Face-Off: Mascaras

Bare Escentuals Buxom Mascara, CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara

Another edition of Face-Off! This version is looking at 2 mascaras I’ve run through recently: Buxom Lash Mascara and CoverGirl Clump Crusher.

The Buxom Lash makes my lashes feel really fluffy and thick. The volume it gives is crazy and I love the brush – thick and captures all kinds of little lashes. My favorite part about this is how natural looking my lashes feel when I wear this. They’re soft when I apply this mascara.

The CoverGirl Clump Crusher is great for length. The brush picks up every. single. tiny. lash and makes them really long. You truly can layer this as many times as you want and there will be no clumps. And I layer mascara like crazy.

Overall, this isn’t a true Face-Off with a winner. I think these actually work best together! This is one of my favorite mascara combos. The Buxom gives the volume and thickness I want, while the CoverGirl gives amazing lash definition and length. Truly everything I look for in a mascara when I put them together. I have a ton of mascaras on the docket to try, so this won’t be the first Face-Off, mascara edition 🙂

Face-Off: Concealers

It’s been a while , but it’s time for a new Face-Off – This time for concealers!

BareMinerals Well Rested, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, MAC ProLongwear, Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer

Most of these are pretty close to used up, so I wanted to compare before I had an empties post. This Face-Off includes Bare Minerals Well Rested, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, MAC ProLongwear Concealer and the MakeUp Forever Full Cover Concealer.

A summary –

Bare Minerals Well Rested: This is a great, brightening powder that works perfectly as an undereye concealer. You do have to be careful to use thin layers so it doesn’t clump up or settle into any lines, but it does a great job covering dark circles, and it works to highlight as well.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: A beautiful, liquid concealer. Again, thin layers create a flawless finish. It also works well for brightening or highlighting. It is super expensive, but the product is gorgeous. It doesn’t quite last all day, but you’ll get a good 6-8 hours out of this product. It’s not great for serious blemishes, but most should work well with it.

MAC ProLongwear Concealer: A gorgeous concealer. Works really well under the eyes, layers well over blemishes to cover them flawlessly. It could honestly just work as your regular foundation. It has some seriously great overage and the finish is really nice. A must have.

MakeUp Forever Full Cover Concealer: This is the best concealer for serious blemishes I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, my skin has cleared up significantly since I first bought this product, but serious blemishes are no match for this concealer. It is a little thick, but it will last all day and cover really well.

Overall? This face-off is a draw! I truly love all these concealers, and they all have a legitimate place in a make-up lover’s collection for a flawless face. If I had to pick only one? It would be the MAC ProLongwear. But again, I see a legitimate spot for all of these concealers in my collection. What concealer is your favorite?

Face-Off: Facial Cleansers

It’s time for a new series here in my corner – Face-Off! I realize I’m trying to use up several kinds of the same product, or repurchasing, so instead of doing empites or individual review posts, I’m sharing information by product type. The first up in the series: Facial Cleansers.

Purity by Philosophy, Josie Maran Argan Oil, Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil

Here are 3 cleansers that have been living in my bathroom as of late: Purity by Philosophy, Josie Maran Argan Oil and Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil.

Purity: This is a gentle cleanser that removes all makeup, bacteria, oils and impurities. It suds up a tiny bit. It works really well with the Clarisonic and by itself. It smells light, sweet and clean and isn’t terribly expensive.

Josie Maran Argan Oil: This is the thickets of the cleansing oils I’ve tried. It has a slight citrus, sweet smell, and is pretty expensive for the size. It cleans really well, but no matter the size, towards the end, I’ve found that the pump doesn’t work well, so you have to unscrew the top. This is what introduced me to the beauty of cleansing oils, so I have a place for it in my beauty heart, but I think it’s just a little too pricey for what it is.

Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil: This is very similar, if just a little thinner than the Josie Maran Oil. It cleans just a bit better than the Josie Maran and smells very similar. This is my favorite cleansing oil, and as you can see, I’ve already repurchased a full size.

The good thing about all 3 of these products is that they last forever, especially because you only need a little bit of product to get the job done. I like to keep Purity around for my Clarisonic – that combination is magic. I need a cleansing oil to start my day, so I’m now using the Julep cleansing oil every morning to absorb overnight oils that may have been sitting on my face. I like it better and it’s more affordable than the fancy Josie Maran oil. So in this Face-Off, there’s really only one loser – Josie Maran. Good but not great.

Do you agree?