No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Volume + Length Magnified

So today brings us the closing instalment of our Revlon mascara marathon, and I have (accidentally) saved the best for last. While I thought I'd love the All-In-One that we looked at on Monday, it's the Volume + Length Magnified formula that really left a lasting impression on me.

I must admit, I struggled to see what would be different about the claims for this one and the All-In-One, but these claims seem to be a lot more realistic:

"Create envy with every lash flutter using the Revlon Volume & Length Magnified Mascara . The high-shine fibre formula provides amplified volume and length for big doe eyed lashes.

It’s all about the brush:

The Revlon Magnifying Lash Brush has a unique square brush, which anchors the formula to lashes, coating them individually for intense volume and length."

This does have that same lash-fibre formula as the All-In-One, but I feel that the Volume + Length Magnified has a wand that is better equipped for depositing the lash fibres onto the lashes in a way that looks more natural. This wand is a traditional bristle brush and I find that it's a really good size (neither over nor under sized) and that the bristles aren't too long or too short either. It's basically a standard no-frills-attached mascara wand.

I find this product to be very lengthening to the lashes and you can easily build volume with it if you take the time to build it up. I can comfortably apply 2 coats and started to see the tiniest amount of clumping on the 3rd coat but it does give a very fluttery looking lash. I think this is the all-rounder of the bunch, it gives length, volume and the lashes still look nicely defined with this.

That being said - I am interested to see which of the bunch you prefer if you've tried any of these?

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Dramatic Definition

So our Revlon mascaras takeover is still going strong and today we're looking at the Dramatic Definition formula. It's occurred to me that in none of the previous posts have I mentioned the price, I picked mine up at an introductory price of £6.99, but once full price these will retail for £9.99 a piece which seems to be the standard for high-street mascaras these days.

Like the Ultra Volume that we looked at on Tuesday, this was one from the line-up that I really couldn't see working for me since I have quite short lashes and this product claims to:

"Exaggerate your look by using the Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara. The smooth, flexible formula coats lashes for clump-free definition ensuring lashes appear endless.

It’s all about the brush:

The Revlon Lash Separator Brush coats and separates each lash for dramatic, bold definition, whilst the tiered bristles define and separate every lash, resulting in thick, heavy black lashes."

This mascara has a rubber bristle brush and the bristles are distributed in 5 rows that are quite spaced apart from each other, the tip of the wand is also quite flexible. I picked this up in non-water-proof and I feel like the formula on this mascara is exactly the same as the formula on the Ultra Volume, so a tiny bit of smudging but no flaking.

When I think of defining mascaras I tend to think of "barely there" lashes, or lashes that are naturally long and full looking that don't need much help and with just one coat thats exactly what this mascara does. I find that the first coat with this one doesn't deposit much product onto the lashes and it does leave a really defined look to the lashes.

That being said, if you try to build up any type of volume of length you will notice the definition in your lashes disappear pretty quickly. I can apply 2 coats comfortably and the mascara builds on itself nicely but by coat 3 things can start looking a tiny bit clumpy and I needed the 3rd coat to get the length I wanted.

If your lashes aren't too short or you don't mind a tiny bit of clumping, this might be for you. I also think you'll like this if you're looking for a more natural lash.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Super Length

Day 3 of Revlon mascara's week and if you're wondering how I'm choosing what order to post these in by now - it's the rainbow song. You know, the one that goes "red and yellow and pink and green...". I didn't want to go in order of preference because I thought it would ruin the surprise of whether or not I got on with it. But that aside, lets have a look a todays pick: the Super Length formula.

The Super Length mascara is the one in the green packaging and as a girl with short lashes, I thought this one would be something I'd get on with. The marketing claims on this product state that it's"

"A luscious formula, which glides on easily and builds up quickly to create incredible lash length.

It’s all about the brush:

The innovative Revlon Stretch Brush tip coats even the smallest of lashes, whilst the long side bristles pulls the high-shine, length fibres through lashes to create serious super lashes."

Now I have no idea what brush the marketing people were looking at when they came up with those claims, but it cannot possibly have been the brush on this mascara. The brush is a stand bristle mascara wand but it's easily twice as big as most, which makes it quite clumsy to apply. I did find that the mascara offered length but it didn't seem any more lengthening than any of the others in the range and it offered next to nothing in terms of volume.

This is the only one from the range that I picked up in the water-proof formula. I don't usually wear water-proof mascara as I don't usually need it but for the purposes of testing I wanted to try one and I found that while the water-proof formula didn't smudge at all, it flaked off more than the non-water-proof formulas.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Ultra Volume

Day 2 of the Revlon mascara take-over week and today we're looking at the "Ultra Volume" formula in the pink packaging. Of the 5 different formula's available this was one of the two that stood out to me as something I didn't think I'd get on with, but in the interest of offering a complete review of the collection I gave it a go anyway.

We're sticking to the non-water-proof formula so in terms of smudging and flaking it's really similar to yesterdays pick. The main difference I found in the formulas was that this one doesn't seem to have the little lash fibres. Here's what the claims are:

"Introducing Ultra Volume Mascara, allowing you to create massive, volumised lashes with a conditioning, clump free formula, which plumps lashes for intense volume.

It’s all about the brush:

The Revlon Lash Plumping Brush has triple grooves to hold the mascara formula for maximum lash volume, whilst the short and long bristles eliminate clumps; ensuring lashes are thick and voluminous."

So the brush on this one is a standard bristle brush but I do think the bristles seem to be a bit more spaced out than they are on other wands I've seen. I also notice that while the wand doesn't seem to be upsized at all, the bristles do seem to be a bit longer than you would typically find on a traditional bristle mascara wand.

I'd say of all the mascaras in the collection, this one has the most accurate claims. On my lashes it gives a lot of volume and not much else. It's not particularly clumpy for such a volumising mascara but it does give that almost spider-y look to my lashes. I think this is because while it's really volumising, it offers little in terms of length and so if you have shorter lashes like mine, this isn't going to balance them out amazingly.

I personally think I'll get the most use out of this product as a layering mascara on top of something that's really lengthening just to add a bit more drama. However if you have long, thin lashes, this might work a treat for you.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Ultimate All-In-One

So we're having a theme within a theme this week. We're on a month of high street beauty bits and I'm devoting this week to a pretty big launch from Revlon. I've liked a few of Revlon's mascaras in the past but they recently pulled the plug on every single mascara they had on offer and replaced them with a new line of 5 new ones, all targeted at a different lash concern.

Today we're looking at the Ultimate All-In-One Mascara, which is the one with the red lid, and after looking at the marketing behind these mascaras, this was the one I wanted to try the most. Revlon market this as "the holy grail of mascaras" and claims that it features

"5 lash transforming benefits leaving no lash behind, allowing you to achieve:

- Volume

- Length

- Definition

- Lift

- Intense Colour

It’s all about the brush:

The revolutionary small but mighty Revlon Power Mini Brush has a hollow core, designed to maximise the amount of formula to the lashes, as well as a unique mini oval shape for easy application, which reaches and covers every lash to create an intense and unbelievable length lash look."

If those aren't bold claims, I don't know what are. Honestly? I was really disappointed with this one. I find that while the hollow sections are intended to hold product to create an "unbelievable length lash" actually make it near impossible to build any length at all. As I applied the mascara volume built up very quickly and as I applied more coats to try to build length I found my lashes started to look clumpy.

The formula also has little lash fibres in the formula but the teeth on the wand aren't long enough to comb through the lashes so any fibres that are deposited onto the lashes aren't necessarily straight. In terms of the formula I got the non-waterproof and I didn't notice massive amounts of smudging or flaking and it was easily removed at the end of the day with a cleansing oil.

30 Lips in 30 Days - Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

I feel like the Revlon super Lustrous Lipstick in "Cherries In The Snow" has become almost a classic shade. I remember EssieButton talking about it way back in the day of beauty vloggers and when I saw it on the shelves of my local Boots the other day I couldn't help but pick it up. The packaging is pretty old school with the classic glossy black tube and the gold detailing, the top of the lid is also clear so you can see the colour through the top so you can see which colour it is if you have a few from the line.

As for the formula, it's really rich and creamy so it's super comfortable on the lips and the colour payoff is great. It's thin in texture so it doesn't feel like it's weighing your lips down throughout the wear time but the colour is still nice and intense on the lips. The one thing I would say is that due to the high moisture content, this lipstick doesn't set on the lips and will move around if you aren't careful, it will leave a mark on cups and if you catch your lips with anything you can easily drag the colour out of your lip line.

30 Lips in 30 Days - Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Suede

Yet another red lip pick today ('tis the season and all) and we're looking at the Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Suede Lipsticks today. The packaging on these is interesting, we all know by now that I like it when the packaging reflects the colour of the product but the obvious plastic look isn't for me. It is really sturdy though so I can't see the lid falling off in your bag or the packaging in any way breaking on you, just not the most aesthetically pleasing offering.

The formula is quite strange as well, even though it's a lipstick not a gloss there is a great deal of tackiness left on the lips after application and your lips will almost adhere to each other if you press them together which is odd. The shade I have is "095 - Finale" and it's a little more sheer than I was expecting but the finish is exactly what I'd expect from a "suede" lipstick - neither matte nor shiny, it's almost a satin but maybe a touch more sheeny. It's not my favourite lip product by any means but it's not the worst one I've tried so far.

30 Lips in 30 Days - Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain

Day 5 and today we have the Revlon Colour Moisture Stain and this is one of the most unusual lip product formulas I've ever tried. It comes in a square tube with a black plastic top and the colour-co-ordinated tube which I like. You can pick these up from Boots and Superdrug for around £7 each and they do some really nice shades in the range.

The shade I picked up is "Barcelona Nights" which is a bright fuchsia pink. This goes on like an opaque lipgloss with a bit of a thickness on the lips and a high-shine finish but it isn't sticky or tacky at all and is comfortable to wear. However on application, it feels like it should dry down to a liquid lipstick type product but it stays wet and gloss-like. Again, because it's comfortable and glossy the wear-time really isn't there and this s definitely something you'll need to top up as it starts to go a bit patchy after a few hours but for the comfort and the look I don't mind having to touch up occasionally.

Top 10 Under £10 - Lips

As promised, this is the second installment of my top 1- under £10 posts here in Skint-tember, and this time we're focusing on lip products, I have a good range of products here from glosses to stains and hopefully everything in between, so lets get started.

So in my opinion, the absolute créme-de-la-créme of matte lip products is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets, they're a super long-lasting, matte lip product that come in a variety of shades so there's bound to be one that tickles your fancy in the range. They're thin in consistancy which makes the matte formula relatively comfortable but they're  really pigmented too. Love.

A couple of matte-to-satin formulas I'd recommend would be the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks or the Maybelline Colour Drama Lip Crayons. These are both nice formulas that bring saturated colour but don't have such a drying effect on the lips. I like these two formulas for those "I want something bright but my lips aren't in the best condition" days.

If you want something even more comfortable but that still has a decent colour pay off I'd point you in the direct of the Revlon Lip Butters these are somewhat of an oldie but a goodie, and Revlon are always releasing new shades so there's something in this line for everyone. They were marketed as a sheer lip product with moisture but they definitely have a lot more colour than you'd be expecting from that description. They're really comfortable and come in a variety of shades and finishes.

And then for the straight-up lip balm lovers: the MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms are lovely. These are a comfortable balm with a sheer hint of tint to them and they're the perfect your-lips-but-better product. They'll obviously need to be reapplied if you want to keep up the finish but I love these.

My Favourite line of high-street lip glosses are the Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Glosses they offer that super shiny, almost vinyl finish but they have a nice tint to them and a super hint of shimmer and they're smooth on the lips rathe than thick and sticky. They also have a really pleasant sweet scent/flavour to them.

If you like the look of lipgloss but you just can't handle the sensation of them on the lips, I have two recommendations: the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks and the No7 High Shine Lip Crayons, these are very similar products that are basically the shiny finish of a lip gloss in a twist-up pencil format that feel more like a balm on the lips. These are great for entry-level lipgloss wearers who like shine but hate sticky.

And finally, lip liners. I have two recommendation for this category and they are the Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liners and the No7 Precision Lip Pencils the Rimmel option is slightly cheaper but the colour range isn't quite there for me, the only shade I like the look of is "East End Snob" the No7 are a little creamier and are a touch more expensive but the shade range is lovely, I have a few from the range already but the temptation to pick up more is there.

The Beauty-Ban Wish List

As I mentioned in my Shopping My Stash post (clicky link here), I've been on a month-long beauty-buying ban this July, and with that I've developed a slight lust-list of products that I can imagine I'll be picking up as soon as August hits. I guess you can can take the girl out of the shop but you can't take the need to shop out of the girl, *sigh*. I figured that, while I won't be able to give reviews of any of these products until I actually pick them up, it might be interesting to see what I'm lusting after and why. Also, spoilers for upcoming review posts are always good, right?

Firstly, Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup has been on top form enabling-wise lately when it comes to the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask and I'm fighting hard to resist the hype right now. I've been eyeing up some Charlotte products for a while now so I see a treat-filled trip to Selfridges on the horizon to get me some of that action.

I've also been seeing a lot of hype round Revlon's Gel Nail Polishes recently, and while I'm not a huge nail polish lover, these seem like a product for me as they're pitched as a super-long-wearing polish option, and I might be able to get on board if I only have to paint them once a week.

I've been seeing an awful lot of LilyPebbles looking very 90's chic in a combination of MAC Soar Lip Pencil and their Mare Lipstick and it's got me itching to try the two. I've not made a purchase from MAC in ages but I love their lipsticks and already have a few and my stash could always use a new lip liner, the only MAC lip liner I have at the moment is the shade "Redd" but it's lovely.

The REN Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial hasn't been blogger hyped yet as far as I can see but I've seen a bit of marketing around it and apparently it's a relatively new release from REN. I've tried a few of their products before and they've worked great for me and night-time facial type products are something I generally really like so I'm waiting patiently to pick one up.

And finally, a Hirons recommended product. Would it be a lust-list post without one? The Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads. While at 22 years old I'm not in need of anything un-wrinkling just yet, these are AHA based exfoliating pads and they sound lovely. I've been interested in picking up some Peter Thomas Roth products ever since Anna from VDM first mentioned their Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and I can see a Cult Beauty order on the horizon.

So that's the round up of the top 5 products I'm needing in my stash right now, if you've got any recommendations I'm all ears and I'm also open to requests for post ideas or products that you'd like to see reviewed on the blog. Give me a shout if you have anything in mind!

The Cheapest Way To Shop (Shopping My Stash)

Lately I've realised that starting this blog was possibly one of the most expensive things I've done in a while. Not that actually creating or updating the blog costs me anything at all (I want to make it clear that I don't pay anything for the actual blog itself, it's a free service), but since I've started blogging, I'd allowed my beauty buying habits to get a little bit out of control. Every purchase in Boots has become "Blog Material" and I've used needing product for posts as an excuse for many an impulse buy.

So in an attempt to rein it in (because I can't even look at my bank statement this month) I've decided to leave my purse alone for a month and try to use up things that I already own. And in doing so I've rediscovered some products that I forgot I even had.

A product that I got for christmas and pretty much forgot about instantly was Benefit Lollitint. I don't really go for liquid cheek products in the winter and I had more than enough new lip products to chose from and so this just got left behind. However now that it's summer and I'm wanting a light flush on the cheeks Im finding myself sort of discovering this for the first time. I dot it onto the cheeks and blend with fingers which makes it great for travel.

A product that I used on the daily back in my late teens that got pushed aside when some new purchases came into the picture is the Urban Decay Deluxe Palette. I recently found myself at a camping festival and this came in so useful. It's a little palette with 9 shades and a decent sized mirror and it's full of bright colours, but also has 3 neutrals and your basic black so it's everything you need for a festival palette. need to get more use out of this because it's great.

I've had a lazy moment for lip products and have just wanted pretty no fuss lip colours that are hydrating and I've been reaching for the Revlon Lip Butter in "Cotton Candy" a lot lately. It's a no-fuss light pink that not's too warm or too cool, a super easy option and my lips love it.

Something that I come back to every summer is MAC Paint Pot in "Rubinesque". It's a lovely peachy gold that's sheer and sheeny on the lids and that packs a punch for summer staying power. The dent in this product just shows how much I like it and while I like the Maybelline Colour Tattoos but they just don't compare to this on the shade front.

And finally, a skincare rediscovery: Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster. I shelved this pretty quickly when I bought it because for me, Hydraluron wins hands down for the hydrating serum of choice. That being said, the Sarah Chapman is still nice (and was far to pricey to waste) so I've brought it to the front of my skincare stash in a bid to get some use out of it.

The Spring Tag

I wasn't actually tagged to do this, but it looked cool so I thought why the hell not. Enjoy :)

1 . What three colours remind you of Spring?

Blue, Pink and White. Reminds me of clear skies and lovely flowers.

2. What is the first thing you add to your Spring wardrobe?

Light tshirts, and as of this year, white jeans.

3. What is the first item that you ditch from your wardrobe to make it more Spring-like?

Jumpers. I’ve become very much a jeans-and-jumper girl this winter, I can’t wait for it to be jeans-and-tshirt weather again.

4. What are your ultimate nude and bright lipsticks?

Nudes: Nars Satin Lip Pencil in “Descanso” and Revlon Lip Butter in "Peach Parfait"

Brights: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in “Hot Pepper” and Estée Lauder Color Envy Lipstick in "Tumultuous Pink"

5. What is your signature Spring fragrance?

My general go-to perfume is “Nina” by Nina Ricci, but lately I’ve been loving Diptique’s “Do Son”.

6. What do you add or drop from your skin care routine?

I add in more deep cleansing or exfoliating masks as I tend to spend more time out doors and it can make my skin feel a bit dirty. My favourites are Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask or if you fancy a real treat, the Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask.

7. Do you change your hair up in Spring?

Not particularly, although I’ve recently been embracing the bun, it’s such a convenient but put-together hair cheat.

8. Are there any exciting beauty releases that you can’t wait for?

Charlotte Tilbury’s Norman Parkinson collection looks lovely *sigh* must be patient.

9. What are your three favourite nail colours for Spring?

I’m not really a nails girl, but Inglots Nail Enamel in “942” is an amazing blue that’s always on my toes. For spring I like lights and brights so I find myself reaching for Topshop Nails in “Crystal Clouds” a lot, a light, sparkle-y gold. And then for a bright I love MaxFactor’s “Disco Pink” (finally been able to find another bottle after maybe 4 years of searching!) it’s the perfect spring/summer pink.

10. Who do I tag?

Anyone who wants a go :)