Best Drugstore Beauty Finds

Sometimes you don’t have an extra $64 laying around for that fabulous Armani Luminous Silk foundation; you just need a product that’s affordable and WORKS! That’s where the drugstore is your best friend. Over the years, drugstore brands have gotten better and better- it’s surprising the quality makeup you can find for such accessible prices. Here are some tried and true drugstore best sellers, award winners, and favorites that will prove you don’t always need to spend a lot of money to get an awesome product.

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First up, the Covergirl TruNaked eyeshadow palette. The softness, high pigmentation and supreme blendability of this shadow is kind of unbelievable for $9.99. The line of 8 palettes offers surprising and creative color combinations that will make you want to buy them all.

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Above shade in Peach Punch

Above shade in Peach Punch

Revlon PhotoReady perfecting foundation primer is a multi-tasker. Not only does it instantly mattify, it also reduces the appearance of pores and gives your skin an overall smoothness and even texture, making the perfect canvas for foundation. Truly on par with some $30 primers!

Such a deal at Target

Such a deal at Target

Rimmel London 1000 Kisses Stay On Lip Liner. The wear is incredible, and at about $4 a pencil, you can have one in every color! They glide on smoothly and stay put for hours. One shade that I always have in my makeup kit is Spice.

Find it Here

Find it Here

Loreal Lash Paradise is the best thing since Great Lash. I hope this mascara never goes away, and with the popularity it’s gaining I think it’ll be here to stay. It lifts, curls, lengthens, and basically doubles the look of your lashes. This mascara is for fans of a very full voluminous look, not clumpy, but a nice thick application. If you’ve tried Chanel’s Le Volume or Too Faced Better than Sex, this will give you a very similar if not identical result. This mascara is not for someone who likes to see every lash separated- if that’s you, stick to something like Lancome Definicils. Lash Paradise does not flake! I repeat, zero flakes, and it’s easy to wash off at night. What more can you ask for in a mascara??

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Next up, the Make Her Gel-Ous gel Eyeliner by Joah Beauty. SO waterproof!! Stay’s put in the water line and is soft enough to use with an eye liner brush to wing it out. This is a CVS exclusive brand. Available in 6 great shades for $7.99! I’m trying granite next.

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In 2017, Burt’s Bee’s came out with an entire line of makeup! You won’t find the whole line at all stores, but it’s worth the search. The blush is great, I love Bare Peach, and I use Toasted Cinnamon as a bronzer- perfect for fair to medium skin tones. Also amazing, and an award winner with Allure is the Mattifying Powder Foundation which controls oil without killing  your radiance.

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NYX - I suppose it’s debatable if this is truly a drugstore brand, but it’s certainly at a drugstore price point! Really almost everything they make is great, but if I’m choosing a few favorites, it’s the lip liners, The dewy finish setting spray, and the Soft Matte lip Cream, which is like a silky long wear without the drying effect.

The matte formula is great too!

The matte formula is great too!

And finally, foundations. According to Allure, the beauty bible, Maybelline’s SuperStay 24HR Full Coverage Foundation won the number one spot for their 2018 best full coverage foundation. If you’re looking for something a bit lighter and more glowy, the Maybelline New York Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation won’t do you wrong. Love that it comes in 40 shades! Also in Allure’s top five is the Physicians Formula Super CC Cream, which I haven’t tried yet but will be heading to Rite Aid today to pick one up. Happy shopping and happy saving, beauties!

Xoxo,

Joelle of Dreamcatcher Artistry




14 Tips for a Stress-free Wedding Day

After being a part of hundreds of weddings, plus getting married myself, I have truly seen it all! Every bride envisions a flawless big day, but the truth is it takes a good amount of pre-planning to minimize stress and prepare yourself and your crew for a near perfect day. Here are my top tips and tricks, from a makeup artist’s perspective, to ensure a smooth, almost stress free day where you look and feel your most gorgeous!

LEADING UP TO THE DAY

  • 2 months out- try Rapid lash or another lash growth serum to maximize the length and fullness of your lashes! (unless you’ll have lash extensions.)

  • 1 month out- stop trying any new facial products! You don’t want to give your skin any excuses to freak out.

  • Drink a ton of water the week prior to your wedding, I’m talking at least a half gallon to a gallon daily. This will help the appearance of your skin to be plump, hydrated and clear.  And it will help you feel really good!

  • Moisturize your face nightly, and no matter what, wash your face and moisturize after your rehearsal dinner! If you can limit your drinking the night before, your skin and body will thank you on your wedding morning. Spend an hour before bed (or morning of) in a sheet mask that you’ve used before for supple silky smooth skin! This is my all-time favorite sheet mask, a little pricey but worth every penny.

  • Do designate a bridesmaid to be in charge of your touch-ups during the evening! Tell them to find you for touch-ups after the ceremony & after dinner, or whenever they see you might need some lipstick or a bobby pin. Let them know - and don’t feel bad about this - that they shouldn’t wait for you to ask for a touch up. Choose a detail oriented BM who will take initiative and come to you so that you have one less thing to worry about!

  • Try on your exact undergarments and shape wear with the dress after the final alteration to make sure everything looks the way you want it to and that nothing is showing that shouldn’t be showing!

  • Share the entire day-of schedule with bridesmaids a week or two before so they are in the know. Make sure this schedule includes Hair, makeup, photos, ceremony time, and where you need them to be for each part of the day.

THE BIG DAY

  • Do go to the bathroom directly before putting on your dress.

  • Do ask bridesmaids to pop champagne far away from your dress and shoes. Don’t have dark colored beverages in the room, or snacks that can make a big mess like chips and salsa.

  • Do NOT touch your face once makeup is done. If you do, it will make it’s way from your hands to your dress!  Your makeup artist should set everything with powder and setting spray, but the dress is still white :) Also, not touching your face helps the makeup to last as long as possible!

  • Have a BM bring a hotel towel for you to sit on if you are getting into a car to get to your ceremony location. You don’t want to take any chances of sitting in something on a seat!

DAY-OF SCHEDULING

  • Delegate (the day before) to have someone figure out lunch delivery for you and whoever is getting ready with you so you aren’t scrambling to find something to eat while trying to get ready. You’ve heard it a MILLION times- but make sure you eat something before heading out!

  • Can’t stress this enough: leave extra time! Time FLIES like crazy on the wedding day. Encourage bridesmaids to be early for their hair and makeup appointments, (or just ask them all to arrive at the same time in the AM) so hair and makeup can start early on the next person whenever they can. In the schedule, leave at least a half hour at the end where everyone is finished and can help you with whatever you need.

  • For bridal makeup, I’ve found the sweet spot to be the second to last time slot. This way, your makeup is fresh, but you still have another hour or so for a hair touch-up, putting on your dress, jewelry, shoes, veil, any body makeup/shimmer that you might want, and get out the door un-rushed.

Once all this planning is done, you will be so happy that you’ve taken the steps to giving yourself a well thought out day so that you can relax, take it all in, and be that easy breezy, calm and happy bride we all hope to be!

Xoxo,

Joelle of Dreamcatcher Artistry

A Clean Beauty Starter Guide

The Cat’s out of the bag. What you put on your face travels through your skin and into your bloodstream- and if what you’re putting on your face is toxic, it can cause hormonal issues, disease, possibly even cancer. Lucky for us makeup enthusiasts, there are new green beauty brands popping up daily. While there are plenty of options, sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin, especially when you’ve been using the same suggestively named Nars blush for the past ten years ;) If you want to clean up your beauty routine, here’s how to start.

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To change your purchasing habits, you might need to change where you shop. As of now, most Ultas, Sephoras and department stores stock very few, if any natural makeup brands (sorry Tarte, I love you but you don’t count) But hallelujah, there are now beauty retailers like Credo Beauty and The Detox Market that stock ONLY clean brands!! They have very high standards and many glorious options fit for a professional makeup artist’s kit. Shop with them online if you aren’t near a big city. Or, shop online directly with brands. As a makeup artist, here are some non-toxic beauty brands I love, and my favorite product they make:

Another bonus of Green beauty brands- they often package sustainably too, all the more reason to love this organic bronzer.

Another bonus of Green beauty brands- they often package sustainably too, all the more reason to love this organic bronzer.

Now, I’ll admit that sometimes you just need a good waterproof mascara that won’t budge, and this isn’t something our natural beauty chemists have been able to conquer just yet. Until they do, it’s ok to use a conventional product! As long as you are aware of what’s in it-  just look for the top 10 dirty ingredients to avoid:

  • PARABENS -Petroleum based preservative found in everything. Disrupts hormones by mimicking estrogen, potentially linked to breast cancer

  • MINERAL OIL / PETROLEUM- even though mineral oil sounds natural, and it technically is, our bodies can NOT metabolize it, thus it stays in us forever. Can be found in our fat tissue and breast milk, linked to possible organ toxicity.

  • SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE/ PHTHALATES -The FDA allows companies to list “fragrance” as if it’s one ingredient, but it never is. This means there could be 30 other ingredients hiding behind that synthetic “fragrance” curtain. Phthalates are the #1 cause of dermatitis, also possible birth defects, breast cancer, diabetes

  • SULFATES/ SLS/ SLES- A highly drying and irritating foaming agent found in anything that suds

  • TALC -Can be laced with asbestos- since it’s not tested and there’s no way to know, it’s best to avoid

  • TRICLOSAN- Antibacterial agent that allows bacteria to become antibiotic resistant, endocrine disruptor

  • PROPYLENE GLYCOL- Petroleum derrived, helps a product (and all its ingredients) penetrate faster. Also used in anti freeze and brake fluid

  • BHA/BHT Synthetic preservatives, possible carcinogen and  endocrine disruptor

  • OXYBENZONE + OCTINOXATE- These extremely common synthetic chemical sunscreens can generate free radicals in the body, endocrine disrupting

  • ETHANOLAMINES (MEA/DEA/TEA)- ammonia compound that is another hormone disruptor, linked to inhibited fetal brain development

Once you are in the know, it can feel a bit overwhelming. But remember that this can be a gradual change- you don’t have to throw everything out today. As you finish a conventional product, make the switch to a clean one. For further education, check out EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic database. This site allows you to search popular products, which are individually scored from 1-10 on a “clean” to “dirty” scale, helping you make a quick and informed decision.  If you’re still skeptical that this whole thing is even an issue, head to beautytruth.com and start reading :)  

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Some good news regarding conventional beauty brands: they are slowly beginning to realize we DO care what goes into our products, and we’re seeing reformulations of products to remove some of the really bad stuff. Nars used to have three forms of Parabens in their blush (Methly, Propyl and butylparabens, all at the top of your do-not-use list) and now its paraben free. It’s still far from organic, but hey, it’s a start!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of my green beauty research, it’s this: the only person who can regulate and care about what’s going into your body is you. Not the government, not the FDA, and not Sephora. We only get one body in this life, and it takes us on an amazing journey. Be kind to it! Here’s to being beautiful and healthy.

Xoxo,

Joelle of Dreamcatcher Artistry