Mascara Monday-- Mary Kay's Ultimate Mascara

Hello Lovelies!!

If you've read my recent posts, you know that I recently re-discovered Mary Kay cosmetics. I've been using them for a few weeks now, and have a lot of thoughts and pictures to share with you!

Since I love mascara so so much, I decided that their Ultimate Mascara was a great place to start. Let's begin!


Mary Kay's Ultimate Mascara in black, $15 from any Independent Consultant or MaryKay.com.

What it Claims:
Turns up the wow with up to fives times the volume. Take your lashes from simple to simply sensational with Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara, the most superthickening, superstar mascara from Mary Kay ever! This exclusive, all-in-one formula delivers the benefits you love most-- long, thick, voluminous-looking lashes that last all day. You get the exact amount of mascara you need for maximum plumping -- without the clumping.




Let's take a look!

Mascara tube~

Wand~

Brush, close-up. 

Two coats~

Mascara applied on left, bare lashes on right~

Ooh la la!

Complete look~

I absolutely love this mascara!! It's great for day and night looks -- it layers well, so simply add another coat for evening. My favorite part is how fluttery my lashes look!! Dramatic without being spidery. 

The wiper on this tube is fantastic-- pretty much perfect. It leaves the perfect amount of product on the brush so that your lashes don't get overloaded and clumpy. Also, the densely packed brush helps to really separate lashes.


The formula is fantastic-- neither too thin nor too thick, doesn't dry too fast-- and doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day.

In a flash~
-Great mascara! Volumizing, some lengthening, with a great formula. Two thumbs up!

Until Next Time--
~Beauty Maven

Mascara Review-- CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara

Hey Lovelies!!

I finally tried-out a new mascara, yaay! My favorite beauty product is- by far- mascara, so I was super excited when I picked-up this new one.

Onward!

CoverGirl's New NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara, $9.99 at drugstores. 

What it claims: 
- Our innovative mousse formula exchanges select synthetic polymers with natural beeswax to help make stunning volume feel luxuriously light on your lashes. 
- Removes easily with soap and water. 



Let's take a look!

Molded bristle brush.

Bare lashes

Bare lashes, angle

(Click to enlarge)

With 3 coats, at an angle

3 coats, from further away. 

I have to admit--- when I very first put on this mascara, I immediately wanted to return it. I was just so NOT impressed. But after returning to it a few times, I've learned it's little quirks and how to make it look great, haha! (Also, I think that mascara formulas in general need to be introduced to air to really perform properly-- even with my Voluminous, it sucks if I apply it right after opening the package. Just a thought!)

First of all, the formula is AMAZING. Not too wet/dry/cakey, and it layers pretty well. You can really tell that the synthetics have been replaced-- it's not crunchy or heavy AT ALL. Yes! And, even with the moisturizing, it doesn't smudge throughout the day, and definitely no flaking.

The brush is ok... it's a molded brush, so it does a decent job of separating, but honestly it's not anything remarkable.  The formula is the major kicker here~

You'll notice that it is a tad clumpy, but only if you get really close. But seriously-- see the difference between the 1 coat and 3 coats?! I'll tell you the trick--

** Let the mascara sit on your lashes for about 10-ish seconds before applying another coat. It allows the formula to dry, but not too much that it gets too clumpy. Ta-da!

I wish this mascara had more length, but as it's marketed as a volumizing mascara, I'll let that slide. 

In a flash!~

A great lightweight, natural feeling mascara. Not as much drama as I would prefer, but a nice daytime choice.

What do you think? Have you tried this? Anything from the NatureLuxe line? Lemme know!!

Until Next Time--

~Beauty Maven

Mascara Monday- L'Oreal's Voluminous

Hello all!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend~ my week is starting off with a bit of a cold, bleh, so please accept my apologies for posts being up later than normal. I will try as best as I can to be coherent, haha!

Up for today's Mascara Monday!: L'Oreal Voluminous, original with curved brush, $7.49 at Walgreens, but I often see it for $5 at Target and Wal-Mart.

What it claims: 

• Uniquely formulated to resist clumping, soften lashes and build lashes to 5x their natural thickness. 
• Maximizing formula quickly thickens and builds lashes in a single application for a full and dramatic lash look.
• Patented volume maximizing brush thickens lashes evenly and smoothly leaving them soft with virtually no flakes, smudges or clumps.

Let's take a look!

Shown with the "Voluminous Naturale"-- review for that to come.  ;)

Naturale on top, Original on bottm. The brush is fluffy without being TOO big.

Close-up of brush~

Bare lashes.

Bare lashes, angle.

With Voluminous.

With Voluminous.

At an angle--- look how pretty!!!!

So, basically -- I LOVE THIS MASCARA. When someone asks me what my favorite mascara is, hands down I always say Voluminous. (Honestly, I don't know why I keep playing with different mascaras... oh wait, because it's fun!) 

Seriously, though-- for the price, it is of amazing quality, and it really stays put with no smudging, flaking, and applies in multiple coats without clumping. It also adds a fair amount of length, too. I am VERY demanding of my mascara-- I want it to be able to do flips and feed my cat-- and this one definitely performs 100%.

Be sure to apply coats before drying, as with most mascaras, to lessen the likelihood of clumps. The brush isn't too technical, but if you hate it upon first application, just give it a few more shots. Also-- and this is interesting-- it seems to volumize better a few days after opening. I suppose the introduction of oxygen thickens it a bit. 

In a flash~

Great mascara. If you own one mascara, this should be it. 

Have you tried this one before? It's definitely been around a while! Let me know your thoughts on it!! =)

Until next time--

~Beauty Maven

Mascara Monday- L'Oreal's Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara

Bonjour!!

Hope you had a great weekend! Yesterday I went to Target and had a bit of a beauty haul.. do doo.. and helped a gal pick out hair color, haha! She was in the aisle and turned to me and said, "How do you know which one to choose?" So I started in... and by the end she had her color, AND I gave her a $3 coupon I had clipped that morning. The kicker was that I was in a baggy shirt and baseball cap (pink!) and she still took me seriously, haha!! Seriously though- I LIVE for when that happens! I love talking to people and helping. Mmm warm fuzzies. =)

**Also! Ulta is having their 21 Days of Beauty, which started Sunday. What is it? Each day they feature certain brands and have demonstrations and you can sign-up for applications and such. Also, there's a special discount on 1 product each day. I'll keep you updated at the beginning of each post, as follows:**

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, Day 2: Stila, Philosophy. Deal: Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliners, buy one get one free. 


Anywho! Up for today is L'Oreal's Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara in Black Crystal, $10.99 at Walgreens.

What it claims:
A new two-step lengthening mascara professionally developed to illuminate your eyes.
   Step 1: Lengthen and Intensify. Adds volume and length to lashes while intensifying eyes.
   Step 2: The illuminating top coat infused with light-reflecting pearls highlight your eye color with 
   exclusive sphere tip brush.
Clump free, flake and smudge resistant. 


Let's take a look!

Sphere illuminator on left, base mascara on right. 

Mascara brush. (I love this brush!!)

Illuminator brush. More on this later. ;)

Without mascara. 

Without mascara.

Without mascara.

Just the mascara, no illuminator.

Just the mascara, no illuminator.

Just the mascara, no illuminator. (My wonky lashes on the right are me, not the mascara.)

Check out that definition!! 

Mascara with Illuminator on top. 

Bling Bling!

In the whole, I really like this mascara! I've worn it for a few days, and it is very easy to apply (notice the definition and no clumps!) and it stays fairly well. I did experience some flaking, and also I had to reapply before going out one night, but that still was a good 9 hours of wear. 

As far as the "illuminating" which I basically think is "glitter," haha-- I haven't quite made up my mind about this. I think a nice, glossy mascara is probably about as glitzy as mascara should get. It tends to come off more as eyeshadow that fell into your lashes than an intentional sparkle. It is kind of fun to add a little pizazz every so often, though. ;)

The brush for Step 1 is AMAZING. I really have to give L'Oreal credit for this-- all of their Double Extend mascaras are really decent formulas with great brushes. The brush for Step 2 is not so great on it's own, (see the review for Telescopic Explosion here), but as far as a brush to put another product on top of mascara? It works quite well. Something with the bristles and how they don't really match with the "normal" brush just.. works. Interesting! It also adds just a smidge more length~

It did a good job of lengthening, though not as much as I'd hoped from a lengthening mascara. However, the definition and lack of clumps made up for this! So many mascaras just don't do well at that. The volume was lacking, but it's not marketed for that so I can't hate on it. 

What do you think? Do you use mascaras that are catered to your eye color? Or just plain ol' brown or black? 

Until next time--

~Beauty Maven

Mascara Monday-- Fresh Cosmetics Supernova and Firebird Mascaras

Hello world!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend-- did anyone try out the bright lips from Friday??

For your mascara review today I have TWO mascaras from Fresh, Supernova and Firebird:
I got these in a little sample duo from Sephora for $10.

Supernova and Firebird

Supernova Mascara, $25 at Sephora.
What it claims: An ultra-conditioning mascara that creates dramatic, diva-worthy lashes in one swipe. The formula is enriched with nourishing meadow foam seed oil to condition lashes and add shine, protective linden extract to strengthen, and fortifying panthenol to prevent breakage. The rich formula thickens, lengthens, and defines lashes in just one super-glossy, jet black coat. 

Bare Lashes

Supernova on left, bare on right. 

Supernova on left, bare on right.

Firebird Mascara-- unfortunately not offered at Sephora anymore. =(
It is supposed to create a "Feathery effect to the lashes."

Supernova on left, Firebird on right

Firebird

Supernova on left, Firebird+Supernova on right

I decided to try layering Supernova OVER Firebird to see what the effect would be~

Supernova alone on left, Firebird + Supernova on right

I really like these mascaras!!
Supernova a really glossy, lengthening and volumizing mascara without any clumps. It's not super dramatic, but it's perfect for day wear and layers well for evening.
Firebird is amazing with length-- I'm kind of sad it's not available because this duo looked fantastic! Flurry, full and long lashes... what everyone wants, right?

To get a similar effect, layer a volumizing mascara OVER a lenthening--- a great budget lengthening mascara is Cover Girl's LashBlast Length (yellow tube).

What mascara are you using now?? Any that you're lusting for?

Until next time--
~Beauty Maven

Mascara Monday-- YSL Mascara Singulier

Hello!

This weekend I got to go play at Sephora and let me tell you, I MISS having a Sephora so close!! The one in JCPenney just isn't the same... siiigh. I definitely spent about an hour just flitting around the store. Good times!

I have read some amazing reviews for YSL's Mascara Singulier, (like the review here), so I decided to give it a shot. Who doesn't love a super-fab mascara?

What it claims--- Well this one comes with a little baby pamphlet, so I will try to paraphrase:
A daring new interpretation of beautiful eyes. Glamorous volume, bold length, voluptuous curl and dramatic styling: Mascara Singulier dares to do everything. At the heart of this long-lasting formula, the "Modelling Stretch Complex" sculpts the lashes in three dimensions: Volumizing micro-spheres, Miscro-fibres to extend the lashes, and a High Performance curling wax.
A unique innovation by YSL, the mascara brush combines the technology of a traditional brush with the structure of a molded brush to increase the performance of the formula. 


Um, will it walk the dog and do my homework, too?

Let's check out this "unique" brush:

The brush was very interesting-- part of the reason I had to try it! Why don't companies make the little trial wands with the actual brush? Maybe for suckas like me. Hmm..

So how did it do?

Bare Lashes

Bare Lashes

With Mascara

With Mascara

Up to show length

Close-up

I have to admit. I drastically dislike like mascara.

Be warned, it is a fragranced mascara. It actually smells quite nice, not chemically, and it didn't bother my eyes-- but if your eyes are sensitive then this will not work for you.

The formula is a tad on the thick side, which might work nice with a different wand, but this combination is a no-go. The formula also dries out like nobody's business! By the end of the day, my eyes were almost itchy from the crunchy mascara. Bleh! (Though, it didn't flake. Odd.)

I don't know if you guessed this already or not, but in the next couple of days I am marching myself back to Sephora and returning this. It's probably the biggest mascara disappointment I have experienced.

In a flash~
Don't buy it!!!!

Have you had any major product flops?? Tell me about them!

Until next time--
~Beauty Maven