I used to do this all the time: get weird and go buy equally weird makeup that I didn't need or even want, really. I mean, that is until I'm there looking at it like, "OMG it's so... BROWN! I think I like brown lipstick?"
Since getting this job or whatever, I've honestly been trying to save a little money and not go on these kinds of adventures.
But my friend brought me back these silly little gifts from L.A. and it reminded me how much I like dumb stuff that really serves no purpose in my life. Wait--did I just say that this makeup serves no purpose? I mean, it does. It makes me look kind of hot. I guess.
So after the surprise gift session before the going to work this morning, the $20 series came to life. Or, was sperm-to-egg-ed in my mind as something I should totally do. And then later realized that this is painfully similar to "hauls"--which I now know exist after getting into the whole YouTube game for xoVain-related stuff. BLAH.
I'm going to try to fight this whole "blogger" transformation till the bitter end, so we're just going to refer to this as me-spending-$20-on-strange-makeup-at-various-retail-outlets, rather than "Here's my haul!"
Aaannnnddd I totally hate myself for this but I think I also found a "dupe." Correct me if I'm wrong, but a "dupe" is when one brand creates a shade that is really similar to another brand's product--like copycat-ing? OK, well the Ricky's brand (Mattése Elite) nail polish in Cream Pearl is REMARKABLY similar to Chanel's Pearl Drop. (The Chanel version goes on much smoother and with better coverage. Are you surprised?)
Their purple eyeliner is fun; it comes in a ton of different shades and was free. My one complaint is that is dries to a paste consistency pretty quickly on the brush and while applying, so getting a smooth stroke was a bit difficult. But not the worst liquid liner I've tried, by any means. If you're wanting to test strange colors, go for this instead of something pricier.
I was pleasantly surprised with their Rich Emollient Lipstick in Deep, a dark chocolate brown. It goes on really creamy, has great coverage, and didn't make the small flakes on my un-exfoliated lips stand out.
The NYX eyebrow pencil is a favorite of our intern, Felicia. I tried--liked the idea of the brush, it distributed the product well and helped to clean up my curly pieces. I wish that the pencil portion was pointier; it's a bit thick.
I bought their glitter liner as well, but haven't had a chance to try it out, or the travel-sized Mint Julep Masque that people have been raving about in the comments.
Conclusion: Ricky's is a totally trashy beauty supply store. Like, in a Patricia Field kind of way--unabashedly trashy and covered in glitter. I like it! It's like a Sally Beauty Supply but with dildos. I'm getting the gold glitter wig with my next misguided $20 splurge session.