The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

60 Second Beauty: güd Red Ruby Groovy Shampoo and Body Lotion




A lot of beauty products come across my desk, but never reach the blog because it's nearly impossible to thoroughly review each and every one. At the same time, I want to alert you to new products that I think you might love - so allow me to introduce "60 Second Beauty" - quick beauty reviews based on my 60-second experience with a product, that you can read in under a minute. Then, you be the judge!

First up, I received one complimentary bottle each of güd's new Red Ruby Groovy shampoo and body lotion and gave them each a whirl.

What they say: "With the lush scent like Red Ruby Groovy, güd's new hair and body care essentials combine natural formulas with indulgent experiences, so you can have it all. Red Ruby Groovy lavishes skin and hair with the lively scent of grapefruit and wild thyme. Discover that wild thyme isn't just an ingredient, it's a promise."

What I thought: I love that güd products are from Burt's Bees, a company known for its "greener" approach to beauty. Granted, Burt's Bees is now owned by Clorox, so it's probably impossible for them to uphold the high standards once set by their founder. Do what you will with that information.

Both güd products contain no parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals. They are not tested on animals and the containers are made with 25% post-consumer plastics. Also, they're made in the USA, which is a plus.

I've used the lotion (Natural Body Lotion – 8oz for $6.99) a few times on my hands and the smell is just overwhelming. But I am super sensitive to smells! My girlfriend looooved the scent and thought I was nuts for complaining. Everyone is different. It's a very pleasant, crisp, clean, citrusy, invigorating scent but just too strong for my tastes. Also, the lotion is a bit on the watery side so you really only need the tiniest amount and it doesn't absorb super fast. I didn't like how it felt on my fingertips (slippery) and it seemed to come off when I washed my hands.

Now the shampoo (Natural Nourishing Shampoo – 12oz for $6.99), on the other hand, had me swooning! It's pretty much the same scent as the lotion - grapefruit and thyme - but for some reason, I loved it in the shower. It was really like "washing your hair in a sunny rain" as the company suggests. It's gentle, got a good lather, and left my hair soft and clean but not squeaky clean. I will definitely be buying this on my own and can't wait to try the body wash. It's so refreshing and smells natural, not chemically at all. However, one of the ingredients is "fragrance" and that could mean a lot of things, so I'm not sure if the fragrance is naturally derived or some chemical cocktail.

Have you tried any güd products? Let me know what you think!

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Introducing New COVERGIRL Clump Crusher, 3-in-1 Foundation & Nail Gloss




During fashion week, I got to check out some of the newest products from Covergirl and get complimentary makeup touch-ups and manis at the Covergirl by Style Coalition Lounge. Here's what's new:


  • COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation: Creates a smooth, flawless look that lasts all day through capturing the essence of a primer, foundation and concealer in one bottle.

  • COVERGIRL Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara: Features an innovative curved brush that lets you load up the volume without the clumps. ($6.99)

  • COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Color: Colors can last and stay glossy for as long as 7 days with zero top coat required. ($5.49)


Get in on the action!
Head to the COVERGIRL YouTube page to take the Outlast 3-in-1 Easy Breezy Better Challenge, which pits 3-in-1 against a leading liquid makeup in a face-to-face challenge.

For the latest COVERGIRL news and giveaways, check out COVERGIRL on Facebook!

Keep reading for more of my photos from the lounge...

Disclosure: This post brought to you by COVERGIRL and Style Coalition.

Tracy Reese Fall 2013 Beauty by Mally Roncal


Backstage at Tracy Reese, I had the chance to interview celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal, president of Mally Beauty, who created the beauty looks that models rocked on the Fall 2013 runways. The inspiration was the quintessential New York Girl. "She's tough, she's fabulous, she's fierce," says Mally. "[And] she doesn't give a doody squat about what you think about how she looks or how she lives her life!" That's why we love you, Mally! For skin, Mally went light and flawless with soft blush, highlighted cheeks, pale lips in Mally Beauty French Kiss and a super smokey eye created using Mally Beauty's City Chick Smokey Eye Kit in SoHo Silver applied using a bent, naked mascara wand. The look totally popped on the runway. Cool, edgy, gorgeous!

Check out my video above to see Mally bring these beauty looks to life, then click through for stills! And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more Fashion Week coverage.

Win Cool Stuff: M & W Fragrances from Banana Republic


If you're looking for a last minute Valentine's Day gift for that special someone, take a look - or a sniff - at Banana Republic's M & W fragrances, two legacy scents from their iconic collection. Better yet, win a full size bottle of each in today's giveaway! I've had a chance to try both of these and they're clean, fresh and modern. I'll be honest, I can't wear fragrances of any kind personally because they give me headaches but I love smelling these on other people (if that makes sense...).

Designed to complement each other, M & W are the quintessential yin-yang fragrances that make them the perfect gift to share with your significant other this season. W is a light, sparkling scent with citrus top notes built into amber and sexy musk. M combines sandalwood and white musk with lime and bergamot top notes.

The prize:
W - A Sheer, Refreshing Fragrance for Women, $48.00
M - A Fresh, Woodsy Scent for Men, $48.00

To enter:
Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway