Lately, I have been discovering that so many other makeup brands exist (online) and these smaller labels have been using Instagram as the ultimate free advertisement zone and social media connect since the heydays of MySpace (Where is Tom these days?) Usually found through the Instagram “Explore” page, as I “like” and follow a bunch of makeup accounts, I also discover new makeup on Dupe That, a very handy and fun layout that visually compares the alternative color and price options of more affordable brands to the higher-end or slightly more expensive names of favorites like Anastasia Beverly Hills, M.A.C. and Kat Von D.

It’s already a lot having to pick from either the CVS aisle or the suction of Sephora-land. Social media has only made our makeup selections bigger. Below are just a some of the new goodies available to you and your growing vanity area.

PRETTY ZOMBIE:

Their tagline on Instagram is “Everyday is Halloween”! Pretty Zombie Cosmetics specializes in bright, vibrant shades for their liquid lipsticks. Whether pitch black (“Black Car”) or a deep ultraviolet (“3 Witches”), their matte finish liquid lip tube costs $12 and 4.99 for U.S. shipping.

BLACK MOON:

Black Moon Cosmetics gained a lot of Instagram followers in anticipation of the launch of their first four liquid to matte lipsticks on the day of the Harvest Moon eclipse on September 27 (remember the Super Blood Moon?) Taking on a nocturnal aesthetic through the packaging, the names of their lipsticks pertain to vampires, zodiac signs and Gothicism. Getting “Purgatory” or “Sanguis” on your lips will you cost you $18. (And the color fade-out detail of the tube is creative!)

LIPLAND:

Getting a lot of traction with the beauty community after their collaboration with the influential Amrezy, Lip Land offers lip colors in all five forms of the Lip Gloss, Creme Gloss, Liquid Lipstick, Matte Lip Crayon and Lipstick. Right now, their most popular product is the Amrezy Liquid Lipstick in “Montenegro”, a black cherry, that Kim Kardashian West recently wore at a L.A. red carpet event. The prices range from $14.99 to $18.99, and good news! The shipping is free!

COLORKILL:

An “indie” label that’s a little over two years old, Colorkill is currently selling fourteen HD shades of their Mega Matte Liquid Lipstick and Pure Matte Lipstick. Mixing both a kitschy girly look and 1940s pin-up, Colorkill costs $14.50 and offers free shipping.

MAKEUP MONSTER:

Based out of Spokane, Washington, Makeup Monster is loud and proud with its colorful, ghoulish, Day of the Dead outlook. Selling Matte Liquid Lipsticks and Color Stix, the website separates the products in color families such as “Orange/Yellow” and “Pink/Red” and cost $15.95.

SLEEK MAKEUP:

Best known for their palettes, Sleek Makeup is affordable and user-friendly with its non-outlandish packaging and familiar colors. Lip Creams cost $7.49 and their Base Duo Kit Foundation and Powder cost $14.99, the latter being the highest price point for the brand. And it’s very brown girl friendly!

SACHA:

A favorite of beautiful beauty bloggers that just happen to be Black and of color such as BeautybyJJ and Jackie Aina, Sacha Cosmetics caters to brown and dark skin tones, but generally sell shades and hues that will work on a range of skin tones! Their most popular item is the Buttercup Powder, their answer to the cult usage of Ben Nye’s Banana Powder. There is free shipping on U.S. and Canadian orders over $35 and prices go from $10 to over $20!  Think of Sacha as like the cool cousin to other brown girl friendly lines like Black Opal and Fashion Fair.

LOOXI BEAUTY:

This brand is serious about the pigmentation of their eyeshadows and shimmers. On the homepage, however, below the large logo is a hyperlinked disclaimer that looks kind of scary! But once you get to reading it, it’s just a reminder that all products are made to order and because of that, it could take up to two weeks to be processed. They are a little aggressive about not agreeing to refunds or replacements if your paid items get damaged or lost in transit, but I haven’t come across any serious complaints online about Looxi as if they were Lime Crime 2.0. And on to the colors that are vibrant and shiny! They sell shadows for the purpose of filling a pan palette and their highlighters just glisten off their website!