Benefit vs. Maybelline // Roller Lash vs. Lash Sensational

One side is boasting curled, separated lashes boosted by Benefit's newest offering, Roller Lash. The other side is not too different but boosted by Maybelline's Lash Sensational.

Can you tell which side is which?

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Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara

I received this product in my May Glossybox. I was really looking forward to being able to review this as I already have a lip blush by Jelly Pong Pong. This mascara is described as "not for the faint hearted. Our first ever mascara is formulated to make eye lashes flutter & flap. Water-resistant, Fairy Lashes makes eyelashes thicker & curvier while allowing them to be spectacularly soft & light. A truly fabulous effect for the woman who wants to emphasize one deep, intense, seductive look. Apply liberally & sweep the heavy wand upwards for thick, luscious lashes."

 The packaging is a bullet shaped tube with a small brush that is bristles rather than the newer style of plastic brushes. The description says this is a "heavy wand" but it doesn't have much weight to it if it's compared to another mascara like Benefit's Bad Gal lash.

These photos present my eyelashes with the mascara on. The photo on the left shows one coat of mascara vs. none and the photo on the right is the finished look after applying 3 coats of mascara to both eyes. I can't explain why my face is hideously orange on the left, both photos were taken within a couple of minutes of eachother. Derp!

This is just another couple of angles to show how the mascara looks once dried. It doesn't clump and the brush allowed for a very even application on my top and bottom lashes as well as the teeny tiny corner lashes.
To some they might look a little spidery, I noticed this but it's probably because each eyelash is coated individually. My only niggle about this product is that the formula is waterproof and I'm not keen on mascaras that are waterproof BUT in this instance it doesn't make a difference. It's worth trying to apply the coats before each coat dries or it can be a little stiff but it's a really good product.

This is in the shade "flutter" which is an intense black but there is also "maiden" which is a violet shade. This mascara retails for £15.00 on the Jelly Pong Pong website and both shades are for sale here (click!) although "maiden" is currently out of stock.

Overall I really like this mascara and have used it daily since receiving it. I definitely think it's worth the  price and can't wait to try out more of the range.

ELF favourites - Studio Lip Balm & Volume Plumping Mascara

A couple of weeks ago I had an emergency splurge on ELF (there was no emergency..I just wanted to buy stuff). Amongst all the goodies online I decided on a select few pieces to add to my make-up bag. In this post I want to show you their SPF 15 Studio Lip Balm and the Volume Plumping Mascara. Both of these products are from ELF's Studio range, designed to give a more professional finish than their basic range.

"Relieves and soothes lips with a drench of moisture. SPF 15 helps to shield lips from harmful sun rays. Softens lips to prevent and temporarily protect against chapped, cracked or chafed lips."  

I bought the Studio Lip Balm in the shade "Pink. It retails for £3.50 on their website and for that price I think everybody should buy one!

It's super moisturising and has a lovely minty scent when applied. I've always been one to reach for the Vaseline but this ELF lip balm has truly taken over. It adds a little hint of colour but nothing too offensive if you wear other lip products after a slick of balm. For me this lasted for around 3-4 hours which was perfect.

I'm definitely going to buy a couple more shades of this to take away with me over summer!

"Create lush and bold lashes with our Volume Plumping Mascara. The oversized brush fully coats lashes from root to tip for an intense and dramatic effect. The Vitamin B rich formula conditions and strengthens for visibly healthier looking lashes."

This mascara was also £3.50, possibly the cheapest mascara I own! I don't fully agree with the description, for me this is more of an everyday mascara rather than making them look "lush and bold". It doesn't particularly plump my lashes but I have noticed that my lashes are fully coated, even when they haven't been curled before using the mascara. The brush isn't so big that coating the lower lashes is impossible which I have found with so many other mascaras! I can evenly coat my lower lashes in the corners without them clumping together and without marking my skin with excess mascara. One of the best things about this mascara is that it doesn't crumble off through the day. With some mascaras this means that it's a nightmare to get off, but not this one. It is easily removable with a face wipe, eye make-up remover or my favourite choice - the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse & Polish.

So, out of the items I ordered these were my favourites but I will be posting a review of a couple of the other bits and pieces as well.

Do you use ELF for any of your make-up needs? I need recommendations!

Love,

 

An Old Favourite, Diorshow Extase Mascara

So, over the last few days I've gone back to an old, faithful mascara, my Diorshow Extase. 

I've had it for a while but I seem to use it on and off or switch between my full size tube to a sample I was given. I didn't feel like reviewing the sample when I have the full size due to the difference in brush length etc. 

The brush looks like this - 

It's quite a thick brush and when you look closely it seems to go thick-thin-thick-thin as if the brush is twisted. According to the description on Sephora's website it is in fact a "tiered" brush containing Black Elastomer Fibres to define the lashes and Gold Nylon Fibres to deposit the product.

It's longer than some other mascara brushes which means you can sweep across all the lashes in one go.

The handle is long but it gives good control over the brush, especially if you need to hold the brush vertically to get to the corner lashes.

These photos are after about 3 coats on the top lashes and one on the bottom. 

I'd definitely rate this mascara as an 8 out of 10. One thing that has taken it down a mark is the fact that it has taken a good few months for me to use this consistently and the second is that it can come out slightly clumpy meaning you need to use the brush quite precisely to smooth out any thickly coated areas.

What do you think about Dior mascaras? Do you have any other recommendations?

Big love,

Nars Volumising Mascara Review

Nars Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara - £18.50 on Asos

“Larger than life volumizing mascara by NARS  . Featuring a richly pigmented formula, containing vitamin E and macadamia nut oil, the square brush and “honeycomb” bristles allow for even distribution, coating each lash individually. Smudge and flake-free, the mascara is also quick drying”

With many mascaras I tend to do about 3 or 4 quick layers in a normal day-time look and then enhance with eyeliner. With this one I use about 2 coats in the day ( 3 if I’m going out with more make-up on ) and I don’t feel like I need to accentuate my eyes with any more products. It’s pretty much waterproof which is great if it rains, but it does make it harder to get off.. usually I would use a make-up wipe or baby wipe and then wash with a cleanser but the mascara really stayed put through that. I’d recommend an oil based remover (Bobbi Brown do a brilliant one for £15, as do Clinique but a cheaper option by Johnsons is available as well) to get it off entirely.

It lasts all day and I don’t feel like my eyelashes are weighed down or “spidery” as such. It’s jet black and the slightly thicker brush (think bigger than Maybelline Falsies brush but smaller than Benefit’s Bad Gal brush) is definitely where the volume comes from. Regarding the “honeycomb bristles” I’ll have to take Nars’ words for it as my brush is already covered in the mascara but after how pleased I am with it already I don’t doubt that this is true.

It has a long handle which is great for precision on lower lashes and the formula of the mascara itself means there aren’t any clumps or lumps that dry and stick the lashes together.

The blurb also claims that it is smudge free and dries quickly, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I wore it while watching the final Harry Potter film and shed a tear or two which I quickly wiped away and still avoided smudging!

I’m genuinely so so impressed by this product and I think every girl should have a pot of this!

♡♡♡♡♡ 5/5!

xo xo