Can’t Say I Liked It: Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara Review

As a makeup artist and beauty blogger, I feel that it’s my duty to constantly try new products. I have my favorites–Make Up For Ever HD Foundation, MAC eyeshadows, Benefit Hoola–but I continue to try new foundations, eyeshadows and bronzers, because there could be better versions out there. And what kind of artist/blogger would I be if I settled?

I have yet to find anything that can beat my Dior Diorshow/Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash mascara combo, but I try. Mascara is one of my two I-won’t-leave-the-house-without-wearing-it products (my other is undereye concealer), so I take it very seriously.

I’d heard great things about the Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips glosses/plumpers, so when I had a chance to try the Buxom Lash mascara in Blackest Black, I had to.

Let’s start with the good…

Cute packaging! I know that’s no indication of how well a product works, but I like having pretty, cute or different looking products in my kit. The tube is black with what I can best describe as a “retro” font, and the top is silver. The cap/brush stays on tight, which is important so that it doesn’t stay half open and dry out before its time.

The mascara stays on all day, with absolutely no smudging or flaking. I even wore it to the beach–no signs of product meltdown. It’s so stubborn that it’s actually a little tough to remove, but those of you who have issues with migrating mascara would appreciate this.

And now the bad…

The Buxom Lash mascara has one of those short, rubbery wands, which I despise. I used the wand the first day and found the results to be lackluster, so I tried it with a standard disposable mascara wand the next day. Still no luck. It seems the wand makes no difference, but I still find the spikey ones uncomfortable to use.

This mascara did little to lengthen my lashes and nothing to volumize them. Post application analyzing brought me to this one word conclusion: wimpy. Not buxom at all! I like thick, full lashes. They don’t have to be especially long, but I do need some length. A mascara that gives neither is like most of the guys I’ve dated–not worth my time.

I had high hopes for this mascara. After I used it, another makeup artist told me that she loves the stuff. I trust her opinion so much that I thought “Did I get a fluke tube or something?” So if anyone else has had any experience with this mascara, please chime in. I want to like it, I really do. But until then, it’s Diorshow and Smokey Lash.

Have a beautiful day 🙂

Very Indulgent: Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss

A girl can never have too many:

a) Shoes
b) Boyfriends
c) Lip glosses
d) Tattoos

I think the answer is C (always go with C!), but I know that may just be a preference thing. But hey, my blog, my preferences 🙂

I love lip gloss, as do many other females I know. Some people like sheer glosses, tints, or just-a-hint-of-shimmer lip colors, but I like a serious gloss. I want a fun color, strong pigment, staying power and a minimal stickiness factor. I also like it to be, if not moisturizing, then at least not drying.

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss sounded like something I’d wear. I like and trust the English-based Illamasqua line and their slogan “Makeup For Your Alter Ego.” To me, makeup is very much about bringing out your alter egos. Why have your face look the same all the time? And seeing as though weekly cosmetic surgery isn’t a possibility (nor would I want it if it was), makeup is the easiest way to do this. Besides, a botched nose job is harder to fix than a crooked eyeliner line.

Back to the lip gloss! I tried Indulge, a bright hot pink color. It comes in a clear tube with a black cap and the gloss dispenser itself is pretty cool. It’s a slanted clear plastic piece, which is over a thin, clear tubular piece that the gloss comes out of. The top plastic piece has a small hole that brings the product to the lips, which keeps the gloss top and cap from getting too messy. With a lot of glosses, the product goes right from container to top plastic piece, and that’s when it often starts leaking out and collecting all sorts of weird stuff in its glossy overflow. The Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss is designed so that you have to squeeze the tube for the gloss to dispense, then it has to go through two channels to actually come out. Well done, chaps!

Indulge is a clearly a fun color, but does it have the pigment to make it worth it? It absolutely does. I’m often disappointed when I try a gloss and while it looks bright in the tube, it’s barely got a hint of color when it’s applied. In this department, the Intense Lipgloss does not disappoint.

It stays on well, although the color fades from bright to muted after a little while. But hey, that’s what touchups are for. It’s a bit sticky, but I think stickiness and staying power unfortunately go hand in hand. The glosses that feel like nothing tend to disappear soon after application. In general, the stickier the gloss, the longer it stays on. Good news for your makeup look, bad news for your hair strands that inevitably get stuck in the gloss-glue when the wind blows.

My one complaint about this gloss is that it does tend to dry out my lips. It doesn’t feeling drying on, but by the end of a day of wearing it, I’ve got some lip peelage going on. Maybe putting on a thin layer of Vasline or clear lip balm first would help. I’ll give it a try.

All in all, I think this is a great gloss, and it’s earned a coveted spot in my summer bag. Illamasqua is selling it for 30% off now, but there’s a waiting list. Fancy pants, huh?

As usual, I can’t link within this blog, so you’ll just have to copy and paste if you want it. Sorry! http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/catalogue/category/lips/products/summer-shop-intense-lipgloss-in-indulge/300/

Have a beautiful day 🙂