Makeup Withdrawal

Showing posts with label Mascara. Show all posts

Milani Grandissimo Lashes Mascara Review

Thursday, April 25, 2013

I picked up the new Milani Grandissimo last month because I saw how awesome it looked on Christina from Let Them Have Polish. I have to admit that I don't really like doing mascara reviews because I find my experience with mascara to always be completely different from that of others. It all just really depends on what lashes you have. My lashes are really straight, quite short and scary sparse so usually I don't put much faith in mascara and opt to reach for false lashes instead.

But how does Milani Grandissimo fair?

Left side, with two coats of Grandissimo. Right side is without mascara.

The soft brush is really quite large, which I like because I find it to coat each lash quite well. The volumizing effect was pretty decent. The formula was ok, no clumping. Usually mascara doesn't really smudge or flake on me (I think I just don't have enough lashes for enough mascara to end up anywhere on my lower lashes. *sigh*) so I can't comment on that. It was pretty easy to remove though, it came right off with oil cleanser and warm water, so I was pleased with that.

The price is rather agreeable as well, $5.49. Definitely on the more affordable end of mascaras, even at the drugstore.

Overall, I think if you already have lots of lashes, this will make them look even more amazing. I however, will stick to my false lashes instead because this mascara can't compensate for my lack of lashes.

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara

Sunday, December 4, 2011

I was recently given the opportunity to try a brand called LASHEM. One of the things I've been testing out has been their Double Trouble Mascara. It's a two sided mascara- one side Lengthening with fibers, the other side Volumizing in a shiny, sleek chrome tube.
Combined with my heated lash curler, I've been quite happy with the results.

Volumizing side, Lengthening side

I generally use the Volumizing side first. I liked that both sides of the mascara tube had different brushes, and the Volumizing side had a brush with dense, short bristles that separated and coated each lash individually. Very clump free.
The other side, Lengthening, is more like your traditional mascara brush. I like to touch this side to just the ends of my lashes, to add length without over coating the lashes, which leads to clumping.

Bare lashes

Lashes with LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara, curled

Another pleasant aspect of this mascara was how easy it was to remove using cleansing oil and lukewarm water or cleansing makeup removing wipes. I also appreciated that the formula wasn't super dry (I hate crunchy eye lashes, eek) and that Double Trouble enhanced the degree of curl, instead of weighing it down.

I'm guessing that this mascara would be best suited for those with lots of lashes naturally, who want to enhance them even further but with a mascara that holds a curl well and separates each lash.

Let's talk price: LASHEM Double Trouble sells for $19.99 (online from LASHEM directly, or Dermstore). Though this feels a bit pricey to me, when I compare it to other mascaras I've used in the past such as Dior DiorShow ($24) or Bare Escentuals Big Tease ($15), this one is the clear winner. It makes my lashes look much longer by far. I would buy it as an occasional treat for myself since I do like the how mascara lifts my normally droopy stick lashes.

What mascara are you currently using? Do you love it, or would you stray to try another brand?

Product featured was sent to me for consideration. Receiving a product for free does not, in any way change how I review it. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

After a Long Hiatus... New YT Vid!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Ugh, now I remember I was bad at this!

All items shown were purchased by me, for my own use.

DiorShow Mascara (Iconic, Blackout & Diorshow)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

There is a great mascara combo pack at Sephora, and yours truly HAD to have it. It contained a full sized Dior Iconic, a mini DiorShow and a mini DiorShow Blackout. Considering Iconic is $25 bucks on its own and the pack was $29, it was a great deal because it was like the two minis were a couple dollars each. This was my first run in with DiorShow (I guess I balked a bit at the price tag). Well, to be honest, each of the mascaras alone left me somewhat unimpressed. I wasn't disappointed, not quite, but I certainly wasn't wowed. Then I tried layering 2 of them- Iconic for length and DiorShow for volume and it was STUNNING! The same thing happened when I used Iconic and Blackout together. My lashes was this masterpiece, long thick black strands that looked almost fake. Grr, that's somewhat annoying that I have to buy two mascaras for the total effect that I want. Costly too! That means paying nearly $50 bucks for mascara. Another thing that displeases me is that there is very little mascara inside each tube. By comparison- Bare Escentuals Big Tease mascara had so much product that it took me a month of wiping the wand off everyday before it was as empty as the Dior tubes.
The bottom line is that while I will enjoy this treat that I purchased for myself, I will not repurchase because it's just too expensive. I feel like I was a little swayed by the brand and that the reviews over hyped this product.
Is it wrong that I dream that an ultimate mascara exists? One that lengthens and volumizes at the same time? And that it's less than a small fortune?

Bare Escentuals Big Tease Mascara- Want

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Hmm, ever buy anything that was slightly above mediocre, roughly around decent?
I really wanted like this mascara. I guess Icould see it becoming a staple. It's one of those products that doesn't specialize in one area, but provides a little bit of everything. After one application, you don't get exceptional length or volume, but you get a decent amount of both. I lied, it is great in a few aspects- it's incredibly glossy and it never clumps. It also works really with false lashes and Fast Lash while providing an outstanding black.

The wand is pretty neat too, it's got really long bristles on one side that are supposed to help coat every single eye lash from root to tip. After I got the hang of it, I must admit that it does.
I like that it lasts all day without smudging, flaking, or smearing. But I have very high standards for mascara- those qualities should go without saying.
The value is alright though, I've been using this same tube for 4 months, there's still plenty left and it shows no signs of drying out. However, it's still more expensive then MAC Plush, so I'd rather buy that at $13 instead.
Cost: $15 at Ulta, Sephora, Bare Escentuals online.