2013 Easter Sunday FOTD & OOTD

     Happy Easter everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday, I sure did. Today was a very busy day filled with making deviled eggs, seeing family, Easter egg hunting, and celebrating my 21st birthday! I thought it would be really fun to show you my Easter Sunday attire and makeup look. I chose to do a neutral eye, classic liner, and a bright lip but reached for some shades I don't use very often. Here is how it turned out...

FOTD

Face:

-Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer

-Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc

-Clinque Advanced Concealer in 01 Matte Light

-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light

-Benefit Hoola Bronzer (contour)

-Mary Kay Blush in Shy Blush

Eyebrows:

-Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette

Eyes:

-Wet N Wild Take on the Day Primer

Urban Decay Shadows: Naked and Naked II Palette

-Foxy (lid to brow)

-Naked (lid)

-Suspect (outer 2/3's of lid)

-YDK (outer v and crease)

-Busted (used to darken outer v)

-Buck (placed on top edge of Busted to soften and warm up look)

-Booty Call (inner corner, inner lash line, brow bone)

-Hustle (lower outer 2/3's of lash line: softened with q-tip)

-Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Black Eyeliner

-Used my Tarte Eyelash Curler to curl lashes

-Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Black Mascara (upper lashes)

-L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara in Black Brown

 Lips:

Flower Beauty by Drew Barrymore Kiss Stick Velvet Lip Color in Flamingo Flower

OOTD

This H&M dress was perfect for today. It complemented my figure while being classy and girly. I kept my accessories to a minimum and stuck to gold accents. My hair was curled with my Remington T-Studio Pearl Ceramic 1/2"-1" Curling Wand and brushed out with my tangle teezer.

This photo shows the detail of my dress. I LOVED the cap sleeves!

I applied these Essie nail strips in Oh My Gold! last night and am really impressed! They have lasted the entire day and were super simple to apply. I will definitely be purchasing them again!

This is the one piece of jewelry that I wear everyday. Jerome got it for me a couple Christmas's after we began dating and I love how it goes with everything!

I recently purchased this bracelet from a local consignment shop called Snooty Fox. I love the neutral colors and gold detail.

These were also purchased from the same consignment shop. How could I pass them up?! Black, gold, and bows... they just screamed my name!

Believe it or not I found these Liz Claiborne flats at Goodwill! I love going there every once in a while when I have some extra time. I have found some great staple clothing items while shopping there and you can never beat the price!

     So that was what I wore to my Nana's house this Easter and I loved it! I got tons of compliments and loved the simplicity of the entire look. I am currently in the process of creating a more personal blog to share photos of my family and friends during fun days like this. Please let me know if you like this idea! I will be posting less frequently over there but I think that it's going to be a great way to document some of the more interesting days of my life and the memories to go along with them. 

Once again Happy Easter!

Love, Lacey

March 2013 Favorites

     Is it just me or does this month feel like it's flown by?! A lot has happened in this last month both good and bad but things are finally starting to look up. Gotta keep a positive attitude right? I have been swatching like crazy these last few days and have some really great posts to welcome in my birthday month of April. Below are the products (and one food item) that I have been loving during the month of March. I have been wearing minimal makeup this month so these products are essentially my go-to natural face, enjoy!

Neutrogena Moisturesmooth Color Stick in Bright Berry ($8.99): We all have our days of just wanting to look naturally pretty. We don't want to spend 30 minutes putting on a full face but we do want to look rested, radiant, and ready to take on the day! Those days (which I've been having a lot of recently) have been when I turn to this product. It adds just enough color to my face without being too overbearing. If you are having a good skin day and just rocking some mascara, turn to this too finish off your look. If you want to know more details about this product please refer to my blog comparing them to the CoverGirl equivalent here.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light ($30.00): I purchased this product a couple of months ago and have been really enjoying it. However, I am including this for a reason you would never guess! Yes, I like the finish it gives my skin when setting my liquid foundation but this month I have found an awesome trick! I actually use this powder with my Sigma E40 (I'll touch on that in a second) to apply it to my eyelids. This may sound crazy, but it does wonders for my fair skin! Like I said above, I have been loving the natural look lately and this helps me skip eyeshadow and head straight to mascara. After setting my foundation with a large powder brush as normal, I get out my blending brush and sweep it across the product. I then just buff it from my lash line to brow bone and it takes care of any discoloration on my eye lids.

Milani Blush in Dolce Pink ($7.99): This is a cult favorite in the beauty community and now I see why. I've had it for a few months but never loved it until I kept reaching for it this month. I love the fact that it is sheer because I don't have to worry about adding to much. It goes on effortlessly and adds just enough life to my cheeks to complement any look. It worried me at first glance because it does contain a fair amount of glitter, but on the skin it adds a nice glow to the cheeks that is going to be perfect for summer.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc ($44.00): Yes, that little sample jar is what I am talking about here and oh my goodness! I have heard a lot about this foundation on YouTube and thought I would head to my Sephora to check it out. I picked up a sample and couldn't wait to try it. I was expecting a pretty sheer foundation but was pleasantly surprised when I got this home. It covers fantastically- even to the point where I can skip concealer! It leaves the skin looking natural and fresh and the color matches me perfectly. You will DEFINITELY be hearing more about this in the future- I even asked my parents for it for my birthday! I definitely think that this has the possibility to become my holy grail foundation. Fingers crossed!

Sigma Large Angled Contour F40 ($16.00): I don't have much to say about this brush other than it's good at it's job! I have been using it with the Milani blush mentioned above and have been very pleased with the end result. It fits my cheeks perfects and could be used for blush or bronzer.

Sigma Tapered Blending E40 Brush ($12.00): Again, this is just a good, nice quality brush to have. I originally bought this to use as an eyeshadow blending brush but found that it worked perfectly to set my under eye concealer. From there, I started using it to conceal my eye lids as well and was hooked! My only complaint is that it could be a tab bit softer but hey, it's definitely close to perfect!

Naturally Curly Wide Tooth Comb ($2.50): This is kind of an odd favorite but who cares! My mom got me a kit from naturallycurly.com a few years ago and this came with it. The funny thing is that I have used this the most out of all the products that came with it! I use it every time I shower to comb through my conditioner and it hangs perfectly on the bar. It is wide enough to comb through easily but gets tangles out efficiently. They are very inexpensive and every girl needs one! I couldn't find the exact link for this comb but found a very similar one. If you are looking to purchase, check your local grocery or drugstore before ordering online. I've seen these everywhere! 

Healthy Choice Strawberry Greek Frozen Yogurt ($15.00 for pack of 12): I want one of these right now! I had to include them because I have been eating them nonstop this month. They are a new product and the box that I get comes with 6 Strawberry and 6 Vanilla Bean flavors. I can definitely say that I prefer Strawberry out of the two and they are only 100 calories a cup making them a great post workout snack. I was on the site finding a link to these and realized that they came in many more flavors! Blueberry and raspberry sound right up my alley, I'll have to head to the store!

As always, let me know your favorites for this month down below!

Love, Lacey

Eyeliner Series: Tips for Long-Lasting Wear + Top Rated Waterproof Eyeliner

     Welcome to my first series of requested blog posts! Over on my Facebook page some people (including my mom) were wanting some tips and tricks on making their eyeliner last all day. I took it upon myself and went out searching for some products to test also! My goal was to provide some advice I have learned from experience to possibly extend the wear of the eyeliner you already own, along with finding the longest wearing product currently on the market. I will be posting four blogs in total touching on each individual formula (Pencils, Felt-tips, Liquids, and Creams) in order of easiest - most difficult formulation to apply.

     Let's begin with the pencils you already own! We all love using what we have since we already spent our hard earned money on it. Sometimes we are not happy with a particular brand or formulation but we can combat that with these tricks of the trade! Maybe it's too hard to glide on easily, or maybe it fades/disappears during the day. Here are my four tips that you can try today!

Tip #1: Finding Your Lid Type and Choosing a Primer

     Oily Lids: If you tend to have oily skin and shiny eyelids that are slick to the touch, you have oily lids. I have heard that the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base works well at absorbing the extra oil and making your eye makeup last longer. It is a little pricey but you can buy it at Sephora and return it if you aren't satisfied! If you are not wanting to spend $24 on a high-end primer no worries! Just go with Wet N Wild's version that you can find at your local drugstore.

     Normal Lids: Normal lids are just that, normal! If you aren't over oily or dry then you have normal lids. Any eyeshadow primer will work for you, from Wet N Wild's Take on the Day Primer to Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion (review here). All you need it to do is create a smooth and even surface for your shadow and liner.

     Dry Lids: If you tend to have dry skin and eyelids that aren't smooth to the touch, you have dry lids like me! You could have patches of extra dry skin along your lash line or outer corner that make it difficult to apply shadow or eyeliner smoothly. I find that applying a lotion to just my lid area helps or using a very heavy moisturizer over night. I have yet to find a perfect moisturizing eyeshadow primer (do they even market one?!) but have had success with the two options above for normal lids.

Tip #2: Prime

     Whether you are priming your entire face before foundation, your eyelids before shadow, or your lash line before eyeliner it is an important step you should not skip. Using a primer evens out your skins texture to prevent creasing and helps the product adhere better to the eye area. This helps boost color pay off and creates staying power instantly. Remember to also prime under the eyelid and onto the lower lash line if you plan on applying liner there as well.

Tip #3: Setting the Product

     In the beauty community "setting" your makeup means applying a powder over top of a creamier product to improve its longevity. You can do this with products for your entire face: liquid foundation+pressed powder, cream eyeshadow+powder eyeshadow, cream blush+powder blush, and even lipstick! With eyeliner the idea is exactly the same: you want to set the liner with a dark shadow to prevent it from moving. Apply your liner as you normally would then pick up a similar color shadow from the drugstore. I would recommend the black shadow in L'Oreal's Hip Duo in Dashing or Rimmel's single eyeshadow in Jet Black for those of you who wear black liner. Apply this shadow directly on top of your liner with an angled brush pushing it into the lash line.

Tip #4: Heat it Up!

Turn to your trusty old blow drier to help make that hard eyeliner glide on easily. Simply take your drier and blow some warm air onto the tip of your eyeliner anywhere from 10-20 seconds. This may take some trial and error but you will find that once you get the perfect amount of heat on that baby it will glide right on. This is also a great technique for cleaning off your eyelash curler. Just heat it up for a few seconds and the gunk comes right off with a tissue!

Now, if these ideas don't do much for you and your personal hatred towards your current eyeliner have no fear! I have picked up a few different brands (along with others I already had) and put them to the test. Here were the results for the ones I tested...

From left to right: 

Milani Liquid Eye Liquid-Like Eye Liner Pencil in Black

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero

Maybelline Eyestudio Master Drama Eye Liner in Vibrant Violet 405

Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner in Cosmic Black

Almay Intense I-Color Eyeliner in Brown Topaz for Blue Eyes

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Peacock

Rimmel London Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in 031 Jungle Green

Sephora Nano Eyeliner in 11 Silver Green

I first swatched the products, then let them set for a good 5 minutes.

Each was tested on how the product smudged (top 1/2) as well as how it preformed while wet (lower 1/2). I did this by rubbing the top portion with medium pressure 3-5 times and doing the same with the lower portion but adding water to my finger.

Ranking Best-Worst:

1. Milani ($6.99)- This was the hands down winner! It stood up very well against smudging and moisture. It was very opaque and glided on very easily which is essential for pencil eyeliners. It claims to provide all day wear as well as being smudge-proof and during the test, that rang true! You can easily smudge this out with a q-tip before it sets for a nice smokey look also. This brand comes in many shades which is great for those of you who like pops of color.

2. Maybelline ($6.39)- This and Stila's liner were neck and neck! This one came out on top just because I saw a TINY bit more smudging toward the top of Stilas swatch. This product claims to be sumdgeproof and waterproof for 16 hours but I didn't find that to be true. Even though it didn't smudge considerably, it still faded in both tests and that's enough evidence for me to dismiss those claims. Even though this is the purple option it still has very nice color payoff and is really creamy. It is a liner that requires no sharpener which is awesome for people on the go.

3. Stila ($20.00)- I received this liner in my Birchbox a few months back and loved it's color! I decided to include it in this test because it claims to be waterproof and of course there is a black option. I saw a little smudging towards the upper portion of the swatch but it held up very well regarding the wet portion. For pops of color during summertime wear this product would be ideal.

4. Urban Decay ($19.00)- This was not as black as the Milani version but held up fairly well. This is a cult favorite and there is even now a darker more opaque black option called Perversion. It claims to be waterproof and says that it "dries down to a long-lasting finish that WILL NOT budge". I found that even though this product didn't smear or smudge, it faded and I consider that budging!

5. Neutrogena ($7.49)- This product claims to "transform into a long-lasting finish that won't budge". I will say that this did okay in the smudging department but I ranked it at #5 because of the opacity! I bought the black shade and it come off as more of a charcoal grey. Just compare the color payoff to Milani's formula! In the beauty community, we all look for the blackest most opaque black eyeliners and that is the main reason I ranked it as low as I did. However, this would be a good choice for you if you prefer a softer looking liner for your lash line. 

6. Rimmel ($3.99)- Being that this was the least expensive option out of all eight... at least it's not last! This was an old formula that I had in my collection from many years ago so make sure to take that into consideration as well as the fact that it is not marketed as a long wearing product. This products selling points are that it's supposed to "not tug or skip on the delicate skin around your eyes". This color was gorgeous and would be another one that would be perfect for summer- as long as your not swimming! It faded and smudged with and without moisture so this wouldn't be suitable for all day wear especially for someone with oily lids.

7. Sephora ($5.00)- I will admit, I have not gotten into Sephora's makeup line hardly at all. I actually received this liner with either a 100 or 500 point perk a few years ago. This is another product that is not marketed as a long-lasting product and I can see why. It nearly disappeared after being rubbed and smudged all over the place after the second test getting color everywhere. They do have a wide variety of 21 shades, including both neutral shades and fun, colorful ones.

8. Almay ($7.99)- Rounding up this list of eight is poor Almay. This was another one of those liners that I had in my collection that I had nearly forgot about and I wonder why?! This product did not set at all even after giving it a whole five minutes. It completely moved and smudged during the test with and without water. I will say that the initial color of this liner is very beautiful and perfect for my blue eyes but that is my only compliment.

How well do they remove? Lets find out!

I used one Simple Cleansing Facial Wipe and documented the process from one wipe across - four.

Milani, Urban Decay, Maybelline, Stila, and Rimmel are still fairly intact.

Milani and Stila have made it through another round!

Going, going....

GONE! 

(well, for the most part)

As you can see, even though many of these liners are marketed as long-wearing products that won't budge they are still pretty easy to remove with a makeup wipe. This is a great aspect because even though you want them to last your entire workday, you can still remove them without blinding yourself before bed.

     So that my friends was my first huge eyeliner testing spree that took weeks to execute and write. Thank you for being so patient with me and this process. I want to make sure that with each of my posts I am sharing my honest and final decisions with all of you. Sometimes I can make decisions quickly and other times I can't, so thank you for holding in there. Within the next week I will be posting the second blog in this series all about felt-tip liners and I'll let you in on a little secret- it won't be nearly this long! As always leave me any questions or comments below and please share this with friends and family. Everyone can use a few eyeliner tips!

Please make sure to follow me over on Bloglovin'.

You can either click the link here or under the Blog Archive to your right!

Love, Lacey

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

     Everyone and their sister is posting reviews of these so I thought I would join the party! This was a product that I was really into leading up to last Christmas. This new lip line came out around late November- early December and had mixed reviews. Some said they were nice because they were long lasting and came in a beautiful array of shades. Others said they were very drying and uncomfortable to wear. I purchased one shade as soon as I saw them in the drugstore and another just recently. I decided to finally do this review because I have more than one color to show you and want to share my overall thoughts on this new lipstick formula from Revlon.

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick:

Price: $7.99

Size: 0.80 OZ.

Shades: 005 Muse and 095 Finale

Shade Selection: 20

Marketed As: "Is your lipstick giving you both moisture and wear? This velvety soft formula with moisturizing shea butter and aloe is fool proof and doesn't quit. Apply once and go. This product adds instant moisture, all-day color, and a soft suede finish".

Directions: "Apply onto clean, smooth lips. Can be used with or without lip liner".

Finish: Suede (satin-matte)

Product Photos:

Application Photos:

-005  Muse-

-095 Finale-

     These are very different from any drugstore lipstick formula that I have tried. They are long lasting but can be pretty uncomfortable to wear. Here are my overall thoughts...

Overall Application: These glide on very easily and the color is buildable during application. I found myself going over my lips anywhere from 3-5 times to get the color I wanted. They feel somewhat slick immediately after application but set to an uncomfortable finish. They are pretty glossy right off the bat but again change after about three minutes.

Overall Color: The colors in the line are very pretty and range from nudes to pinks to reds. I was a little let down with Muse because I thought it would be more impactful on the lips. I assumed it was a bright magenta but after applying it I realized that it came off with more of a cool pink look that wasn't bright enough from my taste. I was very pleased with the red shade though. This was the first shade that I purchased and loved the true red color. It was bold but not too bright.

Overall Formula: Ehh.. I am not a huge fan of this formula. The idea is neat (it's supposed to be a long wearing product that glides on smoothly and adds moisture to your lips) but the feel after it sets is completely different. The initial feel of this formula is very nice but it becomes uncomfortably tacky after 20 minutes and stays that way for 1-2 hours. Eventually this feeling will subside and I have even found that applying chapstick over the product helps. I do believe the sticky feeling helps the product live up to its long-wearing claims but I do not agree that this product "adds instant moisture" at all.

Overall Packaging: I have no problem with the packaging of this product. It looks nice and closes securely. The color of the packaging could be a little more accurate in showing the color of the actual product but all in all I am satisfied.

Overall Scent: This line has a scent that is almost undetectable. If you really get up close and personal with this lipstick it has a light vanilla floral scent. Noting off putting, it's actually kinda nice! Like I said though, you will detect nothing in the scent department during application.

Overall Wear: This is definitely a long wearing product. The Ultimate Suede name is misleading though. Yes, this lipstick glides on nicely and comfortably but it does not add moisture to your lips whatsoever. This product lasted nicely through dinner but continued to look dry on my lips.

Bottom Line: This was a formula that I went back and forth with. When I first purchased the red color I was willing to put up with the tackiness to have matte red lips. However, the fuchsia shade was a disappointment. It was no where near as bright as I was looking for. I have other pink lip products that I am happy with so I will be keeping 095 Finale and will be returning 005 Muse for two reasons...
1. Color
2. Tackiness

Please follow my blog through Bloglovin' so you never miss a post! You can click the permanent link on the right side of this page located under my blog archive. Thank you!

Love, Lacey

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash vs. FakeOut Mascara

     Even though I have gone through countless drugstore mascaras I had never tried one from Physicians Formula. I had heard amazing things about their Jumbo Lash mascara and decided to give it a try. While at CVS I saw the newer FakeOut version and decided to do a comparison. Both versions have an extremely dry formula that I thought I would really enjoy. When it comes to dry vs. wet mascaras, I always find myself favoring the drier formulas. Here is my comparison...

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Origin Jumbo Lash Mascara:
Price: $9.99

Size: 0.26 OZ.

Shade: Ultra Black

Marketed As: "A mascara where 100% of the total ingredients are from natural origin and 70% of the total ingredients are from organic farming. This offers 100% dramatic volume and glamor with the help of the Organisoy® which moisturizers and nourishes lashes. It also includes Eco-Olive®, a natural antioxidant which shields lashes from harsh environmental aggressors. Hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and optamologist approved".

Directions: "Sweep mascara brush from lash base to tips.  Apply multiple coats for added volume. Can easily be washed off with soap and water or removed with Physicians Formula Eye Makeup Remover Pads or Lotions".

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin FakeOut Mascara:

Price: $9.99

Size: 0.26 OZ.

Shade: Black

Marketed As: "The 1st EVER mascara with 100% natural origin lash extension fibers for the full-on fringe of false lashes without irritation. Innovative formula amplifies lash volume, length, and curl. Oversized brush creates a fabulously false lash effect instantly! 100% of the total ingredients are from natural origin and 70% are from organic farming. Hypoallergenic, fragrance free, safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, and optamologist approved".

Directions: "Sweep mascara brush from lash base to tips. Apply multiple coats for added volume".

 Product Photos:

Applicator Details

     Jumbo Lash (left): This mascara has a very thick, plastic wand with short bristles. The brush is wider in the center then begins tapering in around the first and last four rows. There is no pivotal point on the wand and the bristles are fairly flexible.

     FakeOut (right): This brush is very similar to Jumbo Lash. However, there are some very small difference when you look closely. This wand is slightly less thick than the other and also has no pivotal point. The base where the bristles attach is thinner on this wand making the bristles appear longer. This brush is rounder through the middle but tapers just the same as Jumbo Lash towards the ends.

With both brushes bristle placement is very similar and they are the same length.

Application Photos: Natural lashes with no mascara- three coats.

Note: My eyelashes are not curled.

            -Jumbo Lash-                                                                                              -FakeOut-

     I hands down was disappointed with both of these mascaras. They did not live up to all of the hype that I had been hearing and that shocked me! The formula is very different than anything I had tried but both are pretty similar with regard to everything except the end result. If you are someone who values organic products, this could be for you. I will give this brand props for having the only drugstore organic mascara on the market that I know of. Personally, I don't go out of my way in search of organic makeup products so that wasn't a huge selling point for me. I feel like each of these mascaras would cater to an individual preference with one being more dramatic and one looking more natural. Here are my overall thoughts...

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Origin Jumbo Lash Mascara:
Overall Application: Application regarding the brush was similar to any other plastic bristled brush for me. I felt as though it was poking my eye and found it uncomfortable during application. It could be the mix of the wand and formula but I found that if any of this got into my eye, it really bothered me! The brush didn't do much for the formula and vice versa in my opinion.

Overall Color: I had nothing negative to say about the color of this product. It was very black and coated my lashes evenly with color.

Overall Formula: As I mentioned before this was a very odd formulation for me. It was VERY dry and not smooth during application. Even though removing it was a breeze it felt like it never set onto my lashes. I tend to have itchy eyes and will gently touch my lashes throughout the day and found that when I did, my fingers would stick to my lashes and product would rub off on them. I hated this aspect because after I had taken the time to separate my lashes during application, if I pinched a few together during the day they would stick together and stay that way. Like I said before, this aspect might be the reason it removes so easily, but I'd rather it set and be harder to remove. As for my lashes I would have to add at least two coats to be happy with this mascara and sometimes I don't have the time to layer on multiple coats! I felt like two almost wasn't enough but three began to look clumpy. Oddly enough, this formula made my lashes longer and fuller than the FakeOut formula which was supposed to create a "fake lash look". I liked the length but the overall effect was too "spidery" for me. This formula would be best for someone who likes very prominent and dramatic lashes everyday. This mascara really coats on the product and for me, it is just too unnatural looking for daily wear.

Overall Packaging: As for both packagings I was very unimpressed. I like to put one coat of mascara on, wait about a minute, then keep building for more volume and length. With this packaging I couldn't stand the tube upright very easily in between coats. The bottom is very narrow and would cause the mascara to fall over multiple times. Where you hold the wand (the lid) ended up being very awkward in my hands and I had to keep repositioning the wand to get a comfortable hold. Other than that it is very eye-catching. The bright, metallic, curvy packaging is very neat and different than other drugstore mascara packaging.

Overall Scent: Fragrance free? What does that exactly mean? To me I always thought it meant that no fragrance would be detected. However, with this formula it could mean that no artificial fragrance was added. This has a moderate organic grassy smell that isn't very pleasant to me. I tend to like herbal smells (hello Kiehl's shampoo anyone?) but this didn't do it for me.

Overall Wear: I didn't have any problems with wear. It didn't smudge, transfer, fade, or flake.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin FakeOut Mascara:
Overall Application: The over all application was very similar to Jumbo Lash because the brushes are almost identical. I didn't notice any differences while applying this mascara even though this brush is slightly slimmer with longer bristles. I also had the same problem with this formula as Jumbo Lash in the fact that when it got into my eye it bothered me more than any other mascara I've tried. It wasn't a burning sensation by any means, it just felt irritated and gritty.

Overall Color: I felt as though this black was not as opaque or deep in color than the Jumbo Lash mascara. I am aware that this shade was "Black" instead of "Ultra Black" so I understand that there was a slight difference in color. However, I have said this before when it comes to drugstore mascara shades but please make this more simple for the consumer. When buying both mascaras I didn't notice CVS carrying the "Ultra Black" version of this mascara so I was a little confused.

Overall Formula: I found this formula less dry than it's competitor but the differences do not stop there. I will say that this particular formula quickly built up more volume, looked less spidery, and was more natural looking than Jumbo Lash. I was let down with the lengthening aspect of this formula especially when comparing it to the other version. Out of the two this would be the best choice for people who like more natural looking lashes. However, I will admit that there are better drugstore alternatives (CoverGirl Clump Crusher) on the market if that is what you prefer.

Overall Packaging: Same as above explanation. It hardly stood up in between coats and was awkward in my hand during application.

Overall Scent: I found this scent pretty much identical to Jumbo Lash. It also claims to be fragrance free and smells very organic and grassy.

Overall Wear: I found this products wear the same as it's competitor. I had no major problems and it didn't seem to smudge, transfer, fade, or flake.

Bottom Line: I was very disappointed with my first two Physicians Formula mascara purchases. For being a slightly more expensive than the typical drugstore brand I was looking for better quality and was let down. It's quite funny, I liked the lengthening and curling benefits of Jumbo Lash and the softness and natural looking qualities of FakeOut- are we sure these formulas didn't get switched during packaging?! If there was a formula that combined those aspects I would love to give it a try but until then I will be returning both of these mascaras. I am also not looking to purchase another mascara from this brand in the near future because of three reasons...
1. Extremely dry formula
2. Brush
3. Packaging
4. Already own better alternatives

P.S. I have heard through the grapevine that Blogger is doing away with Google Friend Connect which is very unfortunate! This means that in order to continue following my blog you will need to visit this link here. For those of you that take the time to do this extra step, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Even though I am new at the whole blogging thing, I love hearing from the very positive and inspirational girls I have been able to connect with through this blogging community. Thank you!

Love, Lacey

Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

     I have been using coconut oil for about five months now. My cousin generously gave me a small container of it to try as a moisturizer and I fell in love! My love grew deeper as I realized the endless possibilities for this oil. You can use it on your skin, nails, hair and lips, as well as in the kitchen!

     I began using it as a spot treatment moisturizer on the extra dry areas of my face. I had recently started Retin-A and was going through the dreaded "peeling phase" as I called it. It added extra moisture to the areas I needed it without making things too greasy. I also loved putting it on my lips before bed. It wasn't until recently that I came across Nature Knockout's video that I started trying it on my hair. With the help of YouTube beauty guru Julie G and her video here I found the exact steps of how to use it for my dry/split ends. I wanted to share this tip with you and explain exactly how I use it! I find this kind of post so helpful because this stuff is very affordable! You can get a whole 16 OZ. tub for only $12.79 here. This is my step by step regimen on how to moisturize those dry ends...

*Please keep in mind that this oil is very fragrant! If you don't like coconut or it's smell this might not be for you.*

Step 1: Brush your hair. I use my Tangle Teezer to make sure I rid of all tangles. I then pull all of my hair forward over each shoulder.

Step 2: Get out your coconut oil, a spoon, and a hair clip.

Step 3: Take a small spoonful and warm it up in the palms of your hands- I do this by rubbing my hands together with the product in between. The oil will then melt into a more liquid state but don't worry if all of the pieces don't completely melt. Coconut oil is solid at room temperate but melts between 97 and 104 ˚F.

Step 4: Use what is on your hands to coat the ends of your hair. I try to only put the oil from my ears down, this way you are avoiding your roots. How much product you apply is completely up to you. I typically coat the hair pretty well to make sure every stand is getting product.

Step 5: After applying the desired amount twist your hair up. It doesn't necessarily have to be a bun- the goal is to just get it out of the way.

Step 6: Now we wait... You can leave it on anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour because it will not hurt your hair! I usually try to leave mine on for about 30 minutes.

Step 7: Shower as normal. I shampoo- making sure to get all of the oil out and still use a light conditioner.

Step 8: Style your hair as desired. You should have softer ends and more manageable hair!

     So there you have it! My secret (and affordable) way to condition my dry/split ends. I try to do this about 1-3 times a week and saw improvement after the first use. If you don't see substantial results after using it for the first time, keep trying! My hair became considerably softer and healthier looking after the first 2 weeks. 

Please let me know if you try this and your thoughts on the results!

Also, if you use coconut oil in other ways I would love to hear about them.

Love, Lacey