Review: Estee Lauder Doublewear Mascara

(please note, this is not a full sized product, but rather a sample).

Someone gave me this sample of Doublewear mascara quite awhile ago, but I only just pulled it out to use. After a week or so of testing, I'm ready to write a review.

Doublewear is touted to be a lengthening and no smudge mascara. The full size version of this product retails for 19.50$ USD and comes in black or brown.

How did it do? It started out pretty well, if boring. This is a definite 'natural' mascara--meaning that I'd recommend this to anyone who didn't want anything dramatic. It did lengthen, as you will see in the following pictures, but people who saw an eye makeup look with this mascara said: I think adding mascara would make this look more glamorous! Ouch!

Estee Lauder claims this mascara creates 'extraordinary length' that will last the whole day. It doesn't "wilt" as some mascaras can, but you have to keep your eyes open for a bit longer than I'm used to while waiting for this mascara to dry. It also doesn't create EXTRAordinary length, but just a little bit longer.

This doesn't make my lashes feel stiff, more feathery. Its a very gentle formula, especially when taking it off. It came off almost like a tube mascara! You just need a bit of cleanser and water and rub and most of it should come off. It's not exactly waterproof in that regard, but should hold up to a light drizzle of rain.

The pigment on this mascara is sort of dull. It claims to be glossy and rich in pigment, but falls flat on both accounts. Definitely not the darkest mascara out there! I can never tell the difference between a mascara that claims to be glossy and one that doesn't either, to be honest.

Doublewear's wand is small and skinny, with dense bristles as pictured below. I can't really get to the inner or outer corners of my eyes but that's okay because I don't look for that in a mascara.


Natural eye:
Doublewear'ed eye:

I will continue to use this, but only because I don't really want to waste it. It'll be a nice change from the harsh waterproof [yet dramatic] mascara that I'm currently using, but I certainly won't be dropping 20 bucks on it. Mediocre at its best.

Sales: Shu Uemura 20% Off

From November 27 - December 1st, enjoy 20% off at shuuemurausa.com. On orders over 50$, you are also eligible for free shipping! Whoo!!!

Code is: WISH09

To use this code in store, please click here and print out the coupon.

NOTD: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

This is one of the most beautiful green shades out in nail lacquer right now. In fact, I'm going to call it THE most beautiful green. It's one of China Glaze's famous sparkly, almost but not quite glittery shades -- a la their famous Wizard of Ooh Ahz collection. I will let the pictures speak for themselves:





Beautiful. Anyone else out there loving greens? This is one of the only greens I like on me!

....New Winner

Seems like this happens every time I hold a giveaway!
Anways, Alyssa D didn't contact me with her address within the allotted time, so I chose a new winner.

and its...

CATHERINE!!

Congrats Catherine, it's about time you won something from me for being such a dedicated follower too :) Please email me at tiamodiamondintherough(at)gmail(dot)com with your address so that Perricone MD may send your prize.

EOTD: More Purples

What I Used:

MAC lovely lily,
MAC circa plum,
MAC push the edge.
[all pigments]

Shu seal brown brow pencil,
Shu M black drawing pencil.

Please excuse my messy brows, I have to clean them up soon :X.






What do you think?

And the winner is...

ALYSSA D!!

Congrats my dear, you get to try out Perricone MD's No Foundation Foundation!


Please email me ASAP at tiamodiamondintherough(at)gmail(dot).com with your full name and address to claim your prize. If you do not email me within 5 days, I will choose another winner.

Thanks!!

Quick news about the newest MAC Viva Glam

Here's the latest information left by Rob on Temptalia's Viva Glam post on Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga's lipsticks:

" I’ve seen the visual in one of our PR booklets at work, in relatively large scale (a full A4 page) and the Gaga shade looks like St Germain / Snob but more Amplified or Cremesheen in texture and the Cyndi shade is reminiscent of Red She Said lippy, but a little more plummed-out perhaps? They are both limited life colours (not an official VG #7) on counter for 12-months (like the rotating semi-permanent mineralise eyeshadows). Words cannot describe how flippin’ excited I am about having Gaga theme days at work in April (Aust release date is April 12th)! "

They don't excite me at all! I think I'd be better off hunting for that Fergie Viva Glam 5 that I never got to pick up. What about you?

Review: Lavshuca Eye Color Duo in PU-1

I posted pictures of this very pretty duo a few weeks ago and began to use it as everyone was asking for reviews. When I tested these duos in store while in Asia, they seemed buttery, pigmented and perfect. They even swatched well......but sadly didn't apply that great.
Look how gorgeous that purple is! It matches with the golden champagne color well, and it was the only reason I chose this duo over the other, rather drab color choices. I am pleased to say that the texture of both was pigmented and silky and shimmery with bits of glitter shot through.

My highest hopes had been for the purple, but it wound up being the champagne gold color that wowed me. It turned more golden once applied and really brightened my eyes. The purple though...it turned a drab mauve tinged grey once applied. (I used sponge applicators for higher color intensity, I find brushes don't work that well with Japanese drugstore eyeshadows).

The shadows lasted through a day with Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base with minimal creasing on my oily lids.

The packaging is minimal, with the burgundy wine color that I've come to associate with Lavshuca. It's quietly elegant and I like that it has a clear windows so I can tell what color it is.

I bought this for about 7$ retail price in Asia.

The bottom line: it's a good starter duo, especially for the golden shade, but if you have a stash like me, don't bother with it.

Pics: Preview Spring 2010 Collections

Whoa--quick roundup of sneak peeks of top makeup brands around the web! (mostly from britishbeautyblogger.blogspot.com).

Michael Kors for Estee Lauder (Didn't even know about this! Looks gorgeous.) Source Here. And here's another picture.

Paul & Joe Alice In Wonderland Here. Looks great, though I think I preferred the original Disney collection.

Dior Lacy Beauty Here. Inspired by 1920's lingerie and Christian Dior's love of lace. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS! The 2nd quad is looking very gorgeous, as is the packaging. Not to mention its looking like a large collection, so there must be something for everyone!

March 18's MAC Viva Glam From Our lips campaign, featuring Lady Gaga (I totally saw that coming) and Cyndi Lauper.

From WWD:
"Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga have been named the latest faces of the MAC AIDS Fund. The newest campaign, dubbed “From Our Lips,” will break on Feb. 25. MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick and Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick, $14 each, will launch in North America on March 18 and globally throughout the month, with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated to the MAC AIDS Fund. The MAC AIDS Fund has invested more than $150 million to organizations in more than 67 countries since its founding in 1994."

I really liked the Fergie Viva Glam SE even though I never got around to buy it. I hope I can swap for it though, and I'm excited to see what colors (and if they're limited edition!) they're creating next.

Also note that word on the street is that MAC is coming nout with a Disney Villains collection for their big February collection!

Clinique's 2010 Juiced Up Colour Here. Nothing to write home about.

Yves Saint Laurent Spring here. Looks pretty but their palettes always seem to fall short.

Guerlain's absolutely beautiful spring collection here. Cherry blossom, and I love the imprints they always use on the quads. The blush is looking pretty, because I know I can't wear pink on my eyes.

Lancome's Make Up O My Rose spring collection inspired by the 1960's here. This is looking gorgeous too, I LOVE Aaron de Mey. They're spring collection last year was beautiful too but as pinks are so hard for me to pull off, I had to skip.

My picks:

Guerlain, MAC, Dior, Lancome and Estee Lauder (ish). However, Guerlain and MAC have a tendency to fall a bit short, here's to hoping that these collections will be winners. Estee Lauder looks pretty nice too but it's not calling to me personally. I will be following news on these collections very intently!

What are your top picks?

Review: Illamasqua Cry Eyeshadow

Illamasqua. Makeup for your alter ego. One year old British makeup sensation that made it's way across the pond a few months ago.

It's got a lot of hype to live up to, thanks to Youtubers in Britain. Does it live up to it?

..not the eyeshadow, at least.
Cry is a cool medium pink that has alot of blue in it. At first I was wary (this was won in a giveaway overseas) of the color, but gave it a try anyways.

Illamasqua. Makeup for your alter ego. One year old British makeup sensation that made it's way across the pond a few months ago.

It's got a lot of hype to live up to, thanks to Youtubers in Britain. Even more by their eyeshadows' description:

Bring a room to its knees without saying a word. Each of these glorious colours makes a statement that's as individual as you are. Highly pigmented, these long-lasting colors ensure all-night intensity. Experiment and be bold.

Does it live up to it?

..not the eyeshadow, at least.
Cry is a cool MATTE medium pink that has alot of blue in it. At first I was wary (this was won in a giveaway overseas) of the color and the finish (LOVE shimmer...wary of mattes) but gave it a try anyways.
Well...it's okay. Mediocre. People were saying how it totally rivaled MAC (didn't crease like MAC on me.....but I don't mind how MAC creases) and shu. Uh....this formula might be able to beat out MAC's old matte formula (but Matte2 totally destroys Illamasqua), but shu uemura still reigns supreme for me! The formula on Cry felt a bit chalky and powdery, nothing like the buttery textures of MAC Matte2. When I swatched it, I needed to build up 3 layers to get the intensity you see in the pic above.

That's alright, I thought. Alot of shadows apply better on the lids right? Well I had to apply 2 layers of Cry to get it to show and, to my horror, it took on a distinctly warm fuschia feel. What?? Yeah, fuschia. Yuck...I can definetly tell you it didn't look too great.

But the color is something that I can change, so lets talk more about the formula. It was kind of dry, and like I said before, a bit chalky and had a 'dusty' feel to it. It doesn't do the brighter color any justice, so I expect the neutral colors will be better. I'm very curious about the shimmer eyeshadows especially.

The packaging is shiny black, which does attract alot of fingerprints (SO annoying!) But unlike NARS packaging, there is a clear window embossed with their logo (and if you tilt it, it looks like there's a logo under it!). I like the window so you can see the color quickly. The sides of the square are pushed in, like if you played with a soft candy chew and pressed in.

Illamasqua eyeshadow retail 20$ for .07 oz.

My first foray into Illamasqua doesn't leave me terribly impressed, but I am eager to try their lipgloss, foundations/primers and blush and reserve judgement until then.