Maybelline New York BROWdrama Sculpting Brow Mascara Review

Like most women, I hate my brows. They are sparse, patchy and hard to manage in general. Not to mention the fact that, because I have blonde hair, it is impossible to find a brow product that doesn't make it look like I've filled them in with an orange crayon. For this reason, I am always sceptical when trying anything new for the brows, nothing ever seems to match right with my hair colour or look natural. 

This new brow mascara from Maybelline is said to be a highstreet/drugstore dupe for the popular Benefit 'Gimme brow' gel, which is a coloured gel fibre brow mascara priced at £17.50. The Maybelline version is coloured, however does not contain fibres to thicken the brows. 

The Maybelline brow mascara is available from Boots and Superdrug for £4.99 in the UK. If you do not live in the UK, Feel Unique stock Maybelline and ship worldwide. The Maybelline brow mascara comes in 3 shades, 'dark blonde', 'medium brown' and 'dark brown'.

The packaging of this is slightly lacking in my opinion, the tube isn't very sleek looking or sophisticated, however it isn't the worst packaging considering the price. The wand is topped with an odd, ball shaped applicator which I found quite difficult to manoeuvre through the brow. It is easy enough to comb through the front and middle section of the brow, however it is tricky to coat the hairs towards the end without getting product on the skin. Any mess is easily cleaned up with a cotton bud however, and I'm sure I will get more familiar with the brush after a few more uses. 

In terms of formula, I was very impressed. The colour isn't too warm toned and so looks natural in the brows. The formula is also very long lasting and doesn't leave the brow hairs crunchy (unless you really pile it on). I use this either in combination with brow powder to hold the brow in place and add a bit more colour (if I can be bothered), or on its own on 'natural make-up' days. The product can also be layered for a darker, fuller brow.

Overall I am very happy with the brow mascara, it creates a lovely natural looking brow, perfect for everyday. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who struggles with their brows, even just to use over brow powder or pencil. It holds the hairs in place all day and gives a subtle hint of colour to help frame the face.

Let me know if you've tried this product, did you get along with it? 
Also, don't hesitate to request any reviews you'd like to see!

Boots Haul

I went shopping in town yesterday and thought I'd take a look around Boots for new make up releases, I ended up buying a few things so I thought I'd share with you what I got. 

What I bought

Barry M nail paint in 'Mermaid 413' (Aquarium collection)

Barry M nail paint in 'Nude 424'

Barry M nail paint in 'Bikini 423' (Limited edition)

Seventeen Instant Glow shimmer brick in 'Pink bronze'

Soap and Glory Lid stuff in the shades 'Vanilla, Pink T, Mudhoney and Aubersheen'

Soap and Glory Juicy multi-colour blush brick in 'Peach party'

Sleek Blush by 3 in 'Pink Lemonade'

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 'Frambourjoise 02'

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 'Olé flamingo 05'

Maybelline New York BROWdrama sculpting brow mascara in 'Dark Blond'

Maybelline New York Colour Show in 'Sugar Crystals 46'

Bourjois Paris Blusher in 'Love-struck rose 16'

Soap and Glory Glow All Out luminizing radiance face powder

I will be reviewing what I got in the next few weeks, if there is anything you'd like me to start with then let me know in the comments or email me.

Maybelline 'The Falsies' vs 'The Rocket' comparison and review

After reading multiple rave reviews about these two products I thought it was about time I tried them out, two mascaras from Maybelline that are said to be the best the highstreet has to offer. 'The Rocket Volum' Express' is available at both Boots and Superdrug for £7.99, 'The Falsies Volum' Express' is available at Superdrug for the same price. Both are said to create luscious voluminous lashes, but which is better?

The first notable difference in these mascaras are the brush shapes, 'The Rocket' has a big fat wand with stubby plastic bristles for separating the lashes, where as 'The Falsies' has a more conventional bristle brush which is slightly curved to 'scoop' the lashes and create a subtle curl. 

The effect the different brush shapes have is quite surprising, 'The Rocket' mascara (on the left) creates straighter lashes and a more 'fanned out' effect. This mascara would be perfect for those whose lashes tend to clump up and stick together, the stubby bristles really grip the lashes and separate them brilliantly. 'The Falsies', on the other hand, creates more length along with a nice curl. I prefer the effect that 'The Falsies' gives since I'm a sucker for dramatic lashes and it definitely provides a more striking look.

The deciding factor for me has to be the wear and 'The Falsies' wins hands down. 'The Rocket' looks amazing when it is first applied but within a few hours it is smudged both above and below my eyes. 'The Falsies' however has great staying power, no smudging or flaking at all.

Overall they are both great affordable mascaras but 'The Falsies' wins for me, maybe 'The Rocket' in the waterproof formula would be better, however I prefer non-waterproof formulas as they are easily removed.

Let me know if you have tried either and, if so, which did you prefer?

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow Review

Cream eyeshadows are extremely popular at the minute, either as an 'all over the lid' wash of colour for on the go, or as a base for powder eyeshadows. I picked these up after hearing great things about them from YouTube beauty gurus. Some of the colours looked a bit bright for my personal taste however there were a few nice neutral shades, I picked up 'On and on Bronze', 'Permanent Taupe' and 'Eternal Gold'. These eyeshadows can be bought at Superdrugs and Boots for £4.99, in the UK there are 11 shades available however I have heard there is more selection in the US.

The packaging of the eyeshadows is impressive for a high street brand, the pot is thick glass with a black plastic lid. They are quite heavy and expensive-feeling, which is a nice touch seeing as they are quite cheap. From the first time I used these I was hooked, all 3 shades are extremely pigmented, creamy and easy to apply. I apply these with a clean fingertip however they apply just as easily with an eyeshadow brush. Once applied you need to blend them quite quickly as they set within a few minutes, once they have set they are hard to budge which means they stay on all day. I can wear these for around 6 hours by themselves without creasing, however they do last longer with an eyeshadow over top. I struggle to find eyeshadows (cream or powder) that won't crease on my eyelids as they are quite oily, I am yet to find an effective eyeshadow primer that isn't super expensive.

From left to right are 'On and on Bronze', 'Permanent Taupe' and 'Eternal Gold'. My favourite from the shades I picked up is 'On and on Bronze', which is a lovely bronze-copper shade with some shimmer running through it, it looks great on its own with lots of mascara as a neutral daytime look. My least favourite would have to be 'Eternal Gold', for some reason when I bought this I imagined it being a nice champagne shade that I could use all over the lid with some liner. It is a very vibrant yellow-gold, it's a nice shade but just a bit too 'gold' for me. Overall I would definitely recommend these, they have amazing staying power and a nice selection of shades, I will definitely be picking up some more shades. 

Let me know if you have tried these, what shades are you loving?