Makeup Brand comparison swatches

Swatches!!!!!

There are many different makeup brands out there and having tried so many, I thought it would be great to do some swatch comparisons. There are many that are expensive and great, but I wanted to do some of the less expensive alternatives that are affordable to almost anyone. Amongst these you may find some that are so great that you are satisified until you choose to spend more on a better brand such as Dior, Chanel and Mac. I did swatches of some that I have in my kit and threw in a Mac one that has a lot of colors. Hope you can see it!

I put ratings next to each swatch brand....its on a scale of 1-10. 10 being the best and 1 being the poorest pigmentation by brand.

IMAN:
I rated this brand a 6 because it really wasn't that great. I needed to apply alot for it to show well. The color is pretty sheer, but it could still be better.

NYX:

I rated this brand a 5.5 because it is pretty good, but again could be better. Its inexpensive, so I guess you get what you pay for in this case. Its definitely not the worse, but just ok.

Lore'al H.I.P:

I rated this brand a 6.5. Pretty good for the price and can be purchased at local drug stores. Pigmented well and shows up without too much work.

COVERGIRL:

I rated this brand a 4.5 because it was not pigmented well. A lot of work will be needed to make this really show well. I don't buy covergirl eyeshadows for this reason.

MAC:

MAC needs no rating from me because it is one of the best. You will be happy with the results you get from MAC shadows since they are very well pigmented.

COASTAL SCENTS:
I rated this a 9.5 because it is very pigmented and I have never found any shadows this pigmented for such an amazing price. This swatch is from their 88 shade shimmer palette. I love this brand!

MAYBELLINE:

I rated this brand an 8. Maybelline shadows are very nice, they show up well and are inexpensive. You will not be disappointed by their shadow pigment.

PRESTIGE:

Suprisingly I rated this brand an 8. It works very well for a drugstore brand and shows up easily.

Some Makeup looks done by Me

girly

cotton candy cs

tropical

Prom

colorful!

My version of what I saw

Makeup brushes with Natural hair VS. Synthetic

With the prices of good makeup brushes being so expensive, it causes some to question whether or not it really makes a difference what type of makeup brushes we use. Should we really spend $25-50 on one brush created by major cosmetic companies, or should we save ourselves money by finding the cheaper way out. I myself never knew if there really was a difference until I bought my first MAC brush. Honestly the quality was so much better than any regular brush I had bought before that I would never want to go back. It is a lot easier to apply your makeup and and have better results when you are using the best tools possible. I believe its best to start slow if you can't afford many expensive brushes rather than waste lots of money on cheap brushes that will constantly need to be replaced. I'm going to compare the expensive brushes to the cheaper ones.

Instantly before even using the brushes you can tell that there is a huge difference in texture. Good quality makeup brushes will make cheap ones feel like sand paper against your skin. You should feel your brushes and see how they feel against your face. More expensive brushes will have natural hair, (animal hair). Goat, pony, mink, badger and blue squirrel are popular choices for natural brushes. While the cheaper ones will be made with synthetic hair. Synthetic brushes are made with hair that is man-made of either polyester or nylon filaments. The brushes that have synthetic hair also shed a lot more and are almost impossible to shampoo. Shampooing natural hair brushes or using a brush cleaner will help extend their shelf life. Synthetic brushes will become frizzy and tangled with attempted shampooing. While the more expensive brushes are of better quality, you can find pretty decent lower cost brushes and ultimately its up to the consumer to buy the brushes that they themselves can afford.

Synthetic brush pros:

The synthetic brushes are a bit easier to keep clean although shampooing won't help the fibers maintain their shape. They will need to be cleaned less often because the fibers don't absorb the makeup pigment as much as the natural ones do. They also seem to be good for applying creams...maybe better than with natural brushes because they don't absorb the makeup. Made from non-animal fibers for those who prefer that choice.


Synthetic Brushes Cons:

Need to be replaced a lot more frequently than natural brushes

Don't feel as nice against your skin

will be difficult to maintain their shape over time

Natural Brush pros:

Natural brushes are said to be a good choice with loose powders, as they will hold powder better than a synthetic brush. They last very long when taken care of so you get a lot more use out of it than you would a cheap brush. Feel better against skin than synthetic brushes. Very inexpensive.

Natural Brush cons:

expensive $$$

natural fibres absorb creams and pigment more than synthetic brushes.

My Top picks for less expensive alternatives by brand: