The Sneaky Way to Get Discounted Makeup

Well… not really. LOL. As you all know by now, I am a lover of discounts especially when it comes to makeup and other items. During my search for the perfect discount, I have come across a few ways to get really good discounts on popular makeup brands. Some I already have – and others I hope to get sometime in the near future. All of these brands are quite popular with both the beauty junkies and people who live in the real world. So far there have been a few different ways to get discounts, and this guide will help you get them.

Becoming a brand Representative. This allows you to sell the brand to other people. Becoming a Rep allows you to purchase products at a substantial discount.

NYX Cosmetics – You guys HAD to know that this one was going to be on the top of the list. Well, if you sign up with NYX under the “B” Option, then you will get a huge kit with full sized samples. The kit now costs $100, but the kit that you receive is worth over $600 and you get a permanent 50% discount on all NYX products. That makes it a great steal. You can get more information on this program by searching through my NYX posts.

Mark. Cosmetics – Mark. is the baby sister of Avon. A couple of years ago I was talked into signing up with Avon to be a Rep. Lets just say that AVON is not all what it’s cracked up to be, and that being a Rep basically sucks unless you live and breathe Avon. However, this isn’t about AVON and signing up with them as a Rep. This is about signing up to be a MARK. Rep. It can cost either $10 or $20 to sign up with the brand. Mark. Reps get a permanent discount of 40% off cosmetics and skincare and 25% off jewelery and clothes. This is great, because Mark. produces some really great products and it would be very easy to recoup your $10 or $20 investment. I personally plan on signing up to be a Mark. Rep within the next couple of weeks, so that is something I am looking forward to. If you want more information on becoming a Mark. Rep, click here.

Getting a PRO discount. This one is a little bit harder than just signing up as Rep for brand. You have to have some sort of proof that you are a “Professional” Makeup Artist. This doesn’t always mean that you have to have a license, but proof that you have done some sort of makeup application at a wedding or for a play… you get the idea. Some PRO discounts are easier to get than others….

Nixie Cosmetics – Nixie is an up and coming makeup brand that is being heralded as the second coming of MAC. If you don’t believe me – checkout some Nixie tutorials on Youtube. Anyway – Nixie is offering a PRO discount of 40% off all products to anyone who has proof of being a makeup artist. One of the proofs that you can use is having a business card. The discount costs $15 and you can get more information about it here.

MAC Cosmetics – MAC has their own PRO discounts that offer a range of discounts from 20% to 40%. The 20% discount is for makeup students and the 40% is for the professional makeup artists. To get more information on their PRO programs, click here.

VIP or Brand Loyalty Programs. Some sights and companies offer discounts to customers who join a yearly program for a price and then that person gets a preset discount for the entire year. The price and discount differs for each company.

Spell Cosmetics. This is a relatively new mineral makeup company that has a lot of beauty junkies going crazy over. They offer a yearly program called Spell Girl VIP Membership and for $12 a year, you can get free shipping on any sized order and 25% off everything in the store. You also get a freebie with your membership which is either a shirt or a mineral eyeshadow. I personally plan on getting this membership soon! I am looking forward to trying this brand out. You can sign up for this program here.

Whole Sale Companies. Believe it or not, it is possible for regular customers to order from certain whole sale companies, however, the sites that I am going to mention require a minimum purchase amount. However, the sites are completely worth the min. purchase and I highly suggest ordering from these sites.

TKB Trading – This is a popular secret among the beauty bloggers and rightly so. This is a whole sale site that sells mineral makeup pigments and micas for a dirt cheap price. You can purchase TABLESPOON sized samples from this site for $1.50. For those of you who are not quite sure how much product this actually is, a tablespoon could easily fill a 20 GRAM jar with left over product. TKB Trading also sells empty sifter jars in 5, 10, 20 and 30 grams for a low price. There is a $20 min purchase and a $2 flat shipping rate. You can check out the site here.

Auraline Beauty – This is the newest site I’ve come across. This site is a whole sale site, that is believed to be one of the whole sale sites that supplies Coastal Scents with their AMAZINGLY popular palettes. They also sell cheap empty palettes that fit MAC sized eyeshadows. These palettes run about $7 and you can get a 15 slot palette and a 28 slot palette. The slots in the palette are slightly bigger than the MAC eyeshadows. However adding magnets to the bottom of the palette and the eyeshaows fix this problem. This site also sells makeup brushes, and while I have personally never played with them, I’ve heard good things about the quality, and most of the brushes are between $4 and $15, which makes them quite the steal. This site requires a $50 min purchase, so this may not be a normal spot to shop, but there is a $3 flat rate shipping fee, which makes it quite a nice place to shop, especially for the Coastal Scents palettes. You can check out this site here.

Happy discount shopping!

ShopSmart Tests Reveal Beauty Staple Standouts

ShopSmart Tests Reveal Beauty Staple Standouts

—January Issue Features Ratings for Blow Dryers, Straightening Irons and Mascara—

YONKERS, NY – If you’re looking for a good blow dryer, hair straightener or mascara, you don’t need to spend a lot of money – that’s according to the latest lab tests results of these products by ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports.

“You can pay anywhere from $20 to $200 for a blow dryer or a straightening iron, but it doesn’t really matter what you spend. ShopSmart found standouts at both price points that will give you plenty of great hair days,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief, ShopSmart. “The same goes for mascaras, so before you reach for that department-store brand, check out our smart picks.”

Blow Dryers

Winner: CHI Pro Dryer GF 1505, $80.19

ShopSmart tested 10 models of blow dryers on swatches of human hair in an environment chamber (to keep temperature and humidity steady).  Additionally, a panel of 10 staffers used the dryers at home. Despite big differences in price and wattage (ranging from 1,300 to 1,875), drying time did not vary much. But once noise and other features were factored in, ShopSmart found three standouts. ShopSmart’s smart splurges include the CHI Pro Dryer GF 1505, $135 and Bespoke Labs T3 Featherweight 83808-se, $200. The bargain buy, Revlon’s Ionic Ceramic Pro Stylist RV484, $20, had one bonus pricey dryers lacked, separate heat and speed settings so you can control temperature and airflow. It, along with the CHI, comes a diffuser and concentrator.

Straightening Irons

Winner: Infiniti Nano Silver by Conair SS9, $100

Nine straightening irons were tested in a humidity chamber and nine staffers tried them at home. Results of in-house tests and user feedback revealed that these products claims of ionic, tourmaline and nano silver technology did not make a difference in straightening performance. ShopSmart’s choice for smart splurge, the Infiniti Nano Silver by Conair SS9, $100, had all three features, but the bargain buy, Revlon Perfect Heat Ceramic RVST2001C, $30, had none. Paying a higher price also did not guarantee a better straightener and neither did the brand names. Conair was the maker of the top and bottom rated models while the CHI Ceramic GF-1001, $130  was the second-most-expensive straightener tested but did not rate anywhere near the top.

Mascaras

Winner: Lancome Definicils $24.00

Thirty-four women tested 16 lengthening and/or thickening formulas of mascara. While the top-rated wand was the more expensive Lancôme Definicils, $24another very good choice was the affordable Max Factor Lash Perfection Volume Couture, $7. Another surprise was how beauty magazine staple Maybelline Great Lash Washable mascara fared in the tests. While it rated very good overall, several panelists said it was nothing special and some complained about clumps.

The full reports on blow dryers, straightening irons and mascaras are featured in the January 2009 issue of ShopSmart magazine.

About ShopSmart magazine:

Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon Consumer Reports’ celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. The magazine features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and “best of the best” lists. ShopSmart is ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. Subscriptions are now available at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

Twilight + MAC = <3

I recently found out that MAC supplied the makeup for Twilight (which opens in a WEEK). There is an article floating around the beauty blog-o-phere in where  Jeanne Van Phue, Makeup Department Head for Twilight sits down and discusses the trials and tribulations of having to do the makeup on a wet RPattz and crew. I enjoyed the interview so much, that I thought I would post it for all of you to see.

Q: What was the process for creating the various characters’ looks?
A: Katherine Hardwicke, the director, and I have previously worked together on a movie called Lords of Dogtown, so we know each other very well. I began by preparing sketches of my vision, keeping in mind the descriptions Stephanie Myers (Twilight’s Author) set forth in the books.

Bella’s (Kristen Stewart’s character) description in the novel is very pale and extremely beautiful with large chocolate brown eyes, so she wore colored lenses every day. I also pictured her as a natural beauty, which is exactly what Kristen is. I used a light hand while applying all neutral colors to make her look as though she had no makeup on.

Edward’s (Robert Pattinson’s character) description in the novel is impossibly handsome almost god-like. His skin is marble-pale, hard as stone and ice cold, but perfect and flawless. Edwards’ eyes are described as topaz colored when he is normal and black like onyx, when hungry.

Q: Were there any changes to the looks of the characters that weren’t planned?
A: At the beginning, Katherine Hardwicke visualized Edward with long hair, yet after studying his face and jaw line in the makeup test, the decision was made to go with short hair to accentuate his amazing jaw line.

Q: What was the overall look of the makeup in this movie?
A: All the vampires had to be pale, but I didn’t want them to look to ghoulish, somewhere between Sweeney Todd and Interview with the Vampire. The choice was made for a denser, more opaque look for the supporting vampires and a lighter look for the leading man.

The challenge was they still had to look beautiful and handsome. The key was striking the delicate shading balance. We had two weeks of makeup test. This is the time for a makeup artist to unleash their imagination.

During the testing Katherine let me know when I was on the mark. Katherine has a fabulous eye for detail and everything I did had to be approved by her.

Q: Were there any other challenges you encountered while working on location in Portland, Oregon?
A: The rain was a huge challenge. We were outside, and it rained the entire time we were there. Most of the shots were exterior; trying to fix makeup in the rain with wet faces and wet brushes was difficult. In the end, I must say I loved working on this movie, it challenge my creativity as never before. The cast was such a great group of talented young actors.

Q: What were your non-makeup related responsibilities in terms of creating this look?
A: Another one of my jobs was too find a contact lens specialist. So I called upon the expertise of Cristina Patterson Ceret  FX lens/painter from Professional VisionCare.

Q: What M·A·C products did you use on the film Twilight?
A: The M.A.C products I used on this film were eye shadows and powder for our principles. We had several other characters and day players I used M.A.C. foundations, lipsticks and blushes.

Q: How long have you used M·A·C products?
A: In 30 years as a makeup artist in my career and over 50 movies, M·A·C products have played an integral part in my work. I have probably used all of them at one time or another. I choose the cosmetics based on their skin tone and whether they are oily or dry. It also depends on how the product reacts to their particular skin type.

M·A·C Makeup used on Bella played by Kristen Stewart

• Blot Powder/Pressed in Light
• Eye Shadow on Blanc Type, Flute and Wedge

M·A·C Makeup used on Edward played by Robert Pattinson

• Blot Powder/Pressed in Light

CVS: Beauty 360

It looks like CVS is getting ready to step up their game big time with the opening of their Sephora – like addition called Beauty 360. The first store is slated to open in an East Coast city at the end of the year, with another store opening on the West Coast a few weeks later in early 2009.

To get the full scoop head on over to WWD Beauty. I personally am excited about this and I think it will be a great thing, especially for people who can’t always get to a Sephora.

How to Develop A HUGE Stash on a Small Budget

I am by no means a wealthy girl, in fact I work at a small hotel earning $7.00 an hour doing front desk work. However this does not stop me from having one HUGE stash of makeup and nailpolish! Friends of mine who have been privileged with the chance of seeing my collection up close and personal have walked away shaking their heads in awe at the size of my stash.

I do plan on taking pictures of everything, but I’m still in the process of organizing it, which is taking FOR-EV-AR for me to do. But one of these days I WILL have a collection with pics posted for you!! However, my collection itself is not the purpose of this post, it is how to build a collection like mine in a short amount of time.

I know it sounds odd, that I am writing a post on this topic, because every woman and girl knows how to buy makeup. But over the past year, I have been able to gather many tips and tricks along the way on how to get good quality makeup for a damn good price.

• My first rule of advice is to be open to trying new brands. You will not very far with my help if you are a label snob. If you use MAC only, then there is nothing that I can do for you. I feel that MAC is extremely overrated and that you can find similar quality in other brands.

• Don’t be afraid of shopping at drugstores / big box stores. MANY, many of my finds come from CVS, Walgreens, K-Mart and occasionally Target. I do not have an Ulta near my house, YET!

• Coupons!!!! I am one of those people who tries to buy a Sunday paper every week in order to go through the coupon section for makeup deals. Sometimes this can be a gamble because one week you will get one two or three really good coupons for Max Factor, Cover Girl, Revlon or L’Oreal and other times nothing. If you come across a really good coupon that you know you will use, such as a B1G1 Free deal, head on to e-bay to see if you can score more of those coupons. I was recently turned on to buying coupons on ebay when I discovered you could get many coupons for a couple of dollars, which is a good investment, if you know you are going to use the majority of them.

• KNOW which products each brand does best and which ones are the worst. By knowing this, you can work B1G1 Free deals quite easily, and get the best products for the lowest amount of money. You would not want to waste a deal on chalky no pigmented eyeshadows when you could have spent that money on really good lippies. I’ve personally learned this over the past year. I’ve certainly come home with some stinkers. A lot of it is trial and error, but with the help of the many beauty blogs and websites available, you will be able to navigate the beauty aisle better.

• Mineral Makeup!!! Hands down, MMU is one of the BEST discoveries I have made in the beauty universe. I’ve always been a fan of loose eyeshadows, (I have over 20 MAC full sized piggies) and through the independent mineral makeup companies on the internet, I have been able to buy a ton of eyeshadows through several companies for very little cost. Everytime I come across an interesting makeup company, I always sign up for their newsletter and I then wait for them to have a sale. Then I take advantage of starter kits and sample kits, where you can usually get a lot for very little. One of the best things about mineral eyeshadows and blushes is that they are typically very pigmented and a little can last a very long time.

I hope these few tips help you with developing your own quality stash for a reasonable price. I know that my tips and tricks won’t help everyone, but I hope at least some of you can benefit. I plan on expanding on my tips in future posts, so be on the lookout for that!!

NYX: A Beginner’s Primer

As all of you know, I’m a HUGE NYX fanatic and I have loved everything that I have gotten from this company so far. I was introduced to this company though Makeup Talk.Com one of the greatest makeup forums on the internet today. I got my first NYX product last summer, which was Mega Shine lipgloss in Natural. This lipgloss has then gone on to become my HG l/g for nude lips. This one gloss hooked me onto the brand, and from there I have spent the past year or so learning all I possibly could about this hard to find budget beauty!

After trying many, many products from this company, I feel that I am perfectly qualified to break this brand down for someone who has never tried anything from this brand before. NYX is a full range line of cosmetics that includes several types of lipstick, lipgloss, nail polish, bronzers, blushes, eyeshadows, mascara, foundations, concealers, false eyelashes and so much more. In my opinion, NYX surpasses most, if not all of the drustore brands and rivals the higher end department store luxury brands in quality and selection.

One of my goals for this blog is to turn it into a comprehensive resource for all thing NYX. It gets very frustrating at times to do a search for NYX only to come up with random bits of information. I hope to look at every aspect of the brand and help clarify any confusion that may come up when browsing through the catalog or website.

Here is a short break down of what NYX offers, I will be going into more detail in the future

Eyes

Eyeshadows:

Pressed:

• Singles
• Ultimate Pearl
• Trios
• Glitter Cream Palette

Loose:

• Chrome
• Loose Pearl
• Glitter Powder

Mascara:

• Doll Eye
• NYX Mascara

Eyeliner:

Pencil:

• Double Sided Eye Pencil
• Jumbo Eye Pencil
• Slim Eye/Lip
• Auto Pencils Eye/ Lip
• Long Pencils Eye/ Lip
• Glitter Mania Jumbo Pencil

Liquid:

• Felt Tip Liner
• Liquid Eye Liner
• Glitter Liner
• Candy Liner

EyeBrows:

• Eyebrow Cake Powder
• Auto Eyebrow Pencil

False Eyelashes

Lips:

Lipstick:

• Diamond Sparkle
• Round
• NYX Professional
• Tinted Lip Spa

LipGLoss:

• Diamond Sparkle
• Mega Shine
• Brush On
• Fruit GLoss
• Glitter GLoss
• Lip Balm
• Sheer Tube GLoss
• Super Volume Lip Pumper
• Sheer Gloss
• NYX Girls Round

Lip Liners:

• Jumbo Lip Pencil
• Long Pencils Eye/Lip
• Slim Pencils Eye/ Lip
• Auto Pencils Eye/ Lip

Face/ Body:

Foundations/ Loose Powder/ Bronzer:

• Liquid Makeup
• Twin Cake Powder
• Loose Face Powder
• Body Bronzer

Concealer:

• Concealer Jar
• Concealer Stick
• Concealer Magic Wand

Blushes:

• Mosaic Powder
• Cream Blush
• Powder Blush

Glittery Products:

• Spray Body Glitter
• Glitter Wand
• Glitter On The Go

Nails:

• Girls Polish
• NYX Polish
• Oasis Nail Treatments

Tools:

Bags:

• NYX Brush Belt
• Professional Bag
• NYX Bags

Makeup Brushes:

• NYX Brushes
• Professional Brushes

Miscellaneous:

• Tank Top / Fleece Pants
• Makeup Sponge and Puffs
• Eye Lash Curler
• Sharpener
• Blotting Paper

Black Label:

• Compact Powder
• Lipstick

When I said NYX had an extremely wide range of products, I wasn’t joking! LOL!

Luxe vs Less: Pureology vs. The Body Shop

One of the lovely writers at Specktra Beauty News wrote a FANTASTIC article pitting Pureology’s Nanoworks Restorative Hair Treatment ($40) against The Body Shop’s Brazil Nut Moisture Mask ($14).

If you want to check out the article and it’s very surprising findings, head on over to Specktra Beauty News NOW!

Bust The Bank or Bide The Budget: Hair Conditioning Treatments

Black Listed: Total Beauty’s Lowest Rated Products

Here is yet another amazing article from Total Beauty, this on products you should avoid completely. Many of these products are actually higher end products, including Nars and Bobbi Brown. So check this list twice before you head out to the store!

Total Beauty: Lowest Rated Products

Luxe vs Less: Total Beauty: Nail Polish

Here is another Total Beauty article that I have come across that compares high end to lower end to see which one truly reigns supreme. This article takes on some the most talked about nail polishes from MAC, Shu, Chanel, Dior and more, and compares them to their drugstore rivals.

Which ones shine brighter than the rest? Check out the article to see!

Total Beauty: Luxe vs Less: Nail Polish

Luxe vs Less: Hair Care

Total Beauty has once again supplied us with a great article on hair care, and is it really better to purchase Salon brands or are the cheaper versions just as good or even better. I was quite surprised at the findings that were reported in this article, and I think that you will be too!

Total Beauty: Luxe vs Less: Hair Care

This post will also kick off another series called “Luxe vs Less” in which I personally compare two products, one lower end and one higher end against one another. I will also include articles written about this subject as well.