Baume du Sourire Smile Lip Balm, Orange Blossom

I have officially found my new favorite lip product. I got a few Baume du Sourire lip products, but the one I'm focusing on in this entry is the Smile Lip Balm in "Orange Blossom". At 13 bucks, I felt that it was pretty pricey, but I fell in love with it. The packaging was very elegant, I loved the French vibe, and the practicality of the tube. I usually don't like scented products, but the citrusy scent was amazing. It soaked in after a little while, and left my lips feeling soft and conditioned. I can't wait to try more Baume du Sourire products!

Lorac vs Maybelline: Curved Brushes

I noticed distinct similarities between Lorac's 3D Multiplex Lashes and Maybelline's Colossal Cat Eyes, so I decided to compare them for you. While the Lorac mascara is much more expensive, it boasts a larger brush, and thus more volume. The Maybelline holds the curled-lash effect just as well as the Lorac mascara does. The length given by the products is about equal; the Maybelline might give slightly better length. I feel that the Cat Eyes made it easier to wing out the corners, due to the smaller brush. I would say that the mascaras are about equal, if price isn't an issue for you.

Maybelline Great Lash Big Mascara

I haven't tried any of Maybelline's Great Lash products, so I figured I'd give at least one of them a try. I bought Great Lash Big, wo seeing if it would give me as much volume as say, the Falsies. It did not. However, I liked it anyways. The brush was big, but not awkwardly so, and the definition the product gave me was quite surprising. I got a good amount of volume as well. The mascara held it's effect throughout the day, and did not flake or smear. I would have named it Great Lash Defined, though; it would be a more accurate name. I might end up buying this product again.

Hard Candy Flat to Fab Mascara

I decided to pick up Hard Candy's Flat to Fab mascara, wondering if it truly gave as much volume as it claimed to. I certainly got my hopes up; the brush was massive! It was literally the biggest mascara brush I have ever seen. However, the results weren't fabulous. While the product gave me good definition, the mascara certainly didn't give as much volume as I had anticipated. I didn't hate it, though; it held the curl throughout the day, which most mascaras don't. I will probably use this mascara until I run out; however I will not buy it again.

History of Mascara

Mascara has been around far before the ages of Great Lash and DiorShow. In fact, it was first used in the year 4000 B.C. in Egypt. The Egyptian women often used Kohl on their eyelashes, lids, and eyebrows. Honey and water were often added to keep the kohl in place. The usage of kohl as a cosmetic item spread to Babylonia, Greece, and Rome.
Long after the Egyptians (I'm talking the Victorian Era), women manufactured their own mascara at home. Said product was usually composed of lampblack or ash and mixed with elderberry juice. The mascara was then heated and applied to the lashes.
A more modern form of mascara was not available until the time of Eugene Rimmel (circa 1850). Rimmel made his mascara using petroleum jelly and coal dust, which was a fairly new product at the time. The product caught on quickly, and was widely used.
In 1913, T.L. Williams (founder of Maybelline cosmetics), created a type of mascara for his sister, Maybel. He called it Lash-Brow-Ine, as it could be used on both lashes and eyebrows. The product was very messy, but nonetheless popular. In 1917, he launched his very own mail-order service. A better form of mascara was soon developed to replace Lash-Brow-Ine. Said product included a brush and a cake of mascara. It was applied by wetting the brush and rubbing it over the cake, then sweeping onto lashes and brows. This mascara was also quite messy.
Years later, in 1957, American cosmetic giant Helena Rubenstein came out with a new type of mascara. It was a cream that could be squeezed onto an applicator, and applied to lashes. This method was not quite as messy as the previous ones, however it could still be a catastrophe.
The grooved mascara wand was created in the 1960s, and made it easier to apply mascara, and it more effectively coated lashes. This method is the most common one today.

How to Clean Makeup Brushes

One important skill for makeup enthusiasts to have is brush cleaning. Ideally, one should clean their brushes once a week. Here's what you need:

Before; dirty

Brush Shampoo (I use E.L.F.)
Dirty Brushes
Warm Water
Washcloth
     Steps:
Wet brush
Dab small amount (pea-sized drop) into palm
Sprinkle water onto shampoo
Rub brush into mixture, alternately running under tap
Repeat for each brush until they are all clean.
Once brush is clean, arrange the bristles so it will dry into it's proper shape; let dry.

After; clean

Ulta Extreme Wear Cream Eye Shadow

I bought Ulta's Extreme Wear cream eye shadow a little while back at Ulta, after being impressed with a few of their other products; it turned out to be worth the eight bucks. I bought the shadow in "Misbehavin'," a sexy shade of grayish brown. The applicator was a lot like a lip gloss wand, and very easy to work with. The shadow was highly pigmented and blendable; it dried quickly as well. I liked the semi-metallic finish, but the best part was that it stayed on, without a single crease, all day! The only downside is how little you get for your money. I will definitely buy this product again, though.

Ulta Plush Volume Mascara

I got Ulta's Plush Volume mascara in a free gift set at Ulta, and decided to try it out. It was a good thing the product was free, it was pretty mediocre. The brush was big enough for my taste, but the mascara itself was so wet and gave me almost no definition, and so many clumps. Even though the volume was good, I was dissatisfied.

Ulta Eye Crayon

I bought Ulta's Eye Crayon in "Devils Food" a little while ago at Ulta, because I wanted the free gift. I didn't really have my hopes up, but the product turned out to be amazing! It went on creamy and highly pigmented, and blended easily with the built-in smudger. The dark brown looked amazing on my lids, and worked well as a liner, too! I will definitely buy more eye crayons, this is one of my go-to products.

L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation

I was really interested in the idea of a "liquid powder". Apparently it goes on fluidly, and quickly turns into a powder-like, dry substance. While this is true if L'Oreal's Magic Nude foundation, that was the only goof thing about it, other than the functional glass bottle it came in. The product offered almost no coverage, and managed to settle into every line and flaw in my skin, effectively making me look even worse. I will definitely not buy this product again.

Smudgy, Sexy Eyes

I thought I would share my favorite way to get sultry, crease-proof eyes, and that is: use gel eye liner as shadow. Just prime your eyelids and smudge on your liner of choice with your finger. It's buildable, smear-proof, and very sexy. Some good options are E.L.F.'s, L'Oreal's, and Ulta's gel liners.

Perfect Smokey Eye

Here are the steps I take in order to get my ideal Smokey eye, and the products you need.
Products:
Eye primer
Black eyeliner (not liquid)
White or pale silver eye shadow
Gray eye shadow
Black eye shadow
Volumizing mascara
Steps:
Prime eyelid liberally
Apply gray eye shadow on entire lid except above the tear duct.
Put black eye shadow on outer 3/4 of lid, below crease. One outer 1/4 of lid, black may go slightly over crease.
Apply black eyeliner on outer 3/4 of upper lashline, and across lower lashline. Blend into shadow.
Place white or pale silver above tear duct.
Apply volumizing mascara liberally.
Here are the shadows I used, they're on my Physicians Formula palette. Any similar shades will also work.

Ulta Baked Eye Shadow

I got Ulta's Baked eye shadow in "Skyline," a duo with a silvery shadow and a black one. The silver shadow showed up really dark, and I loved the gunmetal shade. I put the black on as well, and got a pretty good two-tone Smokey eye. The shadow was pretty well pigmented, and didn't crease at all throughout the day. I will definitely buy more baked shadows from Ulta.

Pupa ExtremeEyes Mascara

I was able to get my hands on Pupa's ExtremeEyes mascara, which I was very excited to try. Could Italians know something about mascara that we don't? The answer is maybe. The product gave me great volume in just a few swipes, but I was really impressed with the definition I got. Literally every lash was lengthened and defined, with nary a clump. The mascara didn't feel stiff at all, and didn't flake. Sweet! Unfortunately, the product was a pain to get, as it is sold exclusively in Italy and online.

Revlon ColorStay 12 hour eye shadow quad

I bought Revlon's ColorStay 12 hour shadow quad in "Neutral Khakis," hoping to find a good longwear shadow. It turns out that I did! The shadow went on smoothly and was moderately pigmented. The product blended easily, and I achieved a sort of green-brown smokey look. The shadow stayed put all day, despite the humidity, and didn't crease! This is certainly a product worth buying.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Gloss

I actually didn't know that L'Oreal had more than one kind of lip gloss, until I saw their Colour Riche lip gloss at Walmart (all I thought they had was the "Le Gloss"). Anyways, I got it in "Rich Red", for about six dollars. On its own, it didn't give me much color, but that's typical for glosses. However, it looked stunning atop my favorite red lipstick. It didn't feel too heavy, nor did it smear very much, or get tacky. It stayed on pretty well, and didn't dry out my lips. Due to the limited shades, "Rich Red" is the only shade I'll ever own of this. I do plan on replacing it when I run out.

Maybelline Eye Studio Shadow Duos

I picked up Maybelline's Eye Studio shadow duos in "Khaki Craze," a khaki (obviously) and green combination. I ended up liking the product, but not enough to buy it again. The shadows were moderately pigmented, and had a satin finish. They didn't crease too badly, and the colors really brought out my eyes. However, there was nothing special about them. Unless I saw a shade I really wanted, I wouldn't buy any more.