Review: Maybelline Brow Drama

This is Maybelline's newest brow gel: Brow Drama in "soft brown." I hate to say I was not all that impressed with this product. I am always on the hunt for great brow products. Since I have blonde lashes & brows, I use mascara and brow tint daily. I typically use a brow wax or pomade on a liner or angled brush, and I set it with a tinted or clear gel. At the moment, I'm using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. On an everyday basis I set this with the e.l.f. clear brow gel and when I want a bolder look, I use Benefit's gimme brow (see my thoughts on that here).

I love gimme brow, but it's a bit pricey so I'm searching for a cheaper alternative. Unfortunately, this definitely doesn't qualify as a dupe. It doesn't seem to have many fibers or if it does, they're not working to add thickness to my brows. It doesn't help keep my brows firmly in place and doesn't add much tint, either. I was most surprised by the brush shape. It looks like a regular mascara wand but then has a big round bulb on the end. This is really a bad shape for brows. It was much too large to tint my brows without getting onto the surrounding skin. When I try to apply this neatly, I end up not being able to get enough product onto my brows. The product may be ok when applied with a normal brush, but this brush really ruined it for me.

I won't be repurchasing this and my hunt for the perfect brow gel will have to continue. I would really love to find a drugstore brow gel that holds hairs in place and has fibers for added volume. If you have any suggestions, please leave them below so I can check them out! Until then, I'll stick with Benefit!

First Impression: Neutrogena Healthy Lengths Mascara

I've seen this mascara many times in the store but I haven't heard much about Neutrogena mascaras so I've never picked it up. I was recently in a Target and decided to try this out. I got it in the shade "carbon black." It's a really skinny tube and it's packaged with the brush separate from the tube. So, when you open it for the first time, you open the mascara tube and insert the clean brush. This mascara claims to lengthen lashes 100% and includes vitamin E, olive oil, and antioxidants to increase lash health as well. It is anti-clumping, flaking, and smudging. 

The first thing I noticed about this mascara was the consistency. It's a lot thicker than the mascaras I typically use. I could tell it was a much thicker formula as soon as I inserted the brush. I noticed that this is beneficial when applying as it's a lot less messy, doesn't smudge onto my eyelids, and doesn't flake off onto my cheeks when I put it on. I was a little worried that would mean it'd be clumpy, but actually the opposite was true.

The first time I applied this, the first thing I noticed was how natural it looked. After applying one coat, it looked like I had naturally black, full lashes. It coated every lash but remained soft to the touch. I applied a few more coats to build up length and volume and was really happy with the finished product. This is definitely not a dramatic mascara - even after several coats it's very natural-looking. This would be a perfect "no makeup" mascara, a base coat, or a good everyday mascara if you're looking for something a little more subtle. 

This was just under $8 at Target and can be found in most drugstores and also at Ulta. It's a great mascara to keep in your makeup bag or to take when traveling because of its slim tube!

I've only been using this for about a week so I can't review it's lash lengthening properties, but I would repurchase just because I liked the product. I've actually been using this as a base mascara because it separates lashes and coats them so they're totally black. Then, I go in with just one coat of a different mascara to add a bit more length and thickness for a bolder look. I have used this several times on "no makeup" days and I really love the way it looks just on its own. I've also been using this on my bottom lashes and it has not smudged at all.

Have you tried this lengthening mascara? Did you see any results? Let me know! I will provide an update after I've been using it consistently for several weeks.

Disappointing Product: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer

Sorry, Maybelline, I still love you... but this product was a miss for me. I picked up the Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer hoping it would be a similar product (maybe even a dupe) to the YSL Touche Eclat, which is a pricey $41. The Dream Lumi Touch is around $8 so I thought I'd give it a try. I was pretty disappointed with the product. Disclaimer: I have not yet mustered the strength to splurge on the YSL original, so I can't compare the two. I can only tell you what I thought about the Maybelline version on its own - compared only to my thoughts on how it should or is supposed to look. The YSL touche éclat is definitely on my wish list, but a major splurge item. 

There are tons of Maybelline products that I love, but I do find it hit and miss with skin products sometimes. I believe this is solely because of my skin tone. Maybelline tends to be on the warmer side of the spectrum and a lot of their face products can be too warm or too orange on my skin. This is no fault of the brand, it just simply doesn't work as well as some other brands with my skin tone. That being said, I still have several Maybelline foundations, concealers, powders, etc. that do work with my skin and look great. 

The shade I picked out is a pink-toned highlighting color. I knew I would be using this as a highlight rather than a concealer. I understand the same is true with the YSL product - it's not so much an under-eye concealer as it is a highlighting pen - meant to highlight, not necessarily cover up. Because I had read reviews on the touche éclat, I went for a pinky/salmon shade rather than a normal "ivory" shade because I wanted to test this out as a YSL dupe, rather than just another under eye concealer. I was planning to use this on my cheekbones as a creamy highlighting product.

My first complaint is the packaging. I'm not a big fan of the twist-up brush applicators. As you can see in the photo, things get messy pretty quickly. The packaging also felt very light and cheap, which is probably true as it only costs $8. Also, I had to twist forever to get any product to come out. Another reason I hate this sort of packaging is because you can't tell how much product you're dispensing. I might twist 5 times and get nothing... so I twist another 5 times and tons of concealer comes spewing out. My advice is twist slowly and be patient. The color is my second complaint. I know I chose a rosy shade (radiant 310), but it's much too pink. It comes off as a salmon color that's a little too orange and a little too pink. It just doesn't look good on my skin. I think I could possibly make the shade work better if it had a different formulation, but the consistency of the product is my biggest and final complaint. It's thick and dry... it doesn't blend well or easily and it ends up just being a cakey mess. You can see the lines where the highlight ends and your skin begins. It never seems to blend in seamlessly no matter what application method I try. 

You may be able to tell just from the photo how it settles into fine lines, looks thick and cakey, and doesn't have the right silky consistency that these type of products need to look good. You can also see the color here - it's a very bold salmon color that just isn't flattering on my skin tone. I have not tried any other shades of this product simply because I wasn't a fan of the formulation, but I could have just picked the wrong shade for my coloring. Maybe I should have gone with my trusty "ivory" pick, instead. I don't think I'll be finishing this product as I can't figure out a way to use it that works. 

Have you tried the Dream Lumi Touch highlighter? What were your thoughts? I'm also open to other drug store highlighting pen suggestions! I will still keep the YSL touche éclat on my list - let me know your thoughts on that as well! Is it worth the splurge?! Let me know in the comments!

Until next time! xoxo

Foundation Friday: Laura Mercier, Revlon, & NARS

#FoundationFriday

I wanted to put the spotlight on these foundations that I've been loving recently. There's something for every skin type and every budget. I've tried and tested these so that I'm able to do a complete review on them and share with you exactly why I love them so much. If you're looking to change up your foundation routine in the new year - this post is for you. You won't be disappointed with these fab foundation options.

I wanted to start out with the most affordable option - the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation is a beloved staple I've used for quite a while. For just around $10 (1 oz.), this is super affordable, which makes it the easiest to try out. It has very light but buildable coverage - one layer will give you a really natural finish, but you can add another layer or two in any areas where you like more coverage. This never cakes or clings to dry patches and it always looks like natural skin. I have this in the shade "ivory," which is their lightest shade. I love Revlon's color ranges, especially if you are fair. Their "ivory" shade is a perfect match for my skin at its palest and never looks orange or too dark. This could easily be your new "everyday" foundation. If you have oily skin, you can set this with your favorite setting powder for all-day lasting power. If you're like me and have dry skin, this on it's own has great staying power and never breaks up or sticks to dry skin after a long day.

NARS Sheer Glow foundation is a fan favorite - I was a little late to jump on the bandwagon but I'm glad I finally did! This goes for around $45 (1 oz.) at Sephora, so it's definitely pricier than my drugstore favorites, but I think the quality matches the price. The packaging is really luxurious and nice (you can purchase a pump for an additional $6) and the formula truly feels like a nice high-end foundation. It's smooth and creamy, but it has a thin consistency so it's still sheer and perfect for dryer skin types. I use this in the shade Siberia and it's a good match for my skin tone. This foundation (or, at least, this particular shade) has very yellow undertones to it. This is really nice if you suffer from redness or have pink-toned skin. This helps even out my skin to give me a neutral complexion and it masks any redness (including redness from breakouts). If you have oily skin, there's a sheer matte option. This doesn't ever irritate my skin as it's fragrance-free and non-comedogenic. A little bit of this foundation goes a long way and it can get cakey if you apply too much. If you do apply too much on the first application, don't set it with a powder, use a damp beauty blender and give it some time to sink into your skin. After it oxidizes and settles, it looks much more natural. I will definitely repurchase this when it runs out (which will be a while since a little goes such a long way) and it pairs perfectly with the NARS radiant creamy concealer. I apply this a little at a time with a damp beauty blender and sometimes set my under eye area with a translucent setting powder.

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide has easily become my all-time favorite foundation. This was definitely a splurge at $48 (1 oz.), but I really love it. It's oil-free but it has "reflective waters" that add a glow to the formula so it looks really nice and dewy on dry skin. This is packaged in a sort of tube that you have to really shake well to mix up the "two part formula." I shake this for a good 10 seconds before I apply it. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the packaging - when you open it, because the foundation is thin, it leaks into the cap and you lose some of the product. Sometimes it squirts out after shaking, too. That being said, the formulation more than makes up for the packaging. It looks so beautiful on - I get compliments every time I wear this and it really does give a flawless finish. I use it in the shade "creme" and it's a good match for my skin. Again, it's lightweight but you can apply several layers to add coverage. I don't use this everyday because it's the priciest of my foundation options, but it's perfect for a night out or special occasions. It's definitely worth the price, in my opinion. It's also the slimmest out of the 3, so it would be perfect to throw in a makeup bag or for traveling. Before you buy - make sure to test out the shades, as I thought I would be the lightest (as usual) but actually went for the 3rd shade as it matched my skin tone better. The range is not necessarily sorted from lightest to darkest.

Are you a fan of any of these foundations? What are your #FoundationFriday favorites? Let me know below!

Until next time! xoxo