Maybelline Volum' Express The Magnum Waterproof Mascara Review

This is another mascara that made it on my "good products" list. I have always liked mascaras that are made specifically for asian lashes... They are formulated well for our needs & this one definitely works for me!

The last Maybelline mascara that i have tried is the Volum Express Cat Eyes mascara, which did a great job. I knew right there & then that that would not be the last Maybelline mascara that i will be trying. So when the The Magnum mascara was released i bought one but didn't get the chance to try it up until now. I had this sitting on my drawer for so long that i almost forgot all about it. Good thing i rearranged my things!

Going back, when i tried this, it didn't wow-ed me at first coat but i changed my mind after the 2nd. I'll tell you why later. Let's dissect the packaging first.

It's in a huge yellow tube much like the original black Volum Express.

I'm sure for beauty mavens, this huge yellow packaging closely resembled the The Colossal mascara that Maybelline released in the US. When i made a comment about why they change the name, Maybelline Philippines courteously answered my query.

"Hi thiamere :) first of all, thanks for the very honest review and it's great to hear that you really like the product. 

On your concern on the difference in names and packaging, we sometimes have to change either the formula or the pack for... different reasons. 

We change the formula when the one in the US does not suit asian needs (ex. Magnum vs Colossal - Colossal gives volume to unruly lashes vs magnum gives volume to downward pointing lashes).

We change the pack naman when the formula is the same, but the pack is so expensive that we would be forced to price it here at a very high amount. In these cases, we would rather put the product at an affordable price because we want every Filipina to use a good quality product with a reasonable pack. 

We know of course that there are also many makeup lovers who really collect the amazing packaging so we are trying to bring in both types of products. 

Our products are different from the US not just in the name but in the formula as well. :) Our local formulas are developed by our laboratories specifically for Asian skin tones and climate. It's much hotter and more humid here than in the US, so if we use their formulas, our products won't be long-wearing and won't fit our local needs. :)"

So there ya go, ladies.
That's what Maybelline has to say about the never-ending comparison between the Magnum & Colossal packaging.

Now that we got that out, let's go the basics. First is the wand.

It's slightly curved, but not like the original volum express hypercurl mascara wand. It's just a bit curved which makes it easier to manage it somehow when working with big brushes unlike those gigantic brushes that makes mascara application a bit clumsy. Unlike traditional mascara wands, the bristles are somehow stiffer that makes combing the product into each lashes very easy to do. I love how it can really coat each lashes because of the resiliency of the bristles! It is good in separating each lashes!

I have tried a lot of mascaras but the bristle wands are all soft which makes combing the lashes time-consuming because you need to swipe it over & over which just tends to put too much product therefore clumping the lashes together.

This kind of wand bought back my faith in bristle wands. I have always loved comb wands & this is the first bristle wand that i found perfect! Great job, Maybelline!

Now, a little note why i don't like the traditional bristle wand is that the tip always has that excess product, which makes it a bit hard to use especially if you are working on your outer lashes. I mean we mostly use the tip when we apply mascara on our outer lashes,right? But traditional wands would have that big gunk of mascara.... Although it just takes few seconds to wipe the product away from the tip but im sure you know what i mean,right?

As for the texture...
It's watery, which is what i prefer. I hate waxy mascaras. This has the perfect consistency which enables to coat each lashes without clumping it. It dries fast too! So far so good!

Let's see how it performs...

This is my curled-but-barely-there lashes...

One coat of this baby will give you very natural-looking feathery lashes.

Two coats of this will give that full-looking lashes in just a few swipes!

Again, with the texture being watery, it coats the lashes very easily. You don't need to swipe it for a gazillion times just to see the effect. This can be done in mere seconds!

La-la-LOVE!

It retains the curl & doesn't feel heavy at all. You know the feeling when the mascara feels somehow heavy that you want to close your eyes for a couple of seconds because it feels like something is sitting on your lashes? Well, this one isn't like that!

It barely feel like you have any mascara at all! It doesn't have that spiky-lashes feeling that some waterproof mascara gives.
*cough* CG Lash Blast waterproof *cough*
@_@

As to this being waterproof, it is really waterproof.

Lightly rubbed it back & forth but it didn't budge. I'm not sure if this can withstand long crying session though unlike the Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Neo, but i think this is decent enough to brave the rain!
^_~

Since this is a waterproof mascara, it's not that easy to remove compare to non-waterproof (of course!). So you would need to have a good oil-based remover to completely get rid of it. But this is not THAT HARD to remove either. I'll tell you something that is REALLY HARD TO REMOVE on my next mascara post! But this one can be taken off with just a simple remover. No sweat! Just let the remover sit on your lashes to give enough time to dissolve the mascara.

As for the price, i'll leave it to you. I know that for some students out there, paying Php 429 a pop might be expensive, but let me tell you that this is really worth every single cents! Anyway, I notice that Maybelline has that regular "sale" period, so you might want to take advantage of it.

With all the exclamation points that you have seen in this post, i hope it justified why i said that this mascara made it to my "products to buy again & again & again" list. So, it's time to do a summary...

PROS:

• locally available
• wand is good, it can separate each lashes, much like comb wands!
• waterproof
• doesn't weigh the lashes down
• barely-there feel
• dries fast
• no clumping, smudging, flaking
• gives volume to the lashes
• long-wearing

CONS:

• doesn't lengthen the lashes

Will I buy it again?
I said that this mascara made it to my "products to buy again & again & again" so i will definitely be buying it again!
Uhh...now i'm confused which should i get again the next time... the Cat Eyes Mascara or this one?
hmmm....

Anyway, it's not really that hard to decide on since both are great mascaras!

When i just browsed the net, i found that there is also another The Magnum mascara, which is the Super Film one. I'm curious what's the difference between the waterproof version & the super film version...hmmm...

I saw the poster & read some mini reviews & i think it's a great mascara! I'm not sure but i think it's not available here in the Phlippines,ne?

So, what's your favorite mascara?

Hope y'all will have a good day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lipcolor Review

Lipstick is an important part of our make-up kit,ne? I think that lipstick can make you look from drab to fab.

I bought Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme lipcolor months ago. I guess it's about time to post a review.

I can't understand why Maybelline has to change the name of their products once they market it here in the Philippines. I know that in US they just call it as Moisture Extreme which is in the exact packaging to this one. I also know that Maybelline US also has a different Color Sensational Lipstick in the silver packaging. Did they combine those 2 lipstick formula hence it's Color Sensational Moisture Extreme?
*confused*

I remember that the mascara in teh big yellow tube in the US is known as the Colossal, hereit's the Magnum Mascara. It's just all so confusing! At least they didn't change the Pulse Perfection Mascara...

Anyway, it's only name that i get confused of, but the quality of this product is not confusing for it only leans to GOOD.

I actually like this product! They have 4 color collection that caters to what you need.. The Reds, Pinks, Corals & Nudes

So, i got 2 shades... one is the Summer Sunset which is a gorgeous deep red & also Pink Peach which is a cute pink lipstick.

What i like most about this is that it glides on really smooth. It is also pretty pigmented so you only need a couple or two swipes to have that color on your lips.

See this swatch?
I only swiped that once!

Kirei da ne?
Pretty,isn't it?

I applied it on my lips so that you'll be able to see it better when it's on. This is the Pink Peach...

On which is better when i apply lip concealer. My lips are pretty pigmented so the color doesn't show that much. I applied this without lip concealer.

Then this one is the Summer Sunset. My favorite between the 2..

I really like how pigmented it is! Since it is "moisture extreme" it's not as drying compare to the other lipsticks that i've tried but i still prefer to moisturize my lips beforehand. It doesn't feel drying even if it has been sitting on your lips for quite some time already. It also doesn't make my lips chap like crazy.

Naturally this is not matte so it's not really long wearing, i have to reapply it every now & then but it's ok with me since i have this weird habit of reapplying lipstick even though it still looks ok.

See what i said a little while ago about going from drab to fab?
Would you believe that i didn't have anything on.. not even powder. I just swiped on the lipstick & it managed to make me look presentable even though you can see my un-groomed brows & dark undereye.

Did i say that this has SPF 15?
No?
Well, it has!

For Php 299, you can't go wrong with these lipsticks. They are totally a keeper!

With the price that you pay for, expect that the packaging is not that good of a quality though. It's so light that it feels like it could slip on hands anytime & just end up smashed on the floor because of my clumsiness. Well, luckily i haven't dropped it & i hope i never will.

You know the feeling of lipsticks that got cheap packaging on which if you open it every now & then, it would crack up? Then because of the crack, it makes the lid a bit loose so it would end up with the lid falling off because it doesn't fit anymore? Well, it's the same with this one. I'm really uber careful in putting the cap back on for fear of cracking it up & not being able to fit the cap once more.

Well, you get what you pay for,right? The important thing is the product,anyway.
But then, the caps of my lipsticks hasn't cracked up yet so i'm hoping that my fear would be pointless.hehehe


PROS:

• pigmented
• cheap
• locally available
• has a good selection of shades
• glides smoothly
• has spf 15

CONS:

• im not sure if this specific lipstick is available in other country as well (in Asia, it's available)
• lipstick tube feels very light

Will i buy it again?
I definitely will! As what i said a while ago, this is a keeper! I'll most probably be buying something from the Coral & Nude collection...

I wanted to try at least 1 Revlon Colorburst though... I have been reading a lot of good write up for that one.
What's your favorite cheap-but-great lipstick?

Hope y'all have a good day,minna-san!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

PS:
This is Maybelline Philippines answer to my query:

"Hi thiamere :) first of all, thanks for the very honest review and it's great to hear that you really like the product. 

On your concern on the difference in names and packaging, we sometimes have to change either the formula or the pack for... different reasons. 

We change the formula when the one in the US does not suit asian needs (ex. Magnum vs Colossal - Colossal gives volume to unruly lashes vs magnum gives volume to downward pointing lashes).
We change the pack naman when the formula is the same, but the pack is so expensive that we would be forced to price it here at a very high amount. In these cases, we would rather put the product at an affordable price because we want every Filipina to use a good quality product with a reasonable pack. 

We know of course that there are also many makeup lovers who really collect the amazing packaging so we are trying to bring in both types of products.

 Our local formulas are developed by our laboratories specifically for Asian skin tones and climate. It's much hotter and more humid here than in the US, so if we use their formulas, our products won't be long-wearing and won't fit our local needs. :)"

Thanks for answering, Maybelline!

shopping is therapy for a wounded soul~

Isn't it? Don't we all feel good whenever we burn our hard-earned money? hehehe

For those who have read my last post, i said that i was having a very bad week & because of that i decided to do some shopping just to cheer me up.

4 tubes of lipsticks, nail polish remover, castile soap, mascara, cotton puffs & so much more!

It's been a while since i did a haul post... I just went shopping all by myself, but i met with bf during lunchtime. Good thing though because it was raining really hard & it's already flooded! I was originally planning to go to Shangri la Mall to buy MAC Lipsticks & also drop by at Marks & Spencer because i think they are on sale. But the heavy rain ruined my plan. See...i told you i was having a bad week. Everything is conspiring to ruin my plan.
(-__-")

Anyway, we had lunch at Luk Foo. Bf is the one who did the ordering while he was waiting for me.

Asparagus soup to start the meal

Then Sauteed Mixed Vegetable

Special Cold Cuts Combination (bf loves this one!)

Then the Steamed Shrimp dumplings

Forgot to take a pic of the Yang Chow fried rice though... Again, i was so full! Even if im big, im not really a big eater. I was already overwhelmed by the amount of dishes that bf ordered & it made me feel full looking at them already!

Looking all full & satisfied! ^_~

Anyway, going on with the haul

Castile Soap which i bought at Healthy Options.

I have seen a couple of reviews about this & i wanted to try this. It's vegan & even if it won't work for me i can use it as a dishwashing soap..LOL!

 Nail Polish Remover by Sally Hansen

I would have preferred the The Face Shop Polish Remover, but since SM Manila doesn't have TFS (& i don't want Etude House's polish remover) I guess this might be a fine time to try other polish remover.


Maybelline loot

I was impressed with the Magnum Mascara so i decided to buy it, also the 2 colorsensational lipsticks. 

Here's the swatch..(just wiped once)

Sorry if the flash washed the color of the Pink Peach out. I'll try to take a better pic once i did a review.

I was impressed with the Beauty Treats lipsticks hence i bought 2 shades.

They're so cheap but really good! They only cost Php 205 per tube & they're really pigmented!

See this?! Just swatched once!

I love Hot Gossip! A true red lipstick!

These are supposed to be Matte finishes, but they are not so. I think i can compare the finish to like a crossover between Satin & Amplified Creme in MAC. I think that's better for it won't make your lips dry.. But then this is just a swatch. i haven't really used it yet. i'll tell you all the final verdict once i made a review,ok?

Last but not the least...

Some nail art stuff... a nail art magazine, dotting tool, a yellow 2 way pen & a pump bottle!

I was so determined to not let my whole week be ruined even if everything is going really bad. Shopping helped lift my spirits up! hahaha!

That's the end of my weekend haul. Reviews of the products soon to follow!

Hope y'all are having a great weekend!
^_~

Jaa ne!

ps:
My giveaway is still on going. Just click the giveaway page at the top. Good luck!

~a visit to the post office~

I received a notification from the post office yesterday but wasn't in the mood to go there, so i went today instead and i was actually surprised to know that i have a couple of packages waiting for me. I thought i'll just be picking 2...

I had a great time opening each packages. Most are actually prizes from the contests that i've won for the past couple of months.

First is from Linda...

I was shocked when i saw  the mark that was written on the  package... Take a closer look..it says "Missent to Thailand"...LOL! is there even such a word as missent?! No wonder it took 2 months before i was able to receive it. (-__-")

I 'bought' something from her blogsale.

• Maybelline Mineral Power Blush in Soft Mauve II 
• Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in  Beige Medium
• Smooth Away Hair Remover

I'm most excited about the Smooth Away because im tired of shaving my legs every now & then. This would definitely be a new experience for me. When she posted her blogsale i immediately sent her an email, she told me that Steph also wanted the Smooth Away... but only the one for facial use. Woot woot!

Thanks a lot,hun!

I also got the prize that i won from Shiela of the Painted Ladies

I received the

• MAC Woodwinked eyeshadow
• MAC Oh Baby Lipglass

Yay for my first MAC Lipglass!
^_^

Thanks, Shiela!

Also the prize from xLovelyMakeupx....a Skin MD Shielding Lotion!

My mom tried it & she actually loved it! She was asking me how much this if converted to Philippine pesos... Looks like she wanted some for herself! As for me, i'll just be doing a mini review for it 1 of these days...

Thanks Eve!

Last but not the least is from my lovely friend Joanna of JBreezybaby

I also won her & Ezziebells' giveaway. Look at her pretty she wrapped everything!

I won 2nd prize & she got me the Too Faced Easy on the Eyes Set & 2 pairs of lovely jewelry from Ezziebell.

Everything is an eye candy!

The Too Faced set is just soooooo cute! It includes the mini Shadow Insurance & also a mini Lash Injection mascara...perfect kit for traveling!

As for the jewelry...it is awesome!

Another addition for my collection...I just love dangling earrings.

Look how simply gorgeous this one is.. I've had never had a yellow-ish earrings before. So cute!

I rather like this one better since it's so elegant-looking! Love the ribbon & the heart crystal with the pearl on it!
^_^

Thanks to Joanna & Ezziebell!

I can't believe my luck for winning all of these awesome prizes...lucky!
Reviews will be up for some of the products that i will be trying out sooner.

I'm on the roll! I have been  posting regularly. I hope i'll be able to keep this up. hehehe

Hope y'all have a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
i can't believe it but i think i will be changing templates again since i notice that everytime i post something, the picture won't show up on my dashboard. I want to get to the root of this and i'm thinking it might have something to do with my template...

Mascara Review: Mac Zoom Lash vs Maybelline Volum' Express Cat Eyes

*A lengthy introduction..hehe

Since im an eye make-up lover, mascara is a product that i can't do without. On my hunt for a good mascara, im lucky to try out Maybelline Lash Stylist which is the first ever mascara that really WOW-ed me when i first tried it....Why so?

First off, before i tried it, i used to like:

• Covergirl Lashblast Waterproof- for waterproof mascara - it holds my curls, but it doesn't volumize my puny lashes & it's so hard to remove that i fear for my lash' safety.
• Lancome Hypnose - for non-waterproof mascara - i really like it but it smudges & smears, though not so much like what i have tried so far...but still! + its expensive (this is the deciding factor..lol)

When i get to try Lash Stylist I was flabbergasted! It holds my curl, it doesn't smudge plus i don't need to use muriatic acid to remove it..lol (unlike CG Lash Blast). Though it doesn't mean that its perfect, it still has a flaw, it clumps in a weird way, but i can live with that!

One of the hardest thing for those that got Asian lashes is that it's short & very hard to curl. Asian lashes are naturally straight. Mascaras that worked for women with naturally long & curled lashes might not work for those who got short lashes.

After the lengthy introduction, it's time for my comparison between Maybelline Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara & Mac Zoom Lash.
Now let's go first to Mac Zoom Lash

This instant volume mascara power-lifts the lashes into length, curls them up...builds them faster than you can wink! Precision control wand glides smoothly down lashes to provide a gorgeously silky upward “sweep”. Smudgeproof and long-wearing!

Instant Volume,huh?
This is my first Mac mascara, honestly i'm not expecting that it would do a good job. I know that most mac products are good, but i think mascara is not one of them. Anyway,let's take a look at the wand.
I rather like the fact that the wand is thin enough to really coat each & every lash. I said that i never did care for mascaras with big wands after discovering the joy of maybelline comb wands. I even find a regular brush wand bulky & awkward to use. But with Zoom Lash's wand design i am willing to go back to brush wands.

As for the texture, i have to say that it's quite 'waxy' & thick. One coat is enough,twice for a dramatic look & more than that would be like wearing a super duper fake lashes...

As for Maybelline Volum' Express Hypercurl Cat Eyes
note: if im not mistaken this is only available here in asia. correct me if im wrong,ladies.

5x wild volume without the clumps
18 hours wide-eyed curl
75 degree curl with the unique Curl lock formula

5x volume sounds nice!
Let's move on to the wand
There goes my baby...I love Maybelline's comb wand. I tried Rimmel's Volum'eyes but i hate their wand. This one works for me, as i'm sure how it works for most Asian lashes.

As for the texture, it's 'watery' & what's great about this is that you don't need to scrape it at the edge of the tube (it's not like you can do it with the wand design). You're sure you are getting enough because of the comb wand. (need i stress more why i L-O-V-E this?!)

Ok, enough talk...time for the pictures! I applied both mascara just once. I don't need to apply it 2x since it will just clump.

i took this pic with flash inside the house

took this pic outside

I think it's quite obvious what works for me,right?
Ok,just little notes for each of the 2...

*Zoom Lash*

• it did not exactly NOT work for me because it did lengthen my lashes,but it weigh my lashes that's why i don't like it.
• can lengthen your lashes!
  
• i can still use this atop Maybelline, especially if i want a dramatic look
• it might not work for me, but it can work for those who got naturally curled lashes.
• you might want to use a primer to keep your curl
• the big no-no: it smudges & it flakes!
  

*Cat Eyes*

• as what i said, it's only available in asia
• doesn't smudge & doesn't flake
• i don't need to use muriatic acid to remove it! (pun intended)
  
• holds the curl! i agree with it as a hypercurl
• its way cheaper than mac!
  

What works for me might not work for others. I believe that mascara is one product that have different results. I described my lashes so for those who have the same with mine, feel free to try this. I think this is only available in asia because its formulated especially for Asian lashes.

Hope this helped.
Have a nice weekend,ladies!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

excess:
I just did a simple nail design for this week.

Disclaimer:
Mascara is a product that has different result for everybody. What works for me might not work for you especially if you don't have short,hard-to-tame lashes. My opinions are just based on what i experienced from the product testing.

Weekend haul + rant... (as always!)

It's been a while since i was able to buy things. Shopping is therapeutic & after everything that happened i needed it!

I went to SM Manila a couple of days ago to visit Healthy Options. I want to know what are the available clay masks they have since im going to put the information on my Mint Julep post. I decided to buy the Dickinson's Witch Hazel toner & astringent & i went about to finding other available clay masks out there.


I was at the department store & i saw that Maybelline offers a 20% on almost all items (all except for the pressed powder-which is already cheap). I decided to buy the cat-eyes mascara because i can't find my Lash Stylist. I know that Cat-eyes mascara is a comb wand so im prety sure that i'll love this. The SA is so nice & pretty & has always a warm smile even though i asked a lot of questions. I also included the Himalaya Neem Face Pack. Im not sure when i'll be using this though.

A while ago i went to SM Mall of Asia together with bf just to play at Timezone because i love the Go-go balls. It's a game where you get to throw balls at the screen to hit the enemies...quite fun! After that we tried playing the UFO toy catcher & he got me this cute plushie.
Since i knew that i don't usually go to the mall whenever Maybelline is on sale i decided to buy another mascara. I went to the department store, looked for the stall & asked the SA for the mascara. She told me to wait since she is trying to sales talk another lady. I guess she thought that i won't buy anything since im not wearing a heavy make-up & my face is still a bit sweaty after my bout with the Go-go balls, that she made me wait for at least 5 minutes.

Bf is with me so i decided to wait for her since he is there to entertain me & went to the other stalls to take a look. After 10 minutes, i went back & she is still trying to sales talk the same girl! Im pretty sure the lady is not going to buy anything at all!

Im beginning to be annoyed already so i just asked her again where are the mascaras & she just told me to wait again.

eeekkkk!!!!!
What the heck?!

The hell! I didn't want to get the mascara myself because i want her to at least know that i am willing to be sales talked & maybe even buy a couple more.

Im already mad since there are also 3 more ladies waiting for her & she doesn't even want to at least give a friendly smile...Hello! we're the customers!

I just went around & looked for the mascara myself. Actually im thinking of just leaving, but since im quite pissed, i decided to let the bad girl in me take over. I saw the mascaras & took 2 while saying...

"Ako na lang ang magdadala sa counter nito kasi mukhang ayaw mo ako pansinin."
I'll bring these to the counter myself because it looks like you don't even want to look at me.

Then walked away with her calling out if i still want any other. I just told her that i don't want her talking to me anymore, went straight to the counter to pay for it. The she-devil in me was satisfied when i saw her looking embarrassed by what i said.

After paying i haughtily passed by Maybelline while saying loudly that i won't ever buy anything from them again (only in that branch) while i pointed it to my bf.

Ha!
I am bitchy when im pushed to the limits.

Bf & i spend the day walking, talking, eating & anything that you can do in the mall & when we're about to go home, we passed by The Face Shop & we went inside. I just asked if they already have the Quick & Clean BB Cream & to buy some polishes. They already have that BB Cream. So for those who are looking for that BB Cream, it's already available.

After separating with bf, i decided to drop by the nearby mall because i want to buy some earrings. I just made it quick so after 10 minutes of deciding what to buy i ended up with these.


I love dangling earrings.

The kind that's long, because it kinda gives the illusion that my face is slimmer. I steer away from round earrings since i feel like it makes my face rounder.

Spending the whole day walking, shopping & having fun with bf is very therapeutic. Im tired but im so happy i can just die. My arms are actually sore from all the ball throwing that i did a while ago. But it won't dampen the satisfaction that i felt today, except when im writing this post telling about that SA. (-__-")

Im really never going to buy anything from Maybelline-SM Mall of Asia, Id rather go to Watsons to buy if ever. How about you? Have you ever had any experience with haughty SAs?
Come on, do tell! Share the experience...

How did you spend/will spend your saturday?
Hope you're having a nice weekend,ladies!

Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
FOLLOW JING'S BLOG
She changed her domain name before & that's when hell started. Looks like blogger gave her a hard time. You have to follow her. She is simply amazing. She is one of the blogger who have a really good sense of humor. Im sure you'll love her.
^_~