Mascara

(BTW I think I am the only person in the world who hates both of the classic "Editor's Favorites," ie Great Lash and all Lancome mascaras so take w/grain of salt etc.)

xpost I used to just use cheapy Wet 'n' Wild for that. Now I use Stila powder shadow applied with an eyeliner brush.

The Almay eyeliner isn't too bad, though.

I hate Great Lash, too, Ally.

When I was blonde, I didn't give a second's thought to what color mascara to wear. I guess it depends on HOW blonde you are and what color your brows are but by and large brown mascara looks really flippin' weird.

I have had no problem with Max Factor 2000 Calorie myself, and used to buy their waterproof version when I went to beach more often ;_;

The only makeup I wear every day is mascara, I'm really, really obsessed with it. q, I just got $100 from my supervisor, we should go shopping for make-up + wine "tasting" soon.

Have any of you tried that philosophy primer that is supposed to fakey-fy your lashes?

I wouldn't worry about it, I don't think it really matters.

I like Diorshow, but it is obscenely expensive so I usually just stick with Jane mascara.

xpost - no. i've tried lash primers before (bourjois, almay, l'oreal), and they really irritate my eyes.

Black mascara makes me look like a hooker. My overall coloring is too light for it.

Note: make-up companies pay beauty editors to put their products on the "Editor's Choice" lists so Great Lash/Lancome's never-ending presence means nothing more than those two companies have the biggest beauty mag-bribery budget.

i'd say it was more the hot pants/thigh-high combination that affects this look jenny but whatevs.

i use some random thing i bought in russia in a state of desperation. it's not great. so thanks for all the suggestions.

With brows it is absolutely, 100% necessary to get a product meant for brow-grooming. Using clear mascara just results in bullet-proof eyebrows (I don't mean that in any kind of complimentary fashion).

x-post I'm also supposed to put make-up on my brows?

I had no idea people really used eyebrow grooming products! The lady who waxes my brows always trims them and that keeps them in check.

Speaking of... the place where I get my brows done now sells pubic hair dye. It's advertised to cover gray! Oy.

*Despite ads that laud the miracle of "one coat mascara" I also don't believe that people ever take the time to put on multiple coats.

Mary, you can probably try the full and soft in brown and be very sparing with the coat, though if it is clumping really badly it could be an application issue, or maybe you are letting it get too old before getting a new tube? I get clump issues if I try to stretch the tubes too long. Try brushing excess mascara off the wand and always start each stroke from the very bottom of your lashes and kind of roll/wiggle upwards.

xpost - i put on multiple coats. it takes about 5 seconds.

I use Neutrogena mascara--does anyone know anything positive or negative about this?

Also: how to make cats eyes?

x-post: The getting old thing could well be it; I wear mascara about twice a year:) My new years rez will be to wear it more.

eer, you are supposed to start at the end of your lashes? I need to go to beauty skool.

Ah! I understand. I dyed my hair dark, dark brown once and emerged looking like I had lost my eyelashes in the process.

xpost - that's five more seconds I could spend in bed! ;)

Your best bet is liquid liner + shadow applied w/liner brush to keep it in place (especially out at the "wings," at least if you are me and are constantly poking at your eyes for no good reason).

Also I usually just wipe around the, uh, entry?? to the tube of mascara, I am extreme lazy.

The End.

Are you supposed to apply mascara from above the lashes or from below, or both?

Re: Mascara, application above or below, I usually do just from bottom because I am lazy in mornings but if I'm being really proper with my makeup I do a quick sweep across top too.

Don't even get me started on lipstick.

Now I am confused by mascara application! I do just my upper lashes, starting at the base of the lash (underside near eyeball, not upper side near, uh, upper eyelid) and sweeping up to the tips. Am I doing it wrong?

Also: I am still not clear on the lining-the-inner-lower-lid thing. It is kind of, uh, wet and slippery, so stuff doesn't stick! But I've seen models with this part of lid lined--so what kind of stuff did the makeup artist use???

Re: liner, you just have to apply a good amount of it and use a good product, but yes, some of it will rub off during the day just due to blinking, etc. Seriously, I do this with eye shadow and used to do it with a regular eye pencil.

re: lipstick I've had several of them discontinue on me, which is another thing that bothers me a bit.

me, too! but I wish I understood eye makeup. I went to one of those free makeover thingies recently and had the makeup person do my eye makeup. it looked awesome, but I have no idea how to reproduce it.

I am allergic to like 70% of lipsticks and lip balms. clinique and dior is ok. i usually just do roses lip salve and wet eyeshadow as eyeliner and mascara and a little shimmer something on my top lid. otherwise i look too kabuki.

but i do love lipstick! i'm usually more willing to drop good money on lipstick than i am any other kind of cosmetics.

Thats what I use too Aimee!

I'm hopeless when it comes to makeup: I dont wear it very much (you wouldnt know it from all my photos but hey). My skin is real bad, easily irritated and quite red so foundation looks like shit when it rubs off. Mascara makes my eyes sting. Powder sits on my skin like an old lady in too much makeup. Ugh urgh. Why's it all so hard?

i wear clinique naturally glossy (black) - have tried a million others, drugstore or dept store, and always come back to clinique (it stays in place, no smudges, washes off fine, doesn't cause reactions)

am allergic to pretty much everything out there lipstick/gloss-wise (lips get dry, ugh). though did get a revlon gloss that's kind of like a lipstick and it's okay. forgot to go into sephora while in nyc to get rose's lip salve! rrgh

have recently gotten into plum eyeliner. am not all that great at eye makeup though. i have to say though, that of all the drugstore brands, revlon has impressed me the most in the past year or so (even though i haven't bought all that much makeup)

I found this great make-up in Germany called Art Deco. You get to choose three eyeshadows and put them in a little case so you're not stuck with two colours you hate in order to get one you love. And their mascara is pretty good too - not as glossy as the Clinique one, but it curls them up better.

I am also a huge fan of the Benetint. I haven't worn anything else on my cheeks for years.

No - I stick with black. Brown just feels a bit wussy to me.

Is Rimmel just available in Britain, because their Volume Extend mascara is ace and only aboput £6. It's one of those primer-at-one-end, mascara-at-the-other things.

Rimmel is now available in the US, but I haven't ever tried it out.

Tracey, re: foundation, I have a bottle of Vincent Longo liquid canvas, which is pricey but I've had for a year now, and that sticks well on me, and is basically specifically made to even out light complexions with some ruddiness issues (yes, they have some dark colors etc but 80% of their shades vary from "whitest person alive" to "third whitest person alive"). Like I said, a bit pricey but I have very good skin, so I usually only wear foundation if I have to look extra polished for work, or to EVENTS like a wedding or major party where there will be photogs--so the stuff has lasted quite a while. And it seems to be forgiving to all kinds of lazy, lazy application methods (ie I am hungover and glop some in my hand and rub all over my face still looks pretty good).

arrgh, yes. nars is generally all-around amazing, but the lipstick is a bit too dry. gloss on top ruins the matte look, though, so what i do is put on some lip balm a while before i apply the lipstick and let it soak in. that works pretty well. otherwise, the color tends to bleed out even if i use a liner and i look like baby jane.

Also, my cousin lives far away now, so I cannot get reduced priced make up whenever I like. Therefore, I am left at the mercy of the make up counter. The Almay eyeliner is okay, but it gets smudgy at the end of the day and I look like I've just been on a really big bender.

I've tried just the mascara routine, with no eyeliner, but I always end up looking tired and dull.

I will admit frankly that I adore watching women put on their makeup - it's not the change in appearance but the whole change in demeanor, like an actor assuming a role, that I find appealing. It's as if I've been allowed backstage.

I don't wear any makeup anymore. I'm lazy.

I don't do foundation b/c skin is bad enough without smothering it.

My skin has a tendency to be oily and gross. With the help of Kiehl's oily face wash and moisturizer, and some Oil-Free foundation, things have been looking up.

I try to remember to put neutrogena 5% benzoyl perioxide cream on once a day but not sure if it helps.

many xposts!

The Neutrogena Clear Pore wash/mask did a pretty good job for, but it dried my face out something awful at first, and then it seemed to calm down. Also, if it's not washed off completely, it will ruin your towels by adding a lovely amber-colored stain after you wash it.

I love Kiehl's, though. I don't use the toner very often, as it dries my face out, causing more breakouts (ugh). It gives your face a lovely glow after washing and moisturizing, and the oil situation is completely under control.

Sam, here you go:

http://www.kiehls.com/_us/_en/home/index.aspx

And blush: how to make it look nice? This girl in one of my classes uses blush that looks obvious but nice, but if it looks visible I get the fear.

Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser

Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser

getting samples at kiehl's is the best.

lip liner gone horribly wrong:
http://www.pipole.net/IMG/arton17409-150x150.jpg

I hear good things about those blush sticks, Tart or whatever. So you can at least rub it in.

xp

thank you for mentioning that going off the pill can lead to break outs. I've been totally breaking out since going off, although in every other way I feel better so I guess I don't mind that much.
I have total combo skin. for the actual zits I've been using mario badescu drying lotion. works great, smells like meds.

mascara . . . i've been thinking about getting aveda but a make up artist i knew swore by 2000 calorie. i kind of want a natural one but i also want a good one. has anyone used aveda?

I always wanted cake mascara too but couldn't find it.

Here you go. Frankly, it's lousy. I have an unused cake of it at home that I will send you after the holidays if you email your address (that is a working email addy down there).

you know I kind of suspect pills with my acne too. The start of the problem coincided with an extended period of unemployment (and no pills). I've been back on them for awhile now and thought my skin would improve but it didn't. My pills were very low-hormone though and I'm about to switch to a higher one so maybe I'll see improvment. that would be fantastic.

x1000 for the pill change/acne thing. Man. I switched from low dose pills to a Nuva ring and from there to an IUD and good grief. My face is a mess. I've been using Aveno anti-acne face wash/toner/lotion and that seems to have gotten things a little under control but I'm not going to win any complexion awards.

Same here! I went through a few months of being back on the pill and still having nasty skin. I'm now about 6 months in of pill prescription, I can't tell if my skin is better from the pill, or it's because I use the magical Kiehl's.

Sam, I use the Blue Herbal stuff (cleanser and moisturizer). It's great.

I don't like mascara.

i actually never wear eye makeup since I always wear glasses now. I figure it's not worth bothering with.

Re pill vs breakouts: BC will definitely affect your monthly breakouts associated with your cycle (not so much the regular oily-skin ones, more's the pity). Unfortunately there's an direct relationship between suppressing monthly breakouts and suppressing libido: the hormones that wreak havoc on yr acne are the same ones that give you an upswing before & during ovulation, etc (HI DERE I HATE YOU BCP). So uh, enjoy that, either way.

(I am totally embarrassed by how dumb I sound, by the way.)

Only experimentation will tell you how far is too far (or how much peacock blue is too much) for your face. Also, you can take off eyeshadow with a little moisturizer and a cotton ball (or soft tissue) if you don't pull too hard -- I find that's easier on skin than cleaning with facial cleanser if you're just going to reapply.

clearly I have some makeup to buy.

I feel like I read so many women's magazines from the age of 13-20 that I have tried every possible makeup look under the sun. These days I settle for brow grooming/powder, a little blush and lipstick. Sometimes mascara.

Also, re blush: I very often dab some of my lip color onto my ring fingers and apply it as cheek stain -- it makes coordinating the shades a total no-brainer, and I prefer the gel consistency of most lip colors to powder blush (which brushes right off me esp in winter hats and scarves).

As far as blush, I tend to use lighter pink shades as anything darker seems a bit easier to fuck up. I really like this light ballerina pink from Nars (forget the color right now). I then use an angled blush brush and very lightly apply it to the apples of cheeks (while faux-smiling). Seems to work but if I go overboard I get what I call "balls of blush" where it looks like a doll (big blobs of blush in middle of face... not cuet).

I used to have a problem with acne but it was after coming off the pill. Now I just use Caudalie face wash and some cheapo moisturizer with SPF, nothing much else.

here's an older pic where you can see obvious blush addiction

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/Mandalion/sunday.jpg

THey also have the Water Canvas which is creme-to-powder but I've never actually tried that one. I've heard good things about it but just don't like creme-to-powder formulas at all, so I extrapolated "good things about this specific one must mean good things about ALL BRAND".

http://boutique.vincentlongo.com/User/ViewSubCategory.aspx?SubCategoryId=2 (but they are available at Sephora too)

It totally is - especially when it's your own phone that someone else has used and handed back to you.

Shiseido do fabulous brow-filler kits but try not to lose the fab little brush like I did.

Kieh's blue range: I'd only recommend the blue zit-zapper fluid, and only on the zits.

People on pills might do well to take zinc and magnesium supplements - I haven't had a single pimple since I did.

Lauren, horizontal? I think I'm not imagining that right. Tho I should point out that mine aren't strictly vertical either, they kind of angle out to the corners.

every time i've ever tried to use eyebrow tint, i look like a crazy person. maybe i will let the counter people at my eyes one of these days.

xpost
fuschia lipstick = awesome!
i want some cake liner now too

Most days I wear only a little powder, mascara on top lashes and a little swipe at the bottom lashes, and Kiehl's lip balm without the SPF because there does not seem to be an SPF inclusif product that doesn't make me break out. Damn good thing I hate the sun.

Order Kiehl's online from www.kiehls.com

Why is it that dark/smoky/dramatic eye + pale lip always looks better in magazines than irl? Or maybe it just doesn't suit me--I have rather, ur, odd features and the strong lip seems to balance things out better. . . also, the last time I tried for dark/smoky/dramatic eye Mr. Que thought was all "WAHT HAPPENED TO YOU? YOU HAVE TWO BLACK EYES DID YOU FALL DOWN?"

I have always wondered the opposite, why minimalist eye and dark lip always looks good on tv but not when I do it. Though I've gotten a bit more used to trying it and just trying to get used to the way it looks, so maybe that is a big part of it.

I'm a colored gloss kinda gal.

Orange lipstick is hard to pull off, ppl. Believe me, I tried.

xpost my better half is actually way into lipstick, but no no no on any sort of eye makeup beyond mascara. Maybe this is unusual? Michael White to thread for the male perspective!

xpost.

Scent in products for the face: breakout
SPF: breakout
Zinc and magnesium supplements: no breakout
Scent in lotion: the Prada one smells like chocolate, otherwise NEIN DANKE
Scent in pefume: best place for it.

Boys who are going to kiss you on a regular basis hate lipstick because they might end up wearing it by accident.

many xposts!

orange lipstick, meh. orange nail polish, rah! i'm wearing some at the moment (nars "hunger").

Totally. My goal in wearing makeup is not for people to notice I'm wearing any. When you're blessed with Swedish and Eastern European genes, you need something to spice up your pallid complexion and accentuate your good features.

I am curious as to why there are now two people showing up on a thread titled "mascara" to be kind of rude but whatevs. otto, you know I love ya and I'm sure you're telling the truth. Though I would imagine that most situations where this would occur (ie woman wearing NATURAL LOOKING make up versus no make up), you are in a woman-in-question-just-woke-up-and/or-just-went-to-bed situation so that's a bit of a skewered look.

A little mascara and some lip gloss/color, no one questions my health.

I would like to reiterate that this is not something anyone in the bloody world should be studying, there are better things to think about than "OMG WTF MEN: WHO WILL THEY BONK" and it just seems like there are a ridiculous amount of people devoting themselves to this kind of study???

PS ORANGE MAKE UP IS A DEMON'S WORK PEOPLE. Nail polish does not count as make up in my world, it is a different realm entirely. I'm not sure why I feel this way about it.

I feel yr pain. I also think it's grand when someone of questionable makeup taste (i.e. too much) tries to give you advice on makeup application (hello, family!).

speaking as a man (and i am, technically) i prefer women who don't wear make up but that's just me.

Actually, the do sort of look like something 2X-ex-Mrs. Mathers up there would sport.

I did like it when it was first available but I was much younger and skankier then. Now...I'm not so sure, especially since the redux by Chanel is basically just pitch black with red sparkles in it.

Oddly my sister and I were just fighting about who has the nicest feet out of us. I think I win. Toenail polish however is all about straight-up red or Chanel Rouge Noir. Or something black.

OTM (at least for me). Gloss is nice and cute, lipstick not so much.

xpost

i love that quote.

i used to wear dark lipstick when i looked especially skuzzy (studying too much, no time to shower) because i thought that maybe the lipstick would distract from the non-showered-state.

i wore dark lipstick a lot, actually, and now i like how it looks but it seems like altogether too much bother. i really like my bodyography natural-hue lipstick, though.

french pedicures really do sound insane.

End of my story.

xpost oh god acrylic toenails I have seen that and I wanted to cut my own eyeballs out.

I use that Maybelline XXL mascara. I love liquid liner! At the moment I use some by Maybelline (hi dere buy one get one free at CVS).

My favorite red lipstick is one by Jane that is probably discontinued.

quincie is totally right about men assuming women wearing "natural" makeup are wearing no makeup and finding that more attractive than women actually wearing no makeup. but whatever.

at my old job i used to wear a bit of eyeliner and neutral lipstick every day. one day i wore a darker lipstick and a guy at work made this really big deal about how omg i was wearing makeup, i NEVER wore makeup. uh, dude, not so.

I have used this technique a couple of times in the past, post chucking-a-sickie. It works a treat and no one suspects a thing.

Haha, actually I did accidentally send my boyfriend home one evening with lipstick on his cheek (I hadn't realised!). His flatmate thought it was very hilarious. I thought it was vintage teen movie and brilliant. Talk about a girl marking her territory!! Haha.

1 I can't rub my eyes as much as I used to
2 If I'm rub at it, noone will notice it

TEACH ME HOW TO BE A GIRLIE GIRL!

That said, I usually never wear mascara when I'm wearing glasses, as my lashes often brush against the glass and leave little black streaks. Boo.

I actually asked him to buy me some new knee-high boots and he said he didn't like it when I rocked the "emily strange" look when we went out. wtf? :(

I second that wtf, sam.

http://www.amazon.com/Blinc-Kiss-Me-Mascara/dp/B00021BEWU

My problem with eyeshadow: When I wore it in high school I would come and all of it would have migrated to the crease. Poor product again?

Also, DC peeps, my sis bought that dress from the American lady in Paris who doesn't let you touch her clothes; remember the one, that was like diaphanous brown-blue with little fur detailing? I think daria liked it.

1) Post just-washed-face bare face. For some reason right after I wash my face, it turns bright red and I look like an albino guinea pig.
2) Just woken-up washed face, when I've been sleeping on half my face all night and the lines from the sheets have tranferred to my face. Again, somewhat resembling an albino guinea pig.
3) Sunday face, when I go a Sunday w/o makeup, by 3pm I am a waterfall of grease. It's very reminiscent of being 13 and supremely hormonal.

Virtually the only kind of shoes I wear are knee-high boots as basically everyone who has seen me in person within the past 3 months can testify. Sam, I am sure your man is lovely but that is such a crazy thing to say.

Also Marianna OTM re: skipping makeup post fake-sick-day to garner sympathy, always works.

haha, yes this is probably a good plan.

TBH I was guilty in the past of often wearing little cutesy emily strange and paul frank shirts over miniskirt, bright fishnets and boots while carrying a lunchbox-type purse. Although I enjoyed this immensely at the time I realize I am now over 30 and this is cute to no-one but myself.

I more envisioned new boots being worn to work with cute skirts to look stylish and more professional than jeans. Perhaps G. is just going with my past usage and would approve the forward-looking style.

Re. toner talk upthread, Liz Earle's is amazing.

Daria, good Ferragamo action!

I hope the ferragamos fit! they should, in theory.. guess I can always resell to a vintage shop if no. What I would really dig are some crazy platform heels a la carine roitfeld but this is DC, I'd feel terribly out of place so i stick to basics. . i'm not wild about the delman kitten heels but they're for work, my fave kenzo pair are about wrecked and anything taller wouldn't go with any of my trousers

ebay is mostly garbage it seems, but every now and then hours of wasted time will land a decent find - I got a club monaco purse there for under $50 which is about the right price for an everyday bag that's so ugly it's cool

Marc Jacobs patent? hmm. like this, or sandals?
http://images.barneys.com/images/barneys/product/PG_15827.5422_FS.jpgOK, I need to go do something productive now instead of buying more shoes.

the fact that some or many men might mean skin/hair-tone-appropriate-light-makeup/lipstick when they say 'natural', and the fact most men might prefer a makeup look to a no makeup look (or might be unwilling to tell someone else that they prefer the no-makeup look because they are expected to like the makeup look) doesn't change the fact that there are a lot of guys who are at best indifferent to if not actively disdainful of makeup (usually depending on whether it's done well or not), and who really do mean 'no makeup/lipstick' when they say 'natural'

just got feet, don't got shoes

also, le coq sportif: hot or not? shouldn't spend more $$ but my basic black adidas are about falling apart too
http://www.zappos.com/images/725/7253563/3832-283478-d.jpg

http://i11.tinypic.com/2ziyps2.jpg

I am glad someone else admitted to not having a cleanse/tone/moisturise routine. Do I get away with just a bar of soap / once a week face pack thing because I don't wear make-up?

jaq, i hear you on the skin probs - my skin used to react to everything too, kinda still does, but i'm pretty good at choosing products now and knowing what foods/environments i react to. if just water's working for you, then so be it! it's not enough for me though - but i wear (minimal) creame and makeup - i alternate btwn cetaphil bar soap (not the cleanser stuff - that kills me) and quite like the mychelle products, though even their fruit cleanser, while good for my skin, can't be used often around my eyes (clinique makeup remover seems to work fine for that - haha and i've never bought a full bottle! all samples ever)

the one i got is the id bare minerals. i think actually it might be a tad dark, too, but they have 1 lighter shade that i will probably go pick up and my sister said i can mix it with mineral veil to lighten it up (the starter kit thing comes with the 2nd and 3rd lightest shades, and there isn't a kit with the lightest shade in it, but i wanted the brushes so i kept it).

robyn, i tried mychelle recently too because my co-workers are always raving about it and it's a local business, but i found the pineapple facial cleanser smelled SO fake it turned me off. but that was the only thing i didnt like, it did a good job of cleanin' and stuff.

One of my gay boyfriends tries to get me to wear heels more often (coincidentally, he taught me how to walk in heels too) as I should "work" the tall thing. I can't help but feeling a little self-conscious when I'm a teetering 6 feet tall.

You should join the DCchixors in xtreme towering. Ally, dar1a, and I are all v. tall and all rock the heels on a regular basis--except maybe dar1a? I can't remember the last time I saw you in heels, dar1a. But also we are usually sitting at bar with feet hidden, so hard to say.

I just spent way more than usual (but half-off original price!) on brown Stuart Weitzman pumps with the most beautifully shaped heel I have ever seen. Can't wait to wear!

But the pain! Is this a normal occurrence with heels or is it my miserably flat feet which make it terrible to walk, stand, etc.

I would definitely buy any lipstick called "Don't Fuck With Me or I'll Cut You."

I've always used baby oil or just old Vaseline to remove eye makeup! Though I don't wear waterproof make up anymore due to irritation and lash breakage issues, so nowadays my Cetaphil does the job decently enough.

oh and shoes, i have narrow size 11 feet (so a typical 11 falls off my feet) and don't believe in high heels i guess. i don't know how to be fancy.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

sometimes, i just want to get my eye make up to look like this:
http://www.poster.net/streisand-barbara/streisand-barbara-photo-barbra-streisand-6203954.jpg

Fucked knees are kind of an equal-opportunity injury. Just make sure you play shoe roulette and all should be good.

Also, these women are terribly grumpy.

I am such an old woman.

I figure either flats or heels can be painful if they're not well made and don't fit properly. I would've never believed it w/o trying but honestly my charles david 3.5" platform boots are the most comfortable shoes I own that aren't sneakers, because the insole is actually padded + comfy. what about the nike air shoes for cole haan? a lot of them are ugly but there are a few that are cute.
http://img.nextag.com/image/Cole_Haan_Collection_Gali/1/000/005/094/219/509421975.jpg

Thanks Laurel! I loved your outfit. Carey did my hair and gave me a mini cat's eyes lesson. My shoes were killing the balls of my feet though. Do I need to build up calluses there?

Back to mascara: I was under the impressions that one coat was one swoosh of the wand, all lashes at once. But is one coat that painting of each singular lash bit by bit?

A new clumping culprit: my lashes might be long but not full. Mascara-ing them draws certain lashes together to form varigated spindles.

Also: why can't I find Max Factor stuff anywhere (anywhere = CVS, in this case)? I want to do a head-to-head comparison between full and soft and 2000 calorie, but can't fine 2000 calorie!

xpost, yeah, don't really need to lose weight but could use more exercise, mostly to have more energy.

If I wiggle it past the bottom half of my lashes, they spindle back together again. I have really, really fine, long, curly lashes though so they're a bit difficult to keep neat.

Confession, I have never used an eye lash curler and they kind of scare me.

xpost: so quincie, they won't accidentally pop one of my eyeballs out?

Also: I needs to jump on DC Fitness Club bandwagon.

This has to be the only reason they were banned on planes in the US. "Get back, before I CURL YOU!"

Maybe I should just go for the Priscilla Presley stylee fake lashes. Also, I thought my lashes were average brownish black but I looked at them in the light today and they start off brown and then end up blond at the tips.

There must be a Sephora in DC, right? Maybe the tall DC gals could meet me and instruct me in the ways of womanhood:)

And yeah, M, there is a Sephora in Gtown and def. in Pentagon City, might be one at Tyson's as well but I am not 100% on that.

huzzah!
entry number one!

can someone find me an awesome pair of black pumps? i need a heel that is not too ridiculous so that i can go to work in them but everything with a normal heel is ugly and it seems giant heels are in this year. i've been putting off buying a pair but i really need to now since i seem to have lost my other ones (which were far past their prime anyway).

I am in total mascara crisis now. I thought I had found the bomb kickin mascara, Loreal Shocking Volume. It’s one of those with 2 applicators one is a brush to “prep” lashes and the other is a really cool tiny comb that coats your lashes with black mascara (starting at the base of lashes and pulling all the way to the top.) It looks so great once it’s on, and I have wimpy lashes & brows that I have tinted every 3 weeks otherwise it looks like I have no lashes up til recently (for like 4 years) I haven’t worn mascara first cuz I had an allergic reaction to it then it just stopped being a habit and I got used to seeing myself without it and so did everyone else. The tinting was enough to at least look like I had some lashes. Back to my Loreral story. The stuff looks so great on, and it stays on…and stays on and stays on. No matter what you do, remover, Vaseline, soap water nothing! It won’t come off. It starts to get really sticky after a couple of days and I can’t help but touch my eyes – to find my lashes are coming out in clumps! Argh! It begins to break down and do the raccoon thing under your eyes on day 4 and by then I have rubbed my eyes so much and put so much crap on to try and get it off, I have a red irritation all around my eyes and look horrible! So much potential for that product but not after all that! Into the trash it went.

Do you all know that Lancome Loreal Maybelline and Biotherm are owned by the same company (Cosmair) and that many of the products are the same or only slightly different but are packaged and of course sold in different places (pricy Lancome in the department stores and Loreal at CVS) they are marketed for different customers and wallet sizes. Same for Estee Lauder and Jane being the same. I rarely buy “luxury” brands for this reason unless I know them to be (or at least believe) that I am getting something I can’t get at the local drug store.

I use Loreal foundation really lightly and doesn't rub off on anything and it's not that horrible orange or fake redish color that so many base make-up's get when applied. I use very little bluse and it's still after 5 years "orgasm" by Nars. Lipstick - always a dilema, hate dry lips, but hate it when the lipstick rubs off on everything, cups, people, clothes, phones....yeech. I have wound up with one of the "indelible" types (apply once in the morning and its on til you take it off at night in a really neutral shade just a little darker than my own lips are. That's my routine, boring but quick.