Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara | Product Flop

Well quite frankly I'm disappointed, and I'm disappointed that I'm disappointed because I'd been awaiting the release of the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara for some time and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. What I thought would turn into a burning love affair... just turned into burning eyes. Yep, read on to find out why I pretty much hate the new Lash Sensational Mascara. 

Let's start with the good. The packaging looks quite up market (for a drugstore brand) opting for a muted metallic blush colour and nothing to garish or loud. The price tag is also on point, at a cosy £7.99 it ticks the 'under a tenner' box and has had its fair share of hype online. The brush is also slightly spooned, a shape that works well for me as the curve tends to hug and lift the lashes. So all in all I was pretty excited for this little baby, until that is, I discovered one teeny tiny flaw...

I'm allergic to the formula! I was beyond gutted by this, because I always get on really well with Maybelline mascaras and I've never had a reaction to any of their other ones. After around four hours wearing this the desire to rub my eyes was unbearable and I just wanted to take it all off. My eyes were red, sore and itched like crazy. But, like a trooper, I stuck with it and (fiercely or foolishly) gave this thing a week's wear to see if there was another explanation for my eyes trying to escape my face... The following day I wore this with no eyeliner or eye shadow, and changed my foundation. You guessed it, the same problem happened, leaving me with no other possible products that could be causing the irritation. Just to be sure, I switched back to my trusty Maybelline The Falsies half way through the week (which I still prefer Bee Tee Dubs) and had no irritation at all.

Setting that aside, let’s get into how the product performed as a mascara, as it’s doubtful you’ll have the same irritation problems that I had. Now mascara is such a personal preference, it's hard to say what's good and what's bad in terms of results because people want different things. (Making lashes longer and darker just isn’t enough – who knew?)

"Wet look" lashes, like I'd been crying -and can you see the irritation!?

I found that with this guy, the lashes got longer and were very separated. Good, no? Well, not for me... turns out, I have very thin lashes - yay! And with the formula doing absolutely nothing to 'bulk' up them up, I felt they got a little spidery. I also found that the last millimeter or so of each lash was very hard to coat with product, and just didn't do justice to their usual length. In fact it very nearly of gave me that ‘wet lash’ look; like I’d been crying or caught in the rain and the mascara had started to slide off and thin everything out. But my biggest problem with this mascara (aside from the fact I want to scratch my eyes out when I wear it) is how badly it holds a curl. I have fairly straight lashes and if it were up to me, they'd be standing to attention, bolt upright. But the Maybelline Lash Sensational was a major disappointment in that aspect, and my lashes would drop after five minutes, and continue to do so as the day went on. Not considerably, but enough that I noticed it. I like my lashes to have a bit more impact, so I favour thickening, dramatic formulas that make my lashes look as close to falsies as they can. As I said, it’s all personal preference but I like people to see my lashes coming first!

I'd recommend giving this a try if you have naturally long, thick lashes and you're after a separating affect. Be very careful however if you have sensitive eyes, and be aware that girls with fine, sparse lashes may not get the best results with this one. I'll be heading back to my ol' reliable Maybelline The Falsies for now!

Five Things Disney Films Taught Me About Beauty

Disney gets criticised from time to time for it's views and portrayals of 'beauty'. Teenage princesses, swept off their feet by handsome Princes who fall in love with them for their good looks and youth, and treat them to a 'happily ever after' in a castle far away somewhere...
Critics have often claimed that little girls who watch Frozen on repeat and queue for hours to see Cinderella will grow up believing that they have to look a certain way, or that their lives will never be as good as a those pretty, perfect princesses. But as a fully fledged Disnerd and self confessed princess admirer, I never saw beauty that way as a child. In fact, I thought that Disney movies taught me some valuable lessons that were mostly the exact opposite of what the haters like to suggest! So without further adue, here are five things Disney films taught me about beauty.

1. There is No One Standard of Beauty | It Has No Race, Creed or Culture

With princesses of all different skin colours, ethic backgrounds, hair colours and cultural origins, how on Earth can anyone claim that Disney princesses all look the same? I just don't see it. Even as a child, I knew that attractiveness didn't come from having this hair colour or that skin tone, because all the princesses I grew up watching were so equally admirable but so different from one another. Big Hero 6 had two female leads with entirely different body types, and I still can't decide which figure I preferred! How can you compare Cinderella's blonde hair and fair skin to Jasmine's almond eyes and thick, dark pony tail? Or Elsa's tall, slim figure to Tinkerbelle's petite curves? You can't. They're both equally stunning in their own right, and if Mulan and Tiana and Aurora can all be beautiful, than so can any real girl. Because no individual eye colour, hair colour or skin tone is better than anyone else's.

2. There is More to Life Than Beauty Alone | Beauty Doesn't Define You

If you think Disney princess only have beauty for an asset, you're wrong. Or at least, I certainly never saw it that way. These girls are talented and skilful, they have dreams and aspirations far beyond just looking nice. Tiana worked tirelessly and had a strong work ethic, she wasn't afraid of hard work because she wanted a better life for herself. Rapunzel was incredibly talented and could paint for hours. Elsa had an eye for design and could sculpt beautiful creations from snow and ice. Cinderella was a master at sewing and Belle was a huge book worm, reading and learning was so important to her. Ariel had a mesmerising singing voice and a burning passion for the human world. Mulan was literally masquerading as a man and was brave above all else. Disney don't teach us that beauty is everything, because it's not. They also teach us the value of hard work, creativity and passion.

3. Beauty is Not Youth | Any Age Can Be Beautiful

Mother Gothel thought that beauty belonged only to the young, but she was wrong, and it was her obsession with staying youthful and ageless that eventually lead to her demise. Disney gets criticized sometimes because most of it's princesses are young girls, usually in their teens, but people forget the amazing wealth of older female characters who are just as beautiful. Mrs Incredible (Helen Parr) is smokin' hot, in fact even my Dad admits to finding her attractive. Rapunzels mum, Anna and Elsa's mum, in fact any time a Disney character has a mum (rare in the Disney universe) they've always been animated in a very beautiful way. Aunt Cass from Big Hero six was gorgeous, and how could we forget Ellie from UP? What a stunning older lady she was. Did her wrinkles or grey hair get in the way of that? Not at all. Woman can be graceful, glamorous and elegant no matter what age they are.

4. Beauty is Found Inside | It Shows Through No Matter What You Look Like

Furries. Yeah I said it. This is going to be a weird one but stay with me... Some people say that Disney teaches little girls to want to look a certain way, because the characters who portray beauty are always drawn in a certain way. Well I think that's totally false. I'm going use the example of Nala here. I don't think I, or any other little girl for that matter, ever thought "wow, I wish I looked like that lioness instead because then I'd be attractive". Talk about unreachable standard of beauty... But we knew that Nala was a beautiful character didn't we? Because she was kind, and loyal, and stood by her friend in order to fight for the right thing. So no, I never grew up wishing I could look like Nala, but I wanted to be like her because I looked up to her character. This can be said for many Disney characters, Belle saw the love and kindness in the Beast, and was able to fall in love with him. Duchess and Purdy were both so lady-like that we knew they were oh so glamorous darling, but we're talking about cats and dogs! Disney characters are beautiful from the inside out, and that's the lesson I took away from the films as a kid.

5. No One Is Perfect | Flaws Are Okay!

So you think that the princesses are perfect girls trapped in imperfect lives? Well perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough at some of them, because I see women with flaws, just like the rest of us, especially in the modern princesses. Cinderella and Anna don't look like morning people at all, (nice drool there, Anna) and can we talk about Meg for a second? She had no idea how to let anyone get close to her emotionally and developed a pretty sassy attitude to mask all that insecurity. Frozen was literally a film about Elsa overcoming her 'flaw' and learning to see it in a positive way. Imperfections happen, everyone has them and it's okay. People that look perfect from the outside are likely to be battling their own insecurities, and whatever 'flaws' you think you have, you look perfect to someone too. I mean, Alladin didn't love Jasmine because she was a 'perfect princess' - he fell for her when he thought she was just a street rat. Plus, Belle got past that whole Beast thing so... you really don't have much to worry about!



I hope you enjoyed this post, I realise it's a little different from my usual gig. If you did like it then please share it so others can see it and feel free to disagree or write your own "Disney beauty lesson" down in the comments. I have a feeling this could spark a really interesting conversation.

P.S. - Friday's post will either be my blonde eyebrow routine and threading experience, Collection Eyes Uncovered Pallet vs Naked Basics 2, or a review of the new Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. Let me know if you have a preference!

Beauty Related Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Don't panic, but you've now got exactly one week left to find a present fit for a wonder-mum like yours, so if you're struggling for ideas then keep reading for some beauty related inspiration. Speaking of gift ideas, can you ever have too many? I've teamed up with the lovely Georgia from White Shirt Chic (such a cute blog name) to create a collab post so you'll have double the options! My post is going to center more on higher end products, so hop over to Georgia's blog for some great Budget and D.I.Y. Mother's Day Gift Ideas too!

What woman doesn't like a good long soak once in a while? My first pick for bath and body care is the RelaxStation from Soap & Glory (£20) the kit comes with a collection of some of their best products, including Clean on Me Shower Gel, The Righteous Butter, Hand Food and more. Lush has come out with a Mother's Day Collection, most of which they've bundled into their Flowers for Mum bundle (£44.95), which is filled with bathbombs, a shower gel and even a massage bar. Finally, the Body Shop always has a flurry of soapy goodness to chose from, but I picked out this Japanese Cheery Blossom Set (£22) because the scent is gorgeous and the packaging makes a real statement!

What better to accompany a bubble bath then a relaxing scented candle? My top pick would be the Jo Malone Lime Basil & Manderine Home Candle (£40). I've written an entire post on why these babies make such a good gift here. If you're not a Jo Malone fan you might find Diptyque candles hit the spot, I recommend their Vanille Candle (£40) because it's a very versatile scent that most people will agree with. My third and final pick would be one of the Rituals Candles (£19.50), Sweet Sunrise is gorgeous and also offers classy packaging and fifty hours burn time!

If you want to keep it classic and go for straight make-up, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these next items. First up, the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick (£26). I'm sure I don't have to sell you on this too much because their clearly such a luxurious product - look at that bullet tube! - who wouldn't want one of these on their dressing table? My next pick would be any of The Naked Palettes (£38). With bronze, taupe and rose options, there's bound to be one to suit your marvellous mummy. Last but not least, The Roller Lash (£19.50) new from Benefit. Benefit's mascaras are usually a big hit if dramatic, look at me lashes are your thing, plus there's a points offer surrounding these at Boots right now.

This is where the budget crept up on me a bit... sorry! However, I really think each of these products would go down a treat so if you've got the cash to splash then why not treat your mum to the ultimate in skin care luxury - dare I say it - the Glam Glow Get Glowing Set ($69/£45). I've picked this gift set because it offers the best value for money by far, allowing you to try all three masks for the price of one full size. Bringing us back down to Earth for a moment... the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Heritage Mother's Day Set (£26) is probably much more realistic and offers two cute lip tins to take on the go with you. Rounding up the skin care category, we have the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (£70) Whilst this is crazy expensive, I think I'd also say it's the most indulgent product in my whole gift guide, a real way to push the boat out and say thanks.

Every mum loves a good hand cream. My own mother has a hand cream for every draw and every handbag and every coat pocket she owns. This category is arranged a little differently, because I've selected some great gift sets as well as individual products for those of you who might want to tone it down a bit or are looking for a 'top up' gift. Let's start with Molton Brown, mentioned in my February Favourites post for making such great smelling, great feeling creams. I love the Orange and Bergamot Hand Cream (£10), or you could opt for The Indulge Edition Set (£25) which offers three hand creams together. L'Occitane also have some seriously silky gems, and the packaging on their Cherry Blossom Petal tube (£14) is adorable, as is their Trio Collection Set (£22). And let's not forget The Body Shop, who I personally think offer some of the best hand creams on the market. Their Hemp Hand Protector (£5) may not be pink but it'll sort out any serious dryness or cracked skin in less than a week. It's also included in their Hand Cream Collection (£15)

And we're finally finished! I hope you've found some inspiration, why not pop you own ideas in the comments section to make this post as helpful as it could possibly be? Don't forget to check out Georgia's post on White Shirt Chic for some more budget friendly ideas. And hey - have a selfie of me and my mum for good measure!