Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Beach Sexy Pressed Mineral Bronzing Powder

What a name right? I don’t think the title of this post could be more zealously branded. On to the topic at hand though…BRONZER.

I love bronzer. I’m not inclined to tan, what with the threat of skin cancer, wrinkles, freckles and sunspots. These factors, coupled with my love of makeup and beauty, have made me a little bit of a bronzer snob.

I picked up this bronzer at Victoria’s Secret not because I needed it, but because I couldn’t resist. It’s only May, but the summery rose gold compact with zebra print powder was speaking to me... “Put me on!’ it said. “Drink mojitos!” it said. I purchased the lightest shade, F15 – Sunstruck and brought it home for $16.00.

Upon getting home, I googled mojito recipes. Then I went to try my bronzer. I promptly dropped the compact and it withstood the impact no problem. We were off to a good start. The case is attractive, but weirdly has no button to open it easily – cost savings perhaps? The powder is really finely milled, and has a definite sparkle to it, but not too much. You could wear this to work easily, it is a grown-up bronzer, more glow and less glitter.

I noticed when hitting brush to pan is that this powder is very tightly compacted – which I consider to be a good thing. It doesn’t get dusty (waste of product) or crumble and fall apart. Even aggressive swirling with the brush left the adorable zebra print intact. I know that this won’t last forever, but it was nice to see that this compact is going to last me a while. The pigment is true to the pretty color in the pan, and it blended easily all over my face. At this point, it is 4:00 p.m. and this bronzer has been going strong with no smudging or streaking since 8:00 a.m.

Previously, my favorite bronzer was an Orlane product – expensive and not worn on an everyday basis. Now, it is definitely this Victoria’s Secret bronzer. If you are looking to try something new – make it this. At $16.00, it’s a total steal.

Sephora Collection: Super Nourishing Lip Balm

Ever get really close to the free shipping on Sephora.com and not know what to get? This is it. I purchased this online to bump me into free shipping territory and I am so glad I did.

I haven't had much luck with Sephora branded products in the past, but this balm knocks it out of the park. The texture is delightfully smooth and silky, with only a little shine. The product is not greasy, but has great staying power - you will still feel it on your lips an hour after application. I've owned many lip balms and this is currently at the top of the list. The only thing missing is the SPF, which is a little disappointing Still, at $5, this product is a bargain and I am looking forward to using it through the winter.

This is an LE, so scoop them up while you can. Thanks Sephora!

Dove Sensitive Skin Nourishing Body Wash with Nutrium Moisture

I read a fascinating article on the nytimes.com about the science behind both this body wash and a new Vaseline lotion. It described how the moisturizers on the market can “stick” to skin in a way that helps form a shield over your skin which is made of moisture. In addition to this, the product supposedly penetrates deep down to help your skin be less dry in the long run.

It sounded so cool that I bought this body wash at Duane Reade for over $12.50. I felt this was pricey for body wash, even though the bottle was massive and contained 24 oz. of product. The product can be found at drugstore.com for $8.99.

Since purchasing this, I have used it steadily for 4 months. Dove markets this body wash as a product that will drastically improve your skin, unlike other body washes, which will temporarily improve (but ultimately impair) your skin’s moisture levels.

You get a lot of product for your money, but I was not impressed with the performance of this body wash. I did not notice anything special about the formula and felt less moisturized than when I use my usual Olay Body Ribbons body wash. Beyond that, I did not like the scent of this product. It has a distinctly clean scent, but after covering your legs and arms alone, the scent becomes overwhelming; more like laundry detergent. The only upside I see to this product is the packaging is easy to use. This disappointment, combined with the misleading marketing message, means I will not re-purchase and may think twice (or take a cautionary sniff) when it comes to future Dove purchases.

Garnier Nutristioniste Skin Renew Anti Puff Eye Roller: Puff, Puff… Pass

I bought this product with high hopes. The rollerball was a little gimmicky looking for my taste but I have met some people that raved about it and some recent puffiness around my eyes made me think I should give it a shot.

The instructions on this product are simple and easy to follow: “Gently roll Skin Renew anti-puff eye roller under the eye from the inner corner to the outer corner, one to two times. Use finger to smooth in any excess until absorbed”. The packaging on this product also touts the formula as being a great base for makeup.

After using this product for a week and a half twice day as requested on the packaging I have seen little results. There is an anti-puff effect but this is minimal and also seems temporary. I would recommend using this product if you have a late night and really look like hell but beyond that it is not something you will want to use every day.

However, if you are still interested in this product I would suggest looking for it in a couple of stores since they are currently attaching a free Maybelline define-a-lash mascara to many promotional packages. In these economic times that is a bargain indeed.

I purchased this item on www.drugstore.com for $10.79 - a little steep for a drugstore product for sure.

Chapstick True Shimmer Tropical

I was so excited to finally see a Tropical flavored Chapstick. Unfortunately, this particular purchase has been a letdown. The shimmer in this product is silverish and cool, which made my lips look gray and corpse-like. Another demerit is due to the formula’s grainy texture – you can actually feel the glitter on your lips and it doesn’t seem as moisturizing as regular Chapstick. The glitter also tends to settle in the lip lines which can make you look even weirder.

However, the tropical scent is very nice and if they produced this flavor with the regular Chapstick formula I would probably be a big fan. Sadly, for the extra money I spent on this product, I was disappointed. One of the great luxuries of Chapstick is that you can slap it on and go; but this requires a peep in the mirror to make sure you don’t look like the undead. Proceed with caution.

I purchased this item for $3.29 in CVS.

Welcome!

Welcome to Bella on a Budget! This blog will be reviewing both the drugstore finds and high-end items that ladies spend their hard-earned money on. In this blog, I hope that we can share information with each other on which products make us bella, which ones are busts and which ones break the bank. Thanks for visiting and please feel free to comment or request a review! xoxoxo – a