Gone are the days of regretful, impulse buys! Up until 3-4 years ago, I was a total impulse or “blind” beauty product buyer! I’d just obliviously walk down the beauty aisle and pick up items on sale, ones I’ve seen in ads or whatever was recommended by makeup artists/friends. No Research whatsoever. I definitely wasn’t the smartest beauty shopper… My drawer of countless unused products accumulated throughout the years speaks for itself.

Slowly but surely, I have become a much more “smarter” and well-informed beauty shopper.  Now, l research the HECK out of any beauty related product before buying it. The handy, dandy internet has made this oh-so-easy.  There are several online resources out there that have become my go-to sites for beauty product research.  By doing ample research, I am more likely to find a product that will work for me and that I will end up LOVING. This has saved me money and the agony associated with regretful & wasted products.

Below are my top tips and tools  to do quality & trustworthy research before making any beauty buys.

1. MAKEUPALLEY (link)

Where would I be WITHOUT THIS?! I’m pretty sure EVERY makeup junkie & beauty blogger alike are well aware of this website by now This is my #1 go- to site for trustworthy reviews of beauty products (from makeup, skincare, hair care, etc.). It has MILLIONS of reviews of literally almost every single beauty-related product out there! The reviews are written by average, everyday consumers for FREE (NOT paid/sponsored). I would say this site has the most HONEST & RAW reviews I’ve seen (possibly because there is no third party interest). The review is written at the full discretion of the user and the rating scale is between 0-5.

Navigation is SUPER EASY-- you can search by brand, category or product name. You can filter and sort reviews by age, skin type, skin tone, hair colour, eye colour and so on.  You can also browse the “highest rated” or “most reviewed” products for each category or brand. Example: MAC> Blushes> Most Reviewed> Highest rated> Olive Skin tones = x number of blushes. I personally consider products rated at least 3.8+ worth checking out. FYI, you must make an account on makeupalley (it’s free) to have full access to the product reviews.

Makeupalley - subjective, trustworthy reviews of beauty products

2. BEAUTYPEDIA (link)

Beauty + Encyclopedia = BeautyPedia (In case you didn’t catch that). This was a recent discovery for me but an absolute LIFE CHANGER! Both Makeupalley and Beautypedia are alike in that they “review” beauty products from well-known brands. What’s completely different is the “how” or the method to review the products. Makeupalley is based on subjective, personal experiences whereas Beautypedia is written objectively by a Research Team. They rate the products based on ingredients, formulations, packaging, stability, effectiveness and so on. The reviews are trustworthy as they are based on scientific research/peer-reviewed journal articles.

Want to know if a certain product will live up the claims it’s being marketed as? Whether it’s “safe” or contains harsh ingredients/fragrances? Then this is your site! I rely on Beautypedia mainly for skincare reviews rather than makeup (because the skincare world is a lot more confusing & makeup is more personal). The rating scale varies from poor, average, good, best or “best of the best”.   You can search for a specific product or browse through products of a certain brand/category. One of my favourite ways to use this site is to browse through the “best” or “best of the best” products of a category or brand to find new & effective products worth checking out.

Beautypedia - objective reviews of beauty products based on scientific research

3. COSMETIC INGREDIENT DICTIONARY (link)

Want to know if a cosmetic ingredient is safe or effective? With one too many websites out there saying this & that about cosmetic ingredients, it’s hard to find a reliable source. This Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary also run by Beautypedia or Paula’s Choice is my go-to, trustworthy resource. Just like Beautypedia, they draw from scientific research and rate ingredients using the same poor, average, good and best scale. It’s a great tool to know the purpose or efficacy of a certain ingredient, how safe it is and to be aware of some of the “best” ingredients to look for when shopping. It’s also very user friendly and easy to browse.

Cosmetic ingredient Dictionary - rating, safety and effectiveness of hundreds of cosmetic ingredients

4. TEMPTALIA (link)

Temptalia is an absolute GEM! It is an “everything-in-one” website. Temptalia has countless reviews, a foundation matrix, a swatch gallery, a dupe list and more. It has reviews of almost every makeup product out there (old, new, limited edition, collections, etc.). The Foundation Matrix is a helpful tool to pinpoint your foundation shade and find your match from hundreds of other well-known brands. The Swatch Gallery makes it SO EASY to find every single swatch out there and compare them side by side. Awesome tool for comparing foundation or concealer shades for example.  If you’re looking for dupes of higher end brands, you can find it all on the Dupe List without going through several google searches.Bonus: the image quality of swatches & try-on's is very HIGH!

Temptalia - countless reviews, swatch gallery, dupe list, foundation matrix & more

 

5. YOUTUBE, BEAUTY BLOGS, GOOGLE IMAGES & SOCIAL MEDIA

 The OBVIOUS. This goes without saying, as most if not ALL of us already do this. There are so many beauty vloggers & bloggers out there that do in depth reviews on beauty products and you can actually see them used in action. Social media (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is another great way to find snippet reviews and images of how a product looks or works on someone. I’m also constantly google-imaging keywords to find how a certain product might work on someone with similar skin tone or hair colour to myself. Example search: “MAC All Fired Up Lipstick on NC42, olive skin tone”.

6. SAMPLES & TESTERS 

Another obvious but important tip. Get samples when you can! Most makeup counters give out free samples, so don't be afraid to ASK. It's always best to test a product out first in order to make an informed & confident purchase and to avoid disappointment. You can test the longevity of wear, the texture, how it looks in different lighting, etc. Testers are also available in most makeup counters, but be sure to always ask the assistants to disinfect it first. If they can't disinfect it, do not use it! If you can't get a sample or a (hygienic) tester, then I'd go back to Tip #4 or #5 and search for reviews/images,etc. of how a product would work with someone of your skin tone or whatever it may be.

7. READ NEGATIVE REVIEWS TOO

Don’t be biased! Isn’t it true that when you really, really want something you focus only on the good in it and ignore the “not-so-good”? Like that 2000 calorie, triple, fudge, caramel chocolate cheese cake topped with whip cream?

 Well, same goes for beauty buying! You might tend to read ONLY the positive reviews and turn a blind eye to the negative ones, when you’re convinced you need that certain beauty product in your life. But, detailed negative reviews can be helpful too - if it just so happens to relate to you. For example, perhaps the reviewer gave a negative review because the product didn’t work with their oily skin or coarse hair (which MAY or may not relate too).  So just to be sure, it’s best to skim through some negative reviews that you may come across (no need to actively search for them). Obvious rule of thumb: If Positive reviews > Negative reviews = Worth checking out. 

8. DON’T FALL INTO THE HYPE

So everyone and their MOM are RAVING about a certain beauty product? Now, you’re determined you must have this ultimate, god-sent product in your life?! (Anastasia Contour Kit? Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer?) Yes? A little dramatic but YES… some of us DO feel the pressure of the hype. Just, remember to TAKE YOUR TIME & DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST, before you get swept into the hype and buy it on the whim.


SUM IT UP:

• Makeupalley - subjective reviews; personal experiences. I use it for all beauty products.
• Beautypedia - objective reviews; scientific research. I use it mainly for skincare.
• Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary - purpose, efficacy and safety of ingredients; scientific research
• Temptalia - Personal reviews, foundation matching, swatches and dupes.

& That’s that! I no longer hit beauty aisle without doing my research first. I may do some sneaky impulse beauty buys now & then but for the most part, I always research, research & research!  

More Research=Less Disappointment/Regrets=More Loves! 

What are your top tips before hitting the beauty aisle?! 

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Drugstore Eyeliner Picks

Its funny how drawing a black line on my eyelid just makes me feel so much better #MakeupProblems 

Eyeliner is an absolute essential for me, as is for most girls. It can thicken your lash line, define & enlarge your eyes & you can use them to add a pop of colour too. You don't need to spend big bucks to get a quality eyeliner. The drugstore or “lower-end” brands as you may call it are full of GEMS that are comparable to higher end brands. The first makeup product I ever bought was an eyeliner and of course from the drugstore. I still continue to use drugstore eyeliners and a few higher-end ones too as some are just as great.

 I’ll be going over the 4 drugstore eyeliners that I'm currently using. Some are total gems, while others just about cut it. I use 4 different types of liners– a gel liner, a liquid liner, a felt tip liner and pencil liner--  cause well, you can't have too many eyeliners, right? I use a different one depending on my mood, the look I'm going for and the amount of time I have. These eyeliners are all BLACK because they work best with dark hair & tan. I do need to get out of my comfort zone and try more colours though. Don't forget to have a look at the swatch comparisons at the very bottom. Any who, let's start:

1. Jordana Fabuliner Bold:

An extremely easy to use felt-tip eyeliner pen. Depending on how you angle it, the felt tip point makes it so easy to draw on a thin or thick line all in 1 go. I reach for this liner when I’m short on time but still want to line my eyes. The tip also makes it easy to wing out your liner. I’ve had this for about a year and it is still going strong and has not dried out. The Fabuliner also comes in a finer tip too that just goes by the name “Fabuliner”, but it is sold out most of the time.  PS. Canadians, I picked this up from the States as it’s not available here in Canada (Yup, yet another brand we are deprived off!). A few cons are that, it is not very pigmented compared to other blacks (see swatch comparison). It also fades away fast and rubs off easily. So it just about cuts it for quick use-- but it's not my favourite.

2. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner:

Who HASN'T tried this one yet? It is THE drugstore’s most sought after & popular gel-liner. This one is said to be comparable to higher end brands like MAC, Bobbi Brown & Inglot. It is truly the blackest black with a matte finish. The creamy, gel formula glides on smoothly. It also doesn’t dry out fast and the amount of product it comes with, just about lasts forever. I’ve had mine for maybe 2 years, used a heck out of it and still got a A LOT left. But I do have a problem with this liner-- it takes a while to set. If you don't wait, it will smudge off easily. Once its set and on, it will stay on throughout the day with minimal fading. The best way I love to use this liner on my waterline & to tight-line because it lasts SO much longer.

3. L’Oreal Extra Intense Liquid Pencil:

The “liquid-pencil” part got me! It is one of the smoothest, creamiest eye-pencils I've used. Some other pencils from the drugstore can be so rough and hard. It is a true black but needs to be built up to get it even darker. The pencil sharpens easily and doesn’t break or melt either. The only con is that there is a bit of a smudging problem when used on my (oily) eyelids as it doesn’t always stay put throughout the day. I like to use this primarily on my waterline/tight-line especially when I’m in a rush as its a breeze to use.

 

4. Wet n Wild Mega Liner:

 One of the BEST drugstore liquid liners! I generally stray away from liquid liners cause I find them harder to work with. But this one is unlike others. It is the blackest black, fully matte liner with the finest tip. It is smudge proof and dries INSTANTLY (within seconds). It’s perfect for achieving a thin line especially in the inner corners of the eye.  I’d say this is the blackest out of all 4 of these liners and the most long-lasting.The only problem I have with this liner is my clumsy hands that don’t always stay steady when using such a fine tip (but that’s my problem that I’ve got to practice on).  

Swatch Comparison

There are SO MANY MORE quality drugstore eyeliners out there. You can find a great one even on a budget. I’d say my favourite has to be the Wet N Wild Liquid Liner, followed closely by Maybelline Gel Liner. On my to-try list is Inglot Gel Liner #77 as I have heard more than enough good things about it!

 What are your favourite drugstore eyeliners?

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5 Minute Makeup

There are days when I’m super short on time, but still need to get out the door looking half decent. Those days tend to be my early mornings before work (after hitting the snooze button about 55 times). I do love my sleep, so sleep conquers my makeup time (sleep conquers all really). 

On such days/mornings, I allocate my time wisely -- less than 5 minutes for my makeup and the rest for my hair (a messy bun?!), outfit (chosen the night before) & probably a to-go breakfast. With less than 5 minutes to do my makeup, I couldn’t be bothered with much. So, I reach for products that are really easy to use and do not require a lot of precision, effort or time. These products also really a help a girl that has rolled right out of bed… not quite look like she has. Haha.

Lets Begin! Timer on!

I start with my BASE/FACE. I cannot be bothered with liquid foundations when I'm racing the clock, so I simply moisturize and then go straight in with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer (review) in NW 30. I apply this on my under-eye dark circles and any spots on my face, using my fingers. This is full-coverage concealer and super easy to use. I then grab my MAC Studio Fix Powder (review) in C40 compact . This is a full coverage powder, so I just swirl my brush around the pan and buff in, which evens out my complexion. At this point, I tend to look a little washed out so I add some colour and warmth back to my skin with a touch of MAC Peaches Blush.

Then come the EYES -- MASCARA is my BEST FRIEND! It can transform your appearance in seconds. I apply a couple of coats of L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara. I then grab my blackest black eyeliner currently using L’Oreal Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner and tight-line my upper lash line. Now you might be wondering, why on earth would you tight-line when in a rush!? Well, for me applying eye-liner as usual takes serious time and effort to get the perfect line. With tight-lining I don't need to worry about too-thick or too thin of a line, uneven liner or smudging. It does take time to get "learn" tight-lining but takes only seconds once you’ve got it. It makes life easier as it automatically gives you a thicker lash line and larger eyes without the effort. 

On to the BROWS. ELF Eye-Brow Kit (Medium) is a fool-proof brow product! Its a light formula so no need to worry about over-doing it. I dip an angled brush in and fill in my sparse areas. My brows aren't too thin, so this step doesn't take much time. Defined brows instantly frame your face and pull your entire look together in my opinion. I then apply my favourite neutral lipstick, MAC Velvet Teddy (review), and I'm out the door!

& thats a wrap! Makeup done just under 5 minutes. 

 What are your go-to makeup products when in a rush? 

 

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