The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Beauty Review: Christopher Drummond Beauty


With the recent launch of some new products to the Christopher Drummond Beauty makeup collection—an innovative line created by former model and professional makeup artist Christopher Drummond—the company sent me free sample sizes of a few of their products to test and review. This line prides itself on being "100% natural, vegan, made with organic ingredients." I like it because it's great makeup.

The newest product to become a part of the Christopher Drummond line is the (2) Revitalizing Facial Serum ($55), which contains the "breakthrough" organic ingredient DMAE along with carrot extract, meadow foam extract, aloe, sugar cane and vitamins. This product certainly seems to have the ability to do it all! Firm, lift, tighten, hydrate, exfoliate and fight the effects of aging (whew!). Of course, only time will tell if this product can deliver on all its promises, but what I can say with certainty is that it feels great going on, absorbs into the skin nicely and leaves no greasy or sticky feeling in its wake. If I could afford to drop $55 on this stuff, I would, but I can't…so I won't.

Beauty Review: Everday Minerals Shady Stroll Collection Eyeshadow



Shady Stroll Collection eyeshadow quad, $10 at everydayminerals.com


Mineral makeup is here to stay, and I definitely think that Everyday Minerals is here to stay too. I recently received a complimentary product from their line to review, namely, the Shady Stroll Collection ($10 at everydayminerals.com). This eyeshadow quad includes four colors with hints of shimmer: grey, navy blue, purple and cream. These colors are versatile since they can take you from day to night, depending on how you apply them. Plus, you get loads of pigment (a little goes a long way, the mark of a good eyeshadow) and the brush that's included actually works really well in terms of applying and blending. With this particular collection, I loved the way I could create a subtle, smokey eye that accentuated my blue/green irises.

Since makeup is such a visual, artistic endeavor, I wanted to mention how cool the Everyday Minerals website looks, too. Combined with the poetic names they give their colors, the whimsical illustrations adorning the site make you want to be a part of their world. The colors and textures make you feel more like you're playing with an artist's palette than with makeup. With names like "Anna Karenina" and "Bubble Tea," how can you resist?

Delicious marketing aside, when I get a freebie, the question I ask myself is, would I buy this product again if I had to drop my own money down for it? And the answer in this case is a resounding yes. I think $10 is a very reasonable price to pay for a high quality eye-shadow quad (it's comparable to what you'd pay for Sonia Kashuk at Target, less than what you're pay for MAC at a department store). In the future, I hope to try products from the rest of their line too.

P.S. You can try a bunch of Everyday Minerals samples for just $5 each (or get one FREE with any purchase).

Kiki Bella
xoxo

Special Beauty Bulletin: Don't Go Pigment Happy!!!



Posh's new neighbors need a makeover, fast.

Posted by The Budget Babe's Beauty Expert

Please tell me I wasn't the only person to watch Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham's Coming to America (amusing show btw, and she rocks some fierce shoes!).

Alrighty then.

Amid the British invasion insanity, Posh brought to light an important issue while visiting with her neighbors the Beverly Hills Socialites: frightening amounts of red lipstick. What are these women thinking? Just because you can afford to go through a tube of lipstick a day doesn’t mean you should.

Where those with money seem to fail, we the budget babes of the world must step up. Less is often times much more, so please note that unless carefully planned out (i.e., goes harmoniously with other minimal makeup) please avoid fire engine red lipstick.

Instead, opt for L’Occitane Tinted Balm in Wild Rose. Made with beautifully soft shea butter, this tinted balm has just a hint of pigment that works on both cheeks and lips for a natural looking color (natural being the operative word). It's perfect for summer and literally lasts forever. I’ve had my diminutive jar for almost two years and use it daily on my cheeks, which makes it a steal at $13.00. Also comes in lighter and darker shades to suit your every need.

Keeping you lovely for less,

The Budget Beauty Babe

Love the Shoes You're In with Foot Petals

Posted by The Budget Babe's Beauty Expert

Like most women interested in fashion, I have a love/hate relationship with shoes. Love is the only word that can be used to describe the initial response to a glorious pair of heels. The sexy spike of the stiletto, the oomph of the wedge, the beauty of the boot—these are the things dreams are made of. Only difference is that in my dreams, I can wear them for longer then twenty minutes without cursing under my breath from the horrid pain they inflict on my poor feet.

That’s where the hate part of the relationship comes in. Just two weeks ago I found myself screaming at a pair of brown suede pumps in the subway, "WHY?!!!! Why must you be so tempting and then hurt me this way?!" Needless to say, my fellow riders gave me the you’re-the-reason-people-fear-public-transportation look.

That night at home while soaking my tootsies in a warm bath, I decided that the relationship between me and my shoes needed professional help...