Eye Shadow Palettes That Won't Make Your Wallet Weep

I will fork over big bucks for a good moisturizer, even a mascara (since I have the wimpiest lashes on earth), and if the color is just perfect, I'll even shell out for lipsticks. But I have a hard time making myself pay ridiculous amounts of money for eye shadow. If it's a good sized palette, I can go up to about $20 but anything beyond that and I just walk around the store with it for an hour until I talk myself out of it entirely. 

That being said, I've found really good options in that price range, so I don't think I need to go above that honestly. Below is a list of the ones that I swear by. 

1.  Coastal Scents-Revealed

This is a fairly good dupe for Urban Decay's Naked Palette. It's highly pigmented, blends well and with a good primer, stays put all day long. 

2. Ulta Rose Gold Palette

This palette is good for soft, romantic looks. Again, highly pigmented and blends well, the only draw back for me is that the shimmers are really, really shimmery so use sparingly. As with all eyeshadows, I recommend a good primer or base. I'll post a link to the ones I use below. 

                          

    THIS is the primer I use. They offer it in a nude version rather than the white.  White makes the colors pop and gives them a more vibrant appearance. If you want something a little more subtle, go with the nude. 

3. NYX DreamCatcher Palette--this is also a pretty good dupe for Urban Decay. I love this particular palette. It's available in three different varieties (similar to UD). These shadows wear very well. I've used them with or without primer and was happy with the results both ways. 

Beauty Products That Work

I love makeup. I always have. I used to spend the tiny allowance my grandfather would give me as a seven year old on lipstick!

Unfailingly, when I post a selfie on Facebook, the first thing I'm asked is what products I'm using. So here's a list of my go-to products that I cannot live without.  I'm using Amazon links because that is actually where I get most of my products, but you can order them via NYX.com or a lot of them are available at Ulta.

I promise you that every product I post here on this blog is one that I actually have sitting on my bathroom counter right now and that I use.

Face:

This product is fantastic. After using it, your skin will feel taut, toned and smooth. It's NOT a miracle cure, but I do think that while the product is on, my skin looks so much better.

NYX Honey Dew Me Up.  It's not a super expensive but it does work.



ELF Poreless Primer.  Again, as far as primers go, I feel like this definitely holds up in comparison to more expensive brands without the prohibitive cost.



Rimmel BB Cream.  I don't like heavy foundations and used to skip it altogether. Then I progressed to a tinted moisturizer, but the older I get, the more coverage I need. This is a happy medium for me. It covers and corrects (lightly) but doesn't feel heavy on my skin.



And to set everything, I use this NYX HD Powder. I love, love, love it. I cannot tell you how much. A little goes a long way, so use sparingly and blend. Blend again. Then blend some more, especially for photos as it does reflect light and can make you look like you have white streaks on your skin!