Lashes and Lightsabers: the Star Wars x Covergirl Collection

Star Wars: the Force Awakens ushers in a new era of Star Wars.  It has a new director, features lots of new characters, and has a makeup collection.  Iconic makeup artist and head of cosmetics with Proctor and Gamble, Pat McGrath did what she does best: create.  She started with six iconic looks inspired by the Force Awakens, and designed new cosmetics based off of them.

Looking at the editorial shots, it's easy to see where Pat drew her inspirations.  Each look launched a new lipstick color, and fans of C-3PO will immediately recognize his signature gold in her Droid look, and respective Colorlicious Lipstick in Gold #40 ($6.99*).

There are five other lipsticks inspired by Star Wars icons on both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.  After Droid (C-3PO) brought us golds on the Light Side, Jedi shows a soft Nude #70 lip, and Mystic has Lilac #20.  The Dark Side has Stormtrooper inspired Dark Purple #50, Dark Apprentice shows the familiar Red #30, and Chrome Captain brings us an icy Silver #10.

There are six Outlast Nail Polishes ($5.49*) in the collection as well, though they do not seem to directly correlate with the makeup looks (it appears other permanent Outlast shades were used).  Those shades are Fury #93 (intense crimson), Nuclear #97 (chemical green), Mutant 101 (bold blue), Red Revenge 180 (deep red color), Nemesis 195 (medium eggplant) and Speed of Light 200 (pale grey).  There are also photos and swatches of Emerald Blaze 50 on blogger pages, but not with the official Star Wars x Covergirl Collection on covergirl.com.

The other release in the line is truly designed for the collector in all of us.  It features ten variations in packaging of their pre-existing Supersizer mascara ($6.85*) in Very Black with iconic Star Wars quotes.  There are five for the Light Side, featured on their waterproof formula, and five for the Dark Side, on their classic formula.  Choose a Side, or go ahead and collect all 10; we're certainly not judging.

*Prices vary by location and retailer and are from covergirl.com; also available where ever Covergirl cosmetics are sold.

Note to Gary:  All products used will be linked to their archive location on CS.  Also, there are more product photos if you would like more added.
Disclaimer: This article is written to appear on another website.

My Favorite Mascaras (Long Lashes)

The time has come that you won't be seeing a lot from me about mascaras because as you guys know, I've gotten very strict on my cosmetics being not only cruelty free, but also vegan.  In the past, if I didn't see a blatently non-vegan ingredient, I tended to not worry about it.  Nowadays, it's the opposite; if I don't see that a product is blatently labeled vegan, I don't buy it.  I do get a lot of product to try from work, so those items still come and go and that's why you occasionally see me wearing a product that is not only not vegan, but also occasionally not cruelty free (though I try to avoid those unless it's associated with brand training).

As I part my ways with non-vegan mascaras, I will leave you with my top five choices.  These will all be cruelty free, but not vegan.  You WILL see vegan mascara reviews in the future.  I can also try out mascaras from any brand we carry in store, but occasionally the quality is compromised because it's a tester and people leave lids open, etc, etc.   None the less, don't feel like you can't ask me about other mascaras, just don't expect to see a full write up on them; if that makes sense?

Okay!  Onward with my top five mascaras!

1.  Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara - $19 (also available in a waterproof formula)
I first tried this mascara in a tiny trial size when one of the lovely ladies at my Sephora offered it to me with a smile in response to my question, "Do you guys ever do mascara samples?  I'm scared to try the ones here in store and I know it's kind of impossible to sample out the testers..."  I tried it that same day and fell in love immediately.  I was terrified of the $19 price point, but realized that all of the drug store cruelty free mascaras were also pretty expensive ($9 and up for common brands like Almay and Physician's Formula) outside of my beloved Wet n Wild and NYC.  Even Hard Candy mascaras are at least $8.  Besides, none of those drug store mascaras had ever wowed me like this one had.  The formula wasn't too wet or dry, so it applied easily without making a giant mess of my long lashes.  The brush was a more traditional nylon style, without being large or bushy.  I later found that this was my favorite brush type.  I never had problems with flaking or raccoon eyes until the mascara was spent and ready to be thrown out.  The packaging was cute, and it was from a much more natural brand.  I was sold.  I was especially happy to find that there was a waterproof version as well, should I need it.
Update:  This formula is now vegan!

2.  Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay mascara - $19
This one was much more recently discovered, as it's just come out in the last six month.  Again from Tarte, it had great packaging, a more natural formula, and damn near the same brush as my beloved Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara.  I noticed that this one has easy to build volume, assumably from the clay, and I never had issues with flaking.  I generally only needed one coat with this mascara, though I did occasionally wear two coats when I just wanted.. more.  It also had the not too wet, not too dry consistency that works so well with my long lashes.  I recommend this one to client who want to try something that's recently come out but isn't Diorshow New Look, haha.
Update:  This formula is now vegan!

3.  Sephora Lash Plumper mascara - $12
I received this mascara as a birthday gift from Sephora in 2010, and have loved it since.  I've repurchased it many times, though it's not what I typically reach for, brush wise.  It's a slightly fluffier brush to go with it's more voluminous formula.  This mascara is everything I want, though I will tell you, it's a bit stubborn to remove.  I did a full write up on my love for this mascara here.

4.  NYC Show Time Waterproof Volumizing Mascara - around $3-$4
This is the only waterproof mascara that I keep in my drawer on a regular basis.  The formula is nice, though slightly wetter than anything else on this list.  I've never actually tested how waterproof it is (ie: no crying, rain, etc), but I do know that I never had problems with flaking or raccooning, which can easily happen with drug store brands.  I don't wear a waterproof formula that often, only if I'm going to be sweating, so I don't like to spend a ton on a mascara that won't be used to it's full potential.  This one is awesome.  It's cheap.  And the brush is pretty similar to the kind I love.

5.  Lumene Natural Code Eye Dramatizer Lash-Extending Mascara - price unknown
I received this mascara in a swap with my friend Emilia who lives in Finland.  Sadly, I can't find this mascara online anywhere to buy, but I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that I'm not searching for it in Finnish.  It's a great formula, though more wet than I usually like.  The brush helps tame how wet it is, as it's short and tapered (as it should be for a good lengthening formula).  I don't need a ton of length, but I have noticed that this does a great job of actually get from root to lash tip.  It offers definition without having a pesky rubber bristle brush.  The ingredient list is more natural than I'm used to, and with any luck, it may be vegan!  Emilia emailed Lumene for me to find out if the formula is vegan or not, since my Finnish is.. well, I don't speak it.  At all.

FTC: Mascara one I received a free sample of, but purchased a full size of.  Mascara two I received for free from work.  Mascara three I initially received a free sample of, but bought many full sizes later.  Mascara four I purchased.  Mascara five I received as a gift from my friend.  These are my honest opinions and I am not being compensated for this post.

Sephora Lash Plumper mascara ftw.

Inspired by Mo's new post here about her favorite liquid liners, I decided it was nigh time I wrote about my favorite mascara. While I am well aware the liners and mascaras are hardly the same thing, just.. stay with me here.

It was the summer of 2010.  I was approaching my 23rd birthday and I got those emails to remind me, "Hey dumbshit, it's your birthday!  You get free stuff this month!"  Oh, glorious day!  I rounded up the locations where I was entitled to free-ness in celebration of my birth, and headed out the door.

I saved what is almost always the best for last: Sephora.  Sephora had an amazing gift in 2010 (and 2009, and 2011, and though it isn't my birthday yet, as an employee of Sephora I am well aware that the gift is pretty damn cool this year as well) and this gift literally changed my life.  Well.. it changed my life in so much as finding your holy grail mascara can.  I know, epic.

I won't lie, I had to cheat and look online to see what else was in the gift that year (and you can cheat and look here if you forget, too).  It was a silver green nano liner, a tiny size of Aspen Summit eyeshadow, and *cue harps* the Lash Plumper.  They were all Sephora brand, and in a quick rundown for a review:
1. Silver Green nano liner - good liner, horrid color for me
2.  Aspen Summit - I still have this tiny guy and he is doing doing a great job as an inner corner highlight
3.  Lash Plumper mascara - this changed me

This mascara is perfect [FOR ME].  It isn't too wet, it isn't too dry; and it's buildable.  It doesn't flake, it doesn't budge, but I do suspect it is the product at the end of the day that gives me a hell of a fight to remove.  It's okay, I still love it, and wear it every day without hesistation.

Since trying the product for the first time in July of 2010, I have tried other mascaras, always on the quest to try exciting, new things; but I have always returned to my beloved Lash Plumper mascara.  At a measly $12 a tube, it's not much more than what you'd pay at the drug store.  Yet it performs like so many of the high end mascaras that it is constantly surrounded and mocked by.  I don't know if I actually think the two are dupes, but it and the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascaras are the only ones I've ever even considered repurchasing.

I guess there will be a comparison in the new future.  I can't just leave it at that, can I?

For nostalgia's sake: My full size I'm currently working on & the original tiny size I received for my birthday.

FTC:  Although I initially received the sample size of this mascara as a free perk, I have paid for all additional tubes with my own money.  These are my honest opinions.