Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Drug Store Mini Haul + Reviews/Swatches


Finally, a review on the beauty products from my drug store mini haul! For the past two weeks I have been testing the products from Almay, Rimmel London, Wet N’ Wild, and Jordana that I bought at Walgreen's. Below are swatches and my thoughts on each item. Note: the following expresses my honest opinions on these products. I am not an expert, nor am I endorsed by any of the following cosmetic companies.


Almay Intense I-Color Shadow Stick
020 for blue eyes

Expectations: According to Almay, the Intense I-Color Shadow Stick has “multifaceted pigments [that] boost natural brilliance of your eye color,” it “won’t crease, fade or smudge all day long,” and has “rich vibrant color in expertly coordinated shades.”

First Impression: I typically don’t go for shadow sticks simply because I am accustomed to powder eye shadows, but I wanted to try this product since it claims to enhance your natural eye color. I have blue eyes, so my shadow stick shades are a dark brown and a gold/bronze color. As you will see from the swatches below, these shimmery shadows are very pigmented.

Review: This shadow stick proved to be an excellent drug store eye shadow. These shades are great for blue eyes; my eyes really did pop! Pros: blendable, long-lasting, pigmentation, creamy consistency, and color choices. I was most impressed with the fact that these shadows really do last all day as promised. However, my only complaint is that they do crease over time. I used the dark brown shadow for a brown smokey eye, and because the gold/bronze shadow was a bit light for my taste, I used it as a primer for a bronzey make up look. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this product. A lot of bang for your buck!




Available at drug stores for $7.99


Almay Intense I-Color Shimmer-I Kit
422 trio for blue eyes

Expectations: Almay says that the Intense I-Color Shimmer-I Kit “instantly brightens eyes with light catching minerals,” “1,2,3 easy application,” and for “all day wear.”

First Impression: I have been looking for a grey shadow for a while, and the dark blue shade looked perfect for the holidays and/or a night out on the town! Obviously because this palette is for big blues, I had to have it.

Review: I LOVE these shadows! I have been wearing the grey shadow on my eye lids and the dark blue as a crease color for the day time and it does last all day. I am also considering creating a vibrant dark blue make up look for New Years. The pink shade is not my favorite, but it is a pretty highlight color for under the brows. Pros: color choices, versatility, pigmentation, and packaging. The only part of this kit that I was not a fan of is the pink shadow. In conclusion, if you have blue eyes, this is the perfect palette for you!




Available at drug stores for $7.49
http://www.almay.com/products/eyes/eyeshadow.aspx


Rimmel London Glam’Eyes Quad Eye Shadow
002 Smokey Brun for blue eyes

Expectations: Rimmel London claims that this eye shadow quad is a “soft silky formula for smooth saturated colour. Long-wear, crease-resistant quad eye shadow.”

First Impression: I originally picked this quad up because I was looking for a champagne color to create holiday make up looks. The two lighter shades (one is a light, almost white shimmery shade and the other is similar except it appears to have pink undertones) stood out to me.

Review: I do like this quad, but I am not impressed with the pigmentation of the lighter eye shadows. The two darker colors (a deep plum/purple and golden shade) are much more pigmented. These darker colors could actually be dupes for Too Faced’s Natural Eye palette colors Push-Up and Honey Pot. The lighter shades could serve as great highlighters, especially the white shimmery shade. In conclusion, I would buy this product, especially if I was looking for Too Faced dupes, but I did not get the champagne color I wanted out of the light shades of the quad.




Available at drug stores for $5.68


Wet N’ Wild Mega Last Lip Color & Jordana Easyliner Retractable Lip Pencil
902C Bare It All (lipstick), Rock N’ Rose (lip pencil)

Expectations: Wet N’s Wild’s Mega Last Lip Color is said to be a “4-hour, longwearing lip color [that] leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed.” The Easyliner Retractable Lip Pencil from Jordana claims to have a “silky smooth soft glide formula,” “excellent color coverage; rich semi-matte finish,” and for “all-day wear.”

First Impression: I bought this lipstick and lip pencil pair in order to achieve a nude lip without pink undertones. I wanted a brown nude color for the fall and winter seasons. I instantly liked that both of these lip products were matte shades, which is something I look for in day time make up.

Review: For $2, Bare It All is the ideal nude lipstick cheapie. It does not last quite four hours, but it does last a lot longer than some of my more expensive lipsticks. Pros: color, creamy consistency, pigmentation, moisturizing, and cheap. My only con is that it does transfer throughout the day. The Jordana lip pencil is almost identical to Bare It All, so they make a great pair! Also at $2, Rock N’ Rose is one of the best shades that can be used with a wide variety of other lipstick colors. I think that it is a must-have beauty cheapie.




Available at drug stores for $1.99 (lipstick) and $1.99 (lip pencil)


Some of you may have noticed in my previous blog that I also purchased Almay’s TLC (truly lasting color) foundation. This foundation was a repurchase and I will write a blog post solely on this beauty product later because it is my all-time favorite foundation.

Have you tried any of these beauty products? What did you think? Also, do any of you know of a drug store champagne eye shadow? Would you like to see more hauls from me? Beauty and fashion?


Your fair lady,

callieeliza

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