Best In Budget: Maybelline

Recently I’ve been having a bit of a Maybelline moment. I don’t know what the deal is, but I’ve been looking at my face recently and definitely not thinking I was born with it, so I’ve been relying on (quite) a few products to make me look more alive/awake/human. Here are some of the Maybelline products I’ve been loving lately.

Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

Y’all have heard me say this 23098203948 times, but I have oily skin, so I tend to lean towards products that promise mattifying qualities. I’ve been applying the Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation to my skin over a primer with a Beauty Blender, and while it doesn’t keep my oil-slick-of-a face matte all day, it does a pretty good job of keeping me matte. I would call this a demi-matte- it doesn’t totally flatten you out but instead leaves a little bit of glow, which I’m ok with. I love the range of shades available in this product (24), and the $7.99 price point is hard to beat.

Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder

Along the same lines of the foundation, I have been using the Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder on a daily basis recently, and I LOVE it. So much so that I actually included it in my seasonal favorites video, out last Friday! I have been using this powder in translucent and have definitely noticed how much longer I stay matte without being a cake-face.

Fit Me Concealer

Are we sensing a theme here? Yes, I’m a big fan of the Fit Me line. I had to include the Fit Me Concealer in this post because it is so great. I have heard people compare it to the NARS Creamy Concealer, which is SIX TIMES more expensive. I haven’t tried the NARS one, so I can’t confirm, but I can say that I love the Maybelline concealer. It’s creamy, blends well, and works great for both redness and your under-eye area. Winner winner chicken dinner in my book!

FaceStudio Master Contour

I have been having a really hard time clicking with a drugstore contour kit, but the FaceStudio Master Contour palette in medium to deep has been floating my boat recently. While the contour is matte, the blush has quite a bit of shimmer in it and actually reminds me of another NARS product- the Orgasm blush. The highlight is a yellowish-champagne color with a super buttery texture that, so far, is my most-used drugstore highlighter. The brush, of course, is fairly useless, but it’s nice to have it in case you want to throw this in your travel bag!

Eye Studio Brow Precise

I’m fairly picky when it comes to my brow products- I’ve been pretty much married to my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz for over a year, but that shiz can get expensive. I’ve been looking for a good drugstore alternative, and I’ve been enjoying the Eye Studio Brow Precise. Although it only comes in four colors, I actually match well with the Deep Brown pencil. I love how there is a spooly attached to the end (so freakin’ helpful for us long-eyebrow-haired ladies), but beware of how incredibly soft this product is. Also, I wish I didn’t have to faff around with a pencil sharpener with this product- an automatically sharpened pencil is just so much easier.

Eye Studio Color Tattoo

This is such a holy grail product for me. I ab.so.lute.ly LOVE the Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze. I love using it as an eyeshadow primer because it is long-lasting and brings an extra bit of oomph to a golden or even a neutral eye look. I usually apply this with my fingers, as I’ve found the warmth of my skin helps make the product more blendable. Once it’s set down, you can count on being crease-free all day, which is HUGE for us oily-eyelid girls.

Eye Studio Color Plush Silk

A more recent addition to my makeup bag is the Eye Studio Color Plush Silk eyeshadows in Copper Chic and I have really been impressed with these. These shadows are super buttery and incredibly pigmented. For my go-to work look recently, I’ve been layering these shadows over the Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo and have been really pleased.

Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick

If I’m honest, I don’t wear lipstick that often. I’m more of a balm/gloss girl, but I have actually been loving the Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Flush (top swatch below- note, it looks darker in that photo than on my lips). There’s always the fear with matte lipsticks that they will be super drying and uncomfortable, but this is just the opposite. It applied with a really velvety consistency and doesn’t dry down 100% matte, which I think helps with the comfort level. They are fairly long-lasting, but I do have to touch up a few times throughout the day, especially after eating and drinking.

Color Sensational Color Elixir

Another lip product from Maybelline I’ve been wearing recently is the Color Sensational Color Elixir in Celestial Coral. The name of this product kind of confuses me- doesn’t it look really similar to the nude matte liquid lipstick (Vivid Matte Liquid is on top, Color Elixir is on bottom)? Yeah, I’m not getting much coral, but it does wear a little brighter than a nude. I kind of think of this product as the lovechild of a liquid lipstick and a gloss. It doesn’t last as long as a liquid lipstick, but it’s not sticky like a super thick gloss.

While these products are certainly not the only Maybelline products I use, these are the ones I’ve been reaching for most recently. What other products should I try from Maybelline? Does anyone have a mascara recommendation?

xoxo Katie