Welcome to The Great Beauty Try-On, where we seized the opportunity to test-drive the best-selling makeup products from some of your favorite beauty brands (plus some newcomers!) and documented the process along the way.
Above everything else, I am a true makeup girl. I’ve been playing with makeup since I was 15 years old. I used to watch makeup tutorials in my bedroom with every product I own splayed out in front of me, re-creating my favorite looks as close as I could. I would show up to high school with pastel eyeliner, red lipstick, and colorful smoky eyes. (Please keep in mind that this was back way before Euphoria.)
All of this is to say I’ve never been one to shy away from an eye-catching makeup look. I’m all for using products that are highly pigmented, full of glitter, or both. That’s why I’m a huge proponent of makeup brands that are truly made for makeup lovers and not just people who occasionally wear makeup.
One of those brands is Danessa Myricks Beauty. Founded by celebrity makeup artist Danessa Myricks, this brand is essentially an ode to makeup. It’s filled with smart, high-quality formulas, tons of pigments, interesting finishes (hello, duochromes), and an extremely inclusive shade range. I put these products to the test to find out if they really are a makeup lover’s dream. Ahead, read my in-depth reviews of the brand’s best sellers.
To give Danessa Myricks products the fairest shake, I created a look using all of her best sellers in one. When I saw all of the sparkles, pigments, and duochrome finishes, I knew I wanted to create a graphic purple eye. The result was even better than I anticipated. I was able to create an eye look with so many different colors and finishes that I felt like an extra in Euphoria.
My detailed product reviews are below, but overall, I am so impressed with how pigmented and creative each of these products is. They really feel like they’re filling a void in the beauty space, which is extremely hard to come by, especially in such an oversaturated market. You can tell that Myricks is a makeup artist right away—products this well thought-out and easy to use could never be made by someone who didn’t spend an abnormal amount of time considering how makeup looks on the skin.
Just to make this clear, I never wear oil under my foundation. I rarely even use face oil in general. But I figured this wouldn’t be a best seller if it didn’t really work, so I put it under my makeup. I honestly couldn’t believe how good it looked on my skin. I looked glowy and radiant, but my skin didn’t look like an oil slick, which I was afraid of.
After I used the oil, I applied this glow serum. It’s a primer with just the right amount of champagne shimmer that really brings your skin to life, giving it the kind of radiant effervescence that you normally can’t get without a facial appointment. It also provided a grippy base for makeup.
This foundation does not mess around. I repeat: This foundation does not mess around. I put half a pump on my face and just watched it keep going and going. It covered my whole face and then some—I almost considered taking some of it off. This is where using the Beauty Oil really came into play. Without it, I think this foundation may have been a bit too heavy on my skin, but with the addition of the oil for slip, it ended up looking like skin rather than foundation. If you want full-coverage foundation that doesn’t look caked on or masklike, this is the product for you. Be sure to also invest in the Beauty Oil for the most skin-like finish.
I’m going to be honest. This is the product I had the hardest time figuring out. I was expecting an immediate powder-like finish, but instead, this product works a little bit more behind the scenes. It balances oil production throughout the day while also maintaining hydration, so you can kind of think of it as an insurance policy for your makeup. It’s like a powder, in that it helps makeup stay, but it delivers a more natural finish.
These shimmery purple pigments are so good. They deliver intense, high-pigment color immediately. Not only that, but they’re easy to control and apply.
I love a duochrome. The shade shift on these liquid eye shadows is something you really have to see to believe. Depending on what light I was in, Bae shifted between seafoam green and icy rose, while Midnight Pearl moved between eggplant purple and smoky gunmetal.
Give me an eye shadow palette and I’m automatically happy. Give me an eye shadow palette with the dreamiest colors I’ve ever seen and I’m ecstatic. These shadows are so cushiony they could almost be cream instead of powder, and the pigmentation is truly impressive. With one swipe, you have the ultimate eye shadow look. They also don’t have any fallout, which is particularly impressive with such vibrant shades and sparkles.
Interchangeable lip and cheek colors are my bread and butter. This one has a bevy of universal shades that are easy to blend and give a naturally flushed effect.
Why aren’t all highlighters made with hydrating ingredients? This highlighting balm makes skin look reflective, but it’s never too sparkly or shimmery.
I struggle with contouring. I always have! I find it makes my face look dirty instead of sculpted more often than not, particularly because I have freckles. Since this contour balm is so easy to blend and completely cool toned, it ended up looking more like natural shadows on my face than most contouring products do.
I used this on my lips, and I loved how natural and blurred it left them looking. This will definitely be a go-to lip product that I keep in my bag from now on.
