Coming Soon... Your New Esthetician on the Block

Hello, lovelies!

Things have been slowing down around here, as I'm sure you've noticed. Between being sick (don't worry, it's not swine flu!), trying to sort things out with various healthcare providers and my insurance company, and preparing for a big change coming up in my life, I've been swamped.

And while I don't make many personal announcements at BBB, I thought I'd share my newest endeavor!

As of next month, I'll be putting my university studies on hold so I can attend beauty school and become - drumroll please - a licensed esthetician! Yep, that's right... I'm going to be trained to be an expert on everything skincare, with a focus on clinical esthetics and a laser technician certification!

I'm so incredibly excited that I've finally gotten the chance to take my life in the direction I've been hoping for! And in this poor economy, trade school seems much more profitable right now than a regular Bachelor's degree - so I'm hoping the time and money will be worth it!

I've considered putting the blog on hold, but decided I simply couldn't do it. Despite how busy I am and will be over the next six months, blogging is practically what I live and breathe. So, while posts may be scarce sometimes, you can bet I won't be giving up!

Thanks for your continued support, everyone! :) Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to bed...

Giveaway: The Japanese Skincare Revolution

As promised, here's your chance to win your own copy of The Japanese Skincare Revolution, by skincare guru Chizu Saeki!

One reader will win a copy of the book, which details at-home techniques for skin cleansing, toning, moisturizing, massaging, and more - along with fixes for acne, wrinkles, and other such problems.

Discover the secrets to the beautiful skin of Japanese women (and household name Chizu Saeki, who looks great for her age!) by entering by 10 PM EST May 2, 2009. Open to US and Canadian residents only, sorry! Just enter your name and e-mail in the box below (visible only by visiting the blog).

Good luck!

Macy's Friends & Family Sale

Macy's Friends & Family Sale is now bigger and better than evers - six days of shopping with the employee discount!

This week, head into Macy's for savings of 10-25% off! (Unfortunately, this excludes cosmetics and fragrances... sorry!) Start shopping for Mother's Day, or even get a head start on the upcoming swimsuit season!

The sale runs April 29-May 4. Some exclusions apply; check your local Macy's for details or the coupon here.

Be sure to print the coupon to use in-store OR enter promo code MACYSFRIEND online!

Great Reads: The Japanese Skincare Revolution

Being as interested in Japanese culture as I am, I was delighted to receive a copy of a wonderfully insightful and interesting book by renowned skincare guru Chizu Saeki, titled The Japanese Skincare Revolution.

This breakthrough book offers simple, natural remedies for everything ranging from wrinkles to acne, as well as tips and tricks for do-it-yourself skincare including moisturizing masks and lymphatic massages to keep skin young and healthy through all stages of life.

Saeki teaches you the proper way to remove makeup, reduce sagging and aging, fix hangover skin, help a double chin, and much more... including when to give your skin a break and how to not overload it with cosmetics.

In addition, all the methods discussed involve no expensive products, complicated steps, or numerous tools. Instead, the author supports low-maintenance skincare that doesn't require anything more than what you already own, plus the use of the most powerful tool a woman posesses: her hands.

With detailed, easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photographs and diagrams, along with personal anecdotes and unorthodox advice, The Japanese Skincare Revolution is sure to enlighten you about new and exciting ways to care for your skin... without spending a fortune or being pushed to purchase an author's product line. In fact, Chizu Saeki sells no line of her own (even at her personal spa), but instead makes recommendations and gives examples of the kinds of products she mentions in her book.

For a unique and informative look at the art of Japanese skincare, pick up The Japanese Skincare Revolution on Amazon for $19.95 (currently on sale for $13.57), or check your local bookstore.

Or, for a chance to win a copy of your own, check back soon!

BeautyTicket.com Giveaway Winner!

Hi, ladies! I know, I know... I'm a little late with the announcement. I was having some trouble with Blogger and the contest entries. But here it is! Drumroll please...

Congratulations to Medic159, the winner of the BeautyTicket.com Train Case Giveaway!! They'll be receiving their own Roncato train case filled with great beauty products from BeautyTicket.com!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter, and a HUGE thank-you to Beauty Ticket for hosting this wonderful contest!

As always, stick around for the next giveaway announcement...

Featured on Trend de la Creme!

I'm a little late posting about this, but... since a reader was so kind as to point it out to me, I have to thank them!

A few weeks ago, Bare Budget Beauty was featured in a post on the wonderful Trend de la Creme! I highly encourage everyone to read the full article, called Department Store Beauty on a Drugstore Budget. Great idea, right?

Thanks, Anonymous!

Huge NYX Sale!

By word of mouth, I've discovered an amazing NYX sale going on now until the end of April! If you love NYX, this is a deal you will NOT want to miss!

The sale features five different packages with a huge amount of items at savings ranging from 75-90% off regular retail prices!! This is a fantastic way to stock up on the products you love most for dirt cheap. Eyeshadow, glosses, lashes - it's all here!

The five packages available are:

11 Tube Lip Glosses and 8 Eyeshadow Trios - $27
20 Double Sided Eye Pencils and 10 Liquid Eyeliners - $22
30 Fabulous Lashes - $24 (WOW!)
15 Diamond Sparkle Lipglosses and 15 Single Eyeshadows - $41.25
1 Liquid Makeup Foundation - $1.40

I'm totally serious about this... now is the time to grab some NYX! How can you pass up such amazing prices? Get yourself over to the website and tell me what you're getting! This sale lasts only as long as supplies do!

My New Favorite Scrub... And You'll Never Guess the Price!

Now that it's getting to be "shorts weather" here where I live (no, I'm not kidding!), it's more important than ever to have my skin in tip-top shape. My go-to product for beautiful, glowing skin has always been a great body scrub.

The other day, as recommended in a post over at Spoiled Pretty, I headed over to my local T.J. Maxx to see what kind of beauty deals were there. I made quite a few discoveries... but that's for a later post.

Today, I'm here to gush about the amazing body scrub I picked up on my visit. It's actually part of a set called the Bliss Carrot + Sesame Body Buff Super-Hydrating Spa System (which includes both a scrub and a "finishing foam"). The scrub is packed with great ingredients and exfoliants like carrot, sesame, sea salt, and a variety of oils such as almond, jojoba, and lemon... so you know it's great for your skin.

The 8.5 oz. tub is guaranteed to last you a long time, even with weekly use. The scrub is extremely dense, so you don't need much to cover yourself. After your shower, while your skin is still damp, head out and apply the Finishing Foam, which includes milk and honey to keep your skin smooth and soft all day and give a nice glow. (This product doesn't do much when used alone, but combined with the scrub, will enhance your results.) Both products have a fresh scent that is a little heavy in the shower, but very light after and smells sweet over time.

I have few complaints about this product. Some of the seed particles in the scrub are too large, which makes them unnecessary, since the sea salts exfoliate well enough on their own. You're likely to end up with a few seeds on your shower floor. Using too much of the scrub can also make your skin feel a little oily, but a quick rinse with a little body wash takes care of this problem right away.

Did I forget to mention the amazing price? I found this set for a sweet $10, making each product $5 and saving me $40 off the original price! If that isn't reason enough to head to your nearest T.J. Maxx, stay tuned for my next shopping trip, when I'll document some of the deals I find!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! Whether you celebrate or not, I hope you have a wonderful, restful day!

What are your plans? After work, I'm heading home to relax and enjoy some time with my boyfriend's family. :) While my own parents stopped the tradition of "Easter baskets" long ago, my boyfriend's parents still hand them out to us "kids!" Don't you love Easter candy?

Review: Olay Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol

Several weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to test a few products from the new Olay Pro X line! I've been excited to try them ever since Olay announced them, but was uncertain that the high price tag would be justifiable. (Olay is, after all, still a drugstore brand!)

The Olay Pro X products, the result of a collaboration between P&G scientists and a group of renowned dermatologists, claims to be clinically proven to show signs of improvement in skin within 28 days. Moisture retention and cell turnover are the two biggest factors said to increase.

Today, I'll be reviewing the Olay Pro X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol. This kit contains small-sized versions of the Wrinkle Smoothing Cream, Eye Recovery Complex, and Age Repair Lotion SPF 30. I put the products to the test for a full six weeks (two weeks over the suggested trial period)... did they deliver? Keep reading to find out!

Description: The Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol by Olay is an introduction to the three-part daily program. All products have been designed and professionally tested to resignal skin to perform more like it did when it was younger.

Price: $69

Results: I'll break down the results by each product to keep this organized.

The Age Repair Lotion SPF 30 features an SPF higher than most drugstore brands, but aside from that, does not seem much different from most of Olay's moisturizers. Its key ingredient is niacimanide, like many other Olay products. While the lotion is moisturizing, it's also quite thick and can feel a little greasy. I didn't see any major changes in my skin during the trial period, positive or negative.

My skin and the Wrinkle Smoothing Cream did not get along. Aside from not noticing any visible results, even with continued use, this cream broke me out horribly. I kept using it because I was determined to complete the trial period, but my skin has never reacted to a cream in this way. By process of elimination, I discovered this product was the culprit, and not the others. This may be because the cream is very thick and potentially pore-clogging. While it does a fantastic job as a night cream and moisturizer, I simply didn't find the results (or lack thereof) to justify my new acne scarring and irritation.

The Eye Restoration Complex was my favorite product of the kit. This creamy, smooth eye treatment softened my skin better than most products I've tried before and left it feeling silky and hydrated. It's absolutely perfect for wearing underneath makeup because it never leaves the skin feeling greasy or heavy - it sinks right in. It also seems to have softened my fine lines slightly, and I haven't noticed my eyes looking as puffy or dark as usual, which is definitely a plus. I might actually consider purchasing this one, if I had the money. My only issue? For the first two weeks, I woke up to eyes covered in splotchy red spots. So unattractive.

My overall impression is that these products may be effective at increasing moisture levels and cell turnover rates, as their ingredients would suggest, but within the 28 day testing period, I failed to see any drastic results. My fine lines and skin tone did not appear to improve, while the heavy and possibly pore-clogging Wrinkle Smoothing Cream made my skin worse. My skin did feel softer, smoother, and more moisturized, but I can achieve the same results with products that cost a fraction of those in the Olay Pro X line. In fact, the new products don't seem to differ that much from Olay's cheaper lines, such as Regenerist and Definity. And if they offer the same results, why pay more? Fancy packaging and associations with a team of dermatologists seem to be what you're really shelling out the extra cash for.

I would probably not purchase any of these products again unless they were on sale, and even then, I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble. I'm perfectly happy with my current skincare routine, which includes Olay Regenerist products.

As an addition to my own personal trial period, my boyfriend also used the products on half his face for the same amount of time. Despite his skin showing more signs of aging than mine, he too saw no long-term results.

If you're curious enough to try the Olay Pro X line, now through May 5, you can receive a $25 rebate on any purchase of $50 or more worth of products! Just visit the Olay Pro X site for more information and a printable rebate form.

Total Beauty Web Tour - 4/10/09

Here's another weekend's worth of beautiful reading for you, courtesy of the ladies of Total Beauty!

Enjoy!

Check out A Little More Beautiful's Great Skin for Spring series with tips for skin care based on specific skin types: How to Take Care of Dry Skin

Viva Woman shows you how to get a new nail polish color without having to spend more.

Checkout the Informed Makeup Maven's hot spring buys, where to get advice for your beauty budget and Stila kaput?! and don't forget to enter the 'Yes' to Carrots giveaway, the lovely lips giveaway and soft lips lip balm bunch

GIVEAWAY ALERT! The Anti Hair Slave and KeraCare has teamed up to give one lucky reader the entire new collection especially made for weaves and extensions!

Beauty Anonymous brings you YSL Summer 2009 Makeup Collection.

Glossypink has a super hot new layout with easier to find reviews on the latest products and how to get your favorite celebrity looks!

Beauty411 has been using the new high-tech Lancôme Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate. Check out her review here!

The LA Pretties are raving about Valentino: The Last Emperor! It's a story of love, fashion, pugs, and being tan.

Who is an eyebrow's best friend? Advice Sister Alison of "The Advice Sisters" interviews eyebrow specialist Elke Von Freudenberg and discovers what makes her so special!

Monique at Beauty Girl Musings reviews the new Herbal Essences Hydralicious shampoos and conditioners via Beauty Girl TV, her online video blog!

The Makeup Divas reviews the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush. While you are there, check out all of her giveaways and enter for some fabulous prizes!

The Easter Beagle of Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog is delivering an Easter Basket full of hare hair products worth over $300! Hop to it and enter now!

Face Candy shows you one of her favorite neon nail shades.

The Shades Of U shares swatches and descriptions of all her MAC neutral eye shadows, with more swatches coming up soon!

This week, Spoiled Pretty is keeping up with Kim Kardashian. Click here for the exclusive interview, featuring Kim's beauty and style secrets. It's a MUST READ!

Beauty Is Within shows you how to get salon beautiful nails on a budget!

Is this the end of an era? Is it possible that Stila is bankrupt? Read what happened while Beauty Junkies Unite was sleeping!

Enter to win göt2b Smooth Operator Collection on Lipgloss Break!

Boutique Flair reviews the Invisibelt. This is a wardrobe must-have created by a veteran Beauty Director for leading women’s magazines!

The Jet Set Girls are giving away a Smythson Jewelry Roll worth (no kidding!!) $465!

Indian Girl talks about her favorite foundation brushes for an absolute flawless look.

Get Sexy Glowing Skin with Jergens-by Talking Makeup!

The girls over at Beauty in Real Life share Chanel's new Summer line with you. Check it out here. And while you are there enter to win a copy of Bobbi Brown's Living Beauty and Charla Krupp's How Not to Look Old!!

Beauty Am Eye tells you how to get that lovely Afterglow .

Urban Decay Family & Friends Event

If the economy (and recent news like Jane and Stila filing for bankruptcy) is bumming you out, here's a great sale to cheer you up and help stimulate your makeup collection!


Urban Decay is having their Family & Friends Event now through April 17. Get 30% off your entire order, plus a fab free lipstick sample in Sellout on all orders over $35!

Just enter FNFS9 at checkout. Enjoy!

Reminder: College Day at ULTA!

I hope you didn't forget - it's College Day at ULTA!

Flash your college ID at checkout in any store, and receive 20% off your entire purchase today only! No kidding!

Stay tuned for an announcement about next month's College Day as soon as information is available. Happy shopping, college girls!

Jane and Stila Cosmetics In Trouble

Remember the other day how I was excited about Jane cosmetics being on clearance at Walgreens? Remember how I said they weren't going out of business? Well... I could be wrong.

As it turns out, the reason for Walgreens clearing out all the Jane products was not the result of a disagreement between the two companies, but of Jane filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy. This does not guarantee the company will go out of business, but the outlook isn't good.

And while Stila has denied it, it appears the company is also in financial trouble. Their website has been down for days now, with news that some orders might be canceled, and Fashionista was told they are "reassessing their finances." Which, if you asks me, means "we're filing for bankruptcy."

This looks like bad news for two great makeup companies. I'll keep you updated, but for now... let's just say I'd stock up if I were you!

Giveaway: BeautyTicket.com Train Case with $100 Worth of Products!

Happy Monday, ladies! If the beginning of your week hasn't been so bright and sunny, I have something that might turn it around!

This week, Bare Budget Beauty and BeautyTicket.com are pairing up for a beautiful giveaway!

Beauty Ticket is your premiere source for brand-name cosmetics at rock-bottom prices... up to 85% off retail prices! They carry a wide and fantastic selection of prestige beauty, including Smashbox, Stila, China Glaze, Sue Devitt, Peter Thomas Roth, Prescriptives, and more. Beauty Ticket purchases the surplus when a brand wants to make way for new products and passes the savings on to you! Quantities are extremely limited, however, and hot products sell out quickly - the same item is never re-stocked twice.

If you want a sample of what Beauty Ticket has to offer, you're in luck! They have graciously donated a wonderful prize for my readers.

This amazing prize includes an assortment of $100 worth of brand-name products in a beautiful train case (worth $40 alone)! The case, by Italian luxury luggage brand Roncato, is built to last with an anti-scratch surface. It also includes a shoulder strap for traveling convenience.

Product assortment may vary

Entering is simple! Leave a comment on this entry telling me which beauty brand you'd like to see at BeautyTicket.com by 11:59 PM (PST) on April 17! Be sure to leave a method of contact, especially if you don't have an account. Open to residents of the US and Canada only.

The winner will be chosen at random and announced on the blog on April 18.

Here's an extra treat just for my readers: now through May 1, get 10% off your entire order at BeautyTicket.com by entering promo code BAREBUDGETBEAUTY at checkout!! That's an extra 10% off the super-low prices you'll already be getting! Alternatively, you can click here and shop from this page to receive the discount as well.

Good luck, and don't forget to enter by April 17!

Fab Bags by eenamaria

Like many women, I love, love, LOVE handbags - but I never love the price of designer pieces. I am forever irked by the amounts "high-end" designers charge for their merchandise, especially those that sell dull, uninspiring, and sometimes downright ugly bags with their logo slapped all over it.

Instead, I adore bags with an attitude: bold, edgy, and fun. At the same time, I'm on a tight budget that usually doesn't allow room for spending hundreds on accessories. If this sounds like you, I've got two words: eenamaria handbags!

I was first introduced to this brand by the lovely Fabuless Beauty several months ago and was blown away. eenamaria features a collection of hip, bright, Mondrian-inspired bags that remain modern and exciting. They're also incredibly durable and sturdy, made of nylon and vinyl, and each has a brilliant patent shine.



The bag I have (pictured above), the Workin' Weekend Baby Tote, is simply amazing. Don't let its size deceive you, because so much can fit inside! I also love the bright red interior lining, which is a sassy touch.

What can you spot?

It also includes a detachable shoulder strap, if you prefer not to use the handles. I tend to switch it up depending on my mood. And freedom of choice is beautiful, right?

The bags, designed by rising star Sarah Morgan, are made to inspire confidence and empower those who wear them. Attention-getting, sexy, and adventurous, they're sure to make a fantastic addition to any wardrobe!

Best of all, there isn't a single bag in the collection over $70. Yes, you heard right - you can get yourself a chic handbag for way less than $100, so you don't have to worry about breaking the bank to look and feel good.

eenamaria has all your bases covered with 8 bags to choose from in a variety of great colors... from small clutches to giant totes, there's something for every occasion! I've gotten so many compliments on mine that I'm seriously considering acquiring a few more. They're guaranteed to turn heads as you walk down the street!

Check out some of the other amazing bags available:















Mean Bizniss Travel Tote, $69














All-Night Clubber, $39














It's For My Pencils, $25

Find yours and learn more at eenamaria's website. Get one, and get noticed!

Tip of the Day #12: College Day at ULTA

If you're a college student on a tight budget - like me - then money is probably especially tight right now. But there's some good news: ULTA has a fantastic deal for you each and every month. It's called College Day!

On the first Tuesday of every month, ULTA will offer a discount in-store. All you have to do is present your student ID at checkout. Combine this with one of ULTA's frequent coupons for $3.50 off any purchase of $10 or more, and we're talking huge savings!


I can't begin to say how grateful I am to ULTA for catering to us college girls!

Be sure to take advantage of College Day this month on Tuesday, April 7. Don't forget your college ID to receive 20% off your purchase!

LOTD: Super-Simple Nude Lip

To go along with my Super-Simple Smoky Eye, here is the corresponding lip look I used - it turned out great! I felt like a supermodel... kinda. But you really can't do such strong eyes without a muted lip, IMO!

This lip look is so simple that it requires no actual lip products, and is one of my favorite common makeup tricks. My lips have a lot of pigment, so this look is great for toning down the color and making them less noticeable.



On Lips:
Concealer
Vaseline

Smile! Happy April! :)

EOTD: Super-Simple Smoky Eye

Happy April, everyone!

Today's EOTD is the result of me wanting to try another smoky eye, this time using only one color (aside from the highlighter). It was pretty difficult!

It's a little messy, but I have yet to perfect any look. Still an improvement over the one I posted several months ago - no more bright white shimmer under my brow. ;) The inspiration hit when I swatched an old powder shadow I had in my makeup case, Revlon Bedroom Eyes Powder Liner in Jet. It's a gorgeous dark black with purple shimmer, and I couldn't resist using it!

Feel free to share your tips for the perfect smoky eye!


On Eyes:

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion
Revlon Bedroom Eyes Powder Liner in Jet
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner in Zero
ULTA in Naked
Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

And that's it! Let's see if I can create a new look every day this week! It'll be great practice. :)