Budget Beauty Binge: A Trio of Reviews

I made a beauty run to CVS yesterday and picked up some items I'd been meaning to try for a while. Here's some of what I bought:

Maybelline Age Rewind Double Face Perfector in Dark, $9. - I knew going in that the concealer wasn't going to be worth a darn. It was the highlighter I was after. A makeup artist was recently quoted in the NY Times saying that this was comparable to the legendary YSL Touche Eclat. I seriously beg to differ. This was way too light to be called "Dark", and it didn't even cover my dark circles. It just left them ashy. Sigh.


Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Top Tomato, $11. - The good thing about this liquid lipstick is that it's the most amazing shade of red I've ever worn. Seriously, this is a universally flattering shade that would look good on pretty much any skin tone. The bad thing is that the lipstick itself sucks. It made my lips look super dry, but was so sticky that it made my lips stick together like they'd been sealed with glue. I'm going to keep playing around with it. If there's a way to make it work, I'll gladly keep it on hand.

L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, $7 each. - I am in love with this set. The shampoo is particularly amazing. I've used sulfate-free shampoos in the past, and they've always left my hair dry and tangled. It smelled like men's cologne, but this shampoo from L'Oreal's new line for color-treated hair left my hair super soft, with lots of slip. The conditioner smelled like sweet peppermint (and tingled too), but it took away the slip the shampoo gave, and left my hair feeling rubbery. The jury is still out on the conditioner, but the shampoo is a must.

Made any budget beauty buys lately? Do tell!