MagiX Tinted Face Perfector

I actually won this product in a drawing held by Allure magazine. I was very excited to try it, especially since I have such lovely large pores, and according to Avon's website, this face perfector "...visibly minimizes pores witih patent-pending Optix Light-Diffusing Technology. Holds back shine for up to 10 hours. Reduces the look of fine lines...skin feels softer than ever. Shades adapt to your skin tone...like magic!"

Yeah, not so much. I find the consistency very weird and kind of sticky, and I don't notice it doing any better of a job than the foundation I already wear. I believe it's supposed to be sheer enough to wear under foundation, but that's just too much product for me. It seemed like I had to smear an awful lot of this on to get any results. I'm just glad it was free!

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Clean & Clear Oil-free Dual Action Moisturizer

I don't use this daily, as I'm 32 so I'm trying to be proactive by using lots of moisturizers with heavy duty anti-aging properties. But if I'm having a breakout, which the oh-so-lovely humid weather in Texas causes a lot of in the summer, I use this. Honestly, I won't say that it's the BEST anti-acne product out there, but it's under $5, and it gives your face the most tingly, cooling feeling. I love it so much. And it smells really good. It reminds me of when I was a teenager, when I did use this daily. And sometimes, I use it just to feel that cold, tingly feeling. Just for fun.

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Neutrogena Wave Power-Cleanser & Deep Clean Foaming Pads

I've resisted buying one of these for a while, just because there have been lots of products like this that have disappointed me. But I was having one of those BLEH days, and just wanted something, anything to put in my cart that was "for me." So I went ahead and grabbed this Neutrogena Wave and an extra package of the exfoliating pads. It comes with a battery and it has two speeds of vibration. To be honest, I'm very skeptical about the whole claim that the vibration enables it to clean more deeply or thoroughly. But even without that, this is a really good product. I like the foam, it smells great, and exfoliates really well. My skin feels quite smooth once I'm done. And I still turn on the vibration, it just feels nice.

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L'oreal High Intensity Pigments Jelly Balm

Another fabulous find from the HiP line of L'oreal. This is a sheer balm/gloss, and I love it. It's nice and thick - but doesn't feel gloppy and your hair won't stick to it. I only have it in this color, Delectable. I haven't tried the others, yet, but from all appearances this far, this is the perfect color. It goes on quite sheer, not too red at all, just a light flush. And it's not technically supposed to "plump," but I swear it gives me lips the illusion of being much fuller. Every time I use it, I can't get over how much I love the way my lips look in it.

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L'oreal Endless Lipcolor in Fawn Fatale

Back in high school, I had a babysitting job and I was so incredibly thrilled to have my own money. One of the first things I bought was some of L'oreal's long-lasting lipcolor in a color called Fawn. I absolutely LOVED IT. It was such a flattering color to my skin tone, and it brought out my eyes, and it indeed lasted forever, although at the time, it did give me that feeling that I'd applied superglue to my lips. And even though I worshiped my boyfriend at the time, I preferred being figuratively super-glued to his lips rather than literally. But I loved the color so much, that for a while, I wore no other lipstick. Then as I got more and more interested in cosmetics, I branched out, but I never forgot my true love of Fawn. I tried finding it again for a while, but was never able. Imagine my absolute DELIGHT! when I was perusing the baskets of clearance on a Target endcap, and I saw Fawn Fatale in their Endless Lipcolor line. I bought it, and sure enough - it was the same stuff! And it didn't feel like superglue! And it's as great as I remember! And it lasts! And you should try it! And... and... and... I'm really curious if it flatters other skin-tones. So... let me know!

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Revlon False Fingernails

I actually don't like having long nails at all. I feel like they just get in my way and they drive me crazy. I got myself a nice French manicure for my wedding six years ago, and before the end of our honeymoon, I had pried most of them off and then went to a nail salon for them to remove the rest.

In the interest of full disclosure, these were sent to us by a Revlon representative who asked us to try them. I said I would, as long as it was understood my review would be completely honest and true. With that in mind, Missy and I attempted one night to apply them. We failed miserably, more of our own fault than anything, and neither one of us got more than two on before we were soaking our hands in acetone to get them off. But one of the packages of these Revlon nails that were sent to me were this rockin' set called "Crocodile." They were red, and the print on them looked more like spider webs than crocodile. I told Missy, "I am SO going to rock these bad boys." I was determined. One night, the kids were in bed, my husband was working, and I took the opportunity to apply them. I had good hopes, thinking since I had the time, I could do it correctly. They really are technically quite easy to apply. The glue is very strong, easy to squeeze out, and trust me - those nails aren't going anywhere. My problem was that I am so very, very clumsy. SO VERY CLUMSY. I kept gluing the backs of my fingers to the nails - and that just hurt. Then if I did apply it without binding my fingers - the nail would be crooked. I spent a considerable amount of time soaking my hands in acetone trying to remove two crooked ones, tried again, decided I couldn't do it, forget it! By this time my husband had come home, and I then ended up having to send him to the store for more acetone-based nail polish remover and made him promise to stay up with me while I soaked and removed them. I started this whole process at around 8:30 pm, and my husband and I were finally able to turn in close to 2:00 am. My fingers were completely pickled at the end. They were wrinkled and puffy - and no matter how many times I washed them, they still smelled like acetone. The next morning, I was making breakfast and licked something off of my finger - and tasted nothing but acetone. It was just swell. It took at leaset 24 hours before the acetone pickling subsided.

For a better, more in-length review (someone who actually WORE them longer than I did) visit Makeup on the Cheap. (You'll also find some actual pictures of the products. Sorry - Missy and I haven't been able to get together for a photo session other than the above picture.) I also read on another review site that if you apply the glue with a Q-tip, you'll have much better results. All this being said - I think this product is a wonderful substitute for paying full price at salons. Really - the glue is very strong (apparently) and they look very pretty. I am just the wrong person to wear them. So, if you aren't clumsy, and you're on a manicure budget, I have some for some of you! Actually, a lot. The list of styles I have is as follows, along with the number I have of each to be won. If you'd like to try them, please leave a comment and let us know which ones you are interested in. We'd love for you to try them, and submit a review to be featured on our site.

Revlon Runway Collection - Stella (3 to be won)
Revlon Runway Collection - Sateen (2 to be won)
Revlon Naturally Chic - Sophie (2 to be won)
Revlon Perfect Pedicure - Yes, they do toenails, too. (2 to be won)

And one each of the following:
Revlon Runway Collection: Sequins
Revlon Runway Collection: Starlet
Revlon Runway Collection: Mystic
Revlon Runway Collection: Minx
Revlon Runway Collection: Studio.

So that's a total of 14 winners! I'll be out of commission next week, so I'm going to give you all a good, long entry period. Starting NOW enter your comment, through Friday, August 6th. We'll announce the winner on Monday the 10th. If you're DYING for a picture of a particular product, shoot us an e-mail, and I'll get a lovely, completely UNprofessional picture to you. Good luck!

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Rimmel London Stir It Up Eyeshadow in As If

I could not find this eyeshadow on Rimmel's website at all. I bought mine right here on Amazon.com, and though now I can't find this particular color, there are four other beautiful ones available. It was something I tacked on to the end of an order to boost me up to free shipping status. It was just so pretty. The picture here shows that it's already been used some by moi, so you can't even get the full effect of the purple swirled in with the blue. I was so excited about it when I opened my box, because I'd forgotten I even order it, and it was so gorgeous, like pretty little jewel shining out of the drab brown box and the other boring stuff in the order. And I do love it. It comes on the prettiest deep blue violet. The consistency is kind of interesting - almost a cross between a powder and cream. You have to be very careful, it comes on thick, so when you apply, be sure to go easy or it'll look like a drunk clown put it on.

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L'oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Concealer

My sister recommended this concealer to me one day on the phone, and because my quest for a perfect concealer is as driven as my quest for the perfect mascara, I went out almost immediately and bought it. (My link to L'oreal's website is not working. I apologize and will try to get up a working link as soon as I can.) I was a little skeptical about a powder concealer - it just doesn't seem like something that would work, but it truly does. I do not use it under my eyes, however, because with my oily complexion, the powder actually leaves some streaks that I cannot get rid of without starting from scratch. But for blemishes - I have never used anything better. I apply it after I have put on my foundation. Brush a small amount on any blemish, red spot, or discoloration and let it set for a minute or two. Then gently blend it with the surrounding area, and any visible trace of the powder disappears - taking the blemish with it. It blends beautifully and covers perfectly. It's not cakey or thick, and it lasts all day. Big bonus is that it contains SPF 25 sunscreen. It's toward the higher end of the drugstore price spectrum at around $11.99, but it lasts a long time, and it's totally worth it.

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Garnier Fructis Instant Melting Conditioner

I wrote a review for Garnier Fructis Leave-in Conditioning Cream back in March. I loved it, and judging by the comments we received on that post, you all love it, too. So when I saw this Instant Melting Conditioner at Target 2-for-1, I wanted to give it a try to see if it could deliver great results as well. But I really didn't like it. Actually, I full-on hated it. It felt like it just wouldn't rinse out, and once my hair was dry, it had a sticky film on it that actually made it feel like I hadn't washed my hair in days. But not in a good "second-day hair" way - in a yucky "I smell and look dirty" way. I tried it a couple of more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke, but every time it was the same. I even tried to recruit my husband to try it and see what he thought, but he basically said he wouldn't try anything that made my hair "look like that." It just left a film that felt yucky and made my hair look very dull. Still love the Leave-in Conditioning Cream, but I'll leave this one on the shelf.

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Physician's Formula Eyebrightener Multi-Colored Eyelighter

I don't buy a whole lot of Physician's Formula, not for any particular reason that I can think of. Perhaps they don't advertise enough? Maybe I'm not intrigued enough? I don't know... At any rate, these "Eyelighters" are only two of three things I have ever purchased from that brand. (The other being this powder that neither of us was crazy about.) I do like these a lot. They give a very sheer, subtle burst of light shimmery color. They are ideal for highlighting the brow bone. Or I'll also use them on my eyelids on days that I just want to look kind of natural and soft. They come with a nice little brush that works well, plus the mosaic of colors is so pretty to look at! You can find them at most drug stores for roughly $7.99.

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L'oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner

Okay, so I admit it. I'm having an all-consuming, passionate love affair with everything in L'oreal's HiP line. Everything. There's a glowing review here, and another one here. I have more in the works. But this cream eyeliner is perhaps my absolute favorite of all they carry. I have it in three colors: Eggplant (pictured), Black, and Midnight Blue. It comes with the brush you see pictured, which is the perfect tool for applying this eyeliner. (Although I will say, for some reason the brush that came with the black eyeliner was STIFF and it really hurt to use, so I had to toss it.) I use any of my eyeliner brushes, whichever one I grab first, and they all also work well with the product. It's easy and soft to work with, draws a dark, dramatic line, and if you want the smudgy look, it's easy to achieve if you act quickly. BUT if you don't act quickly - this stuff stays put. Which isn't a problem at all as far as I'm concerned. I've talked often about how much I hate when my makeup runs and smudges - which is almost impossible to prevent here in one of the humidity capitals of the U.S. But once this stuff dries, it doesn't move. Just the best, beautifully stark colors, sleek, expensive-looking packaging, and an all-around fabulous product. I LOVE IT. (I just sang that in my head. You should, too.)

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Revlon 3D Extreme Mascara

Well, here we are again reviewing another mascara. It's shameful, really. I have more mascaras in my makeup case than I could use in a week. I mostly use my Beauty Tubes because of that whole "no smudging, easy to wash off" thing, but next most often I'll use this one, 3D Extreme by Revlon. I bought it not because I needed another mascara, or that I'd even been curious about it. I bought it only because it came with a free full-size Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow quad. When I opened the mascara, I was initially disappointed in the relatively small wand. It didn't look like it could deliver much punch. In fact, during our photo session including this product, Missy took one look at the wand and thought it would be a negative review. She was very surprised the wand could do a good job. But it did. I love this mascara. It makes my lashes so nice and full and separated. It's supreme, truly. Because I hate waterproof, I do still deal with a very minimal amount of smudging with this product, but it isn't nearly as pronounced as other brands of mascara. It's very faint, if at all. You can buy it for roughly $9 at any drugstore or beauty chain.

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Neutrogena Energizing Citrus Sugar Scrub Body Exfoliator

I'm a sucker for a great body scrub, especially sugar scrubs. This one is fabulous, one of my favorites, and I have tried MANY. It smells nice and fresh and really gets that yucky, dead skin off of your body and leaves behind nothing but softness. I especially love to use this on my hands, and follow it up with Neutrogena's Deep Moisture Butter Cream Body Cream. My hands afterward feel... just... trying to think of good metaphor... really soft. That's the best I can do. But really - SOFT. After I use it I just rub my hands together over and over because they feel so fantastic.

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Revlon Age Defying Spa Foundation

Revlon Age Defying Spa Foundation is another one of those products I would probably never have bought had it not been on clearance. It was on for half price one day, and I'm a sucker for half-price. I did like the package in that it has a built-in foundation brush - and a very soft one. It's very easy to use: you simply turn the top into the "on" position and gently squeeze as a small amount of foundation comes from the brush. You then use the brush to blend it in. I am a fan of foundation brushes - they really do work well to give a polished, even tone to your skin, but they require a lot of of blending. With three kids, I'm often running low on time and makeup application has to be done on the fly , so I often skip out on the foundation brush and use a sponge instead. But when I do have the time to use the brush, it works very well. My favorite thing about this foundation is the smell. I can't quite describe it, although in a tiny way it reminds me of roses. It's a good product and I like the results. Because I change my makeup routine around a lot, I can't say I've noticed any improvement in my skin from this product since it hasn't really had time to "work." I'm going to try and use it more consistently for a few weeks to see if I notice any extra benefits. Bottom line: I like it, although I can't necessarily say I'd be clamoring to buy it again. Unless those extra benefits I mentioned are spectacularly obvious.

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L'oreal HiP Shocking Shadow Pigments

I LOVE this stuff. LOVE LOVE LOVE. It comes with a great brush that is actually functional, and the array of colors available is to die for. The name is no joke, the pigment is high intensity and beautiful. This is my favorite color, although I do have several others. The pictured color is Intrepid, and I can't even quite describe it. In some lights it's green, in others it looks rusty, in some it's black mixed with a cinnamony shimmer. It's absolutely fabulous. Worn alone, it creates this spectacular, almost "changing picture" quality with the different colors that are created at different angles. Today I layered it over a shimmery gold, and I couldn't stop staring at my eyelids every time I passed a mirror. It's mesmerizing. I also have this eyeshadow in Fiery, a pink that looks a little Barbie in the container, but once applied it is a beautiful, edgy, atypical pink. When I wore Fiery, I received more compliments on my eye-makeup than I think I ever have.

I hate sounding like a broken record and shouting LOVE LOVE LOVE, but with this HiP line L'oreal is selling, it's just absolutely true. I want EVERY. SINGLE. TINY. PRODUCT. it contains. I already reviewed another eyeshadow from the line here. There's a lipgloss I will be reviewing as soon as Missy and I can do another product photo shoot, a lipgloss that has changed my makeuping life. Also up for future review - an eyeliner that has forever solved my smudging eyeliner troubles.

Wow, I just realized we are giving L'oreal a lot of love this week. Oh, well, they rock.

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L'oreal Shocking Volume Mascara

I want to give a shout out to waterproof mascara. My beloved baby kitty-cat was killed yesterday and I cried the day away. It took me twice as long to put on any makeup because I couldn't stop the tears from flowing, but when I did stop long enough to put on mascara, I decided on waterproof. I normally hate that stuff. No matter how "easy" it is to get off with eye-makeup remover - it really isn't so easy, and I just hate that feeling of something semi-permanent sticking to my eyes. But that's just me - I also refuse to wear contacts or put other foreign objects into my body most people would for practical purposes.

I bought L'oreal Shocking Volume Mascara in the waterproof formula when the heat and humidity first started getting intense down here because everything else smudges the second I step out on the front porch (with the exception of my beloved Beauty Tubes, but sometimes a girl needs to mix things up a bit.) The tube is very fun-looking, although a little awkward to open and hold. You first apply the Lash Defining Base Coat - and I just wasn't all that impressed with it. Other primers go on generously enough that you can see where you've applied it. This was very thin and just kind of wimpy. As for the mascara itself, the wand is a comb, and some of the reviews I've read online really hate that type of wand, but I particularly like it. While it would be easy for things to get clumpy using a novice hand, once you get the hang of it, I find it does very well at separating and defining. I really like that comb, although the other day I did accidentally stab myself in the eye with it, and that wasn't fun. But if you aren't clumsy like I am, you should be fine.

As for the removal, it was easier than some, although I still couldn't get enough of it off to suit me. But all in all, considering the flood of tears I wailed out yesterday and the total lack of raccoon eyes, it does the trick. I paid around $11 for this, so it just depends on your budget and how much you are willing to spend for something that technically contains less actual product. I myself have never found a problem with this; it seems to last long enough - although my lashes are already black so I probably don't need as much as others.

I think I might need to wear it again today...

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Maybelline Mineral Power Lipcolor in Sand

While I do like the mineral products out there, that is not why I bought this lipstick. Since Missy and I started this website, I've become more aware of how much I like Maybelline. I never paid much attention to what was what before. But time and again, we post something from Maybelline, and we love it. I have more products on the back-burner to review positively - and many of them are Maybelline. And this lipstick is no exception. It applies easily and smoothly, and the selection of colors is perfect.

About seven years ago, my older sister was driven to the point of obsession to find the perfect neutral beige gloss color that was used on Britney Spears. She could not find it anywhere. She bought many, and many failed. Because of her quest, of which I was an active search party member, it is still ingrained in my brain to find that perfect beige. You know, the color you wear with some massively dramatic rock-n-roll eyes. So on one of my less-than-stellar days about a month ago, I needed a little (cheap) pick-me-up. I saw Maybelline Mineral Power Lipcolors, and this one jumped out at me - Sand. My old drive to find "Britney Spears Beige" fired up, especially when I saw the price of under $5. I brought it home and guess what? Put it on with a clear or shimmery gloss - and you've got Britney Spears Beige looking back at you in the mirror. I can't remember if my sister ever found one she liked or if she just gave up, but I tell her, and you, now: Get thee to the Maybelline section! That is, if you want Britney Spears Beige. Which you may not. And that's okay. I'm sure there's another color just right for you.

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AMBI Even & Clear

Well, apparently, this product is for women with "rich skin tones," those with "African, Latin, and South Asian" heritage, which certainly doesn't include myself, but I know it concerns many of you. I didn't know this was its purpose when I purchased it. But I still liked it. It is very inexpensive: I bought each of these for less than $5. I like the way the cleanser foams and the way the exfoliating wash lathers. My skin felt nice and clean, all traces of makeup were gone, and my skin didn't feel tight afterward at all. I would be curious to see what those of you with "rich skin tones" think. To those of us who are "paler than Frosty's naked butt," I recommend it as just a good, inexpensive cleansing system. I plan on buying more, with the hopes it'll help me look more tan. HA! Kidding.

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Vidal Sassoon Nano Straigtener

This one is so much better than that other one. It's pretty, it feels smooth as it straightens, not like it's ripping out my weave, it gets HOT (somewhere around 400 degrees), so it actually straightens. And it doesn't leave a ton of hair in my sink afterward. Sorry, Sasquatch. You'll be cold this winter.

*For the record, I do not actually have a weave.

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Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer for Eyes

In theory, if we're supposed to fight wrinkles, protect ourselves from the sun, even out our skin tone and prevent pimples (just to name a few needs) we must have the following: anti-aging serum, anti-wrinkle moisturizer which may or may not contain SPF (if not, we'll also need SPF lotion), and some sort of salicylic acid treatment. On top of all of that, we might need, say, foundation, concealer, etc. Of course, many of these products may be combined into one genius product, as is the case with this concealer, Neutrogena 3-in-1. Our eyes are the most sensitive part of our face, and they are very susceptible to the sun, plus any tugging we may do while applying makeup or checking for wrinkles. I had been using another eye cream for a while when I realized it didn't contain any SPF. Well, okay, so I decided to look for another eye cream that did contain it. To my surprise, I couldn't find one. At least not one I could reasonably afford. And then I found this. I think it's perfect. It's all of the things our eyes need and more, because the concealer isn't just average - it's greatness. It covers my very prominent dark circles with ease, and it stays put all day. (You technically don't need an additional eye cream, although I do use one because my eyes tend to get very dry and peel underneath, so I need extra moisture.) It's a fabulous price considering it is essentially an eye cream as well, averaging around $10 depending on where you buy.

On a little side note: My Mother's Day gift from my husband was to let me have a little spree at Ulta. So I have this lovely box full of some fun stuff which I am very excited to review for all of you. Stay tuned...

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