Review - Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara

 When I was at Target a few weeks ago they had this travel size mascara and gloss on clearance for only $2.50. I purchased it just to try the mascara since I'm always looking for the next best thing.

Details: At first glance I thought I would hate it because Im not a fan of large brushes, I think they are a little harder to work w/ and don't let you get as close to the base of the lashes like I would like. The brush is made up of actual bristles, not the plastic ones you see now. I actually prefer the bristles over the plastic ones because I think it does a better job at separating and thickening your lashes without making them clumpy.

Review: The constancy of the mascara was a little thin but after a week or so it thickened up a bit and was the perfect consistency. The brush separates, lengthens and thickens the lashes all on its own after 2 to 3 coats. I didn't need to use a lash comb or anything. The size of the wand does however make it difficult to coat the tiny little hairs on the inner corners of the eyes though. What I loved about this mascara  is that it doesn't give you stiff or brittle lashes. I can't stand for my lashes to feel stiff. It dries them up and makes them fall out. Neutrogena claims: Visible Volume Brush grabs and coats even the smallest lashes with rich, volume-building color. Sweet Almond helps protect the outside of each lash.
The Result: 400% fuller, beautifully conditioned lashes. Patent-pending formula with Olive penetrates and helps plump the core of each and every lash. Plumps the inside, builds the outside
Don't just coat your lashes -- build them from the inside out! 

Makeupalley.com: 

• Average Rating: 3.7
• 64% would buy this product again

Pay no mind to my uneven skin tone pls. These pics were taken at about 7:30 am before makeup hehe

                      

   

Check out my Physicians Formula Mascara review here. Note the update at the bottom of the page.

Have any of you tried this mascara? What's your favorite drugstore mascara?

Splurge VS. Steal - Rocco Studded Bottom Tote

My new bag obsession

Alexander Wang  studded bottom duffel  tote. It was then known as “Coco”; it is now known as “Rocco”.  $875 at Barney's

Steal:

  $39 w/ free shipping here on ebay

General Listing for more options:

What do you guys think of this bag? What color would you get, I'm debating between the black and gray.

My First Essie Polish - A Review & A Possible Dupe?

I've been into pale pink polishes for a while now (and by while, I mean a month ha). I picked up Easy Going by SinfulColors and loved it, then I saw Essie's pale pink in Fuji a week later and just had to pick that one up too.

Review: I've heard mixed reviews on Essie's polishes. Some are really opaque and cover completely in 1 or 2 coats and some need 4 coats for best results. Fuji needs 3 coats for the best coverage and depending on how light you coat them it might even need 4 coats. The lasting power on this polish is great though. After about 5 days there's some minor chipping, but nothing serious or really noticeable. I see why these polishes are on the pricier side, they offer a huge range of colors from trendy to classic so everyone is bound to find the right shade for them.

      

                  Please disregard the crappy polish job I did. I was in a hurry.  Easy going on the left finger and Fuji on the right.

Comparison: I wanted to compare Fuji to Easy Going. Fuji is slightly more pink and the consistency is thicker than Easy Going, Although if you were to do 2 coats of Fuji and 3 coats of EG then the shades look much more similar. If you don't want to shell out the $8 on Essie than definitely look into the SinfulColors line, their polishes are only $2. Just keep in mind, the lasting power of the SinfulColors brand is nowhere near as good as Essie's. This is definitely one of those cases where you get what you pay for.

Do any of you have either shade? What is your favorite Essie polish?

Review ~ Sonia Kashuk Flat Top Foundation Brush

After seeing all these flat top foundation brushes I thought it was time to upgrade my old faithful. I've been using my Essence of Beauty angled blush brush for at least 2 years now for foundation and while I do love it it sheds like crazy! Everytime I use it I end up with at least 7 to 10 little hairs on my face. I put up with it for so long because I love the beautiful airbrushed like effect it would give me. Before the EB brush I tried the MAC 109, that one was the worst; way to soft, streaky and shed. I also tried a standard flat foundation brush and did't like that one either; streaky, took too long to apply the makeup, definitely didn't give that airbrushed look... I digress; but I finally decided it was time to find a new HG and I think I have :)

This was my old foundation brush I was using. I now use it to apply cream blushes and highlighters.

Details: The hairs are super soft and very dense so it doesn't make your makeup go on streaky. I washed it before I used it and not a single hair feel out, nor was there any smell or color that came out of the brush. I dried it at an angle with the bristles pointing downward and it dried in the exact same shape it came in. The bristles weren't splayed out or anything of the sort. The shape of the brush is very sleek looking and comfortable to hold on to; it fits perfectly in the hand and the length of it also the standard size of most brushes.

How I apply my Foundation w/ it: I like to put my foundation on an old CD, this way I can mix colors If I need to.  I like to start with a slightly damp brush, you can use 1 or 2 sprays of fix + for this. Dab it into the foundation, the foundation sits right on top of the bristles so there is almost no waste and then I swipe it once across my forehead, chin, nose and at an angle from the inner corner of my eyes going outward. Then just blend it in using a swirling motion. I find that I need even less foundation when using this brush. The first time I used it I started off with my usual amount of foundation and It ended up being way too much, so If you decide to get this brush start off w/ a little less foundation than you normally would use.

Foundation on the left, swatched on and slightly blended out on the right edge. Swatch on the right is blended out.

                      

Overall: I love this brush!! I think it does a fantastic job of applying liquid foundation. If you have a bigger face it might take you a little longer to apply your makeup because the diameter of this brush is small. But I think the size is what makes it perfect for precision application. It lets you get really close to the crease on the side of your nose and under your eyes. It also doesn't shed and it super soft so even those w/ the mot sensitive skin shouldn't have a problem with this brush. I would definitely recommend getting this one.

What do you use to apply your liquid foundation?

OOTN - Girl's at a Bachelor Party?

Surprisingly, I was not in the mood to go out at all Saturday night. After a fun filled weekend on the 4th I just wanted to relax w/ a movie and  pizza at home. Well, J's friend from out of town came in for a bachelor party and invited us to come hang out with them in the VIP room they had got. So we ended up going for what was supposed to be a short night and ended up staying till 4am. I know what you may be thinking, I crashed a bachelor party, but really I was invited to attend and was even asked to bring girlfriends if possible lol. We ended up having a great time as usual, but I could definitely use a break from all the partying. This weekend will be chill for sure....hmm, we'll see how that works out haha.

 

                     

That's not a gray hair btw! I still have in my sparkle strandz hehe

shorts, necklace, earrings-forever21, shoes(Jessica Simpson)-dillards, top-tjmaxx, bracelet, watch-ebay

♥

What did you guys do this past weekend?

New Foundation Brush & Other Purchases

I was at target the other day and decided that I needed a new foundation brush. I really like the flat top buffer brush from Sigma, but I'm a little lazy and impatient to order it and then wait for it to come in so I got this flat top one from Sonia Kashuk. I have a few of her brushes and absolutely love them. The style of this brush looks so nice and elegant and the bristles are so soft. I'm really excited to try it out. I also picked up a Sally Hanson polish when I was in there. I really love the lasting power of these polishes. I can easily wear it for 5-7 days with no major chipping.

This polish looked so promising in the bottle, but unfortunately it was really thin and sheer. Here it is applied with 2 coats, but I think it needs 3 or 4 for the best looking results. 

I've been wanting the rose gold watch by Michael Kors for months now, but I couldn't justify a $250 purchase on something I wouldn't use often enough. I'm not really a watch or jewelery person so I only wear it when I go out. I bought this watch on eBay brand new for only $21 :)

After I use my new foundation brush for a while I'm going to review it and do a comparison with my old one.

What brush do you currently use for foundation? Do any of you have this one?

4th of July Weekend Part 2 (Detox Day)

Our Sunday pretty much consisted of detox @ the Hardrock all day. We had had done so much drinking the night before I didn't think I could do anymore that day and planned on sticking to water for the most part. We'll I should have known my alcoholic friends wouldn't let that happen lol. My friend had brought his boat out there with a cooler full of alcohol so we kept going to the boat for drinks. We had met up with some friends out there who rented out a round swing bed which really came in handy for later that day. After Detox we drove around in my friend's boat for about an hour and then went back to the hotel to shower and eat. We planned on going on that night too but we didn't make it. I think we were in bed by midnight lol. 

My BFF, Angela

♥ My Hubby ♥

Have any of you ever been to Detox in Biloxi or Rehab in Vegas?