After I did the review of Roller Lash Mascara, I decided to try it another time without rushing the application. I found that I liked it a lot better and that the product wasn’t as clumpy as the first review. Although I had thought I’d layer it with They’re Real! Mascara, like the company suggested, I ended up liking it on its own.
The difference? I took my time when applying the mascara and turned the wand at an angle. I ran it through the lashes more than once and separated the clumps with the end of the brush. I was surprised at the length it gave the lashes (same as before) but and was happy that it wasn’t as clumpy when I took my sweet time. I also liked using the wand shape for the bottom lashes. The verdict? Maybe I was too harsh the first time I reviewed it. i liked it much better the second run. Perhaps the product is clumpy for the first application? I’m not sure. Will you be trying Benefit’s Roller Lash Mascara
?
Also, I tried a new eyebrow powder and lip color for Easter. In these pictures I used an older version of e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit, $3 and Tarte’s Power Pigment in Flush.
March’s Ipsy bag was themed Floral Fantasy. I loved the bag and the fun floral print for spring. For me, it seems each month keeps getting better and better through Ipsy. So proud to be a member for over two years and sending much love to Michelle Phan!
A mix of lipstick, lotion, eyeshadow, and more? I’m in love with the variety and usefulness of these items.
Pixi by Petra is a brand offered at Target. I’ve tried a few items from them in my Ipsy bag and in my Allure Beauty Box. They’ve rebranded and gone from simply Pixi to Pixi by Petra. Petra is the creator of Pixi. She is from Sweden and loves all things to do with folklore and fairies. The brand originally opened a flagship store in Soho, London. Since then, it’s expanded and you can now purchase the bright products at Target and other retailers. This eyeshadow sample is a smaller version of their full size Mesmerizing Mineral Palette. This palette is $12 for a full size and comes in five different color sets. The shadow is mineral formula that’s made with vitamin E which is supposed to be good for your skin near the eyes. The sets are:
Rich Gold – gold, khaki, and moss green shades
Silver Sky – cream, silver, and smokey blue shades
Emerald Gold – emerald, copper, and cream shades
Plum Quartz – plum, cocoa, and pinky-nude shades
Copper Peach – peach, bronze, and russet shades
I really loved the eye shadows. I used them for a summer look and applied the lighter gold on my lid and the darker shade above it. The color stayed on almost all day. Of course, it wasn’t up to par with my Urban Decay shadows but lasted a long time. Not too bad for only $12 for six shades.
I’m always down for trying a new lotion or moisturizer. I’m even more down if that lotion or moisturizer is organic! ACURE Day Cream transported me to sunny Florida where I tend to eat more oranges than physically advised in a given day. The citrus smell was strong but not too overpowering. I’ll admit, I didn’t read up on the product before slathering on my hands and feet. Only later, when I was writing this review, did I realize that the product is supposed to be for your face. Either way, the formula helped my skin feel extra soft and I received compliments on the smell. According to ACURE, Day Cream has Gotu Kola Stem Cells which helps to firm you skin and fight environmental damage and free radicals. I can’t really review the use on my face, but my hands sure felt great!
These firming eye gels were really neat to try. This is one of the reasons I love Ipsy; I wouldn’t purchase these on my own. I don’t have trouble with under eye bags or dark circles, but tried these out one night in the bath. As soon as I placed them under my eyes, they felt nice and cool. I left them on for about ten minutes and when I took them off my skin felt firmer and my eyes looked bright. It kind of reminded me of someone adding air under my eyes so that they’d poof up! Although the results were nice, I passed the other set to my grandma, who I feel will get better use out of them. For those with under eye bags, these rock. I think if I ever have kids and need to look wide awake, these will come in handy. I’m much more open to trying other products from skyn ICELAND now.
When I saw ahead of time that I was receiving a concealer, I was nervous. My skin is hard to match and if the color isn’t right, this product is a waste. I received the Boo-Boo Coverup in the color Medium. I tried it right away and it seemed to match OK. I would much rather like the Light shade but this may work for the Summer months when I have more color from the sun. What I really like about Boo-Boo Cover-Up is that it is made to help heal blemishes while it conceals. It has ale, chamomile, green tea, tea tree oil, and vitamin E. It also came in a great size which regularly retails at $10!
NYX Cosmetics is my jam. Ever since I began following Charis Lincoln, or Charisma Star, on Youtube, I fell in love with their products. I was excited to see I would get one of their lipsticks in my bag. Unfortunately, the color wasn’t one I would wear a lot. I still gave it a try. The color Pops is a nudey pink. It is a few shades darker than my skin tone and matches my lips pretty well. NYX’s Butter Lipsticks are supposed to be very moisturizing and they are. I liked how it went on smooth. I didn’t like that the color seemed to come off regularly and I had to reapply it. This formula reminded me more of a colored lip balm than a lipstick. Nonetheless, I really liked it and would try other shades.
Overall: This Month’s Bag Was Pretty Good
I was sad that the concealer didn’t really match my skin tone but I really liked the lipstick. The eye gels were something I wouldn’t buy myself so that was a nice thing to try. The Pixi shadows worked really well and I used up the ACURE Day Cream. I don’t think I’ll re-buy anything except the Butter Lipstick from NYX. I still felt that for $10, it was a good deal. The entire bag was worth about $37.50. That’s over three times as much as I paid. For $10, I’ve been happy with Ipsy every time. I just began subscribing to Birch Box, so we’ll see if I can say the same for that. Also, the bag this month is adorable!
*I purchase Ipsy and Birch Box on my own. However, I have included my affiliate link so if you use it I’ll get a few points to use toward bonus items.
As soon as I found out Benefit was releasing a new mascara, I put myself on Sephora’s notification list. You see, I used to never wear makeup (It’s a long long story) and was really insecure about my skin (I had acne). One day, I decided to walk into a cosmetics store in the mall (Sephora) and ask for help with mascara. A boy that I went to college with was there and suggested I check out They’re Real! Mascara. Before I knew it, he had me in the makeup chair, complimenting my red hair and asking about my family. The time spent was so special and fun that I couldn’t help but splurge on a $20+ mascara. I used it everyday and fell in love with the way makeup made me feel (confident & adventurous).
That day I stumbled into Sephora is many years ago and now I love makeup and enjoy learning about new products. I began watching Youtube videos from Michelle Phan and Kandee Johnson and signed up for Ipsy Glam Bags.
The They’re Real! Mascara made for such a good connection that I was hoping to fall in love with Benefit’s latest release: Roller Lash Mascara. So without further adieu, here’s my review of Roller Lash Mascara!
This first image is without any mascara. If you noticed, my forehead is indeed dyed red. I had my hair colored the day before and still had some residue. This also explains the lack of matching eyebrow color (my hair was previously a lot lighter).
Can you tell which eye has the product applied to? (my right, your left)
Both top lashes are applied. I did about two coats and didn’t have time to brush them through because I was running out the door.
The finished look with some spotty lipgloss (that I hated after I applied).
The Review
I’m not sure if I’m 100% sold. I’ve worn the product for about three days and can’t tell a big difference between Roller Lash Mascara and other brands of mascara I’ve used. I like the fact that the product is designed to curl your lashes, but my hair is already curly and I never have to curl my lashes because they’re long and curl upwards already. If you have trouble with lifting your lashes, this may be the product for you. Benefit’s site explains that the product has a curve-setting formula that holds for 12 hours. The wand is also different than others. As you can see in the below picture, the “Hook & Roll Brush” has little hooks that help shape and curl your lashes. I think I would’ve been happier if I had brushed through the formula, but I didn’t have time. It looked a little clumpy.
What I do really like about the product is the packaging. Honestly, Benefit has a fun, funky look and their products are always cute. The top of the mascara has a vintage curler look and is rubbery so it’s extra easy to grip.
You also get a lot of product! Even though I’m not crazy about the thickness, I read on Benefit’s website that you can use Roller Lash to curl your lashes then layer on They’re Real Mascara to add more volume. For $24, it’s not worth it for me, but for those who can’t get their lashes to curl, it may be their holy grail. I won’t be returning it, because I want to try it with They’re Real. At this point though, I may have been better off investing in Yves Saint Laurent Babydoll Mascara.
