Hi everyone! I thought I'd review and demo this mascara in a post because it's pretty incredible and great value for money.

The Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in the shade which I have called 'Blackest Black' retails at $21.95 from Priceline, and can also be purchased from Chemist Warehouse for around the same price!

As you can see, it has been well loved!

Applicator
The applicator is a perfect size in my opinion, and bends slightly to accommodate the shape of a lashline. I find it easy to apply product to the root of the lashes right out to the end, and leaves your lashes with a lovely curl with minimal smudging! It's also extremely easy to put it on the lower lashes, doesn't clump them together and separates and lengthens them nicely!


Demo
As you can see from the photo, this mascara gives a LOT of length. It separates lashes wonderfully and doesn't clump regardless of how many coats you do which I LOVE!

It gives a very black payoff and definitely does intensify the colour of natural lashes as any mascara should but the downside to this mascara is that after the initial coat, it doesn't do much in terms of volume.

Before

After a couple applications on top lashline

Longevity
This mascara lasts ALL DAY, doesn't crack or flake in the slightest and leaves your eyelashes curled the whole day! It will smudge if you rub your eye area though.

Rating:
Pros:

• Affordable
• Very dark colour
• Great at lengthening lashes
• Doesn't clump - Great at separating lashes
• Amazing for bottom lashes
• Doesn't crack or flake
• Lashes stay curled all day

I apply the highlighter using my Real Techniques setting brush which applies it beautifully! I bought the brush from iHerb which I have linked it to - for the cheapest price I could find!

The powder doesn't really have any distinct colour, therefore it's suitable for every single skin tone.  It can look more pink or gold in different lighting, as you will see in the swatches below!

Pigmentation
The pigmentation is everything you would want it to be for a highlighter. One swipe and your cheeks will be absolutely glowing! It should be noted however that this highlighter is extremely glittery and as it's a powder it doesn't have a very creamy consistency at all.

Swatches in different lighting

Lasting power
Unfortunately the lasting power is pretty average. After a few hours I find that the highlighter has either disappeared, faded, or the glitter from the highlighter has somehow dispersed all over my face -  so I recommend a primer to try and prevent this. Though I haven't found using a primer even helps extend its longevity. Whenever I place it in my inner corners however, it lasts all day!

Soft & Gentle applied on cheekbones and brow bone

Pros:

• Versatile colour - suitable for everyone
• Extremely pigmented
• Dynamic - can be used as multiple things
• Easy to apply

I hope this helps some of you who are thinking of getting this highlighter! I really love this product but I'm still going to look into grabbing Mary-Lou Manizer by the Balm as I've heard it's much creamier, gives a greater finish and is slightly less glittery than Soft & Gentle!
Lexy xxxx

Hello world!

The packaging

The packaging is quaint and it seamlessly squeezes into my already flourishing daily make-up bag. The colour pay-off isn't too intense onto a brush, so you have to rub your brush on the palette repetitively if you want a large amount of colour on your brush. But, if you're like me and only want your skin lightly flushed then a couple rubs of your brush should be plenty.  For those wondering, I use an angled contour brush to apply it, only because my Real Techniques Blush Brush is giving off this weird black pigment that smudges black marks all over my face... No idea what that is about.

The colour pay-off onto the skin

As you can see from the photo above the colour is not as vibrant as it appears in the palette, but instead is the perfect shade to give your cheeks a dash of pink.
5/5 stars.


I'd highly recommend it for anyone that needs an every day go-to blush. Honestly it's exactly what I was looking for as it's so easy to apply, cheap, isn't too pigmented yet it is also easy to build if you prefer a more flushed look!

Hope this persuades you to go check this little gem out!

xx

Hello world! I'm going to recede the urge to provide excuses in regards to why I haven't posted in so long because I don't really have a viable reason. I've been on holidays for the past 2 and a half months and all I've been doing is watching T.V. shows. I watched all of Lost,  which was completely awesome so I'd definitely recommend it, and I'm 3 seasons into Grey's Anatomy. And may I just say that I am living and breathing it. 

ANYWAY it won't be a surprise to all of you that I saw this little Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer (15ml) diamond on sale at Priceline for $15. I snatched two of them up, one for me and one for my mother, but unfortunately it has gone back to $21 which is crummy but don't lose hope! More sales are always around the corner.

The Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer (15ml) bottle

Another cheeky shot of the bottle

Review:
Before I start, as you can see in the photographs above, a label on the lower portion of the bottle says that it's recommended for normal to combination skin. I have combination skin so it's suitable for me but might not be for people with oilier skin. Just keep that in mind.

When applying the product to my clean skin, it dried relatively quickly and as the bottle claims to do, it minimised my pores. It didn't completely eradicate my pores but they weren't as evident as they usually are.

I did notice however that after the product dried on my skin and "mattified" it, if I were to some reason rub my skin in the areas I placed the primer, the product would peel off immediately, leaving leaving plenty of white residue and flakes on my face. I'm assuming it does this because the primer creates a separate matte layer on top of your skin, so don't rub your face too harshly after the product dries on your face because it will come off and leave unpleasant flakes everywhere. Perhaps this is to be expected for matte creams but I've never used a matte primer before so I might be just completely ignorant on the matter... But I thought I'd point it out because I found it strange!

Appearance of the primer (in the photo it looks revolting but it's actually a light pink colour)

Pros:

• The consistency isn't too watery or too thick so it glides over the skin easily.
• Dries quickly
• It smells somewhat like baby wipes, but in a good way, it doesn't smell unpleasant in the slightest!
• Foundation glides on flawlessly
• Minimises pores slightly
• Make-up stays on and remains matte for a long time. If you're not doing anything strenuous your make-up should remain matte for a large portion of the day.
• The bottle pump releases the product in suitable quantities

5/5 stars.

I'm giving this a generous rating because it's by far the best primer I've used. It makes my make-up stay flawless all day, and though my skin gets oily after 7/8 hours, a powder can easily conceal the shininess. If you want to splurge and take the risk of this item suiting your complexion then go and buy it but if you see it on sale, I'd say to definitely give it a try and hopefully it works for you!

xx