budget beauty buy: maybelline olive martini

Today's budget beauty buy is the new Olive Martini quad from Maybelline's Fall 2012 collection. There are very few drugstore eye shadows that impress me. I tend to stick to my Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes on a regular basis. But every now and then, a drugstore eye shadow will stick out to me. And if I start seeing the same one pop up with good reviews from other bloggers, the hype gets to me, and I buy it. 

Hey, if you love something, don't set it free. 

You may recall that I mentioned this Maybelline quad in my Fall wishlist. I kept seeing it next to all the displays with the new fall Color Tattoos. After reading some great reviews, I didn't set it free.  

What I like off the bat is the packaging. It's very sleek and sturdy, which makes it travel friendly. There is one frosty nude shade, a light frosty silver, a shimmery green/brown, and a deep reddish-brown. As you can see, each shade has some shimmer in it. 

Swatches

All four colors swatched very easily. Each shade is very pigmented and easily blendable. 

I've worn this a couple times using the frosty silver/blue on the lid, the green/brown in the crease, the reddish-brown in the outer corner (lightly). Then used the nude as a highlight on my browbone and in my inner corner to brighten. 

This is only the second Maybelline eye shadow quad I've ever purchased, and so far I have loved both. It's nice to see drugstore brands stepping up their eye shadow game! 

This quad retails for around $8.00 and can be found in any drugstore, Target, etc. 

Have you tried this new quad from Maybelline? 

What are your favorite drugstore eye shadows? 

budget beauty buy: maybelline babylips

Any chapstick addicts here? I’m not starting any chapstickers anonymous groups or anything, but I can support your habit a little more. I don’t know about you, but even if I am wearing lipstick for the day, I first have to apply some form of "moisturization" (yep made that one up). My lips are constantly dry, cracked, and full of fine lines; thanks to good ole Accutane from a couple of years ago.

I love a good lip balm and they are crucial to keeping my lips moisturized throughout the day. Sometimes I just want a little color, too. And it’s a bonus when a beauty product can do two things in one. That’s where Maybelline Babylips come in. Maybelline released these some time last year. They are said to have “lip renew formula and 8 hour hydration for visibly renewed lips in 4 weeks.”

I can’t vouch for the “8 hour hydration.” The color will fade off throughout the day after eating, drinking, talk, etc. But, what I love about these are the initial hydrating feel, the super pigmented and glossy color, and the fact that you can still see color a few hours after application. You might be able to get away with only re-applying twice throughout the day.

This is the color Pink Punch. First application leaves a nice glossy pink finish. And it is a buildable color. You can leave it a light pink, or build it up to a bolder bright pink. It also smells amazing, has a nice strawberry/fruit scent. I keep this in my purse at all times; it's perfect for on-the-go color and hydration.

image: makeupgeek

These retail for $3.99 and you can buy them wherever Maybelline is sold. 
These come in six shades—Quenched (clear), Peppermint (clear), Cherry Me (dark red), Grape Vine (burgundy), Pink Punch (above), and Peach Kiss (nude). 
I own Pink Punch and Peach Kiss and I love them both! 

I’m going to try posting once every couple weeks about a great budget-friendly beauty product.  If your budget only allows you to buy from the drugstore, this topic is for you! 
Stay tuned for more!

What’s your favorite budget beauty product?