May & June Favorite Products!

Hey guys!

So....I'm back! And I'm excited to share with you some of my favorite things from the last two months! I'm kinda embarrassed about just how long it's been since I last blogged. But, let's just dive into my favorite things so far this summer!

Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut Candle, Pink Apple Punch Candle, Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner, Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo, China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle, Butter London Ladybird, Formula X Brazen, Urban Decay De-Slick Spray, It Cosmetics CC Cream, Moroccanoil, French Lavender and Honey Shower Gel and Body Spray, Too Faced Chocolate Bar, Stila Smudgestick, Jordana Best Lash Extreme, NARS Orgasm, and Tarte Lights Camera Lashes

Bath and Body Works Candle: Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut

Let me say, that I have an unhealthy obsession with this candle and it has only gotten worse by working in the store during the June Semi-Annual Sale. I LOVE this candle. I can't describe the amount of love I have for it. It's perfect. I've heard people say it smells like churros, but I think it smells like heaven. 

Pink Apple Punch Candle

Part of the Summer Sips collection, this was the first purchase I made mostly because I love the strong hint of apple. It's also been the most popular in store. If you love strong, fruity scents, try this out because it can't be beat. 

Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo & Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal

My new favorite hair combination, this has impressed me SO much the past two months. It makes my hair feel clean, look shinny, feel soft and sleek, and healthy. I haven't used Pantene in a few years, but I've always loved their stuff and I'm so happy I came across this combination. 

China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle

A newer purchase, I think this is gonna be my summer nail color. It's bright, it's fun, and it's the best turquoise I've yet to find. Plus, I always find China Glaze applies beautifully every time. 

Butter London Ladybird

This is my go to red for the summer. It's a brighter red with a little orange in it, and I'm so impressed by it's staying power and how pretty the color is! Plus I love the name!

Formula X Brazen

I've never been much of a fan of pink nails, but this color has definitely changed my mind. This is the perfect blue-based pink that I've ever tried. It stays on the nails forever and it's the most girly, pretty color. 

Urban Decay De-Slick Spray

I've said it a million times, but this makeup setting spray is one of my Holy Grail items. It makes my skin so much easier to handle and deal with during the summer. If you have oily skin, you need to try this out. I use it before my makeup, after I apply, and all throughout the day anytime I'm feeling grimy or oily. 

It Cosmetics CC Cream in Fair

I raved about this stuff a few months ago, but then I abandoned it. However, I went back to it and this time, instead of using a Beauty Blender, used a Real Techniques brush and got totally different results. I love the way it looks and feels on my skin. It's light but provides at least medium coverage. It has tons of sunscreen in it, which is great for summer, and I feel like it just makes my skin look glowy and happy. 

Moroccanoil

My all-time number one hair Holy Grail, I've gone back to using this almost every other day and once again, it never fails to let me down. I love the smell of this stuff and I love how smooth, shinny, soft, and manageable it leaves my crazy poofy hair. 

Bath & Body Works French Lavender Honey Shower Gel and Body Spray Minis

Let me start by saying that I don't honestly like the smell of lavender normally. So for the longest time this scent didn't even appear on my radar because I thought it would be like all the other lavender scents in the world: either too herbal or too artificial. Well, I was totally wrong about this stuff. It hardly smells like lavender! With the sweetness of the honey and apricot this smells like the prettiest, floral and sweet scent. I'm so in love with this scent that I can't wait to buy the larger sizes. I can't recommend this stuff enough. 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

This was the first purchase I made from my first paycheck and I'm so happy I did. I wanted something that would last and be an investment and it truly is. First off, it smells amazing. Second, I love the colors Marzipan and Milk Chocolate. I find myself always opening it up and using at least one of those shades. I especially like Stila Kitten with Milk Chocolate in the crease. 

Stila Smudgestick in Stingray

I've had a love/hate thing with this mechanical pencil liner. First off, I love how black it is. I might be the darkest mechanical pencil I've ever used. Second, I think it has a pretty decent staying power. Third, it glides like a dream across my lashline. However, I find the consistency very much like Urban Decays 24/7 Liners, which I didn't like because they were so messy to use. But, I keep finding myself going back to this and I love the packaging.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara

I went back to this mascara recently (I'm currently on a mission to find the best mascara ever and am really struggling). I really do love this stuff. It's so dramatic, affordable, and applies easily. 

NARS Orgasm Blush

I went back to my first blush I ever used this month and have refallen in love with it. I think Orgasm is just the best color for summer. I find that it goes with all of my makeup, and on my skin at least, looks so natural and glowy!

Tarte Lights! Camera! Lashes! Mascara

Another old favorite, I've been using this mini this month too. I like it a lot and love how it defines each and every little lash I have. It lengthens great and the packaging is adorable. Plus I just generally love Tarte as a brand. However, if I know I'll be sweating this is not a great choice because it loves smudging and flaking. 

So those were all my favorites! Let me know what products you've been loving!  

Review: Cover Girl Stay Fabulous 3-1 Foundation

Hey guys!

It was within the last month I finally became brave enough to not only try out a full coverage foundation, but to try a drugstore one at that.

I've heard great things about Cover Girl's 3-1 Foundation, especially for people with oily skin, so I decided this was the one I wanted to try.

Let's just say that I loved this stuff at first. It seriously gives the most natural full coverage face. It lasted at least 10 to 12 hours, and definitely had a powdery finish, perfect for my oily skin.

Everything about it is amazing, except for two things:

1.) The color selection is truly awful. In MAC I'm a C3. I'm definitely on the fair side, but I have a slight yellow undertone. Not orange. Not pink. Yellow. This foundation refuses to believe that anyone could be anything other than orange or pink. Everything was way too orange or pink. I went through four colors until finally deciding that 810 (Classic Ivory) was the best match I could get, but it still wasn't great.

2.) This broke me out like you wouldn't believe. At first it was all fine and dandy. And then four (4!!!!!) huge zits all popped out at once. One was the size of a nickel. I couldn't believe it. I've spent almost all of February and March trying to get my skin back to normal. But a couple of weeks ago I wanted to try it out again...thinking maybe it was a face wash or something else that caused it. And proceeded to get another 2 pimples.

Needless to say, I've given up with this foundation. It's not worth the breaking out and it bums me out that they don't offer a yellow toned version of fair.

That being said, if you have any recommendations for a medium-full coverage foundation that doesn't break you out and is great for oily skin, let me know. Drugstore or high-end would be great!

The Rocket Mascara--Revisted

Hey guys!

I've been crazy with getting lessons together for teaching and bouts with the stomach flu.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to retry Maybelline's The Rocket mascara.

Looking back to last year, I had pretty mixed reviews about this stuff. I thought that it was hard to remove, and not that amazing.

Fast forward a year, and now I must admit, that I really love this mascara. It might not be quite as good as the Jordana Best Lash Extreme or Benefit They're Real!, but I think it's pretty good without a doubt.

A couple of things that I really love about it:

-It cleanly defines my lashes while adding volume (Jordana definitely doesn't do that).

-It's not as hard to remove as I remember

-Holds a curl really good

-Doesn't clump easily

-Adorable packaging

-Adds a little bit of length with the volume

-Amazing for lower lashes

Overall, I think this is one of my favorite mascaras. There's nothing I really hate about it. I even would say that I like it more than Maybelline's Cat Eyes and Cover Girl Clump Crusher, both of which I really like. I must say though, that I prefer this the first week after opening. After that, it can be a little too dry for my taste.

Have you ever revisited old products and found out that you love them? Have you tried The Rocket?


   

First Impressions of Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara

I love mascara.

That should come no surprise to you since most of my blog makeup reviews are about mascara.

And it shouldn't surprise you either that today I'm going to share my first impressions about one of the most talked about affordable mascaras out there: Jordana Best Lash Extreme.

This is one of the most recommended mascaras if you search the internet. I honestly had never heard about it until recently, but the reviews online basically promised the world when it came to this mascara. Not only is it $2.99 at Kmart and Walgreens, but it also apparently performs nothing short of miracles on eyelashes. All for $2.99 from a brand that I would be kind of skeptical buying from.

Don't get me wrong. I like good deals and drugstore makeup, but sometimes you got to wonder if these things really work or if they'll make your eyes break out with pink eye or something crazy.

Anyway, I found it at Kmart, hidden away beside the NYC line. There were three mascaras left, so that made me feel a little bit better that it hadn't been sitting on the shelf for the last five years.

The promise from Jordana about this mascara is nothing out of the ordinary. It promises:

-Immediate Extreme Volume
-Buildable Formula without Clumping
-Long-Lasting Power

Actually, that might be the least amount of promises ever from a makeup brand about a mascara. Usually they promise everything just short of filing your taxes and washing your car for you.

So let's get into my first impressions:

Packaging:

The packaging is simple. It's a straight rounded tube that's purple and black. It may be the simplest packaging aside from the Elf Mineral Infused Mascara I used awhile back. When I first say it, I honestly had no clue what to expect.

The brush too is simple It's just a natural bristle that's nothing out of the ordinary. I can't really compare it to any others, but it's medium size. Nothing too big or too small or too fancy.

I can't take away points for the plain packaging. In fact, compared to some really obnoxious over the top mascara packagings out there (seriously the Flame Out is just awful in my opinion), it's great.

And the brush is good too. Just straight forward. I like that a lot.

The Look:

This promises extreme volume. And I think you can say that it delivers. In just one swipe through, it has built volume. I haven't seen this time of easy volume in the Falsies, Voluminious Million Lashes, or even Benefit's Bad Gal Lash. It just goes on super duper black and very easily. I just love how fast it builds. You have to watch it though, because if you get like me and just get greedy and swipe a million times through, your lashes can get heavy and kind of clumpy. Just to give you a warning, I love spidery lashes. That's because I love drama and length. I'm not so much a defining, feathery lash sort of person. And that's why I love this mascara so far. It lengths, adds volume, and defines in every way that I love.

 

 

I also must admit that I love mascaras that are kind of crusty and hard on my lashes. Why? I find they smudge less, hold up to my watery eyes better, and I just like feeling my mascara on them. And that's something that this stuff does. And with the help of my Clean and Clear makeup dissolving wipes, comes off very easily at the end of the day.

Final Thoughts:

If you have a Kmart or Walgreens near by, and like trying mascara, I say just do it. It's only $2.99 and if you like it, great. If you don't...well it's only a few dollars. I love this stuff. It could even become an all time favorite.

Do you love mascara reviews? Well I have a ton of them! Check out these others: L'Oreal Voluminious Million Lashes Excess, The Rocket vs. Clump Crusher, L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, Telescopic Shocking Extensions, and Benefit They're Real!    

Manicure of the Week: Peach Beach!

This week I was feeling in a peachy-coral sort of mood, which was perfect because recently I picked up a couple of brand new colors from Sally Hansen that I’m obsessed with! One of those was Peach Beach!

 

It’s kind of a mix of bubble gum pink and coral in the best summery sort of way possible. I’m obsessed with it. And like all Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polishes, this one has held of exceptionally well. I’m going on day four and still no chips or pealing!

 

 

 

Perfect Pearing & Peach Beach

 

 

The other color I picked up is Perfect Pearing...did I mentioned that I adore the names of these two? I found them at Target and I'm super excited about them! Not only were they affordable, but super cute and perfect for summer!

What are your go-to summer nail polishes?

Review of L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara

Hey guys!

I’ve been feeling under the weather the past few weeks, so blogging has kind of gone by the wayside. However, in that time I did try out a new mascara that I wanted to review for you guys!

As you know, I’m a pretty huge fan of L’Oreal mascaras, especially the original Voluminous Million Lashes and Voluminous Carbon Black.

So when I saw the new Voluminous Million Lashes Excess, I was instantly intrigued to say the least, since it’s the newer version apparently of the one that I was obsessed with last summer. Plus it has red packaging, which got me.

According to L’Oreal’s website, this mascara “combines bold volume with clean definition for an excessively dramatic lash look. The brush is bigger than ever to separate and build each lash evenly from root to tip. The mascara features a built-in, anti-clump wiper that removes surplus mascara for a clean impactful effect. Plus, the ultra black formula amplifies each individual lash for a dramatic effect.”  

That sounds pretty awesome, right?

When I picked this up though, I just barely read the packaging, so I didn’t really know the sales pitch at all. I just knew that it was called Excess, so I figured it had something to do with no clumping.

So let’s jump into the review:

The Wand:

Top: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

Bottom: Voluminous Million Lashes Excess



Excess tapers in at the middle with lots of defining bristles

Is amazing. It’s a very long brush, I compared it to my Voluminous Carbon Black and it’s definitely longer than it. It has kinda had a bump where it widens new the tip of the wand, which I honestly hadn’t even noticed until a few days after trying the mascara. The wand is a big star here. It helps separate lashes for definition, and is one that doesn’t need a lot of work to help apply mascara to lashes quickly or evenly. It’s great at not creating clump at all, while building fantastic volume.

Packaging:

Usually I wouldn’t necessary review this part, but since part of the pitch is about the anti-clump wiper, I thought I’d describe that a little bit. It definitely helps the mascara from now being gloopy or messy. It doesn’t though, make the mascara too dry or hard to work with like I feel Clump Crusher by Covergirl can be like. It works great!

The Formula:

Is really smooth out of the container, especially when I compared it to Voluminous Carbon Black, which is thicker, goopier, and not nearly as smooth. Excess’s formula is smooth and wet first out of the tube. I was a little worried when I first applied it to my lashes because of how wet it is. However, in no time it dried much to the feel of the Rocket by Maybelline or even the texture of Cat Eyes by Maybelline. It’s definitely not goopy or smeary at all, which I love. While I really love the Voluminous Carbon Black, it would smear and smudge pretty easily, while this stays put all day. I would most definitely say that this mascara is the L’Oreal version of The Rocket…but a million times better!

The Impact:

 

Is huge. In just a matter of a few simple swipes, this mascara makes my lashes so dramatic and full of volume. But they are defined, clump free, and so long looking! Seriously, the first time I put it on, I was shocked by how great my lashes looked! My mom saw them and instantly went to Walgreens to buy this same mascara because of how great it looked!  

I would most definitely say that this mascara is much like Rocket, so if you love that, you love this, except there are two reasons why Excess is better: it doesn’t hurt the base of my lashes and it’s a breeze to take off! It comes off super easily with my Simple Eyemakeup Remover pads! Which is something I love!

I can’t say enough great things about this mascara! I think it could even be my new holy grail…

Wanna see my thoughts on other mascaras? Check out The Rocket vs. Clump Crusher and Voluminous Carbon Black!

June Favorites

Hi guys!

Hope your June went great! Mine has been ridiculously crazy with summer school wrapping up and moving for the fourth time in six weeks. But I’m glad to be finally starting summer! For some really odd reason, I had a ton of trouble picking favorites this month. There are a few things that I just loved, and some things that I was just okay with.

Left to Right: Simple Smoothing Facial Toner, Gilmore Girls, Essie Turquoise andCaicos, Summer Boardwalk Candle, Urban Decay Naked Palette, Suave MoroccanInfusion Shampoo and Conditioner, Warm Vanilla Sugar Shower Gel, Not YourMother's Knotty to Nice Conditioning Detanlger, Malibu Heat Shower Gel

 

 

Simple Smoothing Facial Toner

This has been a huge love for me this month. It's seriously one of my most favorite facial products I have ever tried. Personally, I don't invest a lot of time or money into facial products. I prefer less is more, so you really won't see a huge skin care regiment from me. Before I tried this out, I had no clue what toner was even for (I still don't think I really know either). But I gave this a try because it was cheap (like $5 at Walmart) and from the Simple brand that has been putting out some amazing products. And I seriously adore this! I use it twice a day. In the morning I use an exfoliating cotton pad and just wipe this all over my skin, making it feel super clean and refreshed (while also reducing oil). This is before I put on any makeup by the way. Then at night I use makeup wipes to take off all my makeup, then I use another cotton pad and swipe it all over my face and get off any last remaining dirt or makeup that's still clinging to my face. This stuff is seriously amazing!

Gilmore Girls

I've been obsessed with this series of late. It's one of my all-time favorite shows anyway, but I've been watching the DVDS (so far I'm at the end of season 2) and I'm so hooked! It's hilarious and romantic and just a perfect way to relax after summer classes.

Essie Turquoise and Caicos

I love this color. It's like the perfect summer nail polish color. I'm pretty sure I talked about this in my April Favorites even. However, I do have a gripe that this nail polish never turns out perfect for me! It's like it's too thick or something. But at least the color is lovely.

Bath and Body Works Summer Boardwalk Candle

I finally picked this guy up at the Semi-Annual Sale and I absolutely love it! It's definitely a sweet smell (like caramel popcorn) and is to me a little bit more of a fall scent. But I love it anyway! I even went out and bought a second one too!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Out of nowhere this month, I went back to this palette and have been completely obsessed! Pretty much the entire month I have worn Sin (my ALL TIME favorite eyeshadow) across my entire lid, Naked in the crease and blended upward, and then Buck to define my crease a little more. I've worn this look pretty much the entire month because I can't get over how gorgeous it is!

Suave Moroccan Infusion Shampoo and Conditioner

If you would have told me this would pretty much become my favorite shampoo and conditioner ever, I would have thought you were lying. I personally am not a huge fan of Suave hair care. Or at least, I thought I wasn't. But this shampoo and conditioner seriously impressed me from the first use (see my first impressions post!). It makes my hair super shinny and straight. Like, I barely even have to run my flat iron through it! It smells pretty good, and is without a doubt cheap! I'm so impressed, and I even got my mom hooked on it! Check this out, it's seriously one of the best drugstore hair care products I've ever used!

Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Shower Gel

Even though the summer months are generally more of a fruity/fresh scent time, I've been completely obsessed with this scent! It's sweet and comforting and I can't get enough. I loved it so much, that I went out and bought the perfume too! If you love sweet, baked good scents, this is one you should check out!

Not Your Mother's Knotty to Nice Detanlger

I have super tangly hair no matter what shampoo and conditioner I use, so this product has helped quite a bit with brushing my hair after showering. I don't know if this is my holy grail detangler, but it's inexpensive and seems to work really well. One thing I'm curious about, is that some of the packaging is brown and some is orange? Is this a product packaging change or is this a totally different product?

Bath and Body Works Malibu Heat Shower Gel

Before I fell in love with Warm Vanilla Sugar, I was completely obsessed with this amazing summer fragrance. It's the perfect, coconut, pineapple, citrus summer scent. I'm so in love with this! And hopefully I can pick up the body mist too!

 

Let me know what your favorites were this month! Check out May's favorites too!

Review of L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Hey guys!

Mascara is without a doubt my favorite makeup to buy and use. It’s also one of the ones I’m the most picky about. I don’t know if it’s just me, but finding the perfect mascara is virtually impossible. If it’s not the formula that’s a little off, then it’s the wand. Or the packaging. Or the price. Or everything.

So in my search for the holy grail mascara from the drugstore, I decided to give the cult favorite, L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black a try. I’ve read from many blogs and magazines that this mascara is essentially magic in a tube.



From Ulta

On a trip to Target recently, my mom and I decided to try a couple and see what we think. She got the waterproof and I got the non-waterproof (I do not have the patience to take off waterproof mascara).

The results? Here's the before...

And the after!

 

I was pretty impressed honestly. I’ve been eyeing this mascara for a while now, but the reviews online always sorta scared me. People talked about raccoon eyes, smudging, goopies, and just pretty much stuff that makes nightmares when it comes to mascara. There’s nothing that I hate more than clumpy, messy mascaras, let me tell you.

This was nothing like that. It didn’t clump, went on easily, built up fast, and was pretty much great from the get go. It defines my lashes beautifully, makes them long, and like the title says, they are super black and definitely voluminous.

However, I do have a tiny complaint…

First, it does sorta smudge. More than the other mascaras I currently love (Clump Crusher, Cat Eyes, Telescopic Shocking Extensions). If you have itchy, allergy eyes that water, don’t wear non-waterproof, because your mascara will be a black runny mess. Let me tell you.

It comes off pretty easily, but the next morning I still find some smudges below my eyes.

So final thoughts? I like it a lot. What makes me the most happy about this mascara is how fast and easily it builds up. It seems like I could spend 10 minutes with Clump Crusher or Telescopic Shocking Extensions building them up. This mascara definitely doesn't take that long to build up to where I like it. I think I'll definitely repurchase!

(If you like mascara reviews, make sure to check out my comparison between The Rocket and Clump Crusher, as well as the Telescopic Shocking Extensions!) See this compared to the new L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess! Love drugstore mascaras that add volume? Also look at my review of the Jordana Best Lash Volume Extreme mascara!

My Everyday Makeup Bag

Hey guys!

It’s been awhile since I showed what makeup I wear every day, so I thought that it would be fun to take a look at it. I think the organization of your everyday makeup is one of the most important things you can do. Because I separate it from the rest of my makeup, I spend less time rifling around things I'm not going to use.

We'll start with just an overview of how I store it. Since I'm going to summer school, it's currently working best for me to leave my makeup on top of my printer on my desk. I keep my most used makeup brushes in a little candle holder I bought on a recent trip to Ikea (isn't it cute?). I keep my makeup in a medium size Vera Bradley makeup bag (this one in is Deco Daisy, which matches my room's color scheme). And I keep a couple of products beside it because they don't fit in my bag.

 

Let's move on to the overview of my makeup:

Left to Right: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, NARS Eyeshadow Primer, MAC Paint Pot, Maybelline Great Lash, Maybelline Define a Brow, MAC Technakohl Eyeliner, Tarte Eyelash Curler, MAC Studio Fix powder, MAC Warm Soul, Urban Decay De Slick, Urban Decay Naked Basics, Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes, L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions, Covergirl Clump Crusher

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

My newest mascara obsession, this has the been the mascara I've worn solely of late. I really like how black it is, as well as how easily it applies. It definitely is worth the hype, and I'm totally loving so far!

NARS Eyeshadow Primer

I've been using this for the past six months and really don't have any complaints. I think in combination with my beloved MAC paint pot in Painterly, it helps my shadows stay on all day, true to color. When I run out of this, I'm tempted to try a different brand just to experiment.

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

I love love love this eyeshadow base. It helps my shadows stay on and creates a neutral, even base for them. I seriously have no clue what I would do without this base. I've had it over a year now, but I'm pretty sure that here soon this summer I'm gonna have to purchase a new one since this one is used every single day. I can't say enough great things about this product.

Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

I love this clear mascara for my eyebrows. It locks them into place all day, without adding any unnatural color. Plus it's super cheap!

Maybelline Define a Brow Pencil

My Revlon Brow Fantasy (one I've been using since last July), finally was retired, so I picked up this little brow pencil this month. So far so good, although I don't think the staying power is that of the Revlon pencil in the Brow Fantasy. What I do like though, is the fact this combs with a tiny comb attached at the end, and is super thin and tiny, making it really hard to over do your brows.

MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in Graphblack

This is my holy grail eyeliner. I can't say enough amazing things about it, besides that I love it and I plan to repurchase over and over and over. It's a dark black, that stays all day long. It doesn't need sharpening and it maintains it's dark richness all day long!

Tarte Eyelash Curler

My current curler, this guy is working really well for me. Plus it's cute, which always helps. Curling my lashes always opens up my eyes and helps make my lashes as dramatic as possible.

MAC Studio Fix Powder

This is a new product that I bought earlier this month. I love it! I wanted to up my coverage (this is a medium to full coverage powder foundation), without having to go the liquid route because my skin is obnoxiously oily during the warmer months. This has fit the bill. I'm sure I'll be gushing about this during my May favorites.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

I also picked this up when I bought my Studio Fix powder. It's literally the perfect summer glow. It has fantastic staying power, provides a really nice natural glow, and is pretty pigmented. (If you want a drugstore dupe, the Milani baked blush in Luminoso is super similar and is about $15 cheaper)

Urban Decay De Slick Makeup Setting Spray

Gosh, I love this spray so much! It has replaced all my primers and has made my experience with the Studio Fix powder amazing! So many reviews online talk about that powder being too cakey and unnatural. Well, with this setting spray, it comes out amazing and oil free every single time! This is quickly becoming a holy grail type product for me. It has made me not hate hot or humid days (as much...). This is just the travel size.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I'm pretty sure I've worn this palette every single day but one this month. Seriously, it's my new obsession with eyeshadow. I love how this produces a natural, pretty eye all in one little palette. I definitely say this is a must have of mine. Lately, I've been wearing Venus all over my lid, Naked 2 in my crease and blended upward, Faint defining the outer part of my crease, and Foxy as a brow highlight. Basically though, I've used the five lighter colors so much this month!

Maybelline Cat Eyes Mascara

As you can tell, I love mascara. When I curl my lashes and they decided they don't want to cooperate and want to run amok all over the place, this is the mascara I turn to. It's the least particular out of all my mascaras and turn any lashes into dramatic, pretty ones. I love the wand on this guy. It's the wettest formula in my opinion of all the mascaras posted. I've repurchased this before and I definitely will in the future.

L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions

My favorite lengthening mascara, this defines my lashes beautifully with it's tiny little brush. This is a mascara I have to definitely not overpower. I think it's best applied slowly and lightly, building patiently. If you try to overpower it, it will just resist because the brush is so flexible.

Cover Girl Clump Crusher Mascara

My second favorite mascara at the moment (the Voluminous Carbon Black is currently dominating), this mascara does it all. My only complaint: it seems too dry at times.

So there you have it! Those are the products that I use on a daily basis! What are your go to favorites for everyday? Do you do a full face? Just mascara?

 



 

L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara Review

Hey guys!

With all the new mascaras coming out in the drugstore, it seems like I’m in a constant state of trying things out, without a definite favorite. About a month ago, I picked up the L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions mascara because I saw some reviews of it on Youtube that made it look like pretty much like the best mascara ever. Knowing that in the past I have liked the L’Oreal mascara I had tried, I wanted to take a look at this.

The first thing I noticed about this mascara was the brush. I knew from watching videos, that it was going to be a tiny, skinny brush. But what surprised me, which pictures on places like Makeupalley don’t really show, is that the bristles are so far apart. Basically over half of the brush is made up blank space, which I instantly was turned off about. Plus, when I put into the mascara, it wouldn’t fully coat the brush in those blank spaces, which kind of irritated me as well. But I went ahead and tested it.

The first few times I used, I was so disappointed! What I got was nothing like what I saw on Youtube (huge long lashes and tons of volume). I got short, very darkly coated, clumpy lashes. Not so pretty. I was disappointed that it seemed to flake as well throughout the day. Deciding to go back to the Rocket or my Cat Eyes mascara, I ignored it for a few weeks before trying it again.

Oddly enough, I used it and got really long, pretty lashes! This doesn’t make sense! Why is it so inconsistent? I’d still say that it was on the clumpy side (seriously, you can get spider lashes fast with this formula, so be careful!). When it worked, it was really pretty. But when it doesn’t, it’s a huge miss.

Overall, would I buy this mascara again? Yeah, I probably would. I've noticed that the key to this mascara is to have your lashes really well curled before putting it on. If they aren't you will definitely struggle. But I love the long, dramatic look. I think the staying power is as decent as other non-waterproof versions for sale. And overall, there are definitely more difficult mascaras to use out there.

Here’s the breakdown:

 

I Heart Drugstore Makeup

Hi guys!

So this makeup tag went around Youtube last fall, but I decided it might be kind of fun to do it here on my blog. Recently it seems like I’ve found a lot of great finds at the drugstore, and I think it’s always fun to see what other people love from there, since there’s often a lot of hits and a lot of misses. Here are my answers to the questions!

1.    What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?

This is kind of a hard question for me because I think I love all drugstore makeup brands pretty equally. I’ve had good things and bad things from them all. A lot of the others that have done this have said Revlon. I think this probably would have to be Maybelline for me, with ELF and actually Covergirl as runners up.

2.    What are your favorite face, cheek, and lip products?

My favorite face product from the drugstore is probably ELF’s Mineral Infused face primer or Revlon’s BB cream. Both have really impressed me and are super similar to high-end versions that I’ve enjoyed. Because I dislike lipsticks and I really don’t wear lip gloss all that much, my favorite drugstore lip product would have to be Maybelline’s Baby Lips.

3.    Least favorite product?

The Falsies

Without a doubt it would have to be Maybelline’s the Falsies mascara. I don’t know if it was me, or the fact that I didn’t try to the flared version (which is supposed to be better), but I was so disappointed in this mascara. It was super wet, super clumpy, and was impossible to remove. Another least favorite was probably Garnier’s BB cream was also so disappointing! It’s definitely not meant for people with oily skin.

4.   What is the best makeup bargain?

Walking on Eggshells

There are several that I can’t choose from. It’s so hard. First, I’d have to say that I love Wet n Wild’s eyeshadow in Walking on Eggshells. Considering this is a dupe for Sin, Naked, Buck, and Virgin in the Naked palette (this is the answer to number 7!), this definitely makes it a great bargain. Plus the quality is just fantastic. Another that is a great bargain is the ELF Mineral Infused face primer, which goes for $6 and is just as good as the $17 Sephora kind I used previously. Both I use constantly and love.

5.   What is your favorite underdog product?

Shimmering Sands

My favorite overlooked product would have to be Covergirl’s Shimmering Sands eyeshadow trio. I know this is an online favorite, but compared to ones like Wet n Wild’s, it doesn’t get near enough attention. This is my absolute favorite eyeshadow from the drugstore, and I think it deserves a lot more credit than it gets.

6.    A drugstore product that is overpriced?

I don’t own any drugstore foundations, but I’m always shocked by how much they cost! Revlon Coverstay and the Nearly Naked kind are like $12! To me, drugstore makeup should be $10 and under. Plus, if I’m going to spend that much on a foundation, I want to make sure it matches me perfectly and that it reacts to my skin well. For $30, I can try it out beforehand, get color-matched by a professional, and return it, even if I used it, at Sephora. So that’s probably why I wouldn’t be tempted to spend that much on something like Revlon’s Nearly Naked.

7.    Best drugstore dupes?

Like I said earlier, I think Walking on Eggshells is the exact dupe for my favorite shadows from the Naked palette. I’m always super impressed by how similar they are.

8.    Drugstore product that isn’t worth the hype?

Walking on Eggshells

Without a doubt, it would have to be Covergirl’s Lash Blast Volume and Fusion. I hate these mascaras with a passion. I hate the brush because the bristles are way too small to separate lashes. I don’t like how wet the formula is. I just think they are awful mascaras and that there are much better ones out there.

 

What are your favorite drugstore products? Favorite brand?