bronzer bunny

I was so excited to receive this mascara from Too Faced in early April, and am really happy to have been able to try it. I probably would never have purchased this myself, since it costs $35 and I’ve been trying *very* hard to just stick with drugstore mascaras to save money. (I do also like Too Faced Lashgasm, so I was extra excited to try another Too Faced formula.)

Now I should preface this post (and really any mascara post!) by telling you that I have absolutely no skill in curling my lashes or really even applying mascara. (LOL) By following the steps of this system, however, I can get pretty huge lashes. Even my boyfriend will notice how big my lashes are.

I accidentally ripped the box while opening it, but on the inside lid are instructions for how to apply. To sum it up, the steps are:

1. Apply the activating mascara (gold tube)
2. Apply nylon fibers (white tube). According to Too Faced, if you apply more on the ends of your lashes, you’ll have a lengthening effect, while more in the base will help thicken your lashes.
3. Finish the process by applying the activating mascara again!

Initially, I was a bit confused and not sure if I was applying the steps correctly. Luckily, the tubes have the step number on them! The mascara formula is a dry one, and I was also confused when I discovered that the lash fibers are dry and sort of like little cotton fibers.

Here’s a shot of my eye with the mascara applied, without any curling. Sadly, my lashes go straight down, which is never fun. I also don’t believe I combed my lashes in this application attempt. I think it does make my lashes quite huge! (Sorry for the sad state of my brows… someone needs to help me fix them!)

A few application tips:

- Comb your lashes in between steps to prevent clumping.
- Curl your lashes as much as possible! Otherwise, your lashes may stick together, which is an annoying feeling during the day! Curl in between steps if needed!! (Also for me, since my lashes go straight down, it’s not fun to have the mascara and fibers in my vision all the time.)
- It doesn’t hurt to apply another mascara before taking these steps. You can also follow this process multiple times for added drama.
- Applying in an upward motion while looking down will help curl your lashes, as with many mascaras.

This is also a very long lasting mascara but is easily washed off with water. It can also last a second day if you don’t get your eyes wet, which is exciting for me. On the second day, though, I at least need to comb them because my lashes look “slept in” – sort of sticking together in some places.

If you have time and application skills, this is a wonderful lash system! I have neither when I’m getting ready in the mornings, so this is not an everyday mascara for me. (Cry!)  If you are not inept with your lashes like I am, you should definitely check it out!

I saw this kit on Sephora’s website months ago, and happened to see it near the checkout at Sephora during the Sephora sale at the end of March/early April. I picked it up because it was such a good value at $19.50! (The eyeshadow is $17, and the liner is $14, and these are both full size.)

As you can see, the chrome finish of the eyeliner is quite hard to photograph! Otherwise, it is like any other retractable liner. The retractable portion moves quite easily up and down (phew!) and the cap clicks shut. The eyeshadow pot is small in size, so it is not at all convenient to put a finger in. This is definitely one you need a brush to use, which is ok for me even though I prefer to use my fingers to quickly swipe on these types of shadows.

I was initially interested in this eyeshadow because Christine at Temptalia compared this formula to Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombre shadows. The Illusion d’Ombres are quite pricy in comparison, and every time I’ve played with testers, they are either super super shimmery or somewhat dried out. Because of that, I never purchased the Chanel Illusion d’Ombre shadow that I wanted, and I was especially interested in the shade Illusoire. Temptalia says that Pug is very similar, so I really wanted to try this!

The shadow definitely has a bouncy texture, which is kind of fun. Even when I use a brush, I can see the product bouncing in the pot. Not sure what that accomplishes, but at least I like the texture! 

As you can see from the swatch, the liner is quite black, which I always like. The shadow appears more silver than it is in the pot when swatched with a finger, but when I apply it on my eyes, it does appear as a silvery taupe-purple which provides nice definition on my lids.

Again, I will preface this by saying that my lids can be quite oily, especially in the crease area near my lashline. Without primer, the eyeshadow lasted only about 4-5 hours before some minor creasing occurred. With primer (Nars Smudgeproof, which is my favorite!) it was at least 10 hours before minor creasing took place.

The shimmer was manageable, and the color was wearable for everyday, and that’s what I had hoped to find in Chanel Illusoire. (Although if you own and love Chanel Illusoire I’d love to hear!) This shadow is more shimmery than the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, and I feel that this shade is not opaque in the way that Color Tattoos or some of the L’Oreal Infallible shades are. That’s not a good or bad thing, but just something I thought might be worth noting.

I have only tried the liner once so far, and as I mentioned, it is a true black, which can sometimes be hard to find. The formula is very creamy, and glides on SO smoothly. The swatch I made didn’t smudge from touching it, and when I showered it did take rubbing at the end of my shower to get it off. However, it didn’t fare so well when I used it to tightline – it did smudge in the corners of my eyes as if my top lids had touched my lower lids in some areas. But again, I did not wear primer and I think I rubbed my eyes at least once. I think with primer and/or if I don’t use it to tightline, it will fare much better!

What do you think of this set? Have you tried any of these products??

P.S. If you do like these shadows and also want some color, Sephora currently has a set of 4 of these shadows (full size) on sale for $34, which will be like buying 4 for the price of 2.

I purchased this moisturizer earlier this year, in hopes that it would be great SPF coverage. I’m always interested in Cetaphil products because of their popularity among people with sensitive or acne-prone skin. 

The active ingredients listed on the product are: octinoxate (7.5%), octisalate (5%), octocrylene (7%), oxybenzone (6%), titanium dioxide (5.7%). Sorry if you sensitive to any of these ingredients!

At first, I really liked the packaging, but I sometimes experienced difficulty getting the right amount out of the pump. (As if the pump were stuck or something. However, I press on things very lightly so perhaps its just me!)

Here’s a photo of the moisturizer on my hand, then lightly blended. Initially, I really liked this moisturizer – it is light, and not greasy and has a light sunscreen smell which I don’t mind. It didn’t appear to affect any of my makeup or flashback in photos either. However, after a few weeks of use, I realized this was the culprit in my oily t-zone at the end of the day. (If you look at some photos from February, you can see a slight sheen!)

Here you can see how there is a bit of shine and sparkle even on my hand once I’ve blended this in. I think this moisturizer is worth a try if you have dry or dull skin – perhaps it may add some radiance! If you are oily however, I would stay away!

I would not repurchase this moisturizer, but my boyfriend is happy to use it and doesn’t have any complaints. I may try it again in summer just for SPF protection as well.

What are your favorite products with SPF? Do you think I should do a skincare post?