Battle of the $1 Liquid Liners!

Miss A recently released some new liquid liners, so- since they're just $1 apiece- I decided to give them a try.








I'll be using the following scoring system:
Value= Up to 5 points
Brush= +1, 0, or -1 point (I know this is subjective, but I prefer a firm felt tip)
Opacity= +1, 0, or -1 point
Finish = +1, 0, or -1 point (also subjective; but for me, the matter, the better!)
Wear= +1, 0, or -1 point
Longevity= +1, 0, or -1 point





Pictured, top to bottom: products in their packaging, product swatches (lined up with their packaging), swatches after washing my hands with soap and water.

In green: the Amuse Super Fine Liquid Eyeliner (.2 oz). The tip is a firm felt material that helps with precise application. It has a slight sweet scent that's subtle and pleasant- it seems organic, and not the result of added fragrance. Love it, but FYI, it doesn't dry down to completely matte. It's solidly satin, with the potential to go fully glossy with added coats.  A good option if you're looking for a longer-lasting option and aren't married to a matte finish. 
Value=5, Brush=+1, Opacity=+1, Longevity=+.5. Overall score: 7.5/10.
 

In yellow: Cutie Bear Precise Liquid Eyeliner. This has the same firm felt tip as the Amuse liner above, but with a slightly shorter profile and longer, tapered handle. This also doesn't dry down to matte, and has about half the product (.14 oz) of the Amuse liner. A little bit more fragrant than the first product, but still a nice sweet scent.  A nice, cute option for your vanity, but not especially long-lasting, and not matte. 
Value=5, Brush=+1, Opacity=+.5. Overall score: 6.5/10.

In sepia: Starry Intense Black Waterproof Eyeliner. Same firm felt liner as the first two and with a tapered handle similar to the Cutie Bear liner, but with double the product (.2 oz). Actually dries down to matte, but didn't hang in there quite as long as the others. It has a very slight chemical scent with a hint of something like... bergamot? I've been sniffing these pretty hard, please don't mind me. 😁 I much prefer matte to long-lasting (if I have to choose), so I'm putting my money on this one. 
Value=5, Brush=+1, Opacity=+1, Finish=+1. Overall score: 8/10






$1 each at www.ShopMissA.com




Have you tried these?  What do you think of them?

$1 Makeup Review! Santee Aqua Stylish Silky Milk Foundation

All images, www.ShopMissA.com

Recently, a few WOC-friendly foundations popped up at one of my favorite low-cost retailers, Miss A. 


Miss A can be found online at www.ShopMissA.com or- as of Spring 2016- in Dallas, Texas at the Grapevine Mills Mall.




Miss A Careers Page: http://www.shopmissa.com/pages/careers

One of Miss A's major draws is that everything on the site is just $1!  Offerings include accessories, makeup, hair care, cosmetic tools and implements, stationery, and general kitsch.

I noticed a new foundation on the site not too long ago, and decided to give it a try.  It is the Santee Aqua Stylish Silky Milk Foundation, and it's offered in a dozen shades, including some mid-range browns for Women of Color.

Miss A product link

I purchased shade number 12, which is as close a match as I could hope for based on an on-screen comparison. 

My foundation equivalents

I am a woman of color, deep tan-brown with golden undertones, and this foundation was just a teeeeensy bit too orange for me.  Other than that, though, I was extremely pleased with the shade match.

L-R: Santee, Revlon Nearly Naked, Maybelline Mineral Power, Maybelline Dream Wonder, Estee Lauder Double Wear, Black Opal Truly Topaz.

Moving on! This definitely gives you a dewy finish, and- in my opinion- it needs to be set with a pressed powder.  It's also a bit difficult to blend - I used my flat-top kabuki, and then felt I needed to finish blending with a dampened AOA Wonder Blender sponge (or use a Beauty Blender, Real Techniques blender sponge, etc.) to work out the streaks. 

I put it over the Santee primer (also $1 at www.ShopMissA.com), and set with KleanColor True Self Pressed Powder in Walnut (except where I had used the KleanColor White Lies Orange corrector stick, which I baked with the Santee baking powder), and it stayed flawless all day. 

The coverage is good, but a bit sheer, and it gets a little tough to blend when you add layers, so I would call this light-medium. Basically, if you have severe dark circles or hyperpigmentation, you'll still need a concealer.

Bottom line: I was very happy with this product, and I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Pardon the migraine face.  :-|
On the lips: KleanColor Madly Matte Liquid Lipstick in Mademoiselle

Notes: Oil-free, SPF20, no cruelty-free branding.

 

INGREDIENTS: dimethicone copolyol, phenyltrimethicone, dimethicone & dimethiconol, cyclomethicone, silica, distilled water, pentylene glycol, allantoin, tocopherol acetate, imidazulindinyl urea, sodium chloride. MAY CONTAIN: red oxide of iron C177491, yellow oxide of iron C177492, black oxide of iron C177499, titanium dioxide C177891, mica, perfume.   

Swatch Sunday #6 | elf Cosmetics

SWATCH SUNDAY #6 | ELF COSMETICS

As you know, I am a big fan of makeup bargains, and elf cosmetics knows the way to my heart.  The brand's "essential" line typically retials for $1-3, while the "studio" line is typically $3-6.  Those are amazing deals, but they get even better!  elf offers 50% sales once or twice a year, which bring the price down even lower.  I decided to swatch some of my recent finds as well as some past favorites.  And from now on, I will have a special guest swatching along with me - my husband! 

I often, in my YouTube videos, mention that cosmetics products can appear drastically different on deeper versus lighter skin tones.  Well, we finally had the brilliant idea to do double swatches, and I am SO excited that we did!

Here are some highlights from this week's Swatch Sunday video.

Pictured above are elf All Over Cover Sticks.  They are retractable cream foundation/concealer tubes, and they typically retail for $1 on eyeslipsface.com.  I purchased these for just 50 cents during a 50%-off sitewide sale.

These are creamy and pigmented, and they blend out very nicely.  The major downside, in my opinion, is that these never really set.  They really need to be set with a powder, or they can tend to transfer easily. 

Bottom line: these are a great concealer - try the middle shade to offset dark circles.

 
 
 

 

I found these HD Blushes at Dollar Tree, and they are also currently available at eyeslipsface.com in five different shades.  I really like all the shades, and, since the product is very creamy, I decided to try swatching on my lips. 

 

 This went on very smoothly and set semi-matte.  I absolutely love all of these shades as lipsticks, and will definitely be using them in this way.  I also imagine they would make great eyeshadow bases, and will be sure to try them that way as well. 

 

Two thumbs up for this product!

 

 

 

I purchased these bronzers online during an elf sitewide sale, when they were just 50 cents.  I got several of each, on the off chance they were awesome as highlighters, and- guess what?- they totally are!

 

I swatched these on my hand and my husband's hand to show how they appear on different skin tones.  In my opinion, these wouldn't be very effective as bronzers even on fairer skin, but I'll let you be the judge. 

 

 

 

I have used all of these as highlighters (I typically go with Luminance- the lightest of the three- during winter), and am a huge fan of these. They're creamy and blendable, and give off a nice sheen.  I would recommend picking these up, if you're not afraid of a little bit of sheen at the high points of your cheek and under the browbone.

 

There are more swatches in the YouTube video, so be sure to check it out!  If you've used any of these products, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Thanks, as always, for reading!  See you next time.  :)

Swatch Sunday # 5 | Physician's Formula

SWATCH SUNDAY # 5 | PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA

I know you're going to start thinking that I am in love with this brand, but I actually have just amassed a large collection from Dollar Tree hauls (and one EPIC Burlington Coat Factory haul).  This week, I had a special guest swatching along with me - my husband! 

I often, in my YouTube videos, mention that cosmetics products can appear drastically different on deeper versus lighter skin tones.  Well, we finally had the brilliant idea to do double swatches, and I am SO excited that we did!

Here are some highlights from this week's Swatch Sunday video.

Pictured above are the Physician's Formula Felt Tip Eye Definer marker.  The tip is a pointed brush that is long, firm, and actually does create a defined line.  These typically retailed between $5-8 and appear to be discontinued.  I found these for just $1 at the Dollar Tree.

These are moist, defined, and pigmented to show up on deeper skin tones.  I've had them for several months (open and in use) and they haven't yet dried out.  However (and the experts at Makeup Alley tend to agree), these don't have great staying power.  Good for a dinner date, but not for all-day office eye looks.  The Makeup Alley reviews also call this brush difficult to work with, and I didn't find this to be the case. 

Bottom line: buyer beware.  You may love these, and at the $1 price point, it's worth a gamble.

All three Physician's Formula Eye Definer Flat Automatic Pencils pictured above were purchased at the Dollar Tree.

I actually really love the formula of these pencils, and the colors came across beautifully on both skin tones.  I have used Black Raisin as a smoked-out shadow liner (I didn't even bother trying to line, as I could tell by swatching that these would budge easily), and it worked beautifully.  I also use the Warm Black and Dark Brown as eyebrow pencils and they are simply awesome for creating the shape I love.

Bottom line: I love these pencils and would recommend them!

The Physician's Formula Loose-To-Go powder was purchased at Dollar Tree.  The Magic Mosaic powder was purchased in a set during the Burlington Coat Factory haul referenced above.

These powders both give off a slight wash over deep color, and the Loose-To-Go powder offers a bit of shimmer as well. 

Bottom line: there's not much pigmentation in this palette - skip it unless you're very fair.

Left to right: Mineral Wear FaceBrightener, Gentle Wear Bronzer, Les Botaniques Bronzer

All three of these products were purchased at Burlington Coat Factory as a part of a set.  The sets cost $2-3 each, which is a huge savings from the typical Physician's Formula price of $10-13 per item. 

These actually do show up on both skin tones (some more than others), but the color being given off by the first two is not something I would describe as bronzer spectrum. 

Bottom line: If you're interested in trying one of these bronzers, I'd recommend the Les Botaniques line.  It actually looks like a bromzer on fairer tones, and works as a totally respectable highlighter on deeper skin.

 

I purchased this 3-in-1 Shimmer Strips product at Dollar Tree, where it was- of course- just one dollar.

As pictured above, the lighter colors appear to be a great highlighter and bronzer set, and they could function as eyeshadows as well.

Bottom line: I like this product a lot, and actually to intend to try these powders as shadows, highlighters, and bronzers.  There's not a ton of product included, but for $1, that's not a deal-breaker.




Shimmer Strips blushes in Sunkissed Glow (left) and Rosy Glow (right)

I purchased these Shimmer Strips blushes at Burlington Coat Factory (left) and Dollar Tree (right).

These swatches were specifically for Instagram, because I wanted to get good photos of the product in the same lighting and directly next to each other for better comparison.  We also applied these wet inadvertently (I had cleaned off the swatch surface with a wet wipe just prior to swatching and LOVED the effect), which ended up being a great thing.

As you can see, these colors are absolute magic for both skin tones.  Applying wet makes the color rich and intense.  These could easily double as eyeshadows as well. 

Bottom line: GET THESE!  I would actually dare to say these may be worth the asking price.


Believe it or not, there are actually even more swatches in the YouTube video, so be sure to check it out!  If you've used any of these products, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Thanks, as always, for reading!  See you next time.  :)

 

Swatch Sunday #4 | Physician's Formula

SWATCH SUNDAY #4 | PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA

 

Over the last several months, I have found tons of Physician's Formula makeup items at Dollar Tree.  Not just a large quantity, but also a large variety.  Below, I'll share photos and quick reviews, and also head over to YouTube to see live swatches.



Baked Sands looks like it would be perfect as a highlight/contour palette for me.

I haven't yet used these wet, but they're excellent dry, so I'm very hopeful!

Next up are these Physician's Formula Natural Origin blushes.  I found five different shades at Dollar Tree.

Top to bottom: Blushing Organics, Mauve Organics, Natural Organics

 

Top to bottom: Pink Organics, Warming Organics

 

 

I broke Blushing Organics (it fell out of the pan and shattered), and repaired it (ish) by saturating with rubbing alcohol and allowing it to dry.

 

A swatch of "Blushing Organics" after alcohol repair.  Actually more pigmented!

 
There are a ton more swatches in my video (the longest video yet!) so take a look.  If you've used any of these products, please let me know in the comments section below. :)

Thanks for reading!  I'll see you next time!

Thrifty Thursday # 4 | Dollar Tree

 

THRIFTY THURSDAY # 4 | DOLLAR TREE

This week, I found such a random assortment of items, I'm not even sure where to start.  So, let's just focus on beauty items.

First up:  I purchased two Greenbriar products.  The jumbo elastics don't have any metal pieces to get stuck in hair, so I love using them for hair styling, like bantu knots.  I'm going to be doing a tutorial on this, but bottom line - it's a great way to "cheat" effortless curls. 

I haven't yet tried the Sassy + Chic beauty blender-style sponge, but since I'm not familiar with the official Beauty Blender, my standards are lower.  ;)  I'll be sure to come back with a review.

 

Next, I found a couple of LA Colors products.  The first were Color Craze nail polishes.  These are a standard fixture at Dollar Tree, but this was my first time seeing these shades.  They swatched beautifully, and I'm so glad they came home with me!

 

I also found several LA Colors Glitter Pop polish kits.  It looks like I'm missing one, and I'm not sure whether I'll go back for it.

 

 
As you can see from the swatches below, these swatched pretty sheer in one coat.  They did build up nicely after a second swatch, and I'm curious to see the coverage on an actual nail.

Above, I swatched one coat of polish and dusted the top with the corresponding glitter for each shade.  The glitter-topped swatches are just one coat.

Next up, I found several Milani products!

As I shared in my Swatch Sunday video, I found several Shadow Eyez eyeshadow pencils in neutral shades. After doing some research with Miss Clearance, we determined that  09/Café Au Lait is a good cheapie substitute for Mac Stone.  It's not quite as deep, and it does have a different finish, since it is matte and Stone has a sheen.  All in all, I think it's a great way to get the look for less. :)

 
I also found one lone Milani Smoothé base coat. I've been looking for this product for years, and now that I've fallen in love with Revlon's base coat, I'm on the hunt for similar products.

 

Smoothé is a milky polish that dries clear and helps to fill in ridges on nails to provide a smooth surface on which to paint. 

According to Milani, Smoothe is “A ridge-filling base coat designed to prime your nails for the perfect color application. This formula was created with a combination of Okoumé AE and Botanical Extract of Bamboo to fight ridged weak and aged nails.”

 

I also hoped to find the Glossé top coat, but I didn't see any.  I'll continue to keep my eyes peeled- it got rave reviews and was compared to Seche Vite because of its high-gloss finish and staying power.

 

Next up from Milani, I found several lip products from different collections: Haute Flash, Crystal, and Glitzy.

 

 

 

My favorite of these three are the Haute Flash lip glosses. They are on the thicker side, but the pigmentation and shine is amazing.  Perfect if you want to make a bold statement.

 

The Crystal lip glosses are great all-purpose glosses in a variety of finishes (jelly, frosted/shimmery, cream) and opacities.  However, you're taking a bit of a risk with these because some of them can skew close to the sticky side of the spectrum.  Just a warning!

 

Last, these Glitzy lip glosses are my runner-up faves of the bunch.  The packaging is adorable, and the pigmentation is good, but not too bold.  Perfect as a standalone lippie for understated- but glossy- color.

 

I haven't yet tried these mini perfume and lotion sets, but let me just tell you why I'm excited.  Typically these Dollar Tree fragrance sets are packaged as mini lotions and rollerballs, and it's really the only negative thing I've had to say.  I've had some issues with rollerballs not dispensing the perfume properly, so I'm really hopeful about these! 

 
 
I picked up just a couple more Revlon Nearly Naked foundations - a couple for me (Caramel), and a couple for a YouTube buddy who is looking for backups in her shade (Chestnut).

 

I also found another satin pillowcase to add to my stash.  I currently have these on my bed's pillows, and I've been super happy with them.

 

I also found the following Studio C products:

This ID pouch is labeled "Rock Star" and is a textured quilted faux patent leather entirely in black.  It has a key ring (to attach to a lanyard or retractable badge hook), and- in addition to the ID window- has a zippered pouch to put in a few essentials.  The zippered section is just slightly too small to hold my iPhone 4.

I also received the middle pattern from my good buddy @thriftysaving and the black pattern from my YT homegirl Miss Clearance.

These Yes to Carrots facial wipes typically retail for $2.99 per 10-count package (this is the travel size), so I purchased a few. 

As soon as I got home, I used one to remove my makeup and it did an awesome job of retaining its shape while still removing tons of makeup. It was also nice and moist, and thick enough that you can actually use both sides. 

Check out the YouTube video to see the pull-test in action.



Next up, I found a few NYC Liquid Lipshine glosses.  I've purchased these at Dollar Tree in the past, and I know that the pigmentation varies based on the collection. 

I'll be swatching my updated (to include these) NYC gloss collection in a future Swatch Sunday.

The last beauty item I found were from Maybelline.  There were tons of these Perfect Pastels eyeshadows, but just in these two colors. 

I have purchased Maybelline eyeshadows at Dollar Tree in the past, so I'll include these in a collective switcheroo in the future.  Stay tuned to my channel for more!

Thanks for reading - I'll see you next time!