I was lucky enough to review a slew of products this week for Her Campus, ranging from some awesome makeup products to some useful personal care products! Here are my first impression reviews of all of them:
Let’s start with makeup and beauty products, since I think we can all agree those are the most fun!
Rimmel London’s Super Curler 24 Hour Mascara in the shade “Black Noir”:
As soon as I got my hands on this bag of goodies I knew this was the product I wanted to start with. I am a mascara junkie; I have a whole drawer full of them that I can never bring myself to throw away.
This mascara comes with some pretty big promises, stating that this tube contains volume and lash curling power in one tube; it even goes as far as to claim “bye bye lash curler” implying the lashes will be so great with just the mascara and no added help. In fine print on the back of the tube, it also says that it can be used on its own as a mascara but is equally beautiful when used as a top coat. The wand is a pretty standard, curved wand with medium length bristles and is thin enough to maneuver all of my eyelashes without clumping them together.
After a few uses, I think this product is great. However, I would definitely still recommend using an eyelash curler before applying the first coat. As great as this mascara is, I still think that it is next to impossible to achieve the length and curl of stunning eyelashes without an eyelash curler, and this mascara is no different.
Rimmel London’s The Only 1 Lipstick in the shades “120: You’re all Mine” and “620: Call Me Crazy”:
These lipsticks come with the promise of being moisturizing AND long-lasting, something that is uncommon in our current era of matte liquid lipsticks. These lipsticks both go on super creamy, and feel moisturizing on the lip. I found that both shades have a surprising color pay-off on the lip, as you can see– they swatched pretty translucent.
Applying it to my lips was a breeze, as the tip of the lipsticks is bullet shaped and contours really well with all of the curves of my lips, particularly around my cupid’s bow. Additionally, it was so smooth and creamy, it was easy to spread exactly to the right spots and get a really precise line without a lip liner, which was great since it eliminates the tedious project of having to find a matching lip liner each time you want to wear the lipstick.
I chose to wear the red-orange of the two shades “Call Me Crazy” for the day, and I have to say I was a little disappointed in how it wore.
Although the lipstick looks great on and has great pigmentation, within a half an hour of wearing it, I already felt the moisture being siphoned out of my lips; surprising, since one of the promises of this product was to not do that.
BUT, it was incredibly long wearing and has lasted 6 hours on my lips without any smearing, bleeding, or disappearing. I just wish that my lips weren’t so dry! Ah, the prices we pay for good lips.
Rimmel London’s Colour Precise Eyeliner in the shade “002: Blue”:
This. Product. Is. So. Amazing.
I didn’t even know formulas like this existed in the eyeliner world, and if I did I would have purchased 8 zillion of these eyeliners in every shade that they have. The tip of the applicator is so pointed and precise, it was a breeze to apply exactly where I wanted it, and easy to thicken parts I needed as well as get right into the inner corner of my eye without smudging.
Speaking of no smudging, I was in awe of how smudge-proof this eyeliner was. When I swatched it on my hand, I physically could not rub it off no matter how hard I rubbed without water! Putting it on my eyes was a lot of the same, it stayed on my face well past the call of duty and I was impressed.
The only thing that I would caution with this particular shade is that it definitely is not a natural blue. This is a great statement eyeliner and can for sure be paired with great makeup, but for day-to-day wear? Might not be the best shade to pick up.
Freeman Beauty Face Masks in avocado & oatmeal and cucumber:
I could talk about Freeman Beauty face masks until I am blue in the face (and not from the mask.) These masks are so diverse and incredible; I cannot say enough good things about them.
The avocado & oatmeal mask is a clay mask that is designed with the goal of cleaning pores, while also firming the face overall. This mask is the only oatmeal-based mask that I will touch. Because of the avocado in it, it doesn’t leave my face feeling super dusty and dry, as a lot of oatmeal masks often do. The balance of the avocado with the oatmeal manages to also moisturize the skin while digging all the nasty stuff out of your pores, which is an excellent combination for all skin types.
The peel-off cucumber mask is not one that I would recommend for sensitive skin. The only reason I say this is that because it is a peel off mask, it’s job is to pull off all of the things that clog your pores, dead skin, as well as any things that dull the skin overall. While all of this is super, duper great for clarifying and brightening the skin, the “pull off” quality can be a bit harsh. My roommate and I both tried it, and unfortunately her sensitive skin was left very red and slightly burning after pulling off the mask. Since I have more of a combination skin, I didn’t have the same problem and loved the effects. I would for sure recommend patch testing first for all my sensitive skin buds out there!
Now moving into some non-beauty and makeup products!
Juicy Couture Perfume in the fragrance “I <3 Juicy Couture”:
Juicy Couture perfumes were a staple for me when I was in high school. I wore their fragrance “Viva la Juicy” every single day for years. One of the reasons I loved it so much was that the bottles were cute, the fragrances were unique, and long lasting – getting me through an 8-hour school day without having to reapply.
This perfume seems to keep up this same Juicy Couture quality it is VERY strong and long lasting; I could smell it hours after applying. The cheetah print bottle of this particular perfume looks super cute, which is always a plus since most people keep their perfumes on their dresser, or somewhere it can be seen.
The only thing about this perfume that I personally was not a huge fan of is that it is a very girly scent. It has huge floral notes, as well as very sweet notes. I personally am more of a natural scent person (turning more towards essential oils and lotions, and less on perfumes) so this perfume is a lot harsher than I am used to. But, if girly fragrances are your thing, I would definitely recommend picking up this perfume.
The Diva Cup:
Although this isn’t a review per sé, one of the things in my Big Bag O’ Goodies was a Diva Cup. When I was talking with my roommates about it, 2 out of the 3 didn’t know what a Diva Cup was and had never even heard of one. I thought I would use this time to talk about the many benefits of a Diva Cup as a menstrual care product; as I’m sure it appeals to some girls out there! I encourage you to look into exactly how they work, as they are much different than a tampon or pad.
Diva Cups are reusable which means that they are economically friendly for you, and ecologically friendly for the environment – a double win! They also have flow measuring lines so that you can see how healthy your cycle is, while talking to your doctor.
I think Diva Cups are a great third period option for gals out there, and I encourage everyone to look into it and see if it could possibly be for them!
Monistat’s Cream:
Similar to the previous product, I just wanted to use this time to talk about the benefits of Monistat. Yeast infections happen, people, and they are not uncommon. And when that unfortunate plague of itching and burning happens to you, you’re going to want somewhere to turn. Monistat is a great choice, as their creams are odorless and effective when fighting yeast infections. I will for sure be hanging onto this in case I, or someone I know, (God forbid) gets a yeast infection any time soon!
Leggs Sheer Energy Pantyhose in the color Jet Black:
(do people even use the word pantyhose anymore?)
Girls, when it is a Friday night in January and you want to swear the world’s cutest LBD but you can’t because it is 30 degrees and snowing, you’re going to be grateful to have a pair of these on hand. Although they are not super thick, they do a great job of providing an extra layer between your bare legs and the freezing wind.
The design of these pantyhose is great; they don’t slip down or bunch at the toes, something everyone can celebrate. If I were you, I would run out and pick up a pair right now before November hits and you’re freezing your knees off!
Wearsafe’s Personal Safety Tag in the color Charcoal:
Out of all the products I’ve talked about today, this is for sure the one that I urge everyone to look into. This is an electronic personal safety tag that syncs to your phone, and calls for help if you are ever in a situation where you are threatened and unable to get to a phone. As the picture above notes, it is discreet and silent, and a great way to have a piece of mind when you are going out at night, on a school trip, or even something as simple as going on a run. This Tag is small and neutral toned, and slips easily onto a keyring; most people would probably not notice that you even had it unless you told them what it was!
With all seriousness – I urge all of my friends and fellow girls (and even guys!) out there to try and get their hands on one of these. Personal safety should never be compromised, but if it is, it would be great to have the peace of mind in knowing that you can call for help if you need it.
I also wanted to mention MaidenForm for an awesome survival guide for sticky situations, and Flying Colors for a drink coozie to keep your drinks cold and your hands warm! Check them out!