Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: My favorite under-eye concealer!

It's inevitable, my fellow busy gals, we all have those dreadful tired eyes that no product seems to alleviate...until Maybelline came out with this genius product!

Description: small tube (0.2 oz.) with sponge applicator tip; consistency: light, velvety, smooth

Application: twist the tip to supply product to sponge, apply sponge directly to area and blend

Product Claim: Super concentrated formula with goji berry + haloxyl (whatever that is) helps to erase the appearance of dark circles and fine lines, while visibly diminishing the appearance of puffiness around the eyes

Price: about $8 at drugstores

Cons: product seems to run out quickly with every-day use (will last a month and a half at the most)

Detailed Impression of Product:

I have been using this product for about 3 months, and I absolutely love it!  I love how smoothly it goes on.  The sponge applicator is extremely convenient, making application really easy.  I apply the sponge directly to my under-eye area and eyelids, and I blend out with my fingers.  The product is just the right thickness (not too thick, but thick enough to cover), so it blends out without any tugging; I find this is ideal for the sensitive skin under the eyes. I do not feel that this product reduces the appearance of puffiness at all, but I do not ever expect a concealer to do that for me.  I expect an eye cream or cold eye roller to do so.  As for the discoloration under the eye, it does live up to its claim.  You can assume by its light consistency that it is not exactly a full coverage concealer, but it does provide just the right amount of coverage and is completely invisible.  The full coverage concealers are typically thick in consistency, difficult to blend, and visible, so I prefer not to use those for my under-eye area.  As for reducing the appearance of fine lines, I don't have too many prominent fine lines around my eyes, but I feel this moisturizing formula does NOT accentuate the lines I do have like some concealers tend to do.

I have found that my under-eye area does need a different concealer than the rest of my face.  Although, I really don't use concealer anywhere on my face, since my foundation usually suffices.  I will use concealer to cover up a blemish every now and then, but this concealer is definitely NOT for that.  It is formulated specifically for the under-eye area.  I do not feel that it minimizes the redness of blemishes whatsoever (I've tried), so I wouldn't recommend even trying it as a dual concealer for your under-eyes and face.

Which shade is right for you?
Maybelline offers 6 shades: Fair, light, medium, honey, neutralizer, and brightener.
I use the medium shade, which matches my skin tone perfectly.  I am VERY fair-skinned, so be careful with the lighter colors, as they are probably extremely light.  I have heard so many mixed things about what color you should get for your under-eye area.  I have heard that you should get one shade lighter than your skin tone, one shade darker, and the exact match.  So, which is it? I think that you should do whatever works best for you, but here's my opinion anyway...  In my opinion, one shade lighter is NOT the way to go.  I believe that it makes it too obvious that you are wearing concealer, and I'm pretty sure I can speak for everyone when I say that nobody wants that.  Hence the name, concealer.  For me, what works best is getting a shade that matches my skin tone perfectly.  Another trick is to first neutralize the area prior to applying the concealer and then apply the concealer that matches your skin tone over the neutralizing shade.  There is a neutralizer shade in this line, which I also have.  This shade is really light, which I just told you not to do, right?  BUT, this shade has that yellow hue aspect that will neutralize the blue under-eye discoloration.  I only use the neutralizer under the medium shade on days where it appears obvious this girl did not sleep at all.  However, I do NOT recommend wearing this shade alone because you'll look like this...

...and who wants to look like they're wearing war paint? (Sorry, Eva!) Here are the swatches of the two shades, and remember to choose your shade wisely.  Chose the wrong one? Don't be afraid to take it back to the store as many times as it takes for you to find the winning shade!  They practically know me at Target Customer Service, since I return/exchange so often (hey, us college girls gotta be economical, so I have no shame in doing so!)  This product is definitely worth a shot if you've got those pesky tired eyes.  Who doesn't love a good drugstore find?

Left: Medium, Right: Neutralizer

AVEENO NOURISH+ SHINE Shampoo & Conditioner: Good Stuff!

My hair has been going through some weird changes in the past year.  It all dates back to this dreadful haircut I got last September that is still haunting me to this day.  I haven't yet figured out if maybe my hair just started changing due to stress, hormones, etc., or if I can blame the crazy stylist that thought she'd "try something different" on me....

Anyway, over the past year, my hair has gone from being healthy and shiny to dull, brittle, and oily.  I have tried so many things, but haven't found anything that alleviated my hair dilemma.  Finally, after many many disappointments, I decided to give trusty Aveeno a try.

This nourishing line has a variety of shampoo and conditioners:

• nourish + Shine
• nourish + Strengthen
• nourish + Moisturize
• nourish + Volumize

...and then there's the Pure Renewal and Color Preserving

I have yet to to try the others in the line, but the nourish + shine has proven to be a success, so I plan on trying the Nourish + Strengthen next. 

VERDICT:

Product Description:

Infused with Nourishing Wheat Complex and Shine Enhancing Palm Extract, this shampoo effectively removes dirt and oil and prevents build up, replenishing moisture and enhancing reflectivity of dull or damaged hair.

my hair type:

black, thick, dry ends, oily scalp (after 1 day)

The part that attracted me was its claim to remove dirt and oil and prevent build up.  I feel like my hair has been extra oily, so I was hoping this would alleviate that problem.  It didn't exactly keep my hair from getting oily any quicker than usual.  I can never go more than a day without washing my hair, which has become extremely annoying, but then there's dry shampoo for that (that's another story). 

Although, I did feel like it did, indeed, live up to it's claim of replenishing moisture and making dull/damaged hair shiny.  I finally feel like my hair is soft again!  With regular trimming and the help of Aveeno, I hope to restore my hair back to its original healthy state. 

I found that a lot of people complained about the price of the shampoo and conditioner (roughly $5 for ea.), but I don't think it's too much of a splurge, especially since it turned out to be a good product.  Honestly, if I had the money to buy the high-end salon brands, I would.  For now, this will suffice!

Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara Review: What's the hype about?

 

I have been really antsy to find a new go-to daytime mascara, since I have been using the same mascara for the past 4 years or so for day and night (L'Oreal's Teloscopic).  After hearing and reading great things about this product, I decided to give it a shot. 

VERDICT:

My lashes: 

• black
• thick 
• long

The product:

• Brush: large
• Consistency: light and watery
• Cost: $6.50 at Target
• Manipulation: extremely difficult (had to work with it and made a mess in doing so)

The packaging is extremely appealing, which usually does not reflect the product's adequacy.  I have found (most of the time) that products that aren't that great compensate in their eye-catching packaging.  Great marketing strategy...BUT, while the colors of this mascara tube are pretty and cute, this mascara did not do it for me, and I returned it immediately. 

This product claims to not have less of the "waxy stuff" that makes our lashes hard and stuck together, but after trying this, I realize how necessary that "waxy stuff" actually is.  For me, I wanted a lighter mascara that wasn't so dramatic for daytime wear.  

Application:
The brush is pretty large, so you have to be careful with getting it on your lids.  It transfers to the lashes weirdly.  I felt like I wasn't putting anything on, and my eyelashes weren't changing much in their appearance.  After adding a second coat, I began to notice more separation, not volume.  It did not clump, being that the consistency was extremely watery, so that was a plus...or so I thought.  After applying it and letting it dry, I touched my lashes with my fingers; I thought it felt a bit like the way mascara feels after you've been wearing it all day and half of it has fallen off, contributing to your raccoon eyes.  I suppose I like my lashes to have that "hard" feeling that the wax provides.  I feel like this ensures it's staying power.  With the way my lashes felt with this, I just knew it was going to flake BIG TIME, and that it did.  

I think we all need to realize that we are all different.  My lashes are different than so-and-so's, who loved the mascara.  Although, I do feel that anything with a good reputation is worth a try, so I do encourage that you give it a shot.  I am most likely contributing to the small percentage of people that did not like the mascara.  

Also, another note I'd like to add.  A lot of people don't realize that you can return products you do not like.  Obviously, you have to try something to decide if you like it or not.  Even if it's been used once or twice, they will take it back (I'm talking major retailers: Target, Wal-mart, Sephora, Ulta etc.).  There is no sense in wasting money on products that you will never use.  As a college student, looking to save money, I return every product I am dissatisfied with.  I encourage everyone to do the same!