AF94 from About-Face offers 13 products that are a hit with users on budget
Ashley Frangipane, better known as Halsey, has made a huge splash in the makeup industry with their colorful brand About-Face. The New Jersey native, who uses she/them pronouns, launched the mid-end brand in January 2021.
Their Fluid Eye Paints and Line Artist eyeliners have already received the coveted Allure Best of Beauty Award. By boasting a creativity-driven campaign that celebrates artististry through makeup, About-Face has garnered 327k followers on Instagram.
The products range from $13-$18 each for a single full-size product. This is on the affordable side of mid-end makeup, but I am a broke college student who only does fun looks once a week. I can’t justify carelessly dabbling in the brand as much as I would like to.
However, with drugstore makeup continuing to improve, I usually forego any FOMO. So many low-end products can now hang with the pricier must-haves for way cheaper. A huge disparity still exists in quality when observing colorful makeup though.
Now enter About-Face’s new sister brand, AF94, that launched in July. Found exclusively at Walmart for $10 or less each, they are helping to fill the gap in editorial drugstore makeup. With only 13 products in their lineup so far, they pack a punch with standout formulas that are reminiscent of About-Face’s quality. All products from both lines are not tested on animals and are vegan too.
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Backline: an $8 liquid eyeliner. I purchased Sum1 New, a dark navy, and Vaporized, a black with silver shimmer. These make cat eyes and graphic looks simple by being highly pigmented — which means you won’t have to go over it again and again. They stay put even when my watery eyes start to tear up throughout the day.
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*69: an $8 gel eyeliner. I got this in Atomic which is a turquoise hue, fit for a mermaid. This has been my go-to bold liner because it somehow pairs well with lots of other colors. It glides on easily and can be used as a liner or a smudged-out shadow — just blend quickly because once it sets, it is set.
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Push To Start: a $10 volumizing mascara. I got the bright blue shade Bada-Bing and it really revs my engine, if you know what I mean. (I don’t know what I mean either, but just go with it.) It applies opaque even over dark lashes. Unfortunately, it dried out quickly, which has happened with other color mascaras I have tried. I added two drops of my regular eye drops and haven’t had issues since then. I removed a star from my rating for this reason alone.
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Playdate: a $9 multi-use cheek + lip color stick. I got the shade Savor which is a nude pink color that makes me look like I have been in the sun all day. It is great for a five-minute, grab-and-go makeup look before work or class. The color fades eventually, but it lasts the better half of the day. For only five shades, the color selection is surprisingly diverse.
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Scribble Stick: an $8 glossy lip crayon. I bought this in French Disko, a warm brownish pink. It is hard for me to find lip colors I like, but I love this one. It is a great “my lips but better” shade that can turn into a darker sultry color by applying more. It has a light moisturizing gloss that isn’t overbearing or sticky. A heads up: It requires sharpening with a jumbo sharpener.
AF94 promotes experimentation with makeup beyond the typical natural look. The formulas are some of the best from the drugstore I have tried. Even when a product lacked something, there was still something else about it that made me excited to use it again. With daring colors that resist fading and are easy on your wallet — go ahead and play.
