New Spring Beauty Finds Under $20

A quick roundup of some fabulous spring beauty finds under $20.

The Essence Pure Nude Blushes ($5.99; ulta.com) are a new launch and a fabulous baked formula similar to their Pure Nude highlighters. I found the blushes to be just a tad less soft and a bit more powdery than the highlighters, but they are super blendable and look very natural on the skin. I’d definitely recommend these if you are looking for an affordable blush with a natural looking formula.

Essence Hydra Matte Lipstick ($4.99; ulta.com) is a soft matte lipstick with a great pigment packed formula. Berry Special is a plum rose, a gorgeous color for any skin tone. I also like how the formula feels comfortable, yet has the satin, blurred out look without looking overly matte.

The Essence Baby Got Blush in Rose All Day ($4.99; ulta.com) is a cream to powder formula and a nice, blendable texture that I like to use my fingers to apply. If you have dry skin, you might need a good moisturizing base. The longevity is great and it doesn’t enhance pores or texture.

Nails Inc. is one of my favorite nail polish brands and their new S’More Is More Marshmallow Scented Polish Collection ($7.99; target.com) is a set of four perfectly pink polishes for spring and summer. The formula is fabulous and they are lightly scented and super opaque in a single coat. These are all wearable pinks I could wear all through the year.

The Real Techniques Face Base Makeup Brush Set ($19.99; ulta.com) is a four piece brush collection from Real Techniques. The brushes are dense, firm and super soft. They work well with concealers, foundations and any type of cream products. They feel soft and blend product evenly without streaking. I have washed these quite a few times and they have held up pretty well.

The Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Eyeshadow + Primer ($10.89; target.com) is an eyeshadow primer and cream eyeshadow in one that can also be used underneath powder shades as a primer. I bought the color Warm Taupe which is a shimmery bronze and a gorgeous color to just pair with some eyeliner and mascara. While I'm not sure if this works so well as an eyeshadow primer, it does work well as a cream eyeshadow and lasts a good 5-6 hours.

The Sheer Matte Lip Balm in Pink ($10; sephora.com) is a new launch from Sephora Collection and a gorgeously matte lip balm with a hint of tint. It's a creamy formula that looks matte and moisturizes pretty well without feeling waxy. I’d recommend this if you are looking for a tinted lip balm that you can swipe and go.

*Affiliate Links *Press Samples except Neutrogena and Sephora collection

BUXOM Plump Shot Sheer Tints

The BUXOM Plump Shot Sheer Tints($28; ulta.com) are new from BUXOM, a sheer-medium coverage, plumping, super glossy sheer lip tint/serum that comes in 12 shades. The formula features pure vegan collagen, hyaluronic acid, tsubaki, avocado and jojoba oils and is formulated without parabens, mineral oil and petroleum. The texture of these feel super silky and help smoothen lip lines and add a nice layer of moisture without being sticky. They are quite sheer, but easy to build up and perfect on their own or as toppers. They do have a slightly stronger tingle like most BUXOM glosses and they do plump lips up in a nice way. The colors are gorgeous and have a great assortment of nude pinks, corals and plums. In addition to these glosses BUXOM has also launched BUXOM PlumpVerse in the virtual world of Decentraland. BUXOM Cosmetics takes gamification in the metaverse to the next level with a gamified experience for users that spans six months. BUXOM PlumpVerse will have three unique floors – a first floor lounge featuring a plumping lip bar inspired by BUXOM’s new Plump Shot Sheer Tints dance area, DJ on floor two, to further play into the brand’s DNA rooted in entertainment and music, and an immersive, virtual try-on store on the third floor – where users can explore, interact, try on shades and participate in gamified experiences. To explore and enjoy more of the BUXOM Plumpverse, click here.

*Press Samples; *Affiliate Links

IPSY March 2023 Glam Bag Plus

The IPSY March 2023 Glam Bag Plus is a fabulous mix of full and deluxe sixes of various mid-high end and new to me brands of skincare and makeup. The well edited selection of makeup and skincare helps me find new products every month that I would have otherwise not discovered. Some of my favorites this month include the REN Skincare Evercalm Barrier Support Elixir and the First Aid Beauty Mineral Sunscreen both full size skincare products that I'm absolutely loving. The other deluxe sizes are fantastic to travel with. The Wander Beauty Getaway Eye & Face Palette is a gorgeous warm toned palette that flatters a lot of skin tones. The colors are very neutral and make for a quick and easy no makeup look. I also really like the OFRA Cosmetics Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick which is a nude berry in a smooth, long wearing formula. Scroll down below to see the other makeup and skincare included in this month's IPSY Glam Bag Plus Subscription.

*Press Sample