Haul: Bed, Bath & Beyond and Bath & Body Works

Hey guys! So this is going to be a quick little drugstore haul-- from Bed, Bath & Beyond!! Am I late on this or did everyone know that some Bed, Bath & Beyonds actually have a drugstore section?! And not like those pseudo-beauty corners in grocery stores but an actual very much legit drugstore- the kind that derails you from your original purpose of bringing home a sturdy cutting board (preferably made of bamboo) and has you wandering through aisles of beauty gadgets and goodies with crazy lady eyes, unaware that the husband has left the store in search of some stronger coffee. Ahem...

... onto the haul.

Here's the shortlist of what I got:
Physicians Formula Eye Boosting Eyeliner + Serum
Maybelline Eyeshadow in Apricot Aura
Maybelline Volum' Express On by One Mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

Here are the initial impressions of each:
1. Physician's Formula Eye Boosting Eyeliner & Serum- I use the Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die For at night but this new item is an eyeliner and eyelash serum in one, so you can use it during the daytime too! Nifty.
2. Maybelline Eyeshadow in Apricot Aura (Limited Edition) - I swatched this already and found the pigmentation to be quite poor. All three shades are frosty and although the frost is not overpowering (you could even call it a sheen) it still manages to overshadow the actual colors. That being said I think it still has the potential of creating a pretty look- just don't expect that coral to show up on your eyelids.
3. Maybelline Volum' Express One by One Mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof - I almost bought the non-waterproof kind because I liked the green lettering of that one better (with the coral tube) than the blue letters on this one. Then I reminded myself that taking chances with undereye smudges was unwise especially when the reward at stake is simply cuter color-coordination.
4. Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black- I'm on my third Urban Decay Liquid Eyeliner but I think it's time to go back to gel eyeliner. My first instinct (and most obvious choice) is to go back to Bobbi Brown but I'm really interested in all the new alternatives that have surfaced recently, so I picked this one out on a whim :)

Next, I headed over to Bath & Body Works to pick up some three-wick candles and check out the Carried Away release (I've been hearing good things!) I picked out two candles: Pineapple Mango, and Pink Sangria. I also picked up the baby versions of the Carried Away shower gel, body lotion and fragrance mist. Argh the packaging is absolutely the cutest! The collection smells like plums- and I love plums.

I've already started burning Pineapple Mango and although it doesn't fill the room with an authentic pineapple (or mango) scent it's still a very agreeable fragrance. Fruity and slightly sweet- it's a great candle for spring. Pink Sangria I haven't burned yet but it smells so tangy and delightful I would stick a paper parasol in it and drink it if I could. Don't worry, I won't.
(*Update: I burned Pink Sangria yesterday and I seriously love it!)

On another note, I ordered some Hello Kitty items from Sephora weeks ago but I'm having trouble photographing them properly... if anyone's wondering and I never get the pictures up, I got the shower cap and the rollerball perfume and I'm pretty happy with both of them. Also, my Dermstore.com order should be arriving soon so I'll share that once it gets here.

So that's that! I hoped you're enjoying your week as I am mine :)

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara

Me and drugstore mascara, we don't get along. For one, my lashes need a lot of coaxing and love and most drugstore mascaras I've tried are A. clumpy, B. incapable of holding a curl and C. just not for me...

That was until now. 

Maybelline Define-A-Lash is A-mazing. I don't think I've ever been so satisfied with a drugstore mascara before. In fact the only other time I've been this satisfied with a mascara at all (and it still remains my HG mascara) was with my Chanel Inimitable waterproof in black- the original one (not the Inimitable Intense.)

Before I go on, let me explain what I look for in a mascara because everyone's opinion of what constitutes a "good" mascara may vary. For me, a mascara should look like an extension of my natural lashes. I hate clumps! Therefore I prefer lengthening over volume (synonym for clumpy in my mascara dictionary) and while there are mascaras out there that purport to deliver both, I have yet to find any that actually lives up to that word.

Another critical aspect of mascara is it's ability to hold a curl. Let me rephrase: Mascara MUST be able to hold a curl! Sometimes I'm not sure if makeup companies get this.. What's the point of mascara if it will only straighten out lashes that I have just tediously curled?

So here's why I think the Define-A-Lash is a good (and by good I mean great!) mascara

i. It looks natural. It lengthens and does not clump!
ii. It holds my curls very nicely.
iii. It really is waterproof= No panda eyes.
iv. Even though it's natural-looking it is still very black and darkens my lashes significantly.
v. I like the soft brush (I always prefer rubber brushes to regular bristles) shaped to fit your lashes.
vi. And of course, let's not forget that it's a fraction of the cost of lots of mascaras out there!

   

So here's to you Define-A-Lash, the 8 dollar mascara that made me eat my words.