REVIEW: Revlon Lash Potion Mascara

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara, $5-7

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a pretty package. I'm in the market for a new mascara and one just happens to come along in such a pretty coat, yeah, I'm going to buy it.

I have--and will always--declare Tarte's Lights! Camera! Lashes! to be the best mascara available on the market. However, at $19 a tube, it can get pricey. Especially if you're like me and keep forgetting to close the tube all the way. Oops.

In the past I've used Maybelline's classic Great Lash mascara in the famous pink and green tube. It gives a lot of a volume but I wanted something that would give length as well. I've also tried Cover Girl's Lash Blast Fusion with bad results, and L'Oreal's Telescopic which is the wand with the little ball on the end. I like it but I can't put it on in a rush, which is how I usually do my makeup.

Henceforth, the mascara in the sparkly rainbow tube made its way into my makeup bag after my last Walmart trip. I accidentialy picked up the waterproof version, which actually ended up being a good thing because when I rubbed my eyes it didn't smear all over the place.

This is what Revlon has to say about Lash Potion:

Magically transform lashes to lush, long and lustrous. A potion with strengthening proteins drenches lashes for volume. Triple-groove wand combs through for clump-free length.

The brush consists of traditional nylon bristles set into a pattern I can best describe as similar to the Mercedes-Benz logo.

 

The mascara doesn't have much of a scent, other than the usual sort of earth-y scent that most mascaras have. I found the formula was rather wet but dried quickly. The brush head is somewhat large for a mascara wand which made getting to the inner corners of my eyes tricky.

Lash Potion gave my lashes some amazing length, probably the longest I've seen. That, and the anti-smudge of the waterproof are the best qualities of this mascara. The first coat I put on just lengthed my lashes. The second coat added a bit more volume and some clump. The third coat was pure clump. This mascara gave me the worst case of tarantula eyes.

If you like to layer your mascara, then I'd highly recommend this mascara. It does give great length and the waterproof version doesn't budge. However, if you're like me and apply your mascara while driving down I-64 on your way into work, I'd skip it.

 

tl; dr: A high-maintence mascara that is good for length and nothing more.

Battle of the Face Brushes: Clarisonic vs. Olay Pro-X

Clarisonic $119 + 20% off  | Olay Pro-X, $25

I've had the Olay Pro-X face brush for going on two and a half years. I'd typically use it 3-4 times a week when my skin felt disgusting or I wanted to a bit of a deeper clean than just face wash alone. I had wanted the Clarisonic for years but was hesitant to pay the price for one when numerous blogs said that the two were pretty close.

Earlier this year I found a Clarisonic on Sephora's clearance shelf and broke down and got it. You can read my story on that experience here.

I've been using the Clarisonic for a little over a month now, and it's fantastic. It's amazing. I wish I had bought it sooner.

The Olay Pro-X has a head that rotates quickly and has a hint of vibration. It has two speeds.
The Clarisonic head doesn't move, but the unit vibrates with sonic waves. You rotate the brush manually to get the exfoliating action. My model, the Plus, has three speeds and a timer for the recommended 20 seconds each on nose, chin, and forehead, and 10 seconds each for the cheeks. I think the timer is pretty pointless.

The results I have gotten from the Clarisonic in the past month have been amazing. It's been really helpful on helping to shrink the appearance of my pores and keeping my oily skin in check. I don't have to use as much skin care products, which I hope will save me some coin in the long run. A lot of people have said it also helps with aging and wrinkles but since I don't have either of those I can't say.

Even if you can't afford the Clarisonic, the Olay Pro-X is a solid must-have for your bathroom. It does help with exfoliation and makeup removal.

Either way, you can't go wrong. However, if you're in serious need of some skin help, the Clarisonic is the way to go.

Save Money on Pedicures with this Lotion!

I've been meaning to get a pedicure for the last month, but I haven't gotten around to finding a new nail tech in Charleston. I usually do them myself, but when I was working at the airport the steel-toe shoes I had to wear destroyed my feet.

Now it's sandal time and my feet look horrible. I was at Sally's Beauty Supply the other day and I saw this lotion, Mr. Pumice Callus Terminator. It claims to get rid of calluses in minutes. So I bought it and a pumice bar and gave it a try. I soaked my feet for about 10 minutes, then applied the lotion for another five minutes then scrubbed like hell with the pumice stone. My feet look amazing, they're soft, and I can't be more thrilled.

I have to warn you though, this product contains lye,  which is a very caustic cleanser. The directions say to wear gloves when applying the lotion or to rinse your hands immediately. The lotion doesn't come off easily. No matter how much I scrubbed it refused to budge. I probably have the top two layers of the skin on my hands flaking off right now and it's pretty gross. So, wear gloves and you'll be golden.

If you're like me and keep forgetting to get a pedicure or you're cheap, $12 at Sally's Beauty Supply will have your feet looking like new.

A Dress For All Occasions

From 2008-2012 I worked in various aspects of the construction industry. This meant a lot of jeans, company polos, and Carhartt.
Then I had the world's most unflattering uniform in the airline industry. Lots of baggy navy blue.
And now I'm an office manager.

This means an entire shift in my wardrobe. Still overrun with denim and faded tees, I have pretty much been wearing the same thing to work everyday: my navy pants from my airline uniform (a tad frumpy but OH SO COMFY) and a cardigan.

My mom even told me it was time I spent some money putting together a work wardrobe.

Sideswept jersey dress | Coldwater Creek $99-109 + 25% off

This dress comes in sizes 4-24, not to mention petites sizing. I pretty much love everything about this dress:
-Flattering draping across the bodice
-A color that goes with so much. Need to add a blazer? Black, red, brown, white, etc. would look great.
-So easy to accessorize!
-Made of jersey material, meaning no wrinkling, making this a good dress for business travel or to keep on hand just in case.

This dress just has a lot going for it. I'm finding out that work dresses in general are fairly expensive and that I can't live in Old Navy as much as I'm used to. Yes, I can pick up a jersey dress from ON, but it's going to be a thin jersey, as opposed to the thickness of the Coldwater Creek jersey. Not all jersey dresses are equal.

With this dress I could wear any number of my usual cardigans, purses, or shoes. I can't say that about a lot of the work dresses I've looked it.

Ladies and Gentlemen...Break Out Your Whites!

Madras | Land's End $60
Lilly Pulitzer | Nordstrom $278
White Eyelet | JC Penney's $42
Nautical | Modcloth $75

Traditionally, the time to put your whites and seersucker has always been Memorial Day. However, since it can easily be 90 degrees in Huntington at the end of April, that date has been moved up to the weekend of The Kentucky Derby. Why the seemingly outdated approach to wearing white?

It's called appropiateness. It's not appropiate to be wearing white gauze when it's 50 degrees out.
It's silly to be wearing nautical motifs when your boat is in dry dock for the winter.
Conversely, would you wear a black wool turtleneck in late July when the humidity is 100 percent?

However, there's still those one or two things that are best kept until Memorial Day, when we all know for a fact we'll be baking outisde on the Capitol grounds during the Vandalia Gathering:
Tropical prints and crop tops are best left to when it's a steady 85 degrees and above.

Here's a handy guide you can add to Pinterest to help you remember!

Gifts for the Fashionable Graduate

I mildly despise gift guides. First off, every other damn blog features a gift guide. Most of the stuff is overpriced junk and the two things you actually do like are only sold by a store that is open for two hours a day on Mondays. It's iffy if they answer the phone and of course they don't have a web site. This is actually a true story, and the main reason I don't do gift guides.

However, my little sister is getting ready to graduate with two degrees and she's more or less helped me put together this gift guide as a sort of "hint hint wink wink" to friends and family.

What do people actually want when they graduate? My little sister says they want nice, practical gifts that make them appear "grown-up."  They don't want college-themed trinkets--they have plenty of those already--or anything branded with "Class of 2013!" Also nixed are those inspirational "Oh the places you'll go" gifts. She says people have no idea how much stuff like that can hurt when one's top job prospects involve folding jeans or delivering pizza.1. I call it a power purse, but a really nice bag tops my sister's list. She wants something that convey's "I'm here to work" or at least something that will make people take her slightly more seriously. Look for purses in neutral colors--black or brown--that are well-made in a sturdy material with simple styling.
2. A grown-up wallet. "It's time to move beyond the lanyard."
3. A grown-up watch. She thinks having a watch is a good idea because she's under the impression you can't check your cell phone for the time at work (she's partially right).
4. A good going-out clutch. Again, look for quality workmanship and materials. If you can't afford to gift someone a power bag, a clutch is less-expensive option.
5. A good piece of everyday jewelry. Pearls and diamonds are a bit clichéd, and gemstones can fall out of settings. A nice unembellished piece like the one above makes a wonderful gift, especially for someone you're close to. This is something she can wear everyday and looks good with a business suit or a breezy sundress.
6. A grown-up keychain. My little sister thinks after graduation a beer-opener keychain is immature but as an actual adult I have to disagree with her.
7. Much like the power purse, any fashionable grad would adore a pair of power shoes. Get her something she can wear to work or an interview.
8. A gift card for work clothes. A giftcard to Macy's, Nordstorm, or even JC Penney's can help a grad out when they sudden have to drop a massive chunk of change for work clothes. If you find a gift card tacky (hi mom!), take the young lady to the store of her choice to pick out an outfit, and toss in a nice lunch.

You don't have to spend a fortune buying a graduation gift. If I were to single out any one particular gift, I'd go for a nice piece of everyday jewelry. It's hard to fake a good bag or pair of shoes, but a lovely stainless silver pendant can be had for an affordable price from Kmart. Stop by Michael's or Hobby Lobby and pick up an elegant jewelry presentation box and no will be the wiser. All she'll see on graduation day is a beautiful gift from a loved one.