Magic Mascara Wands

July 31, 2008 09:00 PM | Comments (0) | Posted in make up, beauty_trend, eyes, mascara, cover girl

What: Innovations in mascara wand design are leaving lashes looking longer than ever.

What the Experts Say: Think the mascara wand is only ancillary to the actual mascara formula? Think again. Cosmetics manufacturers are churning out wand designs that may look odd, but truly deliver the goods. It’s all enough to get Christina Ricci’s makeup gal, Vanessa Scali, hyped up. Of Givenchy’s Phenomen Eyes mascara , which touts a wand with a ball-shape at the end, Scali tells InStyle, “The unusual brush let’s you get in between every lash for extra definition. I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a mascara.��?

What We Say: We don’t step foot outside without our lashes looking lush and lengthy, so if the new crop of wands make a difference, we’re psyched. Guerlain Le 2 De Guerlain Two Brush Mascara boasts two wands: a thick one for volumizing and lengthening, and a tiny angled one that reaches pesky inner lashes for a wide-eye effect. At $35, it’s not quite a steal, so Covergirl Lash Blast and Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara have you covered, offering lush lashes at lesser price points. Lash Blast’s large, patent-pending plastic brush really separates every lash for awesome definition, but is difficult to maneuver on tiny inner lashes. The VolumFlex Brush in Glam’Eyes literally bends, making it highly maneuverable and perfect for coating each lash from root to tip.

Photo: Style.com

Beauty Advice: Best Waterproof Mascara

January 5, 2008 07:00 PM | Comments (1) | Posted in beauty advice, mascara

Dear Budget Fashionista,
I’m looking for a new waterproof mascara (regular just melts right off my face). I’ve been using Make Up For Ever, but as a college student it’s just
too expensive to be purchasing all the time. Any recommendations?

Answer: My favorite budget waterproof mascara is Maybelline Great Lash - Waterproof Mascara. It’s cheap (under $4 at Wal-Mart), doesn’t clump, and is solidly waterproof. There are also more expensive ($8-$12) brands, like L’Oreal and Avon, that have solid waterproof mascaras as well.

Revlon 3D Extreme Mascara

December 31, 2007 11:32 AM | Comments (0) | Posted in product review, mascara, revlon, Product Review, Revlon

What: Robin tries out Revlon’s 3D Extreme Mascara, $7.49, in Blackest Black

The Lowdown: Cliché as it may be, a few swipes of mascara can really bring out your eyes. Even though it requires a few extra minutes in the morning (unless you’re one of those Kamikaze types who applies it while driving), the way mascara makes your eyes pop is worth it. That is, when the mascara is good. Having been partial to a certain brand that I absolutely love (the name just happens to fail my memory at the moment), I wasn’t dying to try something new. The Revlon packing claims that it will make your lashes 25X fuller, 70% curvier and 80% visibly longer. Okay, I’ll give it a whirl. As soon as I opened the bottle, I noticed “The Bold Impact Brush” with its “Exclusive Design” didn’t look anything like its picture—the brush was small, with short, stumpy looking bristles. But the application was actually nice and clean, with no clumping. I did have to make quite a few swipes to get full coverage, but when I was finished, I didn’t have use an eyelash brush to separate my lashes. My biggest joy, though, was that I didn’t need to curl my lashes (something I always do). My lashes stayed curled for hours and looked super long. A friend even complimented me by saying, “You look good in mascara. You should wear it more often.” Um, thanks? I always wear mascara, at least I thought I did.

Yea or Nay? Yea. I’m no mathematician so I can’t say their percentages are 100% accurate, but I’ll bet money this mascara will make your lashes look better than they do right now. And since you don’t have to bother with messy anti-clumping lash combs or curlers, it’s a win-win product.

Buy It: @ CVS.com, $7.49