Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara Review

Hey Everyone!
So, by this stage, you will probably know of my addition to mascara. I try out many, many different kinds in the hope of finding my HG and I think at the moment I have around 7 open (eek!). Now, far be it for me to refuse the drugstore praise, as I buy most of my makeup, there but when it comes to mascaras I think high end brands do it much better.

A mascara I've been absolutely loving lately is the Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara. I have the sample size (possibly from bonus time a while back) and I have been using it daily for the past few weeks.
The packaging is what you'd expect from Clinique: clean and simple. The writing has actually rubbed off the tube which I found surprising as this usually wouldn't happen with higher quality products but I'm just putting it down to the fact I use it so often and I've had it a while. 
The brush is the perfect shape and size for coating hard-to-reach lashes and gives you a lot of control. It goes on very easily and dries fairly quickly but you can then continue to apply it without clumping. It separates, flares, lengthens and defines lashes amazingly. It also holds a curl pretty well. In my opinion ticking even a few of those boxes is impressive. Admittedly, I have other mascaras which are more dramatic and volumizing, but this can be layered for a more intense effect.

It strikes the perfect balance between staying power and being easy to remove. It doesn't quite stay precisely in place all day (there is very slight smudging on the bottom lash line- though remember I have oily eyelids) but there are definitely no panda eyes or flaking. Its also very, very easy to remove compared to They're Real or Telescopic. I'd say its about 4/10 effort points to take off. 
The only downside of this mascara is the £16.50 price tag. I do think its worth it though- after all, its only a few pounds more than some drugstore ones and its pretty cheap compared to other high end mascaras.
I absolutely love this (and Clinique mascaras in general) and will definitely repurchase after I get through my many, many mascara tubes. 
Have you tried it? What do you think of it?

L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara Review

Hey Everyone!

I bought the L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara quite a while ago now and have just given it a proper road test recently. I loved the regular Telescopic but when I wore it to school I ended up with severe panda eyes- so we had to part ways. Then the logical step forward was the waterproof version.

I really like the packaging of this mascara: it is a nice shade of blue, there is no rubbing away of the writing, its sturdy and handily: stands on a flat surface. The brush is super long, thin and angled at the tip which makes it really easy to get to the inner and outer lashes which are otherwise tricky, but it doesn't give a great deal of control. 

Application is a little tricky- I find the formula dries very quickly, so its sometimes difficult to work with and lashes can clump. 

On the lashes, the mascara offers great length and fair volume. I love how flared it makes the lashes and how it holds a curl all day long. Its also very black and remains like that all day with no flaking, fall down or smudging (which is an achievement considering my oily eyelids).

The thing that puts me off using this mascara is that its a nightmare to get off. I soaked my lids in Bioderma for a few minutes then and rubbed and rubbed until it finally came off. If an average mascara takes 5 points of effort to come off, this takes 20. On the upside, it doesn't budge a millimetre with water- so perfect for this time of year.

Overall, this is probably one of the better mascaras you can get in the drugstore, though it is also one of the most expensive. I'm a believer in you get what you pay for when it comes to mascara, and personally I would pay a few pounds more for a mascara that is just as nice on the lashes but isn't as difficult to remove. 

Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?

Guest Post: Hayley Loves Favourite Products For Under £10

Hello! I'm Hayley from Hayley Loves at lastyearsheroxo.blogspot.co.uk and when Julz gave me an idea of what kind of post she wanted, I jumped at the chance of doing this - my favourite products for under £10. I've been quite naughty lately, and have neglected high street brands and gone more for high end, so this has definitely given me the incentive to head on to my local Boots and appreciate the beauty that is affordable make up products.

I didn't realise just how much I reached for my Colossal Volume Express Mascara until now. I use it nearly every day, it's perfect for creating effortless, separated, long lashes. Apply a couple more coats and you're set!

If I'm looking for more statement lashes, I nearly always reach for L'OrealVolumnious 4X Mascara.  I didn't expect much from quite a thin brush, but this never disappoints. It never clumps and it's really good to layer with, if I ever need to apply more later on.

Everyone loves a good MUA product, and their Flawless SkinPrimer has been a staple in my make up box recently. It creates a smooth, velvety base that isn't drying and really holds onto my foundation. 

On the subject of MUA, I adooooore the MatteFoundations that are like, £2! This is my go-to foundation when I just need some when I'm running a couple of errands, but don't need a full face. It's not really matte at all, it leaves me with a dewy finish, so I think maybe oily skinned people should look elsewhere. It's medium-full coverage is really thick, but easily blendable and covers all my blemishes. Definitely repurchasing. 

I needn't rave about the Brow Kit too much, as you're all aware of how incredible it is. I use it every day, a mixture of the dark and blonde powder and it rarely smudges. And that's all I'm gonna say about that!

A cult product, the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer will be a repurchase till the day they discontinue it. Okay so this shade is a little dark for me, but it blends so well it doesn't matter too much. It's perfect for under eyes and blemishes, you know, I don't know why I'm preaching to the choir!

Finally, most peoples go-to shade this Autumn/Winter, the Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. This deep, wine shade flattered nearly every skin tone with it's blue undertones and was perfect day or night. I still wear this now. It's not drying, perfect for a statement lip, smells gorgeous and looks really, really nice... if I say so myself.

Thank you very much to the lovely Hayley for writing the first ever guest post on Julz' Obsessions! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did- I'm having trouble restraining myself from running to Superdrug right now and buying it all!

Shopping the Stash

Hey Everyone!

In this post I talked about how I sorted through all my make up and chucked out the stuff I don't need/ use any more. As I was doing that, I found a selection of products that were hiding at the bottom of my makeup bag which I had forgotten about and deserved more love. Instead of going out and buying new products, I have delved into what I already have. 

Clinique Cream Shaper for Eyes

MaxFactor Limited Edition Silk Gloss

Clinique High Lengths Mascara

MUA Extreme Felt Liner

MUA Lip Gloss

These products have been rotated into my everyday makeup stand and I'm excited to see how I get on. I like shopping my stash because you get similar excitement of new stuff but it doesn't cost and you rediscover things you had forgotten. 

Have you shopped your stash lately?

I'm posting everyday at 6.00pm this week: let me know in the comments if you would like me to post at set times like this more often :)

Review | Benefit They're Real

After hearing so many good things about Benefit's 'They're Real' mascara, I was delighted to discover it in my stocking this year. 

Not only did the box include the full size mascara (8.5g) but a mini too (5g); perfect for travelling.

With claims to be the 'World's #1 Mascara' I had pretty high expectations, and it does not disappoint. The formula is thick but not at all gloopy and glides onto the lashes with ease.

The wand is great- quite large and extra spiky. Its shape is pretty unusual, having a round tip with longer spikes which you are supposed to apply vertically to your lashes for length (or is is volume- one or the other!). 

Personally I like to apply my mascara the traditional way: wand horizontal. Anyway, despite my slight confusion, I manage to achieve amazing results with even one coat of this. Not only does it darken, lift and volumize my lashes, it makes them look so long! Its the best mascara I've ever used- its the 'do-all' mascara! 

A slight drawback is that for me, it ends up under my eyes in a few hours. I think I have exceptionally oily eyelids, because this seems to be happening with all my mascaras, but I've found a simple solution is to powder the eye area before and after application, and it'll stay in place. Another thing which is a bit of a pain is that its really difficult to get off- I find it worse than my previous waterproof one and I never manage to get it 100% off and always have black residue. Finally, I realised it definitely isn't tear/ water proof when I went to see Les Mis wearing it- not a good move!

However, I definitely think the pros out weigh the cons and the effect that can be achieved with this mascara is fantastic. It really frames eyes and does everything a mascara is supposed to do and more. Being the mascara junkie I am, I don't think this will be the only mascara I will use for the rest of my life, but it has and will remain to be a staple in my makeup collection and I am currently using it everyday!

Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?

Review | NYC Showtime Waterproof Mascara

I picked up NYC Showtime Waterproof Mascara in Superdrug for £1.99 as a kind of 'you will do until I find something better product' after my L'Oreal Telescopic ended smudging to the top of my cheekbones after only a few hours wear. I thought either it had a very short prime time or I needed something a little (or a lot) more long wearing. Without the £10.99 price tag (ouch!)

I was pretty much bang on the money with my first impression. This mascara is pretty much your average, not bad, not great product. The packaging is admittedly quite nice for how much it was. So far the writing has stayed intact and everything has stuck where it should be (classic signs of cheap packaging). The wand is pretty standard; straight, strong and brush-like without much flexibility or movement (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). The formula is quite dry which I like as I don't end up with mascara on my lid from blinking too quickly, yet it isn't too dry that it flakes. It definitely lives up to it claim of being waterproof, as it doesn't budge from my lashes even after a day at school (the ultimate test) and, what is most impressive, is that it is actually just as easy as a normal mascara to remove! No red eyes or endless scrubbing. 

However, it really doesn't do anything amazing for my lashes. It gives them a bit of definition, and can look decent if you apply 3 or so coats (I'm sorry, but who has time for that?) but it doesn't volumize or lengthen. For a natural, day to day, long wearing, affordable mascara, this is good. But, if you are looking for a bit of oomph- this isn't the product for you. 

I am still searching for a mascara that ticks all the boxes, and I now wonder whether I will need to wear a waterproof one all the time or whether there was just some weird smudging thing going on with my Telescopic.

Have you tried this mascara? Which one would you recommend?

Instagram | The Last Fortnight In Pictures 7

Hey Everyone!

I am so, so busy! This is literally the first time I've written a post in about a week (yep, apologies for the scheduled posts over the last few days). Recently, I just seem to have a never ending to-do list (thankfully the app Any.Do keeps me partially sane and organised) but as we speak/ as I type and you read, I have about 15484548 things to do. 

The last two weeks have pretty much consisted of school, school and more school. And studying. Does anyone else find that no matter how many times you go over something it just doesn't seem to be going in? Arghh! On the plus side though- I have discovered that my local library sells the.most.amazing.hot.chocolate.ever.

During the week seems to drag in, yet it also goes so quickly. The weekend is kind of the time were I think ok, be calm, and get up to date with everything. Yea that doesn't happen. On Friday I had a night in which was lovely, watching the soaps and having a luxury Soap & Glory shower. Saturday was non-stop; I went into town during the day for a friends birthday present and some bits and bobs then went to the friends that night which was fab. Then today I wrote a history essay and studied biology for my test on Tuesday. I have however managed to catch up on Waterloo Road and Doctor Who (yea I love it and I'm not ashamed to admit it!) On the downside, I'm now 3 episodes behind on X and Xtra Factor (sob). Haha I am aware that this is turning into a diary so I'll just go straight onto the pictures.

From left to right and down:

cute topshop socks- I think these will be so cute this season and next | my Olympic 50p collection woo | haha like my spongebob jumper? I found it in my wardrobe from about 23344 years ago | I'm loving this kind of edgy jewellery- but getting this on was soo hard hence the red ear | managed to film a few videos on Tuesday = happy julz | my elf order came through yayyy- unboxing video to come | small haul hehe | what I'm going to be studying in english | my new mascara- £1.99 and waterproof (ie. smudge free hopefully)- I'll let you know how I get on with it

How has your week been? Hopefully things will calm down for me in the days/ weeks to come but to be honest I think it's only going to get worse!