Drugstore Mascara Brands

I tend to stick to drugstore mascaras only.  I have found many mascaras that I like that are high-end, but I prefer to spend a little less when it comes to mascara.  I tend to use more than one mascara to achieve the look I am going for.   I don't use a waterproof formula because I don't like how the formula feels when I am removing it.  

Tips: 

Mascara should be replaced every 3 months. 

Save the wand from a tube of mascara that you are going to throw out.  Wash it off and use it to separate your lashes after applying mascara.  It will help remove clumps from your lashes.  

Be sure to squeeze your lashes in three places: at the base, in the middle, and at the tips.  Hold for three second each time to help hold a curl.  

Try to twirl the mascara wand into the mascara rather than pumping it in and out.  When you pump the wand, it pushes air in and may cause your mascara to dry out quicker, which leads to more clumps on your lashes.  

Apply mascara to both the front and back of your top lashes for a fuller look.

Using more than one mascara may allow you to achieve your desired result!

These mascaras are not placed in any particular order.  

L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara is one of my favorites.  I use this almost daily.  It is a great mascara if you are looking to lengthen, separate and curl your lashes.  I apply a few layers and do not have any issues with clumping at all.  The formula is gentle on my eyes and long-wearing.  I don't think this is great for volume, but if you build it up enough it does a decent job.  I am a sucker for packaging and love the look of this product.  I do not like this wand for my bottom lashes, but it does a great job of connecting with my lashes and controlling their movement in a gentle manner. Two thumbs up!

The Rocket Volum' Mascara received a lot of hype when it was released.  I do like this to add volume to my lashes, but they tend to get clumpy.  I have to be very careful when applying this or I can start to look like my lashes are spider legs.  Yuck!  It does help with curling my straight lashes, but overall I think other products help my stubborn lashes more than this.  This would be a great mascara if you already have long lashes and are looking for more volume.  

The Rimmel Lash Accelerator is the other part of my mascara puzzle.  I apply the L'oreal mascara first and then use this afterwards to add volume, length and curl.  You can apply multiple coats of this product without it clumping.  It is supposed to aid in lash growth, but I haven't noticed any changes in my lashes. This mascara is also great for application on the bottom lashes.  I would recommend adding this mascara to your beauty routine.  Two thumbs up!

The Maybelling Mega Plush Volum' Express has a unique mousse formula that is supposed to prevent clumping.  I find that the formula is great, but I don't like the wand that comes with it.  It is extremely bendable and therefore doesn't offer a lot of control.  It is a good mascara if you want to pull off a look that is very natural.  It makes your lashes look better, but like they are still just your lashes without the addition of mascara.  I personally like to look like I am wearing mascara if I am going to take the time to apply it.  The wand does add volume, but I still don't think it is a great product.  I absolutely hate using this on my bottom lashes. It smears and leaves marks everywhere.  If you want your mascara to look extremely natural then I would recommend it, but otherwise you should skip this product.

The L'oreal Power Volume lives up to the name.  It offers a ton of volume without adding clumps to my lashes.  I do love the formula and the control the wand gives me.  I prefer to have longer, separated and curled lashes, but if you want more volume- this is the mascara for you.  I reach for this mascara when I want a dramatic look.  

 The Maybelline Falsies Mascara was a great idea!  It offers one brush to use with your upper lashes and one to use with your lower lashes.  I wish that they had chosen a different wand for the upper lashes, but they chose one that does nothing for me.  The formula is great, but the wand doesn't seem to help my stubborn lashes at all.  The wand for lower lashes is amazing.  It can get to all my lashes on the bottom and my tiny upper lashes that other wands cannot reach.  I would recommend buying this just for the lower wand.  

The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara comes with a great wand.  it is curved in a half-moon shape which really allows your lashes to curl without a lot of effort.  The formula is good and long-wearing.  This would be great for those of you that are blessed with long lashes.  It offers great results in the volumizing and curling department, but not so much in the lengthening and separating department.  

Covergirl Review- The Sunkisser Bronzer, Skin Perfector and TruBlend Liquid Makeup

  I haven't purchased very many products from Covergirl, but I haven't had luck with the ones that I did buy.  With that being said, I hadn't had much luck with Maybelline in the past and I am finding that I love a lot of their newer products.  

The TruMagic Skin Perfector is a new product from Covergirl.  It is supposed to offer shine control and pore minimizing.  I applied it with my hands one day and with a sponge a separate day.  I preferred using my hands as it helped the product melt into my skin.  If you are a sponge person, they offer one that is fine, but I felt like it wasted a lot of the product.  It applies very smooth, but feels waxy on the skin.  After you rub it in dries to an almost powdery finish.  It does not feel restrictive or heavy on the skin once you rub it in.  I did not notice any change in my pores with the skin perfector applied alone.  However, when I applied the TruBlend foundation on top, I did notice that the pores on my nose and around my nose looked smaller.  This pore perfector acted as a primer for my foundation.  It did seem to extend the wear of my foundation.  If you typically read my blog then you already know that I do not struggle with oily skin.  My skin is on the dry side, but I do have an oily t-zone.  This product did not help minimize the oil in my t-zone at all.  Overall, this product is good for pore minimizing, but not great.  I feel that other products do a better job, but for the price it does a good job.  I purchased my products at Walgreens during a buy one get one 50% sale.  

$10.99 if you purchase it at full price.

The TruBlend liquid makeup is great!  They offer 21 different colors.  It has a pump, which I am a huge fan of. It does not look or feel thick on the skin, but provides long-lasting coverage.  It has a more matte finish, but it looks natural.  This foundation would be great for oily skin.  I have dry skin, but this product still works for me.  I only set the concealer under my eyes and my t-zone when using this foundation.  $9.99

The last Covergirl product I purchased was the cream bronzer.  The Sunkisser was a horrible product.  It looked incredibly orange on my skin.  I tried it as a contour one day and to bronze my face a separate day.  I hated both looks.  The formula doesn't feel bad and it does blend nicely, but the color doesn't do my skin any good.  It may work better if you have a darker complexion, but I can't speak to that personally.  If you are looking for a cream bronzer, I would recommend the Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer.  It is the same price, but a heck of a lot better.  The Sonia Kashuk one comes in two colors.  The offer #41 Warm Tan, which is meant for people with fair skin and they also offer #42 Rich Bronze.  I have the lighter one, which works great for me, but more beauty bloggers prefer the #42 Rich Bronze.  I would skip the Covergirl and head to Target and get the Sonia Kashuk if you want a cream bronzer.  Cream bronzers are great for people with dry skin.  

Sunkisser $10.99

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer $10.99 

I hope this helps you determine whether or not these would be good products for your makeup collection.
If you would like me to do a review on any product, please comment below!!!

Favorite Lotions and Potions

Let me start off by saying I love bath products.  I am always looking for something new.  These products are great for my skin, but these may not be something that you need to add to your skin care regimen.  I have dry and sensitive skin, but all of these can be used regardless of your skin type.  

St. Ives Purifying Sea Salt Body Wash is hypoallergenic and paraben-free.  It is an exfoliating scrub, but can be used daily due to the creamy lather that develops.  The scrub contains natural sea salt and sea kelp extract.  It is a 100% natural exfoliant.  I was concerned initially that this would be drying, but my skin feels extremely soft and clean following the use of this product.  I don't reach for this daily because I don't need to exfoliate daily, but if you were the type that likes to exfoliate often, this scrub would be gentle enough to do so.  I purchased this at Rite Aid.  It is 24 oz. and is $4.99

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is a very expensive product.  An employee at Lush pushed this product and I was leery of it from the start.  It is $32.95 for 7.9 oz.  This is more than I would normally want to spend, but after trying it in the store, I had to have it.  This isn't exactly a body wash, it is a conditioner for your body.  It contains cocoa butter, almond oil, Argan oil and the scent of rose petals. You should steer clear of this product if you do not like the fragrance of roses. It isn't overpowering, but it is the main fragrance.  It will leave you with a great scent and you can skip the lotion or oil after using this product. My skin feels moisturized and soft.  You can purchase this at your nearest Lush store or online.

I personally love the Moringa scent from The Body Shop.  Many feel that the scent is too overpowering, but it is perfect for me.  Let me start by saying I love this body wash in general.  I have used numerous body washes from The Body Shop in varying fragrances.  They all are amazing!  Their body washes are soap-free.  Soap-free body wash is milder and does not dry out skin.  Soap in cleansers takes the moisture along with the dirt and debris.  Soap free body wash still contains detergents which act similarly to soap, but it is less harsh on your skin.  This shower gel typically costs $8.00 for 8.5 fl. oz. They have discounts running constantly.  Their current promotion is:

2 for $14.00

3 for $18.00

4 for $20.00

You can mix and match any fragrances.  

Rub Rub Rub is another great product you can find at your local Lush store.  It is a softening and exfoliation sea salt scrub.  It is very gentle and refreshing.  A little of this goes a long way.  It makes my skin incredibly soft and squeaky clean.  I love the smell- a light mimosa blossom floral scent.  It is natural and great for your skin!  My only complaint is the packaging.  Their tubs are normally great, but in this case it is a pain.  You have to scoop some of the product out with your hand.  I haven't spilled the product yet, but it is only a matter of time.  A little of this product goes a long way. I have had this for quite some time and the tub looks completely full.  If you can be patient with the packaging, I recommend purchasing this product.  

$21.95 for 11.8 fl. oz.

Kiehl's is a great company.  I love their Orange Flower & Lychee Skin Softening Body Lotion.  It does have a strong floral scent- I love floral scents! I personally like this lotion the best, but they make other scents/types of lotions that have the same results- silky,soft skin.  This lotion makes my skin feel nourished without the use of silicones.  Silicone is normally included in products to keep in moisture and fill in lines.  Silicone also keeps in sebum, dirt, and bacteria that may already be on the skin.  
$26.00 for 8.4 oz.

Moringa Milk Body Lotion is a light lotion that is easily absorbed into the skin.  This is great for all skin types.  It makes my skin feel soft and smooth, but isn't greasy.  This is great for summer months, but could be used year round as a daily moisturizer.  
$12.00 for 8.5 fl. oz. 
It is currently on-sale for 25% off- $9.00.
Once again, if you do not like floral scents, they have other options that will provide the same results.  

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Body Lotion is a great lotion as well.  It absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves a subtle scent.  It contains a dry oil blend made from naturally occurring nutrients.  I love the smell and the moisturizing properties, but it does contain mineral oil.  Mineral oil can cause pimples and blackheads because it seals the skin off from outside particles.  I don't have issues with breakouts on my body, but if you do, you may want to steer clear from this lotion.  I love using this on my legs and my arms.  
$6.99 for 13 fl. oz. at Target