Click and Make-Up Beauty Blog: mascara

Showing posts with label mascara. Show all posts

Saturday

Review | Maybelline Rocket Volum' Express Mascara

Don't you love it when you find a new mascara to love?

Maybelline's new Rocket Volum' Express Mascara* thickened, lengthened, fanned and held the curl in my lashes impressively well - I expect the Waterproof formula would do the latter even better.

Very few plastic wands appeal to me, but the bristles (that would be the jet glide brush!) are so fine and pliable that coupled with the incredibly smooth formula, clumping is kept at bay. My lashes are happily quite plentiful so I experience a measure of clumping with all mascara, but on someone with denser, finer lashes, Rocket Volum' would work even better.

It's currently on offer at Boots, so you can take your lashes into space for a mere £5.99.

What's your favourite Maybelline mascara? Let me know in the comments.

Monday

Beauty Empties | December 2012

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black - definite repurchase

This is a phenomenal drugstore/bargain mascara, and it's finally come to UK shores. The wand reminds me of Lancome Hypnose and the formula is almost as dark and sooty as Make Up Forever Smoky Lash, without the price tags of either of these. It's a fantastic all-round mascara which I use for both day and night - thickening, lengthening and holds a curl pretty well. Next time you're in Boots or Superdrug, you have to give this one a go.

Original Source Vanilla and Raspberry Shower - maybe repurchase

I forgot how delicious this smells until the empty bottle out to review and now it's been upgraded from a 'no repurchase' to a definite 'maybe'. It's a real treat to use but I found I got through it very quickly, but you can always get these on offer so it's not too sore on the purse. It's very moisturising and I prefer it to their more zingy shower gel offerings.

**Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Anti-Wrinkle Intensive Repair Serum* - maybe repurchase**

This is a really nice everyday serum. I have a fuller review of this and the accompanying night cream coming up, but I got through this serum first as I found myself reaching for it every single morning. It sinks in quickly and provided a great base for make up if I didn't feel like waiting for a cream to sink in. Naughty I know as it doesn't have SPF in it, but in a rush it did the trick. The blueberry smell is fresh and comforting. I'm seriously thinking about picking this up again.

Garnier Body Summerbody Moisturising Lotion - Light Sunkissed Look - definite repurchase

As much I loved this self-tanner, it took me an age to get through it. That had more to do with the fact that I'm very lazy with applying it and rock the Twilight look more than I should. I've tried countless gradual tanners and this is by far the best budget option. It has a fresh fruity smell with only minimal biscuity whiffyness compared to all your Dove, Nivea, Johnson's, etc offerings. It sinks in extremely quickly, does a good job at moisturising, doesn't streak and gives a really natural tanned glow, even to my ginger skin which can end up looking orange. If you are a tanaholic and haven't tried this one yet, you must.

YSL Touche Eclat - maybe repurchase

I don't even want to admit to you how long I've had this radiance wand, but between you and me, it began 'not smelling right'. That has more to do with me 'saving' it for special occasions rather than the longevity of the whopping 2.5mls of radiant liquid. Since it joined my collection there have been so many other dupes coming onto the market - Sleek MakeUP, Aldi, L'Oreal, Collection 2000 to name a few really budget versions. These give me pretty much the same effect as Touche Eclat. I can only see myself repurchasing this to have a pretty gold wand in my handbag make up bag for touch ups, which has more to do with style than substance.

**Yes to Cucumbers Daily Gentle Facial Cleanser* - maybe repurchase**

This was one of the nicest facial washes I used last here. For a full review click here. It smells divine - not as fresh as you would expect from a cucumber product but quite perfumed. This may be an issue for those with sensitive skin. Although it lathers up very well, it left my skin cleansed and soft, not tight. A really nice product which I'd definitely repurchase, particularly if it was easier to come by on the high street.

The Body Shop Banana Shampoo - definite repurchase

This is an old classic which I think was revived by The Body Shop, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, I'm glad it's back. I would compare it to Aussie Moisture Miracle Shampoo, both in scent, lathering and hair cleansing properties. I use Aussie so much I was getting a little bored and I think it's good to switch up your shampoo every so often - my hair is very oily and gets used to shampoos so quickly. The Body Shop Banana Shampoo smells lovely, evokes memories and does a good job of cleaning hair without stripping it, and leaving it shiny and easy to comb through.

I will be doing this 'Empties' series on a monthly basis. It seemed like whole months passed in 2012 without me finishing so much as one product. I'm not very loyal to products and flit between different skincare, makeup, hair products daily, but in 2013 I am going to be much more focused getting through my stash and I'll let you know each month how I get on. I did pretty well in December, with no 'no repurchases' come across, but I'm sure there'll be some in the future.

Have you tried any of my December Empties? What would you repurchase/definitely not repurchase?

Tuesday

Review | Lancome Absolu Voyage Complete Make-Up Palette

Lancome Absolu Voyage Complete Make-Up Palette - Heathrow T5, - £42.20

Make up palettes from high end lines have much improved - I remember when they used to be filled with wacky shades and questionable quality products, and while they were neat and cute to look at, I didn't see myself seriously using one.

Guerlain's Terracotta Make Up Palette which I reviewed here really switched me onto how versatile and practical they can be, as well as beautiful to use. Once you have your base sorted whether that's tinted moisturiser, BB cream, foundation or just bare skin if you're lucky enough this Lancome palette gives you a fully polished look in a few minutes. I just can't get over the dinkyness for everything it contains!

It includes:

6 neutral eyeshadows, the strip on the left side are stunning, but there's also a dark purple to take a look into the evening
Concealer
Blush
Three lipsticks
Face powder - this is very dinky to get your whole face covered with the little pad, but it does the job of sorting out oily patches on your T zone. Of course it's in quite a light shade, so wouldn't be great for deeper skin tones.
Mini Lancome Hypnose mascara (a Holy Grail beauty)
Black Kohl eyeliner
Lip pencil

The only things you'd miss are a dusting of bronzer and dab of highlighter.

The brushes and applicators supplied with many compacts are still questionable, but the little brush in this Lancome palette made a valiant effort at applying just the right amount of blush for an understated glow, and wasn't scratchy. The eyeshadow brush was surprisingly good, as was the lip brush. The Hypnose Mascara mini is just as amazing as a full size as the brush head is the regular size.

The packaging is very cute and saves space by having a little pull-out drawer. It comes in a velvet pouch which make it feel that bit more special and also prevents the items tipping out in your bag if the latch become undone. The mirror in the lid is a great size. All in all it's the perfect little compact to keep stashed in your desk at work for touch ups or last minute nights out. I've even brought it on a couple of weekends away as it's such a great space and weight saver.

The bad news is that it seems to only be available at airport duty free shops - so keep a look out next time you're going away.

Wednesday

Great Magazine Beauty Freebies & Ciate Bon Bon NOTD

Make up and beauty freebies for all readers are about the only thing that magazines still do better than blogs and this month there are quite a few fab finds on the mag racks and I'm bringing you a couple of my top picks.

Glamour continued its glorious association with Benefit which is shaping up to be an annual event and this year brought us pocket-sized BadGal Lash mascara, That Gal primer and the one we've all been waiting for - The Porefessional!

If you haven't grabbed yours yet move fast as the shelves are emptying out. I always find the mini BadGals to be a bit of a dud - while it's a full sized brush, the formulation is always pretty scarce and much drier than the full size. I personally don't find That Gal much use as I need a primer to stop rather than enhance my...er...natural glow.

The Porefessional is normally £23.50 for the full size 22ml which is for me is little eyewatering. However having tried out this mini version I'd definitely consider buying it when I run out as it really does mattify and smooth your skin, drastically reducing the appearance of gaping pores. I like it under liquid foundation but you can achieve totally passable skin with this and a swipe of something like MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural. If you've got an eye for a bargain, picking up 3 Glamour Mags will get you 22.5mls of the glorious substance for the handsomely cheap sum of £6. I've picked up about 7.

Marie Claire has bumped uglies with Ciate again to bring you two lovely shades, a lilac called Purple Sherbet and BonBon a taupey neutral the likes of which I cannot resist!

What beauty freebies did you nab this month?

Saturday

L'Oreal Eyes

L'Oreal Superliner Gel Intenza* (£8.99) comes in two shades Pure Black and Golden Black. The one I have here is Pure Black. It's intensely creamy and easy to work with, however I do think it's let down by the pigmentation. While the packaging is great and higher-end looking than MAC Fluidline, I was disappointed that it just doesn't give the same performance. It takes longer to set, the black is not as intense as I'd like and it's not as long wearing, despite claiming to be waterproof 24 hour wear. MAC Fluidline has never smudged on me and although it's £5 more, at the end of the day it's better value as it lasts forever. The brush it comes with is ok, might work for some but the line it creates is a little bit too thick for me - it's what I used to create the flick below.

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara* (£10.99) is a revelation from previous Telescopic incarnations. It's the best plastic wand I've tried. The images below were taken when the tube was just opened and my lashes look a bit clumpy, but once the formula dried up a little, the effect was much better. I used the tube religiously for about two months which speaks volumes as I normally reach for a different mascara every day. While I think it's a great mascara, I don't think it could be touted as a 'false lash' mascara as the effect is just not dramatic enough. It's a great day time, lengthening and separating formula containing 'micro stretch fibre technology featuring 1.2mm micro fibres'. Although it contains fibres it thankfully doesn't irritate my eye when wearing contacts.

L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim* (£6.49) this felt tip eyeliner is the pick of the set. It's super super fine so you can do the most delicate outer corner flicks or build it up for a more intense after dark look. It's incredibly easy to use and very durable. I had a similar pen from Rimmel which had dried up before I even got it back from the shop, but this little pen is going strong months later. It's a definite must-have if you're a liner gal.

Check out Boots as they currently have a buy one get one half off deal on L'Oreal products. Will you be picking any of these up?

Don't Splash Out To Lash Out - Sleek MakeUP Mascara

As a HUGE Sleek MakeUP fan I was really looking forward to giving their latest mascara offering a go. They have so many other great budget-friendly products it makes sense that they'd want to branch out.

The narrow brush shape is the kind I tend to favour and I always prefer nylon over plastic, so it got off to a good start. However, although the formula is very carbon black, it's just too dry for me.

CLICK FOR MORE PICS AND TO CONTINUE READING! ----»

Wednesday

Benefit They're Real Mascara

I found myself at a Benefit counter last week and the SA talked me into trying They're Real - the new mascara meant to make your lashes look like falsies. I was skeptical, especially with it being a plastic wand, but the results are great.

Now let me apologise for these ropey photos. They're Real was applied over what I was already wearing - Max Factor False Lash Effect Length & Volume. I took the photos about eight hours after the mascara was initially applied and for some reason the exposure setting was waaay down on my camera so I've had to autocorrect, but you can still see the effect. And I think my lashes would have looked much better if I just had a couple of coats of They're Real on. It is a very luxurious formula - not too dry, or wet, just Goldilocks and is the blackest black.

My lashes on the right (so the ones on your left) look better because I applied it to this eye myself after the SA poked me in my other eyeball. It hurt like a mofo and felt infected for almost two days. So word to the wise - always apply your own mascara. I don't know what came over me really, it's a bit gross to try a tester mascara (used a disposable wand, but still, it's yuck) - see what I go through for you?!

The tube is really pretty and I do actually see myself buying this in the future when I've got through my 30+ other mascaras. It's £18.50, which is steep, but still more economical than my two current faves, Lancome Hypnose and MUFE Smokey Lash. In the US it's $22.50, which given an approx. exchange rate of $1.5 to £1, should mean we pay £15 over here, but it never works like that!

Have you tried They're Real? Are you going to?

Enter my Sleek MakeUP Starter Kit giveaway (link!).

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Monday

Review: Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion - Volume + Length

Max Factor's latest offering from their False Lash Effect family is Fusion, which endeavours to offer that somewhat contradictory package of length and volume.

I was kindly sent this last week and have reached for it every day since.

I already own the original waterproof False Lash Effect mascara having seen a friend of mine create the most amazeballs lashes with it - I literally stopped in her in the street and asked what mascara she used.

As you will see, the tube and the wand are basically the same as the original (also the same as Covergirl Lash Blast in the US), so it's the formula of Fusion which differs. I would definitely say that it's more lengthening, but I wouldn't tag this as a particularly volumising mascara. The effect reminds me much of my favourite daytime macara - Maybelline Lash Stiletto. The formula is just the right consistency - no too wet or dry - just goldilocks!

I normally hate plastic wands - I'm a huge fan of the traditional brush (think Lancome Hypnose, MUFE Smoky Lash) - but Fusion's performs just fine and doesn't bother me at all. I find big wands like Benefit's BadGal a bit unwieldy, as a big wand doesn't necessarily translate into bigger lashes! While Fusion's is pretty big, it's however very easy to be accurate and reach the smaller lashes because the bristles are quite short and taper towards the tip of the wand.

All in all, it's a very good mascara, but on my lashes it delivers more on length than volume, which for me is just dandy. It's £11.99 at Boots - a bit steep for a highstreet brand - but many of the brands seem to be hiking prices. There's currently a 3 for 2 offer on so make the most of it!