Lancome Virtuose Doll Eyes Mascara

Whenever my mom goes to Japan to visit family, she brings me back a treat - sometimes it's Hello Kitty trinkets, sometimes it's makeup. She knows me so, so well. Best mom ever. 

I'm not usually one to splurge on mascara, so this is exciting. But also dangerous. What if it's so impressive that I can no longer be satisfied with my beloved drugstore mascara brands....

....I tried it anyway. You know, because i'm a daredevil.

And it was impressive. 

The little spikey bits? Those are the fibers that attach to the ends of your lashes to add length. I applied 2 coats and there was no clumping, no crunchy lashes. It felt lightweight and the results were pretty dramatic. 

I love it, and I hate that I love it because there goes the Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara that I was TOTALLY satisfied with just a second ago. 

Top: Without Mascara || Bottom: With 2 coats of Lancome Viruose Doll Eyes Mascara

Hello, fluttery lashes. Goodbye, all of my money.  

What's the bottom line? Will I really never touch a drugstore mascara again? Nah, I'm too budget-conscious to be replenishing a $30 mascara every few months. 

But the Lancome Virtuose Doll Eyes Mascara makes my lashes look so naturally pretty. Maybe it's something I put on my birthday wishlist, and then again on my holiday wishlist.. [insert sneaky laugh]  :) 

MOR Hand Cream in Honey Nectar Review

Twice a month when I get paid, I feel like a millionaire. 

On this particular day, I paid $14 for hand cream. I am not even a hand cream person. Aside from my face, I moisturize nothing. When I wake in the morning and find my legs dry and flaky, I reach not for lotion but leggings. Cover those babies up! No one will know!

So gross...I know..

No doubt that this is a wondrous product. The actual lotion is thick, creamy, and effective. It has the same consistency as buttercream frosting when you squeeze it out of the tube, but as it absorbs the warmth of your skin it turns into soft butter. It's also worth noting, I think, that the hand cream is matte, not shiny like most lotions. It looks and feels very decadent. 

It takes a while to sink into your skin (I'd say 7-10 seconds) but I noticed that during the week that I used MOR on a daily basis, I had no hangnails (ouch, hate those) and my cuticles were never dry. In November.  

The fragrance is subtle and I love that about this hand cream. I already wear perfume/frangrance mist, so I don't like very aggressively scented things that would compete with it. It's sweet but subdued, it's a comforting and luxurious sweetness. 

There's another scent that I loved - Basil & Grape - that I think I'll get for my mom for Christmas along with the Fresh Sugar Lip Balm. 

I am most definitely enjoying the MOR Hand Cream in Honey Nectar -- do I think it's worth $14? On paydays, yes. On budget-conscious days...I'm not too sure. I only say this because I am not an extravagant spender on beauty products, and hand creams are not part of my beauty necessities. 

Have you tried it? What do you think....worth the money?

summer favorites

I love the idea of putting together a list of favorite things I've been using, for the following reasons:

one. I love lists.
two. I love trying new products. I love buying new products. I love buying.
three. I love reading other people's favorites lists.
four. I love makeup. I love how pretty cosmetics is - the package, the product, the branding, everything.  I
        love how it can make me look good when I'm feeling like absolute shit.



These are my favorites from this summer...


♥ Neutrogena Shine Control Powder - this is better than those oil blotting papers. I get a lot of shine on my nose but the effects of this is instant, and lasts for several hours. Amaze!

♥ Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Honey) - I'm not big on lip stains but I gave into the hype. Worth it!

♥ Korres Lip Butter (Mango) - a tinted coral lip balm. Best smelling lip product of life. More here.

♥ L'Oreal Infallible 24hr Eye Shadow (Amber Rush) - a pale pink copper. I have these in 8 different colors, they're that good! 

♥ LA Splash Nail Art Glitter (Lady Luck) - I dip my entire finger in this pot of glitter to do accents (here). It's got tons of gold micro-glitter mixed with bits of iridescent hexagonal glitter. 

♥ Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso) - I loved this so much I almost bought a second one (sensible, I am not). I usually gravitate towards rose or mauve hues, but this coral one is my blush soul mate. 

♥ Essie (A Crewed Interest) - A cross between pastel pink x light coral

♥ Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - The freebie mini version I got from Sephora turned into a lifetime loyalty to this product. I hate you, Sephora. 

Korres Lip Butter (Mango)

I am a sucker for, and thus an expert of, all things mango-scented.  You could sell me an empty beer can or half a shoelace if you told me it smells of mango. 

I wouldn't classify myself as an extravagant person, but this micro-pot of product (0.21 oz....) for $12 was a luxury purchase. After I'm done with it, I imagine gifting it to my neighborhood squirrel for him to use as a teacup. 

Absurd price tag aside, I bought it because it smells so good. It's fruity but not sweet. It's the perfect mango scent. It smells tropical but clean, which is what separates this from its lesser counterparts that tend to have a heavier, overly sugary scent. 

It's also a subtle tint of peachy coral, which is a bonus because I have an irrational fear of bold lip colors. Once, I purchased a lipstick that was the exact color of my lips which prompted my mother to ask, "What is the point of that........?"

Moms - so observant.