Product Reviews

Product Review – Drugstore Mascara

March 6th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

I know some people who will only use a certain brand for all of their makeup products, but I like to use a mix of high-end and drugstore makeup. I’m really picky about what products I spend my money on, so while I’m willing to pay more for products like powders, concealers and brushes, I’ll spend less on things like blushes, cleansers and lipliner. Ultimately whatever products are worth my hard-earned cash do the same three things: perform well for the price, complement my coloring and don’t break me out.

One makeup staple that I usually don’t spend a lot of money on is mascara. The shelf life of a tube of mascara after it’s opened is three months, so if you’re good about replacing it every three months, that’s four tubes a year at the minimum. And if you buy your mascara from Sephora or from the makeup counter chances are you’re spending from $20-40 a pop – that’s $80 worth of mascara every year, ya’ll!

Besides its short life span, another reason I don’t spend lots of money on mascara is that even though I’ve tried several high-end mascaras by Dior, MAC, Bourjois, Lancome and Clinique (just to name a few), I’ve still yet to find one that I think is worth paying a lot of money for because drugstore mascaras work just as well. (Sidenote: This weekend I’m going to pick up a tube of Benefit’s Bad Gal lash in blue, so we’ll see if that statement changes.)

The closest I’ve ever come to high-end mascara nirvana is Diorshow, but it’s $23, and I think Max Factor’s 2000 Calorie mascara works just as well (if not better) for only $6.00.

In fact, my two current favorite drugstore mascaras are all by Max Factor: 2000 Calorie and Stretch & Separate. Each provides a different look and great performance for the price. Color selection is somewhat limited, so if you like crazy colors then they might not be your cup o’ tea.

Product: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara Straight Brush in Rich Black
Use: Volume
Price: about $6.00
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

This mascara is my everyday, go-to mascara, and it SERIOUSLY. ROCKS. MY. WORLD. It thickens the lashes without clumping, and two coats make a dramatic difference without looking spidery. This performs similar to Diorshow, except that it’s even better than Diorshow because it doesn’t smudge. It comes in four colors: Rich Black, Soft Black, Black Brown and Deep Auburn. ROCKS!

Product: Max Factor Stretch & Separate Mascara in Deep Blue and in Rich Black
Use: Length
Price: about $6.00
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: Deep Blue – B+, Rich Black – A-

The marketing people weren’t messing around when they named this mascara; it indeed lengthens and separates very well, and does so without clumping or smudging. Whenever I wear this mascara I feel like a ’40s film star because it makes my lashes super long. This would get an A but the blue isn’t really that blue. It shows up as black on me. Also, my lashes aren’t super thick, and this formula doesn’t provide enough volume. If you have really thick lashes then you might really love this. Comes in: Rich Black, Deep Blue, Soft Black and Black Brown.

MAC Tips and Tricks: Brushes

March 1st, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

I’m getting so much mileage from the Barbie Loves MAC Seminar I went to a few weeks ago. I finally rifled through the technique folder they gave us and found some cool tips and tricks pages. Here are the best tips from the page for brushes:

Tips and Tricks: Brushes

When choosing brushes consider the following…

Firmer fibers tend to deliver a faster application than softer fibers.
Softer fibers tend to offer greater control of color application.
Try applying skincare with brushes for a luxurious experience.
The 190 brush works well for applying masks and moisturizers.
The 194 brush words well with eye cream.
The 180 brush works well to lather shave cream on the face or body.
When dipping brushes into pressed powder products, like eye shadows, do not mash the brush into the pan. This causes breakage of the fibers. It’s better for the brush and more effective to either swipe from side to side or run the brush around in a circle to gather powder.
Try using two brushes for some of those tricky applications, like smokey eyes. Use one brush to pick up and apply the color and the other brush to blend.
When applying makeup, try holding the brush further away from the hair bundle, almost like holding chopsticks. This allows for greater control in application. Not to mention, with the hands out of the way, greater visibility!
Brushes for personal use should be cleaned about once a week. For emollient-based product on the brush use cleanse off oil to emulsify and then brush cleanser to clean and condition.
If after makeup application you find it necessary to throw your brushes in the bag before cleaning, be sure to store the brushes you used for liquid or cream products separately from the ones used for powder products, to avoid the cream dirtying the other brushes. And if using the same bag for both, try wrapping the brushes for cream products in plastic wrap or a tissue before tossing them in the bag. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Face Brush Review – 182 Buffer Brush

February 27th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

Do you love MAC brushes as much as I do?

Product: MAC 182 Buffer Brush
Use: For application of loose powder, pressed powder and pigment
Price: $45.00
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

I know, I know — $45 for one stinkin’ brush? For $45 dollars at the MAC counter you can get 3 eye shadows, or 3 Lipglasses or even 15 pencil sharpeners! If you wear powder every day, then consider investing in this brush. Save your pennies, wait until you get a gift card, or even ask a friend who is a MAC artist buy one for you and then pay her/him back, because this brush will become a staple in your collection.

I was lucky enough to get the 182 Buffer Brush as a Christmas gift from my beautiful and talented sister-in-law, who is a MAC makeup artist. The brush has a short, fat handle and a full dome made out of goat hair bristles.

And who knew that goat hair could feel so soft? The 182 bristles feel silky and dense, and when you apply product the brush feels like velvet on your skin. You can use this brush to apply loose powder, pressed powder and pigments, and I’ve found it to be pretty much a fool-proof brush. Even if I mistakenly overload it with powder, as long as I dilute the powder (by either tapping the brush or blowing off the excess) the 182 gives smooth, even application.

I use the 182 Buffer Brush with MAC Select Sheer Loose Powder in NC 30, MAC Couture Sheer Mystery Pressed Powder in Dark and MAC Blot Pressed Powder in Medium Dark.

If I use Select Sheer Loose Powder, I open up the powder jar, tap some powder onto the lid, gently dip the 182 brush into the powder on the lid, and either tap brush handle on the side of the powder jar or blow on the brush to dilute excess powder.

If I use it with Couture Sheer Mystery Pressed Powder or Blot Pressed Powder, I gently swirl the 182 in the compact, and then tap the handle or blow off the excess powder.

I like powder to look light and sheer, so I use a light touch as I apply the powdered 182 brush to my face in a circular, buffing motion.

If it weren’t for the steep price I’d give this brush an A. Plus, if you keep your brushes in a brush roll, you may have to store the 182 in a separate cosmetic case when you travel because of the short handle.

MAC Eye Makeup Review: Club Eye Shadow

February 26th, 2007 by Karen 1 Comment

Product: MAC Club Eye Shadow
Use: Eye shadow and liner
Price: $14.00 for a pan
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Oh, boy! I could write odes, sonnets and volumes upon volumes on the wonders of Club, one of my holy grail MAC eye shadows, but I’ll spare ya and get down to business.

Club eye shadow came into my MAC collection as one of the shadows in the Holiday 2006 Smoked Eyes Palette. At first glance, it’s kind of dirty looking and scary. It reminded me of oily puddles in the middle of the road on a rainy day — black, gray, green and blue at the same time. I didn’t think I’d be able to wear it at all.

Once I got it on my eyes, though? Wow. Club shows up on my lids as a brown with flashes of green and blue. Pretty, multi-dimensional and versatile.

I wear it toned down during the day by using it in the crease with MAC’s 224 Blending Brush, or on the lid with MAC’s 252 Large Shader Brush. For nights out, I get a sultrier look by wetting the 252 brush and packing the color down on the lid or using it as a liner with a wet 266 Small Angle Brush, and I’ll often pair it with MAC Ricepaper, Vex, Malt and Soba eye shadows.

Club is a must for any MAC addict who loves smokey eyes!

P.S. This was one of the very first posts ever on Makeup and Beauty Blog. It’s from back in Feb. of 2007, so it’s quite old, but I still like Club just as much now (Feb. 2014) as I did back then.

MAC Green Gel Cleanser

February 26th, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

Product: MAC Green Gel Cleanser
Use: Facial cleanser
Price: $21.00 for 5 oz.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B (Update as of 3/1/07: I’m changing this rating to a “C” because I accidentally got some cleanser in my eyes, and it hurt like hell! Not ideal for sensitive eyes.)

This morning I tried one of the samples I received from the Barbie Loves MAC seminar last week, MAC’s Green Gel Cleanser.

The website describes it as a foaming, soap-free, hydrating cleanser with extracts of cucumber and algae.

This cleanser smells good! — light and fresh like cut grass in the summer. The texture is nice too. It’s thin without being too sticky.

I did feel like I had to use a lot of it to get a foamy consistency. And after I dried my face, my skin felt a little tight, but that could be also due to the fact that it’s been very cold and windy, so my skin is drier than usual. I think my oily skin would like this cleanser during the warmer summer months though.

Green Gel Cleanser reminds me of Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel, so if you are a fan of that cleanser, you might like this too.