Many women already use in-home hair removal products, but there’s a small group of folks who have probably seen these products and were afraid to try them. If you’re looking for a good one to try, consider using Sally Hansen Creme Hair Remover Kit (around $6) and sold wherever Sally Hansen products are sold. You get the remover creme, and a post treatment conditioner that calms and soothes the skin. You only need a small amount of both cremes, and it’s a pretty big tube so you should be good for a while — unless your hair grows back fully within hours.

I have the average amount of body hair that most women have — but mine just happens to be very dark against my skin so it’s daunting as hell. It’s something I’ve grown up with all of my adolescent/adult life so while I think it’s “gross”, I also accept it for what it is. I normally use Veet hair remover on my arms and legs…but for my face I’ve been using the Sally Hansen Creme Hair Remover Kit. I remember the first time I got my “chickstache” waxed..not only did it hurt like hell, but it broke me out. I had these super tiny lil bumps around my mouth and I’m sorry, but in this day and age you cannot go around w/ any bumps near your mouth because folks are always gonna think you’ve had your mouth in dirtier places LOL! After that, I said to heck with waxing and starting using removal cremes made gentle enough for use on the face, and I haven’t looked back.

PROS

• Doesn’t irritate my skin — and I have moderately sensitive skin
• Pleasant scent, not offensive like normal hair remover cremes at all
• Works fast (5 min for me, may be sooner or longer depending on your hair texture)
• The post-treatment conditioner makes my skin feel soft and supple afterward
• Inexpensive and easy to find
• Dermatologist tested and salon tested
• Removes the hair very well, I never feel any stubble

CONS

• None that I can think of, it does everything it should do for me. It’s not complicated, it’s just a hair remover creme

OVERALL

You all have seen pics of me with my chickstache, I make no secrets about it. I’m not ashamed of it, but I never keep it for too long. I tend to let stuff grow in all the way before I remove it because I just prefer not to waste any product on the slightest sign of regrowth. One application lasts me about 3-4 weeks before I have to use it again, and even then my chickstache hasn’t completely grown back in, but it’s visible enough for me to be anal about it if I want to. The hair also grows back soft and never prickly.

So anyway, I hope that this is helpful for those of you suffering from “chewbacca chin” or any other hair part of the face. I know someone who uses this stuff religiously because of her super-fast growing chin hairs, and she finds plucking to be painful — this stuff works better for her super sensitive skin. I’m no dermatologist, this won’t work for everyone, but it’s so inexpensive that you can probably afford to try it on a very tiny area of the face or elbow just to see how your skin reacts, if at all. If your skin does react, discontinue use. Just make sure you read the directions, because some people don’t and they end up pissed lol.

I don’t have any before and after pics, but this stuff works nicely and I’ll continue to use it for a very long time.

RATING

Availability: all major drugstores, Amazon

*tightens boxing gloves*

Alriiiiight…in the magenta corner, with frosty ocean teal lettering and banding with a lash hugging curved wand…The Falsies!! Annnnnd in the hot pink corner, with gold lettering and banding, sporting an x-shaped wand…The Max

*crowd goes wild*

Both mascaras can be found in drugstores

Both mascaras are very affordable, at around $6/$7 each

Both mascaras promise volume

Both are contact lens safe

Finally, to be fair I picked up non-waterproof formulas of each mascara…

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

my bare naked lashes

MAYBELLINE “THE FALSIES”

the wand is curved

RIMMEL “THE MAX” MASCARA

the wand is shaped like an X

BATTLE BREAKDOWN

• Blackest: NEITHER (they’re both not very black at all, more of a very very dark grey)
• Better Scent: Rimmel “The Max”
• Better Wand: Maybelline “The Falsies”
• Ease of use: Maybelline “The Falsies”
• Ease of removal: TIE
• Which NEEDS at least two coats: Rimmel “The Max”
• Fastest drying: Maybelline “The Falsies”
• Softest Eyelash Texture: TIE
• Most Noticeable: Maybelline “The Falsies”

I’d give the formula edge to Maybelline “The Falsies” for the following reasons, preference being number one…The Falsies is a much thinner and wetter formula, which allows for more wand-comb control (at least for me). I find that when a mascara formula is wetter, I can work the wand thru my lashes better and it gives more lashes the equal opportunity to be coated. Rimmel’s formula is slightly thicker (you can even notice the longer trail of mascara on the tip of the wand in comparison to Maybelline’s) and not as wet. The downside to a wetter formula though, is that it dries faster and adding extra coats can make lashes look a bit clumpier. However, this totally depends on your “drama” preference.

Rimmel’s The Max has combs fanning out horizontally and vertically in an x-shape, while Maybelline The Falsies has a curved wand with the combs fanning just horizontally. I didn’t see any benefit for the x-shaped wand, in fact, it was a little confusing on how to even hold the darn thing. The Falsies wand allows you to wiggle thru the lashes then slightly flip to smooth and push up. This makes it a lot easier to use because it mimicks a natural motion.

Both have a similar scent but The Falsies has a slightly stronger chemical scent, and The Max is a little more pleasant. Neither are strong in scent or irritating to my eye. Both mascaras are labeled as being super black but both fail at being a true black — they’re just a very very dark grey. Both mascaras remove super easily with just a wet makeup remover wipe, but The Falsies has a slight edge because it removed completely the quickest of the two. Neither flaked on me after wearing them for two hours each.

WINNER

The winner: Maybelline The Falsies

Peace out!

For me, Maybelline The Falsies is the better performer of the two. With just one coat, it stretched my lashes out pretty long and left them there. Rimmel The Max promises 14x’s volume but just doesn’t deliver as well as The Falsies, and to be honest it disappointed me the most. I prefer the results of The Falsies over The Max, but you may like it the other way around. The lesson I learned from this battle is that I don’t need to give The Falsies two coats because it’s great with just one. It doesn’t clump with one coat at all and while it doesn’t clump too horribly with two coats, if you are gonna use two coats — move fast.

Availability: all major drugstores

-Stay beautiful

For me, it absolutely did! Introducing Covergirl LashBlast Fusion, the newest to the ignorantly large “Lash” family.

The fiberstretch formula and oversized brush make every little lash bigger, fuller, longer -looking and more dramatic.

The wand is sprouting cute little rubber combs!

It comes in the package separated like this.

Ta-da!! This is what it looks like once you put it together and this is the way it should stay lol.

PROS

• No clumping during application.
• Smooth formula.
• Gives great lift and adds a decent amount of length. Noticeable even behind my glasses.
• Non-waterproof formula doesn’t harden the lashes, they’re still soft and pliable.
• After 6 hours of wear, no flaking or fatigue.
• Easy to remove.

CONS

• Has a weird cosmetic “scent” (if you wanna call it that). Most of my mascaras smell like oranges, this one does NOT!
• The ‘Very Black’ color isn’t the blackest black I’ve seen, so they kinda stretched that truth lol.
• Big cumbersome wand handle. You will either find it easier or harder to use.
• There isn’t a waterproof formula available yet.

OVERALL

For me, it delivered and I think it’s a very good mascara. It gave my lashes a slight thickness without clumping and smushing them together even after three coats! No spider eyes It’s the same shape and size of the original in the orange tube, except it’s just purple. I looked around for a waterproof version of this and didn’t see it so I don’t think it’s available yet. I paid $6.99 for it at CVS and that was the sale price, so prices may vary depending on your location. I actually like it more than the original. I remember using the original one and not being that wow’d by it at all, and I think it took a whole two months for me to start using it and even then it was just okay for me. This one isn’t the best mascara I’ve ever used, but I at least liked this one the first time I used it. I really like it.

It goes without saying that not all mascaras are created equal and the results I get may not be the same as yours and vice versa. Application and technique has tons to do with how your mascara performs for you. If you’re finding that all mascaras suck for you, it could be your technique. You can still have awesome technique and still hate it though, because I know plenty of people who have hated this mascara, and many who love it. It definitely varies. Try it out, and if you hate it, return it

RATING

Availability: Drugstores

Years have passed, and I’ve found a new love. Revlon Colorstay Foundation with Softflex ($8.99 – $13.99, 1 oz.) is the best drugstore foundation I’ve ever used. I love it and I especially love that it doesn’t transfer. What do I mean by “transfer”? Well, any foundation, no matter how much or how little you spend, will rub off if you rub it off. They’re not stains, they don’t sink into your skin, so they can be removed if you rub your face on something. But, there are some foundations that just after a tiny bit of sweating, will break down and drip and slide right off your face onto your clothes. This is reminiscent of what I’d see in high school and it was gross.

You may notice how each bottle says it’s the same color, but the one on the right is slightly darker than the one on the left. I would assume it has to do with the SPF. The Normal/Dry formula has an SPF of 12, and is slightly lighter than the Combo/Oily formula, which doesn’t have SPF. I could be wrong, so if that’s not the case someone let me know. All I do know is that even though they vary slightly in color they both match me when blended in. I wear the Normal/Dry in the winter, and the Combo/Oily in the summer when I’m a shade darker, but you can do whatever you want.

(Unblended swatch on my face)

(Blended swatch on my face)

This stuff is indeed my holy grail drugstore foundation (so far). I absolutely love this foundation and will continue to buy it — I’m already on my third bottle! I’m wearing this foundation in this post here.

PROS

• Applies easily with a foundation brush or fingers.
• It lasts on my face all day.
• I don’t notice any oxidizing — meaning it darkens or turns orange on the skin throughout the day.
• It looks natural and flawless.
• It’s lightweight, I often forget I’m even wearing it.
• Both formulas are oil-free.
• It’s transfer-resistant. I can sweat in this and it doesn’t drip onto my clothes, water can get on my face and it still doesn’t trip onto my clothes.

CONS

• It doesn’t come in a wide variety of shades.
• It doesn’t have a pump.
• It’s a drugstore foundation and you can’t really test these, unless you have the balls to open the bottle like I do and swatch it before you buy.

The way my foundation performs for me, may not be the case for you, but I seriously feel that this foundation is priced so that just about anyone can afford to try it at least once and see how it works. You may get a good deal at CVS, they often have a BOGO deal where you can buy one at full price and get a second bottle for free. Definitely give this one a try, and if you hate it, you can return it. If you love it, you’ll probably continue to buy it like I will

RATING

Each color has a very subtle shimmer to it. Nothing too noticeable, but it somehow gives it a really nice effect. The black liner has a faint purple/blue shimmer, the brown has a slight gold shimmer, and the purple has a soft purple/pink shimmer. Very pretty!

It was time to give these a test run. I ran water over them, then tried to run my finger thru the swatches to see if they’d smear and they didn’t! After I wiped the water away, I gave the swatches a really good rub, they still didn’t move. Awesome! These liners are so worth buying, whether you’re beginner or advanced. We have yet another “Drugstore Gem” and I highly recommend them!

Needless to say, your eye will probably be a bit oilier than the back of your hand, but you still wanna give products like this the “back of the hand” test because if they fail that, they’ll definitely fail your eye.

OVERALL

• Very creamy
• Smooth, no tugging or streaking
• Fast drying
• Long lasting
• Very pigmented and opaque
• PERFECT for lining the upper and lower lashline. You could try your waterline if you’re comfortable.
• Creates a sexy cat-eye super easily

RATING

Availability: Physicians Formula. Local drugstores.

-Stay beautiful

I would compare the consistency and texture to the Stila Kajal liners ($18). They’re very soft and smudgeable, but they actually dry completely after about a minute and won’t budge. I find that my Stila Kajal liner is super soft and creamy too, but will not dry like the Milani liners. I love my Stila pencil because of how easy it is to work with and spread around, but that is the one pencil I have to set with powder to prevent it from creasing, running and smudging all day. My eyelid situation is weird as hell. My actual lids aren’t that oily, but on the outer corners?? Oh, it’s a wrap! What I’ve been doing lately is applying a little bit of Urban Decay’s Primer Potion on my lower lashline to help my liners stay in place longer. These pencils glide on super easily, and can be set with eyeshadow if you have an oily situation like I do. They’re incredible, and I’m super impressed.

I guess if I had to nitpick, I’d complain that they can kinda be hard to sharpen because they are so soft and creamy. Also, I’m not sure why some of them are considered “metallic”. The black is a flat matte black, there’s no shimmer or glitter chucked into it at all, same for the brown. The silver is very metallic, and I’m sure the gold one is too. So…yea..dunno wassup with that. Other than that, I think they’re pretty awesome. Good job, Milani!

You’ll definitely wanna use a makeup remover wipe, or liquid to remove these…and be gentle!

RATING

*rating changed 10/10/10 from A- to B- due to the fact that these pencils completely dry out and become impossible to use just a few months after opening them. How wack…

Availability: Milani, and some drugstores

However, when I walked by the “Stiletto” display I remembered that I did like the original Stiletto…so I swallowed my pride and reached for Voluptuous. It was on sale for $4.99 and I figured if I hated it, I’d only be out five bucks. So as you probably know, this mascaras packaging is modeled after the your standard hooker shoe — cute. Took it home, tried it on. Loved it! No strong, smelly formula. My lashes didn’t stick together — no clumping — no flaking. My lashes are already naturally curled, so just about any mascara worth its mustard is gonna hold my curl.

I won’t say anything else about this lovely mascara, I’m gonna let the pictures speak for themselves. This is what two coats of Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Voluptuous did for my lashes.

The wand is curved, sorta in the shape of an “S”, and it really allows you to hug and cradle your lashes, making sure the product evenly coats each individual lash. It’s wider at the base of the wand, and tapers out to help you get those pesky inner lashes.

Here’s my quick video review of this mascara that I posted on my Youtube channel.

RATING

Remember, your taste in any given mascara will depend heavily upon your application. Many women use awesome mascaras the WRONG way. It takes lots of practice to get mascara application down, so before you give up on a mascara, make sure you’re applying it correctly. Mascara is the one thing you should really take your time with!

Availability: Maybelline and all major drugstores. Prices will vary.