Call me the budding drugstore maven, because I have been converted to the land of the under $10 cosmetics. I have some things brewing in the background awaiting the curtains to rise and there is just no room to play around with money and beauty like there used to be (though even then I had no business spending the way I did). Add that to the fact that cosmetics companies have become very cognizant of the fact that customers want quality, pigment, and they want it with a coupon. What better place to do that than a drugstore? Even if the brand doesn't issue coupons, there are always deals and specials to hook you.I spent some time getting reacquainted with Wet n' Wild cosmetics. I was already aware of the new lipsticks (which continue to pack a punch might I add - check my older post about them here), but sinfully overlooked their blushes and eyeshadows for a while. Well, my most recent run for milk and soda gave me reason to bring some home with me. I snagged three blushes and a bronzer (and for less than five dollars a pop, you really can get away with buying the whole collection with change to spare). As I set forth to photograph and test the newbies in my arsenal, I couldn't resist toppling them like dominoes (the photos do the gameplay absolutely no justice!).The variety of shades are great for different skin tones and color payoff desires (i.e. if you're a plum/coral/pink fan).

After my successfully indulgent trip to the drugstore (as well as the follow up online confession), it was only right to expose how the colors looked like in real life. In this photo - I tried to make the lip shades look like a Cingular sign :).

As I've said in my review, the lipsticks are creamy and highly pigmented, and very very worth the money. Something else I found out with these babies? They're not for the faint of heart, and by that I mean, they are high maintenance. These sticks (or at least the colors I chose) need a brush applicator on hand at all times. If you use the lipstick on its own and brave it out, you'll have plenty of cleanup to follow (it's the worst to do cleanup after red lipstick, because your skin may turn pink from either the coloring or the irritation from rubbing). Every time I tried to apply Red Velvet on my own, I was running cleanup interference to the point that I wiped the whole thing off and started again. Did this three times before I gave up and took a brush thankyouverymuch

No swatch post is ever enough without the before and after shot. Here's my before. There is no flash on the left and flash on the right. This pattern is the same throughout all the colors.Red Velvet is a bad mama jama. It's matte but super creamy (okay all of them are - but still). It's bright and has a blue tone to make your teeth look pearly white. Did I mention this would look awesome on all skin tones?

The last time I stepped foot into Rite Aid, they were having killer sales on all things unnecessary but pretty. Wet n' Wild products were 40% off and the new Mega Last lipsticks were calling my name. Being that each one was $2.99, I figured if I got all four colors I was itching to try, one would be free, considering the discount. For $3 a pop I honestly would have tried them without the sale as well, but a brand can normally slip under the radar if they don't make some kind of money saving commotion to land in the weekly paper.

Lips take center stage! This 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips. (source)

I got the following colors:

Usually, customers don't expect the same color payoff and product performance from a product that is so cheap, but ladies and gents of the jury. When I tell you these lipsticks baffled me?! How can the company afford something so good for so cheap a price?!

These swatches are after one swipe. The description does not lie! The pigmentation was jam packed with bright goodness. For the most part, the colors I chose were a good match for me, and I dare say universally flattering as well.