Hey you guys!
Obviously, it’s been a good minute since we’ve posted. We were fortunate enough to spend Christmas with my family in Iowa, and I’m SO grateful for the time with them, even though it was too short (as always). We got to see my mom, nephews, and much of my extended family, so that was lots of fun! Missed out on my dad’s side, though, due to my uncle not feeling well, so hopefully we’ll see them soon- hated to miss out on them!
So, anyway, I always spend the two or three days prior to a trip getting everything packed. I make lists, check them twice, even three or four times. I make sure we have a change of clothes in our carry-on bags just in case they lose our checked luggage, which the airlines have done numerous times.
I made sure to pack all my hair products, skincare, and makeup. With many of these things, I have doubles, so I can keep travel bags ready to go. But, with my makeup, there are some products I only have singles of, and I use them EVERY DAY- so I always pack a separate makeup bag the day before we leave. I keep it hanging on a bathroom cabinet so I can easily access it prior to leaving, then just stash it into a carry-on. This has always worked perfectly. Until now.
Unfortunately, there was a scarf hanging on the same cabinet, and right after I used what I needed, I got distracted. The scarf fell over the makeup bag, so it wasn’t as visible as it should have been. Despite going over my list right before we left, again, I still missed the makeup bag. I didn’t discover it until we were in Iowa and I went to remove my makeup, and noticed the makeup itself was missing. Oh $hit.
My mind immediately went back to a Tweet from @LadyWrites_Blog – her significant other forgot to pack her makeup, toiletries, clothes, and underwear for a weekend away. I was totally feeling her pain! (Check out her blog here!)
Well, that really blows. I’m a beauty blogger, so I can’t exactly “work” without having any makeup. (First world problems!) The problem is that I have SO much really great makeup at home, that I didn’t want to have to spend money on makeup just for five days. So, Jerry and I made a trip to the dollar store that was a few minutes away from my mom’s house.
I WILL say, though, thank goodness for TSA and their liquid regulations! Since liquids have to be kept separate, I already had those in a plastic bag- so I actually DID have my Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation, REN Perfect Canvas primer, and Sephora concealer, along with my skincare products. Foundation and concealer are some of the hardest products to shop for without testing, so I was REALLY glad I didn’t have to buy those items. Also, I keep several lipsticks in my handbag, so I had those on-hand.
The most expensive item I got was a Contour Artist Powder palette from Broadway Colors, it was $5. I also got a Broadway Colors eyeshadow kit for $3 or $4. For powder, I got an L.A. Colors loose powder in Nude for $2. The L.A. Colors Brow Kit was $3, and Dual Blush, liquid eyeliner, and Big Bold Lash mascara were $1.50 each. Blending Eyeshadow and Angled Brushes from Beauty Accents were $1 each; and Belle Total Face Powder Brush and Defining Eyeshadow Brush were also $1 each. I stuck with these basics, and couldn’t bring myself to spend money on an eyelash curler, highlighter, or more brushes.
So, after using my primer and foundation, I tried the L.A. Colors loose powder. I had to use more than I would with my Laura Mercier Oil-Free Loose Setting Powder, and it didn’t last as long or keep shine at bay, but it worked. The powder brush was kind of flat, not round like expected, but it did what it was supposed to do.
Next, I used the Contour Artist palette, and discovered that you really get what you pay for. Despite being the most expensive item in my new collection, it had almost no pigmentation. I used the Angled Brush, which was really floppy and not dense enough to use easily. I had to play around with it, and keep rubbing it over the product just to get a tiny bit of color.
The L.A. Colors Brow Kit was okay- the colors worked fine, but the brush in the kit was garbage. It wasn’t “flat” enough- and the bristles were very poor quality, so it was difficult to deposit the powders where I wanted them. I tried using the Defining Eyeshadow brush, and it actually worked a little bit better.
With the Broadway Colors eyeshadow palette, it was hit or miss. The red on the bottom right corner, the brown on the bottom left corner and plum just above it were the only colors with any pigmentation. The one at the top left corner was okay, but the rest were either mediocre or virtually no pigmentation. I really wanted to use the gold to blend, but it had hardly any pigment- just fallout. So, I did the same look every day with the three decent colors. The shadow brushes were okay- they were better than the face brushes, and got the job done.
The mascara was okay- it wasn’t volumizing or lengthening, but it it was better than no mascara. The liquid liner wasn’t as black as the others I have, but it was easy to apply and it lasted. The blush was mediocre at best- not really pigmented, and it didn’t last long, but it was better than none.
The verdict? Nobody else noticed my makeup problem, so mission accomplished! I could tell the difference by looking, as the final outcome didn’t look as precise or as “finished” as I like. The biggest difference, though, was in the application, as it was a lot more time-consuming. Even with the brow kit, the powders were okay, but the $hitty tools made the application process suck.
Wearing dollar store makeup at our family Christmas. My cousin Brian, myself, and Jerry
Bottom line- do not waste your money on the Broadway Colors contour palette or eyeshadow palette. The packaging looks nice for the price, but the lack of pigmentation just isn’t worth even the cheap price. Same with the L.A. Colors blush- not worth it, spend a dollar or two more and get something from Wet ‘n’ Wild.
The mascara was fine, nothing to write home about, but good for work or daytime looks when you don’t want insane volume or length. The two winners of the dollar store makeup I got were the brow kit and the liquid liner (forgot to put it in the pic). Don’t bother with the crappy brush in the brow kit, though, you WILL need a good one to be able to make it work, but for the price the colors and longevity are great. The liner, if you don’t need super-duper deep black, is fine, too. It went on easily and lasted all day.
In hindsight, worse things could have happened- at least forgetting my makeup made for an interesting adventure, and prime content for a blog post…lol! It was all worth it, though, to be able to spend the holidays with my family. FYI- I did NOT bother packing this stuff up to bring it home. I figured I would leave it at Mom’s just in case this happened again!
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