Beauty – Page 9

First Impression and Review: Ulta Amped Lashes

Published on June 22, 2015June 19, 2015 by Demetra Marie1 Comment

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Ulta’s Amped Lashes mascara. It claims to add volume and define your lashes. I have it in Jet Black and in the regular formula. I got this from a kit that you get when you spend so much on an Ulta brand purchase. If bought on its own, it costs $10, is slightly more than drugstore price but definitely comparable. I have to be honest when I went to use this, I was really nervous. I was in the middle of a show and had to put mascara on and my other mascara ran out! I was pleasantly surprised.

Formula and Wand: The formula is a cream formula. It’s a little on the thick side and thought I was going to end up with clumpy lashes. When I pulled the wand out, a ton of product came out. I just wiped the excess on the inside edge of the tube. The wand is a rubber, tapered wand. I really like the tapered end because I can really get to the tiny lashes on the inner and outer corners. I had used a different mascara that had a rubber wand and it was really flimsy. This wand is much more sturdy and doesn’t bend in any direction.

Claims: The mascara tube says volume and defining mascara. I somewhat agree with these claims. It didn’t volumize my lashes very much. While many women want to have huge volumized lashes, I think that during the day the a more natural appearance is appropriate. If having full on large lashes and adding falsies is your thing, then do it!! I love the look but it is not for me for a casual day to day schedule.

With the first swipe, I knew I had found my every day mascara. It gave just a nice natural bump up length wise without the over the top length. I love the wispy look it gave my lashes. I have to say that it did not flake throughout my performances. I put it to the real test when I headed to the Chicago Blackhawks parade and rally. It was 80 plus degrees outside and the humidity was intense. I put it on at 8 am and took it off at 8 am. Yes with the intense heat and humidity, and 12 hours later the mascara was still there and looked almost as good as it did in the morning. There was a little bit of flaking but that could also have been because of rubbing my eye a little bit.

I’m giving the Ulta Amped Lashes Volumizing and Defining Mascara an 8/10.

Hair Product Purge

Published on May 6, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

Today we’re talking about hair. Now ladies, we all want those long luscious locks. I don’t have any secrets to get your hair long and healthy but I do have rather long hair. However while the long locks look great it is a bit much to keep up with. I like to keep my hair routine pretty simple and while I’ve accumulated some products over the past few years. Frankly I don’t need everything that I have, so time to purge! About 2 years ago I had done my first clear out of hair products ever. So this is pretty much what I kept from then with a couple of additions.

A few things to keep in mind when going through your hair products. This includes your shampoos and conditioners. I just have a couple of “backups” with these items so you will only see those and not what I’m using in the shower (they are the same thing).

Before:

The following are a few things I kept in mind:

Is it old/expired? (yes your hair products can expire)
Do I even like the product?
Does it work? (believe me I’ve held onto items thinking I can get them to work)
Do I find it useful still?

After:

As you can see it seems like I didn’t get rid of much. I mainly got rid of the items that don’t work for me at all or have expired. Like I said in a previous post, this Spring Cleaning Series was spurred by me moving rooms in my house. Another important fact is that my style is slowly changing. I’m finding that an easy, simple hair routine is what works for me, and I don’t need styling products taking up cabinet space.

If you want a review of any of the products that I’m keeping or tossing even let me know!

April Favorites

Published on April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

Hello friends!! Today I’m sharing my favorites. These are the few items that I’ve reached for almost every single day. They make me feel put together without putting on a full face on make up. It takes less than 5 minutes to put my fave together.

First up is the Maybelline Color Tattoo in #25 Bad to the Bronze. This product has been out for a few years now, and has easily become my go to easy eye look. I have also used it as a base under powder eye shadows for a more glam look.

The Buxom Full On Lip Creme in White Russian. Some people have a love-hate relationship with this product. The love part is the color and texture. The hate is the menthol, tingly feeling. I, however, I love the minty, tingly feeling. The texture is light, and the color is natural looking. It often ends up in my purse as my go to lip product or my oops I forgot to grab a lip gloss.

The Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter is my new favorite! I have it in the shade 230 fair/light. I’ve tried quite a few concealers for under the eye and this is by far the best one I’ve come across. It doesn’t crease and the texture is light and creamy.

Last but not least, my favorite, all time, holy grail, drugstore mascara. The L’Oreal Lash Out Butterfly mascara in Black is fantastic! It is not too wet and not too dry of a formula. I like that it doesn’t clump. What I love about this product is that it lengthens my lashes and slightly thicken them up. I like to say it has a natural glam effect on my lashes.

Hope you enjoyed my monthly favorites. On Monday, I will start my spring cleaning series. Have a great weekend!