Recent Drugstore Purchases + Reviews

As of now, I'm going on a much-needed budget. I'm trying to finish up some products and save some money for the holiday season. Yep, I'm thinking about the C-word already! Not to mention those gorgeous holiday releases I've been seeing all over Instagram...my wallet is crying just thinking about it. But before I decided that I need to stop spending, I made a few drugstore purchases!



Nyx Angel Veil Primer $15.99
As far as drugstore primers go, this one was quite expensive. Thankfully I really like it! Texture wise, it feels just like the Hourglass Mineral Veil primer. It makes my skin feel silky-smooth. It helps with oil control in my T-zone but doesn't dry out the rest of my skin. Definitely worth the price in my opinion!

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Athens $5.99
Ulta had a Nyx buy one get one 50% off when I was buying the primer so I decided to add one of these to my cart, too. These have been raved about since I started blogging so I wanted to try it for myself! Maybe it's just this shade, but the color was a little streaky and not opaque enough for me. It was also more drying than I expected. I wore this twice and the bottle already seems empty. Please let me know if you've experienced this problem, too! I wanted a few other shades but if they all perform like this I won't bother.

Essence Waterproof Eyeliner Pen $2.99
I'm always on the hunt for a liner to give me perfect wings, and I remembered hearing that this was good, so I bought it in the same Ulta order as the Nyx products. This liner is very easy to use but it's not as black as I'd like it to be. It's very good for getting a fine line so I like to use this to get a sharp, pointed wing.

Wet n' Wild Walking on Eggshells trio $2.99
This. Trio. Is. Everything. The shadows are soft, pigmented, and blendable af. The three shades included (a shimmery cream, shimmery chocolate brown, and shimmery rosy gold) are perfect for a shimmery neutral eye look. I'm in love!

Butter London Tinted Lip Balm in Black Cherry
First of all, this isn't really a lip balm. It's more of a sheer lipstick to me. It leaves a dark wine tint to the lips and it's a comfortable moisturizing formula. I'm going to wear this loads in autumn! I couldn't find this anywhere online, I bought mine in TJ Maxx.

ibeauty 21L Oval Brush $3.95
I picked this up at TJ Maxx as well because I was curious about the oval shaped brushes that have been made popular by Artisse. The bristles are super soft and dense, but the handle can bend quite easily so it's better to hold it by the brush head. The size is a bit awkward as well; it's too small for foundation and too big for concealer. Hopefully I can find more brushes from this brand, I think I would like this for foundation if it were a little bigger!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara $5.99
I've been trying to throw out my old mascaras lately, so I picked this up as a replacement. It's supposedly a dupe for the Too Faced Better Than Sex. The formula is a little dry for my tastes but the wands look incredibly similar from what I can tell. It's very volumizing, but I prefer length so I don't think I'd purchase this again.

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer $14.99
Physicians Formula are known for their exceptional blushes and bronzers so I decided to give this a try as it's a favorite of many. It's very smooth and it doesn't look muddy on the skin. It has a slight sheen to it and it's easy to blend out. The color is good for my fair skin, too. This is now up there with Hoola and Laguna in my favorite bronzers! It also smells tropical, which is a nice touch.

Maybelline Colossal Mascara $6.99
This is one of the only mascaras I've ever repurchased. If you're looking for length, volume, and zero clumps, this does the trick! I'd say this is my favorite mascara ever and I'll continue to repurchase it until I find something better.

     From left to right: Butter Bronzer, Black Cherry, Essence liner, Athens, Walking on Eggshells trio

What have you purchased recently?
Xx Katie