Drugstore Haul & Mini Reviews
Lately, I've been trying to buy more "drugstore" beauty products because, obviously, they're cheaper, and I know that many of you will be more likely to try them out. I've collected a significant number of new, drugstore products, so I thought I would do a mini-haul for you. If you don't know, a "drugstore" product is usually a beauty product that can be purchased at stores like Wal-Mart, CVS, Wallgreens, Target, or the grocery store for a relatively inexpensive price. Drugstore brands usually vary in avalibility depending on where you live; however, you can typically find most drugstore products online as well. In my case, I bought all the products I'm going to discuss from Wal-Mart, Ulta (which sells a bunch of drugstore brands), and Wet n' Wild's website.
Baked Blush by Milani ($8.50) - If you live on Planet Makeup at all, you've definitely heard the hype around Milani blushes, specifically Luminoso. Well, folks, I'm here to tell you that it's not just hype. It's real. After listening to YouTubers rave about Luminoso (from Milani's line of Baked Blushes) for months and months, I finally took myself down to Walmart and bought it. I cannot tell you what a wonderful decision that was. Luminoso is beautiful, simply beautiful. I don't know why I didn't buy it earlier! It's the perfect peachy-pink tone, with just a slight coral undertone. It has a bit of a glow, but it's not full of chunky glitter. It has a wonderful texture, and it blends beautifully. Long story short, it's perfect in every way, and I might like it better than my Too Faced Love Flush Blush, which is really saying something. But, for the price, you definitely can't beat it. Milani's website has it listed as $8.50, but it was a little cheaper at my Walmart -- about $7. I'm not sure if that's the case at all Walmarts, but it's certainly not an expensive product either way. Final rating: 10/10
Rose Powder Blush by Milani ($9.00) - I also decided to pick up one of Milani's Rose Powder blushes to see how they compare to the Baked Blushes. I purchased mine in the shade Romantic Rose, which is a dusty, subdued pink. Overall, I have to say that I'm not as impressed with the Rose Powder blush as I am with the Baked Blush, although the Rose Powder blush is still a nice product. Like the Baked Blush, this blush has a nice formula; it applies evenly and is quite blendable. However, it's not very pigmented; you really have to build this blush up. I'm not sure if this is because of the lack of pigmentation or because of the packaging. Although the rose embossing on the blush makes it very pretty to look at, I think it makes it a little more difficult to get the product out of the packaging. This blush isn't very "powdery," if that makes sense; it's packed very tightly. However, for the price, I think this is a really nice product. Plus, like my Baked Blush, my Walmart was selling it at a discount. Final rating: 8/10
Geometric Highlighting Powder by Wet n' Wild ($4.99) - I've heard a lot of good things about Wet n' Wild products, so I decided to place an order from Wet n' Wild's website. I know that their highlighters are especially popular, so I decided to pick one up. Everyone talks about how wonderful Hollywood Boulevard/ Boozy Brunch is, but I thought it would be a little dark for my complexion, so I picked up Where the Dreamers Go, which is one of their Geometric Highlighting Powders. It's a really nice subtle highlight with a whitish cast. It also comes in two other shades: Sun Ceremony (gold toned) and Desert Explorations (pink toned). It's normally $4.99, but it was on sale for $3.49 (which, like all Wet n' Wild products, is ridiculously cheap). The highlight itself was really subtle and diffused. I wish it was a little more pigmented, but it's nice for someone pale, like me. The only problem is that I believe this product is limited edition, which may make it a little difficult to track down. Final rating: 7/10
Crease Brush by Wet n' Wild ($0.99) - As I've written before, I'm a pretty big fan of Wet n' Wild's brushes. They're super soft, super cheap, pretty to look at, vegan, and cruelty free. I literally don't know what else you could ask for. Based on what I've heard/experienced, the face brushes from this particular line of brushes are a little hit and miss, but the eye brushes are wonderful. I really like this crease brush because it's really fluffy and soft and buffs in the shadows very easily. I use it for my transition shades all the time, and I have no complaints. Final rating: 9/10
Large Eyeshadow Brush by Wet n' Wild ($0.99) - As I said above, Wet n' Wild makes great brushes, and their eye brushes are particularly good. I typically use this brush for applying shadow all over the lid or adding glitter toppers to other shadows. It's a basic, every day eye brush that you can use for almost any part of your eye look, and, like all other Wet n' Wild brushes, it's ridiculously cheap. Final rating: 9/10
Small Eyeshadow Brush by Wet n' Wild ($0.99) - Like the other two Wet n' Wild brushes in this haul, this is a nice, cheap, basic brush. It's a bit difficult to see in the pictures, but this is a "C" brush (which means that the bristles make a C shape). C brushes are good for creating a smoky eye, although I mostly use this brush to highlight my inner corners. Final rating: 9/10
Mega Rocks Glitter Nail Color by Wet n' Wild ($2.99) - While I was on the Wet n' Wild site, I couldn't help but buy a ton of nail polish. I ended up buying seven (fortunately, they were extremely cheap), four of which were from the Mega Rocks Glitter Nail Color collection. As far as I can tell, this collection is all fun glitter polishes, so, naturally, I was thrilled. I got four shades: I'm With the Band (silver glitter), Waiting For My Solo (yellow toned gold glitter), Slap the Bass (turquoise green glitter), and Stick it to the Man (blue and translucent glitter mixed together). These glitters are all meant to be toppers; they're pretty sparse, so I don't think you could ever get them fully opaque. They're nice toppers, but sometimes you do have to manipulate the glitters a bit to get them evenly dispersed on the nail. However, I'm willing to forgive that because they were very, very cheap. These polishes normally cost $2.99, but they were on sale for $2.00 on the Wet n' Wild website. I think they're on clearance, so, if you want them, go get them now! (Note: I did two coats of each polish in the picture). Final rating: 6/10
MegaLast Candy Gloss Nail Tint by Wet n' Wild ($1.99) - The other three Wet n' Wild polishes I purchased were from the MegaLast Candy Gloss Nail Tint collection. If the name doesn't give it away, these polishes are all jelly polishes. Jelly polishes tend to be sheer and have a bouncy, almost squishy finish. You can make these sorts of polishes opaque on their own with 3-4 coats, or you can use them as layering polishes. Personally, I prefer using these sorts of polishes to layer. They're great for making jelly sandwiches or as toppers. I bought three polishes from this collection: One Grape Or Another (sheer purple), Edie in Pink (sheer, bubblegum pink), and Floral Support (sheer orange). These particular polishes all have great formulas and apply evenly. If you love jelly polishes or are interested in experimenting with them, I highly recommend picking these up. (Note: I did one coat of each polish in the picture). Final rating: 9/10
Liquid Metal Eyeshadow by Catrice ($4.99) - So, this brand, Catrice, caught my eye one day when I was on Ulta's website (who am I kidding, I'm on Ulta's website literally every day; did you know they now sell e.l.f.?). Anyway, they were having a sale on some Catrice products, so I picked up one of their Liquid Metal Eyeshadows in the shade We Are the Champagnes, which, as you can see, is a bright, yellow gold. These eyeshadows are supposed to be supper shimmery and metallic, which they definitely are. However, they're not super pigmented (or, at least, this shade wasn't very pigmented). It's basically just gold shimmer in a pan. Honestly, the lack of pigment didn't bother me because I felt like the shimmer compensated for it. I just pack this shadow on top of other colors to give them a glittery pop. Sometimes, I also just apply it all over my lids for a super simple, golden eye. Plus, it's super cheap. For me, it was on sale for $3.74, and the regular price is only $4.99. However, if you want something a little more pigmented, this probably isn't the product for you. Final rating: 6/10
Illuminating Blush by Catrice ($5.99) - This is another product I picked up from Ulta's website. It is the Catrice Illuminating Blush in the shade La Vie En Rose. This blush is a super, super pale pink, and, like the eyeshadow above, I have to say that it doesn't have a lot of pigment. I think that this may be because they wanted it to double as an illuminator, but, honestly, it's not very illuminating either. Really, this blush just gives your cheeks a very soft wash of color. You can build it up a bit, but it takes some doing. I know that there are darker shades in this line of blushes, so I can't speak to their pigmentation, but this particular shade is a little underwhelming. Honestly, compared to the other drug store blushes that are out there, you could do better. It does have nice packaging though, which I appreciate. As you can see, it's embossed with a pretty zig zag pattern, which I think is cute. The one positive is that this blush is super, super cheap. I got it on sale for $4.49, and it usually only costs $5.99. Final rating: 4/10
That's all I have for you today! Like I said, all of these products can be purchased at Ulta, Wal-Mart, or Wet n' Wild's website. Hopefully these reviews will be helpful to you the next time you go makeup shopping at the drugstore.
Baked Blush by Milani ($8.50) - If you live on Planet Makeup at all, you've definitely heard the hype around Milani blushes, specifically Luminoso. Well, folks, I'm here to tell you that it's not just hype. It's real. After listening to YouTubers rave about Luminoso (from Milani's line of Baked Blushes) for months and months, I finally took myself down to Walmart and bought it. I cannot tell you what a wonderful decision that was. Luminoso is beautiful, simply beautiful. I don't know why I didn't buy it earlier! It's the perfect peachy-pink tone, with just a slight coral undertone. It has a bit of a glow, but it's not full of chunky glitter. It has a wonderful texture, and it blends beautifully. Long story short, it's perfect in every way, and I might like it better than my Too Faced Love Flush Blush, which is really saying something. But, for the price, you definitely can't beat it. Milani's website has it listed as $8.50, but it was a little cheaper at my Walmart -- about $7. I'm not sure if that's the case at all Walmarts, but it's certainly not an expensive product either way. Final rating: 10/10
Geometric Highlighting Powder by Wet n' Wild ($4.99) - I've heard a lot of good things about Wet n' Wild products, so I decided to place an order from Wet n' Wild's website. I know that their highlighters are especially popular, so I decided to pick one up. Everyone talks about how wonderful Hollywood Boulevard/ Boozy Brunch is, but I thought it would be a little dark for my complexion, so I picked up Where the Dreamers Go, which is one of their Geometric Highlighting Powders. It's a really nice subtle highlight with a whitish cast. It also comes in two other shades: Sun Ceremony (gold toned) and Desert Explorations (pink toned). It's normally $4.99, but it was on sale for $3.49 (which, like all Wet n' Wild products, is ridiculously cheap). The highlight itself was really subtle and diffused. I wish it was a little more pigmented, but it's nice for someone pale, like me. The only problem is that I believe this product is limited edition, which may make it a little difficult to track down. Final rating: 7/10
Crease Brush by Wet n' Wild ($0.99) - As I've written before, I'm a pretty big fan of Wet n' Wild's brushes. They're super soft, super cheap, pretty to look at, vegan, and cruelty free. I literally don't know what else you could ask for. Based on what I've heard/experienced, the face brushes from this particular line of brushes are a little hit and miss, but the eye brushes are wonderful. I really like this crease brush because it's really fluffy and soft and buffs in the shadows very easily. I use it for my transition shades all the time, and I have no complaints. Final rating: 9/10Large Eyeshadow Brush by Wet n' Wild ($0.99) - As I said above, Wet n' Wild makes great brushes, and their eye brushes are particularly good. I typically use this brush for applying shadow all over the lid or adding glitter toppers to other shadows. It's a basic, every day eye brush that you can use for almost any part of your eye look, and, like all other Wet n' Wild brushes, it's ridiculously cheap. Final rating: 9/10
Small Eyeshadow Brush by Wet n' Wild ($0.99) - Like the other two Wet n' Wild brushes in this haul, this is a nice, cheap, basic brush. It's a bit difficult to see in the pictures, but this is a "C" brush (which means that the bristles make a C shape). C brushes are good for creating a smoky eye, although I mostly use this brush to highlight my inner corners. Final rating: 9/10
Mega Rocks Glitter Nail Color by Wet n' Wild ($2.99) - While I was on the Wet n' Wild site, I couldn't help but buy a ton of nail polish. I ended up buying seven (fortunately, they were extremely cheap), four of which were from the Mega Rocks Glitter Nail Color collection. As far as I can tell, this collection is all fun glitter polishes, so, naturally, I was thrilled. I got four shades: I'm With the Band (silver glitter), Waiting For My Solo (yellow toned gold glitter), Slap the Bass (turquoise green glitter), and Stick it to the Man (blue and translucent glitter mixed together). These glitters are all meant to be toppers; they're pretty sparse, so I don't think you could ever get them fully opaque. They're nice toppers, but sometimes you do have to manipulate the glitters a bit to get them evenly dispersed on the nail. However, I'm willing to forgive that because they were very, very cheap. These polishes normally cost $2.99, but they were on sale for $2.00 on the Wet n' Wild website. I think they're on clearance, so, if you want them, go get them now! (Note: I did two coats of each polish in the picture). Final rating: 6/10
Liquid Metal Eyeshadow by Catrice ($4.99) - So, this brand, Catrice, caught my eye one day when I was on Ulta's website (who am I kidding, I'm on Ulta's website literally every day; did you know they now sell e.l.f.?). Anyway, they were having a sale on some Catrice products, so I picked up one of their Liquid Metal Eyeshadows in the shade We Are the Champagnes, which, as you can see, is a bright, yellow gold. These eyeshadows are supposed to be supper shimmery and metallic, which they definitely are. However, they're not super pigmented (or, at least, this shade wasn't very pigmented). It's basically just gold shimmer in a pan. Honestly, the lack of pigment didn't bother me because I felt like the shimmer compensated for it. I just pack this shadow on top of other colors to give them a glittery pop. Sometimes, I also just apply it all over my lids for a super simple, golden eye. Plus, it's super cheap. For me, it was on sale for $3.74, and the regular price is only $4.99. However, if you want something a little more pigmented, this probably isn't the product for you. Final rating: 6/10
That's all I have for you today! Like I said, all of these products can be purchased at Ulta, Wal-Mart, or Wet n' Wild's website. Hopefully these reviews will be helpful to you the next time you go makeup shopping at the drugstore.
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