We Tried These Insta-Famous Beauty Brands

We put five Insta-famous beauty brands to the test and delivered our un-filtered opinions in the slides ahead.
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Every morning, before I steep my morning tea, I scroll through my Instagram feed taking note of all the standout swatches, 60-second videos, and interesting products I see. Perhaps it's an occupational hazard of working in beauty, but I can't help jotting down the names of each and every product that appears to be working wonders. Then, when I see it pop up again and again in myriad profiles, my interest is piqued. I must try you, I think to myself.

There are dozens of Insta-famous brands that have followings in the hundreds of thousands -- millions, even -- but I'm always a bit skeptical. Is it simply filtered magic that makes these products seem so miraculous? Will they really perform as well in real life?

Ahead, we put five Insta-famous beauty brands to the test and delivered our un-filtered opinions in the slides ahead.

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Dose Of Colors
IG Followers: 1.9 Million

"Apparently I've been using wimpy liquid lipsticks, because this is the big leagues, people. You have to put it on with the precision of a surgeon and wait a few minutes for it to set -- but then it is set for life. Seriously. I wore it all day, ate with it, drank with it, kissed my boyfriend with it, you name it. It wasn't until I used soap and water that it finally budged. Honestly, there might still be remnants of it on my lips the next day, I'm not sure. If you want a lipstick that will last through the apocalypse, this is it. I did notice that my lips felt a touch dry the next day, so be sure to prep with oil and follow up with a matte balm." -- Cat Quinn, beauty director

Dose Of Colors Liquid Lipstick in Kiss Of Fire, $18, available at Dose Of Colors.

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"To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the matte shades in this palette -- some of the pastel colors looked a bit chalky and washed out on my pale skin tone. But, I did fall in love with the shimmery shades. The sparkle was super fine, the color payoff satisfying, and the formula super blendable. I especially loved the chocolate shade for a sexy smoky eye." -- Cat Quinn

Dose Of Colors Limited Edition EyesCream Palette, $50, available at Dose Of Colors.

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Eyeris Beauty
IG Followers: 132,000

"Truth be told, when I first laid eyes on my pack of Eyeris Beauty's super dramatic, fluffy lashes I was worried. I'm not really a fan of look-at-me falsies, but I thought I'd give it a try nonetheless. Despite the plush, thick appearance, these falsies didn't feel weighty on my lids at all. In fact, they're really easy to apply and made for a very glamorous eye look. Sure, I probably won't reach for these on the regular (who has time for that?), but I'll definitely keep a pair of these in my arsenal for special occasions." -- Mi-Anne Chan, beauty writer

Eyeris Beauty Liberty Lash, $24, available at Eyeris Beauty.

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Melt Cosmetics
IG Followers: 2.2 Million

"Although I can't say I would use Melt's products daily, a couple did stand out as very highly pigmented and smooth to apply. I tried the popular Rust Eyeshadow Stack. While some shades felt chalky and a little dry, I was impressed by the shades Rubbish, Rust, and Rott -- they were the most pigmented and had very little fallout. Sure, these shadows take some effort to blend and build, but the overall look was a wearable." -- Sam Sasso, beauty editorial assistant

Melt Cosmetics Rust Eyeshadow Stack, $58, available at Melt Cosmetics.

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"The first lipstick from Melt that I tried, Laced, was so dry that it didn't even fully glide on my hand for a swatch -- and it did the same on my lips. My best suggestion would be to use a damp makeup brush to apply this formula." -- Sam Sasso

Melt Cosmetics Laced Lipstick, $19, available at Melt Cosmetics.

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"The good news? The next shade I tried, Dark Room, was a hell of a lot softer, plus it went on opaque and really lasted. It didn't appear as rich on my lips as it does in the photos, but overall I would still include it in my lipstick rotation. The color is ideal for fall and winter, but note that is it very cool in tone, so it may not suit every skin tone." -- Sam Sasso, beauty editorial assistant

Melt Cosmetics Dark Room Lipstick, $19, available at Melt Cosmetics.

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Beauty Bakerie

IG Following: 310,000

"I'm not an eyeshadow person by any stretch of the imagination -- I really only wear color on my lids when I have an event to go to. But I did appreciate the texture of these ones from Beauty Bakerie. It's a whipped formula,which makes it super easy to apply with just your fingers. (A prerequisite to all of my makeup products, to be honest.)" -- Maria Del Russo, beauty editor

Beauty Bakerie Soirée Parfait Eyescream, $16, available at Beauty Bakerie.

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"It's rare to find a liquid lipstick that's non-drying but still sticks to your lips. This tube fits the bill. The formula slides across your lips easily and never clumps or chunks -- even after reapplication." -- Maria Del Russo

Beauty Bakerie Mon Chéri Lip Whip, $20, available at Beauty Bakerie. (Ed. Note: This product is currently sold out. We have reached out to Beauty Bakerie for more information and will update this post when we hear back.)

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"I'm fairly certain these makeup-removing wipes would be able to remove liquid lipstick that's been frozen on -- that's how powerful they are. One pad removes all of my lipstick, leaving behind zero trace of what was there before. Fair warning -- since these do work so well, they are a little messy, thanks to the oils that break down the pigment. Keep a tissue handy to wipe up any excess oil -- or expect to rinse." -- Maria Del Russo

Beauty Bakerie Lip Whip Remover, $14, available at Beauty Bakerie.

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Makeup Geek
IG Following: 1.8 million

"Despite the fact that Makup Geek's eyeshadows have been staples in my beauty collection for years, I hadn't tried other products from the brand until recently. One of the new products I tried was this highlighting palette created in collaboration with YouTuber Kathleen Lights. These soft, blendable, super-pigmented shades will flatter a range of skin tones and can be layered for sheer or dramatic effects. In fact, this palette has quickly replaced the majority of highlighters in my makeup bag." -- Mi-Anne Chan

Makeup Geek Kathleen Lights Highlighter Palette, $39, available at Makeup Geek.

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"I also tried Makeup Geek's set of Full Spectrum collection, which includes these 10 creamy eyeliners. Unlike traditional kohl liners, these ones have a gel-like texture, meaning you can get the benefit of a smooth, precise gel liner with the ease and practicality of a pencil.
Want to start slow? Don't worry, you can buy each pencil separately for $9, too." -- Mi-Anne Chan, beauty writer

Makeup Geek Full Spectrum Eye Liner Pencil Complete Set, $58, available at Makeup Geek.

By: Mi-Anne Chan

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