Summer essential (Part 2) - $5 and under ! ! !

Hi guys,

It's me again! This time I'll show you my next 5 favorite summer purchases of the season. I'm a little too excited about it because all of them are just as low as under $5 so let's just get started now!

(Etude House Easy Brow Pencil - $4.99)

First of all, I want to use the top of the top spot to talk about my "what-I-feel-naked-without" little powerful thing! :"> It's not an exaggeration for me to say that this is one of my best secret to make my face look slimmer and more youthful (There are simple tricks to make your face appear slimmer, let me know if you want a post about that!). But yesssss! Here I'm talking about my sweetie Etude House Easy Brow Pencil!!

I've been using this product for 3 years in a row so trust me, you can't go wrong with it on a daily basis! It can stay on your face pretty long if your skin is not too oily---I only apply it on once a day before going out and it stays there until I got home! The price is really what makes it stand out the most. I usually got it from Vietnam for just nearly $4, but luckily, you can also get one (or more) with a comparable price here!

My everyday shade is Dark Grey. Just because I'm Asian and my hair root is black so this color can make my face look more natural. However, you can choose any of the 4 colors that match you the most (Black, Black Brown, Brown, Dark Grey), totally same quality!

I'll make a separate post on how I do my eyebrows everyday if requested. Otherwise, you can also learn more about it from YouTube 'cause I know many of them have already done great tutorials. However, there are some more tricks that I haven't heard any talked about, which I kinda learned from myself, so feel free to let me know if you're interested in =D. For me, it's a one minute that can totally change my whole face!

(e.l.f Studio Eye Brow Kit - $3) 

Enough talk for the Etude team, moving on to my second best favorite eyebrow kit (yeah I guess you're thinking I'm such an eyebrow-obsessed girl now, so guess what, you're right!) You can easily find an e.l.f Studio Eyebrow Kit for just $3 in drugstores like Walgreens, in Target or on other Internet websites. The color works well for most (it comes with dark brown gel and light brown powder). I like using this one after I lighten my hair to colors such as brown, reddish brown, blonde brown, etc.

However, the reasons why I prefer Etude brow pencil are because they're easier to carry with, faster when applying and matching with my hair root better most the time since my hair grows super fast!!! (Let me know if you want a post for growing hair faster :D) The second thing that I don't like much about this one is its brush. If you're lucky, you'll get a kit with a nice one, otherwise, it's only recommended if you already have your own brush! 

Anyway, plus points for great colors and best price for an eyebrow kit (those downsides are so forgivable)!!!

(NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - $5.99, buy one get one 50% off)

The runway continues with my sexy loving NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream ladies!!! I'm sure that most of us are too familiar with these popular creamy NYX already! But Ulta is featuring by one get one 50% off is a different story!! So I guess if you get any two (like me), it'll also count as under $5 products for each! I got myself one Antwerp and one Amsterdam (take this one in consideration if you love the gorgeous Ruby Woo from MAC but can't afford $15, note that NYX Amsterdam has a pinker undertone when applying)! Addis Ababa is also another great choice if you love Girl About Town from MAC, so on and so forth ;)

(Panama hat - $4)

Next turn is dedicated to my Panama Hat! I'm pretty sure that many of us have one on the hanger now, but admittedly this is not the style that you usually see in me! Well, let's say I just want to have something irregular in my closet??? Hmm... But yes it's casual chic, easy to carry with because they're smaller than other summer hats, also more importantly, it helps protect my face from exposing to the sun! But most of all, a $4 Panama Hat that I was offered in a street shop is really a deal to go!!! (I'd been looking in Chinatown and Street Fairs in NYC, they all set price from $8 to $10 each). Alternatively, you can get the same one here, price is comparable after adding shipping cost! So yep for me it's really a Win-Win-Win case: great price, sun protector and style transformer! <3

(Baroque Sunglasses - $4)

Don't make you have to wait anymore 'cause I save my best surprise for last!!! My Retro Inspired Baroque Round Sunglasses aka my Baroque Prada-like sunnies have just registered to my collection! I DON'T recommend anyone to get cheap sunglasses just because of the price (!), but let's make an exception for these sexy babes! Why? Because they're different! We all agree that there are certain times we get bored with our regular sunnies, so why don't we just take a break from them and switch to something exotic that we've never tried before?? These also help re-frame your face, so have fun with it! The ones that I own now was from a random jewelry shop in NYC but I got it 50% off to $4.

Don't get me wrong, I had purchased a lot of cheap sunglasses in the past due to my tight budget but finally ended up with a good pair because I no longer want to harm my eyes anymore. However, I don't have money to get these from Prada for nearly $300, not to mention that they don't go with all of my outfits...Yike! So here's an advice for you who are on a budget like mine: get a good pair of sunglasses that match your overall style to protect your eyes from the sun on a daily basis, besides treat yourself with some other lower-quality but freaking-cool ones like something you can occasionally wear or something you can have fun taking pictures with! ;)

The ones that I own now were from a random jewelry shop in NYC but I got it 50% off to $4. However, if you're patient enough, you can get similar ones here, the deal is better even after adding shipping cost! Yay for the research! (y)

Keep calm and Go shopping guys xoxo,
My Little Ville