Review: Maybelline Colossal Volum'Express

Hey everyone!

Today I am giving a “review” on Maybelline Colossal Volum’Express Waterproof mascara. The reason I put quotes around review is because I don’t like giving negative reviews, so instead I’ll call this… “My thoughts on.” There, that sounds better! Onto my thoughts!

First, the packaging. It’s very pretty, I love the yellow and metallic turquoise, very eye-catching. It’s functional and attractive. One point for Maybelline!

Ooo, pretty packaging!

 Now let’s talk about the brush. It’s a little fatter than normal, not quite as big as CoverGirl LashBlast or anything, but not as skinny as, say, L’Oreal Voluminous. The bristles themselves are average length, but wiry. Let me explain- They’re skinny, and also kind of twisty. Here, look at a picture and see for yourself. It gathers product and deposits it in kind of a speckly way. It’s hard to see in the pictures, but there are little spheres of mascara on the ends of my lids.

As for the actual mascara? Well I already told you about the speckly part, but the length it gives is pretty good, as well as the volume. My lashes are noticeably longer, as well as slightly thicker along the base. However, by the end of the day my lashes are stringy- they’re clumped together and not at all flattering looking. Maybe this is just me, but this is really a big turn off for me, as well as a deciding factor. The waterproof-ness is also debatable- it doesn’t run off my face if my lashes get wet, but if I rub my eyes it smears underneath my eyes and I get a raccoon look. 

Bare lashes

Two coats of Maybelline Colossal Volum'Express

Ick- spider-lashes!

 All in all, I don’t think I would buy this again, and I’m glad this was given to me so I didn’t have to use my money. Some of you might have better experiences, but if you want my opinion, I’m going to have to say skip. IMO, there are better mascaras out there worth a try.  

Has anyone tried this? What are your experiences with this mascara? I’m also thinking about trying one of the Maybelline XXL Pro mascaras; Jamie of Maquilagem Masstige really likes this line. What other mascaras do you recommend? Leave a comment below!

~Gabrielle~

Review: Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

Hey everyone!

I have been testing out Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Powder for the past two months or so, and I have come to some conclusions, chief among them: This might just be my Holy Grail foundation.

I love the texture of this- it’s a mousse, so it feels really smooth and spreads easily on my face. It’s a cream (or mousse?)-to-powder formula, so there isn’t a need to put powder on over this, unless you have a super oily skin type.  It gives my skin a smooth look while mattifying my oily spots.

Another thing I love about this is the coverage it gives. It covers minor blemishes and somewhat cancels out dark circles. For anything else, you will need to apply a concealer. (I have this in Light Nude 4, which is a perfect match for my skin.) Lasting power is also pretty formidable. I wore this for about 8 hours (a little longer than my school day) and there were very minimal oily spots on my forehead only.

Dare I say it? This is my new favorite foundation and my Holy Grail. At least until the next one comes along.

28 August- Unfortunately I deleted my pictures that I took with/without foundation. I will have those up tomorrow, so be sure to check back for those. 

Stock image from maybelline.com

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think? What’s your current favorite foundation?

~Gabrielle~

Collective Haul

Hey everyone!

Well, after a day and a half of frantic searching, I found my computer charger (long story, but I thought I had left it in Florida...yeah...) and I can now *finally* post my collective haul from that trip. And let me tell you, I am really pleased with what I got!

Clockwise from nail polish:

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish in Green with Envy- I just posted my review on it on Saturday, so go check it out!

Maybelline Color Sensational lipgloss in Plumtastic- I have a Color Sensational lipstick that I'm really pleased with, so when I saw this on sale for $4.98 at Target I picked it up. I chose the plum color because it's something I've been wanting to try but didn't really want to try as a lipstick.

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser- I needed a new cleanser and was recommended this one by Jamie at Maquilagem Masstige. It's really gentle and is also a makeup remover, bonus! I also really noticed that my face hasn't been too oily, which might just be me but then again it could be because of this cleanser.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation- I picked up this foundation because, well, I just wanted to try something new and the texture of this fascinated me. It goes on really smooth, almost like a mousse-to-powder finish, and really makes my skin stay matte.

Bath and Body Works Travel Mirror and Makeup Bag- Aren't they darling? Actually, one of my teammates who is going to college this year (and playing for them, I might add) has been with the team for a really long time and gave each of us one of these. It was so sweet, so thank you so much Katie! Both items are really handy, and I can definitely see putting this in my backpack for touch-ups come schooltime.

I'll review the makeup products once I've finished testing them, so check back for those later!

Lastly, on the way to Florida, we made a side trip to Slidell, Louisiana (I have some cousins there, and let me tell you, they are some of the most fun people in the world to be with), a suburb of New Orleans. Saturday, we actually made a trip into the Big Easy  because my sister and I had never been there. We hit up all the touristy places- the French Quarter, Jackson Square, Bourbon Street (which was fun, but it STINKS), the Moonwalk, D-Day Museum, Cafe DuMonde, etc; basically staying in the nicer parts. What was cool (to me at least) was that in all the little shops they had really pretty Mardi Gras masks. These really appealed to my dramatic side (I love the glamour of masquerade, plus they're just plain pretty) so I got one! It ties around my head, and I love the glitter detailing around the eyes; it really makes them stand out!

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think? Comment!

~Gabrielle~