Mascara 101 Addiction

Ever walked into the makeup aisle and are instantly overwhelmed by the millions of mascaras available and are lost in a half hour whirling decision over waterproof versus lengthening? Don't worry your'e not alone!! This still happens to me so I created a list of my favorite and least favorite mascaras to help your decision go a lot smoother and to weed out the disappointing contenders. Did your current mascara make the cut??? I also created tips and tricks for you all so you can now know everything you've wanted to know about mascara! So get ready to read!!

And yes... I have tried every mascara mentioned.. and yes it is somewhat embarrassing.

VOLUME

Give it a try:
L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black: Hands down the best. Many professional makeup artists to celebs call this the holy grail of mascaras!

Covergirl Lash Blast: I don't know a girl who hasn't tried this trusty orange tube!

Maybelline Volume Express Falsies: Thanks to the scoop shaped brush this mascara holds curl perfectly and gives a thick voluminous look mimicking false lashes!

Maybelline Volume Express Falsies Flared: Extremely similar to the original Falsies, this brush gives a flared out effect that helps widen the width-span of your lashes. 

Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes: As featured in my quick makeup post this mascara is easily build able and is a couple bucks cheaper than other drugstore mascaras. 

Too Faced Lash Injection: If your willing to spend the money this mascara will give your lashes a big boost!

Don't Bother:

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe: Apparently covergirl wanted to marry the original lash blast tube and wand with their exact eye lights formula... the result is dried out lashes with an odd grey sparkly color thrown in.

Maybelline Volume Express Colossal: This one is not that bad but I did notice a lot more flakiness and clumping compared to other volumizing mascaras from Maybelline. 

Maybelline XXL Pro Volume: Although the product comes with a white primer on one side and the black mascara on the other the result are ultimate spider eyes! The white primer is hard to cover up and very noticeable if you happen to miss a spot. Also the amount of formula that is in the product is about half the amount that is in a mascara without primer. I figure it's not worth spending the money for spidery lashes. Nexxxttttt!

Loreal Extra-Volume Collagen: For the longest time I tried to tell myself I liked this mascara but the truth is I hate it. The wand does not spread out the mascara evenly and lashes clump together so much you'd think you only have 3 lashes by the end of the day. 

Lengthening

(As you can tell I'm not a fan of buying lengthening mascaras because I already have naturally long lashes)

Give it a try:

Maybelline Lash Stellito: This mascara is great when building length onto an already existing volume mascara. The results are great when used alone as well. 

Don't Bother: 

Maybelline Define-a-Lash: There's just something about this wimpy rubber bristled brush that just rubs me the wrong way. The only thing that this mascara has going for itself is its ability to separate your lashes. Perhaps it's a great way to fix clumpy lashes without loosing any layers of mascara. 

Natural

Give it a try:

Covergirl Exact Eyelights: I learned about this mascara from my roommate and fell in love. It's perfect for summer or days when you don't want bigger than day lashes. The formula comes in different shades of sparkling reflections that automatically bring attention to your eyes. 

Maybelline Full and Soft: Soft bushy lashes are in store with this mascara. Just beware the waterproof formula is very hard to get off and is super flakey!

Don't Bother:

Maybelline Great Lash: I know this mascara has been the prized possession of many makeup lovers and has won many awards, but I'll be honest with you and say it does nothing for me. 

Covergirl Lash Exact: Wah. Wah. Wahhh. Nothing more to say about this one. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

Now that I've hopefully guided you in the correct mascara direction here's what to look for in wand styles:

Curved: If your looking to hold curl and make your eyes pop this is the wand you need to look for. The spoon like shape grips onto your lashes and swoops them upward.

Rubber: These are great if you want a lot of volume because they are flexible and don't easily create clumping. 

Small Bristles: If you have short lashes opt for a shorter length in bristles. This will help grab each lash closer to the root for a maximum boost.

Comb-like: Perfect for lengthening because they separate each individual lash so you get all the length without the clump. One down side to this style wand is the lack of volume you will get but if you have naturally thick lashes this may be perfect for you!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Here are some tips and tricks for the application process:

• Stand or sit close to a mirror so that you can see the lashes better and have the best chance of not leaving any behind. 

• Start with apply the mascara to your lower lashes because if you start with the top ones first and you move onto the lower you will get wet mascara all over your eyes. This is a perfect tip for avoiding accidents that would ruin any eyeshadow on your lids already. 

• If you have a stand mirror that can rotate upward, slant it toward the ceiling so that you will not have the raise your head upward which will leave you with black smears all under your brows.

• Wiggle and zig-zag the wand back and forth starting with the root all the way up to the tips to separate your lashes.  

• Make sure you take the wand in three directions (diagonal to your temple, straight up to your eyebrow arch and diagonal to the highest part of your nose) to assure that you will expand your lashes as wide as they can go. 

• Lay the wand on the back of your lashes while looking slightly down and curl up and out making sure the lashes grip to the wand. This will make them thicker and bigger. To fix any clumps that may come from this repeat wiggling your wand on the front to separate. 

• DO NOT pump the wand in and out of the tube to put the mascara on the wand because this will push air into the tube and make your mascara dry out quickly!

Braid Addiction

I've gotten a lot of requests for more braid tutorials and here is my favorite one currently! It's a normal braid with a pre-existing braid intertwined. This gives your typical braid a boost allowing your hair to look thicker and more highlighted! I don't think I would ever go back to a normal 3 plait braid again!

Happy Braiding :)

Quick Makeup Addiction

For all you girls....or guys (i'm not judging) that are slow pokes like me and sleep in till the very last second and are left with what seems to be 4 minutes to do your whole morning routine I have created a list of tried and true products that will help you rush out the door! I believe that spending more time on your face makeup then eye makeup in this case will actually give you a better result than whipping on some eyeliner and mascara over a bare face.

So lets start with the face:

Sadly, I am prone to an oily face about 2 hours into my day. It's terrible! After reading plenty of reviews on Urban Decay's De Slick I decided to give it try. It works wonders!! De Slick is an oil-control makeup setting spray that you spritz before and after makeup to keep your makeup from slipping off your face. How gross does that sound? If you have normal or dry skin, Urban Decay also makes a setting spray for all you lucky non-oily girls out there with called All-Nighter.

Tinted moisturizer is my favorite for those scrambling out the door days. Don't worry about sponges, brushes and excessive blending with this one. Just squirt out on your (clean!!) fingertips rub all over your face and viola! While picking a tinted moisturizer I recommend finding one with spf protection so that you can check off sunscreen, coverage, and moisturizer all in one step! Oh wait did you all know I'm a mark represenative? ;) Well... my favorite tinted moisturizer is Mark's get a tint tinted moisturizer with spf 15. I use the shade buff/natural and it evens out my skin tone while keeping makeup looking light and dewy. Click on the side button that says mark representative and it will take you to my e-boutique where you can purchase your own get a tint.

To add to the wonderfulness of an oily-face, I also am blessed with these hideous dark circles under my eyes 24/7. On a recent trip to Wal-Mart I stumbled across a new product I have been dying to try: Maybelline's DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (Where on earth do they come up with these silly names?) The concealer comes in a twist pen with a brush applicator. This means no fussing with extra concealer brushes! YAY! The product doubles as a concealer and a highlighter so as your fixing your dark circles feel free to swipe that baby down your nose and above your cheekbones. Blend with your fingertips under your eyes by gently patting down. If your on a serious budget, Covergirl's Smoothers Concealer works great too! Don't be afraid to mix both for maximum coverage as well.

I usually set my face with a powder then move onto blush. For quick days I always rely on my Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush. I prefer to use a blush brush instead of my fingers because it's quicker and looks more natural when your blending.

Now on to the Eyes:

For my everyday look it's usually just liquid eyeliner and mascara. I do like to use a bit of Covergirl's Smoother Concealer on my eyelids to cover up any red or blueish areas from lack of sleep or allergies. For those of you that have not mastered the liquid liner yet: keep practicing and apply your favorite kohl pencil liner. My favorite liquid liner is Rimmel Glam Eyes Professional Liquid Liner. The brush makes it easy to flick out the corners into a subtle cat eye. If your just starting out with liquid liner I recommend a felt tip brush because application with be a lot easier.

Quickly curl your lashes and apply a few coats of mascara. I have been using Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes Mascara. I am in a love/hate relationship with this mascara due to the fact I love how you can easily build layers without compromising clumping but when you pull out the wand from the tube you get tons of excess mascara clumping to sides of the bristles. This mascara is easily comparable to everyone's favorite Covergirl's Lash Blast (including the fact they both sport the orange tube!) The difference is the brush bristles as you can see.

Lastly Lips:

If you haven't run out of time yet go for some lip color! I know I am far behind on jumping on the lip stain train but nevertheless I love my recently bought Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain. I picked up the color Frenzy which is one of those "your lip color but better" shades. The product comes with a lip balm on one side and the stain on the other. Apply the balm first then apply the stain. Sometimes I go back and blend any spotty coloring with the balm again. You can build up this color very easily which makes it a great day to night lip color! It doesn't dry out like a regular lipstick and doesn't transfer on cups, food, straws or anything you've got your mouth on! Since it's a stain the color lasts way longer than lipgloss and most lipsticks. Definitely worth a try in my book.

Contouring Addiction

Here is one of the big tricks of the trade: Contouring! For those of you that don't know what contouring your face means, it's simply applying a darker color such as a non-shimmery bronzer to areas of your face to create the illusion of a shadow to slim or reduce the look of a feature. You can use contouring to slim the appearance of a wider nose, create the look of higher cheek bones, reduce the size of a large forehead or slim down double chins.

The key to contouring is starting out with a light hand and building the color then BLEND BLEND BLEND!! Less is really more because it's better to have a subtle contour if your a beginner than having streaks of brown all over your face. Practice makes perfect! Contouring your face is all an illusion so just like any good magician, make it look real! Instead of confusing you all and trying to write out instructions on how-to contour I found a helpful tutorial that will show you all how!

My favorite contouring bronzer is Benefit's Hoola. Its a non-shimmery or sparkly bronzer. The bronzer runs for $28 which may be a bit pricey for some people but its a worth-it-splurge. (Just be sure to kick the brush already in the package because its impossible to apply with and makes a streaky look) If this is your bronzer of choice make sure you do not have much product on your brush because the color is very pigmented and can look muddy. If applied correctly the outcome is great!

To compliment the look of darker shadows you can also highlight your features such as cupids bow, above your cheeks and the top of your nose. Highlighting is adding a lighter color to the face to give a more raised that accentuates your features. Some contouring products come with a duo of bronzer and highlight. Its a great starter combo for budget friendly beginners.

Here's some face charts based on the triangle of light theory to help you all know where to add the lighter shades and contour. Good luck contouring and let me know if you have any questions in a comment below!

(picture credit: http://shessmart.com/beauty/how-to-contour-your-face-with-makeup/)

Maybelline Babylips Chapstick Addiction

A must have ladies! The only problem I have with these chap sticks is that I want to keep running out to buy more. Oops? :) Maybelline came out with these cute little chap sticks that leave your lips baby soft...funny right..? Haha so anyways the line comes with a red, pink, peach and dark burgundy tinted collection and then two clear tubes, one in peppermint and quenched. These little guys are around $4 and believe it or not I prefer them over Esos lip balm spheres! Not to mention they are also SPF 20!! I can totally see myself throwing the tinted collection in the beach bag this summer! 

Macadamia Oil Addiction

Holy softness! So Organix hair care products came out with a another new styling line, Macadamia Oil. While shampoo shopping I ran across the hydrating macadamia oil dry styling oil and seriously I am so impressed. You can apply this oil in your hair while it's dry and it becomes silky smooth, shiny and with significantly less frizz. This product makes it so easy to get soft shiny hair anytime because you can apply it when hair is damp or dry. Make sure to not apply much or at all to the upper top of your hair to your roots because it will weigh it down and easily become greasy. I've only gotten to use the product on straight hair but I am excited to see what it can do when my hair is curly. If you haven't checked this line or brand they are all organic and you can find them at most any drugstore for around $7. I think they are definitely worth the trip and the price.

Ombre Nail Addiction

I thought I'd take it upon myself to share with you all a fun spin on the ombre trend that is just about everywhere. Apparently society has now deemed it "trendy" to have two different colors going on at the same time. It's been appearing in hair dye jobs and even lipsticks thanks to Covergirl's Blast Flipstick Lipcolor which lets you use an all over lip color then add a second shimmery color to create an ombre blending effect. Let me just tell you I'm not a big fan of the whole ombre lipstick thing but if you like it who am I to stop you. Back to the point...ombre nails and how to do them!

Standard Ombre

1. Choose two colors you want to create the ombre effect. I would recommend colors that are in the same hue or color family but make sure they aren't too similar in color because the they will blend together and honestly, only you will be able to tell that they're ombre... yes.. sadly that was what happened on my first attempt.

2. Paint your base color all over your nail. 2 coats of polish would be ideal.

3. Once your base color is dry take your second color and paint from the top of your nail down to the bottom of your nail in light sweeping motions but stop the brush stroke somewhere in the middle of your nail. It helps if you hold your hand with your nails facing you and your wrist facing away because it makes the already awkward painting feel just a little less awkward and it's easier to make the sweeping motion. If you choose to hold your hand this way technically you will be now painting upwards. To all of you that I have completely confused I am very sorry!

Here's a picture to help you with placement of your hand: (Hint: if you have your hand placed like so, paint upwards toward your wrist.)

4. Once the second color is ALMOST dry take a clear color or top coat and in the same motion starting from the top of your nail drag down. This step will blend the two colors and create the ombre effect. 

Once you get a hang of it you will find that it is a lot easier than you thought!! The better you get at this the more colors you may add, just repeat steps 3 and 4. I would limit yourself to three colors because the more layers of polish you add the longer it will take to dry and your nails will easily get messed up. 

Gradient 

Another ombre effect that you can do that is a lot easier is the gradient. Take 5 colors in the same color family ranging in shades and start with the either darker shades and move to lighter or vise versa! You might want to make sure the colors are all in the same hue and are all either metallic, or standard or glittery. If you mix different types together you may just end up looking like a 5 year old gave you a manicure!

Pin It