CoverGirl Clump Crusher

I have seen this mascara in many different videos on YouTube, and wanted to test it out myself. I drove down to the drugstore and picked up this mascara for $6. 

It claims to provide volume with zero clumps on application.

The packaging is a cute green tube. The brush has plastic bristles separated evenly to promote separation and volume. The brush has a scoop kind of shape.

Upon application, there were no clumps on the brush. On my lashes, it gives good separation and volumizes well. I did not see any lengthening properties, but that was not listed on the packaging.

This is two coats of the mascara.

Overall, I do like the volume that this mascara gives me without all the clumps. Definitely a keeper!

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara

Hello lovelies! I recently bought Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara. I have been wanting to try it out for a while now, and was so excited when Ulta had it on sale for $10 for the 21 Days of Beauty. The mascara is normally $19 and is 0.24 fl. oz. Tarte calls this mascara a "push-up for your lashes." It is marketed as a 4-in-1 product: to lengthen, curl, volumize, and condition lashes. It only comes in one shade, black; a waterproof version is also available. 

(Sorry for the dark pictures, it is more purple in person)

The packaging is interesting; it has a purple covering over the actual mascara bottle. At first, I thought it would be annoying, but now I find it kind of cute. 

The formulation of the mascara is in between wet and dry. Since I'm use to wetter formulas, it took a little getting use to when I first experienced with it, but now I think having a little bit drier formula helps the product onto the lashes and builds them up better. There are many bristles packed next to each other and they are natural bristles. I find that it helps separate my lashes and coat each lash with evenly mascara. The only downside I may have is since the formulation is wet/dry, I'm afraid that it will dry out quickly. I will just have to wait and see! When I remove it, it does get all over the place. So make sure that you use plenty of eye make up remover to remove it all from the eye area.

 It is formulated without parabens, mineral oils, phyhalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and synthetic fragrance. It does have rice bran wax, carnauba wax, provitamin B5, olive esters, and mineral pigments.  On Tarte's website, it says that the mascara is dermatologist and clinically proven to increase the appearance of the lashes volume. 

In the picture, I only have one coat on. It holds a curl, volumizes, and lengthens my lashes. I can't say much on the conditioning of the eyelashes because I have not noticed it.

Would I repurchase? Yes! I really love the way it makes my eyelashes look and I love the formulation. It may be expensive at $19, but I'm really enjoying it and if I like how it works for me, I will buy it again.

Eyeko Skinny Mini Duo Review

Hello! It's finally Friday, and a chance to relax--for a little while. I have three exams coming up this week. So definitely need to take time to study for those! 

I went to Sephora yesterday and bought the Eyeko Skinny Mini Duo (travel sized) set that comes with the Skinny Brush Mascara and the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner for $16. (Full size mascara: $19; eyeliner: $16.)  I mainly bought this set because 1) the mascara packaging looked interesting and I had done some research about it, and 2) I've never had a "pen style" liquid eyeliner before. I remember first seeing this mascara several months ago and wondering, "Why would someone want a mascara in a lipgloss tube?" Yet here I am trying it out! After I saw it that first time, I did some research to see what eyelashes looked like after it was applied. Then I saw a picture of a woman using this mascara and her eyelashes looked full, had volume, and were longer. So I decided to try this out! This is my first mascara I have ever bought that is high-end. This is huge for me because I'm a strong believer that mascara does NOT need to be bought high end; I think it should be bought at drug-stores. But, curiosity got the best of me. 

Eyeko Skinny Brush mascara claims to deliver instant lengthening effects with long term lash care. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner claims to feature a long-lasting pigmented formula with an easy to apply tip to create defined lines with a smudge-proof finish. The mascara included in this set is 0.13 oz, and the eyeliner is 0.04 oz. 

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara:

The brush has a spiral shape, but it does not look like it would separate lashes much. To make eyelashes look more separated, I have to twist the mascara brush on my lashes while applying. I don't mind twisting since I do it for all my mascaras. One thing I love is that since it comes in a waste-free squeeze tube; you can squeeze out some mascara till you see it slightly in the opening, and stick the brush back in the tube so that you can use every last bit of product. 

Before:

 After. (Sorry that one eyebrow looks lighter than the other, I did not fill it in at that time yet!)

As you can see, the mascara really did lengthen my lashes, while giving a little bit of a curl to it. I had different experiences for the application of each eye. On the left, the lashes look more black, but are clumped together with no separation. On the right, the lashes do have separation, but are not black enough. I personally like the eyes on the right more, but want the blackness of the eye on the left! I still need to figure out how to work this mascara. 

Staying power was really good--so good that it took me a while to take it off! It is a pain, and it takes a while. I'm sure if you had a really good eye makeup remover, it would be fine.

 Pros:

- Lengthens lashes well and adds a bit of curl

- Comes in a squeeze tube to help use every bit of mascara

- Long lasting on lashes

- Cute packaging

Cons:

- Full size is expensive

- Takes a while to remove

- Somewhat difficult to work with

Would I repurchase? Maybe, I actually like the idea of a waste-free squeeze tube. Plus, I think the packaging is really adorable (it has pink on it!)

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner: 

Here is the tip of the Skinny Liquid Eyeliner. Application is very precise and easy to use. It appears more pigmented on the swatch on my arm, but appears a lighter black on the eyes. (Maybe that is due to the oils?) It dries quickly, but since my eyelids get oily, it smudged when I rubbed the top part of the lid. It is not very difficult to remove with eye makeup remover.

 Pros:

- Dries quickly

- Easy to use

Cons:

- It slightly smudged when touched

Would I repurchase? No, I think I can find a cheaper alternative at the drugstore that works just as well. Nothing really special about this eyeliner

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

Maybellline Lash Stiletto is the mascara that I have been using every day for the last couple of months. I have actually been enjoying this mascara because it lengthens my lashes while still looking natural. It does not provide a lot of volume, but when you try to layer several coats on, it can tend to get clumpy. I only do 1-2 layers of mascara.

Lash Stiletto can be found at drugstores for around $7-8.

Compared to other mascaras, this one has less product, .22 oz. 

The brush is long and very straight. The formula is a bit dry. 

Pros

-Lengthens eye lashes

-Affordable

-Does not flake off

-Looks natural

Cons

-Less amount of product compared to other mascaras

-Does not provide volume

Would I repurchase? Maybe, only because I want to look for a mascara that lengthens and adds volume. I'm still trying to find my perfect mascara.

Have you found your perfect mascara? If so, which one?

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

 Today's review is about Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes. This mascara is from the same line as their famous Great Lash original formula. It is around $5 at a drugstore, so it is fairly cheap.

The packaging is actually  kind of cute; it has pink and green and a little heart! (I love hearts). The bristles of the brush are made out of plastic. I found this to be weird because all of my other mascaras I've had, had a different material for the brush. 

before mascara

after mascara (with some eyeliner)

The mascara lengthened my eyelashes, but it did not really volumize them. It also grouped some of my lashes together instead of separating them. Overall, I think this is a good mascara for everyday, but not something to wear if you are trying to play up the eyes or have a more dramatic eyelash look.