Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Mascara 101

Beauty Post 1




Over the past few years I have experimented with many different brands of mascara.

I've tried super cheap, $5 mascaras, and I've tried really nice, $25 mascaras. Through experimentation and trial and error, I've discovered what works and what doesn't ( at least for me).

I used to use a lot of Neutrogena products, and I used their vitamin mascara for a while. The mascara was very nourishing and skin friendly, but it was a smidge too light and transparent for the type of mascara I like.

Next, I tried Maybelline Great lash for a while. Great last is definitely good mascara, and is worth the money. The only complaint I had was that the mascara was very, very strong, and was sometimes quite difficult to get totally off my eyelashes, even with remover. Also, I found that it dried out pretty quickly, causing me to replace it faster than I should have.

I also tried a few types of Relvon, which I was satisfied with, but not totally sold on. I experimented with Maybelline's Colossal, and actually ended up wearing it for quite a while. I bought 2-3 tubes of it. The brush is amazing and works very well with volume.

I used some define-a-lash for one week, but that was it for me. The mascara was strictly made for lengthening.. and I'm definitely a volume girl!!




Just before Prom, I bought Lancome's Hypnose, high lash mascara. I absolutely fell in LOVE with it. The brush elongates and separates each lash, while coating each fiber with just the perfect amount of dark, black mascara. I found that this mascara was very easy to layer several times, or simply wear alone. It is by far the most versatile mascara I've ever used. Even though I bought the regular version, I found that it didn't smudge very easily, but was able to be quickly removed. If i had the budget, I would wear Hypnose mascara constantly. My only issue is that I devour mascara. I wear it every day, sometimes removing it and then reapplying with a fresh coat. Since I have to settle for a cheaper mascara, I am fully pleased with Covergirl. Covergirl, ( in my opinion) has the BEST cheap mascara you will find. I am currently using Last Blast Fusion. The brush is stiff, but it provides adequate lash separation and fully covers the lashes in mascara. This mascara can be layered, but I've found that I have to wait about 3-5 minutes before reapplying the second coat, or it doesn't work so well. I love that Covergirl offers a big variety in their mascaras and even have some with specks of glitter! How glamorous is that?! Very, I think. Anyway if you are looking for a mascara, I would definitely recommend anything from Covergirl, or for a big budget, Lancome.

My faves:
* Covergirl Lash Exact
* Covergirl Lash Blast
* Covergirl Fantastic Lash
* Colossal

What do I look for in a mascara?

Length
Length actually isn't super important to me, unless I'm really dressed up or trying to do my make-up very elegant. I like for my lashes to be moderately long, but not too over the top. I think that long, skinny lashes look horrible.. but that's just my opinion . Plenty of people prefer to have long, sky-high skinny lashes that reach their eyebrows.. but that's just not me.

Volume
Volume is the MOST important factor when I'm buying a tube of mascara. I specifically look for mascaras that are made to add volume, and plump up my lashes as much as possible! Now don't get me wrong, I don't go for the drag-queen effect.. I just have pretty small lashes in general, so I really try to play them up when I wear mascara. When reading the label on the box I try to look for words like: volume, full, and thick.

Brush Size and Style
Carefully look at pictures of the mascara applicator brush, this will tell you a lot about how the mascara is going to look on your lashes. One specific brand recently produced a mascara with a tiny ball shaped brush. It is very hard for me to imagine that a brush that tiny and that oddly shaped would apply evenly and separate the lashes... but I could be wrong. I look for a brush with either stiff or flexible bristles. The soft, flexible bristles make applying the mascara easier, but can sometimes be the first to get tangled up in the old residue and kinda clump up the mascara, making it super difficult to apply. Hard bristles are effective, but just be carefully not to jam yourself in the eye.. i've done this way too many times, and with hard bristles, they are definitely less forgiving and more accident prone.. or maybe I'm just an extremely klutz. . that's probably the case.

Color
Color is ESSENTIAL to your mascara. If you choose a shade that's too dark or too light, it could totally ruin your makeup.
I have medium brown hair, but my eyebrows are dark brown. I usually buy Black or Very Black mascara.. I try to get the darkest shade possible, because it makes my eyes look darker. I do study other people's makeup often though, and I've decided that platinum blondes look a lot better with lighter shades of mascara than Blackest Black. Brown tends to look just right on many blonde or dirty shades of hair. Carefully consider what shade of mascara you want before you instinctively grab the black tube on your way through the drug store.




Aren't these lashes absolutely gorgeous?!!?!

Penelope Cruz has amazing lashes!!

No comments:

Post a Comment