I love mid-and high-end makeup. I love the makeup counters, the testers, the packaging... and of course, the quality. But sometimes I need some makeup in a pinch (forgot something while traveling), or want to try a trend without breaking the bank.
I was shopping at Forever 21, buying some skinny jeans, and saw that their makeup collection has really expanded. I’d heard some good things and thought I’d see for myself.
love & beauty blush in Pink
$1.80 for 0.16 oz
Made in Taiwan, cruelty free. The color is a classic, cool-toned medium pink. The texture is very smooth and fairly pigmented. The plastic compact is decent. There is a bit of fallout, and it does fade a little by the end of the workday.
love & beauty gel eyeliner in Black
$1.50 for 0.07 oz/2.00 g
Made in China, cruelty free. I was all set to be disappointed by this, since cheap eyeliners of any formula tend to be craptastic. But this stuff really impressed me. It comes in a sturdy frosted glass container with a plastic lid. It's small, but per ounce it's still a good value. The texture of this gel liner was smooth and creamy and incredibly pigmented. Good length of wear, no smudging, no flaking, no irritation. The swatch did stain my arm a bit, even after I wiped it off with a makeup wipe.
love & beauty eyeshadow in Dark Olive
$1.80 for 0.10 oz/2.83 g
Made in China, cruelty free. It's a cool toned dark olive shade that leans a bit brownish, with gold microglitter. Even with the glitter, the texture is smooth and fairly pigmented even without primer. There is a bit of fallout, both of the shadow and the glitter, but not enough to be a real issue. It had all day wear when used over primer. The plastic compact is cheap feeling, but it's still a decent product overall, and there's a pretty good amount of product. This has talc, petrolatum and mineral oil in it, which isn't a concern for me, but may be for some.
[click on a picture to enlarge it]
I was shopping at Forever 21, buying some skinny jeans, and saw that their makeup collection has really expanded. I’d heard some good things and thought I’d see for myself.
love & beauty blush in Pink
$1.80 for 0.16 oz
Made in Taiwan, cruelty free. The color is a classic, cool-toned medium pink. The texture is very smooth and fairly pigmented. The plastic compact is decent. There is a bit of fallout, and it does fade a little by the end of the workday.
love & beauty gel eyeliner in Black
$1.50 for 0.07 oz/2.00 g
Made in China, cruelty free. I was all set to be disappointed by this, since cheap eyeliners of any formula tend to be craptastic. But this stuff really impressed me. It comes in a sturdy frosted glass container with a plastic lid. It's small, but per ounce it's still a good value. The texture of this gel liner was smooth and creamy and incredibly pigmented. Good length of wear, no smudging, no flaking, no irritation. The swatch did stain my arm a bit, even after I wiped it off with a makeup wipe.
love & beauty eyeshadow in Dark Olive
$1.80 for 0.10 oz/2.83 g
Made in China, cruelty free. It's a cool toned dark olive shade that leans a bit brownish, with gold microglitter. Even with the glitter, the texture is smooth and fairly pigmented even without primer. There is a bit of fallout, both of the shadow and the glitter, but not enough to be a real issue. It had all day wear when used over primer. The plastic compact is cheap feeling, but it's still a decent product overall, and there's a pretty good amount of product. This has talc, petrolatum and mineral oil in it, which isn't a concern for me, but may be for some.
[click on a picture to enlarge it]
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Does it compare with a high end brand, like MAC? Not really. But are they still good products, and would I be willing to try more products? Heck yes! They’re less expensive than most drugstore products, and they have a decent product selection and range of colors. The fact that they're made in China is a drawback, but I haven't had any issues with them. I’m happy with what I bought, and don’t feel like I wasted money on any of them. If you’re on a tight budget, or are looking to try out a new trend without committing a lot of $$$, Forever 21's makeup is a good bet.
Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
Lipgloss+Spandex rating:
