Halsey’s about-face Makeup Line Is a Power Player In the Celeb Makeup Game
Gone are the days where a makeup line was just another branding opportunity for a star on the rise.
These days, celebs are really bringing their all to the beauty world, with brands like Fenty and Rare Beauty sitting pretty at Sephora alongside established cosmetics peers such as Tarte and Charlotte Tilbury. Now, a new celebrity makeup line has officially hit the scene, and friends, it is good. Halsey's about-face makeup brand has products that you'll want to use over and over again—partially because they're just so fun to use.
As a huge fan of Halsey, I was thrilled to test out these products, and about-face kindly provided me with a ton of free cosmetics from the vegan, cruelty-free line to try out. My package included several different kinds of lip colors, highlighters and eyeshadows.
(via Shutterstock)
Upon unboxing, I immediately noted the super cool, modern packaging. The paint-it lip colors resembled something you might use in art class, while the highlighters were a lovely lilac color in a cool, geometric design.
Packaging, while nice, is only part of the equation here. Here's what I really thought of each of the items I received from Halsey's line:
Lips
Oh my gosh, yes. While I haven't exactly been rocking a red lip beneath my mask these days, Halsey's matte lip color in "Fireside" reminded me how nice it is to wear a bright hue. Not only was the color super bright and fun, but the texture was also A+. It didn't make my lips feel dry and chapped, nor did the color start pilling after I applied a second coat. I was all dressed up (well, my face was, anyway—note the messy bun below) with nowhere to go, but who cared—it was just so fun to play with these paint.
My second favorite color was "Dionysus," a moody mauve that felt totally wearable for a dinner out.
Also included in my box were two "light lock lip glosses," which were just the right amount of sparkly. My favorite part, however, was that they tasted vaguely like mint chocolate chip ice cream. While I'm not a huge lip gloss wearer (the potential for getting it caught in your hair!) these weren't sticky at all and offered just the right amount of sheen.
Eyes
about-face has two different kinds of eyeshadows: "fluid eye paint," and shadowsticks. The fluid eye paint was definitely different from any eyeshadow that I've tried before. The texture is similar to the matte lip colors, and I made the mistake of using a little too much when attempting to apply. Fortunately, it blends pretty well with a brush, and isn't quite as intimidating as it might appear when you open the tube.
The shadowsticks were a bit more user-friendly. The light blue "Pearly" had great coverage and gave off major early aughts vibes. (I could totally see myself wanting to match it to a velour Juicy Couture sweatsuit back in the day.) For a subtler look, dotting it at the corners of your eyes would be pretty and modern.
Face
It's no surprise that Halsey created not one, not two, but three different highlighters for their collection. about-face boasts a "light lock stick," which is a stick highlighter, as well as a "light lock highlight fluid" and a "light lock powder."
You really can't go wrong with any of these, however, my personal favorite was the stick. It was easy to apply, gave just the right amount of coverage, and could easily be popped in my purse for later application. The powder was the most buildable, and a very close second, especially because of its trio of lovely color options, which included pinky nudes and a brighter white. While the fluid was so pretty, it was very easy to overdo—even three drops was a little much.
Final Verdict
Overall, Halsey's makeup line holds up against the toughest celeb makeup line competitors and is comparably priced to lines like Fenty and Rare Beauty with most items ranging from $22 to $44. Make some room in your makeup bag!
Want to read more beauty reviews? Click HERE to read our review of Olive & June's spring 2021 collection.