The Holy Grail of mascaras? Quite possibly...

You may remember I have eyelash issues... Eyelash envy, if you will. I'm constantly lusting after the long, lush lashes you see on the models in magazine ads. Granted, many of these models are wearing falsies, so realistically, I probably never will achieve such greatness with my own God-given eyelashes. But, I might be able to come pretty darn close.


How, you ask? Thanks to my latest discovery, I'm sporting long, thick separated lashes. This miracle product is none other than Chanel Inimitable mascara. I've been a fan of Chanel cosmetics over the years, but they come with quite the price tag attached. Thus, I usually pass on the brand. But I read so many great reviews and saw so many amazing pictures of people wearing this mascara on MakeupAlley, that I figured I couldn't go wrong.

The reason it's so great, in my humble opinion, is because it takes a similar "revolutionary" brush that you'd find in Cover Girl's Lash Exact, and pairs it with an amazing, high-end mascara formula. So lashes are longer, more volumized and more separated than ever!

And (as if it could get better), it's used by a well-known celebrity. Jennifer Aniston is also a fan of Inimitable. So if it's good enough for her, you know it's gotta be good!

You can get it in Black (Noir) or Brown (Brun), and it will set you back $26.50. A big splurge for mascara (I budgeted in other areas so I could justify buying it!), but believe me, I don't think you'll regret it!

I'm a Barbie Girl...reluctantly

Rarely do I get caught up in the hype of advertising. Companies can try their best to convince me that I want something, but it's not until I hear from other reliable sources about how great a product really is, that I actually want it.

My case in point is the Barbie Loves MAC limited edition make up line by MAC Cosmetics.


The Barbie Loves MAC collection is a collaboration between MAC Cosmetics and Mattel. As you can see from the marketing photo, the colors are inspired by the makeup Barbie wears (those are real models, not dolls - I swear!) and are named appropriately. One could pick up Malibu Barbie colored lip gloss (which, if you're wondering, is bright fuchsia - which is all too appropriate for Barbie, but probably not so much for the average woman), or an eye shadow in Springtime Skipper (if you remember, Skipper is Barbie's little sister), which is a pearly mint green shade.

I'm not a regular MAC make up user. It's not that I don't like the line. I just haven't bought much from it. I did, however, own a good many Barbies when I was little. And although I always wanted to look like her when I was younger, I can't imagine wearing those bright colors now. Thus, I had no desire to buy anything from this collection.

That was, until people on MakeupAlley (my trusted source for beauty information) started talking about one particular eye shadow shade - Moth Brown. This shade was previously released in a different limited edition MAC collection, but due to its huge popularity, was brought back for the Barbie collection. My fellow make up comrades on MakeupAlley raved about this eyeshadow shade - it's what you'd call a "complex" shade. It's brown, but has silver, grey, purple and blue undertones. With all those undertones, you can pair it with tons of other shades. People raved so much about how fabulous and versatile it was, that when I went to the MAC counter to get a birthday present for a friend, I decide to check it out for myself. I was sold on it as soon as the sales associated showed me the color on her hand. In the pot, it looks blah, but when you put it on your skin, it shines. It's iridescent and beautiful. The perfect shade for a smokey eye that's not too smokey.

So if you're like me and don't get caught up in advertising hype, take my advice to at least check this shade out. It could be a valuable addition to your makeup collection.

Un"bare"ably beautiful

I bet you've seen the infomercials or the perky QVC women gushing over how well this product works. The countless demonstrations of "Swirl, Tap, and Brush." I'm, of course, talking about bareMinerals makeup, made by Bare Escentuals.

Minerals are the In thing right now, but Bare Escentuals has been around since 1976 (I'm as shocked as you are about that!). They started this mineral revolution. And, in my opinion, they are the company to check out of you're considering mineral makeup.

What is mineral makeup? Well, unlike traditional liquid foundation, bareMinerals is in powder form. According to their website, they make their products with crushed minerals from the earth, which makes it 100% pure. No preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance or other things that cause your skin to freak out. And (as if it could get any better??) they claim that using their makeup will actually improve your skin. Can it possibly be true? Can minerals help your face?

Well, I say they do. I switched to bareMinerals about six months ago, after becoming frustrated with how liquid foundation felt on my face. I'd seen the demonstrations on TV, and thought it could be gimmicky. But the claims, if they were actually true, warranted testing it out. After all, I could always return it.

When I ventured out to the store to pick it up, I learned that there are several options for purchasing the makeup. You can buy the kit, which comes with 2 shades of foundation, their Mineral Veil finishing powder, a "warm" all over face color, and 3 brushes. OR, you can just buy the foundation on its own. The latter is the way to go. I say skip all that stuff in the kit, and just start out with the foundation. It will cost you less than half the cost of the kit, plus you can pick out a foundation that matches your skin better.

Another super important thing you'll need to invest in is a brush. But don't bother to buy the Bare Escentuals brushes. You can save yourself money by picking one up at your local drugstore that's just as good. I strongly urge you to buy the Essence of Beauty Kabuki brush. It's amazing, and it's almost a third of the price of the brand name brush. (Please note that the brush pictured below is Bare Escentuals - I just want you to know what a kabuki brush looks like so you can go to CVS and pick out the Essence of Beauty brush, which apparently you can't find a picture of on the Internet!)

OK, back to the part about how great it works. I used to get occasional breakouts, like many other women. That has dramatically decreased since I began using this makeup. They say it's so good for your skin that you can sleep in it. I have done so on many occasions, and although I wouldn't recommend doing it on a regular basis (come on, your skin needs to breathe sometimes!), it certainly won't cause you to wake up to a zit forest on your chin. Plus, it makes your skin tone look so even and smooth. Supposedly, the Mineral Veil creates even more of an "airbrushed" look, but I've personally never used it.

Bottom line? It's not a gimmick. It will make your skin look amazing, clear up problem areas (some have said it's even improved fine lines!), and will feel like you're wearing nothing on your face. And if you're at all like me and hate the feeling of heavy makeup, you'll appreciate that feature more than any of the other benefits combined.

Something to smile about

I was paging through the February issue of Allure (one of several fashion/beauty mags I read on a regular basis) and a sidebar in the magazine caught my eye. "Put on a Happy Face," it read. The content of this mini-article certainly put a smile on my face, as it provides evidence that wearing makeup is good your well-being. Finally, my passion has been legitimatized.

Rather than try to put author Jessica B. Matlin's words into my own, I'd rather quote them here verbatim for those of you who don't read Allure. (And I suppose I'm also feeling a little lazy, given it's late on a Sunday evening and I just want to go to bed!)


Put on a Happy Face
As if you needed an excuse to buy a new lipstick - according to experts, cosmetics can actually make you happier. Seeing yourself in a new shade or patting on a luxurious product can give more payoff than even the most lavish gift with purchase.

IT'S UPBEAT
"Applying makeup is a fundamentally optimistic act," says Michael Cunningham, a professor of psychology and communication at the University of Louisville. "It shows that you are ready to go out into society and want to be looked at in a positive light. When people become depressed, they stop caring about their appearance. They get into sweats and sleep."

IT'S COLORFUL
"The shades you choose can affect how you feel," Cunningham says. "Warmer hues, especially rose, produce feelings of hope, while cooler ones, such as light blue or dark green, induce feelings of calm." Select your lipstick, blush, and eye-shadow colors accordingly.

IT'S CONTAGIOUS
"Cosmetics send signals to other people," says Helen Fisher, a professor of anthropology at Rutgers University. "And happiness breeds happiness. People actually feel better when they're around others who radiate positivity, and that's the purpose makeup aims to serve. Rosy-colored cheeks and large, bright eyes connote youth, vitality, and happiness."

IT'S EXCITING
"Novelty is a natural stimulant," Fisher says. "It drives up dopamine in the brain. That feeling you get when you find that perfect lipstick is your reaction to its newness."

IT'S CALMING
"The whole ritual of putting on cosmetics is soothing," Cunningham says. "Performing small actions deliberately and carefully can be tranquil. And spending time focusing on yourself can be very restorative."

I couldn't agree more.