I made my way to my local CVS with a specific game plan: find multi-tasking products. After close to an hour of finagling and countless combinations of products I managed to find the most affordable options. I've lost my receipt, but after doing some research I've calculated an approximate grand total of $22.94 for 6 beauty products. Not exactly $20, but not to shabby, right? Let's put them to the test.
Choosing an affordable eyeshadow was a no-brainer. Due to some slim pickings at CVS, I settled on a shade that was a little dark for my taste called "Silent Treatment." I'd heard great reviews on Wet N' Wild eyeshadows and was expecting highly pigmented shades that were easy to blend. While this eye shadow was not a complete disappointment, these shadows did produce a considerable amount of fall-out. Despite their chalkiness, their compact size makes them great for travel. These eyeshadows are a great option if you're looking to experiment with some vibrant or less wearable shades like blues and greens.
I did't pay much attention to my mascara choice. My typical criteria for mascara is twofold. It must be volumizing and MUST be the darkest shade of black available. This mascara passed that test. While it wasn't extremely clumpy and the wand fit nicely along the lower lash line, I was turned off by it's strong chemical smell.
I was initially drawn to this product because it looked like a triple threat: bronzer, blush, and hi-lighter all in one. My local CVS offered the compact in the shade "Catwalk Pink" and I was excited to score the last one on the shelf. That's where the excitement stops. I found the bronzer to have little to no color payoff, the blush shade was too harsh for my pale skin and the hi-lighting shades were too frosty. I accidentally dropped the compact on a carpeted floor and it shattered to pieces. Bottom line: don't bother with this product.
There isn't much to say about this brush. It's bristles are soft and it's compact and ideal for traveling. It did a decent job applying subpar blush. It is impossible to judge this brush's precision and blending quality of the bronzer and hi-lighting powder were too poor. Overall, for $6.00 this brush might be a useful tool to have floating around the bottom of your purse incase of emergency.
This is the Taylor Swift of lipgloss. It's glittery and looks harmless enough to have mass appeal. Beware. Seconds after I applied the gloss for the first time the glitter became dry and chunky, making it hard to move my lips. Just avoid this lipgloss at all costs.
What $20 makeup challenge would be complete without a tutorial?
In my opinion the real challenge isn't buying the makeup, it's applying it. In an effort to stay under budget, I skipped out on essential eyeshadow brushes. As a result, my finished look ending up looking less natural than I had hoped.
Overall I would say this attempt at a $20 makeup challenge was a fail but I still have faith that there are some great and affordable products out there just waiting to be discovered.
What's the cheapest part of your makeup routine? I'd love to know!
-Monica
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