I went to the Grammys 2016 with COVERGIRL – and here’s how it went…

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When you’re asked if you want to go to the Grammys, the answer can NOT be anything other than “yes!” So that’s precisely what my answer was when COVERGIRL asked me if I wanted to join them at the Grammys 2016 on Monday February, 15. Sorry Presidents, I’ve got a date with Gaga.

The day was pretty much a dream for me, a lifetime music AND beauty lover. It started at a suite in The London Hotel West Hollywood with hours of primping courtesy of COVERGIRL, Pantene, Crest and Olay. And it went a little something like this…

I started off with Pantene, via hair styling from The Glam Squad. There were some amazing braids and updos happening around me, but all I wanted was shiny and super straight hair that showed off my new haircut. A flat iron, alcohol-free Pantene Pro-V Airspray ($4.99) and Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Hair Shine Serum ($4.99) was all I needed for really pretty results. Well, that and a talented stylist!

I actually bought the Airspray the very next day. I loved the soft hold it produced, and it did wonders to smooth down flyaways (and keep them down.)

Next up, some time in the chair with COVERGIRL and Olay.

If eyes are the windows to the world, I need to take better care of my windows! Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Hydraswirl Eye ($28.99) helped immensely. The swirl of eye cream and gel soothed my eyes and the light reflecting particles made my dark circles WAY less noticeable.

Following a quick application of COVERGIRL truBLEND Primer for oily skin, my makeup artist applied truBLEND Liquid Makeup ($9.99). There are 21 shades to choose from, so finding a match was easy. There are shades in the light, medium and deep categories and turns out L5, Creamy Natural, is a perfect match for me. The coverage is amazing, buildable yet very light. It didn’t feel cakey or look heavy at all.

Post foundation, pre eye makeup was a trip to the bathroom to apply Crest 3D White Luxe Supreme FlexFit Whitestrips ($56 for 14 treatments). It was my first time trying them and I was really happy to find they caused me no sensitivity (also a first). I wore them for a half hour, and was even able to drink with them on since the fit was so snug and secure.

When it was time to remove them, I followed up with brushing my teeth with Crest 3D White Brilliance 2 Step Toothpaste ($14.99) Along with the Pantene Airspray, I bought this the next day too. This made my teeth feel noticeably cleaner, it was all I could to do to not stop and pick it up on the way home from the Grammys, I wanted it so badly!

I really loved the COVERGIRL truBLEND Blush and truBLEND Bronzer (both $9.99), they look liked they’d be super shimmery but they’re just the perfect amount with beautiful color payout. But I think my very favorite product of the day had to be the COVERGIRL truNaked eye shadow palettes ($11.99).

Artfully applied by makeup artist Julianne Kaye, these are completely dreamy! They’re every bit as pretty as palettes in my stash that cost four times as much. Julianne shared her love of the Roses color collection, and the magic that is the rose gold shade in it (it’s the fourth from the left.) She told me to uses to add a warm pink shimmer from everything to golds, to browns, to plums.

She layered a gold shade from the Goldens palette with a wet coat of the magic rose gold, and finally one of the darker plums from Roses smudged in the outer corners. Julianne had a really un-fussy way of applying eye makeup that I really appreciated. She told me “I don’t really follow a bunch of steps, contouring, outer V, etc., it’s too complicated and ends up looking overdone.”

She applied both sides of the truNaked Waterproof Eye Liner Duo in Mocha/Ebony ($8.99); mocha on both upper and lower lids (including the waterline) then ebony over it to deepen it. Then, followed it up with the new LashBlast Plumpify Mascara ($11.99) to boost volume.

My one coat (yes, one coat!) of COVERGIRL Outlast Longwear + Moisture Lipstick ($8.99) in Into the Fuchsia lasted through the entire night. If you’re looking for an affordable and comfortable long-wear lipstick, this is it.

And didn’t it compliment my dress perfectly?

That dress was $26 from Nordstrom Rack, how’s that for a budget find!? Plus, it was totally comfortable and the modern cut and color felt very Grammy-appropriate.

Oh yeah, the Grammys! This isn’t a post just about my fab makeup and dress – I completely loved attending.

My partner in Grammy-crime for the night was the lovely Miranda from Slashed Beauty. She grabbed us front row seats in our viewing suite, and we sang, danced and clapped to our favorites all night. The best part about viewing from a suite is that it was elevated over the the stage, so we got to see everyone preparing for their performances before the curtains rose. They section the stage in half for most of the performances. So, as one group is performing, the next in line is getting ready to go. The seats were amazing. Honestly, I think we had a better view than Taylor down in front row!

All in all, it was a completely surreal and beautiful experience. The bonus? I got some new drugstore must-haves out of the deal too! Thanks to COVERGIRL, Pantene, Crest and Olay for a magical night.

we heartsters – what were you’re favorite performances? And, how fast are you racing out for a truNaked palette?