Koji Dolly Wink Volume Mascara by Tsubasa Mazusawa Review

If there is one makeup product I couldn't live without, hands down, it'd be mascara. And probably Japanese mascara at that since those are the only mascaras I've tried that can keep a curl! So here's my review of Koji Dolly Wink Volume Mascara by Tsubasa Mazusawa.

First off, my purchase was in no way influenced by the fact that Tsubasa was on the packaging since I know nothing about her. I just really like mascara... :)

Apparently, using this mascara will allow you to achieve a "Mannish Preppy Style." Huh...

I forget how much my tube was exactly but it was definitely over $20. I purchased it at a local Japanese grocer.

I like that the packaging includes a nice pamphlet with tips on how to apply the mascara!

A close-up of the instructions.

IMO, the design of the tube isn't that great. I know mascara doesn't usually come in anything but a plastic tube but this bottle could definitely have been designed a little better for the price. Just imo. Maybe I'm too used to Majolica Majorca's bottles. :)

The interesting thing about the wand is that it's tapered at the end! Perfect for applying mascara to your bottom lashes without accidently scrapping excess mascara onto your under eye area. How clever! 
Here is a picture of my bare lashes, curled:

And after! BAM. If you can't tell the biggest difference between the top lashes, take a look at those bottom lashes. Ooh whee~

Verdict?I would definitely repurchase. Dolly Wink's Volume Mascara by Tsubasa Mazusawa is amazing! How could I expect any less from these fabulous Japanese mascaras, honestly. I love that upon application, the brush just glided along my lashes. I couldn't even feel the bristles on my lashes, only the mascara formula. It was so smooth. Odd to say but it was comfortable?
Pros:+ No flaking or smudging. Lasts all day!+ Waterproof.+ Holds curl really well!
Cons:- Pricey compared to comparable Japanese mascaras. I believe Majolica Majorca costs a tad less and it's my HG.
Where to Buy:APopOfKawaiieBayIchibankoMihokoShopPinkyParadisePrettyAndCute

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara Review

This'll be a fairly quick and straight forward review of a new favorite mascara of mine: Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara.

Pros:
+ Lengthens and separates lashes really well! Best I’ve seen yet.
+ Waterproof so holds a curl fabulously.
+ Contains little polymer fibers (smaller than I’ve seen in other Japanese mascaras) so lengthens lashes really well (I know, said that already)! Little fibers have yet to fall into my eyes and irritate them (which happened quite frequently with my Fasio mascaras).
+ No need to use any mascara base since it adheres to lashes so well (sorry I've used 'well' so many times but it does!)!
+ No flaking or smudging after hours of wear.
+ Unscented.
Con:
- More difficult to remove than with normal mascaras. If that’s the case for you, here are my two eye makeup remover recommendations:Mandom Cleansing Express Eye Makeup RemoverSonia Kashuk Remove
Tip: IMO, it’s best to use a mascara guard with this mascara. Whenever I don’t use one, I usually end up accidentally getting a bit of mascara on my eyeshadow.
Cost:Anywhere between $12-20 depending on where purchased.
Bare lashes:

Lashes with Kiss Me mascara applied:

From the side:

Where To Buy:A Pop of Kawaii (support a fellow beauty blogger! :))SaSaAdam Beauty Mihoko Shop
Ichibanko

Mascara Fail & Adventures in Cooking

Any mascara that makes my eyelashes droop is a tosser for me. What's the point of curling my lashes if the mascara doesn't keep them perky? Maybelline Intense XXL Mascara was no exception.

Freshly curled lashes.Oh man. My eye bags are lookin' kind of wrinkly....
Lashes with primer applied.

A couple coats of Maybelline Intense XXL Mascara applied.

A few minutes later, my lashes have lost their curl.

Before and after comparison.
Pros+ Doesn't flake or smudge+ Easy to remove
Cons- Can't hold a curl- Doesn't add XXL volume or length as described

Does anyone have any good recommendations for drugstore mascaras? I love trying new mascaras but I still haven't found any American drugstore HG mascaras yet.

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Adventures in Cooking

For my birthday, I received a copy of Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook. I've heard so many good things about his restaurant and book so I've been eying this cookbook for quite some time. I decided to start with what sounded like one of the easier recipes since I don't cook very often and am still new to the kitchen: Gazpacho with Balsamic Glaze.

I'm fairly sure something went wrong somewhere along the way. The soup tasted a bit too tangy if not salty for my tastes. I didn't have parsley in the kitchen so I had to omit that. I don't know if it would have helped with the saltiness though.



Drinking it cold brought out all of the flavors so well, I must admit. The first spoonful tasted like onions. The next tasted like cucumbers. I could taste the tomatoes. But it was just a bit too much for me. Warming the soup up really helped bring down the flavors a bit.

In the end, we used the chunky part as dip....

I can just see Thomas Keller frowning at me, now. :/

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On a different note, I'll be switching picture hosts soon from Picasa to Flickr. Hopefully my pictures will look better this way!

Apple Super Lash Mascara Review

OMG. New HG mascara right here! 1/6th the price of my previous HG Shiseido Majolica Majorca mascara. BUT Apple Mascara isn't waterproof like MM Mascara is. Still, I liked this Apple mascara so much that I just had to do two blog posts in one day. I couldn't wait. Haha.


I forget where I first heard about Apple Mascara but I think it's safe to assume MakeupAlley. I couldn't find a lot of information on the brand but from what I can gather, they're a cosmetics company based in Mexico. Their company website is mostly under construction right now. Some of their products are sold in the US at different boutiques which is how I managed to get a hold of my two mascara tubes.

As you can see, Apple Cosmetics offers 14 different types of mascaras: Black, Mamey, Avocado, Pink and Green, Crystal/Clear, Blue, Aloe Vera, Brown, Base, Purple, Naturist, Peanut, Jojoba, and Almond.
I wish I knew the differences between all of them. Does Black have no specials oils in it or something? Like how Mamey has Mamey extract in it, Avocado has avocado extract in it, etc? Perhaps. Mamey, btw, is a species of fruit tree native to southern Mexico (via Wikipedia).

I decided to start with Mamey and Avocado. I honestly wasn't expecting very much from a mascara that cost $2.99 + tax. Cheaper than drugstore mascaras (which I've never had any good results from), I was just buying it to test for fun. How wrong I was. *Note* Please excuse my many spare eyebrow hairs. I'm in dire need of a threading. Will do asap.

Apple Super Lash Mascara in Mamey

Mamey is my favorite of the two. In my opinion, it provides more volume than Avocado does and may even provide some length. Both do well to hold up a curl though! I'll have to test this for a few more days to see for sure what is what.

The brush looks like that of any other normal mascara. A scent is there when you open the mascara but it's definitely not as strong as the scent in the Avocado bottle.

Right eye, bare lashes.

Right eye, Apple Super Lash Mascara in Mamey applied. Probably swiped the wand 3-4 times.
Apple Super Lash Mascara in Avocado

One thing I really didn't like about the Avocado version was that it was extremely scented! It was soooo strong. I felt like I was hit in the face with it when I first opened the bottle. Yikes~

Brush looks very similar to that of Apple Super Lash Mascara in Mamey.

Left eye, Bare lashes.

Left eye, Apple Super Lash Mascara in Avocado applied.

Here is a better picture of the upper lashes. I hadn't yet applied the mascara to the lower lashes in this picture.

Verdict: Would definitely repurchase! I'd highly recommend this to anyone who doesn't need a waterproof mascara and can get their hands on it. I purchased it at a store called Amuse in one of the local malls.
*Note* These mascaras aren't waterproof though. My contacts were bothering me one day, I put in some eye drops, and the mascara got all over! My eyelashes also starting wilting. :/
You can also purchase this mascara from ebay seller: perfumestationus. $2.50 + shipping. Free shipping if you purchase 3 or more items. Buy some mascaras for your moms/friends? I'm off to go purchase some for friends and family myself. :)
//EDIT February 24, 2011//For Christmas, I purchased a few of these from persumestationus to use as stocking stuffers. They arrived wrapped extremely well with bubble wrapped and in perfect condition. I purchased a bottle for myself but when I tried it, it just didn't have the same effect on my lashes as the one I purchased from the mall is. My theory as to why this might have happened is because the mascara bottle I bought from the mall had been opened before (you could tell because you could see traces of mascara on the top of the bottle when you opened it, the kind you get from pulling the wand out) and I'm assuming it may have dried a bit, making it a tad thicker upon application? That's just my guess. This is, by no means, an update to tell my readers to not purchase from perfumestationus. No, no no. They're fabulous. They sell NEW bottles of mascara compared to the mall! I'm just stating that the results I originally wrote about may be because of a bottle of mascara that may have dried out a bit.

Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Neo Review

A VISUAL REVIEW because this is imported from my old blog and apparently, I didn't save my document.

Favorite mascara of all time! Can hold a curl like no other, honestly.

Wand.

My bare lashes.

Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Neo mascara applied.

Side shot!

30 minutes later. Still going strong!

Love this stuff. Would purchase again!

Tired of wearing mascara? Get Eyelash Extensions

The latest trend is to get eyelash extensions. More and more companies are developing an eyelash extension system to accommodate the demand for this service.

The goal with extensions is to create a look that doesn't require the use of mascara. So, if you are tired of wearing mascara every day, why not look into this service.

Eyelash extensions do cost more than mascara of course and will last for several weeks, if not months before they need to be replaced or adjusted. Sometimes lashes will fall out and you will need to get fill-ins.

It certainly is appealing to not wear mascara every day. As a contact lens wearer, I am constantly annoyed with mascara. I wonder if eyelash extensions would interfere with contacts?
For the full interview, visit http://www.hrhairstyles.com/eyelash_extensions.htm