Review: Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara

Let me start out by saying something really negative, I absolutely detest Maybelline mascara. No matter which kind I've tried, I've ended up both super disappointed and around $10 poorer. There once was a time when Maybelline made a really great mascara, it was called "Illegal Lengths" and it has been discontinued for quite some time. It came in a navy tube and was one of my staple go-to products in high school. The absolute only reason I chose to ignore my distaste for Maybelline mascara and pick up this new one they've released is because I really thought they just brought back Illegal Lengths and repackaged it. And removed the letter "S" off of the end of the name. But actually it's not the same whatsoever. Here's the good news. Illegal Length doesn't totally suck. It's actually quite decent in the lengthening department which I enjoy. You do have to act fast to build on the coats because it does dry rather quickly and the packaging advises that you do not wait for the first coat to dry to apply the second. It's a rather wet formula but I didn't find that it was particularly messy to apply. 

I am not even going to say much about this whole "fiber lash extension" claim that Maybelline makes because I really didn't see any fibers or notice that the formula was really that different than other lengthening mascaras from the drugstore like L'Oreal Telescopic. And it doesn't do anything in the volume department which is actually my favorite department and the one I seek to satisfy when I buy a mascara. But I knew this was a lengthening mascara so I'm not complaining. With that being said, its a pretty good lengthening mascara but I certainly do not agree with the absolutely ridiculous claim that the advertisements make about the power of this mascara. If you will look at the AD below, it may have you believe that your lids will actually produce a ginormous false eyelash by using this mascara. This did not happen to me. Would I repurchase this mascara? No. Would I throw it away entirely? No.

Photo above taken by me

Photo above taken by me

Photo Credit: http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2011/12/spotted-new-maybelline-illegal-length.html

Keeping it real with the original "Illegal" mascara, Maybelline Illegal Lengths

Review: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in White ON

As an extremely desperate attempt to leave the store with a white nail polish, I bought the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in White On. I've tried many drugstore whites but they have been streaky and/or not exactly the bright opaque white I was looking for. Too lazy to drive to ULTA to purchase a respectable white like OPI Alpine Snow, I took a chance on this one, a formula I had never tried by Sally Hansen. In a nutshell, I freaking hated it. I don't know if I just got a bad or expired bottled but the texture and application of this polish was unacceptable. Because of the bright white appearance of this shade, it was literally like trying to spread melted marshmellow all over my nails. It was so thick and sticky that when I was trying to wipe off the excess polish to lift the brush out of the bottle, it left behind a string of polish hanging off of the brush that was still stuck onto the side of the bottle. Kind of like when you try to peel gum off the bottom of your shoe and it is a stretchy gooey nasty mess. The only thing semi-respectable about this polish is the shade "White On" which goes extremely opaque after two very thick and unbearable coats. But its no wonder its opaque after two coats, seeing as though the amount of polish you're putting on in those two coats is actually the equivilant of 10 coats of a normal polish. I will say that after I put on the first coat, I was like "ugh what was I thinking?!" and then after the second coat I was still like "ugh.. what was I thinking?!" but this time white at least enjoying the color.

Naturally, because of the consistency issues, it took forever for the polish to dry. Seriously, I painted them yesterday and 25 hours later they are still damp. Lesson learned. When you are too lazy or do not have the time to go the further distance to buy a quality product and you settle for crap in hopes that the crap will surprise you and be better than the other one, most often you will end up going back for the other item therefor wasting the money you spent when "settling". 

The photo below is from Maricza.com because I have already peeled that marshmellow mess off my nails before I was able to take photos. Again, the color is nice as you can see below.

Photo credit Maricza.com Sally Hansen White On

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Nails of the Day: Sally Hansen Complete Manicure in Good to Grape

Another winner in my book, Good to Grape is a really creamy opaque mid-toned purple. It reminds me of China Glaze "Spontaneous". I tried to find another review on this shade so I could find out what collection its from and the odd thing is, I couldn't find one single picture of it on google images. Could it be that my review will be the first of its kind? And if it is not, please, do not ruin this moment for me. I found this color along with about 3 other brand new shades at Walgreens if you are interested. I had been to Rite Aid and CVS prior to going to Rite Aid so I could see if anyone had any of the SH Crinoline left and sadly, they did not. And Walgreens was the only store I had visited that had Good to Grape. The formula can kind of vary from shade to shade but this one is pretty much identical to Himalayan Blue in that it is very creamy with a rich and beautiful pigmentation. I am a three coats kind of girl whether I think two coats did the trick or not but I really think that this one is best with three coats. I used the Revlon Colorstay Top Coat which I've been enjoying lately over top. I have found that my manicures with the Revlon top coat + a Sally Complete polish have lasted upwards of 7-8 days. A rather large milestone worth mentioning. Enjoy! All photos included are taken by me.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Good to Grape (with FLASH, above)

Same polish, without the flash (above)

And for fun, my little girl wanted to get in on the action and show HER nails of the day (below) by Essie, I refuse to say the name of the shade because of one of the words being "risque" and inappropriate to be associated with a young girl. But the second word is "Divide". Thanks!

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