Affordable Beauty Look with Gabe's

My Beauty collection has definitely evolved over the last 10 years.  I went from wearing a little liner, mascara, pressed powder, and lipstick all purchased from my local drugstore--to adding concealer, contour, highlight, and becoming a pro at grooming my eyebrows.  With a little more knowledge, I began visiting department store counters and became comfortable with spending a little more on quality makeup.  While I don't mind treating myself to major brands, it's great to know that I can still go to local stores like Gabe's and pick up beauty items for a fraction of the price and not have to compromise with the quality of makeup.  But in all actuality,  I've learned that high prices don't always equal superb product.  It's really all about learning ingredients and trying different formulas to see what works.

Gabe's sent me over a full box of beauty goodies including several eyeshadow palettes, matte cream lipsticks, brushes, and highlighters to put to the test and share with you guys.  I was so impressed with everything that they have to offer in the beauty department and actually surprised with the pigments and consistency of each product.

I used the Colour Me Nude: Natural Nudes Eye Colour Palette which features 12 eye shadow shades with the mix of both shimmers and mattes.  It's actually a great dupe for the Naked Palette in my opinion.  I also used the 'In the Night' Smokey palette to get just a touch of the black shade on the outer corners of my eyes.   I made sure to use primer before applying the colors and even sprayed my brush a bit to pick up the color even more.  I did experience a bit of fall out but that is to be expected especially when dealing with shimmers.  I found that formula for each palette went on smooth, easy to blend, and not as chalky as you would think when purchasing a drugstore brand. 

For lips I used a Mauvy color by 'Bonita' and added in my own liner.  Oh, and did you catch the soft highlight?  I used the 'Strobe & Glow' Highlight & Contour kit that has a total of 10 shades that are pretty pigmented and very nice to achieve a radiant complexion.  Topping off the look with the Matte Finishing spray made this look complete.

Not bad for products from a discount store right?  I'm not mad at any of these products because I was definitely able to achieve what's pretty normal for me--a soft and flawless look.  Some of the brushes and applicators that came with the products, I swapped out for my own, but really that's all I needed to do to help with application. 

How do you feel about shopping outside of the high-end department store for your beauty needs?  If you have a Gabe's near you I definitely encourage you to check out their beauty department to see for yourself!  They literally have everything that you would need to achieve a great look and feel just as confident as you would with other products.  If ever you've lost luggage on a trip away from home, are on a budget, or are just simply a beginner and want to start small, you now have another option.  Thank me later ; )

**This Post was brought to you by Gabe's.  All thoughts and opinions are my own**