lengthening Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Essence Lash Princess Mascara Waterproof

Well hello there, it’s been a minute or two since I put fingers to keys and wrote a blogpost! Life, lack of creativity and well the lack of people tuning into them all contributed to it in all honesty. But sure no harm in letting my creative juices out every so often, I like writing 🙂 I picked up the new Essence Lash Princess Mascara, the waterproof version, pretty much upon its release. I always use waterproof mascara and people had such good things to say about the other formulas. And it was less than a fiver! I got mine in Penneys.

From the get go, the Essence Lash Princess Mascara (waterproof), was for me. I don’t use waterproof mascara, because I think I can dunk my head in water and be ok, although some formulas are reasonably good for that. I use it to hold a curl in my straight, boring lashes.

This mascara is quite a thick consistency and it has a bristle spoolie, which usually my lashes don’t like as much. In this instance they do though.

You get volume from the first application of this mascara. A lot of product goes on to your lashes. I don’t find that it weighs mine down in anyway, but it can clump. That is something to be wary of.

It provides volume and length really quickly and holds a curl, so it ticks all the lash boxes for me.

It can flake a little after a few hours of wear, but I don’t find that it transfers too much. I don’t use it on my bottom lashes, I find the wand to cumbersome for that. I stick to my trusted Mac Extended Play for that.

The Essence Lash Princess Mascara waterproof is a damn good mascara though. It gives maximum impact with very little effort. I curl my lashes and apply a couple of coats and I’m done. I don’t feel the need to layer too much more for a long, (well as long as my lashes can go) lashed look 🙂

Have you tried it yet? Are you a fan of the original? Let me know.

xxx

July 16, 2019/by Gem

Makeup

theBalm Mad Lash Mascara

You know I love me some waterproof mascara. If I’m talking non waterproof it’s generally because it’s really bad or really good. For me, theBalm Mad Lash Mascara is really good!

I used it for the first time in a video here using all theBalm products. You can see there that I was impressed from the get-go!

I don’t talk too much about mascara here, because I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to them. Which is not very good when you class yourself as a beauty blogger I know. But I just have crap lashes generally. They’re straight and a bit lack lustre. So when I find something I like I tend to stick to it on a day to day basis. But, I do try lots, I just don’t talk about them because they don’t work for me. However theBalm Mad Lash Mascara does!

Reviews are obviously up for interpretation and subject to what you look for. For me, a plastic spoolie generally works better. Not all of the time, but, alot of the time.

I like when the bristles are small-ish and there’s plenty of them. It means you get a good amount of product on the lashes, but it doesn’t get too goopy and out of control.

As I have naturally straight lashes, I always curl them, unless I have a lash lift. If I have a lash lift, other formulas can work for me too, as they don’t necessarily hold a curl. theBalm Mad Lash has a tubing formula, I believe. So it forms a tube of mascara around each lash. It means it will hold the shape and also tends to be easier to remove than waterproof at the end of the day too.

On my lashes, this mascara ticks all the boxes. It elongates them, gives me volume with a smidge of clumping (I kind of dig that look), and above all holds a curl, this is the thing I want most.

The formula doesn’t smudge when I use it on my top lashes. I can get a bit of smudging on the lower ones, but I’m actually a bit of a mascara brat and tend to use a separate formula on my bottom lashes. (I love the Mac Extended Play, review here).

Overall, I am a fan of theBalm Mad Lash. If you like a bit of clump with your volume and curl, I think you would be too. It is available now from Debenhams in store or online here. What do you think?

xxx

********PR SAMPLE*********

January 1, 2018/by Gem

Makeup

Mac Extended Play Lash

Ok, this is probably the most ridiculous posts I will every write, but hear me out 🙂 I have spoke about this before in other posts aswell as on social media. I do not justify it, but I use TWO mascaras generally on a daily basis! Madness I know. I want something that holds a curl, lengthens and defines up top. Down below, I want something that lengthens, separates and doesn’t flake or smudge. This is where the Mac Extended Play Lash comes in.

Now I will say I don’t always repurchase it. I don’t find it does great things for my top lashes. For me, it’s just OK. I much prefer the likes of Catrice Glam & Doll Waterproof which I have an old review of here, or my ride or die Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascara, review here. Scandal Queen does hold tight on the bottom lashes but I find the brush a bit cumbersome and the formula a bit thick for my sparse hairs.

When I bite the bullet and reintroduce Mac Extended Play Lash into my routine, I just fall in love with it all over again. It’s a treat for my bottom lashes. And they deserve it, they don’t have a lot going on in their lives!

Extended Play just works so well, so every once in a while, I choose to be apologetically extra and pick one up. The wand is thin and reasonably small, so it makes it easy to really get in and coat all of the hairs. The formula is quite wet which I think is beneficial for your lower lashes because you can really pack the product on without it clumping or making the hairs bunch together. It does a really good job (for me anyways) of making my bottom lashes look longer and so much fuller. I generally have pretty boring short lashes naturally.

The one thing that makes me buy it again and again though is that it doesn’t budge when you put it on, but the waterproof formula is not a pain to get off either. On me, it never flakes or smudges on my lower lash line. I’ve never had this with any other mascara except probably the Clinique Bottom Lash.

Of course people use it on their top lashes as well and love it, but it really has become a bit of a cult bottom lash mascara. I think it’s fair to say I bloody love it 🙂

You can buy Mac Extended Play Lash in Mac and Brown Thomas in store. Or online from BT here. It costs €20. So tell me, do you think I’m crazy? 🙂

xxx

January 18, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara

Yep, every time I find a new mascara that I like, it becomes my favourite, I know, I know. But honestly, the Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara is my new favourite 🙂

I have seen this spoken about so much online, but never really thought much about getting my mitts on it with it being an elusive Asian brand. A couple of weeks back, I did a post here on my favourite places to beauty shop online. I was going through the index on Cult Beauty and low and behold I see it for sale.

The Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascara went into my basket, no hesitation whatsoever. I was in need of a new mascara (says the beauty blogger), so that was justification enough for me 🙂 It is one of the best selling mascaras in Japan and was actually created by a Japanese ‘television personality’.

First off the packaging is super pretty. Anything metallic rose gold and I’m pretty much sold anyways.

This is the waterproof version, but the Fairydrops Scandal Queen comes in a non waterproof version too here.

The Cult Beauty synopsis of it is: ‘How much do we *heart* Fairydrops Scandal Queen Waterproof Mascara? Let us list the ways… Its wibbly-looking wand is ‘ooooh’ inducing, and guarantees that not a single lash escapes its curling, coating and conditioning clutches. The unique shape lifts and separates whilst fattening and lengthening each eyelash thanks to little (non-irritating) fibres. The smudge-, budge- and water-resistant formula is enriched with five different treatment essences – squalene, jojoba seed oil, panthenol, hydrolysed collagen and moisturising hyaluronic acid – to counteract brittleness and leave lashes looking lustrous. Aaaaaand innovative film-forming polymers have a long-lasting ‘perming’ effect, to ‘open up’ eyes and create an enviable set of full on, fluttering fringes (without the faff of falsies). Oh, and the rose gold tube is utterly covetable. Need we say more?’

That’s alot of waffle I know, but it gives a more specific explanation of the mascara so I wanted to add it in 🙂

It has a soft bristled wand that has three spheres, not the best explanation but sure we’ll go with it. It’s more of a you have to see it spooley.

The unusual shape does take a bit of getting used to, but once you do you can use the spheres (we’re calling them spheres for the purpose of this blogpost, k?) to your advantage.

The one on the tip of the spooley is great for getting in at the small inner lashes and for flaring out the outer lashes too.

The formula, in my humble opinion is pretty bloody awesome. It layers really well without completely clumping up, holds a curl, adds fibrous length and doesn’t budge! It doesn’t crumble or make your lashes feel hard either!

So, here is the Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascara in action on my slightly curled eyelashes:

Before.

Applied to top lashes on one eye.

It’s brilliant for the bottom lashes too and because the wand is really light, it’s not too difficult to coat all of the baby hairs that live down there 🙂

It’s clear to see I am a fan I know. Sorry for all of the gushing, but I love it ha!

The Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara in waterproof is available from Cult Beauty here and costs £18.50.

xxx

August 12, 2016/by Gem

Makeup

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara

I am having a mascara love affair. It doesn’t happen very often, it has been very short lived, but it’s a love affair nonetheless 🙂 You might think I’m crazy, but I have a bit of a pained relationship with mascara. Getting one that holds a curl, that is lengthening, doesn’t smudge or flake and adds volume is no mean feat!

Well I can safely say after putting the Maybelline Lash Sensational (in waterproof) to the test, it ticks all the boxes for me.

I think when it comes to mascara, you know within a few times of wearing, sometimes even one wear, that it’s the one for you. I have been wearing the Maybelline Lash Sensational everyday for the last two weeks. Not a long time but I think it’s enough time in mascara world to give an honest opinion.

And also the proof is in the pudding too right?

I have pretty minuscule, straight lashes, as you can see here.

I harp on about this all the time, but I am a big fan of the eyelash curler, I use it everyday without fail, unless I’m wearing falsies. It just opens my eyes up more and obviously…well curls my lashes 🙂

So here are my lashes curled with the Shu Uemura eyelash curler.

And then we get onto the fun part, and actually one of my favourite parts of applying makeup. I think your lashes can make or break a look. I personally like as much lash as I can possibly get even during the day, but specifically length, so I lash on the mascara (ha get it lash on!) Ok, enough jokes, here’s the Maybelline Lash Sensational applied to my lashes.

I love how separating and lengthening this mascara is. I had tried the non waterproof one previously and it was a lovely mascara, it just didn’t hold the curl for me. This one does, and it’s really black and it gives a good amount of volume and it doesn’t clump and it doesn’t end up halfway down my face at the end of the day.

I also really like the curved wand, I wasn’t sure I would to begin with but I think you get the best of both worlds from it. You can always turn the spooley and use the straighter side, if you prefer. It has different sized bristles aswell, which seems to work really well for coating the lashes without clumping up too much. I have to admit though, I like a little bit of clumping, so I do layer a fair amount of mascara on. Is that bad? it’s only personal preference anyways sure :).

Although the Maybelline Lash Sensational has a wet formula, which I am not always a fan of, because I think it can weigh lashes down, I don’t think this happens with the Lash Sensational at all, the formula just seems to work!

So there you have it, Maybelline Lash Sensational in waterproof, it’s a yes from me 🙂 I picked mine up from Boots and it costs €11.99.

Thanks for reading, and let me know your favourite mascara, I am always on the hunt 🙂

xxx

September 4, 2015/4 Comments/by Gem

Posts

Have you tried it yet? Are you a fan of the original? Let me know.

xxx

You know I love me some waterproof mascara. If I’m talking non waterproof it’s generally because it’s really bad or really good. For me, theBalm Mad Lash Mascara is really good!

Overall, I am a fan of theBalm Mad Lash. If you like a bit of clump with your volume and curl, I think you would be too. It is available now from Debenhams in store or online here. What do you think?

xxx

Yep, every time I find a new mascara that I like, it becomes my favourite, I know, I know. But honestly, the Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara is my new favourite 🙂

Well I can safely say after putting the Maybelline Lash Sensational (in waterproof) to the test, it ticks all the boxes for me.