Avani Gregg’s range of affordable and luxurious daily beauty products are put to the test

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(Paris, n.d.)

American social media personality and makeup artist Avani Gregg just released her first daily makeup routine video via YouTube. Just last week, Vogue posted a video featuring this TikToker titled “Avani Gregg’s Official Guide to Everyday Makeup.”

Gregg developed her TikTok following through a series of “clown makeup” videos wherein she showed off her skills in the realm of special effects makeup. This young star has since grown her platform to over thirty two million followers, winning 2020’s Shorty Award for TikToker of the Year.

Notorious for her talent in the makeup field, Gregg’s Vogue video was a must-watch for many. Who wouldn’t want to pick up a few of Avani’s tips? Gregg recently collaborated with Morphe, creating the Morphe x Avani Gregg collection. This line was released to the public last Tuesday, but, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on it. In general though, I will say Morphe palettes are fairly good-quality and decently cheap. Anyways, after putting all her other products to the test, here’s what I’ve collected.

Morphe 2 Hint Hint Skin Tint ($17)

Allegedly, the Morphe 2 Hint Hint Skin Tint is retailed as a breathable, lightweight, sheer form of coverage to hydrate and blur the skin. This product has a dropper top, and when applying it, I drop it directly onto my skin and then go in with a foundation brush. The formula is extremely watery, which is what makes it so transparent. This consticeny, however, is typical with a skin tint. The finish and coverage of this product was very impressive for a skin tint, I was shocked by the blurring effect, and I would definitely put this head-to-head with other tints I’ve tried.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer ($10)

Anyone in the beauty industry or anyone who wears makeup regularly that hasn’t tried this concealer missed a couple of chapters—it’s a classic. This product is fortunately very affordable and is great for under-eye coverage. I used this product for years, and maybe the one negative aspect of using it would be light creasing. Other than that, this concealer is a full-coverage must in my personal list of must-have drugstore products.

Gregg developed her TikTok following through a series of “clown makeup” videos wherein she showed off her skills in the realm of special effects makeup.

Patrick Ta Major Beauty Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush ($34)

I’m a cream blush fanatic, and I go in with a powder blush even after applying cream blush. So, strictly from a utility standpoint, this blush duo seemed as an appropriate addition to my wide collection of blushes. I purchased this dual-formula blush in the shade “She’s That Girl,” which is a brighter, more vibrant pink tone.

First things first, the packaging is stunning. The blushes come in a beautiful rose gold compact, and additionally, the cream blush has a plastic seal over it to prevent any fallout from the powder entering it. The formula is incredible, creamy, and the powder sets heavenly. One thing I will mention, however, is that the shade wasn’t necessarily my favorite. For cream/liquid blushes, I generally like something more neutral—such as the Glossier Cloud Paint in the shade “Dusk.” I really liked the consistency of both the cream and powder, as well as the idea of the double blushing; the shade just wasn’t my cup of tea.

NYX Professional Makeup: The Brow Glue ($8)

I was pleasantly surprised by this product; it sets my brows so nicely and really holds them in place. This brow gel is also inexpensive, which is definitely a plus. I purchased this gel or glue at Ulta Beauty—and I love when products are purchasable in-store versus online.

It would be beneficial for this product to have a bigger spooly. The wand is very small, which I think makes application more difficult. Also, the product itself is honestly really tiny, which may be great for travel, but not necessarily for those who gel their brows daily.

Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Lengthening Mascara ($30)

Weirdly enough, after spending under ten dollars on concealer, Gregg splurges thirty on mascara. Unrelated to the actual quality of the mascara, the first thing I noticed was the gold print on the tube because I just enjoy the font they used. As far as the actual mascara goes, it wears well, and I love the wand from an application standpoint. This product has a scent, which is unusual for mascara. Obviously, it isn’t purposefully scented, and the scent isn’t pungent or anything—but faintly, it wafts a fragrance similar to that of sunscreen. For my eyelashes, this product was kind of thick which added a bit of clumpiness to the end result. However, for anyone who’s used and enjoyed Diorshow Mascara, this one is very similar to that.

Dior Rouge Refillable Lipstick ($38)

This product is overpriced. This lipstick is nearly forty bucks, putting a damper on my likelihood to ever recommend this product to anyone. I purchased this lipstick in the shade “sensual,” and in my opinion, this shade is too orange and not enough pink. My ideal lipstick tones veer more berry-colored, and this one is definitely more neutral. Is the formula great? Yes. Is the color-long wearing and pigmented? Also, yes. But is it worth the money? No.

Dior Rouge Contour Lip Liner ($31)

The Dior lip liner comes as a pencil-liner, which is double-sided; one side is the liner, the other is a lip brush. In the box, a sharpener is added as well in the case that the liner goes dull. I could go on and on about this liner solely for the fact that it stays in place. It doesn’t move. It doesn’t smear. It doesn’t transfer—at all. I’m obsessed. My lips look much fuller after application. The shade variety is high. Again, even with a mask on all day long, this product doesn’t move.

NYX Professional Makeup Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray ($9)

NYX is one of my favorite makeup brands, and I’ve owned this setting spray for maybe a year now—it’s so beneficial to my regime. I definitely like a more hydrated makeup look, so don’t let the whole “matte” part of the title be a concern—it’s not actually matte. I double this spray with the Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray; it’s such a dream duo of sprays, my makeup sets heavenly and wears all day.

Gregg’s routine serves as a strange conjunction between luxury and drugstore goods. All in all, I think the end look of these products is very glowy and pretty. After following in her steps, my face looks natural, with just a slight cosmetic enhancement. I’d definitely say the mascara, lipstick, and blush should be switched out—they just weren’t worth their price tags. But overall, Gregg gets an A+, not only on her special effects makeup looks, but also her daily beauty routine.