Bat Those Lashes

Let's talk mascara. As you may well know, it's the most common and necessary type of makeup. Some won't even head out of the house without a coat of it on.

There are two forms of mascara, the first being the usual wand and tube type. The second form is less commonly used, which is in cake form. You moisten the cake with water and passed a brush over it. It has a natural finish and can build up your lashes very well, no matter how puny they are.

Some women will buy their makeup, including mascara, ONLY at department stores or makeup boutiques, e.g. Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks, etc. Although I'm not cheap-o, I'm not rich, either, so I buy my mascara at drugstores.

Pick a mascara that has the benefit that you need. For example, if you have long but thin lashes, opt for a volumizing mascara. If you have short but thick lashes, go for lengthening, and so forth. Black mascara works well on everyone and makes eyes pop. Those who have lighter hair and skin tones may want to get a brown-black mascara.

I've only tried two mascaras so far. They are both of not-bad quality. The first is Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara in Blackest Black. Many people rave about this product, but, personally, it's only so-so. It gives volume but clumps a bit, too. I have a problem with mascara; it always smudges underneath my eyes. That's why I've only tried two kinds.


The second kind is better: L'Oreal Lash Out Waterproof Mascara in Black Brown. It does separate and lengthen, as it claims, but it also claims to be flake-proof, which it is not.

A few really good mascaras:


Lancome Définicils High Definition Mascara

L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara


Dior Diorshow Mascara


Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara


Stay tuned...the next blog will be about application. =]


Any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Feel free to add comments, questions, complaints, praises (please, a lot of praises), requests, or any ol' thought that comes to your mind.

Thanks to any readers out there who are willing to waste some time and listen to my babbling. =]

My Makeup Philosophy

Most people don't have a philosophy for makeup unless they're makeup artists. Since I'm just the dork I am, I have one even though I'm not a makeup artist.

I look up to Carmindy, a makeup artist for What Not to Wear, the TV show that helps the fashionably disabled become...well, abled. If you just happen to glance at her website, http://carmindy.com/, you'll notice that she has a philosophy. Let's just say that I totally agree with it. Makeup is not a luxury. It is a tool for women to feel better about themselves. I think that high self-esteem and self-concept is the ultimate goal of makeup. With all the tabloids out there, complaining about the flaws of the seemingly perfect movie stars (if they're perfect, what does that make us? deformed?), it's pretty easy to understand why some women aren't comfortable with how they look in the mirror.

I'm sure that all of you out there (unless you're a narcissist) have felt this insecurity. This is where makeup comes into play. With the right tools and techniques, you can learn to look your best. I am here to guide you. So get out there and rev up that self-confidence!

Any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Feel free to add comments, questions, complaints, praises (please, a lot of praises), requests, or any ol' thought that comes to your mind.

Thanks to any readers out there who are willing to waste some time and listen to my babbling. =]

Intro to This Blog

Before I begin dishing out makeup advice, let me tell you a little bit about how I started my makeup obsession. After all, you probably want some credibility in the person you're going to (hopefully) take advice from.

I used to be pretty oblivious as far as how I appeared to others, and I rarely even glanced at myself in the mirror. I knew nothing about cosmetics and didn't care to know. For Christmas one year, my mom gave me a makeup book. I played around with my mom's outdated makeup and attempted at a few of the looks shown, but ultimately decided that I disliked that idea.

That all changed when I moved. At my old school, I felt comfortable with who I was since I had been with the same class for five years. It had been so long since I had made new friends that I forgot how. When I first came to my current school, my self-esteem was down to nada. I knew nobody, talked to nobody, and felt just plain miserable. That's when my appearance began playing a role.

I knew that if I looked better (prettier) then people would want to talk to me more. So I tested around with makeup and told myself that I was going to master this so I could make more friends.

So two years and some more friends later, here I am, claiming to be a makeup expert? Not exactly. I am no expert (yet), but as they say, I am cautiously optimistic. I am slowly but surely making my way up the ladder of "makeup expertise." I have read books, magazines, internet sites, watched videos, seen pictures, etc. The list keeps going. I have done whatever I can to find out more about makeup. And because I am such a helpful person (or so I think), I want to share that information with the world.

Any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Feel free to add comments, questions, complaints, praises (please, a lot of praises), requests, or any ol' thought that comes to your mind.
Thanks to any readers out there who are willing to waste some time and listen to my babbling. =]