HIATUS

Beauty on the Bayou will be on hiatus from Friday, September 13, 2013 through October 4, 2013.

We will see you soon!

Erica and Sherry

GLOSSY DUPE

Every woman loves a good lip gloss. It provides that last finishing touch on your makeup.  But which gloss should you buy?  Which has the most universal shade?

One popular gloss that I absolutely love is the Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Midnight Cowboy.  This pinkish, nude, shiny gloss goes with almost any complexion. I usually wear the gloss on top of my lipstick, but on occasion I wear it alone.  This gloss goes on smoothly and stays on longer than the average gloss.  According to the Sephora website, "The key ingredient, Maxi-Lip, plumps the appearance of the lips an average of 40% when used daily for a month. (Lip Junkie uses non-irritant plumpers, unlike other glosses that use stinging ingredients to inflame your lips).  The Maxi-Lip actually helps your lips become better defined, super-hydrated and full.  When I wore Lip Junkie it was never heavy and displayed only a slight stickiness.  As promised, my lips had a slight plumpness and a nice cooling sensation.  The Urban Decay Lip Junkie comes in an array of colors such as Midnight Cowboy, Naked and Wallflower.  There is a total of 19 shades to fit everyone's taste.

Rimmel Stay Glossy (Left); Urban Decay Lip Junkie (Right)

My search for the perfect lip gloss dupe lead me to Rimmel's Stay Glossy.  Rimmel claims that its lip gloss will stay on for six hours.  When I tested the Stay Glossy lip gloss it only had a small amount of stickiness, was easy to apply and came in an array of colors, much like the Urban Decay Lip Junkie.  However, Rimmel's Stay Glossy did not stay on for a full six hours.  Between eating, drinking and giving my husband a kiss, the gloss wore off. But it does remain on longer than other glosses on today's market.  Overall, Rimmel's Stay Glossy is a good dupe for the Urban Decay Lip Junkie.

The Urban Decay Lip Junkie retails for $19.00 and may be purchased at Sephora, Macy's, www.urbandecay.com and www.beauty.com.

The Rimmel Stay Glossy may be purchased at local drugstores and Ulta for $4.99.

DRYING DROPS

I most recently tried Nicole OPI Drying Drops for nail lacquer.  I like to paint my nails between manicures and pedicures to keep up with that freshly polished appearance.  One day while shopping at Target for nail polish, I came across these drying drops for $7.00 and decided to try them.  Boy did they work!  After painting on the top coat to my nails, I put on 1-2 of the drying drops on each nail.  Within five to ten minutes my nails were dried.

Nicole OPI Drying Drops contain JoJoBa and Vitamin E oils to help treat your cuticles.  However, the JoJoba and Vitamin E oil can make your nails feel a little oily and greasy.  I consider this as moisturizer for my cuticles, but I wanted to tell you about it anyway.  The product claims to dry nails in 5 minutes which I disagree with.  It usually drys within 10 minutes.  If I don't use these drying drops, it takes about an hour for my nails to dry.  Thankfully, the drying drops don't affect the finish of the polish and won't cause bubbles to appear.

I did do some research on the product and there were some complaints about the drying oil.  The main complaint is that the person's nail polish did not dry in the allotted time.  It could be that this person had on more layers of polish than average.  But in general the comments were positive.

The Nicole OPI Drying Drops can be purchased at Target, Ulta and Amazon.

DRY SKIN RELIEF

Finding the right moisturizer can be a process.  Some lotions are too greasy and others are not moisturizing enough.  So through trial and error I have come across a great moisturizer.    It is the Nuxe Creme Merveillance Enriche, Visible Expression Lines Cream.

I  suffer from dry skin and sometimes my fine lines show because of it.  This product is awesome.  Not only is it moisturizing, it has really helped with those fine line underneath my eyes.  The Nuxe Creme Merveillence has hyaluronic acid which makes my skin appear plump.

What's great about Nuxe is they use natural products and claim to be cruelty  free ( I cannot verify this). It doesn't have parabens or mineral oils.  The texture of the cream is thick.  So be prepared  if it doesn't spread evenly the first time.  But Nuxe does absorb well and will keep  your skin moisturized and radiant.  There is a mild scent, but it is not bothersome.  I would go as far to say that Nuxe is comparable to the Darphin line, only less expensive.

Nuxe Cream Merveillance is a wonderful moisturizer.  It plumps up my skin, erases those fine lines. and gives my skin a glow.  If you suffer from dry skin, you know how hard it is to find the perfect moisturizer.  If you try Nuxe, you will not regret it.

Nuxe Cream Merveillance may be purchased at the following retailers:  www.dermstore.com ($44.00), www.amazon.com ($47.87) and www.skinstore.com ($54.00).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SEPHORA & TOO FACED

Not to long ago, Too Faced paired with Sephora and came out with a 15th Anniversary palette.  It is to celebrate 15 years of working together.  The idea behind this collection of eye shadows, bronzers, blush, flatbuki brush, eye primer and "how-to" cards was to remember a special moment in Too Faced's and Sephora's history.

I'll start with the eye shadows; half warm colors and half cool warms.  Names for the warmer colors are Piano Keys, Behind the Counter, TF hearts  the cast,  Jer Jer, and 525 Market.  Names for the cooler colors are So Cal, Soho, Envy, David & B Marg and 1998.  All of the eye shadows are highly pigmented and glide on easily.

Top Eye shadows. From Left to Right. 1) Piano Keys; 2) So Cal; 3) TF Loves the Cast; 4) Jer Jer and 5) 525 Market

Bottom Eye shadows: From Left to Right. 1) Behind the Counter; 2) Soho; 3) Envy; 4) David & Marg and 5) 1998

The palette comes equipped with not one but two bronzers and a blush.  The two bronzers are Chocolate Soleil and Sun Bunny.  The blush is a shimmery, warm, coral color called Who's Your Poppy which went on true to color.

Bronzers & Blush. From left to right: 1) Chocolate Soleil Bronzer; 2) Sun Bunny Bronzer; 3) Who's Your Poppy? Blush

It is user friendly in that it has included eight instruction guides on how to complete certain looks.  Names for these looks include The Carly, The Allison, The Melanie, etc.  All looks are listed step-by-step and easy to read.

Overall, it is a great 15th Anniversary palette.  I love all of the colors, and the easy to follow instructions were terrific. However, I would have liked to have seen a brush for the eyes and the cheeks.

The palette can be purchased at Sephora (www.sephora.com) for $52.00.

HIGH DEFINITION POWDER

Not too long ago I spoke about foundation.  Now I want to speak about something which helps set the foundation; high definition powder.  So what is high definition powder and what does it do?  Well according to the Make-Up Forever website high definition powder is a universal translucent powder to be applied over foundation or worn alone.  It sets the foundation and slightly mattifies skin without changing its natural contours.  This 100% mineral silica powder softens the appearance of imperfections and evens out your complexion for a glowing, radiant look.  There is one universal shade for all skin tones.  High definition powders work great for flash photography.  Those with oily skin can use the powder to take away any shine and make their pores look smaller.  So which brand is best?  We are going to look at two: Make-Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder and E.L.F. High Definition Powder.

Make-Up Forever (left); E.L.F. (right)

Make-Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder is most probably the best selling high definition powder on the market.  It is excellent in making you look flawless and radiant.  When you use the Microfinish Powder, only a little bit is needed.  So while the powder is considered high end, it is going to last you for a long time.
E.L.F. High Definition Powder is the low-end version of Make-Up Forever's high definition powder.  It performs the same as Make-Up Forever in that it hides blemishes and fine lines, and will give you a beautiful glow.  You can wear the high definition powder under your foundation or alone on your face.

Basically it is your choice. Both products perform equally well and both will give you that flawless look.

The Make-Up Forever Microfinish Powder sells for $16.00 - $34.00.  It may be purchased at Sephora, Amazon and other participating retailers.

The E.L.F. High Definition Powder retails for $6.00 and can be purchased at www.eyeslipsface.com.

COVER UP

Concealers.  Who doesn't love concealers?  They cover redness, dark circles, blemishes, etc.  A good concealer can make you look flawless.  Given that, I am going to talk about two concealers which work miracles.  The first concealer is a high-end concealer; Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat.  The second concealer is a low-end concealer that I think is a great dupe for the Touche Eclat; Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer & Highlighter.

For the past several years Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat has been a favorite high-end concealer or complexion highlighter. It definitely gives you an instant pick-me up and makes you look rested, getting rid of any dark circles.  When I applied the Touch Eclat I saw an immediate difference.  My skin appeared luminous and had a subtle brightness. In addition, all redness and dark circles were hidden.  Overall, the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat performed as promised.

The second concealer is the Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer & Highlighter.  To me, it is the low-end version of the Touche Eclat.  The Match Perfection suited my complexion perfectly.  It covered my redness and dark circles and even gave my complexion a hint of radiance.  The concealer is equipped with a brush-tip applicator making Match Perfection easy to blend.  The Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer & Highlighter is a great dupe for the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat.

Rimmel (left); Touche Eclat (right)

Rimmel (left); Touche Eclat (right)

The Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat may be purchased at Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstroms and other participating retailers.

The Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer & Highlighter may be purchased at Ulta, Wal-Mart and local drugstores.

BRUSH CLEANERS

Not too long ago I blogged about facial cleansing cloths.  Now I wish to discuss makeup brush cleaners.  There are a few on the market, but how do you know which one will clean your brushes the best.  The brush cleaners I chose to speak about are MAC Brush Cleanser and Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaners.  To determine which product is better I cleaned two eye makeup brushes, I poured 1/2 oz. of each cleanser to clean each brush.  I then compared the cost of the product to the amount it costs to use.

Cinema Secrets (left) and MAC (right)

The first cleanser is the ever popular MAC Brush Cleaner.  The bottle states, "Apply to a damp brush and work through.  Rinse well.  Reshape and lay flat to dry."  I followed the instructions to clean my makeup brush.  The brush had been used three times since last Friday.  It took me two tries to clean the makeup brush.  The MAC Brush Cleaner comes in a 7.9oz bottle and costs $15.00.  I used a total of one ounce which gave me a cost of $1.90 of product to clean the brush.

The second makeup brush cleaner I used was Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner.  Mainly used by professional makeup artists, Cinema Secrets is widely sold on the Internet as opposed to your local mall.  The instructions for cleaning your brushes read as follow, "1) Pour 1/2 inch of brush cleaner into the Cinema Secrets tin can; 2) Dip small brushes so the hairs are fully submerged.  On larger brushes, only dip the tip of the brush.  Remove, wipe on paper towel or clean cloth.  Repeat the process once or twice more (until brush is completely clean); 3) Allow up to 15 minutes drying time for small brushes; allow up to 30 minutes for large blusher or powder brushes before reusing."  Don't worry.  You DO NOT have to purchase Cinema Secret's tin can in order to be able to use this cleanser.  I know I didn't.  I got a tin can from Michael's and it has been fine for me.  The bottle I used was a 32 oz. bottle.  The brush I cleaned had been used about 4-5 times since last Friday.  To clean my brush, I used 1/2oz. of the cleaner.  It took me one try to get the brush clean.  The total cost of product to clean the brush was $0.56.  For many of you, you will not be needing such a large bottle.  So I went ahead and got the figures for using an 8 oz. bottle which costs $24.00.  I poured the same amount of cleaner for each use, 1/2 oz., and the total cost of product to clean the brush from an 8 oz. bottle was $1.50.

The verdict is: Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner beats MAC's Brush Cleaner in cost and in quality.  Further, it beat MAC in both sizes.  So save your money and get your brushes really cleaned rather than buying a designer labeled brush cleaner.

You can purchase MAC Brush Cleaner at www.maccosmetics.com or use the find a store link to find the location of your nearest MAC store.

You can purchase Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner at www.cinemasecrets.com and www.camerareadycosmetics.com

CHECK OUT THESE LASHES

My first blog dealt with a high-end mascara; Better Than Sex by Too Faced.  I now bring to you two low-end mascaras which can be purchased at your local drugstore. The first is Voluminous Million Lashes by L'Oreal.  The second is Volume Express Falsies Big Eyes by Maybelline is the second mascara.

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes (top); Maybelline Volume Express Falsies Big Eyes (bottom)

Let's begin with L'oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes.   The Voluminous Million Lashes gave my lashes incredible length.  This mascara curled my lashes as promised by the product and it even gave my lashes some thickness.  The curl held up throughout the day and the mascara did not flake or rub off.  At the end of my day, L'Oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes was easy to remove.  Please see the below picture of how the mascara turned out.  I did not put on liner or eyeshadow to demonstrate the mascara.

Pic of right eye with Voluminous Million Lashes

The second mascara I wish to discuss is the The Volume Express Falsies Big Eyes by Maybelline.  This mascara is so unique.  At one end of the product there is a wand for your upper lashes.  At the other end, there is a wand for your lower lashes. OMG, what a find!  The wand for the upper lashes acted as promised.  It gave me long, thick lashes.  The wand for my lower lashes was able to grab nearly each individual lash and coat it just enough to give me a pretty finished look.  I did not experience clumping or flaking on either end of the wands.

Pic of left eye with Volume Express Falsies Big Eyes

High end mascara is an awesome treat because you feel as if you got the top if the line product.  But sometimes we can't afford the high end product for whatever reason and we have to rely on the dupe.  Like a product that is going to be just as good as the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara.  The Voluminous Million Lashes by L'oreal and the Volume Express Falsies Big Eyes by Maybelline fits the bill for your dupe mascaras.

OH SO PURE

I love facial cleansing cloths.  The idea of achieving a clean face with one swipe is amazing.  Lately, I have been using Neutrogena and generic facial cleansing cloths.  So when I was shopping at my local Macy's and saw Philosophy's Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing cloths I got very excited.

Philosophy's website state's the One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths can, "achieve clean skin in one swipe with Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing cloths, now in a gentler formula that is comfortable for all skin types, including the sensitive eye area."

To put the cleansing cloths to the test, I put on a full face of make-up to see how much of the make-up gets removed.

The One-Step Facial Cleansing cloths were great!  I used one cloth to remove all of my make-up.  The cloth had a light, pleasant scent and a soft texture.

The generic cleansing cloths did not remove my make-up with one cloth, nor did it have a pleasant scent and gentle texture.

As for Neutrogena, I would have to say it performs just as well as the Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing cloths.  It is a low-end dupe for the One-Step Cleansing cloths.

Philosophy's Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing cloths costs $15.00.  The cloths may be  purchased at Macy's, Sephora, Ulta and www.philosophy.com.