Favorite Things Friday: Essence of Beauty Fruity Lip Butters

Hey Beauty Gals!

Lately I've been really scouring my local drugstores for hidden gems that work great but cost mere pennies. Let's face it girls-it's a recession and although I know we all like to splurge here and there on certain things, we LOVE getting great stuff for cheap.

I've been trying to highlight things here at the Rouge that you can find at your local drugstore and won't cost you an arm and a leg. Now don't get me wrong...I love my higher end makeup and beauty products as well but I have to admit I've cut down BIG TIME over the past few months. I'm really proud of myself! I don't feel the need to grab something from each new collection that comes out and lately, i've only been splurging if its something really special and unique. So with that being said you'll probably see more drugstore finds and "gems" here than ever before.

Today's find are the Essence of Beauty Lip Butters that I scooped up at CVS. With Fall here and Winter fast approaching, we must be mindful of taking care of our precious pouts (Lol!). We can't have rusty, crusty lips ladies!

I LOVE a good lip balm and I know I've said it before but...you really can't have too many. These lip balms hold up to the test! They are creamy, moisterizing, non-sticky, long-lasting and they smell WONDERFUL.

Next time you're at CVS...pick up a couple for your purse, the car, your office, etc. They have lots of different yummy flavors to choose from and they're only $2.99! ;-)

M.

Product Review: L'oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara

Morning Beauties!

Today I'll be reviewing L'oreal's newest mascara: Telescopic Explosion.

The unique thing about this mascara is definitely the "dagger-ball" brush, which is very similar to Givenchy's PhenomEyes mascara. I never did try the Givenchy version because I just have a thing about spending an arm and a leg for mascara when there are plenty of drugstore options out there that usually work better. Buuuut, I was curious to see how this type of wand would work so as soon as a drugstore version dropped, I was on it!

So did I love it? Hate it? Read on to find out....

The Claim:
Petite: To get right into the corners to capture even the shortest lashes
Spherical: Use from any angle for longer-looking lashes
Precise: Seeks out every lash for a fanned out effect

The Truth:
I can honestly say all of that is true. I was prepared to hate this mascara. Don't ask me why but I wasn't sure how functional this brush shape would be. Application was somewhat nerve-racking the first time just because I had to get used to the fact that the brush was a short ball and not a longer-wand. I was mildly frustrated until I saw the results. And then I loved it.

Pros:

• Affordable! If you were dying to try Givenchy's PhenomEyes but not dying to pay $28, this is definitely the way to go now! The cost is about $9.99 at drugstores.
• Once you get the hang of the brush, it is an amazing little tool. You can sweep across your lashes every whichaway to coat them.
• The separation you get and fanned-out look is no lie. It delivers.
• This "dagger-ball" makes it easy to grab even the tiniest lash hairs that usually get neglected with other mascaras.

Cons:

• If you go for more than one coat, you WILL get major clumps. Promise. This actually didn't bother me much at all just because I hardly ever go for more than one mascara coat if i'm satisfied with the results of the first. For review purposes, I do add more coats just so I can let you know if you need to be careful (and you do!) but for my use, if my lashes look great after one coat (which they did!), that's enough for me. ;-)

Here are some pics...

My mascara-less eye (please excuse the shocked/scary eyeball...lol)


My Telescopic Explosion coated lashes...

Recommendation: Try it! I think you will be pleased. Just remember to take your time with the application and try to avoid doing more than one coat. I think it provides a decent amount of length and volume but the real prize is the fanned-out, make-you-wanna-bat-your-lashes-at-everyone-look you get. ;-)

Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5

Have you tried this? What do you think?

Have a wonderful day!

M.

Beauty Tip! Fake It Til You Make It...Eyebrows Edition!

Hey Beauties!

So I have a confession to make...I go loooong periods of time without getting my eyebrows threaded (my shaping method of choice). I'm SUPPOSED to go see my girl every 2 weeks...3 TOPS. Yeah...err...no. I'm more of a every 5/6 weeks girl. Hey! Life is busy! But...Shame on me!

Yet, even though I do a poor job of maintaining my threading...I recognize the wonderful difference nicely shaped eyebrows can make to your face. So..here's my secret to faking it til you make it to the next threading/waxing/plucking appointment of your choice... :-)

1. Get yourself a good creamy concealor in a color one MAYBE two shades lighter than your skintone. Nothing TOO drastic though. We want a natural look. :-) My concealor of choice is Black Radiance Perfect Blend concealor in Darkest Walnut (pictured above). It's the perfect texture..creamy but not runny and complements my skintone well.

2. Get a synthetic concealor brush...I use my MAC 194 but any type of brush in this family will do. You can also use your fingers but be careful. The goal is to sculpt and shape so a little precision is necessary and you can't always get that with your fingers. A combo of both brush and fingers always works great as well.

That's pretty much all you need.

Step 1: The first thing I do is pluck the majorly stray hairs away (i.e. clean up the brows as much as I can without damaging the shape).

Step 2: Then, using my concealor brush I apply concealor directly underneath my brows (lining my browbone just as you would apply an eyeshadow highlight). Get as close to the brows as possible. The concealor will highlight the shape of your brows while at the same time concealing any shape imperfections and hairs that need to be removed professionally. ;-) You can blend a bit with your fingers.

Step 3: If you feel really comfie with this you can shape the top portion of the brow using the same method. Be sure you blend blend blend well so that the concealor is not overly noticeable! I usually concentrate on defining the natural shape of my eyebrows with the concealor. Once you're done, it looks as if you've just gotten them done professionally!

Step 4: Once you're done with the concealor...take a fluffy eyeshadow brush and lightly dust over the concealor with a translucent powder to set.

Step 5: Fill in your brows if necessary and you're good to go! ;-)

I had just done the eyebrow trick before taking this pic. I think it's been about 4.5 weeks since my last threading *twitch* LOL!


Take care ladies!

M.

My Sparkly Purple Pumps....

Hey Beauties,

I just wanted to drop in real quick and show you my new precioussss...Barbie Loves Stila Smudge Pot in Purple Pumps!

Check out the purple sparkly beauty...


Here it is on moi. The purple color is very rich and vibrant and the although you may not be able to tell in the pics, the pink shimmer shows up really well. I suggest all my beauties scoop this up if ya can! Its a very unique color that you just don't see every day. ;-)



You can try finding these at your local Sephora store (although I was having a hard time...this color was sold out). I ended up ordering mine online at Stilacosmetics.com for $20.

Stila Smudge pots are also very smooth and creamy. They apply like a dream :-)

Take care!

M.

Product Review: Covergirl Lashblast Length Mascara

Hey Beauties,

Today I'm reviewing the newest edition to Covergirl's Lashblast mascara family: Lashblast Length.

I am a huge fan of the original Lashblast and Lashblast Luxe mascaras...they're actually a part of my "holy grail" mascaras (along with L'Oreal Voluminous)....let's see if Lashblast Length makes the cut!

The Claim:
"Our new Elasta-Nylon™ formula flexes without flaking, giving you extreme, notice-me lashes all day long. Our longest brush ever gives you an 80% longer lash look." from covergirl.com

The Truth:
Well....it's ok. I can honestly say I wasn't SUPER impressed as I thought I would be. I think Covergirl definitely got it right for me with the Lashblast volume mascara but this one...not so much. I will let you know that I don't usually buy lengthening mascaras because I don't really have an issue with the length of my lashes..I think i've been blessed that way. So I'm usually looking for more volume and lengthening mascaras usually don't provide much. With that being said, I definitely don't think it provided me with 80% longer lashes but it did stretch them out a bit more (which I usually get PLUS volume with a volumizing mascara).

Pros:

• The cost is affordable (approx $7-$8 at drugstores)
• No flaking at all
• Added some length to my lashes...beauties with length-challenged lashes may find that it works awesome for them
• Cute packaging (I'm a fan of the sleek yellow :-))
• The brush is easy to use and maneuver

Cons:

• My lashes definitely weren't 80% longer
• No volume boost at all* (its a lengthening masara though so I can't REALLY hold this against it)
• I've tried other lengthening mascaras with more impressive results

Recommendation:

If you have nubby lashes and are dying to try this, it may work great for you. If you are not really length-challenged but want thicker, more voluminous lashes...skip!

Overall Score: 3 out of 5

My girl at ClumpsofMascara did a detailed review of this complete with photos HERE. Check it out for another perspective...plus she's a mascara guru. ;-)

Take care, beauties.

M.
pic from covergirl.com

Milan's Rouge: My Favorite Drugstore Blush!

Happy Hump Day, beauties!

I'm so excited for this post today because...well...its about BLUSH! I know many of you have been patiently waiting for me to get back in the game when it comes to my Rouge...so today, this is for you. For those of you who read my blog regularly, you should already know that I am a blush/rouge lover. I have a HUGE stash and many, many blush loves...but I must tell ya, beauties I had never found a FAVORITE drugstore blush until now. I have some that I think are wonderful but my main issue with drugstore brand blushes is their LACK of color pay-off and flatterability (is that even a word? LOL) on brown-skinned girls. Well this one I found recently is beautiful and now gets my 'Favorite Drugstore Blush' title....check it out!

Behold...NYC Mosaic Face Powder in Scarlet Letter....

This baby caught my eye as I was ready to give up on finding something great and fabulous blush-wise in the drugstore. I was tired and frustrated with the pale, ashy, unflattering colors I was seeing and headed to the check-out counter to purchase the other items I was getting when I passed the NYC display. The red in the powder really caught my eye...I wish I had a better camera to capture the true color but its sooooo pretty! As soon as I saw the reddish, cranberry, brown, champagne mix I just knew it would look great on brown girls...so I grabbed it! Oh did I mention this puppy is only about $4.99? Yeah. :-)

So here it is on your girl...I tried to get a mix of natural light and artificial light pics. I haven't done a blush post in a minute so excuse the large # of pics. LOL!










So...what makes THIS my favorite drugstore blush (you may be asking)? Well for starters, I really think this mix of colors was designed specifically for women of color. It is a very rich color palette that brown beauties can pull off easily. Second, the color-pay off is EXCELLENT. I went in with my skunk brush thinking I was going to have to work a little to get the color I wanted and boy was I wrong! I put waaaay too much at first and had to scale it back some. One dip and slight swirl for each cheek is sufficient. It blends like a dream and gives that effortless "inner glow" that I LOVE about blush. Third, it's 4.99! It's 4.99! Did I mention that it's...4.99?!

Lastly, and I think this is what did it for me...this blush made my skin look GREAT. No lie. I'm not sure if its because this is actually a "face powder" (please don't put this all over your face like foundation though...you will look like a weird hot radish)...but whatever the case, my cheeks looked really smooth, soft and even and they actually FELT really soft to touch! I wasn't wearing any other powder or foundation on my face at all. It adheres well to a naked face and actually LASTS. *swoon*

I picked this baby up at my local CVS so grab it next time you're there. I believe NYC launced a Scarlet collection recently and this color wheel powder is a part of that collection.

Let me know what you think!

Have an awesome day.

M.

Medusa's Makeup! For the Bright Color Obsessed Beauty...

Hey Beauties,

I hope all is well in your world so far this week. So far, so good with me. :)

Today I want to put you up on a makeup company I really love: Medusa's Makeup. I found out about this company a while ago while browsing through a makeup message board and when I went to their website I was floored by the beautiful colored pigments (called eye dust) they offer. And their stuff is AFFORDABLE! Each jar of eye dust is $6! And let me tell you, beauties, although the jar isn't MAC pigment large...you definitely get enough to last you a lifetime. I have 4 that I have barely put a dent in. The color payoff is so great, you really only need a teeny bit to achieve a look.

If you are looking to expand your makeup stash with some color and want to try out loose, pigment shadows that don't break your wallet, I highly suggest you order some stuff from Medusa's Makeup.

They also recently introduced new colored mascara: Blue Blood (royal blue), Majestic (purple), Envy (green). Each mascara is $9 or you can get the entire set of 4 (black included) for $27. Medusa's Makeup also offers free shipping on all orders over $50.

Happy Shopping!

M.

Fall is Here! Vampy Matte Lips...

Hey Beauties!

It's officially Fall...which means colder weather, warmer clothes, dark rich colors and for me....vampy matte lips!

I love this look but only feel right rockin' it out when the weather is cooler. Ya'll know i'm a straight up gloss fiend in the spring and summer. But there's something super sexy, sophisticated and polished that a darker, matte lip can bring. So I decided to bust out my MAC mattene lippies for the first time this season. The two i'm wearing are Kirsch and Bing from last fall's 'Cult of Cherry' collection. MAC recently released 2 new mattenes with their Style Black collection: Night Violet and Midnight Media. I plan to snatch them up when I get a chance because although mattes are meant to be muted and shine-less...MAC mattenes are pretty smooth and don't dry out your lips.

Check it out...for whatever reason the lippie color is photographing lighter than they actually are in real life. Eh well. lol

Kirsch






Bing







So just a few tips for rockin' a matte lip...

1. Make sure your lip game is on point...meaning exfoliate! Matte lipsticks will highlight any lip dryness you have. Its a promise.

2. If your lips are really dry, try dabbing them with some chapstick first. Nothing super shiny or slick because when you apply the matte lippie..well...it won't really be matte anymore. Chapstick will work fine.

3. Use a lipliner...in these pics I used Currant l/l from MAC which is a deep purple plum color. I actually deepened Kirsch a little by going over it with Currant l/l.

If you don't have an actual Matte lipstick and aren't interested in buying one...don't fret. Here's how you can achieve the look with stuff you already have in your stash...

1. Apply your lipliner as lipstick-make sure you use a little moisterizer on your lips before you do...but lipliners often make very pretty matte lippies...especially a plum or wine color

2. Use your regular lippie and just blot away the shine-the staying power won't be as great but the look will be there.

In my opinion the best thing about mattes is the staying power. They act almost like a stain on the lips. When I wear MAC mattenes...I will have color on my lips ALL DAY no matter what I do (eat, drink, etc). Try them out if you haven't already!

Have a great day, beauties.

M.

Product Love! Revlon Makeup Eraser Pen

Happy Hump Day Beauties!

Just poppin' in real quick to rave about a product I think every beauty gal should have in her makeup bag: Revlon's Makeup Eraser Pen.

This actually came out a while ago (I hope you can still find it in drugstores) and seriously it's like magic. It has really made my life easier...especially when it comes to the makeup product I struggle with the most....liquid liner.

My cream and gel liner game is pretty on point...but liquid? Chile please...WE FIGHT. I have a liquid liner post coming soon so I won't get all into that right now but let's just say you can go all ape crazy with your liquid liner pen/brush and use this Makeup Eraser to clean that line up nice and neat and no one will ever be the wiser. :-) Now THAT I love.

It's also good for touching up lipstick/gloss that have wondered to various OTHER parts of your face besides your....errrm...lips. I also use it to dab off flecks of mascara and/or cleaning up lower lash liner without disturbing the rest of my eye makeup. The best thing is that this is a PEN. Which means easy control and clean touch-ups without having to wipe your face clean and start over.

"What it does

Quickly and precisely removes makeup smudges and smears in one simple step. Designed for portable perfection and touch-ups on the go.

How it works

Non-greasy formula with soothing botanicals glides on for instant, effortless removal of eye and lip mistakes. Lift away longwearing and waterproof makeup without irritating skin.
Soft tip lets you target hard-to-reach mistakes without disturbing your makeup. Antibacterial tip automatically dispenses the perfect amount of formula.
Get the look

Gently glide over makeup mistakes. For best results, lightly wipe tip with tissue after each use." description from drustore.com

Next time you're at the drugstore, be sure to grab one of these. You'll thank me later. ;-)

Have a great day, beauties! We're halfway to the weekend!

M.

pic from Revlon.com

The Rouge is Back! Smoked Out....

Hey Beauties! OMG its been almost a month since my last post! First off, please forgive me for being MIA these past few weeks. I had to take some time to sort things out and deal with a transition in my life. I was also really debating on what to do with the blog...I mean EYE read at least 15 different beauty blogs on a regular basis so I wasn't sure mine was even necessary or needed. But...at the end of the day, it makes me happy, I love doing it and I reallllllllly missed blogging while I was gone. So-here I am! I'm not going anywhere juuuust yet. ;-)

I just want to give a quick thanks to my beauty girls who checked up on me while I was gone and those that generally gave me a WTF?! after no posts for awhile. I 'preciate ya! Just the fact that you thought of me and the blog did worlds for my motivation to get back to it. :-)

Over the next couple of weeks, you may see some new things such as guest writers (I have an idea in mind for a weekly beauty corner written by a good girlfriend of mine...stay tuned as we develop that). I will also be giving The Rouge a new look. Its been 7 months since I started and I think its time for a makeover. I also won't be doing Milan's Rouge every other Monday like before, however, I will be doing blush posts periodically as I come across new products and techniques or just when I get the notion to! This means you'll probably see more blush posts on different days throughout the week. ;-)

Okay so enough of all that! I'm excited to get back to it. So today, i'm kicking things back off with a smokey-eye look I did this past Friday for my coworker's birthday party. I used some of my new goodies from the MAC Style Black Collection (I LOVE this collection!)....check it out:


Excuse the headscarf...I hadn't finished my hair yet. :-)









What I Used (MAC unless otherwise stated):

Face:
-Monistat Chafing Gel (primer)
-MSF Dark (inner face)
-MSF Deep Dark (outer face)
-Random cheek bronzer (I think Milani?)

Eyes:
-UDPP (primer/base)
-Quite Natural Paint Pot (base)
-Black Greasepaint Stick (lid only)
-Black Ore Solar Bits (applied damp w/Fix +)
-Tete A Tint (highlight)
-Feline kohl power (lower lash line)
-L'oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips:
-Creamola creme liner
-Bronx l/s (I think MAC discontinued this but it gives a great nude lippie for brown girls)
-Pretty Pattern Tri-Color lipglass (limited edition....Mad Cap l/g will work just as well)

**Just a couple of tips for the greasepaint stick...make sure you use a base if you have oily lids. I do and did and my eye makeup didn't budge ALL night. Also, if you do add shadow over the greasepaint make sure you DAB to apply (don't sweep)...unless you're going for that really messy "i don't care" look.

***You can't really see in the pics but the greasepaint stick is not entirely black...its more deep dark black/purple with shimmer so the black ore over that (blackened gold bits) made for an interesting, pretty combination. Not just your every day black smokey eye. The stick is also very smooth and creamy and went on like a dream. It felt like I was coloring my lid with a smooth crayon...VERY easy to control as well (a little tough to blend but with the right brush and patience you can make it work).

I highly encourage you to go to your nearest MAC counter or store and grab the black greasepaint stick. ;-)
Also, if you are looking for a SUPER black, smooth eyeliner pencil for your lower lash line/waterline...I recommend Feline. Grab it while its here. Its my go-to liner pencil and I was sooo happy it re-launched with this collection because the one I was using was becoming a sad, sorry nub hanging on for dear life. LOL.

Let me know what you think!

Take care, beauties.

M.