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Purchased by Me

Just in case you were not aware, the best way to start the application of eye makeup is to use a light eye cream in order to prevent creasing. One of the better light eye creams on the market is Clinique’s Pep-Start Eye Cream. The eye cream is an instant brightening and hydrating light eye cream featuring a blend of peptides to fight any visible effects of your busy lifestyle. The Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream helps you appear awake and refreshed, settling into your skin in about three minutes.

The eye cream comes in a small tube, but all you really need is a small amount to get you through the day. Prior to using Clinique Pep-Start, the area underneath my eyes appear dull, and don’t get me started on the fine lines around my eyes. After using the Clinique Pep-Start, I noticed that the area around my eyes appeared brighter and helped me look energized. The product also helped with the fine lines around my eyes by making the lines appear more plump. I will state that the rejuvenation did not happen overnight. It took around two to three weeks of daily use before noticing a difference. But do not let that stop you from using this eye cream. It is still a fantastic product to use prior to applying makeup. And while I personally do not have any issues of puffiness around my eyes, I did read plenty of reviews where people were raving that the Clinique Pep-Start eye cream helped in getting rid of their puffiness.

When I walked into Sephora in search of a light eye cream, you can imagine I had a lot of choices. I chose the Clinque Pep-Start because of Clinique’s reputation, the fact that the eye cream was within my budget, and I really enjoyed the consistency of the eye cream. Based on all of those things, I think I made the right choice.

The Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream retails for $26.50. It may be purchased at Sephora, Amazon and www.clinique.com.

Purchased by Me

It is time for another drugstore mascara vs. a higher end mascara battle. And again, the question to be asked is does spending extra money equal a higher quality product. The two mascaras I have chosen for debate are Essence Lash Princess and Black Up Mascara Revolutionary Ultra Volume, Length and Curl mascara.

ESSENCE LASH PRINCESS MASCARA

I will start with the lower priced mascara, Essence Lash Princess. This low priced mascara is equipped with a curved wand and supposedly designed for extra control in reaching your lashes. The wand is designed to help separate and cover each individual lash and give your lashes volume. Ordinarily, I like Essence products as they are a good value. Unfortunately, I cannot say that about the Essence Lash Princess mascara. While the mascara is inexpensive, it is not a good value. After applying two coats of the mascara my eyelashes did not look any better than they did before I applied the mascara. In addition, the Essence Lash Princess gave my eyelashes a “spidery” appearance. When I pulled the wand from its tube, the wand was covered in so much mascara that I had a very difficult time wiping the excess off. Overall, the Essence Lash Princess mascara was difficult to work with, and I cannot recommend it.

BLACK UP MASCARA REVOLUTIONARY ULTRA VOLUME, LENGTH & CURL MASCARA

The Black Up mascara claims each coat of mascara gives extreme volume, length and density in one sweep. Its large curved wand gives just the right amount of product to boost your eyelashes from root to tip, giving a push-up effect.

When I used this mascara, my eyelashes were transitioned from dull and bare to thick and luxurious. There was some excess mascara on the wand, but I had no difficulties getting rid of the excess. The pigment of this product is nearly shocking. It really made my eyes stand out. And the curved wand gave my eyelashes a curl which lasted for hours. The Black Up mascara lengthened my lashes that it appear a mile long, and thickened my lashes, making them nice and plump.

CONCLUSION

Without a doubt, I recommend the Black Up Mascara Revolutionary Ultra Volume, Length and Curl Mascara. The product held up to its promises and I loved how my eyelashes stood out. This is a definite must when it comes to purchasing mascara.

The Black Up Mascara retails for $27.00. It may be purchased at Sephora and www.blackupcosmetics.com.

Purchased by Me

I don’t know about you, but I have always had a difficult time finding a good face and eye primer. The face primers I purchased did not do that great of a job of keeping my foundation on. And when it comes to eye primer, some of the ones I have tried have been cakey; some to the point it was as if I was applying spackle around my eyes. But after playing on the Internet one Sunday, I came across the brand Jordana Made To Last Eyeshadow Primer and Jordana Prime No-Shine Mattifying Face Primer.

I will start with the Jordana Made To Last Eyeshadow Primer in the color Nude. All eye primers claim to make eyeshadow not crease or fade, and adhere to the fact that their formula is light and creamy. Can I say “liar–lair pants on fire?” However, with the Jordana Made To Last Eyeshadow Primer, the formula is really light and creamy, and does not crease. My eyeshadow actually did not crease, fade or have that spackle texture feeling. My eyeshadow appeared  vibrant and lasted all day. The primer is amazing and it will not cost you an arm and a leg.

Onto the Jordana Prime No-Shine Mattifying Face Primer. This too is a great primer. It mattifies and smooths skin, and it minimizes the appearance of fine lines and pores. It does not feel greasy, and it extends the life of your makeup. In addition, the Jordana Prime No Shine Mattifying Face Primer will not clog your pores. I will say that the face primer seems to be directed towards those individuals with oily skin. I have dry skin, and this product worked wonderfully. It is a good quality primer, and the staying power is great. The primer has a silicone texture like many primers on the market. The primer dries fast and lengthens the duration of your foundation, When I used the Jordana Prime No-Shine Mattifying Face Primer, the product did not feel thick. It helped my foundation go on smoothly and helped my foundation stay on longer than any other primer I tried. Now I will say this primer will not leave you with a glowing appearance, such as the MAC Strobe Cream. So if you are searching for a primer which will give you a glowing appearance, this primer is not for you.

Both Jordana products are fantastic and work well together. The Jordana Made To Last Eyeshadow Primer retails for $3.99. The Jordana Prime No-Shine Mattifying Face Primer retails for $5.99. Both may be purchased at www.jordanacosmetics.com, www.amazon.com and www.beautyjoint.com.

Purchased by Me

We all know that a good foundation is a hard thing to find. When you try to find a good drugstore foundation, it becomes a little harder. Thankfully, during my last trip to WalMart, I came across the Milani Conceal & Perfect 2-in-1 foundation and concealer. The liquid foundation promises medium to full coverage, is lightweight and oil-free, and has the added benefit of being water-resistant and sweat proof.

The Milani foundation was on the mark on what it promises, except for maybe being sweat proof. When I applied the foundation, it did give medium coverage, and when I added a little more of the foundation I was able to achieve full coverage without having the foundation being cakey or mask-like. In addition, it was long-lasting; at least for 8 to 10 hours. But I did not find the foundation to be sweat-proof, however. And if you live in the South during the summertime, sweat-proof is important. The last thing that you want is to put on your makeup in the morning, and arrive at work with less foundation than you began with. Now, I will say that Milani Conceal & Perfect also claims to be water-resistant. I did not test this claim, so I cannot state whether this is an accurate statement.

I do, overall, like this foundation. I love the coverage, the fact that it is lightweight, and that it is oil-free and long-wearing. It is one of the better drugstore foundations I have tried in a while. The Milani foundation conceals the redness on the sides of my nose, does not settle into my fine lines, and does not come at a department price.

The Milani Conceal & Perfect 2-in-1 foundation retails for $8.99. It can be purchased at Target, WalMart and local drugstores.