Dior Show Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum

I know! I've been completely MIA for the last few months. Work has been crazy busy and after spending 8 hours writing copy, the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to blog. Sorry! So without rambling on any further, let's talk about Dior Show Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum!

On the Sephora website, this lash plumping serum is described as a lash primer that's supposed to curl and coat each lash to create a smooth and even mascara base. It also totes about having additional nourishing properties that promotes long-term lash growth and strength.
  
In terms of its nourishing properties, I haven't found a real dramatic change, although my lashes do look longer and thicker after application. When you first pull the primer mascara wand out, you will notice white fibers on the brush. These fibers help build length and volume into your lashes. Don't worry about the white fibers sticking to your lashes when you apply, the mascara that you choose after will hide all of that. After a lot of trial and error, I find it works best when you apply mascara while the primer is still wet - this means I do each eye individually - prime one, and then apply mascara right away before moving on to the next eye. This makes the application a lot easier and you won't experience any clumping.

Okay, so let's talk about why I love it!

In one of my previous posts, I talked about my favourite no-fuss mascara. One of my biggest problems with mascara is the raccoon eyes that I'm left with at the end of the day. It doesn't matter if it's waterproof, nothing seems to stay. And although I still love my no-fuss mascara, I have described it as being a good every day mascara only. If you're looking for dramatic, false looking lashes,  the Clinique mascara that I've described in my previous post isn't going to work for you.

With the Dior Show Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum, I can pretty much wear any type of mascara on top and it will stay on all day. This means I can use Benefit's They're Real Mascara, Max Factor's 2000 Calorie Dramatic Volume, and MUFE's Smokey Lash and achieve a much more dramatic application without worrying about raccoon eyes at the end of the day. That is pretty darn amazing! Especially for someone like me who cannot seem to put on false lashes, this is a great alternative without the struggle of lash glue :)

Secondly, I have completely straight lashes that aim diagonally down. I hate to admit this, but on the days I actually have time to curl my lashes, I tend to do it after I've already applied mascara :\ I know! I know, it's bad, but it doesn't seem to stay put otherwise :( However, with the Dior Primer, I've found that it actually gives my lashes a slight lift and curl. I MUST set an expectation for you though - when I talk about a slight lift and curl, it is just that. It will not replicate what a lash curler can do, but it will lift those diagonally straight lashes to a slight curl that holds up all day. For a lazy person that is rushing out of the door in the morning - this works just perfect for me!

You can find this mascara pretty much anywhere - at a Dior counter, at Sephora, even Shoppers Drug Mart. It does have a hefty price tag though, it's going to set you back $35 for 10 ml. For my struggles, I think it's worth it. I've been using it every day for the last month and will definitely repurchase once I run out!

April/May Favourites

I can't believe we're at the end of May! It's been a whirlwind of a month, but definitely one of the best in 2012 by far :) After two weddings and a trip to Poland, I think my life is finally returning back to normal.

Since I haven't blogged for a month, I figured I'll put together a few of my April and May favourites into one posting. I realize that usually my posts are pretty detailed, but because I'm so anxious to write this - please leave me a comment if I've missed something.

1. Lancome's Flash Bronzer - Tinted Self Tanning Leg Gel

 
Because I was in one of the weddings in May, I really wanted to give my legs a bit of colour. Since I had sworn off tanning booths, I did some research in an attempt to find the best self tanning lotion.

After reading user reviews from Sephora's website, I decided to give Lancome's Flash Bronzer a try. I absolutely love it. If you follow the instructions, you won't experience any type of streaking or darkness around your knees and ankles. The colour doesn't come off orange at all, and honestly pretty much it's fool proof... except I might have put more on one leg than the other :/ 

I usually dread doing things like this, because I think it's time consuming. BUT to my pleasant surprise, it actually takes less than 5 minutes to give my legs two coats. I read in some of the reviews that it doesn't smell like most self-tanning lotions - well... it does, but it's a small price to pay and the smell isn't too strong. For $38, you get 125 ml of product. It is quite pricey, but you don't need a lot. I use about 2 quarter size amounts for 1 full leg and the colour pay off is good. You can definitely build up the colour by layering it on. If you want colour quickly and most importantly safely, I highly recommend this product.


2. Lush's Buffy Body Butter

I am absolutely in love with my Buffy bar - SO much that I've already re-purchased my second one. For those of you who've read my blog, you know I suffer from two things: dry skin and laziness. I like to save as much time as possible, and this does the trick. Not only does it leave my skin moisturized all day (no need to lotion up after), but it exfoliates as well, making your skin super soft and smooth. 

This bar comes in two sizes: Small (95 g) for $11.95 or Large (200 g) for $22.95. I've re-purchased the small size only because it fits perfectly in the body butter tin that I bought. The heat and steam of the shower can cause the body butter to melt. I highly recommend storing it in a tin to avoid wasting the product. 

As much as I love this, you do have to accept one thing - it leaves a mess in the shower :( The bar is made out of ground aduki beans and almonds. The remnants are large enough so that they don't quite disintegrate in the hot water when you rinse the product off. If your drain sucks, be prepared to give your tub a quick wipe. I am however willing to make the sacrifice because I love the feeling it leaves my skin. To compromise, I alternate between this and my...


3. Eucerin's Skin Calming Body Wash

I was first introduced to this product by my boyfriend's mom. She had asked me to pick it up for her when I went over to the States, and so I decided to try it  myself. 

This is an oil-based body wash made from all natural omega oils. I have to admit, it doesn't smell the best, but it really works to relieve my itchy dry spells. I looked everywhere for this in Canada, and recently found it in the special body care section in Walmart - where you find eczema creams and body washes. I can't remember the exact price, but on well.ca (where shipping is free anywhere in Canada), a 250 ml bottle costs $9.59. It's not the cheapest body wash, but if you suffer from dry skin, it's great. For a body wash that's an oil, it actually lathers quite nicely - even with just a little bit of product :)


4. Garnier's Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller (Sheer Tint in Light)

I've had this for awhile, but recently started using it again. I wanted something light and natural to cover the slight darkness underneath my eyes. 

Generally, I struggle with under eye concealer sometimes, as I often find the formula too dry. Garnier's Skin Renew Eye Roller totes that it's a 2 in 1 product that hydrates and refreshes the look of tired eyes while using tinted mineral pigments to cover up dark circles. I'm going to have to agree! 

The product is definitely the most light weight I've put underneath my eyes - in fact, I can even touch up mid-day for a quick pick-me-upper and it won't look cakey. Although it's not toted as a concealer, I think it's a great every day concealer for me - especially in combination with my BB cream. I must say this: the product is quite sheer - I would not recommend this as a concealer if you have really dark circles. Fortunately this suffices as a concealer for me because the darkness around my eyes aren't too bad. This product comes in light and medium. If you don't want any colour, they do have a non-tinted formula of this product. The price ranges depending on where you buy it, but generally they're about $12 at Walmart.


5. May's Glymm Goodies

Of course, the month that I'm super busy, I didn't get the chance to blog about my May goodies from Glymm. I'm not going to go into details, but I was pleasantly... no, more like ecstatic to find that my Glymm Box had turned into a Glymm Bag this month! 

Not only can I find a million ways to use this bag (I absolutely adore the colour), it was also filled with an assortment of deluxe samples that included eye make-up, fragrances, eye/lip serum and hair conditioner.

I got an email from Glymm this month letting me know that they are raising the subscription price from $10 to $12 a month. However, they are honouring the $10 price for existing subscribers (yay!) Great job this month Glymm! Good for you for going green! :)

Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24 HR Eye Shadows

Lately I have been super impressed with some of my drugstore finds, and Maybelline's Color Tattoo Eye Shadows are definitely one of them!

On their website, Maybelline totes that the product uses ink technology to create 24 hour wear eye shadows, while being safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. They come in 10 shades, ranging from vibrant colours like Fierce and Tangy (a very bright orange) to more subtle hues like Bad to the Bronze (a shimmery brown - swatched in the picture beside).

Here's why I love them:

• They're super affordable - depending on where you get them, they range between $7-$10. I found mine on sale last week at Shoppers for $4.99!
• Bye bye primers! You don't need them, they actually stay crease-and-smudge-proof. I recently purchased MUFE's Aqua Cream Shadows (for $25!), and they do not come close to being as good as these!
• I don't know about 24 hours, but they really do stay on (at least 10+ hours).
• Build your eye shadow color to your desired intensity - the colours can be as intense as you like (similar to the picture) or gently washed over your lids for a base or primer prior to your full eye shadow application (pat it onto the lids for lighter coverage),
• No need for fancy brushes, your fingers will do :) Because these are cream shadows, the warmth of your fingers will be your best friend when applying these. 

I don't have any complaints, except now I'm waiting for new shades to come out so I can replace my shimmery nude Aqua Cream Shadow!! For full swatches of the 10 colours available, click on the link for Amarixe's review: http://www.amarixe.com/2011/12/maybelline-color-tattoo-eyeshadows.html

Thanks for reading and happy shopping!

Liquid Eyeliners

Have you ever put on eyeliner, only to have it smudge all over your top lid? Because of the shape of my eyes, I used to constantly have residue from my eyeline application. At times it was embarressing, but most of all, it was time consuming to constantly fix!

In the last year, I have been lucky enough to find two great liquid eyeliners. The first one was recommended to me by my best friend after her trip to Asia. It is the Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner.

The felt-tip liquid pen makes it easy to apply, and after a quick shake, the fluid comes out smoothly. Aside from it being smudge proof, sweat proof, and oil resistant - it really stays on all day. And you know the best part? Without rubbing your skin off and using greasy eye make-up remover, it comes off easily with warm water.

One of its best features is the fine brush point at 0.1mm. When you have very subtle double lids like mine, sometimes it gets lost with a thick eye line application. The fine point on this eyeliner makes it easy  for me to stay close to my lash line.

So where can you buy?... I've only seen it in black so I'm not sure if it comes in any more colours. I stocked up on a few before my girlfriend came back from Hong Kong for good. It's about $7 Canadian if you can get someone to buy it for you. If not, I've seen them in the beauty stores at Pacific Mall for $20. It is a little bit pricey, but it lasts a long time. I can use a pen for 6 months, and by then, you really should've already replaced it.

My next favourite is by Physicians Formula, and it's the Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum. I like it because it is very similar to the Kiss Me eyeliner mentioned above. Just like Kiss Me, it is a felt tip pen that is equally long wearing and smudge proof! As you can see from the picture, its tip is also very fine. I would say the pigmentation is not as dark, but after applying two layers, it looks the same to me! This eyeliner is a Japanese formulation, and it comes in three colours: deep brown, black, and ultra black.The added bonus is its claim that it will enhance the appearance of your lashes with every application. On top of that, it's hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and paraben free.

I've been using this eyeliner for the last month, and although I don't really notice my eye lashes looking longer or fuller, it truly is a great every day eyeliner that is easy to apply and easy to get a hold of. You can find this eyeliner at most drug stores, including Walmart. The best part... the price. I found this at Walmart for less than $14 - currently it's on roll-back for $9! If you have the same problems with smudging and small double eyelids, I highly recommend trying either of these eyeliners. I hope you like them as much as I do!