Mascara Review

I absolutely love trying out new mascaras. Mascara is probably one of my favorite makeup items, and I love trying out different ones and seeing what works - this post will be dedicated to different mascaras and how much I love them (or don't). 

Disclosure about my lashes: I have naturally really long curly lashes. While you may think that this makes me worse at reviewing mascaras, I actually think it makes it harder for a mascara to impress me, because it's really hard to lengthen my lashes and because I smudge really easily. So when I like a mascara, it means it's withstood the test of length, time, weather, and anything else that may cause trouble when it comes to lashes.

So let's get to it! This is a compiled list of the mascaras I currently have or have tried in the very recent past. Again, all opinions are my own.

Physician's Formula Organic Wear ($9.99)

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I absolutely hated this mascara. The brush clumps up your lashes, and the formula is so bad that it smudged within an hour.

Maybelline Great Lash ($5.19)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This was the first mascara I ever used when I was 16, and I used it for many years before I tried other things. I know this mascara sells fairly well, partly to do with the price. This is nothing special - it doesn't lengthen very much and it smudges fairly easily. Definitely not worth the hype. 

Side note: the clear version is incredible for setting eyebrows, and it really holds them in place throughout the day. 

CoverGirl LashBlast ($7.79)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Another bestseller I don't really like. The formula isn't very good and smudges very easily, and I actually think the Great Lash mentioned above is a much better deal than this one. 

L'Oreal Double Extend ($10.95)
Rating: ★★★☆☆

This mascara lengthens your lashes so much that it makes you look like you have false lashes on. This is the favorite mascara of many people I know who have short lashes. I'm really not a fan of the formula, however, because it smudges, but the deal breaker for me really was the fact that it's so hard to take off, you take a few eyelashes off in the process. Even after that, you're likely to wake up the next day with raccoon eyes. 

Maybelline The Falsies ($7.99)
Rating: ★★★★☆

This mascara is such good bang for your buck. The formula is excellent and even the non-waterproof formula hardly smudges. The only thing I don't like about this mascara is the brush, because it can be a bit clumpy, but if you wiggle it a bit as you put it on then it works wonders. Definitely the best drugstore mascara I've tried by far.

Benefit They're Real! ($23.00)
Rating: ★★★★★

The single best mascara I've ever tried, and it breaks my heart that it doesn't come in a waterproof formula otherwise I would use it every day. While the formula is certainly good, what really makes this mascara the best is the brush. That brush will get into every single one of your lashes and will extend them endlessly, and the tip will get even your hardest to reach corner lashes. If you're wondering whether it's worth the investment, there's a $10.00 mini version (at the same link above) that you can try to see if you like it (hint: you will).

Clinique High Impact Waterproof ($16.00)
Rating: ★★★★★

My current favorite mascara and the one I use every single day (except for special night-out occasions when I'll use my Benefit one). The brush is great, the formula's great, and I have a long-standing obsession with Clinique. Nothing not to love here.

And that's all! I hope some of this stuff is useful next time you're buying a mascara - leave your favorites in the comments!

xoxo.

My Face Routines

Morning
I usually shower in the mornings, so the first step after I wake up is to jump into the shower. What I use in the shower for my face varies depending on the climate or where I am, and how much cleansing my face actually needs. 

I have used many face washes, but the one that has worked absolute wonders in cleaning my face while keeping redness and dryness down is the Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser ($7.49) - pictured below. 

This stuff is amazing, fragrance-free, and doesn't irritate my skin even during the harshest winter days. Since I make sure to clean my face well at night, sometimes this is all I need in the morning to get my day started. I use this every single day when I shower, regardless of the temperature or where I am.

During the winter months in New Hampshire, I limit my morning face-washing to spare my face the dryness and irritation. When I'm home in Miami for the summer, however, the humidity and high temperatures mean that I'm constantly sweating under my make up and building up oil in my pores. During these times, I use the St. Ives Apricot Scrub ($4.29), pictured below.

This stuff has been used by everyone, it's cheap, and it works. I've also tried tons of scrubs and keep coming back to this one. During the summer (and some of the fall) I'll use this three times a week to keep all the oil and dirt buildup off my face. Warning: I used this during the winter and my face was so dry it started to peel in places. If you have dry skin, I recommend staying away from this during drier weather.

Once I get out of the shower, I have one more step before my make up: moisturizer. I have been using this moisturizer since I was 16 years old and it is unlikely that I will ever use another. It is the Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer, Sensitive Skin ($11.15).

This stuff is the most underrated of all beauty products. It is lightweight, has SPF, it is super moisturizing, oil-free and their sensitive skin formula is heaven on skin. It absorbs right into skin and keeps you moisturized and happy all day. Warning: their regular formula was actually painful to put on my skin. If you have sensitive skin like mine, you want to make sure you buy the sensitive formula.

And that's it for my morning! After this, I put on my makeup. I'll do a five-minute makeup routine later - I'm usually running late and have perfected this down to a science.

Night 

I've mentioned before that I'm super lazy and hate lengthy skin care routines but it goes without saying that it's super important to remove your makeup at the end of the day. This is a three- (sometimes four-) step routine that takes very little effort and time and gets all my makeup and dirt off.

First, I use make up remover wipes to take off all my make up. The ones I'm currently using are the Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes ($6.99)

I've used the Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes ($7.99) for years, and only recently decided to use the hydrating ones. Both of them are incredible and don't hurt or irritate your skin, but I'm particularly in love the hydrating ones because they're lovely and refreshing. Even my mom, who has really oily (but still sensitive) skin, absolutely loved the hydrating ones and is now using them in favor of the makeup remover she's been using for almost 20 years.

Side note about makeup wipes: brand matters! I love a good bargain, but I've bought other makeup wipes in the past (including some store-brand knockoffs) and taking off my makeup was actually painful. The Neutrogena ones have been, to my experience, the only ones that truly get all my makeup off without any pain.

I don't use eye makeup remover even though I use waterproof mascara, because these wipes are gentle enough to take off eye makeup without hurting your eyes.

After the makeup wipes, I use a toner. I have bought many toners and they always, without exception, made my skin feel like it was burning. So I dreaded the toner step every day until I found the Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner ($4.19).

This is an incredible toner that takes off all the remaining dirt off my skin and doesn't burn my skin at all. If you have sensitive skin, this stuff is incredible. 

After this, I re-moisturize with my Olay moisturizer mentioned above. 

This last step I only use during the summer, when I start breaking out because my skin gets sweaty and oily. This is one of the few non-drugstore products I use, and it is the Grease Lighting Spot Treatment by Lush ($13.95). 

This has been endlessly reviewed and actually lives up to its hype. It works great on getting rid of spots and blemishes on your face. 

And that's it! My skin is clean, happy, and ready to take on the day (or night). 

Randomly Used Stuff

I use Biore Deep Cleaning Nose Pore Strips ($6.85) about once every two weeks to get dirt and buildup out of my nose pores. My nose is oddly the only oily area of my face, so I make sure to keep it clean of blackheads. 

While this gets rid of all your buildup, it can really hurt sensitive skin, so use sparingly. 

I get my eyebrows done at the salon (I'm scared of doing it on my own), but I wax my upper lip at home. I've tried countless wax systems, hair removal creams, and wax strips. Waxing systems and creams never worked for me, so I stick almost exclusively to wax strips. The best ones are the Nair Face Wax Strips ($8.99).

This gets all your hair off and doesn't hurt much. All waxing involves some pain, but these have proven to be the least harmful on my skin. 

Stuff I'm Missing

I'm currently in the market for a few things that I feel are missing from my routine. I would absolutely love suggestions. 

1. A night moisturizer. I love my Olay but I would love a stronger night moisturizer. I hate giving bad reviews, but the Neutrogena Light Night Cream ($12.79) is really not meant for sensitive skin, and I simply had to stop using it. 

2. An eye cream. My under eye area is very puffy, and I've recently started trying eye creams. I tried the Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream ($50), and while it receives rave reviews from others, it really hurts my eyes. 

So that's all! I hope some of you can find some good tips, and please leave suggestions/criticism/requests in the comments!

xoxo. 

My Skin Type

Before you take any advice from my beauty posts, you should know the basics about my skin and hair type, as every person and every skin type has different requirements. 

Facts About Me, My Skin, and My Hair

1. I have very dry skin

Ever since I was a baby, I've had trouble with my skin being dry and flaky, and when I was a toddler I was diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis. Although I know longer suffer from significant redness and itchyness, my skin is still significantly dry and extremely sensitive to products. Because of this, I can guarantee that any products on here will be tried and true by someone with extremely sensitive skin. 

2. I also have very dry hair

My hair is curly, dry, and dark. I've had a life-long battle with frizz and the most humid climate to test products in (see below), and I can tell you with confidence when a product works/doesn't work. 

3. I travel between different climates quite often

I have spent my past four winters in New Hampshire and my past four summers in Florida. This means that I often go from extremes in temperatures, humidity, pollution, and any other environmental factors out there. The products I use keep my skin and hair feeling good in most climates. 

4. I am lazy

I have tried and failed to follow long beauty routines, so any steps that I take I consider necessary to keeping my skin and hair looking alive. 

5. I am cheap

I'm a broke college graduate, so I usually buy drugstore stuff, with a few exceptions.

My opinions are all my own, and based on the facts listed above. Follow at your own risk.

xoxo.