Product Review: Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe Mascara

They say a girl can never have too much shimmer in her life. And well, not to be a snot, but obviously that is untrue. Frosty 90's shimmer is rarely a good thing. Shimmer lotion spackled on so thickly it rubs all over your fancy little black party dress making you look like you had a run-in with a deodorant stick -- also not good. Shimmery* sequined tights a la Jason Meyer's atrocity on the Project Runway Canada finale? *Shudder*

But generally speaking, a little shimmer is a good thing. It adds depth, interest, and sparkle. It's fun and girly! So a little shimmer should help pretty much any product, right? This must have been what the folks at Cover Girl were thinking when they came up with Lash Blast Luxe Mascara. Shimmer in a mascara? Why not? People luuurve shimmer. Right?


Well, maybe it's just me, but the shimmer in Lash Blast Luxe does absolutely nada. I got the blue shade (it's called the very dramatic Black Royale), which, as far as I can tell, is a black base with blue shimmer. Once it's on the lashes though, I can barely see the shimmer at all. I certainly can't tell if it 'brightens' my eyes or whatever. If I look super closely, I can tell something's there, but it sort of just looks like I was messy when applying my shimmer eye shadow and got some on my lashes. Hmm.

Despite the shimmer having little-to-undesirable effects, I actually quite liked the forumla. It seems a bit drier than the original Lash Blast, which means that while it didn't create quite as much volume for me, it was much better at getting that soft feathery look. A bit softer than the regular Lash Blast, but also easier to deal with (Lash Blast original got a little clumpy sometimes, and my lashes would stick together). It stays on well, is smudge free, and I can wear it with contacts on no problem.

So would I recommend this? Well, if you love Lash Blast already, then you probably don't need this. But if the original Lash Blast was a bit too wet for you, or if you haven't tried Lash Blast and like the idea of having (barely-perceptible) shimmer in your mascara, then go ahead and grab a tube. It's definitely not a bad product, just don't go expecting Liza-Minelli-crossed-with-Vegas-showgirl lashes from this!



* Okay, technically I guess that's more "sparkly" or "blingy". It was horrific however you slice it. Also, I totally want the Jessica Biffi Winner's dress now! Oh to have $100 extra. Or $400 extra, so I can get it in all those colours. Mmmm... sherbet-y.

Product Review: Imju Fiberwig Mascara

aka: "Baby, I'm so imju you..."

Right, so that plan (see last post) didn't work out. Along with some birthday festivities (fun!) and some car problems (horrible! I think it's over for the poor Glitter-mobile...) and some concert action (Michael Bublé = delicious!), there simply wasn't time for posting.

But through all of that, my lashes stayed pretty, thanks to Imju's Fiberwig Mascara.

Promising a theatrical falsies-like effect, Imju Fiberwig deposits little fibers onto the tips of your lashes, adding length and colour in one step. I really wish they hadn't mentioned the "falsies" factor though -- while this mascara provides good length, separation, and a nice glossy black colour, it doesn't do much for volume. So those looking for full, fluttery, fat lashes will be disappointed.

I do love this mascara for an everyday look though. It's what I had wanted Clinique's Long and Pretty Lashes to be. (Instead, that one gave me long, pretty, smeary lashes.) Imju's Fiberwig does not smear. Ever. I have partied and slept and cried in this stuff and it just doesn't smear. If you get it wet and start rubbing at it, it will flake off a bit, but that's it. Perfect for conferences or important meetings where you want something on your lashes, but simply cannot have smudging.

So yes, Fiberwig, I'm totally into you. And at under $13 (plus ship) on Sasa.com, I think I can see you in my future.

My Beauty Routine

Hellooo! How are you all? It was Thanksgiving up here in the Great White North, and I spent the weekend in lovely Perth Ontario, where I lived out my pastoral fantasies, except with plumbing and beds and TVs, and not so much with the livestock or farming. In other words, I just did not-a-whole-lot, and enjoyed a home-cooked turkey dinner that was delish. It was a refreshing getaway!

So a reader had asked me to divulge my daily beauty routine, and I'm more than happy to oblige. Perhaps you will send me hate-mail because I have this many steps. Or perhaps you feel I don't do nearly enough, and am not qualified to write a beauty blog, and will get many wrinkles very soon. But caution to the wind... here it is (with reviews in links if I have 'em)!


1. Wake up. Hit the snooze button about 15 times.

2. Cleanse. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. Always and Forever.

3. Moisturize. Varies, depending on what I have on hand, or if I'm testing something for review. L'Oreal HappyDerm is an old standby. Right now, I'm trying a new one by Garnier, called Garnier Light that I found in Hong Kong. Review to come!

4. Lipbalm. Also varies, but I like a nice emollient one to start off my day. Smith's Strawberry Lipbalm is a favourite, and right now I'm using a lot of Sephora Professional's lip balm. It's not quite as moisturizing as the Smith's, but it has a nice lightly minty vanilla scent to it that's great for the AM. Also, I don't know where my Smith's balm is.



5. Foundation. I'm really loving Lumiere Cosmetics' Mineral Makeup. My skin has never been calmer. It also eliminates the need for primers or finishing powders, which is great (see above re: snooze button). Also, blending is super-fast, since all it takes is a few quick buffs with the kabuki. If I feel like I need more coverage, I might reach for Awake Invention's Hydro Manage makeup, or Maybelline's new-ish Superstay Silky liquid foundation.



6. Curl eyelashes. I use some drugstore-brand eyelash curler. The one from Tarte broke after like 6 months, that lil' bastard.

7. Eyeshadow. Being of Asian persuasion, this step is pretty quick. I pick a colour (usually light shimmery brown, or goldy, or lilac), and swipe it on my eyelid crease. Wink once in the mirror, and Bob's yer uncle. For extra special days (or for when I want to pretend I am a grad-school rock star) I use a dampened slanted liner brush to push some dark & sparkly colour right into my upper lash line. I don't do anything to my lower lashes, because it inevitably smears and "heroin addict" is not the best look for me.

8. Mascara. Cover Girl Volume Exact is my standard weapon of choice.


9. Concealer. Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation/Concealer is my fave, but I do use TimeBalm on occasion (mostly when I don't feel like going all the way into my purse to grab my Cinema Secrets).

10. Blush. Still stuck on Lumiere's blushes -- Terra Cotta and Poppy, depending on the day. Sometimes I will brush on a bit of Tarte's Park Avenue Princess bronzer if I'm feeling a little pale.


11. Lips. Hoo boy. I leave this until last because there are just so many options. And also because I sometimes forget to put on gloss/lipstick until I am on my way to wherever I am going. Generally, I go for light, natural glossy lips, unless it's a red lip day, in which case it's all about the wines and burgundies.




Whew! It sure looks like a lot of steps when it's spelled out like that. I probably go through the whole thing in about 15 minutes though, just enough time to spritz on some perfume and run out the door!

As for night-time, I just use the same Dermalogica cleanser to take everything off (yes, even the mascara!), and moisturize. I might switch to a heavier cream if I'm feeling dry or sensitive, but for the most part, I use the same thing as I do in the morning. No eye creams, serums, or toners... shocking I know. Just give me a few years, I'll get there. ;)


And there you have it! Armed with this knowledge, it's as if you're looking right into my bathroom while I'm getting ready in the morning. That sounded so much less creepy in my head.

What's your morning routine like?

Product Review: Cover Girl Volume Exact Mascara

Okay, this is probably semi-old news for most of you, but I figured I should post about it anyway. I finally got my hands on some Volume Exact mascara! And as predicted, it's a winner!





If you've tried and liked Lash Exact, you'll probably love Volume Exact. It's got a similar brush and formula in that it defines lashes really well, and prevents clumping. However, Volume Exact definitely gives more oomph, and a bit more length as well. We're not talking an outrageous, "falsies" look here, but it is a very attractive, full & feathery effect.

Also great is that Volume Exact has kept the long-wearing factor of LashExact ... while still not waterproof, it lasts through a normal day no problem. I do notice a bit more flaking than Lash Exact if I've slept in it (I do it in the name of science people! Not drunken & uncoordinated laziness, as many might imagine), but for your typical work day or night out, it's not a concern at all.

As for ease of application, if you've never used the spindly-plastic brushes before, it'll take a bit of getting used to. Otherwise, it's a snap. There is a teeeeny bit of clumping sometimes, but it's easily fixable with a couple light strokes of the mascara wand... I've never had to reach for a lash comb. So, while the effect is not quite as dramatic as Rimmel's Magnif'eyes*, it's also a heck of a lot quicker to apply.

So yeah, continued kudos for the Cover Girl mascara people. Big loud BOOOOS to the Cover Girl ad people who put "Andrea, Canada's Next Top Model" in a TruBlend lipstick print ad that I saw in a Chatelaine** at the dentist's today. Why can't they make her look pretty, dammit???



* By the way, Magnif'eyes has been in Canada & the US for some time now. They changed the name to "Eye Magnifier" for some reason. I guess they figured that the oh-so-clever pun wouldn't travel well across the pond? Whatevs, as far as I can tell, it's the exact same product.

** A Canadian women's mag, possibly similar to Redbook. They have nice recipes in there.