Product Review: Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

Sephora always gets me with their little promotional emails, and when I saw there was a chance to try this new mascara before it was released, I jumped right on it. I am a mascara and blush junkie. I did like the They're Real mascara when it was first released (Read my review on that mascara here. I've found others that I've liked more since then, but it's still a nice mascara). I was excited to see how much I would enjoy Roller Lash.

Roller Lash will be officially for sale next Friday, the 27th of February (at 10:00AM Sharp!) and it will retail for $24. Frankly, this is quite expensive for a mascara, but considering the Better Than Sex mascara that Too Faced makes (which is my favorite right now) is $23, the price is consistent with the rest of Benefit's line. Right now, it is showing up on Sephora's website as VIB and VIB Rouge exclusive and I was able to add it to my shopping cart.

So...before I get into this review, you should know that this mascara claims to lift and curl lashes and they claim that the brush was inspired my old-school rollers. I haven't worn a roller in a long time, but I remember them...there's a bunch of rollers under this shower cap type hairdryer...

circa 1985?

So let me also preface this review by saying, I have very naturally curly eyelashes. It's just something you should know. I've never had to use an eyelash curler, except to un-curl my lashes in order to put on false lashes., which I hardly ever wear. So, I can't speak to whether this mascara keeps a curl or makes them curl. That is just something I cannot tell you about. Now that that's out of the way, I can get to the review. 

One thing Benefit does exceptionally well is packaging. Every single product is adorably packaged and this mascara sample is no exception. The full-sized product looks different than the sample. You can see what it looks like here on the Benefit Website. Here is what the sample I got from Sephora looks like: 

Benefit packaging and marketing is pretty top notch

The inner packaging gives you the down low on the price, availability and there's even a hashtag!

The sample size is a third of the full size, so a great little value

The plastic wand is has very fine spikes and is slightly crescent-shaped

My initial thoughts when I opened the product is that the mascara formula is very wet, which I find very appealing. I don't like drier formulas (like Dior mascaras) because I find that the product doesn't transfer to my lashes. That being said...it is slightly messy to apply if you have already curly lashes like I do. There will be a lot of mascara on the wand when you pull it out of the tube. To avoid making too much of a mess, apply your mascara looking down into a mirror instead of looking straight on. Here is what my lashes look like without any mascara at all. They are pretty pathetic. Excuse my undone brows! This was pre-brow dress!

My lashes with no mascara

I applied one coat of the roller lash mascara. I was very pleased and pleasantly surprised with this one coat of product on my lashes! It made them look SO MUCH longer and blacker. It did lift them up as the product claimed and I thought the effect was very pretty with just one coat. I could have stopped there and been very happy. But for the sake of this review, I applied two more coats.

The left eye has one coat of Roller Lash and the right eye has nothing

Applying a second coat of mascara is where some problems started. It dries fairly quickly and by the time I got around to applying a second coat, it started to become a little clumpy. My lashes started to stick together and I didn't want to apply any more coats. That being said, from a normal distance, it still looked really pretty. 

Two coats of Roller Lash on the left eye

Three coats of product was VERY clumpy and was hard to apply. I went through with an eyelash comb to get rid of some of the really terrible clumps. It still doesn't look too spidery in the photo, but it was starting to get that way. I still really like the effect of this mascara. I think it has a nice lifting effect, but I think it helped to actually look my obnoxiously curly lashes act not so curly, which is probably not what Benefit would like to hear, but that's just what happened to me.

Three coats of Roller Lash on the left eye only

Here is the result of three coats on both sets of eyelashes.

The Verdict: This is a really, really nice mascara! A great formula and a great brush. I am very impressed by the lengthening and separating and lifting effect of this mascara. I find the effect to be as if the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and L'Oreal Telescopic had a baby. Not bad at all. Probably a great mascara for layering and making mascara cocktails.

Removing this was not easy. I had to take a little bit more time with my Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, but it came off eventually. I believe soap and water alone will not remove this and you probably need an oily makeup remover to dissolve it.

Pros: Cute Packaging, Very black, lengthening, Separating, Lifting effect is amazing
Cons: Gets clumpy when layered, messy - a lot of product will be on the wand, price point is high

The Bottom Line: If you have $24 burning a hole in your pocket, it's a great thing to pick up. It's a beautiful mascara. That being said, there are about 20 mascaras at the drugstore you can buy for less than $14 that will have nearly the same effect. Drugstore mascara is so good that high end mascaras have to REALLY perform to be worth the extra cost. This mascara performs well and I will probably pick up a full size after my sample is gone as a treat for myself, but is it a new Holy Grail? Probably not. But I do really like it and I want to give Benefit a high five.

What do you think? Do you think you will be trying this out? Have you tried any other Benefit mascaras? Let me know in the comments below!

The Stylish Awards: Best in Beauty 2014 - EYES

Happy New Year, dear readers! Okay...so obviously, I failed at Blogmas.  Maybe next year? *shrug*

Now that that's out of the way, I can get to the point! I present to you the first of a series of posts dedicated to the best beauty products I've used last year. I'll be dedicating posts to makeup, hair products, skin care and beauty "helpers". I'm excited to be starting with eye makeup and I'll be giving two awards per product. One award for a drugstore product and one for a higher end product. These are products that I have actually tried in 2014, so these may not be the best out there, but they are the best I've discovered. There are also no limited-edition products here because...hey, that's not fair. So, here we go!

Best Eyeshadow Palette (High End): Too Faced Chocolate Bar $49

Swatches on my arm from the top left to bottom right - no primer!

This palette is my favorite palette that I have purchased all year and I purchased a lot of palettes last year. I have a thing about eyeshadow palettes and I just can't resist them. I like to rotate which ones I use throughout the year so that I give love to my entire collection, but this one has been my hands down favorite. Not only does it smell like chocolate (it is made with cocoa powder), the color payoff is amazing, the shadows are buttery soft and the neutral color selection is a knockout. It comes in an adorable metal tin with a magnetic closure (they actually redesigned this packaging to be less bulky, but I have the bulkier original packaging). It looks like a chocolate bar (A+ for cuteness) and as soon as you open it, you get a whiff of beautiful chocolate scent. It's not overpowering, it's just enough to make you go; "Yum!". The scent does not stay on your skin once you apply the product (unlike the cocoa powder foundation, but we'll get to that in a little while), but the palette does smell like one of those packets of hot chocolate. Every color you need in the world is here, but I have my favorites of course. However, there is not a single color here I haven't tried and they are all beautiful. The only downside is that there is no black color here, which is important if you want to create a smokey eye look, but I hardly ever do that, so it's not a deal breaker for me. If you buy ANY high end eyeshadow palette, I would recommend this one over the Urban Decay Nakeds (although I like them, they are just GLITTER CITY). It smells good, you get a huge mirror, color payoff is bomb...seriously, get off your butt and order this palette right now! There is a newer version of this palette that exists, but I have not gotten a chance to try it yet and word on the street is that it's not as good.

Best Eyeshadow Palette (Drugstore): Wet n' Wild Color Icon 8-Pan Palette in Comfort Zone $3-$5

Arm swatches, no primer...can we talk about that duo-chrome blue/brown for one second? I mean...come on...

I remember the days when cosmetics from Wet n' Wild were just cheap...and also terrible. Well, this company (as well as every other drugstore brand) has stepped up its game. This little 8-Pan palette is in-credible. They are long-lasting, the color payoff is super and the colors are beautiful and comparable to the Urban Decay neutral colors that are offered in the Naked Palettes (The dark color in this pan and Blackheart in the Naked 3 Palette are exactly the same color). This is a BEAUTIFUL palette and for around $5, you really can't go wrong here. There are a couple of other color selections offered in this 8-Pan Palette format, but I have not tried them. This palette comes with a couple of applicators, but I would go ahead and use your own brushes as I do with every product. Companies do not spend a lot of money giving you a nice brush to go with your product (with the exception of Urban Decay, who gave a decent brush in all their Naked Palettes. I still don't like the brush very much, but it's better than some others I've seen). I do want to say that products in EVERY line of cosmetics are hit or miss. I find generally that Wet n' Wild eyeshades are nice in general, but sometimes, the formulas in their "limited edition" palettes is not as good as the formulas from the permanent line. However, I reiterate that this is true with most cosmetic brands, both drugstore and higher end.

Best Single Eyeshadows (High End): Urban Decay $18 ea

Urban Decay Single Eyeshadow in Sin

In my opinion, if you want a single color and you're new to high end makeup, buy one of these or maybe even two. I know that some people love the Makeup Forever Shadows, but I can't speak to those. These are expensive, but they are fantastic. The texture is buttery and the color payoff is spectacular. The only thing I have to mention is that there are a lot of glittery shades offered (oooh, sparkly!) and there is a tremendous amount of fallout that you may experience. Use a good primer (Urban Decay happens to make a fantastic one, but we'll get to that later!) and have a clean fluffy face brush on hand to brush away the particles.

Best Single Eyeshadows (Drugstore): **A TIE!!!!** L'Oreal Infallible 24 HR Eyeshadow $5-$9 ea. & Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow $3-$5 ea.

Bella Gold, Bella Bronze and Bella Emerald...

I just could not decide between the two of these products because BOTH of them are amazing. So, I will give a little love to the both of them. First, I'll talk about the Milani eyeshadows, which are beautiful and very affordable. I find that they are between $3 and $5 at CVS. I'm not sure what the name "gel powder" implies since these are a fun shape in the pan (looks like they are baked?). Milani says the product starts as a gel but is transformed into a powder by a "special process". Sounds magical, doesn't it? Anyway, don't let that fool you, this product is, in fact, a powder. It's stiff when you put your finger or brush in it which is slightly disappointing because it looks as though it would be bouncy or something. However, this little eyeshadow is AMAZING. I find that it works best to use your finger to apply it (or a damp brush). Every color I've tried is beautiful and they are long-lasting. I wish I had every color.

L'Oreal makes beautiful products and this eyeshadow is no exception. It is actually a pressed pigment in a pot (meaning it's not a packed powder, but highly pigmented color particles that are pressed together but not adhered together, if you dropped it, it would fall apart...I've found this out the hard way). It comes in a cute little pot with a little press stopper that you are supposed to keep inside the product. I've also find that this product is best applied with a finger and the color payoff is PHENOMENAL. It is also extremely long wearing and great for single eyeshadow looks or for slapping on if you are in a hurry. My favorite shade has been Amber Rush. I just slap this on my eyelids and BOOM, I'm out the door. These are gorgeous, go get you some! Don't drop yours on the floor like I did. You'll be sad. They are a little expensive for a single drugstore eyeshadow (I think they are about $9 at CVS), but worth it.

Best Liquid Eyeliner (High End): Stila Stay All Day Liquid Waterproof Eyeliner $20

It's no secret that I love liquid eyeliner, but I was always hesitant to try a pen form. I was pretty attached to a bottle and brush type applicator until I got one of these in a Sephora Giftset. It. is. amazing. The tip is precise, the liner is very black and it stays in place all day. I have this in three other colors and the product seems to last a long time. It's very easy to use.

Best Liquid Eyeliner (Drugstore): E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner $1

This shiz is ONE DOLLAR. Brush and a bottle, so you need some practice if you're not good at it. I'm not saying it's amazing, but it's pretty good and it's ONE DOLLAR. It does smudge a bit if you touch it though.

Best Pencil Eyeliner: JURY STILL OUT

I struggled a bit here throughout the year and I'm open to suggestions. I have used a few pencil eyeliners to tightline with (I don't normally wear liner in my waterline), but by the end of the day. it's halfway down my face. It infuriates me and I need a waterproof eyeliner to tightline that is going to stay in place. I might try to tightline with a gel liner and give up on pencils altogether.

Best Gel Eyeliner (Drugstore):  L'Oreal Infalliable Lacquer Liner 24 HR about $10

So, I have never used a higher end gel liner (aside from the Benefit They're Real Pushup Liner which...*sigh*, will appear in a later blog post) but I don't think I need to. This liner is awesome. It's super black, stays in place and glides on super smooth. I don't use the brush that came with it because I need to use an angled eyeliner brush otherwise, it's a hot mess. That being said, it does come with a nice brush that you can use if you are skilled or if you don't have curly lashes that get in the way, which is my issue. I'm new to gel eyeliner and I find that it is really nice if you need your eyeliner to be intensely black (or whatever color you prefer). The Maybelline Eyeliner is nice too but I found this dried out quickly, even if stored upside down. That being said, I don't have a favorite high end gel liner because I didn't like the one that I tried this year.

Best Mascara (Drugstore): L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara $7-$8

The truth is, I happen to think a LOT of drugstore mascaras are EXCELLENT. I like them more than most high end mascaras and I find that both L'Oreal and Maybelline make excellent formulas. I happen to love a LOT of L'Oreal Mascaras, especially lately, the Miss Manga, which I hated at first. It's got a funny brush on it and it's bendy and weird...however, once you get past that, the mascara is actually very good. However, I have been using L'Oreal Voluminous since I was a teenager and it was one of my favorites (along with Lash Out which is sadly discontinued). I hadn't used it for a while and the Carbon Black version of the formula is amazing. Not only is it volumizing, I also find that it lengthens my lashes as well and doesn't make them hard or crispy. It allows my lashes to be soft, full and super, super black. This stuff is amazing and costs under ten dollars. Holy Grail. Again, though, I like a lot of L'Oreal formulas, but this one seems to be my most favorite.

Best Mascara (High End): Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara $23

This is the only high end mascara that has impressed me enough to re-puchase it. It is very similar to the L'Oreal Voluminous, but it is even more dramatic. I am not a natural lash girl. I want my lashes to be like BAM!!!!! This mascara is very dramatic. It's very, very black, volumizing and lengthening. I don't have issues with mascaras flaking or anything like that, but I also have to say that this mascara also doesn't leave your lashes crunchy either. It's the bomb and I'm on my second tube. This formula is a little wet upon opening, but dries to a nice consistency the longer you use it. I think talking about packaging is kind of stupid, but the packaging is cute (pink!) and feels very heavy and substantial. The name, though...it's doubtful any mascara is better than sex. If it is, you may need to work on some things in your life, just sayin'...

That does it for my favorite eye products of 2014! Are any of these your favorites too? Any recommendations I should consider trying? I'd love to hear from you!

My next installment will be Best in Beauty for the face! Blushes, powders, primers...get excited!

Mascara Review: Benefit's They're Real; Beyond Mascara

Good morning all! So, as I promised, here's a review of the new mascara by Benefit that is getting loads and loads of hype at Sephora. I have always had short, stubby lashes and about 7 weeks ago, I started using Stimulash Fusion Lash Enhancer and now my lashes are a little longer than they were, which is great! It is available at Sephora and is a whopping $89 a tube. If you would like me to formally review it, I will. Just let me know :)

I am an admitted mascara junkie and my favorites are:

• Fresh Supernova - I don't know why this is so great, it just is. The formula is a little thicker than most, but I find that it defines, volumizes and makes my lashes look like whoa! Boom! Pow!
• BareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara - I got this in a sample pack and the brush is AMAZING. Defines every lash and lengthens really nicely. A nice price too, less than $20.
• Buxom Lash Mascara - a Sephora exclusive and a great product. Another awesome brush. I did not appreciate the newer version of this product, Amplified Lash. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

When a friend tipped me off that Benefit was coming out with a fabulous new mascara, I jumped on the train. The claims they were making were amazing, so I couldn't wait to try it out on my puny little lashes. So, I picked some up at my local Sephora (which was a tad frustrating, I have to say. I had to ask them to get me a tube from underneath the Benefit display. The sales associate said they hadn't put it out yet. O rly?! WHY NOT!?!? I almost walked out without it.)

The box. Very dramatic.

A nice shaped tube.

A close-up of the brush. It's a silicone brush with a spike-y tip for vertical use.

My lashes, sans mascara.

My lashes with 2 coats of They're Real.

So, I have to let you ladies know that I have extremely curly lashes naturally. Since I've been using Stimulash, they have been growing in all sorts of different directions and some lashes are straighter than others, so I cannot comment on if it makes your lashes curl or not. Mine are like that all the time, and they are so curly, they curl backwards into my eyelid, so sometimes I end up with little black spots there, which is kind of a pain. But I can comment on the rest:

Lengthening: Yes, although not super dramatic.

Volumizing: I loved this effect! I have super sparse lashes, so I appreciated this.

Overall, the formula was nice (wet) and the overall effect was pretty dramatic. This is not a daytime mascara if you are not really into this or if you have lighter colored lashes. It's a good price ($22) and Sephora has a great return policy, so you can try it without a risk of having to keep it if you totally hate it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I don't love it as much as I do the Supernova (#1 seed still), but it's totally fun and for a dramatic look, it's awesome!

Questions? Comments? Let me know!

Darwin-izing Anthro Flux: Blog Evolution

So, I noticed that I've been posting a lot about my singing stuff, so I figured instead of trying to control myself, I may as well embrace the trend and make my music adventures become an official part of the blog. So, I've changed the name of it from Anthro Flux to "The Stylish Soprano", which has great alliteration, but implies that I think I'm a fabulous dresser. Well, maybe I'm presumptuous, but the alliteration is too good and I try to be stylish. I will continue to post mostly about Anthropologie and other clothing pursuits as well, but I have a lot to say about being a singer, so...welcome to The Stylish Soprano. There.

Um...so here I am trying to be stylish. Behold, the OOTD! (Cue, Rebecca Black's "Friday")

Dress: Anthropologie Kissing Friday Dress, Cardigan: Anthropologie Jemima's Shrunken Cardi, Wedges: Payless

I recently have become obsessed with LASHES. EYELASHES. I am not a makeup junkie, but I do have a slight obsession with mascara and eyelashes. In my next post...a mascara review!!! Benefit's They're Real, Beyond Mascara.

Happy Friday, Ladies!