mascara

Drugstore Products I’ve Changed My Mind On

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You get something new, and it doesn’t live up to whatever expectations you have. Or maybe it is a really great product. Even if you like it, sometimes you’ll set it aside and find yourself revisiting it some time later, only to form a completely different opinion.

Here’s a list of products I’ve changed my mind on:

Changed My Mind - L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga MascaraProduct I’ve Changed My Mind on
No. 1 L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

At first, I was happy with this product; in fact, I posted my positive review just over a month ago. In just a month, the consistency has changed enough that the product causes my lashes to clump (even though it is not particularly dry). I can only separate them by going through them with a lash comb afterwards and I don’t have time for that. That isn’t to say the product is bad – I know some prefer that look, but I prefer definition and length to volume…so I’ve changed my mind on this mascara and will not repurchase.

Changed My Mind - Maybelline Color Tattoos

Product I’ve Changed My Mind on
No. 2 Maybelline Color Tattoos

This is something else I’ve shared recently. I tried the products but ultimately felt they didn’t live up to the hype so into the back of the drawer they went. I recently re-discovered them and found that they’re great when used with a specific Real Techniques brush. So glad I gave them a second chance.

Changed My Mind - Milani Eye Tech Extreme Liquid Liner

Product I’ve Changed My Mind on
No. 3 Milani Eye Tech Extreme Liquid Line

This felt-tip liquid liner’s formula is a great inexpensive dupe for Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner. I used to really like it (especially at its price point), but the product itself didn’t properly flow all the way to the very fine tip of the felt pen which made it harder for me to achieve a fine line when I wanted (aka most of the time)…and so I changed my mind about it. If you want a suuuper-fine line, this isn’t the one for you. If you don’t mind your lines being a little thicker or having to go back and clean it up, this is still a good product. The formula is quality – it lasts, doesn’t smear, and is surprisingly gentle to the eye (in case your hand jerks during application and you draw on your eye – not that I know anything about that).

Changed My Mind - Maybelline Baby Lips

Product I’ve Changed My Mind on
No. 4 Maybelline Baby Lips

The Baby Lips line has had several iterations by now. I tried the first and then one or two here and there since, and the result has been the same. They were decent enough at first, but by the time I got midway through the tube I just wasn’t impressed because they feel like any other cheap balm (I actually prefer classic Chap-Stick [Cherry] to this). As a basic balm goes, there are better ones out there in terms of moisturization. As a tinted balm goes, there are ones that are better in terms of pigmentation and moisture. It just isn’t a formula that does much for me, and I will not repurchase it unless they come out with a new formula.

Originally, this was intended to be an overall things I’ve changed my mind on – but I have come to realize that I haven’t (yet) changed my mind on any of my prestige beauty products. I’ve tried things that disappointed, sure – but I haven’t yet changed my mind on one.

What about you? Have you had any products unexpectedly fall into or out of favor after your initial assessment?

Worth it? Guerlain Maxi-Lash

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Like many semi-frequent shoppers of Ulta and Sephora, I have amassed a wee collection. It is kind of nice in that it enables me to try products I wouldn’t try as soon or, for that matter, at all, as well as preventing me from needing to decide what mascara I want to try next. Knowing I had a weekend away coming up, when it was time to reach for a new tube to try, I plucked Guerlain Maxi-Lash from my stash. The mascara claims to create volume and sculpt curls.

Also, apologies for low-quality images – it was a busy weekend.

Guerlain Maxi-Lash Sample TubeGuerlain Maxi-Lash sample tube

The sample tube (which I received from Sephora), which is just under three inches from end-to-end, is free of adornments unlike its full-sized sister. The full-sized tube is considerably more luxe-looking, and for $30 a tube? It better be.

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L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

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L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara isn’t exactly brand-new cutting edge at this point, but I never claimed to only bring you the newest of the new. You see, sometimes when an interesting product launches, people lose their minds and declare that it is glorious and perfect without giving themselves adequate time to try it out and see how it behaves. To borrow from a Lonely Island song, “Nah, that ain’t me.”

As much as I enjoy bareMinerals Flawless definition, I cannot swallow an $18 per tube mascara habit (and I just missed the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty 50% off sale day for it), so I will keep trying drugstore options until I find, “the one.” I picked up a tube of L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga mascara in Black-Brown when it was just launching, but only opened it last month to avoid having a ton of tubes open at a time to minimize waste).

Let’s check it out!

Here’s the tube – I personally prefer sleeker tube designs, but this one has a flat side that tapers on the cap for easy grip during application.

L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga MascaraL’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

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Worth it? Mally Volumizing Mascara

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Mally Volumizing Mascara
Mally Volumizing Mascara

On any given day, if I could only wear one type of cosmetic, it would be mascara.  A while back, I had gotten one of the gift bag things with an Ulta purchase that was full of all sorts of goodies. One such item was a full-sized Mally Volumizing Mascara. I hadn’t used any Mally products before (though I am interested in trying the Poreless Face Defender), so I went into this as a clean slate – no preexisting opinions or notions.

Here’s what Ulta’s site says about the Mally Volumizing Mascara I received:

This Volumizing Mascara has a unique formula that helps create the look of gorgeous, full, luxurious lashes. The combination of natural waxes and carefully chosen powders gives lashes an instant boost. The plush brush works with the powders in the formula to help thicken lashes without clumping, giving you gorgeous volume that lasts and lasts. Apply 2 coats to the top lashes and 1 to the bottom to get instant volume that lasts.

Okay, cool! I know Benefit Gimme Brow has fibers in it for a similar effect for your brows. That should work great.

Pristine, first-use mascara wands are a beautiful thing, right? I was excited to open it, but found that it didn’t have that pristine quality newly-opened tubes have. It had surely not been opened, but the formula looked very wet and clung to the wand. The bristles are the more traditional plush variety, which I find slightly more difficult to work with (less precise) than the shorter synthetic ones.

My first application was just okay. Initial consistency can be weird on plenty of products. I like to give mascara a few weeks before calling in a verdict, as you’ll find it sometimes differs between its initial use and several uses in. I often find I like my favorite ones best after about the 4th use.

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Waterproof Mascara Will Differ

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Waterproof Mascara Will Differ

Months ago, I was trying to decide on a waterproof mascara for use during my wedding. I don’t like getting weepy in front of people, but weddings (especially your own!) make rational people unpredictable, so waterproof mascara wasn’t just a frivolous thing, lest I risk raccoon-ery. Unfortunately, mascara is such a personal preference matter that it is hard to get much from research other than ones that flat-out don’t seem to behave across the board.

I asked a friend who works at Sephora, I spent hours on Reddit and scouring Google, asking others for recommendations – the struggle was real.

Ulta ran a 21 Days of Beauty promotion, though, and one day had bareMinerals’ Flawless Definition mascara on sale for half off – that is, $9 per tube (shoot, some drugstore stuff costs that much). Being as that it is my favorite mascara ever, hands down, I ordered one – and its waterproof sister.

“Surely,” I thought, “it will be just the same – just not susceptible to tears, yes?”

I did open it a few weeks in advance of my wedding day to test it out. It wore just fine, but it did not apply as nicely, easily. It required going back over with the wand several times to even out the coverage. The formula was stiffer straight out the tube. Sometimes, in my experience, mascara needs a few wears before what comes out of the tube is, “just right,” so I did that. I wore it a few times anticipating this.

And it never happened.

It was just as stubborn about applying on my wedding day, to my chagrin. By then, I was familiar with how it behaved so it wasn’t a shock, but it still was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t get the same definition and fullness from it as I did with the original formula; a bummer since I did not use false lashes.

So this is me giving you a PSA – if you have a mascara you love, do not assume the waterproof mascara version will behave the same. It likely won’t. If you’re set on the look a specific product gives you, I’d advise looking into a waterproof mascara top-coat – bareMinerals actually makes one now, as does Anastasia Beverly Hills. I have not used either product, but they have good ratings. In retrospect, I really wish I would have gone this route, but hindsight is 20/20.

Disclosure: Hey! Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – this means I may get a very small percentage of the sale if you decide to buy something. I only recommend products I’ve tried and verified as awesome. Ethical blogging FTW.

June 2014 Favorites

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Beauty Skeptic - June 2014 Favorites

June 2014 Favorites
Million Dollar Tan Cabana Tan $20 / bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara $18
Aussie 3-Minute Miracle $4 / KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray $20 / Gena Callus Off $10

 

1. Because I don’t tan in beds or outside any longer, I need to fake it (especially because I’m not trying to look washed out in an ivory gown). I’m going to have a lot of pictures taken soon, so I needed it to be convincing and not a pain to deal with, either. I bought a bottle of Million Dollar Tan’s Cabana Tan and Cabana Tan Extreme lotions a while back after some recommendations were made to me. I’m pretty happy with it and plan to have a post up soon. In addition to their lotion products, Million Dollar Tan carries spray and mousse versions, which you can find here.

2. The original bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara is my holy grail mascara (so far, anyway). I often go without because $18 for something that you need to replace so frequently is too much for me – but I snagged two (one regular, one waterproof) when Ulta had them half off as a part of 21 Days of Beauty event this spring. It does on sale on the bareMinerals website, too, every now and then, but if you don’t care about it being on sale you can get it there, Ulta, or Sephora.

3. The original 3-Minute Miracle (“Moist Deeeeep Conditioner”) is my favorite conditioner, period. More than I loved the Tigi Moisture Maniac conditioner, and this is a hell of a lot cheaper. They have new versions of it now, too, but I haven’t tried them yet. You can get it at drugstores, mass merchants, online – pretty much anywhere, this is very accessible.

4. Got a sample-size can of this Dry Shampoo with from a Gift with Purchase bag and it is easily the best dry shampoo I have ever tried. One or two short bursts takes care of my whole scalp, it is not strongly scented at all, it feels nice, ugh. So good. Alas, with a $20 price tag, I’ll be stretching my sample and ultimately sticking with Psssst! unless I can find it on sale. (You can get the travel size for $7, however). I could only find it at Ulta.

5. Credo blades aren’t safe and daily pumice stone use only get you so far. Despite my DIY pedicure efforts, sometimes you have to break out the big guns. This is also carried at Sally Beauty as well as a similar product that is slightly cheaper (haven’t tried this brand though). Be careful not to leave it on too long, and be both grossed out and amazed by what it does to stubborn calluses.

Disclosure: Hey! Some of the links in this June 2014 Favorites post are affiliate links (not all of them, of course) – this means I may get a very small percentage of the sale if you decide to buy something. I only recommend products I’ve tried and verified as awesome, which is kind of the point of a favorites post. Ethical blogging FTW.