99 (comparable to Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation, $40)

CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion, $9.99 (comparable to Diorshow Mascara, $24)

Maybelline Shine Sensational Lip Gloss, $5.99 (compare to Lancome Juicy Tubes, $18)

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Blush and Highlighter, $12.99 (compare to Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, $38)

What are your favorite drugstore finds? Spill your must haves in the comments section...

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Revlon Photo Ready Foundation: Buy Immediately!

No offense to mass market makeup, but with its new Photo Ready Foundation, Revlon just brought drugstore foundation out of the dark ages. In fact, many prestige brands could learn a lot from this particular foundation. Priced at around $13.99, Photo Ready is worth two or three times that.

For a few months, I've been hearing Revlon Photo Ready Foundation being touted as the discount version of my beloved Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation. I kinda dismissed it as hype, until I tried it last week. While there are a lot of similarities, there are some differences too – namely, the price (HD Foundation costs $40).

Photo Ready, like MUFE's HD Foundation, gives the skin an airbrushed look. It looks even more flawless when applied with a foundation brush or, my fave, the beautyblender sponge. The coverage is medium to full – and I find that when I use it, I don't really have to use concealer. It’s that good. Where Photo Ready differs from MUFE's HD Foundation is that it has a dewy finish; so if you like a more matte look, MUFE might be the way to go. My skin is on the oilier side, and I happen to love Photo Ready. It gives me perfect looking skin with a healthy glow, without it veering into oil slick territory.

Photo Ready wears well all day long, and feels very light; I often forget I'm even wearing it. I also appreciate that it doesn't oxidize and change color after a few hours – as that has happened with many foundations I've tried.

And before you ask me if gals with problem skin can tolerate this product, I'll tell you…the answer is a resounding YES. My skin is acne prone and likes to stage a mutiny every time I turn around, but Photo Ready has not caused an adverse reaction.

The only category where MUFE HD Foundation wins hands down is in the color options (Photo Ready has 12 shades and MUFE HD has 25). And it's too bad that you can't really test Photo Ready in the store (at least, there were no testers at the drugstore where I bought my bottle) - so you sort of have to take a leap of faith when you choose a shade. Personally, I spent about five minutes deliberating between Rich Ginger and Caramel. Then I noticed that the display had a photo of Halle Berry modeling the product and the caption read "Halle is wearing Rich Ginger." Halle and I have the same skin color (lucky me), so that's what I chose – and it was a perfect match. If I get some sun this summer, I may purchase Caramel and blend the two.

So, bottom line, this is one of the best foundations I've tried in a long time – on account of its performance and price. If you're in the market for new foundation, you'd be a fool not to check it out.

Revlon Photo Ready Foundation is my Recessionista's Fabuless Pick of the Week.

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