mascara

Mascara Reviews | My Top 5 for Your Eyes

Mascara is a big deal to me… I’ll admit it, I’m a snob! On a daily basis, I don’t wear much makeup, but mascara is always a must. I’ve been searching this great country far and wide for the best mascaras and I think I’m finally ready to share my findings with you! Whether you are looking for natural, just curled lashes or sultry betty boop eyes, I have the mascara for you (and how you should be using it!)

Mascara Reviews

Check out my mascara reviews below and share any tips or favorite products you have in the comments!

Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24 Hour Mascara ($49)- This award winning mascara is seriously a secret weapon, but you pay for it! Retailing double that of my other picks below, you can grab a tube of Mirenesse’s iCurl for $49. This mascara is best for lengthening and actually lifting your lashes to that 90 degree betty boop angle. The formula and brush combo slides smoothly through your lashes and builds the length with it’s tube technology that doubles the length of your lashes in a blink of an eye! For best results, Mirenesse suggests pairing it with their iCurl Twin Heated Lash Curler. I have yet to try this, but the reviews are amazing. Best part about this mascara? it lasts for 24 hours! No mess, smudges or raccoon eyes.  And no more makeup remover, it comes off easy with warm water!

Laura Geller Beauty GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara ($24)- This GlamLASH mascara is perfect for anyone with fine eyelashes. It is the first mascara I have ever tried that actually finds and lengthens every single tiny lash. Many similar mascaras leave me with smudges, clumps and a mess, but I experienced none of that with GlamLASH. For days when I want a more natural daytime look, I swipe one or two coats of this on and I’m good to walk out the door. Occasionally when I find myself using other lengthening mascaras, I will finish with a swipe of this to separate my lashes and get rid of any clumps, it’s seriously amazing.

Benefit Roller Lash ($24)- This mascara has quickly become the “it” product for your eyes in 2015 and now I know what all the hype is about! In just one coat this mascara separates, lifts and lengthens dramatically (and I mean dramatically!) I wasn’t sure what to expect from this “roller lash”… would the applicator actually move or roll? Well, it doesn’t. It gets it’s name from the “Hook ‘n Roll” technique it uses to grab your lashes and curl them.  It has an instant curve setting formula that lasts for 12 hours, leaving you with long, super-natural looking lashes. If your lashes are in the mood for a night out, try using the Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara (reviewed below) after applying the Roller Lash. The results are amazing!

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara ($24)-Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara quickly got overshadowed once the Roller Lash came to town. The benefits over the others? It’s super black, goes on easily and lengthens and separates in just two coats. The downside? I wasn’t a huge fan of the brush applicator. I have pretty short eyelashes (that’s why I love lengthening mascaras so much!) and I found it hard to apply on my short naked lashes and I didn’t get as much curl and height as I expected from Benefit. But once I tried layering it with the Benefit Roller Lash listed above… WOW! I got the best of both worlds! My lashes looked so long, thick and amazing, they almost looked fake! Speaking to the They’re Real on it’s own, I wouldn’t invest in it over my other picks, but if you have the Roller Lash it’s definitely worth pairing them together. I would suggest this duo for any big event, they will not disappoint!

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara ($24)- Not every girl needs her mascara to separate and lengthen, and this Black Magic mascara is for the girl looking for dark, thick lashes. The brush has an extreme curve to it, helping to give you the perfect curl as you apply it to your lashes. And this formulas goes on wet! It’s much creamier than other mascaras I’ve tried and it took me awhile to get used to it. But if you apply from root to tip slowly, the formula sets up a little and gives you an amazing curl, thick dramatic lashes and the blackest of black lashes. This is my go-to mascara to layer with my roller lash for a night out on the town, there is something sultry and mysterious about this mascara that goes great with a smokey eye!

February Birchbox | 2015

Anything that gets delivered in this fun of a box has to be amazing, right? And guess what, they were! Although not every sample in this month’s box was perfect for me, a few were spot on and the samples were generous! Check out my thoughts below and share what you think in the comments!

If you aren’t familiar with birchbox, it’s a company offering a subscription to receive monthly samples of beauty products (They offer boxes for both men and women!). I love it because it’s a mini treat to myself once a month and it’s a great, inexpensive way to get introduced to new brands and products. As an added bonus- it makes a great gift for the girl (or boy) who has everything!

Below is my friendship birchbox. It’s dedicated to the people who cheer us on, calm us down, and make us laugh so hard we cry! 

February Friendship Birchbox 2015

 

Laura Geller Beauty GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara

PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray

Marcelle Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover For Sensitive Eyes

Davines MINU Shampoo and Hair Serum

Juicy Couture Hollywood Royal Perfume

Today I’ll start with my favorite part of my beauty routine… mascara! I received the Laura Geller Beauty GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara in my box this month. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge mascara snob. I usually use two different types of mascaras in the morning, a lengthening and a “thinner” if you will. I love long skinny lashes, so I would love to find one mascara that can do both!  This mascara might just be the one! It not only lengthens my lashes in just a few swipes, it’s virtually clump free! It goes on smooth and doesn’t flake off or clump lashes together. I will definitely be purchasing the full size when my sample runs out!

Next to be reviewed is the PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray. This sea salt spray is not for me. When I’m going for the beach bunny look, I like loose, smooth waves, not sticky, tangled hair! I know sea salt spray is supposed to give beachy, textured waves, but I found my hair to tangle too easily and become unmanageable. Although the texture didn’t work for my fine hair, the scent was enticing and fresh!

Now onto the Marcelle Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover For Sensitive Eyes! Makeup remover is never the sexiest sample in a birchbox, but it is sometimes the most needed. I never want to splurge on makeup remover, or even buy it for that matter, but I’m glad I got to try this one. The formula in this little bottle is able to get off the toughest and longest lasting makeup and it leaves my skin feeling silky smooth! Now I can’t wait to take off my makeup! Luckily the sample was very generous so I will get a ton of use out of it before I need to invest in a full size, but the good news is it’s only $15 for the full bottle! What a steal!

Up next is the Davines MINU Shampoo and Hair Serum. Again, I don’t think I have the target hair for this sample. This shampoo and serum duo is eco-friendly and color safe, two things I love to see on my shampoo label! The scent left my hair smelling fresh and citrusy, but I didn’t love the texture of my hair. I usually wash my hair every two days, but there’s no way my hair would last a full two days without washing while using this shampoo. My hair immediately felt flat and dirty, there’s no way I will be investing in this hair care duo!

Lastly, I’m wrapping up this month’s reviews with the Juicy Couture Hollywood Royal Perfume. I’m already a fan of Juicy’s Viva La Juicy perfume, so I was excited to see this tiny tube in by sample mix. Like the Viva La Juicy scent, a little goes a long way. It has strong sweet scent that is perfect for a summer night on the town. It’s a blend of fruity and floral and is a great fragrance to add to your collection!

And that’s a wrap for this month’s beauty samples! Have you heard of any of these brands or tried any of these products before? Tell me about them in the comments below!

Maybe you’re just craving more beauty buys? Check out last month’s post, January Birchbox | 2015.

December Birchbox | 2014

Happy 2015 everyone! I hope you all had an amazing holiday, spent time with family and friends, and got the most out of the last few moments of 2014. Somehow this amazing year has come to a close and it’s time for me to share my final birchbox of 2014!

If you aren’t familiar with Birchbox, it’s a company offering a subscription to receive monthly samples of beauty products (They offer boxes for both men and women!). I love it because it’s a mini treat to myself once a month and it’s a great, inexpensive way to get introduced to new brands and products. As an added bonus- it makes a great gift for the girl (or boy) who has everything!

Below is my extra festive holiday birchbox. The boxes are getting more and more decorative with the samples being just as exciting! Check out December’s samples below!

December Birchbox 2014

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel
SeaRX Anti-Wrinkle Facial Lift Treatment Serum
Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24 Hour Mascara
Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris
Davines Replumping Shampoo
Davines Replumping Conditioner
Davines Replumping Superactive

Let’s begin with the Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel. My skin is usually pretty low maintenance, so I am all about what is quick and easy. This peel not only fits the bill, but also works great!  It leaves my skin feeling refreshed and glowing. My only complaint is it leaves my skin a little dry, so make sure you have some moisturizer handy! I don’t normally use peels, but if you rely on them for skin issues, I recommend trying this 3 minute peel!

Next up is the SeaRX Anti-Wrinkle Facial Lift Treatment Serum. I’m not sure how I feel about a serum for my face, the texture is a little sticky and gel-like. I prefer a smoother, thinner lotion moisturizer. But for a serum, it did go on light and smooth. Unfortunately, I didn’t really notice a difference in my skin. To be fair, it’s a little hard to know with such a small sample if there’s actually any anti-wrinkle benefits in it.

Time for the Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24 Hour Mascara! I should start with saying I am very particular about my lashes. I have a several step process I use in the mornings when I apply my mascara and I thought this product could be a great lengthening agent to use as a base. Although this mascara does a good job lengthening, I don’t find it any more impressive than the other, less expensive mascaras I use. I did find it to hold throughout the day and to come off easily at night. But again, this is nothing overly impressive to me for the price.

Now onto Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris. This perfume smells like a dream! It has an elegant, fruity fragrance to it that lasts all day! It’s a little pricey and strong to be my go-to everyday scent, but I would love to have it for special occasions!

Lastly, I’m wrapping it up with Davines Replumping Shampoo, Conditioner and Superactive! This trio is supposed to add volume to your hair. Although it left my hair smelling amazing and feeling super soft, I didn’t think it ended up adding much volume to my look. For me, this was a great set to mix up my normal hair routine, but I don’t see the value in switching to them completely.

And that’s it for this month’s Birchbox samples. Have you heard of any of these brands or tried any of these products before? Tell me about them in the comments below! Maybe you’re just craving more beauty buys? Check out last month’s post, November Birchbox | 2014.