Cosmetic review!

I'm a makeup nerd. That was known in my pre-black eyeshadow days. But, due to the fact that I'm 13, don't actually need makeup, have a mother who doesn't really care about cosmetics, and don't have a money tree, I don't buy all the fancy MAC and the 88 eyeshadow palette from Coastal Scents (I'm linking it because the place is awesome. Mostly known for the 88 eyeshadow palettes, but it has stuff to make your own makeup, unrefined Shea butter (the really good stuff) and a bunch of other harder to find stuff.) I get drugstore brands. The cheap ones, at that. But, they aren't that bad if you look for quality. Let us start the list of stuff I use, and I shall even get the prices from Walmart.com (Peeps outside of the U.S.: I think its the same thing as Tesco in England, its just a big chain superstore)

Lets break it down, shall we?

FACE WASH-

St. Ives Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub, 3 oz, $3.00- This is a super good exfoliator. I don't use it always. After about a bottle, I switch to something else for a while. I've noticed other reviews of it too, if you use it all the time it just... Stops working as well. Maybe after a bottle all the dead skin is gone. St. Ives is a good brand because not only is it cheap and easy to find, it doesn't have some of the chemicals I can't remember the name of, it doesn't test on animals, and the exfoliating beads are walnut shells, not plastic. 4/5.

L'Oreal Paris Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser (the green one), 6 oz, $4.97- This is my current one. It has a little brush on it to clean "Pore by pore". I like it well enough. It is a bit drying, use moisturiser. But you should do that anyway. 3.5/5



TONERS:


Green Tea- I believe I have mentioned this. Just brew some green tea, cool it, put it in a spray bottle and ta da! New toner. Green tea is great for skin. But if you use it a lot (more than twice daily), make sure it is a light brew or it might stain your face a bit. 5/5.

Witch Hazel (I got mine at a grocery store for $2)- It smells awful, but its good anyway. Its good for oil and just to get rid of any various dirt. 4.5/5


MOISTURIZERS:

Equate Oil-Free Ultra-Gentle Facial Moisturizer, 4 oz, I think like $5- I got this when my skin was irritated and dry. It is GREAT. It doesn't have SPF, but this is good for when you won't be outside, night, or under a sunscreen. SPF makes things greasy. 5/5.

Coconut Oil (prices will vary)- Just use a teeny tiny bit, and it makes a lovely moisturizer. For both face and body (you can use more for your body, just too much on your face isn't a good idea). 5/5.


FOUNDATIONS:

Covergirl Clean Liquid Foundation, Creamy Natural, 1 oz, $4.94- I wish I had gotten Ivory (they didn't have it in stock) but its rather nice. Goes on smooth and even, looks clean. I got the one for oily skin. I like it. I was running low, so I mixed it with my moisturizer to make it last longer and have a lighter cover (I prefer not having a lot of stuff on my face, but I still want it to look nice and even.) 4/5.

Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder, Ivory, 11 g,$4.94- Covers well, keeps my face matte, pretty much average. Nothing extraordinary. 4.5/5

EYESHADOWS:

Rimmel Glam Eyes, Night Jewel, 2.4 g, like $2- Its off-black. It appears to be waterproof (didn't come off in the pool) and it blends well. They have more colors, too. 4/5.

EYELINERS:

Almay Intense I-Color (ugh at the name...) Black Pearl Liquid Eyeliner, .08 oz, prices may vary (I think it was like $7 maybe?)- My first liquid eyeliner. It brings out hazel eyes. Its shimmery. The felt tip is wearing down now, but keep in mind I bought it on Halloween. It is not waterproof. I hate that fact about it. (I do have a new waterproof black eyeliner I need to try, though.) The tip is a bit thick, I prefer using a different brush. 3.5/5

Wet N Wild Mega Liner, Liquid Eyeliner, Plum, 0.12 oz, $2.79- I don't really like the color, its a not very bright purple. I should have gotten the green.  Its okay, not waterproof. The brush is TERRIBLE. Maybe its because my only experience with liquid liner is with a felt tip, but this has a brush that is floppy and too big... Use it with a different brush. Stays on fairly well. 3/5.

MASCARA:

I appear to have worn off the label of my mascara. If anyone knows what it is, please comment. Its blue and the top (applicator handle) is black, the wand is a bit wobbly, and the brush is round. Its waterproof.


LIP BALMS:

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit and Lemon Drop (SPF 15), 0.25 oz, $2.96- I like this better than Burt's Bees. I used to use those, but these ones stay on much longer. And the lemon one has SPF. Lemon Drop smells just like a lemon snap cookie, and Summer Fruit spells like... Fruit. I can't tell which kind. Some say strawberries. I really wanna try Honeysuckle Honeydew and Tangerine. Its round and I can't close my hand around it, so the packaging is kind of annoying. 4.5/5.

Perfectly Pure Natural Vitamin E Moisturising Stick, 0.12 oz, $1.49- This stuff is awesome. It goes by fast, but whatever. It just vitamin E, which is great for lips. It wear off faster though. I use this when I'm at home and don't have to worry about digging it out of my purse. Its a bit shinier than most lip balms, but not much because my brother uses it and doesn't complain. (And he complains about EVERYTHING.)

LIP COLOR:

Rimmel London, Kiss & Stay Lip Gloss, unknown price (my friend gave me it)- DON'T BUY THIS or anything like this. It supposedly lasts long and doesn't smudge. It feels like you have a thick layer of goo on your lip, its hard to keep even, and it does smudge. When it smudges, it is even harder to wash off. And it doesn't last a meal. And it makes your lips dry. Maybe if you have a dance recital (Probably reason my friend bought it) and need a lot of color, but not for day to day.

N.Y.C. Liquid Lip Shine, $1.97- I've owned tons of these. Love them. I can't remember if its Petal or Pink Sand (the label is faded) that I use for natural, but its a light pink. Sheer Ruby is a LOVELY color of red, and is very pigmented for a gloss. They are all shimmery. They smudge as much as any other gloss, and they aren't very sticky (the sticky kinds are the clear ones, mostly.). 5/5.

N.Y.C. Smooch Proof 16 Hour Lip Stain, Rock On Ruby, 0.10 oz, $4.97- This is new. And by new, I mean, just got today. I wanted a lip stain because natural lips are boring and look a bit strange with lots of eyeshadow and liner, but lipstick and gloss are soooo annoying to maintain. I already love this stuff. Its a little tiny hint of red- Not a huge explosion of color. The point of lip stains (which, FYI, are "in") is to look like the color is stained into your lips, not piled on top. It feels like coloring your lips with a sharpie. It looks like it, too. While it does not last 16 hours, and doesn't like it when you eat things (drinking is fine), it would be great for a school/work look. Put it on in the morning, eat lunch, reapply. It feels like there is almost nothing on your lips. It could be improved by some clear gloss. And make sure to apply lip balm first, it will be uneven if lips are dry. Review as of now: 4.5/5



Also, did I mention that I lighted my hair? I used blonde dye on black hair and got... Red. And some of the lighter parts (where my highlights were and my roots) are really pale blonde. I'm going to use some dye remover to make it evened out enough to dye it my natural color.