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It's been awhile since I last updated my blog. To say my life has changed would be an understatement, but I am still highly engaged in the world of new beauty products...I just don't have as much time as I use to to write about my awesome findings. However a new product really amazed me that I had to share with the world. The product is called Lash Stiletto mascara and it's a product made by Maybelline. It's fairly inexpensive (it runs around $6.00) and it works better than some of the fancier, expensive brands.
The other day when I asked a co-worker what kind of mascara she used, she said "stiletto," this only rang a bell in my head because I had heard the advertising of this product on TV a few days prior. Coincidence? I think not. I think it was fate. Her beautiful eyelashes gave me hope that I had come across an inexpensive mascara I actually would like because frankly, shelling out almost $25 every time I have to replace my imju is not a cheap habit...but I still had doubts, afterall, maybe "she's born with it." And her perfect, long plush eye lashes are miracles caused by really great (and lucky) genes.
So I made a trip to my local Wal-Mart to purchase my new experiment. My science project? To replace a $25 mascara with a $6 (but just as damn good one) in my makeup bag. I have to admit, I was tempted to pop open the case before I arrived home, but I wanted to give this mascara a fair chance...and that meant going home, turning on my trusty light magnifying mirror and using my new mascara brush as a fine instrument, to tune my lashes into Lady GaGa twins. Was it possible? I'll be honest, I didn't turn out looking like Lady GaGa, but I was amazed by this trusty little black and red tube of glory. I saved nearly twenty bucks, and somehow ended up with the same (if not better!) results from the Stiletto mascara as I do with the expensive imju brand. The curling effect of this mascara is awesome, personally I skip using my eyelash curler all together when I use this brand- since it gets the job done nicely without prepping them. It also gave my some serious volume, almost that of fake lashes...which I L.O.V.E. My only complaint is of course the clumping. This seems to be a huge problem with a large percentage of cheaper mascaras, but if applied correctly (and patiently) it's not a big deal. Just make sure to shake your brush back and forth when applying the mascara, almost in a wave motion. Overall, I'll probably keep my imju handy, what? It's my baby! But I will say that Maybelline impressed me with this product. It's definitely a keeper and won it's place in my makeup bag. Plus, the Lash Stiletto bottle is actually shaped like a little stiletto! How can you go wrong?
I recently received the January Sample goodie bag from Sephora, and one of the products included was the fabulous Tend Skin Solution. This stuff is amazing, for men and women, if you have problems with razor burn or razor bumps, you NEED this product. It can be used just about anywhere, including your underarms and bikini area.
A 4oz bottle will run you about $20.00 at a Sephora location or online...but you can check online at Amazon, who usually has this stuff on sale ($8.99 right now!!)
I can never help but to stop in the makeup isles at my local Wal-Mart...it's like all of the little powder palettes and eyeshadows are calling my name. On my last trip, I came across Maybelline New York: The Colossal Volum' Express mascara. With it's big, bold purple letters and daring yellow casing, it was hard to say no- so I didn't. Although I'd usually rather be caught dead in dirty undies than I would a drugstore mascara in my bag, you never know when you might come across a swan in a pond full of ugly ducklings.
I didn't try it immediately, I'll admit that I was hesitant. I've been very faithful to the mascaras that have treated me right, so I had to be careful about bringing another member into the family.
Applying the mascara was tricky, but for $5.99, what do you expect? They claim the mascara is "clump free," and all I have to say to that is B.S.! But with a little combing and girly-magic, I felt confident enough to leave the house.
As soon as I was on my way, I regretted my decision. If you've ever woken up with pink eye, you'll understand the feeling I suddenly had when my eyes felt glued together. My eyelashes felt sticky, and if my life was an episode of punk'd, I would have been certain someone switched my masacara with a bottle of super glue.
...But beauty is pain, so I didn't let such a small inconvience get in the way of what could be an amazing mascara.
Now, you may not know this- but as a good person I feel it's necassary to share my secrets.
A good mascara looks great when you put it on, and even for a few hours afterward, but quickly dulls and you lose length, thickness, and color.
A great mascara looks amazing when you put it on, and stays that way until you wash it off. Imju, I'm looking at you...
A bad mascara, comes off on your face.
Leaving you with mascara lines and clumps right under your bottom eyelid...even if you haven't cried.
NO ONE wants to find that
when they look in the mirror, but that's what I got with Maybelline's "colossal."
So another day, another disappointing mascara...I'd cry, but I'm not wearing the waterproof kind.
Verdict: Stay far, far away from it...unless it's Halloween.
A new year calls for new products, so when Sephora was offering trial sized Bare Minerals with any order, I snatched that deal up like I was pms'ing and it was a free chocolate bar.
I'm embarrassed and saddened to admit that I've never actually tried anything by Bare Essentials before- I saw the TV ads, my friends recommended it to me all the time, but the whole "swirl, tap and blend" thing didn't sit well with me. How could this powder stuff give good coverage, be good for your skin, AND not look cakey?
I don't know how they did it, but what you see on TV is true. It took me a few tries to get the coverage and blending just right to fit my skin type, but it is now my new favorite foundation. I've even gotten compliments from my friends who say that my skin is glowing!
Pros:
Looks natural (no foundation lines and no thick cakey look- it looks like your skin, only healthier)
No oil buildup (ever notice some foundations tend to puddle up on your face, especially around the t-zone area?)
Feels light (You forget you're even wearing makeup)
No rub-off (You can wipe your face with your sleeve or rest your head on your shoulder and it won't rub off)
Easy to apply (like the commercial says, just swirl it on the brush, tap off excess and blend)
Cons:
Expensive, around $25 for the foundation alone...plus the cost of their brushes is outrageous.
Messy. They tell you to put a little of the foundation powder in the cap, which can get quite messy if you're not careful or in a rush. I wish they would have come up with better packaging to go with such an awesome product.
Next up: Stay tuned for great makeup ideas without the heavy price tag.
On a personal note, I want to apologize for not keeping this blog updated, unfortunately due to the holidays and a severely sick grandmother, my time was scarce. Now that it is a new year, I hope to update more frequently and keep you girls in tune with what's new, hot, and worth buying.
Over the holidays, I got to thinking about new products for the new year, YES! I thought about you girls while I was away! I wanted to start off the new year with a truly amazing product, so....
Fredric Fekkai Au Naturel Gentle Shampoo
Shampoo? Who wants to start off 2009 with some boring shampoo?
I apologize if you wanted glitter, vibrating eyeshadow, or...well, anything more exciting than shampoo, but I have to tell you, this stuff is amazing and worth all of the attention it's getting.
Here's why:
"Your natural beauty comes more naturally with Fekkai Au Naturel. Luxurious and purely gorgeous, this shampoo is infused with beneficial essential oils and organic ingredients, and is absent of synthetic fragrance, dyes, and additives like sulfates and parabens. Packaged in a bottle made with 40% recycled materials, Fekkai's formula embodies the essence of eco-conscious, positively-crafted haircare."
Yes, it's "GREEN," and I know a huge majority of you guys out there have resolutions to be more green this year. It also lacks all those nasty ingredients like sulfates (ew) so there's less gunk in your hair, and more healthy locks.
After one shampoo, you'll notice a huge difference. Remember when you were a kid and you had soft, manageable hair? This shampoo will shave off all the years and give you back the hair you once had- you know, before you started putting tons of gunk in it? After using this, I even noticed my natural highlights were more noticeable...and I wasn't the only one who noticed!
An 8oz bottle of this stuff will run you about $23 at Sephora, but it pays for itself in compliments!
It's important to keep your makeup brushes clean and sanitized. Brushes that are not regulary cleaned hold millions of swarming germs.
Not only is that completely disgusting, but your brushes also hold onto oil and dirt, so every time you apply makeup you're putting that stuff right back onto your clean face. If you're suffering from breakouts, dirty brushes may just be the culprit.
What you can do: Buy some sanitizing beauty wipes to keep in your makeup bag and give each brush a swipe after every use. I personally like Sephora's brand, they're only $9 and sweep up all the yucky residue.
Doing this will keep germs, oil and dirt residue to a minimum, but you still need to give your brushes a "deep" cleaning. You can purchase brush shampoo, which is basically gentle anti-bacterial soap. If you don't want to spend the extra $10, you can simply use anti-bacterial hand soap instead.
The Steps: Always use tepid (or luke warm) water. Never use hot water! Hot water will destroy your brushes. Run anti-bacterial soap/shampoo through your brushes, kind of like you would while shampooing your hair. Rinse well and reshape while still damp. Let air dry.
You'll see the difference: And here's why, clean brushes cling to makeup better, they also apply it better. Your colors will look fresh again, plus the overall quality of your brushes will last much, much longer.
What you should avoid: Borrowing other people's makeup, even your best friends. Everyone's makeup carries some germs and oils, so every time you use a little bit of their blush or their eyeshadow, their germs are being transferred to your face. Gross, right? So as much fun as it can be, don't share makeup. Ever cruise the makeup counters at the mall and spot a sample product you've been dying to try? Don't. That stuff has been "sampled" by probably a hundred people by the time you get around to it. Do you really want strange germy oils on your lips, face, or eyes? Doing so can lead to nasty infections like pink eye, and that's just gross!
If you really want to try a product before buying it, flip through your magazines for special offers by companies. They often put little cards in there that you can fill out and bring to their makeup counters for a free personal sample of their product. Also, try asking the sale rep if they have any take home samples, they'll understand. 
Bernie Mac passed away this morning, at the young age of 50. Mac died Saturday morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital, his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles. She said no other details were available.
RIP Bernie <3
Tonight in honor of Mr. Mac, we will be gathering to watch Badder Santa :(
So I made a trip to my local Wal-Mart to purchase my new experiment. My science project? To replace a $25 mascara with a $6 (but just as damn good one) in my makeup bag. I have to admit, I was tempted to pop open the case before I arrived home, but I wanted to give this mascara a fair chance...and that meant going home, turning on my trusty light magnifying mirror and using my new mascara brush as a fine instrument, to tune my lashes into Lady GaGa twins. Was it possible? I'll be honest, I didn't turn out looking like Lady GaGa, but I was amazed by this trusty little black and red tube of glory. I saved nearly twenty bucks, and somehow ended up with the same (if not better!) results from the Stiletto mascara as I do with the expensive imju brand. The curling effect of this mascara is awesome, personally I skip using my eyelash curler all together when I use this brand- since it gets the job done nicely without prepping them. It also gave my some serious volume, almost that of fake lashes...which I L.O.V.E. My only complaint is of course the clumping. This seems to be a huge problem with a large percentage of cheaper mascaras, but if applied correctly (and patiently) it's not a big deal. Just make sure to shake your brush back and forth when applying the mascara, almost in a wave motion. Overall, I'll probably keep my imju handy, what? It's my baby! But I will say that Maybelline impressed me with this product. It's definitely a keeper and won it's place in my makeup bag. Plus, the Lash Stiletto bottle is actually shaped like a little stiletto! How can you go wrong?
