Review| Esqido False Lashes in Lashlorette

I've always been a fan of false lashes, even if I don't wear them daily. After all, nothing amps up a makeup look like false lashes do. 

Now, I'm not dissing on drugstore brands like Ardell or even Red Cherry lashes, but I find that after three or four uses, they get pretty gross looking even when I try my best to clean them. On the other hand, mink lashes are extremely beautiful but I'm afraid that with my clumsiness I might mess them up and waste money. 

ESQIDO is a relatively new brand of mink lashes on the market and I've seen a lot of YouTube makeup artists use and talk about them. The style I have is "Lashlorette" which currently retails for $38. Too pricey? They often have coupons and discount codes available as well as free shipping. 

The packaging is sleek, white, and faux croc plastic. I love having a separate compartment to store lashes because they often get dusty and dirty on my vanity. 

ESQIDO mink eyelashes are hand crafted with genuine (and naturally shed) mink fur and a cotton band, making them ultra soft and natural but lightweight on the eyes. Now, that's what the claims are. I really strived to try them multiple times to see:

 a) how natural looking they are and how well they blend/hide my natural lashes.

b) how light weight they are on the eyes even after extended wear.

c) how well they hold up after cleaning.

d) if they are worth the price in general. 

Here's a closer look at Lashlorette. I chose these because they have a criss-cross pattern overlaying straight lashes, making them look ultra flirty but natural at the same time. These may be considered more on the natural side for those already blessed with beautiful lashes, but they are rather dramatic on my eyes. I usually reserve false lashes like these for nights out, special events, or other socially acceptable situations. 

I used these tools: 

Here's how they look on the eyes. I did my best to apply rather sloppily (ironic?) just to see how they would look. One has Lashlorette on, the other is bare. Huge difference right? I also didn't use any black eyeliner to cover up gaps. 

Here they are on both eyes. They have a natural upward curve to them, even if they look freakishly long on my eyes. I purposely DID NOT curl my real lashes to see how they blend, and from the side you can see that with mascara, my real lashes are visible but not terribly obvious. The decision to wear mascara on your real lashes is up to you, but I'd suggest a slight crimp to them before applying falsies just so that they blend better. Don't overcurl as that makes application harder. 

Overall, I found that ESQIDO ticked off all of the criteria boxes for me:  natural, comfortable, and long lasting. 

What do I mean by natural? The band isn't showing or obvious and the lashes aren't completely separate from my real lashes, even if the falsies are crazy dramatic and totally too long for my eyes.  Plus, the mink hairs naturally curl and blend right in if you lazily curl your real lashes beforehand. These bands are so thin and easily maneuverable that you can easily pinch the falsies and real lashes together and skip the black eyeliner all together.

If you trim these correctly, they should feel nonexistent on your lids. These didn't make my eyes tear up and they were noticeably lighter than even my natural-style Red Cherry lashes. Also important: these don't shed all over your cheeks while you're wearing them, unlike some other mink lash brands on the market. A+ for comfort. 

If you don't abuse the lashes with an oil based makeup remover or mascara, these look brand new even after you wear them (provided you remove the nasty gummy lash glue you used.) It's really easy to just pull off the glue without ripping off 20 mink hairs in the process. A lot of falsies in general lose that U shape after you wear them and get all straight/crooked/bendy/weird, but these retained that curve to fit back into the box.  I could definitely see these lasting for more than 20 uses. 

If you do decide to take the plunge, I don't think you'll regret it. The quality of these mink lashes are the best I've seen thus far. The price tag isn't excessive if you remember that these last for many, many uses even with regular wear. I really like Lashlorette and am looking forward to placing an order for a "barely there" style so that I can wear falsies more often!

xo Be

*This product was sent for review consideration. I personally picked out "Lashlorette" to try and review. The link provided is not an affiliate link and is only for you to check out the product for yourself! 

Collection| Drugstore Mascaras (Maybelline, L'oreal, Revlon)

As a common peasant suffering from Nolashatall syndrome (used to be Noassatall, but a healthy dose of squats took care of that...), I'm constantly on the look out for good mascaras. As the rule goes, mascara tubes harbor bacteria and biochemical weaponry faster than the speed of light, prompting you to throw them away every 3 to 4 months. That, or the formula dry out into oblivion and crust onto your lashes as easily as cornbread mix on a catfish filet.

Because of this, however, they are also relatively cheap at the drugstore and come in such a wide array of options that promise dazzling results. "Your lashes will be extended a million kilometers south!" "Lashes look as volumized as a spayed cat on a Fancy Feast diet!" And since so many mascaras get PR hype, it's very easy to get pulled in and pick up a few on your trip to the drugstore.

As for me, these mascaras will be decommissioned in another month or so, meaning I can explore other options or throw them out if I hate them! Here are a few that I've been using for the past 2 months and their results. I won't be including close ups of my eyeball, because camwhoring my face is hard enough. Keep in mind that I use either MAC's Cleanse Off Oil or Lancome Bi-Facils to remove all of these mascaras and have no problems with tugging or residue.

 

From top to bottom: Revlon Grow Luscious, Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express, L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express waterproof, and L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions (all are in the blackest formula available).

 

Revlon Grow Luscious is my go-to mascara when I don't want to deal with mascara or eyelashes in general. It gives a dark color to my lashes as well as a bit of length and a bit of volume. It does smudge slightly after a long day of wear. This is strangely my second tube, because it doesn't feel crispy on my lashes. It's easy to build because of such a wet formula, but I usually don't try to. Very basic contender.

Though hyped, The Rocket is also your average contender. It gives lashes a natural and somewhat longer look and doesn't feel too dry. It doesn't smudge, but it isn't extraordinary by any means. The large and hard bristled brush also means a higher risk of eye pokage if you're not careful. If you try to build up with this one, not much will happen except clumps.

Although I didn't have high hopes for L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, it is actually one of my favorites. I'm not a huge fan of volumizing mascaras because they tend to clump and give me spider leg lashes. This one is very unnatural (in a good way) and would probably look great with long lashed gals. On me, it gives a great impact due to the intense black color and thickening effect. It's also great layered over a drier/curling mascara. This one doesn't smudge, but I wouldn't say you can build any more after 2 coats.

The Falsies is my favorite of the bunch because of its smaller curved brush shape that reaches into the inner and outer corners and dark waterproof formula. There is absolutely no smudging or flaking, and it gives lashes a very dark and feathery look and does a surprisingly great job at lengthening as well. This one can be built up to 3 coats. For every day looks where I want to amp up the drama, I will always reach for this one. I will repurchase only this one once all of these dry up.

In an earlier blog post, I gave L'oreal's Telescopic Shocking Extensions glowing reviews for its ability to lengthen my lashes. It won't add much in volume and it definitely doesn't smudge, but contact lens wearers need to be weary of this one. After a few hours, its fibers will flake slightly...into your eyeballs. What joy. Layered over Urban Decay's Canonball, it is the BEST look for my lashes. Sadly, I can never wear it when I have contacts in simply because it is too irritating. The small wand means you can build to your heart's content and reach everywhere. Still, I may only repurchase to use on my bottom lashes.

I hope that helps you on your quest to find the holy grail mascara. In all honesty, mascara doesn't have to be a life changer if you already have longer or thicker lashes. As for me, finding the perfect mascara is still in my 5 year plan. I have found some great mascaras in the mid and high end price ranges, but it is a little ridiculous to pay such an amount of money every four months. It really becomes an investment rather than a staple. Since I'm not a huge fan of false lashes for every day, I usually neglect my lashes anyway.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Be

Review| L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extension mascara in Waterproof Black

I am always on a quest for new wonder-mascaras, and as we all know, the drugstore actually has some great mascaras on par with high end brands. For me, a lengthening mascara that holds a curl and doesn't smudge takes the cake. Though I already have many great mascaras in my arsenal, I'm always looking for something that lengthens even more than it gives volume. I was a little wary of this, since my last rendezvous with the Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara left me depressed and disappointed. While Maybelline's The Rocket and Falsies are both very well made and frugal choices, I needed something that would let me forego wearing false lashes. I picked this baby up for $7.97 at Wal-Mart. You can find it at a local drugstore or Ulta.



The packaging is rather cute and whimsical. It looks like a tiny telescope. I'm not sure what the connection is with telescopes and eyelashes, but I'll go with it. Thinking about it, the name of this mascara is apt. The extension it gives to my lashes are indeed shocking, as is the amount of pain you receive if you accidentally poke yourself in the eye. One shaky hand movement and it feels like a thousand porcupine quills into the eyeball. This is why I was so in hate with the LashBlast mascaras hyped over years ago. It was big and dangerous, a bad combination especially for anything going near your eye. (Wow, that sounded almost dirty..)



The wand itself is a skinny plastic brush with tiny little teeth, meaning you can also use it for bottom lashes for a doe-eye effect. Tiny little teeth grab onto the lashes and create false length when pulled upwards. It is also curved to the shape of your eyelid for easy application. The long and small brush also means I can reach into my inner eye corner and pull the lashes out.

The mascara liquid is thin but not watery and can be layered when wet. It is a little wetter than my Definicils but because of this, does a much better job of layering even when dry. I pull from root to tip without much wiggling of the wand, since I'm not trying to build volume. Of course, this doesn't clump unless you're over-eager and try to layer on five coats at once. It's better to just coax the length out at the very tip once you give everything the once-over.

The result is a very long lashed look that doesn't flake (like many fiber based mascara formulations) or smudge onto my undereye (like many cheap mascaras). If I'm feeling industrious, I like to curl before and after this mascara. If not, a light layer opens up my eyes in the morning. I think I will be holding onto this mascara and getting much more use out of it than any other one in my stash.

So, what do you think? Is this a drugstore treasure that I'm late to jump onto the bandwagon with?

Be

Haul and Review: Red Cherry lashes!

Look at what I found at the local swap meet for a whole TWO DORRAHS each!

I've seen Leina on YouTube use these and have always wanted to try them out. Apparently, these are made from 100% Human Hair...not sure how I feel about that, but I'm sure they will hold up a lot better than synthetic lashes. "Excuse madam, let me harvest your hairs so that another lady can stick them to their eyeballs."

The one problem I have with false lashes is that they often take a lot of trimming to fit with my eye shape. My almond shaped hooded eyes get pinched and irritated on the inner corners even if they are just a tad too long. I will probably cut each lash in half to make....four pairs!

I have gotten a lot of practice putting falsies on, but they are still pretty time consuming. I do have to agree that they can transform your eyes instantly and some girls never leave home without them on! The right pair of eyelashes will feel lightweight and comfy enough for a whole day of wear.

I got #46 and #42. Both have a varying length look that can pass as "natural". Y'know, as natural as glued appendages can look on a girl.

What is your take on falsies? Too much or just right for daily use?

 

Update: June 3rd, 2013

These are amazing.

With a lightweight band, it may seem like it would be impossible to spread glue on the lashes themselves without making a mess, and this is true. I would take the extra time to apply with a toothpick or Q-tip.

However, these lashes are so light that it literally feels like nothing is on. This is especially important for those big events where I often rub my eyes raw from itchiness. I think I will wear these on a regular basis only because they are so comfortable.

I did end up cutting the one lash band into a pair, and they fit perfectly onto my eyes. They also take well to mascara and thus, no downward pointing real lashes to clash against the false ones.