My Top 10 Under $10! (+ a bonus photoshoot)

So if you're ballin' on a budget (like I am most of the time) but you're still on the lookout for great makeup products, you're in the right place. Here's a list of some of my all-time favorite makeup products which all cost $10 or less! :)

(These are not in any particular order)

1. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation ($9.47): Mine looks really gross. Sorry but I use it a ton. I have mentioned this foundation before but I have to bring it up again because the price point just makes it even more amazing. It's got great coverage, lasts a long time, and doesn't break me out!

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder ($3.97): Sooooo I've literally used this so much all of the writing came off of the packaging. (That might happen a lot in this post) This powder is freaking amazing. I have ridiculously oily skin and this keeps my skin nice and matte. But also, not so matte that my skin looks unnatural. The only other powder that I like as much as this one is from NARS and it's literally 10x the price.

3. NYX Photo-Loving Primer ($9.99- side note; this usually retails for $11.99 according the the NYX website but I've bought it at Target for $9.99 so that still counts...right?): This is great because it's got that smooth silicone-like feel but it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy. It helps my foundation go on very smoothly and also helps it to last a lot longer.

4. Rimmel Brow Pencil ($3.49): This is probably my 8th one of these. I've never repurchased anything 8 times so that's already saying quite a bit. Lol. But I really like this pencil because it lasts all day and I never really have to touch up my brows throughout the day. 

5. Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara ($4.49): I use this to set my brows and it works amazingly well. Or I guess, to be honest, I haven't tried very many brow gels but I never have to touch up my eyebrows so this must be doing something right.

6. ELF Studio Blush in Berry Merry ($3): Pretty much all of the ELF Studio blushes are really great but this one just happens to be my favorite. They have amazing pigmentation and last for a long time. And you'll never run out of product because you hardly need any to get a beautiful look.

7. Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer ($6.49): This concealer is perfect for highlighting under the eyes. It has medium coverage (I wouldn't use this for spot covering) and highlights amazingly. It helps make me look much more awake!

8. Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara ($10): This is pretty much the only mascara that doesn't smudge on my lower lashes. If you know me in real life, you know that I cry very easily while watching TV/movies (I'm talking like even during commercials, it's really embarrassing) and this lasts even through that. And the teeny-tiny brush grabs every little eyelash and really makes them stand out.

9. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze ($6.99): This has been one of my holy grail products for about 3 years now. I love it because when I'm in a hurry I just slap this all over my lid and it looks like I put tons of effort into my eyeshadow when it took negative 2 seconds. This can also be used as an eyeshadow base with other shadows as well. There are a ton of beautiful colors in this collection to choose from so there's something for everyone.

10. Smith's Strawberry Lip Balm ($7): Last but not least. This lip balm is sooooo hydrating. It makes my lips feel smooth and silky. I like wearing this overnight because I wake up with plump and moisturized lips. You can also wear this during the day and it just helps even out your lips and makes them look perfect. It also smells like strawberries which I love!

*Please note that prices on these products could vary based on where you're buying them from.

I really hope this helps you out! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! :)

Oh and here's a little bonus!  I did a photoshoot last week with my friend Kara Chin who runs a fashion blog called Stylish in Seattle <-----Click the link and check her out! :)

Here's some behind the scenes photos of me doing her makeup and a sneak peak of the shoot!

I went for a very casual makeup look with just a little hint of edginess with a neutral smokey eye :)

Products Used:

-Estee Lauder powder foundation

-Urban Decay brow kit

-NARS eyeshadow primer

-Urban Decay eyeshadow in Suspect (from the Naked 2 palette)

-MAC eyeshadows in Brulee and Concrete

-MAC gel eyeliner in Blacktrack

-MAC blush in Harmony

-NARS blush in Madly

-Loreal lipstick in Fairest Nude

All photos were taken by my pal Taylor Matsunaga. She also shot the photos that will be on Kara's blog so I will link that as soon as it's up. You can see more of Taylor's photos ----> here :)

But she mostly does film (she just happens to also be a good photographer) so check out her YouTube channel -----> here :)

Hope you enjoyed this suuuuper long post! Haha.

Have a great week! :)

-Ashley

Wanderlust? Makeup travel essentials.

Sooooo I just went to Vegas last weekend and as I was unpacking my stuff, I decided that I wanted to show you guys my travel makeup essentials! These are all items I use to keep my baggage at a minimum while traveling :)

This cosmetic bag is pretty much my lifesaver! It holds everything I need while still looking sleek! My sister got this for me from Tory Burch.

It might be hard to believe, but all of these items fit into this bag perfectly!

My staple products (in the order in which I apply makeup):

-NYX Pore Filler face primer

-Urban Decay Naked foundation. I usually pack a fairly lightweight foundation so I can wear it day or night. Just be sure to pack a great concealer! :)

-Sheer-cover concealer duo (do not let the name fool you. You get great coverage out of this!

-NARS Light-Reflecting Pressed Powder. A translucent powder is a must especially if you plan to go out for a long time and have oily skin like me. Glowy is cute, greasy is not.

-Benefit brow kit

-MAC eyeshadow palette (not pictured here but this is the point in which I put on eyeshadow. Also, side-note, I normally wouldn't travel with this much eyeshadow for only 3 days but I planned to do a lot of my friend's makeup and also it's Vegas so I thought, go hard or go home.

-Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on eye pencil in Zero. I honestly think you can get a great effect with a great pencil and some black eyeshadow so I don't even bother bringing liquid and/or gel liners.

-Urban Decay Cannonball mascara (it's definitely not as hard to remove as everyone says it is. I use the Almay makeup removing pads and they work perfectly fine and I never thought they were anything special or heavy-duty)

-Clinique bottom-lash mascara. This stuff is amazing! It has the tiniest brush to get all of your lower lashes and I don't know what they put into this formula but it doesn't smudge through oil, sweat, or tears and it's easy to remove as well.

-NARS Danmari blush palette. This palette is amazing as it is pretty much all inclusive. It has 4 blushes and a bronzer that I use for contouring and a highlight. Though this was limited edition last Christmas, they came out with another one this year with gorgeous shades as well and the same layout. This is so much more convenient than bringing 3 separate products.

-Smith's Strawberry lip balm. Because girl, crusty lips are not your friend! Especially as it gets colder we have to pay even more attention to our lips and skin in general.

I personally always take 3 lip colors: 1 nude, 1 red, and 1 berry. That way I can drastically change up my took depending on what I'm feeling.

(From L-R: Loreal; Fairest Nude, Revlon JBKBS; Crush, and Revlon; Mauvy Night all of which were featured on my Top 10 fall lip colors!)

Hope you guys enjoyed seeing some of my makeup travel essentials! I plan to do another post on all of the tools and brushes I take with me as well! If you have any further questions feel free to ask :)

Thanks for putting up with me <3

-Ashley