apple & bee makeup bags

I recently acquired a few new makeup and cleansing products for the winter and would love to get my hands on a new tote to carry everything around in.  Apple & Bee shop has the cutest assortment of make-up and toiletry bags  in fun prints and various shapes.

Prices range from $21.95 to $59.  These would make a fun and useful gift for the holidays too, don't you think?

shop found via Adore Home Mag

No more creases

Winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway, according to Random.org is...
lucky #12! Madamesoleil! Congrats and I'll be in touch with you soon.
Big THANK YOU to Shabby Apple for making great dresses and for sharing one with us!
~
There are some things in life that I've simply resigned myself to accepting, one of them being creasing eyeshadow (i.e. eyeshadow that looks fab when you first put it on but 4 hours later leaves this gunky line in the middle of my eye lid). Eeew, but it's simply been a thing for me, no big deal, right? Well, it wasn't a big deal until recently.

See, I won this giveaway on Iva Messy (wahoo!). I'd never heard of Illuminare Cosmetics, but the prize was pretty sweet- an eye kit with three creme eye shadows and two brushes. This mineral makeup has the added benefit of some serious sunscreen so I was pretty excited about trying it, but as for their promise of no creasing, well I was definitely skeptical.

All Day Eye Color Kit Special $48
There's nothing fancy about the packaging (in fact, it kind of reminds me of toothpaste). I decided to test this makeup on a Saturday, which for me means all day at the very warm vintage shop. The application was a little tricky as the products are thick and need some extra care for blending but the neutral colors are very pretty.
After a day of work, I skeptically peered at myself in the mirror ready to smudge out the crease lines and holy S%#* my eye makeup looked completely fresh! NO CREASES! Thinking this was a fluke of an application, I've worn this makeup everyday waiting for a crease and, alas, nothing.
I'm in awe...of an eye shadow...is that ridiculous? How am I supposed to go back to regular eye shadow when I've found one that doesn't crease?! Crap.
Do you have an eyeshadow that doesn't crease? Don't keep all of your tricks to yourself!

Giveaway: Mineralista Makeup

Remember that first giveaway that was some time ago and I asked you all what you'd like to see more of here at Down and Out Chic? Many of you responded that you want to see more beauty products which is why I've been looking forward to this giveaway for some time. The Mineralista is a small company that produces "all natural and in most cases vegan" mineral pigments and lip gloss.

Sadaf, lovely owner and producer of the beautiful make up, has the goal of bringing high quality mineral pigments to woman on a budget (that's me!) She offers an array of colors from bright and bold...
...to warm and neutral. The neat thing about these pots of color is that they can be used in more than one way: eyeshadow, liner, blush, bronzer, added to clear lip gloss, added to clear nail polish and "even your painting/craft ventures." I'm all about multi functional products and some DIY fun.
The Mineralista was kind enough to send me some samples so that I could bring you all an "informed" post. I tried to sample an array of color and I have to say all of them are absolutely gorgeous. Coraliscious (pictured above) is one of my favorites because it adds a warm glow and a little bit of sparkle without being too much. The nice thing about this product is you can layer as little or as much as you want.
I also really like Pink Ice because its a romantic, shimmery color that I tried on both my cheeks and eyes and it gave me a fresh, dewy look. The Mineralista offers samples for $1.15 so that you can try as many as you like before committing to a bigger jar.
So what's in it for you (you might be wondering?)
The Mineralista is offering, as a giveaway to one Down and Out Chic reader, the FULL, brand new, Peacock collection...that's 6 full sized jars of mineral makeup!
Here's the Peacock collection in it's entirety:
The possibilities are endless here and even if you're not a bold make up wearer, you could still lightly layer these colors or use them as eyeliner to personalize the look.
Entry is easy...
1) You must be a "follower" of Down and Out Chic to enter. If you can't or don't want to do this but still want to enter, shoot me an e-mail and we'll chat.
2) Hop over to the Mineralista and check out the full collection. Tell me what you think.
3) Leave a comment on THIS post and Random.org will choose a winner.
Everyone's eligible, even if you're a previous winner. Winner will be picked on Tuesday, May 19th around 6pm. Good luck!
~Christina

Guest Post at You Can Call Me Chris

{Today's going to be kind of a strange day here at Down and Out Chic so bear with me. I have a couple of guest posts going up and then later I will be announcing the winner of the most recent giveaway. If you haven't entered, it's not too late! My posts today will lead you to other people's blogs so please go visit and then let me know what you think!}

Christina (no I'm not talking in third person) from You Can Call Me Chris asked me to part of her Tried + True Series and, of course, I obliged.
If you want to know my favorite beauty products please click here, but I warn you, they're pretty simple... if you don't already read You Can Call Me Chris, please go check it out. This blog is on my daily reading list and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Good for you and the animals make-up brushes

Ok, so in between working my other two jobs this weekend (I know, right!?) I did some grunt work, my goal being to find the best cruelty-free make up brushes. I'm not here to preach to anybody about animal welfare b/c this isn't that type of blog and frankly it would be a VERY long post, but I do want to point out the other potential option for a tool most of us use everyday. As far as eco-friendly make up brushes go, there have been a lot more options hitting the market recently. Each of the products below boasts a different niche (i.e. recycled, environmentally conscious, etc) but they all share one thing in common: animal free. Some of you may wonder why this equates to "cruelty free" and my response would be that I could not find make-up brushes with animal hair that promised cruelty free standards. If you know of one, PLEASE leave a comment and enlighten me!

The first product is readily available at just about any drug store and is super affordable. This is the product in my makeup bag and I stand by it's quality (the brushes are super soft!)

Eco Tools 5 piece set $14.99

source: Drugstore.com
I think the marketing on these brushes is too cute (teddy bear hair?) but that's Too Faced for you.
Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair Professional Brush Set $62.50
source: Sephora
These actually have "vegan" in the title and the assortment is extensive.
15 piece Vegan Synthetic Makeup Brush Set w/Roll up case $69.95
source: The Brush Company
I personally wouldn't pay this much for brushes, but it's a good option for higher-end tools which are important if you're a make up artist.
Big Buddha Brush Set $100
source: Urban Decay
The Body Shop has a great reputation and if you're going to spend money on a brush, a foundation brush is where to spend it.
Foundation Brush $23source: The Body Shop
Suki is another popular alternative source for animal friendly products. I've never used them, but given the opportunity, I defintely would.
Suki Professional Brush Set $84.95
source: Saffron Rouge
A lot of people think products like this are silly b/c do they really make a difference? I encourage you to support companies that are standing against the mainstream in their treatment of animals b/c when the consumer decides it wants a better product, the manufacturer has no choice but to make changes. What do you think? Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any other options you'd like to share?

Mommy...Can I play with your makeup?

Do you ever just want to feel like a kid again? Sometimes I wish someone would just make some decisions for me. Well, that's not going to happen, but I could add some of these child like make up pieces to my collection. They're all cute and slightly nostalgic and they remind me of the days my sister and I would play with my mom's make up (but in the opposite way?). Funny how the grass is always greener on the other side...

Don't worry, the blue here acts to eliminate redness not make you look like a smurf.
Too Faced So Smurfy Illuminator $26
Want to get Barbie's "full look"? Here ya go...
Stila Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can 1971 Malibu Doll $40
source: Sephora
This type of nail polish might be suited for my nails b/c I can't seem to keep my fingernail polish from chipping after a couple of hours. My solution is to just not paint my nails.
Paint and Peel Trend Collection $9
Source: Sula Beauty {via Lucky Mag}
I used to collect EVERYTHING Hello Kitty when I was younger. MAC Cosmetics seems to like her too (but they charge a lot more than the $3 notepads).
Hello Kitty Dazzleglass $28 (from the Kitty Kouture collection)
Hello Kitty Soft Vanity Caser $55
source: MAC Cosmetics
What do you think about this 'genre' of make up? Do you find it endearing or a little silly? Would you buy one of these products?

**April's issue of Lucky Magazine features similar products.

Wake Up!

Yesterday morning, while I did my morning run to our local Kroger for "Cinnamon Roll Sunday", I ran across the Bright Eyes collection from Almay. I'd seen the ads when the new line first came out a few months ago, but wasn't entirely convinced that some neutral eye make up was going to do much for my olive-skinned, weary eyed, complexion. Well, needless to say, I decided to treat myself to the Bright Eyes liner/highlighter duo for $8.95:

I tried it this morning and was pleasently surprised see that not only is the darker shade the perfect balance between brown and black (too black makes me look akin to a racoon) but the highlighter, when placed on the inside corner of my eyes and below my eyebrows, really does brighten things up! Really! I've tried a similar eye brightening product from Benefit and I have to say that Almay really has outdone itself this time. For $8.95 you must try it. It comes in three different shades for my lighter and darker complexioned friends. Hopefully, after my normal two cups of coffee, I'll feel as awake as I look.