Makeup

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara Update

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L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara Carbon Black

I’ve been using L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black for years now. The price (<$10) is nice, I love the brush, and it works well for my needs. Although I try other things occasionally, nothing has convinced me to stray.

A (temporary) Choice

Last time I needed to repurchase, though, Target was out of the Carbon Black (black tube) variety I typically go for. I settled for Blackest Black (gold tube) and called it a day.

The Difference

I’ve been using L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara Blackest Black since about November, now. Overall, the shade isn’t as dark as Carbon Black. It’s far from a crisis and literally no one but me notices. I’m not unhappy with it, but it isn’t quite the same.

I find that the classic L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara formula does not lengthen (or appear to lengthen) my lashes as effectively as the Carbon Black formula does. It does give some slightly-enhanced fullness, but fullness isn’t a concern for me right now.

The Impact of Pigment

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Called It – Kat Von D Lipstick

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Kat Von D LipstickKat Von D Lipstick is Baaaaack

This is an entirely obnoxious personality trait of mine, but man – being right feels good!

Several months ago, I speculated that Kat Von D lipsticks were getting an overhaul of some sort. After I published that post, I received some fairly validating interaction with the brand.

Spoilers: I was right.

But…Is it New Coke all over again?

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January 2018 Favorites

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January 2018 FavoritesJanuary 2018 Favorites
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly, $22 / Jergens In Shower Sunless Tanning Lotion, $7 /
Tresemme Heat Protectant, $4 / MiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

Unsurprisingly, when I wrote the title of this post, I wrote 2017 instead of 2018. My January 2018 Favorites are short and sweet.

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Chatter: On Discounted New Releases

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This post started with a question from a friend: If (prestige) palettes go on sale soon after they are released, are they worth the starting price?

Not shopping for certain things – say, palettes – enables you to save money (not looking/not tempted/not spending). It also, however, means you miss peculiarities in the market.

Several brands released palettes in the last handful of months only to have them rapidly marked down. Not marked down now that the holidays are behind us, though – before Christmas!

Basically – if we’re seeing 30%+ off discounted new releases within three months of release, why should anyone buy at launch? Why not wait?

Personally, I see the issue being twofold:

  • Most of these palettes were the part of the holiday collections for the lines in question. Previously, I said I was opting out of limited edition/holiday palettes. I still feel that way and do not see it changing for the forseeable future.
  • The target market for products like these are primarily (not exclusively) younger, trend-centric women. They don’t occasionally jump on the hype train, they have a Metro Card. It doesn’t matter to them that the product is good, just that it is relevant in-the-moment or that it happens to be their preferred influencer’s flavor of the day.

The Bottom Line

I don’t presume to tell anyone how to spend their money, but if you watch the beauty market for even just a couple years you can identify this pattern.

That Time Again – 2017 Favorites

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I sat down to write about my 2017 Favorites and ended up laughing at myself. I went back and checked the previous year’s favorites to make sure I wasn’t inadvertently writing the same post and … wow, I definitely almost did! I still love and use everything from that list a year later. I even still use the now-discontinued Gimme Brow; I’m on my last tube, sadly. Maybe next year will feature a new brow product. Maybe I’m set in my ways.

Rather than repeating myself, check out what I had to say on these items last time:

2017 Favorites

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day SerumDrunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, $80

Buying an $80 consumable skincare item even at 20% off was a huge risk for me. I enjoy prestige makeup, but I was worried that I was:

  • losing my mind
  • buying into hype
  • going to hate it or be unimpressed and have wasted money
  • going to love it WAY too much but not find it a sustainable purchase
  • losing my mind

Although I was obviously hoping I’d like it, I was shocked by how much good it has done for my skin. It is my single largest beauty expense, but I am gladly forking over the money twice a year.

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Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 2 – Zoe Ayla Fish Style Brush

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Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 2 - Zoe Ayla Fish Style Brush

Last time I released a Bi-Weekly WTF, I erred; I just kinda tossed it in the title without sharing my intention. A lot of what I end up writing about is spawned by a head-scratching moment of wondering, “Did they really?” Some really catches me off guard and deserves to be called out as its own WTF-inducing moment. Last time, it was asbestos in kiddy and tween cosmetics.

Zoe Ayla Fish Style Brush

When some people want to turn their brain off, they veg out and watch reality TV. I, however, window shop products I’d never buy – for a laugh, for a post, for whatever. This led me to the subject of this Bi-Weekly WTF: the Zoe Ayla Fish Style Brush.

Yeah, you read that right. Fish style brush.

Because, you know, I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty but I need a fish-shaped foundation brush.

 

Zoe Ayla prices this brush at $25 but I saw it at TJ Maxx for $6. I checked out their set and found they also peddle unicorn-themed brushes. Let’s face it, though – the target demographic for these whimsical-and-not-very-functional brushes is not going to be in a position to spend $25 for a single brush!

Their page on the Fish Style Brush reads:

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