Friday, June 28, 2013

Maybelline The Falsies "Big Eyes" Double Ended Mascara


I popped into Walgreens to get some travel sized goodies for a trip I'm taking soon. I needed a new mascara because mine had turned to crap. I saw the "Big Eyes" display and needed no further prodding. Into the cart it went.

I should mention that the original The Falsies is my absolute favorite drugstore mascara. I repurchase it every 3 months. So the idea of The Falsies on one end and a little teeny tiny bottom lash wand on the other end of one tube was pretty much my idea of heaven.

Here's the rub. The brush for the top lashes is not The Falsies brush. Based on that alone, I wish they would have called this something else because the main thing I love about The Falsies IS THE FREAKING BRUSH. The original has the same spaces between the bristles, but it's in a straight line down a curved brush so you get these long amazing lashes. The Big Eyes wand has the same spacing, but they are twisting around the brush so your lashes can get this clumpy wierdness until you figure out how to use it. It does get better after a few uses and gives pretty results.


The bottom lash side doesn't do anything for my bottom lashes aside from making them darker. It reminds me a lot of the original Maybelline Great Lash in the green and pink tube. Which does nothing for me either. When I use the original Falsies version on my bottom lashes I get some length and volume. Not with Big Eyes. But the original version does smudge a little by the end of the day. So...Big Eyes wins here because it doesn't.

I got this in the waterproof formula because I need one for summer. I do like it for that and don't notice any flaking, smudging or smearing throughout the hot days. Which is fantastic. This does also make my lashes stay curled a lot longer than the original version.

Overall, I think I would repurchase this mascara for the convenience factor alone of having 2 in 1. Great for travel and I do think the waterproof version is great. The only thing is I wish they would have not associated it with The Falsies because they are nothing alike. Good formula, easy to use and such a great idea. Slight miss on the brushes for me.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Amena Bean Papaya Enzyme Polish

PapayapolishSM
 
I really like this polish. When it was sent to me I was kind of in the market for a scrubbie because my Clinique 7 Day Scrub had just ran out. I like to exfoliate at least twice a week. This came in the mail and I was so excited to try it.
 
I wouldn’t call it a scrub or an exfoliator after using it though, it’s much more refined and gentle than that. Polish describes it perfectly. It has a fresh citrusy scent which is pleasant and subtle. I used this 3-4 times a week and noticed immediate results. My skin felt softer, fresher and much less congested feeling.
 
Amena Bean describes this as:
 
Papaya Enzyme Polish
Refreshes your delicate skin. The special Linked Papain enzyme incorporated in this formula exfoliates and digests dead skin cells that can clog pores. Essential oils in this creamy polish help eliminate bacteria and refresh the senses. The cleansing ingredients are extremely mild and used mainly in baby products. Sugar in this formula has an exfoliating function. Lactic acid is also added to this formula.
 
I used this on freshly washed skin and left my face a little damp. I wish the instructions were a little clearer on that. I used this on not wet and not dry skin, but somewhere in between gave me the best results. If your skin is too wet, the polish will just swirl around and not be effective. If it’s too dry, this can hurt or feel scratchy and won’t spread well. I rinsed with cool water and used a toner to close my freshly polished pores. I was left with glowy, happy skin. The closest thing I would compare this to is Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash. Which retails for $26 for 8fl oz. The only difference is the Philosophy is a cleanser and a polish, this is strictly a polish.

I would definitely repurchase this and think that for $5 (!!!!), this is a high quality product with very visible results.
 
Amena Bean is a local business who I like to support whenever I can. I've never tried one of her products that I haven't liked. I feel like they are very high quality products, especially considering her prices. I would not even mention them if I wasn't impressed by the products. If you are in the area or are interested in more information you can contact Elaine at:
 
Beauty By Delivery
 
**This product was sent to me for consideration of a review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are 100% honest and mine. As always.**

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Would You Rather-Makeup Edition Tag!

EmilyNoel did this tag on her blog. I always get so excited to see beauty tags for beauty bloggers so I decided to do this one too! Give it a try if you have some time, it's a fun one!!
 
 
1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

I'd rather lose my palettes and eyeshadows. I can get a look out of mascara, eyeliner, lipstick and lipgloss. Can't do much with just eyeshadow. I guess you could do eyes and blush but it wouldn't be very pretty!
 

2. Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

I'd rather never be able to cut it again. I do not like the way I look with short hair. I love it on other people and always think how healthy and easy it looks, but I'm just a long hair kind of girl. As long as I can brush it in this deal...I'm good with Rapunzel hair ;)


3. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

Oooooh....pink cheek all the way. It's healthy, natural and goes with pretty much any eye look. Corals are my love, but pink would never get old or go out of style.

4. If you had $1,000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Is this really even a question for a beauty blogger???? Makeup all the way. I can wear old faded Levi's, a white tank and flip flops but feel totally pulled together with the right makeup. A great outfit is lost without the face to go along with it in my opinion. Clothes go out, good makeup never does!


5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?

I'd go with eyeliner as lipstick just out of pure ick factor. The idea of something from my mouth being around my eyes just grosses me out. Eyeliner as lipstick would be scary but not as disgusting so I'll go with that one!

6. Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

I'm just not one of those massive MAC loving kind of girls. I have some things from MAC that I love, but I've been able to dupe a lot of the things I buy from there. I'm not a MAC hoarder by any means. I'd pick Sephora out of those 2 options just so that I had more choices of brands, colors and everything to choose from. But I'd get more excited having $1000 to spend at Ulta. We don't have one anywhere close to where I live and it just sounds SO exciting! Especially since I'm more of a drugstore kind of girl anyway.


7. Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

One eyeshadow. This is easy because I've pretty much been wearing one eyshadow color (L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush) for like 6 weeks now and I don't see any issues with that :) I can dramatically change the look of it with different lip colors. Gloss for an easy summer look, coral for a pulled together work look, hot pink for a sexy bronzey look. Lips change everything!


8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in the summer or summer clothes in the winter?

I get so crabby when I am hot, I'd rather wear summer clothes in the winter. No question!


9. Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

Bright. I feel like dark nails can make your cuticles look dry sometimes and it shows the wear of the polish so much faster than bright nails. Bright nails are just my fav anyway. They make my hands look tan and make me feel cheery and happy.


10. Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

Favorite eye product. I can do a bare eye with a fun lip color. Crazy eyeshadow with nothing else just isn't doing it for me!


11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

Oh, messy bun for sure. If I am at home my hair is in a messy bun, always. Except we call it the ratty bun and I like them huge. High on top of my head and bigger than my fist. When it comes to messy buns, the bigger the better!

12. Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

Never paint my nails. I am a total lip gloss girl. Complete goo hoarder. I get sucked in by the gorgeous colors, I love the way they make my lips look and feel if you get the right ones. I can't pass by a pretty one without feeling like she needs to be a part of my collection.


13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or Sharpie them in everyday?

Oh, ew. Eyebrows are massively important. This is so hard. I guess if you shaved them you'd have less work and at least there wouldn't be anything insane looking on your face. Sharpie eyebrows...I just can't. Nope. I'd shave them!
 

14. Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

Nail polish. This is kind of a repeater of #12. I love nails, but I love makeup way more. Nails are an afterthought. A nice companion to an otherwise pulled together look. What is the point of nice nails with nothing else going on?

Monday, June 17, 2013

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain

What a wierd and wonderful little product. I always say I am more of a gloss girl than a lipstick girl. The only downside is how quickly glosses fade.

If this annoys you, this little gloss might just be the thing for you. It's a lipgloss stain. I got mine in Pink Resistance. It's a very peachy, shimmery pinky nude. A very flattering "your lips but better" color.

It feels odd the first time you apply it, it looks odd because of the funny shaped applicator. It actually fits your lip perfectly and gives an effortless application. I got the best results by applying 3 light layers and allowing it to dry in between. It stays glossy and doesn't transfer. It feels moisturizing but doesn't wear off.  I'd say even with eating and drinking, this lasts 4-5 hours without having to be reapplied. Impressive.

This has all the benefits of gloss with all of the benefits of a stain. BAM. Amazing.

I believe these are supposed to be a dupe for the YSL gloss stains. Since both are owned by the same parent company, I wouldn't be suprised. For $10 compared to the more than double YSL pricetag, you just can't lose with L'Oreal's version. I would highly recommend!



Tuesday, June 4, 2013

DIY Curling Wand

Trying to convince me that I need another curling iron, is just not going to happen. I have one in almost every size and could not justify buying another one just because it didn't have a clamp.

So...I decided to take the screwdriver into my own hands and deconstruct one of my very own. I decided to try it on my 3/4 inch Conair curling iron. Originally purchased at Target for around $12. I chose this one because I recently chopped about 7 inches off of my hair and thought the smaller barrel might give me a few more "bends" to my shorter hair.

 
This was seriously so easy. I removed 3 screws which removed the clamp and the spring. What I was left with was a perfect little curling wand to create those gorgeous beachy waves we all love so much.

I am glad I did it and it's working really well. Those little Conair curling irons are such a great deal for us girls on a budget!

All I did for this look was wrap about 1 inch sections around the curling rod away from my face and hold for about 8 seconds each. Nothing uniform and nothing super neat. I wanted it messy. When they cooled down I tousled and sprayed Not Your Mother's Beach Babe spray. This look lasted 2 days.

Hello go-to summer hair!

 
 



Monday, June 3, 2013

Drugstore Rose Gold FOTD

I have always loved Rose Gold jewelry (see rose gold watch and bracelets that have been on my wrist for the past 3 years), but have just recently started trying out Rose Gold looks for my makeup. Sparked mainly from my love of the L'Oreal Rose Gold cream blush.

I feel like this shade is flattering on blue eyes in particular, but would be pretty on anyone. The eyeshadow has enough bronze in it to really compliment the blue. Also, this blush is just amazing. So gorgeous and unique. Perfect for sunkissed, summery skin!

NYC Sunny Bronzer, UD Naked Basics, L'Oreal Rose Gold cream blush, Maybelline Color Tattoo Barely Branded, L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush eyeshadow, Maybelline The Falsies mascara, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer/Highlighter.
 
This is an all drugstore look, apart from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, but I only used it for my eyebrows. So, feel free to replace that one thing with your favorite drugstore eyebrow product!

How gorgeous is L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush eyeshadow??

 
I am also wearing Revlon Lip Butter in "Juicy Papaya" on my lips, but it was in my purse for the photo. Such a gorgeous orangey melon shade that perfectly pulls the rest of the look together! 



I feel like this will kind of be an all summer go-to look. It's very easy, wearable, bronzey and summery. I really love it.