Here’s something new from the Maybelline stable – Water Shine Elixir Lipstick. I saw it in Watsons yesterday, retailing for about RM29.80. It might be a promotional price for this is a new item.
I played around with the testers on display and got a pretty good idea of what the product is like.
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I read a lot of good reviews about this mousse blush before it came into Malaysia and managed to get my hands on it to try.
This is a mousse based blush, similar to that of Stila’s mousse blushes. It comes in a heavy glass pot with the colour of the cap representing the colour of the blush inside. Its too bulky and heavy to travel with and the contents can shift in transit. There are many colours available overseas, but when I checked at Guardian here, we have only about 4 colours available.
This mousse blush is not to be confused with the Dream Matte Mousse foundation also by Maybelline. The texture and concept is the same, but this blush is not matt. The colours have some slight shimmer to them which is useful in a blush to add texture.
When you open the pot, you’ll find the coloured mousse inside. It feels soft and springy to the touch – rather like that of a sponge cake. You tap your finger on the blush and then apply to your cheeks as you would a cream blush.
As with all cream blushes, it should go on AFTER liquid foundation and BEFORE powder foundation. However, I find that it lasts a bit better if I apply it after applying my powder foundation. Otherwise, it fades pretty quickly throughout the day.
I had 3 colours previously – Soft Plum, Pink Frosting and Whipped Strawberries. I’m of relatively fair skin but Pink Frosting didn’t show up on me at all! All I got was shimmer. So I got rid of it. Soft Plum turned up too berry so I looked rather unnatural. My favourite of all was Whipped Strawberries – a bright fuschia in the pot but a pretty pink on the cheeks.
I went to check at Guardian for availability and saw they had Peach Satin – a pretty peach with shimmer in the pot, which essentially went on my skin pure shimmer with no colour, Soft Plum – plum shade, Berries – berry shade and Pink Marshmallow – sweet pink with shimmer that didn’t show up.
I asked if they were bringing in Whipped Strawberries, a colour I think would fit any girl, its so sweet on!, but all I got was a blank stare and the official spiel that what I saw was all they had. Sigh…. don’t these sales assistants know that its a much bigger world out there?!
I have no quarrel with the texture but it goes on very sheer. Its good so you don’t overdo it and you can layer it on, but if you have darker skin, I’d just skip this, to be honest.
They were retailing at RM29.90 in Guardian and Watsons and I think it might be RM32 now but I’m not quite sure.
Pros: Cheap, easy to use
Cons: Limited colours here, not long-lasting, doesn’t show up well, bulky packaging
I was reading The Sun newspaper and came across a press review of the new Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black mascara. I don’t know what got into me, but I just HAD to try this one. I’m presently using Lancome Flextencils which I think is really great. However, its starting to dry up so I was on the hunt for something new.
Maybelline has a present line called Unstoppable mascara in a silvery grey tube. It never interested me and I read lots of rants about it. However, this one is in a black tube with a silver top on the cap. I compared the 2 at the counter but could not see what was different between the new and old one save for the difference in the colour of the tube. I can’t find any information online about this item either.
I’m guessing that its called Shiny Black as the colour is supposed to be a shiny black on your lashes. Also its called Unstoppable as its of the same formula. I’m only guessing so if someone can enlighten me I’d appreciate it.
This is a picture of the brush head. The brush head has a lot of little bristles. However, although it looks compact, its actually rather sparse. I don’t see many fibers on the brush either. I had the impression that its the fibers on the brush that adhere to the lashes that will cause it to look like its lengthened or has more volume.
The brush head is not very big which I like, because I don’t have long lashes or big eyes. Having a smaller head makes it easier to work with. The bristles also grab most of the lashes when you apply the mascara on, so its not bad in that sense.
This formula is said to be a 100% smudge-proof full length mascara.
I’ll address the “full length” claim first. I must agree that it lengthens to a degree. I have short lashes and after applying this mascara, I find that my lashes do look longer. However, there is no volume added whatsoever. Not one bit. In fact, my lashes look long and spindly. Not very attractive.
Another grouse I have is that this mascara totally weighs down my lashes. My lashes are stick straight normally. So, before I apply any mascara, I will curl them first. When I applied this mascara, I was horrified to find that my nicely curled lashes totally lost whatever curl had been put into them! Bummer!
As for the claim of being “100% smudge proof” I agree to a degree. I applied it in the morning and by the end of the day, after a strenuous yoga lesson, it had not given me panda eyes. No smudges. Very good for something that does not claim to be waterproof. It also removed easily which is a major plus point.
Colour wise, although I peered and peered, I did not get any impression of any more shinier lashes than I usually have. This mascara costs RM29.90 and is now on offer for RM23.88 at Guardian for a limited time only. Maybelline often goes on sale so try to pick it up during a sale if you want to try it.
I think its good for a beginner or mascara newbie. I previously complained that Lancome Flextencils did not give me volume although it gave length. However, that one holds a curl like nobody’s business, and has much more volume than this one. Then again, the price is also vastly different.
So, now I’ve bought it I’ll probably use this mascara for weekend use or for times when I don’t want to look too obvious that I’m wearing makeup. It gives a long lashed look if you can handle the fact your lashes don’t curl to show it off better.
Pros: Cheap, lengthens, does not smudge
Cons: Does not hold a curl, no volume, makes lashes look long and thin
[rating:2.5/5]
I’m a mascara novice. I never used mascara because, well, I never knew how! That is, until a friend told me to try Maybelline XXL mascara.
This mascara in a fat little tube comes with 2 ends – white colour primer and black colour mascara. The white colour goes on first, and is supposed to lengthen your lashes. The black colour volumizes it.
Does it work?
Well, I have short stick straight Asian lashes. I use the Shu Uemura curler to give my lashes a bit of a curl, then I apply the mascara. I’d say that it does lengthen my lashes and it does add some volume. I look like I have a fringe of lashes.
However, I find the brush too fat and the bristles too short. Its also rather clumpy so I get clumps in my lashes which when I try to brush out, messes up my lashes a tad. In that sense, its hard to use.
It comes in 2 formulas – Black body = non waterproof. Blue body = waterproof. I’ve only tried the non-waterproof version and it does smudge throughout the day. But only to be expected in our hot humid weather. Its easy to remove, which is good.
It retails at RM20+ at all pharmacies and sometimes goes on discount or special price. I’d say it works in a pinch, and since mascaras should be discarded after 3-5 months, its not too expensive. However, the brush puts me off, so I’m off to search for another one.
Pros: Lengthens and adds volume as promised
Cons: Brush head is too fat, clumpy formula
