Source Shutterstock

I love makeup, but I hate the prices! I’ve spent years as a beauty guru, and my wallet has certainly suffered. Mainly because I like high end brands because the products are better. I’d rather pay a little more for better quality.

But I’ll tell you a little secret: some drugstore make up products are essentially the same as high end ones! I know, it’s a ripoff. Criminal even!

Lucky for you, I have a breakdown of high end products and their budget-friendly twins.

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Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder $32

I use this stuff every.single.day. It lasts a while, but $32 is a hefty tag.

Source Sephora

e.l.f. High definition powder $6

e.l.f. makes virtually the same exact product for about 1/5 the cost!

Source e.l.f.

Benefit Benetint $29

Another go-to product for me. I use it on my lips and cheeks, but it's hard for me to justify $29 for a such a small bottle.

Source Sephora

The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain in Rose Pink $8.40

$8.40! I can't even believe it.

Source The Body Shop

MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam Nicki $15

MAC is actually pretty affordable, but $15 for lipstick that I won't use that often isn't worth it.

Source MAC Cosmetics

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Temptress $6.99

CoverGirl makes the same shade for much cheaper, and you can pick CG up at pretty much any drugstore.

Source Drugstore.com

Stila Stay All Day Liner $20

I hate that I've spent $20 on an eyeliner. Granted, this stuff really does stay on. But there are more affordable products.

Source Sephora

Maybelline EyeStudio Master Precise $7.99

Once I realized how stupid $20 eyeliner was, I switched to this. It's my favorite eyeliner ever. EVER.

Source Drugstore.com

NARS Orgasm $28

Okay, NARS Orgasm really is my favorite blush in the world. I will always buy it, but there are other options!

Source Sephora

Milani Baked Blush Luminoso $7.49

Milani makes a pretty spot-on dupe for Orgasm. This color is flattering on nearly every skin tone so it's a steal for under eight bucks!

Source Drugstore.com

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer $49

I used to be under the impression that primers have to be expensive to work. High end primers are awesome, but there is a much, much cheaper alternative.

Source Sephora

Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Gel $5.99

No I'm not kidding about this. It literally has the same formula as most primers. And it's like six dollars. Trust me, it works.

Source Drugstore.com

What are your favorite drug store brand products? Do you know of any dupes? Tell me in the comments!

Here’s a cheap trick to get rid of puffy eyes

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Our Tumblr success makes us want to tumble! Source: Shutterstock.com

Confession: When I started at Gurl, I basically knew zero things about Tumblr. I’d been on a pretty steady Facebook and Twitter regimen up to that point. I mean, I’d checked out a couple of Tumblr pages here and there, but I didn’t know too much about it. When I found out that I’d be posting things to the Gurl Tumblr, I got a little nervous.

I quickly learned that Tumblr is kind of a magical site. It’s like if you just took everything on the Internet and condensed it into this single website! I find celeb stuff, fashion tips, inspirational quotes, and most importantly, GIFs galore! I’m a pop culture enthusiast to the extreme, so just searching Tumblr for GIFs has been a dream (and it makes writing the GIF My Life posts that much more fun!).

Well, we are pleased to announce that today we just put up our ONE THOUSANDTH TUMBLR POST. We even took a special photo here at Gurl for the occasion! Of course, if you want to see it you’ll have to go check out our Tumblr page (click! click!) to see special post #1000.

A thousand posts is pretty darn impressive, but you know what else is pretty sweet? We recently passed 11,000 Tumblr followers! So take our already big number of posts and multiply it by 11! That’s definitely amazing, and of course, that comes down to all of you that follow us and reblog us and contribute to the success of Gurl’s Tumblr.

Without you girls reading our site and giving your feedback, we’d never be able to keep building our site or expanding our social media. We’re proud of our accomplishment, but really we’re grateful for all of you who have helped get us there.

Whether you’re sharing our funny pictures from our Facebook page or retweeting something interesting you read on our Twitter, we are so excited to be able to share what we do with you in so many different forms, and we hope you have as much fun with all of it as we do.

Remember too, you can always get quick access to our social media sites (not just Tumblr, but all of them!) from our main Gurl site by clicking on the various social media icons over on the right side of the page where it says “Connect With Gurl.” See ‘em? Awesome! Again, thanks so much again for helping us reach this super exciting milestone.

Do you have a Tumblr account? you follow Gurl on Tumblr? What sorts of suggestions do you have for our Tumblr? Do you follow Gurl’s other social media pages? Tell us in the comments!

10 Things I’d Do With My Free Time If I Deactivated My Social Media

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I’ve rounded up some of the most seriously awkward on-screen kisses of all time. If you were wondering how to kiss, here’s a tip: don’t do the stuff done in these videos. There is only one way to describe these smooches: bad. Just… ouch. I’m cringing watching them.

Charlotte and Brad from Sex and The City

Let me just agree with Charlotte, Samantha, Miranda and Carrie: Ewwwwwww! This is gross. Just… no. No. I can’t even watch this dude lick her mouth like that. It’s seriously grossing me out.

Harry and Cho from Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix

This kissing scene was awkward enough to read about in the book, but it was even more awkward to actually watch it in the movie. I mean, the girl was crying over her dead boyfriend. How can you kiss someone while she’s crying about something like that?

Rachel and Blaine from Glee

This kiss itself wasn’t that bad, it was more of the situation surrounding the kiss. Like the fact that we watched Kurt watch his biggest crush of all time kiss someone else – a girl, not a guy! – right in front of him. I felt his pain. Talk about awkward.

Olivia and Vanessa from Gossip Girl

Ouch. This was… bad. Not because it’s two girls kissing each other, but because a) Vanessa looks so incredibly uncomfortable as Olivia is coming towards her and b) Dan and Vanessa are just extremely awkward in general. This threesome was not something anyone believed would ever happen.

Michael Scott and a client from The Office

Michael Scott is weird and so it’s weird to think of him kissing anyone. But this scenario is even more awkward than what an actual kiss would be like because that actual kiss? Never happens. Oof. No one wants to be Michael’s shoes at this moment.

Joey and Rachel from Friends

I wish I could have found a video of Joey and Rachel’s first kiss, but unfortunately, I couldn’t. Anyway, basically every time Joey and Rachel kissed was awkward because… Joey and Rachel? No! There was a reason she pictured Ross almost every time they locked lips.

Damon and Elena from The Vampire Diaries

I’m sure this first kiss was very satisfying for fans of The Vampire Diaries, but for me? Not so much. I mean, look at Damon. He’s sweating because he’s sick and has a fever! Not because he’s hot for Elena. He looks like he’s seconds away from being unconscious. It’s just… weird.

Ben and Jamie from The Bachelor

Another kiss that was painful to watch, but even more painful because IT WAS REAL. It just looked like this girl was trying so hard… her dress even ripped! Ouch. Awkward. And this exchange was equally as awkward: “Do you like me sitting on your lap?” “This is A-okay.” Girl, stop talking. Just. Stop.

Pauly D and Deena from Jersey Shore

I literally screamed at my TV while this was happening because it was so horrible to watch. Deena, Pauly, I love you, but please don’t ever kiss on camera again, ever. That lip bite? Ouch. The look on Ronny’s face says it all.

The Virgin Diaries TLC Commercial

This takes the cake. I am convinced it’s not real. It can’t be real. Right? Right?!?!

Which of these kisses do you think was the most awkward? Do you disagree with any of these choices? Which bad kissing scenes did I miss? Tell me in the comments!

How do I know if I’m a good kisser?

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All smiles behind our screens. Source Shutterstock

I’ve been working on the internet for a long, long time. It can be an exhausting job, and sometimes we wonder why we do what we do. But really, we do it for y’all. And when we get Facebook posts, tweets, and emails from readers, it makes us feel so great. I know it probably feels like you’re just sending an email off to no one, but we really do read everything you send us! It’s part of why we love our jobs so much.

I’m not a very emotional person, and I don’t really like rom-coms. But every now and then, something makes my heart shine bright like a diamond a la Rihanna. Well, that something today was a sweet email from one of you.

Dear Gurl.com,

This website has taught me so much. About sex. About relationships. About friendships. About things I didn’t even know existed. And about life in general. Without this website, I would be clueless about the world. You’ve opened my eyes to so many things and I can’t stress how grateful I am. I really believe the things I’ve learnt from this website will help me in life. Some of the things I read on this website are hilarious and cheer me up before I can even think about being upset. My parents should be grateful too, I’m not addicted to drugs or alcohol, I’m simply addicted to Gurl.com.

This website gives me hope about people I could possibly meet in the future. I hope to have experiences as cool as some of the things I’ve read here (although some I wouldn’t mind giving a miss!). You’ve taught me that I’m beautiful inside and out, as is everyone else. Without this website, I fear I’d be just like the small minded girls I’m surrounded by each day, interested in nothing other than boys, makeup, popularity etc. You’ve given me inspiration to become a strong, successful, independent woman in society and have taught me that I’m just as important as anyone else. I’m not just a 14 year old girl anymore. I’m a 14 year old girl with an opinion that deserves to be heard. I honestly believe that when I’m older I’ll remember this website. So, thank you. Thank you for everything I’ve learned, and everything I’ve still got to learn. The staff at Gurl are the big sisters I never had.

I can’t even. This is why we do what we do. Knowing that we’re making a small difference in your lives, whether it’s making you laugh with a funny video or helping you through a tough issue, this is why we do it. Hearing from you beautiful and smart young women makes us love our jobs even more.

You are the reason we write everyday. You are the reason we strive to be better people. We want you all to know that you are wonderful, and it’s because of you that we get to do this. Without readers, we wouldn’t have a reason to write. So thank you for reading. Thank you for talking to us. Thank you for being the amazing girls that you are.

We love hearing from you, and we do read what you have to say so keep it up in the comments or send us an email!

As if this story isn’t cute enough, this 10 year old boy donates his allowance to save kittens.

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Well, I might not be a real life princess (never say never!), but at least I can dress like a cartoon one, right? I love taking fashion inspiration from the on-screen heroines who were my role models growing up. And you can dress like them, too! No, that doesn’t mean getting decked out in ball gowns every day… it means using their Disney outfits as inspiration for some cute outfits you can wear any day of the week. Check out these 10 looks based on 10 of the best Disney characters ever, and don’t forget to click on the picture if you want to find out more info on the clothing!

Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Pocahontas from Pocahontas

Aurora from Sleeping Beauty

Belle from Beauty and The Beast

Mulan from Mulan

Cinderella from Cinderella

Jasmine from Aladdin

Snow White from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Tiana from The Princess and The Frog

Rapunzel from Tangled

Which of these outfits is your favorite? Are you going to try any of them? What did we miss? Who do you want to dress like? Tell me in the comments!

 Dress like 10 fantastically evil Disney villains

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The hero! | Source: City Kitties

In my experience, 10-year-old boys are interested in a few things: grossing people out by doing weird stuff, playing video games, staying away from girls’ cooties and generally being a teensy bit annoying but making up for it by being cute. I have a godson this age guys, so I’m kind of an expert.

So imagine my surprise when I read about the seriously adorable 10-year-old Evan from Philadelphia, who spends his allowance on helping others rather than on toys or snacks or stuff like that. What is he donating his money to? A local cat rescue called City Kitties. I mean, seriously… could this story get any sweeter?

Apparently, Evan and his family adopted a beloved cat from City Kitties in 2009. Evan must have been really touched by what he saw going on in there, because after that, he started donating his allowance to City Kitties. He didn’t just give them his precious money, though – he sent handwritten notes along with the cash. One note goes like this (if you haven’t been smiling yet, you will definitely smile after you read this):

Dear City Kitties: My name is Evan and I am 7-years-old. And guess what? I LOVE cats! They are my favorite animals and I got my cat at City Kitties as well! THANK YOU for letting me get my new cat! I get an allowance every week and I chose to make a donation to you. I love that you help cats find homes. I saved this money to help you save cats. 

UM. Is it weird that I want this kid to age about 10 years or 15 years overnight and then come be my boyfriend? Don’t answer that. This is the most heart-warming story I’ve read online in a while and I just can’t get enough of it. I mean, how many kids do you know who would willingly give away all of their money to a charity? I love all the kids I know, but I’m not sure they could be so committed.

The story gets even cuter, if that’s possible: after months of saving, Evan donated $46.75. City Kitties posted the note on their Facebook page, which went viral and inspired hundreds of people to match Evan’s donation. In 2010, he went a step a further by selling figs from his family’s fig tree to raise even more money. In 2011, Evan donated $97 and in 2012, he donated $101.

I realize that $46 in one year isn’t going to do a lot for a cat rescue shelter, but the amount of money isn’t the point here. The point is that this 10-year-old should be inspiring everyone at every age because of how selfless and thoughtful he is. He’s doing his best to save kittens and cats who have been abandoned and it’s awesome to see a boy this young do something so mature. So basically, this kid is my hero.

What do you think about this story? Have you ever donated your allowance to some kind of charity? Would you? Tell me in the comments.

Watch this video of WTF animal pictures

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To get you prepared for the bubble bath you should take tomorrow, and all of the bubble baths you should take in the future, I’ve found 10 items that will make the experience that much better. Seriously, you need to have this stuff in your bathroom.

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Owl Clean Bath Sheet

This super adorable towel will be perfect for when you step out of the bath. It's cute enough to wander around the house in for a while... who says you need to get dressed right away?!

Buy it at Modcloth for $24.99

The iDuck

Consider this a rubber duckie for grown-ups... or, you know, whoever. It's perfect for listening to music while you're relaxing without having to worry about your iPod falling into the water. The duck is a speaker AND it floats.

Buy it at ThinkGeek for $29.99

Hello Kitty Bath Tote Set

Hello Kitty presents: the cutest way to get clean and smell yummy. This bath set will not only look fun in your bathroom, but the scent is also delish.

Buy it at Toys R Us for $14.99"

Animal Shaped Bath Fizzies

Who says only little kids can have fun, animal-shaped things? Not me. These animal bath fizzies will keep your bath soapy and fun.

Buy this at Target for $23.99

Hippo Than Hip Bathtub Plug

Get it? "Hippo than hip?" Hehehe. I didn't come up with that, but I wish I did. This hippo bath stopper will ensure that your tub stays full, while the floating hippo head keeps things... interesting.

Buy it at Modcloth for $21.99

Hello Kitty Spa Wrap

This towel/dress/wrap deal will change your life, trust me. The straps allow you to do tons of things you could never do in a towel before (well, you could, but it was annoying): blow dry your hair, brush your teeth, put on makeup, etc. Plus, this one is fun.

Buy it on Amazon for $34.99

Best Hoot Forward Bathtub Treads

These cute little guys will keep you from slipping all over the tub, whether you're showering or taking a bath. Nothing's worse than bathtub injuries, guys. Nothing.

Buy these at Modcloth for $8.99

Skull and Bones Bubble Bath

This bubble bath smells like vanilla and caramel (is anyone else hungry now?), but I love it mainly because the bottle is so cool. This will look awesome in your tub, whether you use it or not.

Buy it on Amazon fro $16.00

Disney Fairies Bubble Bath

I know, I know, this looks like it belongs to a 5-year-old... but I think it's cute! And really, who doesn't love Tinkerbell? This bubble bath will give you tons of wonderful bubbles.

Buy it at Walgreens for $4.99

Sing and Spout Bath Mat

This is by far my favorite item on this list. Put this bath mat in your tub so you don't fall and also so that you can lay on a whale while taking a bath. How awesome does that sound?!

Buy it at Modcloth for $17.99

Which of these items are you going to buy? What did we miss? Are you going to take a bubble bath on National Bubble Bath Day? Tell us in the comments!

10 things you have to do before January ends

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Thanks to the Internet, we’ve all seen a ton of weird/funny/random/confusing animal pictures, from cats to horses to donkeys to sheep to monkeys to sea rays… the list could go on and on. Luckily, Buzzfeed.com compiled a list of some of the most WTF animal pictures ever and made them into a video. Warning: watching this might make you cry from laughter.

Which picture was your favorite? Have you ever taken a funny picture of an animal? What did this video miss? Tell us in the comments!

Watch the greatest kitten escape ever

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But anyway. While I was watching Freaks and Geeks, I started thinking about Lindsay and Nick as a sort-of couple and I sort of started wishing I could be included in the little thing they had going on, or that at least I could replace Lindsay. Then I started thinking about other ’90s fictional couples I wouldn’t have minded being a part of. And so… here are my 10 favorite ’90s TV couples, from the obvious to the maybe not as obvious. Admit it – you’d totally switch places with some of these people for a few days.

DJ & Steve from Full House

Yes, these two end up breaking up, but I think they sort of get back together… right? Not only did I used to be totally jealous of D.J. and Steve’s relationship, but I was basically just jealous of D.J. in general and wanted whatever she had. This totally relatable relationship is the kind of first love a lot of us have always wanted.

Sabrina and Harvey from Sabrina The Teenage Witch

Sabrina and Harvey have such a dramatic ending – they break up, find other people, almost get married (Sabrina)… and then magically reunite! It’s so romantic and wonderful, although kind of mean if you think about it. But still – exciting!

Zack and Kelly from Saved By The Bell

Not going to lie, this is kind of a complicated love story that I have trouble following because my dad didn’t like when I watched Saved By The Bell, so I pretty much had to watch it in secret. But regardless of the fact that I didn’t know this couple super well, I always wanted to be a part of it. Zack and Kelly are adorable together.

Lindsay and Nick from Freaks and Geeks

Okay, honestly, Nick was way too nice for Lindsay. Lindsay was like this wanna-be wild child, and Nick was sort of wild but was really a nice guy at heart. And to me, Linds always seemed so stuck on Daniel. It was like, Lindsay, get your head together! I mean, I would have been more than willing to take her place.

Ross and Rachel from Friends

I mean, obviously. Guys – Ross and Rachel are iconic to me. I know they had a ton of ups and downs, but when they were together, they were perfect! They were meant to end up together. He said her name during his wedding to that horrible English girl. Come on!

Buffy and Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Speaking of iconic, here’s Buffy and Angel. I like to think of them as the ’90s version of Edward and Bella, but so much better. This was forbidden love at it’s best, ladies.

Angela and Jordan from My So-Called Life

I guess we don’t really know exactly what happened between Angela and Jordan, but I like to imagine they lived happily ever after in cute couple bliss. This was a seriously relatable high school couple and I loved every second of it.

Brenda and Dylan from 90210

Although we never officially saw this on-again/off-again couple get together for realz, we pretty much know they ended up together and are possibly living together in London in some TV reality land. How awesome, right?

Rebecca and Uncle Jesse from Full House

They may be a little older than any other couple on this list, but that doesn’t mean they don’t belong here. There’s only one woman I’d allow to steal Uncle Jesse, and that’s Rebecca.

Cory and Topanga from Boy Meets World

Do these two even need an explanation? Cory and Topanga are basically the ultimate ’90s couple – important enough to get their own spin-off years later. Their love might be hard to believe, since they were teenagers, but whatever. Still perfect.

Which of these couples was your favorite? Who did I miss? Which TV couple right now is your favorite? Tell me in the comments!

So I’m super excited for the movies that are coming out in 2013. While some of them look so-so, a lot of them look amazing. These top 10 that I picked are definitely a few reasons to look forward to the new year. Whether you’re as big of a movie buff as myself or if you’re just looking for a few good date ideas, these picks are totally worth spending your money on. Watch the trailers, find out why we’re so excited for them, and start counting down the days until they’re released.

Gangster Squad, January 11

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, together again. Do I really need to say anything more? I’ve been waiting for this to be released for what feels like years. Plus, I’m a sucker for these gang movies – they’re so exciting.

Warm Bodies, February 1

This is a new take on zombie movies, and it looks seriously adorable. Starring Nicholas Hoult as a zombie who finally finds love, it’s sure to be adorable, funny and exciting all at once.

Identity Theft, February 8

Honestly, this movie looks totally silly and is probably going to be very stupid in a funny way, but I’m still going to see it… mainly because it stars Melissa McCarthy. If you loved Horrible Bosses, you’ll probably love this.

Oz The Great and Powerful, March 8

Since I love The Wizard Of Oz, Disney, James Franco and Mila Kunis, I’m pretty sure I’ll love this. It looks so whimsical and fun!

Admission, March 8

In my opinion, Paul Rudd and Tina Fey can do no wrong – so put them together and that probably makes an awesome movie, right? That’s what it looks like. The premise seems a little weird, but I’m down for it.

Spring Breakers, March 8

Get ready to see a completely different side of Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson – personally, I can’t wait. It’s about time these Hollywood angels starred in something a little more gritty! If this clip doesn’t get you excited, then all of the girl’s endless Instagram pictures should.

The Heat, April 5

Another movie starring Melissa McCarthy? Yes, please! And since Sandra Bullock is always amazing no matter what she’s doing, you know this one will be extra great. It’s about time we had a funny buddy cop movie starring two awesome ladies.

Iron Man 3, May 3

The third installment of Iron Man looks a little bit more dark and depressing than the other two – Iron Man seems to have lost his trademark sense of humor – but still seems worth seeing. As a comic book movie nerd, I’m super excited for this.

The Great Gatsby, May 10

The trailer for this movie is beautiful, so I’m expecting the film itself to be just as visually enjoyable. With stars like Leonardo Dicaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan, it seems like it can’t be anything but fabulous.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, November 22

The movie everyone is most excited to see hasn’t released a trailer yet, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included on this list. I’ve yet to see the first film and I’m still excited for this. I promise I’ll catch myself up before then.
Which of these movies are you most excited to see? What did I miss? What are you going to see in the theater? Tell me in the comments!

Are you ready to rock 2013?

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