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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, Youtube Video

Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara

I don’t know how new the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara is. But, I hadn’t heard a dickie bird about it online. I just pottered into Mac in Brown Thomas for a visual makeup refresh. As I do. I like to keep updated on the new releases if I can. And there it was in all of it’s mascara glory!

It’s not really a spoiler if I say I bought the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara there and then really is it? Considering this is a review and I am holding it in all of the pictures 🙂 I am such a fan of the normal Extended Play mascara. Specifically for my bottom lashes, which I explain here.

The original has a dinkier brush, but the formula is the same. It doesn’t budge or flake, and its super separating. It’s also not too much of a bitch to get off! For some, it works on their top lashes top, but not on my boring straight ones.

However the new one does.

The spoolie is bigger, fluffier and curved. It works really well coating and elongating the lashes. It gives a fair amount of volume too. But the big thing for me? It holds a curl. All day long.

I do curl my lashes just because on their own they’re straight, so they need a little help. I’ve gotten lash lifts sporadically over the past couple of years. There’s more talk about that here. However, my last one didn’t end well. Nothing to do with the treatment itself, just my lashes went a bit haywire at the end. They took a while to go back to normal. So, I am back on the eyelash curler and mascara bandwagon.

I did a super short video of the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara in action which you can see at the top of this post and here. And here are some stills as well.

Here it is on both top and bottom lashes too, just to be thorough 🙂

Unfortunately for me personally, the brush doesn’t work as good as the original on my bottom lashes. The formula does, but I just can’t get the definition with the bigger fluffier brush. Kind of gutted. I thought I was on to a money saving winner. However I think I’m still destined to keep buying the original too. It’s good to note, that the OG is 5.7 grams. Whereas the new one comes with 8 grams of product for a pretty identical price point.

Overall though, I am a big fan of the new Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara. I am delighted I picked it up. Are you an Extended Play fan?

xxx

March 29, 2019/2 Comments/by Gem

Treatment

Getting a lash lift. My Experience

I just got my third lash lift and shared some of the experience on my Instagram, as I always do. There was lots of questions so I thought it might be worth doing a blogpost about my thoughts on it here.

I had my first one at the beginning of 2017 in the Vanity Rooms in Stepaside. They invited me out to try out their LVL lash lift. I was so excited because I have super straight lashes. It’s something I always moan about. If I want a curl to last, I have to use a decent lash curlers and then go in strong with the waterproof mascara to maintain it. I toyed with the idea of lash extensions. But I am too much of a picker, and I love eye makeup too much 🙂

Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)

So what is a lash lift? It’s basically a perm for your eyelashes. In my experience, it’s a three step process. I have had both LVL (a brand name of Nouveu lashes I believe), and then I was invited to try Yumi lashes too in Elysian Brows, it seems to work the same way for them all.

You’re prepped and your eyes are protected. A plastic shield is put on above the top lashes and then the lifting solution is applied in upwards motions moulding your lashes around the shield. Very gently and precisely I might add. That’s left to do it’s work, then removed. A setting solution is then applied and you let that do it’s thing. After that in most places, A tint is applied to make your lashes look darker and more defined.

A lash lift is not particularly a comfortable treatment. Your eyes are closed throughout and they are being prodded at, so going to a professional in my humble opinion is a must! It’s uncomfortable for sure, but it’s not painful, nor should it be.

It’s also way less maintenance than eyelash extensions. It’s just your own lashes curled, so you don’t have to maintain them necessarily, although it’s good to brush them through regularly and try not sleep on your face if you can 🙂 Some single lashes can go astray, so combing them through helps keep them on the curl and narrow ha! They say you don’t need mascara after getting it done, I use mascara to make them look more full and I get the six-ish weeks out of my treatment. Just don’t do anything crazy for the first 24 hours! You can of course purchase specific serums and mascaras in the salon that may help prolong the effects, I don’t do that myself.

A lash lift lasts as long as your natural lash cycle really, so it can be up to eight weeks. You’ll see the curl disappear, and you’ll want another one 🙂

My latest lash lift was in the Brow Boutique in Jervis Street shopping centre. At €55, it was the cheapest place I could find in the city with decent reviews and a reputable name. They did a great job and I’m super happy with the outcome. I would recommend all three salons.

If I can fork out the cash every six-eight weeks, it’s something I would definitely keep up! Have you had a lash lift? What has been your experience?

xxx

December 14, 2018/2 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Clarins Summer Collection 2018

The Clarins Summer Collection for this year has been something I’ve been waiting with baited breath for. That sounds a bit dramatic I know, but there was one product in particular that I struck up a fancy with.

The theme is Sun kissed, hot Florida vibes. The packaging is adorned with flamingoes and palm trees to get us into the Summer mood 🙂

I have a cross section of all the products, except for two.

There is a limited edition bronzing version of their SOS Primer.

There is two shades to help warm up all complexions. They retail for €31.00.

There’s also limited edition shades of their Lip Comfort Oils. This one is in Blackberry.

These retail for €21.00.

The 4 Colour All In One Pen is back again! I have a post on the one from last Summer here.

This time around, the packaging much brighter to keep within the Miami vibes, as are the pencils themselves.

It comes with three eyeliners. A matte black, plum and bright turquoise green. As well as a bright pink lip liner too. I’ve definitely been getting the most use out of the green and pink, they go really well together. The pen retails for €36.00.

Next up in the Clarins Summer Collection run through is limited edition emerald green Supra Mascara.

I have to be honest opening this I was in awe, but trying to utilise it was another kettle of fish. For me personally it doesn’t add much colour to the lashes if any. I’ll keep trying with it though as I know people think highly of the Supra Mascara formula. This retails for €26.00.

The last product is my very favourite from the Clarins Summer Collection.

This is the limited edition Blush & Bronze Compact for 2018.

I have to be honest it was the cool flamingo and palm tree motif and packaging that made me lust after this initially. But, it’s actually a really nice natural bronzer to boot.

It has three matte shades within going from a matte bronze to a deeper tone. I tend to just swirl them altogether and apply them to the high points of my face and neck. Clarins say it contains skincare so can help protect the skin from pollutants too. This compact retails for €47.00.

All products are available from Clarins stockists now. Any of them tickle your Summer fancy?

PR SAMPLE

May 30, 2018/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara

Ok ok, I know I’ve talked about the waterproof Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara here before and I bloody love it!

I recently got a Yumi Lash Lift in Elysian Brows. (Thanks for inviting me in guys). This means my natural lashes now have a perm essentially. My eyelash curlers is in a drawer for the next couple of months and I can venture out of my mascara comfort zone 🙂

I had heard so many good things about the Catrice Lashes To Kill Mascara in Ultra Black. I am not the only one enjoying it, which always makes me feel better in my judgement. Do you ever love something that everyone else seems to hate? I’m always so worried when that happens…in blogging, in life….in general 🙂

Now I will say I don’t think this is a new mascara for Catrice, they’ve already had a mascara with the same namesake. However I’ve never tried that so I can’t really compare. From google searching, I can see the wand was slightly different though. The spoolie this time round is bristled as well as being large and in charge.

It’s a volumising mascara, so the wand does deposit a lot of product onto the lashes to help build them up. It’s a wet formula too, which is something to note as things can get messy real quick if you’re not careful. There is a slight bend to the spoolie that can help while layering. You can avoid your lid, but you just have to pay attention.

If I didn’t have a lash lift this formula would be too heavy for me. But if you already have a bit of curl and decent lashes in general, this mascara will give you so much extra length and volume.

It gives big lashes and it gives them quick.

As a disclaimer I will say I don’t use this on my bottom lashes. I nearly always use the Mac Extended Play just because I know it works. The wand is small and it doesn’t budge. So I can’t give you any indication of how the formula performs on the lower lashes. On the top, it lasts well on me though. I have minimal flaking or transfer. I don’t suffer with major wateriness or the likes though either.

Overall I am a big fan of the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara reboot. If you like a lot of volume from a more wet formula, you might like it too. It’s around €4.50 and available in pharmacies and Penneys nationwide now. Have you tried it?

xxx

PR SAMPLE

April 20, 2018/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara Waterproof

When it comes to mascara I am definitely no brand snob! Generally speaking (although of course there are some exceptions), more affordable brands are where it’s at! If you’ve been around these parts before, you know I tend to favour a waterproof formula. No hate on non waterproof, just for what my lashes need the waterproof variety seems to cut the mustard more. I have straight lashes, that need to be curled and given some help with length and volume. Yes, my lashes are super boring. Catrice Cosmetics, do some of my favourite formulas. Their Glam & Doll WP is always in my makeup drawer. I did a post on it so many years ago here if you fancy checking it out and cringing all at the same time 🙂 With their new Spring/Summer releases for this year came a new mascara formula. Say hello to the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara.

This comes in waterproof and non waterproof so you’re covered whatever your poison. I of course have been trialling the WP version so that’s the one I am going to show you in action. I gave my mam the standard formula one to road test though and she loves it. She’s already bought a back up!

The Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara comes with quite a large bristled spoolie. This applicator has quashed my logic that a plastic more narrow spoolie just works better for my lashes. I thought that for the longest time. The larger wand did take a bit of getting used to, but now I really like it and don’t poke myself in the eye….anymore 🙂

The formula is on the money for me. It holds a curl (after I use a eyelash curlers, because I have too). It gives decent length and a decent amount of volume too. I like a mascara to clump a little, especially on the tips of my lashes, to give the illusion of more. The Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara does that for me without looking spidery. It has yet to flake or transfer on me either, although I don’t use it on my bottom lashes, the eye poking would be just too major.

For me, the formula works great and stays put, but as a result it is a bit of a pain to remove. More so than the Glam & Doll. I always double cleanse in the evening. I use an oil based cleanser first and then go in with a normal cleanser. There’s still mascara residue from it in the morning! If that’s something that would bother you, maybe opt for the normal formula!

Overall though, the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara gets a huge thumbs up for me! It ticks all my lash boxes and I will 100% repurchase it myself once this tube runs dry. Both formulas are available now in Penneys and pharmacy stockists around the country. They will set you back a very reasonable €5.50.

xxx

*PR SAMPLE

February 12, 2018/by Gem

Posts

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

xxx

I did a super short video of the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara in action which you can see at the top of this post and here. And here are some stills as well.

Here it is on both top and bottom lashes too, just to be thorough 🙂

Overall though, I am a big fan of the new Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara. I am delighted I picked it up. Are you an Extended Play fan?

xxx

******Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)******

So what is a lash lift? It’s basically a perm for your eyelashes. In my experience, it’s a three step process. I have had both LVL (a brand name of Nouveu lashes I believe), and then I was invited to try Yumi lashes too in Elysian Brows, it seems to work the same way for them all.

If I can fork out the cash every six-eight weeks, it’s something I would definitely keep up! Have you had a lash lift? What has been your experience?

xxx

All products are available from Clarins stockists now. Any of them tickle your Summer fancy?

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

Overall I am a big fan of the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara reboot. If you like a lot of volume from a more wet formula, you might like it too. It’s around €4.50 and available in pharmacies and Penneys nationwide now. Have you tried it?

xxx

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

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

Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)

PR SAMPLE

PR SAMPLE

*PR SAMPLE