Top 3 Week. Day 4: Drug Store Mascaras

Hey beauty,

As I hope you know by now, this week I am doing my Top 3's. Feel free to follow my blog so you can see when the next one goes live! These are my own unbiased opinions based on my personal preference and experience. As always leave me know your top 3 down in the comments! Todays top 3 is my 

Top 3 Drug Store Mascaras

This has been by far my hardest top 3 this week trying to decide the order. Mascara is one of those things that can be either amazing or a total bust. Its can be very hard to find your perfect mascara, so not everyone is willing to fork out big bucks to try all of the prestige brands. And believe me, I almost prefer using drug store brands sometimes. (And even drug store prices are getting up there!) Ive tried a LOT of different drug store mascaras, and I think Ive finally pinned my top 3 picks.

3. My number three spot is going to have to go to Revlon Lash Fantasy Total Definition. (Which Im just finding out they no longer make) This was the one with the primer/base on one end and mascara on the other. I loved this one because the base was amazing! I first saw this mascara in a Kandee Johnson video and knew I had to try it..I had never used a mascara primer before and was so into the idea! I will never understand why companies discontinue products that their customers love..I know this had to be one of their top mascaras, so it doesnt make sense to me that theyd stop making it. I contemplated choosing a different product that is still available, but this really was my top 3 :(

2. Second choice is Covergirl Lashblast Clump Crusher. I absolutely love the brush/wand on this mascara. It is curved with the both sides being different. The curved shape, I feel, makes it easier to get in there and coat your lashes without making a mess of your eyelid or misshaping your lashes. The one side loads the mascara onto your lashes, while the other "combs the clumps" so you get voluminous lashes without the clumps and blobs. (Im not one of those girls who likes spidery lashes..I like the full, separated look.) 

1. Finally, my top pick is Revlon Grow Luscious. Again, Revlon has discontinued all of their best mascaras and have come out with a whole new line of products.. This has been on my favorites list for years now. This mascara gave the most beautiful voluminous, long, full lashes. The formula was also supposed to help them to grow! I just loved the way it coated and separated my lashes. They always looked so long and full, and I got compliments on my lashes ALL the time! I am beyond mad that they no longer sell this product, and I dont know what Im going to do about the fact that Ill never be able to purchase it again! :'(

So really, with 2 of my products being discontinued, I guess this post doesnt make a whole lot of sense, but these were my top three, Im so disappointed that Revlon has gotten rid of two of my favorite products! Let me know your favorite drug store mascaras! I guess now I need to find some new favorites!

Nonetheless, I hope you are still enjoying this Top 3 series and please leave me suggestions for other Top 3's you would like to see in the future!

XOXO
Always stay humble & kind.

Top 3 Week. Day 3: Dry Shampoos

Hey beauty,

This week, as you know, I am doing my Top 3's. Be sure to follow my blog so you can see when the next one goes live! Again, these are my own unbiased opinions based on my personal preference and experience. As always feel free to let me know your top 3 down in the comments! Todays top 3 is my 

Top 3 Dry Shampoos

As we all know by now, it is bad to wash your hair every day. Its essential for healthy hair to let it build up its natural oils in between washes. Many girls have taken lots of time and endured plenty of grungy-ness to train their hair to last a week without washing it. I have tried this for so long and my hair still ends up greasy and disgusting looking/feeling by day 2. I definitely can not go any longer than 3 days without washing it.. So dry shampoo has become my best friend. Ive tried a bunch of different ones, so here are my top 3.

3. My Third choice is a little cheaty, becuase this brand will appear again on this list. But I chose the Batiste Dry Shampoo. This brand is very popular, they even claim they are voted #1 favorite. I can definitely believe that, although Im not sure who voted :P They offer a bunch of different kinds of dry shampoo for all of your different needs. And Batiste is one of the more affordable brands you can find. I get mine at TJ Maxx for under $5! But you can also find them at Ulta, Target/Walmart, drug stores, and many other places. (I even just found the original dry shampoo on Amazon for $3!) If youve never used dry shampoo before, basically its an aerosol spray of a powder that absorbs the excess oils in your hair, leaving it looking nice and clean again!

2. My second pick is the TIGI Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo. I had been wanting to try this stuff for a long time, and one day I saw it at our K Mart which was having a store closing sale, so I bought it and gave it a try. I LOVED it so much I had to go back and stock up while they still had them! I have tried a lot of other brands, and many I had tried previously just didnt cut it for me, they still left my hair looking and feeling dirty. But this one was different. I also really liked that it had a more pleasant scent than pretty much every other brand I had tried. The thing about dry shampoo, though, is it is a powder, so it leaves a dusty look to in your hair that you have to massage into the hair to disappear. I do find that this one is a little harder to get to disappear competely in my dark hair, and sometimes Ill notice later in the day that I totally missed a spot and have been walking around like a dusty old fool. :P It is also much more expensive, costing you about $21 regular price at Ulta. (But it often goes on sale for like $10 bucks! Which is when I stock up!) I also find that it seems to run out really quickly! And for the price thats not really a great selling point. Which is why its number 2 and not 1.

1. And lastly.. My number one choice is Batiste Dry Shampoo Hint of Color. As I mentioned earlier, Batiste would be on here twice. I also mentioned that they have different kinds for various needs. One of them being a tinted version! Like I said in my number 2 pick, dry shampoo can leave a white dust in your hair, so batiste has eliminated this problem by offering 3 different shaded options as well. They have a medium & brunette version, which is the one I use most often. And they also have a dark & deep brown, which I want to check out, and a light & blonde option for you. The brunette dry shampoo is ideal for me, having obviously dark hair, so I dont ever get that chalky dusty hair residue left behind. It works exactly the same way of the other dry shampoos, it just has a hint of color to it. Which makes this my number one pick! This one is also available at Walmart/Target, drug stores, Ulta, and many other retailers. I look for it every time I go to TJ Maxx and they usually have it, although when I was there last week they didnt have any! It comes in a decent size bottle and lasts a fair amount of time, but it is super affordable, so theres no fuss if it runs out in 4-6 weeks. 

I hope you are still enjoying this Top 3 series and feel free to leave me suggestions for other Top 3's you would like to see in the future!

XOXO
Always stay humble & kind.

Top 3 week. Day 2: Brow Products

Hey gorgeous,

This week, as you know, I am doing my Top 3's. Be sure to follow my blog so you can see when the next one goes live! Again, these are my own unbiased opinions based on my personal preference and experience. As always feel free to let me know your top 3 down in the comments! Todays top 3 is my 

Top 3 Brow Products

Im a firm believer in defining your brows. Even when I dont do a full face of makeup, I like to at least put a little product on my brows and some mascara to wake up my eyes. I definitely think doing your brows can change your whole look, and kind of complete it. If I leave my brows undone, my face just looks..off. Lol. Now dont get me wrong, some people just dont need it, but for me its a must.

3. My third choice might be a little "cheat-y" because I chose just an appropriate shade of eyeshadow and an angled brush. This is what I used when I very first started defining my brows. and what I tend to use quite often. You really cant go wrong, and most of the time..you already have this in your collection. And if you dont, its probably the cheapest of my top 3 for you to purchase. Just find a neutral (matte) shade that matches your hair color, (unless youve got pink hair, then just go with a nice brown :P) take your angled brush and do work. Its very simple, and easy to correct if you happen to mess up. I love using this method when traveling or on vacation, etc. because eyeshadow is something Im bringing anyway, so it allows me to pack a little lighter, because thats one less excessive product I have to bring. 

2. My pick for number two is Benefit Brow Zings. This is basically the step in between just a shadow/powder and my number one choice. It does allow you to define your brows a bit more. It comes with a cream and a powder as well as a little brush for each product. (and a little pair of tweezers right in the kit, which is always handy.) So you take your angled brush and define with the cream then fill in and set it with the powder. Ive been using this product for years now and it is still one of my favorite products to use! If youve never really done your brows before this is definitely an easy product to use for your first time, but definitely make sure youre using the right shade! I actually have dark brown hair but use the light or medium one because I found that dark was too harsh on me in my opinion. You can find this at Ulta and online on Benefits site. This is the most expensive product on this top 3 and, honestly, the price is a little off-putting, especially since there are products that are just as good for less money..Youre looking at about $32 for this product. But I must add that it does last me quite a while, but Id still like to see that price drop a tad.

1. And finally.. My pick for number one is Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. This product is a bit more intimidating, and probably not for a first timer. It took me a try or two to get it just right. This is definitely a product youll want to purchase in person the first time so you can get the correct shade. On the website the color Caramel looks like it would be a lighter shade not suitable for my dark brown hair, but in person it was actually a near perfect match. So I suggest checking them out and swatching before buying. Once you find your shade you can obviously repurchase online if you want/need. I chose this as number 1 because it allows me to define my brows so much more than just using a brush. And the super fine tip makes it easy to fill in sparse or over-tweezed spots and its so thin that it mimics natural brow hairs. This product does take a little bit longer for me to use than my second and third choices, I do have to be a bit more precise, but that is also one of the reasons I love it, because it does give me the perfect brow! The only downside I can really say, is the price point. (yet still more affordable than number 2!) This product is around $21, available at Sephora, and Ulta in store or online, or at Anastasia Beverly Hills website. 

I hope you all are still enjoying this Top 3 series and please be sure to leave me suggestions for other Top 3's you like to see in the future!

XOXO
Always stay humble & kind.

Top 3 week. Day 1: Makeup Removing Wipes

Hello beautiful,

This week I decided to give you a run down of my top 3's. I have 5 different categories Im going to cover, from skin care products to hair and makeup. Ill tell you why I love these products and give a sort of mini review. If you want a full in depth review on anything please let me know! Remember, these are my own unbiased opinions based on my personal preference and experience. As always feel free to let me know your top 3 down in the comments! And please follow this blog to stay on top of all of my posts! Todays top 3 is my 

Top 3 Makeup Removing Wipes

Ive actually taken a break from doing my makeup daily to kind of improve my skin and let it breathe, so this isnt something I use every single day. But when I do wear makeup, by the end of the day it feels so good to take it all off and relax. Ive always found that if I dont remove my makeup before washing my face, just washing alone doesnt get my skin as clean as Id like. Theres always something left behind. So I like to use a wipe (creams and oils dont work well for me, so my go-to is always going to be the wipes!) to remove my makeup before continuing with washing with a cleanser.

3. My third choice in wipes is the Dickinson's Witch Hazel Cleansing Cloths. These are relatively new, Ive only been using them for a few months. Theyre technically not "makeup removing wipes," but a lot of the time they are just called cleansing cloths anyway..on the package it does say it removes makeup. I love these wipes because they are super soft and gentle on my skin. They do smell a bit strong, but thats witch hazel for you. They come in at number 3 because they dont remove makeup as well as the others. But they are in my top because they are really nice on my skin! They are affordable but might be a little more difficult to find for some of you, but I do know they are available at Walgreens nationwide!

2. My pick for number two is the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipe. These wipes are really nice and it was realllly hard for me to decide between 1 and 2..so I ended up choosing these ones as my second.  These are also gentle on my skin, theyre made with no harsh chemicals, perfumes, or dyes. Which is really important to me! No one needs that stuff on their skin. Simple is a brand that focuses on using skin loving ingredients that are kind to your skin and great for those with sensitive skin! These remove makeup better than the Dickinson's and on par with my number 1. Their products are affordable and available everywhere! Pretty much every grocery store, drug store, or Walmart/Target. They have some really great products that are great on your skin, so I definitely suggest checking them out!

1. And finally.. My number one favorite wipe is Pacifica Natural Skincare Essential Makeup Removing Wipe. These wipes are realllly great, theyre made with jasmine and coconut water, theyre gentle on the skin and are 100% vegan and cruelty free! They are made without the nasty stuff like sulfates, sls, parabens, etc. They smell fantastic and remove my makeup very well. Pacifica is another brand that focuses on using all of the good stuff and none of the bad. They also support Clean Water, which is so important to me!! It also doesnt hurt that they have some of the cutest packaging I have ever seen! These made my number one spot because: they are natural, vegan, cruelty free. Portion of proceeds go to support clean water. The products work really well on my skin, and the packaging sets them apart from the rest. These wipes are also pretty affordable, although maybe a dollar or so more than the other brands, I think. And theyre not as easy to find as the Simple brand, but they are available at Target and Ulta and can be purchased online too! They also have lots of other skin care and beauty products you should all check out! 

I hope you all are enjoying this little Top 3 series and be sure to leave me suggestions of other Top 3's you want me to do in the future!

XOXO
Always stay humble & kind.

#SunshineVoxBox

I have been an Influenster member for a few years now, and every once in a while I'll get a VoxBox that I absolutely love! And my current campaign, the Sunshine Vox Box, is one of those boxes!

The sunshine box came packed with great products, including:

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Refreshingly Clean Cleansing Cloths - $6.99 - I had pretty good expectations for these cleaning cloths. Witch hazel is super beneficial to your skin in many ways. And the description of this product sounded great for sensitive skin. So I gave them a try right away! If youre at all familiar with witch hazel, you know it doesnt have a very pleasant smell..but that is easy enough to get past. I always wash my face after using a wipe to remove my makeup anyway.. The cloths are super soft, but I dont think theyre much bigger than any standard wipe Ive used in the past. The nice thing, though, was they are very gentle on the skin. They didnt sting or irritate my skin at all.. However, they didnt remove the makeup as well as I would have liked. Especially mascara. But all in all I liked these wipes and will be trying them, as well as some other Dickinsons Witch Hazel products, again in the future.

Blue Diamond Siracha Almonds - $1.59 - I'm really not a fan of spicy, at all! So I cant give an honest opinion on these, so I'll be giving them to my sister or her bf to try out!

barkTHINS - $4.99 - The box came with a coupon to get a free bag of these, and I have yet to use it..but Im super excited to, because these things look delicious!

Infusium 23 Moisture Replenisher Leave-In Smoothing Creme Enhanced with Avocado and Olive Oil - $6.99 - I'd heard a lot of things about Infusium 23 but havent tried any of their products until I got this in the box. And I absolutely love it! Right now my hair is super dry and dead and in desperate need of a cut. And this stuff makes it manageable and soft! This will probably be a new must have of mine!

SinfulColors Nail Polish - $1.99 - Ive tried this polish before in the past, and I wasnt impressed. I think I found it at the dollar store..and it took ages to dry. So when I saw this in the box I was like ehh its a pretty color but Ill never use it if its anything like the other ones Ive used.. But I gave it a try anyway, and Im glad I did. It went on beautifully and dried really fast. The shade is called Beverly Hills and its a beautiful light lilac color that would be perfect for spring. 3 coats covered great, but you could probably even get away with 2.

Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Spray Moisturizer - $6.49 - This is my favorite product in this box. Im not a fan of putting lotion on my body. I usually just put some moisturizer on my face and leave the rest of my body alone. But since its summer and my legs are exposed more often than not, its really nice to be able to keep them moisturized and looking nice. So this product has been a life saver for me. Most lotions and moisturizers are thick and gloopy and feel like they take decades to fully absorb into my skin. But this spray absorbs instantly and doesnt leave my hands or skin feeling greasy and gross. So I am absolutely sold on this product!

To find out more about Influenster and their VoxBoxes click here! 

* All products mentioned were provided complimentary from Influenster. 

#SOHOBeautySquad

A few months ago I got to become part of the SOHO Beauty Squad. As a welcome gift they sent me a couple little goodies!
I'm the kind of person who loves bags. I literally have bags inside bags inside bags. I love using different size bags to help keep my stuff better organized. In my purse I always have at least 2 smaller bags, and that way I always know exactly where what I'm looking for is and I just have to pull out whichever bag I need. So, when they sent me 2 of their cute little makeup bags, I was super excited!

They sent me the Bloom Service Round Top bag, which you can find at Harmon and Bed Bath & Beyond. This bag is super cute and little. But its shape makes it much more spacious than you'd expect. I put it to the test by taking one of my similar sized bags and seeing if I could fit all of its contents into the SOHO bag.

In this bag I keep some of my quick grab, on-the-go makeup, including:

• a mirror
• primer
• liquid foundation
• cream foundation
• powder foundation
• eyeshadow trio
• single Mac eyeshadow
• small eyeshadow palette
• travel eyeliner
• mascara
• 4 full size/travel brushes
• 5 broken brushes
• eyeliner sharpener

This bag did fit all items shown in the photo except for the 2 taller brushes. I probably could have shoved them in, but I didn't want to damage my brushes! It was a snug fit but technically did work. The only problem was it would most likely be a little annoying trying to dig through this bag to find what I need because of its size and how full I had it. So, when I use this I'll be sure to put less items in it! Other than that I really like this bag. It's cute, small and compact..but it holds a lot for its size. Also, the deep zipper and fabric flaps inside allow you to open it nice and wide without (hopefully) anything falling out. The zipper is thick and plastic which makes it easier to zip and much less likely to break!
I will probably use this as my new "female emergency kit" which I keep in my purse at all times and fill it with anything a girl might need in case of an emergency. Pads and tampons, stain remover pens, hand sanitizer, hair ties and bobby pins, makeup remover wipes, blotting papers, moisturizer samples, nail clippers and files, etc. The bag I currently have in my purse is about half the size and is packed full, so this might have to replace it!

I was also sent the Angle Management Organizer with Detachable Brush Holder, which you can find at Target. This bag is a little bit bigger, but it is pretty slim compared to most makeup bags I tend to use. I also put this one to the test, comparing it to a similar sized bags and seeing if I could fit all of its contents into the SOHO bag.

The bag I was using for comparison was only about half full, but the bag looked to be almost twice the size, so I thought it would be an alright comparison.

In this bag I had some of my every day products I put into a bag for a weekend stay at my besties, including:

• primer
• liquid/foam foundation
• concealer
• 2 powder foundations
• bronzer/blush combo
• Naked Basics palette
• lipgloss
• mascara
• beauty sponge
• 3 full size brushes

I didn't realize how little I had in here. I think it was actually less products than I had in the smaller bag, but I kept going with the comparison. The great thing about this bag is its tall enough to stand up my liquid products like the primer and foundation. Then I could stack sideways the round compacts, and squeeze in the rest of the products wherever they fit. This bag also has a pocket on the inside and a detachable brush holder on the front. I'm not really a fan of the detachable brush holder, I think it makes the bag less cute, and it is too small for 98% of my brushes. I only had a couple brushes that weren't too tall.. But I managed to fit the brushes I had into the pocket inside the bag for safe keeping. I was really surprised with how much room was left in the bag after I filled it with the products I had out.. I probably could have put almost twice as much in there. This bag also has deep, thick plastic zippers, so it too opens nice and wide. I did notice, though, if it's too full some products slip out when its open because the little side fabric things (what are they even called?!) only go up about half way, so be careful with how you load it up!

Altogether I love the new additions to my bag collection, and I will get so much use out of them! Huge thanks to SOHO for inviting me to join their Beauty Squad!

Are you a bag lady like me? What are your favorite ways to use makeup/storage bags?

Have a beautiful day.
Believe. Dream. Explore. & Be nice to people.

Current Skincare Routine.

Like most things in my life, I like to change up my skin care routine every once in a while. I feel like your skin kind of becomes used to the way things are when you do the same thing for too long. (Kind of like exercising, your body gets used to your routine and it stops being effective) And I recently received some new products to test out, so I thought what better time to switch things up and let you guys know how its going for my (very picky) skin.

As Ive mentioned about a hundred times before in previous posts, my skin is pretty oily and prone to breakouts and blemishes. Not many products Ive tried actually help keep my skin clear and oil free.. So I like to try out a lot of different combinations of products to see what helps and what doesnt.

For the past month or so Ive been using these new products I had never really heard of before from a company called Malibu C. Their products are all 100% vegan and preservative-free. Which for me is huge! I love all natural cruelty free and vegan products, and I try to use them as often as I possibly can. Ive been a vegetarian for 7 years and an animal lover all my life, so vegan products will always be my first choice when possible!

"These products also contain the most innovative, free-radical-fighting, crystalized vitamin-technologies imaginable and effectively remove damaging environmental impurities, specifically those hidden in our water. These impurities diminish the vitality of both hair and skin but through Malibu C's powerful patented vitamin complex, we are able to gently remove damaging toxins and unwanted residue. As a result, hair becomes shinier and full of life while skin appears smoother, softer and more luminous."

When I first opened the box, all of the products had little plastic sleeves on them. Which
I thought was so cool! You wouldnt believe how many products Ive received in the mail that had leaked all over the box. So this kind of helps keep all of the stuff from oozing all over everything. They also all had those sticker things on the opening under the lid to keep them from leaking. But, as usual with my luck, the cleanser had a crack along the seam where the lid is, so that one still leaked a bunch. And I have to rest it against something upside down so it doesnt fall over and leak all of the product out. Which really sucks!!

The cleanser is the Malibu C Purifi Facial Cleanser. This cleanser is free of sulfates and is packed with antioxidants. It effectively removes makeup, even waterproof mascara, and cleans your skin leaving you with a clean and clear complexion!
As for the product itself, I really like the cleanser. It does a relatively good job at keeping my skin clean and clear, I also noticed it does control the oil pretty well throughout the day. Its by no means a miracle product. But Ive accepted the fact that I will never have perfect skin, and just finding products that control the breakouts and oil is basically what I have to do. And I think this is a pretty good product to do that for me! It might be a little pricey for some people in comparison to other products..but its almost on par with other higher end products. Actually a little cheaper than the Murad cleaner I often use. It will run you around $15 bucks for a 3.4 oz. squeeze bottle or $40 for the 16 oz. bottle with pump.

I also got to check out the Exfoliant Facial Scrub. Which btw, I love facial scrubs! They are one of my favorite facial products. I love how smooth and soft your face feels after a nice exfoliating scrub. So, this scrub actually uses finely crushed almond meal to exfoliate. So its a much finer texture than a lot of other scrubs, which Im not sure if that makes it work better or worse. Ive honestly only used the scrub probably twice since Ive got it, and thats really only because Ive been trying to use up another scrub I have. I did really like the way my skin felt after using it though. This one is a bit more expensive than the cleanser, however. Its $20 for the 3.4 oz. and $60 for 16 oz. A bit more than Im comfortable spending on a scrub, especially when Ive used an all natural product for less than half that price that I felt exfoliated better.. But thats just my preference!

After cleansing my face I like to use a serum on any break outs I have. And the serum Im now using is the Acne C Wellness Serum. Ive been using a serum from Murad for years, and I never really saw amazing effects. But this one I saw my breakouts clearing up the very next day! They obviously werent completely gone, but they were noticeably smaller. This serum is unlike any Ive used before. It actually comes in 2 parts, the serum bottle and a tube of activating crystals. When youre ready to use it you just pour the crystals into the bottle and shake it up. It says optimum results when used within 30 days of activation when stored at room temp, but you can store it in the fridge for up to 12 months. And I think that is so cool and very convenient because I only use a little bit at a time, and often dont use a whole tube or bottle in one month. It costs about $40 for a 30 mL bottle. (which according to my/google's calculations is just over 1 oz.) And its around $16 for .5 oz. of the Murad spot treatment I used before this, so for me its worth the money because it works much better!

And lastly, of course, I finish off my routine with a moisturizer. Like I said I have pretty oily skin, and most moisturizers just make my skin produce a crap ton of oil. But I also get dry spots around my mouth/chin and eyes, especially in the winter. (That often means I have to use 2 different products in different areas of my face) So Im trying out the Vital-Creme from Malibu C, which is for problematic sensitive skin. It is light weight , oil free and moisturizing. And that is often hard to find all in one product! Honestly, my only complaint -that isnt even really a complaint- with this moisturizer is the cap is a screw off cap rather than a pop top, as I call them, which really isnt a big deal at all its just odd to me that all of the other products (including the body lotion) are pop tops, but the face moisturizers are screw off. Other than that I really like it. It does bring out the oil a little quicker than when I use no moisturizers, but not too much that its shiny, slick and unbearable. And its worth it to have moisturized, healthy skin if you ask me! However, that of course comes at a price! It is $40 for 3.4 oz or a whopping $110 for the 16 oz. So, needless to say, I will probably not be buying this again..

All together I really enjoyed all of the Malibu C products that I received and I would love to make them my new go-to brand, but theyre just a little over my price range for all of the products. I could definitely see myself repurchasing the cleanser and the serum, but the other products I could really do without.

To check out these and all other Malibu C products go to MalibuC.com. And feel free to like them on facebook and follow them on twitter.

Thanks so much for reading, please click HERE to follow my blog if you havent already, and remember to smile!
Stay beautiful.
xoxo

Laura Geller Review Pt. 4: GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

I am a huge mascara fan. I love trying all kinds of new mascaras. It was kind of surprising to me that I had never tried any mascaras from Laura Geller. So of course, I was super excited to try the GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.

Usually volumizing mascaras tend to have big fluffy brushes, so I was surprised to see this one used shorter bristles. But the cool thing about this brush is it has longer and shorter bristles. (but still not big and fluffy like Im used to seeing) The different lengths of the bristles are supposed to help separate, thicken and lengthen you lashes for "Starlet-worthy lashes."

This mascara is only available in black. Which I think is interesting, but kind of cool. Nothing is worse than going to the store to pick up a new mascara and getting home to find you grabbed blackened brown or just plain black rather than blackest black or jet black or whatever silly name they come up with for their black mascaras. I like the simple, no fuss black.

A lot of the time thickening or volumizing mascaras can kind of clump up and make you look like you have 5 thick Spongebob lashes rather than beautiful thick, full lashes. But this one really did separate and give me beautiful lashes. I did start to see more clumping once I got to 3 coats, however.

 1 Coat.

 2 Coats.

3 Coats plus eyeliner.

I never really put more than 2 coats of mascara on, but I know a lot of people do, so I wanted to show how it looks with 3. Personally, I think it looks amazing with even just one coat. Very natural but really beautiful. I was blessed with naturally pretty long lashes, so this mascara might look a little different on you, but I still think it will look great!

This mascara goes for around $24.00 for 0.28 fl oz/8 g (theres no ml on this tube)
Ive compared that to two of my favorite mascaras. Revlon Grow Luscious, which is $8.49 for 0.38 fl oz/8 ml and Too Faced Lash Gasm which is $21 for 0.4 fl oz/12 ml. The Revlon mascara has a very different brush, its much bigger and fluffier, but gives kind of similar results. It is a touch softer, but if you apply another layer or two you get much closer results. It is almost the same amount of product for over twice the price. The Too Faced mascara is just a little cheaper, and gives you a little more product. And again, the brush is different. This time the brush is smaller and stiffer. This mascara gives you long, beautiful, separated lashes. But it lacks in a little when it comes to volumizing.

The Laura Geller mascara to me is a really great product, but I hate to spend a lot of money on mascaras, especially because I tend to go through them so quickly. If it was a little cheaper I would definitely buy it..probably all the time, but because it is kind of pricey and I can achieve a similar look for much less I will probably only repurchase this product when I want to splurge and spoil myself a little.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other Laura Geller products you may have tried. So feel free to share in the comments below!

See also: Part 1: Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush, Part 2: Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick, Part. 3: Color Drenched Lip Gloss

Laura Geller Review Pt. 3: Color Drenched Lip Gloss

The third new product I recently tried from Laura Geller is the Color Drenched Lip Gloss. If you read my previous post, you should be aware that I am much more a fan of glosses than lip sticks. So I was pretty excited to try this one out. I tend to spend more money on higher end lip glosses over other products. I can buy drug store mascara, eyeliner, even foundations and powders. But lip gloss (as well as eye shadow and brushes) is one thing I usually buy high end.

They definitely named this product well. When I first swatched this gloss I was surprised at how rich and pigmented it was. They claim it is a non-sticky formula, and I agree. I cant stand the feeling of sticky gloopy or stringy lip glosses, and this was none of those things. It feels really nice on your lips. I got the color Guava Delight. Which matches the lipstick in my previous post, Tiger Lily, almost perfectly. So if youre someone who likes to layer lip sticks and glosses, that is a great pair! But, neither color look too good on my lips. Like I said in the previous post, I prefer lighter colors such as nudes or pinks and nudey pinks.

One thing I loved about this gloss was the scent! Oh my lord, it has a delicious subtle coffee scent. I am a huge fan of good smelling things, so I personally think makeup products that smell like food or candy are a gift from god! Also, this gloss has emollient oils and Vitamin E, which help protect your lips from environmental damage. Which, to me, is a major plus!

This gloss goes for around $19.00 for 0.3 fl oz/9 ml
Ive compared that to my two favorite lip glosses. NYX Butter Gloss, which is $5 for 0.27 fl oz/8 ml and Lorac Couture Shine which is $22 for 0.17 fl oz/5 ml. NYX is just a tiny bit less product for close to 1/4 of the price. I think the NYX Butter Glosses are amazing and super creamy and pretty well pigmented. The one thing though is they tend to wear off somewhat quickly. But theyre in a small enough tube (although they have almost the same amount of product) that theyre easy to carry with you for touch ups. The Lorac gloss is almost half as much product (in a slightly larger tube, which is really deceiving if you ask me!) for a few dollars more. I think it is probably just as rich and creamy, but not quite as pigmented as the Laura Geller one.
The Laura Geller gloss seems to be a pretty fair price for the product, and I really want to go check out some other colors!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other Laura Geller products you may have tried. So feel free to share in the comments below!

See also: Part 1: Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush, Part 2: Color Enriched Anti-Aging Lipstick, Part 4: GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara.