MY TOP FIVE // Drugstore Mascaras

Hey guys!

Similar to a series I did for a short time last year, I want to start doing another 'My Top Five' series. I'll basically be picking a category of products, and choosing what are my personal five favourites in that category. And this week, I've chosen to do drugstore mascaras!

I've noticed recently that I've been using a tonne of high end products in my routine over those from the drugstore - in all areas, except masara! Out of five mascaras sitting in my 'everyday' lot of products, only two or high end. And maybe that doesn't say anything to you, but it definitely says a lot to me! Thats why I thought it was appropriate to start this series off with this particular category, plus its always great to showcase what is truly great from the drugstore.

So in no particular order, here are my picks - keep reading to see my thoughts!

1. L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara // $8.95US

Eeek, not only is the packaging absolutely gorgeous, the product inside is incredible. I'm a massive fan of L'Oreal mascaras - I also love Miss Manga, One Million Lashes, Butterfly Lash, the originial Voluminous and the Extra Volume Collagen - but this one is probably my favourite. It has a slightly curved, bristle brush wand that really lifts and curls my lashes. The formula is also quite dry as well, which I personally love about mascara formulas, because it makes it so easy to build volume. This formula also has small fibres that also help with volume, although I barely notice them within this mascara. Definitely give this a try if you love voluminous, big, coated lashes!

Unfortunately, I could only find this on drugstore.com - they mustn't sell this over here :( (I purchased this from New York when I visited there)

2. Max Factor Masterpiece Max High Volume & Definition Mascara // $24.95

Another favourite brand from the drugstore - Max Factor mascaras have never disappointed me. This has been my personal go to lately, as I have it in the brown shade which looks more natural on me than black mascaras. This just has a straight, plastic brush - but don't let that put you off. I promise you, Max Factor have the best mascaras in the drugstore (and possibly even the high end market) on the same line as L'Oreal.

3. Max Factor Masterpiece Transform High Impact Volumising Mascara // $23.95

Oh goodness, another massive favourite! I recieved this late last year, and it went straight to my top favourite mascaras that I have eye used. The brush is small, plastic and goes up at an angle, with the biggest bristles on the end of the brush. It flares out, so trust me when I saw that this helps push your lashes up a ridiculous amount. I'm almost at the end of my tube, which makes me quite sad really, but I really really love this mascara. I used it, and only it, for months of end before turning to something else!

(If I still owned it, I would also be including Max Factors False Lash Effect Masara - thats also incredible, it's just never in stock when I go to buy it! Can you see how obsessed I truly am with Max Factor mascaras?)

4. Model Co Double Ended Fibre Lash Mascara // $20

I've done a comparison review with this and the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes here - and this mascara won! I have back ups upon back ups of this (I always buy it on sale at Woolies), thats just how good it is. It has the two ends, one with the actual mascara and the other with loose fibres. Unlike other fibre mascaras, this really coats your lashes with the fibres without ever looking clumpy or spidery. It's great for building volume on my lashes without every going overboard!

5. Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara // $14.95

I did another comparison post that featured this and the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara here! This is THE perfect dupe for the Too Faced mascara (which is out of stock a lot of the time, may I add ;) ), and is definitely my favourite Covergirl mascara! The brush is a bristle brush which is flared out on either side to really flare out dem lashes and volumise them. Its so incredibly buildable too, which is why it's really the drugstore version of the Too Faced Better Than Sex. 

And those are my top five drugstore mascaras! Which would have to be your favourites?

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

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review: make up store multi lash mascara !

Hey guys!

Now, if you know me, you know I have a thing for mascara. I have a million (exaggeration?) tubes open right at this second, and I used to juggle between all of them depending on what lash look I was going for that day. Now that I have my everyday makeup organiser (click here for a quick overview of my makeup collection/storage), I've been trying to make a concious effort to actually stick to one mascara for an extended period. 

I wanted to introduce you to this mascara I have been loving for the past couple weeks. This was generously sent to me by Keryn from the Trish Nicole Agency, and I have never had an experience with Make Up Store products before so I was terribly excited to break into this and try it out.

So what do I think about the mascara? Read on to find out!

This is how Make Up Store describe the mascara:

"Multi Lash Mascara is the perfect mascara for creating lovely lashes. With a bristled brush, which works to apply the formula evenly and separate the lashes, the light-weight product prevents clumping."

First off, lets discuss the packaging. I love how simple and sleek this tube is! It is a virtually matte tube, with embossed lettering all over. I love how it is the perfect size to fit in my makeup bag and not take any extra space. The box it was housed in follows the same principle - simple and sleek.

As they describe, the wand is a bristle brush - my favourite! I usually find bristle wands a lot easier to work with my lashes than a plastic brush, and this was no different. You guys, I love how natural this makes my lashes look. It perfectly separates them, and gives me a touch of volume and lengthening - but not so much that it is obviously that I'm wearing mascara. I have been wearing this nearly everyday for the past two weeks, and my lashes don't feel brittle or damaged which is such a huge plus for me

Here are some pictures from me wearing the mascara:

See how gorgeous this makes my lashes look? Seriously! Saaaaaaa natural and easy! As I said, this is just the perfect mascara for easy natural lashes, and it just completes any everyday look. You can also see how my lashes are barely clumped - all are evenly separated and coated with just the right amount of mascara.

You can find this here on the Make Up Store website for $38AU

Have you tried any other products from Make Up Store? Leave your recommendations down below!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

*some products featured in this were gifted for consideration, but all opinions are honest and my own :)

DUPE ALERT: too faced better than sex mascara VS covergirl flamed out masacara

Hey guys!

Today's post will just be a quick little comparison post between two mascaras - one that is one of my all time favourites and the other which is relatively new in my beauty regime, but that I have been loving nonetheless.

I want to take the both of us back to when I first laid my hands on the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara - not only was the packaging destined to be one of my favourites of all time (#pinklife) but the product inside was incredible. This mascara volumises, seperates and lengthens almost as good as my holiest of holy grail mascaras (Dior Diorshow, holla!), plus its pretty decently priced, even in Australia, for a higher end mascara.

Enter the Covergirl Flamed Out mascara.. When I first got my hands on this, I had heard basically nothing about it. I've only ever tried the Lash Blast mascara before, and let's just say it didn't work out well, so I wasn't sure if I would have a great experience with this. However, upon opening the mascara, I noticed the brush was extremely similar to the Too Faced mascara. After using it for about a week, I was convinced that I had possibly found a very close dupe for the ever coveted Better Than Sex mascara.

But you can judge for yourself..

This is a close up of the brushes. Too Faced Better Than Sex is on the left and Covergirl Flamed Out on the right. You can see just how similar the two wands are - both in an hourglass shape, being thicker at the sides and dipping in at the middle, and both are also bristle brush wands, which I personally prefer.

In terms of formula, at first they were a little different. In saying that though, generally most mascaras I have tried are wet at first and change as they dry out. These mascaras followed the same pattern, and as they dried out they became alot more similar. In the photos below, you can see how similar they both apply:

Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex (left) and Covergirl Flamed Out (right)

You can see with both the mascaras that they add a ton of volume to your lashes and seperate pretty well with minimal clumping. Honestly, if I didn't know myself that there was a different mascara used on each eye, I would just assume that the product used was exactly the same. I will say though, that after wearing them on my eyes like for this for 5+ hours, the ONLY difference I noticed was that the Too Faced mascara smudged under my eyes, whereas Covergirl stayed put. Something to think about..

You can find the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara here at Kit Cosmetics for $31.95AU

You can find the Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara here at Priceline for $14.95AU

Hope you enjoyed the comparison, and maybe found a good alternative mascara to use instead of spending double on another ! ;)

What do you think? Are they similar enough for the Covergirl mascara to be a 'dupe'?

Until next time....

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

review: younique 3D mascara

Hey guys!

Today's review may be a little controversial - I know a lot of us beauty bloggers have grown to dislike this brand because of the amount of sellers that bombard us on our Instagrams, emails and blog posts.  I'll admit, I'm guilty of getting extremely frustrated with certain sellers who constantly comment on my posts asking me to buy their products - even tagging my followers answering questions about products that aren't even featured on my page.

However, I had one independent named Dana who had never tried to gain unwanted attention from me asking if I wanted to try the mascara. Of course, I was curious about the product. So, I said yes, in hopes that I could try the mascara and write this post. Because, even though the sellers may be relentless and annoying at times, this may be a gem of a product hidden behind all that commotion. Think of it kind of Lime Crime lipsticks: Doe Deere herself isn't exactly the greatest selling point for her brand, and turns alot of people off by doing what she does. But the lipsticks themselves aren't bad! And we should give this mascara a chance to speak for itself, shouldn't we?

To do this review, I put my feelings about certain representatives of Younique aside to honestly find if I liked this mascara for itself. I've spoken about my love of fibre lash mascaras before (because I don't like false lashes), so this definitely seems up my alley. Although this was sent to me to try, I need to stress that this is 100% my honest opinion and absolutely unbiased.

Read on to see an overview of the product, a demo of the mascara and my final thoughts!

The mascara is in two tubes - one is the 'Transplanting Gel', which seems to be a mascara type product, and the other smaller tube holds the fibre lashes. Basically, you are supposed to use another mascara of your choosing, then go over it with the Transplanting Gel. Once you do that, you then coat your lashes in the fibres and then go back over with the Transplanting Gel to seal in the product and prevent those pesky fibres from moving from your lashes. I'm not 100% sure if Younique recommends to repeat the process or not, but I don't see why not.

The Transplanting Gel mascara, and a close up of the brush.

This basically looks like a typical mascara wand - a bristle type wand with a black mascara formula. The difference with this is that, once you apply another mascara underneath, you run this over the top to act as a tacky surface for the fibres to hold onto. Going over it after you have placed the fibres over top is supposed to seal the fibres in so that they stay fabulous on your lashes, and don't get stuck in your eyes or go all over your face.

The Fibre Lash mascara, with a close up on the brush.

I know the photo looks out of focus - it's not, trust me. You can definitely see the fibres on there in all their fluffy goodness! I have to say this part of the mascara definitely surprised me - if you've used other fibre lash mascaras, such as the Model Co one or Too Faced Better Than False Lashes,  you'll know that the fibres that come with those mascaras are not only white, but that they also come on an actual mascara wand. Sort of like the Transplanting Gel wand, but a bit smaller.

This is not a wand so much as a little stick. All the fibres are woven around it sort of like candy floss. The other thing is that these fibres are BLACK! I actually love that about this mascara, you don't have to work nearly as hard to conceal those fibres as you do with the other fibre lash mascaras I mentioned above.

Here is a demo of the mascara - these pictures are from my first time trying it:

In the first photo, I only have the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara on my lashes. In the bottom photo, I have only the Rimmel mascara on the left, and the Rimmel mascara plus the Younique mascara. You can see that my lashes on the right are definitely more full, volumised and dramatic when compared to the lashes on the left.

So what do I think?

I'm actually really really impressed with this mascara. I am someone who loves the clumpy-but-not-too-clumpy mascara look, because I have long lashes that can get really spidery really quickly - another reason I love fibre lash mascaras. Considering I expected to not really like it after seeing other before and afters, I am pleasantly surprised.

I think the trick with this mascara is to use a lengethening mascara (like the Rimmel one I used) underneath before going in with the Younique mascara. The Younique masara gives amazing volume so I would say that a volumising mascara underneath isn't necessary. In terms of buildablity, I would only repeat the process twice, otherwise your lashes will be extremely clumpy. Thats just my personal preference though - if you are someone who loves that look, layer it upon layer girl!

The only thing I'm not 100% sold on is the price of this mascara. This retails for $29US each which is a little steep for a mascara that isn't really high end nor drugstore. But, in saying that, you do get the two mascaras in one that are a decent size each and it seems like it will last forvever. Another thing is that the mascara does not dry out my lashes, or pull them off when I try to remove it. So it's really up to personal preference as to whether you would purchase it for yourself or not.

This has just been released to the Australian market, and is available to buy from independent representatives. Thank you so much to the lovely Dana for sending this to me to try out! I definitely think its worth a try if you're a lover of fibre lash mascaras like me, and you can find the products here at her website Dazzling Lashes and Beyond ! You can also find her here on her Instagram.

Thanks for reading guys! I know everyone is going to have a different opinion on this mascara - and it's really down to your own personal preference as to whether you want to try it for yourself or not :)

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

*This product was gifted to me, but that it no way influences my opinion of it per my Disclaimer 

top five thursday: mascara edition

Hey guys!

Todays edition of Top Five Thursday is going to feature my favourite mascaras! This is a product that I am very guilty of hoarding, I have so many tubes that I switch between on a regular basis. But the five that I'm featuring today are the ones that I always go back to, mainly because they are all exactly what I want in a mascara.

My preferences for my lashes changes depending on what look I want to do. Usually, I prefer my lashes to look full and voluminous, but there is the rare occasion that I will want them to look super long. The five I will be talking about are my favourite voluminous mascaras, as that is generally what I will reach for on a frequent basis.

I'll be keeping this short and sweet, as I have spoken about some of these in previous blog posts. Read on to see what I love about these mascaras!

Products pictured (l-r): Dior Diorshow Mascara, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara, Model Co Fibre Lash Extension Mascara

1. Dior Diorshow Mascara

This is the only product in my collection that I am sure is a holy grail for me. To say that it is the best mascara in the world is an understatement - basically, I will always repurchase this no matter now much it costs. I have written a full review on this mascara here, so I won't drone on about it. It is just the best mascara in the world for giving my lashes volume without ever clumping. Seriously, I could put layer upon layer of this on my lashes and it will just keep making them bigger and better. Plus, this wand is amazing. It is huge and grabs every single lash. You can buy it in Australia in select Myer and David Jones Stores for around $51-52AU.

2. L'Oreal Vouminous Million Lashes Mascara 

I have to say, I think that L'Oreal make the best drugstore mascaras. Honestly, I have about five, and there is not one that I do not like. I just really enjoy this one, because like Diorshow it grabs every single lash, and really seperates and thickens at the same time. It has a plastic brush, which I generally don't like, but this doesn't affect my opinion at all. This is just a really fantastic drugstore mascara. I did buy it in the US for $8.99US (from memory), but this is available in Australia at most drugstores like Priceline for $27.95AU.

3. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

This mascara is amazing, and well priced for a high end mascara. It has an hourglass shaped bristle brush that really curls my lashes up and makes them long, black and voluminous. So impressed with this, especially given that in the US it is cheaper than the majority of drugstore mascaras in Australia. Even here, the price really isn't outrageous. Basically, if you are looking for a high end mascara that isn't going to blow your budget and that is really good for volumising your lashes, look no further! You can find this in Australia at Kit Cosmetics (part of Mecca Cosmetica) for $31.95AU.

4. Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

Otherwise known as THE BEST drugstore mascara for making my lashes look amazing yet natural at the same time. When I first purchased this, I accidently picked up the brown shade and couldn't be bothered to take it back for exchange - I am so glad I didn't. This is perfect for everyday wear, it just goes with everything and as I said, my lashes always look amazing but never overdone. I featured this in my Spending Ban/Project Pan post, and it really is almost out. But I will be repurchasing this 100%! Again, this is available in most Australian drugstores like Priceline for $24.95AU.

5. Model Co Fibre Lash Extension Mascara

As someone who is scared to use false lashes, I usually look to a fibre extension mascara to give my lashes that 'false lash' effect. This is the best one I have found thus far! I have a review on it here, and I also compared it to the Too Faced Better Than Lashes which is more than half the price and really not as good as this one. To read a more thorough review on this, click through to that link. I just really like this, it gives an amazing amount of volume and really thickens your lashes to the point of almost being falsies. You can buy it in Australia at Woolies for $21.45AU (there's a sale every couple of weeks), but otherwise you can find it here on the Model Co website for $19.95.

And that's it for this weeks edition of Top Five Thursday! Mascara is one of the few items I really couldn't live without, and I love all of these mascaras (plus more) to really make my lashes look amazing.

What are some of your favourite mascaras?

Until next time....

xxxx

click here to read last weeks edition of top five Thursday

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

first impression: l'oreal false lash butterfly wings mascara

Hey guys!

When Priceline has a good deal, I tend to buy into it. Really who doesn't? It's not that I lack self control (jokes, I actually do), but seeing as the price of cosmetics is so high in Australia, when you see a good deal, you have to take it. Am I right, or am I right?

In this case, Priceline has both the L'Oreal Super Line Blockbuster (which is felt tip, not a kohl, as I initially thought) and the L'Oreal False Lash Butterfly Wings Mascara at 2 for $30AU. The liner by itself is $16.95, and the mascara also retails for a whopping $25.95AU each. I had initially talked myself out of buying the mascara during the 40% off cosmetics sale, because did I really need another mascara (no, I did not). But this was just such a good deal to get the two of them at a much cheaper price that I couldn't resist. Oops.

I personally think L'Oreal makes the best drugstore mascaras - they are just so expensive that I either buy them online or wait for a really good sale (which never happens, just by the by). So of course I wanted to try this out. I just didn't want to pay full price, because let's face it, there are so many cheaper products that I could buy with that $25.95. But, I am always intrigued by new mascaras, and always trying to find a cheaper alternative to my holy grail, the Dior Diorshow mascara.

Before I actually opened this and use it, I wanted to do a first impression for you guys. These photos are from when I actually used this for the first time ever (I hadn't even taken it out of the box prior to this).

One thing I will say, is that I will never understand putting a mascara in a box to sell it. Unless you are going to put a freebie in there for me, what's the point? It's bulky and annoying, plus it really only held the mascara when it is big enough to hold three of them. Anyway, just an observation..

This is what the actually mascara tube looks like once you throw away the useless big ass box it comes in. It's silver with quite a futuristic design. Other than that, it is really quite simple and is average size when compared to other L'Oreal mascaras.

This is a close up of the brush. L'Oreal says that this is an asymmetrical brush for "... ease and precision of application, catching every lash and volumising even the shortest lashes.. No clumping." Big claims L'Oreal!

As you can see, the wand is curved (sort of like a wave), so I can see what they were going for. It's a plastic brush, which is something I'm not particularly fond of, and it also seems to goop a lot of product onto the brush. There's nothing wrong with that in theory, but I find that it really makes it difficult to separate my lashes when there is quite a lot of product on the wand.

Here are the photos of my lashes with and without the mascara:

Lashes without mascara

Lashes with one coat

Lashes with two coats

Comparison to my other mascara-less eye

I am actually pretty impressed with this mascara. I did have a little issue separating them, which is something I anticipated given how much product was on the brush, but I got there in the end. I love how it really fanned out my lashes, and even made my eyes look bigger! That, my friends, is a talented mascara.

I did find it to clump a little when putting on the second coat, which is why I didn't try for a third. But overall, I am happy with the mascara, and I will be using it more to really get a feel for it. I'm hoping it'll dry out a little now that it has been opened, which should solve the issue with separating my lashes. Hopefully..

This retails for $25.95AU normally (eek), but it is on sale at Priceline with the 2 for $30AU until tomorrow. If you think you'd like it, go and grab one while you still can!

Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts?

Until next time babes...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

mini review: benefit's they're real mascara

Hey guys!

Today's post will be a quick review on a much coveted mascara within the beauty community. Everyone raves about this mascara on blogs and Youtube alike, and even its high price tag won't stop most people (i.e. me) from giving it a try.

Of course it's the Benefit They're Real mascara!

I had high hopes for this mascara, I'll admit it - I had read and watched reviews upon reviews before actually making my mind up to buy this. Honestly, I had not seen one bad review, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Read on to see what my thoughts are now after trailing this for a couple of months.

Being a higher end brand, the price tag on this baby is quite high. But, given that it retails in Australia for $38, it honestly isn't as hefty as other high end brands. Our drugstore mascaras usually retail for about $25-30AU, and seeing as this is only $5-8AU more expensive, I don't think that the price for this is too unreasonable. Still, I did wait until I went overseas to buy this because it is only $23USD. I did have the option to purchase a sample size at $10USD, but when in Rome..

From the Benefit website, this mascara claims to:

"... lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts & separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won’t smudge or dry out. A specially designed brush reveals lashes you never knew you had!"

So... What do I think?

I may be the first person to say this but.. I have such a love/hate relationship with this mascara. I really really wanted it to work - so many bloggers and youtubers claim this to be their ride or die. I, unfortunately, think differently. Is it a bad mascara? No, not at all. Is it a great mascara? Ehhh.. Well, its definitely not a bad mascara. It does what a mascara is supposed to do - namely coat your lashes and make them look more defined. But is it worthy of all the praise it receives? Not in my opinion. 

First of all, its a plastic brush. I am a known bristle brush lover, but that hasn't stopped me from adoring a select few mascaras with plastic brushes. Most people claim that this mascara is what converted them to a plastic wand, but to me its just a standard brush nothing too special. Oh, except the spiky ball on the end. That was genius on Benefit's part. It has never been so easy to get the lashes situated in the inner part of my eye, and also the outer lashes. It's my favourite thing about this mascara.

Close up of the mascara wand

The other thing about this mascara is that its that dreaded wet formula. If you don't know how I feel about wet formulas, I will tell you now. Basically, most wet formulas just clump my lashes and make them so spidery. I have to work twice as hard to get my lashes to separate and gain more volume. I am someone who prefers my lashes to look full and voluminous, and a bristle wand with a dry formula really helps me to achieve this. Unfortunately, this is a problem that I have with this mascara.

Here are some pictures with the mascara applied to my lashes:

One coat of the Benefit's They're Real mascara

Two coats of the Benefit's They're Real mascara

As you can see in the first photo, my lashes are quite thin and spidery. As much as it has coated, curled and lifted my lashes up, there is really no volume or lusciousness to them. And then the second photo, you can really see how clumped they can become. This is after trying to work with the mascara for 2+ minutes..

I don't love or hate this mascara in all honesty - I wouldn't say its a favourite, nor one that I would consider throwing out. There are days where it does work perfectly - where it really does all it claims to. But unfortunately those days are few and far between. I just wish I had had the sense to buy the sample size before purchasing the full size, but hey. At least it is one more mascara to have. But, so many other people have had a great experience with this mascara so I wouldn't let this review stop you from giving it a go - just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you! It is quite possible that I was just the unlucky person who got the dud bottle.

Do you own this mascara? What are your thoughts on it?

Until next time...

xxxx