Magic Magic False Eyelashes Review

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Wow, it’s been so long since my last false eyelash review! I guess it was because I had reviewed all the eyelashes I thought I would ever wear, but one look at Magic Magic ‘Circus’ false eyelashes, and I knew I had found my next big love. The Japanese false eyelash market is pretty much dominated by headliner brands like Diamond Lash, Dolly Wink, and Eyemazing. This is well justified considering the amazing quality of their false lashes. So it’s really refreshing to see a brand outside of this ‘circle of power’ match that standard. Magic Magic “Circus’ false eyelashes is a high quality false eyelash that looks extremely natural and is so easy and comfortable to wear. Read on for my full review!

 

Goodbye false eyelashes! Silk eyelash extensions courtesy of Groupon

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A few weeks ago www.groupon.com.au asked me to review one of their coupons. I decided to try out the eyelash deal at Extreme Lash in Sydney. For $50, I got a full set of silk eyelashes and one infill.

I’ve wanted to try out eyelash extensions for such a long time, but I’ve always been a bit hesitant. The kinds of questions that would run through my were:

• would they look good?
• would they last long?
• are they difficult to maintain?
• does it hurt?!

So in case those of your who haven’t tried eyelash extensions before, and my be wondering the same things, I’d like to share the answers I’ve found through this experience!

Do they look as good?

I chose medium long curled lashes for my extensions. Apparently the longest lashes they have is 1.4cm. I thought this might have been just a bit too long.

I was seriously impressed by how natural silk extensions look! They really just look like my own lashes, if they ever could grow that long! Because of the added volume, it looks like I’m wearing eyeliner and mascara when I wake up in the morning.

And how do lash extensions compare with my beloved Dolly Wink False lashes? In the blow pick I’m wearing Dolly Wink No.2 in the left picture, and in the right, I'm simply sporting my extensions. I think the advantage of false eyelashes is you can change up the look, and create length and thickness that’s just not possible for even extensions. While with just lash extensions, the looks is much less dramatic, for me it’s not a huge difference and I am perfectly happy with the look! And by the way, you can only use mascara that’s specifically made for silk lashes, and water proof mascara is a definite no no!

 

I also love that the extensions stay permanently curled, so I really don’t have to do anything at all. I’ve been able to skip the upper false lash step in my makeup routine, but basically achieve the same look!

To give you guys a good idea of how the extensions looks fully made up, I’ve partnered up with my good friend Nurie (http://whatnurieworetoday.tumblr.com/) to prepare a video close up! I never knew how well we would work together on a creative project! I hate to be a Steven Covey twat, but I have to say, there was ‘synergy’. Could this be foreshadowing future Closet Voyage youtube videos?! I have a feeling this would all depend on the extent of my computer literacy, or lack there of…

How long do they last?

If you take care of them, eyelash extensions should last the full cycle of your lash’s life. Eyelashes generally fall out after two months. However, keep in mind that at the time the extensions were applied, your lashes would have been at various stages of their life cycle. You can also book in infill with your salon, which is usually much cheaper than getting the extensions applied in the first place. Extreme Lash recommended that I come in for infills every two weeks.

I haven’t gone to any effort to take care of my lashes. It’s now been one week since I had mine done, and while there is no sign of any extensions coming off, I do notice that my lashes are getting a bit ‘unkempt’. One thing I notice is that because extensions are so long, if I’m not careful, I can accidentally spin the lash around, which twists my own lash, and this does hurt!

Are they difficult to maintain?

I was really previous about my extensions when I first got them, but apparently you can subject them to pretty much anything in your normal life, showering, swimming, sweat, what ever. But there are some things to look out for. In the first 24 hours after you get the extensions, you’re not to get them wet, as you need to allow the glue to dry completely. As I said, normal mascara is not allowed. Also to be avoided is oil-based products, especially makeup removers, around the eye area, which will dissolve the glue.

Does it hurt?

It really doesn’t feel like anything. You just lie there and relax until it’s done!

 

So now a little bit about the coupon and the salon I went to.

With a $50 budget, I was able to get a full set of lashes and one infill. Below is my coupon, which was emailed to me after I purchased it on www.groupon.com.au.

 

I’ve heard some of my friends they they are reluctant to try deal website like Groupon because they’re not sure if the deals are for real, and they think it would be a hassle redeeming the coupon. Being a regular Groupon user, I have to tell you, it’s the best thing ever! There are new deals everyday, and from what I’ve seen, they really are as good as they claim to be.

To verify the claim of the coupon of being ‘up to $250 value’, I looked at Extreme Lash’s price list when I turned up to my appointment. So their normal price for a ‘Glamourous’ full set is $150, while infills are $25 if bought one at a time. So if you bought one full set and two infills, this is $250. Deal confirmed.

Buying a Groupon coupon couldn’t be easier. First you find the coupon you want and simply press ‘Buy Now!’.

Then you pay the coupon in advance, and simply turn up with a print out of you coupon to redeem it. However do note that if you don’t use the coupon within the time frame allowed, it will just go to waste :(.

The coupon arrives in the mail after the deal period ends!

And you can always access all your coupons on your Groupon account.

Redeeming the coupon was completely effortless as well. In fact, I didn’t remember to print out my coupon, but the ladies at Extreme Lash were perfectly happy to check my coupon through my iphone! Though I do recommend following the redemption steps written on the coupon to the letter to avoid any problems!

The Salon

Extreme Lash is a cute little boutique tucked away in the shopping arcade at 320 Pitt Street in Sydney. I thought it was super cute, with lovely decor and a relaxing ambiance. The girls were also really friendly. Although I was 30 minutes late, they still agreed to fit me in!

This is me, being a happy customer in front of their sign. When they showed me my lashes in the mirror I was seriously gobsmacked at how amazing they looked! Look at the glow of satisfaction on my face haha.

A final look at my extensions! Don’t they look great? :D

I also noticed there’s a really similar deal on at the moment! It’s a bit more expensive than the one I bought, but still great value!

Friday Review: Diamond Lash Dolly Eye–natural and sweet

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Ok now, a jump back in time to February, when I first received in the mail my second ever set of lashes from Diamond Lash false eyelashes. Then go slightly forward to about the beginning of May, when I actually took the pictures for this review. I mention this because I’ve made some pretty fundamental changes to my appearance a couple of weeks ago. Not only am I ash blonde now, but I also now have silk eyelash extensions (via a Groupon coupon), and I can’t actually wear any false lashes (nor would I need to!). Just a heads up so you don’t read this post and go…huh…but I thought she was blonde now!?

If you’ve been following me for quite some time, you may remember my first Diamond Lash review back in August last year, which was of Diamond Lash Angel Eye. I was not in love with Angel Eye, but I am totally head over heels for Dolly eye! The look is natural and sweet, despite the rather spikey look to these lashes in the packaging.

The design is kind of your generic defined clumps and crisscross combination, but if you look closely, Damond Lash Dolly Eye is slightly more complex than that. The middle four clumps are longer and closer together, and feature straight rather than crisscross strands between clumps, so as to create volume and height in the centre of your upper eye line. I also notice that these lashes are somewhat shorter than other designs. So these are not aimed at elongating the eye ling. Rather, they are to create the big round puppy dog look.

As these lashes are quite stiff, I was worried they would be difficult to apply. But, making sure that I bent the lash band into shape before application, it was actually really easy!

I couldn’t be happier with the look. It isn’t that obvious that you’re wearing false lashes, but Diamond Lash Dolly Eye really works wonders in opening up the eyes, and creating the big wide eyed doll look.

One of the only issues with these is that because they are quite stiff, you basically have to work with the shape they come. So I couldn’t quite get these to curl upwards enough. As a result the length of these lashes was pretty much wasted from front view.

As for durability, I can see each pair lasting a high number of applications. The lashes are moulded, so there is there’s no chance of lashes moving along the spine. As long as you are gentle and don’t pull on them excessively (e.g. when removing lash glue), I can’t see these ripping on you for a long long time!

• Natural looking when applied 
• Effortless creates big dolly eyes 
• Easy to apply 
• Great value, with one pack containing 5 pairs
• Durable, and one pair will likely last multiple applications

• Stiff, making these difficult to bend into shape
• Thick band will be very noticeable when you blink or close your eyes
• Perhaps not a dramatic enough look for some

Storing your false lashes!

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Great eyelashes are expensive, so we all want to keep and reuse them for as long as possible. The challenge with that is, of course, a way to store these delicate little things so that they are kept pristine and easy to use, and most of all, doesn’t cost you the same as you pair for the lashes themselves. As a total false eyelash addict, I have lost count of how many designs I have at any time, and have tried all sorts of different ways of storing them. So this Cheap Thrills Thursday, I thought I might share with you guys what’s cheap and chic solution has worked for me.

So what if you just kept your eyelashes in the case they kept in? Well just a few of the problems I can name with this strategy is the tediousness of sticking the lashes back onto the mounts, the fact that the original packaging takes up so much space, and that it’s difficult to store packaging in a way that they are easy to find.

So the next thing you might have tried is one of those single or split compartment purpose made eyelash cases, like the popular Dolly Wink eyelash case. This would be great if you have just one or two sets of lashes. In fact the Dolly Wink case is designed with one big compartment for strip top lashes, and one small compartment for individual lower lashes. But guess what happens when you try to put a few sets of lashes in the same compartment together.

 

Yup. One black clump of indistinguishable fur.

 

The most challenging thing about storing lashes this way is that tiny lower lashes stick to the strip lashes, and once stuck together, it’s almost impossible to find them again! Of course, you could get multiple eyelash cases, and separate your lashes out that way, but then, unless you label each one of your eyelash cases, you’ll be opening each box to find the lashes you want on any particular day. And the other problem? Price. Dedicated eyelash cases like this super kawaii Dolly Wink one can set you back up to $7!

My solution?

Clear nail art storage boxes!

These are generally designed and sold for storing acrylic nail tips, rhinestones etc. But it just so happens that a particular design for these cases is the perfect size for storing false eyelashes. When I was looking for one of these cases online, I looked at the measurements of the compartments and found that these were the perfect dimensions for extra long Asian lashes like Dolly Wink.

With this 10 compartment case, you can store 10 pairs of strip top lashes or individual lower lashes in individual compartments. The dividers fit snuggly into the lid (as it’s designed to keep tiny bits) so there is no risk of your tiny individual lashes falling into the other compartments when the case is shaken. It also comes with one big compartment you can fit in extra long strip lashes, or store your essential tools.

The case is clear, so you can immediately see what’s stored inside. So you could have any number of these and would always be able to find the eyelash you want.

The best part? You can buy one of these cases for as little as $0.99 on ebay!!

It’s funny, but my friend once asked me how I can tell which eyelash is which when I’ve already thrown away the packaging. But I think you would agree with me, when you really love false eyelashes, you can tell! For example, my current case is holding, from left to right, Dolly Wink No.7, Dolly Wink No.6,Dolly Wink No.14, Dolly Wink No.8, Melliesh No.1, Dolly Wink No.1, Dolly Wink No. 10, Dolly Wink No.3, Diamond Lash Angel Eye…wow I have a lot of Dolly Wink lashes!!

How many pairs of false eyelashes do you own, and how do you store them?

Cheap Thrills Thursdays: Dupe for Dolly Wink Sweet Cat!

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Continuing with my series of Dolly Wink dupes from Top Bargain discount stores, this Cheap Thrills Thursday, I look at a very effective dupe of one of the false lashes from the new Dolly Wink Otona Kawaii range, and my favourite, Dolly Wink No.10 Sweet Cat.

Top Bargain is a discount shop that can be found in many malls Australia wide. I understand there are Top Bargain stores in the US as well. It imports a lot of stock that you’d normally find in 100yen stores in Japan, and one of these is cheap false lashes!

This dupe is LouJene No. 06.

LouJene is a low price Japanese cosmetics brand sold at 100 yen stores in Japan. You can have a look at their full range at www.dobest.co.jp, but so far I’ve not found any retailer that sells this outside of Japan. However, Top Bargain imports lashes for this brand to Australia, and sell it for $2.99AUD!

I was surprised to see that all the lashes in this range are quite high quality, and the styles are similar to many popular brands, like Dolly Wink and Diamond Lash. With the cheapest Dolly Wink lashes online being $13AUD for two pairs, LouJene false lashes are a steal!

Taking a closer look, these lashes are quite well designed and made. With super long full lashes towards the outer corners, these are perfect for creating the cat eye look. The spine is super soft and flexible, making it very easy to apply.

Now putting these up against Dolly Wink No.10 Sweet Cat, you can see there are lots of similarities. Both styles are short and sparse on the inner corners, and full and long towards the outer corners. However, Loujene No.06 has a far less gradual transition, and Dolly Wink No.10 looks much softer.

So here’s how each lash looks like on. Put side by side, the look these two lashes creates is quite similar, both effectively elongating the outer edge of the eye, creating the cat eye look. Dolly Wink NO.10 Sweet Cat looks much softer, fuller and more sophisticated, but on the other hand, the Top Bargain lashes look very natural!

What I also love about LouJene no.06 is that, like Dolly Wink No.10, they are so light, and feels so comfortable when worn.

I also wanted to briefly mention a pair of lower lashes from LouJene that is quite similar in design to Dolly Wink No.6 Baby Cute, LouJene No.12.

These have cross over segments broken by straight strands, and go from thin to thick just like Dolly Wink No.6.

However, the design is not as tight as Dolly Wink No.6 and it’s a challenge to cut them in equal sizes!

And here’s how Dolly Wink No.6 looks. Close, but no cigar! But I still think JouLene No.12 looks pretty good for $2.99!!

Friday review: Dolly Wink No.14 Natural Cute Lower Lashes

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Like the massive fashion victim that I am, the moment I

heard about the new Dolly Wink “Otona Kawaii” (ladylike) range, I immediately searched the interwebs far and wide to acquire me a set. After ogling the different designs on the Dolly Wink website for about 40 minutes, I decided to try No. 10 Sweet cat and No.14 Natural Cute. These two are my personal favourites from the range at first impression. I reviewed Dolly Wink Sweet Cat a few weeks ago, and due to shifting around the blogging schedule, it’s only till now that I’ve been able to post my review of the lower lashes, Dolly Wink Natural Cute.

First of all let me just say that I am completely and utterly in love with Dolly Wink Natural Cute. Forget all the other Dolly Wink lower lashes, even from the original series. These are now my favourite lower lashes of all time. Why? Feel free to read on and find out!

For those who have just joined us, I should probably give you a little background on Dolly Wink false lashes. Dolly Wink is a false eyelash line under Japanese cosmetics brand, Koji. ‘Produced’ by Tsubasa Masuwaka, Japanese ‘gyaru’ model, her false eye lash range is aimed to be of superior quality, extremely natural looking, and specifically engineered for creating the gyaru makeup look, which is characterised by big, lashy and often ‘droopy’ eyes. This line of eyelashes has become highly coveted both inside and outside of Japan, so much so that www.sasa.com, which is one of the stockists who ships worldwide, is constantly out of stock of the popular styles such as Dolly Wink No.1 and No.2. The first Dolly Wink range offered 4 styles of upper lashes and 4 styles of lower lashes. The new Dolly Wink Otona Kawaii range offers the same, but the twist is that this time the styles are more subtle and mature or ladylike, but still distinctly ‘gyaru’.

I notice that a lot of people are not in love with the packaging of the new Dolly Wink Otona Kawaii range, saying that it’s plain and cheap looking compared to the original packaging, and that they don’t get why it’s a bottle. I don’t either! Actually when I first saw pictures of the Dolly Wink Otona Kawaii range online, I thought these had ‘fake’ written all over it.

Despite the less popular packaging, the quality of the the product definitely lives up to its reputation. While cheaper false lashes easily warp out of shape, Dolly Wink lashes always maintain their perma-curl to the very end. Even when you pinch the strands too hard with your tweezers and they develop a kink, they seem to just revert back to their original shape on their own. When anyone asks me if I think Dolly Wink is worth the extra price, I would suggest they look closely at the quality difference between Dolly Wink lashes and cheaper dupes. Also Dolly Wink false lashes are almost always guaranteed to last you longer than cheap lashes.

As always, Dolly Wink false lashes come in a set of two and a small tube of Dolly Wink eyelash glue. With cheaper lashes, the glue is always rubbish, but I totally swear by Dolly Wink eyelash glue!

The lash design

Dolly Wink Natural Cute is exactly as the name suggests. Thin and extremely natural looking clumps make up the inner half of these false lashes, while the ends have triangular clumps which, true to the gyaru style, aim to emphasize the outer corner of the eyes to help achieve the ‘tare me’ or droopy eye effect.

I can imagine some of you must be thinking, “the design looks so simple, surely you can find a cheaper dupe!” But if you look closely, you can see that attention to detail has been paid to place the lash clumps somewhat randomly and in alternating thicknesses so that they more convincingly resemble real lashes. In my opinion, it’s details like this that make many Dolly Wink designs not easily dupable.

 

Application

The spine is very flexible so it’s easy to curve Dolly Wink Natural Cute to your natural eye line. Once the glue dries, the transparent spine is more or less invisible, and it’s really not that obvious that I am wearing lower lashes. You could also use black coloured eyelash glue to deliberately make the spine look like perfectly drawn eyeliner!

I would also recommend applying these lashes as close to the inner corner of your eyes as possible to achieve consistency. I would not recommend trimming these as the length is perfect for elongating the other corner of the eye. However, if you already have naturally long lower lashes, you may choose to trim off the inner strands and only use the outer clumps.

• Extremely natural looking
• The design and length is perfect for elongating the eye and creating the tare me effect
• Flexible spine makes for easy application
• Super thin and transparent spine is almost invisible once the glue dries
• Durable and one pair should last many many applications

• May be too natural looking for those who want to create a more dramatic look
• Lash clumps may start to move along the spine if pulled excessively

Make sure to also check out my review on Dolly Wink Sweet Cat!

Dolly Wink Natural Cute are available on www.sasa.com for $13.50USD!

Cheap Thrills Thursdays–Duping Dolly Wink No.8

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As much as I love all the products from the Dolly Wink line, I agree with the general consensus out there that the designs are simple enough and are totally dupable. One of the easier designs from Dolly Wink to dupe, by far, is No.8 Pure Little. A while ago I mentioned in a Cheap Thrills Thursday post that a Taiwanese made lower lash is really similar to Dolly Wink No. 8. Well this week I found an even closer dupe!

So here’s Dolly Wink No.8. As you can see, these are super natural looking extra long lower lash extensions that come in clumps of two and four. The are by far my favourite lower lashes because they look so real!

And here’s the dupe. Loujene No.8 (what do you know the numbering matches). This is a brand imported by Top Bargain, an Australian discount store. I think I remember seeing this brand at 100yen stores in Japan. There are a few designs in this range which to me resembles some Diamond Lash designs – more on that on some other Thursday!

At Top Bargain, they are selling these for $2.80. It’s a price hike, but still so much cheaper than Dolly Wink, which retails for at best, $13AUD. Of course you do get two pairs and a tube of eyelash glue with Dolly Wink.

Putting these lashes next to the Dolly Wink No.8, you can already see the similarities.

But as is, the Loujene lashes look horrible! It almost looks like you’ve put on upper lashes by mistake.

I chose the best looking clusters and cut them up. A fair segment of these lashes don’t work at all, like the middle, which is way too long.

So now, putting my cut up cheap lashes next to Dolly Wink No.8, they are looking really similar. However, it’s very obvious that the Dolly Wink lashes are much higher quality. The strands are a little finer and actually end in points, where as the cheap lashes are blunt, and also tend to kink.

I still think that Dolly Wink No.8 looks better, but these are pretty close!

In subtle but important ways Dolly Wink No.8 is worth the price and worth buying. This is because it’s just so much better quality.

But comparing the cost of the Loujene No.8 at $2.80 and Dolly Wink NO.8 at Sasa.com at $13 not including shipping, it’s definitely a cheap thrill!

 

Allow me to repetitive and once again plug my Favourites Giveaway!

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