{First Impressions}: Collective Haul (Mostly Drugstore)

First Impressions: 

L'oreal Telescopic Black Carbon Mascara, Covergirl CGSmoothers BB Cream, Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Concealer, and Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Brightening Concealer, and Clinique Pore Minimizer

I went a little crazy at CVS last night and picked up a few items I've been considering for a while.  First of all this week, CVS has Covergirl for BOGO 50% off, and there is also a $5 cash back deal on L'oreal {I believe if you spend $15 or more}.

I'll start with my first impression of the L'oreal Telescopic Black Carbon Mascara - LOVE AT FIRST SWIPE! Well, maybe it was the third of fourth swipe, but still.  Let me tell you, this stuff packs some serious length and bulk.  I even felt I put too much on and had to tone it down with a q-tip!  I'll definitely be using this daily for a while and will follow up in a few weeks regarding how I feel about it long term.  You know as well as I do that the test comes with time when it comes to mascaras... some dry out way too soon!

Now on to the face products.  First of all, the Clinique Pore Minimizer is actually a product I've been hoarding for a few months.  I received it as a full size sample from the Clinique counter when I made a purchase.  I did try it that same day, and was unimpressed.  I'm not sure why, because I whipped it out a few weeks ago and it was like I waved a magic wand over my enlarged pores and they were smooth.  It is an odd consistency - like a wet powder, for lack of a better representation.  It goes on smoothly and literally fills in pores.  I've been really loving it and will repurchase when I run out {which seems to be forever, a little goes a long way}.

I don't really have an opinion of the Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Concealer yet... I did try it this morning and I did feel it assisted with camouflaging my under eye darkness, however, I will have to try it a few more times before I'm sold.  I've been using Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage for, well, forever, and I have been happy with it, however there is no Laura Mercier in my town and I find it inconvenient to have to order online.  A few of my favorite beauty gurus on YouTube swear by this Covergirl/Olay collab, so the jury is still out!  It goes on smooth and is easy to blend - that's all I have right now.

On to the Covergirl CGSmoothers BB Cream... where do I begin?  I've been trying a lot of BB creams lately because as I've started to notice aging in my face {yes, my 29th birthday is less than a month away - insert tears. streaming. down. my. old. face.}, I feel that regular foundations tend to be more and more cakey with age. With that being said, I tried the L'oreal BB cream a few months ago and have used it daily for the last few weeks.  I do like it, but I feel I get super oily as the day goes by, hence my decision to try out a few different brands.  I tried the Covergirl BB cream this morning, and I'm not totally sold yet.  I don't dislike it, however, I wish it had a little more coverage.  Now, I will say "tinted moisturizer" is listed on the package, and that's almost exactly what it is - a tinted moisturizer.  I am giving it a chance today, but I also have a large blemish on my face, which I had difficulty covering.  If the Covergirl BB cream was a bit more build-able, I think I could say I'd be totally sold.

Lastly, the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Brightening Concealer...I love this!  It does exactly as described.  It brightens and brings light to my face, especially around my eye.  It is easy to apply and blends well.  I have heard some other gurus suggest removing the sponge applicator to prevent wasting too much product, and I may do this in the future, however, I'm liking utilizing the handy little sponge in the application process.

Check out my photo below from this morning which includes all of the products listed above...how amazing is this mascara??

Have a great day, beauties!