{Review} Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

I am very very excited to be doing a full mascara review, this one for the Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara in black!!! I really really like this mascara. I feel that Revlon mascaras get a bad rap. Sure, not all of them are great, but there are quite a few gems in the mix, like this one, for instance. I really urge you guys to try out some Revlon mascaras. A lot of them are really really great!!!

The idea behind this mascara is that, along with giving you nice and thick, black lashes, it also conditions them and helps them grow longer. I don't think I've been using this mascara long enough to really see its effectiveness, but as far as thickening and lengthening goes, this mascara is perfect for every day!

It has a MASSIVE brush:

L, Revlon Grow Luscious R, CoverGirl LashBlast

If you thought your LashBlast had a huge brush, you ain't seen nothing yet, lol! I'd wager to say it's somewhere around the size of Benefit's Bad Gal Lash, if not bigger!!!

My bare lashes BEFORE:

If you look closely, in the middle of my eye I've got a couple of sparse spots where a few lashes feel out a while ago and have yet to grow in, one of the reasons I was interested in this mascara. I'm forever rearranging my lashes after I apply mascara to hide the sparse spots.

AFTER:

Sorry for the blur, but you gotta admit: pretty good length, eh!?

As you can see, a really dramatic difference. It could be a bit more thickening, but I really don't mind. The above pics were after one coat of mascara. You could quite easily build the volume up with a couple more coats. I love the super black color, too! It gives me the blackest, sootiest lashes! The formula is perfect too! It's a bit wetter than Revlon's other mascaras, but nothing like some of Maybelline's and L'Oreal's mascaras (the ones with the spiky applicators). It doesn't smudge or flake on me either, but then again I rarely have a problem with mascaras doing that on me so maybe I'm not the best one to ask. I do like that it holds a curl relatively well! Most mascaras I've tried (that are thickening), are usually too heavy to do so.

The only possibly negative I can think of is the obvious fact that the brush is a little to big. I quite like it, but I think I could get the same effect with a slightly less thick brush. I do like the length though. I can get most of my lash line in one go, which I quite like. My personal preference with mascara wands is the traditional wands. I hate those spiky plastic ones like the Define-A-Lash mascara from Maybelline because they simply don't work for my lashes. They give me no volume whatsoever. I like how the Grow Luscious brush is tapered, too, because it does make it a bit easier to get the inner corners and lower lash line. It does take a bit of getting used to because it is very easy to get smudges on the upper lash line.

Like this:

I find that sometimes if I;m not careful it looks like I'm wearing liner when I'm not. If the brush was just a bit thinner (but not shorter) I think this would be my HG mascara! I love the overall effect of long, thick, flirty, fluttery lashes!!! I highly recommend! And I found it for $4 at Big Lots with a single eyeshadow!!!

Pros:

-Lengthening.

-Thickening.

-Holds a curl well.

-Super black.

-Doesn't smudge or flake.

-Good price.

Cons:

-Really long BIG brush makes it a bit difficult to apply.

Info:

Price: $8.99 (I got it for $4 at Big Lots and it came w/a single eyeshadow)

Ingredients: Water, Beeswax (Apis Mellifera), Stearic Acid, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene, Trisiloxane, C30 45 Alkyl Dimethicone, Cera Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera Wax), Cera Carnauba Cire (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Triethanolamine, Bis Vinyl Dimethicone Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Isosteareth 200 Linoleate, Acacia Gum (Acacia Senegal) (Acacia Senegal), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Phytantriol, Nylon 6, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Methoxy Amodimethicone/Silsequioxane Copolymer, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Simethicone, Butylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2 Hexanediol, May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77897), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77897), Black 2 (CI 77266) (CI 77266), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Ultramarines (CI 77007)

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure don't hesitate to ask in comments!

Monday Makeup Motivation!

It's been a while since I've posted some Monday Makeup Motivation, but I came across this image and just had to post! This makeup is perfect in my opinion! Perfect liner, perfect skin, perfect hair! Anyhow, enjoy! More to come today!

{Empties+Review} Hourglass Extreem Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Reflect

I've finished another product! Yay!!! I do feel a bit of regret for finishing this one. It's one of Hourglasse's Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Glosses. The one I own is in Reflect, which is just a clear gloss with a ton of shimmer in it. It looks pink in the tube, but applies pretty much clear. I'm not a huge fan of completely clear glosses, but this one gives so much shine that I can't help but rave about it.



The brush:

I normally hate brush applicators for glosses because they tent to dispense too much product, but this one isn't half bad. It took a little bit of getting used to because it's longer than normal brush applicators and the gloss itself is thin, but I love the effect it gives. You'll see what I mean in the pics below!

A swatch:

So as I said, pretty much clear. There's the teeniest bit of pink, but it looks clear on the lips.

A better swatch:

Look how shiny and shimmery!!!

A lip swatch:

The glitter isn't really very chunky or anything. It's very understated, but just contributes to the amazing glossiness of this gloss.

Another lip swatch:

Sorry for the blur, but I wanted to make sure that you could see how incredibly glossy this gloss is!

If you're willing to splurge, this gloss is great, so much more than just a clear gloss. It is very very glossy. More than just being super glossy, it's one of the most moisturizing lip glosses I've EVER used. It feels like I'm wearing a balm and a gloss, it's that good. And I never get those crumbs on my lips from my lips being dry when wearing this gloss. It smells like vanilla, but the scent goes away pretty fast so if you hate scented glosses, you may be ok with this one. My only complaint about this gloss is that it is a pretty thin gloss, so the lasting power isn't as great as other more tacky glosses, about 2 hrs. But I can overlook that because the shine is amazing and my lips feel really well cared for after wearing this gloss. I think I can say that these glosses are coming to be my new favorite after Chanel Glossimers! Now, they have changed the packaging, but I don't really like the new packaging. I'll definitely repurchase it from ebay or Amazon in the older packaging which I think looks more sophisticated!

Pros:

-VERY SHINY!

-Moisturizing.

-Nice scent.

-Non sticky.

-Really nice packaging.

Cons:

-Expensive.

-Not very long lasting.

Info:

Price: $28 (Eek!)

Ingredients: Octyldodecanol, Diisostearyl Malate, Ethylcellulose, Isostearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Dilinoleyl Alcohol, Hydroxystearic Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Silica Silylate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Glycerin, Water, Lysolecithin, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Flavor, Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Red 6 (CI 15850), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090:2), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410:2), Red 30 Lake (CI 45410:2).

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure don't hesitate to ask in comments!

{Tip Thursday} How To Keep Your Lips From Getting Chapped

There's nothing worse in the winter than dry, tight, chapped lips. My lips would get so bad sometimes that the skin would actually break and bleed. Here are three relatively inexpensive tips to keep your lips soft and supple all winter!

1. Exfoliate regularly. You don't need an expensive scrub. Simply apply some Vaseline to the lips and gently scrub over them with a damp wash cloth or an old tooth brush. Do this every week or two.

2. Don't lick your lips! This one is important. Licking your lips may feel better right away, but your saliva has enzymes in it to help digest food and the enzymes will wear down the thickness of your lips leaving them more vulnerable to the cold.

3. Use a thicker balm nightly. If you want to prevent then from getting chapped in the first place, use a thicker balm, not just your regular Chapstick, nightly. I've been using The Body Shops lip butters and they are great! They smell good and leave my lips feeling incredibly moisturized.

Hope this helps!

{Swatches} Sephora ColorPlay 5-in-1 LE Palette: LIPS!

Finally, the final segment of swatches for the Sephora ColorPlay 5-in-1 LE Palette, the lips! Included are 10 lip glosses. Some of them really are just glosses, but a few of them are much more pigmented, almost like a lipstick. I really like!

The glosses:

L to R: Boho Bombshell, Classics Never Die, Angelic Boudoir, Black is the New Black, A Nod to Mod


Top to bottom: Boho Bombshell, Classics Never Die, Angelic Boudoir, Black is the New Black, A Nod to Mod

Keep in mind that there are two glosses to each palette! More looks to come soon!

{Beauty News} Rock & Republic @ Haute Look 1/24

For those of you hoping to score some Rock & Republic blushes for less, they will be on sale on Haute Look starting tomorrow! Happy shopping!

{Swatches} Sephora 5-in-1 Color Play LE Palette EYESHADOWS! (Pic Heavy)

I'm feeling a bit better now. Still not 100%, but getting there. Here are the promised swatches! Boy, did this take a while. Sorry in advance if some of the pics are a bit blurry. I wasn't using my camera.

The shadows:


Boho Bombshell:

The colors in this palette are colorful without being over the top. I could easily see someone wearing several of them to work or to class to give the eyes just a bit of color. They are so beautiful tough, especially the combo of the plum and the brown right underneath it with the gold. Really really pretty!


Except for the blue, the colors in this row look like they belong in their own palette, like something you would get from Dior. I love plums and golds!


These are a bit darker, but make it easy to play up the neutrals with a kick look.

Classics Never Die:

If you need something for work, this palette is for you. Every texture and shade imaginable is included. You get two dark browns, both matte, two high lights , one matte and one shimmery, and then a handful of medium shades that are both warm and cool as well as matte and shimmery. Endless combos to keep the everyday eye from being boring!


The second color from the left is a dead ringer for a Dior single I have!


If you like khaki brown/green shades, you'll love this row. Personally, khaki's aren't my favorites, but I love pairing the middle colors with a deep plum or navy!

Angelic Boudoir:

The entire top row of this palette is absolutely gorgeous!


I've been wearing this combo of colors for the past few days and it looks absolutely stunning on blue eyes! The purple has just the right amount of warmth in it and the bronzy brown is just too pretty to pass up! All in all, great combo. I would probably buy these shades separately if I knew what they were!


These aren't my favorite shades, just because I'm not a fan of pastels (at least not on my eyes). Then again, that is a matter of personal preference. They are super soft and smooth and I can definitely see the gray and lavender on trend for spring!

Black Is The New Black:

If you like smoky eyes, this is the palette for you! You get everything you need to create any kind of black smoky eye imaginable. Matte, shimmery, frosty, sparkly, warm, cool, etc. The combos with this palette are nearly endless. It actually reminds me of a palette NYX released this past year for smoky eyes.


It didn't come across well in the pic, but the first shade isn't a matte black. It has blue glitter in it that comes across a lot better on the lid.


I've never been a big fan of black shadows, simply because they have a tendency to look very stark on my super pale skin, but the second shade in is just so pretty that I can't help but wear it often, especially when going out.

A Nod To Mod:

You get a really nice range of brights in this palette. Not anywhere near something like the Costal Scents palettes, but for the average woman it's more than enough to experiment with!


The orange, yellow, and white in this palette got really well together! They are very pigmented and warm.


The last color is a bit more vivid in real life. It's a nice, deep, blackened turquoise shade. I love using it wet to line the upper lash line. It looks very sexy! My only complaint with this one is that the matte purple, second from the right, is a bit hard, making it difficult to work with in terms of getting decent payoff.


The last color in this palette is quite interesting. It looks like a plain old unassuming white, but changes in lighting reveal the duo chrome. It switches between a white and a light blue and a periwinkle lavender color. Really pretty!

All in all: a great palette! Lip swatches will be up soon!

{Update} Feeling Sick :( + Bad Haircut

I apologize for not posting the rest of the swatches yesterday, but I've been really sick. I've had the worst reaction to a probiotic yogurt I tried. If you're unfamiliar with probiotics, they are live bacteria in certain yogurts like Activia that are supposed to make you more regular and aid in digestion. I tried a brand of Greek yogurt called Chobani, in strawberry for breakfast yesterday morning. I had ONE cup of the yogurt (they're individually packed) and I've been incredibly sick since then. I've had a headache, stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. I've been trowing up since yesterday morning and despite getting almost 9 hours of sleep last night I still feel really tired. I just hope it passes soon. Have you guys had a reaction like this with a yogurt?

Also, I finally got my hair cut. I grew it out and I've been wanting to go back to a bob for a while now and last night I did. It looks bad. Not horribly, but bad. My friend told me I look like a late Nineties lesbian. I might post a picture, might. That is if I don't die first, haha! Anyway, as soon as I'm better I'll try to post the swatches.

{Tip Thursday} 3 Great Skin Care Trade Ins To Save You $$$

This week is all about saving money in the long run, and there are several items in your skincare routine that you can trade in for cheaper products without sacrificing quality or effectiveness.

1. Makeup wipes for baby wipes. Baby wipes are dirt cheap, are larger, and clean as well as a lot of facial towelettes. I use them in conjunction with my Almay Moisturizing Liquid Makeup Remover. I use a cotton bud soaked in it to remove most of the eye makeup and then I wipe the residue away with my a wipe. I used to use the Ponds ones, but at $6 for 30, it gets expensive fast. Just make sure you choose baby wipes that are hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic and scent free.

2. High end cleanser for drugstore cleanser. The cleansing part of the skincare routine is one the drugstores have mastered. You may not find a moisturizer, scrub or a toner of equal quality, but I can say with certainty that you should be able to find a cheaper alternative for your high end cleanser for much less. I really like Estee Lauders Perfectly Clean cleanser for normal or combo skin or any of the Shiseido foaming cleansers. But at over $30 each, that got expensive fast. I've been using Olays 7-in-1 Anti-aging Revitalizing Foaming Cleanser. At $10, it's a third of the cost and just as effective.

3. High end sunblock for drugstore sunblock. While I know people always advise us to spend more on a sunblock, I feel that drugstore brands like Neutrogena have finally matched the high end product. I used to love the Shiseido's Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion, SPF 38. But with daily use the $34 bottle goes fast. I recently discovered Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Daily Liquid Sunblock, SPF 55 (or 70 if you prefer). It's $12.99 and amazing! It's a liquid sunblock that goes on very smooth and non greasy. I feel comfortable wearing it under makeup and a moisturizer because the formula is so thin. I highly recommend this one and will be reviewing it soon.

That's it for now! Just three. I hope some of these tips help you save some much needed $$$!

{Rant} Lousy Customer Service at Forever 21+Horrid Return Policy

So I went to Forever 21 today and I bought a few items. I check out and my total came to $34. The cashier rang me up and I was just about to leave when I realized that she charged me full price for two items that were on sale. The total should have been around $19, quite a difference. She looks at me and says, "Well, you can call it even or I can give you store credit." I was dumbfounded. Call it even? CALL IT EVEN!? I don't know how she was raised, but my money doesn't come off a tree. I asked, "What do you mean?" And she says, "We don't accept returns." I tried in vain to explain to her that I'm not trying to return anything. She made an error that cost me $15 extra. She just looks at me and says, "Look, take it or leave it." I asked to speak to the manager who basically told me that if I wanted my money back I would have to mail a form into their coorporate offices, which could take weeks. She then said, "Just take the store credit. Gosh, it's not that big of a deal anyway." I took the stupid form and let me tell you, it's the last time I step foot into that store. Last time.

I don't understand how I can be penalized for something that was the clerks error. And how disrespectful not only the clerk was, but the manager also! I don't know how they were trained, but regardless of their return policy (which I highly protest), that kind of behavior and attitude shouldn't be allowed. And offering me store credit, when I go into the store maybe twice a year? Useless!

Has anyone else had an experience like this? From what I've heard from friends, it's not uncommon with Forever 21.

{Swatches} Sephora Color Play 5-in-1 Palette: BLUSHES!

So I thought I'd start with the easiest and work my way up, lol! 50 shadows or 5 blushes? Hmmmn... haha, you get the idea. I'll have the rest of the palette swatches posted tomorrow, but for now, here are the 5 blushes. I was REALLY REALLY surprised by how nice these blushes are, and I'm not that into blushes.

The blushes:

L to R: Boho Bombshell, Classics Never Die, Angelic Boudoir, Black is the New Black, A Nod to Mod


Top to bottom: Boho Bombshell, Classics Never Die, Angelic Boudoir, Black is the New Black, A Nod to Mod

And closer:

Top to bottom: Boho Bombshell, Classics Never Die, Angelic Boudoir,


Top to bottom: Black is the New Black, A Nod to Mod

A couple of the blushes, as you can see from the pics, are a bit powdery, but they are smooth and buttery and apply gorgeously! Check them out if you get the chance! The rest of the swatches, both eyes and lips will be up by the end of tomorrow at the latest!

{Put To The Test} Almay Moisturizing Makeup Remover

by far my favorite eye makeup remover has been the Almay Moisturizing Liquid Eye Makeup Remover. It gets everything, the long lasting eyeliners, waterproof mascara, etc. You name it, this remover will get it. So I wanted to do a little test on how well it would remove two popular eyeliners:


The first is a Make Up For Ever Aqua eyes eyeliner which, if you've ever used these liners, you know doesn't budge. The second is my Mac Fluidline in Macroviolet.


to apply, I just soak the tip of a cotton bud in the liquid and gently rub.


Then I wiped the oily liquid off with a cotton pad. I usually use a makeup wipe to do that, but for the purpose of this post I used a plain cotton pad. As you can see it gets it off very well! And with minimal rubbing as well. I never have to scrub at my eyes like I would have to with a makeup wipe.

To remove the rest of the makeup I used a Mac makeup removing wipe. The result wasn't as good:


I definitely think it's worth checking out. If you use a cotton bud, one per eye, the bottle should last you forever. It's a great value at $5.99. And if you have sensitive eyes, there's an oil free version as well! This works as well as my Bi-Facil from Lancome, but at a fraction of the cost! I've been using this for years and I highly recommend!

{Swatches} 3 Lancome Eyeshadows I've Been Wearing A Lot Lately!

L to R: Daylight Glow, The Pink Carpet, and Aspen Nights.

I've really been loving my Lancome eyeshadows lately. I love the texture of them. They're a bit harder than other shadows so while they still apply pigmented, they last a lot longer than other shadows with more of a buttery feel to them. These colors are also perfect for winter too! The Pink Carpet is a little intense, but with a light hand I can make it work for day!


L to R: Daylight Glow, The Pink Carpet, and Aspen Nights.


L to R: Daylight Glow, The Pink Carpet, and Aspen Nights.