L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise VS. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara | Dupe or Flop?

Whilst on my day off I was scavenging through the makeup aisles at Target and came across this beauty. The pink colored tube was the first thing that drew me in but also reminded me of a different mascara I know dearly...the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara that comes in at a whopping $23.

This L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara is only $8.99 and has a lot of claims. Here's what their website says about this product. "Voluptuous volume. Intense Length. Full lash fringe, feathery soft. Soft wavy bristle brush holds the maximum amount of formula. 200+ bristles catch every lash for a dramatic volumizing effect. No flaking. No smudging. No clumping."

They go on to talk about a study they did and what women said. If you're interested in reading the whole shebang here's the link: Click Here

So let's just start off with some simple comparisons. The feel of the actual tubes was vastly different in regard to weight. The Too Faced mascara tube seems to be made of some type of metal so it makes the product weighted. This is actually something I really like! I love when brands have products that are heavy, even if they are made of plastic. Something about it just feels right. The L'Oreal tube was surprisingly light. Not a con in my opinion. I didn't know what to expect since it's packaged in a plastic and cardboard casing. (I think it's a super cute package design btw!) So weight wise, Too Faced is heavier. Now let's look at the the actual amount of product you get. BTS comes with 0.27oz/8ml of product and VLP comes with 0.28oz/8.5ml. So you're basically paying $1 per ml of product for L'Oreal and almost $3 for Too Faced. 

Now I must state that L'Oreal never made any claims that their mascara was meant in any way to be a dupe for the Too Faced one but I mean come one. 

In the following picture you can see the comparison of the Too Faced mascara wand to the L'oreal wand. See any similarities? I sure do!

Now let's talk about application and payoff. You came to see if it's worth the money or not so let's find out. 

Down below I've inserted a picture of one eye with BTS (Your left) and one eye with VLP (Your right). Can you tell a difference? 

The application in comparison was great! The brushes definitely have the same effect shape-wise. I did notice a few differences though. BTS mascara is much easier to build and make clumpy, if that's what you're going for while the VLP is a much thinner formula. It definitely stands up to it's claim of feeling feathery smooth. I really liked how well the brush separated each of my lashes and overall, I really like how it looks!

Like any one else, I'm all about paying less if possible. 

All this being said, could this be a proper dupe for a high-end best selling product?

Absolutely!

This mascara is a complete win in my book. It's very comparable to the Too Faced mascara and at $8.99 this will definitely become a holy grail for me. Although the BTS is a thicker formula, VLP is a build-able and smooth formula. I did also notice throughout the day that it left no trace of flaking! I think that's amazing. That is one thing this drugstore product has over the high-end one. BTS is great but it always seems to flake on me.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read my review. I hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to leave a comment letting me know any other products you'd like me to review. I'm always down to find a good dupe.

Stay Brilliant World.

Project 7 Champagne Gummy Bears

So a while back champagne gummies became a huge thing. I first heard about them from BuzzFeed, you can read their article here. They featured Rosé flavored gummies from the company Sugarfina. They are definitely one of the most talked about flavors on the market.

There is a Sugarfina located near me, in Seattle, but today I opted for a less expensive alternative. I do plan on one day stopping by Sugarfina to try out some of their beloved sweets. Today however, I bought some Brut & Rosé Gourmet Gummies by Project 7 from my local Target store.

They retail for around $4.50. If you're interested in trying them yourself I recommend picking them up at Target before they are discontinued! I found mine over in the Christmas/Seasonal section, so I'm assuming they won't be a permanent item.

Click here to find out other products Project 7 offers!

Now for a review on the taste. The Rosé flavored one was LIT. Pardon my lack of the use of an actual word but that is the only thing I can say to describe it. It was delicious. What a wonderful idea for a flavor of gummy bear.

I will say, the Brut one was good but not my favorite. Not because it was poor tasting but more so the fact I'm not completely a fan of the taste in the first place. Nevertheless I still say you should try them out. It's always so strangely satisfying tasting things that are not in their usual form. I.e. a solid in liquid form or vice versa. They were definitely worth the $5 dollars I dished out and if they're still around when I run out I may grab another bag. 

I'm curious to see what my friends and family think of them. I plan on sharing them around to hear everyone's opinion.

Project 7 is actually a pretty cool company. Please read their "Mission" that is posted on their website. It tells all about what they stand for as a company and well, what their mission is as a whole.

Project 7's Mission

Here are a few facts about their products as well! All of their products are 90% organic and non GMO.  They have no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Lastly, everything they sell is made right here in America!

Thank you for stoping by to read my quick little review and taste test of Project 7's Champagne Gummies. Feel free to leave a comment down below telling me if you have ever tried any uniquely flavored sweets and how you felt about them! Much love and stay brilliant.

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Lunch In Seattle ~ Lowell's

Hello Everyone! I recently took a much needed trip to the city with my Sister and a good friend. After a few difficult changes happened in my life in the past two weeks, I knew going on a small trip to a place I love would help clear my mind. As always, Seattle did not disappoint. For those of you who don't know, I live about 30-40 minutes from Seattle. This time on my trip to the lovely Pike Place Market we decided to stop by the always good Lowell's for lunch.

If you are a lover of seafood, I definitely recommend stopping by Lowell's for a quick lunch if you ever find yourself in the Pacific Northwest. I myself am a vegetarian, but not to worry. I got a grilled cheese with tomato on rosemary bread sandwich. I must say, the bread was to die for! Their slogan says it all "Almost Classy since 1957". It's a very laid back restaurant. You can either order your food at the counter and sit on the first floor or seat yourself upstairs to be waited on. Either way, the food is worth it. My sister got the clams, which also came with garlic bread and my friend, Chishi, got the classic fish and chips. 

The prices range from around $10-$20. Fairly affordable for fresh ingredients! The food took about 10 minutes to be served. Overall, Lowell's offers very good food with a comfortable vibe and an amazing view of the waterfront.

It was a very relaxed and much needed lunch. You can see the big wheel from there too! Even though I live close to this city and I've visited it many times, I still find myself getting excited and almost jittery over the smallest things. It's a very accepting and urban place and I one-hundred percent recommend visiting it one day if you haven't already.

I wanted to keep this post short and sweet and show you the food porn bestowed upon us that evening. I hope you enjoyed reading! Leave a comment down below if you have any questions. Much love and stay brilliant.

Feel free to browse their website if you want any more information.
Click Here for Lowell's Website!

Makeup Favorites No. 2

Hello beauties! It has been quite a while...I felt it was right to take a break from posting every week so I could focus more on the big changes that were happening in my life. You know how it goes, life kinda just happens? I'll be sure to make an update post on that soon. For now lets talk about the few makeup favorites I've been obsessing over for the past few months.

May I just say...I'm in LOVE! Let's jump right into it.

tarte Amazonian Clay 24 Hour Foundation in Light Beige| $39

If you have the same skin type as me, combination to oily and sensitive, this foundation will blow your mind! I can honestly say this is the first foundation I have ever used that has not made me breakout or made my breakouts worse. In fact, this product actually helps combat acne! It's made to last all day and not feel too heavy. I'm on my second tube and I can tell this is quickly going to become a holy grail for me. The consistency is pretty thick but if you pair it with a damp beauty blender it thins it out and makes the application flawless. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light to Medium | $40

I'm sure you've all seen this palette many times before. I'll keep it short. This palette is amazing! Please forgive how messy mine currently is. I use it often on clients and myself of course. It's very versatile. They also offer another contour palette with different tones so you're bound to find something to fit your skin tone. 

tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette | $45

I'm so excited to be sharing this one with you. It has been out for a while but I never managed to get my hands on it...until now! This is the tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette. Oh boy is that a mouthful. The shades are beautiful. Some are very warm while others have cool tones. It's an easy palette to get creative with. There are an endless amount of looks that can be made with it. Try it out!

My favorites shadows from the palette so far are "natural beauty" and "dreamer". As you can see I haven't even had a chance to try out all the colors yet. There are so many!

MAC Blush in Melba | $22

The last lovely makeup item on my list is this blush by MAC. MAC has been one of my favorite brands since I was young teenager. I'm always swooning over their products. I mean how can you not? Look at this color! I'm crazy for it. It's a soft coral color. I've used it on a few different skin tones and it's always seemed to compliment. I've had this for years and it's still holding up. If this isn't the shade for you I recommend you check out their other blushes and find the right one for you. You won't regret it. 

Thank you so much for reading my post today. Leave a comment down below telling me if you have an recent makeup favorites and what they are! I'm always looking to try out new products.

Make sure to follow my blog for many more fun filled posts to come.

Stay brilliant world.