Mascaras... A Quickie Post - PART II

A continuation/update of the apparently useful post that I wrote a couple years ago (here!). Just a little note about my personal preference on mascaras these days: I gravitate towards drier formulas and tend to hang on to wetter formulations until they dry out a bit, and then they're usually perfectly to my liking, so if I list wet formula as a con, but then say I'd repurchase it, know that I probably let it dry out and then really appreciated the way the formula performed. Lord knows I've tried a lot of mascaras since my initial mascara quickie post, so I'll try to comment on whatever I can remember. Luckily, I have a desk drawer full of mascaras to jog my memory. ...Yes, I may be a slight cosmetic hoarder. Onto the list!

Product: Tom Ford Beauty Extreme Mascara
Pros: very volumizing and lengthening formula
Cons: price
Repurchase?: If I have the money lying around, yes. It exceeded my expectations.

Product: Joe Fresh Lash Plump Mascara
Pros: dry formula, huge brush, big volume
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Definitely.

Product: MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Extreme
Pros: two lash looks in one tube thanks to the dual-wiper system that allows you to go between clean definition and major volume
Cons: the amped-up lash look can sometimes lean a bit to the spider-lash side, so watch out!
Repurchase?: Absolutely.

Product: MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash
Pros: huge polymer molded brush that delivers a high level of definition
Cons: the formula is a bit on the wet side
Repurchase?: Probably not, I'll stick with Haute & Naughty Too Black Extreme if I rebuy any mascara from MAC.

Product: Guerlain Maxi Lash
Pros: volume, curl, no lash stiffness
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Most definitely. Check out this formula's violet iteration if you're in the mood for something different!

Product: Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara
Pros: clean, defined volume
Cons: makes an absurd mess during removal
Repurchase?: No way, José. This stuff resembles Lauren Conrad mascara tears during removal.

Product: Urban Decay Lush Lash
Pros: lash growth serum in the formula, awesome volume and length
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Yes. Have a backup of this on standby, and have gone through a few tubes. 

Product: Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume
Pros: polymer brush (similar to MAC's In Extreme Dimension) that dishes up definition
Cons: wet formula didn't seem to deliver on the volume claim
Repurchase?: None for me, thanks!

Product: CoverGirl Clump Crusher
Pros: no clumps thanks to the polymer wand
Cons: slight stiffness of lashes
Repurchase?: Yes. Hyper-affordable cleanly defined lashes.

Product: Stila Forever Your Curl Curl Memory Mascara
Pros: smaller wand that can allow you to sort of...coax your lashes into the end look you desire
Cons: weirdly creamy formula that actually smudged on me (unheard of!)
Repurchase?: No thank you!

Product: Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect
Pros: rotating wand (two directions for upper and lower lashlines), awesome volumizing formula
Cons: damn near impossible to find in Canada :(
Repurchase?: I have a couple backups of this since I first tried it in Australia last year, with every intention of hunting down MORE (cuz I'm crazy like that).

Product: Dior Diorshow New Look
Pros: teeny, tiny, very non-Dior wand that's great for getting to the roots to maximize lashes (superb for anyone who doesn't have a ton of lashes to go around)
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Yes. I occasionally forget how solid this mascara is, but I'd definitely grab another tube. It's a great brush!

Product: Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl
Pros: curved wand to encourage lashes to curl, excellent formula
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: I already have a backup of this ready and waiting to be opened. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!

Product: Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Volum'Express
Pros: two wands (normal wand for top lashes and a skinny wand for bottom lashes)
Cons: wet formula didn't give much volume
Repurchase?: Neg. Great concept, but I'll save my coins for another drugstore offering.

Product: Marcelle Power Volume Mascara
Pros: big wand, densely packed bristles, volumizing formula
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Already have a backup.  (.....Are we noticing a trend yet? And by "trend", I may mean "spiraling addiction"...)

Product: ARDENCY INN PUNKER Unrivaled Volume & Curl Lash Wax
Pros: waxy formula leaves lashes supersoft, high-impact volume
Cons: gigantic wand could be a bit of a challenge due to unusual croissant shape, crazy messy removal
Repurchase?: No. I'll use it up, but messy removal is a no-go with me.

Product: Chanel Le Volume de Chanel
Pros: crazy cool wand that is kind of like snowflakes stacked upon each other, wicked volumizing formula that results in the craziest volume ever with minimal strokes/effort
Cons: absolutely none
Repurchase?: In a heartbeat. I own this in three colour variations and am obsessed with this formula.

Product: Marc Jacobs Beauty  Lash Lifter - Gel Volume Mascara
Pros: lightweight formula doesn't weigh lashes down
Cons: ....but the formula doesn't do anything at all.
Repurchase?: Nope. Returned it. Super lacklustre performance, sadly.

Product: L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly
Pros: fibre formula with a really innovative wand that allows you to emphasize the corner lashes for a visual eyelift, formula removes without little fibre bits going all over the place
Cons: formula is wet at first
Repurchase?: Yes. As with all Voluminous mascaras I've tried, they're awesome once they dry out a bit. This one is GREAT!

Product: YSL Faux Cils Babydoll
Pros: nice departure from the usual Faux Cils brush (this one has a molded wand), clean volume
Cons: smell irritates eyes well after application
Repurchase?: No. It's a fine mascara, no issue there, but for the price, I'm sure I can find something else I enjoy using more that doesn't irritate my eyes.

Product: Maybelline One By One Volum'Express
Pros: molded wand + great formula = awesome volume
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Have and will repurchase. Solid drugstore find!

Product: L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions
Pros: lengthening formula that also gives subtle volume, overall high impact lashes
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Absolutely. It's a great formula for a great price! 

Product: Maybelline The Volum'Express Mega Plush Lash
Pros: lightweight gel-mousse formula, bendy brush head
Cons: big wand made getting to lash roots messier than it should've been
Repurchase?: Nah, plenty of other drugstore mascaras I'd rather use.

Product: CoverGirl Flamed Out
Pros: hourglass brush fits contour of lashline, hollow bristles hold more product to deposit on lashes, formula is on the drier side so I don't have to wait ages for it to dry
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Yes! Big volume for little money. Huge love.



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Mascaras... a quickie post.

Gonna try to do a quick mascara post...quick implying I won't ramble on forever about any particular product, but maybe hit on a pro/con er two for each product and a simple yes or no for planned repurchase. Let's face it though, I try new products more than I repurchase old faithfuls. I'm a "risktaker" like that. It's a mascara, not a car. LE denotes Limited Edition. HTF denotes Hard to Find. All products were inevitable in the shades Black/Blackest Black/Blacker than Black unless otherwise noted.

Product: CoverGirl LashBlast (original, orange tube)
Pros: great volume, easy to build up, price, formula is designed to NOT migrate on the eye :)
Cons: the molded plastic wand is apparently not foolproof (though I've never poked myself in the eye with it, but that's a common complaint), bulky tube
Repurchase again?: Yes. Have and will repurchase.


Product: CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion (purple tube)
Pros: RELIABLE clean definition/volume, price, never needs to be combed through the lashes, auto-separates!
Cons: molded plastic wand (personally, I ain't mad at it), bulky tube
Repurchase again?: Yes. Have and will repurchase.

Product: CoverGirl LastBlast Length (yellow tube)
Pros: lengthening formula, price, skinny wand to get into corners of eye without hitting your eye
Cons: the wand doesn't seem to pick up on that much product
Repurchase again?: No, I can live without it.

Product: L'Oreal Lash Out (HTF)
Pros: teddy bear brush, creamy formula with protein complex (who knew!), price
Cons: lots of product on the wand, must comb through lashes with spare spoolie
Repurchase again?: Sure, it's a nice dupe for Burberry's mascara.

Product: YSL Faux Cils
Pros: volume building formula (hence the name, fake lashes), lovely heavy tube (make sure you hear the audible click to ensure it's closed properly!)
Cons: excess product on wand, dries out quickly, price
Repurchase again?: No. Been there, done that, wasn't all that smitten. Plus L'Oreal Voluminous is a dupe.

Product: Chantecaille Faux Cils
Pros: fantastic formula on a simple teddy bear brush, leaves lashes soft, great packaging
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: Yes. This wand fans lashes out and delivers better on the product name than YSL did.

Product: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill (original)
Pros: great formula (almost gel-like?) that glides on with ease, fantastic brush (once you know how to use it), lovely heavy packaging
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: Yes. Have repurchased, love it, fave mascara.

Product: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Excess (possibly LE)
Pros: very interesting brush, easy-to-apply formula
Cons: price, fragrance of formula (reminiscent of Maybelline Lash Stiletto formula scent, not good!)
Repurchase again?: Yes. However, I'm more likely to purchase the original GA ETK formula.

Product: Burberry Effortless mascara
Pros: teddy bear brush, creamy formula, awesome tube
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. Great to try, great product, easily realized L'Oreal Lash Out is basically the same for a lower price.

Product: L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
Pros: volume-building, dupe for YSL Faux Cils, price
Cons: wet formula that needs to dry out a little before ideal consistency is achieved, can be a bitch to remove if the Carbon Black formula is purchased (so beware!)
Repurchase again?: Yes.

Product: L'Oreal Voluminous Million Mascara (HTF in NYC)
Pros: fantastically fanned-out doll-eye lashes, price
Cons: molded plastic brush-head (be mindful when getting to the lash roots), clunky tube
Repurchase again?: Yes. So pleased!

Product: Maybelline Falsies
Pros: curved brush, wetter formula, price
Cons: needs to be combed through lashes with spare spoolie
Repurchase again?: No. Results weren't worth the effort.

Product: Maybelline Full'n'Soft
Pros: allegedly beneficial formula for lashes, hypoallergenic, washable mascara, great definition for everyday wear, price
Cons: none, really.
Repurchase again?: Always. It's a great go-to if my eyes are tired or ragey from too much eye makeup the day before.

Product: Maybelline Lash Stiletto
Pros: price
Cons: lousy formula with a terrible scent, lousy brush, no length or shine
Repurchase again?: No. What a disappointing mascara that lived up to zero of the claims advertised. Sad clown.

Product: Rimmel Sexy Curves (purple tube)
Pros: great double-helix style brush, great formula, price
Cons: spikes on brush can be sharp (watch the lash roots!)
Repurchase again?: Yes.

Product: Rimmel VolumeFlash (pink tube)
Pros: price, great formula that had potential to be quite messy but wasn't
Cons: had to be worked through with spoolie
Repurchase again?: No. Nothing against it, I have other drugstore mascaras I prefer.

Product: Bobbi Brown Extreme Party mascara
Pros: great defined lashes, tapered brush made it easy to get into corner lashes
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. There are other high-end mascaras that I prefer.

Product: Chanel Inimitable Intense
Pros: great formula, functional molded plastic brush
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. It's a good product, I just don't think it's as great as others for the price.

Product: Chanel Exceptionnel de Chanel in Noir Obscur (LE)
Pros: amazingly voluminous but cleanly defined lashes, FANTASTIC brush that alternates bristles with a comb (waaay before Revlon Double-Twist came out).
Cons: price, LE status
Repurchase again?: YES! If I could, I would repurchase this product in this shade. Alas, it was LE in October 2009.

Product: Maybelline Great Lash
Pros: dark formula, reputation (touted as the end-all/be-all of mascaras)
Cons: lousy wand/product delivery on lashes, smudges like CRAZY
Repurchase again?: No. How a tube of this stuff is sold every 3 seconds or whatever, I'll never understand.

Product: Estee Lauder More Than Mascara
Pros: clean definition, slight volume, good everyday mascara
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. Not worth the dollars paid.

Product: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Color Mascara (Sapphire Blue) LE
Pros: amazingly bright blue shade, GREAT volume, GREAT length
Cons: LE, price
Repurchase again?: Yes. I adored this whole LE release of bright mascaras, which was pretty unexpected given the company that produced them (Estee Lauder aka your mother's cosmetic counter...but Tom Pecheaux is really turning things around).

Product: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Bold Lifting
Pros: great formula, great tapered wand, great results!
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: Yes.

Product: Estee Lauder MagnaScopic
Pros: volume-building
Cons: price, clunky tube
Repurchase again?: No

Product: Estee Lauder Projectionist
Pros: lengthening formula did lengthen
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No

Product: Lancome Hypnose Drama
Pros: volumizing, lengthening, s-curved brush
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. It's a good mascara, but I like other products better for the price point.

Product: Clinique Lash Doubling
Pros: mega lengthening
Cons: not exactly volumizing
Repurchase again?: Yes. Cheap enough.

Product: Dolce & Gabbana Mascara
Pros: lengthening more so than volumizing
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. Not merited for the price and other products avail for equal or fewer dollars.

Product: DiorShow Mascara
Pros: none
Cons: price, wand, formula
Repurchase again?: No. I hated DiorShow and don't get why it's forever atop the "Best of" lists every single year. The brush is ridiculous, the formula is lousy and you can definitely get bigger bang for your buck with another brand.

Product: DiorShow Iconic Mascara
Pros: none
Cons: price, wand, formula
Repurchase again?: No. I hated the original DiorShow. DiorShow Iconic has a comb brush thing going on and it's just terrible. Nothing dramatic or iconic or awesome about this one.

Product: Benefit Bad Gal (blue and black)
Pros: volumizing
Cons: price
Repurchase again?: No. I used to like this, but since I've tried others, it's fallen into oblivion.

Product: Bourjois Volumizer mascara
Pros: two-step process involving one wand to separate lashes (beautifully!) and another to add volume
Cons: pretty wet formula, pretty fat tube, price
Repurchase again?: Yes. I actually love this mascara a LOT!

Product: Almay Dial-Up mascara
Pros: interesting delivery of product involving choosing which level of mascara you want (1=daytime, 2=nighttime, 3=weekend...apparently?), price
Cons: stiffening to lashes
Repurchase again?: No. I never go beyond 1 on the dial and even that seems like too much product. Interesting idea in theory, not practice.

Product: MAC Opulash
Pros: decent volume
Cons: large brush
Repurchase again?: No. A pretty lacklustre mascara, but MAC mascaras are generally not so great.

Product: Maybelline The Colossal Volum'Express
Pros: pretty good volume, price
Cons: ridiculous brush, clunky tube, stiff lashes
Repurchase again?: No. Stiff lashes ought to be illegal.


I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but this is.. pretty substantial, no?

CoverGirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation Review

Okay. I admit I kind of got sucked into the hype of this foundation in spite of it being a CoverGirl face product (most of which are so ridden with pink/cool undertones, I could weep). Maybe it was the multiple mag blurbs I read about it since Pat McGrath (BIG deal makeup artist, creative hotshot at P&G) used it in many a fashion show during the S/S 2011 NYFW... either way, I caved and purchased a tube of this stuff. Here we go.

CoverGirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation is meant to be a lightweight-feeling "silk" foundation. When I saw the term "silk", I freaked and got excited and thought, "Could this be the drugstore dupe of Armani Luminous Silk that I've been looking for forever since $60ish dollars a bottle is outrageous to pay for Armani?...MAYBE!"

Reality: NO DICE. The foundation, while very refreshing on the skin and actually almost.. cooling to the touch, is decent, the pink undertones are still pretty brutally present in this foundation's colour offerings. I most definitely bought the wrong shade for myself, but with no testers to figure it all out and no reference from Temptalia's foundation chart, I was left to my own devices which apparently are not that astute when I'm looking at bottle shade references versus my hand. Awful idea. This is the downside of being an early adopter of cosmetic products.

ANYWHO. I am probably anywhere from an NC35 to 42 right now (I swear it's a mood thing, but let it be known, my cheeks have little pigment while my forehead DOES). I mistakenly purchased shade 325 (Sandstone). When examining shade 330 and 335, they both seemed pretty pink. I look.. bizarre if I wear cool-toned foundations (as most warm-toned individuals do!), so the foundation was a litttttttle light but nothing that wasn't fixable courtesy of a little bronzer.

The coverage is light to medium coverage, and it is buildable but I was hesitant to build the coverage up due to the fact that I had a mismatched shade for my skin. The finish was pretty basic satin, nothing luminous or over the top. I guess the biggest selling factor is the more natural ingredients that essentially promise a more natural finish. That's pretty much what you get.

I think I paid maybe $13 CAD for this at WalMart. I probably wouldn't buy it again since I feel the undertones of the colours offered are just not at all appropriate for my East Indian skin, but the foundation itself seems fairly reliable for even-looking, smooth skin. Not one to really dig any testers WalMart has, I'd probably hunt this down at Walgreens, Shoppers or Duane Reade, etc. depending on where I am.

Sidebar: The marketing of this whole Natureluxe sub-brand is genius and getting Tay Swift on board was wise investment on P&G's part. Hoorah!