Hot or Not Beauty

Ever since the advent of Chanel’s Le Vernis ‘Rouge Noir’ polish – as sported by Uma Thurman in ‘Pulp Fiction’ – I’ve been a Chanel girl. (Actually being something of a beauty product addict I’m also an ‘any new product I can get my hands on’ girl!) The latest range of summer colors from Chanel are as gorgeous as ever, and the fantastic ‘Flamingo Pink’ and sultry ‘Antilope’ are the new seasons must have nail polishes.

‘Flamingo Pink’ is exactly the color you would imagine it to be – a bright bubblegum pink that harks back to the candy floss shades you loved as a child. My personal recommendation is to pair this with the luscious Rouge Hydrabase lipstick in the bright ‘Rose Flamingo’ pink. If you are more a lip gloss than a lipstick girl – then my next choice would be to try the Glossimer Lip Gloss in the new shade ‘Gazelle’. This is a hot pink that comes with a little extra sparkle and goes great with a sunkissed summer complexion.

Now I don’t want to recommend a lot of time out in the sun – let’s face it wrinkles and skin cancer are NOT hot! But these colors do lend themselves to a sun kissed look and this season there are a total of 5 different types of bronzing products available in the Chanel range. I like the limited edition Collection Essentielle, which offers an all in one palette for the eyes, cheeks and lips. There are also both liquid and powder bronzers that can give you a golden glow and set off your bright pink lipstick to perfection.

If eye makeup is more your thing then you will be loving Chanel this season! There’s a fantastic range of bright and colorful eye shadows, eyeliners and mascaras. If you are keen to try out the pink and khaki green eye shadows, then my suggestion would be to pair these with the ‘Antilope’ Le Vernis nail polish. This golden brown frosted polish is more subtle than the ‘Flamingo Pink’, and goes really nicely with the nude brown ‘Curious’ Rouge Allure lipstick.

What will I be wearing? Well being a huge fan of pink lipstick, my choice for this summer will be to give the liquid eye shadow in ‘Atoll’ a go. This golden brown color is more subtle than some of the other options for the eyes, and a much more attractive option if you are going to try out the bright lipsticks. I was also really taken with the vert bronze color eyeliner that I tried. Whilst I’ve long favored a dark brown eyeliner – I received a number of compliments about how green my eyes looked, so I’m keen to continue with this product that brought out the color in my blue-green eyes.

A word to the wise for those of you who love bright colors. This season is definitely going to be the one for you to let loose, but don’t overdo it. By that I mean don’t wear everything at once – a splash of color is great, but if you are wearing green or pink eye shadow, then go for subtle lip colors. Like wise, a muted eye shadow is best with a bright lipstick. That said – go out and have fun! This summer is all about bright colors, so find the one you like and make it hot!

Definitely one of my favorite things so far is Shiseido’s Automatic Lip Crayon, this product is a must have for everyone that hates lip liners and think they make you look fake and too made-up.

The colors are versatile and allow you to layer them if you’d rather have a strong colorful look you can layer it without making it heavy. The formula is ultra soft, not sticky and has the sheen of a gloss if you brushed it slightly instead of layering it for that vynil look.

The crayon also allows to define your lips without the finish that is usually given by lip liners whether pencil or cream form making it a very convenient item to carry on your purse.

I purchased it in Beige and LOVE it, gives a subtle sheen to my lips helping to define them and allows for a very smooth base if I want to apply a gloss on top enhancing the gloss effect.

The gloss in Peach Melba is absolutely fabulous, making it my very favorite neutral lip gloss and dethroning my Chanel Cristal Gloss Vanilla Dream and plus the formula is a lot kinder to my lips.

If you’re a fan of neutral lips, you definitely shouldn’t miss these.

After evening out and perfecting your complexion, you have created the canvas for the next stages of makeup application.

Before applying your eyeshadow, apply a primer (like Urban Decay’s Primer Potion) and after it’s completely dry, use a large brush and apply a neutral eyeshadow the color of your skin tone to ensure that whatever colors you use afterwards will not stain.

Favorite eyeshadows:

MAC - Eyeshadow
Chanel - Le Quatre Ombres de Chanel
Shu Uemura

There are no rules regarding whatever eye-makeup should be for these types of occasions. You should consider the time of day and what kind of outfit you will be wearing and leave the more heavy and dramatic looks for evening rather than daytime. However there are no set rules, if you want to wear smoky black and deep red lips by all means do so.

Prefer a more holding eyeliner like a gel eyeliner rather than pencil (if you prefer pencil, then opt for a waterproof one) to assure that it will hold throughout the day.

Bobbi Brown’s Gel Liner
MAC’s Fluidline
MAC’s Powerpoint
Guerlain’s Loose Eye Kohl
Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream Liner
Make Up For Ever’s Cake Liner

I prefer waterproof mascara for these occasions, even if you’re not emotional you never know when an unexpected tear might appear, so be ready and bullet-proof.

I recommend one of Helena Rubinstein’s mascaras, they’re my personal favorites and allow all type of desired effects, my Holy Grail is Lash Queen. For a mascara primer, use the Shiseido one without a doubt. If you’re more daring then opt for false lashes.

Do your eyebrows with a dark pigmented matte powder, using brow brush that has hard bristles making sure that you don’t overdue the application to avoid the eyebrows ending up too dark and artificial.

Only consider contouring if it’s an afternoon/evening wedding, contouring in the daytime looks extremely artificial and you’ll be drawing attention to areas that you would prefer to keep minimized. You can add a touch of bronzer to the areas where the sun naturally hits your face, but avoid orange pigmented ones or those with too much glitter.

Unless your skin is dry/normal (allowing the use of a cream blush), opt for pressed or loose powder blush, applying it with a light hand to ensure a careful and controlled application (invest in a good blush brush as well) and while a bit of shimmer is perfectly acceptable avoid colors with too much glittery look to them, a softer, more formal look is quite often preferred and photographs a lot better.

Where blushes are concerned, my preferences go to MAC, Chanel and NARS.

There are no definite rules where lips are concerned, try to keep lip-lining as natural as possible and fill in your lips with your liner so you won’t end up with lined lips and nothing else underneath, keep your liner as closest to your lipstick color as possible and usually a creamier lip liner is easier to apply and blend. To avoid harsh lines, blend the liner with your lip brush.

My favorites are Chanel’s Le Crayon Levres and MAC’s Cremestick liner.

Add a touch of gloss for a pouty lip or lay it on for a more lacquered vinyl-ish look with:

Lancome’s Juicy Tubes
MAC’s Tinted Lipglass
Chanel’s Glossimer
Yves Saint-Laurent’s Le Touche de Brilliance
Dior’s Gloss Show
NARS‘ Lip Lacquer

After looking your most gorgeous, the next article will focus on what to bring in your purse to always look your freshest.

Welcome back to part two of makeup for weddings (when I say weddings, it can apply to any sort of special event or cerimony that demands that you look your best and usually will have you photographed or videotaped for posterity), when we review the best type of makeup products to use.

First and foremost, a primer is mandatory! You want to ensure that your makeup holds all day long with the least bit of touching up necessary that will make you look always fabulous and prevent the “Oh dear, is it six AM already?” look.

Here’s a couple of options that (to me) have always been bullet proof:

Make Up For Ever’s Corrective Make Up Base - Available in several shades to correct skin discoloration/rosacea
Make Up For Ever’s All-Mat - Formulated for oily Skin and to ensure a matte look throughout the day.
Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer - Also available in light, color corrector and anti-aging versions to suit your skin’s needs.
Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer - Regular or Oil-Free

Blot the skin with a soft tissue to remove excess product (if needed) and follow with your usual makeup to even out the complexion. As always, regarding dark circle concealers opt for moisturizing formulas that avoid creasing and don’t enhance whatever lines you might have in that area like:

Estee Lauder’s Re-Nutriv Duo Concealer
Chanel’s Vitalumiere Creme Concealer
Dior’s Anticerne Perfecteur Concealer
Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer

Where foundation is concerned, although we like to appear as natural as possible, more damaged skin (either sun damage or scarring) will require foundation with deeper coverage, also if you have oily skin avoid shimmery/dewy types of foundations, as the day progresses it will make you look greasy and that’s a definite no-no. Also, avoid shimmery powder and highlighters if you have uneven skin in terms of texture, the shimmer will atract light and make painfully obvious whatever you’re trying to conceal.

If it’s a afternoon/evening wedding, prefer matte or semi-matte foundation formulas so that the flash won’t reflect and wash out your complexion and avoid foundations with SPF, specially Titanium Dioxide. Opt for SPF in your primer or day cream.

Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer (sheer coverage with a fresh glowy finish) - For those who need sheer coverage and slight adjustment to their complexion, this is a consumer and artist favourite.
Make Up For Ever’s Face & Body Foundation (gel type, all skin types, dewy) - Sheer to Medium Coverage, water resistant and can be used on body
Make Up For Ever’s Lift Foundation (fluid, with powder for deeper in formula for deeper coverage, semi-matte) - Formulated for mature/dry skin with medium to full coverage.
Make Up For Ever’s Mat-Velvet + (Fluid, combination/oily skin) - Photographs gorgeously and medium to full.
Dior’s Diorskin Air Flash - (Spray Formula, matte finish) - Velvet finish with a lightweight formula

Use loose powder to set your foundation and to ensure a flawless application of other products that will follow, apply with a velvet puff for more coverage or a brush for a more natural finish.

MAC’s Loose Blot Powder - For oil-control and makeup hold, specially for combination/oily skin.
Make Up For Ever’s Super Matte Loose Powder - Impecable hold and extraordinary finish
Chanel’s Le Poudre Universel Libre - A gentle loose powder for more sensitive skin
Dior’s Diorskin Poudre Libre - Gentle loose powder completely oil-free

If your under-eye area has a lot of fine lines, avoid using loose powder in that area so you won’t accentuate them even further, also avoid heavy pigmented powders in that area it won’t darken the area that you’re trying to lighten.

Next follows the application of color products to the face…

First, let me apologize for my lack of posting, unfortunately my modem decided to die on me and I was unable to post for most of last week. Hopefully everything will be taken care of this week.

And now back to beauty!

This Saturday I attended a small intimate wedding and although I enjoyed the food, my clinical eye didn’t have a moment’s rest while I analyzed everyone’s makeup.

With mental notes enough to last me for the rest of the month, I’ll use this experience to give some tips on how to prepare for a wedding and how to shine your most while enjoying it.

Skincare:

If you want to do a more aggressive facial to make sure your skin looks its best, be sure to do it at least 2 weeks prior to the Cerimony. Some facial treatments will make skin purify itself from inside out and you might experience some skin irregularities.

Make sure you drink a lot of water to allow your body to get rid of toxins, it would be nice if you didn’t smoke but at least drink at least 2 liters of water per day, that will help your skin to look its best.

Before applying makeup:

Treat yourself to a booster (not to be confused with a primer), a booster will infuse your skin with a yummy cocktail of skin nutrients and make it look more radiant. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Chanel’s Instant d’Eclat - Conveniently packed in individual packs, not only boosts your radiance, it helps make skin firmer, transforming dull skin into an “awake state”, use it after your daily cleanse/tone/moisturize routine.

Clinique’s Moisture Surge Facial Sheet Mask - Apply this the night before to fully treat your skin to pure moisture (if you have combination/oily skin) or in the morning (if you have dry/normal skin), to pamper and cushion your skin.

Estee Lauder’s Perfectionist Power Correcting Patch for Deeper Eye Lines/Wrinkles - To give your eye area that extra lift that will make all the difference.

Before going to bed, also coat your lips in vaseline, this super moisturizing balm will heal your lips and help to plump them. The morning before, generously coat your lips in vaseline, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then use a soft toothbrush to exfoliate and remove dry and dead skin cells to ensure maximum lipstick hold.

This concludes the first part of wedding makeup, always remember that beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin.

Thanks to celebrities like Jared Leto, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt, a man wearing eyeliner doesn’t seem so silly anymore, more and more mentalities are changing every day.

Of course this doesn’t mean that a lawyer shows up in court with smoldering black smoky eyes, even if things are changing, they do take its time.

However for more relaxed environments, a night out or when opportunity presents itself, what are the options does he have for a Pirates of the Caribbean-ish look?

In my opinion, if you’re starting out wearing eyeliner, go with a Kohl liner, MAC’s Eye Kohl offers a wide array of colors and “Smolder” is just one of the most beautiful black liners ever, incredibly creamy and easy to apply (and safe to wear on your waterline), Technakohl (also from MAC) is also a good option and a has more lasting power.

Chanel’s Le Crayon Kohl is incredibly creamy and incredibly pigmented, however their creamy substance tends to make it migrate a lot when exposed to hot and humid environments.

Guerlain’s Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl is a bit trickier to apply and as a bit of shimmer, however the black and indigo colors are beautiful and very wearable.

Practice Thanks to celebrities like Jared Leto, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt, a man wearing eyeliner doesn’t seem so silly anymore, more and more mentalities are changing every day.

Of course this doesn’t mean that a lawyer shows up in court with smoldering black smoky eyes, even if things are changing, they do take its time.

However for more relaxed environments, a night out or when opportunity presents itself, what are the options does he have for a Pirates of the Caribbean-ish look?

In my opinion, if you’re starting out wearing eyeliner, go with a Kohl liner, MAC’s Eye Kohl offers a wide array of colors and “Smolder” is just one of the most beautiful black liners ever, incredibly creamy and easy to apply (and safe to wear on your waterline), Technakohl (also from MAC) is also a good option and a has more lasting power.

Chanel’s Le Crayon Kohl is incredibly creamy and incredibly pigmented, however their creamy substance tends to make it migrate a lot when exposed to hot and humid environments.

Guerlain’s Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl is a bit trickier to apply and as a bit of shimmer, however the black and indigo colors are beautiful and very wearable.

Do try it out, for a sexier and more mysterious you.

A compact of pressed powder is one of the most iconic items in makeup, the expression “to powder one’s nose” or similar are ages old and in some cases like Edo Period Japan used as code words for geisha and oiran and we always associate a pressed powder with a touch of elegance and sophistication, it comes very hand for “product placement” in movies or tv series, the one that comes to mind is Sonia Braga in “Alias” with a MAC compact checking her makeup.

Estee Lauder is also known for its collectible compacts, Chantecaille will on occasion create special edition compacts (ouch, wallet), it is probably one of the most used makeup items when creating limited edition items.

Loose powder has the glamour of a beautiful package and a luxurious powder puff softly by a vanity or armoire.

Powder can be used for two goals:

Slightly evening out your skin tone and still keeping your look natural and created the illusion of smaller pores, it also reduces excess shine in the T-Zone or other areas.

Setting foundation and concealer (specially in fluid/cream formulations) keeping them “stable” and preventing them to migrate to other areas on your face.

Preferably, loose powder is applied to set the face makeup and ensure a proper blush and pressed powder application making color and pigment application a lot easier because the foundation or skin’s natural oils don’t adhere to the powder product that is being put on top.

Pressed powder on the other hand is preferably used in a shade closest to your skin tone as an alternative to foundation or for touch ups to reduce the shine. It can be also used in darker shades than skin tone to contour and reshape the face. While some makeup artists (like Kevyn Aucoin) would regularly use contouring techniques to beautify the face, others like Bobbi Brown avoid contouring altogether believing that it makes the woman (or man) look unnatural. In this case, the lighter shade to enhance areas like the nose bridge can be of a more pearly finish to attract light and the darker shade is matte to create a shadow effect.

In my opinion, if I decide to contour it’s in evening makeup where light is more forgiving and you can get away with it more easily.

Both loose and pressed powders can be matte, pearly or iridescent (be careful with shimmer finish powders, some are too glittery and look weird and almost circus like) and achieve a wide variety of looks.

Since I’m prone to an oily complexion, I will wear MAC’s Blot Powder in pressed format during most of the year and will use Chanel Le Poudre Universel Compacte at the peak of winter.

The usage of powder requires some extra care with your skin, as powder will absorb sebum and oil and residual moisture, if you don’t exfoliate on a regular basis you might end up with dry patches and flaky skin that isn’t all that flattering, so remember to exfoliate if you like to apply powder in your face.

Powder can be applied with a powder puff or a large brush, a puff ensures a higher coverage of product and a more matte finish. Using a brush allows a more sheer application resulting in a more natural look. If you use a powder puff, then slightly sweep with your powder brush to remove excess product.

Loose powder can also be used with a large eyeshadow brush as a “safety net” under the eyes to catch falling eyeshadow or mascara, specially very dark colors that can stain your under eye area and make you look like you’ve been hit.

For more mature skin, avoid very dry matte powders as they will make your skin appear very dry and emphasize fine lines, specially under the eye, so it’s best to avoid powder in this area unless absolutely necessary or opt for a more “moisturizing” formulation.

One of the biggest myths is that translucent powders are suitable for every complexion and I disagree, they work for light to medium complexions, but in deeper skin tones it will end up making the complexion look ashy or dull and you require a certain amount of pigment to make sure the color doesn’t change. Other brands will always have yellow tones in their powders to maintain the looks natural and balanced.

While some resist to the application of powder, I believe it to be essential to ensure a proper blush and eyeshadow application and there’s always a pressed powder compact in my backpack.

Another house releases their collection, Chanel brings you to their Autumn gardens in vibrant colors.

So far, it’s my favorite collection, as usual Chanel releases one of their limited edition palettes with the “Orchidees” trio of satin finished lip glosses, one of them being a deep plum shade allowing you to customize colors for this fall.

Along with the releases are two new eyeshadow quads with “Les 4 Ombres Chanel” in Garden Party and Sequoia, a blend of neutrals and pink or pink and wearable green shades which I oddly find quite appealing considering my dislike for verdigris. A new pink/green (Lotus Cactus) duo eyeshadow is also released along with a green single “Ombre Essentielle” in Jungle.

My personal favorite are two new shades of “Le Crayon Khol” in Ambre and Black Jade, Chanel’s creamy eye pencil and one of my favorite khol eyeliners ever has two new colors that can be as glamorous or exotic as you want them to be for the perfect smoky eye..

A new blush in the Joues contrast collection in a light pink shade for the perfect slightly flushed cheeks.

Rouge Hydrabase gets four new colors in pink, plum and beige neutral tones, Aqualumiere has a plum and coral tone to its collection while Rouge Intensite and Glossimer win two new tones each.

Definitely my favourite fall collection so far, so give it a try.

All cosmetic consumers try all sorts of new products and colors, it’s just like candy, all the constant innovations of formulas, colors, textures, finishes, they’re meant for us to buy and try and try and try. But what are our favorites?

Still, there is “the” item that we constantly repurchase and can’t seem to find a replacement for, whether it’s that unique color that always suits us, that fragrance that is almost a part of our identity. Or just something we wore at a very special occasion that cannot help but evoke special memories.

Mine? I’m quite plain actually, besides Christian Dior’s Fahrenheit who remains my signature scent since the age of 16 (I’ve worn other colognes but keep coming back to it and it’s a scent that friends and co-workers immediately identify with me), other than that I always have either Shiseido’s Translucent Stick Gloss that moisturizes my lips and gives it a natural gloss finish without looking overdone or Chanel’s Cristalle Gloss in “Ice” when I want the extra shine.

So here’s my question for today? What are your cherished beauty items? What are those products that you always have no matter what and as soon as you wear it, it makes you feel special.

For my first post, I decided to focus on the iconic red lipstick.

Whether Queen Elizabeth I’s red lips or Marilyn Monroe provocative signature look, red lips helped defined the idea of a glamorous and seductive woman.

There is, nonetheless, a certain fear of wearing red lipstick specially those who shy away from such a provocative color. Whether we like it or not, women who wear red lipstick are perceived as bold, powerful and seductive temptresses. That doesn’t mean that the classic red like MAC’s Russian Red lipstick is flattering on everyone and therefore most women think they can never pull it off.

Nothing could be further from the truth, every woman can find her perfect red lipstick if she’s careful enough to match it to her skin tone. Carefully selected, the perfect red lipstick, some liner and mascara and you’re good to go at your most sexy.

My recommendation is Chanel’s Rouge Allure with the gorgeous Julie Ordon, browse the 30 colors that Rouge Allure has to offer and maybe bring out a completely new you.

When nude lips first became vogue, I was horrified. Even though I am a makeup artist by trade, I just couldn’t get with that non-lip look. Slowly but surely I was won over. It was sort of like when Bobbi Brown introduced the natural “browns” in lipsticks. I thought this is the ugliest trend ever. Who the heck wants brown lips? Well, that trend was here for quite awhile, and Bobbi Brown is now a household name.

The nude lip though has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for many women. For example, the girl with virtually no lips. You know, thin, where-are-they lips. Nude lipstick and in particular nude glosses have been their saving grace. Let’s go back to art school for this principal of light and dark. Dark makes objects appear smaller (that’s why we love to wear black) and light makes things appear larger (that’s why we paint small rooms in light colors). The nudes act as an optical illusion if you will. Adding that light to the lips, makes them appear fuller. Why not pay $20 for a plumping nude colored lipgloss as opposed to hundreds for collagen or Restalyn?

Stars certainly love the nude look. I remember when Jennifer Lopez sported a Bourjois Lipgloss for a certain photoshoot, the sales were off the hook for that brand. Jen has that signature nude lip. On occasion we see her with a vibrant red, but for the most part, she is that nude lipgloss girl.

Back to makeup artistry. As an artist, you learn balance on the face. So if eyes are the focal point, the mouth should be softer. If the mouth is the focal point, then eyes should be soft and fresh. This is when the nude lip became so popular with the smoky eye look. When a woman is wearing heavy, dark makeup on her eyes, the last thing she needs are lips that are fighting with her eye makeup. Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Beyonce’ are both women who rock this makeup combination of dark eyes and nude lip.

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Spring is almost here and it’s time to update the face! As much as I hate to admit it, fashion decidedly influences the makeup styles for each season. Spring 2007 fashion is all about sporty or romantic looks. Metallics and throw back inspiration from the ‘8o’s. Colors are limited to Black and White or your basic nude. The fashion trend, dictates the makeup. In makeup we will be seeing pink flushed cheeks, metallic eyes, bold lips and strong brows.

Let’s start with a fun trend for Spring 2007 — metallics.
Granted the way a trend is presented on the runway is not the way we everyday girls wear it. Trends are exaggerated on the runway. Sort of hyperbole in fashion — so we get the point. Models at CHANEL Spring 2007 sported bold gold and silver shadows rimming their eyes. While most of us wouldn’t wear that much shadow or in such a fashion for everyday, it does give us some insight into how to interpret the trend for everyday wear.

How to wear the trend:

Metallic shadows run the gammut from light sheens with a slight glimmer of metallic, to full on heavy metal. Your choice depends strictly on preference. I wouldn’t recommend a corporate lawyer wearing Urban Decay shadows with super shine and glitter, someone conservative certainly could wear a color wash (soft sweep of color over entire lid) of a soft sheen like Stila in Kitten or Nude. Pump up the metallic with Urban Decay in Baked, El Dorado or Vapor — the best of their metallic bronzes, golds and silvers. These metallics double as liners when wet and used with an angle brush.

Other sure fire metallics:
Dior 1-Couleur Powder Mono Eyeshadow in 065 Silver Dust
Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner — Try any color
Make Up For Ever Flash Color — Gold 20 and Copper 752
Becca Jewel Dust

Metallic eyes — HOT!

Check back for tomorrow for Trend #2.

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One thing I’m fanatical about is mascara. I really border on trashy with my mascara tastes for myself. I like my lashes unnaturally full and long. Not quite your Tammy Faye Baker caterpillar look, but I like them as close to fake without being fake.

To that end, I have used dozens of mascara brands, and I always come back to my tried and true favorites.

1. Best price, best thickening mascara:

Loreal Voluminous. Found at drugstores everywhere. It regularly sells for about $7.99, but when it’s on sale, I stock up on it. I use the waterproof version on my clients. Color – always Blackest Black. Why even bother if you’re not using black?

2. Looks like Fake Lashes:
Bourjois Pump up the Volume Mascara – $13.50 at Sephora. Two coats and your lashes look like you just put on a pair of fabulous fakes. The Metallic Bronzed Plum is pretty on green eyes.

3. Curl Power
CHANEL Extracils - Super Curl lengthening Mascara
Cream formula curls and holds.

4. Longer is better
Urban Decay Big Fatty lengthens and thickens. The addition of hemp oil conditions and softens lashes.

5. Comb don’t brush
Rimmel Volum’Eyes 5 X Volume Comb Mascara. Thanks to my teenage daugher, I’ve been turned on to Rimmel. One of the many products that Kate Moss is the face for. And I love this mascara. The comb individually coats each lash, works wonders.

Some mascara application tips:
1. When you pull your wand out of the tube, bend it slightly, so you have an angle. Professional makeup artist use their wands this way to get as close to the lash line as possible.

2. When you notice your mascara getting clumpy, clean off theexcess by wiping your brush on a tissue.

3. If you use mascara everyday, you should toss it in about 6 weeks.

4. Don’t pump your mascara — air gets pushed into the tube, causing bacteria to harbor.

5. Don’t share mascara.

6. Don’t think you can add life to your mascara by adding water. This just makes it easier for you to get an eye infection.

There you have it. From high end to low end mascaras. Go ahead, bat those lashes.

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