Alleyoop Makeup Review: Do More With Less
Haley's not just about styles and tips; she's hands-on with the latest beauty products, ensuring Glamour n Glow only suggests what truly works. Her life as a traveler and fitness enthusiast adds an extra layer of expertise. Whether she's exploring a new city or staying fit, Haley understands that beauty is a lifestyle.
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I’ve never been one to collect an excessive amount of makeup or even spend much time doing it. I want to look good and have time to enjoy other things that are important to me.
That’s precisely why I wanted to do this Alleyoop makeup review. Their motto is basically to make makeup as simple and efficient as possible so you have time for life.
An Overview That’s As Time-Saving As Alleyoop
Alleyoop’s makeup feels like you are putting silk on your face. It melts into your skin and feels extremely lightweight while providing great medium coverage. Here is a list of the things I got to try out and a quick review of each:
- Multi-Tasker Brush: The sponge blended in my complexion products quickly, and the bristles on the other three brushes were incredibly soft.
- Go The Distance Mascara: The best mascara I have ever used! And it’s hard to impress me with mascaras.
- Refillable Stack The Odds Compact: The cream bronzer, blush, and highlighter felt like a second skin and blended quickly.
- Pen Pal: I loved the lip liner and brow pencil and did not like the eyeliner. It was all buttery and went on without much pressure.
- Lip Goals Glossy Balm: Made my lips feel hydrated and fuller and lasted a long time.
- All-In-One Razor: It’s not a razor I would use daily, but it’s super convenient for last-minute touchups.
What Is Alleyoop?
Alleyoop isn’t your typical makeup brand with an expansive list of offerings that could make your head explode. They focus on simplifying your beauty routine and getting you what you need instead of telling you what you need. Rather than giving you a billion steps, they focus on the more important things.
Alleyoop is your go-to destination for eco-friendly beauty and lifestyle products. Their innovative, cruelty-free solutions simplify your daily routine while promoting sustainability. Discover their offerings and embrace effortless self-care with a conscience.
Minimalistic Makeup
I’m a firm believer in “less is more” with almost everything, but it can be hard to find a makeup brand that holds true to that motto. Alleyoop is one of the few that strives to make makeup as simple as possible. They’ve thought of everything, from reducing the amount of products needed to do a whole face to how easy it is to apply.
It’s actually funny because I implemented minimalism into my daily life long ago. A lot of Alleyoop’s checklist for their products resembles my minimalism checklist.
Alleyoop isn’t for those looking to do a full glam look. It is for those who desire a more natural look that can be done in ten minutes or less. It’s also fantastic for those who travel a lot because everything is TSA-friendly, and you can carry everything in a small 7×3.5-inch bag.
Good For Your Skin
Finally, a company that says it openly! Natural is not always better. Many companies like to loosely throw around the term “natural” because it sounds good to the untrained ear. However, if you think about it, many natural things are not good for you, like lead, arsenic, and venom. These are obviously extreme examples, but they make a point.
Alleyoop uses ingredients that are good for your skin, whether they can be found in nature or need a little bit of chemical tweaking. Some of their products that swap out harmful “natural” ingredients are their aluminum-free deodorant and tinted sunscreen with zinc.
Even though I approve of most of Alleyoop’s ingredients, they use synthetic dyes in some of their products. I don’t know why because you can easily make dyes from non-harmful plants and minerals instead. On the flip side, though, they use iron oxide in the majority of their products, which is a super effective and safe dye.
Environmentally Friendly
When searching for a new brand, one of the first things I always look at is its impact on the world. Alleyoop is a certified B corporation, meaning they have proven to positively impact the world socially and environmentally.
This certification is pretty hard to get, so this is proof enough to me that Alleyoop is a good company. However, if you need more proof, Alleyoop openly explains their efforts.
They have a net-zero plastic footprint, accomplished by contributing to ocean cleanup, using fewer resources to make their products, and choosing eco-friendly packaging. They use recycled plastic when possible, biodegradable packing peanuts, and make refillable and multifunctioning products to reduce waste. Alleyoop is also vegan and cruelty-free.
Opening My Alleyoop Box
Alleyoop sent me a box full of all the basics, and it was the perfect time for me to go on vacation to New Orleans. I was super excited to dive in and had to refrain from just tearing the box apart for the sake of this review. The box itself was super cute, being a brightly colored orange and having cute print all over the inside.
The first thing on top was an information card explaining how their new mascara works. This was super helpful because I like to know what my makeup is doing, and tubing technology is new to the makeup world. I’ll go into more detail on how it works further down.
I then removed the biodegradable packing peanuts to reveal all of my goodies. All the boxes that stored my products were surprisingly organized for traveling halfway across the country to my house.
What Was Inside
Nearly everything you need to do a basic look was inside my box. The only thing I did not receive was a foundation and concealer, which I already have a ton of, so I didn’t want to add more to my makeup box. Here is everything I received:
- Multi-Tasker Brush: One tool with four different brushes, including a concealer sponge, blush brush, eyeshadow brush, and angle brush.
- Go The Distance Mascara: Tubing technology mascara, made to elongate your lashes.
- Refillable Stack The Odds Compact: One compact with your highlighter, blush, and bronzer stacked on top of each other in color Sunkissed.
- Pen Pal: Made to throw in your purse for on-the-go touchups, it has a highlighter, eyeliner, lip liner, and brow pencil in the color Make a Mauve.
- Lip Goals Glossy Balm: A lip gloss that moisturizes your lips and makes them look fuller in the color Pink Positive.
- All-In-One Razor: It has everything you need for a quick shave, including a water spray bottle, a lather bar, and two razors.
Testing Alleyoop Makeup For Myself
After applying my tinted moisturizer and concealer, I did a full face with the Alleyoop products I got. I also got to test everything’s longevity during my trip to New Orleans this past weekend, so I put these products to the ultimate test.
Stack The Odds Compact and Multi-Tasker Brush
The first thing I do in my makeup routine after applying foundation is my complexion. I typically use a powder bronzer, blush, and, every so often, a highlighter. Alleyoop’s products are all cream, so I was excited to see the difference.
I started with the bronzer, and the instant I started swirling my finger around in the product, I knew it would feel good on my face. It feels super silky and light, and as soon as I applied it to my face, it started to melt into my skin. I used the sponge on the Multi-Tasker brush to blend it in, and it took no time to get my desired look.
Moving onto the blush, I did a heavier application than the bronzer because I like to look super rosy. The color built onto itself well, looking brighter with each application.
I used the blush brush on the Multi-Tasker to blend the blush and the highlighter. The blush brush was extraordinarily soft and blended in all the colors within a few strokes. I wish I had gone with a cooler-toned blush instead because it looked like a bronzer on my pale complexion.
Since I didn’t get the 11th Hour cream eyeshadow, I decided to use the bronzer and highlighter as my eyeshadow. This is something I do often for a natural look. Blending it all together with the eyeshadow brush on the Multi-Tasker took no time and looked super smooth.
Pen Pal and Lip Goals Balm
The Pen Pal is a tool I was super intrigued by. To have over half of your makeup inside one tiny pen seems too good to be true. I started with the brow pencil.
I should have gotten the lighter pen because the brow pencil was darker than I typically chose. However, my hair is kind of an in-between color, so it worked out. It went on super pigmented and easily blended out with a spooly.
I moved onto the highlighter, which I only used on the insides of my eyes, around my tear duct, and dragged it a bit under my eye. The color is less vibrant than I usually go for with a highlighter. However, it can be hard for me to find a vibrant highlighter due to my fair complexion.
My least favorite thing about this pen is the eyeliner. It went on easily, feeling like butter gliding across my eyelid with minimal pressure. However, it isn’t very pigmented, and it smudged everywhere. Throughout my entire makeup routine, I had to wipe the eyeliner off my brow bone, and the color was hardly there when I finished applying everything.
The lip liner is my favorite thing out of this pen. It goes on super creamy, yet it can still draw a precise and pigmented line. The color is also not super matte like many other lip liners and could be used as lipstick, too. It spreads easily by rubbing your lips together, so you don’t have to be super precise in filling in your entire lip.
I applied the liner throughout my lips and put the glossy balm on top. The lip gloss is super thick and lasted me a long time. It also made my lips look extraordinarily full and feel hydrated.
Go The Distance Mascara
Alleyoop mascara uses tubing technology, a relatively new type of mascara in the makeup world. From what I understand, it works by wrapping around your lashes to create a barrier that builds on top of itself. It comes off in a casing when you remove the mascara, which is freaky at first but totally safe for your lashes.
I did a few coats of mascara on my upper eyelashes, which made my lashes longer with each coat. It also separates my lashes to make them look highly defined and full. Typically, mascaras clump my bottom lashes together, but this one made them fan out even more!
I loved this mascara so much that I made my friend try it in New Orleans, and now she’s also in love. This is my new go-to mascara, and I urge everyone to try it. It will change your eyelash’s life!
All-One-Razor
Typically, I try to avoid single-use razors for environmental reasons, but this razor is made for emergencies where my heavy, all-metal razor is not. It is a portable razor that fits in the palm of your hand. There are two razors, a spray bottle, and a lather bar in one convenient case.
This razor isn’t made to use in your shower because everything is inside a round contraption that spins to what you need, and it can catch water. It’s more for when you have a surprise outfit change and must touch up some wild hairs. You can take it into a bathroom and quickly remove unwanted hairs in a pinch.
Pros
- Alleyoop makeup takes a minimalistic approach, saving you time, money, and space.
- Their products are environmentally friendly, being a certified B corporation.
- The Products are free of GMOs, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and other ingredients that aren’t good for your skin.
- They have an excellent return policy. You have 90 days to return, and they pay for return shipping.
- You can save 15% on your makeup by subscribing to have them sent at your chosen interval.
- The products melt into your skin and don’t feel or look cakey.
- The mascara does a fantastic job of defining and elongating your lashes.
- The Lip Goals Balm lasts long on my lips and makes them look fuller.
Cons
- They use synthetic dyes in some of their products, which can cause skin sensitivities and health problems for some people.
- You can’t use the subscription on everything, including some of the refills and mascara.
- The eyeliner in the Pen Pal isn’t super pigmented and doesn’t last on oily skin.
Makeup Brands Like Alleyoop
Glossier
Glossier and Alleyoop are very similar in the look you achieve with their makeup. Glossier makeup provides a dewy, natural finish and makes your skin look healthy. They offer only the basics in their lineup, most of which are in cream format. You can also find an array of skincare and other miscellaneous products.
ILIA
ILIA has combined skincare and makeup into one. Like Alleyoop, they have tinted sunscreen, plus heavier coverage foundation with niacinamide, nourishing mascara, tinted lip balms, and much more. Their lineup of products is super minimalistic and melts into your skin to look as natural as possible.
Subtl Beauty
This newer brand has probably made the most travel-friendly makeup on the market. Concealer, lip color, highlighter, translucent powder, or anything else you need is built into what Subtl calls a stack.
A bunch of pucks clip together to create one tall compact. It’s small enough to fit in your purse, and they have a fantastic multifunctioning brush to finish off your set.
Alleyoop Makeup FAQs
Question:Â Is Alleyoop Clean?
Answer:Â Alleyoop is free from toxic and harmful ingredients, like phthalates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and sulfates. However, some of their products contain artificial dyes, which can irritate some people with sensitive skin.
Question:Â Is Alleyoop Waterproof?
Answer:Â Most Alleyoop products, such as their mascara and cream eyeshadow, are waterproof. The tinted sunscreen is one of their few makeup products that need to be reapplied after being in the water, but that is mainly for the sunscreen to remain effective.
Question:Â How does Alleyoop’s Subscription Work?
Answer:Â When purchasing an item, you can buy just once or subscribe and have the product sent to you at your chosen interval, saving you about 15%. The intervals are between one month and every four months, depending on the product. You will only be charged when your products are shipped, and you can cancel anytime.
Is Alleyoop Everything I Thought It Would Be?
There are quite a few Alleyoop products that I would purchase again. My favorites are the Multi-Tasker brush, mascara, lip gloss, and the stackable compact. I’m almost certain I will never be wearing powder bronzers and blushes again after trying Alleyoop’s cream versions, and their mascara is the best I’ve ever used.
The Pen Pal is a great backup to throw in my purse for touchups or if I need some last-minute glam, but it’s not something I would use in my everyday look.
The eyeliner is pretty much only good for a smokey look, and the highlighter isn’t super bright. However, I love the lip liner in the pen and might use that more than some of my other lip liners.
The All-In-One razor is another one that is great for emergencies but not something I would use in my everyday life. There are a few things that Alleyoop provides that are unique in that they are super convenient for travel but not great for everyday use.
The products I’ve used from Alleyoop that are meant for everyday use are fantastic, though! I may try out their tinted sunscreen and concealer because I like the feeling of their cream makeup so much. They are so lightweight that it feels like I’m wearing no makeup, and it honestly does look like it is a part of my skin.
Alleyoop is your go-to destination for eco-friendly beauty and lifestyle products. Their innovative, cruelty-free solutions simplify your daily routine while promoting sustainability. Discover their offerings and embrace effortless self-care with a conscience.
