Review: Benefit's They're Real Mascara

Hey everybody!

I recently picked up a tube of Benefit's They're Real Mascara (retails for $23), which I've wanted to try out since its launch. I'm a big fan of the Bad Gal Lash mascara, and was hoping this would live up to my expectations. Overall, this mascara is fabulous and I give it a 10 out of 10.

Grading system:
2 out of 2 points for wand and application
2 out of 2 points for effect and definition
2 out of 2 points for longevity
2 out of 2 points for removal
2 out of 2 points for packaging

Wand and application: as you can see from the following picture, the wand is large and has rubber bristles. This is my favorite type of wand, since it's great for separating lashes. The Bad Gal Lash is a bit different, and has a more feathery, but still large, wand. However, this wand might not appeal to everybody since it's more of a matter of opinion.

Effect and definition: The mascara formula is on the thicker side, and not watery by any means. It provided a lot of thickness and length without clumping up on me. It separated and coated the lashes beautifully.

My lashes prior to mascara, no curl.

 Longevity: So far, I've had no problems with flaking or dryness throughout the day. However, I do expect the drier formula to flake on me in several weeks time like the Bad Gal Lash did. It's an unfortunate part of having a thicker mascara formula. It's not a huge problem for me, though, since I try to throw out my old mascaras every few months anyways.

The left eye has mascara and is curled

 Removal: I had no problem removing this mascara with my regular eye makeup remover. I didn't expect any problems from a non-waterproof formula.

Both sets of lashes have mascara and are curled

 Packaging: I enjoy the silvery packaging, which luckily isn't prone to fingerprint marks. It's not unusually shaped or sized, which makes it easy to travel with. No problems here.

I love how it separates the lashes!

I hope you enjoyed! Until next time,
<3 Lucero

September Beauty Favorites 2012

Hey everybody! Here are my beauty favorites for September. 

First, we have Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara. This is a sample size, and I'm so glad I've gotten to try it out! It's an absolute dream. It provides lots of volume and length, and provides a very black color. Also, my favorite part is how it doesn't crease or smudge or flake throughout the day. The biggest problem I have with mascara is flakiness, and this hasn't let me down! 

Next we have the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. The one shown here is in Romantic, but I love the entire line! It provides a decent amount of color, with great lasting power. I prefer these over the regular stains because the balm also hydrates the lips. 

Next we have the Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay. Many bloggers rave about this palette, and for good reason! It has lots of neutral colors that are perfect for everyday. Each shadow is richly pigmented and doesn't crease, especially if paired with an eye primer for oily lids. I prefer it over the original Naked palette because the color selection in my opinion is better, and the packaging is more sturdy. 

Also from Urban Decay, we have the De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray. This goes on before and after foundation, concealer, and other face products are applied. It has helped me a lot with shine control. It doesn't keep me completely shine free in these hot desert days, but it's the best product I've used. 

Next up we have the Laura Geller Bake-n-Brignten powder in Honey Dipped. It's a gorgeous golden powder that I like to use in place of blush. It provides a wonderfully warm, shimmery glow that brightens up the skin

 Here's the Butter London nail polish in Jaffa. It's a wonderful orange color that's perfect for transitioning from summer to autumn. It's bright enough to sport during the summer, but has a lovely pumpkin tone that easily brings it into fall. I love Butter London polishes as they dry quickly, and only need two coats to get full coverage. 

 Next I have the Jemma Kidd Mannequin Skin concealer/ highlighter duo in 02 Mid-dark. I hardly ever use the highlighter, but I love the concealer! It's got a peachy under tone that makes it fabulous for under eye circles. It is creamy, so to prevent creasing I have to set it with a powder. But overall, I think it's fabulous and I don't know why it took me so long to dig it out of my makeup drawer! 

 The final item on my list has been a holy grail item for over a year now. It's the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Almond. It's great, because it's extremely light weight and gives decent coverage. It never feels heavy and has also worked well with my problematic skin. I recommend it for anybody who wants coverage without the heaviness of foundation! 

These have been my September favorites, and I look forward to trying out new products. Until next time, 

<3 Lucero 

Song of the Day: Bruises by Chairlift 

Arabian Nights

Hey everybody!

As many of you know, I currently live in Dubai, and I was inspired by the local trends to create this Arab inspired look. It's very dramatic and dark, and I really enjoyed playing around with the eyeshadow to get the perfect almond-y shape.

Here's a quick overview of the products used.

Here's a video in case you'd like to see how I achieve the look.

I hope you enjoyed! Until next time,
<3 Lucero

Colored Mascara

Hey everybody! 

I've spent the last couple of weeks searching high and low for Maybelline's new limited edition colored mascara. Finally, I was able to find them at a local Walgreen's! I couldn't decide on a single color, so I did what any logical person would do and bought one of each. I must have been in luck, since all Maybelline makeup happened to be "Buy One, Get One %50 Off". 

Here are all four of the colors. The come in a baby blue "Totally Teal", a royal blue "Blink of Blue", a vibrant violet "Pop of Purple" and winter forest green "Go Go Green". 

*Note: I primed my lashes with a white cream eyeshadow prior to each application. Otherwise, the colors wouldn't have shown up so well on my dark lashes.

The first color I tried out was "Go Go Green." It applied more vibrantly than I expected! All of the mascaras were pretty standard, as far as length and volume are concerned. 

Next up we have "Blink of Blue." I think this is the color I would use more on a daily basis without a primer, since the dark blue supposedly makes the whites of the eyes appear brighter! 

"Totally Teal" gave the most dramatic look to my lashes, since the color is so light. I was impressed with the vibrancy, and I can see myself using this on my lower lashes for an unexpected pop of color! 

"Pop of Purple" provided a nice, deep purple finish to my lashes. I expected more of a pink toned purple, and found that this looked very similar to "Blink of Blue." 

Ultimately, I'm super excited about these mascaras, and can't wait to use them more! 

Until next time,

<3 Lucero