Play! by Sephora: August

Woo another month of PLAY-ing, and i was a little happier with this month's box than last! 

So that's definitely cool, the theme was 'The Eye Openers' and the bag is adorable (just like last month) with this 'Wink Outside the Box' catchphrase.

I'm still in love with these little posters that come with it highlighting all the products–they're just too damn cute. And I also appreciate the way they do explain a little more about the product if you don't already know what it is.
Luckily this month there's only one item i've used in the past (and still use every day, which is a little disappointing cuz it's once again something that's been out forever), so i'll start with that:
Perversion Mascara.

Perversion is seriously the BEST mascara. I talked about it more on my mascara blog HERE, but ultimately it's my go-to even though it's not waterproof for several reasons. My eyes are ridiculously sensitive and putting mascara on always makes my lashes fall out, but not this one. My eyes also usually feel irritated with mascara, BUT NOT THIS ONE. And finally, they just look so good. Perversion is super black, goes on so easily and smooth, doesn't get all spidery, and lasts all day without smudging under the eyes. it's truly the best of the best. UD nailed it with this one. If they could just make a waterproof version that's just as perfect, that would be swell.
$22 1/1 (1/1 cuz it's a great product, not that i'm thrilled it's in the box)

Lancome Énergie de Vie The Smoothing & Glow Boosting Liquid Moisturizer:
I'd never used a liquid gel moisturizer before, so this was an interesting experience. It's supposed give a 'dewy glow' as it 'energizes, refreshes, protects, and hydrates' and be good for all skin types. I'm normal (according to the Kiehl's skin test), and not really knowing how to use this I watched the video on sephora and it gave me some cool tips- like putting a couple drops on a Beauty Blender to blend out foundation. it actually was pretty awesome, and helped my makeup blend in much smoother and quickly, and i felt that less was absorbed into the blender as well. I'm still on the fence about that whole 'dewy' complexion thing, but i really enjoyed how light this moisturizer was and how nicely it helped my foundation. It also says to pat it on after washing your face, but i only do that at night and have a swell nightly moisturizer, so i think this will be awesome to keep using with makeup. I might try it lieu of primer though and see how other foundation with other applications work. but overall this is a win.
$55 2/2

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Eye Lifting Balm:
I'm all about preventative skin care, so I'm always a big fan of eye creams, and have been hearing a lot about how Resveratrol is the new 'it' anti-aging ingredient, so it's nice to finally try something with it. This balm is a little different, in that the texture is more of a gel than a cream, definitely 'balm' like, and didn't burn my eyes in the SLIGHTEST which is major cuz even my nice Lancome creams burn to a certain extent. This is also unique in that it can be used around the mouth, and it differs from the night version of the cream in that that one is for the 'contours' of the face, like jawline and cheekbones. And also this eye balm can be used morning and night, instead of being specifically for evening time. I'm down for it though, i haven't noticed a visible difference yet, but my eyes were nice as soft the morning after using, no dryness by crows feet, and less noticeable dark circles than usual, so again, i consider this a win.
$62 3/3

Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow Eyeshadow and Powder Blush:
So after loving those new MUFE lipsticks so hard, it's exciting to get another tester from the brand, but i have to admit i'm not a big fan of single eyeshadows. it really has nothingto do with quality and everything to do with i hate using singles! I just like to use a palette and use all the nie coordinating colors together, and having to reach for a whole bunch of different singles is just too much work for me. But this color was nice, it worked fine, and blended with the Sephora brand pencil really well so it was a really easy kind of pinky smoky look. The formula was nice, so I'd definitely be down to try their palettes, but just a single isn't for me.
$21 4/4 (again, entirely based on quality, not the usefulness for me)

Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil:
Ok, when it comes to eyeliner i am definitely a liquid girl as opposed to pencil, but pencil can definitely have its place in the routine as far as getting that nice blended color toward the lash line and serving as a bas for eyeshadow, and this eyeliner delivers. I've always used UD's 24/7 pencils (when i use pencil) and i might even go as far as saying this works just as well (for half the price!). it doesn't dry as quickly too, which is a good and bad thing, there's more time for it to smudge before setting, but that means there's also more time to purposefully smudge it. i smudge when i use these anyway, so this works for me. I don't think i would personally actively seek a pencil out, but it is nice to know that one more of Sephora's own brand works fab.
$10 5/5

Clean Reserve Blonde Rose:
This is one of the most interesting scents I've experienced. It's funny, cuz i haven't been interested in perfume samples ever, but since getting these boxes my tune has really changed. I think actual perfume brands (as opposed to designer fragrances) really nail scents down. I've actually been getting more and more excited for the perfume samples even, and it's been really fun to try all these new scents, and they have such interesting combinations. This one in particular was described as evoking a relaxing bubble bath, which it totally does! I get torn between loving it and feeling like it smells like soap my grandma uses, but the scent seems to change over time. Also I love on this packaging how it talks about other scents it pairs with as well as what's in it and a little more info, which is actually pretty helpful.
$90 6/6 (I actually wound up not liking this fragrance over time, but i really liked that it was something new and different)

OMG, is this real life?? I actually enjoyed this whole box. While i really wish it included newer products and brands (so i can avoid getting staples like Perversion) it is definitely so SO much more impressive than last month. And also, i feel like they should really give better quality samples too, and include a few more full size items. Like the eye pencil i feel like should have been full size for sure, because even Ipsy included like one full size product each month, and their boxes are not top tier. But either way, i'm still going to continue. This is only my fourth box, and the one immediately before i started sounded rad, so i'm holding out hope for the future ones. it's always so much fun to try new things

SaveSave

Contour-tastic!

Since I'm a little on the thicker side, only makes sense I'd want to make my face look a little thinner, so I've totally gotten on this contour train.

Left: no foundation! no contour! Right: Eve Lom foundation, contour using UD Naked Skin concealer and Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette. Same Lighting, Same day, just before face makeup and after.

I figured I'd go over a few palettes I've tried as well as go into other options I've used.

I typically use a variety of things, starting with a primer (i use several different ones), followed by foundation base (either Eve Lom or Lancome Ultra Teint which i review in another post), then 2 shades lighter UD Naked Skin Weightless Concealer as a base highlight, my contour color Lancome stick, then the Shade and Light palette, followed by a couple different UD Afterglow Blushes (darker/lighter to build depth), the finish with a translucent light diffusing powder. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour (Light):

After hearing so many good things about Anastasia contour palettes, I gave this one a go cuz it has so many good attributes. The colors are customized to fair skin, each color can be replaced when out, and cream is great for beauty blender use (my bff). This however fell short of my hopes as after putting on my foundation and everything, not using foundation, using foundations and concealers, nothing could get these colors to show up on my skin. I might as well have not bothered putting it on. Also I truly couldn't tell the difference between any of the contour colors themselves, along with the fact that when scraping the surface, they turned out to be much darker colors than they appeared. Although that didn't make them show up any better. It was just hard to figure out what I was getting here.

Kat Von D's Shade and Light powder palette:

This is totally worth some hype. I will say this is definitely buildable color though, so it's not a dramatic difference with one sweep, but it does look super seamless over liquid foundation. I really love this, the colors work super well for my skin tone and the ability to build is really great to avoid super dark or light areas. It looks so much better than the Anastasia cream palette, and it lasts over the day better as well. I am so happy i traded in my cream palette for this.

Since I've discussed primers, foundation, and blushes in other posts, I'm gonna skip on to concealer. I've used a few over the years, but nothing is really worth mentioning except the UD Naked Skin Weightless Coverage Concealer. It's liquid as opposed to a stick, and I am in love. It blends so well!! I use this for my cream highlight before putting the powder on, and it really brightens things up without looking out of place. I personally don't use the darker colors for my contour as I prefer other options, but I do love the texture and blendability of these. Seriously though, make sure you're going two shades off your color, as most brands alternate warm and cool undertones. So if you're warm, stick with warm contour and highlights, same for if you're cool (or neutral). 

Dat Contour Tho

Lancôme foundation, Kat Von D palette, Matt Blackmail lipstick from UD layered over Blackmail liner, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer and Brow Dip in Graphite and Ash Brown respectively, UD 24/7 Concealer Stick to help define brow edges, Afterglow Blushes in Video, Rapture, and Fetish, Benefit High Brow, Melt Cosmetics Love Sick Eyeshadow stack, MUG eyeshadows in Creme Brûlée and Bitten, UD Super Saturated Cream Eyeliner, and Lancôme Grandiose mascara over UD Subversion Lash Primer. Whew!

Whole look inspired by an Ahitsrosa tutorial here. 

E V E L O M & other fun things

So I've been eyeing this brand for a bit after I tried out a sample and totally needed it in my life, so I finally bit the bullet and bought some of this cream cleanser I've heard so many good things about from Eve Lom. First off, this shit is expensive. Like, it's a cleanser and sizes range from $50-135, but it's also been the number one selling cleanser in the UK for the past 17 years straight. So ok, I'll give it a shot... And look at all the swag I got with it! I also joined the Space.NK shindig at bloomies for all the rewards, cuz i'm obviously a sucker who is easily duped by shiny things and rewards.

So many freaking samples!!! (One of those is even a foundation, which I'll talk about in another post cuz I've been going foundation crazy lately)

So first things first, I'm going to start with the eye cream that I got as a sample. I normally use Lancôme Absolue Eye Premium cream every night before bed (not the actual night cream, just regular type) and it's pretty magnificent. No complaints and my eyes have been better for it. So comparing this to that is a no brainier, cuz unfortunately this Eve Lom stuff burned the shit out of my eyes. Like firey beacons of pain that won't stop watering holy shit it is hellfire. So no. This is so a no for me. I know this brand is esthetician tested for sensitive skin and the cleanser totally didn't do this, but damn. The eye cream is Not my jam. 

This cleanser is where it's at though. Like holy crap dude, my skin felt like angels. The heavens opened up and there was a choir of songs kind of soft. I woke up, and it wasn't greasy, just moisturized, amazing skin. I had to remind myself constantly not to touch it, cuz that's all I wanted to do. It's kind of interesting stuff, cuz you rub it into your skin really well, get it all melty, then slowly work it into the eyes, getting all the makeup. My eyes didn't burn even a little. It was heaven. Then you take your Muslin cloth with warm water and pat your face, letting it steam up a little, repeat that three times, then wipe off all the cleanser and makeup, finishing by wiping with cold water to close your nice clean pores. 

So far so good, I'll keep posted on it cuz my skin is so sensitive, I could see this as being an overstimulant and my face breaking out as a result. But it's already decently broken out cuz stress. So we shall see!

Next up- moisturizer! The Radiance Lift Cream is reallyreally nice man. So I always moisturized after a shower to restore pH balance as if I don't, my skin over-compensates and produces WAY too much oil. I typically use Benefits moisturizer, and it really is wonderful...but this might actually be better. It smells like rose oil, absorbs into the skin almost instantly, and isn't oily At All. Ugh, my skin feels So Good. I can't even get over it. It's like how good my skin feels after the cleanser (which I just use at night to take off makeup, it's not my shower face cleanser. So complicated) and I might wind up buying this shit too. My skin just feels so ridiculously hydrated. It's unbelievable. 

There's even Sunscreen! Now, I am really into sunscreen, especially for my face cuz I am pale as death. Buuuut this made me break out! No idea why, it's supposed to be non-comedogenic, but I was not totally broken out before I put on the sunscreen, didn't wear anything else on my face, and by the end of the day and the next day I was totally pimply like All Over. I don't even understand. But will not be doing that again cuz now I have to like hardcore cold turkey detox on my skin before I can go back to the regular regimen. So bummed, cuz the texture is so nice and absorbs so well, totally not greasy at all. if it doesn't break you out, get on this shiz.

And finally, the moisture mask. So this is pretty intense. I waited to use it til after a shower and my skin had been dry for a bit, so this was also post-using the Cure cleaner (discussed in my past skincare post) which runs off all the dead skin. So my face really could use a serious drink of water. 

That being said, it's pretty interesting and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet. It comes out in a viscous cloudy gel, and you smear it on pretty thick. It's not really a run in kind of material. So my skin was pretty sticky. You're supposed to leave it on 10-15 mins and then wipe off excess, so after doing that my face still felt a little tacky. But after waking up in the morning, I haven't broken out, my skin is soft, and it doesn't feel oily. So overall, this might actually be a pretty solid product when Serious moisturizing is needed, especially cuz my skin started to get a bit greasy around 4pm. Otherwise I'm still all about that other Eve Lom moisturizer.

I'd also love to try the blemish cream, but that'll be another day.

My first group of other brand samples is something called Goldfaden MD. 

Energizing Eye Cream:

So this doesn't burn or anything, but I feel like it didn't do anything either and definitely didn't absorb into the skin. If I'm supposed to put this on in the morning I don't really understand how I'm also supposed to wear eyeshadow. It's got a texture that's super watery so a teeny bit goes a super long way, but I'm also not seeing the point to it. The most painful part of this for me, if I don't mind spending money on skin care, but it's gotta wow me, and this really didn't :(

Night cream:

This absorbs really quickly and goes on super smoothly, also doesn't irritate, but I did wake up with like way more crusties in my eyes than normal. So this is fine and all, but I still don't feel like it trumps my Lancôme Absolue. Another painfully expensive one i just wish would do a lot for me.

On to a new brand R+Co! Oh hai color shampoo and conditioner. Go to the link and look at that packaging! It's so pretty 😍😍😍 (I might buy it on packaging alone)

This stuff smells delicious. I love it. I don't feel like it stripped my color, and I feel like the conditioner was nice and thick, but I think I'd be ok with just the shampoo, as I prefer Overtone12 color conditioners. But this wouldn't be bad to do occasionally. And the shampoo even helped my hair be super duper soft (i tried my nomal conditioner with another shampoo and then with this one and there was clearly a winner in the softness category).

Something else I tried was their Death Valley Dry Shampoo, which while successful, still didn't blow me away. It is however a nice substitute until i get the real dry shampoo mate to my heart, Kevin Murphy, shipped to me. Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair dry shampoo is everything. It smells like heaven, coats my hair evenly so i don't need to spray a ton on, doesn't build up so i can really go a while in between washings, and you can even get every little bit out of it–you're not left shaking the bottle and feeling product that won't spray out. It. Is. Everything.

ok last brand of samples– Miriam Quevedo:

I only used a couple things here, but first up Caviar Intense Anti-Aging Luxe Masque! I definitely enjoyed this. it gave me a nice boost of moisture without having to use my Olaplex treatment, and it's not greasy! which i feel like is the hardest thing for me to find. I really want to use this all the time. It just feels like it's giving my hair a happy little hug of softness.

Other thing i tried, the Platinum & Diamonds Luxurious Serum:
uggghhhhhh why do i like this so much. my hair felt like magic. almost as soft as coming straight from the salon WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU'RE NOT AN ACTUAL HAIRSTYLIST. omg omg. i know it's pricey ($65) and i just bought a car, but i might have to figure out a way to swing it. my over-treated, heat-damaged, fine, crazy, curly, hair thanks me for this magic.

So moral of the story, go to your local bloomies, find a Space.NK boutique portion of the beauty department, join, and get allll the samples and try ALL the things. you never know, you might find your unicorn of skin care.

It's a foundation party!!

Since I've been getting all the Sephora stuff lately (thank you ebates) and I totally take advantage of all the samples, I've been trying a ridiculous amount of new foundations lately! As this isn't something I normally wear, it's been a work in progress, but I have definitely found some winners.

I typically prefer something really lightweight with a little sun protection, honestly a tinted moisturizer with SPF is about right, but all I'm looking for is evening out my skin tone, and my primers tend to take care of my gigantic pores. 

But first things first, here's what I've tried so far!

Kat Von D's Lock It Liquid foundation:

As much as it looks fab on others and the rave reviews it gets, I'm not a fan. It's definitely a Full Coverage type, and on me it looked super cakey- not a look I'm going for. But it matched super well, which I have a real hard time finding. 

Urban Decay Naked Liquid Foundation:

This has been my go-to for a handful of years now, but I don't love it. It's not a great match even though it's the closest to my actual skin tone. I do however really like how well it blends into the skin, almost looks airbrushed. It's a little heavier than I personally prefer as well, but it Is a great lightweight foundation for medium coverage and it looks so good on so many people. 

Tarte BB Cream:

This I am So not a fan of. My mom tried it, I tried it, I will never go near it again. It's everything wrong with BB creams. Way too thick, like I'm spreading crisco on my face, it's too dark, cakey is an understatement, it shows Every pore in my face and accentuated every blemish. I just can't with this stuff. I truly don't know how people enjoy it. Just my two cents. 

Lancôme teint idole longwear stick foundation:

This is heaven. Definitely my new obsession with nuisance coverage, it can be totally sheer and just even things out or cover what you don't like. It's seriously amazing, and so So light. It's like a mousse that is so soft it almost doesn't exist. It became one with my skin instantly. I bought two- one for my skin tone and one contouring color. I have no regrets. It's everything I've been looking for. The heavens opened and angels sung. This is The One. 

La Roche Posay BB Blur:

I love this skincare brand, I could write sonnets to it. But I do not love this product. The color didn't match well and it looked cakey despite the light mousse texture. I have it to someone who did however enjoy it, who felt it was a nice summer coverage option when they use a more full coverage product in general. 

La Roche Posay Anthelios Tinted sunscreen:

No. Too heavy and dark, it was again a BB cream type heavy thick product that didn't have any of the things I love about this brand. Also gave to someone who appreciates full coverage products. It also totally smelled like sunscreen, which I never enjoy in products. 

Eve Lom foundation:

So... I actually love this. Definitely for special occasion my-skin-needs-to-be-flawless type things, not every day. It's fuller coverage than I'm used to, but it's so Smooth! You barely have to use any to look amazeballs. It blended so well too! Like omg I don't even understand. It's Great. Ugghhh now I have to buy more foundation. Cuz I think I need this in my life. 

Armani Maestro Foundation:

This is a really nice foundation. It really is. It's not a Perfect match for my skin, but it's lightweight, not cakey at all, and blends in So well. My only issue with it is the color and I feel like it emphasized the lines on my forehead a little too much. Like it's almost noticeable that I'm wearing something. But if it matches you, it is Super nice. It's light for a full coverage, and it just sinks into your skin. One more thing I don't love though, is it kind of disappears over the course of the day. Like its there in the morning, and by the time I'm cleaning my fave at night it's gone. So not amazingly long-lasting.

Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation:
This is pretty interesting in that it's definitely the lightest foundation i've experienced– it kind of almost has a watery consistency. It goes on super sheer, so it can definitely be built upon, my qualm with it is that it didn't seem to do much with one go. I would have to actually build it in order for it to even things out, and then it does have color, but i would compare it more to like the 'multiply' setting in photoshop- the areas that are darker show up, but anything lighter than it's going on doesn't show. This in theory might be nice, but the color would have to be an exact match. i don't know, it didn't work for me. In a comparison of light foundations, Eve Lom wins.

Cover | FX Custom Cover drops:

This is something I was super looking forward to trying since it's a buildable coverage that you can blend into anything without changing the texture. But i haven't found a shade that works for my skin tone! so i feel like i can't really speak to their efficacy yet.

Dr. Jart + Premium BB Cream:
Of all the BB Creams I've tried, i think this is the only one I can really get behind. I love the high SPF, it's surprisingly lightweight for a BB cream, and it really does even things out nicely. The nay drawback is how there are only 2 shades, so it isn't a perfect match for skin tone. I also think as far as a real foundation goes, I prefer the Eve Lom option, but this sunscreen can't be beat. so i think if you're going to be in the sun, this could be a really solid option; i definitely feel like when getting hot and a little sweaty, the Lancome stick foundation doesn't hold up as well, but it is still fantastic. so it's kind of one of those things where it's once to have an option for every situation.

I didn't want to include pix with these, cuz how it looks on one person isn't how the texture will look on another, so i figure just descriptions of the products themselves along with what i found with each would work best for reviewing.

This is kind of how my collection is looking right about now, but I swear I always need more!

Bat Those Lashes Baby pt 4

Omg so many new mascaras! Time to do another post! Since my last one I've gathered some more exciting new lash friends and have some new reviews (and colors 😁)

1. TooFaced Better than Sex:
I can see why people like this mascara- it volumizes A Lot. and if my lashes weren't such finicky little bitches, i'd probably like it too, but it irritated my lashes a bunch during the day, and had a fair amount of flakiness, and wound up with a lot of smudging. My eyes pretty much watered on and off all day. But it certainly looks pretty! goes on really easy and has a huge brush so applies a lot of product at once.

2. YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof in Violet:
This is actually a really nice mascara, though it's purple, it hardly shows as another color, and complements my green eyes fairly nice. It's not necessarily anything crazy, like it doesn't lengthen more than anything else, nor curl or thicken, but it goes on smoothly, didn't give as much smudging as other waterproof options, wasn't sticky either, and didn't bother my fickle eyes all day. so it's definitely a solid waterproof option.

3. Armani Black Ecstasy:
Damn baby! yes. i fully approve of this mascara. it's so black! and it went on over my primer super well. didn't flake all day, and i didn't notice any smudging, the only dark under my eyes is the darkest  of circles. Looks so nice :) i can def get behind this as a daily mascara.

And two more primers!
1. They're Real Tinted Primer:
Ok I love They're Real mascara, and this primer really holds up. The brush glided through my lashes and separated them better than the mascara even does, so it's definitely a solid primer option. It might have even replaced Subversion as my fave. Largely because it's even tinted! this is awesome cuz I can put it on my lower lashes and don't need to use a full black mascara to do that. also, for how much grief my lashes generally give me, this was great. no problems all day. And these pix below are with just primer, no mascara on top :)

2. Lancome Cils Booster XL:
I really don't love this primer, for how much I love Lancome as a whole, it doesn't really help my mascara out, it doesn't apply easily, and it feels lumpy on my lashes. i've used this one in the past, and never really got much use out of it. there are just much better options out there.

Woodsy Wedding Weekend

Oh man, it's been a little bit since i've had time to get on here, but being without Internet or reception for 4 days is crazy. It's taking me so long to catch up, you'd think i could get my shit together before now! But anyway, here's what happened. My cousin decided to get married up by Big Bear this past weekend at this nifty summer camp type place in the woods, which was beautiful and remote, freezing and totally removed from civilization called Crazzy's Wasewagon Camp and Retreat. It was a really, really fun weekend, a great time with family, but man is it good to be home.

The entrance to camp...you drive through a stream!

I took a ton of pictures, but basically didn't get any of my makeup or outfit that I was particularly happy with, however bf and i got some pretty good shots in this adorable Photo Booth camper called OhSnap! that was tons of fun. But basically we were there thursday-sunday, the wedding was saturday, and it was the most beautiful ceremony, i cried THE WHOLE time. And we also stayed up past 330am every morning, breakfast was promptly at 930 every morning, so I'm still pretty exhausted. But I will aim to get back up to speed (and maybe do something about this sad lipstick shenanigan. might group them up the same way as mascaras...)!

So sleepy! the man and my baby cousin cuddling.

So anyhow, here's a cascade of photos!

ugh, too cute.

the adorable couple's first dance *sniff sniff*

my favorite meal of the day...

don't know what this was, but we found it nailed into a random tree!

the guest book was so cute, you snap a polaroid and sign next to your pic

hands off ladies, he's taken.

crazy And good with kids?! how did i get so lucky ;)

my baby cousin's mama

can see where the little one gets her cuteness from! She had me do her makeup and was looking oh so fine. Used UD Vice3, Pore Primer, Brow box (lighter colors), liquid Naked foundation, Naked Flushed and Revolution Lipgloss in 69

the grandparents/parents and so forth wedding pix on both sides of the family (the big b&w one on the far right is my grandma and grandpa)

and here's like the only iffy pic of my makeup. I went a little crazy...
I did a quick, sloppy of Ahitsrosa's tutorial here (one of my fave's) and all products are in that, brow box, brow tamer, Afterglow blush in Rapture and Fetish, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer, Naked Flushed, pore primer, Lancome's Visionnaire, Dr. Jart + Premium BB Cream, Lime Crime Wicked Velvetine, Naked Concealers (2 shades lighter/darker), Perversion mascara (risky move considering all the tears), Subversion lash primer... and i think that's it! (maybe)

And I totally forgot! Look at these rad nails. LOOK AT THEM. They matched my toes, dress, and shoes. Love. Thank you Glo!

Bat Those Lashes Baby pt. 3

Moving on to another mascara group, here's Lancome!

I definitely did not get through all of their mascaras, but i will update as I do wind up trying the rest of their line. I used to use Definicils and original Hypnose way back in the day, but they were never my favorites, so I revisited the brand trying a few newer options.

1. Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes:

so Mascara isn't the easiest thing for me to photograph (obviously), but i have here with eyeliner and without, with Subversion lash primer under the mascara in each picture on the left side only. Clearly there isn't a huge difference between one eye and the other, but it is a slight difference in look and a huge difference in feel. currently my eye without the primer is driving me crazy while the one with is totally fine and I can forget i'm even wearing mascara.

I don't feel that this is necessarily any more doll-like than any other mascara I have, but the wand is pretty nice, it kind of cone-shaped, so it's easier to get in there and really directly place mascara on every lash, even the tricky to reach spots. I feel like my eyelashes don't curl very easily either, so they need a little love to convince them to go upwards, and even then it's not a guarantee they'll stay that way.

2. Lancôme Hypnose Drama Waterproof:

So this is after a Spin Class, and you can see it's a bit smudgy after getting all sweaty, and it was definitely starting to irritate my eyes and flake a little bit. But it's still Hypnose, so it looks decent and shows up even past my eye makeup. It's got a more traditional brush wand, with a kind of wavy pattern, so it's not necessarily my favorite, but it's always good to have some waterproof mascaras on hand, and Lancome is a decent brand. I think in a direct comparison I'd probably prefer Cannonball to this, largely due to the ease of Cannonball's wand and how my lashes really fan out with it.

3. Lancôme Grandiose:

So this is kind of a cool mascara, it looks suuuuper long in person, and even makes it so my lashes kind of touch my glasses. It's got this nifty wand that' supposed to be like a 'swan neck' so it's al bendy and easy to work with. Plus the applicator itself is thin, so it hits every lash really well. it does load up the mascara so your lashes feel pretty thick, and you have to comb them out pretty quick otherwise it gets kind of spidery. But it's a solid option for a little quick dealio, and i always like the rubber spiky applicators, so that's like the only thing it has over Perversion, which I do still like better, even though this hits the little corner lashes pretty well

Bat Those Lashes Baby pt. 2

So much Urban Decay!!! Omgggg
I tried every mascara UD has to offer (and even a couple they don't anymore) and threw in a NYX at the end there too for good measure.

1. UD Perversion:

I actually love this mascara and it's become my go-to for several reasons: it's not very dramatic so easy for everyday, it glides on better than most, you don't have to work to coat every lash (which is great during the morning rush), it doesn't irritate my eyes even without primer, and it doesn't even flake off very easily or smudge. 

It definitely gives a nice boost to any makeup look and it's by far my most needed mascara. If I could only have one mascara, this would be it.

2. UD Big Fatty:

So tons of people at work swear by Big Fatty. Like totally devoted. I guess my lashers do look nice and thick, like a little more than the usual, and they're really fanned out, but they're def not as long as a lot of other options so don't show up with my eyes open and eyeliner on as well as other mascaras also. Another thing I don't love is that this mascara feels super heavy upon putting it on and really irritated my eyes for a long time until it was totally dry. So in this case, if you don't have sensitive eyes, and are looking for a thickening mascara, this is actually a really great option. 

The applicator on this wand is really pretty interesting though, it's basically a uniform cylindrical shape, pretty thick and long, with very short spikes to catch the lashes. I found this to make it a little more difficult to get the little hairs in the inner and outer corners. Also, I felt like despite the fanning that occurred, it was a little harder to get a uniform amount of product on each lash. So overall it's not one of my favorites ever, but it does look nice, probably just a little more caters to certain preference as opposed to an all around product. 

3. UD Supercurl:

Ok this is definitely a super easy, wear any day kind of mascara. The wand has a nicely curved applicator with different lengthed rubber spikes to really catch each lash and deposit some color on. It grabs the lashes so well even, this is a good mascara when in a rush cuz I didn't  even feel like I needed to comb them through when I was done. Omg, losing a step in the makeup routine?? Crazy.

So if I were to compare this directly to any mascara, it would be Benefit's Roller Lash, as that's another self-proclaimed curling mascara. They have very similar attributes and applicators, but they have the edge over the other in different ways. Supercurl really doesn't bother me the whole day- I really forgot I had mascara on and it was super lightweight, more so than Roller Lash. Where Roller Lash wins though, is definitely on length- my lashes definitely looked longer than with Supercurl. But there are photos on here for both, so you be the judge of which is better. 

4. UD Cannonball:

I love using waterproof mascaras for several reasons, but mostly cuz my eyes water like all the time, and my skin gets sweaty in summer and working out so its a lot easier to kee things looking good when waterproof. Cannonball is UD's only waterproof option (though I really hope there's a w/p Perversion in our future) and it really is a solid option at that. 

For being a waterproof mascara as its claim to fame, I feel like it does a really good job of really fanning out the lashes. The wand's applicator isn't my favorite, but it is a little interesting, as it's the classic bristle type brush, just with very short bristles to create a thin straight applicator. 

The only negative to this mascara is how it smudges underneath my eyes a little bit. The pic above is post shower so I could see just how waterproof it is, and it def flaked off a little bit. I will say it definitely doesn't show up with eye makeup as much as some of the others on this list, but I like how light it feels, and is non-irritating even without Subversion on underneath.

5. Lush Lash:

So UD doesn't carry Lush Lash anymore, but i know other countries still do, and it's kind of a nice mascara. it fans the lashes out really well and has good staying power, and i have coworkers who absolutely love it. It's just not my favorite. The applicator is nice, just the way i like it with the spiky rubber bristles, and it goes on really easy, but even though it's super light, it tends to get a little brittle and feels stiff imo. But look how long those lashes look! so this is another instance of having your own preferences.

On the bottom lashes in the pic above, I have NYX Color Mascara in Mint Julep from Ulta. This is kind of a super fun mascara. I do a lot of bluey-green looks, and this mascara gives just a little pop of fun, it makes me kind of want all the colors they offer. the applicator is really easy to use on bottom lashes too, as it's a teeny tiny skinny wand that easily hits all those little baby lashes without too much trouble. plus it doesn't bug my eyes, which is another plus entirely.