Joe Fresh $5 vs $12 Shadows - Is There A Difference?

I recently bought some eyeshadows from Joe Fresh. I really was digging some of these shades and decided it was worth breaking my "I dont buy single shadows" rule (because I never wear them, I just grab a palette) for. I realized as I was grabbing them that they were more than what I would typically expect to see for Joe Fresh items. It was only as I was walking away that I realized that they were the limited edition collections and that the regular ones were less than half the price. So I HAD to pick up a $5 shadow as well as the $12 ones so that I could see the difference. Or if there was one.

These two are part of the Future Effects collection. $12 each.

Here is one from the basic collection. Meaning it comes in at a mere $5. I think its even less if you buy multiples. 3 for $12 or something like that? Not quite sure, but its less if you buy more.

And these are three of the four from the Spring Pastel Palette collection. Also $12 shadows.

So with that, is there a difference? Yes. The difference is the $12 ones come in plastic packaging that is silver and the regular ones come in a clear plastic case. To be honest that is really the ONLY difference I could find between them.

Across the board the quality didn't wow or excite me on ANY of them. They were not at all bad, but nothing that makes me jump for joy. From my limited experience with drugstore beauty (lets be honest, almost nothing I buy or use is drugstore or has been in MANY years) these are on par with the offerings. Which is fine. And that is not to say that I don't think there are FABULOUS drugstore products out there that rival the luxury brand offerings. There are. I just have little patience to seek them out.

BUT - if you are going to charge more than 220% of the cost for a limited edition one, it sure as hell better be WORTH the price difference. And these are not. And they are not even a BIT better in quality which frankly pisses me off. There is no excuse for such an exorbitant price hike for the same quality. A dollar or so more, fine. Limited edition has a value (or a perceived value) that gives a brand some room to up a price. Yes, these are still affordable, but that to me is really neither here nor there.

Almay Wake Up Liquid Foundation Review

I have never tried Almay foundations before this. I have never even looked twice at them. But it was $18.99 on sale for $8.99 and I had a $5 off coupon. For $4 I not only had to buy one to try, I had to buy one for my mom to try. Easy to choose the right shade for her. Lightest shade available. She is a shade or two darker than me, so most drugstore foundations work for her.

I have to say, I did not hate this, though I did not like it. Should have read reviews on it and saved $4! But hey, it was only $4. I understand why everyone on makeupalley rates it a 1 or 2.

The wear on this was not great, but it wore off evenly and kinda just faded away. It lasted about 6 hours. The good thing was that it did not get patchy and uneven as it faded or melted away. It also has NO coverage. I would call this more a tinted moisturizer than a foundation. It is extremely light coverage (my Bobbi Brown Extra Light Tinted Moisturizer has more coverage) and as you can see in the pictures my blemishes show through. All this really does is even out the redness in my skin and even that only lasts a few hours before it starts to go bye bye. In these pictures I am wearing it with bush, lipstick and eyeshadow. No concealer or anything else on my face.

Maybelline Master Prime Primers!

I have to say, I have not tried these at all yet or even seen them. I also have not been looking for them. That changes now. I have to say I am quite interested to try these out. I would love to put them up to the test alongside either the MUFE of smashbox ones! And OBVIOUSLY the green one would be the first one for me to grab!!

Have you guys tried any of these three primers? If so I would LOVE to know what you guys think of them! While not big on drugstore beauty in general, there are definitely gems out there and great budget finds. And of the drugstore products I do have, the big winners have been Maybelline. I do love the Instant Age Rewind Eraser (the brightening one) and the color tattoos!

New Garnier Fructis Style De-Constructed Texture Tease Review!

Let me start by saying I do not usually use drugstore products. I find them less likely to be silicone free, I find they usually don't work as well as higher end ones, and they have to usually be purchased to be tried. I get sent samples of higher end products all the time, and Rusk, Phillip B, Oribe, Bumble and Bumble, Living Proof and others I get as samples in boxes or in stores and can try before buying. In a drugstore you have to buy it and hope you like it. For every 10 drugstore products I try, I am impressed by one or two. Which is why I simply stopped buying them.

But the Garnier haricare was on sale for $2.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart last week and I had $1 off coupons. So that made them $1.99. For $1.99 I was willing to try!

And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this product! It has Calcium carbonate for texturizing and polyvinylcaprolactam for volume in it. AND NO SILICONE! And apparently Allure Beauty gave it an award for best of 2014! The instructions are just like that of any texture spray:

And like every other texture spray out there, you need a LOT of it. So to find a product for $4 (I paid $2!!) that works as well is amazing! The smell is strong and kind of fruity but fades quicky, And the number one test before it goes on my hair:

In the above picture you can kind of see a big circle that has no pores, lines or anything visible on my hand. and in the below picture that same circle seems kind of wet? That is the product. ITS CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!! No white or chalky product to be seen on the hair!! HUZZAH!

Now for a before and after picture: Before I put it in:

And right after I put it in. So in my hair right now is NOTHING other than the conditioner I used to wash my hair this texture spray.

I also did not use nearly as much texture spray as I tend to when using other brands. Now obviously I would use a bit of a curl balm or serum or something to get rid of the frizz at the top near the scalp, But overall, I am IN LOVE with this product. If you want volume and texture (though the texture part is hard to capture on camera when my hair is so curly) I HIGHLY recommend running out and picking up a bottle of this! Garnier hit it out of the park with this product! 

Flare Beauty Box On Sale Now!

The Flare Beauty box is only $9 and its on sale now with free shipping!

Included in this FLARE Beauty Box is:

• PANTENE PRO-V Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo (full size 140 g)
• PANTENE PRO-V Ultimate 10 BB Crème (full size 151 mL)
• COVERGIRL Clump Crusher by lashblast™ mascara - Very Black (full size 13.1 mL)
• OLAY Ultra Moisture Body Wash (travel size 50 mL)
• OLAY Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Mini Jar (travel size 4.8 mL)
• CLAIROL Nice 'n Easy Coupon, up to a maximum of $16.00

CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS!

MUA On THIS Side Of The Pond

Not in this COUNTRY, but check out what I saw at CVS the other day. I have been very fortunate to be travelling a lot lately, and I was just back in the United States and look what I saw?!!

Quo Face Palette

Another new face palette is this one. Much smaller than that GINORMOUS one that I showed you earlier today. In it comes 3 blushes, two bronzers, and 16 shadows. Very nice shade range.

At only $22 this is such a great budget friendly price for what you get, and while the bronzers seem far far far too dark for my glow in the dark skin, its a good mix of matte and shimmer, and enough range for day looks, night looks and in between!