Making Up Is Hard To Do

When I was seven years old, my father purchased a makeup kit for me. He said that living with my mother meant I would need to teach myself how to put on makeup, because she doesn't wear any. He was 100% right about that. I didn't wear makeup in high school and dabbled (very little) in college. The only thing I really liked was nail polish. When I was a kid it was all about bright, red nails that I would paint everyday. 

Without a little color on my face, I look all of 17. (Which is cool, because I'm a 17 year-old hottie.) I wanted to make an impression my first week of work, and decided that dressing the part would be as important as playing the part. And, with all things, I jumped in with both feet. I did a little research on what brand with which I could get the biggest bang for my buck. I used Makeupalley.com to make my decision. It turns out Eyes Lips Face (sold at Target, KMart and Online) is a great company for cheapo, quality makeup. I put in a $25.00 order and received free shipping. Then after receiving my makeup from ELF and starting my first week at Target, I looked to Jezebel for makeup advice. Jez has a new recurring post called "Worth It." From there I bought two different types of lipstick.

I've decided to give a review of the makeup I've purchased. Most of these reviews will be glowing (I'm excellent at research), but a few won't be so hot. Here is a music video of the song that fuels my lust for makeup shopping.

Eyes Lips Face Flawless Finish Foundation

Due to the hereditary gift that is acne, I have spent hundreds of dollars trying to find a foundation that isn't god awful. I want a foundation that doesn't cake, flake, crack or wear off in a few hours. It needs to match my (scary white, slightly pasty) skintone and it has to blend down to the neckline. I've tried Clinique, Origins, Mary Kay, Avon, Rimmel, Revlon... etc. I was very pleased to purchase an oil free foundation for $6.00 online that meets all of my requirements. I only need half a pump to cover my whole face, and the foundation blends down smoothly and creates a great canvas for eyeshadow, blush, and bronzer.

Eyes Lips Face Concealer Stick

I purchased this concealer stick in the lightest possible color. I tend to wear it on top of my foundation, because I feel putting concealer on first then foundation wipes out all of your carefully painted patches. This concealer smells great and feels cool going on. It blocks out redness and dark circles alike. I also use it on my lips before applying a dark, pigmented lip color.

Eyes Lips Face 100 Eyeshadow Palette

I'm 50/50 on this eye shadow palette. I love the packaging and how easy it is to choose a color with the ROYGBIV organization. However, I've encountered a few colors (most notably the bright Purple) that have little to no pigmentation. I go in expecting a rich, dark purple and get bubkiss. It's a pretty quick fix; I just go one up to the navy and brush it on. So, part of me dislikes this product, because the pigmentation you get is a coin toss. I also feel that the staying power of these eyeshadows is lacking. I apply three colors in the morning and by lunch I'm wearing a big grey smear. While the palette is laid out very well, the size of the palette makes travelling with it nearly impossible. With a short face-life, I would expect a smaller size for a mid-afternoon refresher. I would like to say, this is a great way to figure out what colors look good on you and which colors you favor.

Eyes Lips Face Golden Bronzer

This is my favorite item from my ELF purchase. I don't think that if I saw this in store I would purchase it, because it does have shimmer. I'm very opposed to glitter, because it draws attention to blemishes. The shimmer of this bronzer is reflective, but not overwhelming and leaves you with a bit of a glow (in a good way). This bronzer is wonderful and adds dimension to your face. When wearing red lipstick, I use this bronzer as an eyeshadow as well. It's my favorite.

Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Lip Color

This long-lasting lip color was featured on Jezebel in a Worth It article. I went to Walgreens and purchased a tube in Continuous Coral. I put on the color, make a shocked expression for two minutes waiting for it to dry, and then apply the clear lacquer. I reapply gloss every once in a while throughout the day, and this color lasts through work into the end of day. The lip color is oil soluable, so if you eat a greasy cheese burger, you'll lose your lips. SuperStay comes in several shades of bright, pigmented color. I recently purchased All Day Cherry and Reliable Raspberry. I prefer this lip color over the stains I have tried. (Including Benetint and the below reviewed Covergirl Outlast.)

CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain

This lip stain barely lasts the commute to work. In all fairness, it's not the stains fault! It's the packaging. This stain is drying and does not come with a lip lacquer attached. If you try to soothe your dry lips with chapstick, the stain comes right off. However, for the 20 minutes I can bear dry lips, this stain is great. It looks good, smells good and flexes well.

CoverGirl Lip Slick

I purchased a Covergirl Lip Slick in "Hipster," which is the darkest color offered. The color goes on sheer and can be built up. Hipster is a cooler tone and goes well with my winter skin. I am very pleased with this lip slick, because it has saved my lips from the drying stain featured above. I have no qualms about this slick. Just keep in mind, it isn't as pigmented and bright as SuperStay. (But, it looks great over it.)

CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Blasting Mascara

I needed a waterproof mascara after my first few days when my eyes were watering from straining into the computer. The brush is nice and separates lashes cleanly. The mascara does not clump up or stick together. But, I am used to a thicker, more dramatic look. I've tried to layer up with this mascara, and it's not happening. Overall, it's waterproof, clean and is good for a natural look.

Revlon Matte Lipstick

I have learned my lesson. I will now keep my receipts from Walgreens. This lipstick was featured in a Worth It article as well. It does meet all the aspects outlined in the article. For me, this lipstick wore down by lunch. I went to reapply, and the lipstick clumped up and felt terrible. I don't think I'm much for classic lipsticks. I'll stick to my long-wear. Live and learn; I guess.

I hope your September has been awesome so far! I'm loving my job, and the environment of Target Headquarters is awesome. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will become something more permanent.