Top 5 Mascara Favourites: Lancome, Avon, Miss Sporty and MUA.

Today I have a top 5 post for you, and it features all my favourite mascara. I'm going to do these posts every so often because my mascara loves are always changing because I'm a bit of a mascara floozy! 

Lancome Hypnose Star link, Avon Super Extend Extreme link, MUA every lash link, Avon Super Shock Max link, Miss Sporty Studio Lash link.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara

This is my number one mascara and would highly recommend it. It stands the test of time, it stays on through tears of laughter and it doesn’t smudge or flake throughout the day. It curls, adds volume, lengthens and just makes your lashes look the bomb.com.

Avon Super Extend Extreme Mascara

I got this free in a magazine, and didn’t expect the world but it’s amazing. I have one tiny issue that stops it being my all-time favourite and it’s the size of the wand. When I think of a lengthening mascara, I don’t think of big fat wands and this isn’t thin in the slightest. But it adds just enough volume to lift your lashes but adds gorgeous length to them. It also makes them super black which is brilliant for those of us with super blonde lashes.

MUA Every Lash Mascara

This is a dupe for Benefit They’re Real, but only about £3. It’s got a nice plastic wand with a ball on the end which helps separate lashes and get those pesky little lashes that you can’t get with the regular want. It curls nicely, and adds a little volume. It coats the lashes super well, and lasts all day. Nothing gets this off, which is another reason it’s similar to They’re Real.  Unfortunatly, this is discontinued now which kills me because it was a killer mascara and a total bargain. 

Avon Super Shock Max Mascara

I don’t know what I think this is similar to Max Factor False Lash Effect/Cover Girl Lash Blast because it’s not that similar but it adds volume and coats the lashes like nothing else. Little lashes are a little hard to get with the GIANT wand that you get but if you’re careful it’s a lovely effect on the lashes.

Miss Sporty Studio Lash Mascara

This is my top cheap mascara. It’s £2.99 and worth every penny. I’d pay more for it to be totally honest. It has a nice sized want, with a tapered tip. It’s so black it’s unreal, and it coats your lashes in one swipe. It gives your lashes some lift, and adds volume and lengthens them like nothing else. 

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day, 

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MUA £1 Mascara | Blue, Pink and Black Lashes

The £1 range from MUA has been mostly a hit for me. I adore the blushes (review here) and the eyeshadows are comparable to those offered by high end brands. I picked up a few of there £1 mascaras after seeing that they contained fibers within the liquid, which is something you usually pay quite a bit of cash for. 

They have a nice range of colours which is great for the current coloured mascara trend. Maybelline have just brought out some coloured mascara, but if you want to test the idea of blue lashes before paying out over £6 for a mascara you could pick up some of these. 

I have the pink, blue, teal and waterproof black from the range but I know they do have a brown, regular black and clear mascara for those not so into the coloured lashes. 

The formulation of these mascara isn't groundbreaking, but for the price they are pretty decent. You aren't going to get huge volume but if you need length I would try these. They fibers stick to lashes pretty well, but some do tend to fall by the end of the day.



The colour takes some time to build up when you use the coloured formulas. The black is the easiest to apply. It goes on very naturally at first but after another layer it really lengthens and darkens lashes.


The coloured mascara really lengthen lashes too but it takes three or four layers to get a decent colour pay off. 

Overall, I would recommend giving these mascaras a try if you fancy trying a trend before paying out more pennies or if you like lengthening mascaras.

You can pick them up here now for just £1 a tube or in most superdrug stores. 

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Exciting New Drugstore Makeup Releases (UK Edition)

So, I'm sure nearly every young girl and blogger now knows about this next release and have just about wet themselves over it. One Direction are releasing a capsule makeup line with bargain makeup brand MUA (Makeup Academy). The line is called Little things and feature lip balms, lipsticks and nail polish all apparently inspired by the cult boy band.  

Please don't shot me, but I don't get the one direction phenomenon but I am a HUGE fan of MUA so I'd love to see if the standard is just a high as they currently are or if the One Direction name is going to carry the collection.  



The Lipsticks look pretty awesome and are probably what I'm going to try and get my hands on. I hope, working where they sell MUA, that I could possibly get my hands on it before the prepubescent girls run in store screaming. I kind of hope I'm lying about that but you never know. We had a Justin Bebier stand when his fragrance launched first time around, and no word of a lie there were 13 - 15 year olds kissing the cardboard cut out and some evern went as far as to simulate giving the PIECE OF CARD and blow job while someone else filmed it on their smart phone.

WHAT?!?!?!?!  

I just cannot even...

Baby Lips. They have finally reached the UK and everyone is going a little mental. We put them out at work the other day and one girl actually screamed at them. I wish I was exaggerating or lying, but I'm not. She just about had a melt down and brought every shade/treatment type, even after I told her that if she waited until Wednesday, she would get them cheaper as Maybelline is going on 3 for 2 in Superdrug from then. 

Anyway, they are here and I'm assume all bloggers are going to go bat crap crazy over them like the Americans did. They are good, I have two, but not quite worth the INSANE hype they have buzzing around them. 



 Revlon, a brand that everyone loves at least one thing from, has a new mascara releasing. The Lash Potion has been out in the states for sometime I think but it's just hitting stores in the UK and I think I might give it a go. I've never tried as mascara from the brand so this might my first foray into that. The packaging looks really nice, I love the name and I've heard some great things about it. 




I'm shocked the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick is hitting the UK so quick after hitting the US market. WE had to wait so long for some of the most hyped up things like the aforementioned Baby Lips and Colour Tattoos. It even took quite a while for the Fit Me Range to reach this little island but the Fit Me Shine Free Foundation stick is already here. I'm not sure if I'm going to invest because the reviews I've seen haven't hated on it but they haven't raved about it either. I'll wait for the tester in-store and see what it's like!  

I'm sure there are many more releases hitting the UK drugstores/highstreet soon but these stood out to me. I know L'Oreal have some more colours of their False Lash Flutter mascara that are meant to enhance certian eye colours but I hate the wand so I won't be checking those out.  Bourjois' version of the Lip Butters from Revlon are hitting the shelves if they haven't already and they are really nice. I've tried some of the testers are work, and they are even better than I thought they would be. 

Thanks for reading :)

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B. Loud Volumising Mascara in Jet Black

B. Loud Volumising Mascara in Jet Black, link £9.99

The B. Loud Volumising Mascara in Jet Black is a mascara with huge promises and a huge wand that is meant to help it back them up. Unfortunately, the mascara isn't all it's made out to be. Don't get me wrong, I think the mascara is good but it's not amazing. 



It is very comparable to the Rimmel Scandal Eyes. So if you like that, you'll love this. I found the brush to be almost identical, but the formula is slightly drier which makes it easier to apply and avoids any mess when blinking or applying. 



Once applied, it lasts all day long. I found that it stayed in place without smudging or flaking. It was easy to take off without too much scrubbing. The 'tube' formula means all you need to do is apply some water to the lashes and gently rub them with a cotton pad. It really is a nice dark black colour as well, so it turns my stubby very blonde lashes into a darker frame for my eyes. 



There are two reasons I don't love this mascara. The brush is so big that I find it almost impossible to apply to my bottom lashes. The second reason is that while it claims to be volumising it gives a very natural look that takes far to long to build up the big lashes I like to wear. 

 Honestly, I wouldn't repurchase because it doesn't work for my short, very straight lashes but I would like to try something else from B. to see if I can find my dream mascara. 

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*PR Sample

MUA Brand Review: Eyes, Face, Complexion and Lips

 MUA, or Makeup Academy, are a brand that are exclusive to Superdrug or online. They are a British based bargain brand that offer high quality products at a super cheap price. They have two lines (like ELF) where the basics are only £1 each and the professional line is priced up to about £8. 

Lipstick

The MUA lipsticks are one of my favourite things from the brand. They are only £1 a pop, they don’t dry out my lips, they have a nice selections of colours and they are quite long lasting. The lighter colours, as with most brands, don’t last as long as the reds but for the price they are brilliant. 

Power Pout (full review here)

The Power Pouts are MUA’s answer to the lip crayon bandwagon that everyone is jumping on at the moment. They are soft, slightly blamy crayons that give you a pop of colour on the lips .They are a little too soft (and therefore messy for me) but they are a bargain at £3 a tube. 

 

Eyeshadow (reviews here, here , here and here)

The £1 single eyeshadows from MUA are my favourite thing from the brand. They have a huge selection of colours (quite a few MAC dupes in there too) and they are really nice quality. I prefer these over most of my eyeshadows, high end or not! They offer a range of matte and pearl finishes, all of which go on to the eye in a buttery like formula, and blend to a nice finish. 

Eyeshadow Palette (review here , here,  , here and here)

MUA offer a nice range of eyeshadow palettes which feature about 12 eyeshadows. The quality of the shadows is slightly less impressive than the singles, which I find strange considering how many of the colours can be brought in single form. They offer a bight palette for those loving colour (review here) and they offer a nice range of neutrals too including dupes for the Naked and Naked 2 palettes from the ever popular Urban Decay. They palettes are only £4 a go.

Eyeshadow Trio (review here)

The eyeshadow trios offered by the brand are similar to those offered by Bourjois but at much cheaper price of only £2.50.The trios come with three complementary colours that work well to create one look. You generally get a lid, crease and highlight colour, along with a sponge applicator for those without brushes. They can be used wet or dry for subtle or bold looks, and they have a collection for almost anyone’s eyeshadow preference.

Liquid Eyeliner (mentioned here)

The MUA liquid eyeliners are one of my favourites, ever. They come with a felt tip like brush meaning they are great for beginners (*cough* me *cough*) and they last all day. They are only £1 a go, come in a nice range of colours and can be used to create any kind of liner effect. You can go thick or thin, with a flick or without and these will work for you. They do take a few seconds to set/dry, which can be a bummer if you blink a lot but once they set they are there to stay! 

Pencil Eyeliner (full review here)

The pencil eyeliners, again only £1, are great. They aren’t the softest pencils your will find but they are softer than some that cost a lot more. They come in a huge array of colours, come with a sharpener on the lid and lash a decent amount of time. They have some matte colours, and some with shimmer/glitter. The colours are nicely pigmented, and blendable/smudgeable if you fancy something smokier.

Mascara (mentioned here and here)

MUA offer a range of mascaras from lengthening ones that only cost £1 to volumising goodies that cost about £3. My favourite from the brand are the £1 mascaras that come in a nice range of colour from black to pink and the Every Lash mascara which is £3 and is a dupe for Benefit They’re Real (full post here).

The basic £1 MUA mascaras are great if you want length for you lashes.  They are actually fibre mascaras meaning they actually make your lashes longer. The fibres can be a bit of a bitch if you fall into your eye but if your careful you can achieve nice fluttery lashes. 

The Every Lash Mascara is £3 a tube, and a total dupe for Benefit They’re Real, right down to the fight you have to have to get the darn thing off. It lifts, volumises and lengthens, and it lasts all day. It’s only £3 a tube, so it worth a try if you haven’t used it yet. 

The other offerings they have including a curling mascara (not a fan) and volume extreme and one other (it comes in a pink tube) which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of. They are all around £3 so it’s no great loss if you aren’t a fan! 

Blush

I adore the MUA blushes, and I seldom reach for other blushes in my collection anymore. They are pigmented, easy to blend and come in just about any colour I could want. I have bright bubblegum pinks, subtle pink flushes right the way through to simple coral/orange tone blushes. They are only £1 a go, and I think they are right up there with MAC and Sleek. 

Powder

The £1 powder from MUA is a great deal if you have a skin tone that could suit it. I found that even the lightest shade is too dark for me so I haven’t been able to really test them out! Maybe sometime soon they will over and ivory toned powder or something translucent in the pressed form for me to really try.

Highlighter

The MUA Undress Your Skin Highlight is a totally rip off of MAC products (much like the Nail Polishes are a rip off of Essie) but it really is great. The colour is similar to that which can be achieved by using MAC MSF in Lightscapde but it’s slightly more pink toned. The packaging is simple, and the shape of the power is very similar (read the same) at the MAC Extra Dimension collection powders that they offer on occasion. It’s only £3 thought, so a big saving on MAC but I do get slightly annoyed at how much they copy other brands.

Bronzer

The basic bronzers are bit to orange for my pink toned pale skin but if you have a slightly deeper skintone I would recommend trying thee £1 bronzers. They are cheap, last all day on your skin and blend quite well. The big boy of bronzers that MUA offer is something I’ve yet to try but if you want a huge, shimmery bronzer MUA have one at the super cheap price of £3. 

Foundation

The MUA basics line don’t offer foundation but the Professional line (just a tad more expensive than £1) do have a couple to offer. I have dry skin so I haven’t grabbed the Matte one yet but if you want something mattifying it might be worth a try for £2. The one I have tried, tested and adored is the MUA Undress Your Skin illuminating foundation. It’s a nice, lightweight foundation that is actually pale enough for Casper over here and it really does illuminate. It covers redness okay, but you might need a concealer for spots and the like because the coverage isn’t that amazing. It’s still a bargain at £5 for 35ml and I would repurchase it.

Concealer (full review here)

I was so happy when they released a liquid concealer. The brand have offered a stick concealer since the beginning but I hate stick concealers so never tried it. If you like sticks/lipstick like concealer then give them a try because they are only £1, but if you prefer liquid/wand concealer try the Cover and Concealer wand concealer for just £1.50. They have a really light shade, but sadly don’t go that dark You can read my full review here.

There are more things that MUA offer, like cream blushes, brushes and nail polish but I’ve yet to be able to try those. I would love to, so hopefully in the future I will pick up a few more bits from the brilliant bargain brand. 

Here are a few more reviews on things from the brand if you fancy taking a look at them! 

Pro-Base Eyelid Primer Review

MUA Primer

Check out MUA online here, or head into your local Superdrug to see what they have to offer you!

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YSL Baby Doll Mascara + 50,000 Page View Giveaway!

The YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll Mascara is the latest mascara offering from Yves Saint Laurent. It comes in the standard but gorgeous YSL gold tube, with pink writing. The plastic wand has short and firm bristles that are evenly places over the skinny wand. One side has slightly longer bristles, while the opposite has shorter bristles to catch the smaller lashes .




The firm plastic wand enables you to really work the wand from base to tip, giving the lashes a good coating of mascara and a nice amount of lift if just one coat. 


A second coat gave my lashes a nice separate look, along with lift, length and volume. I couldn't leave to long in between coats thought because I found that once the mascara dried, it was hard to add another coat without creating a 'spider' lash look! 

The wand is small enough though so you can reach all the lashes that might be hard to reach. It works great for the shorter lashes in the inner corner, and the bottom lashes.  




The colour is super black, meaning you have dark lashes in just on coat. It's really long wearing, and I found it lasted all day without smudging or flaking. 



Overall, I'm really impressed with this.
 The only reason I was hesitant to buy this because of the stories I've heard about how quick Yves Saint Laurent mascara's dry up.  I have had it about a month now and it still hasn't dried out which is a good start for a YSL mascara.

You can pick up the YSL Babydoll Mascara from YSL counters or online here for £24.50 

Now, as a thank you for reading and saying thank you for helping my blog reach over 50,000 page views I wanted to give you a chance to win this mascara, or another mascara from the brand!  I love it and many other things from YSL so I would love to give someone else a chance to win something from them. 

Along with this mascara, you will also win a 'goodie bag'  full of my favourite drugstore products of the moment! 


The giveaway will run for a month ending August 1st (the month I started blogging here at Some Sparkle and Shine). All you have to do to win is follow my blog via bloglovin (and fill in the rafflecopter widget). After that there a few optional entries that will increase your chances a little! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

The Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara claims to curl, shape and define lashes while holding the curl. The conditioning  formula contains shea butter and keratin which is meant to ensure the mascara is water resistant while providing jet black colour and staying power.



The brush, while it claims to be unique, is similar to that of Rimmel Sexy Curves (which might be discontinued). It almost looks like three balls connected together and the bristle brush really help lift the lashes when you apply the mascara. 



I have to say that this mascara really lives up to it's name. This somewhat unique brush curls my lashes (and holds them) better than anything. It's hard for me to admit that my Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara might not actually be the best thing ever. It's still up there but it's got some serious competition from this one! 



 I use this to lift and curl my lashes and top it off with the Maybelline Mega Plush mascara to add a touch more volume. The combination makes my lashes the best they've even looked because not only are they super black but they have curl, volume and length to the max. 



The packaging is really unique which I love. It's not just the generic plastic tube, but it's a squeezable tube. It says that it is created that way to ensure minimum waste. 

There is just one thing that I question when it comes to this product.  I'm not entirely sure what 'water resistant' means. It's most certainly not waterproof in any sense of the word. It comes off with a makeup wipe or simple makeup remover. It doesn't withstand tears, but it does last all day on my lashes without flaking or smudging around my eyes. 

You can get the Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara from & Other Stories or online here for £15. 

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Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara

The Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara claim to multiply, magnify and 'grow' lashes with three different high volume fibers that help create a false lash effect. They says that the base is mousse light and blended with conditioned with a lash advancing vitamin complex. The brush is an over-sized bristle brush with two different bristles to keep lashes clump free.

I got my hands on this when I purchased the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (review here).  One end was the brilliant Double Wear Concealer (review here), the second was the Sumptuous Extreme Mascara. 

The bristle brush is big but nothing too big like the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara. The tapered effect means you can reach the shorter lashes in the inner corner and the smaller tip means to can do the bottom lashes easily too. 



I found this great for building natural volume and adding some length. The first coat doesn't work magic with volume or length, but it does pack on the colour. The first stock really makes my lashes black, and the second coat really packs a punch. It gives me a nice boost of length, and gives them volume without look over the top. 




I like this mascara, but I don't love it. I think I might love it if I picked it up in the full size but because the brush is so long and the wand part so short it's hard to get to all of the lashes and really work the brush into the roots of the lashes. 

You can pick this Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara up at Estee Lauder counters or online here for £22.

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P.S: The Love Cats Inc is having a brilliant giveaway over on her blog! Enter here!