Cheryl Shops

While I am pretty picky about mascara, I'm not at all loyal to any one brand, and I will keep trying new formulas in search of one that makes me look like I'm wearing false lashes without clumping, flaking, or smudging. Mascara is also a smart thing to save on, because it tends to dry out over time and the tube can collect bacteria from your eyes (gross but true). I am a big fan of the wand on this one, which has rubber bristles, helping the formula go on smoothly and without clumps. I need to use at least two coats to get the amount of volume I like and I definitely recommend using a setting spray, as I've found this one can smudge a bit early in the day. But otherwise, this is a pretty damn good mascara, especially for the price. 

I already featured this product in my roundup of summer-friendly foundations; as I noted there, this reminds me a lot of Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint minus the weird smell and tendency to separate. In other words, it's even better. The consistency is a little thicker than you'd expect, and I've found I have to work it into my skin with the brush, but once it's there, it stays put all day without caking and with a nice, natural-looking finish. Bonus points for the SPF 40 coverage! I wear shade 4W and it's a really good match for my skin. 

Speaking of Ilia dupes, this one reminds me a lot of Balmy Tint, which is one of my all-time favorite everyday lip colors. This formula isn't quite as pigmented and it's a little more soft-matte in texture, but I've found it doesn't slide around as much and the color is still surprisingly buildable. I keep this in my weekend bag and use it for touchups throughout the day; it works nicely layered over other lipstick. I am wearing the Spice shade, which is a sheer brick red. 

When I first put this on, I was like, Ohhhh boy. The texture is a little drier than I would normally gravitate toward—I have incredibly dry skin and tend to stick to very creamy blush for that reason—and the color at first appears very bright and pigmented. However it blends out into a nice, sheer wash of color. As someone with a healthy natural flush, I tend not to wear blush very frequently, but I like this enough to make it part of my regular rotation. I'm wearing Pinch, which is a peachy pink. 

This is an interesting product; it's a little goopier in texture than Cashmere Color, and the shades are slightly more pigmented. I'd describe it as a gloss, and it's more hydrating than sticky, which is a good thing, however I am not the biggest gloss lover so probably not the best person to assess this. It has a sort of minty-tingly finish, which I'm not a huge fan of, and the tube and cap tend to get really messy because of the applicator, which is a push-click situation that dispenses the product through a hole in the top. That said, I really like the shade I have on, Compliment, and I'm wearing it layered on top of Cashmere Color in the photo above. 

Of all the Versed products I tried, this is my least favorite, but it's more a matter of personal preference when it comes to concealer—I gravitate toward more lightweight stick formats as I find them easier to blend. This is a traditional liquid concealer with a doe-foot applicator; Versed calls it medium coverage but I'd say it's on the heavy end of medium; it requires a lot of blending although, to be fair, it doesn't settle into my fine lines. Another issue is that I somehow ordered this in the wrong color; I have 3P when I should have gone with 4W, which is the shade that works so well for me in the Skin Solution.  If you like a more creamy concealer, this may be for you, but just make sure you order the right color! 

Versed makeup and skincare is also available at Ulta, Amazon, and Target!