REVIEW: Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus

HOLY GRAIL MASCARA (or close)

Specs:

-Comb wand (not your standard mascara wand)

-Fiber mascara

Cost:

Depends on where you get it from (Ebay, Gmarket, other sites...), this will probably cost somewhere around $16-20 once you include shipping

Availability:

Ebay, Gmarket, Imomoko

Review:
This is after applying a few coats of MM mascara...my lashes are normally quite short, so it's pretty impressive what this baby can do!

I searched high and low for a great mascara that would make my typically very straight lashes pop. While this doesn't do much for volume (or anything at all, really), the fiber formula really lengthens your lashes and lasts forever. 

I literally test drove this through a yoga class and came out with no smears, flakes, all my pretty lashes in tact. The thing I love about cosmetics from Asia is that they're made with Asian weather and humidity in mind, so they're really long lasting.

WARNING!!!!! GET A GOOD MAKEUP REMOVER if you're going to buy this. I suggest a work horse of a cleansing oil, b/c this will NOT come off with regular makeup remover/wipes. Even with cleansing oil (I use Boscia's), it takes awhile before this comes off. Majolica Majorca does sell a "mascara remover" that's meant to make removal a lot easier, but that's going to cost you another $16-20. Cleansing oil does the job fine, just takes a few more minutes.

Recommendation:

Great for those with really short/straight lashes, searching for a REALLY waterproof formula.

Grade:

9/10

Review: Yes To Carrots Hair and Scalp Moisturizing Mud Mask

Feed Your Hair. Carrots.

Ah, a cheap drugstore find that gives you the softest carrot-smelling hair ever. Well, for a day...

Specs:

-8.45 oz

Cost:

$12.99

Availability:

Target

Review:

Let me give you a brief bio of my hair: It's sooooo damaged from about 10 years of dye jobs, blowdrying, bleaching, styling...you name it. If it could talk, it'd probably tell me it desperately needs a break and also a really thorough haircut...

I received this hair mask in a goodie bag awhile ago, but just now got around to using it. It's lightly fragranced--doesn't exactly smell like carrots, but more like carrots mixed with sea gunk (well, the good gunk). Not overwhelming at all. 

Light in texture, it feels water-based and non-greasy. I followed the instructions and put this in my hair after washing, left it for 15 minutes, then rinsed. My hair was sooo incredibly soft afterward. It didn't last for long, though. The next day my hair was back to its dry, damaged self. Big sigh. Well, for temporary luster and softness, this is great, but it doesn't solve my hair woes unfortunately.

Recommendation:

This claims to moisturize and repair hair, but I doubt this will work for everyone. It's moisturizing enough for slightly damaged/dry hair, but you'll probably need something more moisturizing and heavier if you've got seriously frazzled hair.

Grade:

6.5/10

Bon Voyage, Makeup Brushes!

Traveling makeup fiends, rejoice.

Cutest makeup brush roll ever. That is all.

Specs:

-About a dozen slots for brushes, in various sizes

-Folding brush roll

Cost:

Depends on print/size of brush roll

Availability:

Etsy or contact Teresa Ellis directly.

Review:

I've been on the search for a good solution for traveling with my makeup brushes for years. I've stuffed them into my makeup case (not the most sanitary option), put them in a separate makeup bag, but it's always resulted in the biggest mess and hassle when searching through my 15 brushes for the ONE I want to use.

Then, one day I stumbled upon Teresa Ellis, a lovely woman from Texas who makes these incredibly cute brush holders. CUPCAKE PRINT?! Hell Yeah! She has an ETSY store, if you're interested in snapping up a cute holder. HALLELUJAH! Praise the makeup Gods! My brushes can finally fly with me, first-class. Not stuffed with 60 other makeup items (kind of like getting the seat next to the bathroom, sitting next to a crying baby and a chatty person who doesn't ever stop talking). UPGRADE! 

This keeps my brushes clean and organized, and on top of that, is so incredibly PINK and adorable.

Recommendation:

If you've been looking for a good brush roll, your search is over. You can find a lot of people on ETSY who make them, but I just happened to purchase mine from Teresa. They all differ in prints and in the minor details, but basic functionality is pretty much the same. I love my brush roll to pieces and use it every time I travel, and it's still in good shape, so I deem it a pretty smart purchase.

These are rather inexpensive compared to the brush rolls you can buy from big makeup companies, and these are machine washable! If you have a sewing machine handy, you can even try making one yourself (Google/Youtube should have tutorials).

Grade:

9/10

Review: NARS Mud Mask

Sexy packaging. Not-so-sexy product.

Yes, NARS has a skincare line. No, I am not impressed.

Specs:

-3.6 oz

-formulated with Active Phytoseed Complex, seaweed and Masada Mud from the Dead Sea

Cost:

$45

Availability:

NARS or SEPHORA

Review:

An admission: I am a mask hoarder. I must've been the kid who played in mud and dirt for hours, because I LOVE trying any kind of clay/kaolin mask that exists. My favorites are from Aveda and Evan Healy (her green tea mask is heavenly!), but I decided to give NARS a try since it got such great reviews on Sephora.com. Big mistake. 

Packaging is sleek, but the product itself is lacking. This mask applies wonderfully--it's deep forest green and has a thick consistency. BUT, and here comes the big BUT, it's terribly drying. I looked at the ingredients list (important, ladies!), and ALCOHOL is the third ingredient listed, which means it's comprised of a heck of a lot of alcohol.

TALC is also a component of this mask, which irritates many. Immediately after using this, my pores seemed smaller and I loved the way my complexion looked, but the day after, I noticed that my skin was really dry and I started breaking out quite a bit. Bad reaction to the alcohol, I reckon. The same has happened when I used other skincare products containing alcohol. I'm guessing that a lot of people who positively review this are not at all sensitive to normally skin irritating agents like alcohol, but for me, this didn't work well. 

I'd seriously consider the ingredients list before buying this. Plus, it costs a whopping $45, and I don't think the mediocre results merit shelling out that much for a mask. Many thumbs down. It claims to purify and clean your pores, but all it gave me was breakouts for a week.

Recommendation:

This may be a good mask for those with normal skin that isn't sensitive to many products or ingredients, but this wreaked havoc on my combination, sensitive skin. Worth a try if you fall into the former category, but I'd recommend getting a sample of this from a NARS counter first, instead of wasting $45 for a mask that does about the same job as any drugstore mud mask can.

Grade:

3/10

Review: TOO FACED Glamour to Go palette

One palette. Many looks.

Too Faced has made a few super-compact travel-sized palettes in the past, and this is one of their more recent.

Specs:

-Eyes: Pink, London Calling, Champagne Sparkle, Golden Black, Matte Brown, Warm Gold, Peach Pink Shimmer, Vintage Blue. 

-Blush: Fairy Rose

-Bronzer (no name specified)

-Lips: Fairy Wings

Cost:

$19.50

Availability:

Too Faced

Review:

A makeup palette containing eyeshadows, blush, bronzer, and lip color, all in a compact smaller than a pack of cards? Genius packaging! I received this as a gift and was instantly smitten with this. Then...I tried out the shadows.

The palette contains a pretty decent variation of colors--brown, gold, black, blue, pink, white-gold, and pewter. The problem is, a few of these aren't pigmented at all and are slightly chalky when applied. The gold, black, brown, and white-gold are nicely pigmented and apply nicely, but most of the other colors are pretty disappointing.

The blush is a universally flattering basic pink shade, slightly fuchsia. The bronzer is a bit shimmery and quite beautiful when applied. It's not dark enough for contouring, but would make a good overall bronzer.

The lip color is nothing more than a slightly tinted lip balm, and doesn't offer any real color or coverage, but is moisturizing.

Recommendation:

This is perfect for makeup beginners, teens, and those who don't already have a few travel-friendly palettes. The compact size of the palette is a great consolidation of lots of makeup without the burden of having to carry around a lot of different items separately.

I wouldn't recommend this for anyone who already has a lot of makeup and palettes, as this will probably be a disappointment, with the lack of pigmentation in about half of the eyeshadows.

Grade:

6.5/10

Review: NARS Taj Mahal Blush

Meet Orange Blush: Your new best friend.

Taj Mahal, along with Exhibit A, are two of NARS' most pigmented and well, intimidating blushes. Never fear, though. With the right application, this gives the cheeks a gorgeous glow few blushes can match.

Specs:

-0.16 oz

-not a matte blush; contains some shimmer

Cost:

$27 (WAS $26 not too long ago. What's with the price hike, NARS?)

Availability:

NARS or Beauty.com

Review:

It took me a few years to get the guts to try out this ORANGE blush. When I first discovered it, I thought, "Ok, do I really want to buy a blush that gives me Oompa Loompa cheeks?". Then...I saw someone wearing this and knew it had to be mine. 

This is EXTREMELY pigmented, so a VERY (note the caps?) light hand is required in application. It blends like a dream and creates a gorgeous, summery glow. It doesn't contain glitter or sparkles, but is a little on the shimmery side, so it's perfect for summer. Or, with a more matte blush layered over this, it's a bit more wearable for daytime year-round. 

I like to use my NARS Yachiyo to apply this, only because the skunk brush I have is on the larger side and doesn't give me as much control as the Yachiyo's smaller head. I'd suggest using a blush brush that isn't very dense, so you can apply this lightly and evenly. When applied well, this is hands down one of my favorite blushes. Absolutely gorgeous and unlike anything else I own.

Recommendation:

For tan/olive/darker skinned girls, I'd consider this is a must-have in your blush stash. This may work on lighter skin tones, but I'd certainly suggest swatching this first. 

For a cheaper, somewhat close dupe, try NYX Cinnamon blush.

Grade:

10/10

Review: Rock & Republic X-Rated Contrived Pressed Blush

Blush hoors everywhere, another gorgeous blush has arrived.

X-Rated is part of Rock & Republic Cosmetics' much-praised blush collection. It's a brilliantly pigmented fuchsia. This, along with Tease, Immoral, and Call Me are among the more popular R&R's blushes.

Specs:

-0.32 oz

Cost:

$40, but much less expensive when the R&R site has 50% off discount codes or during Hautelook's R&R Cosmetics sales

Availability:

Rock & Republic or Hautelook

Review:

Of all the all the fellow blush addicts I've spoken to, none have paid more than $20 for R&R's blushes--R&R frequently has 50% off sales, and these go for less than $20 when Hautelook has an R&R sale. The retail price of $40 is a bit ludicrous, to be frank. The day I pay that much for a blush, I really do hope someone slaps some sense into me. 

With that being said, I do think R&R makes some fine blush. Each compact is ENORMOUS. Think 'size of a hockey puck' enormous. It's about double the size of your average blush, at 0.32 oz. For comparison, a NARS blush is 0.16 oz. That's 0.32 oz of SUPER PIGMENTATION. A light hand and a skunk brush (or other brush that can handle extreme pigmentation) is necessary. Otherwise, you'll be buffing away at your cheeks for 15 minutes to disperse powder and tone down the crazy lady cheeks.

X-Rated is a matte blush in a beautiful shade of fuchsia, and works for both people with cool and warm undertones. On lighter skin tones, it'll create a just-in-from-the-cold flush, and on darker skin tones, it'll probably create doll-like cheeks. 

Texture on this is a little powdery, to be honest. I prefer my NARS blush to this, but I do adore the pigmentation and color of this particular shade.

Recommendation:

This will suit all skintones and is a great choice if you're searching for a good matte fuchsia blush. If you love sleek packaging, this will be right up your alley, with its shiny black and silver casing.

Grade:

8/10