Review (pictures included) - L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

I included this mascara in my article about great drugstore finds but I thought that since I think so highly of this product that I should do a full review on it.
I won't be adding much new information that I didn't already mention but I do have some pictures of me wearing the mascara so hopefully that will provide a little more insight.

Full review after the jump.


I have been using this mascara for at least a year now and I have never gotten as many compliments on my lashes as I have while wearing this mascara. In fact, most times people ask if my lashes are even real and I have the pleasure of telling them that they are and then I recommend this mascara.

Alright, let's start with the price - it's very affordable. When these aren't on sale, I get them at Wal-Mart for $6.97 each which is a really good deal especially considering how much more expensive drugstore products have been getting. However, I have seen a few times when this particular mascara has been on sale for $5.00 each so I always pick up a few at a time then. I'm so glad that I found this mascara before having the resort to trying out more expensive brands (which is what I was on the verge of doing before I discovered this one).

Next, the formula - which I find rather great. This mascara lengthens, separates and volumizes; what else can you ask for? I used to think that it added more length than volume but after seeing actual pictures of me wearing it, I think it adds an equal amount of both! My lashes look long, separated and voluminous - all thanks to this mascara. (By the way, I didn't curl my lashes for the photo as I wanted to provide the most accurate picture).

Flakiness factor? Well, I haven't had any problems whatsoever in this department. This mascara lasts all day long for me and even when I have slept with this on I haven't had any issues.

Clumpiness? I have heard/read that some have had issues with clumping with this mascara and I really haven't had those problems myself. However, I do find that when I first open a new tube, for the first couple of applications the brush seems to pick up a little more product than necessary. This is easily remedied by scraping the excess off the brush onto the side of the tube. Once the right amount of product is on the brush though, I have absolutely no issues with clumping. Oh and as long as I apply it correctly (wiggle the brush at the lashline and sweep it up through the lashes), there are no problems. I can imagine that if I were in a rush and was just sweeping it on quickly that this mascara might not be all that forgiving. Again though, I have no problems to report here.

There is also a waterproof version of this mascara available which works just as well as the original. All of the above factors apply except that this one can withstand any amount of liquid. I would actually wear this one on a day to day basis if it weren't so damn hard to remove.

Anyway, overall I give this mascara a 9.5 out of 10. If you don't want to break the bank on a high end mascara but still want great results, this is at least worth a shot.

Jump to more to see pictures of me wearing the mascara.

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Great drugstore finds! - Part 1

In this post I'm going to discuss some great products that you can find at the drugstore. I'm not a high-end product snob and I truly believe that you can find great products at the drugstore! I'm going to call this Part 1 because as I come across more great finds, I'll make subsequent posts.

1.) Revlon Colorstay Foundation

This foundation is my absolute holy grail of foundations and believe me, I've tried quite a few before finding this one.

The good:

- Blends flawlessly
- Offers medium buildable coverage
- Very long-lasting
- Comes in a wide range of colours so it's very easy to match your skintone
- Even if you cannot find a match for your skin, this stuff mixes really well so you can customize it to match you perfectly
- One of my favourite aspects of this foundation is that it comes in two formulas: one for dry skin and one for combination/oily skin
- It's inexpensive and one bottle lasts a long time

The not-so-good:

- The bottle does not have a pump applicator so it's difficult to get the right amount and you might end up wasting some if you're not careful
- The smell isn't the absolute best smelling thing in the world but you get used to it pretty quickly (plus with all the pros of this product, it could smell a lot worse and I would still use it!)

Overall, I give this product a 9 out of 10 and the missing point is solely because it does not have a pump applicator, otherwise this would be a perfect product for me.

More products after the jump!



2.) Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Here's another of my holy grail items! I used to be a serious mascara junkie; I would buy every new mascara that came out just hoping that one of them would give me the results I wanted. Little did I know, this bad boy was under my nose the entire time. Now, a quick note: I have super long eyelashes to begin with so I can't say that I know how this will work for those with shorter lashes, but it does amazing work on mine.

The good:

- The price is VERY reasonable (about $6 depending on where you live)
- Adds serious length to the lashes (no joke, my eyelashes actually touch my eyebrow when I have this on)
- Adds decent volume to the lashes (I find it adds more length than volume but the volume it adds is still pretty awesome)
- Shapes the lashes well (I don't know how else to phrase it but this mascara fans the lashes out so that it gives the illusion of a more elongated eye shape)
- Doesn't clump if you know how to work with it (I've heard some people say that it can get clumpy but I haven't had this problem)
- Comes in a waterproof formula that works just as well (which is something I don't find very often)
- Easy to remove

The not-so-good:

- On the first couple of uses I find that the brush picks up a little too much product, but that can easily be fixed by swiping the brush along the edge of the bottle to remove the excess
- As some others have said, it can get clumpy

Overall, I give this product a 9.5 out of 10.


3.) Wilaverde Nail Polish Remover

This product is something I came across recently and I'm SO glad that I did! It's an acetone free formula that also claims to be moisturzing, which is something my cuticles love.

The good:

- It's acetone-free (this is a great aspect of this product, especially for me because my cuticles absolutely hate acetone)
- It's enriched with soy to provide moisture while removing polish and it really does do that! The formula is oily which some of you might not like but my cuticles soak it right up.
- It doesn't smell like nail polish remover (which means my boyfriend isn't complaining about being high every time I do my nails now!)
- It removes polish just as well as acetone formula removers
- Comes in a fragrance-free formula for sensitive skin

The not-so-good:

- It's a little more expensive than acetone formula polishes but it's still very reasonable
- I wish that it was packaged in a squirt bottle as I find those much easier to use

Overall, I give this product a 9 out of 10.


4.) L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Polish

These polishes have a thin tip brush so they're perfect for nail art.

The good:

- The brush is super thin so you get great control and you're able to create fun nail art designs
- They're really inexpensive ($1.00-$2.00 each)
- They come in a wide range of colours and finishes
- They're fast drying

The not-so-good:

- I've found the formula on these to be a little inconsistent; with some colours it's great and with others it seems a little sticky/stringy
- Th glitter ones can be a little more watery than I would like but you can work with it

Overall, I would give these polishes an 8 out of 10 and for the price, they're completely worth it.


5.) Pamper's Sensitive Thick Baby Wipes

Yes, baby wipes. They're so great as makeup removers!

The good:

- Really inexpensive compared to makeup remover wipes, especially considering how many more you get (for example, usually when buying makeup remover wipes, you would get 25-30 for $7.00-$8.00 but with these, they come in a container with 60 wipes for only about $3)
- To save even more money, you can get the refill packages which come with 3 packages of 60 wipes for about $7, meaning you get 60 wipes free
- They remove makeup just as good as any makeup remover wipes I've used
- They're made for sensitive skin to prevent irritation so you can use them on the eye area
- They're pretty thick so you can use both sides of the wipe and you'll really only need the 1 wipe to remove all of your makeup, including eye makeup

The not-so-good:

- These won't completely remove waterproof mascara

Overall, I give this product a 9.5 out of 10.


Alright, that's all for now. As I said, I will make future posts with more great drugstore finds.
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Reveiw on POSH brushes on youtube video

Blog entries about these products are:
http://yoyoecho.blogspot.com/2010/04/posh-brush.html
http://yoyoecho.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-on-posh-brush-set-angle-brush.html Read Full...