Review: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch and Original Mascara Versus L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara is one of my all time favorites. I love the brush and the dry formula that holds the curl and lengthens my lashes. When I heard about L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition sharing similar brush with Eyes to Kill Volume mascara, I jumped to test it out. If L'Oreal Full Definition volumizes my lashes, I can skip that the pricey Giorgio Armani mascaras and get some volume for my lashes. Ultimately, they're owned by the same company L'Oreal right?

Let's take a look at the brushes.

From this angle, all three look really similar, even the bristles are spaced the same. 

The formula of all three are rather similar but L'Oreal Full Definition is the wettest and Giorgio Armani Stretch is the driest. 

Giorgio Armani Stretch and L'Oreal Full Definition both lengthen my lashes while Giorgio Armani Orignial adds definition to my lashes but nothing else. The first two stay put throughout the day without flakes or smudging while Giorgio Armani Orignial falls out at mid-day. 

All three mascaras hold curls really well but the most effective must be Giorgio Armani Stretch. 

L'Oreal adds no volume as promise. Also, it feels tired at the end of the day. 

Now, let take a look at the brushes one more time. 

I turned the wands 90 degree to show you the slander shape of Armani Stretch. Armani Stretch is 1/2 full around. Armani Original is 3/4 full around. L'Oreal Full Definition is full all around. 

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascaras are priced at $30 while L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition mascara is around $7.99. I got mine from Kroger for $5! 

I prefer Giorgio Armani's but L'Oreal is an excellent double. Plus the price is so much friendlier. Have you tried these sisters? Which one is the winner?

Review: YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Babydoll

Ah, the never ending quest for a good mascara that holds curl, doesn't smudge, dries fast, separates and lengthens lashes and perhaps gives me some volume. Well, YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Babydoll $30 for 0.2 oz) does all of the above, except volume! As soon as I saw the brush, I knew it won't do add any volume. The bristles are too short and spiky for the task. But now that I've expressed my disappointment as YSL broke the promise, I must admit that it's a wonderful mascara for me. Here is why.

YSL Babydoll side by side Benefit they're Real!. Benefit bristles are spaced too far to catch my lashes. The formula is too wet. The brush is too large. I receive no benefit (punch intended)

My stubborn Asian lashes are 1) straight like sticks, eyelash curler is a must and drier mascaras generally suit me best for holding the curl; 2) medium length, some lengthening would be nice!; and 3) fine and silky in texture, heavy coats of mascara tend to make them droop quickly. So I usually don't have good luck with volumizing formula as it ain't dry fast enough and the brush is humungous. YSL Babydoll defines every single lashes! My lashes look literally like a pair of natural falsies (of course with the boost of an eyelash curler :D). The brush is a perfect size for my eyes and the bristles are cleverly spaced to coat between lashes. I love it!

Beside the razor shape definition, YSL Babydoll stays put all day until I take it off. It doesn't flakes, fall out, nor smudge for at least 12 hours. What's more impressive is the curl it holds all day for my flashes. Basically, my lashes look the same throughout the day. This alone beats my beloved Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara.

Now, it doesn't automatically lengthen my lashes. But I've learned a new trick to extend my lashes regardless the mascaras. Problem solved! Although YSL Babydoll isn't perfect, I love it enough to replace Giorgio Armani Stretch. A full size order is being place as we speak.

Another look in the shade

Bottom line. My new favorite mascara. Hands-down. I'll get the full-size mascara once finishing this sample. The quest for volume goes on...

Have  you tried YSL Babydoll? Yeahhh or mehhhh? 

How makeup connoisseurs run.....

The Annual Houston Rockets Run 2012 took place last weekend. While dragging my body through the 5K running track, I caught a glimpse of this awesome shirt on two teenagers. It really lifted up my spirit. Turned out they were indeed wearing quite a bit of mascara. After the run, I asked one of them for a picture of their cute shirt.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Review: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara

When it comes to mascara I declare myself a conservative. It's nothing worse than a unsuitable mascara - besides weird look lashes are irritation and eye tiredness. Over the time I became skeptical with all the hypes on any new claimed-to-be-magical mascaras even from Dior whose Dior Iconic is the only mascara I use. That is to say I'm so thrilled to be able to fall in love again with Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill.  It offers everything I can dream of a great mascara - dry formula (best for thin lashes like mine), clump-free, long wearing, lengthening, and possibly curling with a little extra help. I've only tried a sample and already love it so much.

The formula is very similar to Dior Iconic. Since I'm not seeking for volumizing and more leaning toward lengthening and curling my lashes, I'm satisfied after 2 good coats of Eyes to Kill. And it stays on all day, no raccoon-eyed detected after 8-hour wearing.

While the brush design doesn't aim for curling Eyes to Kill can holds the curl without an eyelash curler. How does it happen? Well I use the handle of my eyeshadow brush to lift my lashes after application for 3 seconds. And voila! The result is also very similar to that of Dior Iconic that is one of the best curling mascaras in the market. The curled lashes also stay put after 8 hours. It is CONVENIENT, isn't it?

All in all Eyes to Kill is even better than Dior Iconic thanks to the lengthening effect that the latter never succeed to create. I love to condition and curl my lashes using Dior Iconic first followed by Armani Eyes to Kill for lengthening. I can live without an eyelash curler.

Armani Eyes to Kill is priced at $30 claiming to create weightless volume and length. Volumizing effect is not noticeable, which thrills me. So if you want to plum your lashes you might feel disappointed. You'll love it if you want length and curl. Highly recommended.

Review: Dior Mascaras - DiorShow, DiorShow Iconic, DiorShow Extase

Smokey eyes and long plumed lashes have dominated the beauty world for a while now. I always feel like an outsider of that trend - natural lashes are neither charcoal black nor one-inch long. Given that my lashes are decent  though not the longest and thicket of our mankind, I just want a mascara that curls and ... curls. I never attempt to plum or lengthen my lashes, not that because my lashes are already gorgeous. My eyes look heavy with dramatic lashes. I also need a dry-formulated mascara to hold the curled lashes. Wet mascaras tend to drag my thin lashes down.

Long for short,  only DiorShow Iconic Mascara (regular formula) has granted my wishes. I use it for every look, any occasions and any time of the year. The spiral brush separates and curls every single lash. Its dry formula holds the curl extremely well. My lashes look the same from dawn to dusk.

The original DiorShow has wetter and heavier formula. It's good mascara that doesn't smear, smudge or fall out during the day. But it gives me more volume and length than I wish for. Also the brush is too fat for my eyes, making it hard to work with. It's rose scented, which might or might not by a deal-breaker for you.

The DiorShow Extase has similar formula to the original mascara using a more user-friendly brush. I like Extase much better than the original DiorShow for this reason. It volumizes my lashes but doesn't lengthen them. I can see myself reach for Extase from time to time.

Is Dior your staple brand of mascaras? What is your favorite mascara?

Does Dior DiorShow Mascara deserve the hype?

In the past 4 years I’ve followed the brand, Dior DiorShow Mascara ($24.50 for 0.38 oz)  won the best mascara by several magazines every single year.

I do find the rather dry formula of DiorShow holds my curled lashes really well. It also adds decent volume to my lashes. No falls out I’ve noticed either. I personally prefer curling mascara to volumizing or dramatic mascaras. The latter feel heavy on my lashes irritating my eyes a bit. Drier formulated mascaras will lift my thin lashes up while the wetter counterparts will drag them down. So I’m ok with DiorShow.

What bugs me is the fat brush. Unless you have a hand of professionals, you will be likely to smug a bit of DiorShow on your lids. It clumps even after drying out a little. I don’t think it’s worth $24.50. At this price, many other types of mascara can deliver the exact results with more user-friendly brush (Lancome Definicils, anyone?). My point is why DiorShow got much hyped while others of equal quality and price don’t.

Is there a dupe? A sale associate at Sephora suggested me Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara. They have similar brushes though Benefit’s is slightly fatter, fuller and shorter. The formula is quite different though. DiorShow is more volumnizing, holds curls better and offers more intensity. BADgal, on the other hand, doesn’t clumps and looks more natural. 

Please share your dupe for DiorShow. And what is your HG mascara?

Dior Diva Gift

Ladies, I have great news! My Dior Diva arrived last week that is moons earlier than expected. I prepared myself to get it no sooner than mid-August, i.e. 8 weeks of anxious waiting. Guess what, it came after 2 weeks since my submission!

So much for my excitement, here is the gift for 250 points. I spent $250 and get a full-size Dior Extase mascara in Black ($28), a deluxe sample of Dior Capture Totale, and a Dior black pouch. I was dying to try Dior Extase for quite a long time but wasn't brave enough to break away from my Dior Iconic. This fulfills my wish. 

If you are a diehard Dior fan, you probably have heard about Dior Diva Program. Basically, you purchase Dior products at authorized retailers (full list here). You then save the receipts. One dollars spent equals to one point.  The points are counted before any discounts so no worry, you can still fully enjoy those Sephora sales! When your points reach 100, 250, 500 or 1000 within 12 months, you can submit your receipts and claim the respective gifts. This program is open to US and Canada residents only. All purchases therefore must be in US or Canadian dollars. You need to sign up for a Dior Diva account on www.dior.com.

I’d like to share some tips that might have made my claim go through as fourth times as faster than many other people’s I know. The key is to make the processing job easier for the person who handles your redemption.

#1. Make sure you have enough points for the desired level of redemption;

#2. Organize your receipt in chronological order;

#3. Highlight name of the Dior products and their prices to exclude any confusion for number of points on each receipt;

#4. Fill out the redemption form clearly and neatly;

#5. Email their costumer service after submission.

Dior Diva program will send you a note as soon as they ship your gift. Have fun shopping! 

Current favorite look: Youthful and natural chic

While many of my friends venture into dramatic looks after getting used to with natural makeup, I am going to the opposite direction. This year’s spring and summer collections of my favorite brands like Dior and Guerlain really inspires me to incorporate more bright colors with neutral eyes. For the first time, I fell in love with a bronzer – Dior Aurora, though I use it more like a blush. I went a little bit crazy with not one but two quints of Dior Rosy Nude. 

1 - Dior Rosy Nude 5-color eyeshadow quint (LE - 2011 Summer Collection)

2 - Urban Decay 24/7 Whishkey/Zero

3 - Dior Iconic Mascara

4 - Dior Aurora Healthy Glow Powder (LE - 2011 Summer collection)

5 - Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer

6 - Chanel Pink Teaser (2010 Fall collection)

7 - NARS Easy Lover (2010 Summer collection)

I know I left out Dior Amber Diamond - it's my staple highlighter, which I'd like to address it in a series posts on my favorite highlighters. 
I will share more thoughts on these amazingly beautiful summer items (Aurora and Rosy Nude) next month.