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. 

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.

All Drugstore Look

Let me just say, I'm mildly addicted to high end/designer makeup. Even though I love drugstore stuff, It's really hard for me to do a look entirely with drugstore makeup. But here's my first attempt.

Here's what I used:
Primer- Hard Candy illuminating primer
Foundation- Revlon mineral Mousse- Ivory
Eye primer- ELF primer
Brow Gel- ELF brow gel/clear mascara duo
Brow color- Revlon Matte #9
Eyeshadow- The middle 3 colors from the Physician's Formula Pop for Hazel eyes palette
Eyeliner-Maybelline  define-a-line in black
Eyeliner- Physicians formula lash serum in blackest black
Blush- Physician's formula Happy Booster
Mascara- Maybelline Great Lash in very intense black
Bronzer- Hard Candy so baked bronzer in Tropics
Powder- Physician's formula Happy Booster in translucent
Concealer- Wet & Wild liquid concealer
Lip Gloss- Bonne Belle Lip smackers Vanilla Coke Lipgloss

All in all, I like the look, and the only additions/switches to designer makeup I would make would be the lip product and the bronzer. Plus, I'd add some Diorshow lash primer.