international drugstore makeup swap: nina's bargain beauty (part 2)

It's time for part 2 of the international drugstore makeup swap! If you missed my last post, Nina from Nina's Bargain Beauty invited me to a makeup swap. So, she was able to try some makeup products from North America and I was able to try some from Ireland. In my first post, I showed you what I received. This post is all about swatches and reviews!

There were so many fantastic products for me to try out. So, it's taken me a little bit of time to try them all out. I've been doing my best to incorporate them into my makeup looks, though! It has definitely been a fun process, that's for sure. Well, here goes....my swatches and reviews of the drugstore makeup swap.

Let's start with the face products: Famous Baked Bronzer in Tahiti and Famous Into the Shadows Light Reflecting Concealer.

Sadly, the baked bronzer was a little broken when it arrived to me - but it still works well! I just swirl my blush brush around in it and it's perfect. This specific colour is just gorgeous. It has a really glowy finish but isn't super shimmery. It's perfect to add a nice amount of glow to the face or the cheeks. I've been using it a lot in the last week or so and I just love it! It has quickly become one of my favourite bronzers!

Now, onto Famous Into the Shadows Light Reflecting Concealer.

With this concealer, the product comes up through the tube as you turn the bottom. Truthfully, I wasn't sure how well this was going to work. (I've never had much success with light reflecting concealers.) However, I was actually really impressed with it! When you first apply it, the concealer works like any other liquid concealer...but when you blend it into the skin, the colour lightens and it gets this really pretty light shimmer to it. It looks super pretty.

Next, let's move onto the mascaras: Famous I'm Your Curl Flirtatious Lashes Mascara and Famous High Impact Lash Mascara.

There were things that I liked about both of these mascaras and things that I didn't. Out of the two, the Famous I'm Your Curl Flirtatious Lashes Mascara was easily my favourite. Why? It really did curl my lashes! Plus, it gave them so much thickness and it had a wand that was easy to use. I really loved this one. The only drawback was that the formula was a little drier than I prefer. When it came to the Famous High Impact Lash Mascara, it does a really nice job of adding length, for sure. Unfortunately, it didn't add a ton of volume. I did like the slightly wetter formula of this mascara, though!


Ready for the nails? I also received two polishes from Famous Nail Addict in Pink and Silver. 

The moment I saw both of these nail polish colours, I got super excited. Pink is my favourite colour and glitter is always, always a good thing. I actually painted my toes using these and they look super cute! The colours look exactly the same on as they do in the bottle - bright pink and tons of glitter. These shades are super gorgeous and so much fun. I am definitely a fan.

Phew! So many products to talk about! For eyeliner, I was super spoiled. There were two coloured liners: MUA 3 in 1 eXtreme Contour Liner in Smoked Plum and Fresh Mint, and three regular liners: MUA Intense Colour Liner in Black, Brown, and White. To start with, let's look at the coloured liners.

To start with, I just love these colours! Both are definitely right up my alley. The formula is a cream liner and it glides on really nicely. What is really cool about these liners? They come out at an angle. This really helps to keep that precise shape when you apply it into the crease. Such a smart idea! This is a really unique concept and I love how they work. Here are the swatches of the colours:

Here are the MUA Intense Colour Liner in Black, Brown, and White.

 
Believe it or not, the other MUA eyeliners were even more impressive than the coloured ones! Not only were the colours super bold (and they didn't budge after a full day out - impressive) but they each have a sharpener right on the lid. Ahh! I cannot even explain how life-changing this is. The sharpener is right there whenever I need it, so I always have a perfectly sharpened liner and a precise liner application. It is just incredible. Such a fantastic idea, I can't even get over it.

Now for my favourite things....eyeshadows! Nina sent me the Famous Leopard Eye Palette as well as three shadows from Catrice Cosmetics. They were the Intensif'Eye Wet and Dry Shadows in: Glamourose, Black or White Swan?!, and Charly's Chocolate Factory.

Here are the Catrice shadows:

As you can see from the picture above, all of these shades are gorgeous. I am in love with that rust coloured shade especially! But the one that I've been using the most is the light, shimmery shade. It is just perfect for the inner corner of my eye and on the brow bone. Such a versatile shadow. That's what I really love about these - they can be worn in so many different ways. Wet or dry, they look fantastic. The colours are really pigmented and so shimmery. They are just beautiful. Here are the swatches of the Catrice shadows:

And...I saved the best for last! Yes, the Famous Leopard Eye Palette is by far the best makeup product I've tried in ages. Not only goes it have super cute packaging and a killer theme, but the shadows are gorgeous! Take a look:

I love eyeshadows, especially in neutral and bronzey shades. Since I am all about a smokey eye, anything that can make that happen is a good thing! As you can see from the picture of the shadows, they are stunning. There is a combination of matte, shimmer, and peal finish shades, which makes this an ideal palette. I love that there is a variety of shades and finishes. This is definitely something I can see myself taking away if I travel.

There is so much that I love about this set of shadows. For starters, the texture is so rich and soft. Even better? The pigmentation is so intense! I just cannot get over the quality of this set. I've tried a lot of different shadows by a lot of different brands, but these stand out as some of my favourites. I was so impressed. Here are the swatches from left to right:

There you have it! That is everything that I was lucky enough to receive from the international drugstore makeup swap with Nina from Nina's Bargain Beauty. Once again, I just wanted to say a big thank you to Nina. This was such a fun experience and I am so thrilled to add these amazing makeup products in my collection.

What do you think of these products?

xo Shannon