Sometimes a Stimulista has to watch her finances. I know, I know, it isn’t fun, it isn’t glamorous, but we all know it is reality.

So what are we to do when the urge to go out and try something new strikes, but we are trying to cut back our spending? Well, let me help you with that. Over the next couple of weeks we are going to navigate the drug store aisles together to find those hidden little luxuries that won’t hurt our bank accounts. I will write twice a week about what I have found and I would appreciate your help. I'd love for all of you to post in the comments what cheap and chic wonders you have found, so we can all join forces to create a fabulous list for all budget conscious Stimulistas to work with.

Let me start you off today with the Essence Cosmetics line found at Shoppers Drug Mart. Let me say up front the entire line is priced at $4.99 or less. 

Are you still with me? I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor.

Ok, they have the sweetest little quick dry nail polishes in great, on-trend colours for $1.49. Not a typo. I bought one in a neon colour I would never invest much money in, because, well, it’s neon and that trend will be fun for about 1 hour before we are over it again. I tried it out with really low expectations and dang, it is pretty good. I would say the wear is comparable to most other nail polishes out there, that is to say, it lasted as well as my Sally Hansen, my L’Oreal, my OPI, my Essie and my Chanel polishes. You aren’t going to get a week of wear out of them, but then again, I don’t get a week of wear out of Chanel and that costs a whole lot more than $1.49 a bottle.

And at $1.49, why not try that funky trend out? Go ahead, paint your toes neon green or your fingers icy mint.

I went back to Shoppers Drug Mart after being pleasantly surprised by the nail polish and picked up a Stay All Day long lasting eye shadow, a blush brush, and a Smokey Eyes eye shadow brush. The eye shadow has good pigment, goes on easily, and does indeed last all day. The Smokey Eyes brush is absolutely great, and it only cost me $1.49.  So far I would say the quality is comparable to my Urban Decay eye shadow brush. I am really impressed. The blush brush isn’t quite as good. It doesn’t lose hair, but it is almost too soft to grab the pigment and help me place it where I need it on my cheekbones. But, it was less than $4.99 and I can’t help but think that, for the price, you just can’t beat it.

I love this new line at Shoppers Drug Mart, it is perfect for Beauty Junkies on a spending diet. Trendy, good quality products at an insanely low price point - definitely worth a try!

Now it’s your turn - what cheap and chic products have caught your eye?  Please leave a comment below or tweet me @carissayh and let me know!

by Carissa Halley
Contributor
Twitter: @carissayh

There is a new trend you may have noticed if you have braved the beauty counters recently.  

Multiple cosmetic companies have recently released numerous lip butters and balms with varying degrees of pigmentation.  All of them promise softer, smoother moisturized lips, and many of them even have an SPF in them to further protect your pretty pout.

The Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter is the most highly pigmented of the products I have tried.  The colour payoff is relatively close to a lipstick, slightly sheerer, and it contains mango, shea and coconut butter which gives you a buttery smooth lip instead of the more traditional lipstick feel.  This product needs to be reapplied regularly, but it does leave your lips nicely hydrated even after it can no longer be seen on the lips.

Clinique Almost Lipstick is once again available in more shades than the classic Black Honey.  That’s right, the classic sheer lip colour we all love is now available in shades ranging from light pink to bright red to vibrant violets.  Clinique tried this once before a few years back and then discontinued all but Black Honey, leaving many beauty addicts in a lurch.  Finally, they are back and better than ever.  Just like the original Black Honey, the beauty of Clinique’s Almost Lipsticks is that every woman can wear almost every shade.  They are sheer enough that they adjust to your skin tone, leaving a hint of the original colour that is perfect.  These Almost Lipsticks are fresh and bright and just scream spring.  As with the Revlon Lip Butters, you will be reapplying these more frequently than a traditional lipstick, but you will be left with moisturized lips.  

L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm is another of the new lip colours promising moisturized lips with a sheer hint of colour.  I adore the texture of the L’Oreal Balm, it is lighter than the other balms and butters and truly does offer a sheer hint of colour.  It is incredibly moisturizing, in my opinion it is the most moisturizing of all the butters and balms on the market right now.  I think this may be my absolute favorite of the bunch.

Maybelline Baby Lips - if you can find one of these and want to try them out grab it quick.  These are selling out all over.  They are packaged in fun, bright tubes and the colours are simple basics, pink, peach, cherry, grape and clear.  These are designed to be incredibly moisturizing, and they go on your lips similar to Blistex and feel very moisturizing.  I don’t honestly find them as moisturizing as some of the other products, which is surprising because it feels the most moisturizing.  But it wears off fast and doesn’t really feel like it has much lasting effect.  The coolest thing though is that after the balm itself has disappeared, there is a very slight stain of colour left on your lips.  But you will have to reapply this regularly to keep the shiny hint of colour look on your lips.

All of these are reasonably priced, Clinique being the priciest at $18, the others are around the $6-$12 mark.  So go ahead and try out some bright sheer fresh lips as we move towards spring.  It’s a perfect opportunity to repair what winter did to our smiles while trying out the bright colours of the upcoming season.
 

by Carissa Halley
Stimuli Magazine Contributor

Have you heard of BB Creams yet?  If you haven’t yet get ready for BB Cream madness!

BB Creams (or Beauty Balms) are all the rage in Asia and have been for a few years now.  The idea behind this product is that it is an all-in-one, replacing your moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, oil control and foundation.  A famous Asian actress is credited for starting the trend of BB Creams when she told reporters this was the secret to her luminous skin.  Word spread and women across Asia rushed out to find these creams.

Now many cosmetics companies are catching on to this trend and bringing BB Creams to the North American market.  The finish of these new North American BB Creams are said to be different.  In Asian markets the finish is porcelain like, very matte and flawless, in North America the trend is towards skin with a luminous finish, so our creams tend to be slightly lighter coverage.

In Canada, as of right now, your BB Cream options are limited.  Many brands, including MAC, Marcelle, Garnier, Vichy, Clinique, Smashbox and Boscia are scheduled to release their products in Canada in the coming months.

Being less than patient when I hear about new products, I managed to hunt down a Smashbox BB Cream for myself and had it shipped to me.  After all, I have a duty to all of you to keep you ahead of the latest in beauty products. Do you like how I justified that purchase?  Thanks for enabling me my makeup sisters!

The first thing that will shock you is the price.  A relatively small tube of Smashbox BB Cream SPF 35 is $50 in Canada.  No, I’m not kidding.  The other brands look like they will be priced similarly.  When I first looked at the tube, knowing what I paid, I felt somewhat ripped off. 

I washed my face, squirted out a pea size drop of this pricey concoction and rubbed it on my face.  No moisturizer, no nothing, you just put it straight on your skin.  It felt weird, as normally my skin routine is 4-5 steps long depending on it’s condition on any given day.

I soldiered on through my discomfort and had a look in the mirror once I had the cream on.  Dang.  Double dang.

My skin looked good.  No, heck, I won’t be modest, it looked GREAT!

Have we talked about my skin before?  Just in case we haven’t and so you understand what I am working with, I am holding steady at 29 years old (and have been for 6 years) so my skin is starting to show fine lines, and, big sigh, some baby wrinkles, I have some redness, and I am blessed with combination skin that still likes to breakout despite me no longer being a teenager.

Now, I still needed a touch of concealer on my troubled areas, but I did not require any foundation or powder, I simply dabbed some blush on top and I was done.  Seriously, it is that good.  My skin looked natural only better.  It looked young and fresh and somehow more natural than it has looked in a long time.  I would say this offered medium coverage, but blended magnificently to keep your skin looking like you have nothing on at all.

A couple of things to note about the Smashbox BB Cream - there are 4 shades, most brands will only offer one or two, which makes Smashbox a winner in my books immediately.  The light shade matched my complexion perfectly. 

There is a sunscreen in this product, which is a GREAT thing, we need to be wearing our sunscreens Stimulistas, lest we end up looking like leather boots when we age, but it does have that sunscreen smell.  I don’t like the sunscreen smell on my face but I deal with it because, well, I don’t want wrinkles, sun spots or skin cancer, but for some who are sensitive to scents it would be good to know this scent is there before purchasing.  I believe the Boscia cream will have a physical sunblock instead of a chemical one which may be a good choice for some of you.

Now to go back to the price; $50 for such a small tube, no denying it is pricey.  But after I tried the product I realized that because it does replace my moisturizer (Philosophy Hope in a Jar SPF 25 $39), my primer (Smashbox Photo Finish Primer $44) and my foundation (Lancome Teint Idole Ultra $50) I might actually save money if I use the BB Cream.  Well, who am I kidding, I will buy the BB Cream and my other products because I have the attention span of a nat when it comes to beauty products.  But, if you are normal (read - not me) and you adopt a BB Cream to replace your other products, you do stand to save money or break even depending on your current routine.

My overall impression of the Smashbox BB Cream - it’s a keeper.  I am eager to see how it stands up in the sun when I head to California next month.  I will report back.  I am also eagerly anticipating the other brands soon to be available in the Canadian market.  If you try one let me know what you think in the comments below or on twitter @carissayh.  I love hearing from you!! 

See you at the beauty counter Stimulistas!

by Carissa Halley
Stimuli Magazine Contributor

It’s late at night after a long, long day.  You are tired and want nothing more than to crawl into your bed and fall instantly asleep.  But you know you need to take your makeup off because if you don’t you will wake looking like a zombie with your mascara half way down your face.  And let’s not even consider what will happen to your skin if you make a habit out of leaving your makeup on overnight.  *shudder*  

But I get it, I have been there too, and you know when it comes right down to it, sometimes you just want to go to bed right now...

Ever heard of Micellar cleansing products?  More and more companies are introducing Micellar products into their lines.  These products are in a liquid form and you simply put some on a cotton pad and swipe it across your face to remove all makeup and impurities.  There is some fancy science behind all of this (things like molecular structure and other such beauty nerd details) that I won’t get into here, but at a very basic level, the micellar solution binds to anything on your face that isn’t water.  So it doesn’t dry out your skin, but it does allow you to wipe off everything that shouldn’t naturally be there.

Besides trimming your beauty routine down, Micellar products do have other advantages.  They are great for sensitive or dry skin that cannot handle a soap based cleanser, or that typically have reactions to skin care products.  I can definitely see how those with sensitive skin would love micellar cleansing.

And many people really do love micellar products.  Personally, I would love to know how women are actually getting this stuff to remove waterproof eye makeup.  I understand the science behind why it should work, but I am telling you, I have spent countless nights the last few weeks trying all of these products and I can’t get my eye makeup off unless I rub so hard my eyelashes start coming out.  Yeah, not pretty.  I realize not everyone wears waterproof makeup, so if you don’t give these a try, but if you are part of the waterproof gang, sorry ladies, don’t dispose of your eye makeup remover quite yet.

Marcelle Essentials Soothing Cleaning Water - This is a nice light product that did help me wipe away foundation, but it took multiple passes over my skin to get it truly clean.  I call this my “3 cotton pad” cleanser, because I have to use, on average, 3 pads a night before makeup finally stops coming off my face and I can assume I am clean and makeup free.  This would be good for a light makeup user, maybe someone who doesn’t wear a foundation, rather a tinted moisturizer type of girl.  One very positive note on this one, it didn’t sting my eyes at all.

Dermaglow Micellar Water-Based Cleanser - This one had better cleansing power, it felt like my skin was clean after using it, but, I also found I am using it up much faster compared to standard cleansers.  There is no skin tightness after, there is no residue left behind, it just feels like water.  But, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT do what I did and assume this product is for your eyes.  It calls itself a makeup remover, and to me, that means you can use it on your eyes.  I even read the packaging and nothing said “keep away from eyes” so I dove right in.  Holy burning eyeballs!  You know that feeling when your shampoo accidentally drips in your eyes?  Yeah, multiply that by a thousand and you have the pain that you will experience if you try to use this product on eye makeup.

Once my vision was restored I looked online and their website says you should use it on your “eye contour” area.  Um, no.  Oh heck no.  

La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution - This cleanser did remove all makeup and oil from my skin and left it feeling fresh and natural.  It did not sting my eyes (yay!) but it was another that just didn’t budge my mascara without some serious rubbing.  This one seems like it will last longer than the Dermaglow, my guess is because the Dermaglow is a pump and this is a bottle.

So after all of my experimentation, if I am honest, I am not a huge fan of micellar products.  Maybe it is my skin type (combination), maybe it is my love of waterproof eye makeup, maybe it is psychological and washing away makeup with a standard cleanser and water at the end of the day just feels cleaner to me, but the micellar products I tried just didn’t thrill me.  Not something I would put on my must have list unless you have very sensitive skin and need to try something very mild.

Sweet dreams beauty junkies, and don’t forget to wash your face!
 

Now that the drizzle of fall has come back full force let’s make ourselves feel better and talk fall makeup, shall we?

Every fall I try to console myself with some beautiful new fall shades to momentarily forget my perpetually wet toes.  This year the choices out there are endless and exciting, and there is something for everyone!

Lise Watier has released a beautiful fall line, Equinoxe.  There is a gorgeous Quatuor Eye Shadow Quad, Wet & Dry, which has a lovely dark taupey grey, a light dove grey, a soft brown and a vibrant blue.  The shades work together in a number of different combinations that vary from natural to dramatic and fun.  Work Metamorfix Liquid Transformer into one of the darker shades and use it as a liner for a more defined look.

Also included in the Equinoxe collection is a Duo Bronze & Glow Face and Cheek Powder.  The idea of the bronzer and blush combination is to help you extend your summer glow a little bit longer.  Not really a new idea, but what I wasn’t expecting is how luminating this product is.  It does give you a summer glow even as the sun goes into hibernation again, but it also brings your skin to life.  I am really impressed, and to be fair, I don’t typically care for bronzer blush duos, but I am really glad I gave this one a try.

Chanel’s fall line Collection Illusions D’Ombres De Chanel is inspired by precious metals and jewels.  It has the coolest new product I have tried in a long time.  The Illusions D’Ombres are an eye product that I can only describe as a cross between mousse and jello.  The texture is soft and can build from light to dramatic, the colours all sparkle and shimmer and create a beautiful wash of colour on the eye.  You can use it as an eye shadow or as a liner.  It wears like cement, it doesn’t budge for hours on end and the colour stays true and beautiful.  LOVE this product, and although the price is going to sting a bit, if you are looking for a splurge in your fall makeup collection this would be the one I would suggest.   

Chanel also introduced a new nail colour, Graphite, for the fall.  It is sparkly and changes it’s appearance based on the light.  It is described as a metallic silver, however, the glitter and shimmer in it is multi-coloured, with some warm tones that reflect brightly in sunlight changing the look of the polish from cool to warm.  Pretty neat on the toes or on shorter fingernails for a night on the town.

I recently discovered L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof mascara.  I prefer waterproof given our rainy days so I don’t have my mascara migrate down my face in the drizzle, and this one is a winner.  Reasonably priced, it separates my lashes nicely, gives them great volume and no clumping.  Even though it is waterproof I find it it is gentle enough to use on my sensitive eyes and lasts for an entire day.  This one is definitely worth a try next time you need some mascara.

Lastly, I have developed a hard core addiction to Fusion Beauty LipFusion Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 in Bitten.  Ignore the colour on the side of the box, this is not pink at all, the balm itself is red and when you wear it, it takes your natural lip colour and makes it look one shade darker.  Perfect for a naturally defined lip, and the balm leaves them smooth and soft.  A nice way to transition from summer to fall and repair your lips from long days spent in the sun and surf.  

Enjoy picking out some new fall goodies to cheer you up on the dreary days to come Stimulistas!

by Carissa Halley
Contributor