What beauty brand has surprised you the most (in a good way)? Share!
Most recently, Sephora Collection — I really like a lot of their eyeliners, eyeshadows, brushes, and lipsticks. NYX is often impressive, because their price point is so, so low but many products are quite good.
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Urban Decay eyeshadows. When it first came out with those vulgar colors and outlandish names, I would never thought I would like the brand. Who wants to wear “oilslick”? Then I got into the glitter eyeshadows. I have all the naked large compact shadows and many of the colored shadows. They are pigmented on a swatch and on the eye. Not all shadows look pigmented on the eye even if welled swatched. I don’t even know what the hype is about MAC. I like UD even more than Cle de peau.
Kat Von D! I got the chrysalis palettes and I love them! I also regularly use the lock it tattoo foundation and it’s a perfect match and finish for me. The eyeliners are nice too.
**IT Cosmetics – it is one of the most under-rated brands ever, but almost everything I’ve tried from them has been awesome (gel eyeliners, shadows, lip glosses, BB creams, powders, highlighters, brushes, etc)! All of their products are carefully formulated, their colors are well thought out, and their brushes are awesome.
**NYX for its vast range of great quality products and unbelievably low price point.
**Prestige for their Total Intensity Eyeliners, Essence for their Gel Eyeliners, Wet & Wild for the Fergie Eye Primer – these 3 products beat out brands that cost 5-10x as much. I have oily lids with a wet waterline, and tried countless liners and primers. If they ever discontinue these, I’m going to stockpile a warehouse full of them!!!
I think I’d go with KIKO! I had no idea that at a fraction of a price that brands delivers just as well as high end big guns! 🙂
Essence! For the price point, the quality is surprisingly good. It’s probably the cheapest available brand in Australia, as in they sometimes do mark it up to double the original price, but since the initial price point is so low, the mark-up only adds $1-2 to the price. Considering the Revlon Lip Butters are marked up to over $20 here, a brand that doesn’t really price anything over $5 is godsend.
For me it’s definitely e.l.f. Not all of their stuff is good (as anyone can attest), but I think that the brand often gets written off as lacking any good stuff, when in reality, you just have to find the diamonds in the rough. At less than $10 for most of their products, it’s at least worth a shot, I think.
colourpop! the shadows are a weird powder-cream hybrid and function so well…. i saw everyone on ig using them and found myself ordering from them 3 times in the last month.
elf, probably. I hated their pressed colour products when I first tried them years ago, but some of their brushes are really excellent, the Studio HD powder is great and those sparkly gel cream eyeshadow pot thingies are really, really good.
Une. I think it is supposed to be Bourjois’ more neutral-looking makeup line. I only own a few of their products but all have great pigmentation and wear, their nail polishes’ brush and formula are top notch, plus they have a neat packaging and a good price point.
Another one is Physicians Formula. It just landed in our country’s main drugstore chain and their liquid eyeliner and finishing powders quickly became staples to me.
TopShop makeup for sure.
Probably Kat von D, even though I don’t have much from this brand – just the Monarch palette. But this palette is so good that now, I would consider purchasing more whereas before, I never even looked at or considered buying things from this company. Sephora might be another except that I discovered how great their stuff was becoming about 2 or 3 years ago, with my first purchases of those Jumbo eye pencils.
I have to say Covergirl.i have tried their Ready Set Gorgeous foundation recently and I am massively impressed.
You know what, maybe Catrice! It’s super cheap and aimed mostly at young girls, but some of their products are really great, especially considering the price.
Ardency and Besame.
e.l.f. was a real surprise for me too, and happily so because I am not currently earning a lot. Their Essential line lipsticks and liquid eyeliners plus Studio brushes and Matte Lip Colors are definitely worth buying, and even their Essential line quads and Beauty Book eyeshadows work pretty well 🙂
Agreed about Sephora. For the price, the products are great! Rouge Infusion Lip Ink, brushes, Nano Lipliner, Universal lipliner… All things I bought as budget alternatives and I have not been disappointed yet! Planning to buy a crease brush or two.
Also, Coastal Scents. I paid $35 CAD total for 7 brushes and an undereye brightener the other day on a 50% Black Friday sale. Madness. And again, good quality considering they cost $1.50 – $5.00 each!
I’ve never been a Too Faced fan but it seems that they stepped up their game this year!
Kat Von D! I bought the Chrysalis palette when it came out on a whim (my first ever KVD product), fell completely in love with the palette, then got the Monarch palette and two Studded Kiss lipsticks when they came out. The brand is definitely not perfect, but I think there’s a lot it has to offer, now that I’ve given their stuff a nice try.
Bhcosmetics and Coastal Scents. They are so inexpensive, and they all those huge eyeshadow palettes: I was sure their stuff would be a bunch of cheap, under-pigmented, chalky garbage. I was really surprised how good most of it is. I don’t buy the huge eyeshadow palettes, but I’ve gotten a few free with purchase of other items, and even most of the colors in those are good. I like their blushes, liners, bhcosmetics’ wipes and makeup remover, too. Coastal Scents has good brushes, too. I’m glad I gave both a chance.
Definitely Milani. I’ve always been a fan but the recent releases have been pretty impressive and innovative for a drugstore brand. I’m obsessed with the Color Statement lipsticks and Constellation Gel Eyeliners right now. I can’t wait for next year
Hmm, recently I would say Revlon with their HD lip lacquers. Really nice and exceptional shade range for a drugstore product, for a very fair price.
Covergirl: I find their lip products pretty good.
Almay: some really nice releases last year, the best being their liquid lip balm (my HG product in this category).
Jordana with their chubby lip pencil.
I guess I’m generally impressed when a very cheap product performs well.
What beauty brand has, in a good way, surprised me the most? Like, of all time, ever?? Most recently? Hmmmm.. Honestly, other than Korean Skin Care, yes; trying La Mer again was a BAD idea, thankful I only used samples!.. So other than Korean skincare, I’ve not really been surprised in a long time. Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayons (?) were a wonderful surprise of complex colors that wowed and excited me! So I’ll go with MJ. All the way. But truly I feel I’ve yet for the real surprise, and this may come from MUFE Artist eyeshadows, RBR products, or Colour Pop.. I’m thinking… 😀
Nyx. I probably never would have tried it if a coworker hadn’t been wearing a lovely shade of eyeshadow that I just had to have for myself.
I think NYX would get my vote. I have also been impressed by some of the elf brushes. My powder blushes from Coastal Scents have been a revelation. The colors are gorgeous, well pigmented and long lasting. The pans are huge and they are so so cheap.
Guerlain: I’d heard many great things about this brand but upon finally purchasing a lot of their lipsticks, they’ve become one of my favorite brands to go to. The moisturizing comfortableness from their lipsticks has left me spellbound.
Tom Ford: Now here’s a brand I originally rolled my eyes about due to the prices. I still roll my eyes about the prices but the lipsticks are worth it. Every Tom Ford lipstick or fragrance I’ve gotten I’ve absolutely loved, especially from the Lips & Boys (Cary and Gustavo are my new boyfriends :P).
Yves Saint Laurent: Their packaging is what drew me to them originally but when trying out their products, especially their nail polishes; I was stunned at the…exquisiteness of them! Another reason I’ll probably always be broke.
Lancôme: Perfection incarnate. Seriously. I love this brand so much. Their lipsticks are phenomenal, their fragrances are superb, and I love that they are women of color friendly.
I would have to say E.L.F. (eyes lips face). Their price point is already super low, but they also typically have sales so I will stock up on necessities for the touch up kits I give to my brides.
Colourpop, NYX and Makeup Geek!
Exactly what I was about to say!!
Nars, ever since they reformulated their complexion line. I feel like it’s finally a line that if forced to, I could use exclusively.
Maybelline for sure, of my whole makeup collection I still can’t get over the amazing quality of their lipsticks for the low price point.
Maybelline has defiitely stepped up their game in the last few years! I hadn’t purchased anything in years, but when the Color Sensational lipsticks came out, I decided to go for it, and grabbed several. Then, there were the Color Tattoos, and the master Hi-lighters, which are both amazing on days I just need something quick & simple, and don’t have time for several extra products. Finally, the Fit Me liquid foundation-110 is a pretty good color match, and the formula is as close to HG as I’ll probably get, including all the HE brands I’ve tried!
Colourpop has been such an awesome experience overall from price to their products and packaging. Everything has really impressed me.
Nars has made a comeback for me. I really used to dislike their overhyped products and their ridiculous prices. They really stepped up with the Audacious lipstick line. I thought to myself, finally something worth every penny!
Too faced has done a lot of great products this year, Melted lipsticks/Palette’s…
Urban decay as well, I’m obsessed with the Electric palette and the Naked’s
Maybelline’s palette’s, mascara’s and lipsticks creamy matte’s! are amazing
NYX – really like some of their lipsticks
Nars for sure. They really stepped up their game first with dual intensity eyeshadows and then the audacious lipsticks? I just can’t get enough!!
Laneige, from Target. Since I started using it not long ago, I’ve been able to cut back on heavy foundations and contouring.
Rimmel’s foundations and salon pro nail polishes
Sephora’s eyeliner pencils and eyeshadow colours seem to me to be great value and are even better than the high end brands
Milani’s lipsticks – fantastic quality – and they don’t break (unlike my expensive Chanel one did)
Tarina Tarantino’s eyeshadow palettes in Emerald Pretty and Wonderful – fantastic quality and quantity for the price.
Natio – an Australian brand – of bath and beauty products that are cruelty free but of excellent quality and vey affordable. They often have great deals and sales.
Makeup Geek for me. They are really giving the rest of my collection a run for the money.
Makeup Geek – I only tried the brand this year and it’s amazing! Most of the eye shadows are really pigmented & I’m absolutely loving the blushes.
I think I should delve into Sephora Collection more because I’ve never been disappointed with them either! Some of my oldest/ best & most used brushes are Sephora Collection.
This might sound strange, but I was always scared to try Milani. Where I live, for whatever reason, their displays were always sort of banged-up and only ever half-full. And they don’t do it so much now, but when I was younger and just getting into makeup, the way their products were always sealed in individual cardboard-and-plastic containers and hanging up was a little too reminiscent of dollar store products. I honestly still think they need an advertising and packaging overhaul.
BUT, I’ve been all about shimmer lately, so I finally bought their Dolce Pink baked blush recently, and I love it so much I’m in a rut and not using much else! I’ve started picking up lip products from them too and have yet to try anything I really don’t like.
RCMA!
This year I discovered some brands for professional make-up, including RCMA. I am not a MUA, but I have very sensitive skin and react badly to fragrances in commercial cosmetics. The RCMA foundation and setting powder are my most positive surprise in the last few years: they look super natural, my skin got much better since I stopped using other foundations and stick to this one, and the price is unbeatable.
MUFE with their 200+ new eyeshadows in a great quality has been a nice surprise too.
i have to say a indie brand mon ennui cosmetics she makes the most stunning eyeshadow pigments i have ever seen ! never a disappointment & i was surprised also by makeup forever’s lipstick i got my bday gift from sephora, so velvety soft !
i’d say MAC. I always end up thinking it’s overrated, then I work a shift there and remember all the wonderful products they make 🙂 They’re not all failed collections!
There are a few brands that have been very surprising lately, I do feel like my taste is changing slightly so with that I’ve been exploring other brands a more natural and adult look is what I have been going for after turn 30 :-/ for drug store I’ve been a huge fan of Maybelline everything from their FitMe foundations and concealers to their color tattoos and their nude lipstick line and now their new matte formula are all on point and for high end I’m really enjoying Bobbi Brown and Nars, both make wonderful foundations eye shadow and blushes, I used the Bobbi Brown sand palette all summer and recently have become a huge fan of Nars sheer glow foundation!
Makeup Geek (New Eyeshadows), The Ulta Collection (Contour Kit), and Anastasia (IG Celebrity palettes)
NYX. You were absolutely right about their matte lipsticks. Thank you! 😉
Honestly? Revlon. I know that sounds silly but I never really appreciated how big a selection they have in lip products – n terms of all factors – colours, finishes, formats, you name it! Since lipstick is my biggest makeup obsession, it appeals if a brand really puts a lot of effort into that area.
NYX for their lip products and eye liners.
Definitely N.Y.C. , The majority of their mascaras perform better than the higher end options( Lancome, Estee Lauder, UD and Tarte fail to provide the curl their doll eye mascara does),the eye shadow base/ liner included w/ their palettes perform well and are a great value. Their expery lsst lippies smell great, have good pigmentation and are moisturizing.