Foundation application - Beauty Blender, Paddle Brush, Flat Top Kabuki,and Fingers

What if I told you that how you apply your foundation is as important to how it looks on your face as the actual foundation you picked out?  Drugstore or high end, what you use to put it on your face can make it turn out like an airbrushed perfect canvas or like you put it on with a cement trowel.  The common misconception is that a foundation will look the same on the skin if you put it on with your fingers, a brush or a sponge.

So let's say that you've managed to pick the perfect color matched foundation for your skin, but when you apply it - it is cake face city and you look like a halloween mask, OR the foundation doesn't cover enough or looks patchy on the skin.  A little trial and error with different ways of application could turn a horrible foundation into a great match.

I will talk about four different ways of applying your foundation and the pros and cons of each.  Fingers, flat top kabuki style brush, paddle foundation brush and a Beauty Blender.  I won't be talking about the various Beauty Blender dupes in this post, that will be left for another day.

Most people start out applying foundation with their fingers, usually dotting it around their face and blending it into the skin with their fingertips.  This is the easiest method since it doesn't require any additional tools, but it's also the method I find is the most problematic when it comes to the result.  The most noticeable side effect is applying too much foundation to the skin (especially when working with liquid foundations), which you will see in cake-face and pigment pooling into the pores.  Most foundations look best when applied in very thin layers and built up only in areas where you need it most.  The exception to this rule seems to be with foundations that have a mousse texture such as Revlon's Colorstay Whipped or the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind The Lifter foundations.  Both seem to be best applied with fingers and worked into the skin in circular motions.  Using your fingers results in the heaviest coverage and may work best for people who are looking for really opaque foundation coverage.

The Beauty Blender sponge has a very unique texture, which results in an amazing natural looking airbrushed finish with liquid and creamy foundations.  You wet it first, and wring it out well - this causes the sponge to nearly double in size.  Using it damp will keep it from absorbing too much of your foundation and wasting it.  You can use it either by dipping the sponge directly into your foundation and bouncing the sponge against your skin to apply it OR by first dotting the foundation onto your skin and using the sponge blend it into the skin (using the same bouncing motions).  The only kind of foundation I've ever found that I did not LOVE using with my Beauty Blender are the mousse textured foundations.  This is my favorite method of application, hands down.  The coverage starts out relatively light, but you can build it up by adding additional thin layers of foundation,  allowing you to get maximum coverage without it looking cakey.

Wet / Dry

Flat top densely bristled brushes or "kabuki" style brushes are also very popular for foundation application.  Before I discovered the Beauty Blender, this was my preferred foundation tool.  Some have a completely flat top, others have a slight dome shaped top but styles work in very similar fashion.  When using this style of brush, after you dip it into the foundation (or have dotted the foundation on your skin) you can either stipple (tapping the brush over your skin) or swirl the foundation onto your skin.  You may find that swirling can leave visible brush strokes on your skin, so a combination of swirling then stippling away the brush strokes may work better for you.  The coverage that this style of brush gives tends to be less than using fingers but more than a Beauty Blender on the first pass.

Real Techniques, Sigma, and a Mineral Foundation brush

Densely packed bristles with mostly flat top

The last foundation tool I'll mention is also my least favorite to use.  The traditional paddle foundation brush is used to brush on the product in up and down strokes and you can also lightly press the brush into the skin as well.  This one leaves the most visible brush strokes, can also highlight the peach fuzz on your face if you have any.  I find that this style brush deposits too much product leaving your face looking distinctly cakey.

Paddle style foundation brushes:  EcoTools, Real Techniques, MAC knockoff

Side view - very flat brush

One way I thought would be a very good visual representation of how foundation would look going onto your skin using each method was to apply it to a blank sheet of paper.  You can see in the top left that the circle where I used my fingers is the most opaque.  This can translate into too thick a layer of foundation being applied to the skin which gives you that cake face effect.  If you use a flat top brush, stippling is the better application method over the buffing/swirling it into the skin.  The tapping motion of the stippling deposits it into tiny dots that mimics the air brushing spray of pigment onto the skin.  It ends up pretty natural looking without the brush stroke problems of the swirling method.  The up down strokes using the paddle brush is my most disliked application (aside from fingers).  The Beauty Blender manages to apply the thinnest amount of foundation in a layer to the skin, and building it up as much as you need in just the areas you need more coverage ends up with the best application of all the tools used.

Clockwise from Top Left: Fingers, Flat Top Kabuki (stippling), Paddle brush, Beauty Blender (bouncing), Flat Top Kabuki (swirling)

Hope this helps!

DUPES: The Blush edition

As I've gotten older and a little more money conscious, I discovered that there are a lot of very affordable alternatives to my high end (and ridiculously high priced) blushes.  Some of these dupes are not exact replicas, some are more like sisters than twins, and some look more different in the swatches, but when applied to the cheeks, are indistinguishable.

I tend to gravitate to blushes that look like a natural flush, and one of the most iconic of these is NARS Orgasm.  There is such a loyal fan base for this blush that suggesting a drugstore alternative may be blasphemous to some.  It is a peachy pink blush with a hint of a shimmer, and when applied to the apples of the cheeks makes you look like you've just well, had a rather good roll in the hay.  And who doesn't want to look that satisfied?   However, at $29.00 the original Orgasm is a steep proposition.  Here are a few drugstore alternatives:

ELF's Contouring Blush from the Studio Line is spot on in color, with less of a shimmer, but is chalkier and not as finely milled as the NARS version.  It requires more product to build up to the same intensity as the high end version, but at only $3.00 each on the ELF website or at your local Target - you can afford to pack it on.

Milani has two offerings that are similar to NARS Orgasm.  Dolce Pink is in the same color family but a little cooler (pinker) and Rose D'Oro is a bit warmer (peachier).  They look pretty much identical on the face though and are a very reasonable alternative at $7.99.  Milani's blushes are long lasting and finely milled, so they apply and blend extremely well.  I'd venture to say that I actually prefer the two Milani blushes over the NARS which was not as pigmented.

The Balm's Hot Mama is another one of those peachy pink blushes, but is stronger on the peachy side than the pink.  It retails for $20.00 and can also be used as a highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones.

Another Milani dupe for this one is Luminoso, and again at $7.99 you can get an identical look with high end quality color and application on the cheap.

Saving the best dupe for last, Tarte's Amazonian Clay12HR  blushes are pretty amazing.  They are highly pigmented, easy to blend out, and the colors are just beautiful.  You will pay a premium for looking that pretty at the cost of $26.00 for a blush.

Wet N' Wild's Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink is an EXACT color match without the chunky sparkle that Tarte's Splendor has.  It is as pigmented, and lasts just as long, without any hint of chalkiness.  I know some of you ladies out there are turning your noses up at the mention of the high school makeup horror that was Wet N' Wild in the 80s & 90s.  Trust me - they have revamped their formulations and these blushes are GREAT.  And they cost $2.99, seriously, that is less than a Grande Caramel Macchiato.  You may find that some of their blushes are TOO pigmented.  Use a light hand, and a clean powder brush to blend it out if you go too heavy the first time you apply it.  Duo Fiber brushes are great for any highly pigmented blush or bronzer.

REVIEW: TestTube - New Beauty's contribution to the monthly beautysubscription

I've tried a few monthly beauty subscription services so far - Birchbox ($10/month), Ipsy Glambag ($10/month), Glossybox ($21/month), Julep Maven ($19.99/month), and now New Beauty's TestTube ($29.95/every two months - so equivalent to $15/month.  I had heard about it on Emily Eddington's YouTube Channel, and she had gotten her's from QVC.  The QVC version has different products in theirs, this review is on the one you can get from the New Beauty web site.

This month's TestTube was an absolute knock it out of the park HOME RUN.  Here is what I got for my $29.95:

Full size TARTE Amazonian clay 12hr blush in Flushed - retail value $26
Full size Dr. Brandt Pores No More Cleanser 3.5oz - retail value $35 (this retail cost of product alone is more than the entire TestTube!)
Stila Face The Day Multi Use Moisturizing Gel Cream - deluxe sample - value $11
Full Size Mally EverColor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight - retail value $15 (forgot to put this into the photo - oops)
ColorScience SunForgettable SPF30 powder - $10.95
Simple Makeup Removing Cleansing wipes - $1.40
Vichy LiftActive Serum and EyeCream - $8

So I got about $108 worth of products for $30!

This subscription has completely blown Birchbox,  Ipsy and Glossybox out of the water.  It's less than I pay for Glossybox, and the contents were far superior.  If this month's Glossybox isn't amazing, I'm so dumping you.

The stand out product so far has been the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12hr Blush.  I love this product and own it in two other colors.  It lives up to its long wear claims, it is HIGHLY pigmented, and when applied with a light hand SPARINGLY, it gives you the most beautiful natural looking flush.  Just stunning.   I have used the cleanser once so far, and am still working on an opinion for that.  The ColorScience mineral sunscreen might be a good choice for those days that I want to add some better sun protection over a foundation that might have a lower SPF than the SPF 30 I prefer to wear daily.

The value of this subscription is EASILY proven to be far exceeding the cost to me, and I can't wait to see what the next TestTube has in store for me.

REVIEW: Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50

I am always on the look out for multi tasking time savers.  Some days I just don't have the time for a full face of makeup, but I still want to appear a little more polished than having just rolled out of bed.

I've been turning to a tinted moisturizer for those days and have been pleasantly surprised with the Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF50  (no that isn't a typo - SPF50!)  It retails for $14.95, a bit expensive for a drugstore brand, but just wait for a Buy One Get one 50% off sale or a 40% off sale which is pretty common for Physician's Formula products.  Being a woman of a certain age -ahem-  I appreciate a high SPF sunscreen to help combat premature aging like fine lines, sun damage and wrinkles.  You ladies who are still young, put on your damn SUNSCREEN.  Trust me on this one.  Just fucking do it.  EVERY DAY.  Yes, even when it's cloudy.  DO. IT.

Ok back to the review.  This comes in a plastic bottle with a pump top, and is available in 4 shades.  I always appreciate a pump top, it makes for less spillage and is more hygienic than the twist off top bottles.  The bottle is a standout neon orange and bright pink.  The consistency is very runny, and I've applied it with my fingers on days I need a little extra coverage, and with a Beauty Blender for days I'm looking for a little more sheer coverage.  You are not going to get more than a light-medium coverage with this product.  It isn't really meant to cover up every spot on your face.

It does however beautifully blur your imperfections.  The sun damage isn't quite so noticeable, and your skin tone is evened out.  You can use this directly on clean skin without the use of a primer or sunscreen or moisturizer.   See I just saved you 10 minutes right there.  It has no fragrance, no parabens, and is oil free.  It does not however control your own oil like a mattifying foundation might.  If you tend toward the oily/combination side, you will see T zone shine through after about 3 hours.  Adding a primer or a setting powder will help this last longer, but don't expect marathon kind of performance from ANY tinted moisturizer.

It is very blendable, and your skin still shows through for quite a natural look.  This is perfect for you ladies who are not used to wearing makeup regularly, or who don't want to look "made up".   You can easily just smooth this all over, add a bit of lipstick, and blush if you have that extra minute, then get out the door and on with your day.  I am actually liking this quite a bit better than the Garnier BB Cream that I reviewed recently because it does not cake up at all, wears down evenly without clinging to my dry spots and has a better sun screen.

This is what I wear when I know I am going to be spending a good bit of time in the sun, (the zoo, the beach, running days) and I can be confident that my skin is protected and I look polished.  If you are going to bother to put on sunscreen, why not have it make your skin look better at the same time?

One thing that you need to be aware of with anything that has SPF in it, there is something called "foundation flash back"  in flash photography.  Something in the sunscreen will cause a white cast on your face when it's hit with a flash, so keep that in mind.  Don't wear this if you are going to have photos taken cause you will look like a ghost.

Eeep!  Ghost face!

Overall I think this would be a great option for just about any skin type, the finish is demi matte, that becomes luminous as your own natural oils come out.  It's just lovely after about 2 hours and looks like your skin but better.  The SPF50 is the highest I've seen in any drugstore option, and only one BB cream I know of has something as high.

Packaging:    B+

Color Match:   A

Finish:     A

Longevity:  B

OVERALL GRADE:   B+

REVIEW: Garnier BB Cream for Combination/Oily Skin

I am a fan of Asian BB creams, specifically, the Korean BB creams.  They deliver on their promises and I've found that the western attempts at jumping onto this beauty bandwagon to fall short.  Most of the time the American "BB Creams" are nothing more than a glorified tinted moisturizer.  I had heard some good things about the new Garnier BB Cream made specifically for Combination/Oily skin (retail $12.99) and I had a coupon so why not.

It comes in two shades:  Light/Medium and Medium/Deep

I went with the Medium/Deep and it seems a little too dark for my NC25-NC30 skin tone.  I could see it get a little orangey as it oxidized and the lighter shade might have worked a bit better.  The consistency of this was pretty runny and I had to get it on my face pretty quick before it ran down my hand.  I used a damp Beauty Blender and no primer underneath this to see how well it would really control my oily skin.

The coverage is somewhere between light and medium.  It does a decent job of blurring your imperfections but it does not cover them up completely.  You can sell see the sun damage on my cheeks peek through, but it does not seem to pool into my pores or fine lines after initial application.  I did not set this BB cream with any powder like I normally would in the T zone.

It has a strong floral smell so if you are sensitive to fragrance, this might turn you off.  I did not notice it after application so it dissipates pretty quickly.

The photo below is after about 4 hours of wear and I think it looks really lovely.  The finish is just starting to get a little luminous from my natural oils blending with the BB cream.  The glow looks radiant and not greasy.  I am really liking this BB cream thus far, but am a little worried that the coverage will not make it to the end of my day through my oily skin.

Here we are 10 hours after application (sorry for the glass imprints on my nose).  You can see how oily my forehead has gotten, and the coverage is breaking down quite a bit.  After about 6 hours, the BB cream starts to wear off unevenly.  There are dry patches that the BB cream clings to if you look closer.

As in this close.  See on my nose there is some dry skin there and the BB cream is only left on the bits of skin.

Overall I think this is a really good drugstore BB cream.  It's got a decent SPF20, and looks pretty good for about 6 hours.  If you don't need a long wearing foundation, aren't looking for too much coverage, and like a natural look, this might be a nice match for you.

Packaging:   C

Consistency/Texture:   B

Longevity:  B-

Finish:  A

OVERALL GRADE:  B-

March 2013 Battle of the Beauty Subscriptions: IPSY vs BIRCHBOX - FIGHT!

I had the pleasure of receiving both a Birchbox and an Ipsy bag the very same day.   What better way to decide which was the better beauty subscription service than to let them duke it out to the death?

Contestant #1:  Birchbox March 2013 - "March Madness"

Compared to previous rather disappointing Birchboxes - this one was pretty strong showing.

• Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Color Saver Shampoo ($22 for 8oz - sample is 1oz ~$2.75)
• Whish shave cream (full size $20)
• MAKE eyeshadow in Bentonite Clay (full size $18)
• MAKE face primer SPF30 (woot!) (full size $30)
• Madewell full size nail file ($5 retail)  

At least there are two make up related products in the box, they checked my profile and saw that I color my hair, and I'm looking forward to trying out the MAKE face primer.    The eyeshadow itself is a pretty common color, and I am sure that I have half a dozen similar shades in my collection but it's one that is universally appealing and I appreciate that.  (I'm looking at you Glossybox and your iridescent white liquid eyeliner).  The sample is about the size of a quarter.

The shampoo smells amazing - apples and citrus I think, and I cannot wait to try it out.  My hair is in pretty sorry shape after constant coloring, and a little TLC is always appreciated.  The shaving cream smells like blueberry which is pretty nice, but the full size is $20 and who really pays $20 for shaving cream?  Really?

Overall - Birchbox March 2013                GRADE B

Contestant #2 - IPSY Glam Bag 2013 - "The Great Escape"

Ipsy always has a built in advantage because their monthly subscription always includes a cute little makeup bag, and this month's bag has a nautical theme to it with an anchor print.   After only a few months I am however rather overstocked on makeup bags.  I'm going to have to start using them to gift things to people in.

Even though most of this month's Ipsy were just ok, there is one item that just is a standout.

• La Fresh Makeup remover wipes (shrug)
• Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist
• YABY eyeshadows (not pigmented at ALL! :( )
• GlamRX mini customizable palette

The Glam RX palette is similar to the Z Palette where it is magnetized and you can put your depotted eyeshadows into it and create your own custom palettes.   

Here I have depotted some Wet -n Wild shadows and put them into the GlamRX palette.  Some shadow pans are not magnetized so you may have to buy some magnets to stick to the back of the pan so it stays in there securely.  There is a high neato factor for this item.

Overall IPSY Glambag March 2013         GRADE B-

Gonna have to give it to Birchbox due to the solid selection of products overall, I know I'll use everything in the box.  IPSY did better in the make up department, but the shadows barely had any color payoff and I am never going to be wearing teal eyeshadow even if it did have good payoff.  The GlamRX palette wasn't enough to pull the rest of the items out of the weak column.

Duo chrome eyeshadows - the most bang for the buck

I have been a fan of duo chrome eyeshadows since I started wearing makeup in college and bought my very first MAC eyeshadow.  MAC Club is a smokey red brown with green duo chrome that changes color in different light and can do the work of several shadows for a one shadow easy eye look.  The appeal of shadows like this is you can swipe it all over your eyelid and as the light hits it in different ways, it can look like you have several different colors on.  For a busy mom, any shortcut in my make up routine is most appreciated.

Even more than I love a duo chrome, I love inexpensive alternatives to the high end cosmetics.  Here are a few shadows that I find that are a close match to the effect that MAC's Club gives you at varying price points.   All of these are very pigmented and the texture is buttery and not chalky.  The original MAC version actually can be a bit of a bear to work with, requiring several layers before you build up a decent amount of color.  The cheaper variations in this case actually work much better.

Comparing the price points:

• MAC Club - $15.00
• WnW Comfort Zone palette - $4.99 for 8 shadows
• DaVinci Lava - $19.90
• Urban Decay Mushroom - $18.00
• Maybelline LE Eye Studio Quad Olive Martini - $4.99 for 4 shadows

I am wearing the Maybelline version here on my eyelid with the color blended upwards into the crease, you can see the greenish effect of the duo chrome here.  The changing color is notoriously difficult to photograph so trust me when I say it is just beautiful on the eye, and only takes a minute to sweep on and blend out.

This color also is amazing when used for a smokey eye look.  If you put it over a black base, the green really shows up and is quite dramatic.  Just use a soft black pencil to line the eye and smudge it out, then layer Club or one of its many dupes over top and you get instant drama.

REVIEW: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation

I like long wearing foundations.  I figure that if I am going to bother with putting foundation on at all - it should last the entire day, and still look great when I take it off at night.  Being a mom of two young boys, my days start very early and end late, usually with some vigorous activities in between.  If a foundation can't keep up with that, it is not worth the effort and money to put it on.

I did not have any prior experience with Rimmel foundations, but I'd seen a few reviewed on YouTube so I wanted to check it out.  It is advertised to be sweat, heat, humidity and transfer proof for up to 25 hours.  Not that you would want to be wearing any makeup for 25 hours but I get the point.  The Rimmel display at CVS was woefully short on foundation shades,  I think there were only 4 or 5 available in this foundation.  That combined with the lack of testers always makes for a wonky color match and this was no different.  The one that looked the most like a yellow undertone foundation was 200 Soft Beige.

Unfortunately, newp, not yellow, it was a pink undertone and too light to boot, on my NC25-NC30 skin it gave me a rather deathly pallor.  Cause everyone wants to look like a corpse right?  I think that the 202 Nude would have been a better match for me, but they didn't have any.

The consistency is a thick liquid, not runny or mousse-like.  The smell is a rather strong floral, which may turn some folks off.  The packaging is a squeeze tube, which is better than an open top bottle, but not as nice as a pump dispenser.

I used no primer underneath since it supposedly has a moisturizing "Aqua Primer" underneath. The coverage was light.  It did not cover up my sun damage and would require a good bit of concealer to get the kind of medium coverage that I prefer.  I applied it using both a flat top Sigma F80 brush (cakeface ugh)  and a wet Beauty Blender.  The sponge application was much smoother and not cakey at all.   This foundation did not layer too well, the more you apply (regardless of application tool) results in cake face.  This might not be the right foundation if you need more than light coverage and to even out your skin tone.

It did not settle into my pores or emphasize them which was good, and the finish is initially matte.

After a couple of hours of wear, you can see that my natural oils are showing in my T zone.   The effect is luminous and not greasy looking, but if you tend toward oiler skin, you will want to set this foundation to keep it from turning into an oil slick by the end of the day.  I did not use any setting powder or setting spray so I could test its longevity on its own.

Great blinding shiny forehead man!  10 hours into application, well short of the advertised 25 hour wear, my foundation is suffering a good bit from my oily skin.  It is wearing down in patches, and the areas that are dry have uneven spots and my under eye circles are definitely visible.  Normally I will have the same foundation on for 12 hours so the longevity of this one isn't looking good.

In this macro shot 14 hours after application and right before I'm about to wash my face, you can see the dry patchy bits under my eye and how my cheek pretty much has no foundation left on it.  25 hours my ass.

Patchy and clinging to my dry spots

Overall, this was not a great foundation for me.  I didn't like the coverage, finish or how it wore during the day and will not be reaching for it again.  That being said - if you have normal/dry skin and don't need much more than to even out your skin tone, this might be a good fit for you.

Packaging:  B

Color Match:  C

Longevity:  C

Finish: B

OVERALL GRADE:  C+

TUTORIAL: the Perfect Cat eye / winged liner

A classic cat eye liner can give any eye look that extra bit of polish and classic glamour that any woman can rock.  Sometimes creating a good cat eye can be difficult due to the eyeliner used, the brush used, your technique or just lack of practice.

Here is a tutorial on a fool proof method for creating the classic winged liner:

You will need:

• a soft black eyeliner pencil OR a gel eyeliner
• an angled brush with bristles that are soft enough to use on the eyelid
• a black shadow

When you pick the eyeliner for your winged cat eye, make sure that it is a soft liner that is smooth to apply.  Pencils that drag or tug on the eye will be too hard to use with a brush.  I recommend Makeup Forevers AquaEyes pencil, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye pencil for high end options, and Milani's Liquif'Eye as a drugstore option.  Most potted gel liners will work great as well,  I prefer waterproof smudge proof formulas and have had a lot of good luck with Smashbox, MAC Blacktrack, and L'Oreal's gel liner.

If you are using a pencil, take the angled brush and rub it along the tip of the pencil to deposit some product onto the brush.

Take the brush and follow along your lashline, making the line thicker from the center of the pupil out to the outer corner of the eye.  Get the product in between your lashes as well, this will make them look darker and thicker.  Pick up more product as necessary, and smooth out the edge of the eyeliner.

Turn the brush so the angle is following the curve of your lower lashline (as if you were going to extend it outwards) and create a wing by pressing the brush down at that angle and pulling downward back towards your eye.  I find that making the wing this way is much easier than trying to do an outward "flick" at the end of your eye.

Take your angled brush and dip it into some black eyeshadow, tapping off the excess,  then press it over the line that you drew with the eyeliner.  This will help set the liner as well as soften any wonky edges.

Voila - the classic winged cat eye!  Now just curl your lashes and add a coat of mascara and your eyes are gorgeous daaaahling.

TUTORIAL: Instant VaVaVooom with False lashes

I know I know.  False eyelashes?  They are too intimidating.  They are hard to put on.  They look too fake.  They will fall off!  Everyone will think I'm a stripper.  Who wants to fuss with false eyelashes when I can barely get a shower in and my hair combed.

Trust me.  I know how you feel - I used to feel the same way, and I am not suggesting that you wear falsies every day.  But sometimes, the occasion calls for a little more glam than your regular yoga pant, pony tail, and makeup less face.  So for those times that you need to call up your inner pin up girl - here's how to do it with the least amount of fuss and frustration.  With a little practice, it is a quick as a couple of coats of mascara and gives you 10x the effect.

They have come a long way from the caterpiller crawling on your face styles of the past and there are tons of brands that have very natural looking options that just enhance your existing lashes or can give you a KAPOW glam girl effect.

Just a bit of glam for date night

You start out with the selection of your lashes.  Some are attached to a black lash band, others to an invisible lash band, and they come in different lengths and lash styles.  For newbies, the EcoTools Naturally Beautiful Lash system (available at Ulta) is a great introduction into false lashes.  They arent over the top and just make your lashes look a bit fuller and defined than just mascara alone.  My personal favorites are the Ardell 110 lashes which are the perfect balance of glam and natural when you put them on.

Here you can see the two different style lash bands.  The Eylure has an invisible band which makes them much more natural looking on the eye.  The E.L.F lashes have a thicker less flexible band which I find harder to work with.

Most lashes come with glue, check the box.  That being said - the glue they come with is usually CRAP.  My current favorite glue is the one that comes with the Ecotools lashes (exception to the rule), and I have been using that one with all my other lash brands.  I've also read that the Revlon lash glue is also good although I have yet to try that one myself.

So now you have your lashes and your glue, the next step is to measure the lashes to your eye.  Gently peel them from the packaging (keep the package to store your lashes in!)  and hold the lashes either with tweezers or with your fingers up against your eyelid along your lash line.  Trim the lashes if necessary (I use cuticle scissors).  I find that you get the most natural look if the false eyelashes are trimmed to 3/4 the length of your lash line.  The lashes at your inner corner are very sparse already so if you place your falsies too close to that - it looks pretty weird.

Before you apply your lashes you need to line your eye so that you have somewhere to hide the lash band.  If you skip this step, the lash band would be easily distinguishable from your natural lashes and will give it away pretty easily.  I usually will do a winged cat eye which suits my eye shape, but this will also work with tight lining if you use lashes with an invisible band.  Any lashes with a black band need to be hidden in a thick black liner.  I'll be posting a tutorial on the perfect winged cat eye next.  Once you've lined your eyes, curl your lashes and put a light coat of waterproof mascara to set your curl.  This will give the lashes a platform to sit on top of.  I also will do my eyeshadow before I put my lashes on, otherwise they just get in the way of things.

Apply a thin line of glue to the lashes along the band only, try not to get the glue onto the lashes themselves.  The white glue will dry clear.  Wait about 30-45 seconds for the glue to get tacky.  If you apply them right away, the glue has too much slip and will slide around a lot.  Align the lashes so they start just a bit in from your inner corner and press the lash band up along your lash line without actually touching your lashes.  Hold each end against your lid for 5 seconds to secure the edges.

Don't panic if you dont get the placement right on the first go.  You have a minute to adjust the lashes as needed while the glue is still white.  Don't freak out and take your time, pull them off and reapply glue and start over if you need to.

Once you've got the lashes where you want them, take your black liner and go over your eyeliner again to clean up any patchy sections that may have been created as you moved your false lashes around.  Bring your lash glue with you in your purse just in case start to come off.  (never had this happen, just make sure you press each end down to let the glue set securely.

Go on out and be fabulous!

Once you are done being fabulous and it's time to take your lashes off, soak a cotton pad in oil free eye makeup remover and press and hold it to your eye for a few seconds to loosen up the glue.  Gently peel the lashes off and lay them on the cotton pad, and use a Qtip soaked in the same remover to wipe off any excess mascara or glue from your lashes.  Put them back into the box they came in and press them into shape.

You can usually get 5-10 uses out of a single pair of lashes if you take good care of them.

TUTORIAL: Fixing a broken pressed shadow or pressing a mineral pigment at home

Ever accidentally drop an eyeshadow or blush and have it break?  Or curse when you open a loose mineral pigment when the stuff gets all over you?  Did you wish that it came in a pressed form?  Well you can do it yourself with just some household items easily!

Here's what you will need:

• The broken shadow/blush or loose mineral pigment
• Alcohol - I use 70% rubbing alcohol, easily available just about anywhere
• Container for your pressed shadow or pigment - you can use the container it came in, or put it in a palette etc
• something completely flat that will fit over the container to press the shadow down - the closer you can get to an exact fit the better
• couple of sheets of toilet paper

For this tutorial I am using a loose pigment.  I've collected a ton of these over the years and fell out of love with the whole Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals thing some years ago.  I found trying to work with the loose stuff to be a recipe for fallout everywhere and spilling it was inevitable.  Every time I opened these containers I wanted to just make them be a pressed shadow for ease of use.  I got this one in the February Glossybox, gorgeous dup for MAC's Club eyeshadow.

You may want to do all of this on a paper towel in case there is fall out.  If the pigment/shadow is not already in the container you want to ultimately store it in, then transfer it to the target container first.  If you are working with a broken shadow/blush, take a fork or the handle end of a cosmetics brush and crush the rest of it so that it is in a relatively uniform powder.  Some small chunks are fine.

DaVinci pigment in Lava

Once the pigment/shadow is pretty even, add some rubbing alcohol a capful at a time and stirring it in until it resembles a thick cake batter.  Tap the container on the surface you are working on gently to even out the surface and remove any bubbles.  Allow it to air dry overnight.

Add enough to make a paste - two capfuls worked here

Find something with a similar diameter to your container

Next after your pigment has mostly dried, (overnight is best)  find something that has a similar diameter to your container.  This will be your "presser" that will smoosh the pigment into a tightly packed cake and allow you to use it without making a huge mess.  Cover the presser with a couple of sheets of toilet paper and press the pigment down firmly.  The toilet paper should absorb any excess alcohol.  If the mixture is still too wet and a lot of pigment comes up with the TP, wait another day to try and press it down again.

Press firmly

Once its pressed into the container, let it dry another night and you should be good to go!

Allow to dry overnight