theNotice: a beauty blog

The product: Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara in Very Black

The lash: Illegal Length gives exactly the kind of effect you’d expect (and want) it to: long, defined lashes with very little volume in tow.  As someone who isn’t actually crazy about volumizing mascaras (because let’s be honest; 9 times out of 10 that “volume” is simply clumps masquerading as being intentional), it’s right up my alley.

The end result is really natural; intensely black but with “clean” vibe (no sootiness here) and great separation. I find I get the best results with a simple, smooth sweep of the brush; no wiggling or zig-zagging necessary.

Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara on lashes. (…Lash swatch?)

The wear: While I didn’t get the kind of wear I love out of this (which is to say, 18+ hours), it can definitely make it through a regular workday. As long as you make sure you don’t let your lashes droop while applying it, Illegal Length should hold a long, defined curl with no smudging or flaking for a good eight hours or so — just try not to over-apply, mmkay?

Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara brush.

The brush: The brush on this one is pretty basic; straight and spiky and perfect for separation. It’s not the kind of brush (or the kind of formula) that you’d want for volume, so keep your strokes basic — just a few layers, with no drying between coats (as recommended on the Maybelline site), and you should be good to go.

(Honestly, I’ve read a few of the negative reviews online, and I have no idea what people are doing to make this clump and flake. If you were that dead-set on getting volume, you shouldn’t have bought a product called “Illegal Length”!)

The verdict?

Illegal Length Fiber Extensions does a great job of delivering “illegally” long, separated lashes, if you ask me. It’s not perfect–I do get smudges by the very end of the day, but no drooping,– and it won’t deliver anything on the volume front, but it’s good at what it’s been designed to do.

If you’re looking for a really clean, defined lash look, or if you’re on the hunt for a cheap, paraben-free, non-tubing mascara with fibers, then check this one out. (I think it’s the only one that fits in that latter category, to be honest!)

Illegal Length retails for $9.99 CAD, and can be seen on my wimpy Asian lashes here or here.

Keep reading! »

I sorted this week’s “New…” widgets a little differently — limited edition items vs. permanent ones. Nothing’s double-checked or cross-referenced, so don’t blame me if a few of the items are on the wrong list, but this should be more or less correct!

Permanent-range items

I love the look of the new Clarins mono eyeshadows. They’re one of the last (or perhaps the very last?) Clarins products to be repackaged and relaunched, and the brand did not disappoint! (Review coming soon for ome of the shades; just need it to get light out in Edmonton again.)

The product that surprised me the most to see, though, was YSL’s Touche Éclat foundation — I just figured that if they were planning on doing one, they’d have done it sooner, you know? It’s not exactly news (anymore) that the illuminator has done well for itself! Better late than never, I suppose, though, and foundations have been “in” again this year.

Limited edition items

From NARS, Fall 2012; from Chantecaille, Safari Chic (elephants!); from Lancôme, Midnight Roses… the list goes on. Dior Purple Revolution (and hey; if you’re going to have a revolution in violet, I am not going to complain); MAC Illustrated (Nordstrom/The Bay exclusives, if I’m not mistaken); Estée Lauder Violet Underground.

Oh, and then there’s… »

What happens when you mix oh-god-keep-it-off-my-face braids (also known as “partial French” or “cascade,” but really, where’s the fun in that) with a Crown of Thorns that constantly thinks it’s dying?

Apparently, the answer is festival-floral hair, to match your face daisies, because why not. It’s thirty degrees and the heat is killing you, so you may as well put some of those panic-flowers into your braids, right?

(Backstory; the plants in our house are constantly flowering, and I’m convinced it’s because they think they’re going to dehydrate & are feeling the need to spawn before it’s all over. Poor things.)

It starts with a braid, 

Adds in some flowers, 

And ends something that might not actually be all that terrible. 

I don’t get terribly excited about hair (love cutting it, love colouring it, love braiding it — but only on other people,) so I’m just crossing my fingers and hoping this isn’t extra-boring for all of you. I can’t even remember the last time I used the hair tag, so I suppose it just goes to show how infrequently it crosses my mind.

And, well for those of you who do like hair:

Check out the full tutorial of the look here.

And hey, about that face…

The makeup in this post is pretty basic, but I did take a few [more] shots of it. Any interest in the product rundown/more photos? I know you’ve already seen it twice (this post, and the storybook daisies one), so I think I’m just going to sit on the photos for a rainy day — but let me know if you want to see more of it, and I’ll get a post up sooner.

Keep reading! »

As those of you who follow me on Twitter probably already know (@theNotice; you know you want to), I’ve been swamped recently with a summer term neuropsych course. Four months of course material, meet five and a half ridiculous weeks of studying. Try not to set anything on fire.

So, instead of a post, have some objects involving daisies!

(Plus, one last image from last week’s festival/floral makeup look…)

& finally, a few posts to read while you’re nursing your Rae withdrawal.

- From the “big blogs”: Karen looks at the NARS Foreplay cheek palette, on Makeup and Beauty Blog, &  Christine has a wonderful Beauty Blogging 101 series over at Temptalia. (The series is a must-read for all the bloggers around here who can’t get enough of blogging tips, so scurry on over!)

- I’m kind of flailing over the NARS High Society trio, too, at the moment. The quality doesn’t sound phenomenal, but the slightly-strange combination of shades is definitely working in its favour. (See it on MABB & Temptalia.)

- Tracy (my comrade-in-arms when it comes to being chronically ill and chronically Edmontonian) tried her first Tom Ford blush recently. Which, I mean: you’d expect that the review would be glowing, right? Not so much (!)

- How pretty is this muted lavender Laqa & Co. nail polish on Charlotte? The name (Incestuous. Classy.) probably needs to be changed, like, yesterday, but still. Pretty!

- And, finally, on the gorgeous-cheekbones and face-chomping front,  Xiao has preview swatches of Guerlain Fall 2012. Don’t lie; I know you want to see them, so hide your wallets and have a look.

I wear a really startling amount of gold eyeliner, so a good, reliable (read: permanent-range) gold has been on the top of my wishlist for months. I have and love Marcelle Lux Diamond Pure Gold, which I rave about on a pretty frequent basis, but I’m constantly on the lookout for a solid gold: a smooth, metallic finish, rather than chunky glitter.

(Which isn’t to say that chunky glitter is a bad thing; I’m crazy about chunky glitter. It would be nice to have both on hand, though, you know?)

I can think of very few brands who do gold eyeliners, and even less who do them in the tone I’m looking for. (Less bumble-bee yellow and a little bit closer to white-gold, or at the very least, antique gold). Take the liquid component of the sentence–an integral part thereof–into consideration, and just like that… results found: 0.

(Make Up For Ever #9L might have fit the bill, but: pencil.)

Meet LUSH Fantasy.

I haven’t had a chance to see this one in person, yet, but I’m excited for it: a permanent-range gold liquid eyeliner, no chunkiness in sight. At $22.95 CAD for a whopping 8g of product–most liners are about 2g,–Fantasy is one of two eyeliners in the Emotional Brilliance range that have been formulated with a long-lasting, no-smudge formula. (The others are designed to take longer to set for a softer, more blendable look.)

Keep your fingers crossed for this one, fellow gold-lovers!

P.S. The Emotional Brilliance range is housed in glass bottles (both recyclable & easy to reuse) with disposable wand applicators made from recycled black LUSH pots. With no extra packaging (the ingredients and info are all on the name-tag, attached with a basic black hair elastic), they’re designed to look cool on a dressing table & travel just as well.

This cruelty-free range will launch July 21st in LUSH stores and online.