The Mascara Mission

The Mascara Mission (def): the ultimate hunt for the perfect lash lengthening, volume boosting, eye defining mascara; usually undertaken by beauty bloggers and fellow makeup maniacs. 

Please tell me you relate? I am seemingly on a never-ending mission to find the perfect mascara. I want one that makes my lashes look dramatic but subtle enough for day time wear, lengthens but doesn't make them look freakishly long, and boosts volume whilst defining the eye. My ultimate favourite mascara of all time has to be Estee Lauder's Projectionist; introduced to me by my friend Jenny at the tender age of around 15. I had been wearing it ever since then until last year, (to my absolute horror) it was discontinued. My devastated reaction must have worried the lady in Boots, as she quickly rushed to fill my mascara void by offering me their newer alternative: Magnascopic. This, along with 3 others, has slightly helped to ease my pain since Projectionist-gate, and here's why: 

Estee Lauder Magnascopic mascara, £20.50: This has very nearly filled the void that Projectionist left. It has a nice natural brush which picks up the perfect amount of product, and is best at lengthening lashes. This may be my favourite of the bunch. Estee Lauder really excels in mascaras so if you're looking for a new one give theirs a whirl! 

Chanel Le volume de Chanel mascara, £24: Chanel's latest mascara offering (which only came out this summer) is one of their best yet. At first I didn't think I was going to be a fan when I realised it came with one of those plastic-y brushes, but I've really got on with it well and in my eyes it's probably a close second to Magnascopic. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a more dramatic eye; it is much better suited to evening makeup rather than a subtle day-time look. 

Benefit They're real mascara, £19.50:  This is seriously worth the hype it's been getting over the past few months as it gives the perfect volume boosting lash effect which is supposed to make people ask, 'Are your lashes real?' Although the mini version is shown here, I have actually owned the full sized They're real. I would however recommend buying the smaller versions which they sell because the product tends to dry up very quickly and so a full sized tube doesn't last as long as it should. 

Clinique High Impact Mascara, £16.50: Despite sounding very dramatic and dark, I have found this mascara to be subtle enough for daytime wear also. It's a good all rounder and definitely worth picking up if you want to try something new as it lengthens and boosts effectively. It also comes in lots of other versions, but I am yet to try these. 

What's your favourite mascara? 

B. 

Topshop makeup SS13 range launches

I have always loved Topshop makeup. I say always, as it is easy to forget that the super high-street brand only first launched their pretty make-up range 3 years ago in 2010. I remember it well as I was working in a Topshop store back in my home-town. The collection in our store first started out with a few of the nail paints, in around six colours. The entire staff was excited by the prospect of a more extensive range, which soon came in the form of lipsticks, cream blushes and mascaras. Since then, the range has blossomed to include everything from lip crayons to waterproof kohls and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. So imagine my delight every time I hear that new products are soon to be released. From the Louise Gray collection to the ‘Dark side of nude’, each collection brings something new to the table.

So onto their new offerings under the SS13 collection. The new range includes a new mascara in ‘Carbon Copy’, two lip paints in ‘Low Down’ (a bright orange) and ‘Yeah Right’ (a bright ruby red shade), two new palettes (one for face, one for eyes), a new brush set, two new lip colours (‘Bombshell’- a neon pink and ‘Straight Ace’ a gothy purple), a liquid liner, two stick blushes (‘Sneakpeak’- pink and ‘Acting up’-orange), and the most exciting prospect to me; peel-off nails.

Topshop SS13 makeup range leaflet (first 3 images)

  

As I am currently a little short of money (hurry up easter student loan), I decided to be sensible and stick to one product to start with. I chose to try out the peel-off nail polish in ‘Straight Laced’; a pretty grey-purpley colour which I thought would look especially pretty in the spring time. I’d have to say that along with their lipsticks, Topshops nail polishes are my favourite items in the ever-growing collection. It is impossible not to get a little excited when walking into a store and seeing a colourful array of polishes, and Topshop’s are some of the best in the high-street/drug stores. At only 5/6 pounds a bottle they are slightly cheaper than well-known brands such as Essie and O.P.I but arguably just as impressive.

And SO, back to the peel-off nails. I guess I picked one up because I find the concept quite interesting. Even the girl at the counter in Topshop looked at the bottle and quizzically asked what I thought ‘peel-off’ nail polish was supposed to do. The product description in the leaflet claims that the polish is a ‘fluid, solvent-free formula [which] applies with ease…preserving [the] nail’s natural moisture’. From the photos you will see that the colour is pretty enough, but the real test here was the formula and the concept of peel-off nails. Topshop.com tells you that to remove ‘simply peel off by hand’. Hmm, interesting.

 Firstly, I would have to say that although the colour is very VERY pretty, I had to layer on a whopping FOUR coats to get to a colour that was not too sheer. This aside, I did notice that the polish is without that horrible strong nailpaint odour that often comes with painting your nails, presumably down to the unique formula. The finish is slightly shiny and it went onto my nails like a dream. I really like the idea of just being able to peel off the polish easily without using the dreaded nail polish remover (it really does work- they come off so easily and quickly), and found it easy to remove those cheeky smudges around the side simply by gently tearing them off. Since painting my nails yesterday (and washing my hair, doing the washing up etc etc) I have to say that the colour is still largely going strong. So far so good right? Wellllll, here’s the slight downside. Because the formula is easy to peel off it does have a tendency to well, peel off before you are ready. Both of my thumbs have lost the very top of the polish and are curling down. It does feel really great on nails though and is clearly a more natural solution to nail polish which does not damage or weaken the nail at all. SO all in all, a clever idea which is healthy and natural for nails, and a very pretty shade, but perhaps not the best type of nail paint for long lasting colour.

I am also really looking forward to giving the ‘Low Down’ lip paint and ‘Acting up’ stick blush a go, as I am  HUGE fan of anything orange tinted. Reviews will of course follow!

Has anyone else tried out the peel-off nails or any other product from the range? What do you guys think?

B.