Are you wearing false lashes?

That(^) is the question I was asked four times the other day.

Now... Was I actually wearing falsies? Not a chance. I have zero talent for applying them and would much rather just apply coat after coat of regular mascara to make up for it.

I also have no shortage of different mascaras to try/layer/love/hate in my drawers, yet the moment I spot that little "NEW" in the corner of a package I feel an inexplicable pull and find myself instantly drawn to it like a moth to a light. Despite studying advertising and marketing extensively in college, and again now in grad school, and knowing exactly what they're doing to draw me in, I am a marketer's dream.

I will buy anything on the promise of longer lashes, fuller lips, brighter skin, or more voluminous hair.

At least I can admit it, right?

Anyway, I digress.

The point is... I found a new mascara!

I know, I know, you are so surprised!

But come on, ladies, you would be excited, too. I'm pretty sure I hit the lash-trifecta with this one - length, volume, AND long-lasting!

Maybelline XXL Pro 24HR BOLD

Now, I admit I was a little turned off when I first saw the packaging. I'm not typically a fan of the double-sided mascaras. I've left the house more than once with one eye fringed by white lashes because, in the midst of rushing to get out the door, I completely forgot to put on the second coat of actual mascara over the primer.

Ever shown up to school or work with one white eye? Not cool.

I also find most of the primers in these products to be clumpy and difficult to work with. Do you let them dry first or do you rush to get the mascara on while they're still wet? Which way makes them less clumpy? What makes them flake off?

All in all, I'm just not a fan. It's been years since I purchased one of those products, though, and I managed to convince myself that maybe the formulas had changed enough that my long-lived grudge was now null and void.

What I didn't realize until I tore open the package is that this product is nothing like the primer disasters I had previously encountered. In fact, there is no primer to be seen. First off, both sides are black - no more embarrassing snow-queen lashes!

At first I thought maybe the geniuses over at Maybelline had simply made the primer black to avoid all kinds of humiliating errors, but it then became clear that it was just two separate mascaras. A base coat that gives you astronomical length and can be layered to achieve lashes of drag queen proportions, followed by a top coat to fatten them up a little and make them last all day and night.

No, really, all day and night. I had to put some serious effort into getting it off before bed. The best part is that there is absolutely zero crunch - you know what I'm talking about. That awful clumpy/stiff/uncomfortable look a lot of mascaras get when you've put one too many layers on. It's not pretty. It's not fun. It's not necessary, especially XXL Pro 24HR Bold. It truly feels like there is nothing on my lashes when I wear this - it's soft and pretty and not even one flake comes off.

How much better can it get? I'll tell you - it can't!

This is officially my new favorite mascara... At least until I spot another package with that tiny little "NEW!" in the corner.

[photo credit: maybelline.com]

Eye Can't Do It... Or Can I?

My friends... I have a confession to make.

I have issues with eyeliner.

There. I said it.

I speak the truth, y'all.

I am terrible with eyeliner. I can't draw a straight line to save my life. I rely on excruciatingly slow processes and painstaking application methods to get something that even resembles a straight line, and even then I usually end up having to use a q-tip or a smudge brush to soften it.

I don't know what my problem is. I've watched the YouTube tutorials, I've spent limitless time in front of the mirror trying to practice... I just can't get both eyes to have the same, even, straight line unless I spent about twenty minutes on each one.

It is so frustrating.

There is one thing that really helps, though... The influx of gel & cream liners that seem to be flooding the market lately make me so happy! For some reason I have much better luck applying liner with a brush than with an actual eye pencil. For this reason alone I've spent way too much money on various shades of Bobbi Brown's Long-wear Gel Eyeliner.

At $21 it's not heinously priced, but it's not quite easy on the wallet. It is, however, my favorite of all the cream/gel liners that I've tried. It's easy to use, goes on smoothly, and stays on forever.

On a recent drugstore makeup binge, the same one that led me to discover the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush quads, also gave me a potential alternative to my beloved Bobbi Brown.

Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

It's priced at $9.99 it is certainly easier on the wallet, the packaging is pretty close to Bobbi Brown's, which I love, and it comes with it's own application brush... This is a no-lose situation, girls.

[photo credit: Temptalia]

I immediately lunged for this little baby in the Plum shade and tore it open the second I got home.

[photo credit: Temptalia]

The consistency is a little... I'm not sure how to describe it, but I don't think it is as thick or pigmented as the Bobbi Brown. The swatch above is from the fabulous Temptalia, and the reviewer there loved it. It actually took me a few tries before I decided that I did, indeed, like it very much. At first I couldn't get an even application and the color looked a little sheer, but once I got into a groove it really did look the way it does in that swatch. It's a very pretty color, it goes on pretty smooth, but you may need a few layers to really get a saturated color.

All in all, a pretty decent product at half the price of Bobbi Brown.

Anyone else tried this liner? Did you have the same issues I did with getting a fully saturated application? Let me know!

[photo credits: bobbibrowncosmetics.com, temptalia.com, maybelline.com]

"Tempted by the fruit of another..."

Let's talk eyeshadow, shall we?

I've mentioned before that, for the most part, my heart belongs to high end eyeshadows. They're usually more pigmented, easier to blend, long-lasting, and just higher quality in general. That being said, I'm definitely not a makeup snob. I love my drugstore mascaras more than anything, and I often venture into the beauty aisles, tempted by the shiny displays and allure of low prices, ready and willing to give new products a try.

The other day I was perusing the various sparkly displays Walgreens was trying to entice me with and I came across a new range of eyeshadow quads by Maybelline.

These are the Eye Studio Quads and there's quite a selection of colors. Almost all of these are quite shimmery and let's face it, anything that shimmers is something I NEED to have in my life.

Unfortunately, the price point is a little higher than your typical drugstore eyeshadows - I believe I paid around $10 for this quad - so I fought my initial instinct and only grabbed one palette, the Taupe Temptress.

The verdict? Surprisingly wearable, despite the immense amount of shimmer. It really borders on glitter, actually, especially the white highlight shade, but not too intense. The colors are all really pretty and the staying power was quite good (at least when used on top of Urban Decay Priming Potion - not sure how it is without it). The combination of the four colors gives you a great range of options and I was impressed with how easily they all blended - I've had problems before with other Maybelline eye shadows that wouldn't blend worth a damn.

The texture is super soft so be careful when using a brush to apply as it can get very powdery, but it's really smooth and any stray flakes come off easily. Also, don't be dismayed by the high shimmer effect. The effect is pretty subtle unless you load on layer after layer.

Yay Maybelline for coming out with a great eyeshadow!

Has anyone else tried these? What do you think? What about the other products in the Eye Studio line, like the eye shadow duos or gel liners?

[photo credits: makeupalley.com]

Big Names Worth Big Bucks?

So MSN.com's Lifestyle section runs a weekly column by the Beauty Director of Marie Claire Magazine, Ying Chu. She's usually got some fun things to say and this week she answers the question: Are designer eye shadows worth the cost or can you get the same look using drugstore eye shadows?

or ?

Here's what she had to say:

"There are a ton of brands that offer top-quality makeup at drugstore prices—including L’Oréal, Cover Girl, and Revlon. If you’re trying out a new look (peacock blue eyes?), then experiment with something inexpensive at first. If you grow to love a trend and want to wear it regularly, then you can invest in something pricier. Sometimes, a more expensive brand can offer a wider range of colors, or really beautiful packaging (I’m a sucker for both), but the formula inside can be similar to what’s found at the drugstore."

Personally, I've never been a fan of drugstore eye shadows. I know, I know, some brands charge outrageous prices and I should be praising the likes of Maybelline and Cover Girl for providing an inexpensive option... But I just can't do it. While I adore many drugstore products, like mascara, I just don't think the eye shadows measure up.

The pigments and textures just can't compare to the high-end shadows from Chanel and Dior. Not even close to the mid-priced, but just as fabulous, brands like MAC and Urban Decay. They just don't seem to last on me and I firmly believe that the higher quality of ingredients in the more expensive shadows is well worth the price.

Of course, Chu has a point when she says to experiment with the drugstore products... But I say head on down to Sephora and try stuff out there. They have the best return policy on the planet so if you don't like it, just give it back!

So that's my view on the drugstore-high-end debate. What's yours?

[photo credits: covergirl.com, chanel.com]

Okay, for real this time! The BIG Winner is...

Kathleen M!!!

Congratulations on your BIG win!

Enjoy the prize pack and let us all know how you like it!

Thanks again to everyone else who participated and remember to keep checking back for other fun opportunities!

Good luck next time!

Have a fabulous night!

And the BIG Winner...

Will be notified later tonight!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who participated! I am so happy you guys liked the contest and hopefully I'll be able to do other great giveaways in the future. I look forward to all kinds of fun opportunities for you guys so remember to check back for the latest and greatest!

Back to the contest at hand... A lot of people were spot on with their guesses. BIG, the Maybelline Mascot, was actually in the officially commercial 6 times, so awesome job to everyone who got it right!

(Huge thanks to everyone who followed the blog or followed me on Twitter as well!)

And the biggest thanks goes out to Maybelline for sponsoring this fabulous contest and Lizzie over at AMP who put it together for me!

I'll be sure to let you guys all know what the Prize Pack Winner thinks of her new goodies as soon as I hear about it.

[photo credits: Maybelline NY]

A BIG Chance to Win From Maybelline!

*CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!*

Who's up for free makeup? I know I always am! See the bottom of this post for details!

In the meantime, a little background leading up to the contest...

Okay, so there's one product I constantly find myself arguing about.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara.

Loved by beauty editors and makeup artists alike, and consistently a winner on all kinds of top beauty product lists... I just can't make this stuff work for me. I reviewed it in a previous post and while most of my fave mascaras do come from Maybelline, I've just never been able to get on the Great Lash Bandwagon. Tons of people disagree with me, though, so it looks like I'll be arguing for quite a while. But maybe I'll be on the other side soon...

Enter Great Lash BIG. It looks like the same formula that makes Great Lash the "Number 1" mascara but with a new gigantic brush. One of my biggest complaints about the original Great Lash is the small brush, so YAY!



Looks pretty interesting. Brittany over at Clumps of Mascara has a comparison of regular Great Lash and the new Great Lash Big, so float on over there if you'd like more info.

*CONTEST INFO*

The awesome folks over at Maybelline have been kind enough to sponsor a little contest for all you wonderful readers out there!

You'll win a Maybelline Gift Pack filled with full-sized samples of Great Lash BIG and tons of other Maybelline NY products, including a Maybelline-branded compact mirror (total prize value of $75).

Here's what you need to do:

1. Maybelline sent out BIG, the Great Lash Big mascot, out into the busy streets of NYC to find a charismatic young woman to appear in the Great Lash Big Gig commercial. Check out the casting process below and pay special attention to the actual commercial at the end.

2. Leave a comment on the post and let me know how many times you spot "BIG" (the Great Lash BIG mascot) in the final commercial (starts at 2:08) - any comments will qualify as entries, you don't have to be correct to win. Also, if you comment as anonymous please leave your email (or send me a private email) just so I have a way to contact you.

3. Follow this blog (you can do this from the sidebar or up at the top of the screen) for a second entry. (optional)

4. Follow me on Twitter (link on the sidebar) for a third entry. (also optional)

That's it! Pretty simple, right?

You have until Sunday, October 25th to enter and I will notify the winner on Monday, October 26th.

Please let me know if you have any problems entering.

Happy viewing everyone!

[photo credits: Maybelline NY] And special thanks to Lizzie at Maybelline for this opportunity!

Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's... Drug-store mascara?

So I just took a little looksie in my makeup drawer... I have fifteen tubes of mascara.

FIFTEEN.

That's not even counting the piles of sample mini-tubes. What on Earth would posses someone to buy that much mascara? Well, I certainly have no idea. Apparently I have a serious addiction. Eh. Oh well. I can think of quite of few substantially worse things to be addicted to than mascara.

So, on to my point... I do have a few favorites in the high-end mascara category - Chanel Inimitable and DiorShow definitely make the cut, but for the most part I just don't see the point in spending $30 on mascara when the drug store varieties are just as good, if not better.

And despite the fact that I was a marketing and advertising major in college, I'm a HUGE sucker for mascara commercials. Of course I know all those models are wearing false eyelashes, I'm not blind. But somewhere between watching a commercial on television and staring at the pretty display in the store I always manage to convince myself that this new mascara will be the BEST.THING.EVER.

Unfortunately, that is just not always the case. In fact, it's hardly ever the case. But in the midst of all the duds I've definitely found a few dazzlers. So here is my list of the most awesome, and not so awesome, drugstore mascaras.

(Keep in mind that I have dark hair, dark eyebrows, and dark lashes... So I am all about the drama. I love 'em super dark and super long and frankly the more intense for me, the better.)

Maybelline The Colossal - Volume Express: You can layer this over and over again and it never turns clumpy! It definitely delivers on the volume promise, but I have found that sometimes by the end of the day it seems to disappear from my lashes a little bit. No one else I know has run into this problem, though, so maybe it's just me.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume: This is actually a new favorite of mine. It gives a little extra volume and certainly delivers on the length. I use it much more for daytime as it's definitely a little more of a natural look, but you can add a few more layers for a pretty nighttime look.

L'Oreal Double Extend: This is one of those not so awesome ones. I get it... I really do. I'm all for anything that's going to give me even longer/thicker lashes. The primer is pretty good, actually. It separates the lashes well and I can definitely see some added length. But good god, the little tube thingies? Sure, they look good while they're on... But I just cannot handle spending five minutes getting them off only to find my entire sink covered in tiny little black tubes that always make me think I've pulled out my precious lashes. Not acceptable.

Cover Girl LashBlast: I'm a pretty big fan of this stuff. I was a fan of CG's original mascara with a similar, yet much thinner, brush - LashExact. It reminds me a lot of Chanel's Inimitable, but I do remember being a little disappointed with the lack of intensity. They remedied that problem with their next incarnation - VolumeExact, but I still wasn't completely thrilled. This latest version pretty much corrects all the problems. Volume and length and zero clumps no matter how many coats you put on. Thumbs up!

Maybelline Great Lash: As far as I'm concerned, this is the biggest joke in the entire beauty industry. I cannot, for the life of me, fathom why or how every beauty editor has decided that this is the end-all-be-all of mascaras. It's seriously the WORST garbage I have EVER tried. It's clumpy and lumpy and flaky. It has no curling powers to speak of nor does it have any ability to last beyond a few hours. Seriously. CRAP. C-R-A-P. And each and every time I see a recommendation for this ridiculous eyesore of a package it makes me want to vomit. Great Lash my ass.

Rimmel Sexy Curves: I've tried several Rimmel mascaras and I've got to say... I'm just not impressed. They're usually decent, but rarely extraordinary. This one, though? It's extraordinarily bad. Look at the shape of the brush... I'm not sure why I thought it might be a good idea, but wow... The weird shape does nothing except give me uneven length. It also takes much longer to get all of your lashes evenly coated and it's just... A mess.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto: Love this stuff. Seriously. LOVE IT. I'm really not sure about all that "patent leather" stuff the commercials talk about... I don't think it does anything like that. But it certainly gives me some pretty ridiculously long lashes that have tons of volume and look exactly the same all day (and night). For a little extra boost, I use the primer from the L'Oreal Double Extend and put this on top and viola! I've got people asking me if I'm wearing fake lashes. Music to my ears!

So, what do you think? What are your favorite drug-store mascaras? Do you loathe and detest the Great Lash like I do? Or maybe you think I'm crazy for hating it... Let me know!

[photo credits belong to beauty.com and all of these products can be found there]