Soap & Glory SuperCat Liquid Black Eyeliner Pen

If there is one makeup product I can be most indifferent to, it's liquid eyeliner. I've never really found a liquid eyeliner that I hate, and more often than not I find them all to basically be the same. But that sentiment changed when I found this eyeliner pen, and I actually had a genuine opinion on one!! I'm not sure if you can buy these in the US yet, as I purchased this in the UK back during the fall. I know that Sephora sells Soap & Glory products in the US, and they've recently expanded to some makeup products, but I'm not sure if this eyeliner pen has been included yet. Nonetheless, I'm sure they'll add it sooner or later!!

The most impressive thing I find with this pen is the brush. It seems like your typical felt tip brush, and actually appears to be too big to make a precise line. But, the brush is stiff enough that you're able to use the thinnest part of the tip without much trouble. Most felt tips I've used are flimsy to the point where they can be difficult to work with and you can't make as thin of a line as you wish. 

As you can see, I can make a really thin, precise line that is highly pigmented upon first swipe. I usually end up switching between this, Maybelline Line Stiletto and L'Oreal Linear Intense liquid liners regularly, but recently I've been reaching for this more consistently. I find it easy to use and I get a great result quickly during a busy school morning. So basically I'm in love!!

Soap & Glory SuperCat Liquid Black Eyeliner Pen: A-

Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara

I said in my previous mascara review that I look for mascaras to give my lashes length, and adding volume is an added bonus. Therefore, I really thought this would be an amazing mascara for me to try out!! Most reviews on this Maybelline Illegal Length mascara I had read or heard had been negative. I'm pretty sure I only heard one positive review on this mascara, so to say I was skeptical is an understatement.

The brush is tapered to the end of the handle and the hairs are not plastic, which is a shock for me!! I rarely use natural hair mascara brushes because I feel they're prone to clumping, but this one has given me no issues so far. I do feel that the brush can tend to carry too much product, but that's easily solved by scraping it on the sides of the tube opening. 

My lashes after one coat of the mascara. Good length added to my natural lashes, and not a lot of volume added.

My lashes after a second coat of the mascara. BAM!! In the end, my lashes are very long and the second coat really pumps up the volume, and my lashes still look just as great at the end of the day. Clumping is definitely possible in the second coat, as with most mascaras, but I find using a clean spoolie or running through my lashes with a heated lash curler will break up any clumps easily. This mascara has blown my expectations out of the water, and it's really taught me to take my own chances in beauty products rather than base my purchases on other people's opinions or reviews. I love this mascara and it's in stiff competition with another mascara that I will be reviewing soon. 

Have you ever been completely shocked by a beauty product??

Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara: A-

Sephora Rouge Shine Lipsticks in So Cute! & Love Spell

Well, it happened again. I got suckered into more lipsticks that I really don't need. I'm always tempted by lipsticks like this, that aren't too heavy and pigmented while having a glossy shine to them as well. Given all of this, these Sephora brand lipsticks are great finds at $12 a tube and come in a great array of colors. 

On the left is No.4 So Cute! and on the right is No.14 Love Spell. The Sephora website describes them as a sheer ballet pink and a semi-sheer cool light pink, respectively, and I would say they are quite spot on with their description!!

Top to bottom: So Cute!, Love Spell

All in all, I really like these lipsticks. They're natural looking, provide some moisture and easy-to-wear color. I would say also that it would probably be best to purchase the darker or brighter shades, as the lighter shades can be very sheer to the point of them not showing up properly (i.e. So Cute!). But in general, they're great lipsticks if you look for similar things that I do in lipstick.

Sephora Rouge Shine Lipsticks in So Cute! & Love Spell: B+

Too Many Moisturizers!!

I think I have an issue. I'm not sure if this happens to any of you, but I definitely tend to focus on one beauty product in hopes of finding a "holy grail" status worthy product. In the process, I end up with WAY too many products due to my short obsession and I don't even realize it until it's way too late. Clearly, that's what has happened to me lately with moisturizers. And as a consequence, I've ended up with many, many moisturizers and I really can't justify purchasing anymore until I've used these all up. And you want to know the saddest part?? I didn't even put all of my moisturizers in this picture. I accidentally forgot to put in a VERY large CeraVe moisturizer and two sample size moisturizers from Mario Badescu and Ole Henricksen. Goodness me, I've got enough moisturizer to satisfy an entire village, I'm sure. And you all can be my witnesses and force me to keep my word that I will NOT be purchasing anymore moisturizers until every last one of these is empty. Bear with me as I name them all starting from the left of the circle...

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Moisturizing Acne Treatment: This is an interesting moisturizing gel that I used to use much more often when I had consistent break outs. It's very lightweight, and I really think I'll be getting good use out of it during the summer time.

Mario Badescu Oil-Free Moisturizer with SPF 15: This is a sample size, but I also have another sample size of this product but in a much smaller size. I had purchased this for traveling purposes, but I haven't been very impressed with it so far. I usually instantly love Mario Badescu products, so not loving this right away has been quite the shock. It strangely seems a little too heavy for summer time, but I'll have to try to it again to make sure.

Origins A Perfect World Anti-Aging Moisturizer: I received this during a Sephora promotion, where each store was giving out a certain number of these full size moisturizers to people who came to the store with an empty beauty product. Come to think of it, it must have been a promotion for Earth Day last year, so I must've gotten this a year ago. It's not my favorite, but it'll do the job as a nighttime moisturizer in the summer!! The smell is a little off-putting, though.

Mario Badescu Chamomile Night Cream: Oh boy, I love this stuff!! It feels so luxurious on the skin and absorbs amazingly by the time I awake. I seriously contribute some of the great skin I've been lately to this product, it's done me wonders.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream: This is an interesting product, I must say. It's definitely refreshing, but it's also much more moisturizing than I thought it would be. I haven't made much of opinion on this yet, but I have a feeling it'll be good during the summer months. 

Jergens Natural Glow Facial Moisturizer: The reason I purchased this in the first place was to tan my face, but I've actually come to really like it as a moisturizer!! It's lightweight for the daytime yet moisturizes enough to keep the oilies at bay for most of the day. 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel: This has been a tried and true favorite of mine for quite a long time!! It'll be sad to see it go, but I definitely recommend it to anyone!!

Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture: This miniature size came from Bath and Body Works, but I honestly don't think I've used it yet!! Shame on me!!

Well, that about sums up most of my moisturizer collection, sans the giant CeraVe moisturizer and small Ole Henricksen sample I have. Geez, this could take me awhile. Did I mention that at my parents house, I also have a GIANT tub of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream?? Yeah, that thing itself would take me about 3 years to use up, but that stuff is great nonetheless. I won't include it in my attempt at ridding all of my moisturizers, but it will definitely be the night cream I'll be using for years to come. 

Do you have a problem like mine??

Wet 'n Wild Mega Length Mascara

One makeup product I never seem to repurchase is mascara.

 I'm always curious to see if there is a mascara out there that will make my lashes full, long and all around gorgeous. I just can't seem to be content with any one mascara, and therefore I've never found a "holy grail" worthy mascara. It's a bit of a tragedy I feel!! With that said, I'm always perusing the drugstore for the next mascara to fall into my demanding trap. And this time, that mascara happened to be the Wet 'n Wild Mega Length mascara. 

Before I move on, I feel it necessary to explain the state of my lashes and what I look for in a mascara. First off, my lashes are very dark, medium length, stick straight and I have quite a bit of them. I really don't have many complaints about my natural lashes, except for the fact that they are terribly difficult to curl and stay curled. Granted, my lashes never used to be this way, but as I've gotten older, they've definitely become more difficult to curl and overall manage. With that in mind, I typically look for waterproof mascaras that provide length to my lashes. On occasion, I will try a mascara designed to add volume, but not usually (though, I've broken that rule recently...). Therefore, I thought this mascara would be right up my alley!!

The mascara brush can be summed up in a few words: narrow, plastic and lots of small bristles. The brush itself is very narrow, basically the same width as the handle. The bristles are very short and there are many of them on the brush. Also, the entire brush is synthetic plastic, which I typically prefer. Other than that, I find the brush underwhelming, but I would never disregard a mascara because of its brush.

This is two coats of the Wet 'n Wild Mega Length mascara on my lashes, and I'm not very impressed. I found the formula difficult to work with, a little wet and results in my lashes sticking together. I wouldn't say my lashes get clumpy from this mascara, but they're not looking their best either. As far as the length the mascara claims to give, I don't see that much. Another issue I find with this mascara is that it is heavy and doesn't hold a curl well. Usually, I'll find my lashes drooping slightly nearing the end of the day, but with this mascara, the drooping starts immediately. 

Now, for the positive. I do think this mascara would work well for younger makeup wearers who are looking for a natural look. I can see this being perfect for people in middle school or high school who want to add definition and color to their lashes, but not much else. 

All in all, this just didn't work for me at all. On to the next mascara!!!

Wet 'n Wild Mega Length Mascara: D+

bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 Duo in The Winner Is...: An Easy-to-Wear Spring/Summer Eyeshadow Look

One thing I always find difficult in my makeup routine is incorporating color into my eyeshadow looks. 

Now, I definitely don't stray away from color in the conventional sense when it comes to eyeshadow. I honestly find green and purple eyeshadow looks to be near to neutral for me, but I somewhat contribute that to always trying to emphasize my green eyes. One eyeshadow color in particular (besides pink...) that I always dread trying to pair is blue eyeshadow. The image that comes to my mind when I think of blue eyeshadow is an awful 80s look, one that one of my old dance teammates would always wear to competitions. It seriously frightens me. But, fear no more!!! bareMinerals has found a solution to my colored eyeshadow woes, and has made it as simple as pie. 

The Winner Is... is a simple, yet elegantly perfect duo by bareMinerals. I purchased this duo last summer, and I absolutely adore it during the spring and summer. The left shadow is named Chart Topper and is a very pale neutral gold that acts a perfect base to pair with the next shadow, Hit Single, which is a beautiful blue-green. Hit Single is light enough that it won't make too much of a statement, but also dark enough to give off a noticeable breadth of blue. It's an amazingly gorgeous shade that it is so easy to wear, especially with Chart Topper as an all-over-lid-color. 

This picture definitely doesn't do this pairing justice. Chart Topper acts as a medium to bring the eyeshadow look down from over-the-top-all-over-color to easy-to-wear pop-of-color (too many hyphens?? maybe...). The quality of these eyeshadows can't be beat either. I have two bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 duos and they both have great pigmentation and smooth onto the lid seemlessly. I really can't recommend this duo enough, and the rest of the line is great as well. If you have trouble like I do trying to incorporate color into your eyeshadow, definitely check the bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow lines for great options.

bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Winner Is...: A+

Sonia Kashuk Blush in Flushed

If you know anything about me or my makeup collection, you'd know that I am infatuated with blush. Or at least, I was. I still love blush, don't get me wrong, but I'm not constantly looking for a new blush like I now do with lipstick. And this blush was purchased during my period of blush envy and lust. This is also the first and only Sonia Kashuk blush I own, and I'm not entirely sure why I don't have anymore!! Spoiler alert: this blush is fantastic!!

This is a pretty accurate representation of the color of the blush, which is a very bright pink with undertones leaning on the cool side. I tend to try to stay away from cool-toned blushes, as I feel they can clash with my naturally yellow undertones. But, I've found that this doesn't lean too far on the cool side, so I can still wear it successfully. The color is gorgeous!!

This isn't the best picture of the blush in action, but the right swatch is a heavier swatch and the blended out swatch is on the left. Hopefully you can see that the blended out swatch gives a flushed look, which makes the name very appropriate!! The blush color gives a pinched cheek look, without being too bright or dark to make you look like you've been working out for two hours. It really is an easy color to wear and you don't have to think too much about the rest of your makeup when you wear this blush either, which I definitely appreciate!!

Sonia Kashuk Blush in Flushed: A