Before quarantine, I had no interest in makeup. I usually put on a tiny bit of eyeshadow, some mascara, and a quick swipe of lip gloss and called it a day. The only time I ever wore anything more was for dances or special events, and typically my mom or a friend would do my makeup for that. But then quarantine hit, and like most people, I turned to TikTok for entertainment. I was adamantly against it in the beginning, but I was bored.
At first, my page was nothing but animal videos, something I was very okay with. Then I started getting makeup artists on my page. And while I had no idea what I was doing, I admired the artistry that went into the looks that I saw. The first girl I saw was @Madsconcealer. Her focus revolved around recreating famous looks of characters seen on tv and in movies. She used a lot of special effects makeup and the process was really cool to watch.
Then I started seeing a bunch more girls, but one, @Mikaylanogueira, is the real reason I got into makeup. In addition to her own makeup videos, she posted simple tutorials for beginners to follow. Watching those got me thinking “hey that looks easy enough, I can do that” and so off I went to get a new palette. I started with a simple Morphe palette because I already owned one and I like the product. I tried her look, and I was actually able to recreate something similar. I was insanely proud of myself!
Morphe Equalizer Foundation Primer:
           As someone with insanely oily skin, applying foundation cleanly was one crazy task. This primer helps to clear the oil and make the foundation application a lot cleaner. I only use it the days I actually apply foundation, which isn’t always. I would give this product an 8 out of 10 though because it does get sticky if you sweat.
Morphe Palettes:
           Morphe is amazing. They have so many options for palettes, with anything from matte to metallic to glitter and everything in between. They have very little fall out and blend easily. I have 8 of these palettes and the James Charles is my favorite. I don’t love James Charles but I will admit that his palette is fantastic. 10 out of 10.
Morphe Brushes:
           I mostly use Morphe brushes. They aren’t the best, as I have had the bristles fall out often in the past, and it does suck when one gets into your eye. But they have gotten better over the last year from what I have noticed as I buy more. I’ll give these a 7 out of 10 because even though I use them, I think they could improve.
IT Bye Bye Foundation:
           I prefer a powder foundation to a liquid foundation because it works better with my skin and looks a lot better on me. Liquid always looks uneven, whereas this powder is full coverage and looks natural. I would rate this a 10 out of 10.
           Before these, I hate lipstick. It was always too heavy and overpowering for my face. I actually had a friend recommend these to me and so of course I had to try them. They were amazing. Carried in both matte and crème, Colourpop literally has a color for every occasion. They look natural and add that little pop of color to your lips to make them stand out. They also leave your lips moisturized all day. These are a 10 out of 10 for sure.
Colourpop Palettes:
           So, I officially own 19 Colourpop palettes and I’m obsessed with all of them. There is a little bit of fall out, so you just have to prepare for that. The colors also aren’t the easiest to blend so be ready to spend a little extra time and effort when using these. But the pigment is amazing and there are so many different palette types and colors for everyone’s preference. Colourpop is also always having palette sales, so they can be really cheap. 9 out of 10 for the fall out issue.
Colourpop Brushes:
           These are my all-time favorite brushes. I don’t have a lot to say about them other than the fact that they are so soft, and they don’t fall apart. 9 out of 10 because they don’t sell a lot of brush rolls and if they did, I would buy all of them.
BYL Palettes:
           I have two of these palettes; The Dreambook and the Limited Edition Dreambook. These feature colors names after fairytales, which obviously meant that I had to get them. They are highly pigments and blend super well. The palettes themselves are great, but I had a less than pleasant experience with their customer service, so I have to rate them a 5 out of 10. The makeup is good, but not worth what I dealt with.
           Okay, this one. THIS ONE. I have no lips. Or as my boyfriend says, I have white girl lips. But this lip gloss plumps my lips so much that it actually looks like I have something. The first time I used it, it hurt for like ten minutes, but after that, I felt nothing. It is kind of expensive, but I think it is 100% worth the price. 15 out of 10 everyone has to try this.
Too-Faced Palettes:
           I don’t have a lot to say about these. They’re okay palettes, but personally I don’t love them. I have a couple that I use from time to time when I need a specific pink shade, but all their palettes look the same and I haven’t been impressed by the ones I got. Maybe a 4 out of 10. Could go up if I try others.
Too-Faced Better than Sex Mascara:
           People have super mixed thoughts on this. I love it. The volume and length that it gives my lashes is incredible. I’ve used this mascara since I was a freshman in high school, and I will die by it. Only downside is the price and how quickly it dries out. 8.5 out of 10, I will literally use this mascara always.
Loreal Voluminous Mascara:
           I like this one as a simple base. It coats the lashes nicely as a prep for when I use the better than sex mascara. I also use this when I don’t want my lashes to be as noticeable and it’s great. Also, super cheap at Target and it lasts a while. 10 out of 10.
E.L.F. Brushes:
           Okay, a lot of people hate on E.L.F. because of how cheap it is, but their stuff is actually really good. Their brushes get the job done and I love them. 10 out of 10. If you’re a beginner, I would recommend these for their price and how easy they are to use. They even tell you what they’re for.
E.L.F. Concealer:Â Â Â Â
      I’ve heard a lot of people compare this to Tarte’s expensive shape tape. Personally, I’ve never used that, but this concealer is really good and it’s cheap too. I use concealer to hide my dark circles and to prime my eyes, so this is a really good one for this. I’m giving it an 8 out of 10 because it does crease if you move your face when it’s drying.
I’m still trying a bunch of products as I try to find the perfect products. Of course, I have tried a ton of products that I do not like. But, I wanted to give a helpful and positive review of the products that I like. So hopefully, this helps someone who wants to get into makeup and doesn’t know where to start. And also for a tip, I bought almost all of this online!