Airbrush at Home!

Aero Minerale Makeup Mist: $14.99 (Drugstore.com)

Where do I start with this little gem I recently found, at Bed, Bath & Beyond of all places! As a makeup artist, I offer professional airbrush makeup application for that super even, flawless effect. I've been looking for a great product that is easy and more affordable for friends/clients to use at home, and I finally did! Here's the catch--it's just like an aerosol hairspray can so you have to practice a little to get an even application with the color, but a little seriously goes a looong way! You can even spray some on your hand and use a makeup brush to apply if you're worried about it getting everywhere, but the point is to let the mist really settle on its own, so I recommend spraying directly onto your face. You can also spray directly onto a sponge and apply it that way..whatever you're comfortable with. The mist comes in about 5-6 colors and if you're like me, who loves that bronzed look, you'll want to go a shade up. This brings me to another use for this product--a finishing bronze setting spray. I'm not a big foundation person on a daily basis so i would actually use this to add that hint of bronze to my face and also set my makeup all at once. Think of mineral makeup (ie- Bare Escentuals Warmth) in a can. There's a high-end product out there that I've been trying to find at drugstore prices:

Guerlain Terracotta Spray Bronzing Powder Mis: $59 (Nordstroms.com)

I love this product, but it's so pricey! So, now you can pick up a can of Aero Minerale and get that amazing flawless foundation finish or that perfect glow without breaking the bank!

Pump up the Volume!

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Refresher & Dry Shampoo: ($5.99 Target.com)

I previously blogged about the Tresemme Dry Shampoo as a great drugstore alternative to other pricier products out there. I came across this on my last Target trip and was drawn to the "volume refresher" on the bottle. All dry shampoos generally offer volume while it's ridding your hair of unwanted oils, but this one really gives you that va-va-voom look. And, it smells better than the Tresemme one. Also, be sure to lift sections of your hair and spray under...try not to spray directly to the top of your head as it leaves a grey-ish tint which you have to rub in. So, that also means don't spray too close to your head. Enjoy!

Tame those Fly Aways!

John Frieda Full Repair Fly-Away Tamer ($9.99 Drugstore.com)

Super cool new product out by John Frieda which totally tames those pesky fly-aways. It also offers extra shine and is pretty weightless. It's more for those that want a polished look, so after straightening hair or straightening bangs/whispies. It doesn't leave a residue and doesn't look pasty. I really like it and have started using it on clients when doing all types of hairstyles...one of my biggest pet peeves is flyaways being caught on camera! I love the applicator to--it's pretty much an mascara wand. I'm sure you could even use clear mascara to do the trick but I haven't tried it personally so you run the risk of flaky hair which could look like dandruff. Long story short, it's a unique product that does what it says.

Bronzed Beauty

Victoria's Secret Limited-Edition Cheek & Face Highlighter: ($14 victoriassecret.com)

Love, love, love this! I saw it in the new VS catalog I just got at home and immediately wanted to go into the store to try it myself. I thought it was going to be super shiny/glittery, but it's the total opposite. I love that the stick is thick so 1 swipe does the job. I recommend swiping directly under your eyes near the highest point of your cheek bone all the way up to the side of your brow bone and then down your nose. It's really light and goes on almost like a powder so it's not greasy at all but offers that beautiful sunkissed look we all want for summer. It's pretty fool-proof too so even if you over apply, just rub it in a little more with your fingertips or a sponge and you're good to go. It comes in 2 colors: Bronze Rays and Sea Shells, both are beautiful. I decided to go with Bronze Rays because it had a bit more golden undertones vs. pink, which I wanted to try out. Also, I've always loved most of VS makeup so if you've ever walked by the makeup section when in the store thinking it's not that great, think again! They have great lip glosses too!

Concealer With Coverage

Revlon PhotoReady Concealer ($8.49 Target)

Finally! A store brand concealer that really conceals! I'm a huge fan of drugstore makeup, because I truly feel many products offered are very comparable, if not sometimes better, than department store brands. However, I've always bought my concealer from Bobbi Brown because it's the only one that really matched me and offered the right amount of coverage. I recently ran out of my Bobbi Brown foundation stick (which I use as concealer) and didn't have time to run to Bloomingdale's for a refill. I ran to Target and was looking for a stick version of concealer (often times I only find the liquid applicators which I don't think work very well). Anyways, I came across this from Revlon and loved it! Now, it doesn't come in the variety of shades as a Bobbi Brown type brand would offer (I think they have 5-6 total), but at $10 a pop you can't go wrong even if you mix and match to attain your perfect shade. I actually did a side-by-side test with my Bobbi Brown stick and it looks exactly the same. Definitely worth a try ladies!!

Deep Cleaning

Oil of Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System: $29.99 (Drugstore.com)

I've been wanting to try this new Oil of Olay product since it came out just a few months ago, and I finally found it in stock at Bed, Bath and Beyond (by the way, you can get it for $24.99 if you have a BB&B 20% off coupon handy). I've been eyeing 2 products for sometime now that are higher-priced but similar devices to this: Clarisonic ($150) and DDF Revolve ($100). E! Host, Giuliana Rancic, swears by the DDF and I've heard great things about Clarisonic, so I was set to try one, until I saw an ad for the Pro-X system. It comes with a little massager with 2 speeds, brush head, batteries and a sample of the exfoliating cleanser. The massager is soo nice and actually very soothing to use. It's not rough or too harsh even at the highest speed, which means you can use it dails. The scrub is good too, still figuring out if I love it, but it definitely left my skin feeling so smooth and so clean. The best thing is that you can always use a different cleanser of your choice with the brush and still get the same results. Also, if you're looking for an even deeper clean, try using the massager with a microdermabrasion scrub like Oil of Olay's Microdermabrasion treatment with derma-crystals, once a week. The brush head replacements are only $9.99 and you can get by with 3-6 months of use with the one it comes with depending on how much you use it. I personally like to deep clean 1-2 times a week so I may not need to replace my brush head for even 6 months. Definitely worth a try in my book!

Gettin' That Colgate Smile =)

Plus White 5 minute Whitening Gel: $7.49 (Walgreens)

Hands down one of the best teeth whiteners out there, and so cheap! This is my go-to when I need a quick and super fast perk-up to my smile. Big help is having your own teeth whitening trays because the generic one's sold at stores don't really fit your teeth so the gel doesn't get to all those hard-to-reach spots (quick tip on how to make your own trays at the end of this post). Also, make sure you DO NOT sleep with this gel on. Trust me, I've tried it and my teeth were sooo sensitive the next day. I like to put them on for about 20min maximum, maybe when getting ready or doing things around the house. 10 minutes 2x a week also helps, but I personally don't like doing it too often because all whiteners break down the enamel on our teeth so I use it sparingly. For those of you that don't have trays and don't want to spend the money having some made, here's an inexpensive and easy way to make your own:

-Purchase athletic mouthguards from your local Target/Walmart or even Sports Chalet, etc.

-Submerge both top and bottom guards in boiling water for a few seconds

-Place trays in mouth while hot and mold to your teeth for about 20 seconds

-Let trays cool and you will have individual mouth trays that fit your teeth