Covergirl Bombshell Volume Mascara Review

Covergirl Bombshell Volume Mascara Review

From the Brand:
Mega volume and dark intensity in one mascara for an over the top bombshell look from Cover Girl. Step 1 volumize - load on for unbelievably big volume - Step 2 - intensify - seal in with one coat for an intense, dark all day finish. Beautifully separated lashes.

Retails for:  $11.99


Where to Buy:  Ulta stores and Ulta.com, CVS.com and CVS stores, Drugstore.com, and anywhere else you can purchase Covergirl brand products

My Thoughts:  This mascara lasts forever.  Like seriously, for-ev-er.  It's not even waterproof.  I can put it on in the morning, and even if my eyes water or it's super humid out (as it's prone to be here in northern Virginia) this won't budge, smudge, or flake.  You can check out my video review below for what a difference it makes on my lashes, too!

Side 1 is the volumizing side, and it's definitely a "lash blast" mascara with the shape of the wand and the consistency of the mascara itself.  It's very similar to my LashBlast Fusion Mascara I reviewed back in September.  {Check out that review here.}  The major difference though is this mascara has a second side that adds another layer of intense color, and I'm convinced is what makes it last so long.

Side 2 is a generic mascara wand, and I don't think it's very useful in separating my lashes or adding any length.  The first side adds all the volume, and it would be nice if this one had a comb or at the very least long spikey spokes to help separate the lashes.  I have to stop in between the steps and get a metal lash comb to keep my lashes from clumping.

It's a little higher priced for a drugstore mascara being $11.99, since most I purchase are around $8.99 or so, but it's worth the few extra dollars.  I've found myself using drugstore mascara all the time now rather than my higher end brands.  I can two or three tubes for what I'd pay for a prestige brand, and even if I have to layer them I'm still getting more for my buck.


Final Verdict:  A new Holy Grail Mascara?  I'd say so!  I hope and pray Covergirl keeps this one around!


Want to see this in action?  Check out my video review!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. 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.

L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Review

L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Review

From the Brand:
Get the ultimate un-makeup look with Magic Nude Liquid Powder Bare Skin Perfecting Makeup with SPF 18. Revolutionary liquid transforms on contact, leaving a soft powder like finish. This foundation is so amazingly lightweight it's like wearing no makeup at all! Just shake and apply - it's magic!

Retails for:  $12.99


Where to Buy:  Anywhere drugstore makeup is sold, such as Ulta stores and Ulta.com, Walgreens.com, CVS.com, Target, Walmart, and grocery stores


My Thoughts:  This stuff is really quite an interesting makeup.  The term liquid powder sounds weird, but it does dry to a nice powdery finish.  Not an overly dry looking super matte finish, but like it's been softly powdered very naturally.  I love it.  The color matched my difficult skin pretty easily, although I think I got lucky in that respect.  The bottle is a little difficult to gauge color, but it's not that off from how it dries.  It can oxidize just a tad, and I could see that being a problem on more oily skintones.  So make sure you purchase it from a retailer that will let you exchange for another color if it doesn't work out for you.

It does feel quite weightless, too.  I didn't even feel I had anything on.  It's definitely wet when you first apply, so there's that sensation, but it in no way feels cakey or thick once it's set.  If you've got the right color to go with your skin tone, it's pretty natural looking on the skin as well.  It was able to even my skin tone out without covering my freckles to the point where it was obvious I was wearing foundation. My skin is really hard to find a match for, since the freckles make my face appear much darker than my neck which is pale from no contact with the sun and devoid of freckles.  I have to put a lot of bronzer on my neck or wear shirts that minimize the appearance of a pasty neck. 

My only concern is with how long this foundation lasts.  I would give it a solid 5-6 hours before it does start to break down.  And that's with my dry skin.  Again, I'd be a little hesitant with oilier skin tones.  I think it applies best to the skin with a buffing style brush, like the one I use in the video from Real Techniques.  It was too thin to apply with my Qosmedix makeup sponge or Beauty Blender.  It seeped into the sponge too much.  Also, since the sponge was damp, it interfered with the formulation.  The foundation went on a bit splotchy and didn't set.


Final Verdict:  This is one of my foundations I keep in my collection for days when I just need to throw on something to look nice for a little while, such as for a meeting or one of my kids' school functions.  It's pretty inexpensive when compared with high end products, so I don't mind having it on hand for just a whenever kind of look.  It's a total holy grail product for me as far as drugstore products go.  



Want to see it in action?  Check out this review video!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. 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.

Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Foundation Review

Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Foundation Review

From the Brand:
Get that airbrushed, camera ready look with Photo Ready Airbrush Mousse Makeup by Revlon. Air-infused mousse creates a flawless, poreless finish.

Retails for:  $12.99

Where to Buy: Anywhere drugstore makeup is sold, such as Ulta stores and Ulta.com, Walgreens.com, CVS.com, Target, Walmart, and grocery stores

My Thoughts:   I think this has to be the absolute worst foundation I have ever tried.  You know how middle of the road I try to be about things I'm not a fan of.  Really.  I try.  If I'm not a fan I'll usually be all "this didn't work for me, because of xyz, but it might work for abc.... blah blah blah."  I can't see this being a good foundation for anyone really.  Unless you already have perfect skin that doesn't even need foundation.

How do I dislike this foundation?  Oh, let me count the ways.

1.  It smells.  Very chemical, and it's pungent.  Like an old plastic bottle that's been left in the sun.
2.  It has no coverage.  It spits out in a weird foam that fizzles a bit on your skin or palette or whatever, and when you try to blend it onto the skin it streaks and then fades away, clinging only to your imperfections.
3.  It clings to your imperfections.  Got pores?  Now everyone knows it.  Got dry patches, flakiness, or uneven texture?  Highlighted!
4.  It's hard to gauge the color to match your skin.  There's no universal color system, so even though I know what shade I am in the Revlon Colorstay, it means jack when trying to pick the right shade in this formula.  And the label on the bottle?  Not much help. I like to see the actual product to compare.  This was ashy and pale on me, and way too pink.


Final Verdict:  I was super annoyed when I tried this.  No application methods yielded positive results, and I was so happy when Ulta said they'd return it for me.  I exchanged it out for the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation instead and was so much happier.  Major dud!

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. 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.

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation Review

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation Review

From the Brand:
The mousse-like texture feels like silk on your skin. And, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy.

Buildable to full coverage for flawless skin

Soft, matte finish all day long

Withstands heat and humidity - great for summer

Retails for:  $13.99

Where to Buy: Anywhere drugstore makeup is sold, such as Ulta stores and Ulta.com, Walgreens.com, CVS.com, Target, Walmart, and grocery stores

My Thoughts:  Let's examine the claims on this:  1.  Buildable to full coverage for flawless skin-  Yeah, it's pretty buildable, but you have to be carefully with how you apply this.  I found that if I tried to use a brush to buff it onto the skin, it wiped away previous layers instead of building.  You need to use a stippling motion with a multileveled brush or even better a makeup sponge like the Qosmedix sponge or Beauty Blender.  Patting and pressing built even layers, but only so much.  I still needed a bit of concealer in areas, and more than two layers of foundation started to cake up and look heavy. 
2. Soft,   matte finish all day long-  Yes, this was a matte finish by most definitions.  Not a super porcelain dry matte, but a believable natural looking matte finish that looked like it was lightly powdered.  3.  Withstands heat and humidity, great for summer-  I can't really comment on this one since I've got dry skin and wore it during the winter.  However, by comparison to the Revlon Colorstay Foundation in the traditional liquid formula, this one didn't last as long.  It was good for my dry skin in the winter time, and the texture is really unique.  But I found that it did fade sooner than the liquid, which is what I wear often in the summer time.

There are a few cons to this foundation formula.  It doesn't last quite as long as the traditional formula, and the bottle is a heavy glass jar- not very portable or travel friendly.  The glass jar makes it a little difficult to see the color of the actual product, and the sticker on the lid isn't quite a match.  I had to get two jars, since the lighter shade looked very light and almost greyish in the jar, but it ended up being a perfect match.  I'll test out the darker color maybe this summer to see how it does hold up to the heat and humidity.  Perhaps my skin was so thirsty that it just ate the foundation like dry skins tend to do sometimes.  Also, I'd recommend a primer to fill in pores before using this foundation.  It can build up a bit in those areas with the patting motion.  Sort of fills them in with extra foundation and can cause skin colored dots of pigment under the lighter layers on top.

There are a lot of pros though.  The whipped texture of the foundation is very unique, and I enjoyed blending this into my skin.  It felt very hydrating and soothing on my skin.  The finish is very nice as well, and I didn't need a powder over the top.  It set quickly on it's own, but I still had enough time to work with it and build it up.  If I could ever remember to do a favorites post or video again, this would have been in my favorites for the month of February.  I think I wore it every day I wore makeup to work.  It didn't ever feel heavy, even when it did start to build up in areas that I over did it looking for coverage, like around my nose.


Final Verdict:  Great foundation, but not the best for people who really need a full coverage as it's tricky to build.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. 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.