so some information to start with before you look at my reviews and products:

• i have light-medium tone skin with yellow undertones
• i have combination skin, with a fairly oily T-zone and a normal/dry cheek and jaw area depending on the season. my nose peels very often.
• i have large pores on my nose and cheeks, acne-prone skin, redness, acne scares, and texture
• while i have a lot more makeup than what is listed here, i'm only gonna be talking about products that i really like and would actually recommend to people
• i don't contour or use bronzer to do anything to make my face look "tan" which is why you will not see any of those kinds of products listed here
• i live in america so all prices listed are in USD

ALRIGHT LET'S GET INTO THE MAKEUP SHIT WHOOOOO

// F A C E //

foundation

• anastasia beverly hills stick foundation
  • finish: satin/matte, natural looking
  • coverage: medium to full
  • price point: mid-range, $25
  • why i like it: one of the best foundations i have ever tried for my fucked up skin. there's an extensive shade range that pays attention to undertones. you can sheer it out if you want or you can layer it and it won't look weird. lasts very well.
• fenty pro filtr foundation
  • finish: satin matte
  • coverage: medium
  • price point: high-end, $34
  • why i like it: this is my go-to foundation because of how well it matches me and how it sits on my skin. it doesn't dry out my skin and feel lightweight. I like that the foundation almost sets itself (even though I still always set it).
• loreal true match
  • finish: satin
  • coverage: medium
  • price point: drugstore, around $8-9
  • why i like it: perfect foundation for a natural finish. not as good of a shade range imo as the two foundations above but still pretty good for drugstore!! affordable, lasts well, and has a nice natural satin finish. feels light on the skin.

blush

• mac powder blush in "peaches"
  • finish: matte
  • price point: mid-range, $23
  • why i like it: smooth, pigmented, beautiful peachy-orange color. looks so nice on my yellow undertone skin. perfect for almost any look. my most used blush.
• tarte amazonian clay blush in "achiote"
  • finish: satin
  • price point: mid-range, $28
  • why i like it: this blush formula is really pigmented and long lasting. i only need a little bit of product to get the desired effect so i know this pan will last me forever. really pretty pink color that looks like a natural flush.
• etude house lovely cookie blusher in "grapefruit jelly" no.6
  • finish: matte
  • price point: cheap!! $5-6
  • why i like it: the packaging is honestly half the reason i bought this product but the formula is actually gorgeous. i would not recommend this color for anyone darker than me cause it will just look ashy because it is a more pale color, but it gives me the prettiest barely-there flush when i want that kind of look.

highlight

• mac mineralized skin finish in "lightscapade"
  • price point: mid-range, $33
  • why i like it:my first ever highlighter and the only one i used for a solid two years. looks so natural and subtle and gives a beautiful glow without emphasizing pores or texture.
• urban decay afterglow highlighting powder in "sin"
  • price point: mid-range, $26
  • why i like it: contains no glitter or shimmer and does not emphasize texture!! gives a gorgeous sheen and can be built up. somewhat more dramatic than mac lightscapade but still not over the top.

// E Y E S //

eyeshadows

• urban decay naked original palette
  • price point: high end, $52 freaking dollars
  • why i like it: i know the naked palettes are like old news but I STILL LOVE MY NAKED 1 OKAY. the quality is great and the shades are versatile and I feel like it's a beginner-friendly palette.
• anastasia beverly hills modern renaissance palette
  • price point: high-end, $42
  • why i like it: I'm not the first person to rave about this palette and I will not be the last. it's become my most used palette and honestly the only palette I reach for on most days. the shadows blend so easily; they practically blend themselves. it is quite soft compared to most palettes I have, so you do have to learn to press very gently into the pan. however, the shadows are very pigmented, easy to use, and last the whole day. if I had to recommend only one palette, I would choose modern renaissance.
• colourpop super shock shadows
  • price point: super affordable!! $5 for a single
  • why i like it: huge variety of shades and finishes. their mattes are my personal favorites because they are extremely smooth and blend very easily. sell online only so you have to rely on internet pics for colors though :(
• aritaum mono eyes (korean brand)
  • price point: cheap!! ~$6-8 for each single depending on where you find them
  • why i like it: i own two of their duochrome sparkly shades, No. 41 and No. 123 and they are gorgeous. they do have fallout if you're not careful but they look so gorgeous on the eyes because of the reflects. depending on where you live, you can find stores that sell them but otherwise you have to rely on internet pictures :(

liquid eyeliner

• stila stay all day liquid liner
  • price point: mid-range, $22
  • finish: matte
  • why i like it: this eyeliner is a rockstar and will stay on through all kinds of shit. it's the only liquid liner i've tried that's truly waterproof. my beef with this product is that it has a felt tip and not a brush, so the tip can get damaged easily and make it hard to draw clean lines.
• clio kill black pen liner (korean brand)
  • price point: mid-range, $15-$20
  • finish: satin
  • why i like it: the brush tip makes my life so much easier when doing a winged liner and the liner is SUPER black. however even though the product description says it's waterproof, i have found in my personal experience that is not the case. it still stays on very well, just not as well as the stila one.

pencil eyeliner

• stila smudge sticks
  • price point: mid-range, $22
  • why i like it: mix of finishes, very big range of colors including pastels. this is my favorite pencil eyeliner ever because of how versatile it is. once it sets, it stays put. it's retractable so no sharpener needed! super creamy and pigmented, worth every penny tbh
• nyx slim eye pencil
  • price point: affordable af!! $3.50
  • why i like it: cheapest eyeliner i've ever used and it works really well for basic eye looks. the formula is nice and soft so it doesn't feel like you are stabbing your eye. what more could you ask for honestly??
• holika holika jewel light waterproof eye pencil in "pink topaz" (korean brand)
  • price point: affordable, ~$8-9
  • finish: sparkly as heck
  • why i like it: i use this pencil to highlight my lower lashline area to make my eyes look bigger and for an overall cute effect. it stays on very well and the sparkle doesn't roam all over my face. the color is perfect for my skin tone.

// B R O W S //

• etude house drawing eye brow in "no#2 grey brown" (korean brand)
  • price point: super cheap, ~$5
  • why i like it: i will not lie to you, i have been blessed with a lot of brow hair naturally so when i do my brows i am just looking to fill in sparse areas. this is my favorite brow pencil and the only one i use. it's cheap as hell, works amazingly, and actually matches my naturally dark hair. i know everyone and their mother shits themselves over the anastasia brow wiz BUT that shit was 20 dollars and lasted me a month. listen to me friends. buy the etude house one.

// L I P S //

lipsticks

• fenty mattemoiselle lipsticks
  • price point: mid-range $18
  • finish: creamy matte
  • colors owned: spanked
  • why i like it: this lipstick is the most comfortable matte lipstick I have ever tried. it's definitely not transfer proof, but the texture of the product is amazing. it's very lightweight and it doesn't feel like i'm wearing any lipstick when i have it on. also this color is my perfect "my lips but better" shade.
• revlon super lustrous lipsticks
  • price point: drugstore, ~$4-8 depending on where you buy
  • colors owned: kiss me coral, black cherry
  • why i like it: these lipsticks come in a variety of colors and are easy to use. they don't bleed or feather and feel comfortable on the lips.
• mac lipsticks
  • price point: mid-range, $17
  • colors owned: sin, velvet teddy, russian red, brave red, impassioned, rebel
  • why i like it: i caved into the mac lipstick hype back in 2015 but even though the hype is kind of over, i still really like these lipsticks. i think they are worth the money because of the quality of the formula. i use them often and they are definitely well-loved in my collection. warning: they have a strong vanilla scent for people who are sensitive to that kind of stuff.

lip gloss

• fenty gloss bomb
  • price point: mid-range, $18 dollars
  • finish: glossy
  • colors owned: fenty glow
  • why i like it: best gloss i've ever used. it's the perfect color for me and makes my lips look so juicy no matter what. i always have it in my purse.
• nyx butter gloss
  • price point: drugstore, $4-5
  • finish: glossy
  • colors owned: strawberry parfait, tiramisu
  • why i like it: i'm not really a gloss person at all, but if i had to recommend one in this list, i would pick the nyx butter glosses. they are very comfortable on the lips and last for a good amount of time. there's a good selection of colors.

lip tint

• etude house fresh cherry tint
  • price point: cheap, $4-5
  • formula: gel-like/mousse
  • colors owned: RD301, OR201
  • why i like it: doesn't settle into lip wrinkles, lasts for a long time, reapplies nicely and doesn't flake off
• peripera peri's tint water
  • price point: cheap, ~$6
  • formula: water-based
  • colors owned: cherry juice, pink juice, mandarin juice
  • why i like it: natural-looking tint that has really good color payoff, lasts well and can be worn lightly or layered without looking weird
• aritaum honey melt tint
  • price point: cheap, $8-9
  • color owned: ruby grapefruit
  • why i like it: the most pigmented lip tint i've ever used. it's not very moisturizing and almost looks and feels like a lipstick except that it does stain. it wears beautifully throughout the day and reapplies nicely.

lip liner

• milani color statement lipliner
  • price point: cheap, ~$5-7 depending on where you buy
  • colors owned: spice, nude, true red, rich bordeaux, haute pink
  • why i like it: honestly the best lip liner i have ever tried. the formula is amazing; super pigmented, creamy, and long-lasting. i will buy these until i die.