First Look: 2008 Holiday Gift Guide

With the holidays quickly approaching, and the state of the economy showing no sign of improvement, it will prove to be a worrisome and stressful time of year - especially for those of us who are tight on money. Of course you want to give great gifts, but how can you keep it affordable and stylish? I'm here to help!

In my Holiday Gift Guide, I'll show you some beautiful gifts for $25 and under and $50 and under, perfect for women on a budget - no matter how much or how little you want to spend. I'll also point you in the direction of some great stocking stuffers and gifts you can get for the guy in your life - on any budget!

Stay tuned throughout the next few weeks as we kick off the holiday season at Bare Budget Beauty!

Coastal Scents Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale

Looking to stock up on some great beauty items this Black Friday? At Coastal Scents, you'll find quality makeup brushes, amazing color palettes, mineral makeup, cosmetic-making ingredients, and more - all at a great discount!

On both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, November 28 and December 1, you'll receive savings of 25% off on the entire site! Also don't forget that on orders of $100 or more, you get free shipping as well!

If you're looking for Coastal Scents' great makeup brushes and famous color palettes, or if you want to purchase any of their awesome ingredients for making your own products, I highly suggest you head on over to the Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, beauties! Today is a great day to slow life down a bit, take a break from whatever you're doing, and enjoy some time with family, friends, and (of course!) delicious food. Make sure to take a few minutes to reflect on what you're thankful for, and let your loved ones know how much you appreciate them.

As for me, I'm thankful for many things in my life, and my blog and my readers definitely make the list! Thank you all so much for your continued support - without it, I know I couldn't have continued doing what I do. It means the world to me. Thank you!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Cherry Culture Thanksgiving Sale

Great news for shoppers of Cherry Culture! They're having a fabulous Thanksgiving sale!

From now through November 30, you'll receive 20% off your entire order - just use code TG20 at checkout!

Start your Christmas shopping now, and snag some great deals at Cherry Culture on NYX and more! Time to stock up on those lipsticks!

Review: Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser

A couple months ago, I gushed over the release of Clean & Clear's new Blackhead Eraser. This promising new product looked good enough in the box, but I knew I had to give it a full, proper test run before deciding if it did what it said it would and, more importantly, was worth the money.

Sorry to keep you waiting so long - but, as promised, here is my full review of the Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser! I'll give you a full run-down of one of the newest vibrating, exfoliating cleansing tools on the market.

Product Description: "Blackhead Eraser uses a gentle vibrating motion to exfoliate dead surface skin to remove dirt and oil more effectively. The foaming medicated pads, containing our exclusive blackhead dissolving serum, penetrate your pores to reduce the number of blackheads. After cleansing, you'll be left with cleaner, smoother and visibly healthier skin."

Price: $19.99

Results: The package consists of both the blackhead eraser tool and a small supply of 20 cleansing pads, which attach to the head of the tool with velcro. The blackhead eraser itself is a small, cylindrical device that is durable and water-resistant, so you can easily take it in the shower with you. The cleansing pads, similar to those you might find with other vibrating cleansing tools on the market, are gently textured and contain a 1% saliycilic acid formula and other blackhead-fighting ingredients which supposedly remove blackheads and keep them away.

The tool is very easy to use - attach a pad, wet it with water, and turn it on - that's it! You use the tool by massaging it in small circles or upward motions over your skin, focusing extra attention on the areas where your blackheads are worst.

The Blackhead Eraser, like some of its cleaning competitors (think the Neutrogena Wave or Healthy Skin Rejuvenator), does an excellent job at both cleansing and exfoliating the skin, thanks to the textured pads and the vibrating tool. However, even with prolonged use, I saw little to no improvement in the appearance of my blackheads, except immediately after using the tool (when they appeared slightly smaller and my pores looked cleaner).

I believe that while the salicylic acid in the serum would usually help dissolve blackheads well and help control breakouts, its contact with the skin is much too short to do any good before it is washed away from the skin. This would explain why I saw no results; otherwise, the tool is great. Even without benefiting my blackheads, it left my skin extremely clean, soft, and smooth, and exfoliates without tearing up or damaging the skin, as some harsh scrubs and exfoliants can.

Overall, the product is effective at smoothing and treating the skin, but is not very powerful against blackheads because its main ingredient is quickly washed off within a minute or so. And because I found it didn't quite work as I'd hoped, $20 is a little too steep for my liking. If Clean & Clear wants to compete with products like the Wave ($13), it may consider lowering their price or continuing to offer discounts and coupons - since the products are, essentially, very similar in nature and effectiveness.

A good idea might be to pair the Blackhead Eraser with a post-scrub treatment, serum, or lotion that you leave on your skin to help fight blackheads more effectively and provide long-term effects.

Rating: 3/5

You'll like this product if: You're looking for a great tool to exfoliate and cleanse, while helping to reduce the appearance of blackheads

You won't like this product if: You're in need of an extremely strong, effective treatment for your stubborn blackheads

First Look: New ecoTOOLS Brushes

As previously mentioned, while on my weekend getaway in California last month, I had the opportunity to visit a few Rite-Aid stores - which we don't have in my state. I was totally excited to finally get my hands on the new ecoTOOLS brushes I've been wanting for weeks, but are nearly impossible to find!

The new collection, which I have only seen in select Rite-Aid stores in California and nowhere else at this point (not even online), consists of some fantastic brushes that are of the same quality we've come to expect from ecoTOOLS.

First up is the new five-piece brush set, which is ideal for traveling and those who use mineral makeup. It includes the following:

Eyeshadow Brush

Concealer Brush

Baby Kabuki Brush

Face Powder Brush

Travel Case

In addition, the exciting retractable Kabuki brush is also available! This dense, soft Kabuki is retractable and compact, making it perfect for on-the-go touch-ups. Made from recycled aluminum and other materials, it too is environmentally friendly, of course. Now you can feel even better about applying your mineral makeup!

If you're lucky enough to spot these in stores, I highly recommend snagging them for yourself! That goes double if you're an avid user of MMU. Hopefully, the new brushes will be widely available soon. Until then... good luck!

Zoya Free Nail Polish Seasonal Collections

One of my top favorite nail polish brands, Zoya, is offering another great deal at their website, zoya.com! You have to spend some cash to earn your free gift, but the value is amazing!

Now through November 25, when you purchase the famous Zoya Color-Lock System Try Me Kit for $36, you can receive a FREE seasonal nail polish collection sampler, worth $36!

Just use one of the following codes that corresponds to the collection you want at checkout:

PULSE = Pulse Fall Winter Collection
VIBE = Vibe Fall Winter Collection
FLOURISH = Flourish Holiday/Winter Collection

It's that easy! But hurry, this offer ends shortly.

(Sorry for not posting this sooner - I've been having some Blogger publishing problems!)


Image: artofbeauty.com

Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener Iron Giveaway Winner

The Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener Iron Giveaway is officially over! I want to personally thank each and every one of you for making this giveaway such a HUGE success! This giveaway had the highest turnout out of any contest I've ever held.

After all the entries were tallied, the total reached - get this - over 1,000 entries! Wow!!

Now, it's time to announce the winner!

If your name is Tom B., congratulations, you've won! Please check your e-mail for further instructions so we can ship your prize ASAP! I hope you love it - either for yourself or as a gift to someone special. ;)

Thanks again, everyone, and come back soon for more giveaways in the future! Another huge thanks to MyHairStylingTools.com as well - without them, this great contest wouldn't have been possible!

Twilight Movie Premiere

Today is the day that the Twilight movie opens to the public! (Or should I say tomorrow at midnight? Either way, I'll be there for sure!) Are you excited?

Here's a picture of the lovely Kristen Stewart (Bella), posing for the camera at the Twilight premiere in LA on November 17! Her makeup look is courtesy of the artists at Dior.

Image: AP

Karmin Giveaway Reminder

Hello, everyone! Just a quick post to remind you that the Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener Iron Giveaway ends tomorrow! Have you entered yet?

If you still need to enter, you have until midnight to do so! Don't miss out on the chance to win an amazing hair straightener.

Check out all the details here!

Splurge of the Month: Urban Decay

Wow, it feels like I haven't done a Splurge of the Month in forever! I think that says something about my spending habits as of late, though - lol!

This month's splurge, from one of my favorite prestige beauty brands, came about because I had some really great timing. I'll tell you all about it!

My first pick was the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Palette. I've been eyeing this gem for quite a while now, waiting for the perfect chance to get it. It normally costs $45! This gorgeous, uniquely designed palette includes sixteen fantastic shadows - eight best-sellers and eight exclusive shades. It also includes two brushes and a travel-size Primer Potion!

Next, I picked up the irresistable new 24/7 Travel Set of 5 - VIP set. This little set includes five mini-sized 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, wrapped up in one box and perfect for traveling. I love bright, bold colors, especially on my eyes, and I already know these eyeliners are fantastic, so I knew this would be perfect for me. It retails for $29.

Now, under normal circumstances, this purchase would have totaled around $75! "How do you have that kind of money, Jenn?" you may be asking... well, trust me, I don't! With some luck and good timing, I managed to cover the whole purchase for a mere $13!

I decided to take advantage of Sephora's Friends & Family Sale this past week, which automatically reduced the price of my order by 20%. Next, I used an e-gift certificate I received from one of Total Beauty's sweepstakes a while back - $50 worth! In addition, once I had spent $50, my order was shipped free. Finally, as with every purchase, I received three free samples of my choosing. And it just so happened that my Beauty Insider points had hit 100, meaning I also got to choose a deluxe sample! Talk about an amazing deal!

It really pays to take advantage of the great sales going on this season, so stay tuned here for all the latest info. And remember that free shipping will save you in the long run, so instead of making separate orders now and later, try to combine your purchases to hit the required amount for free shipping! Good luck, and happy shopping - I'll be writing more about these items later!

Urban Decay Family & Friends Discount Event

I'm a little late hopping on this bandwagon, but I still thought I'd mention it for the few people who may not have seen this on other blogs yet. :)

As of November 10, Urban Decay is holding yet another Friends & Family sale event! Now through November 18, you'll receive a whole 30% off your entire order!

Just be sure to enter code FFH30 at checkout.


I wish I'd known about this when making my Sephora order last week! Happy shopping!

Review: Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner

It looks like Wet n Wild has surprised me with yet another quality product for less! A few weeks ago, the night before Halloween, I headed to my local Walgreen's to find some cheap makeup fast. I was a little wary to pick up more Wet n Wild products, but the price was just too tempting! I picked up a few liquid eyeliners and some lipstick and headed out.

In the end, I was more or less pleased with the Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner. What's good and not-so-good about this product? Keep reading to find out, and maybe you'll want to give them a shot yourself!

Product Description: "Make a statement! Create a thin line for a subtle yet distinctive look. Or sweep on bolder strokes to lay on the drama. Available in a variety of shades to complement every eye color and skin tone."

Price: $2.99/0.12 oz.

Results: Obviously, I was a little skeptical about this eyeliner, and there were definitely a few things that turned me off a bit... but no deal-breakers. The one thing I disliked most about the product was that the brush can be slightly flimsy; because it's so thin, it isn't as stiff as I usually prefer. However, this makes it so the brush does not tug on the eyes at ALL, which is great for our skin!

Because the brush is thin, it also means that you can create some of the thinnest lines imaginable. And by applying more pressure, you can create a thicker, more dramatic line, or simply layer thin lines over each other. This means you have much more control over the look and line you get than with other liquid eyeliners.

One other small setback is that you must be careful not to touch your eyes while wearing the product, as it CAN smudge, especially when it isn't completely dry yet. I found the wear to be great, aside from the possible smudging if I wasn't careful - but it seemed to last nearly all day, sometimes longer.

For the price, you get a good amount of product; more than some other brands' liquid eyeliners give you (including my trusty Prestige liquid liners). Given this, it should last you for a decent amount of time.

The color selection includes six different colors: black, blue, turquoise, brown, plum, and opal. I have to say that the one I chose, turquoise, is a beautiful shade! It's very bright and pigmented, and brightens up my blue eyes immediately. It will also give an incredible pop of color to brown eyes! Personally, I can't wait to try the other colors in the collection.

All in all, a great value for a nice product. It still has a few improvements to be made, but nothing really stood out strongly enough to make me dislike it.


You'll like this product if: You want a good liquid eyeliner for less; you enjoy thinner, flexible eyeliner brushes; you don't need a waterproof eyeliner

You won't like this product if: You prefer a thicker, stiffer eyeliner brush; you're looking for a very long-lasting product

Rating: 3.5/5


What's your favorite liquid eyeliner? Want some swatches?

Exclusive Giveaway and Coupons from My Hair Styling Tools!

Hello, everyone! I have some super-exciting news today, including some exclusive offers just for my wonderful readers! Trust me, you'll want in on this.

If you haven't heard yet, My Hair Styling Tools is one of the best places on the web to get all your hairstyling essentials in one place. They have everything you're looking for, from straighteners to dryers, brushes to irons... and some of the best brands in the industry, including CHI, FHI, Karmin, T3, and more!

Bare Budget Beauty and My Hair Styling Tools are now teaming up for some great savings and a fabulous giveaway!

We're offering you two amazing coupons to use on any purchase of your choice:

$10 Off Any Item
Use code BARE10 at checkout

and

$25 Off Any Karmin Titanium Straightener
Use code BARE25 at checkout

And now, the moment you've been waiting for... the giveaway! One lucky reader will win a brand new, shiny Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener Iron, valued at $99.99!

The Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener Iron is a major breakthrough in straightening irons, combining the benefits of ceramic heat and ionic technology with titanium, which is extremely durable, increases hydration, protects hair from damage, and adds shine. It heats up in ten seconds, yet is gentle on your hair and is perfect for both straightening AND curling. Better still, the large amount of negative ions provide great protection while smoothing, and infrared technology heats from within quickly and evenly, saving the surface of the hair from unnecessary damage.

Bottom line: smooth, silky, frizz-free hair is yours in no time! Sounds amazing, right? It is! (If you don't believe me, check out all the raving reviews!)

To enter, you must use the contest box in this entry to provide your name and e-mail address. That's it! You're one click away from getting the chance to win this baby.

Now for the boring stuff: one entry per person, per e-mail address, and open to US and Canadian residents only (sorry!). The contest ends at midnight on November 21, 2008. The winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have 72 hours to confirm their address. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.



Good luck, and a huge thanks to MyHairStylingTools.com!

ULTA Free Shipping + 20% Off One Item

Yay, more savings! ULTA addicts can get their fix now through November 8 with some great deals and coupons.

First, all orders over $25 will receive free shipping online! But you must use code SHIPFREE25 at checkout to get it. Don't forget!

Second, check your ULTA catalog or go online to find a 20% off one item coupon! Your catalog coupon can't be used online, but instead, use code 97153 at checkout to get your savings.

I'm so excited the holiday season is on its way, aren't you? Happy shopping!

Alice Cosmetics Does Mineral Makeup Right

I never thought I could love mineral eyeshadow as much as I love those made by Alice Cosmetics... but I do. So much, in fact, that I'm resisting the urge to recite romantic Shakespeare passages in its presence.

Okay, maybe that sounds a little dramatic - but if you tried them yourself, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about.

I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of most mineral makeup, so I'm always a little reluctant to try a new brand. After seeing the great selection of colors on the Alice Cosmetics website, though, I knew I had to try them for myself.

While many mineral makeup brands I've seen only offer a small selection of sheer, uninspiring colors that may or may not show up on eyes at all, this is not the case here. Alice Cosmetics offers a selection of 20 wearable colors that still manage to be bold and flattering. How is this possible? Pure mineral magic.

The collection includes gorgeous browns and taupes, daytime neutrals, shimmering golds and yellows, and a few more daring shades - such as an icy blue, deep green, plum, and navy. Some are even great for filling in brows! My one tiny suggestion for improvement is that I would love to see an even bigger selection of colors, perhaps some pretty pastels and more blues, pinks, and other hues.

These shadows, aside from being beautiful, also show up great on lids, many with a hint of shimmer and all with fantastic pigmentation. Perfect for day or night, you'll be able to find a color that looks fab on you.

Because it's Alice Cosmetics, you also know the quality is great - as always, there is no bismuth oxychloride, talc, parabens, cornstarch, nanoparticles, fillers, oils, vitamins, or fragrances.

Prices are very reasonable, with a 1.5-gram jar costing around $7.50 - about the same as many makeup companies offer or cheaper. Sample jars are also available (with sifters!). Additionally, the company has invented an equally awesome eye shadow guard to protect your face from shadow fallout while applying your eye makeup! Genius, right? They also offer a great range of foundations, blushes, bronzers, liners, tools, and more... all with trustworthy quality and at affordable prices.

If you're curious about mineral makeup, or are simply unhappy with whatever you've used in the past, I suggest you give Alice Cosmetics a try.

Sephora Friends & Family Event

You thought it wasn't gonna happen this year, didn't you? Well... so did I! Until I found out the truth from The Muse, who is always a great source of information!

The Sephora Friends & Family Event is only available online, and runs from November 6-10 only! At checkout, be sure to enter code FF2008 to receive your 20% discount.

Happy holidays, and happy shopping!!