Category Archives: lashes

mascaras that lengthen, plump, define & dazzle

blinc mascara amplified

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blinc mascara amplified

anyone with watery eyes will tell you that finding a good smudgeproof mascara is no easy task. sure there are waterproof formulas out there that won’t budge an inch, but they’re a bear to remove and i don’t like the way that they feel on my lashes – kind of spidery and dry. blinc’s original tubing mascara is the only one that i’ve found to be virtually smudgeproof – you can put it on the morning and guarantee that it won’t wander or fade throughout the day.  the only problem is that i like a really full, lush lash and while it provides darkening and some length, the oomph factor is just kind of “eh.” when i heard that blinc. had upped their game (and their brush!) in their new amplified version, i couldn’t get to sephora fast enough.

blinc’s mascara amplified has all of the things that i love about the original formula (thick, glossy black lashes, great length and definition) but this one adds serious volume, too! it holds curl like a dream without weighing lashes down and you won’t feel like you’re wearing mascara so there’s no urge to tug at your lashes (i know you know what i’m talking about). i tested it on an ultra long day that looked like this: up at 5 am, 7:30 train from DC to NY, full day in the city, 9:30 train home to DC, walked in my door at 2 am. when i went to wash my face, the rest of my makeup had long wandered away, but my eyes still looked perfect!

i desperately wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but it was 2 am, so i held back…

sweet charity: make by we see beauty

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make by we see beauty
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it’s nice to be nice and we see beauty’s vision is just plain nice. with a shop full of gorgeous products, 1/3 of sales goes directly to the we see beauty foundation, a non-profit organization supporting women-led, worker-owned cooperatives. make is the first wholly for-benefit color cosmetics line launching on we see beauty’s online marketplace.

i got to play around with a few pieces of the collection yesterday and i am seriously impressed. the line has a fun freshness about it that makes the products completely unique and totally wearable at the same time. on top of that, the creators certainly did their homework, formulating products that are blendable, buildable, and long lasting.

matte finish blush in vegas, $22.50 – this electric pink requires a very light touch, but the high quality pigments are a piece of cake to blend so you’re left with a sheer fuchsia flush that’s ultra fresh.

soft focus corrective duo, $22.50 – i have been in the biggest concealer rut until discovering this concealing/setting pair. dabbing the creamy formula on to blemishes made them vanish completely and setting with the translucent powder kept them under wraps until bedtime – a huge win in my book.

defining mascara, $16 – i’m a mascara snob so i did not have high hopes for this. i was quickly proven wrong after applying the silkiest, blackest black lengthener ever. the tapered brush delivered crazy long, fluttery lashes that looked homegrown and did not flake or smudge. the biggest surprise of the day – love!

if you do nothing else, you must pay the website a visit. i’ve never seen a cosmetic collection so gorgeously represented online! beauty junkies who have to have it, will absolutely devour the comprehensive line complete with color, skincare, and tools ranging in price from $5 – $40.

eyeko mascara wardrobe

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eyeko mascara wardrobe

there’s a lot of debate over what makes a mascara great – the formula or the brush. i definitely believe that it’s a combination of both and your preference for mascara performance depends on if you’re looking for a do-all (thickening, defining, lengthening) or something that specializes in one effect. it gets confusing and you can end up with many different types of mascara and brushes in your beauty arsenal to achieve various desired looks.

but, who really wants to keep up with several tubes of mascara when one amazing formula that comes complete with three different brushes is truly all that you need?

this insanely cool concept from eyeko is a game changer. it gives you one tube of fabulous mascara and three different brushes for less than $30. i’ve been using the mascara wardrobe for a few weeks now and i’m convinced that there is nothing this little set can’t do. the formula might be my favorite one yet. it makes my lashes thick, jet black and glossy; it doesn’t smudge, flake, or run (and it washes off with good old h2o)  and by interchanging the brushes, i can get three completely different lash looks.

eyeko mascara brushes

the tube comes with the define brush already attached and the two spare brushes (left: curl, right: volume) come in these little glass vials for safe keeping in between uses. It’s a piece of cake to switch the brushes around and i think it’s genius that eyeko included the little vials.

the define brush is nicely shaped to the lash line, giving length and definition that really opens up my eyes. the fattened-up volume brush adds fullness and drama of the glossy black variety for super lush lashes – my favorite of the bunch! while i like the curl brush least of the three, it does offer up some very nice curl and hold (even without a curler, which is how i’ve been testing it).

all in all, this is an excellent everyday multi-tasking mascara that provides some serious bang for your buck. i’m highly recommending it for all mascara junkies and anyone who likes to play around with different lash looks, depending on their mood and day of the week.

shop eyeko mascara wardrobe ($28) >

beautyaddicts showoff mascara

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my lash look varies depending on the day. some days, i want crazy volume and plushness that’s all drama and sass, and some days i want natural looking, clump-free length that looks like its growing right out of my very own lids. the latter look is more what i go for on an everyday basis and for an everyday mascara, beautyaddicts showoff is really giving me the goods. that curved brush is shaped perfectly to my eye, catching every lash and delivering awesome curl without the use of a lash curler. my ho-hum, nothing special lashes are lengthened without a single clump and i’m left batting fringe that fools even me. now, there are lots of mascaras out there that look great right after application but that start to show their true colors as the day wears on. the true test of a mascara for me is one that holds its shape and length without flaking or smudging, even on my bottom shelf. (note: there are very few mascaras that live up to their claims of not smudging. very. few.) to challenge this mascara further, my naturally (for whatever reason) watery eyes tend to push things to the limit. i’ve been wearing this mascara for a straight week now and i’m almost sad to take it off at night – with nothing more than soap and water, thank you very much – because it still looks that pristine after 8+ hours of wear. beyond looks, the addition of argan oil makes this a formula that’s very easy to wear for long periods of time without irritating my eyes. you get a fabulous fan of feathered fringe and that’s something you just can’t put a price on.

shop beautyaddicts showoff mascara ($20) >

pretty for a penny: l’oreal voluminous power volume 24 hour mascara

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the last time i was in nyc i got to chatting with stephanie johnson when i realized that i hadn’t heard a word she said because i couldn’t take my eyes off of her eyelashes. a makeup minimalist, stephanie always looks great, but she was batting some major lash and i had to know her secret. when she was deep in the middle of telling me about sourcing fabrics for the fall 2013 line in hong kong, i blurted out “i’m sorry what’s happening with your eyelashes, i have to know!” she laughed and revealed to me that she had been at a magazine event and received a tube of l’oreal mascara in her gift bag. she said it was life-changing and that she would text me a picture of the tube when she got home (is she a good friend or what?). her text message that evening revealed an unfamiliar black and white tube – i immediately set out for the closest duane reade on a mission to find one.

i’m now a couple of weeks into my love affair with said black and white tube and i could not be more hooked. my lashes are sporting some serious volume thanks to the jumbo-sized brush and they are never clumped thanks to a crazy bristle arrangement that you’ve got to experience for yourself. my lashes have always been so, so – not super dark, not super long, not super thick but one coat of l’oreal’s collagen-laced formula and they are dark and defined. it holds curl without making lashes feel heavy and it stays all day without flakes or smudges. this has quickly become my favorite mascara and at under $8, i can imagine that it’s here to stay.

l’oreal voluminous power volume 24 hour mascara is available in drugstores and online for $7.99.

perfekt lash perfection gel

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perfekt lash perfection gel

it turns out that our lashes weren’t meant to be coated in mascara daily and they remind us of such by exhibiting behaviors like drying out, falling out, and being all around not the long lush natural fringe that we all lust after. while our favorite mascaras deliver the dramatic lash look that we want in the short run, they’re not actually doing us any long-term favors.

on days when i can afford to forgo the bambi look, i have been applying perfekt’s lash perfection gel. technically not a mascara, it’s a lash treatment masquerading as a smudge-proof lengthener. you get ingredients to help with added growth and extra moisture while enjoying the curl and darkening effects you would normally find in a mascara.

i find that my lashes look far better than they would with nothing on, and i’m actually doing something good for them. this is a great product to use a few times a week to give your eyes a break from your regular mascara and your lashes will fully repay your efforts as they morph into a shinier and stronger set than you started with.

pick up perfekt’s lash perfection gel at sephora for $28.50.

pop beauty peak performance mascara

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pop

forget everything you know about applying mascara, because it’s all about to change.

we’ve seen brush variety galore when it comes to painting our lashes, but new peak performance mascara from pop beauty is changing the game with the most innovative packaging i’ve seen to date.

housed in a slim pen-like tube, you twist and click the bottom (much like our beloved stila lip glazes) to dispense product into the plastic bristled comb tip. from there, application takes some practice, but the results are unrivaled length, volume, drama, and separation. somehow, this direct approach (no long wand to wave) gives great control and allows you to coat each lash with precision. the formula is a thick black gel that goes on like shiny lacquer and dries completely. it stays all day without flakes or smudges making it the longest lasting mascara that i have tried. i love the way that the formula lifts and holds curl and it’s a cinch to remove with warm water and basic cleanser (no extra remover or wipe is necessary).

if your lashes are primed for a mascara revolution, this is it.

pick up pop beauty peak performance for $20 at ulta.

covergirl clump crusher mascara

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the lashblast franchise is at it again, and just when i thought there were no more formulas to add to the family, covergirl proves me wrong. i’ve been a fan of the lashblast mascaras for a long while now (the original is still the only drugstore mascara that i recommend) and i have tried them all…but, when i spied this mysterious green tube in last month’s lucky magazine, i knew something good was coming our way.

and i was correct.

this version is the first one to actually surpass the original lashblast and become my new favorite drugstore mascara. something about the curved brush and silky formula gives this insanely fluttery volume that i can’t get enough of. this is the most buildable formula that i’ve found in a mascara ever. you can coat and coat your lashes with this stuff, the brush perfectly shaped to your lid, creating crazy long perfectly defined lashes without any of them looking spidery or sticking together. (it’s actually kind of weird how perfectly it goes on.)

the results are gorgeous and super flirty for everyday – you get this beyond natural, very achievable drama that looks like you might have grown it yourself. i’ve found that it wears very well over the course of a long day without making lashes feel dry or crunchy and, best of all, it washes off with warm water, meeting and exceeding all of my criteria for pure perfection.

beauties, i’m officially crowning a new queen of casual mascara. grab your own green tube of glory at drugstores and online for $6.99.

beauty for real miracle mascara

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one of the many things that i love about having a beauty blog is the opportunity to meet and test new-to-me brands that would have never wound up on my radar. beauty for real is a perfect example. i don’t know where this little line has been hiding, but the arrival of their miracle mascara on my doorstep has brought a welcome change to my eyelashes.

i have the most watery eyes on the planet. they are constantly tearing meaning that my mascara is constantly running. even though there are tons of no-smudge and waterproof versions on the market, i hate the dried-out way that they make my eyes and lashes feel. the beauty for real formula conquers that obstacle with ease. this creamy mascara glides onto lashes looking feathery and shockingly natural (we are talking length and volume that looks like it’s growing right out of your own lash follicles). i absolutely love the look that it gives me. there are no clumps (none!), no lash comb necessary and the wear on this stuff is beyond compare. i can make it through a full work day, a happy hour, and a walking workout without a smudge or flake. beauty for real has created a formula that resists oil, sweat, and tears, yet still removes easily with warm water. i am in awe.

some of you may be interested to know that the tube itself boasts a magnifying mirror and a light-up wand, neither of which i’ve taken advantage of (it’s not often that i’m doing my makeup in a dark alley), but both are a nice added bonus if you like that sort of thing.

if you’re a contact wearer or discerning mascara maven, pop on over to beauty for real and pick up your daily miracle for $23.

bobbi brown intensifying long-wear mascara

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i can’t stand mascara smudges and i find that everything smudges on me. it’s right up there with lipstick on the teeth on my list of beauty pet peeves – making me look far less polished and put together than i’d like and it drives. me. crazy.

bobbi’s new mascara was seeming too good to be true when i read about its sleek little brush (love!) and long-wearing formula. when it arrived, i made haste to apply two coats and head out for a 4-mile walk in the 90+ degree heat, figuring if it could stand up against those sweaty elements, then maybe it was a keeper. i returned home slightly sunburned and a little worse for the wear, but my lashes looked fabulous with not a smudge to speak of.

in true bobbi fashion, the formula glides on to lashes and the smaller, fine-bristled brush really grabs on to every lash, making it especially easy to coat the ones at the corners. it gives a natural finish with an enhancement to length and definition. it’s not a dramatic volume-maker, but the clump-free long-wear and ability to remove it with warm water have really impressed me. i have found very few mascaras that can meet my high expectations, and this one does it beautifully.

i can’t say (yet) that it’s overtaken my top shelf mascara, but i feel confident that i have a seriously good replacement should the trish mcevoy factory go down in flames. (yes, i have concerns about these things…it’s a wonder i don’t stockpile more beauty products in anticipation of a cosmetic apocalypse!)

bobbi brown intensifying long-wear mascara is available here for $24.