Clarisonic Mia Review: 1 Year Update

For my very first Clarisonic Mia post I said my final update on this journey would be 6 months but we are completely past that date and it's actually nearly at a year since I started using Clarisonic.  I am ok with this because I would've wrote the same things 6 months ago as I am about to today. With that said, let's go through the guidelines that I established to evaluate my experience using this little gadget.



Start from the beginning...

Clarisonic Mia Review: Two Weeks Update

Clarisonic Mia Review: One Month Update

Clarisonic Mia Review: Three Months Update


1. Effectiveness at removing makeup - The less residue makeup that remains on my face, the less random zits will pop up.

Gone are the clogged pores and randomly predictable breakouts that I would get from makeup residue. I no longer worry about how makeup can clog my pores after wearing it for a full day. The Mia is still doing what it did best a year ago and as advertised so this is 10/10!

2. Cleanliness of skin immediately after use.

Yes! Every single time. 10/10!


3. Cleanliness of skin maintained with regular use - I have an oily t-zone where zits are most likely to appear. I hope the use of the Clarisonic Mia will vastly improve these areas and reduce acne problems.

I specifically chose three troubled areas to observe and as a final post on the Mia, it makes sense to bring back the early photos of said areas to compare with today's.


Clarisonic Mia Review Use After 1 month forehead acneClarisonic Mia Review Use After 3 months forehead acne
Clarisonic Mia Review Use After One 1 Year forehead acne









[left to right] Photo # 1 is from one month using Mia, photo # 2 is 3 months and photo # 3 is after 1 year. I apologize for photo #3. That is actually how my skin looks.... It has pink tones to it. It took the longest time before I realized my camera was set to Fluroscent white balance setting. :( That is why photo #1 and #2 looks so yellow.

The biggest improvement I saw from all three areas of my skin is my forehead. It still has the little bumps but very few compared to what it used to be in photo #1 and while it's not included in photo #2, I actually had a recovering scar from a breakout at the time it was taken where compared to the entire forehead of photo #3, there were no breakouts at all. Things are pretty steady up here. Small bumps here and there but much fewer and pimples are a very rare occurrence.







Clarisonic Mia Review Use After One month skin texture rednessClarisonic Mia Review Use After three months skin texture redness 

Clarisonic Mia Review Use After One 1 Year skin texture redness




[left to right] Photo # 3 is the one year mark, middle photo is 3 months and photo #1 is from the 1 month mark. Nothing dramatic has happened since the 3 months update. If anything, this updated photo tells me I need to switch my face cream cause it looks redder than it was before!!!



  Clarisonic Mia Review Use After three months skin texture white bumps acne labretClarisonic Mia Review Use After One month skin texture white bumps acne labret

Clarisonic Mia Review Use After One 1 year skin texture white bumps acne labret

[left to right] Once again, sorry for the lighting differences. Photo # 3 has the most accurate colors. The area below my lips and above the chin, a.k.a. labret, is a troubled area prone to breakouts. After a year of using the Mia, this area is mostly under control. I still get breakouts every now and then but much less frequently and the skin texture has improved considerably from a year ago.

Mia stands well against the test of time and delivers measurable results with continued usage. 9.5/10

5. Noticeably better absorption of facial products - I see the Clarisonic as an investment for my skin. I am saving money over time if I don't need as much product for the same results.

I can't tell if there are additional improvements to what I first observed in the beginning so I will keep the  8/10 rating.


I think it was the right decision to have choosen these specific facial areas and to monitor them for changes as a way to evaluate Mia's effectiveness. I learned through the limitations of the Mia that in addition to cleanliness, good health is also much needed for good skin. Your skin is the largest organ of your body therefore, the quality of the your skin is a direct reflection on the quality of your health. Things like staying hydrated, healthy diets, and adequate rest are factors to good skin that never go out of style.

I never expected this little machine to solve all my skin problems but it exceeded my expectations in a few key areas - facial cleanliness after use and the results from continued use. There isn't a product I know of out there right now that delivers more value than the Clarisonic Mia at the cost of $125 USD. I replaced the brush heads twice at $25 a piece so that's $50 total. I use the Mia daily and let's say it's been exactly a year so that's 365 days/times used:

$125+$50 = $175/365 days
= $0.48 per day 

It costs $0.48 excluding battery charges and facial cleansers but you're paying less than $0.50 just to use the machine. For similar benefits to what the Mia can do, you could get professional facials instead which costs between $40-$200+. For the sake of this example, say the average person pays $75 for a treatment every month. A fairly reasonable dollar amount and frequency. This little bit of monthly pampering adds up to $900 a year. Obviously, the services and goods you get at a salon&spa is nowhere near using the Mia for a minute a day but looking strictly at skin results, the Mia is comparable to pro facials and is a super duper economical choice! A worthy investment, girls. And a well taken care of machine should last you more than a year. In the second year, the cost of using the Mia with two brush head replacements goes down to $0.24 per use.

The Clarisonic Mia is now officially on my Perfect 10! list. I knew it three months into using it but at the one year mark, without a doubt, it's 10, 10, 10. Thank you for coming onto this journey with me. I hope you were able to find some useful information on here to help you decide if this machine is for you. I don't foresee any updates unless I get requests. I may write a post on the odds and ends I've noticed about the brush heads and using the machine. Until then, my lovelies!


Start from the beginning...


Clarisonic Mia Review: Two Weeks Update

Clarisonic Mia Review: One Month Update

Clarisonic Mia Review: Three Months Update

Mascara Junkies Continue to Rejoice! Lash Stash 2013 Review

Sephora has come out with this year's Lash Stash (2013). There are 11 pieces in the set with 10 of them being mascaras and two of which are full sized tubes. The 11th piece is a pair of Sephora brand false lashes called Sephora Collection False Eye Lashes in Celebrity. About half of the mascaras were featured in last year's Lash Stash and you see last year's set here but I've also put the review links below for your convenience.

Sephora Lash Stash 2013 Review
Read through the post to see how the mascaras compare to each other in this year's set.

[Update 12/06/2013]: Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara review added.



This set contains:
- 0.10 oz Benefit They're Real Mascara - REVIEW HERE

- 0.141 oz Blinc Mascara

- 0.2 oz BUXOM Lash Mascara - REVIEW HERE

- 0.14 oz Clinique High Impact Mascara - REVIEW HERE

- 0.135 oz Lancôme Hypnôse Drama - REVIEW HERE

- 0.13 oz Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant

- 1 x Sephora Collection False Eye Lashes in Celebrity - Just getting into false lashes or need some extra pointers? Learn all about them here!

- 0.5 oz Sephora Collection Outrageous Mascara  (full sized tube)   - REVIEW HERE
 
- 0.31 oz Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes™ Statement Mascara (full sized tube) - REVIEW HERE

- 0.17 oz Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - REVIEW HERE

- 0.06 oz Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Baby Doll

Favorites

Of the reviewed mascaras, here are my favorites so far. I will add more to this list once I get to try the others. In the meantime, I hope you'll find the notes below to be helpful in your journey to your very own holy grail mascara. 


Lash Stash 2013 Review BUXOM Lash Mascara ReviewLash Stash 2013 Review BUXOM Lash Mascara Review
1.  BUXOM Lash Mascara - I found the Bare Escentuals BUXOM Lash Mascara to be a solid lengthening and defining mascara. The product formula coupled with a flexible brush head allows for impressive volume building with very little clumping. I love how well this mascara works on me. The only downside (when you're in a hurry) is that it takes some patience to apply because several layers of the product is needed for maximum results. 


Lash Stash 2013 Review Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara ReviewLash Stash 2013 Review Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara Review
 2. Lancôme Hypnôse Drama -  Hypnôse is great for defined volume. I emphasized the word defined because my biggest issue with mascaras that claim to be primarily volumizing, clump my lashes. This is an exceptional volumizing mascara for me and to roundoff its overall awesomeness, it also  lengthens.



 3. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara as I conclude is not comparable to the deed cause mascara to nuts? The math just doesn't add up. har har Regardless, the mascara is awesome. It volumizes, lengthens and defines without you needing to bat a lash.

 Despite appearances, its hourglass-shaped brush is also easy to use. Plus, I got my sample from Too Faced's Blogger Darling set that included their bronzer, eye and face primers which was a lot of fun to review.



Lash Stash 2013 Review Clinque High Impact Mascara ReviewLash Stash 2013 Review Clinque High Impact Mascara Review
 4. Clinique High Impact Mascara - I absolutely love the wand applicator for Clinque's High Impact. It's so untimidating and easy to use. The wand applicator is a straight forward cone-shaped brush head with bristles that are evenly distributed. I find that sometimes fancy twist or hour glass-shaped brushes takes longer to get used to. You may think with this classic cone-shaped brushes you're limited to how much shaping and building you can do but the product delivers nonetheless. The mascara brings very nicely defined lengths and with some additional layers, you get good volume too. Not as manipulatable as BUXOM but also takes less time to apply for best results. 



Lash Stash 2013 Review Sephora Collection Outrageous Mascara ReviewLash Stash 2013 Review Sephora Collection Outrageous Mascara Review
 5. Sephora Collection Outrageous Mascara - Who knew Sephora had such a great mascara?! Maybe I'm one of the few who didn't. I have this perception that retailer-branded products are inferior to the manufacture brands because they haven't spent as much time and money on the development and research which may be true in some instances but Sephora's Outrageous Mascara holds up to other  mascaras of its class. The formula and brush applicator gives defined volume and impressive lengths.


Sephora Favorites: Lash Stash (2013) is another nice value set. All the mascaras I liked from last year's Lash Stash are back and Sephora's very own Outrageous mascara comes in full size. If you're just getting into mascaras and don't mind shelling out the extra $20-$25, I'd say go for it. You are paying for sample-sized goods which you could get your hands on from various flagship stores and counters for free but you're also getting the nice packaging and convenience of everything in one box. The whole set should last you for at least a year. In addition, it comes with a pair of Sephora false lashes with eyelash glue and that's enough goodies to get any beginner started!


Retails for $45 (USD)
Where to buy: Sephora online or locally

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Skin Smoothing Primer Review

Dun dun dun, this is the fourth and final review for Too Faced Blogger Darlings set. I may have broken some record for how many times the words, Too Faced was typed in the span of three days.

Let's take a look at Too Faced's Primed and Poreless Face Skin Smoothing Primer. All Two Faced products have long names.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Skin Primer Review


Product Description From Official Website

What It Is: 
Our one-of-a-kind makeup primer was scientifically formulated to wear under bronzers and foundation powders or alone to achieve the look of flawless skin without makeup. Vitamins A & C, Mulberry Extract and a powerful dose of Retinol virtually banish pores while tired skin is left hydrated, firmer, and detoxified. Primed & Poreless creates the perfect canvas to allow powders, bronzers and foundations to airbrush onto the skin seamlessly and perfectly blended. Skin appears brighter, fresher and younger. Color stays true and in place all day. 

More To Love: 
  • Erase Pores & Imperfections: Virtually erases pores, softens lines and perfects your complexion leaving skin ready for bronzer, powder, makeup or nothing at all. 
  • Customized Formula: Provides an airbrushed canvas as it preps skin for bronzers, powder products and liquid foundations. Bronzers glide on without grabbing or looking heavy. Powders float above imperfections. Makeup applies like magic onto skin. Color stays true and in place all day. 
  • Mulberry Extract & Arctostaphylos UVA URSI: Protect, brighten and lighten skin for a renewed freshness and soothing effect. 
  • Retinyl Palmitate & Cyclodextrin with CAVAMAX Retinol: Restores moisture, elasticity and suppleness with a powerful combination of anti-wrinkle, youth enhancing, skincare ingredients. 
  • Camellia Oil & Vitamin A: Essence of the white tea plant and the free radical fighting vitamins are nature’s most powerful antioxidants. Skin looks firmer, brighter and more resilient, even up close. 
  • Colorless: Great on any skin color! The nude tone becomes invisible once applied.

*Vegan-friendly
**Paraben-free
I love how Too Faced don't test on animals. There aren't a lot of cosmetics companies out there that can say that.
Too Faced Primed and Poreless Primer Skin Smoothing Face Primer color swatchToo Faced Primed and Poreless Primer Skin Smoothing Face Primer color swatch
The actual product is a nude beige color that blends right into your skin. Unlike their eye primer, there's no sheen at all. The texture is similar to clear silicon-based face primers but with a slight cream texture and goes on smoothly.


Too Faced Primed and Poreless Primer Skin Smoothing Face Primer makeup look flawlessToo Faced Primed and Poreless Primer Skin Smoothing Face Primer flawless makeup
These photos were taken during one session after 10 hours of wear. I wore the primer once on a different day and noticed how well my makeup stayed in place but I wasn't entirely sure how much of it was the primer until I wore it again today. I can confirm that the "flawless" complexion you see in the photos (unshopped at all, not even auto-contrast) is mostly because of Primed & Poreless. My makeup still looks fresh and my skin looks hydrated underneath the makeup.

I've worn other primers where at about 6-7 hours, it starts to visibly degrade as my skin dehydrates and produces oil to compensate. At the 8-10 hours mark, the makeup looks dry and cakey up close where I could take a tissue and blot the foundation off. Mind you, the makeup still held up but compared to what you see here, it's a big difference.

I did use oil blotting paper after these photos were taken in case you were wondering if the primer helps mattify and asbsords oil. I've read a few reviews saying this primer is not suitable for oily skin. I would have to agree with that. While my face feels hydrated throughout the day and my makeup looked fresh on both occassions that I wore it, there is oil buildup that needs to be blotted away.

oil blotting paper
Not the most attractive thing to show but this was the excess oil on my face after 10 hours.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Primer Skin Smoothing Face Primer package tube
Tube on the left is Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer. The tube is 0.17 Oz, a deluxe sample size from the Darlings set. The full size is 1 Oz. 

Of the entire Too Faced Bloggers Darling set, I am most impressed with this item. There are just no disputes about what it can do for you. If you have normal, combination, combination to dry skin, this is a solid primer choice. Your makeup will stay easily for 8 hours, makeup looking fresh and skin looks hydrated and flawless. Beyond 8 hours, I recommend using blotting paper to absorb excessive oil. The best indicator is if you look shiny and when you press a finger against your face, foundation transfers onto your finger.

I can't recommend the primer for people with oily skin types. Mattefying primers would be needed in this case.

Finally, I wish the sample size was bigger! I am finishing up my Smashbox primer so Two Faced is going to be my main primer until I find a natural primer for daily use. Unless the natural one performs as well as this one, Too Faced will my one primer for those special occassions when I'm trying to get a flawless look.

Here's everything I used for my makeup in these photos:

1.  Too Faced's Primed and Poreless Face Skin Smoothing Primer
2. Covermark Essense Foundation [Blue] - BN 20 blended with Mary Kay Medium-Coverage Foundation in Ivory 204
3.  Shiseido Maquillage Concealer Stick EX - color 1 blended with Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme in Soft Orange
4. Stila Convertible Color in Fusia - cheek blush base
5. Benefit Girl Meets Pearl liquid highlighter - review here
6. Laura Mercier Mineral Finishing Powder
7. Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer - review here
8. Shu Umemura Glow On Blush as an Eyeshadow Base - P Peach 42
9. Coastal Scents 88 Original Palette - purple and pink shades for the "cotton candy-inspired" eyeshadow look.
10. Obessessive Complusive Cosmetics O.C.C. Liptars -three blend of Hush, Momento and Clockwork.
11. Heroine Make Liquid Eye Liner
12. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer for contouring - review here
13. Possibly Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I can't remember but here's the review.
14. Shu Uemura Brow Pencil Hard Formula in #9.


Retails for $30 USD
Where to buy: Too Faced online or locally.


 

Ingredients:

Net Weight:
3 lg. e/s ea. 0.07 Oz., total 0.21 Oz.; 6 sm. e/s ea. 0.03 Oz., total 0.18 Oz. (Metric: 3 lg. e/s ea. 2 g, total 6 g; 6 sm. e/s ea. 0.9 g, total 5.4 g)

Ingredients:
Birthday Suit: Talc, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid, Methicone, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).

Lap Dance: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Talc, Kaolin, Zinc Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sorbic Acid, Tin Oxide, Mica, Carmine (CI 75470), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).

French Tickler, Fuzzy Handcuffs, In the Buff: Talc, Silica, Zinc Stearate, Kaolin, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Mica. May Contains/Peut Contenir/(+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Ultramarines (CI 77007).

Voulez-Vous: Talc, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Kaolin, Zinc Stearate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid, Mica, Carmine (CI 75470), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).

Garter Belt: Talc, Silica, Kaolin, Zinc Stearate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid, Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163).

Satin Sheets and Sugar Walls: Talc, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zinc Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Silica, Sorbic Acid, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Kaolin, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Mica, Carmine. May Contains/Peut Contenir/(+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Aluminum Powder (CI 77000), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).



Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer Review

My third post to the Too Faced Blogger Darlings set review. I've moved on from my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer when I finished the tube and searched around for a paraben-free eye primer and came across Too Faced's Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer. Let's see how this fares on it's own and compared to Urban Decay.

Production Description from Official Website


What It Is: 
Your full coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing and smudging. Our skin-soothing formula evens out skin tone and smoothes fine lines to create a perfect canvas for shadows. Color is intensified and locked down until you take it off. 

More To Love: 
  • Unique Binders: Volatiles lock down eye shadow pigments for amazingly long wear. 
  • Versatility: Use with powder or cream eye shadow products. 
  • Fights Fading: Anti-creasing formula holds eye products in place by securing a barrier between the oils of your skin and your makeup. 
  • Concentrated: The size of a rain drop covers the entire lid.

**Paraben-free

Two Faced Poreless Face Primer Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Primer
Blue tube on the right is the Shadow Primer. It's the mini version with 0.17 oz. vs the full size at  0.35 oz. The squeeze tube is pretty handy as you can get every last bit of primer out of it if you really wanted to by cutting the tube in half.


Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Primer Product Color SwatchShadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Primer Product Color Swatch
The primer is beige in color. It'll probably blend right into your skin tone leaving a bit of a sheen (right).



Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Primer Use makeup look
This photo was taken after a full 12 hour day. You can't see it too well in the photos but look carefully on my right (your left) eye and you should see half of a line starting from the corner of my eye. That's where my fold is and that's where creasing happens. Most people will find their shadow creases at the fold so this is nothing out of the ordinary and the primer does enhance eyeshadow colors as you would expect.

So how does it compare to Urban Decay's Primer Potion? Urban Decay ultimately has better anti-crease performance. Shadow color enhancement is pretty much the same but their product irritates my eyes. The shadow sticks right onto the primer which is a good thing but somehow I find it hard to blend eyeshadow a lot of the times which makes mistakes harder to correct as well. Their primer also does not work well with my Covermark liquid foundation. The two do not blend and creates a mess if they overlapped even a bit. ugh!

Too Faced on the other hand may not hold up for as long against creasing but this doesn't really bother me. I still got through a normal 10 hours day fine.Their primer is also easier to work through when I apply eyeshadow and the formula is paraben-free! My foundation blends into primer without any issues. If that isn't enough, they are also cruelty-free, meaning they don't test on animals. I can give up some performance for all of the above. Now if only they could put out nearly all-natural products, I'd be a customer for life. :)

I don't recommend Too Faced's primer over Urban Decay's based on performance but I do care that companies go the extra mile to be a socially conscious company. Not using parabens or testing on animals makes product research and development more costly and time-consuming. Two Faced has gone this extra mile and still managed to put out a primer that rivals Urban Decay's top-rated product. It's far from being a natural product but it's definitely a solid step forward so I am highly recommending Too Faced's Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer.

Retails for $20USD
Where to buy: Two-Faced online and locally.

Other Reviews from Two Faced Blogger Darlings:

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Primer Reivew

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer and Blogger Darlings Review


Ingredients:

Net Weight:
0.35 Oz. (Metric: 11g)

Ingredients:
Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Triethylhexanoin, Polyethylene, Trihydroxystearin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Isopropyl Lanolate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Mica. (+/-): Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review

It's all about Too Faced reviews this weekend. I've been curious about Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara since last year and my interest was again pique when I saw it in this year's Lash Stash. Now that I finally got my hands on it, I couldn't wait to bring you the full scope. So is it really better than sex? Let's find out!

Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review

Production Description From Official Website


What It Is:

The Better Than Sex Mascara Hourglass-Shaped Brush was designed after discovering the bust-waist-hip ratio of an iconic silver screen Blonde Bombshell held the secret to the perfect brush silhouette that separates, coats and curls each lash to voluptuous perfection. One coat of the carbon black, collagen-fueled mascara formula and lashes are full, defined and stretched to unbelievable lengths. Two coats and lashes are even more luscious, curled and dramatic. Three coats and achieve the most intense black, oversized, multidimensional lashes possible! A mascara so amazing…it’s Better Than Sex!

More To Love:

Better Than Sex mascara includes:

  • Film-forming Polymer for smudge-proof, all day wear
  • Acacia Senegal Tree Extract to nourish, thicken and lock curl in place
  • Unique Peptides for the deepest, intense black possible
  • 1,944% more volume*
  • 100% saw longer lashes**
  • 100% saw dramatic volume**
  • 93% saw base-to-tip curl**
  • 8 out of 10 say it’s the best mascara they’ve ever used**
*results observed in a clinical study.
**results observed in a consumer study.



Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara ReviewTwo Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review
I was surprised by how well defined my lashes were with this volumizing formula. There weren't much expectations going in, because with mascaras, you quickly learn that product names and descriptions mean nothing until you try it on yourself or come here for the reviews! ;)  Really stoked that clumping was fairly minimal. As I worked through to build volume onto my lashes, the product was easy to work through - didn't dry too fast and the brush helped comb out and seperate lashes.


Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara review package
The brush is hourglass shape which reminded me of Bare Escentuals' BUXOM Lashes' brush - also hourglass-shaped. The difference would be where Better Than Sex's bristles are soft, long and have varying lengths, BUXOM's are short, stiff and bristle lengths are the same no matter where they are on the brush. In case of the bristles, Better Than Sex's resembles Lancome's Hypnose Drama Mascara more.

The mascara itself is pretty resilient to smudging and inversely, takes more than just warm water and soap to remove. You will most definitely need makeup remover.

Interestingly at $23 a tube, the price point is right inbetween BUXOM Lashes and Hypnose Drama which are $19 and $27 respectively and the results you get are also between the two. It lengthens and defines well like BUXOM (BUXOM does both better however) and gives defined volume at the same time similar to Hypnose (Hypnose gives a bit more volume).

Better Than Sex's forumla and brush defines, lenghtens and adds volume but it isn't a champion at any of these. If you want lots of volume, there are better mascaras and if you want great lenghts, there are other options. I would however recommend the product if you need all three of these factors fairly equally. As for the question of is it really better than sex. I couldn't tell ya. It's not possible to compare apple to nuts (ya I went there) but it was a lot of fun to write this review. You can also try the mascara at a budget by grabbing the Too Faced Blogger Darling set at $20USD that comes with a deluxe sized tube. Darlings set reviwed here.


Retails for $23 USD
Where to Buy: Two Faced online or locally. 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Primer Review

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Primer Reivew




Ingredients:

Net Weight:
0.27 Fl. Oz.

Ingredients:
Water/aqua/eau, Synthetic Beeswax, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Polybutene, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Cera Carnauba/Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire de carnauba, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Polyester-11, PVP, Cellulose, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Dextran, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1. May Contain/Peut Contenir/(+/-): Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Black 2 (CI 77266), Ultramarines (CI 77007).


Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings Review

I am super excited to bring you a review on Too Faced's Beauty Blogger Darlings. I've been eyeing their Better Than Sex mascara ever since I saw it being in this year's Sephora Favorties Lash Stash (2013).

I was very tempted to get Lash Stash again but hestiated just long enough to come across Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings. It's a 4 piece set that includes deluxe sample sized Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer, Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer, Primed & Poreless Face Primer and Better Than Sex Mascara.

Two Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings Set

These four items are some of the best selling items from Too Faced. Aside from the bronzer, which I will cover here, I will go through the items individually in seperate posts. Links for each below.

Production Description From Official Website

Set includes:

Deluxe Better Than Sex Mascara
"Two coats take my fringe from stubby, shy violet to long, luscious vixen, and what a super cute pink tube! If you’re gonna bat your lashes all day long, this is the mascara you want," says Karen of makeupandbeautyblog.com

Deluxe Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
"I love the Chocolate Soleil bronzer because it smells SO good and gives my face a natural deep tan," says Jen of mybeautybunny.com

Deluxe Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer
"My holy grail primer for an airbrushed finish," says vlogger Weylie of youtube.com/ilikeweylie

Deluxe Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer
"I love Shadow Insurance because it lasts all day with zero creasing on my oil-prone lids, it prevents shadows from fading and just a dab does the trick," says Kelly of vampyvarnish.com



Two Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings packageTwo Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings 
These four Darlings are deluxe-sample sizes, basically miniature versions of their full-sized counterparts. The blue squeeze tube is the Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer and the pink tube is the Primed & Poreless Face Primer.


Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer Swatch
Their deluxe-sized Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer comes in a black compact with a mirror. I was surprised to find that the product not only smells like chocolate but actually has cocoa powder in it. The cocoa powder is labeled as Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Fruit Powder in the ingredients list. While I am not sure how much chocolate aroma comes from the powder itself, there is fragrance and parfum in the bronzer that gives it an unmistakable chocolate aroma albeit smells like artifical chocolate... The cocoa powder apparently serves more than just a marketing gimmick. Sephora has on their product description:

"A light matte bronzer infused with real cocoa powder and long-wearing pigments.

Too Faced has combined the natural detoxifying effects of real cocoa powder with their signature bronzing pigments to create a lighter version of their bestselling Chocolate Soleil original matte bronzer. The Milk Chocolate shade is perfectly suited for pale to medium skintones for a touch of summer warmth all year-long."

The matte bronzer goes on smoothly and has a satin finish. It's suitable for contouring as it's easily manipulatable. It's a light/medium brown shade most suited for light to medium skin tones. It's very easy to correct with a Q-tip if you make a mistake.


Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer Makeup Look
In the photo above, I applied the bronzer on the sides of my nose, jawline and on the hollows of my cheeks. For light contouring, you could also apply it ontop of your loose setting powder but for long-wear, apply the bronzer underneath loose setting powder.

With the set, I was able to try the eye primer and mascara, two items I looked most forward to using and not have to pay full price. Size-wise, it'll take a good 4-6 months before you use up the eye primer and bronzer (daily usage) so that's excellent value. If the Poreless Face Primer was double in size, I would've given it a better value rating but it can't all be this good.....?

Overally, good value. Definitely recommended if you want to try at least two of the four items in it. I get no perks for saying this but if you are buying the set, consider getting it online from Two Faced because you can choose a deluxe sized sample when you check out. :)


Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Primer Reivew

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review Here! 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Primer Review


Retails for $20 USD
Where to buy: Too Faced Online or locally. Major cosmetics stores online or locally.



Ingredients:

Net Weight:

Deluxe Chocolate Soleil Net Wt. 4 g / 0.14 Oz.
Deluxe Primed & Poreless Net Wt. 5 g / 0.17 Oz.
Deluxe Better Than Sex Mascara Net Wt. 4.8 g / 0.17 Oz.
Deluxe Shadow Insurance Net Wt. 5 g / 0.17 Oz.

Ingredients:
Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Triethylhexanoin, Polyethylene, Trihydroxystearin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Isopropyl Lanolate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Mica. (+/-): Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).


Better Than Sex Mascara: Water/aqua/eau, Synthetic Beeswax, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Polybutene, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Cera Carnauba/Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire de carnauba, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Polyester-11, PVP, Cellulose, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Dextran, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1. May Contain/Peut Contenir/(+/-): Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Black 2 (CI 77266), Ultramarines (CI 77007).


Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer: Talc, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Sodium Saccharin, Benzyl Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum/Fragrance, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Fruit Powder, Benzyl Alcohol, Silica, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Mica. May Contain/Peut Contenir/(+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).
*Vegan-Friendly
**Paraben Free


Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crossploymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cyclodextrin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Retinol, Diacetyl Boldine, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Polysorbate 80, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hedra Helix (Ivy) Extract, BHT, Cycloheptasiloxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Bioflavonoids, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Allantoin, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
*Vegan-friendly


Benefit BADgal Lashes Mascara Review

I got my hands on Benefit's Bad Gal Lashes when I redeemed a Benefit 500 Point Perk gift set, which you can see here. I've wore the mascara a few times but never got around to writing a post so finally, here it is.

Benefit BADgal Lashes Makeup Review Eyes Mascara Tube Official

Production Description From Benefit's Site

Why we love it!

Sexy, dramatic, pure unadulterated black mascara for full, voluminous lashes. Famously big brush coats lashes with our thick black formula. It's as BAD as you want to be! .

Who else loves it!

2011 Temptalia The Readers' Choice Award, best mascara
2010 Elle Top 5 Awards, best mascara

How to apply

Wiggle the wand at the base of lashes then sweep upward from root to tip. Layer for added drama.

Beauty tip

Apply they're real! mascara to the tips of lashes for a glossy finish.


I've heard good things about this mascara so I had high hopes for it but like, Benefit They're Real mascara, it didn't quite work out. How so? Results below.



Benefit BADgal Lashes Makeup Review Eyes Mascara
BADgal Lash is a lash volumizing mascara and while I did get some decent volume out of it, the whole experience was undermined by lashes clumping.


 Benefit BADgal Lashes Makeup Review Eyes Mascara
It doesn't look too bad from the side and the formula lengthens a bit. BADgal did fare considerably better than They're Real. I can't quite figure out why Benefit's best selling mascaras are so mediocore for me. Maybe it's a combination of the formula and brush applicator.


Benefit BADgal Lashes Makeup Review Eyes Mascara Tube
The applicator wand has a large coned shaped brush. The bristles are bunched together and distributed symmetrically on the wand. I was pretty excited to try the mascara cause the brush head looks uncomplicated unlike Lancome's Hypnose Drama Mascara in "Excessive Black". Too bad, it didn't work out though.

I will give it that the product is easy to wash off with some warm water and didn't notice product migrating to my lower lid. You could probably even clean off most of it without using eye makeup remover - something I can't say so certainly about the other mascaras I've tried.The shape of the brush also really reminded me of Clinque's High Impact Mascara. Their results on me are somewhat similar with the difference of High Impact giving more definition and less clumping.

Overall, I can't personally recommend the mascara but I have heard good things about it as well. I say give it a whirl at the store and see how well the formula works for you before buying.


Retails for $19USD
Where to buy: Benefit's online or local retail store and most major cosmetics stores. 

Check here for more mascara reviews!


Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polybutene, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Panthenol, Silica, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Peg-100 Stearate, Pvp, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Sericin, Gossypium (Cotton) Seed Oil, Cetraria Islandica Extract, Sorbic Acid, Bht, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate. May Contain +/- : Iron Oxides (Ci 77491- Ci77492- Ci 77499), Mica, Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Carmine (Ci 75470), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288). N° 02521/N.


 
Love it! Live it! Makeup Reviews © 2012 | Designed by Rumah Dijual, in collaboration with Buy Dofollow Links! =) , Lastminutes and Ambien Side Effects