Clarins multi-active early wrinkle correction cream

I received a sample of this luxurious moisturizer from Sephora.  I really love it! The only thing that would make it better is SPF.  The sent is so light and fresh.  The cream goes on smooth and plumps fine lines.  It leaves skin soft and never flaky and not at all oily.  Great stuff!  I'd love to try the night cream. 

Cheap makeup lovers!

If you're like me, pretty makeup packaging temps you more than the makeup itself.  I have a gorgeous Mac eye palette that I will never throw away. Most of my makeup is high end, but I have ventured out and tried a few cheap ones.

My favorite foundation isn't cheap, but I have found that Revlon Colorstay is a cheaper alternative that I like almost as much.  If the color matches you this is my top drugstore foundation pick. 

e.l.f cosmetics is the cheapest makeup you can find and some of the products are surprisingly good. The makeup brushes are pretty good starting at $1.  My favorite product of theirs is the waterproof eyeliner pen $1.  I like each color!  It is like a felt tip marker and it stays on my eyes all day without flaking.  Pretty remarkable for $1.  They also have a good $3 eye primer, it is mineral eyeshadow primer.  I have used it and recommend it if you don't want to spend $18 on a better one.  Their $1 tweezers are remarkable.  They work almost as well as my tweezerman.  They are great for eyebrows, but also for your first aid kit.   For $6 you can get their studio high definition powder which is almost as good as my $30 favorite can't live without Make up For ever HD powder from Sephora.   I also like their studio makeup remover wipes $3.  I have tried their eyeshadows and don't like them much.  They are really small and go on light. 

Place an order by 6-28 and you get 50% mineral makeup and $1.98 Shipping.  Usually their shipping is $7.  eyeslipsface.com

The other cheap makeup I think is totally fine to buy is cheap mascara, especially clear mascara for your brows.  e.l.f has one that is gloopy, but works.  I like Maybelline Great lash- clear.

Maybe someday I will convert to drugstore makeup- who am I kidding, I will always be a Sephora addict!  I waited in line an hour just to get in the store the day it opened and another 45 mins to buy something, I even saw myself on the news waiting in that long line.  I loved every minute of it. And I will forever be won over by pretty packaging. 

Korres Abyssinia Oil Volumizing Mascara Review

I have been using this mascara for months now.  I bought a few tubes of it back when my eyes all of a sudden were sensitive to everything.  I also bought this brand of eye shadows.  My eyes would water and would get a rash- It was almost the end of my life!  I thought I wouldn't be able to wear makeup any more and  might as well die.  Then I tried Korres and Tarte products because they are made with all natural ingredients.  Slowly my problem got better and now I can wear whatever.  Lucky me.  It could have also been the new Meds I started the same time it occurred. 

This mascara it great!  It moisturizes your lashes and coats them easily and beautifully.  The brush is tiny, so it's easy to maneuver.   It stays put and doesn't fake. 

  Verdict:  Great volumizing mascara made with natural ingredients that do not irritate sensitive eyes. 

Tarte 4 day stay lash stain review

I had surgery this week and haven't been wearing makeup.  I decided to put on just a little mascara and this is the one I tried.  Wow, it does NOT come off!  The formula is very wet and easily coated my top and bottom lashes of both eyes without having to dip the wand again.  It did not leave flakes around my eyes- good.  I washed my face before bed and it didn't budge.  Shower in the morning- still on. Wow, by the end of the second day it is still on.  A few of my lashes aren't fully coated, but it's definitely on.  It's bugging me, I need to see if I can get it off.  I use my Purity face wash and it doesn't budge.  I heavily scrub it with two different eye makeup removers and manage to get some of it off, but not all.  Now I wish I would have just left it on and let it wear off by itself.  I just always wash my makeup off, so I couldn't stand to leave it there.  But I think this stuff is cool.  I would totally wear this before camping or swimming or somewhere I wouldn't normally wear makeup.  Pretty awesome stuff. Also it's made of all natural ingredients so it should not bother most eyes.  I had a month I could only wear natural organic makeup or my eyes would water and get rashes.  This is a great brand for that as well as Korres. 

Verdict:  Has amazing staying power.  Truly lasts for days without flaking or smudging.  All natural ingredients- plus!  Great pick for the no fuss girl who will put it on once and leave it for days. 

Cargo LashActivator

I bought this one a while ago when Sephora had it on sale for $5.  I really don't like it at all.  I would have been mad if I paid $20 original price.  It's the plastic brush that I don't like.  The bristles are spaced too far apart and the brush is really long.  I just don't like the look it gives my particular lashes and they look worse if I keep coating them.  If I'm going to wear this mascara, like I did today.  I like it best with one or two small swipes.  It does last all day and doesn't flake, so that is good. 

Verdict:  Not on my top 10 list.  The plastic brush doesn't grab each lash and gives lashes a really stiff sharp look. 

Rimmel Eye Magnifier mascara review

This mascara is for sure better than the Max Volume Flash Mascara.  I liked the way my lashes looked.  They were longer and thicker.  This has a wet formula and a plastic brush which really helped separate the lashes and made applying it simple.  It's lasts as well as my high end mascaras.  I do feel like my lashes feel more brittle and less supple with these cheaper mascaras. When compared side by side to Urban Decay's skyscraper and Cargo lashactivator, all with plastic brushes, I liked Decay's the best, it went on the smoothest with the cleanest look.  With that said, it was a minimal difference.  For cheap version I would buy this one.

Verdict: Cheap mascara worthy of wearing!  It adds volume and length and looks beautiful.  Lasts all day with minimal flaking. 

My suggestion would be to buy this mascara and also a product that works as well as RapidLash worked for me.  RapidLash will give you long lashes and this is cheap enough for you to save for RapidLash.

Rimmel Max volume flash Mascara Review

I chose this because I needed to review a drugstore mascara and this brand was on sale. 
Is it worth it to spend money on mascara, or buy cheaper drugstore versions?  The more mascaras I try the more I wonder.

This mascara seems good enough.  It gets the job done and it lasts all day, with only minimal flaking.  Not enough to leave smudges.  The formula is quite wet and it has a traditional brush.  Which makes it easy to apply and takes less coats.  I think I prefer drier formulas so I can coat them more naturally. What I didn't love was it made my lashes clump together at the tips.  I like a more separated lash look- just my preference.

Verdict:  For $7 a tube this is absolutely worth the price.   I have liked Hourglass and Laura Mercier mascaras the best so far, but they are 3 times the cost.  

Fresh Supernova mascara review

 This went on beautifully, My lashes looked long and lush.  I only wore mascara  and after a few hours I had black smudges under my eyes.  I know it wasn't my eyeliner or eyeshadow because I wasn't wearing any.  I wiped it off and still had raccoon eyes later.  I did put it on my lower lashes because I have been doing that with all the mascara's I have been reviewing. By the end of the day my lower lashes did not have much mascara on them.

Verdict:  Gives lashes a long thick look, but by the end of the day it smudges underneath the eyes. 

"I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living"

And now my dream is coming true! 

Sephora is opening tomorrow!!! 
at Fashion Place mall 

Laura Mercier building mascara Review

I like this one a lot!  It looks better than Smashbox DNA for sure.  It builds and thickens.  It is a deep shiny black.  The brush is easy to use, not to big and awkward. When compared to BADgal it is shinier and thicker.  It goes on with fewer swipes.  It depends on the look you like, BADgal is more separated and Matte.  Both lengthen equally.  It is so similar to Hourglass.  The formula is about the same, the brush is a little bigger, but the look is the same.  I put one on each eye and could not tell a difference.  I also put it on without curling my lashes and it brought them up.  It builds easily and doesn't get spidery.  Great staying power without flaking.

Verdict:  Great mascara!  A top pick for sure!  It easily builds lashes so they are longer and thicker.

Smashbox DNA mascara

This is interesting mascara . . . I didn't think I liked the brush as I was using it because it is so awkward.  The tip is really square and big, it doesn't taper like every other brand I have used.  I did fine applying it, but I can see how people with less skill could get it all over.  The formula is wetter than the Hourglass, Urban decay, and Benefit brands I tried so far.  I was able to use one dip to coat both lashes.  I dipped it once and then moved the brush several times over my lashes.   I thought it gave my lashes a more winged look. So maybe the brushes strange shape helped.  What I didn't like about the look it gave was it clumped the base of the lashes together.  I like more separation. I had a few flecks under my eyes before bed, but barely. 

Verdict:  Good mascara for thickening and giving your lashes a winged look.  The brush is awkward and bulky.   Not my favorite because of how it clumps the lashes together.