We recently got our hands on the new CoverGirl Lashblast 24hr Mascara. This is a a perfect name for this product, cause it does just that. Gives a BLAST of pigment to make your lashes bold and beautiful. I was VERY impressed with this product.

It claims after just a few quick strokes blast lashes with instant volume and fullness that mesmerizes. As you can see from my photo, my left eye is bursting with full and dark lashes.

One unique feature of this brush is the brush which has a 25% bigger core. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work . I had to brush thru my lashes very slow, because I did find the pigment liked to catch on my eyelid. Other than that,  I was so happy how my lashes looked.  Just as it said, no clumping or flaking. The protective resins in the formula coated my every lash and lasted for hours.  Some other facts about this mascara, its suitable for sensitive eyes, even contact lens wearers and removes with an oil – based remover.

Available in four shades:  Very Black, Black, Black Brown, Brown, SRP $ 8.95 and can be found at drugstores nationwide.

So tell us, are you going to haul home this new mascara? Leave a comment below to let us know. And check out more of our mascara before & after photos.

- Erin Sutera

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The newest edition, Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara, is no exception.  From the brush to the packaging, I’m a fan.

Erin after application on the left eye

I have small lashes and tiny eyes so I am always looking for the best of the best to bring out the bang in my eyes! This mascara claims to use fiber-extension technology which results in longer-looking lashes….4mm visibly longer. Well, I am not good at math, but I was pleased with the results nonetheless.

When I first twisted the package, I was struck at the fact I didn’t have to wipe the wand  before using. Just the right amount came out on the brush and I was ready to go. I also liked the brush itself, each bristle caught all of my tiny lashes and did just what it claimed, to give me the longest lash possible.

Erin after application on the left eye

Before I had the good fortune of trying this product, I used to take a department store mascara and a fiber product and layer them. But now with Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara, I no longer have to use two products. GENIUS!

This mascara will be available nationwide beginning January 2012 and will retail for $8.95. Three washable shades – Blackest Black, Very Black and Brownish Black  Two Waterproof Shades – Blackest Black and Very Black

So will you be hauling home this mascara?  Leave a comment below to let us know what mascara you’re loving.

And check out our round-up of the best makeup launches of 2011 HERE.

- Erin Sutera

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FOUNDATION: Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup SPF 15. A lot of other name brands that we have tried, tended to leave our skin looking dry in patches and dull. This new formula provides translucency and also shine free coverage.

The formula in the product consists of vitamins and minerals that moisturize and condition the skin leaving the finished look silky and smooth. Available at all Bobbi Brown counters for $ 38.00 or go to www.bobbibrown.com. The Face Brush is $ 42.00 and the Powder Puff is $ 15.00.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus All-Smooth Makeup SPF 15 The new All-Smooth Makeup with SPF 15 incorporates the brand’s advanced patented technology from the powerhouse de-aging serum, Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus.

It wears well on the skin, goes on without any fuss, and is easy to blend with your fingers (see pics HERE). It retails for $32.50.

CONCEALER:  Maybelline’s new Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer gets our two thumbs up in terms of dramatic transformation.

Since it is marketed as a treatment concealer, it also works to correct the problem over the long haul — a major plus. Application is easy thanks to the sponge tip applicator and Maybelline has all skin tones covered offering shades from fair to medium to dark.   Check out the Before & After photos HERE.

For $8.49, this is a good concealer to have. The bottle ensures you’ll have this for a long time — at least 3-4 months. Purchase this in drugstores or online retailers.

MASCARA:  L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes mascara.

This mascara actually lives up to it’s claims-it provides volume and separates lashes with each swipe of the brush (see Before & After photos HERE). The brush has many bristles (more than I’ve ever seen!) that provides a good coat that lasts throughout the day. Not only does this mascara provide amazing results but it’s also available at an affordable price-can’t beat that ladies!

Hypnôse Doll Mascara

Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara does give you doll-like lashes, and they do become shiny. There’s more of a lengthening effect than a plumping effect (see Before & After photos HERE), so if you want volume, this is not the mascara for you. But if you’re going for definition, shine and length, then yes –I’d give this two thumbs up. Grab one for $25 at Lancome.com.

LIPSTICK / GLOSS: MAC Glamglass

If you want to make a statement, you certainly will with M.A.C.’s  Glamglass which launched in the Summer of 2011. This moisturizing gloss leaves lips silky while providing an intense shine. With 11 shades to choose from (see them all HERE) each retailing for $14.50, there’s something for every event. I certainly don’t see this product leaving my make up bag any time soon!

NAIL POLISH: Chanel and Zoya

Chanel Mimosa could have been Summer 2011′s IT nail polish color. This gorgeous shade looks beautiful on all skin complexions and makes a perfect pedicure color.

Zoya’s Touch was the ultimate ‘Business Professional’ collection. These three soft nude shades reach opaque finishes with only one coat making it perfect for busy . See more hot nail polish pics HERE.

GIVEAWAY:  We want to share some of our faves with you so we are giving away FIVE L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes mascaras to lucky fans.  To enter, leave a comment below telling us what mascara you’ve been using in the past year.  We will pick a winner in a couple of weeks (US only please – we apologize to our International fans).  Good luck!!

ANNOUNCING WINNERS: 

Congratulations to:  Christina, Alina B, Joanne K., Tammy S. Jisue.  We just contacted you to get your mailing address. Thank you all for entering!

- Amelia Keith of PrettyInTheQueenCity.com and BeautyStat editorial staff

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The company states that in testing, 85% of consumers saw length improvement. For lavishly long and perfectly defined lashes, this lengthening formula visibly lifts for clump-free, lash-by-lash definition. Ophthalmologist-tested.

Well, that sounds great but we had to see for ourselves.  We gave it to our expert product evaluator, Antonella, and this is what she said.

“I remember using Wet n Wild when I was 13 years old. It was the first cosmetic brand I ever used. It feels like yesterday. I liked this mascara because it didn’t clump or flake, and it gave a more soft and natural lash look.”

Click on the photo below to ENLARGE and see the before and after up close.

This mascara retails for around $2.99.  At that price and those results, what’s better than that?

Leave a comment below telling us what your go-to mascara is.  By leaving a comment, you will be subscribing to our weekly newsletter where you will be eligible to win tons of free beauty product samples.  If you like this post, give it a LIKE on Facebook.

Arbonne introduces the newly-reformulated Triple Action Mascara that now contains peptides, goji berry, algae extract along with other botanicals that work to hydrate and condition the lashes.

The company says the new formula delivers thick, long and defined lashes, while resisting smudging.

We needed to confirm this for ourselves, so we gave it to our expert product evaluator, Antonella, so that she can test drive it.

The mascara itself is definitely lengthening, and it thickened the lashes (as you can see, the right hand lashes are thicker). For $30, we think it’s definitely a steep price to pay for a mascara. We can think of several others that retail for far less that get the job done.

But, that said, we love the brand stays true to its roots when it comes to eco-friendly formulations. What do you personally love about Arbonne’s mascaras? Will you be hauling this product home anytime soon?

To read about our latest recommendations from Arbonne’s for Earth Month, click here.

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Our second makeup competition is on!

We picked finalist based on the 2 categories below:

1) Full Face with makeup: this includes lips, foundation, eye shadow…the works.

2) Eyes Only (creativity and artistry encouraged).

We narrowed down the field by picking those who went for a Spring feel yet made it uniquely their own.

Okay, ready?  ………………………………. Below are the finalists! and click on the images to ENLARGE.

CATEGORY 1:  FULL FACE

Vote for Emily below.

Emily used: Lancome Ageless Mineral powder foundation, Bobbi Brown colour correcting concealer, Lancome Dual finish powder, Lancome Le crayon eye brow pencil in ‘Taupe’
Maybelline Eye shadow in ‘Silken Taupe’, Lancome Artliner, Lancome Hypnose Mascara in 01 black (waterproof), Mac Lipstick in ( Up The Amp)

Vote for Cherise below:

For Cherise’s “frosty eyes” look, she used Espresso eye shadow, Groundwork Paint Pot, Blanc Type eye shadow, Brun eye shadow, Carbon eye shadow, Dazzlelight eye shadow, Blacktrack Fluidline Eye liner gel, Smolder eye khol pencil, Peachtwist Sheertone Shimmer Blush, Extras…False lashes (#36), Duo Adhesive, Studio Fix Foundation, Mineralize Skinfinish Powder (over top of the foundation)
All MAC products

Vote for Nicole below:

To get this look, Nicole says “I LOVE Bare Escentuals Make-up, I swear by it! In both pictures I am wearing BE foundation and eyelid primers, BE Foundation, concealer, warmth and mineral veil. My eyes are done with BE eye shadows and Almay eyeliner and mascara.”

Vote for Chamallie below:

For this look, Chamallie says “For me Pinks and Lavenders are what spring is all about. I wanted to do something youthful, fresh and sophisticated at the same time. This is a look I’d rock having lunch in Miami with my girls on a perfect spring day.”

Vote for Torrie below:

For this look, Torrie says “It’s a fresh spring look with a warm glow!”  Torrie is wearing MAC studio sculpt in NC45, MAC mineralize skin finish in dark, Lorac bronzer, MAC blush in Ambering Rose, Dior Show Mascara in black, Urban Decay eye shadow in scratch, NYX eye shadow in champagne, Mark eye liner in cleo, and MAC eye liner in black track.

Vote for Jessica below:

For this look, Jessica says “I was going for a modern retro pin-up look with a (pink) spring twist”. She used black radiance complexion perfection shine control primer, e.l.f. clarifying pressed powder ‘spice’
l’oreal touch on colour ‘get down plum’, black liquid liner, rimmel london eyeshadow quad ‘smokey noir’, e.l.f. eyeshadow ‘wild wheat’, marykay eyeshadow ‘sugarplum’, lancome hypnose mascara ‘deep black’, jordana easy liner for lips ‘silver lilac’, e.l.f. lipstick ‘gypsy’, nyc liquid lipshine ‘fashion ave fuchsia’

Vote for Magali below:

For this look, Magali used:  foundation: black opal rich caramel, eyes: HIP l’oreal, lipstick: revelon, lipgloss: iman honey

Vote for Connie below:

For this look, Connie says “I went for the popular bold red orange lip with Mac’s Morange lipstick.  I’m also wearing cover girl lash blast volume, missha perfect cover m bb cream, and elf healthy glow bronzer in luminate”.

Vote for Katisha below:

For this look, Katisha says “this is what i call my signature look. i love a bold lip (usually hot pink, my fav color) and glowing skin. Not to mention i’m on trend since bold lips and cheeks are in for the spring!!!”

Vote for Mahogany below:

Vote for Lauren below:

For this look, Lauren says “Here is my spring look! I am loving the bright neon colors that are in this Spring, so I wanted to keep my eyes pretty monochromatic but of course glamorous with big lashes. Then I focused color on my lips with this hot pink matte look.”  Lauren used Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Face Primer, Almay pure blends foundation in neutral, DiorShow Airflash Foundation, Physician’s Formula Healthy Bronzer in Medium, Auraline Beauty pink blush from Natural Palette
MAC Brow Shader in Walnut, MAC Brow gel in clear, NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Custom Compact for Brown Eyes and Green Eyes, MAC Paint Pot eyeliner in Black, False Lashes from Forever21, NYC New York Color ShowTime Volumizing Mascara, MAC LipErase, Auraline Beauty Lip Liner in Candy

CATEGORY 2:  EYES

Vote for Avi below:

For this look, Avi used:  *MAC PROLONGWEAR NC45, *MAC MSF MEDIUM/DEEP, *JESSE’S GIRL EYEDUST “SUNLIT CACTUS”, *L’OREAL HIP IN “PERKY” (ONLY GREEN), *TOO FACED SHADOW INSURANCE CANDLELIGHT, *ELF CLEAR LIPGLOSS, *ELF BLUSH IN BLUSHING ROSE

Vote for Kissable Lips below:

Vote for Leslie below:

Vote for Taneisha below:

For this look, Taneisha says “I  have done a bright purple eye with green Liner on the rim of the eye, all Mac products.  I also have a bronze eye, with cobalt blue liner on the rim, and its Mac products also. I also tried a purple eye with black liner, and blue lepoard spots made with Blue Atlantic e/s/

Vote for Sherry below:

Vote for Amy below:

For this look, Amy says “A look I did using all Beauty From The Earth minerals. My inspiration was a beautiful island sunset!”

Now it’s your time to vote.  Simply post a comment below telling us who you vote for.  Please only vote for 1 person per category.  And you may vote for yourself.

Good luck ladies!  We will be picking a winner by Wednesday, April 13th.

Remember, the winner will receive a beauty hamper worth $300, and the runner up will receive a beauty hamper worth $200.

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We’ve reviewed several mascaras over the past year, and it seems that this category is producing more and more blockbusters by the minute. I own at least 30 mascaras…are you as obsessed?

Our latest find is L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes mascara. This mascara stands out because of its innovative millionizer brush that makes your lashes look like a fringe benefit. The effect of this mascara is thick, voluminous lashes. Take a peek at our before/after (our model’s left eye is with mascara; right eye is bare). She is wearing the shade Black #365.

Our model, Antonella, tests out the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

This mascara richly coats every lash. It does what the packaging says it would do: volumize and separate. The Millionizer brush has a multitude of bristles to help comb and achieve that lash separation effect. This is probably the most bristles we’ve encountered in any mascara wand (it looks like a centipede, but is flexible enough to swipe each lash with a good solid coating that lasts throughout the day).

The wand is made with elastomer; so it can coat both upper and lower lashes with flex and ease. There is an excess wiper that removes excess mascara … a genius idea! We were happy that there was no clumping and that the mascara lasted us pretty much the entire day. The packaging also looks very high end. There’s a certain appealing quality about a gold tube that makes you feel like — pardon the pun — a million dollars.

The cons? Well, we’ve seen other mascaras that deliver that volume but with a lengthening effect. If you have teeny, tiny lashes, this brush isn’t going to help you (for that issue, we highly recommend Clinique’s Bottom Lash Mascara).

The mascara retails for $8.99 at ULTA stores.

Tell us, have you tried the new L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara? Are you a fan?

- Charu Suri

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The new Revlon CustomEyes offerings are all about versatility and color …just in time for spring. The CustomEyes eye palette is meant to be customized in shades that are tailored for YOU. The mascara comes in a regular and waterproof version and is also completely customizable.

Here, I’m wearing the CustomEyes mascara on my right eye, and zero mascara on my left eye — you can see how well the mascara does a great job as a lash separator and a lengthener. The genius of this brush is that it is adjustable bristles. You can amp up the length of your lashes and get all dramatic, or you can go for defintion. It’s a true multi-tasker — a split personality brush!  The applicator is quite easy to use and I loved how it basically combed each of my lashes. No problems here!

Each sleek rectangular CustomEyes palette is filled with four eyeshadows and one eye liner. I tested the palette #015, in Party Pops, which comes in shades of violet, teal and salmon. It’s the perfect party palette — and full of funky shades to help you get your groove on. For a total glam effect, I paired the Party Pops palette with the Colorburst lipgloss #008 in Peony Divine.

Here’s what I did: I applied the eye shadows with the provided wand as the package instructed. I was a little skeptical before applying the shadows, because I usually wear a maximum of three monochromatic colors; this palette contained four. But the complete effect is quite compelling:  very fresh and soft at the same time.

The new lip gloss applicator made the gloss go on smooth and pretty on the lips, and it smells like vanilla to boot. Yummy! While I like the lip gloss, I would add a nude lipstick under it, so the focus is on the eyes. The idea is to make your eyes or your lips the “star of the show” –just not both, unless you’re on the runway. When your eye shadows are dramatic/colorful opt for a nude gloss or lipstick. When your eyes are neutral and soft, go dark or bright with the lip to make your pout stand out.

The CustomEyes mascara and palette retails for $8.99 each at drugstores. For a perfect concealer to pair these cool new finds with, click here.

Have you tried CustomEyes? Is this something you’d purchase? Tell us!

- Swatches by Antonella

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We here at BeautyStat have promised to give you the chance to win the hottest new beauty products to hit the market, and we are aiming to please. So without further adieu, below are the first set of winners for 2011 (winners chosen by random number generator).

And the winners of the Review & Giveaway: L’Oreal Paris’ New Magic Smooth Souffle Makeup

are: Patricia and Little Miss H. We emailed you both to claim your prize. Please reply back to us by this Friday evening.

And the winner of the (Giveaways): The Best Anti-Acne Routine for 2011 – Product Reviews

is: Stephanie. We emailed you already so please reply back with your mailing address to claim.

Winners, please reply back to us by end of day, Friday February 4th to claim your winnings.

If you did not win, don’t worry. See more exciting giveaways below:

Review & Giveaway: L’Oreal’s new Double Extend Illuminator Mascara

(Giveaway & Review) The Glamorous Vial of Well Being: 21 Drops Essential Oils

(Giveaway & Review) NAIR Debuts New Milk & Honey Roll-On Sugar Wax, Cool Gel, Men’s Depilatory

(Review, Swatches & Giveaway): L’Oreal One Sweep Eyeshadows

Bonus points by giving this post a LIKE and sharing it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

PLUS – Don’t forget to VOTE in our first EVER Makeup Contest. See link below.

BeautyStat’s Makeup Contest Top Finalists: VOTE for your Favorite

Celebrating the holidays and our memories, Givenchy has created a vintage collection that will spark emotion and elegance for anyone special enough to receive this under their tree. This dazzling and limited collection includes shades for face,eyes and lips. Available only online, the collection includes a chest-like box covered in crocodile skin with a rose powder perfumed by flower water, an iridescent finish eyeshadow, volumizing mascara and red shades for your lips that give the vintage look of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Ava Gardner.

Le Prisme Collector Sparkling Powder

This little jewel box has a limited edition powder that’s perfect for your holiday champagne glow. It’s smaller than a bread box, and perfect for a stocking stuffer. Because of its pinkish hue, it serves as a perfect finish for all skin tones. Available at Sephora.com and Givenchybeauty.com $60

Le Prisme Unique Eyeshadow

This square reminds us of a Jackson Pollock painting and gives you two shades in one: perfect for that smoky eye look. Available at Sephora.com and Givenchybeauty.com ($29). It comes with its own eyeshadow brush.

Phenomen’Eyes

This mace-like brush is all the rage and really needs no introduction! We reported on its lash-lengthening capabilities here. Available at Sephora.com and Givenchybeauty.com ($29).

Rouge Interdit, Gloss Interdit and Vernis Please!

Each year seems to be the holiday and renaissance of the bold, red lip (remember Estee Lauder’s red lippie collection from 2009?). This year is no different for the folks at Givenchy. The Vernis Please! comes in three different varieties including a dark blood color (any True Blood fans out here?) and are perfect for both Hallowe’en and Christmas. The shades are vintage carmine, ruby and garnet. Available at Sephora.com and Givenchybeauty.com.

So, what do you think about the Givenchy Holiday Collection? Does it remind you of Vintage Hollywood with the sparkle, red lips and glamour?

- Amelia Keith

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