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

My Top 10 Fall Lip Colors

Even though it doesn't feel much like fall in Southern California, I still wanted to get into the spirit! Here are 10 lip colors that I love for this time of year:

I have chosen a good variety of both high-end and drugstore products and a also variety of shades so hopefully there's something for everyone! :)

NUDE SHADES

From left to right: Makeup Forever Aqua Lip pencil in 3C, L'oreal Colour Riche lipstick in 800 Fairest Nude, NARS lipstick in Honolulu Honey. and Benefit Ultra Shines lip gloss in Life On The A list.

• Aqua Lip: Perfect my-lips-but-better type of color though it's more drying because it's a pencil so I prefer to put it on after I've applied lip balm.
• Fairest Nude: Classic pinky-nude and perfect for everyday wear.
• Honolulu Honey: A good skin-color type of nude. I like to pat this onto my lips and then blend with my fingers so that it's not so intense.
• Benefit lip gloss: Can be paired with any of these colors or worn on it's own. The formula is nice (not too sticky but stays on well) but the applicator is weird so it sometimes can come off a bit gloopy. (is that a word?) I just apply some to my lips and blend it with my fingers as well.

PLUM SHADES

From left to right: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (could they have made that name any longer?) in 005 Crush, Revlon Lip Butter in 085 Sugar Plum, and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 473 Mauvy Night. Side-note: I didn't realize they were all Revlon products until now, like right this second as I was typing all the names. Haha. Well, apparently I really enjoy Revlon lip products :) 

• JBKBS (yup, I just made that an acronym): I love the formula of this and I have so many colors. They last forever and my favorite thing about them is that even when they do eventually fade they don't look patchy at all and it just becomes a lighter version of itself.
• Sugar Plum: Love this because it's moisturizing like a lip balm and shiny like a gloss so it's a good quick fix. Though the color is sheer it's still visible on your lips and it's the perfect in-between level of intensity. 
• Mauvy Night: Probably my favorite out of all of them. It's a delicious mauvy-plum color and it's perfect if you want a more "vampy" style of lip without looking over-done. 

RED SHADES

From left to right: Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in 615 Summer Sunset, MAC matte lipstick in Charmed I'm Sure (from the Marilyn Monroe collection), and L'oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain (another long name) in 190 Endless Red.

• Summer Sunset: If you're new to red lipstick then this is a great color to start with. It's a lot more subtle than most reds. I consider it to be like a really deep neutral color. 
• Charmed I'm Sure: My deepest apologies for throwing in a limited edition color. But I love this because it's the perfect deep red with a slightly berry undertone. And it's super matte! Plus, if you'd like to tone it down, apply it and then blend with your fingers. They no longer sell it at MAC but I've seen it on eBay and other sites online. If you know of any good dupes for this shade, please let me know!
• Endless Red: This is such a great formula. Very similar to the YSL glossy-stains but like 1/4 of the price. (Also, L'oreal is within the same company as YSL so the formula is probably actually almost the same)  It's like the pigmentation of a lipstick in lip gloss form and once it sets it has quite the staining effect. (like this swatch is still partially on my hand even after washing it off) The color is also build-able so if you're not satisfied after the first layer, let it dry and then add some more!

So that's everything! I will probably be rotating through all of these colors for the rest of the season. I am absolutely loving them. Some are newer to me than others but some of them I've been using for years. I always say that if something works, I might as well stick to it. Most of these shades are pretty universally flattering too! Also, if I didn't write an extra tip on how I apply it, that means I just apply it straight from the applicator/tube to my lips and don't do anything special to it. Hope this was helpful and if you'd like to tell me your favorite fall lip colors, please feel free! I'm always on the hunt for new things :)

Thanks for putting up with me <3

-Ashley