The Frugalista’s Fountain of Youth
It’s a world of selfies and video snaps out there. Everyone seems to be hunting for ways to look younger, brighter; things that will smooth both their faces and their days. But, keeping up with the “Real Housewives” can be a total budget buster – especially for this makeup artist during this busy event season. So, the timing of the grand opening of the new ULTA cosmetic store on Owings Mills’ Foundry Row was perfect. ULTA offers a mix of high-end and less expensive products, so I was eager to explore it in my never-ending quest to unearth fab finds for the face that don’t kill the credit card.
And I found them! Some NYX Cosmetics with high-end dupes I was able to find all under $10. Yes. UNDER TEN DOLLARS! NYX was a professional artist supply shop secret for years whose “cover” was recently blown. It’s now one of the fastest growing brands out there, and no wonder. Some of its products can stand up with the pricier brands out there.
NoFilter is a tinted, color-correcting beauty balm and primer all-in-one. It helps blur lines and pores, and mattifies without doing it TOO much. What struck me was how instantly effective it was on expression lines and redness – actually delivering on what it promised. Wear it under makeup or alone – perhaps with a little blush as it tends to take a little color away after evening out.
So, what to do about those circles? Traditional concealers can dry up or look greyish under the eyes. NYX Dark Circle glides over the crepe-y eye area and has light reflectors – not shimmer. The peachy orange tint actually counters the blueness under the eyes without piling more pastiness on them. The tiniest bit in inner corners of the eyes makes a big difference.
You may want a little lift of color after this, but worry that adding traditional rouge, powder shadow, and matte lipstick can age you. This new face gloss stick leaves the frosted sticks of the 90’s in the dust. It can be dabbed on cheeks, chin, eyes, and lips – even shoulders and legs – to bring just a tiny gleam to the skin.
If you aren’t afraid of just a pinch more color, NYX’s new blush and bronze sticks look natural and can be used the same way. They just take the soft glow a step further and are safe to use in your Uber.
Full brows are a youthful-looking trend we’re seeing at SNAP, but you don’t want to overdo it. This tinted brow gel in five colors gives them an easy lift, making brows fuller and more defined, yet still keeping them in place. The tiny wand and large color selection will help you avoid the Frankenstein look.
Before running out to get snapped on the town, you need to lock all this gorgeousness in. So, try the NoFilter Powder…
…or the Dew Me Mist for the powder-phobic. This locks in your makeup all night and acts as a hydrating toner, but doesn’t leave you looking tight and dry. This trick is often used backstage on models that need all-day powder, but also keep that J-Lo Glow all at the same time. Dare to try spraying your makeup brushes with a little before applying fuller makeup to give it a dewier look.
