Sojourner W.'s (LiveLaughLoveSOJO) Beauty Product Reviews
Pretty Good!
I went through a "makeup rut" I guess you could say when I bought this. I haven't been buying a bunch of makeup like I used to, but I kept hearing about this product and I wanted to try it out. I have the shade Cafe, which I think is the darkest shade in the Fit Me line. I use this under my eyes to brighten and I think it does a great job. In college you never know how tired you will look in the morning, so this is great to put under the eyes. I also love the easy application of the product with the dome-foot applicator because I don't like spending a huge amount of time on my makeup in the morning. This concealer has a creamy consistence, but is on the lighter side. I wouldn't say that it's a full coverage concealer and the best one for dark circles, but it's one of the best in the drugstore!
Pros:
-Price
- Availability
- Coverage (not full, but build able)
- Brightening
- Packaging
Cons:
- More darker shades for WOC
Beautiful Summer Color!
I have recently become obsessed with lip products and during the summer this orangey shade (Rendezvous) was my FAVORITE to wear. I got really bored with wearing lipstick and lip gloss in the summer so I wanted to try a stain. I went with this really pretty orange color which is really nice for WOC. It's not too pigmented that it's over-powering but not to sheer that it's barely noticeable; a nice wash of color. The tube is very accurate to the product color which is a plus when buying it at the store. These do have a minty scent to them, which I personally don't mind, but if you do then you might not like the smell. What I like most is that these twist up so I don't have to sharpen it. My only complaint is that the the glossy shine doesn't last for as long as I would like. Overall, I would definitely recommend this product.
Pros:
- Price
- Availability
- Pigmentation
- Shade Range
- Moisturizing (But always apply a balm underneath)
- Packaging
Cons:
- Glossy finish can fade
The BEST Bronzer for WOC
I have this product in Ebony Bronze (the darkest shade) and I love it. I could probably go a shade lighter when I don't want a super deep contour, but I use Ebony Bronze with a pretty light hand. Anywho, this bronzer is amazing due to its lack of shimmer. I find that bronzers can be extremely shimmery, but this one has minimal shimmer that acts as a glow to the skin. I also love this bronzer, but especially the collection because the shades are dark enough to where I'm able to see an actual contour on my skin. The price is about $7 which is very reasonable. Overall, I love it. It's my favorite bronzer!
Pros:
- Price
- Pigmentation
- Staying power
- Contouring ability on darker skin
- Availability (drugstores, drugstore.com)
Cons:
- This collection (CoverGirl Queen) is meant for WOC, so if you're fair skin this collection most likely won't work for you, unless you like a super, dirty contour look
Soft, Fluffy, & Thick
I bought this brush because I was on the search for a new eyeshade brush. I had been using the regular $1 eyeshadow brush by e.l.f, but I wanted something thicker that could pack on more color. This eyeshadow brush is really soft and thick (in a fluffy sort of way), but still pretty stiff to pack on color on the lid. The one pro and con of this brush is how big and fluffy it is. I don't have a ton of lid space so sometimes it can be overpowering to my eye. The fluffiness can also effect the amount of control you have so you can't go crazy. This brush is $3 which I think is a really good price for this brush since it's very good quality.
Pros:
- Fluffy
-Thick
-Packs on color
-Price
- Availability
Cons:
-Thick bristles
Not good for foundation, but has other uses!
I ordered this knowing that it wasn't as dense as the e.l.f powder brush, but I still wanted to try it because I'm obsessed with makeup. But gosh I didn't know how much it lacked density. This is a pretty thin stippling brush, similar to the one I have by BH Cosmetics, but the bristles are very soft on my skin. Since I can't use this brush for my foundation, I instead use it for blush and a really thin layer of tinted moisturizer or BB Cream. I also like to use this brush for cream products like blush and it retails for $3.
Pros:
- Price
- Availability
Cons:
- Not dense
The Best Brush Along With Their Powder Brush!
I thought when I tried the e.l.f Powder I had tried e.l.f's best brush, but this Complexion Brush is giving it a run for its money. I think this is the best inexpensive powder brush you can find. The bristles are really soft and fluffy, so it feels absolutely magnificent on my skin. This brush is very large which I love because it makes putting on powder quick and easy and covers a lot of my face. The look of the e.l.f studio brushes are always sleek and black, which I like, and luckily this hasn't broken on me yet because the handles of these brushes tend to loosen. Originally this brush is $3 at Target or the e.l.f website, but I had a half off coupon code so I got it even cheaper, but even at regular retail price it's worth it. I would recommend this brush to any makeup lover, especially if you wear powder every day.
Bottom Line; Get it, the price is good and the quality is excellent!
Pros:
- Price
- Quality
- Size
- Texture
- Availability
Cons:
- You don't own it yet!
- But seriously, none.
Cheap & Pretty, But Very Chippy!
I bought these at a local dollar store because I heard a guru on YT mention them and when it comes to nail polish I like to try them out myself. Magnetic Force is a really bright, neon color for spring and it's super pretty. I didn't need to apply a ton of coats so the color payoff is really good. The two complaints I had with mine were that the polishes chip easily, so you'll definitely need to apply a lot of a top and base coat to seal the deal. I love the color selection and even though these aren't my all-time favorite nail polishes, I would re-purchase them any day.
Pros:
- Price
- Availability
- Color
- Formula
Cons:
- Chips
Fast Fun Colors!
I bought these a few weeks ago and I love them! I own Everybody Loves Redmond, Buffy the Violer Slayer, and Party of Five Glitters. I think Everybody Loves Redmond is an amazing red color for all year round. I think Buffy the Violet SLayer is a great jewel toned purple, but really hard to remove due to how dark it is. Party of Five Glitters is obviously a glittery nail polish and it's so pretty and fun. My only complaint is that the glitter is hard to remove and for all three, it takes about 3 or 4 coats to get a nice color payoff. However, these nail polishes live up to their name of being Fast Dry because they dry extremely fast, which is what I love! They only cost $1.99 and I want to pick up more, they're great!
The Bottom Line: I recommend them.
Pros:
- Retail Price
- Availability (drugstores in the US, not sold in UK)
- Color
- No Chipping
Cons:
- Sheer
- Darker colors harder to remove
Really Nice!
This is the only brush cleaner or shampoo that I've used and I don't feel the need to try another. I think this works really well for cleaning my brushes, but it's not totally perfect. For my cream eyeliners or black pigmented products the shampoo doesn't totally clean them, but for the most part it does. I'm always afraid that products like this will smell, but this one smells just fine. I don't have any complaints about that. I think this cleanser really gets the eyeshadow, concealer, foundation, etc. out of my products. This shampoo works really well with my foundation brushes too. I have little complaints about this product! It's great, especially for the $3 price!
Pros:
- Price
- Smell
- Formula
- Texture
- Cleaning Abilities
Cons:
- Might not get black pigmented products totally clean
- Availability ( only online or Target)
Not For WOC.
Okay so I normally like the majority of the products I buy, but this one was a total miss. I went on a makeup binge about a year ago and I knew absolutely nothing, which is how this product reached my collection. To put it plainly, I don't like it. I got the shade Medium and honestly it looks terrible. It doesn't brighten under my eyes, it doesn't conceal dark circles, and it settles into your fine lines, therefore I think it is a really poor concealer. The color selection is not suitable for women of color because it comes out white on the skin and makes your under eyes look like you have a ton of powder underneath. The only possible way I would use this product is if it works well with another concealer or if that concealer is too dark. I really regret buying this product. However if you are fair skinned this would probably work for you.
Pros:
- Price
- Availability
Cons:
- Doesn't conceal dark circles
- Doesn't brighten under eyes
- Doesn't last long
- Settles into fine lines
- Not enough color range
- Not suitable for WOC
- Comes out white on the skin