Review/First Impression: Revlon Lash Potion Mascara

I came across this the other day while I was looking at other makeup, and I realised I hadn’t heard anything about it yet from the various bloggers and Youtubers I follow, which is really unusual for a new product, which made me curious, so I picked up a tube in Blackest Black (also available in Black and Black Brown) for $10.

A little Googling when I got home found some reviews as far back as April, so this was probably released a few months ago in the US, which makes it even odder that I haven’t heard anything about it.

Anyway, the packaging alone was enough to draw me in: so many pretty shiny colours! Also, it claims to be lengthening, volumizing, waterproof, and to strengthen and grow your lashes… which is a lot of claims for a single mascara to make.

The brush is pretty cool; it’s a good size, not massive like Essence or the original UD Big Fatty brush, but not super skinny, either, which I really can’t stand. It has regular brush bristles, some of which are shorter, and some longer, which is apparently supposed to help pack on the volume while getting rid of clumps.

I think the formula is pretty nice, as far as I’ve tried so far. I’ve only worn it once, but it’s stayed on all day long, and it was a pretty warm day. I didn’t notice any flaking or smudging, so I’m pretty happy. It also isn’t too wet of a formula, which I really dislike, but it isn’t dried out either. It’s like a happy middle-ground, in my opinion.

Here’s a glimpse at how it works for me. Me with no mascara:

One coat:

It gives my lashes good separation and length, and no clumps, with one coat.

Two coats:

There’s a tiny bit of clumping at the ends of the lashes, but I feel like my lashes overall look well-defined, volumized, and pretty awesome in general.

As I mentioned before, I’ve only worn this the one day, so I don’t know yet if I like it as much as—or more than?!—my Maybelline Turbo Volume Express mascara, which is my current HG, but I’ll keep trying it out. Maybe we’ll see if it ends up in my favourites at the end of the month.

Be sure to let me know if you’ve tried this product, and your thoughts on it! Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!

June 2013 Favourites

Hey all. I really should be writing an essay right now, but I wanted to make sure this got up before the end of the week, so this is my last chance! Let’s jump right into it, shall we?

Cosmetic Favourites:

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil in Freak

Yep, I have another colour in the UD liners! I’m so in love with his neon, lime, almost-metallic liner! It’s just so easy to use this liner as a one-step eye look along with my usual daily black waterline and mascara, and I love it. Plus, it’s a fun, bright summer colour that isn’t going to go anywhere all day long! The swatch didn’t photograph well, but it looks really cool. I’d suggest going to swatch it in store if you have a Sephora.

2. Out the Door topcoat

This has been in my favourites before, but that was last September, and I thought it needed a re-mention. I love this topcoat even more than Seche Vite, since this one never seems to shrink on my nails and, even with half the bottle used up, it still hasn’t gone gloopy. I’m definitely going to have to try and find a store around here that sells it. They have it online at Sally Beauty Supply, so I might have to make a long trip over there to see if they have it, but I think there is a store in my mall that sells it as well. And, if all else fails, NailPolishCanada.com has it for $11, which is twice what I paid for it at Target in the states, but no more than I find Seche for in stores.

3. Collection 2000 Sparkle Top Coat

Another nail polish! I love this polish, since it can make any colour last a few more days by covering some little flaws while adding a gorgeous sparkle and shine! Its also really fast drying, so I don’t have to add another coat of topcoat when I put this on top of an older mani! As you can see, I’ve used a lot of this, and it isn’t available in Canada, from what I know. If you know where I can get some that will ship it to Canada for me, please let me know!

4. Baby Lips Peach

I may have mentioned the bright pink Baby Lips before in a favorites post, but I recently bought the peach one as well. I’ve been loving this because, without any help, my lips have been sunburning like crazy this year. The Baby Lips formula is smooth and smells fantastic, and it has SPF 25. This shade is very neutral, and I don’t notice any colour on my lips, which is great, because my first one was bright pink, but I don’t always want bright lips, so it’s good to have a neutral option as well. It has a slight shimmer to it, which just adds to the shine, and it helps to protect my lips. Also, did I mention they smell great?

Honorable Mention:

Elf powder. Wrong colour, but very buildable, and shockingly good coverage. Also, doesn’t break me out at all.

Non-Cosmetic Favourites:

1. Crystal Light Singles in Pink Lemonade

I got these on sale a while ago, and I’ve actually really been liking them. It’s been pretty hot lately, but I get sick of water pretty quickly. Having these with me in my bag when I’m out help me to stay hydrated, since I can just mix them into a cup or bottle of water. They also sometimes help to keep me from hitting a vending machine for a Coke or Pepsi, which is good, because these have only 5 calories per packet, as opposed to the 200 or so calories in a bottle of Coke.

2. Clif Bars

These are basically energy bars, and they come in tons of flavours. They can be pretty pricey, but Target sells them here in Canada for less than $1.50 each. They’re basically like soft, chewy cookies, but they’re also more filling, and full of fibre, minerals, and vitamins, so they’re a lot more healthy while still satisfying a sugary craving! I’m not saying they’re low-calorie, by the way. As an energy bar, they are going to have calories (where do you think your energy comes from? Calories are just a unit for measuring energy!), and these have about 250 cal/bar. But, if you were going to reach for a bunch of cookies, chocolate, or a brownie or something, and pick this instead, at least you’re gonna get some nutrients at the same time! My favourite flavour is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.

3. My sunglasses

I love my sunglasses. They were super cheap, and I probably got them at Ardene or Stitches… I can’t actually remember. But they don’t distort anything, and they’re fun and pink, and they protect my eyes from the sun so I can see. Also, I love my bright green sunglass case, which I bought at Urban Planet a year or so ago after years of breaking/crushing/losing other pairs of sunglasses. So, yeah.

Anyways, that’s all for now. Thanks for reading!!

Would You Rather: Makeup Edition

Hello all, I found this tag on Emily (BeautyBroadcast)’s blog, and she tagged any other bloggers who wanted to do the tag. I thought it looked fun, and I had an essay to be writing, so here we are. Without any more ado, here are the questions.

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?

Mascaras, liners, lipsticks, and glosses… because I don’t really love any of my lip products, and to replace 5 or 6 liners and a mascara would be cheaper than trying to replace all my eye shadows and palettes...

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

Never be able to cut it again? If i chopped it all off, I’d have to wait for it to grow out a long time before I could leave the house again… >_> Also, hair reaches a maximum length eventually…

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

Coral. My favourite blush is Coralista, and if I couldn’t only ever use it again, I’d be alright with that. It just looks more naturally glowy, whereas pinks on me make me look warm and flushed. 

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

Clothes! I buy makeup constantly, but have a harder time putting down the money for good clothes, so I’d love to use the $1000 to get some good basics and maybe something more fun. Jeans for sure, probably a few pairs. A soft, warm TNA hoodie. Some yoga parts for working out. T-shirts, tank tops. A nice jacket. etc.

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

Eyeliner as lipstick… god, can you imagine what lipstick would do to your eyes?!

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

Sephora!! So many brands, including my two loves: Benefit and Urban Decay. Also points! And sometimes sales. Plus, I always feel less like I’m being pushed to buy, and I can roam around and play.

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

One lip colour. I like wearing lip colours, but I like eye stuff so much more! 

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

SUMMER CLOTHES IN THE WINTER!! God… I get way too warm, way too easily. I’d much rather be cold than hot.

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

Dark, I think. I love my brights, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I love to go back to my old favourites. Besides, brights don’t really go with everything, whereas darks are basically neutral.

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

Favourite lip product. I’m not so in love with any particular product that I couldn’t find a new one.

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

Ponytails. I like messy buns for going to the gym or sitting around the house, but I don’t actually like how they look on me, but my curly hair looks nice in ponytails, so if it was one or the other, I’d pick the ponytails. 

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

Lipgloss; I love my nail stuff, as you should all know by now, but lipglosses are sticky and weirdly shiny… no. Nail polish for the win! 

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

Sharpie. They make brown sharpies in a fineliner format… just get one of those and be careful! :P 

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

This is honestly a horrifying question for me! I know I don’t literally need either to survive, but I really don’t like how I look without makeup, and if I didn’t wear nail polish, my nails would be weak, short, chipped, and picked/chewed very short. So I don’t know which one I’d pick to live without… I guess I could just use the two less abrasive parts of a nail buffer to keep my nails shiny and somewhat attractive, so that I could keep my makeup. And I guess there’s also always false nails!

***

I tag anyone who wants to do this tag, and ask that you leave a link in the comments if you make a post. If you don’t have a blog, I’d also love to read your answers anyways, so post them as comments as well! Thanks so much for reading, pretty girls, hope you’re doing well! =)

<3

Face of the Day // How Much Does My Face Cost?

A few days ago I had tons of time to do my makeup and take pictures before I went out. It was probably a class day, since I’m usually rushing out the door other days, and my makeup ends up looking a lot simpler. So I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to show off an casual, fairly natural/everyday type of makeup look for me.

Whole picture:

The eyes:

And all the makeup and brushes I used:

As you can see, I did pretty much everything in this look, though I have used more at one time before. Anyways, when I add up how much this look cost, I’m going to be estimating my prices, since I can’t remember exactly, obviously, for each product. For stuff I can’t remember at all, I’ll google it.

Up first…

Face/Skin Products:

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Ivory = $10

Veil Illuminating Complexion Fix Concealer = $38 (but I won it)

Used on eyes and under-eyes, and for blemishes that aren’t acne related.

Clinique Acne Solution Clearing Concealer = $19

Shiro Cosmetics Fatality Finishing Powder = $10 (plus shipping)

ELF Blush in Candid Coral = $3 (plus shipping)

Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Bronzer in Natural Glow = $22

For contouring under jaw, below cheekbones, temples, forehead, and sides of nose.

Face product total: $102

Lip Products:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Sugar Plum = $6

Mine looks funny and has a weird cap because this was in the staff room with a bunch of other testers that my last job was trying to get rid of before they closed. I believe it was free.

Mai Couture Social Gloss in Femme Fatale = $25

This colour is really dull and (in my opinion) ugly on it`s own, but over this too-dark-for-the-season lipstick, it makes a great colour.

Lip product total: $31

Eye/Eyebrow Products:

Essence Get Big Lashes Waterproof Mascara = $5

NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Light Brown (I think) = $5

BA Star glitter glue primer = $9

Used as a primer under my eyeshadow

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion = $23

On the lower waterline.

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette = $7 (or 4 pounds in the UK. I won this in a contest.)

I think I used two colours out of this palette for this look: The dark bronze colour, second from the right in the top row, and probably the second from the left in the bottom row.

Eye product total: $49

Brushes:

ELF Kabuki Face Brush = $6 (plus shipping)

Used for finishing powder, and softening my bronzer

Real Techniques Contour Brush – and –

For my bronzer.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush = $20 (Set price; I bought these brushes as part of the Core collection.)

My foundation brush.

ELF Blending Brush = $3 (plus shipping)

I’m guessing the price, since it looks like they don’t sell this brush anymore. I use it for my blush.

ELF Studio Contour Brush = $3 (plus shipping)

ELF Essential Smudge Brush = $1 (plus shipping)

Brush total: $36

***

And my total cost for this whole look?

$218

That’s a lot of money, and that doesn’t include shipping on anything I bough online! That said, you also have to remember that very little of every product is used each time you use it, and I didn’t buy all of these products in one shot. Still, I think this was a fun exercise to see how much I really spend on makeup!

If you also want to do this, let me know in the comments, and link me to your blog post or youtube video. I’d love to see how you do! Thanks for reading!

May 2013 Favourites

I have so much homework to be doing right now, but I’m also really far behind, and I’ve just been poking Youtube and various online stores for the past little while, so I figured I could take a few minutes to finally finish this post. So let’s get to it:

1. My new makeup and brush containers:

 

Both jars are from Dollarama. I think the brush jar is meant to be for spaghetti or other long pastas, but with the little acrylic beads and plastic jewels, it makes a great brush holder. The smaller vase is great for holding tube-shaped makeup products, like liners, mascaras, concealers, and some glosses. And because everything is half standing up, it’s much easier than sifting through my old container for these products and my brushes, which was a large plastic Ferrero Rocher box!

2. Maybelline Turbo Volume Express Mascara:

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I love this mascara, and this is a new tube! I got this one on sale at London Drugs, and I haven’t seen it there since, which lead me to believe that it was going to be discontinued, but perhaps they just sold out, because the Save-On Foods near me, at least, still has it in stock.

Anyways, this is a great all-round mascara. It has a regular bristle brush, not too big or small. The formula is great, not runny or dry, and tends not to flake.I usually use one coat, but two coats of this mascara looks great too. I’ve found other mascaras that I like since finding this one, but none has been as consistent for me.

3. NYC In a New York Color Minute nail polish in Greenwich Village:

I can’t remember if I blogged about wanting a bright pink polish, or if only I knew about that, but I was searching everywhere for a great neon pink. OPI, Essie, China Glaze, Sephora, Nails Inc… and where did I find the perfect pink? In an NYC nail polish for $1.79 from Target. Wow.  Anyways, I actually am really impressed with this product, besides it being a great colour. It lasts pretty well on my nails, and goes on good in only 2 coats. I wish they had more colours, so I could buy more, but most of the colours in my Target from this collection are basic colours I already have…

Non-Cosmetic Favourites:

1. Comic Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured are a couple of the ones that I’ve been reading and enjoying lately. Maus is a one-off graphic novel written about the author’s father’s experiences as a Jewish man during World War II in Europe, where all of the Jews are drawn as mice, Nazis as cats, and Polish as pigs, etc. It’s pretty intense, and not the most aesthetically pleasing comic that I’ve come across so far, but it is really really intersting to read, especially since I’ve always been really interested in WWII and the Holocaust.

Fables is a series of comics about pretty much every fairytale creature and character from tons of different stories, and how they live together in this area of New York, and other places in the world. It’s really interesting. I started by reading the Cinderella spin-off comic, but that drew me into the main story, so I went back to the beginning and am slowly reading through the series. These comics are really quick reads, and I can pretty easily finish one volume in about an hour.

2. Jasmine Green Tea 

  Image from Drugstore.com

Pictured is Stash’s Jasmine Blossom Green Tea, because that’s the one I have right now, but I love pretty much every one that I’ve tried. I just love the soft floral scent of it, and it just tastes light and amazing, especially with a tiny bit of sugar to bring out the jasmine flavour!

What I really really want is a perfume that smells just like a jasmine green tea. So if you know of one, please tell me!

3. Imagine Dragons

  Image from lrhoffpauir.tumblr.com

This is the first album, Night Visions. After hearing Radioactive on the radio for the first time, I fell in love with the song, listened to the rest of the album, loved it too, and bought the cd. I then played it more than any other music, almost to the point that I got sick of it, so I’m currently giving it a break, but I still love their music.

Radioactive is still definitely my favourite song on the album, though. I just love the sound of it, which is a bit odd, since I’m usually more of a lyrics girl than a sound person, but it is definitely the sound that gets to me with this song.

4. Oatmeal Crisp in Vanilla Almond

Image from Walmart.ca

I bought this after smelling it when my friend was having a bowl of it one time I was at her house. It is sooooo good! Just sweet enough and super vanilla-y and almond-y, which are two of my favourite flavours, especially for sweet food. I’m not even a cereal person most of the time, but I am so in love with this cereal right now!

***

Anyways, that’s all I have to show you from last month. I just want to let you know that I have a few more posts that should be out soon. I’ve either started writing them, or else I’ve already taken all the pictures for them. There should also be at least one new post coming on my other blog (Thought-Constellations) as well, so make sure to check those out when they happen!

Thanks for so much for reading as always!

OH! And I’ve just bought my Vancouver IMATS ticket for this year, so that’ll be coming up in late July. I hope its good, since it's a lot smaller than the IMATS in other cities, and I’m only going to the first day, but I’m definitely looking forward to it! So let me know if you’re going to be there as well!

<3