ProductWhores

Clump Blaster!

I'm sort of iffy on Cover Girl's mascaras.  Some have worked really well for me, others... not so much.  But I am totally into their new LashBlast Clump Crusher.  I'm not sure what exactly makes it work so well for me - the oversized brush or the formula - but all I know is that when I wear it, I have long, thick lashes that really and truly don't have any clumps.  (Although to be fair, I only usually wear one or two coats - I'm not going all Tammy Faye Bakker with it on a daily basis anyway).  I just love the way it looks.  It lasts all day, it doesn't smudge under my eyes... it's kind of my perfect mascara at the moment.  (Which is good, since after my unfortunate lash tinting incident in August, I'm never ever tinting my lashes again, so I better really love my mascaras).  Even better - it's under ten dollars, and you can probably find it even cheaper on sale or with a coupon.  It's a total bargain!  I assume it's not a limited-edition and here to stay, but I might have to stock up anyway, just in case.  One can never have too many mascaras...   

Lash Booster!

My best friend used to live in NYC and every single time I went to visit her I would have to visit the FACE Stockholm store right there and buy a million things.  I love this line and while I still get excited ordering online or visiting one of the boutiques who carry the products, nothing will replace visiting the actual shop in NY!  Well, since my best friend no longer lives there and I can't justify the jetting to the east coast just for a trip to FACE Stockholm, I'll enjoy getting the goods online.  One of their latest releases (by the way, check out their very fresh-faced look for Fall on their homepage - it's stunning!!!) is a new fantastic mascara called Lash Booster.  Lash Booster is a natural mascara and lash extension which have your lashes looking fuller and longer.  The mascara contains vegetable waxes and polymers which help to nourish and stimulate lash growth and I have to say, after a month of use, I do actually notice a difference - not in the length but in the fullness of my lashes.  The mascara is not heavy or clumpy but really gives lashes a natural, full look which I love.  I have been pairing it with a smokey-grey-lined eye and a bold lip color and I adore my new fall look. 

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with FACE Stockholm

Better Than False Lashes?

Has anyone tried this new mascara from Too Faced?  I just stumbled upon the Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension System while playing around on Sephora online (as I do, well, constantly) and now I want to try it.  Here's what the description says:

The look of false lashes has never been easier or more affordable with this do-it-yourself system that's an alternative to messy false lashes and expensive lash extensions.  The activating mascara base and top coat is designed specifically to melt and seal the Flexistretch nylon fibers into long, thick, dramatic lashes without the risk, mess, or commitment of other false lash alternatives.  Unlike traditional fiber mascaras, Better Than False Lashes allows you to dial up the lengthening fibers so you easily get better, longer, thicker, more dramatic lashes instantly.

It sounds great, right?  (Although maybe a little labor intensive.  I think I'd save it for going out at night because, really, who needs to look like they're wearing false lashes at work?  My job doesn't involve anything nearly fun enough for that!)  It's $35 though, so I kind of want to hear what more people think before I throw down some cash.  Anyone tried it yet?

Glam Up Your Look

Stila has partnered with E! again to release a collection of fun, Hollywood-themed products that you can use to glam yourself up for a night out on the town.  How cute is the Bring Out Your Glam Eye Shadow Palette (above)?  Love the little stars in the middle of the shades!  It's a nice neutral palette that you can also use for a darker, smoky eye if you want.  I really like the mix of shades - there are some nice highlighters in there paired with darker browns.  And at only $24, it's one of the more affordable eye palettes out there right now. 

The collection also includes the Smudge Stick Duo + Forever Your Curl Mascara set, which I love because I'm a huge fan of Stila's Smudge Sticks.  This one has two shades in it - Oscar Fish (a warm brown with gold pearl) and Stargazer (a black with gold and silver pearl).  They're both basic shades, but the pearl makes them fun and a little more dressy than your average brown and black liners.  I love the smudge sticks though because they smudge really well (I should hope so!) so they're great for creating a smoky eye or a soft daytime look because you can smudge them and get away without using a lot of shadow too.  (That's why they're coming on vacation with me next month.  Less makeup in my bag means more room for magazines for my loooong plane ride.  I am emotionally incapable of traveling without a choice of 37 different things to read).  

There's also a new Lip Glaze Trio with some more new, aptly named shades.  I like that the shades are all darker than a lot of the Lip Glazes since they're so sheer already.  Here are the three colors in the collection:

• Lights - warm golden caramel with gold sparkle
• Action - deep berry with golden pearl
• Camera - soft rust red with golden pearl

Camera is my favorite.  So, so pretty. I love a nice red gloss.  I already have about, oh, twenty or so of them, but this one is really nice.  So now that I'm all Hollywood-ed up, who wants to invite me to a premiere so I can walk the red carpet?  I'm free this weekend... 

Note:  Samples of this product were sent to me by a PR representative working with Stila

Stila Rolls Out The Red Carpet

 

I was one of those people who loved Stila's last collaboration with E! and all of their Live From The Red Carpet fun, so I'm excited that they're doing it all over again.  This year, there are four products in the new collection - a Solar Lighted Compact W/All Over Shimmer Duo, a Bring Out Your Glam Eye Shadow Palette, a Smudge Stick Duo + Forever Your Curl Mascara and a Lip Glaze Trio.  They all look really fun, don't they?  I especially think I need the eye palette and the Lip Glaze Trio (because clearly, I need MORE Lip Glazes even though I already have a ridiculous amount of them).  And how cute is the eye palette, with the stars in the middle of the shadows?  E! and Stila have sucked me in once again!

Lots Of Lashes

I've never been a big fan of Great Lash mascara.  I know there's all this hype and a lot of people who swear by it, but it's just never done anything for me.  But I was at Target the other week and saw a display of the new version of it, Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara.  (Or, as the Target site hilariously calls it, Great Lash LOL Mascara.  They are aware that abbreviating it like that makes it sound like a mascara people are laughing at, right?  Because... why?)  Not only was it on sale, but then I had a random Maybelline coupon, so it ended up costing me like $3.00, which seemed a worthwhile investment even if I hated it.  (It's basically half of what the new English Toffee Lattes at The Coffee Bean cost and I can easily justify those a few times a week, so how could I pass a $3.00 mascara up?  Answer - I could not).  And then a funny thing happened.  Not only did I not hate it, I actually kind of love it.  I think it's the brush, which as you can see is a very odd shape, but that shape lets you really get in there and coat each lash with mascara without getting it all over the rest of your face (a problem I usually have because I'm a klutz).  The formula also works really well for me.  My lashes look super long and thick when I wear it, noticeably more so than with most mascaras, which makes me very happy.  (Especially for $3.00!)  I've been wearing it for a few weeks now and so far, I haven't noticed any drawbacks.  It doesn't smudge once it's dry, it doesn't flake off giving me raccoon eyes, and it stays put all day.  I love having a new drugstore mascara obsession because it makes me feel better knowing if I travel somewhere and forget mine, I can just run over to the nearest CVS and grab another one.  I'm finally on board the Great Lash train! 

Hyperlash

I need another mascara about as little as any human being could need anything, but when I was wandering through ULTA the other day, there was a display of Smashbox's Hyperlash Mascara and it was at a special promotional price.  Special promotions are like my kryptonite.  There's no way I wasn't going to walk out of the store with a tube of it, especially after I realized that it was only $10 (instead of the normal price of $21).  Besides being more than 50% off, that's also about what drugstore mascaras cost these days, so I figured even if I hated it, I wouldn't feel that bad.  And then I didn't hate it at all!  It's actually a great mascara, made even greater by the bargain price.  I love the brush - it doesn't let any extra product stick to it, so the mascara goes on really evenly and there are no clumps at all.  Delightful!  It makes my lashes look a lot longer and thicker and I don't notice much (if any) flaking.  I'm really happy I strolled down that particular aisle at ULTA on what was only like, my third visit that week.  (I'm stalking the nail polish section because I'm dying to pick up Midtown Magic from China Glaze's new Metro collection and ULTA's the only place near me that hasn't gotten it and sold out already).  I love when my obsessive makeup trips pay off!  

Doll Lashes

I have tried Lancome mascaras in the past (huge fan of Definicils, I have to say), however with the hefty price tag and the fact I've become a Cover Girl Lash Blast addict, I haven't touched the Lancome counter for mascara in forever.  Well, this all changed as soon as I saw the ads for the new Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara (those three wide-eyed fifties-looking chicks converted me) and I ran to the Macy's counter this weekend to buy it.  This stuff is amazing - I completely love it. Yeah, it's 25 bucks, but my lashes look ridiculously awesome even if I don't use any liner.  The brush has a fat end and a skinny end and as long as you follow the instructions (outer edge gets the fat end and the inner edge gets the skinny end) you will be as happy as I am.  No clumping, even coverage and definitely lifts and extends my lashes (it does work even better if you use liner and an eyelash curler).  Bonus for me (and the real reason I decided to buy Doll Lashes right away) I scored the bonus gift this past weekend, which comes in an adorable cosmetic bag.  Gotta love bonuses (monetary, too, if my boss is reading this...)

Go For Full Body Sexy Curves

When it comes to drugstore mascaras, Rimmel London has pretty much been my go to brand lately.  The ones I've tried have all worked really well on me, and they're all under $10 (some significantly so) which means that when I'm making my third trip to CVS that week and want to throw one in my basket, I don't have to feel guilty about it.  

Sexy Curves Full Body Mascara is one of their newest offerings for Fall 2011.  I like to think of it as a sequel to their already popular Sexy Curves Mascara, which has been out for awhile already.  Both mascaras have the same great Triple Plump Brush, which I really like because it distributes the mascara really evenly on my lashes, so they don't get all clumpy.  (It's also nice because it comes out of the tube with just the right amount of product on it, so you don't have to spend time trying to get the excess off the brush and back into the tube.  That's my total pet peeve with some mascaras lately.  Why do companies let this happen?  It's so annoying).  The mascara definitely gives my lashes length and volume, which I'm always looking for, and I find that if I curl my lashes first and then apply it, my lashes seem to hang on to a curl longer during the day.   For only $7.50, this one's definitely worth picking up, even if only to have a spare tube around for a spur of the moment trip.  (Do you think if I do that someone will spontaneously invite me on one?  Let's test it out!)

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Rimmel London

It's My Time To Shine

I really want this new Time to Shine Palette from LORAC.  It's available exclusively at ULTA, where I was browsing this weekend, so I almost bought it, but then I remembered that I had a 20% off my entire purchase coupon for ULTA, which would've been great, but it doesn't actually start until April 2nd.  So I was forced to put this delightful palette back and cross my fingers that they still have some left in a few days (which seems dicey - there were only a couple more on the display).  It's $28, which I kind of can't justify, but with the coupon, it'll only be $22.40, which somehow seems much more affordable.  (You know, if you take out the fact that while I'm there, I'm sure I'll throw a few more things in my basket...)  It's just too cute to resist though - I'm such a sucker for eyeshadow palettes, especially when they come in a fun case, like this one.  The shadow colors are even prettier in person, plus I've been wanting to try the Multiplex 3D Lashes Mascara, and this seems like the easiest way to do so without buying a whole tube of it.  So if you're planning to buy this at the ULTA Burbank this week and you're taking the last one, well, let's just say I'm going to be very disappointed in you...