Hot Designs Review

 I had been eyeing these for some time, but never ponied up the $14.95 a box, in fear of it not working.  When I saw them marked down to $9.88 each, I decided to go for it. I bought both the color sets that were on sale.
Hot Designs, here I come!

 Of course, my nails were super short at the time, so I figured I'd just wait a couple weeks for them to grow out before using these for blog pictures and review.  My daughter was going insane seeing the boxes just sitting here on the end table, so on a day when her brothers were being "big jerks" to her, I decided it was time for a Girly Day and opened them up.  (Turns out that was a good thing because my nails are still awful 2 months later.)

The tip I broke by not reading instructions

I have to admit that I didn't read the instructions that stated " if no product comes out use the included pin to remove any possible clog" or something like that, and I ruined the white pen by pressing it on the table trying to get it going.  THAT was when I looked at the instructions and quickly fixed the three others that didn't work straight out of the package.

You can twist the pen open at the middle to get to the standard nail polish brush, or remove the end caps to get to the pens.  Some of the polishes were good with one coat, some took two, but all dried swiftly and didn't require a long wait before starting in with the art pen portions.

 I did one of her hands as closely as I could to what was in the pictures, and she did the other hand herself.  I have to say they worked pretty good!  Even the nails my 6 year old daughter did came out halfway decent, and she loved them all.  Definitely easier to use than standard nail art brushes.

I will say they do leave a rather raised effect to the designs which may seem odd if you are new to nail art which absolutely requires a good layer of top coat.  Without it, my daughter's designs only lasted a couple days.  (She was tired and over it by then so she didn't want to wait for top coat to dry.)  I do think that if I had used a good base coat and finished off with top coat they would have lasted a lot longer.

All in all, I think these are a good buy for novices in nail art, girls, or for a special occasion like a holiday or festival.  I totally plan on using these again to rock some cool Halloween and Christmas nails because they only need to look nifty for a day or two.

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara Review

I walked into Rite Aid trying to find a good mascara, and found myself facing a store-length wall of makeup with no less than a hundred choices in mascara alone.

I had just returned one and wanted to stay in the same price range.  After going up and down the wall over and over, I settled near the middle and froze, somewhat overwhelmed.  Nothing stood out.  The names were all similar.  They all promised the same things (I think?) with different words: plump, volumize, lengthen, curl, magnify....

So, I took a deep breath and focused on only the brand names on the banners above it all and realized I was in front of the Maybelline section.  I had owned a few Maybelline products in the past.  None stood out in my mind as amazing, but I didn't recall ever tossing any out because I disliked it either.  It's a well known brand.  You see commercials all the time.  Why not?  That narrows it down.  Now to choose from their dozen or so makes.

Maybelline Mascara Section

There are blue bottles, and yellow, and pink, and purple, and green, black, silver.....

You know what?  Let's buy that one.  Just because the name on it makes the perpetual 12 year old inside my mind giggle.  The Falsies.  It's  $9.79.  

On the way to the register, I happened to glance at an end cap display.  Lo and behold, there was a 2 pack of the very same thing for only 20 cents more!  Of course, I took that instead.

Naked Lashes

I should probably have started by saying that I have very short, sparse lashes.  I have spent over 20 years trying to find an affordable mascara that would help, and I never have.... until now.

I am AMAZED.

I applied 3 coats of this mascara (don't dry between coats), and the difference was stunning to me.  I could have applied more (and have since this test) for even better results, but for the purposes of this test I just did a normal number of swipes as if I were in a hurry to go somewhere.

The Falsies by Mabelline

 FYI: Do you have any idea how hard it is to take a clear picture of your own eye with a phone?

Drug store mascara could never do anything like this 20 years ago. This stuff gives me visible lashes even from a distance, even with my glasses on.

I don't know if I got lucky and bought the best option on the (drugstore) market right off the bat, and I will definitely buy others to see.  I do know there are more expensive products that do even more (fiber lash mascaras like Younique and Love Alpha Cashmere Micronesia. I've seen the videos and intend to try them eventually), but for now, and for the price, I am completely IN LOVE with The Falsies.  It works very well and fits almost any budget.

Coming Back To Makeup After Years Away

All through high school I wore full makeup almost daily.  Living with my father, I was left to my own devices regarding what I used, but I had to buy it myself and in stores we were already going to. In a small town, and on a teen babysitter's budget in the 80s, that left me with the very limited choices available in our grocery store or at CVS the few times a year we had to go there for prescriptions.

I wanted to insert a picture of the current version of this store's selection, but they don't even have a makeup section any more.  :(

There really isn't much decision making involved when your choices are so limited: maybe 4 foundations, 4 colors of eyeliner, 2 or 3 (all black) mascaras, probably less than ten eye shadow colors, and a pink or brown blush. I think there were only 2 brands. (Wet-N-Wild and Cover Girl?)   It really is kind of a miracle I didn't look like a clown.

I tried to pay attention to what other girls did that I didn't like (oh, the mountains of blue eye shadow!).
I got a couple books on how to apply makeup, and did the best I could with what I had. Most importantly, I understood that less is more.

I think I was about a decade ahead of the girls I grew up with in learning how to properly apply multiple shades of eye shadow. Honestly, some of them are still just slapping on a pile of dark color on the eye lid and thinking its attractive and done.  They're likely to be the ones still using Baby Soft perfume and Aqua Net.

Anyhow, I wore those drugstore makeups all through high school and part of college.  I really just didn't know there were more choices aside from Avon until a friend became a Mary Kay consultant. I let her do her whole skin care and makeover presentation on me, and although I didn't like her application style, I actually DID like the products themselves.
I dropped what was, for a 20 year old in their first apartment, a small fortune on the complete kit. The complete skin care line (face and body), the full face worth of makeup (concealer, foundation, blush, eye shadow, eye liner, lipstick, and lip gloss), and even the hot pink hanging travel bag with the clear zip pockets to keep it all organized in.

 This is the current version of the bag, though I think my larger flat pink one was much cuter. I think it all cost me about $250, and back then they allowed it to be split into 3 payments though I didn't. 

By that time I was working a rather physical, very dirty, outdoor job in the summer; so, I mostly only wore makeup if I went out in the evening or on my weekends.  That was the beginning of the end of makeup for me... a job that made makeup impractical and somewhat unnecessary with the tan.  Eventually makeup became a "winter thing", and then a "date night" thing, and over the years it dwindled down to a "weddings and funerals" thing.

After my third child and escaping an abusive relationship, I was very unhappy with how I looked.  I didn't feel pretty. I didn't even feel feminine. So, I started doing my nails and growing my hair out, and even bought some new (cheap) makeup.  Anything I could to find that confident part of myself again.

It's been six years and I still don't wear full makeup often.  Usually I'm just sporting some mascara and lipstick. I don't always do my nails because I prefer to only do that when they are long enough for my taste, but I still do them pretty often.

Due to medical issues (I'll save that for another post), I have become increasingly unhappy with my appearance but have found that I am similarly increasingly more pleased when I do something for myself, something to make me feel more feminine.

I started doing cute pedicures and wearing eyeliner.  I recently cut off my waist length hair into a shoulder length bob and had it frosted to mask my grays. (Wow, what a difference between the 2 cameras on my phone! I swear my haircut isn't lopsided even though it appears so in this pic for some reason.)

 I bought 3 or 4 cute tops that actually fit in a relatively flattering way. And, I started playing with the new to me MUCH wider world of makeup available on a budget.

This is actually the smallest makeup section nearby now!  It's one entire wall of the store! Wow!

Experimenting in a somewhat random manner with all the new inexpensive options is something I really look forward to.  I will enjoy sharing my successes, failures, disappointments, and surprises with you!!

Physicians Formula CC Mascara Review

The claim:

"Curl & Volumize. Condition & Nourish. 100% Natural Origin. 100% Recyclable Sculpting Brush. 24 Hour Wear! 1st Ever CC Curl + Care Mascara. Curl Booster Technology."

Having recently had a bad run of luck with mascaras (a couple needed to be tossed out because they were old and dry, one had what I have to assume was a manufacturing error of an applicator, and one that was barely noticeable on), I was hunting for suggestions.  I read other bloggers favorites. I read reviews.  I read lists.  I was confused.  How do I know they want the same look I want?  So, I tried vloggers, hoping they would SHOW me the differences.  That was a tough one.  Few show close ups, and even fewer review drugstore makeup. 

Eventually it occured to me to check and see if my favorite silly fun beauty vlogger grav3yardgirl had ever reviewed drugstore makeup, and she DID! In fact, she even did one specifically comparing four popular drugstore mascaras! Perfect!

I watched her video (more than once) as she applied and provided close-ups of all four, and then again with her favorite two.  I looked closely to see which of the four applied I liked best.  I decided to try Physicians Formula CC Mascara, and off I ran to Rite Aid to buy it for $9.95.

As soon as I  got home I plunked down with a mirror and tore it open to apply it, and I was immediately surprised.  The wand was caked full to the very tips of the bristles with what looked to be rather dry, clay like mascara. This looked NOTHING like the video I had seen.

I scraped it back into the tube hoping it was a settling issue, pushed the wand back in and spun it a couple times.  It did seem better when I pulled it out, so I started brushing it on.  It was still more dry than I am used to, but it went on.  It took 3 coats for me to decide something really just wasn't right.  Yes, It made my lashes black.  No, it did not curl them at all.  And, it certainly didn't give me anything near the dramatic improvement over my natural lashes I had hoped for.  It wasn't really any better than the old ones I had just thrown out for being old.  I also found out later that night (thank you cheezy romance movie) that this mascara runs super easily and stings my eyes a little bit if I tear up.

I couldn't find any expiration date on the package (wondering if maybe it had just been in the store too long... this happens in small towns), so I decided to call the company itself. They were, of course, closed for the weekend.  Just my luck.

On Monday I called again.  I have definitely got to say the representative I spoke with was super friendly and helpful.  When I described my experience, she agreed that it did not sound right.  The product itself is new this year so it couldn't have been expired, but she agreed it should not have looked as I described or apply the way it did.  Any number of situations could have caused this from temperature problems in shipping to a manufacturing error, and she did take the lot number for reference.  She let me know that if the store would not take the return, Physicians Formula would replace it for me.

I did return the mascara with no problems and would be willing to try it again, but I chose not to that day under the assumption  that the 4 in my store probably came in the same shipment from the same lot, just in case those were the cause of the problem.  Having seen how nice it looked in the video, I will likely buy it again for one more try in the future... from a different store. ;)

All in all, I didn't hate it.  I just didn't love it enough to make me want to stay with that tube when better results supposedly can be found with others. 

Mary-Kate & Ashley Bare Effects Mineral Foundation

My mother gave me this unused and still sealed.  She bought it in a discount bin somewhere, but hadn't gotten around to using it.  She loves the discount bin for makeup to try out when she can find it.  It seemed like the perfect option to keep in my purse after foolishly going on vacation with no makeup in my bags:  small, convenient shape, what appeared to be a good color, and no need to buy a kabuki brush also as it had one built in. 
It claimed that you twist the top to dunk the brush into the powder, and then back up to apply in a similar fashion to any other loose powder minerals foundation. Repeat as needed, and twist back down to replace the cap over the brush when you are done.  I was thrilled with the concept.
I would love to report on the makeup itself, but I CAN'T. No matter how many times I twisted the bristles up and down into the powder, tried to use it in the up or down positions, no makeup came out through the bristles. When you try to apply the apparently nonexistant powder, the bristles fall out like crazy, leaving you with a foundation free face that feels like a shedding cat slept on it.
Thankfully, this product was discontinued in 2009, but clearly some stores still have it in their discount bins, and it is still readily available online. It used to retail in stores for 6.99. It now costs significantly more than that online.  I have even seen it as high as $20 each on ebay, though it usually runs about $10 each now. 
Had I spent any money on this product, I would be very annoyed.  Do not waste your money even if it seems like a great deal.  It's terribly obvious to me why it was discontinued.