MAC Bombshell Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Bombshell Lipstick

MAC Bombshell Lipstick ($15) is a soft rosy pink with pink and golden shimmer. It's a frost formula lipstick, so if you don't like frost, this might not be a lipstick for you - but for reference, I can tolerate many of MAC's Frost Lipsticks as the actual formula is nice and they don't tend to be overly frosty.

The lipstick is smooth (non-gritty and dry like many frost lipsticks) and applies just as silky as any of their other formulas. It has a satin finish, but if it was a bit more glossy I'd love this lipstick so much more. I think it has a tendency to sometimes looks a little dull on my lips, but it's nothing a little gloss doesn't fix. I've read that it looks great when layered with MAC Nymphette Lipglass, although I just grab any similar pink gloss and it always looks nice.

I notice that when I'm tanner (NC35), it looks more cool toned on my lips, and when I'm lighter (NC25), it looks a bit more rosy. I think Pink Icing would've been an appropriate name, because that's almost what it looks like on my lips.

It's a fabulous shade for every-day, and if you're in the market for a frosty pink that doesn't make you look like a porn-star, check out MAC Bombshell.

MAC Bombshell Lipstick on my lips (around NC30 skin tone)

Do any of you own Bombshell? What do you think of it? What is your favorite pink lipstick?

The Round-Up
Pros:

• Smooth formula, applies evenly
• Fabulous every-day shade
• Great for light to medium skintones

Cons:

• Kind of sheer (but buildable) I wish it was more opaque with one coat
• Can sometimes look flat on my lips, so I usually pair it with a lipgloss
• For those that are anti-frost, you may find this lipstick to be too frosty when layered
• Might look too light on deeper skintones

Price: $15, MAC.

Get the Most Out of Your Tube of Mascara!

Mascara can be expensive. Especially since it's a product that needs to be replaced often. If you're like me and go through a tube of mascara within three weeks (because you like to apply so many layers, of course) and want to extend the life of your dried out tube before purchasing a new one, try these awesome tricks — maybe some of you know them too!

• Run your mascara wand under hot water until the wand runs clean. Then, dip the wet mascara wand back in the tube, rubbing it against the inside walls of the tube. The heat and water will soften the product in the tube, making your mascara apply just like new!

• Fill a coffee mug up with water, and place the mug in the microwave for a minute or so. Remove the mug from the microwave and place your tube of mascara in the water. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to warm the product up. The heat will soften the product, loosening the product from the walls of the tube. When remove the wand, your mascara should look wet, as if it was new! Application will be less dry and flaky.

If your mascara is older than two-three months, you don't want to risk an eye infection, so toss the tube, but make sure to save the wand! I typically toss my mascara after one month since I have pretty sensitive eyes.

When your mascara is beyond saving, rinse the wand completely with warm water and soap, and lay it to dry. You now have a new eyelash comb/separator or eyebrow brush.

A spoolie (mascara wand) is a must in my makeup bag, as it's a tool I use every day, so having a few of them lying around doesn't hurt!

Uses for your Wand

Keeping Baby Hairs/Hairline/Sideburns in place - Spray your favorite firm-hold hairspray (over the sink, so you won't create a mess) on the brush end of the wand and use the brush to comb those little baby hairs in place. I have unruly sideburns, and when I do this simple little trick, my hair looks so much more clean and put together.

Budge-Proof Brows - The hairspray trick also works perfectly for keeping unruly eyebrows in place. Just be sure not to apply too much, or they may feel too stiff, depending on the hairspray you use.

A Subtle Brow Tint - This is a trick that works great for those with fine/light colored brows, or those who want to add a bit of color to their brows without filling them in. Roll the wand through a matte brown eyeshadow that flatters your brows until the bristles are coated, and lightly brush them through the brows. You might experience a little fall out, so I like doing this before my foundation. (see photo below)

A Lash Conditioner - Next time you're at the store, hunt down a bottle of Unrefined/Cold Pressed Castor Oil. It works great as a lash/brow conditioner. Pour a little castor oil in a travel container (you don't want to contaminate the bottle) and dip a clean mascara wand into the oil. Lightly sweep it across your brows and eyelashes at night, and you will notice quicker growth and stronger lashes and brows. I've done this and it works!

Separating the Lashes - Although a brow comb works wonders for separating clumpy lashes, a clean spoolie works great too! Sometimes a comb can actually remove mascara off the lashes, so say goodbye to the extra milometer of length your lengthening mascara gave you. I notice when using a clean mascara wand, it seems to disturb my mascara less, while helping separate clumps and pick up excess mascara.

A Replacement Wand - Do you have any mascaras where you loathe the wand? Save your favorite mascara wand and use it with any mascara you want for better results.

Do you have any helpful tips you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments!

Image Credits: Mascara Wands (Publishers Vault).

Get the Most Out of Your Tube of Mascara!

Mascara can be expensive. Especially since it's a product that needs to be replaced often. If you're like me and go through a tube of mascara within three weeks (because you like to apply so many layers, of course) and want to extend the life of your dried out tube before purchasing a new one, try these awesome tricks � maybe some of you know them too!

• Run your mascara wand under hot water until the wand runs clean. Then, dip the wet mascara wand back in the tube, rubbing it against the inside walls of the tube. The heat and water will soften the product in the tube, making your mascara apply just like new!

• Fill a coffee mug up with water, and place the mug in the microwave for a minute or so. Remove the mug from the microwave and place your tube of mascara in the water. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to warm the product up. The heat will soften the product, loosening the product from the walls of the tube. When remove the wand, your mascara should look wet, as if it was new! Application will be less dry and flaky.

If your mascara is older than two-three months, you don't want to risk an eye infection, so toss the tube, but make sure to save the wand! I typically toss my mascara after one month since I have pretty sensitive eyes.

When your mascara is beyond saving, rinse the wand completely with warm water and soap, and lay it to dry. You now have a new eyelash comb/separator or eyebrow brush.

A spoolie (mascara wand) is a must in my makeup bag, as it's a tool I use every day, so having a few of them lying around doesn't hurt!

Uses for your Wand

Keeping Baby Hairs/Hairline/Sideburns in place - Spray your favorite firm-hold hairspray (over the sink, so you won't create a mess) on the brush end of the wand and use the brush to comb those little baby hairs in place. I have unruly sideburns, and when I do this simple little trick, my hair looks so much more clean and put together.

Budge-Proof Brows - The hairspray trick also works perfectly for keeping unruly eyebrows in place. Just be sure not to apply too much, or they may feel too stiff, depending on the hairspray you use.

A Subtle Brow Tint - This is a trick that works great for those with fine/light colored brows, or those who want to add a bit of color to their brows without filling them in. Roll the wand through a matte brown eyeshadow that flatters your brows until the bristles are coated, and lightly brush them through the brows. You might experience a little fall out, so I like doing this before my foundation. (see photo below)

A Lash Conditioner - Next time you're at the store, hunt down a bottle of Unrefined/Cold Pressed Castor Oil. It works great as a lash/brow conditioner. Pour a little castor oil in a travel container (you don't want to contaminate the bottle) and dip a clean mascara wand into the oil. Lightly sweep it across your brows and eyelashes at night, and you will notice quicker growth and stronger lashes and brows. I've done this and it works!

Separating the Lashes - Although a brow comb works wonders for separating clumpy lashes, a clean spoolie works great too! Sometimes a comb can actually remove mascara off the lashes, so say goodbye to the extra milometer of length your lengthening mascara gave you. I notice when using a clean mascara wand, it seems to disturb my mascara less, while helping separate clumps and pick up excess mascara.

A Replacement Wand - Do you have any mascaras where you loathe the wand? Save your favorite mascara wand and use it with any mascara you want for better results.

Do you have any helpful tips you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments!

Image Credits: Mascara Wands (Publishers Vault).

My secret weapon for silky, smooth skin - The Salux Cloth!

This review is going to be fairly brief, because it's just one of those things you can't really say much about. It's a cloth. It's awesome. If you don't already have silky smooth skin, you need it.

So, sometimes my boredom brings me to Makeupalley with my pen and paper in hand. I like browsing the highest rated products with a significant number of reviews and jotting them all down on my "to-try" list. With a 96% re-purchase rate based on over 300 reviews, I've had the Salux Cloth on my list for some time now.

Although I do have fairly sensitive skin, I also am very prone to in-growns and have mild Keratosis Pilaris (trapped hair follicles) on my arms and thighs. I love scrubs, I love exfoliation gloves - I love anything abrasive, because it helps pop those little suckers (the in-growns) and keep the underside of my forearms and knees looking smooth, rather than goose bumpy. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed with any of the bath products I've been using.. that is, until the Salux Cloth!

Alright, I'm really not trying to beef up this little piece of cloth, but it has honestly changed the texture of my skin. I always use Amlactin on my body to help with in-growns and trapped hair follicles, but it was never really that effective until I combined the Salux Cloth and Amlactin. I've never felt my skin smoother.

The Salux Cloth is a fairly large piece of cloth, and your first instinct will probably be wondering what in the world you're going to do with it. I like to simply scrunch it up in my hand like a mesh bath sponge, wet it and squeeze my shower gel over it. The fabric doesn't really allow it to lather up too much, so rinsing it will only rinse the soap away, rather than creating lots of suds. I scrub my whole body, concentrating on the areas that are prone to trapped hair follicles (under forearms near my elbows, knees, etc).

It's completely tolerable for me, as I'm use to abrasive scrubs and sponges. It's made up of 60% Nylon and 40% Polyester. It's maybe a step up from your average exfoliating sponge (which is typically 100% Nylon), so if you use those already (esp. my self-tanning girls!) you'll do fine with these.

Getting my back is always a pain, but it's a cinch with this cloth. Just twist the cloth, so it's a long braid, holding one end from over your head, and the other hand behind your back, moving it in back-and-forth scrubbing motions.

After my shower when my skin is dry, I love applying a body lotion (Amlactin or Eucerin) and my skin feels amazing! Areas that were never smooth feel smooth.

I'm never going to use anything else than a Salux Cloth in the shower, and I have Makeupalley to yet again thank!

Click here to read reviews on Makeupalley.

I purchased mine from Joie of SaluxShop. You can order directly from the website or from her eBay account joie4444.

Beware: Apparently there are counterfeits that claim to be "salux" cloths, but are not, and don't work the same. It's insane that people would counterfeit something that only costs a few dollars. Make sure to purchase from a reputable seller - I recommend Joie.

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Helps keep my Keratosis Pilaris to a minimum
• Helps minimize in-grown hairs 
• Exfoliates better than other bath sponges I've used
• Washes back well, which is difficult with other sponges
• Dries fast
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Might be too harsh for daily use - I only use it on rough areas daily, lightly (minimal to no pressure) on most of my body and give my body a good scrub at least once a week. I usually have to go lightly on my neck and decollete because if I scrub too hard, I actually break blood vessels. Whoopsie.
• You have to avoid the "fake" cloths 

Price: $5.98, Salux Shop. The price differs based on the retailer.

Natural Olive Green Eyeshadow Tutorial.

A super-quick tutorial today using a few different products. It's very simple, but I really like the combination of shades, and I've been wearing it often for day or night.

You can add white pencil liner to the waterline to brighten up the eyes, or add black liner for a more intense look. I sometimes like popping a little black liner on my lid and cutting some false lashes in half and add them to the the outer half of my eyes for added drama.

Products Used:
MAC Sweet Sage Fluidline discontinued shade (used in step 2 and 3)
MAC Club Eyeshadow (used in step 5)
Yellow-Green Eyeshadow from LA Colors Private Eye Palette (used in step 6)
MAC Nylon Eyeshadow (used in step 7)
Maybelline The Falsie's Mascara (used in step 8)

Brushes Used:
Sigma F70 Concealer Brush (used in step 2)
Sigma E65 Small Angle Brush (used in step 3)
Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush (used in step 4)
Sigma E30 Pencil Brush (used in step 5 and 7)
Sigma E25 Blending Brush (used in step 6)

I have a few different requests for future tutorials with more color - purple, blue, etc, as well as some day-time looks. I'll be working on those, and should hopefully have them up soon.

Hope you all have a fabulous day!

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara Review!

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara ($19) is a lengthening mascara with conditioning ingredients to promote growth and prevent breakage. It's an ultra-black, glossy formula that doesn't flake or flake.

Formulated without: •Sulfates •Synthetic Fragrances •Synthetic Dyes •Petrochemicals •Phthalates •GMOs •Triclosan

The tube design is pretty unique. The product is in-cased in a sturdy squeeze tube. It's great because you can get every last drop of the product out, just like a tube of toothpaste. With the standard mascara tube design, you're pretty much missing the product at the very top and bottom (like the old Urban Decay Primer Potion packaging — ugh, awful).

The brush design is.. well.. different. It's skinny and has a spiral bristle design. I'm not exactly convinced that it's a very effective design. It's a little awkward, and I notice that it doesn't coat my lashes evenly, as more product seems to gather at the base of my lashes, than the rest of my lash. With continued coats, it evens out, but can get clumpy. *To avoid clumpy lashes, wipe any excess product off the brush before applying.

With this mascara in particular, I prefer applying the coats continuously without allowing my lashes to dry in-between. It builds very well, and there are less clumps because you aren't re-dipping your brush until you get to the other eye.

The result? I found my lashes to look very curled (no lash curler necessary!) and the super black formula makes my lashes stand out, even from a distance. It also gives a little extra length and volume. My only real gripe is that it causes many of my lashes to clump together. So, keeping a clean spoolie handy will be your new BFF with this mascara.

My lashes before (no primer or lash curler used) and my lashes after (bear in mind that my lashes have NOT been combed though to separate any clumps).

On my left eye, I used a lash comb to separate my lashes. On my right eye, I didn't separate my lashes. You can see the difference between both eyes. On my left eye, the lashes look shorter and straighter, and my right eye they are a bit more clumpy, but appear longer and curlier.

Although my lashes on the right might look a little wild, I like the way they look in mirror distance away.

The deal breaker with every mascara is pretty much if it smudges or flakes under my eyes, and I'm so excited to say that this mascara doesn't do either! I don't know if it's just me, but every mascara on the market smudges on me (and I don't even have oily skin) from very mild to crazy black smudges. The only mascara I can wear all day without ever checking in the mirror is Covergirl Lash Blast. Maybelline The Falsie's comes in second place with very, very minor smudges.

For that reason alone, I'm going to continue using this mascara on a daily basis. I think the formula of this mascara is great, but the only drawback is the brush design. The brush can make or break a mascara, and in this case, it breaks it.

*I forgot to mention the little blue plastic guard that comes with this mascara. It takes a little coordination, but it works if you're someone who is often likely to get mascara on their lids during application. *raises hand* I'm not going to use it on the regular, but I might use it when I'm wearing eyeshadow that I don't want to mess up. (A business card or credit card can work as a guard too.)

Have you tried any of Eyeko's mascaras? What'd you think?

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Super-black formula  — makes lashes look more dramatic and noticeable
• Adds both volume and length (not very dramatic though, for those who want a false lash effect)
• Keeps my lashes curled (as long as I don't comb them out, then they fall flat)
• Very long-lasting (stays put all day and night)
• No clumps or flakes
• Packaging is pretty cool  — no waste!

Cons:

• Clumps easily
• Tends to apply more product at the base of the lashes

Price: $19, Sephora.

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara Review!

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara

Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara ($19) is a lengthening mascara with conditioning ingredients to promote growth and prevent breakage. It's an ultra-black, glossy formula that doesn't flake or flake.

Formulated without: �Sulfates �Synthetic Fragrances �Synthetic Dyes �Petrochemicals �Phthalates �GMOs �Triclosan

The tube design is pretty unique. The product is in-cased in a sturdy squeeze tube. It's great because you can get every last drop of the product out, just like a tube of toothpaste. With the standard mascara tube design, you're pretty much missing the product at the very top and bottom (like the old Urban Decay Primer Potion packaging � ugh, awful).

The brush design is.. well.. different. It's skinny and has a spiral bristle design. I'm not exactly convinced that it's a very effective design. It's a little awkward, and I notice that it doesn't coat my lashes evenly, as more product seems to gather at the base of my lashes, than the rest of my lash. With continued coats, it evens out, but can get clumpy. *To avoid clumpy lashes, wipe any excess product off the brush before applying.

With this mascara in particular, I prefer applying the coats continuously without allowing my lashes to dry in-between. It builds very well, and there are less clumps because you aren't re-dipping your brush until you get to the other eye.

The result? I found my lashes to look very curled (no lash curler necessary!) and the super black formula makes my lashes stand out, even from a distance. It also gives a little extra length and volume. My only real gripe is that it causes many of my lashes to clump together. So, keeping a clean spoolie handy will be your new BFF with this mascara.

My lashes before (no primer or lash curler used) and my lashes after (bear in mind that my lashes have NOT been combed though to separate any clumps).

On my left eye, I used a lash comb to separate my lashes. On my right eye, I didn't separate my lashes. You can see the difference between both eyes. On my left eye, the lashes look shorter and straighter, and my right eye they are a bit more clumpy, but appear longer and curlier.

Although my lashes on the right might look a little wild, I like the way they look in mirror distance away.

The deal breaker with every mascara is pretty much if it smudges or flakes under my eyes, and I'm so excited to say that this mascara doesn't do either! I don't know if it's just me, but every mascara on the market smudges on me (and I don't even have oily skin) from very mild to crazy black smudges. The only mascara I can wear all day without ever checking in the mirror is Covergirl Lash Blast. Maybelline The Falsie's comes in second place with very, very minor smudges.

For that reason alone, I'm going to continue using this mascara on a daily basis. I think the formula of this mascara is great, but the only drawback is the brush design. The brush can make or break a mascara, and in this case, it breaks it.

*I forgot to mention the little blue plastic guard that comes with this mascara. It takes a little coordination, but it works if you're someone who is often likely to get mascara on their lids during application. *raises hand* I'm not going to use it on the regular, but I might use it when I'm wearing eyeshadow that I don't want to mess up. (A business card or credit card can work as a guard too.)

Have you tried any of Eyeko's mascaras? What'd you think?

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Super-black formula  � makes lashes look more dramatic and noticeable
• Adds both volume and length (not very dramatic though, for those who want a false lash effect)
• Keeps my lashes curled (as long as I don't comb them out, then they fall flat)
• Very long-lasting (stays put all day and night)
• No clumps or flakes
• Packaging is pretty cool  � no waste!

Cons:

• Clumps easily
• Tends to apply more product at the base of the lashes

Price: $19, Sephora.