Q&A With Makeup Junkie

Fabulously Broke In The City asks:

"Can you recommend a good, pigmented, CHEAP eyeshadow brand for neutral
shades??? maybe a range of neutral shades but nothing too brown or too red,
etc?"

Thanks for your question! I'll be straight, I haven't really bought an inexpensive eyeshadow in a long time until yesterday. I should probably be reading your site more often - maybe it'll save me some money! lol Drugstore brands that have really great pigment and have staying power are L'oreal, Quo, and my new favourite NYX found at Pharma Plus. I used to use L'oreal and Quo a while back and I was always happy with them. I know their formulations have definitely gotten better since then.

In terms of a neutral that aren't too brown or red there's a few great ones that NYX carries that I was going to snatch up yesterday. I'm not sure what your skin tone is but here are some choices from NYX Trio Eyeshadows: Nude/Taupe/Dark Brown, Highlight/Brown/Suede, Aloha/Mink Brown/Deep Bronze (this is on my list!), and Sahara/Suede/Chocolate. All of these are beautiful neutrals but I'd recommend checking them out and seeing if any of them are what you're looking for. It's a great trio because you have a highligther/base shade, lid shade, and crease/liner shade all in one slim compact. It comes packaged with a little compact mirror if you need to touch up and wand applicator if you're on the go (real brushes are always the best though). I swear by the pigment and it stays on really well.

I hope these suggestions helped! Let me know if you end up buying any of them or if you go with another brand. Thanks for stopping by! If any of you makeup junkies have questions feel free to send them my way and I'll try to answer the best way I can! Happy shopping!

Beauty Review: Drugstore Delights!

Ever since I can remember I've always liked Shopper's Drug Mart over Canada's other drugstore rival Pharma Plus. Once Shopper's started carrying higher end cosmetic lines Pharma Plus became a distant memory. Yesterday, I was taking my son on a little walk and decided to drop in at the Shopper's down the street from me. I was in the mood for another Smashbox lipgloss (because I need another one! lol) but to my disappointment this location did not carry Smashbox or any of the other higher end brands except Elizabeth Arden. I left empty handed and decided it wasn't meant to be. On my way home, I realized I did not bring the garage door opener and my main door key was forgotten at my mother's house! Hmm, what to do?? I decided to walk down to the Pharma Plus which is in the opposite end of Shoppers to kill time until my hubby could pick us up.

It's been years since I've stepped in the store and let me tell ya - I was in complete shock in a good way of course. The cosmetic section has been totally revamped and Pharma Plus now offers other lines that Shoppers does not carry. I know some other beauty blogs have done reviews on this line already but this was my first introduction to NYX. I was in makeup heaven. The brightly pigmented colours just called out to me particularly their huge assortment of nail lacquers and trio eyeshadows! And the prices were just amazing! I got a trio of silvery gray shadows perfect for the fall trends for $9! I was tempted to buy the whole line because you just don't see bright yellows, aquas, reds, and oranges in a drugstore. The pigment was rich and blended wonderfully onto the skin. The colour pay-off really surprised me because the quality was just as worthy as higher end brands. What's that saying - why pay more when you can get it for less?

I've been on the hunt for a gun-metal silver nail lacquer but didn't want to pay over $10 for one. NYX carries over 150 nail colours ranging from intense to subtle. I was ready to snatch them all up but one that really caught my eye was Titanic, a deep royal blue. It's just beautiful and is a perfect alternative to black nails. And the price for $5.99 was just perfect! The polish is non-streaky and is so thick you only need one coat.

When I checked out the online site I was surprised and excited to see that NYX offers an online professional artist discount! I haven't felt guilt-free about buying makeup in a long time! I'm glad to see pro quality makeup for half the price. Pharma Plus also carries the brand NYC which I haven't seen a in while. I saw some gorgeous nail colours that I'll have to check out as well. Oh, so many products so little time! Happy shopping!