Mascara Lovin'

Want come hither lashes? Try me.

bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara is my current eyelash love. I picked it up from Sephora on a whim last month and I have used it everyday. I can't say enough good things about this mascara. It seperates and gives me a great amount of volume. And no clumps!!!! I think I may have found "the one".

Mascara Showdown {Maybelline, Neutrogena, & Rimmel}

Top to bottom: Maybelline Falsies, Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash, Neutrogena Healthy Lengths

There are are probably 500+ mascaras on the market all promising unbelievable lashes that command attention and if you look at the ads you'll be expecting nothing short of Chinese fans for eyelashes. Yeah. We all know that is rarely the case.

My mascara needs are simple; I want lots of volume. There are three mascaras that I have had in heavy rotation for quite some time.

• Maybelline Falsies - Falsies is just okay for me. I'm not getting stopped on the street "Do you have on false lashes?" In my opinion, this is an average masacara that does not live up to the claims in their ad.
• Neutrogena Healthy Lengths - I was very surprised at how well my lashes responded to NHL. A fair amount of volume with a nice lengthening effect. I reach for this on days when I am in a hurry. It's a great mascara to keep close by because you can apply a couple of coats without a lot of technique.
• Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash - Rimmel mascaras have always worked well for me. MVF is the best out of the three. It gives insane volume. I can't wait to see how my lashes look after a few more weeks using Rapid Lash and using MVF.

I rarely repurchase the same mascara but I'm trying to get better at learning what products work for me so that I can cut back on spending. Rimmel Maxx Volume Flash will definitely be a repurchase though.

Oh before I go! Stay tuned to The Stylish Life this week to find out how to win a gift bag filled with some of the products mentioned this week!

A Life of Style: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara

Hello Fab Ones!!!! I'm back with a review of Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Mascara. I must preface this review by stating I knew this mascara would give me the desired results (Max Factor and Cover Girl are both owned by Procter & Gamble with Pat McGrath as the Creative Design Director)

Cover Girl mascaras make my eyes burn badly and I knew to expect the same sting with 2000 Calorie Extreme. I'm such a trooper that I suffered through the tears for one day, lol!

The volume was great. My lashes were separated and there was no clumping. Sadly the formula irritates my eyes otherwise this is a pretty good mascara.

A Life of Style: Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara

Last Thursday I went to CVS (I'm such the drugstore junkie). Several of the sales associates were unpacking crates of new products in the makeup aisle. I must admit I got very excited and wanted to see what they were putting out but I didn't want to be underfoot so I went down another aisle. The Physicians Formula Organic Wear display caught my eye. The mascara just leaped into my hand - honest it did!!!

The package boasts:

• 100% Free of Harsh Chemicals


• 100% Free of Synthetic Preservatives


• 100% Free of Parabens


• 100% Free of Genetically Modified Organisms


• 100% Free of Synthetic Colors


• 100% Free Synthetic Fragrances


• 100% Cruelty Free


• No clumping or flaking


• 5x Lash Boosting - Lengthens, Volumizes, and Defines

The mascara had me at free of harsh chemicals. My eyes tend to be somewhat sensitive and certain mascaras cause them to water and sting. So was Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara in Ultra Black worth my $9.99 + 10.25% sales tax? Was the volume all that and then some?

YES & YES!!

Now when I opened the mascara I noticed a somewhat faint earthy smell, kind of like fresh cut grass. They really took it all the way there with the green thing, lol. Don't worry, the scent doesn't linger at all. The volume I got was very impressive and if I had better digi cam skills I could show you. All the pics I took were kinda odd looking. I'll get the self portrait thing down sooner or later. But I digress, I've been wearing this mascara everyday since I got it and it's great. It really delivers what it states on the package and the organic cred is a big plus.

**For more information click here

A Life of Style: Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Mascara is my drug and I swear I try nearly everyone that comes out. Currently, there are three mascara tubes taking up residence inside my makeup bag. Next to lip gloss, mascara is my favorite beauty product. My lashes are okay in the length department although I wouldn't be upset if they grew longer. My main issue is the volume my lashes lack. If a mascara promises volume I'm all over it.

Rimmel Sexy Curves boasts up to 70% curlier lashes with voluptuous volume, 16 hour curl hold, and a triple plump brush. Now, the 70% is a bit of a stretch, in my case I noticed significant curl and increased volume which I was very pleased with. I've only worn the mascara for about 7 to 8 hours at a time so I can't comment on the 16 hour claim.

When I pulled the brush out I was a little unsure about the triple plump brush and made a mess of my lashes because I was applying it too fast. I removed my first botched attempt, recurled my lashes and reapplied. My second attempt came out so much better. I was able to navigate the brush between my lashes and those three plumps help boost lashes to a fuller potential.

After a week of wearing Rimmel Sexy Curves and loving the results, I had to add it to my makeup bag and retire one of my other mascara MVPs, lol. This is a great drugstore mascara that retails for under $8. Let me know if you try it. I'd love to know what you think.

P.S. No clumps and no flakes...SCORE!!!!

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

A Life of Style: Mascara Junkie - Maybelline XXL Extensions

Brittany over at Clumps of Mascara gave an amazing review of Maybelline XXL Extensions mascara and I had to try it because I love mascara.

Recently I believed I had found the HG mascara in Maybelline Colossal Volum Express but alas, Maybelline XXL Extensions is THE TRUTH. I'm telling everyone to try this one. I got mine from Target and I peeled off the $2 coupon immediately (love it when I can save a few bucks). I can't remember the regular price (in my excitement I just grabbed it and kept going) but I'm assuming it costs about $7 like the all the other Maybelline mascaras.

I made sure to curl my lashes before applying the primer and when I applied the mascara I was just blown away by how far my lashes extended. I was in the mirror smiling and batting my eyelashes (don't act like you've never done that, lol). My lashes looked naturally long and they weren't hard. If a mascara makes my lashes extra crispy it's a definite no in my book. Maybelline XXL Extensions did not irritate my very sensitive eyes either - another plus. After wearing the mascara for several hours I was happy to discover it didn't flake or smudge. I have really been pleased with my last few drugstore mascara purchases. I may never purchase another tube of DiorShow again...

Maybelline's website does not have the latest XXL mascara listed among their products but I have seen it at all the drugstores. So go get it while you can score an instant $2 savings. Let me know when you try it!

A Life of Style Mascara Review: Exceptionnel De Chanel Intense Volume & Curl

Last month I signed up to be a part of Allure Experts Reader Panel. Of course I'm overly excited about the opportunity to test products and give my feedback. The first item I received was Exceptionnel De Chanel Intense Volume and Curl Mascara. I curled my lashes this morning and began applying this luxury mascara. I haven't used a Chanel mascara in over five years...mainly because what I pay for one tube of high end mascara I can buy two lipglosses from MAC, Clinique, or Philosophy.

Honestly I can't say I'm loving the Exceptionnel De Chanel. My lashes have no volume and the curl is hardly worth mentioning. I got MUCH better results from Maybelline Colossal Volum Express. :(

This mascara is $28 plus tax and it fell way short of giving me extravagantly, lush, sexy lashes. I say save your $28+ for gas money, a latte, and a less costly mascara.

A Life of Style Product Review: Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

I purchased The Colossal Volum' Express mascara from CVS on Monday and I've been testing it out all this week.

This is a WINNER in my book. It gave me lots of volume, doesn't irritate my eyes, hasn't flaked, and best of all NO CLUMPS. The brush is pretty big which I like and I have no problems getting all my lashes with 2 to 3 coats. I wanted this mascara in Glam Black but they were all out so I got Classic Black which seems plenty dark to me. I curl my lashes before applying and I love the volume I get as a result. Colossal Volum' has replaced both my favorite Cover Girl mascaras, Lash Exact and Volume Exact, both of them irritate my eyes something terrible :(

And another major plus about Colossal is that my lashes aren't left hard. I hate mascaras that make your lashes hard and bristle like.

Colossal Volum' was on sale at CVS this week for $4.99 with an instant saving of $2.00 with your Extra Care card and I had a $1.00 Extra Buck coupon so I paid $2.19 with tax. That's my type of beauty buy ;)

Have you tried Colossal Volum'? What did you think of it?