A Few of My Favorite Things / Clinique Naturally Glossy / The Holy Grail Mascara

In the beauty blogging world there is a term "holy grail", or those products which you just can't possibly imagine going without. Much like Oprah and Julie Andrews, I prefer to call these a few of my favorite things. (Faaaavorite Thiiiiings! Oprah-style.) To use the term "holy grail" edges too close to Monty Python for me! Can you believe an Anglophile like myself doesn't get into Monty Python? Oprah and Julie are more my speed.

In thinking about sharing my beauty favorites, the product I most wanted to wax poetic about is such a staple for me that it was the chicken before the egg...or the egg before the chicken. It is the reason I know and understand what "holy grail" status is and the reason why I decided to write about my "favorite things" in the first place. If you've held a conversation with me about products, chances are I've forced this one upon you like a pusher. I would shrivel up in a corner and cry if it were to go off the market.

I could not live my life without mascara, specifically Clinique's Naturally Glossy Mascara. It currently holds the distinction of being the only mascara I've ever repurchased. I experiment with different mascaras a lot, and when I do I feel like a cheater. (As I mentioned, trying to reign in this free love/experimental attitude with mascara.) I try other mascaras and some I like. Some are fine. Some I hate. But I always go back to Naturally Glossy with my tail between my legs wondering why I've allowed my wandering eyelashes to forsake a favorite. In the mascara world, it is my first and only love.

I'm willing to bet this is the first mascara I ever purchased. I've used it faithfully since '96 when I saved my babysitting monies to get a Clinique makeover at Younkers. It was my first successful foray into make up, having learned the hard way that things can turn Ooma Loompa very quickly. Thanks for nothing but a lesson learned, Jane powder. Whomever did my make up that day at the Clinique counter was a genius and sold me colors that were appropriate for a teenager and colors that I've been able to stick with for a lifetime.

Little is written about it. Any reviews I've found in recent Google searches yielded pretty old reviews. I think the reason this gets little hype is because we live in a Kardashian-lashed society. Or, to use another phrase from Oprah, young women today seem to go for "Bessie-the-Cow" lashes. (Tori Spelling, Number One Suspect.) I will admit to wanting dramatic lashes sometimes, like when I'm going for a 60s look. But never have I wanted my lashes to wave in the breeze, hanging on by a strip of glue. More often than not, I just want a darkened, natural lash to play up what I have and take me to the office.

Granted, the reviews I have read have copped to the fact that this mascara is for lovers of the natural lash, who probably already love the lashes they were born with and just need a light coat of something simple to darken them. But I think this mascara has a lot to offer lovers of clean, clump-free mascara, too.

Description from Clinique.com:

Gel-based formula defines lashes naturally. Lengthens, glosses, enhances. Lashes stay silky, pliant, clump and flake-free through multiple coats. Ophthalmologist tested.

Formula

This is a gel-based formula, which is not something I see often. I think this formula is the reason why it's never, ever flaked on me or given me raccoon eyes. This mascara is so slick, it doesn't even clump on the brush. (Suck it, DiorShow.) It gives incredible definition. The description on the website is accurate--I can coat and coat and coat and coat my lashes some more, and it never flakes or clumps. It also holds a curl. My hair and lashes are poker straight, so they definitely put up a fuss when attempting any sort of curl. This mascara will hold it for me! (My hair, I give up!) I don't need much in the way of extra length, but it does give some. 

Packaging

The packaging is beautiful and sleek. It comes in a silver tube. There is a "C" stamped in the top of the wand, and a product details sticker on the bottom. Good things come in simple packaging.

Color Selection

Two colors are available: Jet Brown and Jet Black. I always have both on hand and use whatever I'm in the mood for. The brown gives a slightly softer look than the black.

This is the cleanest, slickest mascara I've ever encountered. If you're tired of heavy, volumizing mascaras that make you look like a Kardashian, I highly recommend this product. This is great for lovers of natural and classic looks alike.  

Retail Price $16.00 USD

I Love the 90s / MAC Dubonnet

I have waited (impatiently) through the Renaissance of 1980s styles today's youth find hip. I think it's in everyone's birthright to hate (whether or not they chose to) the decade of their birth. I find little charm in the 1980s and have found little I would like to resurrect from that time in terms of fashion and beauty. (All rights to anything Princess Diana reserved, of course.) Knowing the sequential laws of the universe, I have patiently waited my turn to bring back the 90s: that heroine chic-cK waif-babydoll T-and combat boots-time that I was never really waif enough (even as a 90 pound middle-schooler) to fully embrace but did anyway. And I'll embrace it all again. People Style recently heralded the inklings of its return with an article on combat boots. As I anxiously await the full blown return of grunge, I decided to jump the vamp lips trend this fall and winter. Enter MAC's Dubonnet.

Dubonnet is my first MAC lipstick. I know! Let's take that one step further and reveal that I bought it as a gift to myself for turning 30! Let's all take a moment to let that sink in! By the time I was able to afford to splurge on MAC, I was over the whole teal glitter up to my eyebrows thing. Frankly, I did very little club trolling in college anyway. I always wished I had the guts and the funds to wear those little peacock tinted loose pigments...but it never happened for me. So, it is with a sigh of ripe old age that I say how very little into MAC I am. I'm a seasoned cosmetic counter patron with very little patience for their ever-limited latest collections. The turnover is obnoxious. Downright slutty, if I may say so. But I am willing to be swayed by their permanent selection.
I've only been willing to wear bold lip colors within the past couple of years. My makeup wearing years went full-tilt in the nude- and frosty-lipped late 90s, but I always admired those gutsy enough to wear shades from the vampier side of the spectrum. Upon the urging of my previously mentioned friend, Manicure Maggie, whose signature shade is Nars Cruella, I dared to try red lipstick. As she predicted, it changed my life. It started with a classic red (Make-up Forever's Moulin Rouge), but before I knew it, I owned Revlon's Black Cherry. Then when I saw a favorite YouTuber of mine (essiebutton) wearing MAC Dubonnet, I had to have it.

I underestimated how much translucent hair I have on my face...

This bordeaux beauty is one of MAC's amplified creme shades. It gives bold, creamy color with a hint of shine. I pair this with their lip liner in Brick to prevent feathering and prolong its wear. I get a few hours of wear with this, but I don't mind reapplying product. As it's such a bold red, it wears off pretty evenly and fades into a stained look (which looks quite pretty).

It gets the dachshund sniff of approval.

Overall, I'm very, very happy with my first ever MAC lipstick. I am a changed woman because of red lipstick (I call it my whore of Babylon look) and, as is my nature, I appreciate anything that can make me feel like I've gone back in time! Taking vintage literally is my greatest skill.

A Nail Tribute to Gerry Rafferty / Sherlock

Let's get something straight: trends aren't something I follow religiously. Rather, they are something I fall into accidentally, or haphazardly. "Hey look, the boho look is in...what a coincidence! Everything in my closet is new again!" True to my nature, I tend to wear whatever I want and say to hell with it being "in" or "out" or "last season". I think I still treat fashion like playing dress up: I'm playing a part. This is perhaps why I take things a bit literal. Should my level of taste drop any further, I might go, as Tim Gunn would put it, "costume". 

Second, I'm not the biggest fan of the color blue. I look fine in blue...it's just a hard one for me to pull off. I think it's a mental block. Something about blue reads too modern for me...I do blue in small doses. Vintage navy blue pea coats and anything else that makes me look like a bearded sailor with a pipe off the coast of Maine. So that I ended up with Nails Inc.'s shade of blue called Baker Street can only be attributed to impulse...and post-knee surgery pain killer usage.

I saw Essie-Button's post on a Baker Street dupe, and something inside of me snapped. I had to have Baker Street. I had long admired it for the name, but thought it frivolous (who, me?) of me to purchase it based on the name alone. Blue nails? I could never. But something about it drew me in and ignored the hype stemming from Beyonce's Blue Ivy Carter nail tribute last winter. Perhaps being fresh off a Sherlock Season 2 DVD marathon and humming Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street nonstop (which I sing each time they say "221B Baker Street") had something to do with it. And really, doesn't this hue remind you of the smoky blue cast to GR's Baker Street video? No? Just me? Because really, if I'm going to do a trend, allow me to find the way to make what's new old again. Gerry, Benedict...these nails are for you. Hit it, G, and RIP.

Mascara Purge / Empties

A theme I quite like reading on beauty blogs/seeing on YouTube channels is the "Empties" series. This entire series justifies my own idiosyncratic ways. For years, I've kept track of how much product I'm bringing into my home vs. how much I'm using and taking out. While this method is touted by many organizational gurus, rest uneasy knowing that I keep track of things used/going out merely as justification for bringing things in. Second, I also get satisfaction in scraping every last bit of product out of my pretty little jars and tubes. I feel immense guilt in throwing things with unmet potential away, so using every last drop of product is a small victory in my world. And finally, is there any greater homage to the materialistic western world than recording our trash? Seeing that this is an entire tag or series unto itself on the big bad web makes me breathe a small sigh of relief knowing that there are others out there like me. But on a practical note, if the word "practical" can ever be used to describe something about me,  I do enjoy the reviews that come along with the empties videos! I like to hear their thoughts on the product, how it played out for them, and if they'll be purchasing the product again in the future.

And also..."empties" videos are later followed up by "haul" videos!

I've got a stash of empties going, but I thought I would focus on the mascaras I threw away. I've been trying to be better about the 3-4 month rule for mascara. Knock on wood, I've only had one eye incident as a result of using spoiled makeup. I was in high school and didn't realize you had to throw mascara away. (yes.) I probably used the same mascara tube for about 2 years, no exaggeration. I was lucky to get away with merely irritated eyes and not a full-blown infection. I was happily chugging along on the same tube, thinking it would run out or dry up, not realizing how quickly mascara needs to be turned around. For the record, I've only ever had one tube of mascara dry up. Perhaps because I have so many going at one time? As I've mentioned before, I keep going back to the same brand of mascara I've used since I started using make up, so I've reigned in the multiple tubes habit from several to just a few.

(Just to blat on a little more, the mascara love of my life is Clinique Naturally Glossy. I'll sing it's praises at a later time, but I can't live without it.)

So, to demonstrate my road to mascara hoarding recovery, the following are my mascara "empties". Which are not empty, but are hitting the trash nonetheless as they are potential pink eye carriers having hit their 3-4 month mark. Accompanied by my thoughts on each, of course.

Clinique High Lengths Mascara

I received this in a gift with purchase. I was intrigued by the wand, which could best be described as a comb, so I was excited to try it out. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. The wand didn't do anything but clump my lashes together. The formula was so-so. It did the job of giving the tips of my lashes some color, but I didn't notice a dramatic increase in length. Perhaps this was because I had to triage my lashes to get them apart after using the "brush"? I am very hit or miss with Clinique mascaras, and this was a big miss for me! I'll stick to my aforementioned old faithful at the Clinique counter.

Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes

The marketing campaign alone, I am all over that! They played the Twiggy-60s-baby doll dress card, and I fell hard. And that feathery-mod-Twiggy lash is hard to come by with just any old mascara--piling it on just gives you spider eyes. I think this did a great job of giving incredible length and wasn't too heavy on the volume. (I don't play well with heavy, volumizing mascaras.)

I am a bit annoyed by Lancôme's rose scent they put in EVERYTHING. (Does mascara need to be scented?) However, that it started to lose this scent was a good indicator that things were going south and it was time to retire the tube.

I love the wand of this mascara. It sits nicely in your hand, and I like the tapered brush. The product isn't clumpy on the brush, hence you get great definition.

I would purchase this mascara again, if only because I am a sucker for its mod campaign! I give it a big fat A.

Source: temptalia.com via MakeupTalk on Pinterest

Cover Girl NatureLux Mousse Mascara

I call this my Taylor Swift mascara, though I am not a fan of hers. Her mug is featured in the ads...I'm a sucker for "natural" mascaras, so I wanted to give this a whirl. You know what's most intriguing about it? The scent. It's made with "a touch of beeswax" and the scent is a reminder of that. It has a honey smell that makes me want to eat it. Probably the first mascara that has made me crave honey like Pooh Bear...maybe Christopher Robin can be Taylor Swift's next boy toy when she's done stealing my Hyannis Port dreams with a Kennedy.

Digressing. We're digressing.

All in all, this wasn't a bad mascara. I used it on weekends and days I wanted to be casual. This was a standard mascara, no drama, just did it's job and did it pretty well. I liked its newfangled rubber bristle wand. I give it a B+ overall. I probably wouldn't purchase it again simply because I already have a natural-lash favorite (should I tell you once again it's Clinique Naturally Glossy?) but should I crave its honeybee-poo smell again, I might be swayed into picking up a tube.

Just stop me if you catch me stirring the wand in my tea. That would warrant an intervention.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto

Sadly, the only stiletto I'll ever wear. Unless I become bionic. The best part about this mascara? It's grey! Do you know how rare grey mascaras are? It's actually called "soft black", but clearly that's grey, and it looks grey in the tube. You know how navy/dark blue can make your eyes pop in a weird way? Grey has the same effect. My coworker commented on how great my lashes looked with this mascara on.

The packaging was substantial for a drugstore brand, and the wand was pretty nice. Not clumpy, so that works in favor of length and definition!

I haven't heard a lot of great reviews about this in the blogosphere, but I have to say that I really can't fault this mascara. It's a lengthening mascara, and it does that very well. I wasn't crazy that they tried to replicate Lancôme's rose scent, and the formula is also a bit wet to work with, so it will take a few extra seconds of drying time, but I was overall impressed with this drugstore mascara. I might pick it up another time on a whim.

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

This is one of the few volumizing mascaras that my lashes can handle. This has to be one of the most jet black mascaras I've seen, and it has a really thick formula. The brush is spaced evenly enough so that clumping isn't an issue. I think the name is appropriate--this is a great mascara for when you want a jazzed up look. I was really impressed with this, and when I'm in need of a more dramatic mascara I will consider this one again. (As a note, in addition to my go-to mascara, I like to have another one on hand that adds more drama for more vampy looks. I've got a couple of those on hand already, so perhaps we'll meet again, Extreme Party Mascara.)

Estée Lauder Lash Primer Plus

I've used a lash primer before, so I wasn't expecting great things from this as lash primers usually create far too much volume than I need. I received a sample in a kit, so with low expectations and a half-assed application, I put it on one day while messing around at my vanity, half expecting to screw up and end up with the crack-whore chic look we all end up doing now and again when playing around with makeup on a Saturday morning. (It happens, don't deny it.) The results surprised me this time--it actually worked like a lash primer should, in my opinion. It gave length and definition and didn't cause the product to later flake off. As with most lash primers, the product is white. This actually did an excellent job of adding just the right amount of length and volume to my lashes. It has a nice brush that gives a clean application. I have a Lancôme lash primer sample in my drawer waiting for use, so I will probably give that one a try before I consider purchasing one. If I were to purchase one, I'd consider the Estée Lauder one, but nice as the product is, I'm not sure I really need a lash primer.

Makeup Forever Smoky Lash Mascara

I'm throwing this one in as an added bonus, as I have already returned it to Sephora, so it will not be in the photograph. Can I just throw in that I so appreciate Sephora's generous return policy? It's ingenuous on their part, really. I'm more apt to purchase things from them when I know I can take it back, no questions asked. (Plus, I tend to do my homework and really give things a go with their testers. I try not to abuse their policy by trying new stock and returning!) This policy is why I was willing to give a Clarisonic brush a go, figuring that if it didn't work out, I could return it. I ended up LOVING it, so they got a big-ticket purchase from me! (And I think I'm giving one away to a family member at Christmas, so bonus!)

Right, our topic today is mascara...

Intrigued by its title (why, it MUST help you achieve a smoky eye!) and backed by a recommendation from a tutorial by the wonderful Pixiwoo girls on Youtube, I splurged on an unnecessary tube of this mascara for my birthday.

Mistake.

This was entirely too much volume for me. I hated the brush. How to describe the brush? It was like running my lashes through the underbrush of the forest. The brush was incredibly dense and a bit clumpy for my tastes. I felt like I was dragging my lashes through it, rather than gliding them through as usual. And for as much volumizing as it did, I felt like it gave me no length whatsoever, despite its claims to do so. As for the "intense pigment" it also claims to give, I felt there was none of that to speak of. (I bought this in brown.)

I am a fan of the MUFE brand, but this just did not do it for me. I think it was more mascara than I could handle. I know plenty of people like this mascara, but it didn't work out for me...so more for you all!

To the trash with you all!

What's your favorite mascara? How well do you abide by the 3-4 month rule? Got pinkeye?

Some thoughts on the September issue of Vogue...

I'm sort of on a no-buy for magazines this year, since I hoard them. I'm subscribed to a small handful, and mostly because I got the subscriptions for free. My 2012 resolution was to purchase them on my iPad to avoid clutter, but with my own print subscriptions and my coworker supplying me with her back issues (without even knowing about my no-buy!) I haven't purchased many iPad issues.

Today I broke down and bought the new issue of Vogue. I can't resist the September issue. Here are my off-the-cuff thoughts:

1. When I went to pick it up off the rack, I kept trying to thumb around to grab only one copy. Come to find out, I was picking up the last one on the stand, and it's MASSIVE. 916 pages worth to be exact. In addition to being the September issue, it's the 120th anniversary issue. This puppy's solid. I was going to wait and save reading it for my upcoming flight, but it seriously feels like it weighs 3 pounds. I wonder if 916 pages is their record?

2. Ads. Lots of them. My husband complains when he thumbs through my magazines, pointing out that I'm basically paying for ads. He fails to realize that's half the appeal, especially where the September issue is concerned. I have yet to locate the table of contents.

3. It's midnight (on the dot as I type), and I have to put it down for my own safety or I'll never get to bed.

4. Article on Chelsea Clinton. Fascinating, and about time. I love reading about anyone who has gravitated near the epicenter of power. I have no desire to be the sole bearer of power thus I find myself most fascinated by the people who surround those with it...

And finally...
5. This...is what my dreams are made of. And Florence Welch is super hot.

Source: whittneydoll.tumblr.com via Lindsie on Pinterest

In a Flash

My lone reader has already given me props for this, but I have put a STOP to the madness in my life that is flash saling. I have unsubscribed from daily emails from 2 of the 3 sites that I frequented. (applause) It was time to move on and lower my chances of impulse purchases. Let's pretend this is money saved for a UK excursion! (When in reality, I keep attempting to go on a make-up no buy, and I just CAN'T do it. Something had to give!)
My morning routine consisted of trolling those 3 sites before work to see if anything caught my eye. While I generally exercised great restraint and responsibility, I don't think that I need to start my day off by tempting myself! I have purchased a great deal of wonderful things that I love from flash sales. But (and please don't tell my husband this), I recognize that these things weren't much of a deal if I wasn't searching to buy the items in the first place. 2011 was the year of the costume jewelry and I consumed a LOT. Was I in the market for most of those pieces? 99% of the time, no. So while they were marked down, my common sense tells me I wasn't scoring a deal. (Though hey, better than paying full price! I did get a great pair of Kate Spade earrings I'd been eyeing already at a marked down price.)
One thing that made it easier for me to unsubscribe was Gilt's ever-deteriorating return policy. I have noticed that since last Black Friday (when I scored a few great Nicole Miller costume pieces) they have ceased taking returns or exchanges on costume jewelry. Like any smart consumer, I hesitate when there is not a return or exchange policy. I took a risk on a beautiful druzy cuff this summer and got BURNED because it doesn't fit the way I would like it to. Last summer when they still offered returns and exchanges on jewelry, I was lucky enough to get a refund on the House of Harlow 1960 pieces I had treated myself to for my birthday. The earrings were like anvils in my ears and the cuff (when will I learn?) also did not fit. A lack of a proper return/exchange policy is off-putting to me. I liked Gilt because their sales were on high quality brands/items. They were a true lifestyle site featuring merchandise beyond clothing and accessories. Their blog and articles are enticing! They know how to sell an EXPERIENCE. Their recent all-things-British sale about knocked me on my keister, set up to show you the perfect day or night in London while wearing their beautiful Brit-inspired merchandise. (High tea at Claridges! Wear these Burberry boots! Eat at the Grazing Goat! Buy this bag, you Anglophile sucker!)
MyHabit was the first flash sale I ever signed up for. What I appreciate most about them is that they ship items for free--and fast! They also accept refunds/exchanges more often than not. I found their brand rotation to be a bit repetitive. While high quality, I feel like I'm looking at the same modern/hipster clothing every week. If you know me, you know I love bags, and their bag selection bored me to tears. I think the only purse I ever purchased there was by London Fog. If I see one more slouchy leather cross body in a muted tone, it will be too soon. I have a love/hate relationship with their photography. For one thing, I hate the shadowed mannequin or model they would use to feature their jewelry. Though its purpose was to put the focus on the piece, I found it distracting and difficult to envision wearing the piece. They have incredible detail and zoom on their items, but I'm bored to death with that white background. I think my complaints about the photography are just a matter of taste, and perhaps I'm lacking, but I did appreciate the quality of their photography. It's not hard to say goodbye because I'm a bit bored with the selection. And if you will allow me to once more, I'd like to RAGE against the slouchy leather cross body in muted tones! BARF. A friend of mine once pointed out that I like very classic bags, especially where shape is concerned. While I've been able to branch out since she pointed it out, I am still rather baffled by these shapeless, slouchy designs.
Finally, Hautelook. I was never blown over by Hautelook, but I got some great basics there in addition to some fun stuff. Their prices are very competitive. Generally not as high end as the other two are, and shipping took forever. Hautelook is the last one I'm holding onto my daily email service for. I am KICKING myself for not buying a couple of purses I've been pining for, and I'm hoping that they resurface.
With that, I give you my gallery of flash sale regret. Pieces I regret showing restraint and not purchasing!
This is the bag I'm holding out for on Hautelook. It's been on twice! Next time, not resisting. 

SKOVA Michaela Moryskova Phoenix

Source: hautelook.com via Lindsie on Pinterest

Isabella Fiore Irving St. Kayla Clutch

Source: myhabit.com via Lindsie on Pinterest

Isabella Fiore Portobello Market Ella Flat Tote

Source: myhabit.com via Lindsie on Pinterest

BURNED by this cuff.

Source: gilt.com via Lindsie on Pinterest

thenewno2: Another John Doe

This is my new find of the day: thenewno2. George Harrison's son, Dhani, is part of this band. At this very moment I've listened to about 30 seconds and I already know I've stumbled upon a new love. (Sometimes, you just know.)
When you're a person like me who loves all things from the past, it's difficult to find new loves. It's difficult to get off the hamster wheel of vintage and embrace the present. Perhaps, as his voice is eerily like his father's, this is somewhat of a band-aid to that situation as it stirs the same emotions inside of me. But it feels slightly victorious that I've found something modern to love.
This victorious feeling is not exclusive to my musical tastes. Anytime I find myself in love with something remotely contemporary or modern that fits into my lifestyle, it's a little win. A bit unsteady, to be sure, and it takes a great deal of work to fit said items into my lifestyle or wardrobe, but it's a little win nonetheless.
Perhaps it is a band-aid-a reincarnated version of something that's seen a previous lifetime. My car is new, but it has vintage appeal. My clothes, when new, are often vintage-inspired or clearly evoke another era. Dhani, suffice it to say, pretty much just sounds like George. Perhaps I just love the fact that it sounds like George is alive again and writing new tunes. But I'm going to consider this a little victory in the battle to live in the moment.