Small Rave

Okay, this is going to pretty much be the smallest entry ever because I have a couple big ones coming in the next week buuuut I just wanted to give a BIG (like SUPER BIG) kudos to Rimmel on what could possibly be the BEST mascara ever. While I was visiting some family in North Carolina, I was out shopping and descided to pick up a couple different mascaras to try out (and use for clients) and stumbled upon something excelent.

Rimmel isn't the typical brand I would go to for mascara but I can honestly say they have impressed me on this one. The 'Wow Lash' mascara's wand is perfect for the majority of lashes out there, medium sized, with synthetic bristles and a formula that works. My usual grievances with mascara's that lengthen and volume is that they irritate my eyes and flake off but this does neither. I'm almost angry that it only costs $3.97 at a Walmart in the United States because I know most people would pass it thinking it's a low quality product. But rest assured, this drug store mascara could compete on par with some of the bigger brands quite easily.

Why Your Lashes Aren't Listening!

Anyone who wears makeup, be it fully glammed up to barely any (ever) will tell you that if they could choose only one cosmetic product to take to a dessert island, it would be their mascara. Mascara is great because it's one of the base products we have that no matter what can ONLY enhance our natural beauty. So of course, if you're appart of the makeup wearing crowd, you'll have a tube of it laying around somewhere.

The point of coating our lashes is to lengthen, thicken, seperate, and make it seem as though we have more than we already do (traditionally, lashes are meant to act like guide lines, drawing attention into our eyes). The problem is more often than not, we get sucked in by ads for some new mascara that is 'so much better than the one we already have' (offering to instantly give us amazingly defined, thich, and lush lashes), even though in reality, the girls are wearing false lashes and the mascara probably isn't that amazing.

So, here is where I give you the truth on why your lashes aren't quite looking the way they do on TV, and a customizeable way to fix this.

Bare Basics

To be honest, if you don't already have 'va-va-va-voom' giant lashes to start out with, no ammount of building and product is going to make them look five times bigger. The key is to work with what you have and build off that in a realistic way. Since lashes (just like our hair) grow in a cycle, it's natural for us to have short, medium, and long lash lengths. It's also natural for lashes to fall out occasionally, as a new one will soon take it's place. Though if you do notice your lashes are lacking a bit, a simple solution such as taking silica is pretty effective. Silica is a daily vitamin you can take, that is one of the key building blocks for hair.
A diet, rich in silica, calcium and iron, will help reduce or prevent lash loss. Raw oats provide natural silica.
On the other hand, another option is caster oil which can be purchased from your local pharmacy for under $4 (including tax). This is a topical product that you would massage into your lashes two to three times a week overnight to boost hair growth. It's also nice because you can use it on your nail beds, and roots of your hair, or eyebrows to stimulate hair follicals and fill in sparce areas. I used it for a couple weeks on the head of one of my brows that was slightly off from the other, and it worked like a charm.

The Kind of Product you Need Vs. Want

Okay, so I know you may love the look, morals, or idea of a mascara you're using. Maybe it's because it's an all natural product and you're a vegan, or because you love a certain brand and would just prefer to shop from them, or even really dislike a brand and don't want to even attempt to use their line because of previous problems. Well, you're going to have to suck it up sweetie and try something new. If your lashes aren't working for you, there is clearly a reason and now is the time to confront that. If you find you have naturally thick lashes, then a 'volumizing' mascara shouldn't be your main concern. If your lashes are naturally longer, adding length isn't something you necessarily need. Mascara is meant to be an all consuming thing, meaning you will get a boost in all desired areas, you just need to determine which area you need it most.

Thickening mascara is for:

• long lashes
• thin lashes
• sparce lashes
• uneven lashes

Lengthening mascara is for:

• short lashes
• uneven lashes
• thin lashes
• adverage length lashes

Mascara Wands.. Size DOES Matter

Now it's time to think about your own lashes, go look in a mirror and analyze them. Different lash lengths, thicknesses, and ammounts required different sizes and shapes of mascara wands. The first key aspect is that your overall wand size to be about the same size as your natural lashes. The second part is, the bristles should be spaced accoring to your natural lashes. Optimally, the bristles should be of a harder rubber matterial to ensure even coverage and a smoother glide. Depending on the way your lashes grow, you can make a slight bend in some wands to accomidate the natural curve of your lash line, but this isn't necessary, or even beneficial to most people.
On a side note, I get a lot of questions about the 'star burst' style of wand ( a small ball with spikes, made popular by Givenchy Phenomin'Eyes Mascara and the L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara ) and whether or not I would reccamend it. It's a bit of a tricky answer for a tricky product. Though this wand-type is ideal for getting into the outer corners of your lashes, it is the worst thing ever for getting the rest of them. You cannot use it as your only mascara, it's really just a pricer accessory to make the outer corner a little more even.

Waterproof Mascara FYI
For example, if you're constantly useing a waterproof mascara, you really should get something new (reguardless of brand). Waterproof mascaras, all across the board cause your lashes to become more brittle and break more frequently due to their drying properties and ingrediants. Hence why waterproof mascara should only be used for when you REALLY need it (weddings, water events, funerals, days when something bad might happen, or while watching 'The Notebook' xD). Something to really scan the ingrediants list for is 'water', you want a water based mascara because it will add hydration to your lashes, and not dry them out. As well, using something water based means that it will be easier to get off, and cause less trauma to your lash beds when it's time to take it off.

Lash Shapes
The ideal lash shape is faned out, going from the innder lashes being slightly fanned towards the outer corner of your eye, (just under 90 degrees) to the outer lashes being almost horizontal. A curl is also ideal, and easily achived with the use of lash curlers if you don't have a natural curl.

Though the idea of curlers can be a bit intimidating if you've never used one, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Personally, I hate big lash curlers, they look like death traps as far as I'm concerned and really never do much on my eye (reguardless of proper use). So, when I recently found out about a new lash curler type, I was thrilled. The Preo Eyelash Curler is a design that's been around for a while, and available from different brands. Though it is traditionally used for asian lashes, it will work wonders on anyone. It's a lot smaller and easier to use (not to mention looks a lot less like it'll cause you damage). You just bring it up to your lashes and press down from the base, working section by section.

A Couple More Things to Keep in Mind..
If you have allergies to wheatgerm or latex, make sure to read the ingrediants on the back on the packaging, as these are pretty common compounds used. Though rest assured, your friends at Clarins have developed a latex and wheat free mascara that is perfect to accomidate your eyes.

Though mascara technically lasts as long as you keep using it, you really should be tossing it after three months of people open (i'll even let you stretch it to four months as I often do). It's just after that time period, the essential oils that help to keep your product bacteria free have all but dissipated, allowing it to dry out and breed diseases. You'll know it's gone bad when a serious stink starts to appear and the mascara goes on a lot clumpier.

A great mascara that has been around for DECADES without much change is The Great Lash Mascara by Maybelline. Though a lot of their products are either hits or misses, this has truely stood the test of time. I fully reccamend it to anyone.

To check out how a couple different mascaras stack up, check out my 'Drugstore Mascara Reviews' post.

Accessorize your Makeup, More than Just "Bad Gal Lashes"

Alright, so through some awesome connections my class was able to meet with some higher-ups from the Benefit Cosmetics line and test out / play around with all of their products.
Now you might not recognise their name, but I'm sure you've seen their products around. The most common/ recognised of them being their mascara, "Bad Gal Lashes". Initially I hadn't thought much about this line, they seemed pretty generic, colours that didn't especially stand out, and products you could get elsewhere (concealer, blush, foundation, mascara, etc).
Not knowing much about them (other than their mascara that I had purchased a couple times over the past few years), I was pretty impressed with what they had to say.

Basically, their main focus is not really their makeup per say, but more to make makeup simpler and not so threatening for the average person. Another aspect that I love (love, LOVED) was the idea of creating accessories for the makeup you already have to improve it!

Some of my favourites from the line were: 

POREfessional Pore Minimizer

Okay, okay, okay, so this is for sure my number one favourite and a must buy for my makeup kit. This stuff is FANTASTIC for your skin, makes it look SO soft and smooth, and let me just say as soon as I get this I am using it one my mom because it takes out fine lines completely (without looking caked at ALL). This stuff feels amazing, and you can see in the picture that the texture looks really different from anything else out there. It only comes in the one colour, but can be used on any skin tone because it isn't really pigmented on the skin. Another plus is that it's oil free, so no need to worry about breaking out or irritation. Grrreat stuff, this product is lovely, priced at about $38 CND (lil steep, but will last forever because you only need a tiny amount). Again, if you're like me, you may be thinking "I don't need a pore minimizer, it isn't really a concern of mine" but the added property of smoothing and filling in skin converted me. You can wear it both under and over your regular makeup, to make it last longer and look smoother.

Benetint and PosietintLip and Cheek Stain

Originally created as a nipple stain for burlesque dancers, this product can be used a multitude of different ways! For the lips it can go under a gloss in any intensity you desire, be used to enhance a lip stick or to tint one, or on it's own as a lip stain. For cheeks, you can wear it just as a basic blush, or under a blush from any brand to intensifier or tint the colour. It's nice because this way you can switch up a look quite easily, just by using one product. Also, allowing you to change the colour of something like a lipstick or blush that's totally washing you out, means you'll actually get use out of makeup you may otherwise get rid of (so good). The two colours this comes in are pink ('Posietint') and red ('Benetint'), and again both show up well on any skin tone. Generally the price is around $38 CND for a bottle that should last you a couple years. As well, the 'Bentint' comes in a lip balm with spf 15 and in a little gloss tube for your purse with a creamier formula for on the go.

Some Kind-a Gorgeous Foundation

Alright, so this is less of an accessory and more full-on makeup but it's still so good! The unique part about this foundation is that it's infused with silicon. If you have oily skin (like me) you no longer have to worry about that evil evil shine breaking though your makeup about an hour after you put it on. As well, dry skin no longer has to worry about drying out, and for those hot and humid summers, the moisture won't ruin your flawless face. Silicon has the unique property where it doesn't let moisture in or out (well the majority of it anyway), ergo say bye bye to blotting papers and having to re-apply moisturizer or powder to your face. This foundation is brilliant in the way that all you have to do is apply moisturizer, and then foundation and you're good to go, shine free. I love that this product is great for any kind of skin at any age. On the down side though, currently it only comes in three colours, light, medium and dark, with a colour expansion coming this year. So I would advise you try before you buy to make sure the colour you choose works. One more thing, this can also be used in combination with other foundations to maximize lasting time, just be sure you're other product is oil free (don't want to lock excess oil into your face or else it's hello breakouts).

Brow Zings Brow kit

Instead of going out and buying all the different brow tools the market has, wouldn't one little kit with everything you need be so much easier? Well tah-dah, here it is. Similar to the MAC kit, but so much more useful, Benefit brings you "Brow Zings". On the left we have the tinted brow wax, and on the right the coloured filler powder (also included is a pair on mini tweezers, and two mini brushes to help with the application). The kit comes with a little booklet that gives you little tips and tricks for the 'perfect' brows, while still supplying you with everything needed to get them. I was surprised to find this out, but Benefit is all over the eyebrow scene, to the point of having launched their own chain of "Brow Bars" (essentially eyebrow salons where you can go and get waxed pain free, and receive a complimentary makeup application afterwords). This product generally goes for $42 CDN and can last you up to three years.

Bad Gal Lash Mascara

Well not too much to say here, this is probably the most recognised of the Benefit line. An excellent mascara that comes in a variety of shades (blue, brown, black, plum), and even now can be found in a waterproof formula. I liked it when I had it, though perhaps it wouldn't be the best for someone with sparser, shorter lashes (seeing as it is a very fluffy brush). Though normally selling for up to $30 CDN, I've been able to find it for as low as $8 at Winners, $10 at Sephora (on sale, reg $19), and $19 at Shoppers Drugmart.

Overall, I just wanted to let you guys know about this company because I really hadn't thought much about them before, and have now come to know that some of the things I've really been looking for were here. It can get really easy to decide you love one makeup company because you constantly hear a lot about them, but just remember that experimentation is key. It's good to know a bit about everything versus everything about one.

Drugstore Mascara Reviews

A quick review of some of the new(ish?) brands floating around the Pharmacy and Cosmetics section of my local Superstore that I thought I'd share with you.

The Good

Physicians Formula: Shimmer Strips Dual Mascara Black

Picked this up two days ago on a whim, it was on sale for 50% off (regular price is about $7) so I though I'd give it a try. Basically it's a dual ended mascara, one side being coloured (pink, purple, blue, gold, or green I believe), which I don't much care for but tested out anyway. If you are in the market for coloured lashes, this is a decent option, the colour is as even as you're going to get, though I really don't agree with their claim that green lashes bring out your green eyes but oh well. What I REALLY loved was the black end of the duo. The base of the brush is HUGE, whilst the bristles are on the shorter side, making it really easy to see where you're getting the mascara. However the best part is that it doesn't clump, your lashes don't stick together, and it is NOT flaky in the slightest. Once you put it on your eyes, it's going to be there, looking as though you just applied it until you take it off. Great product, I'll be looking out for this in the future to buy more!

The (not so) Bad
Maybelline: Lash Stiletto Mascara Black

 I absolutely love what this mascara looks like for the first hour or two after application. It does a great job of extending your lashes, while darkening them, and really adding a lot of fullness. Also, the packaging is super cute, and the brush is decent in quality, though maybe a bit small. On the down side you really have to work to get the clumps out, and this mascara will flake after a couple hours. Another thing is it isn't waterproof, which makes your lower lashes a little problematic if you're going for a cleaner no-lower shadow or liner look (though they did just come out with a waterproof version of the product, so I guess that's pretty irrelevant now). Also, the mascara is a bit sticky, but if you're going for a dramatic look, this should be your go-to lash product.

The Ugly

Maybelline: Volume Express the Falsies Mascara Black

UGH, sooo not cute, I really, really hate this mascara! I again bought it on a whim due to it being on sale, and now I can see why. The ads for this are so misleading (As are most mascara ads), and the product formula is garbage. If you want clumpy, sticky, never fully dry, eye irritating, takes a day to get off, flaky, messy, lashes, then go ahead and buy this because that's exactly what you're going to get. I'd like to say this works well when used with another mascara, but all it does is make you want to pull your hair out in anger. Seriously, I'll never buy this again. Even though it was sealed and packaged, it looks, smells and acts like an expired makeup product. This really makes me want to stop buying Maybelline mascaras all together, waterproof is the only legitimate claim this product has.