Brand spotlight: Maybelline

This blog entry is a start of a series on different brands of makeup I have tried. Many of the brands will be from the drugstore and a few will be high end.

Maybelline is owned by L'oreal like many other brands but does not share much similarity with the sister drgustore brand L'oreal Paris. 

"Maybe it's Maybelline~"

Mascara: 

I think the most outstanding product for Maybelline is their mascaras. Surely all have heard of Great Lash (the pink and green tube), which unfortunately does not work for me. All of the mascaras I use are waterproof as non waterproof make the curled lashes droop. 

Volume Express Line includes Falsies, Rocket volume, Colossal, Mega Plush and One by One. They are all great at adding volume to my thin lashes.
Colossal volume express is similar to Covergirl Lash Blast. But the brushes have longer bristles which is better at separating the lashes.

Falsies is my absolute favorite Drugstore mascara because it adds volume and length. I have no complaint at all about this mascara. Currently there are a couple of back up tubes in my drawer, as would any make up junkie. 

Rocket Volume is the newest mascara in this line. Gives decent volume and length. 

Mega Plush has a very interesting brush head, that bends and is quite dense with plastic bristles. This mascara did not work for me as it gave me more of a natural look. 

One by one is great at adding length but not so with volume. 

Other mascaras

Lash stiletto - very similar to L'oreal Voluminous false lashes mascara. Adds quite a bit of length and a bit of volume. The con is that it can get clumpy quite quickly.

Full & soft - akin to L'oreal Voluminous original. Many people love this formula because the lashes do not become hard or brittle. 

Lash discovery - it has a very tiny brush that is perfect for smaller eyes and the bottom lashes. Sadly this is discontinued. 

Eye shadow:

For drugstore eye shadows, I like the Maybelline quads. Relatively inexpensive but the color range is great. The shadows are all very wearable and the quality is pretty good. 

Expert Wear Shadow Quads

There are 14 quads available; all are pretty neutral and easy to wear alone or together. 

The quad is divided into base, crease, accent and highlight color. 

Currently loving Emerald Smokes:

Color Tatoo eyeshadow

I have yet to try this long wearing cream eye shadow. I own a couple of L'oreal infalliable shadows and MAC paint pot which are similar to the Color Tatoo. Having tried it out at the drugstore, Color Tatoo feel a little drier and harder to work with than L'oreal or MAC.

Eyebrow pencil, eyeliners:

Define a brow eyebrow pencil is very slim. The consistency of the pencil allows for drawing on realistic looking brow hairs. The other end of the pencil has a plastic comb that would be handy to comb longer brow hairs. 

Eye studio master drama 

This automatic pencil is soft and easy to use. But because it is not waterproof, it tends to smudge on my lids. What I like is how dark the black is - truly giving a dramatic look. 

Eye studio gel liner

For a drugstore gel liner, this one is one of the better ones. What I love is the little brush it comes with. The gel itself does dry out faster than some but the color is very nice. It is a bit sheer with only one stroke. Currently using the Plum color which has a fleck of sparkle (but not obnoxious). 

Foundation:

I have tried a couple of their liquid foundation which I was not that thrilled with and not worth mentioning here.

The one I like the most is not a liquid but a creme foundation called Dream Smooth Mousse. 

This is different from Dream Matte Mousse in that it is a bit more solid. Quick to apply with the sponge provided and the best part is that it goes on smooth like the name suggests. 

I have tried applying this with a foundation brush but the sponge is a much better applicator. 

Note: I have tried the Dream Matte and Dream Liquid foundation but found them too heavy for my oily combination skin. 

Do you like Maybelline? Any other brands you want me to feature?

Hits and misses 2012

Well I can't believe it's already almost the middle of January 2013. Where is the time going? 
As a true beauty junky I have tried a lot of products in 2012 and thought it would be fun to recap some of my favorites and not so favorites.

Hits
1. Revlon kissable balm stains (shdes:honey, darling and sweetheart)

I have very pale lips so without lipstick I almost look ill. Enter the world of stains. I love lip stains because the touch up is minimal. But didn't like the traditional stains that tend to dry my lips. Also the shade selections were pretty limited.
Revlon kissable balm stains look like fat crayons and addresses the issues I had with the other stains. This balm stain is moisturizing and is so easy to use. Just swipe it like a lipbalm.
Honey is a neutral mauve that I wear almost daily.
Darling is a light violet that is also wearable during daytime. Both however leave a stain that is deeper than what you see in the stick. I think this all depends on your chemistry as the stains don't look the same on all people. It lasts almost 5 to 6 hours and that means I only need to touch up once and look 'healthy'. 

 

2. Shiseido perfect refining foundation.
A recent discovery that I am enjoying very much. This foundation is very thin and seems to be hard to work with. However it actually gives a very good coverage and is easy to blend. The SPF 16 in the foundation is also a nice plus.
With this I don't need concealer and on my combination skin lasts upto 8 hours!  Bought mine at the Duty free shop in YVR airport for $38. 

3. L'oreal professional Vitamino colour conditioner
My hair has been chemically straightened, permed and coloured constantly. I tend to colour my hair every 2-3 months and am amazed that I still have decent hair left! I wash it every 2 days as it is heavily processed and extremely dry. When it comes to shampoo and conditioner I tend to like Japanese or Korean brands but noticed lately that they weren't working so effectively. The Viamino conditioner was a recommendation from a salon. It is $17 for a measly 200ml but worth every penny. My hair is light and soft and not weighed down at all. The hair feels super moisturized without the waxy film (like Pantene or Dove). Loving the results and hoping this will last a while. 

Misses

1.  EOS lipbalm 

This lip balm comes in such a cute packaging and was crazy popular amongst the beauty bloggers and YouTubers. I had ordered mine online because Canadian drugstores were not carrying them at the beginning of 2012. While I love the package, the lip balm itself and the shape doesn't do much. The balm is waxy and does not help with the chapped lips. It is also not cheap ($4 - 5 each). Definitely will not be repurchasing.

2. elf  Complete Coverage concealer

I tend to like elf products - what's not to like when you can get makeup and tools for $3 or $1! The Studio line is my favourite from elf and I enjoy the 50% off sales they have often. 

While I don't wear concealer every day, at times I look in the mirror in the afternoon and think "shoot, I should have brought some concealer to cover those spots..". Enter the 4 pan concealer palette which was very promising. Alas, the colour is great but the staying power is not. The formula is a thick cream, but does not go on too thick. The coverage is sheer and wears off in less than an hour! So my search continues.