Get that famous "Jlo glow" using drugstore makeup!

Most ladies {whether you're crazy about makeup or not} know about the Jennifer Lopez's famous "jlo glow" it is one of the most talked about looks in makeup and Jennifer's makeup artist Scott Barnes made the look famous on Jennifer. It's super iconic and it's easier to obtain than you may think! I'm going to share with you great products to achieve this look available at the drugstore {including several high end makeup dupes}!

Now I wouldn't advise you to necessarily use ALL of these products are the same time, but some in combination would give a great glow to your face, eyes and lips!

1. L'Oreal True Match Lumi This foundation is a light to medium coverage that gives your skin just that little extra glow. Don't fret though, there are no "visible shimmers" so you won't end up looking like a disco ball. It's a natural healthy finish, with that little extra "something". I'd recommend applying it with a beauty blender {or a cheaper alternative} sponge so you get an absolute flawless finish. I have heard people with very oily skin don't have a lot of luck this foundation, so just be aware of that! Another alternative would be to get something like Mac's Lustre Drops added to your favorite foundation will do the trick as well!


2. NYX Cream Blush in "tickled", the blush is absolutely gorgeous! It is hands down my favorite cream blush, see my swatches of it here. It reminds me of Nars Orgasm in cream formula, in which it's a pinky peach with great golden shimmer. It gives off an amazing sheen and almost iridescent quality. Again, it's not over the top and it's a great user friendly cream blush. Trust me, once you buy this blush you'll find yourself using it again and again.


3. Wet n Wild Bronzer in "ticket to brazil" first and foremost this baby is a dupe of the shimmery version of the Tarte Park Avenue Princess bronzer! {Picture of the comparison on my instagram here , make sure to follow me too!} It's a gorgeous shimmery golden bronzer and it'll last forever, it's 23 grams of product! It's great to add a glow or to lightly contour the hollows of your cheekbones. This is quickly becoming my holy grail product when it comes to a shimmery bronzer.


4. Hard Cany Highlighter in "tiki" this product has quickly become a cult favorite in the beauty blogger/guru community and there's not doubt as to why, it's really good stuff. It has been compared to high end highlighters like a the balm's Mary-Lou Manizer or even the coveted Dior Amber Diamonds, I can't say for sure if they compare because I don't have the high end counterparts. All I know is it's a beautiful champagne, light yellow based highlighter. It's perfect for dusting on the top of cheekbones, placed on the inner tear duct of the eye or on the brow bone. It brings just the right amount of light and life to the face.


5. Wet n Wild trio in "Walking on Eggshells" Let me start off by saying, I just can't get enough of this trio. I put off getting it for so long because I kept telling myself you have enough neutrals. I finally caved when Wet n Wild was 30% off at Rite Aid, so I paid less than 2 dollars for it. Let me say I'd pay way more money for it, these shadows are so pigmented and buttery. Also, a bonus all 3 shades are Mac dupes: the highlight shade is a dupe for Mac's "shroom", the bronzey/brown shade Mac's "tempting" and the champagne/peachy shade Mac's "all that glitters". Use these shadows together or separate to create a great bronze, shimmery eye.


6. L'Oreal Lipstick in "Peach Fuzz" This lipstick is so pretty, it's a great shimmery peach shade. It's almost frosty, but don't be afraid it's not your "grandma's frosty lipstick" It's great at adding light to the lips, while adding a peachy sheen. See swatches in this post. It's rather subtle really, and can be used to amp up a darker lipstick or topped off with gloss for a super pretty shimmery lip. It's definitely a must have for you coral lovers out there!

There you have it! A list of some outstanding drugstore beauty items that you can use to get that famous "Jlo glow", see go forth and be that bronze goddess I know all of you can be! Haha. Until next time my beauties, please comment, share and subscribe!

xo Leah
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Beauty Bargain Review: City Color Sunkissed trio

I spotted this beauty at a store called Five Below. {which is awesome, btw!} My hometown just got one so I stopped in to see what the fuss was all about and I must admit it's sooo right up my alley because I'm all about a bargain. Anyway, I've seen City Color products a various drugstores, but have never been too impressed with the looks of the product to purchase anything before. It was available in few other colors, but this trio in "bronzed peach", however, was calling my name. I'm obsessed with blush, especially anything peach or coral toned and for only 4 dollars... I can justify that!

Packaging:
This baby is huuuge, which could be a pro and a con depending on your lifestyle. Con: for travel Pro: for the amount of product you're getting! The compact itself is a little cheap and plasticy. That doesn't bother me though, it seems to be sturdy for the most part and that's whats important.

Compared to a Mac blush

Breakdown:
Sunkissed Trio in "Bronzed Peach" by City Color
Color: Bronzed Peach
Amount: 15.25 grams (compared to 6 grams for one mac blush)
And it is cruelty free! :)

Swatches:

maximize to see bigger & more detailed :)

The blush & highlighter come off slightly sheer, unless you really pack them on. The blush comes off almost completely matte and is sort of a cross between orange & peach. The bronzer is definitely the most pigmented of the group and is gorgeous! I'm not even big on bronzer, but this is so pretty and provides a great sheen without being chunky glitter. The glimmer is subtle enough that you could use the bronzer for contouring without looking too over done.

Performance:
Overall I believe this compact performs pretty great, especially for the price! I wore the trio to run some errands, then {for the true test} to the gym for a pretty sweaty workout and to my surprise the blush & bronzer seemed to last pretty well! The highlighter wasn't very noticeable towards the end, but I almost expected that. I am most disappointed with the highlight because it just has a top shimmery layer, after you get pass that it seems to be just a buttery shadow. But if you don't typically like shimmer this may be right up your alley. Overall performance I'd say is average/good depending how long your day is.

Rating:

Blush: 3.5 out of 5       /       Bronzer: 4 out of 5      /       Highlighter: 2 out of 5

If you're interested in purchasing this you can find it at your local Five Below OR it is also available on the City Color Website {for 2 dollars more} but I'd be willing to pay 6 dollars for it, on sheer size alone. ...my next challenge... not going back for the other colors! haha

Thanks so much for reading beauties! As always please subscribe, share and comment!

xo Leah

bronzer

My top 5 drugstore blush picks!

If you've read my past posts you know that my favorite makeup items are lipstick and blush ... tied pretty much equally with one another. I don't know what exactly it is about blush it just makes me so happy; the hunt for new shades, finding great formulas and of course discovering a great drugstore blush!

In my collection of *cough* 39 *cough* blushes, 35 of which are drugstore I think I am qualified to bring to you the best of the best when it comes to drugstore! So, lets get on to it! In no particular order...

Wet n' Wild: Pearlescent Pink, $: 2.99-3.99:

 

maximize to see better color/pigmentation.

Wet n Wild's Pearlescent Pink  is an absolute gorgeous color its a light pinky peach color with tons of subtle gold shimmer. To me this is the drugstore equivalent of Nars "Orgasm" and because I have this I feel like I don't even need to own Orgasm. The best part is its only 3 to 4 dollars and that means you can buy all four Wet n Wild blushes and you STILL wouldn't spend as much as you would spend on a Nars blush. Not to mention, the pigmentation is amazing, its a buttery soft powder and you only need a tiny bit at a time. So it's a win-win.



 NYX: Peach, $: around 5 dollars

 NYX Blush in "Peach" (which is by the way, not a peachy color at all) is a great cool toned pale pink, almost baby doll and is completely matte. Pale pink (in my experience) is really hard to find at least at the drugstore and this one is perfect. It was hard to get a great swatch of it because it is light, but don't let that fool you... it has wonderful pigmentation. It is my GO TO light pink blush and one of only a few I've been able to find. I recommend any NYX blushes, and there will be another one in later in this post :)

Milani's baked blush: luminoso, $: 5-7 dollars:

maximize for full affect of amazing-ness.

Milani's Luminoso is probably my favorite blush and one I consistently wear multiple days of the week, because it goes with everything and it is so utterly pretty. It is a peachy orange shimmery blush with the most finely milled gold iridescence. You really don't need a highlight when wearing this blush because it gives such a great glow without looking too glittery or juvenile. The pictures don't even do it true justice, you have to just try it on your cheeks and you will NOT be disappointed.



Wet n' Wild: Heather Silk, $: 2.99-3.99:

Sheered out on the left, heavy swatch on the right.

 Wet n Wild's Heather Silk is a great fuchsia, hot pink blush without being "too much" or too bright. In the swatch I show how you can sheer it out or heavily apply it, depending on the look you want to get. Also, interestingly, I didn't even realize this blush had shimmer in it until I was editing these photos, it so minimal that I thought it was matte (haha my bad). This blush is a must have that would look wonderful on a variety of skin tones and again it's 3 to 4 dollars so you can't beat the price.

NYX cream blush: tickled $: 5-7

maximize for beautiful glimmery-ness.

NYX Cream Blush in "Tickled" is BY FAR my favorite cream blush and it is absolutely beautiful! its pinky peach with amazing shimmer, it has more gleam and shimmer than I've seen in another blush. That being said it's not greasy or overly shimmer, it's just gorgeous. In case your wondering I like to apply my cream blushes with a small stippling brush (if you're interested in the brush you can read more about it in this post.)

Well that wraps it up beauties! Again, drugstore blushes can be amazing with great color pay off and awesome color selection you just have to be willing to look and deal with a little trail and error. These blushes are ones that I reach for day to day and would recommend to anyone! Happy Hunting!

As always please share, comment and subscribe! xo
Leah

Questions about makeup? Contact me: hugkissmakeup@gmail.com

Drugstore products that you should NOT be living without!

If you're a lady who is ballin' on a budget (hello, recession!) then you know the importance of a HOLY GRAIL drugstore makeup find. If you can find something at the drugstore that works as good (if not better) than that Dior highlighter you've been lusting over, you should be all over it.  I am no stranger to the drugstore makeup aisles, you name it... I've probably tried it. Therefore I'm here to tell you the products that you should NOT be living without!

These are in no particular order, and are all equally awesome!

E.L.F. Brushes: 

If you haven't heard of Eyes Lips Face (you probably don't frequent Target) OR you don't do a lot of online shopping, that's okay! I'm here to tell you that their brushes, especially in the studio line are AMAZING and are 3 dollars EACH, that's right.... THREE BUCKS.

Pro's: they work as well as something more high end, they don't shed, they hold up well from use and washing, they're aesthetically pleasing: very sleek.

I highly recommend the following:

L to R: Small stippling brush, powder brush, pointed foundation brush, stippling brush & small tapered brush

 Small stippling brush: great for cream blush or cream bronzer, makes it a flawless application
Powder brush: I use this brush EVERYDAY to apply my powder its dense, yet soft. It works amazing, the one pictured above I've had for over a year and it's still in great shape.
Pointed Foundation brush: This is great for applying concealer under the eyes, also around the eyebrows or nose. I think it would be a little too small for applying foundation (as the name states) but I may be bias because the next brush is my HOLY GRAIL foundation brush...
Stippling brush: I used this everyday to apply my liquid/cream/whipped foundation, it gives me such a flawless finish, I get compliments on my skin on a regular basis, which is because of this brush and my foundation, not my skin haha It's this simple: apply your foundation to a sponge or on back of your hand, tap product on brush and blend out on face in small, circular motions.
Small tapered brush: this brush is great for contouring with bronzer (which I will have a future post up about soon!) it gets into the hollows of your cheeks awesomely. It can also be used for applying powder under the eyes.

Edit: see my favorite e.l.f. eyeshadow brushes in this post!

NYC Sunny Bronzer:

This is the best bronzer I've ever used! Before this I was never truly happy with any other bronzers I was using. It's completely matte so it WON'T overpower your face with shimmer or glitter. I've heard its comparable to Benefit's Hoola bronzer but I haven't tried it to 100% know.

Uses: Sunny is great to contour all over your face (where ever you like to use bronzer) especially in cheekbones, down the sides of your nose, etc. Also I use it everyday to bronze my neck a bit to make sure my foundation blends with my neck and chest.

Cost: 3 to 4 dollars... I mean c'mon really? It's a no brainer. I have 2 back ups and just hit pan on my 1st one after a year or more of using it.

Wet N' Wild Eyeshadows:

Please tell me your already have heard how amazing these are!? If not, you need to run out to your nearest Walgreens/Rite Aid/Walmart and stock up! I'm so glad bloggers/youtubers are finally giving Wet n Wild the attention they deserve because almost everything they make is fantastic, especially their eyeshadow palettes and trio's.

Wet n' Wild: Comfort Zone Palette, photo credit: here.

Their eye shadows are so incredibly pigmented, creamy, velvety, [insert a million more positive adjectives]. Not to mention that they have a TON of supposed MAC dupes in their collections. The have a full shade range from great neutrals to crazy, vibrant pinks and blues.

Cost: 1.99 to 8 dollars (depending on if you get a single eyeshadow vs. a 8 pan palette)
You can't go wrong with any of their eyeshadows... seriously.

I also recommend Wet n' Wild's: lipsticks, blushes, gel eye liner, Fergie eyeshadow primer, nail polish.

Revlon Lipsticks:
If you know me then you know I'm a lipstick junkie, like seriously... my name is Leah and I have a problem. I am ashamed (and quite proud) to say I have 50+ lipsticks, I just think they're so pretty and girly, what's not to love? Anyway, Revlon has ALWAYS been a stand by for me, their shade range and selection is great. They have different finishes like frost, satin and matte and are super affordable! (Hint: I HIGHLY recommend getting them from Wal-mart, drugstores tend to charge 8 or 9 dollars per lipstick, where as at Wal-mart they are less than 5 dollars)

L to R: Pink in the afternoon, Rosewine, Pink Pout, Pink about it

My current favorites are pictured above, Pink in the Afternoon: is a great wearable pink, still adds a bit of pop without being too much or too dramatic. Rosewine: sort of a brick red/berry color, gorgeous on. This color is a staple for me in the Fall/Winter, it would look great all year round maybe for a night out. Pink Pout: Matte light cool toned pink (also suppose to be a dupe for Mac's snob) great color very "lady gaga" to me. Pink about it: Vibrant, bright pink that's alittle lighter than a hot pink. Reminds me of of Mac's viva glam Nicki but a little darker.

Rimmel's Lasting Finish Foundation:
I got this Foundation on a whim at Walgreens one day when they had all of Rimmel 40 or 50 % off. So it was around 2 dollars and it's a GREAT foundation. If you're truly on a strict budget I definitely recommend this because it is around 4-5 dollars. I can't speak for everyone I have dry to normal skin and this works great for me. It really does last a long time, just make sure you blend it semi-quickly into your skin because it tends to dry a little fast, that's the only con I've noticed.

My other favorite drugstore foundations include: Revlon colorstay and CoverGirl 3 in 1 outlast stay fabulous

last but definitely NOT least...

Wet n' Wild Blushes:

Again, Wet n' Wild has done it again ... these blushes are some of the first I ever bought 4 or 5 years ago, before that I wasn't really into blush. Now, blush and lipstick are my favorite makeup products, ever. Wet n Wild blushes are 2.99 and I would pay 3x as much because the quality and pigmentation are absolutely out. of. this. world.

All 4 pictured here. Photo Credit: here.

Like I said, I've had some of these for years and have yet to hit pan on any of them, a little goes a loooong way, make sure to tap off your brush before applying so you don't over do it. FYI: the shade Pearlescent Pink (the most left shade in the picture above) is a dupe for Nars Orgasm, the most worn blush in the world, literally.

The only bad thing about these blushes, you ask? ...is that their is only 4 shades, hopefully Wn'W will get the hint to make more soon!

Well, that wraps up my list my beauties! There are a lot more things I could talk about, maybe I'll make a part 2 soon. Thank you so much for reading! Until next time, stay thrifty and fabulous!


xo Leah
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