NEW Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

I'm so STOKED to talk about this mascara. Luckily because of my work I was able to try this out several weeks before the launch date. I had an amazing first impression that I've maintained since my first use!

To give you all some background, I am NOT a high-end mascara girl; in fact, I've told clients over the past two years not to spend money on mascara and to invest money elsewhere. I haven't found one perfect drugstore mascara but I get amazing results from layering them, and I'd rather buy two mascaras for under $10 than buy one "okay" $30 mascara.

PROS:
The packaging is pretty cute and classic Benefit. I'm not crazy about the entire tube design, but the wand top is adorably designed to look like an old-school hair roller. The formula is so awesome- it's lightweight but I still get awesome length and volume from one coat without it feeling spikey or flaking. If you run your fingers over your lashes once they're dry, they still feel fluffy and soft! I'm still so stunned that I liked a high-end mascara, but the results were just too amazing and it is SO much better than the They're Real mascara!

CONS:
Okay, yes, I did just say I like the packaging. The design is cute but the material however, is not. The pink wand top is rubber, which may not seem like a problem, but rubberized packaging picks up dirt and makeup from wherever you take it so easily and quickly makes it look dingy and gross (COUGH, COUGH NARS). Also, ugh, that price tag. $24 for a mascara is so painful for me and I cringe at it still, but it's just so damn good :(

IS IT WORTH IT?:
If you can afford it, YES! As I mentioned, I hate that I love this mascara but it's such an amazing all around mascara and it has really cut my makeup routine time down because I know longer spend 5 minutes caking on layers and layers of mascara. If you really can't justify the price tag enough to buy it, keep an eye out for Sephora's Friends & Family sales when you can get 20% off! This mascara launches in Sephora stores February 27th.


*All photos are my own and this post was not sponsored*

John Frieda Colour Refreshing Gloss- Cool Red

If you're a fake redhead like myself, it's no secret that red hair is one of the most difficult hair colors to upkeep. The red dye pigments are bigger than most colors which makes it not only harder to blend but harder to keep it adhered to your hair cuticles. For the past 2 summers I've bleached my hair; the first summer I was blonde and this past summer I was blonde again before going lavender. Unfortunately, this has caused the most damage I've EVER had that still isn't completely fixed, even months later. One of the biggest problems I've had is the bottom half of my hair; all of the bleaching and processing has shredded my hair cuticles (even after haircuts) to the point where they will not reseal. This is my biggest issue when it comes to keeping my hair red.

Almost a week after re-dying my hair, the bottom will fade so badly that if I put my hair on top of my head in a bun, I can see a side by side comparison of the auburn roots and the light brown ends. As a result of the damage of my own making, I've been trying to be extra careful when it comes to taking care of my hair over the last few months, especially since I plan to go lavender again this spring...don't judge me.

A common tip I've seen/read about is color glossing; glosses are supposed to refresh color without damaging your hair like a dye does. Since I keep my hair red and that's already such a difficult color to manage on it's own- never mind my cuticle problem, I was all about trying a gloss out. One of the first search results I found was the John Frieda gloss; I swear I'd walked past this product 1,000 times and never looked at it twice before. Although it retails for about $12 (which is pricey for the drugstore in my opinion) I figured it would be cheaper than going to a salon or trying to find a salon-equivalent product.

I ended up totally hating this stuff- it dried my hair out even WORSE! I definitely would never recommend this to anyone. Not only do you have to use a ton of it which ultimately limits your amount of uses per bottle, but it didn't even leave any color in my hair...just more damage.

The reason why I still wanted to talk about this is because I am open to ALL suggestions! I'm getting so frustrated with the bottom half of my hair that over the course of the next month I'll be amping up my research and trying products until I find a routine that WORKS. I've been looking into cuticle sealers from Sally's Beauty Supply and read some positive reviews about Redken's Shades EQ Hair Color Gloss, so if anyone has a personal testimonial about these or anything else, please let me know! I'll come back and update my blog as I make my discoveries!

*the picture in this post came from google; post was not sponsored and all opinions are my own*

On Trend: Makeup Removing Cleansers and Oils

First and foremost: do not let the word "oil" scare you. It used to make me nervous, but I always cross check ingredients with the non-comedogenic list on acne.org and I haven't experienced any issues! Lets be honest, makeup wipes suck. Yes, there are "good" ones and there are terrible ones, but no matter what I have never heard anyone ever talk about a makeup wipe that has legitimately and effortlessly removed ALL of the makeup off of their face (mascara and all!) I'm over spending money on the makeup wipes, and then liquid eye makeup remover to get the remaining black swan eyes off, and the cotton pads I need to use it with, and then the cleansers to remove all the oily residue. It's too much effort to accomplish one goal- ain't nobody got time for that!!! I've been searching for one product that I can use to easily get the job done, and I've formed some definite opinions on both drugstore and high end products.

Drugstore Cleansers/Oils- Garnier

All of my drugstore selections are from Garnier because I believe they've been producing the most competitive makeup removing cleansers and oils that you can get at the drugstore. As far as I've seen, they were the first drugstore brand to put out a makeup removing oil. Since its release about a year ago, they've expanded their line of products to include a lotion cleanser and a cream cleanser.

Garnier Clean+Nourishing Cleansing Oil

This is the product that scared me the most because it just looks like straight up vegetable oil. BUT, don't be afraid because of the skin myths out there. The first ingredient is mineral oil. This is not a pore clogging oil. Also- this is a cleanser- it goes on and immediately comes off,  so if you're still concerned, know that the oils wont stay on your skin like a moisturizer, they rinse off clean and you should still follow with your regular cleanser after rinsing the makeup off. Another major oil in this is jojoba oil which is AWESOME! Jojoba oil is one of the best things you could possibly use to moisturize your face without clogging pores. Jojoba is also expensive which is probably the biggest contributor to the cost of this product, but it's still s cheaper alternative than the pure oil. 

I use about three pumps and apply it with DRY hands on a DRY face- definitely do not get water involved yet. I spend most of my time rubbing my lashes to work the mascara off and once my face is covered I rinse it off. 

My biggest peeve with this product is how it leaves my eyes. Even after rinsing the oil makes my vision foggy and I sometimes get these weird emulsified strings of black makeup in my eye. I also will admit that I can tend to have some eye makeup leftover under my eyes that doesn't rinse off easily and will cause me to use a towel or a makeup wipe. However, this stuff really does cut through my heavy eye makeup and even when it doesn't remove everything, it softens my chunky mascara and makes it easier to get off. I don't love the price- it's usually around $8 but is sometimes on sale around $6. I just think I need to use too many pumps and sometimes additional products to justify how quickly it runs out. It has a nice scent, leaves little residue, and is awesome compared to what's available at the drugstore, but overall it's not the best thing in existence.

Garnier Clean+Sensitive Skin Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser

I was really stoked to find this new display at my Target because I never knew they were releasing more products! The lotion cleanser is designed for sensitive skin and is free of fragrance, alcohol, dye, and oil. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite product of the three I tried. It removes face makeup really well; I could see the foundation coming off as soon as I started rubbing the cleanser around my face. However, this product sucks with eye makeup; it barely removes mascara or eyeliner yet it claims it can remove waterproof mascara...yeah right. The term "lotion" also made me surprised by the consistency of the product. It's not like a thick body lotion but more of a thin lotion that feels more like a gel. I think this could be a big reason why the cleanser doesn't remove eye makeup well and I just wouldn't repurchase it again.

Garnier Clean+Smoothing Cream Cleanser

THIS, THIS, THIS!!! SO MUCH YASSSS!!! I have found the holy grail product people! This product is AWESOME because it combines the same moisturizing properties of the Garnier oil, but in a cream form. This is not like the lotion cleanser- it's much thicker, even more like a lotion, and actually does turn into a cleanser. Not only does it remove everything COMPLETELY but I feel like I'm not wasting product like I was with the oil. The oil required me to use several pumps and because it's a liquid I often felt like I was spilling a ton of it from my hands when I was trying to get it on my face. The cream is thick enough to dissolve my mascara but still lets me get away with using about a quarter-sized amount because adding water foams the products up and helps rinse everything completely clean. I'm gonna go ahead and say what I probably shouldn't say- this is an IDEAL product for those nights when you stumble home drunk and are too tired to go through your skin routine (lol). It removes all your makeup, helps cleanse your skin, and leaves it soft and slightly moisturized from the jojoba oil. I wouldn't suggest skipping your routine every night, but when you're feeling lazy, this stuff is awesome. I was really amazed that I didn't have any eye makeup remaining after rinsing and I will probably never buy another remover or wipe because of my love for this product!

High End Oil Removers- PurMinerals and Bliss

I'm prefacing this post by saying don't spend your money on expensive removers. I won't go into as much detail on these products because I'm not endorsing them, especially after expressing my thoughts on the Garnier Cream Cleanser. 

PurMinerals Melt Away Makeup Emulsifier

I tried this product because Ulta was doing a 50% off sale on PurMinerals skin care and I've really enjoyed their products in the past. However, while I was shopping on Amazon I saw the product for the same sale price and I'll take any opportunity I can to avoid shopping at Ulta; always check Amazon, they typically offer lower prices than retailers (the original price is $23). This product is okay but overpriced- it only works a little bit better than the Garnier oil and is 3x the price. It's also overpoweringly scented and gave me the same problems of feeling wasteful as the Garnier product did.

Bliss Fabulous Makeup Melt Gel-to-Oil Cleanser

This stuff is better than the PurMinerals product because it starts as a gel and is easier to apply to my skin but it still doesn't remove as well as the Garnier Cream Cleanser. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible product- it does remove a fair amount of makeup but the fact that I still have some remaining eye makeup left under my eyes makes it DEFINITELY not worth the $28 price point. There's no contest against the Garnier Cream Cleanser, so save your money and hit a Walgreens before trying these overpriced time wasters!

*This post was not sponsered; all photos except for the bliss photo and the garnier oil photo are my own*