Review: Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension System

I was so excited to receive this mascara from Too Faced in early April, and am really happy to have been able to try it. I probably would never have purchased this myself, since it costs $35 and I've been trying *very* hard to just stick with drugstore mascaras to save money. (I do also like Too Faced Lashgasm, so I was extra excited to try another Too Faced formula.)

Now I should preface this post (and really any mascara post!) by telling you that I have absolutely no skill in curling my lashes or really even applying mascara. (LOL) By following the steps of this system, however, I can get pretty huge lashes. Even my boyfriend will notice how big my lashes are.

I accidentally ripped the box while opening it, but on the inside lid are instructions for how to apply. To sum it up, the steps are:

1. Apply the activating mascara (gold tube) 2. Apply nylon fibers (white tube). According to Too Faced, if you apply more on the ends of your lashes, you'll have a lengthening effect, while more in the base will help thicken your lashes. 3. Finish the process by applying the activating mascara again!

Initially, I was a bit confused and not sure if I was applying the steps correctly. Luckily, the tubes have the step number on them! The mascara formula is a dry one, and I was also confused when I discovered that the lash fibers are dry and sort of like little cotton fibers.

Here's a shot of my eye with the mascara applied, without any curling. Sadly, my lashes go straight down, which is never fun. I also don't believe I combed my lashes in this application attempt. I think it does make my lashes quite huge! (Sorry for the sad state of my brows... someone needs to help me fix them!)

A few application tips:

- Comb your lashes in between steps to prevent clumping. - Curl your lashes as much as possible! Otherwise, your lashes may stick together, which is an annoying feeling during the day! Curl in between steps if needed!! (Also for me, since my lashes go straight down, it's not fun to have the mascara and fibers in my vision all the time.) - It doesn't hurt to apply another mascara before taking these steps. You can also follow this process multiple times for added drama. - Applying in an upward motion while looking down will help curl your lashes, as with many mascaras.

This is also a very long lasting mascara but is easily washed off with water. It can also last a second day if you don't get your eyes wet, which is exciting for me. On the second day, though, I at least need to comb them because my lashes look "slept in" - sort of sticking together in some places.

If you have time and application skills, this is a wonderful lash system! I have neither when I'm getting ready in the mornings, so this is not an everyday mascara for me. (Cry!)  If you are not inept with your lashes like I am, you should definitely check it out! :)

Review: Buxom Flirt Alert Eye Duo (Stay There Eyeshadow in Pug & Insider Eyeliner in Onyx)

I saw this kit on Sephora's website months ago, and happened to see it near the checkout at Sephora during the Sephora sale at the end of March/early April. I picked it up because it was such a good value at $19.50! (The eyeshadow is $17, and the liner is $14, and these are both full size.)

As you can see, the chrome finish of the eyeliner is quite hard to photograph! Otherwise, it is like any other retractable liner. The retractable portion moves quite easily up and down (phew!) and the cap clicks shut. The eyeshadow pot is small in size, so it is not at all convenient to put a finger in. This is definitely one you need a brush to use, which is ok for me even though I prefer to use my fingers to quickly swipe on these types of shadows.

I was initially interested in this eyeshadow because Christine at Temptalia compared this formula to Chanel's Illusion d'Ombre shadows. The Illusion d'Ombres are quite pricy in comparison, and every time I've played with testers, they are either super super shimmery or somewhat dried out. Because of that, I never purchased the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre shadow that I wanted, and I was especially interested in the shade Illusoire. Temptalia says that Pug is very similar, so I really wanted to try this!

The shadow definitely has a bouncy texture, which is kind of fun. Even when I use a brush, I can see the product bouncing in the pot. Not sure what that accomplishes, but at least I like the texture! 

As you can see from the swatch, the liner is quite black, which I always like. The shadow appears more silver than it is in the pot when swatched with a finger, but when I apply it on my eyes, it does appear as a silvery taupe-purple which provides nice definition on my lids.

Again, I will preface this by saying that my lids can be quite oily, especially in the crease area near my lashline. Without primer, the eyeshadow lasted only about 4-5 hours before some minor creasing occurred. With primer (Nars Smudgeproof, which is my favorite!) it was at least 10 hours before minor creasing took place.

The shimmer was manageable, and the color was wearable for everyday, and that's what I had hoped to find in Chanel Illusoire. (Although if you own and love Chanel Illusoire I'd love to hear!) This shadow is more shimmery than the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, and I feel that this shade is not opaque in the way that Color Tattoos or some of the L'Oreal Infallible shades are. That's not a good or bad thing, but just something I thought might be worth noting.

I have only tried the liner once so far, and as I mentioned, it is a true black, which can sometimes be hard to find. The formula is very creamy, and glides on SO smoothly. The swatch I made didn't smudge from touching it, and when I showered it did take rubbing at the end of my shower to get it off. However, it didn't fare so well when I used it to tightline - it did smudge in the corners of my eyes as if my top lids had touched my lower lids in some areas. But again, I did not wear primer and I think I rubbed my eyes at least once. I think with primer and/or if I don't use it to tightline, it will fare much better!

What do you think of this set? Have you tried any of these products??

P.S. If you do like these shadows and also want some color, Sephora currently has a set of 4 of these shadows (full size) on sale for $34, which will be like buying 4 for the price of 2. :)

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadows

I'm sorry I've had a tough time keeping up this month! I've just been SO tired from work and with my limited time to actually test products well, it's been tough to keep up! And this week, lucky me, a wisdom tooth seems to be emerging and is SO painful. While it's been rare that I've worn any makeup at all, fortunately, I've been keeping notes! I bought one Maybelline Color Tattoo a few months back (January or February?) and earlier this month I decided to pick up the other two shades during a BOGO50% off sale at Ulta with one of their $3.50 off coupons. (I was pretty excited since it only ended up being $7.63 for two!!)

The shades I have are the most neutral ones - Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, and Audacious Asphalt. For some reason, Audacious Asphalt has a green-ish tinge in these photos - not sure why?? Also, the packaging has a nice weight to them but why did the "Color Tattoo" label have to be placed on crooked on my newer ones? It just seems silly to me.

(Clockwise - Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, Audacious Asphalt) I'm sorry I had already tried Tough as Taupe long before I took these photos!

Tough as Taupe is a gray-taupe shade with a bit of pink in it that could make a great base for nearly any skintone. On me, it also works as subtle definition on my lid. I love that this shade is matte, and I hope that Maybelline will release more matte neutral shades!

Bad to the Bronze, while it appears very warm in the jar, is definitely not as bronze or metallic as I thought it would be. (Wohoo!) I thought it might be too shimmery, but the shade is tame enough for everyday wear.

Audacious Asphalt is a pretty gray silver. I think in some lights or on some skintones it will have that greenish tinge I mentioned before. I know when I was swatching it definitely looked that way in some lights!

(Swatches, top to bottom - Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, Audacious Asphalt) Sorry the shot is not super crisp... :( 

I tested these shades without primer on each occasion. I hoped that they would be very long wearing, but I do have very oily lids. My favorite primer is Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, and with it I can definitely get many superb formulas to last 24 hours. Other products such as the Stila Smudge Crayon and L'Oreal Infallible  (and a few others I can't seem to think of at the moment) can last at least 10-14 hours on my lids without a primer, so this is a bit of a disappointment for me. The product does claim to be 24hr, after all.

When I tested, I managed to wear one shade for about 7 hours before noticeable creasing occurred. The color began to fade at this point as well. The space near my lashline (where I have a small crease/fold) is the most oily, and at this point the color in that area completely disappeared. I also wore this shadow into the shower one day, and it essentially melted off in the warm water without me doing anything. (I waited 30-45 minutes before showering) Based on these results, don't imagine these would be waterproof.

While the product is pigmented, I needed a few swipes of color to get even application. (I apply these and the L'Oreal Infallible shadows with my finger unless I am using them as liner.)

All in all, I like the texture, application, and shade range of L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows much better. However, these are quite good for drugstore cream eyeshadows, and they do have very smooth, creamy textures. (I find that some cream eyeshadows can be quite hard unless you really warm them up, including mid-range ones like Benefit...) If Maybelline releases more everyday shades, I will definitely pick them up for some quick & easy eyeshadow options.

How about you? Did you run to pick up Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows? If you have some, how do you like them?

Review: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Bronzer

A few weeks ago, I was really excited to hear (on Twitter, I think) that Maybelline released a Dream Bouncy Bronzer. While not absolutely thrilled with the Dream Bouncy Blush, I love the idea of it and knew I had to try this one for myself. So, last Saturday I dragged my boyfriend with me to Bed Bath & Beyond with a $5 off and 20% off coupon (thank goodness for our coupon collecting mothers!) to see if our local store had the new bronzers from Maybelline's Summer Glow collection. To my excitement, they did have it! (I have not yet seen it at Ulta, though I've read online that it's been spotted at CVS.)

The Dream Bouncy Bronzer was available in two shades, Sun Glow and I believe Sun Glisten (not positive on the name, but it is a lighter shade!) I was immediately disappointed because 3 out of the 4 available in the display had detached from the pans somehow and were just a little blob inside the packaging with smears of glitter on the plastic. (YUCK) Also, both shades do have shimmer in them, and I've lately tried to avoid products with shimmer for face.

I went back and forth on it quite a bit, to be completely honest with you. The only one that was really still intact was this one in Sun Glow, which is darker and also appeared to be redder in the package. Thankfully I remembered that the Dream Bouncy blushes were not nearly as vibrant on my skin as they were in the pan, so I decided to bite the bullet and purchase it so I could try it out.

bouncy bronzer

On my cheeks, it is a peachy-bronze shade that is actually pretty. (My boyfriend thought it looked much too dark and shimmery in the pan, LOL!) It is pretty sheer, like the blushes, but also quite buildable, which I really prefer. I would say the formula of the bronzer is also exactly the same as the blush. This bronzer is definitely very easy to use.

I was happily surprised by the shade, and even the shimmer was not as bad as I expected. I hadn't worn it (or the bouncy blush, now that I think of it!) for more than an hour or two until today. This is where my disappointment comes in!

My skin is a bit crazy right now after visiting Canada (plus I forgot my normal face wash on top of irregular routines since we came back). I had some dry patches, and this definitely caught in them. As I noticed this, I rubbed my face and the shimmer particles and even some of the color seemed to rub off. While I do touch my face more than I should, this was noticeably faded in about an hour and nearly gone in three hours.

Other than the not so good wear experience, I do enjoy the texture of this bronzer. It's fun and inexpensive, so it can't hurt to try it out. However, if you are on a tight budget, I'd definitely recommend saving your dollars for a more effective product that lasts longer. There are plenty of cream blush products out there, and even the new hybrid powder products provide long wear if you're looking for a unique formula or texture. (For example: Estee Lauder Powder Gelee products, MAC Extra Dimension which just released on their website but launches in stores April 5th, and Givenchy Bonne Mine Poudre to name a few)

Hope that gives you a good look at Maybelline's new Dream Bouncy Bronzer! :) What do you think of these new Dream Bouncy Bronzers? Will you pick up these or any of the other products from Maybelline's Summer Glow collection?