My Thoughts On Different Makeup Brands

No two people are alike. This also goes for makeup brands as well. Each one is different in it's own, special way. Basically, some really suck while others are freakin' awesome.

Covergirl (4/5 stars) - The first brand of makeup I ever used. I never really had any problem with Covergirl. Covergirl makes great stuff that lasts really long. They offer a very wide range of different types and styles of makeup. Overall, Covergirl is a great makeup brand. My only complaint? Animal testing. It really bugs me when companies test on animals when they really don't have to. Other than that, great brand.

Almay (4/5 stars) - Here's a makeup brand that does NOT test on animals! (Yipeeee!) However, I still can't give it a perfect score. Their makeup is great, they are pretty creative with some of their products, but it's just not perfect. Their concealer is good, but not as thick as I would want it to be. I like their smart shade products, but I'm still to this day skeptical about how well "smart shade" can really figure out your exact skin-tone.

L'Oreal (1/5 stars) - Let me put this gently... L'Oreal makeup SUCKS! Their eyeliner barely shows, their concealer is thick & messy, and don't even get me started on some of their products... a paint roller application for foundation? Last time I checked, my face is not a completely flat wall...

Revlon (5/5 stars) - Almay is a part of the Revlon company. Revlon is simply perfection. Their makeup offers a great amount of coverage without feeling heavy or looking too thick. Revlon offers a brand of makeup called ColorStay - makeup that is completely waterproof. This is perfect for when you're going swimming or just anywhere super hot where you might sweat your makeup off. Their black eyeliner is my favorite. And yes, they do not test on animals! :)

Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance Review

My favorite thing about the brand Almay is that they do not test on animals. That is always a huge plus to me when buying a new beauty product. Knowing this, I went ahead and checked out Almay's selection of foundation once I was sick of my other foundation I had been using (which happens to me very often). I was intrigued when I saw this product called "Smart Shade." They know my skin tone? How can this be?

The "Smart Shade" products do not know EVERYTHING about your skin color. You still have your option of choosing between light, light medium, and medium. However, you do not have to get specific with your number, just know your range. If you're in the 100s, get light. If you're in 200s, get medium-light. It didn't matter that I couldn't remember if I was a 105, 110, or 115. I got myself the light option because I knew I was in the 100s, and that was all that mattered.

I went for "Smart Balance" because I've got super rosy-red cheeks that do not blend in with my skin at all. When you squeeze the makeup out of the tube, you can see little black specks. Then, you simply rub it all over your face to even things out. Once I used enough, my cheeks didn't stand out so much anymore and my face looked pretty even. Overall, I was pleased with the results. However, with all this "smart shade technology" I thought it would look a lot more natural than it actually did. It was still pretty natural though, just not as much as I expected it to be. Also, I still had to use concealer to hide my blemishes, just so you know.

Overall Rating = 4/5 stars.