mascara review

COVERGIRL Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara: New and Less Than $10

August 29th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Two layers of COVERGIRL Flourish on my upper and lower lashes

I haven’t surfed warm waters in five years, babes. FIVE. That’s a minor tragedy when you’re a water baby at heart. Still, I’m not salty about the mermaid vibes emanating from this teal tube of Covergirl mascara, even though looking at it makes me wish I was paddling out in Diamond Head’s shadow at Waikiki Beach instead of googling gluten-free Pop Tart recipes at my desk in Novato…

COVERGIRL Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara ($9.49)

Now, the actual mascara, which has one of those all-around formulas for a “boosted but natural” lash look, inside the tube isn’t teal (it comes in Black, Brown and Very Black), so if your lash situation can currently be described as long and full, cool. You might like this because it doesn’t flake, doesn’t feel stiff or heavy, and it’s also easy to remove (and it’s less than $10).

However, as you probably already know because I’ve only said it about a million times, I crave all the mascara bells and whistles to the extreme! — so I want/need my mascara to deliver enough drama to rival a Real Housewives season finale.

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Does New NARS Climax Mascara Take Lashes to the Peak of Perfection?

August 16th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

This being NARS we’re talking about (because even my glam granny knows that NARS has a thing for naughtily named makeup), I’m pretty sure the new NARS Climax Mascara was named after the big “O,” but can we pretend François was inspired by Klymaxx’s Meeting in the Ladies Room?

I’ll be back real soon…

Now, after you’re done dancing in your chair to the song (because you know you’re feeling it), please do actually meet me in the ladies room, because that’s where you’ll find me applying another coat of this easy-to-layer mascara, because it builds like WHOA!

NARS Climax Mascara ($24)

First Hourglass Caution; now NARS Climax. I’m really liking this trend of featherweight, flexible mascaras you can endlessly layer without clumping.

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Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara: [WARNING] Your Lashes Will Love This!

August 6th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

hourglass caution mascara — Please note the lashes stretching out *TO HERE* in this pic, and that’s after just one coat of Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara!

Lash drama: I has it.

Rather, I’m going through it.

Have I already mentioned this before? Only a million times, you say? Yeah, well…I promise that if the Fabulous Fringe Fairy materializes at the foot of my bed one night, waves her Wand of Winsomeness and bequeaths me with naturally lush lashes 4LIFE, I will happily STFU about the Grand Canyon-sized gap along the lash line of my right eye, and you will never have to hear another sordid tale of my lash woe again. 😉

(Believe me, I want this as much as you do.)

Until then, there’s new Hourglass Extreme Lash Mascara.

hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara in Ultra Black ($29 for a 0.33-oz. tube)

So, what makes this mascara so fancy? — I mean, other than the intensely black color (it’s darker than a supervillain’s heart) and the tapered brush (it’ll grab lashes you didn’t even know you had)?

Answer: Caution lets you just. Keep. Adding. More. Layers. No matter how many you apply, it won’t go full-on Tammy Faye, at least I don’t think so. I haven’t seen a single clump when I wear it. Like not one. And, honey, no matter how many layers you use, your lashes will still feel light and soft. Not crunchy or flaky at all!

An all-in-one mascara that delivers endless length, intense volume and sky-high lift for extreme, dramatic lashes. The combination of the innovative 4D Amplifier™ brush with the continuously buildable formula create lashes that defy the boundaries of traditional mascara.

4D Amplifier™ brush combines 2 brushes in 1 to deliver volume, length, lift and definition for extreme lashes

Saturates lashes from root-to-tip for the most volume in a single stroke

Perfectly coats the bottom lashes without smudging onto the lower lashline

Tapered end reaches even the smallest lashes in the corners of the eyes

Smooth, buildable, ultra-black formula creates dramatic but weightless lashes that don’t smudge or flake

— hourglass.com

OK…but that’s not even the best part. Remember the catchphrase, “Extreme Lash”? It’s so accurate. My lashes are long, thick, curly and lifted to the N-th degree. Shout-out to the lab geniuses who knocked this one out of the park.

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The 5 Out of 5 Hearts Club: Mallywood Smoky Mama! Mascara

July 9th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

The “5 Out of 5 Hearts Club” ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ is a new series where you’ll find out about limited edition beauty products that are all that and a bag of baked Cheetos! — a.k.a. perfection in every single way.

No shame moment: I’m one of those creepers who walks around unabashedly staring at strangers’ lashes without any qualms whatsoever. At times, it’s been so intense that people have stopped me to ask, “Do I know you?” and I’m like, “Nah, I’m just admiring your lashes like a weirdo. Don’t mind me!”

If I saw someone wearing this mascara, I’d pull them aside (after popping my eyes back into their sockets) and inquire about the magic happening on their fringe, because it’s good — like, “Gee, where did this dark horse come from, and why isn’t it a cult favorite yet?” good.

“Apply on the top lashline as usual (you can define every lash with this wand!). Then it gets fun! As you apply to your bottom lashes, gently press the wand softly from side to side and barely touch the skin beneath them! Voila! No walk of shame necessary!”

— mallybeauty.com

My lashes refuse to hold a lash curl (they’re rebellious that way, I guess), and they’re short, and I have a big ol’ gap in my right eye from an incident involving the overzealous removal of a pair of falsies, but with two coats of this mascara, I look like I’m wearing lash extensions.

mally smoky mama k — And that’s after just one coat!

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