The Mascara Files: Great Lash Waterproof by Maybelline

I am obsessed with iconic products. Of course I had to buy and try this. I love the packaging and all the hype and controversy around it. I mean look at it! All pink and green and adorable.

My eyelashes are sparse, thin and have an average length. Not bad huh? Well, the problem is that they are stick straight. Yes they point downwards. So my first and most important expectation from mascara is for it to keep my eyelashes curled. 

The first experience I had with Great Lash Waterproof was nothing short of TERRIBLE. It did hold a curl but I found that it did nothing for my eyelashes and I might as well buy one of the cheap Mexican mascaras. But I am very susceptible to marketing and I decided to try it again. This time I came to the conclusion that this mascara is ideal for an every day natural look. Great Lash Waterproof holds a curl perfectly (if that is your concern) but do not expect drama from it.

You will get a bit of volume and a bit of length with this mascara but that is about it. I find the brush to be very well designed. It is easy to work with, compared to the massive brushes that are have been so trendy in the last years. I also like that it is very affordable, even when I see other Maybelline mascaras prices constantly going higher.

So, in conclusion it is an OK mascara, period. Not excellent, not terrible, just does the work fine enough. I wish it were a little bit more buildable, I notice that I have to rush to apply the second coat because otherwise it would start clumping. I also wish it was a bit easier to remove, like other Maybelline mascaras, such as Colossal Waterproof and Falsies Waterproof. Anyway, my Nivea waterproof eye makeup remover does the job pretty well. 

I personally want more dramatic eyelashes so that is why I have not consistently purchased Great Lash Waterproof. But I do recommend it as a basic mascara. I wish its flankers Great Lash Big and Great Lash Lots of Lashes came in waterproof versions as well, because washable ones are for me completely useless. On second thought, I think I will be avoiding Maybelline, given that I am trying to buy only cruelty free products. 

The Perfume Reviews: Michael Kors

So, finding a  new signature scent was not so hard as I thought. There are so many beautiful scents out there to choose from. Once I realized what my favorite note was (tuberose namely), the journey was easier.

Michael Kors is the modern tuberose. Forget the structures of complex white florals, such as Amarige and Fracas (which I also love). No, this baby is green and fresh. But the most important part for me is that it smells like the real flower. The opulence of tuberose should never be mistaken for jasmine or gardenia. Tuberose is the Queen B of white flowers and that means that she is the queen of all flowers, at least fragrance wise.

Michael Kors opens with tuberose. It is a bomb of tropical sweetness. I also feel freesia and tamarind which makes the scent a little tart. Michael Kors feels very creamy, almost like there is some coconut there and at some point I think it smells a bit like banana bubblegum? Not in a bad way though. 

The tuberose in Michael Kors reminds me of the one in Do Son by Diptyque. Fresh, real and very different from the compositions made in the days of yore. There are some other notes listed but to be honest I do not perceive them. To me, this is all about the tuberose, freesia and some tamarind.

The pyramid note according to Fragrantica looks like this:

TOP

freesia, labdanum

HEART

tuberose, violet root, iris, peony

BASE

musk, cashmere wood, vetiver

And then Sephora lists: freesia, tamarind, osmanthus, incense, tuberose, peony, orris, aurum lilies, cashmere woods, musk, vetiver.

This is an über feminine perfume and a compliment getter. The sillage is insane, so this eau de parfum should be applied with moderation. Longevity is excellent as well, I can even smell it on my skin the next day.

Although Michael Kors has gone modern, do not forget it is still a bold white floral. That means love it or hate it. This screams woman all the way,  so girly girls please refrain.

A big fat THANK YOU!

To the MakeupAlley community for making me a Top Reviewer! I discovered this website thanks to my very best friend and I have visited it many a time before buying all sort of beauty products (which I do all the time). I want to share with you that I will be sharing those reviews with you of course in this blog.

For those of you who do not know MakeupAlley please visit it soon then it is extremely helpful. When a member is named Top Reviewer it means that other users have found his/her reviews useful.