L’Oreal Lash Paradise Review

Hello, friends! I don’t know about you guys, but I find that all of my mascaras tend to do the same thing. They all work “pretty well”, do their job, and finish off my makeup look for the day. I’m not the type to spend a lot of money on a product that simply gives my lashes a little bit of a boost, because I can find one that does a similar job at the drugstore. Despite all of this mascara cynicism, I think I have found a product that is worth raving about.

Today, I’m going to be reviewing the L’Oreal Lash Paradise mascara–letting you know if it truly is worth all the hype and if you should purchase it or not. Let’s get to it, shall we?

Background

The L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara just recently hit the shelves of drugstores, and I have noticed that it has become quite popular in the beauty community. For good reason, too. A lot of beauty gurus are claiming that this $10 mascara is a dupe for the Too Faced “Better Than Sex” mascara. I’ve never tried this specific product, but I do know that it costs about $23 and is a favorite of a lot of the makeup loving community. How cool would it be if the drugstore came out with a product that was of the same quality of a product twice its price? Well, L’Oreal is just that cool.

The Basics

 

Claims: This product claims to give voluptuous volume and length with a “soft wavy brush” that contains nearly 200 bristles. It also claims to have a “smooth glide formula”, which allows the product to adequately plump your lashes with just one coat.

Price: $9.99 at most drugstores

I purchased this mascara in “Blackest Black”.

Packaging

I really like the packaging for this product! It’s sleek, simple, and pink. What more could you want?

Application

First of all, the brush is huge! I agree that it is a very soft brush and applies comfortable, unlike some mascaras that can be a bit scratchy. I was surprised at how my lashes looked after just one coat. They were significantly volumized and lengthened! It looked like I had doll lashes! This formula is a little bit wet, so I tried not to bat my eyes too much, lest I smudge mascara all over my face.

Once the mascara dried a bit, I noticed that my lashes felt a little bit heavy. Because this mascara is so volumizing and coats the lashes, this can be expected. However, it did feel a little weird once I put sunglasses on. You know your mascara is working when your lashes touch the lenses of your glasses. Annoying, but slightly satisfying.

I had a hard time applying this product to my lower lashes, due to the larger brush and high impact product. I found that my wee little bottom lashes were no match for its intensity and clumped up. The mascara also got all over my lower lash line. This inconvenience is not a deal breaker for me, but I definitely prefer its effects on my top lashes.

Wear

Y’all, my lashes looked glamorous and doll-like for the entire day. This mascara did not smudge, wear off, or flake off whatsoever. I was very impressed with the lasting power of this product, because it made my lashes look great for nearly ten hours. I definitely noticed that my lashes were coated with mascara throughout the day, but again, this is due to the intensity of this mascara. It really coats your lashes and delivers on volume and length.

Final Thoughts

I am very impressed with the Lash Paradise Mascara! It makes my lashes full and thick for a long period of time, which is the dream for makeup lovers. This product is also really affordable, which gives it a thumbs up in my book!

The only thing I don’t like about this mascara is that I have to be careful when applying it to my lower lashes and it makes my a lashes feel a bit heavy. This may not be an issue for everyone, but they’re definitely things that I noticed. Despite these little annoyances, I really like this product and think it’s a jewel of the drugstore. Definitely try it out.

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great day!

-Love Ling

 

 

 

Avocado Parmesan Toast

Hello, friends! Today I am sharing a snack that I recently concocted. This arose from the desire to eat something filling and delicious after my long day at work. You know how it is. Something about sitting in traffic for an hour listening to pop-country music just makes you really hungry!

In this quick and easy recipe, I am putting my own spin on avocado toast. You know how much I love this classic snack/meal/dish and I love that with just a few add-ons, your avocado toast can reach a whole new level of delicious. Here’s my variation!

Pumpernickel bread

1/2 avocado (Mash with a fork)

Salt and pepper (Go wild)

Parmesan cheese (Treat yourself)

For my toast, I used pumpernickel bread, which has a rich flavor and is nice and soft. I then spread one half of an avocado with a fork until it looked beautiful and fluffy. For a bit more flavor, add some salt and pepper! I personally love adding a lot of these seasonings, so I was not shy about this step.

The crowning jewel of this snack is parmesan cheese.  Let’s do this thing. To tie this whole delicious, easy snack together, sprinkle a little bit of parmesan cheese over the top. I chose to add sliced parmesan, because I like the texture. However, if you want to add shredded cheese, that’s totally fine too. I am a huge fan of parmesan cheese and find that its saltiness and slightly dry texture fits perfectly with the creamy avocado.

You guys, this variation on avocado toast is so delicious! I know adding parmesan over the top is really basic, but it really does make a big difference in the overall flavor. I offered a bite to my mom and sister and could hardly keep it away from them! I will definitely be making this again.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you try out this recipe and I’d love to know if you guys have any recommendations for other avocado toast variations. Have a great day!

-Love Ling

Have a Great Summer!

Hello, friends! Summer is in full swing and I am very happy to see constant sunshine. Well, almost constant. It’s stormed a few times. I find summer to be so refreshing, because it’s the time when you can let your school and (some) work responsibilities go for a little bit and focus on having fun!

This year, my summer is a little bit different, because I am not going to be traveling to Europe with my dad and sister as I have in past years. Unfortunately, the “Travel-ling” series is going to be put on hold. Summer 2017 is the summer where I get a job and luckily, I have landed a summer job and started working a couple weeks ago. While I would rather be traveling and hanging out with my family, there is definitely a lot of merit in taking a summer off and setting myself up for the upcoming school year. Because I am staying home, I have a lot more time to spend with my friends, who are also working over the summer. I’m also able to relax and recharge after my crazy first year of college! Let’s embrace this staycation, shall we?

I hope that you guys find time this summer to take care of yourselves and recharge for the upcoming year. Below I have listed some fun ways for you to get the most out of your summer, whether it’s relaxed and work-filled like mine or full of adventure and travel! Read on!

Get outside

Take advantage of the gorgeous weather! Spend some time at the pool, get some friends together for a hike. If the great outdoors aren’t your thing, maybe try exploring some local spots that you’ve never tried before. Hanging out on the couch is perfectly fine, but at the end of the summer, would you rather say that you spent your time binge-watching Netflix or getting out and making memories?

Take care of yourself

In conjunction with getting outside, make sure you’re wearing plenty of sunscreen and keeping yourself hydrated. The sun is not always your friend, so make sure that you are taking care of your skin. And you know what they say, hydrate or die-drate.

Catch up on hobbies

I definitely don’t have enough time during the school year to do things that I enjoy, like yoga, painting, and reading. When I’m not at work, I try to take part in some of my hobbies. It makes me feel more productive–improving myself and working towards little goals that I have.

Spend time with friends

Yay! I’m home and I can hang out with my friends that I don’t get to see when I’m at college. My friends and I havespent a lot of time together already, from concerts to hikes to many coffee dates. Get your posse together and have a bit of fun!

Find your own adventures

While I would love to spend the summer hopping on and off different trains and exploring the streets of Tuscany, staying home doesn’t guarantee constant adventure. It’s easy to get caught up in day to day routines, but my goal this summer is to find fun, exciting things to do that break up my normal routine. I’m spending my break at home, so I need to make the most of it.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and that you take something away from this. I would love to know what your summer plans are in the comments below, so please let me know! Have an awesome day, homies. HAGS.

-Love Ling