Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara

This is the Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara which came out this year. I had heard lots of brilliant things about this mascara from bloggers and YouTubers so I decided on a whim in Boots that I'd buy it. I didn't need a new mascara, but how many is really too many? I tell myself it is for the purpose of the blog.

Maybelline claim that this mascara instantly plumps and volumises lashes and keeps them lifted with styling wax. The brush has cup shaped bristles to push up your eyelashes to give a lifted effect. The packaging is half red and half black which a black band in the middle, making it look like there might be a wand on either side but there is only one! It is a tall mascara.

When I first opened the mascara the first thing that hit me was the smell. It smells so strong and so bad that it made my eyes water! Fortunately the scent has died down over the time but for a while it definitely wasn't a treat for my sense of smell.

To give you context, my eyelashes are straight and point outwards and downwards so have no lift to them. I also don't have many eyelashes and some short eyelashes due to losing lashes from a previous eye infection. So for me I am looking for mascara that curls my lashes and keeps them lifted! I battle the sparse lashes by tight lining with black eyeliner to give the illusion I have more eyelashes than I actually do.

When I first used the mascara I honestly didn't like it and I panicked because everyone else seems to like it. When I used it the smell bothered me, it was very clumpy and clumped my lashes together. It was also very messy and I had a lot of clean up to do afterwards. The only things I seemed to like was that it made my eyelashes look longer and very black.

This is one of those mascaras where the formula gets better after using it for a while. The formula was quite wet and clumpy at first and I had to ensure I brushed my lashes through with an eyelash comb before and after to make it work. However after a while the formula changed and became less wet and less clumpy. 

As for my lashes, they are extremely black and I see definite length added to them when I use this mascara. If I do it right (which I'll go on to explain) my eyelashes do lift up at the ends and I can add an extra lift to it throughout the day by just holding my finger under my lashes and gently pushing up. The mascara then helps to hold them up.

The mascara is still a bit messy and I find it near impossible to use this mascara without leaving some sort of mess. When I do my inner eyelashes and lower eyelashes 8 times out of 10 it will smudge. This is annoying but can be cleaned up by leaving it to dry then flaking it off with a cotton bud. 

So as I mentioned above, I have a 'right' way of using this mascara. It took some trial and error but I have found that I need to do it in a certain order to avoid clumping. First of all, when I pull the wand out of the product I have to wipe some of the product off. I then start with my upper lashes of the eye with the most eyelashes, that being my right eye. This is so the product spreads out over the majority of my lashes to avoid the clumping. I then like to do the upper lashes of my left eye before doing my lower eyelashes so there is less product and thus less likeliness of clumping on my lower lashes which are short and sparse.

When done correctly I do like my eyelashes with this mascara as they have a small lift and are lengthened. Done incorrectly and my lashes are clumped together and messy. As for lasting power the mascara doesn't smudge on my upper lashes and smudges slightly from my lower lashes after 4 hours. This doesn't bother me much because I just swipe it away with the side of my index finger. 

I don't sell it very well but this mascara is actually alright and I've definitely used worse. I like the little lift it gives my eyelashes but I reckon I could find another mascara with better lift and better hold. But for now I will continue to use this one and will take it away with me when I go on holiday. I do recommend trying it because out of all the reviews I had seen on this they were all pretty positive so it does seem popular! It is £7.99 which is a fair price for a Maybelline mascara.

What do you think of this mascara?

Être Belle Golden Skin Roll On Caviar Eye Gel

Hello there!

In my December GlossyBox was the Être Belle Golden Skin Roll on Caviar Eye Gel (Long name, much!) It is a clear eye gel that is rolled on by a metal ball onto the eye area. It has Pullan in it which reads as a 'skin-firming active ingredient'. I had never heard of this brand before so I was particularly looking forward to trying this.

The product claims to smooth, relax and refresh tired eyes by cooling and revitalising. It hydrates and smooths swollen eyelids and makes the area firmer. This is probably what everyone wants for their eye area!

I have been using this eye gel as apart of my morning skincare to moisturise the area and give my skin a good base for make up. Additionally, because I tend to wake up with puffy and swollen eyes I use this when I wake up. This is especially good if I've been crying the night before because it works wonders on cooling them down! Because the ball is metal that also helps to the cooling effect. It doesn't completely reduce swelling but it definitely contributes to it. It leaves the eye area wet and cool but doesn't take long to dry.

I then also like to use it in my night time skincare routine to moisturise my eye area. It seems great whether used alone or over my favourite moisturiser. It always leaves the skin feeling moisturised and nourished. The metal ball slides across the eyes with ease and always distributes the gel evenly.

So my only issue with the product is this: It is too expensive! At £30.66 it is certainly on the more luxurious side of skincare which is something I cannot justify to myself. Yes it makes my eyes feel great and soothes them, but I just cannot justify spending £30.66 on it. So I really enjoy what it does for my skin and I am dreading it running out but I will not be purchasing this after. But if you want something to cool your eye area and moisturise it and don't mind spending the money, I would recommend. 

What is your favourite product for your eyes?

6 Uses of Cotton Buds for Make Up

Everyday that I do my make up, I will use a cotton bud to help me. In fact, I have 6 ways of using a cotton bud in my  make up routine and I thought I would share those 6 uses of cotton buds for make up with you. 

1. To Smudge Eyeshadow. If I am using eyeshadow, particularly for a bolder eye make up, I use cotton buds for two reasons. If I have accidentally gone too far up or too far outwards with my eyeshadow, I will use a cotton bud to take some away. This may also involve a drop of Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to help get it off. Also, I use a cotton bud to help to blend eyeshadow. If I am blending eyeshadow in my crease, sometimes using a cotton bud can be easier than getting out a blending brush.


2. To Remove Mascara. You know when you're doing your mascara and you accidentally smudge a bit on to your skin, or if you sneeze and it just goes everywhere? Yeah, that happens to me all the time. To fix this, I wait until it has completely dried then I use a cotton bud to swipe it and the mess comes right off. I use a dry cotton bud otherwise it just makes the smudge worse. It is a pretty quick way of fixing the issue! I also do this if I end up with a clump of mascara on my eyelashes.


3. Wrinkles. I must admit, I've got a fair few deep set wrinkles around my eyes. I always experience the problem of make up, foundation specifically, building up in my wrinkles and making them more obvious. To fix this, I swipe a dry cotton bud gently through my wrinkles to take out the build up of product then gently smooth it over with my fingertip to take away any harsh lines. Try it, it works!


4. Eyebrows. I ALWAYS end up with foundation in my eyebrows and it makes them look paler. It even affects the way my eyebrows look even when I try to cover it up with tinted eyebrow products. To fix this, I apply my Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to a cotton bud and swipe it through my eyebrows. I go from every angle imaginable to make sure there is no foundation left in my eyebrows. They're then ready to be filled in.


5. Lips. Whilst my cotton bud is still wet with make up remover, I will also swipe it over my lips. Again, I'm messy at applying foundation and will end up with the typical foundation lips. This can be a pain as it can cause rolls of foundation to form on my lips and make any lipstick look a bit yucky. So before I apply my lip product, I will use the cotton bud to take off foundation on my lips. Clever huh?


6. Piercings. Sticking with the messy application of foundation, when I am blending it towards my ear I can occasionally get some foundation on my tragus piercing. If you don't know what a tragus piercing is, google it. It is a cartilage piercing but is by wear your ear meets your face if that makes sense. Anyway, I will use a cotton bud to get any foundation on it off.


So there you go! My 6 uses of cotton buds when doing my make up. You can now tell I am kind of messy when it comes to applying make up. 


What do you use cotton buds for? Let me know!

Amphora Aromatics| Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel

Hey!

This is my first post since my break...it feels good to be back here again!

This is a review on the Amphora Aromatics Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel. It is an eye gel designed for all skin types, claiming to remove make up, soothe and cool tired eyes. It is paraben free and uses pure essential oils and herbal extracts. Aloe vera is a great anti-inflammatory whilst the seaweed is rich in minerals. Knowing that the product is natural was a great incentive for me to try it out. I had been wanting an eye gel or cream for ages so I was really pleased when I received this.

To use this product, I would pump a little bit of the clear, slightly tinted green gel on to my fingertip and massage it into my eyes. I like how the gel is in the form of a pump as it makes it really easy to use and doesn't make a mess. Furthermore, you don't need too much of the gel on your eyes so a little goes a long way (which is always great).

When I first started using this I was a little apprehensive because the skin around my eyes is VERY sensitive and I've been known to have plenty of allergic reactions on my eyelids. However, this product did NOT give me an allergic reaction- so I can certainly vouch for this being great for sensitive skin!

What struck me at first about this gel is that it quickly absorbs into the skin and doesn't linger, which is fantastic if you're putting it on before you do your make up. At first it stays kind of sticky, but after about 30 seconds it fully absorbs in to your skin. What is interesting about this is that you can feel it make your eye area more and more moisturised. At first it will feel soft, but over time it feels more and more soft- the softest and smoothest the skin around my eyes has ever felt actually!

Additionally, it is absolutely amazing for removing eye make up: particularly mascara. I tried using it on a cotton pad but I didn't really get along with it and instead found I much preferred putting it on to my fingertip then massaging it in to my eyelashes and eyelid. It quickly takes all your mascara off of your eyelashes on to your under eye area so it is then easy to swipe away with a cotton pad. I usually struggle with removing mascara and always end up pulling out eye lashes. However, with this I could remove all of it at once, have no mascara left over and not have any eyelashes pulled out. They feel soft too. What a bonus!

Finally, I have also discovered that I really like to use it when my eyes are super tired. I've been trying this out during exams where I've been going to bed at 1 AM and waking up at 5:30 AM. This gel has been a life saviour for me by making my eyes feel more awake and refreshing them when all my eyes want to do is be closed and not studying! I also had a day when my eyes were swollen and puffy from having a bit of a cry from stress of exams. This gel was also lovely for cooling down the puffy-ness.

In conclusion, I am really fond of this eye gel. I've decided I like to use it in the morning before I apply make up, on my eyes when I am removing make up and at night time before I go to bed. I like how soft it makes my eyes and the cooling sensation it has so I will definitely continue to use it. Furthermore I also think it will be even greater when the weather starts to get a bit warmer because of how calming it is on your skin. The pump can be turned to lock and stop the gel coming out so I will probably take this on holiday with me when I go as well. 

You can buy the Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel for £6.95 at www.amphora-aromatics.com.

What's your favourite eye gel or eye cream? Let me know!

This product was kindly sent to me by Amphora Aromatics. However, all opinions are 100% my own and I would NEVER lie about liking a product.

Seventeen Metallic Cream Review!

Hello Bumblebeas :-)

I received this in a Seventeen make up box gift set for Christmas and I never took notice of it until now. It is a nude metallic cream which is slightly shimmery that is completely versatile for your face. I personally like to use it on my eyelids.

It is a lovely creamy texture which applies well and blends lovely. I prefer to rub my finger in it and apply it to my eyelids rather than use a brush as it is just far easier.

The reason I like to use this on my eyelids is that I think it helps my eyes stand out and look brighter and is also a great substitute for when you don't have time to put on eyeshadow.

I overall cannot find a fault with this product and is totally long lasting. I use it every single day but you can hardly tell that!

PROS:

• It is a nude colour
• Easy to apply
• Long lasting
• Can be used in various different ways
• Cheap
• Slight shimmer

What do you think? Let me know!