Review: Maybelline Full 'n Soft Mascara

Hello my lovelies! I'm sick in bed today so I wasn't able to film any tutorials or take pictures of a FOTD but I thought I would bring you a review of a product I have been trying for the past couple of weeks.

i know I have mentioned it in a few videos before, but I LOVE drugstore mascara. I can honestly tell you that I have never before spent more than $15 on a mascara in my whole life because I have been perfectly happy with mascaras from the drugstore!

I recently bought Maybelline's Full 'N Soft mascara after hearing some good reviews. I have been using it for the past couple of weeks and while I think it is good, it has not become a new holy grail product for me. 

This mascara would be the perfect everyday mascara for someone with average lashes. I really like the shape of the brush as it grabs onto every lash but never clumps. Because the mascara is very soft and flexible after it dries, it basically never flakes! I also had no problems with smudging throughout the day (I was using the "washable" formula for reference). 

The main issue that I had with this mascara is that it took a lot of work to make my lashes stand out at all. My lashes are very short and have hardly any volume on their own, and because I don't have much to work with in the first place I really had to work with this to get to it coat every lash and get the effect that I wanted. As I said before, this mascara would be perfect for somebody with decent lashes looking for a natural-looking mascara. If you have short, thin lashes like mine, you may want to look for something that gives a little more oomph for a little less work.

Overall, I will continue to use this product but I don't think I will be repurchasing it after this tube has run out. I love the "soft" part of "Full 'N Soft" but it just did not deliver on the "full" part. 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good drugstore mascara that both lengthens and volumizes without clumping, smudging or flaking? Perhaps I am asking for too much :P

Thank you so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Fab or Drab Volume 4

It's time for a Fab or Drab because I haven't done one in quite a while! Basically its just a list of a few things that I am loving and not really loving so much right now.

Fab

Spring Makeup Collections- Although I loved the taupes, grays and jewel tones of the fall and winter, I'm really excited to see some of the beautiful pastels colors of the spring makeup collections!

Bronzer- It's still very blah and gloomy where I live and after months of cold, cloudy winter my skin is looking PALE! I'm  pretty sure if I didn't wear bronzer I could just go outside and blend into the snow so bronzer is a necessity as of late!

Moisturizer and Lip Balm- I can't get enough! My favorites right now are Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Honey Drops Body Cream and Lip Smackers 100% Natural lip balms.

Strawberries- I don't know what it is, but I have been having insane cravings for strawberries and have been eating tons of them lately. They are just so yummy and sweet :)

Drab

Smeary Mascara- It seems like every time I look in the mirror my mascara has smeared all under my eye. I never had this problem before and I don't know what it is because I have tried many mascaras and they all smear! I just really don't like the hassle of removing waterproof mascara :(

Close-toed Shoes- I really just can't wait to wear cute sandals, flip flops and wedges! I am so sick of wearing boots, flats, and sneakers through all the messy slush!

Freezing Rain- Where I live it can't decide if it wants to be winter or spring so it has been raining but the temperature is still below freezing! It makes my morning commute a bit of a nightmare. Sighhhh

I know this was very random but these posts and fun to do and I hope they are also fun to read! I would love to hear what you think is Fab or Drab in the comments below!

Thanks so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Depotting My Urban Decay Primer Potion Sure was Worth It!

Hello my lovelies! If any of you watch my tutorials on YouTube, you will know that I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance in almost every single video. But what you don't know is that my love for eye primers started with Urban Decay Primer Potion. A purchased a tube of UDPP a lonnngg time ago and I absolutely loved the stuff. I used it every day for quite a while but when I ran out I purchased Too Faced Shadow Insurance simply because the packaging was so much more hygienic and you could actually get all of the product out of the tube!

Now I'm sure some of you have seen tutorials on YouTube about depotting UDPP into a small container by cutting open the tube and until last week I had never got around to doing this. I simply left my tube of UDPP in my drawer for months after I couldn't get any more of it out of the tube and every time I would look at it I would feel a bit of frustration about how much money I spent on a product with such stupid (albeit very cute) packaging. 

Finally a couple of days I decided I would try my luck at cutting open the tube to see how much was inside but I expected the remnants left over to be dried out and unusable. I grabbed a cheap IKEA knife (don't try this with a good knife in case you ruin it!) and I started sawing away!

It took a few minutes, mostly because I didn't want to slice my fingers off but the rewards inside were so worth it!

As you can see from this photo, I hadn't even used half of the primer in the tube! Not only was over half the tube still full, but the primer inside was not dried out at all!

I used the wand from the tube to scoop the product out of the tube into a little jar (this actually worked quite well at getting all of the product out of the tube). 

I'm so happy that I actually took the time to do this! I forgot how much I love this stuff and now I can keep my Too Faced Shadow Insurance in my kit and use this jar of Urban Decay Primer Potion on myself!

Here is what the jar looked like after I smoothed out the product. There is enough in there to last me for months! Just make sure you get a container with a lid that seals out any air so that the product does not dry out.

I'm so glad I didn't just throw my tube of Urban Decay Primer Potion away when I thought it was "empty". If you have an old tube of UDPP lying around or if you think your tube is almost empty, I definitely recommend trying this out!

Thanks so much for stopping by! What is your favorite eye primer?

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Review: LUSH Happy Blooming Bath Melt

Hello my lovely readers! I thought I would bring you a review today of one my current favorite bath products from LUSH!

Ahhh...who doesn't love a nice bubble bath. I know I sure do but I find that lately due to extremely dry, harsh weather where I live my skin has been super dry and the bubbles in my bubble bath have not been helping matters. While it doesn't make fun pink bubbles in my bath tub LUSH Happy Blooming Bath Melt has been working wonders on my dry skin.

Yum! This picture looks good enough to eat!

As you can see from the picture, this bath melt is split into three sections and you are only meant to use one section per bath. I was a little sceptical because this bath melt is already a bit smaller than some of the other ones and I felt that only using one third of it would not even make a difference in my bath water. Boy was I wrong! One little wedge of this bath melt is packed with cocoa butter and other essential oils which melt into your bath and get to work softening your skin. It also contains calamine powder which can help sooth your skin, especially if you have any itchy dry patches or rashes.

I absolutely love how my skin feels after using this product in my bath. The oils sink into your skin, leaving it silky and soft but not greasy like some of the other LUSH bath melts I have used in the past. I don't even need moisturizer after I use this product and I ALWAYS use moisturizer after a bath or shower so that's really saying something!

Unfortunately, there is one fairly substantial issue with this product and that is the scent. If you have ever tried LUSH products you know how strong the scents can be and this product is no exception. LUSH describes it as smelling like cherries and passion flower, but I felt that it smelled more like synthetic cherry candy with the afternote of play-doh, lol. I didn't mind the smell myself but scents are very personal and the scent of this product is so strong that there is no way you could ignore it. I recommend smelling this product in store instead of ordering it online just in case you don't like the scent.

Also, as with most LUSH bath product that contain cocoa butter, the Happy Blooming Bath Melt does leave a residue around your bath tub. This is not a big deal to me because the moisturizing benefits of this product far outweigh the risk of me having to clean my tub right after I use it!

Overall, I think that this is an amazing product if you like the scent, which I do. I have tried a few other LUSH Bath Melts in the past, and this one is by far the most moisturizing on my skin. Also, the fact that it lasts for three baths instead of one is a definite bonus!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Let me know what your favorite bath products are! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Review: Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly

I know this is not the most exciting product ever and the name makes it sound pretty weird but I HAD to post my review of this product because it has become one of my beauty staples and I have been using it literally every day for the last 9 months!

A bit of background info: I used to apply Vaseline to my lips every night before bed and would sometimes even put it on my hands or my face as well if my skin was particularly dry. In the summer I became more informed about skin care products and started researching some of the ingredients in products that I was using every day. I already knew that Vaseline is a petroleum biproduct, but many of the articles that I read described how Vaseline basically sits on the surface of your skin like a layer of plastic instead of absorbing into your skin and having a moisturizing effect.

Because I did not want to keep applying ineffective petrochemicals to my skin, I sought out a more natural product. Alba Un-Petroleum Jelly is what I found and boy I am glad I found it!

Instead of using synthetic petrochemicals, Alba Un-Petroleum makes use of natural ingredients such as castor oil, coconut oil, beeswax and vitamin E. It is unscented and has a texture that is remarkably similar to Vaseline but the best part about this product is that it ACTUALLY MOISTURIZES my skin and lips!

Instead of just masking the dryness, this product actually absorbs into my skin and lips so that they feel smooth and soft the next morning. I now apply this product every night before bed and it has really helped prevent chapped lips throughout this extremely cold and dry winter that we have experienced where I live.

And its not just for lips! Here are some of the ways that I use this product:

-Sometimes I mix this with my night cream if I need some extra moisture on my face over night. It does not clog pores! If you need some extreme moisture on your face you could apply this directly to your face overnight.

-This is now my favorite eye cream! I know it does not have any anti-aging ingredients but it is the only product that gets rid of the dry, flakey skin that I sometimes get on my eyelids (weird, I know!). I apply it around my eyes a couple of times a week before bed and when I wake up my eyes feel so smooth and look brighter too!

-This product works well as an eye makeup remover! It is oil-based so it can blur your vision for a few seconds after you use it but it removes even waterproof makeup very well.

-When my feet are really dry, I spread a thin layer of Un-Petroleum Jelly on my feet, put on a pair of socks, and leave it overnight. It sounds kind of gross, but when I wake up my feet feel so soft!

-I also use this product on dry elbows and cuticles. You can use it basically anywhere that you have dry patches!

Besides being a truly amazing product, Un-Petroleum Jelly is 100% vegetarian, hypo-allergenic and best of all cruelty-free! At $5.99 for a 3.5oz (100g) bottle, it costs a bit more than Vaseline but I little goes a long way so one tube lasts me months!

I know I rambled on a fair bit about this product but I really, really love it and wanted to share all of the different ways I use it on a daily basis! I definitely recommend this to pretty much anyone, especially if you have dry skin and lips or are looking for a natural alternative to Vaseline.

Thank you so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

My First (Reasonably Successful) Attempt at Purple Gradient Nails

Here are some pictures of purple gradient-style nail polish that I tried out earlier today. I have finals this week so naturally I am finding many things to do as a (not so productive) alternative to studying =P
 I think this is a really fun and not too difficult way of spicing your nails up a bit without having to go to a nail salon or glue on false nails! Once I have more practice with this technique I will post a tutorial on it, either a picture tutorial on here or a video tutorial in my YouTube channel.

One word of warning when trying nails like this: basically, you are layering bands of nail polish further and further down your nail so that the tip has about 8 coats of nail polish on it by the time you are done. Make sure you have enough time to let it dry completely because even though the top layer feels dry, the under layers are still squishy and prone to smudging! As well, I recommend using a fast drying top coat to help speed up the process. I have a review on my favorite nail top coat of all time coming soon!

I'm pretty happy with how these nails turned out for a first try! Let me know what you think. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a beautiful day!
xoxo, Caitlin

My Top 10 Drugstore Products!

Here is a video I uploaded a couple of days ago showing my 10 favorite drugstore products. It was so hard to pick because I love drugstore products so much but I can safely say that these are my favorites...at least right now!

I hope you enjoy the video! I would love to hear some of your favorite drugstore products in the comments section as well! 


Thank you for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!
xoxo, Caitlin

Pretty in Pink Makeup to Beat Those Winter Blues

As you can see from the design of my blog I LOVE pink! Where I live it has been so cold and gloomy and snowy and grey and yucky and... you get the picture. I have been craving sunshine and springtime but because I cannot control the weather I have been turning towards my makeup collection to brighten my day instead! I have been wearing a lot of pretty pink makeup lately and while making me happier as I get ready in the morning it has also brightened up my pale winter skin. Here are some of the products that I have been loving right now to try and beat the winter blues:

Eyeshadows: Potted shadows L-R MAC Naked Lunch, Too Faced Beauty Mark, MAC Falling Star; Unpotted shadow: MAC Mylar

Lip Products L-R: NYX Round Lipgloss in Ballerina Pink, Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Pink Blush, NYX Round Lipstick in Louisiana, Amuse Long Lip Pencil in Sexy Pink

Here is a pink look that I did using the eyeshadows pictured above. Expect a tutorial on this look coming soon!

I hope these pretty pink colors help brighten up your day! Thank you for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions!

xoxo, Caitlin

Purple Smokey Eyes using MAC and Sleek

Here is a look I did a couple of weeks ago. I really liked how it turned out so I decided I should share it on my blog. I am going to try and include more information about my YouTube videos on my blog from now on!

Here is a list of the products I used:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Eyeshadow in Beautiful Iris and Naked Lunch
Sleek Original Palette
MAC Pigment in Grape
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil Eyeliner in Lust
L'oreal Voluminous Mascara
ELF Blush in Pink Please
Stila Silk Shimmer Gloss in Kitten


I hope you enjoy the video! This look would be great if you are going out for an evening dinner or to a nightclub. I like doing bold dramatic looks like this even if I don't always wear them out because it is so fun to play around with makeup!


Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
xoxo, Caitlin