Review: Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

Hello my dear ones. (Don't you just love those phishing spam e-mails from Burqina Faso that start that way?lololol) I have a review for you.

I finally tried my new Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara, today. I was initially drawn by the "Ooo! Shiny!" packaging and the promises the commercials made to me. Promises that I would have full, gorgeous lashes and no clumping, thanks to the "pop" that cleans the excess product off the brush as you pull it from the tube. I bought mine at Walgreen's. I paid just shy of $8.00. I chose black.

Note: All pictures are clickable. 

 Pretty, shiny tube.

I got ready to apply my mascara by first priming my lids, applying shadow and liner and curling my lashes.

Bare lashes. Or, as I like to call them... Invisilashes. :P

I opened the tube and pulled out the wand and it did pop softly. The inner structure did clean the excess off the brush very nicely but I still had to touch the very end to a tissue, as the tube doesn't clean the very tip. The brush was a bit of a surprise, at first. It is bigger, fatter than any mascara brush I have ever seen or used and I was a little afraid that It would feel as if I were trying to apply mascara with a porcupine on a stick.

Application wasn't all that intimidating, after all. I got used to the brush pretty quickly, it turned out to be very soft and easy to use. Just be careful doing your bottom lashes. lol The mascara applied surprisingly smoothly and there was little excess on my lashes. It did make them look fuller and thicker. They did clump together a little, but not nearly as much as they do with other brands or my formerly much loved Lash Out! mascara. I decided not to comb my lashes, as I wanted to see how this stuff performed without combing. I applied one full coat to upper and lower lashes. Then a very light second coat to my upper lashes, only. (I forgot for a second that I wanted to take a pic before that second coat. Addlepated, I am.)

After application. One full coat, top and bottom lashes, a second light coat to top lashes. (I use a light hand when I apply mascara, your results will vary, depending on how you apply.) My lashes don't look like the lashes in the commercial and I didn't expect them to. You know that they use fakaloo lashes in mascara print ads and commercials, don't you?

One thing I was surprised about is that this mascara has a scent. Kind of... Floral and spicy. It reminds me a little of honeysuckle. I have extremely sensitive eyes and I was concerned that the fragrance would irritate or hurt my eyes but it has proven to not be a problem. I applied this an hour ago and I can still smell it a little, now and then. If you dislike fragrance in your makeup or are very sensitive to scents, this mascara may not be your cup of tea.

Overall, I like this mascara. It applies nicely, looks good and doesn't make a mess. Tho I will definitely comb between coats, as usual. I don't even much mind the fragrance. I will happily use this tube and likely buy more. :D

Okay, I think I am Crazy

We finally got out to the lake to walk. Hips were okay, no real discomfort. I was able to stride out and really make tracks We walked a mile and a half tonight. By the time we got out there, it was already getting dark and we barely had enough time to get as far as we did before it got almost too dark to see where we were going. It felt good to move, again. I kept up with the boys, for the most part. We kept to the flatter parts of Normal and Kickass trails and it was easier on my poor old bod. :D

After our walk, I did something so totally out of character for me. I went right from the trail to the grocery store. No stopping at home for a shower, first. No putting on makeup, doing my hair all up, dressing, perfume and jewellery. Just me. No makeup, hair up in a bun, (where it lives 90% of the time) old knit capris showing the puff, layered tanks, complete with my big assed arms showing, starting to form bat wings included.

And ya know what?

I survived.

No one pointed or stared or ran screaming into the night. Children's faces weren't covered to shield them from the horror before them. I felt very daring and a little confident, too. I still have no plans to go everywhere bare faced and everything hanging out, that way. But I now know that it won't kill me if I have to on occasion.

Oh, Breyer's Smooth and Dreamy chocolate and caramel ice cream sandwiches? Yum! Not quite Skinny Cow, but respectable. I grabbed some at the store, tonight and had one after dinner. The ice cream was nice. Very smooth and creamy, decent chocolate flavour and there was some lovely caramel swirled through it. The "cookies" could be a little better. I found them to be too dry and a bit on the flimsy side. But they were nice and chocolaty. I'd buy them, again. :D

Bleargh! Husband is watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles. AGAIN!!!!!!

Oh and did I mention that he is now off for vacation? Until the 26th.

God is punishing me.

I don't know exactly why...

I just know that He is.

lolol

I owe Draz something I like about myself. For tonight, I like that I was fearless. Just for a little while. Maybe I am beginning to find a little of "me", again.

Good night, lovebugs. <3

Cruising Along, A Product Review or Two and Mini Haul :D

Yesterday was a good day. I was on an even keel, in control and smooth. I ate very well and my calories were right in line. 1426 for the day. I consider anything under 1500 a very good day.

I have had seven consecutive binge and feeding frenzy free days. I admit to being almost scared by that. But I am working very hard to remain positive and not allow fear or old thoughts to surface and mess with my head. I get into trouble when I do that. You see, my binges and feeding frenzies (yes, there is a difference between the two) are mostly driven by emotion and mental chaos. They are rarely motivated by physical factors, tho I do crave the physical "relief" that numbing out and filling myself to the point that I can't feel produce.

I like how this feels, having good days. Days where I can keep my thoughts more positive, staying calm, eating to live and fuel my body without obsessing over binging and feeding uncontrollably. It is nice to have time for activities other than running to the kitchen, cooking and fixing and preparing and cleaning up after and hiding and shifting and stuffing and stuffing and stuffing all day long. It is exhausting. Mentally and emotionally as well as physically to live obsessed with constantly feeding that hellish chaos.

Not constantly feeding it enables me to start learning to live. Really live. Not just exist as a thing that can do nothing but feed. I have time to clean my house, do creative projects, take care of myself. I deserve to be cared for. I really do. And I am going to let myself do that, from now on. :D

That is huge for me, admitting that I am worth taking care of myself. Maybe I am beginning to build a sense of self esteem. Maybe, little by little, a glimmer of that confident, fearless girl I once was is trying to spark, again. I think I could like that.

What a concept. :D

Okay, I have to rave about something that I tried for the first time, last night. I was craving on a little something sweet and I wanted chocolate! Bad. One of the things I am trying to teach myself is to treat myself to small indulgences without totally derailing myself. One thing that will be of help and a nice treat now and then is Skinny Cow ice cream. Husband brought it home for me yesterday and I tried it last night.

Yum! Seriously. The flavour he brought me was Chocolate Fudge Brownie. The carton is one serving at 5.8 ounces and 150 calories. For a "diet" ice cream it is surprisingly good. For something low in calories and fat, it is quite rich, creamy and thick. The chocolate flavour is intense for a light product and there was plenty of fudge brownie goodness, too. And, let's face it, it is fun as hell to eat a whole carton of ice cream. Now I can without hurting myself or spiralling out of control.

All hail Skinny Cow ice cream. Lovely, yummy stuff and a wonderful treat.

My mini haul from the other day. Husband is amazingly cool with the fact that I am into the polish, these days. He usually argues when I want to buy something that I have "enough" (in his opinion) of. He doesn't bat an eye when I buy polish. So... I buy polish. :D lol At Sally's I scored China Glaze For Audrey and Liquid Leather. Orly Snow cone. Then I went to Walgreen's and found Sinful Colors Green Ocean. I also got a lip gloss. Maybelline Shine Sensational gloss. It was in a display that had a whole pad of dollar off coupons, so I decided to grab one and try it.

The gloss I got is the berry flavoured. The colour, in the tube is similar to Bare Escentuals Buxom gloss in Dolly, my all time favourite lip gloss. When I got it home I tried it and while it is okay, it isn't stellar. The pigment isn't very intense. Colour payoff isn't anywhere near what the tube promises. It goes on very sheer with a light hint of pigment. It is shimmery. Not the very fine micro shimmer that I expect in higher end glosses, this gloss contains a micro glitter. It isn't obnoxious, my lips don't look blinged, or anything but I definitely get sparkles and glints. The shine is okay, not as glossy-shiny as I would expect but fairly nice. This gloss is very intensely scented and flavoured. It reminds me of berry bubblegum and it tastes as sweet as it smells.

I will use this tube up but I won't be buying it, again. I think that this is a bit "young" for my taste, at this stage of my life. There is nothing wrong with it, it just isn't really my kind of thing, any more. But it is nice for anyone who likes a nice shine, a little glitter and sweet scent and flavour.

It's another pretty day in my neck of the woods. A little cool but nice. It is supposed to warm up very nicely as the week progresses. It was chilly, last night and this morning. There was a light frost when I got up, this morning. Good thing I haven't planted my flowers, yet. lol

Product Review ~~ Maybelline Define a Line Liner Pencil

I have been thinking about changing up how I wear eyeliner and since water lining has come back into favour, I decided that it was time for me to try it, again.

I normally line my eyes with Bare Escentuals Liner Shadow mixed with a drop of Visine. Works great for the outside lash line but the stuff just doesn't work for tight lining and lining the waterline. So, I decided to try a new liner pencil.

I went to a local drug store and picked up Maybelline Define-A-Line in Soft Black. I was hopeful that this pencil might be just the thing I needed. I used to line my waterline. Back in the eighties when all the girls did it. Black liner pencil, sharpened to a perfect nicety, held in the flame of a lighter for a mere second or two to soften it enough for it to apply smoothly.

Ah, memories. lol

I also remember the way that stuff used to smudge and run and move all over the place. I remember, along with everyone else, constantly running a finger along below my eyes to clean up the smudges and smears of bold, black liner trying valiantly to migrate down to my cheeks. I remember running to the ladies room to clean the black gunk out of the inner corners of my eyes, using a paper towel to clean up the smudges as best I could, then applying a fresh coat of the stuff, especially to my water line. Yepper. I and millions of other American gals looked so sharp.

If you call raccoons sharp. lol

In hopes of avoiding the repeat of the raccoon eye phase, I tried out my new liner. I decided to try it on a day I wasn't wearing makeup. That way, if it irritated my eyes or started to run or what have you, I wouldn't feel bad about having to wash my face. I applied the liner just to my lower water line and then I tight lined the inner upper lid, as well. And wore it around to see how well it performed.

First impressions of the liner were pretty positive. Soft Black is a good shade for me. I am fair and black-black is too overwhelming for my colouring. But the soft black is more greyed and worked well. The liner pencil, which comes in a swivel up case is soft and creamy smooth. It applied easily at a touch. No dragging, no pulling, no lighter required. The soft black shade made my eyes really stand out and enhanced my grey eye colour. So far, so good.

My eyeballs were a tad unhappy with me. It has been a long time since I lined that way and my eyes aren't used to it. I have very sensitive eyes and I was really pleased that this liner didn't cause any irritation or downright discomfort. After a little while, I got used to the liner being there and it stopped bothering me.

Unfortunately, this liner didn't work for tight lining. Like the liners of old, it ran, smeared, collected in the inner corners of my eyes. Yuk. What a mess. And it was the very dickens to wash off.

I think perhaps a good gel liner is what I need for this purpose. I'll have to grab one and see. :D

Pros of this liner:

Nice packaging. I like the swivel up liner. It is soft and creamy and easy-peasy to apply. I imagine it would be a nice liner for smokey eyes and smudged looks.

Cons:

This liner is not for tight lining or for use on the inner water line of the eye. It smears and runs like the very devil. And it is very difficult to cleanse away.

I will probably use this liner up, in time. Maybe. But I will definitely not be purchasing it again.