L'Oreal Super Star Mascara and Eyeliner Review

If you are a regular reader of my my blog, you would know that L'Oreal is one of my favourite drug store brands. It's always the first counter I always check to see if they have anything new. They are slightly more expensive than many of the other regular drug store makeup products but they are very good quality. So, when I saw the Super Star range in-store, I had to pick them up to try. I am totally obsessed with the L'Oreal Perfect Slim Super Liner and I have been using it for years. I did not really want to try anything new but there was something about the tip of the Superstar Eyeliner that spoke to me. I have actually never tried any L'Oreal mascara or if I have, I can't remember at all. Anyway, I also picked up the Superstar Mascara because I had read a few reviews on it. Now, I am very fussy when it comes with mascaras and it is really hard for any mascaras to impress me because my lashes are very short (read: non existent) and the little hairs there are very curly so I always look out for lengthening mascaras over anything else. Let's get right into the review to find out what I think about these products.





L'Oreal False Lash Superstar Mascara//Link
I was drawn to this mascara because it looks so pretty and it had two sides to it. The first side (No.1) is for creating volume in the lashes. This is possible because it has some fibres in it which adhere to the lashes to give it a false lash effect as the name suggests. L'Oreal describe this fibre effect as a spectacular push-up effect. It actually comes off as white fibres and you can visibly see the instant volumising effect on your lashes. I actually like this part of the mascara a lot because it also creates an illusion of length in addition to the volume.



The second part (No. 2) is the lengthening section which brings together the effect of the first wand. I was quite pleased with the way the wand was shaped because I have now developed a love for curved wands. The curved wand is designed too pick up the littlest lashes and give them length. However, I was not overly impressed with its lengthening properties (I told you I was super picky). I am not sure what exactly happened but the effect of the volumising part of the mascara was so good that my expectations were a little too high for the impact of the second wand. I think it's still a great mascara but I find myself reaching for the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara and the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara over it. Maybe, it will grow on me because I remember I was not too impressed with the Maybelline version when I first got it.  I was a little naughty and used just the volumising wand and lengthened with the Maybelline Mascara and I was very impressed. I will report back on it when I have tested it for a longer time. I have seen some very impressive reviews with before and after pictures so I know it is a good all rounder mascara but I wish the lengthening side of the wand had a little bit more ooomph.





L'Oreal Superstar Super Liner//Link
I feel like I am absolutely cheating on my L'Oreal Perfect Slim Super Liner but I think this is seriously stealing its place. I am going to make a very bold statement and say it is one of the best eyeliners I have ever tried. OMG. At first, I was there thinking "So L'Oreal have repackaged the Perfect Slim Eye Liner again and trying to make us think it's new?". However, I was so wrong because they are very different. The Super Star Eyeliner is slightly chunkier than the Perfect Slim which is known for its really precise lining properties. I also feel the Super Star Eyeliner has more control and is much firmer so it gives a smoother application for beginners.




The packaging is also different as the Super Star Eyeliner has a lid with a click which means the chances of it drying it out is very slim. I am sure you can tell I am slightly obsessed and I feel like I should go out and buy many backups before they ever decide to stop making them. The Perfect Slim Eyeliner will forever have a place in my heart because I used it for years but I am more than happy to try something new. However, I do think the Perfect Slim seems to be more intense (it's very black) than the Super Star but it is very hard to notice unless you are picky like me. I now have a little collection of my favourite L'Oreal Eyeliners and I may do a post if you want to know which to pick.


Overall Thoughts
I am super pleased I picked up the L'Oreal Superstar range and I think it is really lovely and worth the money. Boots and Superdrug forever have offers and I am sure no one ever buys anything full price in these stores. I would recommend both products because I think they are good. However, I was only impressed by the L'Oreal Superstar Eyeliner. I still use the Superstar Mascara from time to time and I like it but it's not my favourite at this time. That's it folks! Have you tried any products from the L'Oreal Superstar range?
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Drug Store Foundations Review/Roundup

A little while ago, I never gave Drug Store foundations as much as a glance mainly because I could not find any that matched my skin tone at all. It's only recently that many drug store brands have realised that they indeed have a market among darker skin ladies. When Maybelline Fit Me foundation (review here) launched and I received a sample to try, I was shocked to find that it was a perfect match for my skin. I loved it so much and I promptly purchased the full size. It definitely set the standard for other foundations and that pretty much ignited my interest in drug store foundations. 



Some drug store brands are still quite limited in their shade range because they only have my shade as the darkest so if your skin is darker than mine, you may have to stick to only Revlon, Sleek and L'Oreal. I know in the US many of these drug store brands stock foundations for darker skin and I really wish they could do the same here in the UK :-(. I hear it's the same thing for paler/very light skinned ladies as they also struggle to find a suitable foundation shade that doesn't make them look too yellow, pink or completely washed out. It's a common struggle! I still love my high end foundations and I will definitely favour them over many drug store foundations. However, there are still really good drug store foundations that are perfect for everyday use.



The presence of a pump in the packaging definitely influences my purchase as I can't deal with foundations (high end or drug store) that have no pumps. I made an exception for the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation because it has a pipette/dropper/wand applicator. I  have rounded up all my drug store foundation for mini reviews and I hope you find it useful..

L'Oreal True Match Foundation (£9.99) (N6.5)

Of course, I had to start with my favourite drug store foundation of all time. I have gushed about this foundation over here so I would try not to regurgitate everything. Long and short story- it's the best drug store foundation I have ever tried. L'Oreal released more than 20 shades of the True Match Foundation so you are very likely to find your closest shade, if not, your true match. It's great as an everyday foundation and offers medium coverage which can be built to full coverage without looking caked on. It is long lasting with a semi-matte finish but it's not drying. Some people have said it breaks them out but I haven't had any and I think it may be best if you have normal, combination and/or oily skin.



Barry M Flawless Matte Finish Foundation (£5.99) (Tan-5)
Barry M is the most unlikely brand I would look to for a foundation so you can imagine my shock when I tested this instore and saw it was a good match for my skin tone. I have to say I am impressed with this foundation because I didn't really expect much from it. My shade is Tan 5 which is the darkest shade (they only have five shades by the way). It is a matte finish so if you have dry skin, this may not be the best for you. It is a light to medium finish but I try not to build it up too much because it tends to look cakey. It's perfect for weekends if you just need a light but matte coverage. I have a review here. It is super affordable and the packaging is really cute; a little too girly for me but it has a pump and that's all that matters.



Rimmel Lasting Finish (25hr) Foundation (currently £4.99 in Boots) (400 Natural Beige)
Rimmel is another brand that has some great foundations but they don't really cater to darker skin tones as much. I only picked up the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation from Boots because they were having £3 off this range. I have to mention that the way it looks in the bottle does not translate to how it looks on the skin so a swatch in daylight is necessary. I actually like this foundation a lot more than I thought I would. It also has a semi-matte finish, almost velvet-like, which you know I love by now. I am not about the dewy finish life at all. It claims to have a 25 hr lasting time/longevity; I don't think anyone would wear foundation for that long. However, it really lasts for a long time and I dare say it's the longest lasting drug store foundation within my stash. It also offers full coverage but still looks natural which is really impressive. The texture is slightly creamy to touch but it's easy to blend and lightweight once it hits the skin. I love it !



Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation (£8.99) (Sun Beige-48)
This is my most recent purchase and I have not completely made up my mind about it yet. It's the only drug store foundation within my stash without a pump but at least it has an applicator. I really like the packaging because it looks so different and very portable even though it's made of glass. It only contains 20 ml which is a little annoying because it makes it really expensive in the grand scheme of things. The shade range is very limited as well which is odd because Maybelline always caters to a good range of skin tones but I guess they may be releasing some more shades soon. My shade is Sun Beige 48 which is a close match to my skin tone. It has a very liquid texture and when you shake the bottle, you can literally hear the foundation swishing about in the bottle. As expected with any water-based foundation, it feels really light on application and it is super easy to blend. It has a funny texture when it sets; it reminds me of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipgloss and I have no idea why. I like the matte finish and it offers good coverage (maybe light to medium) but I don't like building it up past its normal coverage because it looks funny and unnatural on my skin. A full review will be up soon but these are my initial thoughts. Nevertheless, I really like it and I am keen to see how it would fare during Spring/Summer.



Revlon Photoready Foundation (£12.99) (Caramel)
I left my least drug store foundation at the end of this post (sorry Revlon!). I already have a full review of this foundation here and I know it is a firm favourite for many people. However, it's not for me mainly due to its finish and how dull my skin looks when I use it (I have no idea why). I have tried several primers underneath, used it on its own, set it lightly, even used my Chanel Healthy Glow Powder to set it but all to no avail. You may have noticed from all the foundations finishes above that I lean towards foundations with a matte, semi-matte or velvet finish and I am not a fan of glowy or dewy foundations at all. My combination/oily skin just can't seem to handle it at all. If I need some glow or dewiness, I spray MAC Fix Plus or any makeup spray and I am good to go. This Revlon Foundation is actually a good colour match for me and it offers really good medium coverage for my skin. The packaging is lovely and may even be one of the sturdiest among my drug store stash. I still use it every now and then but I think I may be passing it off to a better home.


That's all folks! There are other lovely drug store foundations like the Revlon Color Stay Foundation (it has no pump so it's not an option for me), Sleek Foundations (I could not find a proper shade for my skin tone) and Bourjois Healthy Mix/Serum Foundation (No proper match for my skin tone). I have heard many good things about them. What are your favourite drug store foundations? Let me know any other good recommendations in the comment box...See you in my next post...xx
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L'Oreal Makeup Review (Brand Focus)

My last brand focus on Sleek Makeup went down well with you all and I decided to do another one. I am talking about L'Oreal Paris Makeup which is one of best drug store makeup brands and I am not surprised seeing that L'Oreal owns quite a few high end brands like Lancome, Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent. They also own some drug store brands like Maybelline New York, The Body Shop and my beloved La Roche Posay. It's safe to say they know what they are doing when it comes to makeup and beauty products in general. Every time I go into Boots or Superdrug, I am always drawn to the L'Oreal counter/stand because I just love the quality and their packaging is really good for a drug store product. I definitely do not have a lot of products from them because I just have my favourites and some I have either thrown or given away. Unnecessary ramble over, let's dive in....

L'Oreal True Match Foundation and Concealer
I am sure if you are a regular reader of my blog, you would have heard me mention/rave about my love for the L'Oreal True Match Foundation (review here). Sadly, my shade N6.5 was discontinued but thank goodness, I tracked it down from America. It is one of my favourite foundations and it is definitely one of the best drug store foundations out there. It gives medium coverage which can be built up to full coverage and it has a semi-matte finish which is perfect for my skin type. I love this foundation and it's even better than some of my high end foundations. I also really like the the True Match Concealer which I actually bought way before the foundation. I use it specifically for my blemishes/hyper pigmentation and it has such a good lasting coverage even though it feels very light on application. Sadly, most drug stores here in the UK don't sell darker versions of this concealer and it sucks.




L'Oreal La Palette Nude Eyeshadow 
There was a lot of buzz just before the L'Oreal La Palette Nude was launched and there was even a waiting list; the cheek!  I was not really crazy about it when I first purchased it as you may have read from the full review here but it grew on me after a couple of weeks. The eyeshadows are really safe neutral colours which is perfect if you are new to makeup or eyeshadow application. It's hard to fail with this palette although they are not the most pigmented eyeshadows out there especially from L'Oreal. However, they work really well with the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows and I find that I pop this in my bag whenever I travel because it is really compact and easy to work with.




L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow
I was intrigued by the idea of these L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows (review here) which are like textured pigmented eyeshadows. They have a little bit more texture and particles than your average eyeshadow but they are not gel-like or pasty like the Maybelline Colour Tattoos. I really like these eyeshadows as they are very pigmented and last all day on the lids. They can be worn alone or under other eyeshadows to make them appear more vibrant. I usually opt to wear it under the La Palette Nude and together, they are an absolute dream. I think they were actually made to be worn together.




L'Oreal Eyeliners
Without doubt, L'Oreal Eye liners are the best eye liners from the drug store in my opinion and I have used them for many years. I started out with the Black Lacquer Super Liner which has a felt tip that creates a flick if you like the cat eye look. It is really black, lasts all day and does not budge once it is dry. Then, I moved on the Perfect Slim Super Liner and I am obsessed with it. It also has a felt tip nib but it is much thinner and easier to control than the Black Lacquer. I feel it is more suited for every day looks while the Black Lacquer is better suited for nights out or if you prefer thicker flicks. Both of them are amazing. I received the So Couture Super Liner (gift with purchase) which looks really pretty but it's not my favourite and I am not very patient with its very tiny nib. If you like really thin close-to-the-lashes flicks, then you may like this particular one.






L'Oreal Lipsticks (Collection Privee and Color Riche)
Seriously, L'Oreal Lipsticks have one of the best packaging in the drug store. They look so high end and they are very good quality as well. I have other L'Oreal Lipsticks but they had expired so I got rid of them hence they weren't included in this post. The Collection Privee L'Oreal Lipsticks (review here) are one of my favourites from their range because they apply really well and the colours I chose work well for my skin. I think the Collection Privee was launched either in 2013 or 2014 and it's a collection of nude lipsticks created to match the natural nude lip colours of some actresses/celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, Frieda Pinto, J-Lo, Liya Kebede, etc. They also recently launched a Red collection but I have not tried them. I particularly love the Eva (which is really battered right now) and surprisingly, the Julianne shade. They are not nude on me though but they have a soft pinkish brown hue which is flattering on my skin. The red lipstick is Cherry Tulle from the L'Oreal Color Riche range and I won this in a competition by L'Oreal a little while back. I didn't even remember entering for the competition but I was delighted I had won. I got a bunch of other products and it was really lovely. I like this lipstick because it is a safe red and it is quite sheer. I have even worn this to work a couple of times and it still looked very professional.


L'Oreal Eyelash Serum and Color Riche Nail Polish
These last two products are my least used products and it's not because they are not great but I just don't use them as much as the rest. First up is the L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum which claims to give an intensive boost to the eyelashes. I am not sure if it is meant to help your lashes grow but I don't use it often so I can't comment on that. However, the few times I have used it just before applying mascara, I have noticed my lashes look really long, volumised and separated. I think I may start using this more often. The Color Riche Nail Polish is in the shade Magic Croisette 811 and it is a beautiful deep blue shade with a high gloss finish. I have only tried it a few times and I love the finish but I am not too sure about the colour. I may give it another try since it's Winter and the colour may be more appropriate.


That's it folks! I love L'Oreal Paris Makeup and I know my collection will be expanding soon because I know they are launching some new products soon for Spring. I hope you enjoyed this post. What's your favourite L'Oreal makeup? Have a fab week ahead....x