In My Bag » cosmetics http://www.in-my-bag.com Reviewing the stuff I buy Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:03:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Klorane Soothing Eye Make-up Remover with Cornflower Water http://www.in-my-bag.com/2012/01/04/klorane-soothing-eye-make-up-remover-with-cornflower-water/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2012/01/04/klorane-soothing-eye-make-up-remover-with-cornflower-water/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:27:41 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4999 Klorane Soothing Eye Make-up Remover with Cornflower Water I recently received a sample-sized bottle of Klorane Soothing Eye Make-up Remover with Cornflower Water from one of my Birchbox orders. Since I wear makeup just about every day, I’m always open to try new makeup remover options, though I generally prefer wipes. However, when it comes to particularly stubborn makeup, such as glitter, certain shadow primers, and mascara, it can pay to have liquid remover around.

Unfortunately, Klorane’s Cornflower water make-up remover did not pan out for me. I found that I had to use a lot of it (three pads worth) in order to take off basic shadow and mascara – no glitter, no densely packed shadow, and the mascara wasn’t waterproof. And even then, there was still purple residue (the color shadow I was wearing) that I had to take another makeup remover to in order to finish the job. While Klorane Soothing Eye Make-up Remover with Cornflower Water did indeed feel soothing and nice to use, I absolutely will not use a product that requires another product to clean up after it.

In summary, Klorane’s make-up remover was a disappointment.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.in-my-bag.com/2012/01/04/klorane-soothing-eye-make-up-remover-with-cornflower-water/feed/ 0 Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/10/04/almay-moisturizing-eye-makeup-remover-pads/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/10/04/almay-moisturizing-eye-makeup-remover-pads/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:28:18 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4771 Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads After being spoiled by but having no luck in finding Visine Total Eye Soothing Wipes after running out of the sample pack I received, I decided to check out some of the other eye makeup remover pad options out there, and settled on Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads. A pack of 80 pads was about $6.99 at my local Target – not a bad deal for nearly three months worth of eye makeup remover!

Like Visine’s eye makeup remover pads, Almay’s pads are thick, almost fleece-like in texture, and feel very good and soothing against my eyelids. And as I hoped, each pad is absorbent and “treated” enough that in most cases I can take off not only my eye makeup, but any foundation I may have on my face. The exception is if I’ve used several coats of a thick mascara or am wearing glitter, in which case I’ll need two pads.

One minor thing I feel is worth mentioning about Almay Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads – the oil in them works well at being soothing and taking off makeup, but if it gets in my eyes, it tends to leave an annoying film that obstructs my vision. The obstruction is minor, but it’s enough to drive me batty. Fortunately it doesn’t sting or cause any type of discomfort, other than disrupting my clear vision.

These pads rock, and now that I am out I am definitely planning on purchasing more! Though next time I think I will go for the oil-free makeup remover pads instead!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/10/04/almay-moisturizing-eye-makeup-remover-pads/feed/ 2 Maybelline Volum Express The Falsies http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/05/22/maybelline-volum-express-the-falsies/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/05/22/maybelline-volum-express-the-falsies/#comments Sun, 22 May 2011 17:35:27 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4350 If you’ve been a reader of In My Bag for any length of time, then you know that I’m always on the hunt for the ultimate mascara. For me, the ultimate mascara will provide definition, length, and volume. Usually I manage to get two out of three, which isn’t bad, but I’m still hoping for the day when I find the mascara. And when I do, you can guarantee that I’ll buy up cases of it. But until then, I’ll continue buying and trying.

Maybelline Volum Express The Falsies My most recent acquisition is Maybelline’s Volum Express The Falsies. This mascara promises to deliver false lash glam — the look of luscious false eyelashes without the hassle of actual false eyelashes. Now, I’ve used Volum Express before with mixed results, but I decided to go ahead and give this particular variation a try, since it promises to deliver that lush, overdramatic look that I crave from a mascara.

Ultimately, Maybelline’s Volum Express The Falsies did better than I thought it would, though it has a tendency to go on thick and clump as a bit, as you can see in the following pictures (you can also see that I’m a bit sloppy with mascara application — oops):

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Maybelline’s Volum Express The Falsies does provide a very dramatic look, but it goes on just a little too thick for my liking. I do, however, really like the applicator brush, which is curved and makes the application very easy (no crazy twisting maneuvers required).

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/05/22/maybelline-volum-express-the-falsies/feed/ 1 Hello Kitty Say Hello Palette http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/04/15/hello-kitty-say-hello-palette/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/04/15/hello-kitty-say-hello-palette/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:22:55 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4380 Hello Kitty Say Hello Fun Palette While I don’t love Hello Kitty as much as my six year old daughter does, I couldn’t resist the Hello Kitty Say Hello Palette I saw at Sephora back in February. The palette features four different pressed shadows and four different pressed lip glosses for you to choose from. All eye choices are slightly glittery, which of course appeals to yours truly.

But ultimately, the Hello Kitty Say Hello Palette fails to please, because it simply doesn’t perform. For $35, I expect eyeshadows to actually stay in place (even with the use of shadow primer, the colors faded and creased within a matter of hours), and I expected color-tinted glosses to actually reflect that tint when on my lips.

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If nothing else, the Hello Kitty Say Hello Palette is appealing because it’s a licensed Hello Kitty product. And it is quite cute. But appearances, as we all know, can be quite deceiving.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/04/15/hello-kitty-say-hello-palette/feed/ 1 Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/04/10/burts-bees-tinted-lip-balm/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/04/10/burts-bees-tinted-lip-balm/#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:39:32 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4478 Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm I have recently fallen head over heels in love with tinted lip balm. I love the moisturizing properties and tendency to be long-lasting element of lip balms, but since they didn’t provide much in the way of color, I would often layer a colored gloss on top of a lip balm. But then there’s the annoying stickiness and shininess of lip gloss (don’t get me wrong, shininess can be a good thing — but not all of the time). So when I discovered that Burt’s Bees has been making tinted lip balms, I immediately scooped some up.

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm is available in six shades (I chose Hibiscus). The featured ingredient is shea butter, which definitely explains why the lip balm feels so damn good on! The hint of color also makes your lips look good under any type of lighting — including commercial lights, which can often be unflattering.

Here’s how it looks:

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It glides on smoothly and is incredibly moisturizing, and provides just enough color to brighten up otherwise dull lips. Yet it’s not thick and gloppy like a lipstick, or sticky like a lip gloss. It also lasts a decent amount of time.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/04/10/burts-bees-tinted-lip-balm/feed/ 0 Bella Terra Pure Mineral Shimmer http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/01/13/bella-terra-pure-mineral-shimmer/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/01/13/bella-terra-pure-mineral-shimmer/#comments Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:10:26 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4105 DSC_8507 You know how no mall seems to be complete without those middle-of-the-aisle kiosks that are manned by pushy salesmen and saleswomen with heavy, indistinguishable accents? Well, my mall is no exception. But for once, I’m glad I was waylaid. In this case, it was a woman selling Bella Terra Mineral Cosmetics. I was immediately attracted to the Pure Mineral Shimmer, an eyeshadow that works in nine different ways. As the woman demonstrated, Bella Terra Pure Mineral Shimmer can be used as a matte shadow, a creamy shadow, an eyeliner, a mascara, as colored streaks for your hair, even as body glitter, lip color and nail polish! Simply use water, vaseline, clear mascara and clear polish to help with the desired use.

I picked out two colors — Emotion and Verde — and I have been quite satisfied with the intensity of their color. I’ve applied them both as a matte (dry) and creamy (wet) shadow, and they work quite nicely in both forms. It takes just a little bit to go a very long way, and the shadow applies easily, smoothly and evenly without much effort.

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My only critique is that Bella Terra Pure Mineral Shimmers have a tendency to crease after just a few hours of wear, but creasing aside, the shadows are lovely!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

]]> http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/01/13/bella-terra-pure-mineral-shimmer/feed/ 0 Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/01/11/bare-minerals-flawless-definition-mascara/ http://www.in-my-bag.com/2011/01/11/bare-minerals-flawless-definition-mascara/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:50:08 +0000 Jenn http://www.in-my-bag.com/?p=4096 Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara At some point I received a sample-sized tube of Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara, which purportedly provides darkening, lifting and definition via a small tapered wand. At first glance I was a bit skeptical over how well the mascara would work, but it wound up more than exceeding my expectations. The small wand is great for grabbing and applying mascara to individual lashes, and its small size also makes it quite adept for angling and maneuvering so that lashes are perfectly separated, coated and angled outwards and upwards.

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Overall I really like this mascara, though a word of warning: it runs at the drop of a hat, so keep those eyes dry!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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