BEAUTY REVIEW: Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Black

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

I was browsing around the cosmetic department of Longs several weeks ago (which, by the way, is never a good idea for me since I always end up buying more cosmetic items that I don't really need) and noticed that the store restocked and reorganized the Physicians Formula display section.  So, like a dedicated target consumer that I am, I just had to make a full investigation.

I have to make a disclaimer.  The Longs that I usually go to is located in Downtown.  Due to its smaller space compared to other Longs stores, the cosmetic department is smaller and the variety of products is limited.  Thus, even though the some products are out on the market for a while, it sometimes takes Downtown Longs a long time to finally have these new items in stock.

One of the "new" items that I noticed was the Eye Booster 2-in-1 Boosting Eyeliner + Serum from Physicians Formula in Black.  I first heard about this product from watching several makeup gurus on YouTube and was excited to try it.  I am a big fan of felt tip eyeliners because I feel that I have better control applying my eyeliner than with a brush.  However, the videos on YouTube claimed that the fine brush tip on the Eye Booster Eyeliner worked just as well as a felt tip liner and the staying power of the liner was fantastic.

This product claims to visibly boost lash length, volume, and thickness instantly among 100% of women. Honestly, I think that is a pretty bold claim to make, but...whatever.  I bought this product for the eyeliner part, not the lash boosting serum.  This product is made in Japan and uses a high-tech Japanese formula that claims to be long-wearing, water-resistant, and smudge-resistant.

While I can't vouch for the lash boosting serum (since I haven't used this product long enough to see any results), I can say that the eyeliner was long-wearing, water-resistant, and smudge-resistant.  I was pleasantly surprised at how long lasting this eyeliner was and had an easy time using the brush tip to line my eyes.  The brush tip allowed me to make thin and thick lines effortlessly, just like my favorite holy grail eyeliner from L'Oreal.

There is one downfall to this product that keeps my L'Oreal eyeliner from losing its holy grail status.  The eyeliner is not dark enough.  I prefer jet black eyeliners and the Physician's Formula eyeliner in black is actually a slate gray, especially when applied on top of eye shadow.  I happened to notice on the website that this line comes in a "ultra black" shade, which I did not see at Longs.  Perhaps that shade will satisfy my need for jet black eyeliner.  If you are looking for a slate gray eyeliner, this would be a great product for you.

All in all, I give this product a thumbs up for its eyeliner portion.  The eyeliner does what it claims to do and stayed on throughout the day and night.  It was also relatively easy to remove at the end of the day.  However, the jury is still out on the lash boosting portion.

**UPDATE**  I bought and tried the ultra black shade and I can't believe that I am saying this, but...I think I am now in love with the Physicians Formula eyeliner over my beloved L'Oreal  Linear Intense Carbon Black Felt Tip Liner.  The ultra black shade is jet black and applies effortlessly.  Combined with the long-lasting, water-resistant, and smudge-resistant formula, the Physicians Formula eyeliner has reached "super star status" with me!  Don't worry, I am not giving up on my L'Oreal eyeliner.  Now, I just alternate between the two products.

BEAUTY REVIEW: Suave Professional Touchable Finish Hairspray in Extra Hold

SOURCE:  Drugstore.com

Hairspray.  I've been using hairspray since my days when we used to style our bangs into big "Hang Ten" waves.  When big hair was all the rage and before we knew that the gaping hole in the ozone layer was partly attributed to our desire for big hair that defied the limits of gravity.

However, despite my need for height and control, I wasn't very picky about the actual product name.  Since I used so much of it back in the day, I usually resorted to cheaper brands at the drugstore that did the job.  That's when I started to use Suave hairspray.  It was affordable and performed pretty well.  The downside to Suave hairspray is the slightly crunchy finish.

Despite graduating from the big wave bang style, I still need hairspray to keep down my flyaway wisps or maintain volume.  Thus, I still use Suave hairspray.  I also still use aerosol hairspray now that I am reassured that the formula in aerosol cans are regulated as to not cause further damage to the ozone layer.

Recently, I noticed that Longs was having a sale on Suave hairstyling products.  I was actually running low on hairspray, so the sale came at a perfect time.  I picked up a can of the new Suave Professionals Touchable Finish Hairspray in Extra Hold.  I usually buy the regular Suave Hairspray in the big hot pink cans, but I thought I would try this new line of Suave products after seeing the commercials on TV.  Those are the commercials where top name hair stylists use unnamed hair products and find out that they used Suave Professionals hairstyling products rather than the fancy big name products they are used to using.

I give this product a big thumbs up.  It has a light non-chemical scent and sprays an even mist.  The hold is strong, but the finish is soft and natural rather than clumpy or crunchy.  The product is not sticky and lasts throughout the day.  It also washes out easily from your hair.  I am a big fan of this new product.  Kudos to Suave for developing a line that is affordable and performs well!

RAMBLE: Happy New Year!

SOURCE:  Google

Happy New Year!  I can't believe it, but another year has come to a close.  I must be getting older because I remember thinking that only old people talk about how time flies.  However, in my "old age," I can see the truth to this statement.

Before I start rolling with this blog post, let me extend my sincere apology for missing the last two days of Blog-cember.  I was doing so well leading up to the wee last days of December and honestly thought I was going to be successful in my mission to add a blog post every day during the month.  Alas, all my best intentions fell through as I got really busy with wrapping up all of my end of the year responsibilities and obligations.  I hope you all understand.  Again, please accept my apologies.

In evaluating 2011, I am still on the fence.  Last year brought a lot of tough times and stress, which cumulated into a really bad period for me on the work front.  In light of the new year, I guess the proper thing to do is to redirect my negative energy and pain and turn it into something positive.

The positive thing that came out of this whole ordeal was that it could've been worse.  I know that sounds like such a cliche, but there is a lot of truth to that statement.  When everything started going south and going south very fast, I knew that I needed to leave my job.  What was fortunate for me was that when a door was slamming in my face, another door suddenly opened and shuttled me through the threshold.  I am so fortunate that everything worked out in the end.  Now, I am happier and in a position that encourages me rather than put me down and place the blame on me.  I have to thank my lucky stars.  And on that note, I guess 2011 was a good year because despite the stress, I came out of it and am a little stronger and wiser as a result of that experience.

Now comes the New Years resolutions for 2012.  I don't usually make resolutions because I don't see the point in making lofty goals and promises that are broken in a matter of months.  However, I am going to make an exception for 2012.  I still harbor bad feelings and ill will towards those that made my life a miserable at my old job.  I want to try to let all of those ill feelings go in 2012.  There isn't much point in continuing to speak poorly about one particular individual.  It doesn't mean that I forgive her or want to bury the hatchet, but the snide and catty remarks should stop.  Instead, I need to recognize that she is no longer a friend, colleague, or supervisor of mine, and move on.

Happy New Year everyone!  Let's make 2012 a good and positive year!