It's A Brow Thing ...!

Bonjour!

It's true to say I have a slight complete preoccupation with eyebrows at the moment - I generally don't leave the house without my brows on and I'd certainly say they're up there with my lash obsession! At my age I'm not into the whole 'overly drawn-in thing' but I do like them to look like they're meant to be 'there' with good colour and definition - makes such a difference to one's kite ... here's my current 'brow wardrobe' ...

Clockwise from left ... HD Brows Palette in Foxy, YBF (Your Best Friend) Automatic Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe, Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Ebony, Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Black/Brown, Laura Geller Brow Marker in Dark Brown and Mally Beauty Brow Fix in Taupe ...

Where to start with all this lot? They all have different colours, textures and application techniques - here they are quickly swatched on paper and then on my arm ...

HD Brows Palette - you can probably see from the palette that one pan is well used - that's the Dark Brown and I use only this colour on my brows, I use Nude as a matte brow highlighter and Warm Brown/Carbon as eyeshadow sometimes. Love this HD Brow powder, it goes on so easily with the little brush (mine has broken in half though!), gives great depth and a soft 'fullness' to the brows and is really quick and easy to apply. I can't justify a repurchase of the whole palette though as I'm only addicted to Dark Brown (I'll be gutted when it runs out!) but will have to hunt around for a similar brow powder in this colour.

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade - which I reviewed here in Ebony - I'll therefore not waffle on too much about it!  Takes a bit longer to apply until you get the hang of it but it gives a good natural brow with great pigment and is waterproof!

Mally Brow Fix - came with a QVC  kit - it only seems to come in this one colour and is not one I would have chosen for myself as it's too pale to add much definition but makes a good 'fixing' product to use over the top of something else. It has a waxy texture so tames and keeps stray brow hairs (not that I have that many to stray!) in place.  It's around £20 from QVC and isn't something I intend to repurchase as I can live without it - if you know what I mean!
YBF Automatic Brow Pencil - a product my mum gave to me a while ago - a twist up pencil with a 'spoolie' brush at the other end (which I forgot to photograph!). It has a dryer texture - almost like compressed powder but doesn't pull or tug at the skin and is a good flat brown colour. If I use on it's own I have to layer up as the shade is not as deep as I would choose, but it's great for adding extra definition or tidying up over another product. Comes in at around £18.00 for a duo from QVC and I would consider repurchasing as I like the texture.
Rimmel Professional  Brow Pencil - this is something I have used for years and will continue to repurchase. The colour is just right for me, really quick and easy to apply, either on it's own or to neaten up over the top of another product. Comes with its own little brush and is only £2.99. Easy to get hold of and a complete bargain!
Laura Geller Brow Marker - this is a good idea in theory as it's like a fine felt tip so you can 'mimic' fine hairs as you draw them in? Unfortunately the colour has a definite 'warm brown vibe' and isn't deep enough for me to carry off. Not something I'll repurchase - I don't do warm brows!

So that's my little 'brow arsenal'. Which one I use depends on how much of a rush I'm in to get out the door, what I'm doing once I'm out and how strong a brow I want! Apart from the Anastasia Dipbrow though (which is fantastic in hot weather) they will all melt or rub off to some degree on a hot day or in a warm environment (not a good look to have your eyebrow smearing across your forehead!) so I think a setting product is my next port of call at some stage!

How do you like your brows? How many brow products do you own? Which is your favourite? Sod it let's just have a coffee and chat about it shall we? :)

Jen x

Mally Volumizing Mascara - Review

Bonjour!

Mally Beauty products are described as high performance and bulletproof, used by A-listers and busy mums alike! The Volumizing Mascara has been part of my ongoing stash for a couple of years now - you know when you keep going back to that certain something because it just works for you? Can't believe I haven't blogged about it before now!

Mally's mascara includes a combination of natural waxes blended with powders to create a formula neither too thick nor too runny. As you can see from the above pic. the brush is of a standard size with fairly closely packed bristles. The two work really well together to create hefty black lashes with volume, length, definition and curl with minimal transference to the lids! It stays in place all day with no flaking, smudging, melting or running until removed - and as long as you use a decent eye make-up remover it comes off fine. You can also add further coats throughout the day should you want to 'up the ante' - I have to confess I have done just this on occasion before a night out, reapplied more mascara over the top and just changed the make-up around it! Do all mums take short cuts like this or just me? As with all the Mally products I have so far tried, I find this mascara easy to use, it's gimmick free and delivers great, long-lasting results with no faff or fuss. There is also a waterproof formula available which I imagine would be ideal for water babes on holiday. It's not cheap to buy alone at around £17 but mine have all been included in QVC kits so I've never actually paid full price!

A couple of coats on (regular readers will know how puny and pathetic my bare lashes are!) ...

So ... another winning product from Mally - it's easy to handle, does the job with minimal fuss, is reliable, a great all rounder and sticks around (until you need to get rid) ... a bit like some men!

Have you tried any products from Mally Beauty? Which is your most 'reliable' mascara?

Jen x

Mally Evercolor Waterproof Eyeliners - Review and Swatches

Bonjour!

These are my Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners.  I won Midnight (top) in a Twitter competition and Black Violet (bottom) was included in a QVC kit a while ago.

Midnight is an intense velvety black and Black Violet is, as the name suggests, a deep violet with a hint of metallic.  You can use as a standard eyeliner to create a fine line in or outside of the waterline (although I only use out) or as more of an eyeshadow stick and blend for a heavier/smokier look - they must be smudged fairly quickly though - first 30-40 seconds or so - after that they are set for the day.   Mally is known for her bulletproof products and these eyeliners certainly live up to that claim.  If you've ever seen her in action on QVC you'll have seen the vigorous rubbing  of swatches on her hand - I've tried this at home myself and they really don't shift! Applied first thing in the morning before 7, they are still in place with no smudges after 10 at night when I've come to remove - also brilliant on a night out! They are soft and silky to apply and glide smoothly across the lid with no pulling or dragging whatsoever. I reckon these are probably the creamiest eyeliners I've used and are my favourites of all the Mally products so far (I think!).


Just applied on the upper lid here ...

The Evercolor Eyeliners seem to only be available in the UK at QVC in various kits - which actually makes them quite affordable.  I'm sure fellow Mallynistas out there will have picked up a few in their time - you know who you are!

Have you tried any products from Mally Beauty? Which eyeliners are you loving at  the moment?


Jen x

Mally Instant Impact Mascara - Review

Bonjour!

I seem to have accumulated a few mascaras waiting for a review and this is one of them.  The Mally Instant Impact Mascara was one of the products included in the Mally TSV from QVC (how did you guess?) back in April ...

The brush is a rubber type and is made is made up of clusters or 'balls' (no rudeness intended there!) of different length 'spikes' (but not painful ones!) which graduate in size down to the smallest at the tip.  It's not super stiff and has a little give in it so is comfortable to use even on my short lashes - (unlike some spiky wands where you end up poking or scratching yourself in the eye!) - good for grabbing the lashes and coating them evenly.  The formula is on the wet side but not overly so and is a smooth, glossy black pigment.

This has been my go-to mascara for the last few months.  A couple of quick coats in the morning is ideal for me (you could easily get away with one coat I reckon if you have more lashes than me!). I find it's better to apply one coat directly after the other rather than waiting until the lashes have completely dried. It doesn't smudge, flake or run (I've had teary eyes at end of term school concerts and there was no panda activity!)  but comes off relatively easily with a suitable remover. I took it on holiday this year - applied in the morning and it stayed there all day with no meltdown - even in the heat (I didn't partake in any underwater activity!).

Just a couple of very quick coats concentrated on the top and a tiny bit on the bottom for daytime (no eyelash curlers used).  If you're a reader of my blog you'll know how pathetic my bare lashes are so this length and definition on my top lashes is a result!

I must admit I was sceptical about the Mally Instant Impact Mascara but it's been a great all rounder.   It's only just starting to clump and dry a little in the tube now after five months of use.  My only gripe - and probably the reason I've not posted this review before now is that it doesn't seem to be sold here in the UK as a separate item - only in the same QVC kit I originally purchased or over on QVC USA as a $30 duo. Wonder if this will change in the future?

Have you tried the Mally Instant Impact Mascara? What's your favourite of the moment?

Jen x

Calling All Mallynistas!!

Bonjour!

I must admit to somewhat hyperventilating when I saw a preview of Todays Special Value on QVC from Mally Beauty! Anyone who's a  fellow 'Mallynista' will know where I'm coming from...I mean would you just look at it ...!

Mally 6 Piece Easy on the Eyes Collection...all you have to do is choose which eyeshadow palette you want to play with...!

In the Buff 

I  Love Color

Here are the details of the kit from the QVC website...

Contains:

• 1 x Eyeshadow Palette 
• 1 x Volumizing Mascara 
• 3 x Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners 
• 1 x Perfect Prep Under Eye Brightener 
• 1 x sharpener
• 1 x double ended eyeshadow brush in compact
• 1 x instructional booklet                                                                                                            (source)

All this lovely lot is priced at £39.98 (the approximate price of the eyeshadow palette if purchased alone) plus p&p for today only. Further details can be found at QVC here.

Are you a fan of Mally Beauty? Will you be taking advantage of this special offer?

Jen x