Beauty Product Reviews | Page 7

Flattened my curled lashes, sticky formula, clumping

Since this mascara is called "They're Real!", I assumed it's claiming to give me that false-lash effect. I have used this mascara for about 2 weeks now and I feel that it's just not the mascara for me. I documented two different demonstrations to show how this mascara looked on my lashes curled and uncurled. I also included a demonstration of how I normally wear my lashes.

The brush of this mascara is plastic with rather short teeth, and the tip is a rounded shape with longer teeth. I used the shorter teeth to apply the mascara to my lashes horizontally, then I used the rounded tip to apply the mascara to my bottom lashes and inner/outer corners.

My lashes normally don't like plastic mascara wands (they prefer the traditional bristle wands), and this mascara did not prove to be any different. I find that the wand applies too much mascara to my lashes, making them look spidery and clumping multiple hairs together instead of separating them like it claims to do. Even after combing out my lashes (which I usually do in my regular lash routine), the formula dried to a sticky consistency which just clogged up my lash comb and made my lashes look even more spidery.

The first demonstration is with my lashes curled: The first week I was almost embarrassed to be seen with such clumpy lashes, but for reviewing purposes I toughed it out. I also hoped the mascara would begin to work for me a bit more... nope. The formula actually weighed down my lashes and flattened my curl. It did, however, lengthen the lashes quite a bit. The formula seems to dry pretty quick, so by the time I applied my second coat I could feel the product attaching to my lashes and applying more rather than removing what's already there. I think this quality would be perfect for shorter lashes to really extend them. (sorry, photos are on my blog, I can only attach one photo here) <a href='http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011...</a>

The second demonstration is with my lashes uncurled: I was thinking since the mascara didn't look flattering on my curled lashes - it might work better on uncurled lashes, which it did perform a tiny bit better than the previous week. I still experienced massive clumping, but the mascara performed well and lifting my lashes and creating a slight curled effect. I think this method would be perfect for short lashes that naturally fall or are stubborn straight. (sorry, photos are on my blog, I can only attach one photo here) <a href='http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011...</a>

You might see the above photos and think the lashes look fine. But, I personally want my mascara to separate and enhance each hair while adding some volume and length. I normally use and LOVE Benefit BadGal Lash Mascara, so the last demonstration is to show the quality and performance that I love for my lashes: (sorry, photos are on my blog, I can only attach one photo here) <a href='http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011...</a>

My Final Thoughts: I feel the Benefit They're Real! Mascara is not suitable for longer lashes; the formula is thick, wet and tends to clump, plus you really need to work with it to look as decent as I got them in my photos. On the other hand - if you have short lashes and need more product on them for them to stand out, this mascara might just be up your alley. I did notice this mascara doesn't smudge, melt, or flake all day (tested on many 12hr days). Overall, I won't be switching from my staple Benefit BadGal Lash Mascaras. I also wanted to add, there are a lot of positive reviews on this mascara as well, so for me personally this mascara just didn't flatter my lashes at all - but if you check out Benefit's Facebook page, there's tons of ladies with before/after photos to show how it boosted their lashes.

*Product(s) were received for trial/review; these are my honest opinions

Smooth, Hydrating, Buildable color, Longlasting

Solely based on packaging, I purchased the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Sakura Collection lipstick in PK356 - Stylish Fushia - Cool Undertone. Retailing at $24.00ea, this collection has 6 shades to choose from; BG932-Peachy Pink, PK319-Pastel Lavender Pink, PK332-Modern Neutral Pink, PK339-Bright Pastel Pink, PK341-Elegant Medium Pink, PK356-Stylish Fushia

I have been attracted to bright colors all year, so I think this pink is much more subtle than my other pinks, with it's cooling shade of purpley/pink. This lipstick applies a bit dry, but once it warms to your skin it's so smooth and glossy. I wore this for about 6hrs until it started to fade, and when it did begin fading it left behind a sheer tint of pink, so I didn't feel rushed to reapply. The bullet itself is a bit smaller than I had expected, but I'm sure the product will last a long time as you don't need to reapply more than 2-3 in a 12hr day. The scent of this lipstick was surprising as well, a bit fruity, but only faintly. I love the formulation and color selection of the Sakura Collection, and if you're in the market for a higher end, hydrating lipstick - then definitely try one of these out! (I'll probably be getting more of these if I get another coupon!)

Lightweight and Gorgeous!

I've had these in my vanity drawer for quite a while, and today I thought it'd be fun to spruce up my look, even though I don't plan on going anywhere tonight. These LA Splash Lash Tease Eyelashes are the Night Life style, they are really dramatic and lengthy. Upon opening the package, I was a little intrigued because it looks like the lashes have a string like band, and the lashes themselves look plasticy. BUT then I applied them, and OMG!

They are so soft, pliable, and they are really light to wear! These lashes are pretty large, and I assumed they would be heavy, I've been wearing them for almost 6hrs and they feel so lightweight that I kind of forgot I had them on.

Retailing at $4.99ea, LA Splash have 4 lash styles; Hollywood, City Walk, Night Life, Clubbing. For only $5 a pair, these are really impressive lashes, and if you're a lash lover then you'll definitely enjoy wearing these. I really cannot express how pleased I am with these! Hopefully they will provide a few more styles, and maybe some colors other than black.

Gorgeous color payoff, Long wearing, Smooth, Moisturizing!!

I am head over heels, in love with the formulation of this lipstick! I applies and feels smooth on the lips, the shade selection is gorgeous, the pigmentation is fantastic and fits the swatches seen online very well, this lipstick is not drying on the lips and actually feels similar to a lip balm. The lipstick lasted me about 3-4hrs before fading began. I think out of all these lipsticks, the Black Label is my favorite because of how smooth and pigmented it is, plus at different angles the lipstick shade takes on a different hue - it's gorgeous! Swatch attached is of the shade Orchid

One of the BEST non-gritty glittery lipsticks I've ever used!!

Although these lipsticks have shimmer to them, they are not gritty like some other brands might be. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth they apply and feel on the lips. I do wish the color selection had a bit more variety, but they still offer shades that are wearable on many skin tones. These lipsticks are not drying and last about 4-5hrs before fading begins. I personally never used to like shimmer lipsticks, but because these are so easy to wear, I do plan on picking up a few more shades for my collection! Swatch attached is of Sparkling Red

Pigmented, long wearing, inexpensive

This lipstick applies very smooth, it's very pigmented, it lasts about 3-4hrs before fading begins, and it's not drying on the lips. The color selection is astounding, and since Cherry Culture has a sale on them right now, I plan to pick up a lot more this week! :) Swatch is in the shade Narcissus

Not as pigmented as I assumed

The bottle is clean and simple like most of their packaging tends to be, this I love - I'm a sucker for simple packaging. After opening the bottle, I immediately noticed the wand is really long, and the brush seems to be normal, just a bit longer than your standard brush. After I began applying the polish to my nails, the brush fans out extremely wide, almost as wide as my nail bed. The brush holds a lot of polish even after scrapping it off a few times in the bottle's lip, and after applying a few strokes, the polish begins falling down the stem to the brush and you end up with globs of polish dropping onto your nail - pretty much you have to swirl the wand in the bottle before pulling it out to avoid over-applying.

Then I noticed the formulation is quite thin, to the point that I needed to apply 3 generous coats to get it 100% opaque, and the polish kept streaking. Pretty much, my experience was so bad that after spending forrreverrr on my right hand, I opted to quit, not even waste my time on the left hand. I photographed it and quickly removed the polish, which was still tacky from all the coats I had to apply. The description for this polish on the OCC site just says "satin" so I assumed this was an opaque polish because it didn't really specify.

I am tempted to purchase other shades/finishes to see if it was just the bottle I got, or all their polishes are this quality.

Photo attached is of the shade Something

Love at First Sample!

I received two sample packets for this product in my May Birchbox, in the shades Bronzed and Golden. Bronzed matched the tone of my body more, while golden looked very fresh and natural on my face. I tested both of the tinted moisturizers, I was able to get two uses out of each packet. I truly do love this product, and I plan on buying the full size in the shade Golden and Glow (because I can't decide which I'd prefer) at $38.00ea. The formulation is smooth, it applies and blends in smoothly with no streaking or pilling, the luminizing particles are micro so there's no glitters on your face and the finish is a very flattering, natural glow - not shimmery at all. After powdering, it gives a medium coverage. I love this moisture tint!!

Conditioning, Long Lasting, Pigmented Tint of Color!

I have been eyeing these lip balms for a while, pretty much ever since they were released online. I was a bit hesitant at first because I don't really like digging lip balm out of a pot, but after seeing a couple people on youtube rave about the conditioning factor, I finally decided to buy one. Retailing at $3.00ea and .26oz / 7.5g, the ELF Studio Conditioning Lip Balm comes in six shades; Nice & Natural, Peaceful Pink, Mellow Melon, Blissful Berry, Bombshell Brown, Romantic Rouge.

This lip balm is so smooth to apply, and it stays smooth for about 4hrs until it starts to dry a bit like any lip conditioner does. I purchased the shade Romantic Rouge because I adore red tinted lips, plus I don't like sheer balms very much. The balm is sheer, but so pigmented that you can apply more product to build up color on your lips. The scent is fruity with a hint of SPF, but it definitely doesn't smell or taste like sun block, so don't worry. The balm itself is very soft, I had expected a more solid, waxy balm, but this one is very similar to MAC's Lip Conditioner pots (which I love). The packaging it super cute - I love boxy shapes - and it still fits in my cosmetic bag without being 'bulky'.

Not as great as I expected

I first found out about Butter London watching FleurDeForce on YouTube talking about a polish she picked up one day, just based on the look of the bottle - I wanted to try Butter London! I love simple packaging, especially when it's boxy. I finally got around to purchasing my first bottle of Butter London 3 Free Lacquer from Ulta while they were offering a 2oz. bottle of polish remover with purchase. I chose the shade Tea With The Queen, mostly based off the name. The polishes retail at $14ea, but sometimes you can find great deals through other vendors online.

So for $14 a bottle, I was expecting this polish to surpass my collection of $1-$8 polishes. I'm a bit torn on this brand actually. While looking online I thought the color selection was very classy and wearable and right up my alley. The packaging is adorable and I love it so much that I display it on my vanity. The brush is pretty standard, nothing special. Unfortunately, I hate the formulation of this polish. Now it could just be the bottle I got, because I have heard other people saying they love the formulation. My peeve with it is that I had to apply 3 coats to get this to be opaque, and the first coat was extremely sheer and streaky. Some people may say 3 coats isn't bad, but I expect a $14 polish to only need 2 coats at the most. I mean, I own over a dozen $1 polishes that can easily been worn with one coat and none of them streak!

My BF says my cosmetic standards have risen since I began consuming ELF products at such GREAT quality and UNTHINKABLY low prices. Maybe, BF, you're right... nonetheless this "high end" polish highly disappointed me - BUT - I do want to purchase more to see if I just got a dud bottle or they really do come in this "eh" quality.

Happy Ending: I do love the shade Tea With The Queen! Tea With The Queen