mascara – Page 3 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

The Nautical Collection by Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown has introduced the Nautical Collection for a sheer summer look. The colors are corals, pinks and mauves and they impart a soft shot of color that is great for warm weather looks!

Sheer Color Lip Gloss ($20.00 USD) — This is a glossy sheer color that looks dark in the tube, but almost clear with a hint of color on. It has a brush applicator, which I love for lip gloss and smells faintly of vanilla. I have Marina Pink, which is cross between fuscia and berry. It is quite pretty on. The gloss is a bit sticky, but the shine is worth it! It is available in 4 colors; Marina Pink, Cabana Coral, Popsicle (bright pinky-red) and Sailor (a softer pink).

Sheer Color Cheek Tint ($22.00 USD) comes in a cute, chubby little tube that fits perfectly in my purse! The product swivels up like lipstick and I like to apply iton the apples of my cheeks, then blend it up with with my fingers. I have Sheer Mauve, but it also comes in 5 other colors: Sheer Blackberry, Sheer Coral, Sheer Lilac, Sheer Pink and Sheer Raspberry. This is an easy and fast way to get some color this summer!

Perfectly Defined Mascara ($22.00 USD) I have not had a chance to try this product, but the website touts, “This new formula lengthens, separates and curls lashes for perfect definition with one easy sweep. The secret? A unique multi-comb brush and equally innovative formula, working together to enhance each and every lash. The flexible, long-wearing formula doesn’t flake or smudge and stays in place all day long. And best of all, when you’re ready to take it off just use warm water! Available in black, Perfectly Defined Mascara is both Ophthalmologist and Dermatologist tested and is safe for contact wearers.”

To check out the Nautical Collection and other fabulous Bobbi Brown products, visit www.bobbibrown.com.

Fun New Products from Rimmel London!

Rimmel London is a great, quality drugstore brand. It’s both affordable and fun, which is great in the current economy. They have come out with some fab new releases that will help you stay cool in the hot summer months!

Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation ($6.99 USD). This is an oil free foundation that claims to give up to 12 hours of matte skin. It is formulated with SKINPURE Complex, which combines salicylic acid to clear blemishes and botanical extracts to nourish, and also claims not to clog pores in the summer heat.

I really like this foundation. It does go on matte and feels smooth. I don’t know about keeping my skin covered for 12 hours, but it seems to last for at least an 8 hour shift at work. I’ve been using it with my EcoTools foundation brush and I find I don’t need a lot of the product to cover my face. I’m using color 101 Porcelain, which looks great on me, but there are only six shades available that may not work for all skin tones.

Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss ($7.99 USD) is a two-step long-wearing color gloss. One end holds the color, which is applied with a soft sponge tipped wand. This goes on first, and when it dries you apply the shimmery gloss which shines and moisturizes. The applicator for this end is a brush, which I love. I have the color Enduring Love which is a mauvy-rose color. It stays on forever, but the glittery top coat may be a little young for me. This would be very fun on a night out with the girls, though!

Sexy Curves Mascara ($7.49 USD) Claims to curl and thicken lashes. My lashes are short and straight. It works fine if I don’t curl my lashes first, but if I do, its a big difference! My lashes look longer and curlier. Not too thick, but its a nice day look. The plastic bristle brush (Rimmel’s Triple Plump Brush) is really cool, but a little intimidating. I just take it slowly from the base of my lashes to the tips.

Visit the Rimmel website at www.rimmellondon.com to learn more about these products. They are probably for sale at your local drugstore!

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper

: 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper

Max Factor has recently released the 2000 Calorie Extreme Lash Plumper ($9.99 USD). This product has been touted as being more than a mascara . It consists of a, “A patented fat-inject formula and extreme Double-D brush plump every single lash so perfectly, so voluptuously, they may ask, “are they real?”

My, that is quite an enticing claim! So does it plump up the lashes? Yes, but since my lashes are short as well as sparse, it took me some playing around to get the full long and thick look I enjoy. One way to get great lashes is by trying a trick given on the Max Factor site (www.maxfactor.com). You blink onto the brush while sweeping up with it, and I swear it lengthens the lashes. Also by applying a lash base like the ones in two step mascara gives very long as well as thick lashes.

You can find Max Factor products at stores such as Ulta and Walmart. I recommend this fun mascara with the instructions to play with it to get the look that you like!

Want Long, Glossy Lashes? That’s the Claim of Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto

I love the commercials for Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Mascara ($7.49 USD). The claim is, “The only mascara that does for lashes what stilettos do for legs. ” Sexy lashes, all right! The advertised features of this product are:

The Grip & Extend brush grasps each lash and coats from every angle
Elastic formula stretches lashes for provocative length
Pro-Vitamin B-5 formula conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine
Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested

Hmm. Well my lashes were a little longer, but not stiletto-long and definitely not glossy. They were well defined, although not thickened. Maybe a few more coats and they would have been longer.

The one reason I would not buy this is that it flaked so badly that by the end of the day it looked like I didn’t have any mascara on at all!

I think that if you are going to call a mascara “Lash Stiletto” it needs to be fabulous. That’s why I can’t recommend this product.

Eye Poppin’ Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Mascara

Reading about Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Eye-brightening Mascara (8.49 USD), I was really intrigued. It claims to make the eyes 4 times brighter than without wearing mascara. It’s available in four shades to match eye color: Black Pearl for brown eyes, Black Sapphire for blue eyes, Black Ruby for greens eyes and Black Gold for hazel eyes.

Each shade has a metallic sheen and a bit of a color to it. I purchased the Black Pearl, hoping to enhance my dark brown eyes. When you swipe this shade on a tissue, it is a metallic black.

On my eyes, you can’t really see the metallic, but it is very dark and really does make my eyes pop. I don’t know if they are brighter, but the thickening and lengthening mascara brings attention to my eyes. This mascara separates my lashes nicely and doesn’t clump. This is a great product.

I kind of wish my eyes were a different color, so I could try the shades that are tinted. Oh well, since the price is reasonable, maybe I will try the others, too !

Eye Stand Out on New Years Eve! — Flashy Eye Looks to Try

New Year’s Eve is a great time to try out a sparkly look that we wouldn’t wear everyday. As a 40 year old (yes, I own it) I usually don’t wear glitter, I leave that to my 13 year old daughter. But I am drawn to the sparkly around party time!

There are a lot of fun products to try at stores like Sephora and Ulta. The Sephora brand itself has a lot of party options that are fairly affordable. I really like the sparkly Sephora Glitter Eyeliner ($12.00 USD). The eyeliner is just the right amount of glam. Applied to the upper lid over a neutral shadow, you can get away with almost any of the seven shades if comes in; Gold, Silver, Opal, Black, Teal, Purple and Blue.

Make Up For ever is another fun brand found at Sephora. Their false eyelashes ($14.00 USD) come in many varieties. From different textures and colors to the one above with glitter at the base, you can find the look you want to achieve. Talk about instant glamour!

Another bold choice is Max Factor’s Vivid Impact Highlighting Mascara ($9.99 USD). This is a dual color mascara that combines a traditional solid color base coat with an iridescent highlighting top coat to add a hint of color to lashes.

Remember if you do decide to go glitzy on the eyes, keep the rest of your look neutral. Maybe a nice nude or pink plumping lip gloss? Have fun!

L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Extention Mascara — Longer Lashes, Little Price

L'Oreak Double Extend Lash Estension Effect Mascare — L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara

I hope every one is enjoying a fabulous holiday season. I know I am. And I know the parties aren’t over yet…New Year’s Eve is just around the corner.

Are you looking for lush lashes but are all tapped out? A good choice is L’Oreal’s Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara ($9.49 US).

This intriguing little product is a two step process. First you apply the white primer that conditions your lashes. Next, apply the mascara which forms tubes around your lashes, making them much longer.

This is definitely a lengthening mascara; it does not thicken much. The cool thing about it is the tubes are very easy to remove. Splash lots of water on your lashes then gently pull the tubes off. If you are too rough, your lashes will come out, too. Be careful!

I think this mascara is fascinating and fun to use. Try it for your New Year’s Eve soiree!

Want a Fun New Look? Try Purple Mascara!

This summer I tried purple mascara for the first time. I had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for Almay Cosmetics at Walgreens. I decided to try some new eye products, so I chose a new mascara and eye palette. I have brown eyes, and Almay’s Intense Eye Color line claimed that purples are the color for me.

The mascara I tried is called Almay Intense I-Color Play Up Thickening Mascara in Purple Amethyst ($7.49 USD). The brush has hard plastic bristles that separate and the formula is very thickening. The color is hard to discern on my black lashes, and the effect it gives is a soft black color. I really like this mascara, but it is more of a day look than an evening look. The best feature? It does not smudge at all!

This weekend I decided to see if Sephora and Ulta had any other purple mascaras that were a little more noticeable for going out. The first one I tried was Urban Decay’s Big Fatty Colored Mascara in Purple Haze ($17.00 USD). This is a brighter purple than the Almay shade. This was more noticeable on my lashes, but my lashes themselves did not appear much thicker or longer. I would not buy this mascara.

The second new mascara I tried was Benefit’s BADgal Plum ($19.00 USD). The color on this is a lot different than the other two, since it is a true plum and not a purple. I really like the formula. It made my lashes look huge. The color is fun, too, but it might be better on someone with fairer lashes.

I LOVE mascara, so it is always fun to try new colors and formulations. Go out and test drive some new lashes today!

L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mascara — Natural Ingredients, Wow Lashes

Mmmm mascara. I do love it. Especially when it makes my lashes longer and fuller and doesn’t smudge. L’Oreal’s new Bare Naturale Mascara ($9.99 US at Walgreens) does this, with the added benefits of natural ingredients.

Actually, I was quite surprised with this product. With a name that has the word “Naturale” in it, I automatically think that my lashes will appear bare. So I chose the darkest color, Blackest Black, for a better chance at the dramatic look I like. When I sweep it on, my lashes instantly appear longer and thicker. This mascara is a good day look, but not too natural. There is a bit of drama there!

The formula for the Bare Naturale mascara includes jojoba oil, vitamin E and aloe to condition lashes. L’Oreal claims that, “the innovative formula contains 86% natural-origin ingredients, shine-enhancing minerals and is both parabin- and fiber-free.” The brush is made with natural bristles that are not supposed to tug on lashes.

I like that the cosmetics companies are leaning towards natural ingredients. It makes me feel a little better about covering my face in lotions and powders, and especially mascara. Mascara defines the eye and gives a glamorous look. And now it is good for you too! Yay!

Long Lashes That Don’t Smudge? Try Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point Mascara!

I love me some mascara! I love long, thick, eye-opening lashes and many of the modern mascaras give me just the look I want. Not natural, or sweet. I’m 40. I need WOW eyes, 24-7.

It wasn’t always like that for me. I used to hate mascara. It would clump and run. And not really make my tiny lashes look much bigger then they were. But so many new, wow formulas and brushes are afoot, and that makes my eyelashes much happier.

One good example of a great new mascara is Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point Mascara. This is a mascara with a smaller wand that gets even the puniest lashes and lengthens them.

The cool thing about the Lash Injection Line from Too Faced is that “Lash Injection Pin Point’s exclusive 3D polymers build waterproof tubes around each lash that expand and stretch far, far beyond the natural lash while the sleek pinpoint precision brush separates and curls for the most divinely detailed, healthy lash look imaginable. Like paraffin dip treatments, moisture is locked into the lash by each tube, and lashes stay conditioned and hydrated.”

The tubes are cool, but difficult to remove. You need a good, oil based remover to get it all off. Lancome’s Bi-Facil is a good one. But this mascara WILL NOT SMUDGE, so it is worth the work to remove.

Priced at 19.50 USD this mascara is a bit of a splurge, but it is worth it if you like long lashes. Another good skinny-brushed mascara at a cheaper price is Maybelline’s Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof Mascara. This one is priced for $7.29 USD at Walgreens. It also grabs all of your lashes and is waterproof so it rarely smudges. Both of these mascaras are worth checking out if this is the look you are going for!