Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Edge Meister Review... and Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam and Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascaras

Hi all!

Haven't done a mascara review in a long long time! That's because I'm just making my way steadily through my stock pile of Majolica Majorca mascaras xD For those who have been reading my blog for a while, you all know I've been using MJ since high school/undergrad.... it's been a love affair for almost 8 years now O_o!!

I thought I'd do a review on this MJ mascara today though cuz I think it was a new release from last year??? Or something... maybe there's a newer one since then lol. Anyway it was actually my first time trying it out. I only bought one just because I wasn't sure if I'd love it as much as I love the older formulas.

It's called the Lash Expander Edge Meister.



Edge Meister?? What does that even mean?? lol.


Can we just please take a moment to appreciate how CUTE this pink butterfly design is!!!!! Hahahah I'm so easily excitable.

For Chinese readers... 給中文讀者 =D





Like most of MJ mascaras, it also has a double-sided comb feature.


I never bothered looking at ingredients for mascaras... but here's the list in case you're interested lol.



You can see this mascara is PACKED with fibers. Immediately I was worried about the fibers flaking off during the day and getting into my eyes X_x

I actually did find utility with the double-sided comb... usually with MJ mascaras I tend to just use the "regular" side, but this one, I found that after coating my lashes using the regular (right) side, I can use the "detailed" (left side) to add the fibers to the tips of my lashes to build length. Although I mostly only do it when I have a lot of time xD  On the packaging though it says the "detailed" side is designed for getting to inner/outer corners/hard to get lashes (I'm not really sure how that works... since the comb is actually wider for the "detailed" side...)  or to add emphasis to the lashes.


Essentially this mascara is marketed for extra lengthening-- 1.3x length to be exact.  Let's see how the mascara works shall we?


Ayyy! Not bad! It gives a very clean, separated look. I like!
PS: I do have my MJ mascara primer on

Here's better picture.

I can definitely say this is the most lengthening mascara I've ever used... even more so than the Benefit They're Real! Mascara that I liked so much a while ago. But I do have to use the comb to build the fibers on the tip of my lashes though, otherwise it performs just like any regular MJ mascaras.







Now onto the things I DON'T like about this mascara:
1. It does flake. Just a little. Thankfully the flakes never fall into my eyes, but on average I usually find 1 or 2 pieces of fiber sitting on my cheek or my lower eyelid. Boo! :(  So I have to check in the mirror to make sure I don't walk around showing off mascara fibers lol. Although strangely, I found this mascara doesn't flake as much (if at all) when I don't use my MJ primer.

2. It does make my eyelashes droop... just a wee little. Not too bad though cuz as you can see in the pics, my lashes still have a good curl, I just noticed I do lose a tiny bit of curl when I use this mascara. It's the same with or without my MJ primer, which is kind of interesting. 


My overall thoughts?
Not my favorite mascara cuz I like fuss-free products, but I really really like the lengthening XD who doesn't like some more length in their lashes lol.

Will I repurchase?
I think I will, but I want to try just using this to add length to the tip of my lashes, with regular MJ mascaras underneath. Maybe that will minimize the fall-outs/flaking. I ran out of all my MJ mascaras so I won't be able to test out my hypothesis for a while XD but when I do I will make sure to do an update.

==============================

Now onto some bonus mini reviews XD


Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara






My overall experience/thoughts:

1. Super wet formula, I have to scrape off a ton of it before I can apply it to my lashes, otherwise it gives a very clumpy/messy look. Really have to make sure the wand is "clean" otherwise the finish is pretty clumpy and unflattering.
2. It makes my curled lashes go stick straight. With my MJ primer then it works fine.
3. This is the hardest-to-remove mascara I've ever encountered. Which is shocking cuz my MJ mascaras, which are invincible to smearing/smudging/whatever, aren't that hard to remove (at least with cleansing oil/cleansing cream/cleansing balm). I found that I have to take extra time for wait for this to melt off. Really annoying actually.
4. I don't mind using it up with the help of my MJ primer, but I will not repurchase.



Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara






My overall experience/thoughts:
1. I mentioned on my Instagram for my first impression that I really liked it. But after I used it for a week straight I changed my mind. It makes my lashes DROOP. Even with my MJ primer. It's insane. I really don't know how I got it to work the first time, but it had never worked ever since. Boo!
2. Gives a relatively clean, separated lash look, which I do like. However, the con majorly outweighs the pro.
3. I stopped using it. Now I put it in my on-the-go makeup bag in case I ever have a mascara emergency. Will not repurchase.

That's all for the mini reviews! Hope some of you found it helpful!



By the way, wearing the Innisfree Long Wear Cushion foundation in these pics, in case you're wondering.

Have you tried MJ mascaras? Do you like them? What's your favorite mascara?

Can't believe tomorrow is already Monday T_T Let's all banish the Monday blues shall we? Fighting~~~ LOL (feel so weird saying it cuz I'm not Korean).


<3 Frances

March 2014 Hits & Misses

Hi guys!

Here's my March Hits & Misses. I honestly thought I was gonna be on time for March =_= and before I knew it, it's almost mid-April O_o

So I actually don't have a lot to share for March. Most of them I've already done reviews so I'll link those when appropriate. I actually have a lot on my plate at the moment so I'm just gonna go ahead and jump right into it!

1. Cover Girl Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in 215











Naked lips


With the gloss balm. This really isn't the best picture because the balm does look pinker in person... but no matter what lighting/angle I took my pictures at, they all kind of turn out baby pink ish. So just keep in mind that the balm is pinker than shown above.

My thoughts?

Ummm I don't know exactly why, but I just don't like this product much. The color swatch looks like something I will love, but on my lips, it just translates a lot pinker-- too pink for what I was looking for. I wish it would look exactly the color swatch on the back of my hand. It also has a plastic/rubbery lipstick scent (think MAC lipsticks) which I found to be very off-putting. Texture-wise it's nothing crazy, kind of like Clinique Chubby Stick.

Here's a side to side comparison swatch to Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Lovesick. Actually in retrospect, I should've done a comparison swatch with the Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa... those are much more alike. The Chubby Stick was in my school bag when I did the swatches so I forgot about it O_o But anyway, Mighty Mimosa is a nuder pink compared to Cover Girl.

Revlon has a drier formula (whereas you can see Cover Girl has a balmy formula), and Revlon also has a minty scent.




2. Tanya Burr Lip Glosses

I already did a review on those, if you haven't seen it, please refer here. In short: huge hit! If I were to recommend anything from this month's hits & misses, it'd be these glosses ^_^


3. Mamonde Real Skin Founder

Also already did a review. I wouldn't say I love this, but I do really like it.


4. A'PIEU Essential Source Snail Vital Cream



This product, unfortunately, is a miss for me. My skin was very unstable/breaking out a lot last month, and it seemed to coincide a lot when I was using this product. But then again at that time I wasn't entirely sure if it was from this cream. Anyway, my skin is finally clear these days and I gave it another go-- yep, broke me out. It has a thick gel texture. Kind of reminds me of a sleeping pack texture.


5. Luca's Papaw Ointment



Thought it's pretty cool it came with a twist-open seal.






Please note: it contains fermented fruit.


So I ordered this following my Dior lip balm disaster. It's nice. At first I was like this thing smells really pungent O_o then later I realized it contains fermented fruit, haha. Took me a few days to get used to the smell but now I find the scent pretty comforting XD I guess I would say it's good and it does the job? I feel like it's nothing too impressive (like it didn't wow me like my Aveda lip balm did) but when I switched to my other lip balms I did notice a difference. So I guess it's good. Regarding the claims that it's also good for insect bites... I have applied it on my nasty mosquito bites from PR but I feel like it did nothing. Actually I'm not even sure what it's supposed to do for insect bites?? Maybe it's only intended for a protective layer? But I learned in my self-care class that you're not supposed to put ointments over insect bites LOL (insect bites, especially the swollen kind, are usually considered "wet" wounds, and applying ointments can provide a physical barrier that traps in moisture/secretions/bacteria and lead to infections. Gels are considered "drying" and are more appropriate for wet wounds).

6. Bumble and bumble Surf Spray

Again, already did a review. I feel like this item is gonna be either hit or miss for a lot of ppl, depending on their hair texture and how much effort they put into their hair routines.


7. Aveeno Natural Protection Lotion Sunscreen






This product is a disappointment. It is quite thick (hard to spread) and leaves a ridiculous white cast.



Can you see the white cast? It's kind of ridiculous when you apply it on all four limbs. Plus it's so hard to spread. Lesson learned: rather spend more on high end sunscreens. Never had a problem with Shisiedo face & body sunscreen. But I ran out of that a long time ago.

8. Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo





I guess it's alright? No complaints there-- but then again I rarely ever go crazy over shampoos. In fact, I think I've ever only gone crazy for one shampoo-- Aveda Pure Abundance. I feel like this is just a typical drugstore shampoo-- along the lines of Dove and Pantene (in my opinion, Garnier Fructis and Herbal Essence make the worst shampoos-- they leave HORRIBLE residues. But they smell amazing though lol).


9. Aveeno Positively Radiant Targeted Tone Corrector
 
Heard this evens out skin tone-- not true for me. In fact, it stings and made my face red. I returned it.


10. Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser

This is the second time that my face broke out from using a foaming cleanser (first time was with Caudalie). But with this one I can clearly feel it leaves residue on my face-- there's definitely a layer of something on my face even after rinsing out my face several time. And I can smell it on my face -.-  I have concluded that foaming cleansers are just no good for me. Returned this as well.


11. Aussie Hair Insurance

Sorry I forgot to take a pic so I just reused one of my old pics haha. Honestly, I'm not sure how to tell a good heat protectant from a bad one? My hair is damaged enough as it is so I can never tell if a heat protectant works or not lol. It comes out like a lotion, which in all honesty, I find to be a bit heavy/thick. I would prefer something lighter. Shame because it smells amazing. If I ever use it up (which I suspect I won't) I know it's not something I would repurchase.


12. Makeup Forever Aqua brow

It's a hit!! =) In short-- looks natural (if you use the right tool), and yes IT IS WATERPROOF. Awesome. Review here.


And lastly... I want to mention, oatmeal has been a favorite facial cleanser once again for this month lol. Still using oatmeal to cleanse my face. I feel like it's hard for me to go back to normal/chemical cleansers now X_x

Hope some of you found this post helpful :)


<3 Frances