Dior: DiorShow Iconic Extreme Oscillation Mascara Review

DiorShow Iconic Extreme Oscillation Mascara

This mascara was given to me by another makeup-loving

friend. First of all, I have to say, if you can actually find this mascara anywhere, buy it. I’ve looked long and far, it’s not on Dior’s website, Google, anywhere. It appears to be the same as the DiorShow Iconic Extreme mascara, but that one doesn’t vibrate.

So onward with the review!

When I first got this, the size of the box made me curious, it’s a bit bigger than normal. Upon opening I found a large, gorgeous container and a user’s manual. Yes, a user’s manual! It has electronics, because it vibrates. To turn it on, you simply open the tube.

The brush has short, silicon bristles, which work great with the vibration to coat your lashes without clumping. The formula itself is light and very lifting, but definitely layerable. It came from the idea of the setting properties of hairspray; it lifts lashes up and away very well. It also holds my curled lashes way better than most mascaras that I’ve tried. The vibrating factor does help to coat my lashes more evenly, but it works just fine without the vibration as well, in case the batteries go dead or if it breaks.

Pros:

Doesn’t flake, clump or spike lashes

Lengthens

Separates

Curls

Volumizes

Layerable

Beautiful container

Vibration feature is a unique plu

Washes off easily with warm water

Cons:

Light formula can take some time to get a lot on your lashes, if that’s what you want

Large tube could be an inconvenience

Extremely hard to find

Overall, I love this mascara! I would definitely buy it again, if only I could find it =/

Check out my review video on it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRowHajPy7A

Naturale Beauty (J.A. Cosmetics): Smokey Eyes Set

Naturale’ Beauty: Smokey Eyes Set

This set is from J.A. cosmetics, which somehow is part of e.l.f cosmetics too.

I was browsing the cheap makeup kits at Ross when this caught my eye, mainly because it was the only one that boasted of being “natural” and had a bit of quality to it. A brand I’ve never heard of before, but it was so prettily packaged and a great price…$7.00 for three potted eyeshadows, two brushes and an eyeliner. Honestly, I would’ve bought it just for the brushes! (In the picture of the box, the empty spaces on the left is where the lids were).

The eyeshadows are Mysterious (a light, purple/gray), Socialite (a dark, shimmery brown similar to Bare Essentials’ eyeshadow/liner in “Root”), and Seductive (a matte black). They can be applied wet or dry, however if you apply it wet, once it dries it has the same qualities as before and brushes off easily. The formula itself though is great, and the natural, mineral aspect of it is a bonus. They blend with the oil on my eyelids, and don’t crease.

The brushes are cheap, but very nice for being cheap. They’re quite similar to Bare Essentials’ eye brushes. One is short and thickly packed with bristles, for main application, and the other is longer, not packed so tight, meant for blending in the crease area.  They both work great, no complaints here. The eyeliner is a curious object, the lid doubles as a sharpener! Which can be annoying, if you’re not used to it. The liner boasts that it is “feather proof”, and for the most part it is, as long as you don’t rub it. I find this nice because it doesn’t smear or run on my eyes, but if I make a mistake I can get it off fairly easily.

 

Pros:

Low priced

Complete set, items complement each other

Eyeshadows have good staying power, but wash off easily

Eyeshadows don’t crease

Brushes are soft and work great

Cons:

Cap on the eyeliner is awkward

The “Mysterious” eyeshadow doesn’t apply much unless used wet

Overall, I love this set! Amazing price, great products. Would definitely recommend. J

I give it five stars.  

Wet N' Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss Review

Wet N’ Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss Review

Yes, I’m not afraid to try cheap makeup! Hey, if I can spend less money, why not. The downside of it is, of course, that the quality will be lower. But sometimes you find nice little gems for only a few bucks, and you’ll be giggling with glee at your beauty bargain!

I have been in need for a few new lip-glosses, so a little while ago I visited the beauty section in my local department store. Everything was so expensive; I was thinking I was going to have to turn to eBay! But then these little treasures caught my eye….Wet N’ Wild’s Megaslicks lip-glosses. I bought three, not only were they cheap, but also “Buy two get one free”. I got Crystal Clear (clear gloss), Cherish (baby pink) and Bronze Berry (like the name!). I also have Strawberry Ice (bright pink/coral), which I got awhile ago. They’re very nicely sized, almost 5 inches long. Easy to slip into a jacket pocket or purse! They have a regular sponge-tip applicator.

Now for the gloss itself….it is a bit sticky. It’s really shimmery and long lasting. It’s really thick, a lot more like a liquid lipstick than it is gloss. It’s pretty tough to get off, so if you put it on, plan on wearing it for awhile. If you try and wash it off with water, the sparkles go all over your face! The glosses have a slight watermelon scent, but not overpowering. The exception is the clear one, which isn’t sticky or goopy, has no sparkles, and is pretty much unscented. If you apply a clear gloss before you put any of the colored shimmer ones, it thins it out a little and isn’t so sticky.

Pros:

Nice packaging

Super cheap!

Long lasting

Good variety of colors

Goes on smoothly, easy to apply

Cons:

Can be sticky

Re-application can make it a bit goopy

The sparkles in the gloss can travel too easily

Hard to remove

Scent could be a turn-off for some people

Overall, I like these glosses! Cheap, easy, fun.

  

Dior: DiorShow Mascara Review

Dior DiorShow Mascara

I was pretty excited to get to try this mascara, as I’ve heard tons about it. To my delight, one of my friends gave me a tube of it! I had some already, so I pulled them both out to compare. The one I had is a black tube with a silver handle, and a silver box, .38 oz. The one my friend gave me had the same name but it’s completely different! It came in a blue box, the tube is blue with the word “Dior” laid out on it in rhinestones, and is a big .53 oz! The ingredients are different too. In the pictures I am wearing the black tube one, and the one on the top is one coat; the one below is two coats. The other two pictures are the two different tubes I have.

 For the black tube, the mascara formula itself I like. It’s almost like a gel. The brush is your normal brush, kind of cone shaped. It holds a good amount of mascara. The application though, I wasn’t so impressed with. It seemed to take quite a few strokes in order to get it on my lashes. It does a great job of lengthening my lashes, but I’d like a little more thickness. If I’m willing to spend a few extra minutes working on it, I can get them looking pretty nice. One time, I was in the car putting on my makeup, and my makeup box had been sitting by the heater on

the floor. That time the mascara worked marvelously! I think

perhaps the heat must’ve done something to it.

The one that comes in the blue tube I didn’t like so much though. The mascara was goopy, and was really similar to the MAC Plush Lash that I reviewed earlier. Hard to get on, hard to take off.  It clumped my lashes together and made them look spiky. If I wiped off the brush a little bit before application, it did work a bit better. But overall, I wouldn’t rate it too high.

Pros and cons of the black tube one:

Pros:

Great lengthening qualities

Good, basic brush lifts lashes nicely

Washes off easily

Gel-like formula is nifty

Cons:

Can take some effort to really get the mascara on your lashes

Doesn’t thicken or volumize as much as I’d like

Overall, I like this mascara. I’d prefer something that puts more on my lashes, but this definitely functions well as basic, everyday mascara.

Sally Hansen: Lip Inflation Extreme Lip Gloss Review

Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Extreme

This is my favorite clear, lip-plumping gloss I’ve had so far. It tastes great, like a cinnamon flavor. It's super shiny (I liked to really put a lot on) and it feels nice and tingly. No stickiness! It has a brush tip applicator, which works fairly well. The container itself is pretty big (it’s long!), you might have a hard time fitting it in a regular-sized purse pocket.

Pros

Non sicky

Super shiny

Tastes and smells great

Cons

Large container can be awkward

The gloss doesn’t last long on your lips

Brush-tip applicator can be a hassle if your not used to it.

Overall, I like this lip-gloss!! Worth the buy J Although it’s not super long-lasting, the large container has a nice reserve of plenty of gloss for you to dip into. 

MAC: Eyeshadow Review

MAC Eyeshadow

This is a beautiful, highly pigmented eyeshadow with great staying power. It comes in a sturdy, round, compact container, which apparently with a bit of work, can be reused and interchanged with a new shadow.  It comes in 167 colors (!) and finishes like matte, frost and shimmers, of which I have Carbon, their matte, “intense black” color. And when they described it as black, they meant black! This won’t turn grey on your eyelids, ladies!  I mainly use it for setting my eyeliner, but occasionally I’ll create a smoky eye and venture it further up my eyelid. It’s not at all powdery, like some shadows can be.

Pros

Solid colors

Great staying power

Convienent, compact container that’s easy to fit into any makeup collection

Doesn’t “fall” down off my eyelids onto underneath my eyes

Cons

Shadow is so tightly pressed that it takes awhile to get it onto your applicator

You might have a hard time choosing from all those colors ;)

Overall, I like this shadow.  It’s solid and totally gorgeous.

MAC: Plush Lash Mascara Review

MAC Plush Lash Mascara

This mascara was recommend to me by a saleslady at the MAC makeup counter. I told her that I was looking for something that would really play up my lashes without making them too long (so I could still wear my glasses). And this is what she advised.

I must admit, I’m rather disappointed by this one. I had my expectations set high, as it was pricy, and because it’s from the esteemed makeup company, MAC. The brush really doesn’t put much on my lashes, and does nothing to define them. A few coats, and it works alright. It flakes a bit, and is a bit of a pain to get off. I have to “scrape” my lashes with my fingernails in order to get it off, even if I use makeup remover.  It does have a nice smell, which surprised me as I didn’t expect anyone to have scented mascara. And the wand snapped off the handle, so though there may be more mascara in the tube, I can’t use it anymore L

Pros

Has a nice scent

Gives lashes a nice lift

When closed, the mascara tube is small, sleek, and easy to stow away

Cons

Mascara runs out quickly

Is flaky

Tends to group lashes together

Is a pain to wash off

Doesn’t build lashes

Overall, I don’t like this one too much. I probably won’t buy it again. 

Bare Esentuals: BUXOM Lip Gloss Review

Bare Escentuals BUXOM Lip Gloss

After hearing and reading so much about this gloss, I finally decided to give it a try. It comes in 31 colors; I ordered the clear version, called Krystal. It came in a nice little box, and I opened it to find a pretty large tube, attractive in design with a small brush applicator. The gloss itself seems to be rather sticky, or more rather just really thick. It’s super shiny, and has a pretty raw mint taste. As for the lip-plumping effects, I don’t think it made my lips any bigger, but honestly; do any lip-glosses really make your lips bigger? Perhaps the thickness and shine of the gloss do help though.

Pros

Solid, attractive container

Gloss is long lasting on your lips

Easy to use and hold applicator

Cons

Large container can be inconvenient if you have a small purse

Gloss formula is somewhat sticky-if you don’t like thick, this isn’t for you

The taste can be a downside; it’s kind of like a super strong green mint tea.

Overall, this gloss is ok. I love that it’s Bare Escentuals, and from the famed BUXOM line, but I would rather go with something a little lighter weight.

(Ps. The one I received has a brush applicator, while some pictured on retailer’s website have the regular sponge applicator. Just make sure you know what you’re getting if you do buy this gloss)

MaxFactor: MAXeye Eyeliner Review

Max Factor MAXeye Eyeliner

After using regular pencil liners, I decided to branch out and try a mechanical pencil liner. This one works by simply twisting it until you have enough. There is a sharpener stored in the opposite end, which is super handy as you won’t have to tote a separate sharpener around. I bought it in “Night Club”, which is one of their eight colors.

The eyeliner itself is fairly soft and goes on smoothly. It does tend to smear a little, but when set with some black eyeshadow it stays pretty well. It’s great for creating smoky eyes. However if you’re looking for something that will create a fine line, this one isn’t for you.

Pros

Mechanical pencil means you just have to “twist” to get more.

Convenient built-in sharpener

Soft formula goes on smoothly

Long-lasting

Cons

Can be smudgy

Difficult to get a fine tip, or a fine line.

Overall, I like this liner. I would buy it again.

Sally Hansen: Lip Inflation Lip Gloss Review

Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Lip Gloss

I bought this lip gloss awhile ago, it was my first lip-plumping lip gloss.

I’d have to say it worked well. Made my lips tingle, and although I doubt they actually made my lips bigger, they did appear to be fuller. I got the light pink color.

Pros

Nice, small container

Easy to grip handle

Great gloss formula…looks, tastes and feels awesome

Cons

Brush-tip applicator can be awkward.

Overall, I like this lip gloss! If I bought it again though, I’d prefer it’s sister, Lip Inflation Extreme.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler Review

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

After much research, I decided to try the famed Shu. And I have to admit; this one pretty much lives up to my expectations. It’s sturdy and long lasting; both the tool itself and the curl it gives.  It doesn’t pinch, and it doesn’t pull my lashes either.

Shu Uemura’s website brags:

“Upgraded silicone pad in a new "mushroom" shape provides a protective, stay-put edge for improved safety and optimum curl.”

(The pad on this eyelash curler is great; it’s big, and easy on your lashes. It really protects your lashes from damage.)

“Upgraded patented hinge with precise engineering applies perfect amount of pressure on eyelashes.”

(It does do a good job of regulating pressure on your eyelashes, and hinge always works smoothly)

“Curved angle suits all eye shapes.”

(It does have a nice curve; I can get all my lashes at the same time.)

Pros

Smooth operation

Big, comfy pad means less damage to lashes

Cons

Replacement pads currently aren’t sold, so when yours wear out you’ll have to buy a new curler.  However, most come with two pads total.

Overall, I like this curler! I would buy it again.

Sally Hansen: Diamond Lip Treatment Lip Gloss Review

Sally Hansen Diamond Lip Treatment Lip Gloss

This is one of my early lip gloss purchases. The name of the color, I don’t know, but it was a light, frosty pink. (Pictured in the middle, at right) I honestly don’t like this lip gloss very much. Although it did dazzle, it was pretty sticky. Yuck! If it dried out on my lips and if I reapplied it, it would goop up in yucky globs on my lips.

The applicator is nifty though, a short, paintbrush sort of thing. However, with that format it is a bit of a pain to apply if you’re in a hurry.

Pros

Beautiful, dazzling sparkle

Comes in a great variety of colors

Nice scent

Pretty packaging

Cons

Sticky

Goops up when re-applied

Applicator takes some getting used to

The sparkle can get everywhere if you’re not careful, as with all sparkle glosses.

Overall, this was an ok lip gloss. I probably wouldn’t buy it again.

MaxFactor: Volume Couture Mascara Review

MaxFactor Volume Couture

I bought this from a local department store, it was going out of stock and was on clearance. My Mom also tried it and we both agree that this is a great one. The brush is made out of rubber spikes, and shaped normally; kind of like a cone with the smaller part being on the end. The downside with the rubber spikes is that if you tend to poke yourself with the brush, this one is a bit uncomfortable. The packaging claimed that it would volumize my lashes, and it did! It lifted, lengthened and thickened them. 

Pros

Nice mascara formula

Easy to hold wand

Cool rubber spikes add variety, and work wonderfully

Washes off easily

Seperates lashes well

No flaking or clumping

Cons

Spiky brush hurts if you poke yourself

Overall, I like this mascara! Would buy again J

Lancome: Hypnose Mascara Review

Lancome Hypnose Mascara

I bought this in the sample size, but the brush was full size. I LOVE this mascara….builds volume,  length, curl. The brush holds a huge amount of mascara, and almost every time I used it I ended up with it all over my eyelids, but then again it  was only my second mascara, and I probably wasn’t quite professional at applying it yet.

The brush is fairly long, and slightly bigger than the middle on both ends. The mascara itself washes off nicely, which could be a downfall for gals who have watery eyes.

Pros

Awesome, full brush

Good mascara formula; goes on great, washes off easily

Cons

Can be pricy

It can be messy.

Overall, I love this mascara; it's my favorite so far. I’d buy it again for sure if I didn’t want to keep trying new ones. J

Bare Esentuals: Big Tease Mascara Review

This was the first real mascara I ever got. It’s from Bare Esentuals, so it’s a somewhat healthy mascara. On Spehora’s website, there is quite a few negative reviews, saying that this has a tendency to smudge and make dark circles under your eyes.  However, I had no such experience ever. Although I don’t have really oily eyelids. I’d say this is good, basic mascara. It really doesn’t create huge volume like it brags, but it does a nice job of lifting and defining so your lashes still look natural, just in a better way.

Pros:

Cool and useful brush: short bristles on one side, long on the other

Short handle allows for more precise application

Natural ingredients won’t irritate.

Washes off easily.

Cons:

Doesn’t build up volume like the ad brags.

Overall, I like this mascara. I probably won’t buy it anytime soon though, as I like stuff that builds up my lashes more than this provides.