First Impression: Benefit Gimme Brow

Hey guys!

I have another quick first impression today on Benefit's Gimme Brow. When this product first came out, I was a little skeptical. For me, it's really hard to spend so much money on my brows. But after using products from Anastasia and seeing that some of the higher end products do make a difference, I was really drawn to this product. In particular, I was intrigued by the lure of a fast and natural brow. I personally don't like super defined brows, so Gimme Brow sounded great.

Overall, after my first impression of Gimme Brow is really positive. Within two swipes on my first brow and it was instantly transformed. I was shocked by how great it looked with so little effort. Usually with my brow powder, it would take 10 minutes of work to make my eyebrow look that good. Here's a comparison of one brow done and the other not:



Left is the one with Gimme Brow, the right is untouched



As you can see, it made a significant difference. Just like the first brow, the second brow was also transformed. This one I had a little bit more trouble because it got a little gloppy, but it was nothing combing through couldn't fix.

So right now I'm super impressed. I can't believe I scoffed at this before now.

Have you tried Gimme Brow? Let me know your favorite brow products!

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!    

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 Top 5 Favorite Mascaras

Hey everyone!

I don’t know about you, but the most purchased makeup items for me are always without a doubt, mascara. I think that’s the case for a lot of people. Why? Because even when you find one you like, you are always hoping that there’s another out there that is better. At least, that’s my excuse.

What makes mascara hard is that for some odd reason, each kind reacts totally different to each person. There is no universally perfect mascara unfortunately. There are good ones, really bad ones, and just okay ones. But not one single one that has everything.

Because I’ve been trying mascaras out like crazy recently, I thought I’d highlight my top five favorites…ever. That’s pretty lofty, and sometimes it’s hard to choose, but these have always been mascaras that work for me.

1.    Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara

Colossal CatEyes

What’s funny about this mascara, is that online the reviews of it aren’t that great. I was actually super hesitant to buy it originally because people hated it so much. But I’m so glad that the packaging (it’s so cute!) pulled me in! What I especially love about this mascara is the wand. It has the thick, bristles (not the plastic type), that defines my eyelashes so well. I love the curved wand, as it makes the outer corner of my eyes so dramatic (the packaging promises full and spiked outer lashes). The formula is great. I’ve repurchased this and probably will in the future too.

2.    Covergirl Clump Crusher

Clump Crusher

This is another curved wand mascara that I love. I like how this makes my lashes long and defined. This has a plastic wand, but something about it makes it super easy to just brush out your lashes. The formula is definitely on the dry end, which is both good and bad. I don’t like wet mascaras at all, and this is definitely the opposite of it. I’ve also repurchased this mascara as well, and will do so in the future.

3.    Maybelline The Rocket



The Rocket

This is another recent favorite of mine. As my blog has highlighted, this mascara and I have gone through ups and downs. For some time I definitely wasn’t a fan of this mascara, but what made me go back to it is the dramatic, volumized look it gives my lashes. It’s pretty defining and doesn’t take a lot of coats to make my lashes dramatic and black. While I’m not a fan of the gel consistency of the formula or how the brush kind of hurts the base of my lashes, I do love the consistent, dramatic look of it.

4.   L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes

 

Volumious Million Lashes

This was my mascara love of the summer. I think this mascara is an all-around solid mascara. While it can get a little clumpy, the formula, brush, and packaging are all great. It’s easy to use, and very flattering on my lashes. They define and add volume. This is one that I’m hoping to try out again soon.

5.   Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes!

Lights, Camera, Lashes!

This is the only high-end mascara on my list (mostly because it’s the only high-end kind I’ve tried). If there were such thing as the perfect mascara, this probably would be it. First, it has good ingredients that are meant to make lashes healthy, it’s cruelty free, and has super cute packaging. It’s great at both adding length and volume to lashes. While this is not the waterproof version, it has fantastic staying power. It’s not the type of mascara you need to comb through your lashes continuously, which is a great bonus and time-saver. The only negative is the price. But I love it.

What are your favorite mascaras?

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara First Impression!

Hey guys!

As with any trip to Target, last week I picked up a few things I had no intention of buying. One of those things, was Maybelline’s newest mascara, The Rocket. See, I wasn’t intending to pick it up for a few reasons. First, I’m definitely enjoying my Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara. It’s been awesome to use and I really like the results I get. It may not be my favorite when it’s compared to Maybelline’s Cat Eyes mascara, but it’s still really good.

I also watched a few first impressions videos about The Rocket mascara and honestly, wasn’t very impressed with what the formula looked like, and the results. It looks essentially like Maybelline’s version of the Last Blast from Covergirl (big plastic wand, very wet and clumpy formula). And while I love big dramatic lashes (it’s funny because they are the one thing that I love to be dramatic), it’s not worth the mess that a formula that’s clumpy and wet results in.

But it was calling me and the packaging sold me a little too (I honestly hate the packaging of the Clump Crusher). I find it extremely boring. Maybelline always wins when it comes to packaging in mascara. Here is the description Target’s website provided about the mascara:

“Explosive volume in rocket time! Bigger, smoother lashes. Now, the most explosive, beautiful lashes ever! Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara's patented supersonic brush with micro bristles loads on big, sleek volume instantly. Our fast-glide formula keeps lashes smooth. Zero clumps guaranteed!”

First Impressions:

-       Wet. And I hated it. It got everywhere. Below my eyes, on my lids. Everywhere but the lashes.

-       The brush is too big to coat the lashes well. I think the curved wands from my last two mascaras spoil me. But this seemed impossible.

-       Did I mention it was so wet that it took forever to dry? I was afraid to sneeze because I thought it’d somehow end up on my forehead.

-       It washed off pretty well with my Simple wipes though.

Despite these less than impressive results, I went back the next few days and tried again. Day 2 was much the same. I wanted nothing more than to go back to my Clump Crusher mascara, cutting my losses with The Rocket. Day 3 however, I noticed a significant difference. Maybe my lashes were curled differently (let’s just say I’m struggling a tad with my MAC one. It seems to curl too much, like at a 90 degree angle!), but the process went so much smoother and the results were ones that I actually loved!

-       The volume was fantastic. My lashes were dramatic and black! Long and pretty! Not as defined as other mascaras, but the length and volume were definitely there!

-       Not nearly as much clumpiness as before!

-       It was still wet and managed to coat my nose and eyelid, but the control seemed much better.

-       Did I mention my lashes looked fantastic?

-       It took one coat. One. Not ten minutes like sometimes I feel the Clump Crusher takes to get my lashes looking dramatic.

So as you can see, there are some mixed results. I’ve had two days of ehhh and two days of amazing. I’ll keep using it and keep you posted about my final thoughts on this mascara.

Have you tried it? Any thoughts? What’s your go to drugstore brand for mascara?

Cat Eyes Caitie

So I’m obsessed with trying out new drugstore mascaras. I think we all go through that stage. As I’ve said before, I believe that finding the perfect mascara is a lot like what Randy from Say Yes to the Dress says about finding the perfect wedding gown or husband: “When you find one you love, just stop looking.”

And I have found ones I love:

· L’Oreal Voluminous Millions Lashes

· Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes!

· ELF Mineral Infused Mascara

But…there’s just so many with cute packaging and under $10 at Target and Walmart that call me! For instance, on a recent trip to Walmart, I was just walking around the cosmetics section. And that’s when I saw Maybelline Volum’ Express Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara. See, I noticed not too long ago one of my sorority sisters had this mascara on her dresser. I had never seen it before, so I was like, “huh, I wonder what that is?” So coming face to face with it in Walmart seemed like fate. Plus it was yellow, had leopard print on it, was under $6, and apparently has a crazy wand. So I bought it.

{Source}

Before using it, I read some reviews of it online, and found that most people were less than impressed with it. This made me sad before I even opened up the package. A lot said that it didn’t do anything special, the formula had all sorts of issues, and a bunch of other stuff I completely forgot.

However, when I started using it, I was so shocked! I love it! See, I hated the Falsies. So I didn’t have very high hopes for this. But the practically “C” shaped wand works so well on my eye shape! It looks fantastic and I can really see a more dramatic cat eye look for my lashes! Plus it doesn’t clump, smear, or smudge (take that Falsies!).

Maybe I’m just really easy to impress when it comes to mascara these days, but I’d say everything I’m using has been great!

Have you recently purchased any new mascara? Do you like to try new ones out, or just stick with your tried and true?



 

A Drugstore Surprise

A few weeks ago, I encountered a makeup catastrophe.

My MAC Technakohl eyeliner had experienced a painful death (pretty much it wouldn’t twist up and the liner would just crumble into a big dramatic black blob). Unfortunately, the nearest MAC counter is almost an hour away. And while I usually consider the $15 liner reasonable, the cost of gas to buy said liner, would just be too ridiculous.

So I was left eyeliner-less. I raked my brain, trying to remember what my favorite beauty gurus on Youtube and on beauty blogs said were their favorite drugstore eyeliners. A lot of them really like felt tips, liquid and gel liners, which all look amazing. But I really just like mechanical pencil liners. And I looked around Target and just didn’t see anything that looked very good. And when I did, every other girl in my college town did, and it was sold out.

So then I remembered a recent tutorial that my favorite Youtuber (Dacey Couture) did that involved Physician’s Formula eyeliner. She didn’t give a review on it, but it looked really nice and I like that Physician’s Formula is natural and cruelty free. And when I looked at Target I was drawn to the brown eye trio. I have green eyes! Why the brown eye one? Because it came with both brown and black (plus purple, but that wasn’t a selling point) all for $10. And they are mechanical.

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I went for it. And I’m so glad I did!

What I Love:

·         Cruelty Free

·         Mechanical

·         Natural

·         I got three for only $10

·         They glide on so smoothly and easily

·         They have great staying-power (like 8 to 10 hours)

·         Can smudge for a softer look

·         Comes with a sharpener too, if you want a more precise clean line.

·         Rich color

Pretty amazing! It’s literally just like my MAC Technakohl liner. It doesn’t have quite the same staying power (the MAC version can stay even after using the most powerful waterproof makeup remover), and it’s not quite as deep color. But since you get three liners for $5 less, it’s pretty much worth it.

I loved it so much, that I when I saw the Nude Trio at Walmart recently, I purchased it too!

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 So have you found any drugstore makeup that has surprised you? Or any that has surpassed your high-end favorites?