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Promise: “Get fuller, longer, curvier lashes in one coat for 100% pure impact. The patented triple action gel formula instantly builds, extends and sculpts your lashes. Triple Impact Brush wraps mascara evenly around every lash in one smooth application. Gently formulated with aloe and vitamin B5 to help keep lashes conditioned. Extra gentle, non irritating formula.”

Availability: Practically everywhere – drugstore brand!

Packaging: Some people don’t appreciate the packaging, but I really like the white tube with and silver letters, I think it’s very fresh and clean looking.

Formula: I love this mascara!!! Love it!! It really does deliver length, volume, and it holds curl.  Also, it doesn’t leave your lashes completely stiff and crispy like some mascaras; they remain soft to the touch.  There is one but though – the formula itself is a little thick,  so it’s pretty time consuming to comb it through your lashes. However, I added a few drops of water to the tube and it worked wonders.

Wand: This wand is really unique, it’s a normal brush type (not plastic like Lash Blast, for example) but with just two sides – one with short bristles and the other with longer comb-like bristles.  I use the short end to really layer on the product, and the longer end to comb out the lashes and add length.

Price: Like most other drugstore mascaras, this one is under $10, and for a product you should only keep for about 3 months, why spend more?

I love this mascara!! 9.5/10 stars!

Ok, so Almay is a drugstore brand I often overlook.  I don’t know why I just do.  And I shouldn’t, because it really is the Clinique of drugstore brands, and while it may be a little more expensive than Cover Girl or Maybelline, the healthy skin benefits and natural ingredients in most of Almay’s products really justify spending a little extra.

So, for some reason while I was browsing the cosmetics isle in my local drugstore, this foundation caught my attention and I had to pick it up.  I’ve since worn it like six times (and tried it on my sister) and here’s what I think:

LOVE!!  I really love this foundation.  I haven’t used a liquid foundation since switching to minerals about a year ago (before that I used L’oreal True Match).  But, let me just say before I talk about how much I love it, this isn’t for everyone… This is a light foundation, and while it feels amazing on the skin (just like a moisturizer), the light-medium coverage might not be enough for some people.  My skin is far from perfect but it has gotten better over the years, so this foundation with a little concealer and dusted with setting powder gives the perfect finish.  For those with really problem skin, this product might be enough.

What I love about this foundation:

It’s light and feels like I’m not wearing any makeup.

It hasn’t irritated my skin (like most liquid foundations tend to do).

It has natural ingredients like grape seed oil which has soothing properties.

There’s a shade that actually works for me. I’m so fair that it’s very hard for me to find a match, especially drugstore brands, but ivory works for me!

It lasts all day.  Just a quick mid-day powder touch up, and I’m good to go.

Things that could be improved:

The price.  I’ve seen this product priced as much as $16… which still isn’t bad for a good foundation.

The finish. Without a setting powder this product looks a little shiny… if not greasy. Be warned!

~ Overall, this is my favorite new product. If you’re looking for a light-weight liquid foundation with natural ingredients that lasts all day, try Almay Nearly Naked Liquid Foundation!~  4.75/5 stars!~

Products Used:
Almay Nearly Naked Liquid Foundation: ivory

NYC 5-way Concealer Palette

Everyday Minerals Finishing Powder: sunlight finishing dust

Elf eyebrow kit: dark

Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzer: bronze (under cheek bones)

Rimmel Cheeky Blush: don’t rush (light pink – along the cheek bones, darker pink – on the apples of cheeks)

Elf Shimmering Facial Whip: spotlight (highlight – on top of cheek bones)

NYX Runway Collection 10 Color Palette: champagne & caviar (light beige mixed with white – all over the lid, medium brown – in the crease, deep brown – outer V)

Elf Dramatic Lashes

Lash Blast Luxe Mascara: black platinum (upper lashes)

Rimmel Glam Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara: black (lower lashes)

Gel Liner: black (upper lash line and extended outwards)

Rimmel Two-Toned Eyeliner: trendsetter (black side in upper water line, white side in lower water line)

Elf Mineral Lip Liner: rose (all over lips)

Revlon Matte Lipstick: really red

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss: cherries in the glow (focused on the middle of the lips)

To make your makeup look pin-up inspired you need a few things that are characteristic of the look:

~Bright red or pink lips. Remember to fill in you whole lip with lip liner before applying lipstick to make it last, especially when wearing such a bright color.

~Flawless skin. These girls were models people! Perfect skin is a must! Apply concealer and powder, not just foundation.

~Rosy cheeks. Notice I applied a lot of product to my cheeks.  A bronzer to contour, a highlight color, and two shades of blush to really sculpt the cheek bone area.

~Winged black liner on the upper lash line only.  In the 50s the doe-eyed look was big, so only line the upper lash line and extend it a bit at the outer corner (I extended mine a lot to give it a more modern feel).

~Lastly, fully fluttery lashes.  Now’s the time to whip out the falsies! I choose Elf Dramatic Lashes because they’re long and whispy, perfect for this vintage look!

Now curl your hair, throw on some pearls and rock the pin-up girl look!

This is just a few things I’ve picked up at my local drugstore/supermarket lately.  The Rimmel products were on sale and I’m pretty sure they’ve been discontinued which makes me really sad because I actually love the blush and the bronzer.  I just bought the foundation today, so I’ll let you know how I feel about that soon.  I’m really picky about liquid foundation so we’ll see how that goes!

From top left: Rimmel Cheeky! Blush in Don’t Rush, Almay Nearly Naked Liquid Makeup in Ivory, Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzer in 003 Bronze.

The blush has a matte plum/pink color on one side, and a shimmery light pink on the other.  The baked bronzer is beautiful!! It’s got gold veining running through it and its very shimmery.  It looks very dark, but goes on more sheer than it appears.