drugstore makeup – Byte of Beauty

Let’s Talk About Brows, Baby: The 411 on the Colourpop Brow Collection

July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 byte of beautyLeave a comment

Brow Header

I genuinely love Colourpop as a company. They are a small, indie brand based out of L.A., and everything they sell is formulated and made here in the USA. They entered the makeup scene with their unique spongy cream-to-powder formula in eye shadows, blushes, bronzers, and highlighters. Now their line includes various lip products, face products, and now, brows! You can only purchase them online from their website, but they offer free shipping on orders over $30 and you can get $5 off your first order with the coupon code ‘THANKSBABE’ entered at checkout! If you’re an Ipsy subscriber, check out brand offers for a $5 off link. (You can’t combine these, though!) They also have fun promotions often, with free bonus items, so keep an eye out for those!

Their brow line offers two products, a potted brow color and a dual sided mechanical brow pencil. The Brow Colour is $6 and the Brow Pencil is $5. Both come in eight shades. Check out pics of all the shades below!

brow colours

brow pencils

I bought both products in the shade Dope Taupe, which is their most universal shade in my opinion. I purchased the products the day after their release in March and have been playing around with them for a few months now, so I am ready to give you my full thoughts and reviews. I also recently grabbed their highlight stick in Releve ($5) and while I am not loving it for facial highlighting, I am really liking it for sculpting out the brow and highlighting the brow bone!

Brow Pencil

Formula: Slightly softer than I would prefer. Being so soft, the color pay off is good, but this is not necessarily ideal for a brow pencil, since it can place too much product on the brow if you press too hard. It can be easily blended, but can transfer slightly to the skin via the spoolie, requiring some clean up around the edges with concealer, foundation, highlight stick, ect. I like the highlight stick for this. Using a light hand is the best way to go with this pencil.

Packaging: Very slim. .09 g of product in total (ABH Brow Wiz has .085 g for $21). Love that there is a decent spoolie on one end. One downfall is that the design does not allow for the pencil to be twisted back down, so don’t twist it up a lot or you’ll be S.O.L.

Shade Range: Wide variety of shades from blond to black and everything in between. One complaint I have is something that seems to just be a widespread issue among “neutral” brow colors in general; the taupe shade was too warm. While it worked okay for me, I prefer a cooler toned brow shade and even though taupe is *supposed* to be neutral/cool, Colourpop’s is guilty of being TOO DAMN WARM!

Price: $5 is very reasonable for the amount of product you get, as well as the quality of the product. Probably one of the top affordable eyebrow pencils on the market right now when looking at the shade range + packaging + formula.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10, formula slightly too creamy and taupe shade is a bit too warm. I think Bangin’ Brunette would be a better shade pick for me in the future and would take this rating up to an 8. Good option for the price, though.

Brow Colour

Potted Brow Colour

Formula: A creamy, almost mousse-like formula that is the perfect balance of soft, but not too soft. It stays right where you put it and lasts through a whole day of sweat and activities. When used with a thin, angled brow brush, a little bit goes a long way and it is super easy to sculpt and fill in perfect, fleeky brows. Once you place it, it will stay, but I finish up with a clear brow gel for maximum holding power. I have not had an issue with this drying out and have had it for 3+ months now. I recommend getting a good, sturdy eyebrow brush that will hold its shape and a spoolie if you don’t have one to use with this.

Packaging: Glass pot with tightly closing lid. Feels sturdy and luxurious. 3 g of product (ABH Dip Brow has 3 g for $18). Keep the lid on tight and you won’t have an issue with the product prematurely drying up.

Shade Range: Same range of eight shades. The brow colour in Dope Taupe is not as warm as the pencil and really does work well for me. I prefer this over the pencil for doing my brows right now and wish the colors were more consistent between the two products.

Price: $6 is also very reasonable for the amount of product you get, as well as the quality of the product. A great, affordable option for those that like being able to really carve out your brows with a brush. Remember, it does not come with any tools, so you’ll need your own brush and spoolie! For $6, I wouldn’t expect a tool to come with it, so that isn’t a problem for me.

Overall Rating: 9/10, very few complaints. LOVE IT!

Swatches

Cream Highlight Stick

From left to right: Brow Pencil, Brow Colour, Releve Highlight Stick, Releve blended

xoxo

Swatches & Review: Nyx Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks

February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 byte of beautyLeave a comment

Left to right: Ruffle Trim, Embellishment, Corset, Exotic, and Beauty Mark

Product Info

Nyx has released a new line of liquid lipsticks, Lip Lingerie. The line features 12 shades, mostly nudes, and boasts a matte, long-wearing finish. A lot of the lighter nude colors are very similar, which slight variations in undertone, but this isn’t really a bad thing, because it lets people of all skin tones to find a nude that works for them! There are a few darker shades in the line, as well. I have also seen these on women of color, and they look AMAZING, so I applaud Nyx for this versatile shade range!

I decided to buy five, in a variation of shades, to get a true feel of the range and formula. They are $7 each and come with .13 oz of product (for comparison, Anastasia Beverly Hills comes with .11oz and Jeffree Star comes with .19 oz). I purchased them on the Nyx website, but Ulta also stocks them!

Nyx LL Bottles w Names — Left to right: Corset, Ruffle Trim, Embellishment, Exotic, and Beauty Mark

Here’s how the Nyx site describes the shades:

Corset- Nude Toffee
Ruffle Trim- Cinnamon Pink
Embellishment- Muted Purple
Exotic- Warm Mahogany Red
Beauty Mark- Chocolate Brown

Swatches

Left to right: Beauty Mark, Embellishment, Corset, Ruffle Trim, and Exotic

Review

The formula is a soft mousse-like texture, which reminds me of the texture of theBalm’s Meet Matte Hughes liquid lipsticks. They do not apply completely opaque on the first pass, and can look a little streaky and patchy at first. The fix for this is to use thin layers of the product on the lip and build up the coverage. Start with a thin, even layer on the product, avoiding using too much of the product. Using too much product can make it harder to apply and get it even. The swatches above are two thin layers of the product!

They do dry down completely matte, something that there Liquid Suede lipsticks did not do. The formula does remain slightly tacky on the lips, but not to a point where it is uncomfortable. A small amount of translucent powder dabbed on the lips can also fix this!

They are long wear and it takes a lot to make them budge. Of course, greasy food is the antithesis of liquid matte lipsticks, and they do move slightly when introduced to anything oily, but normal wear won’t make them budge too much. Reapplication is easy, as long as you simply use thin layers!

For the price, these preform very well. The shades, in my opinion, are very trendy and beautiful, and the formula is much more long wearing that some of their other options, like the Soft Matte Lip Cream. Overall, I would recommend you pick up a couple of these if you are looking for a good drugstore liquid lipstick, but do check out swatches so you can find the best shades for you!

Full Review & Swatches: L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Trios

October 2, 2015October 1, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

L.A. Colors is a very cheap makeup and cosmetics brand that is available at discount stores like Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree. Most of their products are $1-2, and these eye shadow trios were just $1 each! I decided to pick up two of the more neutral trios to try out. I grabbed “Natural”, an all matte trio featuring an ivory shade, an ashy brown, and a dark brown. I also got “Sunflower”, which is an all-shimmer trio with a pale gold, reddish copper, and a bronze-y brown. There are also several other trios is varying shades and finishes if you want to try them out but aren’t fond of the ones I picked.

Sunflower Trio (I dropped it and the bronze pan partially crumbled, so ignore how ratchet it looks…)

I have a very split review on these, because I LOVE the Sunflower trio, but don’t really love the Natural trio. The Sunflower trio reminds me of a foiled eyeshadow, due to its pigmentation and butteriness. It does have a bit of fall out, but not very bad, and I love how creamy these are. The Natural trio on the other hand… this trio kind of sucks. It swatches nicely on the finger, but on the skin and eye it comes off as patchy and is so powdery that there is insane amounts of fallout. The pigmentation isn’t amazing, no where near as good as the other trio, and I have many other matte colors similar to these that I choose to reach for instead of these when I am doing my makeup at home, just because the fallout and patchiness is a pain to deal with. I was really hoping it would rock, because these would be beautiful crease and transition shades, but they are just not pigmented or smooth enough for me to really love. I will still continue to try and make this work, because the colors are nice shades and it is so small that it is great for travel or on the go, but it is pretty “meh” for me. I found that it works best over an opaque white base (see swatches below).

Below are swatches from both trios. The three shades on the left are from the Natural Trio and the three on the right are from the Sunflower Trio. I swatched them over two bases, Nyx Milk Eye Pencil and Urban Decay Primer Potion, and then on just bare skin. You can see that on top of the Milk Eye Pencil base the colors, even from the Natural Trio, show up the best and brightest.

Nyx Milk Eye Pencil (top), Urban Decay Primer Potion (middle), and bare skin (bottom)

For $1, these shadows are alright, especially the shimmers. They are compact and are the perfect size to throw in your bag or purse for on the go. They definitely require a primer that is very tacky, and an opaque base such as Nyx Milk will make them stand out even more and look more pigmented on the eye. If you plan on using the Natural Trio, make sure you wait until after the eye is done to do under eye concealer, because clean up is required due to the fall out from the darker shades. If you were just going to get one, I suggest getting the Sunflower Trio, as there are better neutral matte shades out there, even at the drugstore.

What is your cheapest beauty find? Did you love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments below!

Fall 2015 Trends | MAUVE LIPS: Top Three Favorites & My Trick for Flawless Matte Lips

September 30, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

The dream of the 90’s is alive in makeup trends. Brown, grey, and dusty rose shades are popping up everywhere, from the drug store to the high end counter. The easiest way to dip your toes into this trend is by starting with a beautiful, matte, mauve lip.

Mauve lips are all the rage this season, and for good reason. The color, ranging from warm, to neutral, to cool, can flatter anyone, and is very easy to wear. A matte finish adds to the grungy appeal and creates a long-wearing low maintenance lip look that is perfect for every day wear, from the office to happy hour. Below our my three favorite mauve shades that I am loving right now. All three are a matte or semi-matte finish, and all three are very affordable!

From left to right: Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Bare it All, City Color Be Matte Lipstick in Cappuccino, and Colourpop Lippie Stick in Tootsie

1. Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Bare it All | $2

A semi-matte, creamy opaque warm brown-toned mauve, with dusty rose undertones. This formula is a bit stiff at first, but warms up on the lips and provides a long-wearing, opaque finish. This $2 drugstore lipstick is also a dupe for the cult favorite MAC Velvet Teddy!

2. City Color Be Matte Lipstick in Cappuccino | $5

Ok, this one might not be a true mauve, but it’s in the same family, so I had to include it. This is an uber matte lipstick. It can be a bit tough to apply, due to this, but once applied this baby is staying on. The color is very warm, which is perfect for fall, and the pigmentation is phenomenal. I got this lipstick in my Ipsy bag a few months ago, and I’ve been loving it since.

3. Colourpop Lippie Stick in Tootsie | $5

This mauve leans into “greige” territory, but that is one of the reasons I love it. It’s so beautiful, creamy, and long lasting. It’s cool toned and just lovely. Colourpop also sells a matching lip pencil for $5 as well, and pairing the two, I have had the color last (even with eating!) for around 5-6 hours! These lippie sticks are such a good value, and I highly recommend them all, but in particular this color.

| My Trick for Flawless Matte Lips |

Matte lips can be a bit intimidating, because the show off every single line, crack, dry piece of skin, ect. Believe me, I know the struggle. My lips chap at just the mention of winter. The biggest secret I have is not really much of a secret… Moisturize your lips generously every single day. Especially at night. Give your honey a kiss goodnight and then slather on a moisturizing lip butter, balm, or mask, and when you wake up your lips will look plump and nourished. And when your lips are especially dry, use a gentle sugar lip scrub to slough away the dead skin before putting on your butter, balm, or mask. My current FAVORITE for both day and night is the Nivea Lip Butter. This stuff is thick without being sticky, smells amazing, and has drastically improved the appearance and feel of my lips. Even better? I got this full sized tin for ONE DOLLAR at Dollar Tree! It is also available at Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s, Target. ect. Looking for a splurge? Try out Youtube Celeb Nichole Guerriero’s Best Damn Lip Mask for supreme moisture and nourishment!

There you have it, my top three mauve-ish lip colors for fall and how I prep for matte lip colors. Have you found a stunning fall lipstick or killer lip balm? Let me know in the comments!

Mini Reviews: A Handful of New Drugstore Products I’ve Been Trying

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

I’ve been trying out a lot of new drugstore products lately and wanted to share a few of them and what my thoughts are. Drugstore makeup quality has been improving so much in the past couple years, and now more than ever there are amazing, affordable drugstore products. My favorite place to get drugstore makeup is Meijer, which is a big box retailer similar to Target or Wal-Mart, but I think they are exclusive to the Midwest. Target also has a stellar selection, including exclusive brands like Sonia Kashuk and Boots No. 7, and Walgreen’s also rocks and has sales ALL THE TIME. Walgreen’s also has the widest selection of Wet n Wild that I’ve found, and you guys know how much I love Wet n Wild.

Below are five affordable products I’ve been trying the last couple weeks. Suprisingly, I like them all, so check out the reviews to see if they might work for you!

1. Wet n Wild Tame & Define Clear Brow+Lash Gel – $2

I’ve been needing to pick up a new brow gel, since the one I had been using was pretty old and getting a little gross (don’t judge me, you know you have makeup guilty secrets too). This is marketed as a clear mascara AND brow gel, but I only use it to set my brows. The wand is pretty big and it picks up a bit more product than I’d like, but the formula isn’t too goopy or hardening. It didn’t change my life, but it didn’t suck either, and for $2 you really can’t complain.

2. City Color Contour Kit – $8

I got this on Amazon, not from the drugstore, but it’s so affordable that I had to lump it into this post. I had my eye on this for maybe six months before I finally decided to buy it. This kit is perfect for fair skin tones. The palette has three pans: a contour shade, a bronzer shade, and a highlight shade. All three pans are very large and very pigmented. The contour shade is cool toned, which is perfect and hard to find in cheaper contour palettes. The bronzer shade is light and warm, and the highlighter has a very nice pearly sheen. All three blend like a dream. I really like this and recommend it if you have a fair to light skin tone!

3. Maybelline Baby Lips Lipgloss – $4

I have a mixed opinion of the Baby Lips collection of products. I think the lip balms are garbage. The primer, on the other hand, I love (it reminds me a lot of the Smashbox primer), so I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the lip gloss, but I actually really do. I got the shade Taupe With Me, which is a neutral nude. This particular shade isn’t super pigmented, but I’m not mad about it because the formula is A W E S O M E! The texture is more like a lip butter than a lip gloss and is SO comfortable to wear. I will definitely be getting more shades, especially the more pigmented ones, and highly recommend the formula even for people who don’t usually like glosses.

4. Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation – $6

I have been hearing a lot of great things about the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation, but I have dry skin, especially on my forehead, so I knew that the matte formula just wouldn’t work for me. I saw they had a dewy option for dry skin, and picked it up because it was cheap and I figured, hey why not? This foundation has medium coverage, but is buildable, and has a dewy finish as the name suggests and does look very smooth. I always powder my face to set it, and with setting the foundation lasts me all day. The longest wear time I had was 9 hours, and it still looked pretty great, with a little bit of separation in the corners of my eyes and around my nose, which is totally understandable. I am loving this foundation and will repurchase once I finish this one. The only con is that there is no pump, so you have to pour it out on your hand or onto your sponge or brush. Annoying, but not a deal breaker.

5. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge – $7 (or get a 2 pack for $10!)

I am probably the last person to jump on the Miracle Complexion Sponge bandwagon, but I finally bought one and it is just as good as it was supposed to be. First, it’s so affordable, especially compared to the Beauty Blender that sells for $20 for ONE sponge. Mama ain’t got that kind of money, so I will stick with cheaper alternatives, and the Real Techniques sponge is the best affordable makeup sponge I’ve found. It is super pointed on the end for precise concealer blending, the side is big enough to easily blend my foundation, and the flat edge is great for concealer around the eyes and nose, as well as for use with a powder to set the under eye area. I have been using it for almost two weeks, and I noticed a few micro tears on the flat side, but nothing that inhibits its job, so I am pretty satisfied, and for the price, I will definitely be buying more!

What drugstore makeup have you been loving lately?