I’ve purchased a lot of “budget” beauty items recently – from Coastal Scents, E.L.F. and NYX. (I posted about some of the purchases here – the result of late night internet shopping). Some of the items were of amazing quality, while others were disappointing. Here’s a quick summary of what I loved and what I hated.
Coastal Scents Pink Angle Taklon Liner Brush ($1.79) – Previously I was using an old liquid liner applicator (pictured in the top left corner) with my gel eyeliner, but I’m now hooked on this new brush. I’m pretty good at lining my eyes – but this brush is fool-proof! You just pat the liner on top of your lashes “connecting the dots” as you go along. The results are perfect every time – and you can line your eyes in a hurry, without worrying about messing up.Coastal Scents Pink Kabuki Brush ($4.99) – this brush is soooo soft and fluffy. I use it to apply mineral bronzers and blushes – it diffuses the pigments perfectly, giving a flushed “glowing-from-within” look. However, as with the Everyday Minerals flat top brush, I can’t use this to apply my mineral base. The bristles are too soft and leave my foundation looking flaky.
E.L.F. Cream Liner in Coffee ($3) – I highly recommend this product. It is comparable to MAC’s Fluidline Gel Eyeliner – at a fraction of the cost. Since I already own the MAC liner in black, I got this in a brown shade for daytime wear.E.L.F. All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade ($1) – I got this to use as a cream blusher. The colour is beautiful, but a little frosty. It doesn’t really last long on its own, but is great to use as a base for powder blusher (combining the two results in a long-lasting application). It can also be used on lips – but I haven’t tried that yet.
I’ve been disappointed in nearly all of these NYX lip products. I purchased them in person, and while they swatch beautifully – they are HORRIBLE on my lips. (I’m too much of a germaphobe to ever use a store tester on my lips).NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Coral – This applies unevenly and the colour doesn’t really show up.NYX Diamond Sparkle Lipstick in Sparkling Apricot – This lipstick is the worst product I’ve purchased in a while. It applies streakily and has really ugly patches of frosty glitter.NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in Soft Fuchsia, Chestnut, Pink Nude – Chestnut and Pink Nude don’t show up on my lips – they just look frosty/silvery on. However, Soft Fuchsia is gorgeous – it is a pinkish nude shade that is very moisturising and pigmented. The finish reminds me of a MAC lipstick – I highly recommend it.Disclaimer: I purchased these products myself, and was not paid to review them.
