Photos by Daniel Delaney.

When you’ve only got pocket change to spend on lipstick, which one should you buy? The game glamouristas of Brokelyn set out to put an end to budget makeup confusion by putting five bargain brands through their summer paces. Faces painted with the cheapest concoctions of wax and pigment money can buy, they drank 40 ouncers, snarfed pizza and stuck their faces in an NYC fire hydrant. Read on to find out what we discovered about venerable cosmetic brands Jordana, Wet ‘n’ Wild, NIcka K, NYX and NYC. Here, Alison’s Wet ‘n’ Wild makeup lives up to its name. Mascara ($3.49), liquid liner ($2.89), and lipstick ($0.99), all from Walgreens. (more…)

Coffee can grill: yay or nay?

What self-respecting Brokelynite hasn’t—at some point—gone for conditioner instead of shaving cream, or for baby powder in a deodorant-less pinch? Sometimes, in a moment of need, we make do with what we have. Or we just can’t bring ourselves to pay full price for… anything. Enter AltUse, a Website of home-grown DIY wisdom and thrifty tricks turned into an enormous list of alternative uses for everyday household items. The clear, user-friendly site lets you search by item or need—by “vodka” or by “keep flowers fresh.” Old standards like baking soda, rubbing alcohol and vinegar are recurring elements, but then there’s how to make a spiffy new bulletin board from a year’s worth of cork collecting. That starts to get exciting. (more…)

Hype or help? Photo by Michael Friberg.

Is vinegar really a miracle clean-all? According to eco lore (and vinegar marketers), this affordable kitchen staple can be used to remove blood stains from fabric, whiten bathroom grout and cleanse the human scalp. Some contend the non-polluting astringent can also soothe a bee sting or a sunburn, cure hiccups, bleach yellowed armpits on a t-shirt, banish coffee stains from a mug and even brighten a tired complexion. The killer ingredient is acetic acid, which destroys germs and bacteria and dissolves mineral deposits, along with making you taller and more likely to win a Pulitzer (some claims may be exaggerated). My mission was to put a handful of these allegations to the test. Previously, I’d used vinegar only in salads. (more…)