*This post contains some affiliate links
**Edited Half Magic is now available on Beauty Bay.
Makeup lovers around the globe rejoiced earlier this year when we learned that Donni Davy, the artist behind the iconic Euphoria makeup, was releasing her own brand, Half Magic Beauty. Today happens to be Donni's birthday and they are having a 20% off sale on their website. So I thought it was a great day to share my review of the products I bought.
With taglines like "Half You, Half Magic", "Wear your heart on your face" and "Transform into today's version of you" I was hooked on Half Magic Beauty. It's a brand that encapsulates everything I love about makeup, focusing on self-expression and creativity. It's about waking up every day and deciding who and what you want to be and expressing that through makeup. I have always said that the way I choose to do my makeup each day completely depends on my mood, my level of confidence, what music I'm listening to or what I want to wear. I love that Half Magic Beauty has embraced and encouraged this, "It's for the boldest of the bold, as well as the understated minimalist". You can see this ethos clearly in the brand imagery which is gender, race, age and body type inclusive. You can also see real skin, pores, facial hair, lines, wrinkles and texture. There is minimal editing done so that you can see what the products actually look like which is something I wish we would see more in the beauty industry.
I was beyond excited when I first heard about the brand because despite being in my mid-thirties, Euphoria Makeup is a movement that I have fully supported from the start. I remember watching the pilot and thinking that I had never really seen this kind of makeup in film or television before. In any of the tv shows that I watched as a teenager about High School, makeup was almost invisible. It was there but you weren't supposed to notice it. The makeup style on the big and small screen has evolved over time as real-life tastes have changed over the past ten years, particularly with the various forms of social media making beauty and makeup mainstream and accessible. There are pros and cons to this, but for me, the biggest positive is that it has allowed people to explore their creativity and artistry when it comes to makeup. It has given us a creative outlet and allowed people to explore avenues that they never would have been able to before now.
I have never been one for so-called "Instagram Makeup" on myself, most of which are techniques implemented by Drag Queens for the stage. Things like carving out your brows, baking, cut creases and intense contouring. These are all techniques used to make makeup noticeable from far away and last longer under stage lights. People have always adapted film and stage makeup for everyday wear but the heavy makeup look just isn't my thing. I have nothing against it as it is its own form of artistry and I think it looks incredible, it just isn't for me personally. That's why I sought out other Makeup Artists, people who focused on skin and then makeup, the kind of aesthetic that appealed to me. People who inspired me and encouraged my own creativity. I would see an editorial, red carpet look, music video, film or television series and I would search for the Makeup Artist who was responsible so that I could see what other work they had done.
I was following Donni Davy's career with great interest because her style of painting faces was exactly what I was looking for. The characters had their own ways of doing their makeup, some more full beat than others (Maddie). The extravagant eye looks with bright colours, sharp wings and adornments are always the main focus so most of the other face makeup is kept minimal, fresh and almost always undetectable. I read that the team doesn't use powder or foundation all over the skin, it is mostly just some spot concealing to keep everything as minimal and untraceable as possible. It's the kind of makeup that speaks to me because I've never liked heavy makeup on my skin but I do like to experiment with colours, textures and shapes.
Seeing the looks that Donni and her team have created has inspired me to think differently about how I do my makeup and to not be afraid to just play, paint and try something different and then wear it out of the house with confidence. I have been wearing makeup for 20 years and I have been writing this blog for 12 years. I have seen so much change in the beauty industry over those years but the Euphoria Era (I won't call it a trend because I think it has much more longevity than that) is truly inspiring and that's why I knew I had to try Half Magic Beauty. It's also not just about Euphoria. I'm sure Donni Davy could have done a collaboration with another brand based around Euphoria and it would have sold out, but I respect that she has decided to create her own brand. It goes beyond Euphoria and stands alone and will hopefully continue long after the show has ended.
I have a lot of detailed photos to share in this post and I want to let them speak for themselves so I don't want to write too much about the products. I have been trying them out for the past three weeks and have created four different looks in that time as I wanted to try everything properly before writing this review.
The hardest thing about placing an order was deciding what to buy. I wanted to try everything but I had to restrict myself, especially as it was a new brand and despite having every confidence that the products would be amazing, I also didn't want to buy too much just in case for some reason I didn't like them. Of course, I needn't have worried. I chose two of the Chromaddiction Matte, a saturated eye paint and liner in We Are Aliens (chartreuse) and Sky Juice (periwinkle). The Chromaddiction Shimmer, a saturated shimmer eye paint and liner in Spirit Guide (periwinkle with lilac reflects). Glitterpill eye paint and liner in Microcosm (holographic silver).
Then for lips, I had to get the Magic Brownie Liptrik Kit which includes the Sculptitude 2-in-1 Longwear Lip Liner in I'll Pray For You (warm brown) and I Have Needs (a light peachy brown) as well as Mouth Cloud, a soft matte lip cream in Magic Brownie (rosy brown). I also bought the Face Gems in Solid Neon and Light Trap, a duochrome glow powder in Enter the Glow (champagne with lilac pearls). I bought the Adornment Tweezers too as I find it difficult to add face gems with my own tweezers. I couldn't help but buy the Hair Pins too because they're so cute.
Firstly, the products are vegan and cruelty-free, something that is important to most people, myself included. I was delighted to see this because it means that more people can use the brand. I seem to have developed what I suspect is an allergy to carmine so I have only been buying vegan eye products recently. The packaging is fun and practical from outer boxing to the actual packaging itself. A lot of it is also made from post-consumer recycled materials (between 30% and 100%) and can be recycled using their mail-back program. So many brands throw around the word "sustainability" and it doesn't mean much, but it's nice to see a new brand outlining the sustainability of each product clearly on their website.
I decided to buy the neon Face Gems because initially I wanted the Face Studs but they weren't on sale yet. I already had some iridescent face gems from a different brand so I thought the neon would be fun to try out especially as it's summer. They are hypoallergenic with medical-grade adhesive so they are safe to use around the eyes and they won't come off unless you want them to. It's so much easier than using lash glue to apply them which is what I would have done before. The Adornment Tweezers is a game-changer for me and I'm so glad I bought it. It's not something I use every day but even if you like to apply single face gems, it makes it so much easier and safer as it has a rounded tip so you won't poke yourself in the eyes. I absolutely adored playing with these Face Gems, I would love it if you could buy bigger packs of them.
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The Chromaddiction Mattes and Shimmers have a tapered doe-foot applicator and the perfect amount of product comes out. They're not messy at all which some similar products can be. The shape of the applicator means that you can fill in larger areas or apply with more precision. The formulas are excellent too, Chromaddiction Matte is creamy and saturated but buildable. You can apply a small amount for a sheer wash of colour or build it up to full opacity. They are also transfer, smudge and crease-proof. As it's such a light texture it's also easy to use it as a liquid liner. The Chromaddiction Shimmer is just as easy to work with and blend. I love the shades I chose, they are so vibrant and eye-catching and you'll see in my photos below that you can wear them in a more subtle way if you prefer.
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Glitterpill is also foolproof, just make sure to shake it well first so the glitter is evenly distributed. It has a thinner tapered applicator making it the ideal shape for applying as a liner or over the whole eyelid. I applied it over black liquid liner as well as over the Chromaddiction Matte and it didn't lift the product underneath and was easy to control the applicator to achieve a thin line. There was no fall down and it was easy to remove which is one of the most important things for me when using a glitter product. If it's too annoying to remove I just won't use it much. This product in particular comes alive under lights or in the sunlight.
Light Trap, Chromaddiction Shimmer and Glitterpill under artifical light
Light Trap is a duochrome powder for the face. It can be used as a cheek highlighter but I love wearing it on my eyes too. It looks beautiful along the upper eyelid and brow bone to blend out the Chromaddiction Matte and Shimmer. I have also used it as an eyeshadow which you can see in the last look below. This was the product I was least sure about, even though it's one most people would probably love. I'm not usually into wearing powder highlighters so I didn't know if I would like it but it's the product I've used the most from everything I ordered as it's just such a beautiful, velvet finish, multi-use product. You can see on the website that it works on so many different skin tones too.
Half Magic Beauty Sculptitude 2-in-1 Longwear Lip Liner (I'll Pray For You, I Have Needs), Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil (600 Anywhere Caffeine, 604 Up & Down Tan), Lisa Eldridge Enhance and Define Lip Pencil (Affair, Muse), NYX Professional Makeup Suede Matte Lip Liner (Brooklyn Thorn, Lavender and Lace), NYX Professional Makeup Lip Pencil (Nude Beige), Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (Pillow Talk), about-face Matte Fix Lip Pencil (Cradled)
Half Magic Beauty Mouth Cloud (Magic Brownie), Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour (Velvet Decade, Velvet Muse, Velvet Fawn), Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick (Venus in Furs, Omi, 1995), MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick (Velvet Teddy), about-face Paint-It Matte Lip Color (Slumber)
Sculptitude 2-in-1 Longwear Lip Liner (I Have Needs), Mouth Cloud (Magic Brownie) applied in a sheer layer and patted into lips.
Sculptitude 2-in-1 Longwear Lip Liner (I'll Pray For You and I Have Needs)
Sculptitude (I'll Pray For You and I Have Needs), Mouth Cloud (Magic Brownie) applied more opaque.
Lastly is the Liptrik Kit which also surpassed my expectations. The double-ended liner is genius as it's something that I tend to do quite often to sculpt my lips but I end up having to use two liners or a liner and two lipsticks. It's so handy to have two in one product. The Mouth Cloud formula is a revelation, especially for anyone used to wearing liquid lip products. I have never experienced a formula like this. It's described as having a whipped, airy texture, blurring effect and nourishing matte coverage. I completely agree with this description, it almost feels like a light mousse which makes it easy to apply a thin layer if you want something sheer but it's thin enough that you can build up the colour to a full opaque brown. The liner is soft and smooth but long-wearing and you can apply it all over your lips, under Mouth Cloud or on top depending on the look you're going for. It has the same applicator as Chromaddiction which makes it easy to create an even lip line. I'm wearing it in all of the images below and you can see it looks different depending on how much you apply as a certain amount of your natural lip colour will come through.
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The final thing I wanted to mention is the pricing and shipping. The products are priced between $10 and $26 which I think is quite reasonable. I actually expected them to be more expensive because everything is so expensive at the moment. Perhaps the pricing reflects the fact that their target customer is probably on the younger side, although I definitely had more disposable income when I was in my twenties. I was happy to see this pricing especially now that I know the products are of such excellent quality. The international shipping price to Ireland was $16 which is in line with what I have paid from other US-based brands. I wasn't charged for customs either which was a bonus. There was a taxes charge of about 20% extra when I went through the checkout (I didn't calculate it exactly) so that's something to consider when placing an order. Whatever the price of a product is, you will be paying about 20% more than that. All in all, I think the pricing is fair because I live in the EU I paid more for shipping and taxes than a US-based customer would but that's something I have come to expect. I was willing to spend the money because I wanted to try the brand. Whether you are willing to do that completely depends on your budget. I actually placed a second order over the weekend because they have 20% which means you are taking away the price of the taxes. I had also seen more people using the products and had used the ones I bought enough to know I loved them and wanted to try more shades. I also bought the Face Studs which weren't available when I placed my first order so I'm very excited to try them.
If you're thinking about placing an order, I would also suggest having a look at the 'How To Use' section for each of the products as there are lots of videos with tips on how to apply everything. I found that helpful because often you use a product without knowing how the creator intended it to be used and there are some very useful tips in those videos.
The fact that these products were developed by a working makeup artist is apparent in how user-friendly they all are, not just for other makeup artists but for the everyday makeup consumer. I can only imagine the pressure of working on a set whether it's photography, film or television. I would think that working efficiently and smoothly is a non-negotiable so having products, especially colour and glitter products that make your life easier is invaluable to an artist. I have said before in relation to other Makeup Artist brands that they make the best creative directors and brand founders. They have tried every product on the market and I imagine, for the most part, they create products that they themselves would use in their kit.
I hope this review was helpful and I'd love to know what you think if you have time to leave a comment here or on Instagram (head over there for the details on what other products I used in these looks). Have you tried Half Magic Beauty yet or are there any products you'd like to try? Below is a little video of the shimmer and glitter products under lights so you can see them in all their glory.
Emma x
