Last Friday night, while most people were out presumably enjoying their social lives or getting drunk or dancing their demons out… I was shopping for new drugstore makeup at CVS. The life of a beauty blogger is thrilling, you guys.

WELL, it actually is when you score some bomb new products that actually live up to their marketing hype and surpass their drugstore price in quality.

I had a few things I wanted to find a drugstore version of to compare to higher end… and I picked up some stuff just because it caught my eye. If a beauty product catches my eye, and I wear it, doesn’t that mean I will catch other people’s eyes? ISN’T THAT THE GOAL?!

My life and beauty bag needed a summer color refresh. I’m a sucker for vibrant colored lipstick and nail polishes when the sun’s out… I love rocking a vampy lip in the winter, but the thrill of wearing a shocking pink or a demure lilac lip in the summer is what really makes me feel all pretty and girly and shit inside – I’m still probably wearing black, though.

About the goodies I was hunting for: I wanted to find a cheap color correcting palette, a new mascara to try, a brow pencil, and I have no willpower when it comes to pretty liquid lipsticks and they were on a buy 2 get the 3rd free sale so, I wanted basically NEEDED those.

The Wet N Wild CoverAll Color Correcting Palette was the only one I found in the whole place — if anyone has a great drugstore palette like this, leave me a comment so I can get it! My skin tone isn’t one size fits all, and I don’t really wear foundation so having the separate colors to balance my skin where I need it is a great life hack.

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I was intrigued by the NYX Eyebrow Push Up Bra because it’s a combo pencil. I really like most of the NYX products I’ve tried, my fave being the lip primer (amazeballs, helps with wear and not too drying) and the soft matte cream liquid lippies, OBVIOUSLY. I love the vibrant colors and the range they offer! But more on that down below. The color, surprisingly, matched my brows well – sometimes “browns” are too red for me, but this is truly a good neutral shade. The highlighter didn’t do much for me… Mostly I wish this pencil was half as big so you had more precision. IMO, don’t bother with this.

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What also caught my eye is the NYX Eyeshadow Base, which I got in skin tone and already honestly regret and wish I got in white. The white is supposed to make colors appear super true and vibrant (a la Youtubers doing makeup tutorials) and I think it could be toned down to be a perfect base.

The issue with “skin tone” (well, besides that there’s only ONE skin tone for the line), is that it’s too yellow for me… and far too light for so many others.

My other complaint is it is sticky. I used it with and without my NARS eye primer underneath, and found that helped but without it, I didn’t have the same longwear staying power. This pick was kind of a dud. Maybe the white will be better… Anyone have these?

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I’m a mascara whore, so I saw the pretty packaging of the L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara and looked at the wand and decided it was worth a try. I haven’t taken this on a road test yet, but make sure you follow my Instagram so you’ll see the before and after when I do!

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Now, for a super exciting surprise announcement…

We’re going back to IBIZA!!!!!!!!

Which is why I had to pick up that lip color. My boyfriend has been insanely busy with work so far this summer so we are escaping away at the end of this month for a week of sun and sand and dancing all night long. It was one of my favorite trips last year and my first time on the island so I’m v v v excited to go back and do it all over again.

Nowwww, back to the *important* stuff — let’s talk about these new liquid lippies. Milan is a “blue-toned pink” (YAS!!!), Ibiza is a deep rose pink (and will look so good over there with a tan), and Monte Carlo is a deep cranberry.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (L-R): Milan |Ibiza | Monte Carlo

NYX is my second favorite liquid lipstick next to Jeffree Star’s stellar formula, but the range of colors is much more wearable and more affordable, so it’s really a gem. I have already worn Milan and it looks beautiful, and I am going to wait to wear Ibiza when we’re actually in Ibiza. :D

Unfortunately, or maybe it’s a real thing… The Monte Carlo I picked up has a fucked up formula. It’s a thinner consistency and streakier than the other two/all others I have from NYX… Did they update their formula recently or something? Let a girl know.

That’s the first I’ve tried from them that is streaky and goopy. Gorgeous color, though — I’m just going to use liner as a base so the streakiness won’t show.

Essie polishes (top-bottom): Blanc | Minimalistic | Flowerista

And of course, one thing I can’t do without is MORE NAIL POLISH. Specifically, Essie because I am a basic white girl. I probably have close to 50 nail polishes sitting in a huge box but I always can find a color that I don’t quite have yet, and therefore need… I know you know what I mean.

NOW, TELL ME: What’s your favorite beauty drugstore product? Have you tried any of these? I think my all-time drugstore gem is still CoverGirl Lash Blast mascara – soooo good. Tell me all your drugstore beauty secrets, betches!

xx