Product Review- Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara

Tarte Light! Camera! Lashes! Mascara Review

 

Tarte Light! Camera! Lashes! Mascara Review

From the Brand:   
A lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning mascara infused with olive esters to condition, treat, and protect lashes.

Product Performance: Our lights, camera, lashes™ 4-in-1 mascara could be considered a push-up bra for your lashes—a 4-in-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning) plus it’s dermatologist- and clinically-proven to increase the appearance of lash volume.

Powered By: olive esters: conditions, treats and protects lashes

Retails for:   $19.00

Where to Buy:   TarteCosmetics.com, Sephora Stores, Sephora.com, Ulta Stores, Ulta.com

My Thoughts:   Of all the products I've tried through the years by Tarte, this will probably always remain my all time favorite.  I'm pretty sure it was the first product I tried by them, and it set a pretty high precedent for the rest of their products.  Here's why:

The Wand-  This is the ultimate mascara brush head.  It's tightly packed with short bristles to get right to the base of my lashes and evenly coat both sides.  It's small enough in length that I'm not having to play twister with my lashes to avoid getting mascara on my lids and undereyes, and it's narrow enough in diameter that it doesn't block my field of vision.  It gives soft volume with just one coat and great definition with no clumping of the mascara and no clumping of the lashes together into spikey clusters.

The Formula-  It's thick enough to coat without clumping but thin enough to use as a base coat for other mascaras that are better at volumizing in a single coat.  I use this almost like a primer rather than a straight up mascara, most often applying it under my Makeup Forever Smokey Lash.  The combination of these two mascaras is a perfect One-Two punch that takes my lashes from subtle to amazing.  You can definitely build this up very easily for a really volumized look on its own, but for some reason I've always just used it as a base coat or for nice natural looking lashes in a flash.  I get too lazy to really layer layer layer the same mascara.  (Sounds weird I know when I say that I layer another mascara over it but my brain just sees it differently I suppose.)

The Packaging-  I love that it's not in just another cylinder.  It's very unique and immediately recognizable!  Not only is it a beautiful purple, but it's a textured leather with a unique shape.  When I see makeup set ups by artists, I can spot this baby out a mile away!  I'm always like "oh HEY!  I use that mascara, too!"

Side Note:  If you haven't checked out Tarte, you really should!  I honestly have almost every product they make either in full size or trial size.  I'm addicted.  If you're looking for a brand that's cruelty free, and always formulated without parabens • mineral oil • phthalates • triclosan • sodium lauryl sulfate • gluten, they're the brand for you!  If you're interested in trying out the mascara but don't want to buy a full size, they have a bunch of sets that have smaller versions, and when you sign up for an account with them you'll earn points towards freebies, including trial sizes of this mascara.  I think I end up with a trial size every time I buy something (about once a month probably) and then an additional sample.  Not sure what to get?  Check out my reviews of their Amazonian Clay Blush and their Amazonian Clay Foundations.  No, I'm not paid by them to endorse their products, nor do they send me free stuff. I have a pro discount with them, because I'm a professional makeup artist, so I've stocked up over the years to accommodate my clients with allergies and who ask that I use only cruelty free brands on their face.  I know that I can accomplish both of these with anything from Tarte while still providing amazing quality and staying power.  I do have a referral link to share with people and earn some points towards more products to review for you guys, so if you are interested, I'd be eternally grateful if you used the links in my articles.  Either way, it's a brand I highly endorse due to my years of experience using the products on both clients and myself.  (I think there's at least one product from Tarte on my face every single day!)  Ok, so now I'll just let you get back to your regularly scheduled makeup review reading....

Final Verdict:  Use alone for a soft volumized and defined look with just one swipe, or layer under another mascara for a conditioning basecoat for a "push-up bra" effect like they claim.

 

 

**Disclaimer: This article contains referral links.  As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Pixi Eye Glow Cube

Pixi Beauty Eye Glow Cube Review

From the Brand: Daylight-hued eye-glow-in-a-cube of silky coordinated lid-finishers wraps your lids in embellished lustrous metallics. Fresh, natural & youthful, this palette enhances with creamy gold, nude, caramel & warm bronze colours.

Beneficial ingredients and what they do:

• Mica provides dense natural pigment
• Vitamin E protects the skin

Retails for:  $28.00


Where to Buy: Pixi Beauty.com, may be available in some Target stores


My Thoughts: The packaging on this eyeshadow palette is super cute to look at, but when you hold it in your hand the plastic does feel a little cheap.  It's a lightweight lucite, and although I haven't tested it out by packing it and toting it around anywhere, I have the feeling in the back of my mind that it would crack somewhat easily.  But like I've said, I haven't tested that, so I could be way off base and it's just literally light in weight to make it less heavy for packing.  But it really is super cute!  I love the clear gem-like front to the case that shows off each eyeshadow pan color beautifully.

The colors themselves are a good range of neutrals to more dramatic colors like the burgundy and cool purple along with a deep slate with slight purple tones and a very wearable soft coral.  They have a good pigmentation and color payout, but I wish there were some matte shades.  They all have a satin finish that's a little too reflective to wear all over the lid without mixing in a matte somewhere.

At first I though the two large pans in the slide out drawer were a blush and a highlighter, but the packaging called them some kind of priming shadow base.  (I threw away the box, so I can't go back and double check exactly now. Sorry!)  I'm not sure how exactly you're supposed to use them, but they make a nice highlighter for the lighter shimmery color, and a soft matte pink tone for eyes or very pale cheeks.  I don't think overall they add much value to the eye shadow palette as a whole, but I'm sure you can find creative ways to utilize them for your own routine and needs.

The finish of the eyeshadows is nice and velvety with very little fallout, and they feel nice on the skin.  They don't look or feel chalky, and they wear decently on their own with no primer.  Although, the way they wear will depend highly on how you apply them, whether your lids are oily or not, and if you use a high quality primer like the Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer.


Final Verdict:  Overall, I really like this eyeshadow palette.  I got it through IPSY, during a limited time sale using their YouTube channel.  It was really confusing, and I wasn't sure I had even gotten it (you had to be an IPSY member and comment on the video, and then they selected people who qualified and charged the card you have on file with them) until suddenly I got a shipping notification in my email inbox.  I only paid $16.99 I think, but for the quality of the shadows and the number of them (16) in the set $28 is a great value.  Especially when you compare it to other high end brands who will sell you a quad for the same price.

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Product Review- Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara Review

 

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara Review

 

From the Brand:   

Inspired by the on-set technique of layering a lengthening fiber mascara over a volumizing formula, our new studio-tested mascara exposes your longest, fullest lashes. No clumps, no flakes. Just maximum-impact, scene-stealing lashes.

    • 104% increase in lash volume
    • 32% increase in lash length
    • 34-degree increase in lash curl

Retails for:   $19.50

Where to Buy:   Smashbox.com, Sephora Stores, Sephora.com, Ulta Stores, Ulta.com

My Thoughts:   I have been using this mascara in my professional kit for at least the last year or so, and I'm a huge fan of it for the formula.  It seemed for a while there that every time I ordered something from their website, I was either getting a full tube as part of a collection or set or getting a trial size as a freebie.  I tested it out on my own lashes and wasn't a fan of the jumbo mascara wand head, but the formula is so awesome that when I apply it with a disposable mascara wand it's the perfect mascara for using on set or clients.

The formula is nice and thick, so it only takes a few quick swipes to build up a lot of volume and decent length.  Length I believe really comes more from the mascara wand head than the formula, unless you are using a mascara that has lengthening fibers in it which this one doesn't.  That being said, it does coat all the way to the tips with a nice amount of product to build up the ends of your lashes into a more noticeable effect.  it doesn't dry to a stiff crunchy mess, and it doesn't melt or smudge in the humidity.  I don't really notice any flaking either even after wearing it all day.  It works amazingly well to blend together false lashes with your own lashes with a single coat, although I do like to run a metal lash comb through afterwards to give them good definition.  (I'm one of those people who applies mascara after falsies.)

Since I mostly use it on eyes that have false lashes, I can't make any observations on its claim of curling, but does help lock the natural lash into the curl of the falsies nicely without a lash curler.

The only negative thing I can really say about the mascara other than the large head (the bane of my tiny eyes!) is the smell of the mascara itself.  All mascara has some kind of smell, but some are more offensive than others.  Not that I'm huffing the tube mind you, but it is strong enough that I can notice it if I open it near my face at all.  It's sort of a peppery smell.  Not enough to discourage use, but if you are sensitive to smells, it's something to be at least aware of.  I don't notice it when it's on my eyes though.

Final Verdict:  While I'm not a fan of the application I get with the included mascara wand, it's a fantastic mascara!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Line Review

 

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Line Review

 

From the Brand:     

Soy Renewal Oil: Sexy Hair Concepts Healthy & Sexy Soy Argan Treatment contains natural pro growth soy proteins and moisturizing Argan oil extracts among various other ingredients. Sexy Hair Concepts Healthy & Sexy Soy Argan Treatment is intended for daily use and helps heal, deep moisturize rough, frizzy hair and imparts radiant shine and healthy body to your hair.  $21.95

Leave-In Treatment:  Worried about softness and shine of hair? Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Wheat Leave In Conditioner is a no rinse formula for soft hair. It also detangles and smoothes hair with soy protein that also strengthens hair with every use. Soy Wheat Leave In Conditioner is a multi action formula that detangles, smoothes and controls frizz. It also helps to prevent static and flyaway that could be troubling the hair.  $16.95

Soy Milk Shampoo: Healthy Sexy Hair Soymilk Shampoo contains soy and cocoa. In this shampoo, the combination of these ingredients fuse together to create a shampoo that moistens damaged hair and bring to life hair that has been harshly treated with chemicals. The shampoo is natural and the ingredients create an amazing scent that lasts.  $13.95/ 10.1 oz

Beach Spray:  Creates undone texture that looks and feels like you’ve spent a day by the sea. Helps nourish, protect and heal hair damage with the power of Argan oil. Cures winter blues by giving your hair the look and feel of a day at the beach.  $19.95

Soy Hairspray:  Use Soy Touchable when you want natural-looking hold, volume, and shine WITHOUT the product feel. Great for humidity-resistance and controlling frizz. Also ideal for protecting hair from damaging heat styling tools & harmful UV rays.  $17.95

Retails for:   Prices vary by location but I've listed the price at Ulta at the end of the product descriptions above.

Where to Buy:  You can Google it and find it just about everywhere, but I buy my products at either Ulta or Target.  I found the soy milk shampoo on clearance for a liter size, and when I look at the SexyHair.com website, I don't see that specific shampoo name.  It may have been changed to the Color Safe name, so that's the pricing I used. 

My Thoughts:  I'm majorly in love with this hair product line!  I may never use anything else.  Honestly.  And I'm the kind of person who switches hair products like I switch hair colors.  I have about 20 different kinds of shampoo and conditioners half used littering the shelves of my bathroom cupboard.  The one thing I haven't tried yet is the conditioner, but I'm still a fan of using a conditioning mask instead of a regular conditioner, since I wash my hair only twice a week.

Let's talk about the Soy Milk Shampoo first.  I'm hoping that with the name change they didn't change the formula, and if they did I'm super happy I found a liter size bottle at Ulta.  I've used the TIGI Color Goddess Shampoo for years when I was brunette with only streaks of red.  It drew me in with its delicious caramel scent, and it helped keep the color in my hair from fading.  However, it wasn't moisturizing enough, and it didn't help hold the red in once I went back to a full head of red hair.  Then I started using the Matrix Color Care Shampoo, and it was the only thing that didn't strip the red right out after dying it and fading my color so quickly.  It never turned my red brassy or dull.  It was actually on a trip to Ulta to buy more of my Matrix shampoo that I found this one by Healthy Sexy Hair.  I left the Matrix bottle in the guest bathroom one day and tried out the Soy Milk Shampoo.... bam!  Never went and got that other one out!  It leaves my hair feeling super silky and healthy, and it doesn't strip my color at all.  Combined with the rest of the products, my hair is softer, shinier, and bouncier than it's ever been.

The Treatment Oil was the first product that I ever used, and it's been my must use product every time I wash my hair since July.  It's not greasy at all, and it has a nice light fragrance that isn't overpowering at all.  I use about a nickel size amount and work it through my damp hair before blow drying or air drying, concentrating mostly on the ends.  But even if I do work it all the way to my roots, it won't make them look oily or greasy at all.  It's great for taming fly aways, too.  I just put a few drops into my palm, emulsify with my hands and run them lightly over my hair for shine and control.

I don't use the Leave-In Treatment much, since I'm such a fan of the oil, but every once and a while I'll use this in addition to it.  I bought the travel size to take with me to Florida last month and only just unpacked it into my regularly used products.  It's a very lightweight, non-greasy spray that smells really good.  Again, the scent isn't too strong but it does leave a bit of smell to the hair.

The Beach Spray is one of the products that's a bit hit or miss for me.  I bought this for my hair kit for boudoir clients for a quick bed head kind of look or to prep them for beachy waves.  On myself, it puts some of the natural wave back in my hair without the use of a curling wand, and it acts like a hairspray to help really lock the curl in place when I use it to prep before applying heat.  The downside is that it makes my hair feel a bit stiff and crunchy, and I'm always a bit squeamish about brushing afterwards.  I feel like I'm going to damage my hair. 

Last but certainly not least, is the Soy Touchable Hairspray.  I've smelled a lot of hairsprays in my day, and I must say this is my absolute favorite!  Weird, I know, to mention the smell first, but it was honestly the first thing that drew me to the product.  It smells like strawberry mint.  It's extremely flexible and lightweight, but it has serious holding power, too.  Not quite sure how they do that, but it works!  I love it to give volume at my crown when I tease it up and need to incorporate my growing out bangs.  It locks them into place with the rest of my hair without me having to worry about them falling out and making me look windblown.  It can dull down the look of the hair if used to heavily, but it doesn't add a crunchy white cast to the hair either that some other hairsprays can give.  So it won't look like it's hairsprayed to death, but it will loose just a touch of it's shine.  I mist some shine spray into a cloud over my head and let it settle onto the hair to add a bit of luster back quickly, and I'm right as rain!

Final Verdict:  Your hair will look (and smell!) amazing and be so touchabley soft!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara

Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara Review

 

Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara Review 

 

From the Brand:    Curl makes a lady. Sculpt your lashes with perfectly sexy curves to feel instantly prettier-than-pretty. Our formula boosts curl, separates lashes, and literally crafts each one into an expertly-shaped, battable set. Part of the secret lies in our molded and curved new technology wand that shapes lashes AND holds curl effectively throughout the day. Even more impressive are the incredible conditioning ingredients in our formula – packed with glycoprotein for lash thickening, moringa seeds to help with curl definition, and Meadowfoam seed oil and Shea Butter for conditioning and smoothing. Take that. We’d probably love this mascara no matter what the tube looked like…. But in the spirit of looking pretty we put it in a stunning mirrored gunmetal tube, embellished with swirling black scrolls. Go on with your pretty self.

Fill Weight: 9 ml e 0.3 US fl oz

Retails for:   $20.00

Where to Buy:   Urbandecay.com, Ulta stores and ulta.com, Sephora stores and Sephora.com

My Thoughts:   I got the travel size in a kit, because I wasn't in the mood to spend $20 on a mascara I wasn't sure I was going to like, especially when I've been trying every mascara under the sun lately for these reviews.  And boy and I glad I went with that decision. I was not a fan of this mascara at all.

The wand is rubber, which was strike number one against it.  Add to that the fact that the bristles were thick and spaced too far apart to get a nice separation combined with a stiff inflexible wand, and I really disliked it all around.  Strike number two Urban Decay.  The formula isn't too thick or two thin, so that was nice.  And the curved mascara wand head helped me coat my lashes nice and evenly without much trouble or messiness on the rest of my lids.  I'll give them that.

The biggest let down for me, especially when the reason I was interested in it to begin with, was that it did absolutely nothing for me as far as curling.  Even when I used a lash curler before (and I tested it with pre-curled and naturally straight lashes) I saw no visible difference in the amount of curl or how long the curl lasted (as with the pre-curled lashes).  Strike number three.  You're out of my makeup bag!

Kuddos for making it super long wearing though with no smudging.  Not waterproof mascara long-wearing, but a great wear for everyday mascara.  I was really impressed by that, even though I was so disappointed with how uncurled and clumped together my lashes looked that I was anticipating when I could wash it off.  Oh, and the packaging of course was adorbs!  Just like everything else they do, they do with total style.

Final Verdict:  I love, love, love every single thing I've ever tried from Urban Decay, so this was a major disappointment for me. I went into it with such high hopes that I'd found a mascara that could give me both volume and curl, but alas, it was just not meant to be.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Buxom Lash Mascara

Buxom Lash Mascara Review

 

Buxom Lash Mascara Review

From the Brand: 

What it is:
An intensely volumizing mascara for bigger, fuller lashes.

What it does:
This vitamin-enriched formula deepens, darkens, and thickens from root to tip. The curvy hourglass-shaped brush holds the ideal amount of mascara to ensure every lash is coated evenly with our silky, clump-free formula.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates

Research results:
-96% of women agreed this mascara volumized lashes and did not clump or smudge*
*Based on independent USA consumer test

Retails for:   $19.00

Where to Buy:   Sephora Stores, Sephora.com

My Thoughts:  Why oh why does this have to have such a large brush head?!  Other than that, this is a pretty awesome mascara.  The formula is very very thin, so it coats the hairs so lightly you really have to stroke it over a few times to build up any kind of volume.  But at the same time it doesn't weigh your lashes down and means that the curl will actually stay.  When I'm layering this mascara, I don't keep dipping it back in the tube to get more product.  Instead, I swipe it from base to tip 2-3 times, rotate the wand so that I'm using a different side of the brush and swipe it 2-3 more times.  I repeat this 3-4 times so that I'm using approximately a quarter of the wand at a time.

It does really seem to add a ton of length to my lashes without the spidery effect.  It doesn't leave huge clumps of mascara on the tips of my lashes.  Rather, it coats them evenly from root to tip, leaving a natural taper so the length looks believable.  The tips of my lashes are very light, so any color to them makes them instantly look longer, but the color Blackest Black is a nice deeply pigmented rich black that isn't glossy or matte but more of a satin finish that gives the effect of natural shiney hairs.

Besides the large brush head (it'd be perfect at 3/4 of its sized) the only downside I find with this mascara is that it can smudge easily.  Even after my lashes have dried completely, if I stroke my fingertip over the bottom of the lashes it will start to wipe off the mascara onto my finger.  So if my eyes start to water and I dab at them, my fingertips are coming away black.

The mascara brush head is a rubber one, but thankfully it doesn't poke my eyelid.  It has a slight hourglass shape to it, and it's very flexible on the end of the wand but still enough that I'm not making a mess.  The bristles are thin enough to separate the lashes like a comb but close enough to each other that it can build up the product on both sides of the lash evenly for natural looking volume. 

Final Verdict: Reduce the size of the mascara wand head and increase the longevity, and this would be a killer mascara.  As it stands, it's only one rung down from awesome.  I'll be tickled pink to find this in a set somewhere and will happily use up the rest of my deluxe sample tube.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof Mascara

Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara Review

 

Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara Review 

 

From the Brand:   

• Builds full, healthy-looking lashes without the brittle feel
• Prevents loss of lashes with Quick Dissolve System that allows easy mascara removal
• Advanced thickening formula with Vitamin E helps to soften and nourish lashes
• No clumps, no globs
• Contact lens safe and hypoallergenic

Retails for:   $7.49

Where to Buy:    Ulta Stores, Ulta.com, Walgreens, CVS, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Target, Wherever Drugstore brands are sold.

My Thoughts:   This is a nice waterproof formula for people with sensitive eyes.  It gives natural looking definition to the lashes without clumping, and it dries to a soft flexible finish.  I hate it when mascaras dry end leave my lashes feeling stiff and brittle.

The color has a good pigmentation with the very black color, and the consistency is neither too thick nor too thin.  The wand head is very similar to a standard disposable mascara wand, so it's nothing really to special but gets the job done better than some with unique shapes trying to be the "next big thing" in mascaras.

If you like a more dramatic look to your mascara/lashes, I'd either recommend putting on a pair of natural style false lashes and then using this mascara to blend the lashes together or layering the Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof Mascara on top of another formula that gives you more of the look you want.  The waterproof attributes of the Maybelline Full N Soft will glide on over the top without clumping up or ruining the effect of the bottom mascara, and it will help give it an added layer of moisture and humidity protection without giving you stiff uncomfortable lashes.

Final Verdict:  Great for a natural looking waterproof mascara look, but it's not going to give you a long or full lash look for those who want a more dramatic mascara effect.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- mark. Scanda-Lash Mascara

Mark. Scanda-Lash Mascara Mini Vial with Hook-Up

Mark. Scanda-Lash Mascara Wand

 

 

From the Brand:  This super-rich mascara perfectly lengthens, thickens and defines lashes without clumping. *Hook up products: packaged in a convenient mini vial. Applicator included in cap. 0.12 oz. net wt. 

 

Retails for: $6.50

Where to Buy: http://shop.meetmark.com/product.aspx?pf_id=31417, Mark. representative, https://beautyarmy.com/scanda-lash-black

My Thoughts: I received this in one of my BeautyArmy monthly subscription boxes, and I was excited to try it out.  I saw the wand for it, and I knew it was a shape that I've had good success with in the past.  It's cute, and easy to pack with the little hook-up to attach it to a gloss, so it would work perfectly for my vacation makeup kit.  I applied it to curled lashes, and the immediate effect was great!  It added length and volume without clumping or looking too "fake".  

 

Right after application. Instagram @sueminskey

Sadly, my enthusiasm didn't remain intact until the end of the day, and neither did the mascara.  It was hot out, and I spent most of the day I did my test run out and about running errands in the heat.  In and out of the car, the humidity did a number on my lashes.  By the end of the day, although the mascara hadn't run at all, it was very mushy feeling.  It was like my lashes had been coated in black paste instead of mascara.  I'm used to mascaras that dry to a firm stiff feeling on my lashes.  Even the Maybelline Full N Soft mascara doesn't have this mushy feeling to it.  The outside corner lashes had clumped together, and when I pinched my lashes together between my thumb and pointer finger, it all came off on my fingertips in a goopy mess.

   

Final Verdict: Would I purchase this mascara?  No.  It didn't feel good on my lashes by the end of the day in the heat.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.  These items were purchased with my own money.

Product Review- Too Faced Natural Rebel Collection

Too Faced Natural Rebel Collection Items- Natural At Night Sexy and Sultry Neutral Eye Shadow Collection (previously released), Perfect Eyes Waterproof and Tearproof Eyeliner in Espresso (previously released), Natural Rebel Neutral Color Lip Collection (new)

From the Brand: An ULTA Exclusive! The three-piece Natural Rebel Collection by Too Faced includes: Natural At Night Eye Shadow Collection with nine sexy, late-night neutrals. Natural Kiss Lip Collection palette with four shades that compliment all skin tones and create a polished "born this way" look to any natural beauty. Perfect Eyes Eye Liner in Espresso which glides on with the ease of liquid liner and locks down for 8+ hours of smudge-proof wear. Cruelty free.


Retails for: $36


Where to Buy: Ulta stores and Ulta.com


My Thoughts: I'll start with the eyeshadow palette.  This is the highlight of the set for me.  I think it's completely worth just buying this palette on its own to have in your makeup collection if you aren't in need (or want) a lip palette or another brown eyeliner.  It's nice a compact to fit in a small makeup bag, and it contains a great variety of neutral shades to give you varying eye makeup looks from super natural to super intense.  And it's newbie-friendly with its convenient grouping of the highlight shades on the left, lid colors in the center row, and the crease colors on the right, and it also groups the colors together into three coordinating looks.  There are two matte shades- Spotlight (highlight color) and Cocoa Star (crease color), three glittery shades- Full Moon and Night Light (highlight colors) and Night Fever (crease/accent color), and four satin shades- Nightcap, After Hours, and Moon Stone (lid colors) and Eclipse (crease color).  The "Night" look is brown based colors, the "Classic" look is pink based colors, and the "Fashion" look is yellow based colors, but they are all neutrals that work beautifully together in any combination.

The Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner is great, and I think I've mentioned it before here on the blog or on my YouTube channel how awesome it is.  It stays incredibly well in the waterline and comes out a very inky color.  It doesn't fade like some can.  The Perfect Espresso color is a very black brown, so it's a great option for people who don't want the starkness of a black but still want a deep intensity that's just a touch softer.  It's a great option for blondes or redheads!

The lip palette is great, because it's so small and compact.  It contains four shades plus a lip brush and generous sized mirror.  The colors don't have names, so I'll just describe them from left to right.  The farthest left color is more of a glittery gloss topcoat than a lipstick.  It's a nice tawny color without too much pink.  More of an irridescent golden color packed down on top of itself to give it an opaque look in the pan but a shimmery colorless effect on the lips. (I'm probably not doing it justice with that description, but hopefully you get the picture- it's a shimmer top coat and not an actual lipstick.)  The next shade over is a nice beige neutral lip color.  It's one step away from a light brown, with just enough natural lip flesh tone to it to keep it not looking so 1990s, and it has no shimmer to it at all.  It's a nice satin finish and a great "nude" color.  The next shade is my favorite- a pinky nude with a shimmery finish that isn't glittery at all.  In the pan it almost looks a tad frosty, but on the lips the shimmer just reflects light very evenly giving it an almost glossy look.  The far right color is the most intense of all, being a nice soft berry color.  It gives the effect almost of having eaten a plate of spaghetti or a popsicle and stained the lips but with an opaque consistency.  It's great for women who want a more pigmented lip color that will wear away to a beautiful natural looking finish rather than looking like you've eaten your lipstick off.


Final Verdict:  If you're interested in just a single piece of the collection, hop on over to TooFaced.com and enjoy their free shipping on orders of $50 or more plus free samples.  If you're loving the whole collection, buy it from Ulta. Either way, I highly recommend any of them for their pigmentation and quality.  They are all a fantastic value!

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Product Review- Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette

Which shade is YOUR favorite?!

Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette Review


From the Brand: 

What It Is:

Even pretty girls break the rules. Be as rebel as you want to be with 10 powerful after-hours approved (and all new) shadows in the deepest jewel tones, the most bad ass metallics and one scene-stealing pink.

More To Love:

The Pretty Rebel Eye Shadow Palette comes in an extraordinary range of 10 new shades in stunning, high pigment formulations for rich color payoff. Pretty Rebel comes with our signature how-to Glamour Guide with three beauty looks to get you started.

New Shades:

• Girly
• Charming
• Dainty
• Gangsta
• Instigator
• Jailbird
• Totally Fetch
• Ringleader
• Miss Sparkles
• Badass

*Limited quantities available 

Retails for:  $46.00


Where to Buy: TooFaced.com


My Thoughts:  Every time I see a new Too Faced Eyeshadow palette, I need to buy it.  As in, quivering aching need like nobody's business.  I'm addicted like a meth fiend or even just a Breaking Bad fan.  Their eyeshadows are super super pigmented and very velvety soft.  They have an almost creamy feel to them when they are the satiny finish shades like the ones in this palette.  In previous eyeshadow palettes their matte shadows aren't quite so creamy, and their sparkly ones can have some issues with fallout if you don't pack the color on in thin layers over their Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer, but the colors in this particular palette don't have those minor "issues".  (Which is a much better issue than being a meth addict I might add... just sayin'.)

I've uploaded a video to my YouTube Channel showcasing just how gorgeous these eyeshadows are, so you should check that out, too!  I swatch each individual color for you to see, and you can see exactly how pigmented these are with just a light swipe with my finger! I also talk about two other sets I purchased from Too Faced that I'll be reviewing in tomorrow's blog.

My favorite eyeshadow color out of this is definitely Girly.  I'd think that this one would be the hot pink eyeshadow shade, but then again I just associate everything girly with the color pink.  (That one's called Totally Fetch btw.)  It reminds me of the stunning MAC pigment Blue Brown, a chocolate color with duochrome that's completely transforming.  The silver {Jailbird} and gold {Instigator} are so intense, they would be amazing eyeshadows for a really metallic look.   Badass, a slightly purple toned denim blue is so perfect for fall.



Final Verdict:  I'll be wearing these all fall long and well into winter.  There are so many looks that can be created with these colors from very natural to super intense, the Pretty Rebel Palette is a major MUST HAVE for your makeup bag!

Ready to add the Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette to your bag?  Click here to get shopping!  Don't forget, you get FREE samples when you order from them online, and FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50! Get amazing DISCOUNTS and FREE GIFTS from Too Faced Cosmetics! 

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner

L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner Review

 

L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner Review 

 

From the Brand:    Creamy eyeliner glides on easily for smooth application. Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner by L'Oreal resists smudging and provides up to 16-hour wear. Including a built-in sharpener and smudger to create smokey eye looks.

Retails for:   $8.99

Where to Buy:    Ulta Stores, Ulta.com, Walgreens, CVS, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Target, Wherever Drugstore brands are sold.

My Thoughts:   For years this was my go-to eyeliner pencil because it was so densely pigmented and lasted a pretty long time.  Over time though, I came to find many new "favorites", and this was moved to the organizer bin of eyeliner pencils to only be fished out every once and a while when I was feeling nostalgic.  That's not to say that it isn't a great eyeliner for the price.  But in the many months that I've been writing this blog and experimenting with new brands and formulas of eyeliner pencils on myself, I haven't had the time to really use this one as much as I once did.

The pigmentation of this is an 8 out of 10.  It's not a pure inky black, but it's not sheer either by any stretch of the imagination.  It gives a nice even black line, and it's easy to keep sharp with it's roll up tip.  It glides nicely without tugging, but it's not a gel based formula.  It's slightly more waxy and dry in texture, which gives it a good grip but doesn't set to quickly to smudge out.  I really like the built in silicone smudger on the opposite end, which makes it easy to soften up the line for a smokey look.

I wouldn't give it a full 16 hour wear time however.  I'd say you'll get a solid 8 hours, and then based on how oily your lids are and how well you prime the lids first, you'll get up to another 6 hours out of it, making it a decent 14 hour max wear time.  It's not the best in the waterline, as it fades quickly and doesn't go on very pigmented there.  High humidity can also cause it to creep around the inner and outer corners of the eyes and require a bit of a touch up.  I almost always found myself wearing it in the winter or using a liquid liner pen to draw on my "wings" on the outer edges for a better lasting finish.

Final Verdict: Great eyeliner if you're looking for a drugstore version to keep costs down.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara

 

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Water Resistant Mascara Review

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Water Resistant Mascara Review

 

From the Brand:   
LashBlast is volume + length mascara.This mascara starts giving your lashes a blast of volume and incredible length in one stroke. No need to use two mascaras.

• Super-Volumizing
• Buildable fiber-strength lengthening
• Thickens and extends the look of your natural lashes

Retails for:   $9.49

Where to Buy:    Ulta Stores, Ulta.com, Walgreens, CVS, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Target, Wherever Drugstore brands are sold.

My Thoughts:   For a mascara with a rubber wand, I'm actually a fan of this one.  Sometimes even a professional makeup artist can be late the program I guess.  Lashblast is definitely nothing new.  They have a ton of formulas now, and I've tried a few.  This one stood out to me as the winner though.  It does give some great volume without clumping.  I noticed a big difference in length as well.  I just wish it did a tad bit more and helped with the curl.

So let's examine the claims:

• Super volumizing-  On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a nice even 8.  The caveat to this though is that it has to be built up with many layers of product to attain said volume.
• Buildable- Absolutely.  It's the way you achieve the volume, so it has to be buildable or else it's worthless.  The brush on this coats each lash perfectly evenly with the rubber bristles and separates them to avoid clumps.  I didn't keep dipping the wand back into the tube and applying layers that way to build the volume.  I kept running it over the lashes on each eye repeatedly using the same original product pulled out.  Just rotating the wand head so that there was fresh product each time and I was getting all of it off the wand and onto my lashes from all sides.  The result was evenly coated, rich black feathery lashes.
• Thickens and extends the look of your natural lashes- On the 1-10 scale, again it's an 8.  The base of the lash is definitely thicker looking than the tip, so they have more of a feathery wispy look to them, but it's still a very natural looking volume.  You can tell you've got mascara on, but you don't look like you're wearing falsies, and it looks more like you've got amazing lashes than you're relying on product.  

It dries to a nice soft flexible finish, even though it's water "resistant".  I honestly wish I'd used this more often this summer instead of some of the other waterproof mascaras that made it feel like I had dried out twigs for lashes.  It's good for those who have oily lids or who have a problem with mascara transferring onto their lids, glasses, etc or live in a humid climate.  I'd steer clear though if you anticipate a large cry fest or are going swimming.  It's not really waterproof in the traditional sense.  It is really easy to remove and non-damaging to your lashes!

This is the only rubber mascara head that I've ever been able to say 100% didn't poke me in the eyes at all.  I wouldn't even know it was a rubber mascara wand if I wasn't looking at it.  It's soft and flexible but durable with super short bristles at the tip to help you comb out the tiny baby lashes in the inner corners without hurting yourself.

The pigment on this is also super black in the "very black" shade.  The formula itself it just thick enough to coat and give volume but not too thick that it clumps with layering.  The mascara formula plus the shape of the mascara wand make this an awesome combo for a drugstore makeup.  I can see what everyone has been raving about for years with this stuff.

Final Verdict: Fantastic mascara for building up natural looking volume and soft feathery lashes.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- TimeBalm Concealer

Time Balm Concealer Review

 

Time Balm Concealer Review

 

From the Brand:    Use this uniquely smooth anti-wrinkle concealer all day to cover dark circles and imperfections while protecting your delicate skin from environmental stresses. TimeBalm is packed with beneficial ingredients including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Soybean Oil, Panthenol, Linoleic Acid and Phospholipids to help you look absolutely stunning around the clock.

Retails for:   $18.00

Where to Buy:   TheBalm.com, Sephora Stores, Sephora.com, Beauty.com

My Thoughts:  I've heard so many good things for so long about The Balm I knew I had to try them for myself.  Way back in April they had an amazing offer for 50% off everything on their site.  So amazing in fact that it shut down their site for days.  Yes, days. After patiently waiting for their site to come back online so I could partake in this awesome opportunity, I loaded my cart with a variety of items.  First, mascara.  {You can read my review on that here.}  To compliment my eyes, an eyeshadow palette.  Next, two foundations.  Since I didn't know my correct color (being pale is tricky people.  Oh sooooo tricky.) I figure it was two for the price of one and hoped I'd at least hit it with one of them.  What goes better with foundation than concealer?  Really, nothing other than powder, so I grabbed a concealer as well and checked out before everything was out of stock.

Even after months of using this every so often, I'm still on the fence about it.  I love the name.  Cute product names get me every time, and just like Benefit The Balm has kitsch out the wazoo (as my grandma would put it).  I think it's adorable how it mimics the foundation in packaging.  Clear round plastic container with a sponge round inside.  However, the formula is what really makes a product.  You can have all the cute nifty packaging and adorable names you want, but if your product is crap your product is crap.

Not that I'm calling this crap by any stretch of the imagination.  I'm just not as in love with it as say my Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer, or even the Stila Stay All Day Concealer in the lid of the matching foundation.  It's neither dry nor hydrating, rather somewhere in the middle.  I can't tell if it works better on blemishes or under the eyes.  It really has no one single quality I love or hate about it.  It's just so-so on every level for me that it's supremely frustrating to me not to be able to pinpoint my feelings on it.

Final Verdict: The verdict is still out on this one actually.  I just figured it was high time I wrote something about it. 

Have you tried it?  Did you love it?  Did you hate it?  Are you as undecided as me?  Share your thoughts!  I'd love to hear them!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Maybelliner MasterPrecise by Eyestudio Liquid Eyeliner

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner Review

 

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner Review 

 

From the Brand:    Exclusive felt tip. Never dries. Never drips. Master the redefined line. The next generation of liquid liner is here. Master Precise Ink Pen Liner's exclusive, ultra-thin 0.4mm brush tip supplies continuous flow for smooth, even perfect lines. No drying or skipping. No mess or excess. Ink technology keeps pigments super-saturated. Ophthalmologist tested. Safe for sensitive eyes. Contact lens safe.

Retails for:   $7.99

Where to Buy:    Ulta Stores, Ulta.com, Walgreens, CVS, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Target, Wherever Drugstore brands are sold.

My Thoughts:   This is a really fantastic felt tip liner!  It's tapered to be thicker at the bottoms so you can adjust the width of your line by how you lay it against the skin, which I think is fantastic.  We all know how it can go sometimes, when you start with a thin line and think you'll just add another swipe to build up the width and suddenly it's either too thick or the sides don't match so you have to go back and forth.... until you look like a raccoon.  It's ok.  Even us pros have those days.  It takes a little getting used to, but you can adjust how you lay this against the skin (the more flush/parallel to the eyelid the thicker the line) to get a different thickness for different looks with one swipe.

It can get a bit bogged down with eyeshadow (a definite drawback of using felt tips to begin with), so make sure that you wipe it off on a tissue or paper towel between eyes so that you're getting the most liquid into the tip and onto the skin for a clean densely pigmented line.  I also hold it with the tip pointing down for a few seconds in between swipes so that gravity can help pull the liquid into the tip evenly.

The one downside I have with this eyeliner is that it doesn't wear as long as some others I've used.  Don't get me wrong, you aren't going to be looking in the mirror an hour from now and wonder where the heck your eyeliner went, but I personally have pretty stringent guidelines on how long I like to have lasting power to my products before they require a touch up.  I guess it's from working primarily in the bridal industry for the past five years, where I needed the makeup I applied to clients to literally last 18 hours through sweat and tears or on myself for 12+  hours with absolutely no time to grab a bite of food let alone worry about how my makeup looked.  (It's amazing how many photos you end up in the background of when you're a makeup artist on the wedding day.  When representing as a pro makeup artist, you need to always looks perfectly pulled together, even if you're starting at 6 am two hours from home and going until 6 pm on wedding number three!)

Final Verdict:  Great liner for short(er) periods of time, like an average work day.  You'll need to touch it up if you want to last past dinner though.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- e.l.f. Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths Review


From the Brand:    Gently and easily cleans skin to remove all traces of makeup and dirt, even waterproof mascara. Great for on-the-go travel. Gentle cloths are soft and soothing for even the most sensitive skin. Infused with Aloe Vera Extract for deep hydration and moisture. 20 Pre-moistened cloths included.

Retails for:   $3.00

Where to Buy:   eyeslipsface.com, Target stores

My Thoughts:   I keep these on my desk when I'm writing my reviews so that when I'm testing products on the back of my hand (whether it's a brand new product to cross my desk or I just want to refresh my memory with how it looks and feels on my skin while I'm writing) because they are a really inexpensive makeup cloth, and I can really use them up with impunity.  They do a great job getting all the makeup off my hand without leaving a residue or drying my skin out.

They don't have an overpowering scent like some wipes can, and they are soft yet fairly durable.  I wouldn't use them for removing waterproof eye makeup on my eye, because I just don't feel they are quite capable of removing it without a lot of rubbing.  But they are great to have on hand when I need them.  I especially love the price point, because I go through a looooooot of makeup remover wipes.

I love the packaging these come in.  They have a handy plastic flip top that allows me quick easy access without them drying out!  I hate when wipes come in a plastic sleeve with just a thin tab held in place by a sticker underside.  As soon as that gets wet or a bit of makeup on it, they loose their stick, and my makeup remover wipes end up all dried out.  Not cool when I go to pull out a wipe and wipe up with little more than a tissue.

Now because I can't be all "oh this is totally the most perfect thing ever" about any product and have to poke and prod until I find something that can be "complained" about (because let's face it- in this wide world web, you're always going to find some haters, so I might as well be preemptive and find their concerns to address up front), my "complaint" is this....they aren't very durable.  I'd prefer a bit more thickness to them so that it doesn't feel as if it's going to tear if I do need to scrub a bit to remove a particularly stay proof product.  It's fairly easy to combat this by laying the wipe across the area to start to dissolve the product on the surface of the skin for about 20 seconds before wiping.  Oh, and like all makeup remover wipes, make sure that you do wash your face with cleanser afterwards.  You need a deeper cleanse if you've worn a liquid or cream foundation to really remove every last trace from your pores before sleep.

Final Verdict: Totally worth a piddly $3.  So worth it in fact, you should probably grab a few... along with a ton of other amazing finds from e.l.f.  I mean makeup for $1?!

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Product Review- Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review

 

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review

 

From the Brand:    Sexy, dramatic, pure unadulterated black mascara for full, voluminous lashes. Famously big brush coats lashes with our thick black formula. It's as BAD as you want to be!

Retails for:   $19.00

Where to Buy:   BenefitCosmetics.com, Sephora Stores, Sephora.com, Ulta Stores, Ulta.com

My Thoughts:   This is one of those mascaras that thinks the bigger wand head will give you bigger lashes, and I'm just not a believer.  I really like the mascara formula, but I find the large mascara wand head too large to manipulate without making a mess on my eyelids.  I like smaller mascara wand heads with densely packed bristles that are varying lengths to really reach every single lash and coat them evenly.

That being said, I can get a create mascara application from this with a disposable mascara wand in the shape I prefer.  Great mascaras are 50% amazing wand heads and 50% amazing formula.  You can easily transform a so-so mascara into an amazing one by swapping out one of the two features that just isn't "doing it" for you.  For me, I can use s disposable mascara wand with this mascara and get gorgeous lashes.

The formula of the Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara is nice and richly pigmented and thick enough to coat and add volume without clumping up.  It doesn't smudge throughout the day, and it doesn't make my lashes feel dry and brittle either.  It's fairly easy to remove with some eye makeup remover at the end of the day or my preferred method- coconut oil. 

Final Verdict:  Since I'm not a fan at all of the mascara wand, whenever I get one of these as a trial or in a kit (like the tube in the photo) I toss it into my professional kit to use on set where a waterproof mascara isn't required.  I prefer to use disposable wands with this mascara anyway, which makes it perfect for use on clients.  If you're a fan of the large wand heads, you'll love this mascara!

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.