.:: CybeleSays ::.

Kiss Me Mascara aka now Blinc Mascara – Hall of Fame Worthy?

Pros – tubs the lashes so never any flaking off. Stays on all day.
Cons – price

Does it stay in the Hall of Fame?

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Every once in a while a mascara comes along and knocks my socks off and that’s just what happened with Big ‘n Black Mascara from ADDICTION NV COSMETICS. It really gives lashes a lot of volume but I have to ask, is it the brush? Or is it the formula? Or a little of both?

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I love to give the gift of BARE ESCENTUALS. They really put mineral makeup on the map and I love all their sets they come out with for the holidays. Here are few I’m recommending for the beauty lover on your list.

R.S.V.P. Collection ($54) – this one includes the mother load! It includes: SPF25 Mineral Veil finishing powder, Prime Time Primer Shadow in Golden Peach, After Party Eyecolor (size small), Celebration Blush (size medium), Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in 7M (rich brown), Double-Ended Flawless Definition Mascara in Black, Pretty Amazing Lipgloss in Rowdy (glazed plum), Tapered Shadow Brush, Soft Sweep Cheek Brush.

And I’m still a firm believer in their Get Started Kit ($60) for the beauty lover in your life that maybe is interested in mineral makeup but doesn’t know where to start. This one contains all the essentials: two shades of bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation (size medium), Original Mineral Veil (size medium), Warmth All-Over Face Color (size medium), Full Flawless Face Brush, Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush, How-To DVD, Bonus gift of Well-Cared For Brush Conditioning Shampoo (full size).

Both available @ bareescentuals.com.

I never thought of myself as a Trésor girl as in LANCOME Trésor fragrance but they just came out with Trésor Midnight Rose scent and I’m really into it. Top Notes: Raspberry, Black currant bud absolute. Middle Notes: Rose absolute, jasmine. Base Notes: Vanilla, musk.

And this season, you can always find fragrance deal gift sets like this Tresor Midnight Rose Moments Gift Set - $58.50/1.7oz bottle and a full-size Hypnôse Custom Volume Mascara in Black. If you don’t pick up one for someone on your list, at least get this for you! Pick it up @ lancome.com.

Disclosure: A sample of the fragrance was provided for review purposes.

I have my favorite mascara that I’ve mentioned a ba-zillion times here so not many get thumbs up from me but this  MAYBELLINE Falsies Flared by Volum’ Express Mascara ($7.77 @ drugstores nationwide) does. Not only does it define lashes but it gives them volume and lots of it with the Kera fibers in it. Yes, things can get clumpy if you are not used to a serious mascara, like this one, so I would say this one is not for the novice.

KATE SOMERVILLE True Lash ($35/1.7oz @ katesomerville.com) comes into the fold when it’s time to remove the above mascara. Part of the reason I am so loyal to … this one, is how easy it is to remove. Taking off most mascaras takes a lot of tugging and pulling in the eye area and even then, most don’t remove every speck of black but this one does. It also conditions lashes, hydrates the whole eye area with chamomile, aloe vera and a major ingredient called SymLash226 Complex that boosts keratin production, so more lashes.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

It takes a lot to wow me when it comes to a mascara but I was wow’d and then some with CLARINS’ new Instant Definition Mascara ($24 @ clarins.com) from the Fall 2011 Color Definition Collection. This one truly adds volume, length but I would recommend using a lash comb like this one so you are in control and it does not control you, as mascaras sometimes can.

Instead of the usual 4, 5, 7 swipes, this one only takes about 3 max, so it’s a time saver too, haha. A few secrets inside this one – Glycoproteins to thicken lashes and help them stay adhered for a long time and also the unique brush, which they call a Dual Fiber Brush. It’s patent pending and uses Elastomer Bristles to reach each lash. It kind of reminds me of a doe foot (like on a lip gloss) at the tip of the wand that has spoolie bristles on it.  Big recommendation!

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I get giddy when I hear about a new kind of beauty product like this next one. It’s essentially why I started Cybelesays.com in the first place. The line is HOURGLASS COSMETICS and the product is called Film Noir Lash Lacquer.

What it is: “an ultra-glossy, inky black top coat for lashes that creates length, volume and high-gloss shine using a unique brush applicator and latex-like formula that fans lashes.”

How it works: It’s applied after mascara (but the end of the wand is not a spooly, it’s a small brush. The kind I wish every lip gloss came with but that’s another story) like their Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara (you don’t have to use it with their mascara but they do recommend not using a thickening, tubing or otherwise heavy mascara) and takes lashes from a day look to a full-effect night look. You just literally paint the formula onto your already mascara’d lashes. It seems like they got this idea from the cake mascaras of yester-year.

My take: I followed the New York launch of this a few weeks ago and just couldn’t understand how it worked but obviously now I do. It did make my lashes glossier looking and just amp’d them up overall, which is nice since there really is no way to add to mascara after it’s dried, short of taking it all off and starting again. What did it feel like on lashes? Like my favorite Kiss Me Mascara! Most formulas feel crumbly and thin on my lashes, like they’re going to flake off at any moment, but not this stuff. And it removes super easily with very little makeup remover.

So my final Springer thoughts are …

The proof is in the pudding …

A picture is worth a thousand words … 

Will you be trying Film Noir Lash Lacquer?

$28 @ hourglasscosmetics.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I’m sure you are well aware of my love of this mascara, which I am now calling My Beloved, and I’d even go as far as saying it’s probably my all-time favorite beauty product. So I don’t try many mascaras because for the most part, they just don’t live up to My Beloved. I do have to admit though that HOURGLASS COSMETICS’s Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara ($28 @ hourglasscosmetics.com) gets some high marks from me when it comes to volume and length. I’ve worn it a few times on its own and a few with My Beloved layered over it as I just don’t trust any mascara to stay on from morning until night  without flaking off. But I do have to say that the Film Noir held up better than most that I’ve tried in the past 6 months.

The formula contains pro-vitamin B5 (remember that ingredient from hair products that helps condition strands?) and a polymer to help it adhere to lashes. It does get a little clumpy when applying a few layers to lashes, which I’m so used to and use this comb to fan them out.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I’m really picky when it comes to mascaras and one I recently discovered for definition is BARE ESCENTUALS’ bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara. I think the mascara wand is super important when it comes to helping you get a good application and I’m so glad companies are really going all out and creating them. The spooley in this one has short stubby straight bristles on the tip and it really makes getting at the small hairs really easy.

And this one is free of a lot of the bad stuff like parabens, synthetic fragrance, Phthalates and more. All in all, it’s worth the price tag of $18. Get it in Black or Espresso and it’s also in waterproof @ bareescentuals.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes

What’s the point of even putting any makeup on if it’s just going to slide off after an hour. I’ve search high and low for the ones that really keep in place and below is the list I’ve come up with. Let me know if you have any other recommendations!

STILA Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner ($20 @ stilacosmetics.com) – this stuff doesn’t budge, doesn’t budge and doesn’t budge! Choose from 8 colors. Highly recommended.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream ($22 @ sephora.com) – I wrote about these when they debuted at The Makeup Show a few months ago and I still can’t get enough of them, especially when making my shadow stay for a long period of time. And the brightness of #21 Turquoise is just so refreshing.

BLINC Kiss Me Mascara ($25 @ blincinc.com) – this is my favorite mascara of all time and I’ve tried probably 100 or so at this point. This won’t come off until you take it off yet it’s not waterproof, which is so hard to take off!

SEPHORA Lush Flush Lip & Cheek Stain in Red Wine ($12 @ sephora.com) – hair is flying around and strands flying into lips with gloss or lipstick is just not sexy. Stain ‘em instead!

NYX COSMETICS Fabulous Lashes ($4.50 @ nyxcosmetics.com) – so many different styles to wow your peepers with and these won’t melt off! Shown here in #119 Gorgeous.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes. Some I bought.