beauty review – Page 3 – Hoots of a Night Al

Covergirl The Super Sizer by LashBlast Mascara

June 3, 2016 No Comments

I’m breaking out of my Maybelline bubble, to blog about Covergirl’s New The Super Sizer by LashBlast Mascara in Very Black. I have been seeing this promoted everywhere lately, so I picked up a tube to try myself.

As you can see the wand is pretty unique. It is slender and the bristles are relatively short. The are attached in a sort of swirl, so you’re supposed to twirl the brush as you apply the mascara. I found the wand pretty easy to work with. It does take a little getting used to though.

It comes in 3 colors: Black Brown, Black, and Very Black. I always reach for the blackest mascara possible because I think it provides the most impact.

According to Covergirl, this mascara is supposed to provide “400% more corner-to-corner volume for full, fanned out lashes.” I think it mostly delivers.

My lashes definitely have more volume and length when I’m wearing this, BUT AT WHAT COST!? Hah, kidding. Drama aside, my lashes definitely clump when I’m applying The Super Sizer mascara, and the short-bristled, swirled brush isn’t the best tool for separating my lashes. Of course, if I work with it long enough, I can get it to work. However, other mascaras make clump-free lashes much more attainable.

Maybe to some people clumps equal volume? I much prefer separated lashes that are somehow volumized while remaining clump-free, but who am I to know what everyone wants?

The Super Sizer mascara is mostly flake-free, which is a plus. It doesn’t smear at all even in the heat, which is nice as well.

I have noticed a little bit of eye irritation when wearing this mascara, even though it is ophthalmologist tested. However, that could be due to allergies or another factor, I just wanted to mention it in case anyone reading has super sensitive eyes. You may want to avoid this one.

Another pro of this mascara is the price. From what I’ve seen it runs around $2 cheaper than many other drugstore mascaras…usually around $5-$6 depending on the store.

Overall, I’d give this mascara about a 7/10. Is it fabulous enough to make me abandon being a Maybelline Babebelline and try to be a Covergirl? Nope, probably not. (Also Maybelline Babelline was gross, I’m sorry.)

If you’re in the market for a new drugstore mascara though, I’d feel comfortable recommending it!

Covergirl’s The Super Sizer Mascara is available online, at drugstores, and at many big box retailers. If you decide to try it, let me know what you think!

As always, thanks so much for reading!

*FACE MAKEUP: Maybelline Fit Me Foundation & Concealer

*LIPSTICK: Maybelline Lipstick in Vivid Rose

*EYELINER: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner

*BRONZER: NYX Matte Bronzer

*This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you click on them or make a purchase using them, I may receive a small percentage. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser and Nourishing Night Cream

May 11, 2016 2 Comments

I have always had issues with redness on my face, but a few weeks ago, it looked even worse than usual. I set out to find some new skincare products to try and help. I get so overwhelmed when it comes to picking out a new face wash, so I tried to narrow it down and specifically look for one that helped with redness.

Right away the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser jumped out at me. In its description it specifically says it helps reduce the appearance of redness through their trademarked ingredient “calming feverfew.”

I started using the cleanser that day, and I’ve been washing my face with it everyday for about two weeks. I must say, I’m super impressed! It helped reduce the redness on my cheeks within just a few days, and it’s gentle enough to use every night when I wash my face.

It’s good, not great, at removing my makeup. It gets off all of my face makeup easily, but I have to use a makeup remove to help get off my eye makeup most of the time. However, since I purchased it more for the redness calming property, I’m not complaining!

In conjunction with the cleanser, I purchased the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Nourishing Night Cream to use as my nightly moisturizer. I have used this every night as well, and I love it! It is smooth and creamy and soaks into my skin without leaving a greasy residue.

It hasn’t clogged my pores at all, and I think it has definitely aided the cleanser in reducing the redness on my cheeks and nose. Speaking of my nose, if you’re sensitive to smells, you may want to avoid this moisturizer. It claims to be fragrance free, but the Active Naturals Oat ingredient definitely gives it a yeast-like smell. It kind of makes me feel like a Sandwich Artist at Subway. (I ignorantly assume they all smell like bread all the time.) It’s pretty strong at first, but I think it does fade relatively quickly.

The ultra-calming line also has make-up removing wipes and a daily moisturizer. I have used the makeup-up wipes before, and they’re also great!

If you struggle with facial redness, you should consider purchasing some products from the Aveeno Ultra-Calming line. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

Nail Polish Removal Hack!

April 24, 2016 2 Comments

Does anyone else out there paint their own nails still? I love having fresh polish on my nails, but one of my least favorite things to do is remove it! I feel like some polishes (like glitter!) can be so stubborn and hard to get off. However, a couple of years ago, I stumbled upon this “hack.” With nail polish remover and ONE cotton ball, I can remove ALL of my polish quickly and easily! Read on to see how!

You can use acetone (which is harsher on your nails) or nail polish remover. Simply pour a small amount into the cap. Next get one cotton ball and roll it out into a strip like the picture below.

Gently, tear your cotton ball into ten small pieces.

Dip each piece into the nail polish remover, and press it onto your nail making sure any part with polish is being touched by the polish remover. I typically do one hand at time.

Wait for around 15 seconds, grab the cotton ball piece, and slide it off your nail with some slight pressure. Voilà! Just like that, all of your polish is gone!

Like I said, I do one hand at a time, and it just takes a couple of minutes! No more scrubbing and using 15 cotton balls per hand. I hope this little tip saves you some time and cotton balls next time you’re switching polishes!

Beauty

Blo Blow Dry Bar

April 8, 2016 8 Comments

Goofy snaps aside (I’m mrsalilang on Snapchat, by the way), this review is about my experience at the new Blo Blow Dry Bar in San Antonio. Blo’s whole mentality is “no cuts, no color,” meaning they strictly deal with washing and styling your hair.

I immediately loved Blo’s crisp decor, which was chic gray and white with fun pops of pink! Fresh flowers, instagram-worthy wall phrases, and bright, clean styling stations greet you when you walk in.

Once I checked in, I was greeted by my stylist who offered me a drink and asked what style I was looking to achieve. Blo offers 7 signature styles to choose from, but you can alter them to your liking or ask for something else completely. We talked about my hair type (mega straight and smooth) and what I wanted before she took me back to wash my hair.

After washing my hair, we returned to the styling station to get started. My sweet stylist (or “Bloer” as Blo refers to them), chatted with me as she combed my hair and began blowdrying.

During my style, she used a wide range of products, all from the Unite haircare line. She started with the 7SECONDS Detangler, aptly named because, you guessed it, it starts detangling your hair in only 7 seconds.

She used a round brush to completely blow dry and smooth my hair before curling it with a straightening iron after spraying each section with TEXTURIZA Spray. After all of my hair was curled, she went in with the EXPANDA Dust on my roots to tease and give me some volume. Finally, with some GO365 Hairspray, I was finished!

What do you think? Considering how naturally straight my hair is, I was amazed at what they achieved with the right products and tools! My hair had so much volume and curl, and it’s currently several hours later and still holding strong! My stylist told me some people come in once a week to have their hair washed and styled and don’t wash their hair until they return the next week! I think that’s a great testament to how well their styling techniques work, but I also think that’s sort of gross? My hair gets oily about 10 seconds after I wash it though, so I don’t think I’ll ever understand the magical mystery of people with dry hair!

The style closest to what I chose is “Pillow Talk,” and my stylist said this is one of their most popular styles. I can see why! I felt so glamorous all day, and I think a visit to Blo would be a relaxing treat for anyone.

If you’re looking for somewhere to get a fun updo, some beautiful curls for date night, or a pretty braid for Girl’s Night Out, I definitely recommend Blo! Here is the location I visited (which is having their grand opening this weekend!), but there are several across the United States.

Happy Saturday!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme Perpetrual Flame

March 26, 2016 No Comments

As someone who mostly wears drugstore makeup, MAC is considered a splurge for me. When I really want to have a “treat yo’ self” moment, I know I can’t go wrong with their products…and I recently discovered, their MAC Prolongwear Lipcreme is absolutely amazing.

This color is Perpetual Flame, and it’s a gorgeous red with just a hint of berry to it. The color payoff is amazing, and it applies smoothly and easily.

I used to not care much about lipstick, but in the last few years, it has become one of my favorite beauty products, and this one is near the top of the list.

The picture below is from FOUR HOURS after I applied my lipstick AND after I ate Pappasito’s. Anyone that knows Texans knows we don’t mess around when eating Tex Mex. I didn’t hold back, and this lipstick stayed in place perfectly. (Also, I’m not sure what I mean by “I didn’t hold back”…I don’t eat Tex Mex like a ravenous dog…most of the time…)

Here I am reapplying my MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme. JUST KIDDING. IT NEVER WEARS OFF. Seriously, I’ve worn it for at least 8 hours before, and it didn’t budge. It’s also great because even though it’s long-wearing, my lips never feel dry or uncomfortable when I’m wearing this lipstick.

As you can see, I’m a BIG fan of this lip product, and I think you’ll love it, too! It’s worth the tiny splurge if you’re looking for an amazing, long-wearing lipstick.

What are your favorite shades of lipstick from MAC? Let me know!