Maybelline Falsies Flared Mascara

So the latest Maybelline mascara offers you: "False lash glam in a tube - now goes flared!
300% more visible lashes. Winged out & over the top, instantly!
Pro-keratin formula + spoon curler brush"

Is it just me or does Maybelline bring out a new mascara every 8 weeks!? I am constantly seeing new glossy adverts for the latest and most amazing ever mascara!
I would not say that I am the biggest fan of Maybelline products however they do offer great products at an affordable price point which makes for a great pick up line when your running out of your favourite brand but don't have time to visit a department store. I have used a number of Maybelline's latest mascaras including Cat Eyes ad Falsies and at the £6.99 price point you can't complain as they far surpass anything that Rimmel has to offer at the same price.
So does Falsies Flared live up to the marketing hype?
I'm sorry to say that it doesn't. Of all the Maybelline mascaras I have tried this is the one I have been most disappointed with. The flared brush left me feeling underwhelmed as it is a bit of a pointless gimmick. In fact you get a better flared look from the Cat Eyess mascara.
You need at least 2 coats to cover your lashes and by the time these coats have been applied your lashes already look and feel dry and dull. It doesn't take long for drop out to appear on to your cheeks either.
My lashes didn't feel soft to touch and the slightest knock would have left black flakes of mascara on my face. However my lashes did look longer and fuller but this is a by product of any mascara...
Would I recommend this product? No. Maybelline have far better mascaras in their range and I feel that this one was a step too far by trying to be a miracle mascara and offer all things to all people. I would recommend the generic Falsies mascara for those wanting a more dramatic look and the Cat Eyes mascara for those wanting flared lashes. :)

Rhian Xx

Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara

What does it promise?
Doll Lash Effect Mascara Wide Eye Look Volumised, Extended, Lifted Lash look.
I received a 2ml sample of the Lancôme Doll Eyes mascara when I purchased 2 Lancôme products from Boots. I was excited to try the product as I have used Lancôme Hypnôse mascara and Hypnôse Drama and loved the finish of them both.
The cone shaped brush looked promising as I always struggle to capture my lashes in the inner corner of my eyes.
The product markets itself as Lancôme's most flirtatious lash look. However I was a little disappointed. The mascara did coat my lashes well and one coat would have been enough to give a very even lash coverage. Despite this I did need to apply another layer to make sure that the lashes did display in a uniform fashion as it didn't separate the lashes as well as its predecessors.
The mascara does offer a wide eyes almost cat like finish to the lashes but it is more of a "fashion" mascara than a mascara I would use on a daily basis and for that reason I don't think you'd get as much use out of it, as you would like for a £20 plus mascara. This would be a great mascara to achieve a retro look combined with winged eyeliner but I'm glad I had the sample before parting with my money.
The packaging however is beautiful :)

Rhian Xx

Tousle Me Softly

As someone with a natural wave in her hair when I saw the advert for Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly I thought wow! I won't need to straighten my hair in the morning if I had this miracle product that would give me rock star smooth waves with very little effort.
I was excited to use it so the day after I received it I made sure I set aside the time to apply the intensive mask which recommends that you leave it in your hair for 5 minutes.
After washing the product out, my hair felt as soft as it does with a standard conditioner but this did leave the trademark Herbal Essences sent lingering in my tresses.
Next it was time to apply the finishing touch cream. This I applied from the mid lengths and ends while my hair was damp as instructed. Then came the blow dry....
To say I was a little disappointed was a slight understatement as my hair felt quite stiff in texture and not really as wavy as I desired. Therefore I opted to add another coin sized amount to my hair to scrunch and hopefully achieve a wavier look.
My hair eventually waved as desired but still had the sticky stiff texture.
I wouldn't opt for this product over any sea salt spray option as I found the finished look very similar.

I'm afraid I wasn't tousled softly at all and easy rock star locks they were not.

Dark Soul

I've always toyed with the idea of wearing an intense all black eye make up look but have never really been brave enough. It's difficult to apply a cream shadow without it eventually creeping in to the creases no matter how much primer you use.
Yesterday I decided to pluck up the courage and try the intense look I had thought about on numerous occasions.
Due to the darkness of the colours I was using I applied my foundations to my eye area only and then applied the primer. (I used Superdrug's MUA eye shadow primer which I think retails for about £3)
I used a black kohl liner to line my eyes just around the socket line. For this I used Macs Smoulder eyeliner. Then I applied an Illamasqua cream eyeshadow in Entangle. This provided a great base for the pigment to stick to. If you don't have a cream eye shadow applying a black kohl liner to the entire lid will provide a simple alternative.
Then with a flat eyeshadow brush I pressed Mac's Dark Soul pigment in to the cream eyeshadow on my lid. Making sure the lid was covered with layers of pigment ensuring an intense look. I blended the edges outward to soften the line on the upper part of my lid.
Finishing with a dab of Benefits High Beam to highlight under my brow line and lashings of mascara plus my trusty Illamasqua no.14 lashes and the look was complete.
You can then proceed to apply your foundation and the rest of your make up easily without having the nasty drop out that normally occurs if you apply the pigment last.
I finished the look with a candy pink blusher and nude lips but I think any blusher and lip combo could work. If your really brave I'm sure red lips would look fab!

Nail Wraps

So nail art appears to be a trend that is sticking around... And with that has come the introduction of various nail wraps! Even Myleene Klass has her own range at Asda. The wraps are generally in a metallic finish and offer a great cheap alternative to Minx nails. However in all honesty nail art has been a trend I have some what shied away from. I would have never have usually picked up nail wraps especially not animal print ones but as the lovely Kirsty Matthews picked up some I could hardly decline the opportunity to try them out.

Now... I took one look at the wraps and thought there is no way I want to cover every nail with those. (I think a plain metallic is more my style) nevertheless I soldiered on and opted for just my ring finger to display the metallic delights of the nail wrap.

First to try was the leopard print design and I teamed this with nails inc. Fenchurch Street polish.

I then opted to team the zebra print design with nails inc. Maddox Street polish.

The wraps were easy to apply and the instructions straight forward to follow. The only additional steps were to trim, file and apply a clear top coat. Fool proof!!

Great if you are in a rush or aren't great at applying polish and straight forward enough to remove (peel off and remove residual glue with nail polish remover)

I'm not sure if I could wear them for more than one night as they aren't my personal style but there are plainer colours and finishes available.

Rhian
Xx