Nik the Makeup Junkie: Mascara

September 06, 2017

Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara Review

*Products mentioned were sent for review, opinions are my own*
Urban Decay recently released a brand new mascara called Troublemaker. It has a few claims we need to discuss and we will also talk about the packaging, in case that's important to you.

Mascara is a product I tend to have trouble reviewing. Sometimes it takes a few applications before I can decide if I like a mascara or not. This mascara is one that I've used quite a few times and really thought about, because does only does it have to perform well but it has to be worth the price.
Troublemaker claims to give 13.7x the lash volume. It claims to make your lashes look longer and thicker, and it claims to be sex proof, which is an interesting claim. It also claims to be extremely black and to never clump.

The packaging is gorgeous. The mascara tube looks like an oil slick and I love that. It does pick up finger prints easily, but they wipe right off. It's also quite a heavy tube. The packaging is on point.
The wand is strange. I typically don't love these types of wands, I prefer the ones like Too Faced Better Than Sex with the fat brush with a ton of bristles. The wand is specially designed with precision hooks to separate lashes, curl lashes, and apply the perfect amount of product. It's also designed to get even the tiniest lashes on the inner corner.
As I mentioned above, the formula is meant to lengthen and thicken lashes without clumping. It's also "sex-proof" which I can only assume means it's sweat proof or water resistant. This contains hollow silica and ultralight fibers to volumize your lashes as well as Vitamin E and Panthenol to condition.

I've been using this for a little over a week and I've come to a few conclusions:

The packaging is amazing. Seriously, love the design.
The wand is questionable. It's not my favorite wand BUT it does separate and curl my lashes, so I can't be mad at it. At the same time, if you accidentally poke yourself with it, it hurts.
The formula is super black and pigmented.
It does not flake or smudge, even in over 100 degree F heat. Even if I don't set my under eye concealer, it won't smudge onto it. It also doesn't run.
It comes off easily with makeup remover.
The fibers are so light, you don't feel them. They also don't fall off onto your face or in your eyes.
It does not clump. I've put on 3 coats and it didn't clump.
It doesn't build up super well.
You have to work at it. It takes a little finesse to get really good results, but that's not a deal-breaker.
It volumizes and lengthens, but it's nothing crazy.

The Troublemaker mascara released yesterday and it's $24. Every review that I've read has praised it and I'm kind of doing the same. Here's why: I really do like the mascara. It's pigmented, curls my lashes and volumizes well. It doesn't clump, flake or smudge and it gives a little length. It does everything it claims to. The fact that it curls my lashes and keeps them that way all day and refuses to clump makes it a winner in my eyes. Are there more dramatic mascaras? Yes. Normally, I prefer something closer to Too Faced Better than Sex or Pur Cosmetics Fully Charged and Troublemaker is very different but I still like it.

The only thing I personally dislike about this mascara is the wand but I think the wand is significant in making the mascara perform as it does. The wand is obviously personal preference. The formula and performance is undeniably good. I wish it were a little more lengthening but it's still nice.

Would I pay $24 for this mascara? Yes!

What's your favorite mascara?

Thanks for reading!

December 06, 2016

Bellimisa Masterful Eyes Mascara | Review

*Products mentioned were sent for review. All opinions are my own.* It seems like everyone is looking for different things when it comes to mascara. Some like natural mascaras, some want super dark mascaras, volumizing, lengthening, separating, or a combination of those. I try to review as many different kinds as I can, so I'm bringing another one to you today with the Bellimisa Masterful Eyes Mascara.

The Bellimisa Masterful Eyes Mascara was formulated to be a more natural mascara. It leaves your lashes soft and can be layered multiple times, without giving you "crunchy" lashes, which I like to avoid. Even with 3 coats, my lashes were still soft and looked natural. They were definitely dark, lengthened and volumized, but not clumpy in the least. They looked very natural and not over the top. This mascara is awesome because it contains Vitamin E, which conditions your lashes and acts as an antioxidant as well as Peptide, which enhances growth and restructuring of the lash, so you're also treating your lashes while wearing mascara.

Another positive to note is that this mascara is free of Parabens, DEA/TEA, Propylene Glycol, & harmful preservatives. I really enjoy this mascara and I love how soft my lashes feel while wearing it. There is no smudging, transferring or flaking throughout the day, either. There are two ways to purchase. You can purchase a tube for $28 or you can purchase a monthly or bi-monthly subscription for $16. There is no commitment and shipping is free. With the subscription, you also have the option to add other products, such as the Natural Fiber Brow Gel for $14, Hydrating Silk Remover for $10, or Facial Cleansing Sponge for $4. These cannot be purchased separately. If you want to sign up for the subscription service, use the code: bblogger This will get you $2 off the monthly subscription price, bringing it down to $14/month. You can find more information here, and if you have questions, you can find the FAQ here.

August 09, 2016

It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara Review

April 06, 2016

Pur Cosmetics Fully Charged Mascara

October 19, 2015

Fall Haul & Date Night Makeup with Maybelline

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.#FalsiesPushUpDrama #CollectiveBias
I have a small haul and a makeup look to share with you today, as well as a few tips on how to get the most from your mascara.
Let's start with the haul:

I grabbed the new Maybelline Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara
Maybelline Brow Define + Fill Duo
Maybelline Eye Studio Quad '05 Give Me Gold'
Maybelline Fit Me Blush '106 Light Mauve'
Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation '15 Ivory'
Maybelline Color Elixir '500 Enthralling Nude'

I used these products to create a fall date night makeup look, with the main focus being the lashes.

To achieve this look, I applied the foundation with my beauty blender, applied Maybelline Fit Me Powder to set it. Then I applied the Fit Me Blush on my cheeks.
I then filled in my brows with the Define + Fill Duo.

Then I applied my eyeshadow, using the lightest color on the inner corner, the yellow gold on the first half of the lid, the copper all over the rest of the lid and under the lower lash line, and the brown in the crease, on the outer corner and on the outer lower lash line. I also used the dark brown with a small eye detail brush on the top lash line to give a soft liner effect without the harsh liner taking away from the lashes.

I then applied the new Maybelline Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara. This mascara has the world's first ever push up brush with cup shaped bristles to scoop, coat and lift lashes, as well as the first to ever give the dramatic volume boost of a 45 degree lift. This mascara has as creamy plumping formula so that the mascara glides smoothly onto lashes for a dramatic, instant change.

Then, I applied the lip gloss to my lips and I was ready to go out the door.

Even though this is a date night look, I liked the idea of keeping it simple, and focusing on the lashes. This mascara is perfect for that as it gives the right amount of lift and volume to make them pop.

I purchased these products at Walmart, and you can find them in the Makeup Aisle:

I hope this post gives you inspiration for more makeup looks!
A few application tips:

Curl your lashes before applying mascara.
Wiggle the brush at the base of your lashes to get the base coated well, this makes your lashes look fuller.
If you make a mistake, let it dry before trying to remove it. It will just flake off after it dries instead of smearing.

I hope those tips are helpful!

Here's some more info on the mascara!
Let me know if you plan to try this mascara, and if you've already tried it, tell me what you think!
To find more of the products I mentioned, check out this link. For more information on the brand, go here.
Thanks for reading! xx

December 19, 2014

Top 5 Mascaras

mascara, top 5, best of, drugstore, high end, review

I decided to post my top 5 Mascaras today. You may notice there are only 4 in the picture. I can count, I'm not insane. There is a reason for this.

The fifth mascara would be L'oreal Carbon Black Mascara, so that's what we will start with. L'oreal Carbon Black Mascara, the one in the black and gold tube is really awesome. It's definitely my favorite drugstore mascara, by far. It's volumizing, lengthening and seriously black. It's separating and just looks awesome. I don't have it right now because it's been sold out at my Wal Mart for ever. It retails for about $7. Let's do the second drugstore mascara: Maybelline Volume Express Mega Plush Mascara : This is a great mascara for those natural days where you don't want huge, dramatic eyelashes. It's lengthening, gives a little volume, it's pretty black but it does such an amazing job of separating your lashes. I also love that your lashes stay soft after you apply it. Love it. It's about $6. Let's move on to Urban Decay. Urban Decay Perversion mascara : This is a newer one for me and one that I quickly fell in love with. It's seriously the blackest mascara I've ever used. It's super pigmented, volumizing and lengthening. I feel like I'm using the same descriptive words over and over but they are all mascaras after all. It doesn't flake and doesn't clump, which makes it a winner. It's around $22. Benefit They're Real Mascara : If you've been around for a while you know I love this stuff. It's super volumizing, lengthening and separating. It gives nice definition and kind of helps you to get a more "cat eye" effect with the way the brush is made. It will clump if you aren't careful and it takes a bit longer to dry, but it's SO good. The downside? It's damn near impossible to remove. It's around $23 also. Too Faced Better than Sex mascara: This is the newest and my favorite. I've loved it from the first time I used it. The brush is amazing. It's a strange curvy shape that somehow just works. The brush is my favorite I've ever used. The mascara is black, lengthening, separating, volumizing, all of the good descriptive mascara words! It's perfect for dramatic looks and I don't feel like I need false lashes with this mascara. It's my all time favorite and one I'll repurchase over and over. It's also around $22. So, that's my top 5! I know $20+ seems like too much for a mascara, but really think about it. This is something that lasts 3-6 months, so that's essentially ~$6.50-$3.50 a month. I'm not telling you to that you have to rush out and buy them, if you're happy with your drugstore mascara, that's awesome! I'm just letting you know the ones I love. Also, if you're a drugstore makeup lover, try the two I recommended, they're truly the best of the best. And, that's it! I hope you like this post! Let me know what mascaras you love. xx