Beauty Review

I really don't wear much make up and try to keep my look as natural as possible however I do have a few favourites I wear everyday. I have quite dark circles under my eyes so I never go out without covering them, also despite having quite long eyelashes I still like to wear mascara to feel like I have made an effort. Generally I wear a bit of bronzer, natural eyeshadow and lipstick as well but I find mascara and concealer the two most important items in my make up bag!

I have tried out various products so I thought I would share my opinions and give a little review of them. Focusing mainly on black mascaras:

Max Factor Masterpiece Waterproof

I found this mascara to be a good day to day mascara, it went on easily and wasn't clumpy at all, it wasn't brilliantly waterproof as I did occasionally have smudges. At £8.99 it is one of the cheaper ones but it actually lasted ages so it was good value for money. A better than average 7/10

Max Factor False Lash Effect

As I quite liked the other Max Factor mascara I decided to try the false lash effect one when it came out, expecting it to be similar but create a more dramatic effect. I actually found it quite thick and clumpy and it rubbed off really easily. At £10.99 its a bit more expensive but I think its worse. I have scored it a poor 4/10

Clinique High Impact Macara

 As a fan of Clinique skincare I had high expectations of their make up. I have a couple of eye shadows and blushes which I like but the mascara was very disappointing. It didn't really look like I was wearing any after I put it on, made no different to length or thickness and it came off far too easily, I ended up with panda eyes at the end of the day, nothing more to say except I wouldn't spend £15 to buy it again. A disappointing score 3/10

Diorshow Iconic

I was given Diorshow Iconic, normally I wouldn't pay £22 for a mascara but I was glad I tried it. I found it made my lashes look really separated and didn't make them clumpy. Its was very natural looking and I didn't notice it smudge too much either. I will give it a well deserved 9/10

Loreal Double Extension

Finally, Loreal Double Extension is the mascara I am currently using. I was dubious at first with it being a double ended mascara. You apply the white layer which helps to separate and lengthen lashes then apply black over the top. I am actually really impressed with it so far. It stays put all day and makes my lashes look thick and long. It can go clumpy if you try putting too much on at once so its best to apply it lightly. At £11.29 its quite a good price and I think it would score a 8.5/10. I would love to give it a 9 but I don't think its quite as good as Diorshow.


Now onto concealers...

I havn't tried many  and these are the only ones I have used in the past couple of years but I will give the pros and cons of each.

Benefit IT Stick

 First up is the Benefit IT Stick. I had one of those make-overs at the Benefit counter as was very unimpressed with the products, they look pretty in the packaging but I didn't find anything suitable for my skin. I was given an IT stick as a gift so I thought I would try it out. It comes in one colour which is a weird pale orange so it looks really obvious even after blending it in and its like applying a crayon to your face so its thick and not really suitable for covering dark circles just minor blemishes. I keep is an emergency in my handbag but I rarely use it, also at around £15 it is quite pricey, so I will have to rate it a 5/10. I don't believe the hype!

Clinique Airbrush Concealor

I always used to use this concealer as I like Clinique products and found that the colour matched my skin tone rather well and it applies really easily with the brush. It is quite expensive at £15 and doesn't last too long ( I always seemed to be running out) but it is a nice product and deserves a 7/10 as its nice but not good value for money.

Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles

I then started using the Garnier Caffeine Anti Dark Circles tinted eye roll on, this comes in fair, medium and just recently extra fair. I really like this as the roll on is really cool and feels nice when you apply it. I put it on in dots then blend it in with my finger rather than roll on but I use it all round my eyes even on my lids. I don't like thick concealers as I don't wear foundation and want it to look natural and this is perfect for wearing on its own so I don't think it will be good for those who want lots of coverage. Its priced at £9.99 but you can find it cheaper at Wilko's and supermarkets etc. so its worthwhile buying. I think it deserves an excellent 9.5/10

So there you have my review for today, I might do another one with some other products i like, although will probably heavily feature Clinique! Til next time...

Alyssa xx