You want to hear a story about what a sick puppy I am? So obviously all the Anastasia Beverly Hills Fall colors came out recently, because I’ve talked about them a hundred times, but as you may know one of the most on trend colors “Dusty Rose” got delayed and all the lipstick junkies like myself were waiting in eager anticipation. So last night I saw a tweet that it was in stock on Macy’s.com and I literally stopped brushing my teeth and went to my computer in my chones and ordered it.

Aside from the fact that I immediately went and bought it, wtf was I doing on twitter while I was brushing my teeth? Who does that? I need to calm down.

The point of all of this is that the thirst for the latest makeup is real. Having the latest trendy colors and trying new innovative formulas is fun! But many of us (often myself included) can’t, or don’t want to go around shelling out twenty-thirty-forty bucks all the time because they just HAVE to have that new shade, ya know what I mean? Thankfully affordable makeup that’s on trend is everywhere, if you know where to look, and how to navigate the waters of what’s just hyped up crap and what’s actually good.

So I figured, since I go around tying all of this stuff anyway, I may as well show you guys and gals some of the best, current affordable makeup that I have had the pleasure of trying.

I was super skeptical about the Morphe Palettes for a long time. I didn’t really know why but I just wasn’t interested. They just seemed too overhyped by makeup bloggers and YouTubers and they also reminded me of those BH 120 palettes that everyone used to use, which were the chalkiest most powdery crap festival of all time. But I kept seeing swatches of them that looked SO good, and I figured everyone can’t possibly be doctoring up the swatches that much so I figured I would give it a try. I’m so glad I did because they really are great quality! I mean look at that black, that’s one swipe of the finger with no primer or foundation under it. So if you are looking for palettes check out their site, they have a tone of different choices in color and they are around $20 for 35 shadows. That’s a damn good deal for the quality.

For incredibly interesting individual shades, with depth of color and lots of interest that gives the appearance of a very high end shadow, you can’t do any better than Colourpop SuperShock Shadows. They are so incredible, and are only five dollars. If you haven’t tried them before, the formula is super weird. It is sort of a cream but sort of a powder but also a little like a gel. Like if it breaks you can squish it back into place, but when you apply it, it blends like a powder. I find that they have incredible color payoff and for me I have seen no issue with creasing or fading. I have heard that some people with very oily lids have a bit of creasing with them, but putting down a good base should negate that issue.

I have another shade in this that I looooove (it’s called game face, and it’s a deep fiery copper metallic) and I couldn’t find it when I was swatching. I almost panicked but fear not, I found it in my travel makeup bag. Everything is ok, you can relax now.

Speaking of affordable eyeshadows, we have two honorable mentions in the drugstore department. They aren’t quite as good a deal as the Morphe palettes but they are great dupes for more expensive products. The L’oreal Infallible eyeshadows are extremely similar to the Armani Eyes To Kill shadows. The shades aren’t quite as nuanced but if you are looking for that pressed pigment texture and insane color payoff, you’ll get what you’re looking for out of them.

The Maybelline color tattoo cream eyeshadows are extremely similar to MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots. Creamy beige in particular is very similar to groundwork, but they also have many more neutrals, colors and shimmers that will suit what you need. And just like the paint pots they can be used on their own as a cream shadow or as a base.

Liquid lipsticks are all the rage right now, as previously mentioned in my buying them in my undies like a crazy lady story. Also saying “all the rage” makes me sound like somebody’s grandmother but whatever. The problem is these things get expensive at 20 bucks a pop (which is about the average for the high-end brands like Anastasia, Stila, Kat Von D etc.) especially if you feel the need to hoard all the colors.

There are some drugstore brands like NYX and Milani that have come out with their own affordable versions, but I have yet to actually find any of those on shelves in stores, if I do i’ll come back and update this if I like them.

Two fantastic online options are Colourpop Ultra Mattes and the LA Splash Liquid Lipsticks. Personally I prefer the formula of the Colourpop Ultra Mattes. They are thin and light but very pigmented and opaque, so they wear very comfortably and for a long time.

UPDATE: After wearing the shade “succulent” a few more time I’ve noticed that sometimes it starts to crumble, and it still looks perfect on the lips but the little crumbs get all over my face and ruin my foundation. Not cute. Just wanted to throw in that caveat and keep things 100% on the level with you guys. I might be over applying it, but it’s only happened with that one shade so I don’t know what the deal is.

The LA Splash variety are really good in their own right. They have beautiful colors, they wear for a long long time and they look great on. They come with a few drawbacks though. They wear for a long time but when they do start to come off they get a little crumbly. That doesn’t bother me too much but I know some people hate that. They also smell a little weird when you first apply them, not a big deal but some find it off-putting.

This last item is a little different than the rest. Colored liquid liner is all over the place these days, but honestly if you are as busy buying all the liquid lipsticks like I am, you can’t be hoarding all sorts of liquid eyeliner colors too. Inglot duraline is a liquid that you can use to turn any pigment or powder eyeshadow into a waterproof liquid eyeliner. So basically you have all the liquid liners in the world at your disposal with this one little eleven dollar bottle. If that’s not affordable makeup I don’t know what is. I just so happen to have a tutorial on how to use it HERE if you want to check it out.