dior

Battle Of The Lashes #2: Do Expensive Mascaras Work Better?


I love mascaras, but sometimes the bold claims just don't live up to your expectations. I've previously done another mascara showdown which displayed the pros and cons of mascaras from £3 to £19.50, and now I'm topping it by showing twice the amount ranging from £6.99 up to £25 with surprising results that prove that the price tag isn't everything. I'm showing them all in price order to show you how wide the range is in price difference!


Rimmel Volume Shake £6.99
I've recently reviewed this mascara and said that the bristles could be longer but the shake up gimic impressed me. It comes in the cutest cocktail shaker packaging and formula worked well for me. If the wand itself was improved I'd start using this more often.

L'Oréal False Lash Superstar X Fiber £7.99
This is my joint favourite mascara, with it being a double-ended product with the second part adding small fibers to add length and volume. Whilst I hadn't previously tried a fiber mascara and was dubious about the actual fibers themselves, these haven't ended up in my eyes yet so I'm pretty damn impressed.

Revlon 3D Volume (Discontinued)
I took the photos for this post before I did a quick Google search and realised that this is discontinued. I'm not too sad however, as the bristle didn't give me the '3D Volume' I was expecting.

Revlon Ultimate All In One £9.99
Revlon brought out a year or two ago, a new set of mascaras that were tailored to different areas you wanted to target, and within the range they brought out an 'all in one' version. Although I love Revlon as a brand, I don't like how tiny the wand is. It feels like it takes forever to apply and for volume I use wands with long bristles on to really get the product onto my lashes.

Maxfactor False Lash Effect £10.99
This mascara claims it has up to 50% more bristles for 'never ending volume' and I'm not overly mad at this. It definitely has a ton of bristles but they aren't long enough to add enough volume in my opinion. It doesn't give me a false lash look but the formula lasts all day and looks just as good as when you first applied it.


No7 Lovely Lashes £12.95
This is my 'natural lash' mascara for days when I don't want to wear makeup but still want to have visible lashes. It's the only mascara in a different colour as it's in Brown/Black which looks more natural. It doesn't add a ton of volume which is fine by me as the name suggests a more natural look.

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes
I bloody love the bones out of Tarte but I really do not like this mascara. The packaging is very unique which I adore, but the mascara itself is lacklustre and makes my eyes water because the spiky bristles poke me in the eye. I've kept this mascara purely for comparison in posts like this.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof £19
I had previously tried the non-waterproof version of this mascara and loved it but even with an eye primer it seemed to end up underneath my eyes and just underneath my brow bone so I thought when it came to getting the full version I may as well try the waterproof version. Definitely the right decision and it is one of my favourites.

Urban Decay Perversion £19
This was the first mascara that I tried that really made me say oh wow. The first time I tried it I used the Subversion Primer too and fell head over heels for the combination. I ran out of the primer and recently rebought the mascara alone and it works almost as well as with the primer. 

Illamasqua Masquara Gain £20
This is another mascara I've reviewed and I genuinely love it. You'll see a pattern of big fluffy wands = nice lashes for me but for a while it overtook other mascaras on my list until it unfortunately ran out. 

Benefit They're Real £20.50
When I first started using They're Real I was over the moon with it as the wand really separates the lashes, but I found that the formula made my lashes feel odd. The formula sticks to the lashes and makes it a bit hard to remove which is great if you need it to last all day. 

Dior Diorshow Blackout Waterproof £25
The most expensive mascara on the list but not my favourite. The wand is pretty big and gets every lash which I love but the length isn't quite how I'd like it because of the stubby wand shape. All in all it's a good mascara but there are others I prefer.

post signature

Need-Right-Now Lipstick Shades for S/S ‘15 | ad

It’s not sundresses or cut-out sandals which have us got us excited for the summer but sultry shades of lipstick. It’s time to bust out the brightest colours of the rainbow with hot shades of pink, purple and peach. Store the kohl eyeliner and vampy blushers away and get radiant. Discover the hottest lipstick shades for S/S ’15:

Raspberry Pie by Revlon



We adore this knockout shade of bright pink. The lip butter formula is super moisturising, like a pigmented lip balm. The consistency is glossy and thick making lips appear voluminous and full of life. Leave the rest of your face natural save for a wand of mascara and a light base of foundation.


Peach Blossom by MAC



This nudey-peach shade comes from MAC’s cremesheen collection- another super hydrating formula perfect for combatting the dryness brought on by heat from the sun. This shade is ideal for a day in the office when you want to feel summery but not overdone. Complement your complexion with a pinky-peach blusher such as Benefit’s Hervana.  Sweep over the apples of your cheeks for a fresh, au naturel look.


Electric Orange by Maybelline



Orange is a colour that divides opinion. Unlike pinks, peaches and purples, orange is unmistakably bold and demands attention. If you dare to apply this lip shade then go matchy-matchy with a similar coloured outfit or make your lips pop by wearing all black.

The honey nectar formula nourishes lips and the appearance is bright and glossy. Some orange shades can be too in your face but this one manages to avoid looking garish. Orange looks great paired against olive skin so invest in a good bronzer to give your face that glowing goddess look.


Lavender by Barry M


Barry M is known for his theatrical make-up shades. Browsing the collection it’s not unusual to spot sun yellow nail polish and neon green eyeliner, so this lilac shade of lipstick hardly a shocker. Ideal for spring, the formula is understated and complements pale skin perfectly. The consistency is silky and the solution is enriched with natural moisturiser for a smooth finish.

Go pastel crazy by painting your nails mint green and teaming the look with a baby pink outfit.


Mazette by Dior



Winter calls for deep shades of red and berry, but come the summer you want to achieve the perfect marriage of red and pink. This shade is the perfect combination of both. Almost watermelon in appearance, the voluptuous formula moisturises and reshapes the lips and the colour is luxuriously rich.


Has all this talk of lipstick got you thinking about your own pearly whites? The Smile Dentist has been transforming smiles for over 30 years with his special range of dental treatments. From implants to teeth bleaching, Dr. Rob does it all. Book a free consultation today by calling 0333 577 7273.  


post signature

*This is a sponsored guest post by The Smile Dentist