The Dollar Store Makeup Challenge

If you've been followed me around for a while, you know this girl has a passion for dollar store makeup. Sometimes I got really good deals on makeup there that I would have missed if I went to drugstores. The Dollar Tree in my neighborhood has wonderful stuff most of the time and most of the materials I used for today's FOTD actually came from there.

Here's the FOTD

What I used:

• Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express mascara
• Sally Hansen daily lip moisture gloss (from Dollar Tree)
• Jane Be Pure eyeliner (please remind me to write a review on this!)
• Cover Girl eyeshadow quad in Ice Princess (also from Dollar Tree)
• Maybelline Pure Blush in Pure Passion (another product from Dollar Tree): I really enjoy this blush as it is pigmented and very finely milled. Too bad Maybelline discontinued it T_T
• Brushes: Sonia Kashuk blending brush, Loew-Cornell brush, MAC 266

How to wing it:

• Apply the 2nd darkest purple color all over the lid area using L-C brush (or MAC 239), then use the darkest purple color to contour using Sonia Kashuk blending brush. I used the 2nd lightest color to highlight as the lightest color is really chalky.
• Using Jane Be Pure gel liner to line my lashes with MAC 266 brush.
• Apply 2 coats of mascara and done with the eyes.
• Apply blush to the cheeks: although I used a brush, this blush can be applied by itself without using a blush brushes. It also blends well and feels like a high-end blush.
• Apply lip gloss to my lips and voila, I'm done!

Was it worth it to use Dollar Store makeup, you may ask. The truth is I feel more comfortable using more expensive makeup. However, like drugstore or high-end versions, dollar store makeup has its hits and misses. For example, while the blush and lip gloss are hits, the quad is not that good. Like all Cover Girl eye shadows, this quad is not pigmented, not finely milled, and quite chalky. I had to pack my brush with quite a lot of eyeshadow just to have a decent shot. However, when I went out that night, some guys checked me out. I guess this makeup combo works somehow.

T-Shirt of the Day:

"I *heart* NY" t-shirt

Don't laugh, OK! I don't know how to Photoshop and I don't even have that software installed in my computer. Recently, I installed a non-photoshop picture software and started playing with it. If you noticed the pictures looked a bit better recently, it's the result of this software. More importantly, the software is an open source and free ware. How awesome is that? Also, I find it less intimidating than PS and if I can use it, probably everybody else also can.

One last picture before we leave:

Peace y'all and happy Monday!
(That's how gangstar I can get)

That's all folks! Have a wonderful week ahead and as always, be gorgeous!
Your Makeup Blogger

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