Cheap Tricks: E.L.F. Haul, Review, and Spring Tutorial

Spring has sprung on its merry little way, leaving us in the throws of Summer down here in the Deep South. Sure, we've only just bid farewell to the leprechauns, and the Easter Bunny won't hop into town for another week, but already flip-flops and shorts are costume de rigueur. Just don't dare pull out your white sandals till after a week from Sunday. We have standards.

Ah, heck, it's too hot to have standards. These days, I dress like a cross between Dr. Livingston and a GAP ad: khaki cargo capris and whatever white shirt is clean. It's really just too hot to wear anything more than that. Today, I have on a black sundress, and I feel like I'm about to die. God help us when we hit August.

Anyhoo, because it's too darn hot to wear real makeup, I pulled out my Bare Escentuals mineral foundation a few weeks ago. There's no danger of it melting off, and it won't clog my steamed-open-by-the-humidity pores. Unfortunately, there wasn't much left in the container, so I needed to re-order, but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to. I like the foundation, and it's the perfect shade (Fairly Light), but it's a little shimmery, and it feels weird to powder over powder. I wasn't super keen on spending $26 on something I didn't absolutely love. There had to be another option.

Well, there was. I remembered that a few years back I'd tried E.L.F.'s mineral foundation, and that it had been pretty good, but not my shade. I decided, what the heck, it's only $5, let's give it a shot. First, though, I emailed customer service for a little shade advice. Amazingly, they replied almost immediately with their recommendation for a BE Fairly Light dupe: Warm. Um...really? Well, why not? They should know, right? I added Warm to my cart, and tossed in a couple of other items to complete my haul.

I ordered:
Mineral Foundation in Warm ($5)
Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Deep ($3)
Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint SPF 8 in Blush ($3)
Essentials Glitter Eyeshadow in Flirt ($2)

All in all, a decent amount of stuff for a very small amount of money. Plus, I had free shipping.

Yeah, that's me. On a cellphone.
In the dark. With the crazy eyes.

So, this morning, I decided to try everything out and do a Springy look to hopefully trick my brain into thinking it's cooler outside than it actually is. I applied the Warm foundation with a Real Techniques buffing brush, then added concealer (Benefit Bo-ing) with a RT deluxe crease brush. Using a RT blush brush, I swept bronzer (Benefit Hoola) onto cheek bones, bridge of nose, forehead, temples, and chin, then down throat and decolletage. I filled in the eyebrows with E.L.F. Brow Kit in Medium, then tamed the brows with the Tame part of the Treat & Tame. Urban Decay Primer Potion went on each eyelid, up to the brows. On the lid, I applied E.L.F. Glitter Eyeshadow in Flirt up to the crease, then used UD Verve (from the Rollergirl palette) from crease to brow. UD 24/7 Eyeliner in Whiskey went on the top lash line, and UD shadow in Darkhorse (from the Rollergirl palette) was applied to the bottom lash line with a RT accent brush. Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes mascara went on top and bottom, and Stila blush (from the Urban Outfitters Pocket Palette, that apparently is no longer available. So...bubblegum pink along the cheekbone, with rose pink on the apples. Sorry about that) applied with a RT blush brush. I finished the look by swiping the E.L.F. Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint in Blush across my lips.

Now, the big question: how did everything work?

I'm going to start by saying that I was pleasantly surprised with how well the overall look turned out, and also with how well all of the inexpensive E.L.F. products worked by themselves, and in conjunction with the higher end brands. Individually:

Mineral Foundation: I'm really happy with this product, so far. It's a good bit thicker than the Bare Minerals, but the coverage is still sheer and light. Amazingly, Warm was the perfect shade for my skin tone, so when in doubt, ask the experts. I never would have picked that for myself, going off the online swatches. The finish is not matte, but it's nowhere near as shiny as the Bare Minerals, and I haven't had to blot at all in the several hours I've been wearing it. My only issue is the size of the container. It's much smaller than it used to be, and I could barely get my brush into it. Still, for $5, it's a steal. I may just transfer it to a larger container. 8 out of 10.

Eyebrow Treat & Tame: This scared me. I'd been warned that dark wouldn't be dark enough on my brows, so I went with the deep, but it's almost black! This is not for filling in sparse areas, so I still needed to use my brow kit for that, and paired with the Tame, I ended up with extremely dark brows. The thing is, it's not unattractive. This just does its job and does it well. The brush is firm and easy to use, and the formula did a great job of making my brows look groomed without making them too stiff. I'm not sold, but it's growing on me. 7 out of 10.

Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint: It's okay. That's pretty much all I can say. It's a nice color, but there's no moisturizing going on. The packaging is gorgeous, but aside from that, you'd be better off with Burt's Bees, MAC lip conditioner, or my favorite, Buxom Big & Healthy lip balm. 3 out of 10.

Flirt is on the lid, and UD is above.
Told you I'd get my brows done!

Essentials Glitter Eyeshadow: First of all, I'm not a fan of the Essentials line, usually. There are a couple of items I dig, but I'm more of a Studio girl. However, the word glitter was used, so I had to give it a go. This seems to be striving to copy Urban Decay's Stardust collection, and it's not bad. I mean, it's surprisingly not bad. The pigmentation is very good, and the glitter content--while not up to Stardust standards--is fairly high. The major selling point, though? Very little fallout. Just a little sparkle right under my eyes, and that's not necessarily unwelcome. The packaging is pretty awful, but what's in it is a find. 8 out of 10.

So, that's my haul, look, tutorial, and review. If you have any ideas for reviews, tutorials, or whathaveyou, let me know in the comments below. Just bear in mind that I'm not a makeup artist, just an enthusiast. I have very definite limitations, but I do love a challenge.

Hunting Season

"Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you"

Okay, so maybe that's a little melodramatic, but ever since I started my search for the perfect eyeliner, I've had Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf stuck in my head. Why should I suffer alone?

Photo Credit: Sephora

It all started with my Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner Pen ($22, Sephora). I loved it. It was amazing. It dried up. Fabulous as it may have been, it was also a little on the expensive side, so I didn't replace it. Then Smashbox sent me a sample of their Limitless Liner ($19, Sephora) pencil. It was pretty good, and I liked it okay, but not as much as the liquid. Considering it was about the same price as the liquid, I decided to keep looking.

Enter today's contender: Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Big & Bright Eyeliner in Intense Black. This came as part of a "Bright Stars" sample set from Bare Escentuals and Buxom, which also included a mini Buxom lipgloss in Dolly (dusty mauve), and an exclusive B.E. eyecolor in Starlight (light champagne rose). For $10 at Sephora, I couldn't resist.

I'll get to the rest of the set in a bit, but for now, let's focus on the task at hand and test out this liner ($14, Sephora), shall we? First of all, for a sample, the packaging is primo. You get a thick, black, easy to handle pencil with a black snap-on cap, all made of heavy duty plastic. The pencil also employs a self-sharpening twist mechanism, so you never have to worry about a dull tip. Unfortunately, I think mines twists a little too well. It managed to twist itself into the cap, breaking a piece off the pencil off in the process.

The makeup itself is very soft and creamy, which would make you think that it'll glide on easily. Not so. In fact, it more skips than glides. There's no tugging, but the line is not even at all. It does smudge nicely, but the trade-off is that it also transfers to your lid, even with a primer. While the color is that true black I wanted, I think I'll keep looking. Final Verdict: 4 out of 10. Bottom line, I'm not a fan and can't recommend this.

Next on the chopping block, Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Eyecolor in Starlight ($13, Sephora). Um...it's glitter. It's really pretty, finely-milled, not-even-slightly-teeny-boppery glitter, but it's glitter. Now, that's not a bad thing, if you like glitter (and I do), but I was expecting a pink champagne eyeshadow. There's almost zero color to this, much less anything you could call "rosy". Instead, I have a pot full of what can best be described as loose Urban Decay Stardust ($20, Sephora), but without the pigmentation. I happen to like Stardust, and UD doesn't have a transparent version (they have a nude and a white), so I can brush this over whatever shadow I want and make my own custom "Stardust" shadows. Beware, though, the fallout is strong with this one, so wear a good primer. Final Verdict: 7 out of 10. If you like glitter, you'll like this. Just don't expect any color.

Last in the package is Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Dolly ($18, Sephora). Now, I won't bore you with a review of this one. I took a look at this lipgloss back when the magic bag o' samples still existed. The gloss is, in a word, gorgeous, and I highly recommend it. However, the packaging for this mini-version is so tiny that the first time I used it, I lost the darn thing in my couch cushions. Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. The gloss is a knockout, but the eensy-weensy bottle is a joke.

As a package, Bare Escentuals Bright Stars seems like a good deal. For $10, you get to sample a liner, shadow, and gloss. Unfortunately, the only thing really worth having (unless you love glitter for glitter's sake) is the gloss. Final Verdict: 6.7 out of 10. Not a horrid deal, but I suggest skipping it. Grab a full-sized lipgloss for $8 more and call it a day.

Glow, Baby, Glow!

Hey folks! Today I have an update on the Smashbox deal, and the highly-anticipated (just go with it) Part II of the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum review!

 

First, to recap yesterday, Smashbox has a deal called "Let's Do Lunch", where on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you get a special bonus full-sized product as a gift with any purchase made from 9am to 2pm PST. Tuesday's gift was a $22 shadow liner, which is pretty darn nice, if you ask me. Today's is a $15 medium-sized gloss. Anyway, in addition to the gift, you also receive a bonus jumbo sample (the size of a deluxe 100-point sample at Sephora) and a mini-sample. Well, on top of that, I had another bonus sample--a mini reflecting lipgloss--mysteriously appear in my order confirmation. Where could that have possibly come from?

 

I'll tell you where. I found out today that if you sign up for Smashbox Pretty Points (which I did), you automatically get another bonus deluxe sample added to your order. That's where the gloss came from! Plus, you get five points for every dollar that you spend. When you hit 500 points, you get $10 to spend on the site. Oh, and did I mention free shipping on every order? Yeah, I'm in big trouble now.

 

Alrighty, now for Tarte Part Deux. In yesterday's review, I talked about wearing this product with makeup. Today, I thought I'd discuss wearing it alone, as suggested by the folks at Tarte. 

 

To recap, here's what Sephora says about this:

 

"Ideal for all skin types, this natural skin brightener is infused with Amazonian clay, vitamins, and tea extract to moisturize and replenish the skin. This healing clay completely neutralizes any negative skin condition so that you are left with a healthy, radiant complexion. Oily skin? Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place. Dry skin? This nourishing clay hydrates skin naturally to restore moisture so your makeup wears better, longer and truer. Use fingertips to apply a pearl-size amount alone or mix with your foundation."

 

I tried it with makeup, over my foundation, for a few days, and saw little to no difference in the luminosity of my skin, or in its condition. I achieved a better level of "glow" with a little bronzer and some mineral powder. 

 

Disappointed by that experiment, I thought I'd give wearing it alone a go. Last night, after I'd washed off my makeup, I applied the pearl-sized amount suggested to my clean skin. Um...wow. And not a good "wow". I looked like I'd been dunked in a vat of oil. Where I saw very little illumination with makeup, I sure as heck glistened without it! It was just too much. I decided that I'd give it a little while to calm down (I had just washed my face, afterall), and see how things looked in a couple of hours, before I went to bed. 

 

One Netflixed MST3K later (Ed Wood's Bride of the Monster, for the curious), I ducked into the bathroom to see how I looked...and was sad. It's just not flattering. Yes, the shine had worn down some, but my skin was nowhere near even. I'm not splotchy, to begin with, but this wasn't doing me any favors. Worse yet, the area under my eyes looked horrible! I don't have dark circles, but I do have hollow areas that I camoflage with concealer. Without makeup, they're not embarrassing, but they look better with, at least, a little foundation. With this, they looked sunken in. It was the first thing I noticed when I looked in the mirror. I was a shimmery zombie, and I must say, it's not my best look.

 

I immediately washed it off, put on my night cream, and went to bed. This morning, I didn't touch the stuff.

 

If you want an illuminating primer to wear under makeup (or even over, really), save $4 and get Benefit's That Gal. It's brightening, holds makeup in place, and makes skin look really pretty.

 

If you want a highlighter for cheeks, shoulders, or anywhere else you want to show off, save $3 and get NARS Orgasm Illuminator. It's a beautiful color that can even be used as a sheer liquid blush. I would use it on the entire face, due to the peachy-pink color, but it's gorgeous on cheeks and browbones. If you prefer powder to liquid, or just don't want to add any more color, LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil Free Luminizing Powder is amazing. Just don't use it all over your face. You won't save any money, but the effects are much more appealing.

 

Now, if you just want something to make you look airbrushed, you can save a whopping $13 (!!!) and get Bare Escentuals Hydrating Mineral Veil. It's hydrating (duh), absorbs oil, and has a slight shimmer that minimizes the look of fine lines. I use it every single day, and am completely in love with it.

If you're just begging for something to wear instead of makeup, though, I'd suggest a good tinted moisturizer. This Tarte stuff isn't it, but one I can recommend is Stila's Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer. It's actually $2 MORE than the Tarte, but at least it does what it says it does. It's lightweight, good for your skin, and has SPF 15. It's out of stock until June, but worth the weight. Fun Fact: During my time on the road, I had to wear heavy stage makeup every day, sometimes ALL day. In my off time, I wore this to give my skin a rest, and never had a breakout. Another Fun Fact: This now comes in an illuminating form. I haven't tried it, so I can't recommend it, but if anyone out there has used it, I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

She's a Witch! Burn Her!

So, I've spent most of the day a hot mess.  Jeans, sneakers, Springsteen t-shirt, no makeup, and my hair in a clip.  I think I may have startled some small children in the neighborhood.  Behold, the swamp witch!

Suffice it to say, we're still moving.  This makes day four, I believe, of trying to empty out a six-bedroom townhouse.  Had the weather been clearer, the wedding I sang been a ceremony and not a Mass, and the Falcons not played the Saints, we probably wouldn't be in this mess.  Instead, we have to turn in our keys Thursday morning, and the house is still full of stuff. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't spend the entire day cooped up out of sight, unpacking boxes.  I'd have been fine with that, but at some point, I had to rejoin the land of the living and be seen in public.  That meant that I needed to, at least, brush my teeth and put on some makeup.  I also only had about ten minutes to make myself presentable.  Great.  Luckily, when I set up the bathroom counter, I found an old makeup tray organizer and stocked it with the most used makeup from my train case.  This way, on busy mornings, I can just grab and go, and not have to wade through a ton of stuff.

Today, I learned a very valuable lesson, folks.  If you have good makeup in the right colors, you don't have to put any real effort, or even thought, into looking halfway decent.  This is, literally, step by step, how I got "cute" this morning. 

1)  Splashed cold water on my face (gas company hasn't hooked up the hot water yet.  Joy.) and slathered on a little Garnier Nutritioniste moisturizer.  The exact name escapes me at the moment, but I've never tried a Garnier moisturizer I didn't love. 
2)  Skipped the primer (no time, and really, who cares?  I'm moving.  You're lucky I went to this much trouble) and threw on some Benefit Some Kind of Gorgeous Foundation Faker.  Best. Stuff. Ever. for when you don't feel like wearing makeup.  A travel-sized container is $9 at Sephora, if you want to give it a whirl.
3)  Grabbed my Smashbox eyeshadow quad.  It's four matte neutral colors that define your eyes without making them look made up.  Sephora had it on sale for $6 a few months ago, so I snapped one up.  Unfortunately, you can't get it anymore.  My suggested replacement:  L'Oreal HiP eyeshadow duo in Dashing (matte lavendar pink with dark gray accent color) or Darling (similar name, I'm sorry.  Sparkly nude with medium brown accent color).  They run about $8 at drugstores everywhere.  Dashing is matte, like the Smashbox, and the colors are just enough to give you a polished look.  Darling is shimmery, but similar in color to the Smashbox, and both sets have wonderfully silky textures.  Added bonus, the darker colors can be used as liner as well.
4)  Used my E.L.F. Eyebrow kit to tame my always unruly brows.
5)  NARS Orgasm blush.  Always flattering.  It's a no-brainer.  Easy peasy.
6)  Benefit Erase Paste under the eyes and on any little blemishes that might have popped up (not that I would have any of those...).
7)  Light dusting of Bare Escentuals Hydrating Mineral Veil to set everything.
8)  One coat of Buxom Lash mascara.  All I had time for, and really, all you need most days.

And that's it.  I changed shirts (adorable Threadless tee with a cartoon Leia giving a cartoon Chewy a makeover), ran a brush through my hair (cold water rinses really do make your hair shinier.  I've had no choice in the matter, but can't argue with results), and that was that.  When I got in the car, I slicked on a little Buxom Lips in Clair.  Seriously, ten minutes tops, with no thought necessary.

My point is not the products or the shades, though these are all top-notch.  My point is that a good product in a good shade for you requires less work to apply and less thought, since you know it'll look great.  Grab some go-to products, toss them in an organizer, and keep them at the ready for days when you're running late or just don't feel like worrying about makeup.  I have all my other stuff (and will acquire more, probably this week, since the MAC Villain stuff comes out in stores on Thursday) in my train case, nearby, in case I need something other than what I have in the counter-side tray.  It's not gone.  It's not forgotten.  It's just out of the way of the everyday stuff, and my life is already easier for it.  I guess what I'm trying to say (badly, since my brain is fried and I tend to ramble) is that a little organization and forethought, as well as research and investment (as opposed to grabbing off the shelf out of necessity) can really cut the clutter and simplify your life.  That works not only for makeup, but pretty much every other aspect of life.  Let's cut the clutter, people.  I'm working on it, and I'll let you know how it goes.     

Just Try Explaining Anything Less Than an "A" To Your Parents.

This adorable zombie is only $5 at toofastonline.com!

Those of you who have been keeping up with this blog know by now that I recently wrapped filming on an indie movie.  It's called The Night Shift, and it's a supernatural adventure-horror-comedy.  Basically, it's Indiana Jones meets Ghostbusters, and it features a ton of absolutely adorable zombies. 

To get ready for the shoot, we had all the undead extras attend a one-day makeup workshop.  We called it "Zombie 101", and everyone learned how to apply greasepaint, create mottling, and play with what they wanted their characters to look like.  We all had a blast, but it was not necessarily what I would call "higher learning". 

Well, now you can attend Zombie 101 for real.  Although, technically, it's called English 333 at the University of Baltimore, and it's a heck of a lot more educational. 

The class is taught by Arnold Blumberg, curator of Geppi's Entertainment Museum, and author of Zombiemania.  The class will cover 16 zombie movies, from 1932's White Zombie to 2009's Zombieland, and will examine how the character of the zombie has evolved as a reflection of society.

Blumberg's class is not the first on the topic, and I dare say it won't be the last.  The first class was "Zombies in Popular Media" at Columbia College.   Now, Harvard Medical School professor Steven Schlozman, who has written on the neurophysiology of zombies, has hypothesized that the topic might make for an interesting philosophy class.  I know I'd take it.

Alrighty, enough about school and dead folks.  Now for the magic bag o' samples!  Previously, on Adorable Napalm, Erin tested out Bare Escentuals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Wild Honey, and was less than impressed.  What will she think of today's re-trial?  The shade up for evaluation:  Sugar Plum.  $15, Sephora.com.

So, yesterday I told you that Wild Honey felt wonderful, but that it really didn't show up on my lips.  Of course, that could have been because it was a very light color and just blended with my natural lip color.  Now that you're all filled in, let's continue.

Sugar Plum looks very dark.  It's a pinky plum, and thick.  You would think this would show up, and you would be wrong.  I had a difficult time applying the gloss because I couldn't see where I'd already put it.  There is no color, no shine, no anything.  It appears to be a wonderful moisturizer, and my lips looked natural, but polished, but I really can't see spending $15 on something that could be accomplished by a tinted drugstore lip balm.  Actually, after lunch (since I only had enough Sugar Plum for one application), I pulled out my $3 e.l.f. Mineral Lipgloss in Trendsetter, and ended up with an almost identical look, albeit slightly glossier (and I do mean slightly).

So, if you're okay with paying $15 for a lip balm, be my guest.  I just can't bring myself to do it.

Pretty Is As Pretty Does

Photo by Styleta

Here at Adorable Napalm, we discuss beauty, fashion, pop culture, and all things adorable.  As much fun as that is, sometimes I feel like I get so caught up in the cool, pretty products on here, that I ignore the fact that not everything in the world is fun, cool, and pretty.  Luckily, there is at least one group out there who has taken its love of fashion and turned it into a way to better the community and help out some budding designers along the way.

Styleta is an online boutique, specializing in designer clothing at fantastic discounts (i.e. $110 Guess heels marked down to $29.99!).  That, in and of itself, is really cool.  What makes it awesome, is that all clothing is donated--either by individuals, stores, or designers--and all sale proceeds go directly to non-profits and women's initiatives.  Now, what makes this exceptional, is that it's run by a bunch of college kids.

That's right.  According to their website:

Styleta is a nonprofit network of college students who collect donations of designer fashion to sell online in order to raise funding for women's initiatives. We utilize fashion and e-commerce as a new and innovative method of obtaining financial capital for charities. 

Well, now.  How about that?  Styleta has donation sites at Harvard, New York, and Indiana Universities, with pickup at select nearby locations.  You can also mail in small donations if you're like me, and not living in that area.  Don't think that makes this a run-of-the-mill thrift store, though.  Styleta prefers new or gently-worn, clean, stylish or designer in-season clothing.  No moth-riddled Christmas sweaters from 1978 here.

But wait!  There's more!  As if helping out non-profits wasn't enough, these guys are working to help new designers gain exposure through their site.  Right now, Styleta is sponsoring a competition, where some seriously talented fashion design students are duking it out to see which one will have their design auctioned off for charity.  Okay, so maybe "duking it out" is a little extreme.  The designs are posted, and you can vote for your favorite.  The designer with the most votes wins.  I already have my favorite, but I won't say which one. 

Oh, in case you're still not impressed, Styleta is also helping the environment.  Every item of clothing donated and sold through the site amounts to one less pound of trash being thrown into a landfill.  Is there no end to their awesomeness?

Alrighty, if you're just joining the fun over here at AN, I've been on a mission to actually use all the samples I've been hording for what seems like forever.  Today, I reached into the magic bag o' samples and pulled out Buxom Lips in Dolly.  Well, in Dolly and Amber, actually, but I can only wear one at a time.  Well, I could wear both together, but not for testing purposes.

If you've ever read this blog before, you know I'm a Buxom devotee, and Buxom Lips is about all I ever wear.  According to Sephora, Buxom:

Naturally creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips. This mineral-infused polish imparts a luminous high shine with no sticky or tacky feeling. A deep infusion of antioxidant vitamins A and E help keep lips soft, smooth, and protected, while the tingly and cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are getting an immediate increase in fullness.

I can't swear that it plumps anything (never known a plumper that did, really), but it feels fantastic, lasts a good, long time, and the shine is phenomenal.  It's my gloss of choice, and my first recommendation to anyone.

Dolly is very pretty.  It's described as "shimmering muted plum", and it's basically the more opaque version of my go-to favorite, Clair.  In the tube the gloss is purple, but on your lips it's a beautiful baby pink with a hint of blue.  Final verdict:  it's gorgeous.  $18, Sephora.com.

One more thing:  if you want to try Buxom, and you want to do something to make the world a better place, you can do both at the same time.  A portion of the proceeds from every sale of Charity, the cherry red shade in Buxom's diamond (sheer and sparkly) collection, goes to the American Heart Association.  Now, that's something to smile about.

Little Darlings

Photo by Sephora

In an attempt to justify my latest Sephora binge, I thought I'd highlight a couple of my new favorite things. These have the requisite adorable packaging, but are also just really darn good products, and, best of all, have sweet prices to boot.

Here we have Benefit's Some Kind of Gorgeous, and it's

easily the best foundation (although it's actually called a "foundation faker") I've ever used. It goes on like a cream, blends beautifully, and dries to a powder finish. I don't know about you, but living in the extreme humidity, the last thing I want is a heavy foundation that's going to melt off as soon as I walk through the door. I've tried tinted moisturizers, and only ended up shiny and greasy. Gorgeous is just enough foundation to, as I'm wont to say, keep you from scaring small children. I have used it by itself, over a light primer (Benefit's That Gal), and with just a dusting of powder to set it. In all three cases, I haven't had to so much as touch it up during the day. Plus, I think the record player

case is about as precious as you can get. A full size at Sephora, with mirror and application sponge nestled inside, will run you about $28. A trial size (pictured) is $9, or you can pony up an extra buck and get the Benefit To Go Bestsellers--a combination set with trial sizes of Gorgeous, That Gal, High Beam (a highlighter cream) and Posietint (a liquid blush/lipstain).

Next up is Buxom's Big & Healthy Lip Balm. It looks like a beach ball, but a really sophisticated beach ball--all silvery with an inlaid floral motif. Personally, I love the round shape, because it makes it easier for me to find floating around in my purse, and really, anything that can be

Photo by Sephora

found easily in that dark and terrifying void automatically gets put on my happy list. Anyway, back on topic, the lid twists off, and inside the lid is a surprisingly high quality mirror--a major plus for convenience--and the brightest, scariest color balm you will ever see. Seriously, it's a little off-putting at first, but don't let it run you off. Just hold my hand, take a deep breath, and we'll get through this together. The color goes on totally sheer. My favorite, Bora Bora, is a bright cherry red in the pot, but goes on just red enough to really accentuate my natural lip color. I think it's perfect for that natural look that's all the rage in the Summer. As with all Buxom lip products, it is supposed to plump up the lips. I can't really say that it does that all that well, but the tingling feels really nice, and it has a strong, but pleasant mint flavor. At $15, it's not the cheapest on the market, but for the amount you get (and a little goes a long way), it's not terrible, either.

So, those are my poolside picks for Fourth of July. No, they're not waterproof, but I have no intention of actually getting in the pool. Then again, my husband and brother are fond of water guns...any suggestions for a good waterproof mascara?