I have been using the products I ordered for a couple weeks now, and I have got to share this amazing product - Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base! When I used it the first time, I was instantly impressed by the result. I've never liked mascara base too much since what I had tried were always too wet and could not hold my lash curl. But this one is amazing. It is a very dry formula. In fact, when you put it on, it feels like nothing is going on your lashes. But if you turn your head around and let your lashes catch the light, you will see that they are covered in this very light white film. It sets in no time, and then your curl is held in place perfectly, no matter how many coats of mascara you put on top. It also lengthens your lashes, so after you put on mascara, you will have such a dramatic eye-opening look. It's a MUST product for me now! I'm a big fan of Shiseido, but they've outdone themselves this time!
I also got a cute mascara set - Sephora Favorites Lash Stash To Go. It comes with 5 sample sized mascaras, and a voucher for a full sized one of your choosing after you've tried them out. The whole set only costs $25! Usually a full sized mascara costs around that price anyway. So this one essentially lets you try the 5 samples for free! I love this idea. I wish they would let you make your own box out of all the mascaras they carry haha! I've already been using the Two Faced Better Than Sex mascara so I would have skipped that if I could. But I'm not mad at it either.
I think I've mentioned this before, but I actually like sample size mascaras better than full size. I feel that mascara is one of those things that you don't want to sit around too long. Full sized ones tend to dry out at some point and the rest of the product is wasted. Might as well go for sample sized ones and have a higher turnover so you are always using a fresher product. The small sizes are also easier to carry around!
I think I've mentioned this before, but I actually like sample size mascaras better than full size. I feel that mascara is one of those things that you don't want to sit around too long. Full sized ones tend to dry out at some point and the rest of the product is wasted. Might as well go for sample sized ones and have a higher turnover so you are always using a fresher product. The small sizes are also easier to carry around!
The packaging is cute... all the mascaras are stored in the box and you pull it out like a drawer. The voucher is stored inside of the box lid:
This is such a great idea because you can get to try all 5 mascaras at once. I've been rotating them and using a different one each day. That way you really get to see the difference between them. If you use one at a time until it runs out, you probably won't remember how you felt about the first one you tried - at least I don't. So this really works for me.
If you go to the Sephora site and zoom in on the pictures, you can see that the brush heads are all quite different. Out of the 5, I would say the Lancome Hypnose is the most dramatic. The brush head is slightly curved, which I don't really mind. It goes on rather heavily so even one coat is pretty dark already. If you put on two coats or more though, it does clump! So while I like the dramatic look, I'm not 100% happy with this one.
The Tart Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara is probably the one I would use my full sized voucher for. It is the second most dramatic out of the 5, I think. And it doesn't clump like the Lancome one. However, the brush head is made of hard plastic (similar to the Benefit They're Real mascara brush) and it is pretty easy to poke your eye while applying. It hurts when that happens!
The Jose Maran Argan Black Oil mascara comes in the prettiest tube lol. It has a zig zag kind of brush head. It does not go on super heavily, so I like to put on a couple coats. One day I put it on without the Shiseido mascara base and this mascara dragged down my curl quite a bit. But if I use the base first, I have no such problems at all. I would say this one ties with the Two Faced Better Than Sex mascara, which is to say that they are nothing special. I especially don't like that the Better Than Sex mascara has a fat tip so it's almost impossible to put any on the corners or bottom lashes without it smearing onto your lids.
The Blinc Amplified mascara is not comparable to the others, in my opinion, since it is a tubing mascara. It is the least dramatic look of all 5. So it's good if you want that natural look. And it goes on super smooth - does not clump whatsoever, which I am pretty impressed with. When I had lash extensions on, I used tubing mascaras because they wash off when they come in contact with hot water. You don't need to use makeup remover, so they didn't damage my extensions. That said, this mascara actually does not come off very well with makeup remover. You really just have to use hot water.
I do have to say that my mascara experience with all these mascaras is definitely made better because of the Shiseido base! My bf even asked me if my lashes were real the other day...!!!
In addition to mascaras, I also was in need of a new powder. I had been using the Two Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation (I wear it over BB cream) which I like, but when I use it with one of my BB creams that is a wetter formula, my face gets shiny throughout the day and I'd have to pat it down. I decided to try the Make Up For Ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation since it has great reviews, and is the same exact price as the Two Faced. From reading the reviews, I was afraid the coverage was going to be too high for my liking. But it's actually about the same as the Two Faced, which I would say is medium coverage. I do use a pretty light hand when I apply it though. But this one so far seems to stay matte throughout the day, which is awesome. So I'm pretty happy with it!
I also needed a new blush/bronzer. I've also been using Two Faced bronzer as a blush (Sun Bunny bronzer). I love it but I was intrigued by the BECCA Limited Edition Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Blushed Copper. It has really good reviews, and since it's limited edition, I thought I'd give it a shot. Though it looks like it might be a part of their regular line now. Maybe because of all the good reviews!
I find that it is a suuuuper pigmented product. A little goes a long way. I barely tap my brush in it and sometimes I still think it's too much product as a blush. But it blends easily. If I accidentally put too much on, I just blend it out with my foundation powder. It's a really pretty copper color. It has very subtle shimmer. I like it on me when I don't use too much, however I think it would be drop dead gorgeous on someone with mid to dark skin tone.
I also got the Peter Thomason Roth Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black Mask to try, also because it has great reviews. And I got the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation as one of my 100 point rewards. I haven't used these enough times to have a proper opinion yet. So I'll get back to these later!
