Mascara Review: Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

This weekend, I tried Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara and LOVED it.

The brush: pink, plastic with the little short 'spikes', and curved. Gives really great control - I could get right against the lid and in the outer corner. Also, an advantage of the curved brush is that you can really push the lashes up and out. This helps to open up your eyes and make 'em pop.

The formula: smooth, wet, but dries fast. Easy to spread equally on the lashes and also layers really well. One downside: a little tough to add more layers on once it has dried. Some mascaras are more malleable than others later in the day - this one dries right up so you can't be lazy and add more if you're going out at night (my style). This one is also long-lasting - doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day...yes! In the fist pic above, the eye on the left is wearing mascara and the right is not. Also, all the pics in the post have NO liner, and NO shadow - JUST mascara.

The verdict: Awesome mascara. Totally recommend.

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Review - Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

I have been wanting to try Rimmel's lash accelerator mascara for a while now. I haven't yet hopped on the "eye product that makes my eyelashes grow faster" train yet and thought this would be an easy way to try it out. If I liked how the mascara applied, then maybe I could maintain some loyalty and wear it for a full 30 days. According to Rimmel, this mascara and lash treatment instantly make your lashes up to 80% visibly longer and will make them up to 117% visibly longer after 30 days of use. Who knows if I will be patient enough to see this 47% additional increase in length; only time will tell.

I took some before and after pictures; let's take look at some instant gratification:

Not bad! The lashes do appear significantly longer. However, this could just be because most of my lashes are blond and invisible until mascara is applied. Regardless, the end result is great. As for application, it went on OK. Keep in mind, I had to apply several coats to get the effect pictured above (and below). The brush was not really reaching the lashes in the outer corner of my eyes so I tried to apply with just the tip of the brush which did result in a little clumpage that I had to smoothe off with my fingers and try again. Overall, I like the way this mascara applies and will wait to see if that extra 47% of magic makes itself known.

Close up:

View from far:

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Review - Tarte Lip Stain in Spirited

Tarte lip stains are one of my favourite lip products, no questions asked. They are smoothe, moisturizing, last long, and come in beautiful colours. I have owned several of them in the past but was craving a bright, orangey-red for summer so bought myself "Spirited" for my birthday. It's part of Tarte's "LipSurgence lip tint line" which are thick lip pencils that are a hybrid between a stain, a gloss, and a rich lip balm. I love them because they are super easy to apply, are super moisturizing and last for hours! (When they do wear off, it's even and natural and not streaky or chunky-looking). Plus, the packaging is sturdy (I have had some bad experience with lip pencil lids cracking...) so you can just throw it in your purse. Plus, all you need to do is twist up for more product. You can read more about the product and order online here. Sephora carries them too. 
About the colour - I love this one. It's bright and fun and warm. I took some pictures of myself wearing it today before heading off to class. Excuse my spotty application - I was in a rush and didn't notice the lopsidedness until looking at the pictures tonight. 

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Batiste Dry Shampoo - Product Review

Batiste Dry Shampoo - if you own it, you know what I'm about to say. If you don't own it or you have never heard about it before, you better read this and get with the program. Trust me, it will change your life just as it did mine.

What is it? Well, to me, it is time in a can. Let me explain. It is a pressurized spray can with a cool powdery magic mixture in it. It is meant to "refresh hair between shampoos" and, boy, does it ever! Basically, you are supposed to spray on your roots, muss it around with your fingertips a bit, and your hair will look like it was just washed.

This product totally changed my beauty routine. I have oily skin so, ever since my teenage years, my hair starts to look limp, separated, and greasy less than 24 hours after shampooing. This drove me nuts (especially since I have always had bangs which are notorious for getting oily, fast!). I had to wash and shampoo every single morning and, sometimes, by the end of the school or work day, my hair would already look dirty. This not only added time to my daily routine but it is also not good for hair to wash and dry it every day! Using Batiste in the mornings saved me so much time. I no longer had to shampoo every day and my hair looked great.

              

How do I use it? It's. So. Simple. The day after a shampoo, my hair starts to look pretty rough. Here's how I use Batiste: I shake the can and spray at the roots of my bangs, along my part, and on the crown of my head (the top of my head near the back). Then, I use a round brush and a blow dryer to quickly blow out those sections. If you don't have a blowdryer around or don't feel comfortable using one, no worries! Just brush it through with the bristle-iest brush you have. The more bristles, the better - this way, the powder will be distributed most evenly in your hair. If you have curly hair and don't want to brush out your curls - no problem! Just use your fingers to rub in the powder and distribute it evenly throughout your hair.

Here are some before and after photos - be warned, you are about to see some messy, greasy hair.

Bangs before:

Bangs after:

Top of head before:

Top of head after:

See how the hair looks clean, bouncy, and fluffy in the after photos? Also, can you see how my roots actually look lighter? How amazing is that!? For those of us with highlights, this is a serious life saver for in between hair appointments  If you have darker hair and are worried about the lightness of the powder - don't fret! Batiste also comes in darker colours for brunettes! You just have to try out the different types to see what works best for you. Added bonus: the "original scent", clean and classic (pictured above), has a lovely light citrus-y powder scent which adds to the fresh look and feel of your hair.

In addition to different shades, Batiste also comes in different scents. "Wild" (pictured above) is one of my favourites! It has a yummy musky-vanilla scent that I just love.

Batiste has become an essential part of my beauty routine. I actually use it every day now! On those days that I do wash my hair (it happens, ha!), I actually use Batiste once my hair is dry on clean hair. I have a lot of hair, but it's rather fine, and I found that Batiste gives me just the right amount of extra volume. That's right, Batiste isn't just for dirty hair anymore! I'm addicted. A few weeks ago, I went on a trip to New York City and realized, in a panic, that I forgot my Batiste  I immediately went out on a frantic mission to several different pharmacies and could not find it. I settled for another brand but it did not cut it. That's why I make sure to stock up when I can.

You can buy Batiste online at NailPolishCanada.com so make sure to replenish your reserves. Plus, NailPolishCanada is actually holding a contest right now - you can win free 4 free Batiste cans of your choice! Just go here: http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/categories/batiste.html, click on the contest link and fill in your first name and E-mail. You don't wanna miss out!

-Emilie Pin It

...a BeautySchoolDropouts Update

Hi! This is a short and sweet post letting you all in on my plans for the next little while. From now on, I (Emilie) will be posting about more than just nail polish ...beauty reviews are coming your way! I love beauty products and tend to review them in my head anyway, so why not on the blog? Plus, my brain is so tired of chugging away with grad school this and that, so relaxing in the world of beauty products will be a welcomed change.
I am working on the first review right now...it is one of my top beauty products of all time! Stay tuned... Pin It

Deborah Lippmann for Girls HBO - Shoshanna

This shade, a "virtuous and vivid violet" is designed around the Girls (HBO) character, Shoshanna. She is so entertaining and this colour is perfect for her personality! A significant portion of my friends actually identity most with this character (funnily enough) and I am positive that most ladies I know would be really into this perfect purple. The polish is a beautiful soft and opaque pastel lavender with a delicate, almost hidden, glitter.

Yep, she's awesome. Also, check out my review of another Girls polish here and make sure to shop online at deborahlippmann.com to buy this set - it's limited edition AND there is a 3-day only 15% off deal! Check it out: 

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The Perfect Spicy Red - Revlon Fearless Review

This shade is a great bright, orange-y red. As always, Revlon applies very well (opaque in two coats) and this colour is exactly what I need at this time of year (hello...March, where is the sun? It still feels like February). Fearless is the perfect hot, juicy red and is an easy drugstore find.

 Natural light (shade)

 Natural light

Natural light (direct)

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