Product Review: Maybelline The Falsies- Flared Mascara

If you read my review of the waterproof version of this mascara, you're probably thinking I'm positively insane for spending my money on the regular formula of this particular mascara. Maybe I am, but this made its way into my collection regardless.

For the record, I'm glad it did. When I bought the waterproof version, it was so horrifyingly terrible that I was actually a bit upset that I'd even bought it, and that Maybelline was marketing this product, and that people were saying it was even remotely okay. Then I bought the regular formula. Now, I'm not going to say that it completely changed my mind, but it is definitely an improvement. The mascara doesn't add heaps of volume, it doesn't lengthen your lashes remarkably, but the one thing it does well is that you can shape your lashes, and they stay in place. So if you want your lashes to be shaped a certain way, you can use this to your advantage. That being said, I use it with a primer, and another mascara over it to get the full look that I want, but it does do that one thing well enough to almost make it worthwhile.

So I will still not give this product a great review, but if you can get it on sale, and want to sculpt your lashes instead of wearing false ones, I guess you could probably find some merit in this.

Product Review- Studio M Blushes

Disclaimer: I am a paid employee of Meijer, but this product review is not supported by, encouraged by, or in any way involving my job at Meijer. I do not even work in a department in which it would be part of my job to endorse Studio M Cosmetics. While I receive wages from Meijer for my work I do in the store, this review has no relation to my job I did not receive any free samples of the product, and both of these (and any other Studio M products I use) were paid for out of my own money.

For those of you who have no idea what Meijer is, it is a regional chain of grocery/superstores in the Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois area. Basically think Wal-Mart, but privately owned. I've been a lifelong Meijer shopper, and it is where I've always gotten the majority of my drugstore cosmetics. When Meijer released their own line of cosmetics, I was pretty interested. They started out with a line of brushes and tools, which were modestly priced, and pretty decent quality. Then, they started adding the cosmetics. This week, all the Studio M cosmetics were buy one get one free, so I figured this would be a good time to try them out, so I picked up two of the blushes, which retail for $5.99 each

Wish- this is a shimmery rose color with a silver shimmer. The consistency is nice on it. It's not super chalky, and it's really well pigmented, as well as going on smooth. The only downside to these blushes is that they are a bit on the small side, so it makes the particular brush you use important.

Blushin'- This one is a peachy blush with a sizeable gold-toned shimmer to it. Like the other one, this blush is a pretty decent quality with a good payoff. It's not the most unique colored blush, and I probably own a dozen like it, but it's definitely a good color.

Overall, these products are very decent. While they aren't widely available, nor are they available online, if you happen to be near a Meijer, and you need cheap, decent makeup, Studio M is a viable option.

Product Review: L'Oreal Color Riche Le Gloss

 

 

 

 

I am a total sucker for new products. These glosses are no exception. When the displays went up, I spent days lusting after them before I finally decided to buy one. I bought Baby Blossom, because I love light, peachy colors on my lips. I don't usually wear crazy pigmented, bright colors, so I thought this one would be something I would actually wear.

The gloss is a thick, slightly sticky formula that smells just like vanilla frosting. It applies easily, and it seems to stay put pretty decently. It's not crazy pigmented though. I'm left with a light, glazed look on my lips.

My overall thought on this gloss is that it's alright, but its way overpriced. For a basic lipgloss, a $6.99 pricetag is way too high. The gloss itself just isn't that remarkable to warrant spending that kind of cash.

Product Review: Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss balms

I admit it.... Advertising totally works on me. After seeing enough ads for these Natureluxe products, I was curious. Then, I got a coupon in the paper for $5 off two, so my curiosity could be satisfied at a reasonable price. It does't get better than that. I decided to go for the gloss balms, because that seems to be the safest product, and with a retail of $5.99 each, it was the least expensive choice too.

I picked up Coral (Left) and Tulip(Right). The balms themselves are a soft stick, with a cherry candy flavor, that thinly covers the classic lipstick taste that most women are accustomed to. I'm indifferent to this, but I must admit, I wish that it was either a stronger cherry flavor, or it had no real flavor, as the cherry isn't strong enough to cover the lipstick taste.


As far as wear goes, these gloss balms go on pretty smooth, with just a very slight touch of color. They leave your lips smooth, and you get a couple hours of wear before you need to reapply, which is nice. Plus, the color doesn't feel too heavy on your lips, which is nice if you're one of those people who doesn't like to feel heavy makeup on their face.

Top- Coral, Bottom- Tulip

Coral is a medium orange color with a slight gold shimmer. On my lips, it is almost unnoticeable, but it does moisturize and even out the pigmentation.
Tulip is a soft pink, with a hint of shimmer. This is a shade lighter than my lips naturally are, and it is a bit more noticeable than Coral.


Overall, These gloss balms are nice, but they don't do anything magical. That being said, if you want a nice lip balm that adds a touch of color without breaking the bank, these are a good option.

Nail of the Week- Vol 3

Please excuse two things about this week's nails- First, the polish on my fingers; I ran out of remover as I was cleaning it up!
Second- The photo quality- It is really hard to get a photo of the glitter, as the topcoat is crazy shiny- probably as shiny as I've ever seen.

Here's what I used- First I painted my whole nail with the Fuchsia color- Studio M in Vintage Vamp. After that dried, I put on the french manicure nail guides halfway across my nails, and painted the black on (I used the Wet 'N' Wild black) Then, after that dried, I very carefully peeled off the guide stickers, and painted my whole nail with Studio M in Tru Passion. (Which is an almost an identical dupe to  Nicole by OPI's One Less Lonely Glitter)

I have been in a bit of a crackle mode for awhile, so I thought this was a nice change of pace, plus it was a great way to test out the Studio M polishes!.

Product Review: Maybelline The Falsies- Flared Mascara (Waterproof)

Let me start off by saying one thing- While wearing this, there is no way whatsoever anyone will mistake you for wearing false eyelashes... Unless they're drunk and gullible. Even then, it's doubtful. Well, let me rephrase that- Someone might accuse you of wearing those really gross, crusty Halloween lashes for the unsexy witch costume. That's more accurate.


I normally love some Maybelline mascaras, but this one... Not so much. In fact, it might take over Urban Decay's Skyscraper as the worst mascara ever. At least when you layered Skyscraper, all you got was one sad, pathetic layer of nothing. With this, I am currently suffering from mono-lash. That's right, I pretty much have one giant, chunky, crusty eyelash. Ew.

This is the "spoon-shaped applicator". I actually like the applicator- it does a pretty good job of getting a nice curl. Too bad the formula is so terrible!

Here's a swatch, after several layers.

I'm hoping that it's just because it's waterproof that the mascara is so bad. Look for a review of the non-waterproof pretty soon!

Product Review: Hard Candy Fox in a Box- Smooth Talker

I bought this on a whim when I was at wal-mart, because it looked really pretty. I am never too sure about Hard Candy products, because they're either really awesome, or really terrible. I decided to take a chance on it because I liked the colors in it.

 The product comes in a box (Obviously, with a name like "fox in a box"), and it has a little brush on the inside. I threw the brush out, because it's tiny, and it's kind of stiff.

The consistency is smooth, but when you put it on the brush, you get a ton of product. It looks nice on, but there is a lot of fallout, so make sure you tap the brush off first!

 

The end result is a subtle orangey-peachy glow.

Product Review: Maybelline Great Lash- Colors

Maybelline Great Lash mascara has been around for a long time. In fact, it's one of the best-selling mascaras of all time. I've been a longtime fan of it, even though it's not necessarily the best mascara out there, because it does everything well, and for $4, with enough coats of it, you'll end up with some pretty awesome lashes. So when Maybelline released two limited edition colors, Green Envy and Teal Appeal, I had to try them out.




Formula-wise, they both have the exact same formula as all the other Great Lash mascara, which is nice. It gives decent volume, holds a curl reasonably well, and adds some length, all without giving you crunchy, spidery lashes.

As far as the colors go, the color is pretty subtle. If you were looking for a very noticeable, bright pigment, you won't find it here, but you will get a nice, decent subtle pop of color. Green Envy is a foresty green, and Teal Appeal is a bold, but not fluorescent teal.

                                               (Left- Green Envy, Right- Teal Appeal)
Overall, if you're already a fan of Great Lash, you'll like the colors, but if you're not, these probably aren't spectacular enough to change your mind. At the low price of $4, they're the best colored mascaras you could probably get. 

Product Review: Tokidoki Sodashop Palette

I've been drooling over this palette since the first time I saw it at Sephora, and I've been doing an excellent job of restraining myself (for once). Well, I was at Sephora the other day, and it was $10, and I couldn't resist it any longer. It was a total steal. 12 shadows, an eyeliner, a super adorable nail file and a magnet set (Which I already covered my refrigerator with) in a collectable tin. Sold.

Initial thoughts: I really try not to get suckered by cute packaging, but sometimes it's really hard, and this was no exception. That being said, I positively love all the other tokidoki products I have, (Robbery palette, various shadows and glosses, makeup bags, plus the iPhone case and a couple charms) so I feel like it's not just me being all "ZOMG! It's cute!"

On to the shadows:
Skull donut is a light, shimmery gold-ish color, that I would definitely use for a highlight color.
Patatino is a light mustardy color with a soft gold shimmer. Pretty, but probably not one I'll use a ton as it will make my skin look washed out.
Riposino is a glittery and shimmery light brown. Very pretty for a jazzed up neutral look.
Ciccio is a shimmery coppery brown.
Mummetto is a matte medium brown. Perfect for a liner or for brows.
Mozzarella is a darker brown with lots of shimmer and glitter
Tulipano is a matte bright mauve. Very pretty
Nancy Rocks is a bold, shimmery bright purple. Kind of like Urban Decay's Flash, but prettier.
Romeo is another Urban Decay dupe, as it is a bold, shimmery burgundy like UD's Last Call. (I like the formula and pigmentation better on Romeo though!)
Ciotolina is a shimmery green.
Arrosto is a shimmery dark grey that is almost black. Very versatile.
Furbina is a very dark purple with light purple glitter in it. It's a very familiar color, but I can't think of what brand makes it, but it's definitely a dupe of something.

The tokidoki formulas are really nice. The shadow is dry and not crumbly, but it isn't so dry that it's hard to get even color and pigmentation. They have a nice color payoff, and they stay looking nice, although you definitely want a primer to get their full pigmentation.

(with primer)

(without primer)



Liner- Perfetto Eyeliner in SANDy
I like tokidoki's liners, and this one is no exception. The color is nice, and so is the formula. It stays put, and it has a decent tip. not too thin, and not too thick, so it allows you a variety of thicknesses. This is definitely one of the better felt-tip liquid liner pens I've tried.

If you can find this palette for the same price, I'd definitely say grab it while you can, but honestly, it's worth the $30 that Sephora has it listed for on its webstore as well.

Product Review: Kat Von D Painted Love Lip Glosses

                                                         Left to right: Hellbent, Lolita, Underage Red, Homegirl

I got these in the epic Sephora haul I did on Thursday, and I'd never tried any of the Kat Von D lip glosses, but I love the eye products, so I figured I'd give them a shot. Especially for $3.50 each.
 The packaging is very nice. The only thing about it I don't like is the matte tube- it made it hard to judge what the product would be like without swatching it. Also, the matte coating comes off the cap. After having it in my pocket for just a couple hours, it began peeling off Lolita already. Not a big deal or anything though. The formula is pretty nice though. They're not sticky at all and they go on pretty well, while being super pigmented. Almost like a liquid lipstick instead of a gloss. Admittedly, I'm more of a fan of lighter colored lip products, so these aren't colors I would immediately choose for myself for daily wear, but I do think I will wear most of them more than once. They have a bit longer of a wear time than most glosses, and stay on for about 2-3 hours without needing to be reapplied.
Hellbent: 

Sephora's website describes this as a "rosy blood red." I like this one, and I think out of the four, this is the one I would wear the most often. It looks good right as you put it on, but I like it better blended out with a clear gloss over it as well.

Lolita:

 
This one is more of a dusty rose, but it is so pigmented that I'm not a huge fan of it. It's not a bad color, but I think it's a bit darker than I usually like my rose-colored glosses.

Underage Red

This one is a very cherry shade of red. It is also the sheerest of the 4. I think it's pretty wearable as-is.



Homegirl

 This is a very dark plum color. On someone as pale as I am. it is very unwearable right out of the tube, unless you're going for a really gothy-type look. But blended with a nice, silvery gloss, it is actually really pretty!

Here's some hand-swatches too.

                                          L to R: Hellbent, Lolita, Underage Red, Homegirl

This week's haul- Epic Sephora sales and the Target clearance rack

Here's what I got:
1.Tokidoki makeup bag ($4. That's madness!) It would be a perfect size for holding my brushes for a trip or something, and it's super adorable, so how could I go wrong?
2. Kat Von D Palette- Angeles- ($24) I'm a big fan of Kat Von D palettes, and this one is no exception, more on this when I review it though.
3.Sonia Kashuk brushes- Multipurpose blush/powder ($5.48) and Eye shadow ($3.98)- These were obviously a part of my target haul. I really like the limited edition Sonia Kashuk brushes. They're pretty sturdy, and don't shed a lot, but they add a punch of color and style to my brush kit without a major hit to my wallet, and they work pretty well too!
4. Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Color- Snappy Sprinkles ($3.48)- I have a severe lack of glittery nail polish in my life, so I'm working on changing that.
5. Kat Von D Painted Love Lip Gloss- Hellbent, Lolita, Underage Red and Homegirl ($3.50 each- Madness! these lip glosses retailed originally for $18 each!!)- I'd never tried any of the Kat Von D lip glosses, but in general, I like most of the products I've tried, so I figured at that price, it was worth it.
6. Sephora brush on eye primer($2.75)- Admittedly, I've only tried a couple Sephora products, but when one of the super awesome employees there recommended it to me, I decided to give it a shot.
7. Tokidoki Sodashop Palette ($10). No, this isn't a typo, it was only $10 for 12 shadows, an eyeliner and a nail file, all in a collector's tin, complete with an entire set of possibly the cutest magnets on the face of the earth. I honestly felt like I'd stolen this, it was that cheap!

Here's a shot of the palettes open.

Yesterday's face haul (drugstore)

1. Jane Oil Free Face Makeup in Ivory- This was actually a re-buy, as I really liked this. It retails for $3.59, and it's sunscreen-free, which is nice, as I frequently get breakouts or allergic reactions to foundations with sunscreen in them. It has nice coverage, and an even nicer pricetag. You can't go wrong.

2. Revlon Photo Ready Compact Makeup in Ivory- Admittedly, I bought this and the other Revlon product because they both had $2 off coupons on them, and they were part of a buy-one-get-one 50% off sale, but I am pretty intrigued by this. Is it powder, or is it liquid, or is it cream? Not sure, but from the swatches I did of it, it's got pretty decent coverage, and it goes on smooth.













3. Revlon ColorStay Aqua Mineral Makeup in Light- I usually prefer more coverage out of my makeup than mineral makeup can offer, especially in the summer, because as soon as the sun comes out, so do my awkward, uneven freckles, but I was really curious about this, so I figured I'd give it a shot, and if it doesn't offer enough coverage, I can throw it in my beach bag, as it's got SPF 13, so even without heaps of coverage, it'll work for a beach day.