Gorgeous, Girly, Glam: Having Your Cake and Eating It, Too

As a general rule, I don't buy makeup at Sephora; not because I wouldn't love to, but because it is so expensive! And it's not like I don't have a wish list, either: "Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Sticks" in every shade, DiorShow Mascara, Benefit bronzer, Bare Minerals "Prime Time" primer, Anastasia "eyelights," Frederic Fekkai shampoo, Poison perfume, and so much more.

Naturally, I still frequent the makeup mecca to browse this veritable gallery of products, and prior to a particularly important date, apply all my make up, perfume and hair volumizer using their testers (don't judge me). A few months ago, however, I broke my rule and bought Bare Minerals foundation (my all-time favorite) and went momentarily insane when I bought Buxom Big & Healthy in Scarlet, which I wore happily all winter long.

I got my fix, but I still wanted more, so a couple of months later, I found myself exiting Sephora with another Big & Healthy Lip Stick (this time in Las Vegas, a bright yet class pink), having instituted a new rule, called "just one thing."

As the title suggests, that's exactly what I allow myself: just one thing. I have to choose carefully, because there's so much to pick from! I wanted to make this weekend another occasion for another "just one" trip, and I had my prize in mind: Bare Escentuals 100% Natural Lipgloss in Birthday Cake, a beautiful bright pink with a slightly irridescent shimmer.

It just so happened that the very same day I was to make my coveted purchase, I wandered into Target. While I was there, I re-discovered a line I had forgotten: E.L.F. (eyes, lips, face). This line, which provides quality products at astounding low prices, has everything you could ever need: lipgloss, lipstick, shimmer, shadow, mascara, eyeliner, brow gel, sharpeners, brushes in every size, make up remover, and on and on and on.

Best of all, you'd be hard pressed to find something over $3 in their line, and unlike other "cheap" makeup (such as N.Y.C. or Wet n' Wild), the products are really good. The eyebrow pallette and bronzer/blush are comparable to Benefit, the eyeliner pot is MAC worthy, and the makeup setting spray  is just as good as Urban Decay's (which is $29).

I looked at all the makeup, eyes aglow, and decided that rather than have my "just one" lipgloss for $15, I'd rather have an eyebrow pallette ($3), a bronzer with pink and brown hues ($3), makeup setting spray ($3), an eyeliner pot with brush ($3), a full size, soft-bristled blush brush ($1) and a glittery pink lipgloss ($1) for a total of $14.

I was so excited to use all the fresh new makeup, and congratulated myself on shopping responsibly. The only product that left me wanting more was the lipgloss, and perhaps only because I had my heart set so much on the Birthday Cake gloss.

In the end though, I got my cake and ate it, too, as I ended up receiving the Bare Escentuals gloss that very same day as a present (thanks, Mom). How's that for a happy ending?