L.A. Girl Makeup Review - Affordable Favorites
I'm always on the hunt for good drugstore makeup. I know it's out there, so why can it be so hard to find?? Luckily I caught wind of L.A. Girl's recent makeup launches- they've been making some waves in the beauty community. If you (much like myself) have always thought of L.A. Girl as cheap, dollar store makeup, it's time to reconsider. I did some research and picked up a few of the most popular items: the Sunkissed Glow Eyeshadow Palette, Tinted Foundation, Shockwave Lipliner, and Lumilicious Lipgloss. Let's dig in to how each of these performed in my L.A. Girl makeup review!
If you'd rather, you can also watch my reviews here:
Sunkissed Glow Eyeshadow Palette
Up first is the Sunkissed Glow Eyeshadow Palette. It includes 20 warm, bronzey eyeshadow shades in a variety of matte and shimmer finishes. The packaging is sturdy cardboard (no plastic!) and features a magnetic close.
First of all, the color story is gorgeous! The shades all compliment each other beautifully without being too similar. You've got an incredible number of options here, from deep smoky eyes to peachy shimmers. This palette covers both your everyday wear and full glam. She's versatile!
Not only does it look pretty, but it performs well too. The shimmers are bold and creamy, especially when applied with your finger. Some of them even give a wet, metallic finish! The mattes are smooth and blendable, never patchy. I experienced less fall-out with these than with some more expensive shadows. I was absolutely blown away by these formulas.
This palette screams "summer", but I honesty can see it working beautifully for every season. Imagine the shimmery holiday looks! The soft pinks for spring! A fall smokey-eye!
The only downside? I ordered mine online from Ulta, and I was disappointed to see that two of the shades were broken upon arrival. Fortunately I was able to repress them without any issues. I also wish that the shade names were printed on the actual palette instead of just the plastic insert.
Overall, this palette has NO BUSINESS being this good for only $18. If you're looking to add some serious versatility to your eyeshadow collection, I recommend this 100%.
Tinted Foundation
Up next is the skin! For my complexion product I selected the Tinted Foundation in shade "beige". I was drawn to the promised natural finish and buildable coverage. It's also available in an impressive 22 shades.
The foundation comes in a squeezable tube with a screw cap. It's pretty liquidy, much like a serum foundation. It also smells a bit funky until it sinks into the skin.
I applied the foundation with a stippling brush. It went on a little orange but quickly blended into my skin for a beautiful shade match. I was thrilled to see how nicely the product melted into the skin- there were no brush marks or streaks to be seen. I built up the coverage in a few spots and didn't experience any cakeyness.
This foundation definitely leans towards a lighter, more natural coverage. It evens the skin tone without totally concealing freckles or blemishes. Keep in mind that this is not designed to be full-coverage!
I love how the Tinted Foundation melts into the skin. It truly does give a beautiful, natural finish. The wide shade range also makes it easier to select your perfect match.
I did find that this formula was a little drying, so I've tried countering that with a hydrating primer and setting mist. It also creases quickly if not properly set. I noticed this especially under my eyes. Using a loose setting powder helped a lot, but I did still notice the creasing by the end of the day.
Overall, I've enjoyed experimenting with this foundation! At only $10 it's a great, affordable option for "no makeup makeup" or "your skin but better" looks.
Shockwave Lip Liner
Moving right along, I tried out the Shockwave Lip Liner in shade Sandstorm. It's a pretty, nude pink pencil.
The liner went on nice and smooth! The formula is thick and felt a bit drying, but it didn't crack or cake on the lips, so that's a win to me.
My biggest complaint here is that the pencil is plastic. Sharpening plastic pencils is super annoying and it never goes well. Wood pencils are better for the environment AND they sharpen better. Get on it, L.A. Girl!
Overall this liner wasn't my favorite, but it also wasn't bad. It stayed put pretty well and I really like the color I picked out. For only $5 it's a decent and affordable drugstore option!
Lumilicious Lipgloss
To finish the look, I applied the Lumilicious Lipgloss in shade Pillow Talk. I was drawn to the subtle gold shimmer in this one! The applicator is an angled doe-foot, allowing for both precise and sweeping application.
This gloss is waaay more pigmented than I was expecting! It brings gorgeous color and shine to the lips in a single swipe. It's thick but not sticky, and it stayed put all day. I was honestly blown away by the staying power of this formula. You can really see how well it lasted in my YouTube review, also linked at the top of the page!
I've been loving this lippie and will definitely be browsing the other shades. At only $6 each, these glosses are a stunning formula to add to your collection.
Affordable Game Changers
Aaaand here's my finished look! I love how glowy my skin looks. The eyeshadows are super flattering on my complexion and that lip combo is a stunner! All four of these products have worked their way into my regular makeup routine.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked everything I tried! L.A. Girl really stepped up their game. I hope I start to see more of their products reach mainstream- I'm thrilled I got recommended these ones.
These products, especially the eyeshadows, are a great reminder that drugstore makeup can (and does) compete neck-and-neck with luxury brands.
So what do you think? Will you be giving L.A. Girl a try? Let me know here or in the comments below! I'm also happy to answer any questions you may have.
As always, thank you so much for reading. I'll see you soon!
xoxo,
Lindsay
