Review – elf Mascara Primer

I picked up the elf Mascara Primer a while ago because I had been wanting to try out a mascara primer but didn’t want to fork over tons of money if it didn’t work out.  I figured I could part with $3 to give one a shot.

On the elf website, it describes the primer as “an excellent conditioning base for any mascara.  Coat each lash with this nourishing primer for lashes that appear naturally thicker, longer and stronger!”  As to use instructions, elf says to “apply the Mascara Primer like you would any mascara, but allow Primer to fully dry.  Layer on your Mascara as usual, for an enhanced look.  Remove with makeup remover.”

I wasn’t super impressed when I first picked this up.  I tried it out a few times, but the brush didn’t coat my lashes evenly and it didn’t seem to do anything.  As I was cleaning out my makeup stash this month, I decided it might be time to actually include it in the monthly giveups.  But then I thought, why not give it one more shot in case I was using it wrong, remembering it wrong, or something.

No, I was right.  This just doesn’t work for me.  I tried it three different days in a row using Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara on top of it, which is one of my go-to mascaras (it’s a good one, and I have a ton of it right now).  I used the primer on one eye and no primer on the other.

 

My bare lashes - no primer or mascara (and kind of a lousy liner day)

Primer on one eye only

Between me and the three other people I asked, only one could see any difference between the two eyes.  elf claims that your lashes will appear “thicker, longer and stronger”.  The one person who noted a difference thought the lashes with primer looked thicker and had more product on them.  No mention of increased length.  In fact, the other three of us thought the lashes on the other eye looked longer!

 

One coat of mascara - Can you see any difference?

Two coats on top lashes, one on bottom (my standard).  What do you think?

I still did not like the brush.  The bristles are widely spaced and didn’t seem to coat my lashes well.  I tried applying like I usually do by wiggling at the root then pulling through.  I tried twirling the brush through the lashes.  I tried just pushing the brush into the lashes as some other primers recommend.  Nothing seemed to make things better.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this product.  The results weren't worth the extra time and energy involved with the somewhat difficult application.  Even though it is only a few dollars, I’d say save your money.  I just received some mascara primers for Christmas (to be included in posts soon, I promise!), so I’ll let you know if those are any better.

Do you use mascara primers?  Which ones do you recommend?

QVC Beauty Favorites Advent Calendar – 2015

This year, my hubby decided to surprise the kiddo and me with an advent calendar from QVC.  (Do you shop from QVC?  What are some of the best things you've picked up?)  He had never done the calendar thing before, but knew that I had liked the various QVC favorites and sampler sets he’s gotten for me in the past, and thought this might be a fun one to add to the collection.  

This one is set up in a very nice box with a latch closure.  Each numbered day is randomly located across both sides of the box when it is open like a book.  You have to break through a perforated layer to reveal the product nestle in its molded plastic compartment.

Let me tell you, it has been so much fun!  Each night, the kiddo and I try to guess what the day’s item is based on the shape of the perforated area.  There have been a few times when we’ve actually gotten it right, but most of the time we’ve been WAY off.

So here’s what was included:

Days 1-6

Days 7-12

1. Bare Minerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara in Intense Black (deluxe sample)
2. Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Liner in Black Velvet (full size)
3. It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer in Neutral Medium (travel size)
4. It Cosmetics Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Clinically Proven Mascara (deluxe sample)
5. Doll 10 HydraGel Cream Blush in Flirt (full size)
6. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment (deluxe sample)
7. Nest Fragrances Midnight Fleur Eau de Parfum (sample bottle; same size as rollerball sold at Sephora)
8. Wen Cucumber Thyme Treatment Oil (travel size)
9. Calista Tools Embellish Texturizing Definer (deluxe sample)
10. 2-Sided Mirror Compact
11. Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer (deluxe sample)
12. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil (travel/”to-go” size)
13. QVC Brand Complexion Blending Sponge
14. StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream (deluxe sample)
15. Formula X Nail Color in Monumental (sample size)
16. LashFood Conditioning Lash Primer (deluxe sample)
17. Clark’s Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream (deluxe sample)
18. Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang Body Wash (sample size)
19. Philosophy Amazing Grace Shampoo, Bath and Shower Gel (travel size)
20. Color Wow One-Minute Transformation Styling Cream (travel size)
21. Mally High Shine Liquid Lipstick in Orchid (deluxe sample)
22. Algenist Advanced Anti-Aging Repairing Oil (deluxe sample)
23. Clean Skin Rollerball (deluxe sample)
24. Peter Thomas Roth Firmx Peeling Gel Gel Exfoliant (travel size)

Days 13-18

Days 19-24

So, to summarize, we got:

• Makeup: 2 mascaras, 1 eyeliner, 1 concealer, 1 blush, 1 lash primer, 1 lip gloss
• Skincare: 1 moisturizer, 2 body washes
• Facecare: 2 exfoliants, 3 moisturizers, 1 face oil
• Fragrances: 2 perfumes

• Nails: 1 nail polish
• Hair: 1 hair oil, 1 texturizer, 1 styling cream
• Tools: 1 mirror, 1 makeup sponge

There are some fabulous items included in here.  There is only one that I will absolutely not use just (the Wen product, because the scent is overwhelming), so this seems to be a fantastic deal.  You do get some full-size products, but I also love sample sizes because I get to try so many different things.  Also, many of the sample sizes are of luxury skin care items, so you get to feel pampered for a very reasonable price.

Did you have an advent calendar this year?  Was it a beauty one or a more traditional one?

Christmas 2015 – Non-Beauty

My family and Santa were very good to me this year. When I first started writing up my list of gifts, a wound up being a four-page document. So I’m going to have to break this up into smaller chunks to make it more manageable.

Most of my gifts were beauty related. I received lots of kits, several palettes, and many individual items. Among the non-beauty related items are the toys, gift cards, and a really interesting book. I also received a new camcorder with all kinds of accessories, so I will no longer have to take videos on my regular camera or phone at the kiddo’s swim meets.

This first post is going to be about my non-beauty related items. This should be the shortest of them, but we’ll see how that goes. :-)

•  Sony HDR-CX405 HandyCam with accessory package (backup battery, car and home charger, two sizes of tripods, cleaning supplies, etc.)
• From the little bit that I’ve played around with it so far, this seems like a really nice camera. I film all of the kiddos races at every swim meet. Normally I use my regular camera, which is worked out fairly well so far. With her being a distance swimmer, however, there have been times when her whole race cannot be filmed in a single take and needs to be split into two or even three parts. This will hopefully eliminate that.
• Another thought is that the kiddo or I might start filming YouTube videos. Shout out in the comments if there’s anything you really like to see.
• What camera do you use?
• Adipose (Dr. Who) and Ruby Rhod (Fifth Element) FunkoPops (from the Kiddo)
• These actually need a little bit of explaining. So, I’ve recently lost quite a bit of weight. The Adipose doll represents where the fat has gone. The Ruby Rhod doll went along with the classic Ruby Woo lipstick from Mac (nice play on words kiddo).
• Do you collect FunkoPops?  Which ones do you have?  Besides these, I have a Dancing Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, a mini Jon Snow, a mini Venom, and mini Harley Quinn.  Which are your favorites?
• Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood – Oliver Sacks
• The hubby hears about all kinds of great books on NPR, and this is another one to add to that set. I’m a trained chemist (in a former life) and still a big geek, so I’m looking forward to reading this.
• A goody bag with snacks, hand sanitizer (from my wonderful coworkers)
• I need to thank my coworkers again for this wonderful gift. I woke up from a nap on Christmas evening wanting chocolate, and the ones included here perfectly satisfied my craving.
• A sweatshirt blanket from my department at work
• This warm and cozy blanket has already earned a permanent place as our car blanket, a huge honor since I am always cold.
• Various gift cards from friends and family
• Like I mentioned above, I’ve recently lost a lot of weight. I’m at the point now where I’m going to have to start getting some new clothes pretty soon, so the gift cards will come in very handy.

Well, that’s it for this first “what I got for Christmas” post. Stay tuned for the beauty related posts…

Happy Holidays!

Whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, 

have a happy one!

And OMG, So Many Presents!  I finally finished logging everything in. Now maybe I'll finish a few posts.  :)

My No-Buy 2015

In order to buy me Christmas presents and not run the risk of duplicating, my husband put me on a no-buy starting on November 1.  I have been allowed to purchase some replacements of key items, but that was it.

It has been SO hard.

I had to pass up all of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, at least when it came to purchasing for myself.  That’s how I got some great products last year!  I had to skip the Sephora VIB sale this year.  I’ve had to skip all kinds of great sales and bargains, and more seem to be happening every day.

And then there are the new releases this holiday season.  I haven’t necessarily been interested in every holiday set, but there have been some sets that have caught my interest.  Things like minis of a collection grouped into a single palette, so you can try, say, 6 colors for the price of less than 2.

I will admit, I haven’t been perfect.  I have had a few slip ups.  Most were very inexpensive drugstore products, like those from Elf, in order to try out a brow powder when I had left my brow pencil at home that day. 

There were a few items, however, that I picked up for myself while ordering replacement items or gifts for others.  I usually justified those purchases to myself by saying “I need to buy them in order to qualify for free shipping/gift with purchase/discount/they’re limited edition/etc.”  Those items, I’ve set to the side to save until after Christmas, just in case.  (I haven’t even swatched them yet!)

The no-buy has helped me come to a few realizations.

1.       I have SO MUCH makeup and skin care.
2.       I have purchased SO MUCH in the past year.
3.       Even though I have a lot, I do rotate through my makeup. (verified on my makeup log spreadsheet)
4.       The no-buy has helped me actually thin out my collection.

a.       I sorted through my makeup and got rid of a lot that was the wrong shade, duplicates, or things I will just never use.

b.      I have sorted through my skincare and have a huge pile that can be donated.

c.       For the makeup and higher-end skincare items, I set up a box at work.  My coworkers can take whatever they like.  We often get into discussions about what might look best on them, how a product works, etc.  It’s another way to the fun of makeup besides the blog.

Empties - November 2015

I love empties posts.  I love using things up (throughout my life, not just beauty items) and seeing the pile of used items grow over the month.  It’s like crossing things off of lists; it’s just satisfying in its own way.  I also get to make room for new stuff!

I also like it because I get to provide lots of little mini reviews all at once.  If you ever want me to go into more detail on any of the products I mention in one of these posts, please let me know in the comments!

Other than the empties, this month I also hit pan on a cream blush!  And the cream eyeshadow I hit pan on a few months ago has now dwindled to just a ring around the jar, and even that has a chunk out of it.

Makeup
Looks like it's eyes and face this month...

·BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream in Vanilla – Sample card from Sephora.  I have really liked BareMinerals products in general lately, and this was no exception.  It seemed to be the right color (which has been difficult for me to find lately), although I should probably try another sample before purchasing a larger size.  Purchase: Yes.

·Laura Geller GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara – Sample from Macy’s Laura Geller Beauty Flawless In A Flash.  I loved this!  I have several other mascaras I’m using right now, and I went out of my way to use this one.  Unfortunately, it did dry up quickly, but that may be due to the small size.  Purchase: Yes.

·Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector in Light Sheer Tint – Full size.  This is the best drugstore BB cream I’ve found for me.  It’s basically the only one I’ve found that isn’t too dark and doesn’t change color after applied.  It is sheer, but it says that right in the color name.  So, for a sheer base this is really nice if you can work with one of the 5 colors available.  If you want something with more coverage, you should pass on this one.  Purchase: Yes.

·Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl Stretchable Waterproof Colour in Cleo – Sample from Build Your Own Birchbox.  THIS SUCKED!!!!!  This was super dry, and I couldn’t get it to write even on my hand let alone on my eye.  Purchase: No!

Face Care
This month, I've tried to make it a point to use a mask on Sunday and Wednesday nights, so you'll see a lot of masks.  I've also been trying to make my way through my stash of serums and various packets, so lots of those as well.

·Biore Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strip – Sample (1 strip), probably a sample from Ulta.  Do you remember when the Biore nasal cleansing strips were all the rage?  This is exactly that, but with charcoal included so they’re black instead of white.  I was having some clogged nose pores, and this worked really well.  I liked the black better than the white because you could see just how well it cleaned out the pores.  Purchase: Yes.

·Burt’s Bees Renewal Intensive Firming Serum – Rippy packet from Walmart Beauty Box.  A not great but not horrible serum.  It did stain the packet weirdly between uses after opening.  Purchase: Maybe.

·Caudalie Instant Detox Mask – Rippy packet from Birchbox.  This smells really nice and left my face feeling soft and fresh.  However, due to the color (medium pink), it is hard to see where it is going during application.  I put the second packet in my giveaway box at work, but I may wind up taking it back because I really did like it.  Purchase: Yes.

·Dr. Jart+ Soothing HydraSolution Deep Hydration Sheet Mask – Full size.  I purchased this after using the Vital Hydra Solution Deep Hydration Sheet Mask.  I honestly like the other one I have from them better.  This one just didn’t seem to suit my face as well.  Repurchase: No.

·Eco-Beauty Good Night. Night Cream – Sample from Ipsy.  This was a pretty decent night cream.  Not my favorite, but good enough to use up.  Purchase: No.

·Erborian Pate Au Ginseng BlackConcentrated Mask – Rippy packet from Sephora.  This truly was a single use packet, which I have found rare even for masks.  Refreshing mask, not overwhelmingly bad or good.  Purchase: No.

·L’Oreal Eye Makeup Remover – Full size.  This was the worst eye makeup remover I’ve used thus far.  It really didn’t take anything off, and only smeared around some eye makeup as long as it wasn’t a long wearing formula.  Repurchase: No.

·Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes – Full size.  HG product.  Repurchase: Already have.

·Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment – Full size.  This spot treatment, while not completely used up, had expired and started to smell a little funky, so I decided to dispose of it.  This was my go-to spot treatment for the longest time.  I’m trying out another product right now, but if that doesn’t work out I will probably go back to this.  Repurchase: Maybe.

·No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum – Rippy packet from Target Beauty Box.  This was OK.  It didn’t really stand out from the crowd, good or bad.  Purchase: Maybe.

·Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil for Face – Rippy packet from Walmart Beauty Box.  Note to manufacturers: oils, even samples, should not come in rippy packets.  I’m not really into facial oils in general, but the sample packaging turned me off to this one completely.  Purchase: No.

Skincare
Shower gel and moisturizer rule the bunch.  Again, lots of sample packets here trying to clear out my stash.

·BBW Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel in Guava Pineapple Splash – Full size.  The hubby and kiddo really enjoy these shower gels, and liked this scent.  Repurchase: Already have in other scents.  Would also repurchase this scent.

·The Body Shop Shower Gel in Glazed Apple – Sample size from Glazed Apple Tin of Treasures holiday set.  I’ve been enjoying this scent, and am glad to see it again this year.  I may pick some more up when they go on sale (if they’re still available) after the holidays.  Purchase: Yes.

·Curel Itch Defense Fragrance-Free Lotion – Rippy packet from magazine.  This truly is fragrance-free, and is an otherwise nice lotion.  There was only a single application, so not really enough to get a good opinion.  Purchase: Maybe.

·Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Lotion in Relaxing Sea Fennel – Sample from Birchbox.  The scent of this moisturizer was mild enough for me to use around my husband, which is really good for something that is not unscented.  I need to keep that in mind for the future.  Purchase: Maybe.

·Jack Black Turbo Wash Energizing Cleanser for Hair & Body – Rippy packet, probably from Sephora.  The description on the packet says rosemary, eucalyptus, and juniper berry.  When I first used it, I could definitely smell the rosemary and eucalyptus, but the predominant scent to me was black pepper.  A very “manly” scent, but I don’t think it’s for me.  Purchase: No.

·Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula – Rippy Packet.  I have had this and the next rippy packet sample around for a long time.  I think they were in swag bags from some of my husband’s races when he was running more often.  This original formula is nice, and smells a bit of chocolate because of the cocoa butter, but I have a lot of moisturizers and there are some I like better.  Purchase: No.

·Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Men Body & Face – Rippy Packet.  This has a nice fresh scent with a just hint of cocoa.  I think I like this one better than the original.  Even though it says it’s for men, it was just a very pleasant scent with the same moisturizing qualities of the original.  Purchase: Maybe.

Fragrance
This month, I actually finished one of my all time favorite  fragrances.  I'm so glad I stocked up, since they don't carry it in stores any more.

·BBW Fragrance Mist in Dark Kiss – Travel size.  This is my favorite BBW scent, and the only fragrance from them that I’ve ever used up.  Repurchase: Yes (already own 2 larger bottles).    

·Clean Warm Cotton – Sample.  This was one of those fragrance samples that didn’t come in a spray tube.  So, to try to not get it all over my fingers, I applied it using a cotton ball and wound up over-applying.  Now have a better idea how to use the cotton ball technique to apply perfume this way.  I chose this perfume in particular to test this application method because it smells like soap to me, so even if it I did go a little overboard it wouldn’t overwhelm anyone.  Purchase: No.

·Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black and Nirvana White Eau de Parfum – Sample card from Sephora.  I have both of these in larger rollerballs.  I LOVE the Black; it’s one of my favorite perfumes.  I can only really wear the White in the summer or layered with other fragrances, otherwise it just smells off on me.  Purchase: Yes (already own).

·Jennifer Aniston J by Jennifer Aniston Eau de Parfum – Sample card from Walmart Beauty Box.  Nothing horrible, nothing great.  Not for me, but I probably wouldn’t throw it away if I got it again.  Purchase: No.

Hair Care

·Acure Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner – Samples from Target Beauty Box.  I have enjoyed most things I’ve tried from Acure, and these were no exception.  This feels like a clarifying shampoo, and the conditioner is very rich and reparative.  Purchase: Maybe.

Toiletries

·Crest SensiCare Anticavity Fluoride Alcohol Free Rinse in Mild Mint – Full size.  I liked this, and it was a nice change from Listerine Alcohol-Free mouthwash.  I think somebody else in the house also likes this because it seems to be disappearing faster than I remember using it.  Repurchase: Yes.

·Pronamel by Sensodyne Gentle Whitening Toothpaste – Full size.  I go back and forth between Pronamel and Sensodyne toothpaste and vary up the  flavors.  This was pretty standard coming from these brands, with abit more gentle flavor than others.  Repurchase: Yes.

Other
Sometimes I wish BBW would keep some of their seasonal scents around longer, or at least bring them back every now and then.

·BBW PocketBac in Amazon Rainforest Orchid – Full size.  This has such a lovely, sweet yet floral scent.  I loved using it every time.  Repurchase: Already have in other scents.  Would also repurchase this scent.

Giveups

·Harvey Prince Yogini – Sample size gift (originally from Birchbox).  This is one of the only scents from Harvey Prince that I haven’t liked.  It was just way too much for me, and kind of gagged me throughout the day.  Purchase: No.   

·Ulta Brow Tint in Light – In Gift with Purchase from Ulta.  I was really hoping this was going to be like Benefit Gimme Brow, which I recently used up.  Nope.  This is super wet, has no fibers, and no hold at all.  This was probably one of the messiest makeup items I’ve ever used.  Purchase: No.

·Wet N Wild Travel Makeup Brush (no description given) – Travel size.  This is pretty rough on the eyes when using to apply eyeshadow, and it sheds like crazy during cleaning.  I think I may have gotten this in a travel brush set a long time ago, but I’m not sure anymore.  Repurchase: No.