Hey gals! This week’s edition of The Weekly Roundup is all about beauty. Normally, this would be an About Face post, but with all of the juicy tidbits that I want to share with you, it’s enough to warrant a Weekly Roundup post. So, here we go.
This weekend, I decided to face he bitter cold and venture out to find some great beauty products that I’ve been wanting to try. My first stop was to Benefit Cosmetics Soho Boutique. There’s been constant buzz about their new mascara – Roller Lash. Ladies, you know I’m always down to try a new mascara. My love affair with mascaras comes as no surprise. Over the past year I think I have collected an upwards of seven different mascaras, and each time I claim that it’s the best mascara on the market – that is until someone comes out with an even more revolutionary product (it’s usually the brush technology) and then they become the best mascara on the market. I tell you it’s some competition out there if you’re a beauty brand. About a year ago, Benefit Cosmetic‘s They’re Real was all the rage with their revolutionary ball tip brush ensuring that you could get even those tiny corner lashes and your bottom lashes to really pop. Let me say that this was actually true. However, after continued use, I noticed that after using that mascara my eyelashes seemed brittle and it was tough to remove completely even with after using specially formulated eye makeup remover. Pretty soon after that, I started to notice that I was actually using lashes, and with medium lashes, that was an indication to stop using it all together.
The next mascara I fell in love with was Make Up For Ever‘s Smoky Extravagant. Now, this mascara will probably always be in my makeup bag. The cone-shaped brush gets the corner lashes and it’s conditioning formula doesn’t dry out my lashes. It gave me decent length and volume without looking overly done. It’s a really good layering mascara. I used this in conjunction with my third favorite from last year, blinc‘s Mascara duo. I love this duo because of the tube technology and it is very easy to remove. The only tricky thing about this mascara is that if you plan to layer this mascara, you have to do it rather quickly because it sets in 30 seconds. The duo is great, because depending on the effect you can go from natural to glam with a few quick strokes. If you plan to layer you should start with blinc (Regular or Amplified) and then layer your other mascara of choice over it. Again, the trick with this is to be quick.
Now, this brings me to my latest favorite – Roller Lash. What makes this mascara unique is the brush technology. The brush has patent-pending hook technology which grabs your lashes giving them maximum lift and separation. The curved shaped allows the brush to hook every lash and apply mascara from root to tip curling every lash without the use a lash curler which tends to crimp rather than curl each lash. What’s even better is that it’s a conditioning mascara so it’s not drying. As for length, it does give you some added length, but let’s not go crazy thinking it will double your length with a couple of coats. Because it’s a conditioning mascara don’t expect a whole lot of volume. If volume is what you’re looking for you should layer a volume mascara over this mascara. Use Roller Lash first because it really is like a lash curler and mascara in one, and regardless whether or not you want volume or length, every girl wants that awesome curl. Roller Lash will not be available in stores until February 27th, however you can go to any Benefit Cosmetics Boutique (click here for locations) and pre-order yours in-store today. If you pre-order you will receive a deluxe sample that will hold you over until the 27th. Plus, you can guarantee that you will have it on the day it launches. Oh, and don’t you just love the packaging. There’s something so cute about the pink roller cap that gets me every time.
Next, I went to Birchbox. Apparently, I hadn’t been there for a few months…like what have I been doing with my life. Sure, I could have ordered their monthly box, but I’m the kind of girl that likes to pick out her own stuff (mysteries have never really been my thing) and there’s something about speaking with one of the associates, who really know about each product (something that your rarely find in most beauty boutiques) and personally, I like the whole experience of building your own box. Here’s what I picked for my box:
- Fragrance: Harvey Prince Ageless – A citrus fragrance that is ageless. I’m not a huge fan of citrus scents during the cooler months, but I could see myself wearing this during the spring and summer months. It’s a light and cool scent that has the potency of a splash rather than an edt.
- Hair: Tony & Guy CLASSIC Shine Gloss Serum – It was a toss up between this and the CASUAL Texture Spray. I decided on this one for two reasons. It’s lightweight and I’ve been on the hunt for something that would keep my extensions from looking dull without weighing it down – ladies for those of us who wear extensions or weaves there’s nothing worse than a greasy weave.
- Skin: Handmaid Luxury Hand Creme – This hand creme is AMAZING. I’m a loyal Caudalie hand cream girl, but I might have to make the switch when the weather is this cold and boy has it been. A little of this hand creme goes a long way and lasts for hours. If you suffer from dry hands, and practically all of us do during the harsh winter months, this is the hand creme for you. Notice how I say creme instead of cream. This is luxe ladies. Fortified with olive oil, shea butter, and vitamins A & E. Let me not forget to mention that you get a full 3 oz. which will last about a month. It’s also available in 6 scents.
- Skincare: Frownies Rose Water Hydrator Spray – You know how I’m obsessed with anti-aging products. I’ve heard of Frownies, but I never thought of purchasing it. What made me choose this was because it was fortified with Hyaluronic Acid. If you’re not familiar with the benefits of hyaluronic acid, here’s a quick take. It’s being used in everything from shower gels, to face creams, to hair care. It helps to retain moisture, giving you a more youthful appearance. Now seeing as how I’ve only used this for a couple of days, I won’t go all out and say that it’s the best thing ever. According to the directions it should be used with other Frownies products, however, it can be used alone as a refresher spray. I use it after I wash my face, before applying my serum and daily moisturizer. Let’s see how it works during the next two weeks before I give a full review (let me put that on my calendar because I’ll surely forget).
- Makeup: MAKE Satin Finish Powder Blush in Geisha – MAKE is a beauty brand that I have not previously used but I’ve wanted to try. Let me talk about the color. It’s kind of hard to explain – it’s somewhere between a baby to medium pink with a touch of rose. It doesn’t have shimmer (thank god for that). The only complaint I have about this is the color payoff. It’s a little hard not to a lot of it especially on darker skin. What I found that helps is if you use a slightly darker cream blush as a base and then layer this on top of it. It’s quite possible that maybe this was not my correct shade, but I’m certain it was more about the formulation rather than the color. I’ve used similar colors from NARS and Kat Von D and the color payoff was much better.
Well, that’s it for this week’s edition of The Weekly Roundup. As always, remember to SEE. TOUCH. TASTE.