Over and Under-Rated Drugstore Makeup (and a few things that were disappointing)

Hi beauties!! I just did a post on this same topic but with high-end makeup so I wanted to do drugstore makeup too! Here's my under-rated drugstore picks!

 

Rimmel Stay Matte primer

This is the only primer that can keep me matte throughout the day. I used to use Rimmel's Fix&Perfect Pro primer until this came out and because I have oily skin I thought I'd give it a try! It has become one of my daily makeup products! I cannot even imagine my face makeup without this! The foundation from this line is perfection as well but this primer is so much less talked about!

 

 Alright who guessed it.. NYX's Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation

I have oily skin and mattifying powders can look really cakey quick but this powder is the perfect finish. It has a buttery and super soft texture; Ulta has testers of these and that's where I initially felt these! This works great on oily skin but I can also see this working for all skin types just because it doesn't have a dry finish. This is a powder foundation and it has wonderful coverage.. This is probably the only powder I could just put concealer under and feel comfortable leaving the house with on! I set my foundation everyday with this and my NYX puff and it locks everything in.. I can't get enough of these (I bought 3 backups at IMATS)!

WetNWild's MegaGlo illuminating powder in shade: "Spotlight Peach"

This is probably my favorite blush. It gives the prettiest warm and peachy (almost a bronze effect, too) flush to the cheeks! It really warms up and gives my pale face some color! It's also super affordable! I can get so frustrated with blushes that no matter how much I put on just won't show up but this takes just a little swirl on my cheeks!

 Physician's Formula quad in the shade: "Classic Nudes"

I bought this quad initially because I did not have a ton of matte blending shades and browns and wasn't expecting to be blown away but these are amazing! They are SO buttery and soft (to the point where you don't want to swirl your brush around to kick up product by the way). They give such a smooth and perfect effect on the eyes. I use this to do an entire look or I often pull it out to use in different looks. It is so versatile!

 

 Essence Stays No Matter What shadow pencils in the shades: "Whipped White Frosting" and "Cute Copper"

These are probably my favorite affordable shadow bases. They are pigmented and the champagne one can go under any look! They have a tackiness to them that really helps shadows cling to them, love these!

 

 Maybelline Color Whisper (I have the shade "Mocha Muse")

These are like Maybelline's version of the Revlon lip butters. I feel like these are so overlooked. They moisturize and have give such a healthier look to the lips than the Revlon butters do. The Color Whispers have a beautiful color range. This shade is a nude and is one of the lightest shades in the line but still has buildable coverage on the lips without it swiping itself away. I had a comparable color to this one from the Revlon butters, it was "Creme Brulee", and I just was not impressed with it. I am so happy I have my Color Whisper especially in this shade because it is such an easy nude to throw on and it just looks so pretty!

 

 NYX Soft Matte lip cream in the shade: "Instanbul"

I really love this formula! It gives a comfortable matte lip and this color is so fresh! I have a comparison of this and Essence's Stay Matt lip cream a few posts back!! Check that post out for more details on this product!

 

Palladio Herbal Tinted lip balms (I have it in the shade Berry")

WHY ARE THESE NEVER SPOKEN OF?? They have plenty of colors and they ARE pigmented and so comfortable!!! They're pretty cheap too, mine was around $3-$4 (same price as a Baby Lips but WAY better... sorry Maybelline).

 

 Swatches LtoR: Color Whisper, Soft Matte lip cream, Palladio balm, WetNWild blush, shadow sticks, and the Physician's Formula quad!

 Over-rated and disappointing makeup time.. :(

 

 

A lot of people will hate me for this but NYX Butter Glosses

Sure there are some nice neutrals, colors, and they're not sticky BUT WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL. They're your average gloss.. one thing I don't like about this product is how when you take the wand out the product gets like stringy (if anyone knows what I'm talking about??).

 

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette

This was raved about on YouTube and I was so excited to buy this at Target. But, they crease and look gross under my eyes and I was so hopeful because they are so creamy.. :(

Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue line

On the left is "Coral Crave".. and it still leaves me craving coral because IT IS CLEAR. The one on the right is "Just Peachy" which gives off beautiful color but makes my lips look so gross and dry!! I prefer the regular line of Baby Lips a lot more! "Cherry Me" is my all-time fave from the Baby Lips collection!!

 

Here is where the disappointing makeup begins..

 

Essence Match 2 Cover Cream Concealer 

One positive I have about this is that it has Bobbi Brown-esque packaging.. but the name is wrong.. This is not a "cream concealer" it is a "hard as a rock and not creamy at all concealer". Don't waste money on this! Just get the Covergirl + Olay concealer balm or the NYX HD concealer!!!!

 

Almay Liquid Lipbalm in the shade "Nudetrients"



I guess I shouldn't have expected a pigmented nude gloss.. this is just clear with sparkle. Also, this is marketed as a balm but my lips aren't being moisturized or nourished with this.

 

The Maybelline Expert Wear quad in "Sunlit Bronze" and the Covergirl ExactEyelights quad made for brown eyes.



My best advice if you see these is to RUN. If you were to get Maybelline shadows go for the EyeStudio quads because I've seen swatches of those and they're way better than these UN-PIGMENTED (if that's a word but you know what I mean!!) shadows.. these are literally just sparkle. there is nothing binding the shadow together. I had a very similar experience with the Covergirl quad except for the fact that the darker shades were a little better pigmentation wise.

 

I didn't bother swatching the products I didn't like because I didn't really think it would benefit any of you guys but if you want swatches just comment! I can post them here or on Instagram (@makeupbyemilyy). :)

 

Sorry to end on a bad note makeup wise but I hope this guides you as to what to avoid and maybe what to check out! :)

 

 



CoverGirl Tru Blend Liquid Foundation Review

I personally find foundation to be a very personal item because it's based on one of the most unique traits of a person; their skin! I'm an oily girl so I can have a difficult time with foundations but I guess that just means I'm putting it through rigorous testing! :) Alright on with the review! I'll start with the basics of this so you can actually know if you'll be interested in reading this whole review:
- Coverage: Light to medium at most.
- Consistency: On the more liquidy side for a foundation (think like Revlon Colorstay for combo/oily), it is very thin, it takes a while to completely set.. feels kind of wet in a way
Okay so there's a quick overview but now I will go into wear and packaging.
- The packaging has a pump which is convenient and what I like about it is that it dispenses a small amount of product so you won't waste a lot. Also, this pump is easy to control if you don't need another whole pump of product.
- My research on its wear: I tested the wear of this for two days with two different primers really taking notes on its wear. On one day I used Rimmel's Stay Matte primer which works very well with my oily skin! Okay so after 3 hours of wear I began to get shiny on my nose. 2 hours later I noticed creasing in my smile lines and an all over cakey appearance (major foundation turn-off for me). An hour and a half later I noticed breakdown beginning on my nose. I basically had the same amount of wear when I used Maybelline Baby Skin taking notes on it for 6 hours of wear.
- I don't find this to be a longwearing foundation by any means and I do not like the way it behaves with other products. When I set this it has a way of clinging to the powder, and I think this is because of it taking so long to set if it does. It looks too apparent. I really wouldn't recommend this foundation in particular for anyone because I feel like even with just six hours of wear I appear cakey all over and not fresh.
- Other drugstore foundations I enjoy and would recommend: Rimmel Stay Matte mousse, Revlon Colorstay (fabulous in both the oily and dry skin formulas I have both!)
As a heads up, they recently repackaged this foundation and I still have the old packaging. The new packaging does still have a pump though.

Add a Pop of Color to Your Makeup Looks (Eyeliner)!

Hey guys! Hope you're having a good day. I wanted to do a post on how to add pops of color to your look. Wearing a bright lip for example can really change up your look! I think sometimes the key to not going overboard with bright makeup is to not wear a bright lip, cheek, and eye all at the same time (On a side note, I think you could easily rock a bold lip and blush as long as they're coordinating and they don't clash each other). Here are a few of my eye makeup picks when trying to switch in a product to really brighten up your eyes and make a statement.

 

Eyeliners:

WetNWild Megaliners in "864" (purple), "863" (teal)

These liners are honestly very impressive and pigmented! I like to wing black liner and then draw a line above that following the wing with the green liner and I always get compliments on it! Love it! Using the plum is a baby step for those trying to incorporate more color into their looks. The teal one is incredibly long wearing and this swatch actually stained my arm! Not to mention their super cheap! :)

Another liner I like is Butter London's Wink eye pencil in "Jaded Jack"

I love popping this color in my inner corner! I have green eyes and it is so complimentary. It has good staying power as well, as I rub the swatch it won't budge! This is my first Butter London product and it makes me want to try more!

 

If you want to see my colorful blush and lip options I posted on those a few posts back! :)

 



Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit

Hi guys! Hope you're having a good weekend. I've decided to do a drugstore starter kit of products I've loved and know that work. I think makeup aisles can be daunting with all the options so I wanted to point people to a few all-star products! :)

Face: Rimmel Stay Matte Primer, Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation, NYX HD concealer, NYX Stay Matte powder.

I love Rimmel's Primers. This one works really well at keeping me matte and therefore making my makeup look fresh. If you have skin on the drier side I also love Rimmel's Fix and Perfect Pro primer. 

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation is a medium to full coverage foundation that lasts all day. Revlon also offers a latge shade selection for this. The big bonus is that there are formulas for both Combo/Oily and Normal/Dry skin!

NYX HD concealer is a pigmented and long lasting concealer. This is the most impressive drugstore concealer I've used!

NYX Stay Matte powder is a powder with a beautiful finish that I use to set my foundation and when dusting it over to set my foundation and concealer it adds coverage. Beautiful powder.

Eyes bottom to top: Essence Stays No Matter What shadow pencil in "Whipped White Frosting", NYX felt tip liner, NYX Wonder Pencil, Maybelline The Rocket mascara, Physician's Formula shadow quad in "Classic Nudes"

If you're wearing shadow or liner on your lids you should prime your lids to prolong the wear of your eye makeup and to prevent creasing/transferring of your shadows/liners. I use the Essence shadow stick to prime my lids. If beginning with liquid liner an easy way to learn is to use a felt tip liner like the NYX one pictured. The NYX Wonder Pencil is what I use it on my water line to brighten and widen my eyes. The Maybelline Rocket Mascara is very volumizing and lengthening so there is no need for 2 mascaras! The Physician's Formula quad is all matte and the shadows are buttery smooth and it gives a great natural look!

Left to right: Maybelline Baby Lips in "Cherry Me", NYX Round Lipstick in B52, Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused.

This specific Maybelline Baby Lips gives a beautiful sheer, fresh color to the lips. The NYX lipstick is a deeper neutral that is universally flattering in my opinion. The Color Elixir is a nice gloss option because they are pigmented and comfortable.

Eyebrows can really anchor a look and I find them extremely important. This ELF kit works wonders and is so easy to use!

Smashbox Eyelid Primer Review

Hi guys and happy Friday! I just wanted to do a quick post on this eye primer, the Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer. I just used this today but eye primers are the type of product in my opinion where I know if I like it or not.. and I LOVE this one!! Upon application, it has a medium beige tint that cancels out imperfections on my lids (note: I have a fair complexion and I feel on darker and medium skintones the color may be less apparent and might be weaker in the concealing lids department). The consistency of this primer reminds of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams (see a previous post if you're curious on those)!! It feels so nice! It blends easily onto the lids. This has a very slightly tacky feel which helps shadows cling onto it. I've been wearing my eye makeup for about 11 and a half hours (early school hours..don't remind me haha) and there is ZERO creasing. I feel like I've been noticing a little bit of creasing with a few of my other primers so this has been impressing me! This is a deluxe-sized sample that came in Smashbox's Try It Kit!!

Over and Under-Rated High End Makeup!

I feel like the popular philosophy of many is that high-end means better quality but I beg to differ. I've used my fair share of high-end makeup that did not live up to its hype or some that wasn't hyped about enough!

Let's start with the over-rated makeup..

Korres lip glazes/butters.

I remember hearing about these on YouTube from a couple popular gurus. I honestly wish I had a reason to justify the price tag of $12 for this. It moisturizes okay but nothing super nourishing (ie: Fresh Sugar Balms). I got this in Jasmine and hoped it would look pretty but it is not pigmented enough so it just looks like a white milky cast on my lips.. no bueno.

 

 Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencils

I LOOOOVE Urban Decay so much but these are just your average liner to me. They are pigmented and creamy (the shade selection is amazing too) but the staying power is not there for it to be the $20 they are.

 Under-rated makeup time!

 

Bare Minerals Lash Domination mascara

I hear this and that about everything BM but their mascaras.. WHY?! I love this stuff! This is a deluxe-sample clearly but anyways, this adds such nice volume and length.. would definitely purchase the full-size!!

 

 Clinique Chubby Sticks

I am literally always posting about this but, these are amazing. The formula is so smooth and gives good color pay-off while feeling exactly like a nourishing balm!! LOVE. I would definitely repurchase more of these in different shades.

 

 Anastasia Brow Gel

Everyone talks about Anastasia brow this and that but I never hear a lot of people talking about the brow gel! Unlike other gels I've used that do not hold my hairs in place at ALL. This one holds everything perfectly and nothing will move!

 

Bite Beauty lip glosses

Bite's cream lipsticks are very hyped about and they should be, but I never hear much about their glosses.. they have a fabulous smell, look, feel, and wear on the lips. My favorite gloss formula EVER. I chose to picture these shades because of spring and summer (LtoR: "Garnet" , "Strangefruit")

 

Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix

This stuff is amazing! I used this before and after I applied my Tarte 12-hour full coverage foundation one night and WOW not a single bit of oil or anything ruined my makeup. I was completely matte and my makeup looked freshly applied. This isn't marketed as oil control but I was oddly matte that night (not a complaint at all!!). This stuff is a little pricey so I use it on occasion. 

 

Buxom Full-Bodied lip sticks

I'm sure we all know and love Buxom's glosses! No one ever seems to speak of these lippies though!! They have a minty quality and have fabulous color pay off.. they are also very comfortable on the lips! This shade, "Amsterdam", is a beautiful peachy-pink nude!! These are also reasonable priced and you get a lot of product. You don't really need a mirror for these twist up lipsticks either!

 

What high-end makeup do you love?!

 

What I've been using a lot lately.. April faves!!

Hi guys!!

I've found myself loving a lot of makeup and switching up my makeup ways this past month!! I've been contouring and highlighting a lot lately (and I think I'm doing pretty good!!).

Anyways here are my face faves!!

The Rimmel Stay Matte primer and foundation, and the NYX HD concealer!

I have oily skin and literally nothing seems to work when it comes to primers and foundation! I've had fantastic luck with these too!! I'm no longer an oil slick when I come home from school!! I like mixing the foundation with my NYX Stay Matte liquid foundation because this Rimmel one is a litttttttle too dark for my liking; but that combo with this primer underneath is perfect!! I prefer to apply it with my fingers.

The NYX HD concealer is what I like to use to highlight around my face and conceal my undereyes (not full coverage but definitely nicer than my Maybelline Dream Lumi) and it has fabulous wear and creases very little on me (I do set with powder).

 

Eye favorite!! NYX's "Over the Taupe Taupe" shadow

 

 

 

I have been trying to finish off a few tubes of mascara so I don't have a favorite for that this month and for liner I've just been using your basic liner pen, but I can't stop myself from using this shadow in my crease or accent!! I think it's because of my taupe obsession but this adds such natural and cool depth.

 

A nail favorite! Revlon Multi Care Base+Top Coat

So basically.. my manicures never last more than 4 or 6 days and it is SO frustrating!! I was painting my nails at a friends house and used this and I noticed it totally extended the wear of my mani when used as a base and top coat! LOVE LOVE LOVE.

 

Most anticipated favorites.. lippies!! :)) LtoR: Clinque Chubby Stick in "Mighty Mimosa", Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick in "Fresh Papaya", TheBalm's BalmGirls Lipstick in "MaiBillsbepaid", Revlon lip butter in "Juicy Papaya"



I use different lip products daily but I've noticed myself using these a lot lately and rediscovering my Neutrogena chubby pencil. I will FOREVER love the Clinique Chubby Stick. I like the Revlon butter for a fresh pop. The Balm lipstick is for a nice longwearing nude.

 

This is just a fun product I like to experiment with! The Covergirl truMagic in "The Sunkisser" (basically a cream bronzer)

This is so much fun to experiment with to contour! It looked to pretty today! I use this on the perimeter of my face (temples, all over cheeks under my cheekbones, a little around my jawline).. Then, I use my NYX blush in "Taupe" right under my cheekbones and in the deepest hollows of my temples.. looks so beautiful!!

 

 

 

A little update!

My no-buy has been successful! I have to last until May 17th.. aka I will be doing a drugstore haul then! What should I post next? Requests? I saw a picture of these tinted balms by Benefit inspired by their tints and I WANT ONE SO BAD!! I have no idea if they're available but I definitely want one!