Mascara // More Than You Wanted to Know

Women often deflect compliments with self-effacing rebuttals. I'm certainly not immune to this habit, but I do have features that I am proud of. My eyes are my most complimented feature, and when they are called "beautiful" or "pretty", I say a hearty thank you. I don't believe this makes me too proud or boastful. I believe that it's in a person's best interest to learn to take a compliment and to find something about themselves that they love.

Part of the reason why I love my eyes so much is because they make me the spitting image of my late father. It's nice to be reminded of him when I look in the mirror and to know that I might remind his friends and family of him. Seeing our features through the lenses of our loved ones gives us perspective.

It was requested that I do a post about my mascara. Eye makeup is my weakness. If I have time only to do the "five minute face", I just do my eyes and let any zits or facial imperfections go. When I do my eyes, I feel like I look more awake and polished. And even if I have zero time, it is rare for me to leave the house without mascara (or some form of it. See: Lash Tint).

I'll let you in on my biggest tip from the get-go: I have amazing eyelashes. Not sorry, I'm going to own that pride. That being said, they are straight and have blonde tips. Thus, I take action to give what I've got going for me a boost. 

Eyelash Curler
Lash curlers look scary, but when you get used to them, it's like riding a bike. I achieve a more wide-eyed look with a lash curler, an indispensable tool in my makeup bag. Since the departure of the Shu Uemura brand from US-based stores, my favorite has become the Sephora eyelash curler. What I like most about this is the rubber grips on the handle. I noticed just how accustomed to the grips I became when I hurriedly used an old eyelash curler without grips...and my fingers slipped. Ouch. The main point is to get an eyelash curler that fits your eyeshape. They all look like they're created equal, but they can have subtle differences in their shape. This linked article hits the nail on the head: you want a lash curler that is flatter and can encompass your entire lash line, rather than one that is too curved. I believe in spending just a bit more to get a quality one. You'll have it for a while, and it's important to get the shape right.

Last Tint

I've been getting my lashes tinted for over 2 years. You can see my previous post on last tints and their great results HERE. This semi-permanent dye darkens the ends of my lashes and renders mascara optional. When I've no time to do my face, I'm grateful to have had my lashes tinted so as to appear more fresh and awake. If I have a fraction of a second, I'll curl my lashes and throw on some clear mascara. While most days I still wear mascara, I like having the option of not doing so. I also like the fact that my lashes will stand out 24/7. I'm not so vanity obsessed that I sleep in my makeup (gross) but it's a nice bonus when I'm brushing my teeth at night to look in the mirror and see defined eyes. That small bonus aside, it's a real time saver for those mornings where I just don't have the time. Also, I find the need to use less product with my lashes already so dark. It's nice not to need heavy layers of products. Because my bill is lumped together with eyebrow wax and tint, I do not remember the exact price of this particular service. I had it done at a high end salon once (which charges $30) before my regular esthetician began offering the service. She charges about the same and the results last about a month and a half.

Eyebrows
I know this is about mascara, but no one's going to be looking at your lashes if you've got Kahlo-brows (God love her). As I write this my esthetician is out of town, which is perfect timing to be taking photos of my eyes and waxing poetic to you all about the importance of decent brows as a frame for the eye. I did my own brows while I lived abroad in college...and it was not good. Therefore, I have revoked my tweezer privileges. I pay somebody to wax and tint these babies, and compliments abound. No need to futz with tweezers or eyebrow pencils. However you do it -tweezers, waxing, threading- just do it.

Eyeliner
Darkening the lash line enhances your lashes. Eyeliner can be a scary prospect. I know it was the thing I feared most when I started with makeup. The good thing is in this day in age, smudgy and smoky is the liner look of our time. Find yourself a dark brown pencil (my recommended color for everyday) with a smudged attached to the other end, work it in as closely to the lash line as possible, and smudge it. No precision required, and your set of lashes will look fuller because of it. If you want to get brave and more subtle, consider learning the art of tightlining. Be warned: it takes practice. 

How to Find the Right Mascara
Now, on to what you're here for.

I think finding the right mascara for the look you're going for is a delicate job. First of all, unlike a bright lipstick or bold eye color, no one's really going to notice if your lashes look particularly volumized vs. lengthened. Lashes have a hard job. They don't stand out like a bold choice in lip color or winged liner. (Tammy Faye Bakker notwithstanding.) However, skip the mascara and there will be a noticeable "can't put my finger on what's missing" difference. Furthermore, no one's going to notice that you plopped down $25 on Diorshow vs. $10 on Loreal Voluminious. While I'm a pushover at a high end counter, and some of the favorites I call out below are high end, I'll be the first to admit you don't need to spend big bucks to get great lashes. If you have a high end favorite, by all means, but I've gotten as many compliments on my lashes wearing Maybelline mascara as I have wearing Bobbi Brown mascara.

Knowing your lashes is key. We've all got a skintype, but no one ever thinks about their "lash type". It's usually presented as what kind of mascara type you're going for: natural, volumizing or lengthening, or some combination of any of these. My hair is fine and this translates to my lashes: I don't have a lot of volume/thickness, but I have a lot of long lashes. And like my hair, my lashes need help in holding a curl. (Fortunately they can hold one longer than my hair.) As a result, I find that volumizing mascaras are usually too much for me. The way the wrong conditioner can weigh down my hair, a mascara that is too volumizing can weigh down my lashes. Though I've tried a few volumizing formulas I've liked and will wear heavier formulas for certain looks, on most days I'm looking for something in the lengthening category to enhance what I've got, or a hybrid length+volume formula. I think that's key to getting a great mascara: know what looks best on you. It's harder to copy your friend's awesome eyelashes than it is her trendy lip color. By choosing the right formula for your lashes, you'll frame your eyes in your own unique way.

That being said, here are my thoughts on a few mascaras I have in rotation.

Mascaras I Like
In this previous post I waxed poetic about my all-time favorite mascara. Clinique Naturally Glossy has been my stand-by since 1996. (We have an anniversary because we're in a serious, committed relationship.) This is a natural mascara. It won't give you any volume. Its function is merely to darken, slightly lengthen, and separate. I won't carry on, you can read my love letter to this product in my previous post. The point is that this mascara will enhance what you've already got going on. I always have one in my possession. At $16, it's a bit more than drugstore mascaras but considerably less than a high end brand.

Maybelline Full 'N Soft: A washable mascara that removes easily to prevent lash loss, it builds length and (some) volume making it true to its name. This is quickly becoming my drugstore favorite. It's perfect for everyday use and is pretty close to being (dare I say it) the drugstore equivalent to my beloved Clinique mascara.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket: This was the mascara I was wearing in the post that set off the requests for this post. I was discussing Mad Men in this post, so I was going for the full blown 60s lashes, heavy coating be damned. I bought this after hearing a lot of good things about it, but I was skeptical. The proof was in the application: it volumizes well and isn't clumpy thanks in part to its plastic brush.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara: Speaking of plastic brushes, the mascaras in the LashBlast line by CoverGirl are the first ones that come to mind. The Clump Crusher is the only one in the line that I've tried, but CG's plastic-brush mascaras are wildly popular. This is another volumizing mascara I enjoy because it lives up to its promises of being clump-free.

Flower Beauty Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara: While it's pretty safe to say that plastic brushes have made volumizing mascaras more user-friendly for me, this one from Flower has a traditional-bristle brush yet still manages to coat my lashes without clumping. Read more about it in this post.

Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes: In glancing at the high end selection of mascaras in Sephora's lineup, I've tried many but few have knocked my socks off. Lancôme mascaras are popular, but this is the only one I've tried that I like. I can attest that the description is true: it lifts, extends, and thickens lashes without weighing them down.

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara: I don't have any of this on hand currently, but this is one of the blackest mascaras I've tried and is a great option to use as directed: while partying.

Josie Maran Argan Black Oil Mascara: This is my most recent favorite after trying it in deluxe sample form from Sephora. It's another great example of my preferred level of volume: not too much. Blackened with iron mineral pigments, it has the bonus of added argan oil to condition lashes. It doesn't just perform as well as other products in its price bracket, it surpasses them, which is major considering it boasts a 91% natural formula.

Expiration
Expiration dates of cosmetics is a much-debated topic. The experts say to rotate your mascara every 3 months. They also say mascara is a product that is designed to break itself down so as to encourage you to keep your product fresh. Because it is a product that is in close proximity to your eyes, and its packaging can be a dark breeding ground for bacteria, it's a good idea to remember when you opened your tube. I usually have a few in rotation at at time, and since I don't use each one everyday, I sometimes use my product a little longer. You'll know when your mascara is up - it's formula goes flaky and begins to dry up in the tube. I just don't wait longer than 3-6 months. I also never try to extend the life of a dried up mascara that's on its last leg. I'm not willing to risk an eye infection for a few bucks.

Other Things to Consider
Wear contacts? Got watery eyes? Remember to take these things into account. Labels sometimes contain "ophthalmologist tested" or "safe for contact lens wearers" taglines to help your shopping. Personally, I've never had issues with mascara and my contacts, nor do I care if the formula is waterproof. The athletic and watery eyed among you may want to check into waterproof options, but I've never had an opinion one way or another on waterproof formulas.

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Flower Beauty Fridays #3 // Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara

Don't you hate it when your favorite makeup gets discontinued? That kick-in-the-gut feeling you get when you go to the makeup aisle or counter and discover that your must-have product is no longer being produced? If I were the proprietor of my own makeup company, my first order of business would be to bring some of my discontinued favorites back from the dead. From Clinique Shadowliner to Nars Penny Lane cream blush, I would be positively drunk with Pushing Daisies power. This was surely the impetus behind Flower Beauty's Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara.

Modeled after one of Barrymore's favorite 80s mascaras, Maybelline Dial-a-Lash, the Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara has a unique adjustable mascara wand. One of the few tools of its kind on the market, the rotating cap adjusts for length, curl, or volume depending on the setting. Housed in luxurious rose gold packaging and promising to do the work of 3 mascaras in 1 tube, one would think this reincarnated product would come at a higher price tag than $8 at Wal-Mart.

I'm not going to lie. When I read about the concept, I was completely skeptical of this product. I thought that the brush was surely a gimmick. I thought that the formula couldn't possibly do the work of 3 different types of mascaras, and that there was no way there would be any marked difference in the way this product performed based on the click of a dial. Fortunately, it proved me wrong. The Ultimate Mascara does actually give 3 different effects.

Setting 1-Lenghten

Lengthening mascaras are my usual M.O. They enhance what I've got going on and are a no fuss option. Setting 1 gives the lightest application by lengthening (fancy that) and separating the lashes. This is the best setting for a no-frills, natural look.

Setting 2-Curl

The second setting, curling, is what I'd consider to be a hybrid of the lengthening and volumizing settings. Perhaps it's because of my fine, straight hair type, but I've never really noticed a "curling" effect with mascaras that promise this kind of result. I'm forever chained to a lash curler, and I'm OK with that. But hold the curl given by my lash curler? Check. Little bit of volume and pretty substantial length? Double check.

Setting 3-Volumize

The final surprise this mascara had in store for me was the third setting: volume. Volumizing mascaras are hit or miss for me, which I will detail in a special and highly requested bonus post tomorrow, but spoiler alert: it's hard out here for a straight-lashed girl. I thought for certain that when I bought this mascara that if I liked it, it would likely be stuck on settings 1 or 2, but since I bought it last month the dial has been almost exclusively set to 3. It not only gives length and holds the curl, but it gives my lashes an extra boost without weighing them down or looking overly done. It gives substantial volume without giving the dreaded tarantula-eye effect.

When considering what makeup to buy, people often opt for budget mascaras over high end ones. Our needs are usually straightforward: we want it dark, and we want it to perform the function listed on the packaging. There are few revolutionary functions a mascara could perform, so don't think you need Diorshow on the basis of it being a runway favorite. Sometimes a mascara is just a mascara. A good formula plus a good brush is all one needs for great lashes. Trial and error? Yes, but consider the source when this makeup junkie says that the drugstore is a treasure trove of tons of great mascaras, so big money does not need to be spent.

Even if I weren't a makeup junkie, I would keep 2 mascaras in rotation - one for everyday, and one for more dramatic looks. This product eliminates the need to keep 2 different products around because it delivers on its promise of being a 3-in-1 product. Given that with each setting the formula performs in 3 different ways, it proves that mascara is pretty dependent on its mode of delivery. Couple this with the fact that the formula itself isn't heavy, doesn't flake, and is a rich black color, and I put it to you that we've found ourselves a winner in the Ultimate Mascara.

Flower Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara - $8
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Flower Beauty Fridays #2 // Color Play Creme Eyeshadow

Recently a friend of mine asked if I wore a full face of makeup everyday, or if I tended to wear a more natural look on a daily basis. In my view, I tend to go for a more natural look. As much as I love makeup, ain't nobody got time for winged eyeliner every morning. (RIP Elizabeth Taylor.) Also, I tend to use makeup as a tool to look like an enhanced version of myself. (Read: me with minimized dark circles and darker eyelashes.) The "natural" face may or may not take a myriad of products depending on the day, but rest assured that no makeup hoarder enthusiast is above a slap-dash application.

Check out Flower Beauty's Instagram account. There are dozens and dozens of photos of everyday people and even Drew Barrymore herself doing the usual (manicures with the kids, hanging out at the beach, on the subway) with the occasional special event photo sprinkled in. And isn't this really how life operates? This is a line that is marketed toward and used by everyday consumers. These pictures are proof positive that more often than not, we want to enhance our own beauty and look like ourselves on an everyday basis.

While there is a time and a place for all products in the cosmetics market, I tend to put more stock in a celebrity that's selling me this more realistic approach to makeup. Who better than a self-proclaimed hippie to start a makeup line for those among us who want to look like ourselves, with just a little more color?

Cream eyeshadow is the busy girl's key to looking like you tried. It does not require fancy brushes or skilled technique to get it from pot to face. Use your fingers. No joke. No one is Orchid-Ing around here. Even the most famous makeup artists encourage us to use our own digits to do our face, so there's no shame in it!

There are 12 "Color Play Creme Eyeshadows" in the Flower Beauty lineup ranging from $6-8 depending on the shade. Given the considerable wear time of the product, the ease of application, and the fact that it's a product I'm likely to reach for in a hurry, I consider these to be a pretty amazing value for the money. (Let me not even start on the $40 cream eyeshadow palette I recently acquired from a high end brand. Crease City. High end brand, you have just been trumped by Wal-Mart.)

Shade Swatches: Awesome Blossom, Lilac You A Lot!, Good as Mari-gold

Today (and honestly, most any other time I use it) I applied Good as Mari-gold all over my lid using my index finger. With this neutral of a shade, I really could have thrown on some mascara and called it a day. Mari-gold is a light, yellow-gold shade that brings light to my otherwise dark lids. Also, I did use an eyeshadow primer. Regardless of whether a product claims to be crease-free or not, I always throw one on. Can't hurt.

Next, I applied Awesome Blossom to the outer corners of my lids and in my lash line using both an eye shadow brush and an eyeliner brush. This is a purpley-hued dark brown shade that lends definition to the eye. While I could have applied the product sparingly with my index finger, the brush helped me to give a more defined and blended application. It also helped me to be as precise as I wanted, keeping the shade on the outer edges of the eye and on the lash line. You could definitely use this shade as a smoky lid color if you so chose. As a note, I did apply dark eyeliner to the lash line.

And sometimes, we're too busy to do our eyebrows...

Eyeshadow in a cream form probably seems counterintuitive to anyone trying to get out the door quickly and get the most wear time out of their products. Anyone busy enough to work up a sweat knows that eye shadow creasing can occur on your lids by the time you hit the lunch table. Most cream shadows, however, set after applied so you're not left with a creamy, oily mess on your lids. Companies have upped their game with the quality of cream shadows in recent years, and Flower Beauty's Color Play shadows are no exception.

Flower Beauty Color Play Creme Eyeshadow - $6-8
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Maybelline The Nudes Palette // A Review and Swatches

My love for makeup is generally reserved for high end/department store brands. Though I'm willing to try new things, I think I will always be biased toward high end cosmetics. As such, I'm normally not the first person in line to try a new launch at the drugstore...but nothing draws me in hook, line, and sinker like a neutral eye palette.

Maybelline recently released The Nudes palette which contains 12 neutral shades of eyeshadow, a rare achievement for a drugstore brand. Modestly priced at just under $10, this palette is a great budget alternative (though not a dupe) for the Urban Decay Naked palette. This would also be a great palette for a beginner (of any age) as the packaging contains a helpful chart with suggestions for shadow pairings, breaking the shade groupings into quads, trios, and duos.

Slated for a June/July release, this product hasn't hit the shelves of every drugstore yet. Most people who've managed to snag one have found them in Bed Bath & Beyond's Harmon drugstore section (of all places). This is where I found mine, which was the last one on the display. I even managed to pay just under $7 for it using a store coupon. So far as I know, this palette is not limited edition.

I find the quality of the shadows to be on par with what you might expect from a drugstore palette. Not every shade is highly pigmented or easy to work with, but it's more hit than miss. Some of the shades didn't produce the greatest swatches, but ended up being easy to work with on the eyes. The real stand-outs of the palette are the darker shades, which pack some pretty serious punch. The lighter shades, though not majorly pigmented, are great blending shades.

Having swatched each shade (over Laura Mercier primer) for your viewing pleasure, here is my shade-by-shade breakdown. (Starting with the top row, left to right.)

1. White metallic highlight shade with a gold shift. Quite flaky and chunky.
2. Taupe shade with a satin finish. Color needs to be built up to stand out. Would make a great transition shade.
3. Cream matte transition shade. Color needs to be built up to stand out, but performs well on the lid and creates a blank canvas.
4. Lovely and highly pigmented bronze metallic. Very smooth to work with.
5. Cool matte taupe. Hard to see the difference between it and #2, though it's easier to use than #2.
6. Highly pigmented matte espresso.

7. Highly pigmented metallic warm mocha brown.
8. Highly pigmented matte cocoa.
9. Metallic gold. Pigmented but slightly flaky. Color needs to be built up to stand out.
10. Dark brown, leans more satin than metallic, but is pigmented.
11. Metallic nude shade that would work well for highlight or blending.
12. Matte black, not a very deep black.

How I got this look: Shade 3 all over the lid, Shade 9 in the inner corner of the eye, Shade 4 on the outer corner of the eye, Shade 7 to deepen the crease, Shade 11 on the brow bone and to blend the edges, bronze eyeliner (MAC Teddy), black mascara (Maybelline Full 'N Soft Very Black).

Given the price point, I find this palette to be an excellent deal. Though a couple of shades deliver a lackluster performance, the darker shadows in the palette more than make up for this. Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase and glad I bought into the launch hype. How many neutral palettes does one girl need, you ask? The answer is simple: all of them.

Mercier Mondays #3 // Eye Basics

Keeping it in the theme of staples, eyeshadow primer has become a staple in everyone's makeup bag in recent times. Promising to boost the color of our eyeshadow and keep it crease-free all day, eye primers -like face primers- earn their keep.

I had never heard of eyeshadow primer before I tested the Laura Mercier Eye Basics at Macy's. I quickly wrote it off as a fad item that did nothing more than my concealer was already doing. However, at the end of the day when I noticed that my eye makeup looked as fresh as it had at the counter, I was completely sold.

Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen (top) and Eyebright (bottom)

Due to its cult following, most people flock to the Urban Decay Primer Potion when shopping for an eye base. While it is a good product, I much prefer the Laura Mercier Eye Basics. For one, I prefer its texture as it is a smoother, creamier base that dries down quickly. Though it also leaves a less tacky finish than UD's Primer Potion, shadow has no problem adhering itself to this primer. Finally, it delivers on its promise of extending the longevity of your eye makeup, keeping your shadow vibrant, crease-free, and in place for the entire day.

The Eye Basics shade range is one of the most extensive I've seen in the eyeshadow primer market, boasting a whopping 8 shades. Beyond the usual skin tone shades, there are blue, peach, and yellow toned shades which aim to brighten and even out the skin. Though I have the blue "Eyebright" shade, I don't find it to work any better than my usual shade, Linen. Both brighten my eye area and give makeup a long lasting finish.

Hand swatches of Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen (top) and Eyebright (bottom)

I have worn this product alone when aiming for a no-makeup look, but I find it works better with a light dusting of powder or neutral eyeshadow over it. I've found it to be true of all eye primers that they work better with eyeshadow than alone, ironically enough. Even so, once you try an eyeshadow primer you'll wonder how you ever got by without one.

Laura Mercier Eye Basics - $25

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