April Week of Mascaras - Friday - Revlon PhotoReady 3D

Two coats on both eyes

And here we are on Friday, the last day of mascaras (re-dux) and I thought I would visit a drugstore mascara that surprised me.  Much like the NYX DollEye that was a total surprise.

Today's mascara is brought to you by the letter R.... For Revlon.  Specifically the PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara.  It is a fairly new to market product so I was a bit curious....

Here is what Revlon has to say:

Get glamorous, big volume lashes from every angle. Lashes look 100% more magnified, multiplied, amplified.* (*Non-waterproof formula with two coats) 

Lash finding brush with rounded tip easily reaches every single lash for maximum dimension.
Available in 3 non-waterproof shades: Blackest Black, Black, and Blackened Brown  


Here is what Lori tried and discovered.


When you buy the package, the container of mascara is sealer with a stopper and the wand is separate.  I like this for 2 reasons: 1) I get to see the wand and 2) Just seems a little more sanitary to me.


The wand is the rubber bristled with a few bristles on the very tip to get those tricky smaller lashes on the very inner and (for me) outer corner of the eye.  Takes a steady hand though, as the mascara can be gloopy at the end.  

Wand rating: Hooray!

The mascara product is of a glossy, wet consistency.  I typically favour this formulation as I don't get as much clumping.

Formulation rating: Hooray!

 After doing my makeup and curling my lashes I applied one coat of the mascara.  I did not use the bristles on the tip as there is a lot of mascara there and I get all my lashes with the regular wand.  It is very easy to apply and the wand separates my lashes very well.  It certainly elongates them.

End of Wand rating:  Meh (gloopy)
Application (1 and 2 coats): Hooray

Eyes at 700am

One Eye, One Coat

 Even applying two coats my lashes appear separated and very lengthened.  Added volume?  Sure.

One Eye, Two Coats

I must say, my eyelashes are very long and feathery after the two coats.  I did not have to do a post comb though either!

Eyes at 830pm

End of Day

My eyes on the whole lack the punch of earlier, but given that it is 13 1/2 hours later I am mighty impressed with the result.  I found a couple of flakes but nothing that would give me pause.


End of Day rating:  Hooray!

Price was $10.99CDN and $9USD.  So a Hooray there.

Final tally.

Hooray - 4

Meh - 1

Would I buy again?  Yes.  Am I surprised?  Heck yeah.  Drugstore brands are really evolving as a great source of mascaras.

April Week of Mascaras - Thursday - Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Smoky Lash

Thursdays bring Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash mascara which I received in my March TopBox (see review here).  I do enjoy MUFE, having used their HD foundation, Aqua Creams, Eye pencils and Cream Blushes so I was stoked to receive their mascara.  This sample size was perfect for me to test to see if I love it enough to buy the full size.

Description from the Sephora website:

What it is:
A mascara that gives the lashes curl, volume, length, and intense pigment.

What it does:
This ultra-pigmented mascara was specially designed to give the lashes an exceptional volume-enhancing effect with infinite lengthening and immediate curling.

What else you need to know:
The tough, dense brush of this Sephora-exclusive mascara penetrates into the roots of the lash to ensure that lash is completely coated with mascara.

Sephora is the exclusive beauty retailer for this product.

Wand

What I think:
I have to say I was extremely disappointed when I opened the package and took out the wand.  The bristles were extremely gloopy and clumpy.  The formulation seemed very dry and I was not convinced that this would apply to my lashes without significant combing of the wand and combing after.

Formulation rating: Boo

The wand is big, huge in fact.  One of the largest wands I have encountered on this mascara journey.  And it is the bristles as opposed to the rubber comb-like wand I favour.  I just couldn't get past the clumpiness.

Wand rating:  Boo

At 700am

One eye one coat

One eye one coat close up

As I suspected, I had to use a comb - a lot - to remove clumps and separate the lashes.  That said, I only had to comb after the first coat, subsequent coat did not require combing.

The lashes do add to a smoky eye, that I do not dispute.  The lashes get dark and sultry (lol).

Application rating:  Meh

One eye two coats

One eye two coats close up

Lower lash pre-combing

Above is a picture of the clumping of the lower lashes pre-combing.


End of Day 830pm

End of Day

End of Day Close Up

Damn hound dog look rares it's head again!  The mascara leeched and flaked down under my eyes and near my lashline on top. 

End of Day rating:  Boo.

Price is $26CDN or $23USD.  So a Meh there

Overall rating:

Boos - 3
Meh - 2
Hooray - 0

So disappointed...  Would I buy?  Nope, sorry.  There are far, far, far better mascaras available that a) provide the smoky and intense lashes; b) don't clump and require this type of additional work and c) cost similar or less monies.

April 2012 Glymm Overview and Review

I just received the April Glymm box (strangely getting the tracking number after it is delivered), but I will never complain about getting a lovely surprise in the mail!

I love the glossy pink box...  I haven't decided what I am going to do with them, but I will do something!

Pink and Glossy!!

Always love the ribbon touch

Description Card

 So let me give you a brief overview of what is in the box:

• Lucia Soap No. 6
• Free your Mane Shampoo and Conditioner
• Atelier Cologne
• Mai Couture Social Gloss

Little treats tucked away under the tissue paper

Enclosed in the box was a $100 Gift Certificate from Nu.Me - Remember the supplier of the feather hair extensions from March?  I have no idea what products this website offers, perhaps I will check it out...  But most likely not.

$100 Gift Certificate from Nu.ME

 The Lucia brand is completely new to me.  But three things make me happy; 1) I am a sucker for soap and 2) the packaging is gorgeous; 3) the smell is divine!

Full size is $17.50 for 8 soaps.  Sample was 1 soap.

Wild Ginger and Fresh Fig Scented Soap

Triple milled with 100% Shea Butter

 Free your Mane is another completely new product brand to me.  Sulfate Free Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner.  Make with Baobab Oil, Argan Oil, Pomegranate Seed Oil and Sweet Almond Oil.  Geez, it should be moisturizing!!!

Full size is $16 for 300ml.  Sample is 7.4ml each.

I honestly had no idea when I looked at the front of the wax envelope what it would contain.  When I flipped it over, it was sealed with a sticker.  Inside was a super pretty post card and a very small sample of the perfume.  The company is Atelier Cologne.  Totally unknown to me.

Scent is Orange Sanguine and true to form it definitely has a citrus smell.  I actually love it and would definitely consider getting it. (Update - Wearing it today and it is gorgeous!!)

Full size is $60 for 30ml (or $60 for 200ml).  Sample size - no idea... little.

Outer envelope with seal

A beautiful postcard front

Back of card with perfume sample

 The last item in the box was a lip gloss from Mai Couture.  This is the only brand that I have ever heard of (the bronze and blot paper from the February Glymm box).  The paper underwhelmed me, but when I swatched the gloss, I must say I was more impressed.  Does not appear sticky and I could totally layer it over a lipstick/lipstain/etc as it is very sheer.

Full size is $28 for 5ml. Sample size is full size.

Gloss in colour G'Vinity

Sheer Gloss

 Soooo.... My thoughts on this month's offering from Glymm.

Soap - Hooray

Shampoo/Conditioner - Meh

Fragrance - Hooray

Gloss - Hooray (and Full Size)

Coupon - Meh

3 Hoorays out of 5 means I am ok, not ecstatic, but not miffed either.  This is the third month in a row that I received a lip product.  I would love a blush or a bath bomb...  Just something else.

Would love to know what you think of your box!!

April Week of Mascaras - Wednesday - Hard Candy Lash Ink

Welcome to the hump de bump of the week of Mascaras and the review of Hard Candy's Lash Ink.  I purchased this in a panic as I traveled Easter weekend and forgot mascara (with 25 other ones sitting at home no less!).  A quick jaunt to Walmart and I decided I wanted to try a new brand.  One of the ladies I know really like the Hard Candy products so I went for it.

Description from the Walmart website:

Hard Candy Lash Ink 4-Day Lash Stain

Mascara that won't quit until you do. Flatter your flutter for four days straight! Lash Link 4-Day Lash Stain defies the elements--paint on lashes and don't reapply mascara for up to four days. Your lashes will stay flawless no matter the circumstances!

Paint on lashes and don't reapply for up to four days!

Bristle brush allows you to reach every lash from root to tip

Container

Wand

Lori's Observations

The mascara comes in a very cool package (tube) and is in keeping with the branding.  Young, edgy and faintly dark.  I was feeling it.  The container inside has the same look.

The formulation is very wet (as you would expect in a ink). The first time I tried it I was taking out the wand like my other mascaras and brushing it along my lashes fairly aggressively and I noticed that some of it flicked on my face.  You need to be careful!

Formulation rating:  Meh

The wand is very separated and have defined bristle spirals.  Very different from other wands I have used before.  I am not sure if they grab the lashes and coat them as much as I would like, but as you can see from the picture below it does a credible job.

Wand rating: Meh

Eyes at 700am

One Coat, Right eye

Close up, one coat

One coat is very subtle, with no need to comb as there is absolutely no clumping.  Very happy with the one step!

Two coats definitely builds the colour, again with no need to worry about clumps or globs.  This is probably a brand where a third coat would be needed for a dramatic look.

Application rating:  Hooray!

Two coats, One eye

Two coats, One eye, Close up

Close Up, Two coats, Top and Bottom Lashes

I will say that the size of the wand is excellent for doing lower lashes.  And they define them really well too!!



Eyes at 830pm

Both Eyes end of Day

End of day close up

I will admit that this mascara held up for the whole day.  When you compare the pictures there is little difference in the mascara. 

End of Day rating:  Hooray!


Price is $6.98CDN and $7.00USD.  So it is the least expensive full size mascara I have tried thus far.

Price rating: Hooray!

The 4 day lash stain is really not confirmed for me as I use waterproof eye makeup remover every night so I don't see it lasting on my eye.

Overall ratings:

Mehs - 2
Hoorays - 3

Would I buy again?  I am not entirely sure as I am not convinced about the 4 day stain...  And there are other mascaras out there with great lash payoff.  The price is tempting though.

April 2012 TopBox Overview and Review

Lots of varied items

Happy April and as promised, here is the overview and review of TopBox, the first in a series of four reviews this month on the sample subscription services for beauty products in Canada.  The other three (Glymm, LuxeBox, and GlossyBox) will be posted as soon as I receive them.

Cute box design - I will get this from now on 

What's inside?

Side one of the info card

Side Two of info card

Earth Day card from TopBox

 Now on to the items... In this box I received:

• * Bella Pella Tropical Flowers Body Lotion
•    Misa Nail Lacquer in Play it Cool
•    Benefit POREfessional
• * Lise Watier Hydrasmart

* Canadian Company

Tropical Flowers Body Lotion from Bella Pella

This lotion is quite fragrant when first applied but quickly becomes a more subtle scent, so don't be put off when you sniff the contents of the bottle.  The card reads that is composed of the perfume of South Pacific flowers enriched with avocado oil, jojoba oil and shea butter.

Full size: $15.95 for 175ml.  Sample size is 30ml.

Misa Nail Lacquer

Colour is Play it Cool - A pretty pink

This polish is from Misa, a company that I really know little about.  In fact, I rarely used nail polish before receiving these boxes.  Now I relish receiving them!

Also enclosed was a coupon for 20% off the purchase of Misa product from tradesecrets.ca

Full size is $8.99 for 15ml. Received the Full Size product.

POREfessional from Benefit

This pore minimizer from Benefit also reportedly smooths the appearance of fine lines. You can apply this alone, under or over makeup.  Translucent colour.  This has been on my wish list for a while so I am excited to receive it!

Full size is $34 for 22ml.  Sample size is 7.5ml.

HyrdaSmart from Lise Watier

This 3 in 1 cream can be used as opposed to a foundation.  When I swatched it and blended it out on my hand, it gives a beautiful sheen to the skin and makes the skin slightly more smooth.

Update - I have used this product today (Wednesday, April 18) to try it.  It applies very well, but I find that I needed to supplement it on some of my more red areas around nose and chin with my Lancome Teint Idole.  The other thing is that the sample size does not provide enough product for a good  test.  I really had to wrestle with the tube to get enough to cover my face.

Full size is $35 for 40ml.  Sample size is 2ml.

Cargo Blu_Ray HD Pressed Powder

There is relatively little information except a Sponsored ad for this product.  Which is more of a general intro to this line from Cargo.  The sample is one that you would get in a magazine and I am not entirely sure this would contain enough product to give it a fair review.

So... There you have it!  What was in the TopBox, well... box (cylinder shaped one).  My thoughts?

There were 3 sample-sized and 1 full size product this month.  The Cargo product was basically a toss in. Each product holds my interest, in particular the POREfessional.  I don't compare it to other months as all the products are different every time so it is not comparing apples to apples.

Soooo.... My thoughts on this month's offering from TopBox.

POREFessional - Hooray

Hydrasmart - Hooray

Nail polish - Hooray

Body Lotion - Hooray

Pressed Powder - Meh

4 Hoorays out of 5 means I am pretty pleased. All in all - a pretty good TopBox month.  Spectacular?  No, but honestly it's the anticipation that gets me.