Mascaraaaaaa!

K, when I wrote the title of the post, I was saying it in my head like Oprah. As in, "Everyone is getting my favorite mascaraaaaaaaa on the Oprah's Favorite Things Show!" but I don't think it translates as well on Blogger. Boo.

Also, I need to point out that while this is a product post, I have not been compensated for any of my opinions here in. Fight the man! I won't do my girls like that!

Anyway, so I have a story. I will admit that I am happy to spend money on certain pieces of makeup when I know that they work well. I am completely brand loyal to Bare Minerals for foundation and brand loyal to Christian Dior for mascara. Period. While it's a little pricier than your drugstore stuff, I'm happy with it and I love it and I'll never change.

Except.... in September I went home to Canada right? So I get everything packed. Remember, I do this a lot so I feel like I've really streamlined my packing process. Usually, the night before, I lay out the clothes I'll wear in the morning, because I prefer very early flights. Then I pack all of my makeup, leaving out only the bare essentials. In the morning, I shower, do my hair and makeup and then throw it all in my suitcase in a giant Ziploc. Well, this last trip my parents came to pick me and my little family up from the airport, and driving home, a mere eight hours from when I left my house, I realized I'd forgotten EVERYTHING. Like, all of my makeup, hair stuff, the works.

You guys, it was so sad.

I gasped like we'd run over a puppy and scared the life out of my dad. Normally, forgetting all of my beautifying toiletries wouldn't be so horrible. But the reason for my going home was that one of my brothers was moving to England for two years, and the other was moving to Botswana for a year, and there was going to be parties. Lots and lots of parties. I was going to see people that I hadn't seen in years, and there was no way in Hades that I was going to go au natural. It was neither the time, nor the place.

So, the first day I was there, I had to go to the drugstore and buy ALL new makeup. And it put me in a very bad mood. I was so very ticked off that I had very good, designer makeup at home, and there I was with a tube of Great Lash, you know. Anyway, I lamented the whole time, and when I got home I gave my makeup bag a little kiss and promised it would never happen again. My "new" makeup was relegated to my vanity drawer.

But now I find myself digging it out every now and again. Sure, my drugstore mascara doesn't give me the long, Minnie Mouse eyelashes that I long for and achieve with my CD, but it's awesome for everyday. So I decided to do a great mascara face off of 2010.

The contenders??


In this corner, we have E.L.F's Duo Mascara for a mere $1!



Over here? L'oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes weighing in at $8!


The contender, Diorshow in Blackout - Jae's fave for $24!


Does she even need an introduction? Maybelline's Great Lash for around five bucks!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ooooooooooooh! *Chair slam!* OK, I watched a little too much WWF with my brothers when we were kids. They had the wrestling ring and everything, and when we went on road trips they would convince my parents to bring it. It was like two feet across, I swear. I just liked flinging wrstlers around with the elastic ropes.

But I digress. Like, worst digression EVER.

Anyway, here I go, weighing in on mascaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

E.L.F. Duo Mascara:
This is the type that I bought to replace my mascara in Canada. Honestly, I picked the cheapest I could find (hello, its $1!) because I had a $24 mascara at home and I was annoyed. While I wasn't blown away by this little baby, I didn't hate it either. It went on smooth, and the smaller brush was a nice break from the fat brush that comes with Diorshow. It got the little tiny lashes that I usually ignore completely. It made for a nice stand in and I still use it for everyday running around or to keep in my purse.

L'oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes:
K, first of all, this mascara WILL NOT win for catchiest name. I can never remember what it's called. Millions of Lashes? Lash Millionaire? Oh screw it, it's the one in the gold tube. I bought this because I'd heard such amazing things about this mascara and I wanted to see for myself. My husband gets very annoyed when I do such things. Anyway, I really like it. It's a really good drugstore alternative to department store brands, and it fattens up lashes while separating, making it a good jack of all trades. I highly recommend.

Diorshow Blackout:
Alright, it's no secret that I love and admire this mascara. Again, I'm fairly obsessed with mascara, and when I don't wear makeup, I always swipe a little on. When I finally got up the nerve to go sit down in the Dior makeup chair and have the makeup girl fuss over me, I fell in love. Not with the girl, because I'm not Katy Perry like that, but with the mascara. It gives me massive lashes. My lashes are fairly long, so I always value volume over lengthening. This stuff is amazing. Two coats makes me look like I'm wearing falsies, no joke. Also, it smells good. Random, right? If you've got an extra $25 laying around, I highly recommend. Plus, one tube lasts around three months. Good investment.

Great Lash:
K, so I keep a tube of Great Lash around just out of pure principle. It is a really good, basic mascara. If you're new to the whole makeup thing, Great Lash is a really good place to start. The first thing I do when I open up my Great Lash is bend the brush to a 90 degree angle. That way, when I apply, I'm going in an upward stroke and I find I get better length and definition. This is another one I reach for when I don't want to go all out with my Dior. My only gripe is that it can get a little clumpy, so a lash comb is a must if you're planning on more than one coat.

So, I don't think there's one clear winner, because the reason you use mascara may be totally different from what I look for in a tube (instant showgirl quality lashes, yes please) The trick is to go somewhere you can test a few different formulas out. Even if you purchase from a drugstore, most places like Walgreens and CVS will allow you to return it, even if it's the wrong color. You may only get store credit, but it's just license to try another brand. And when you find your perfect fit, don't ever let it go. Don't make the same mistake I did and leave your precious mascara lying dormant on your vanity for an entire week.

I swear I heard it whimper when I got home.

Or was that me?

Skills: The Smoky Eye

I have seen smoky done right, and smoky eye done oh so very, very wrong. The trick is to learn WHEN to use the smoky eye. Going to your child's graduation? Probably not smoky eye material. Date night with your husband? Yes please.

First off, the COLOR that you use to make your smoky eye will have a big effect on the final outcome. While black and gray are traditional, they are pretty serious and can look a *leetle* on the slutty side if done with a heavy hand. If you're new to the powers of the smoky eye, start with a different color. Brown and taupe are nice, and my personal fave is easily plum and purple.

Heeeeere's the steps! With pics from moi. From my husband's blackberry; my camera didn't like the swim in Dr. Pepper that it took. Boo0urns.

1) Apply a little primer to your eyelid. I have suuuuper crease-y eyes and if I don't give the makeup something to stick to, I get crease lines and they are not cool. If you don't use a primer, dab a little liquid foundation over the eyelid and call it good.

2) Use a lighter shade of your smoky eyeshadow and sweep it over the entire eyelid, to the crease line. This will give your smoky eye a little more depth so it doesn't look so severe. You want soft smoky eyes, not porno smoke eyes, got it? I did a light purple, which you can see below.


(This is how I mix my eyeshadow... I get the brush wet and and load it up in the eyeshadow cap. When wetting eyeshadow, create a paste-like texture and it'll stay on forever.

3) Now, here's a personal preference thing. I love me some liquid eyeliner and will occasionally use it for a smoky eye, but an eyeliner brush dipped in eyeshadow will make for a smudgier look. Either one works. To use eyeshadow, pick the darker shade of eyeshadow and WET your eyeliner brush (it's the one with a small, angled end.) Dab the brush into the eyeshadow, pressing down on either side of the brush to get a finer tip.

(See that thin line of darker color right above the lash line? That's it! If you decide to use a liquid liner, use a wet brush to smudge up the line so it isn't so precise. )

4) Begin from the inner eyelid and sweep the brush out to the outer corner of your eyes. I like a little cattiness in my smoky eye, so I give it the TINIEST flick of my wrist at the end. If you mess up, don't freak out. Just wet a q-tip and run it along the top of the eyeshadow for a cleaner line.

5) Dip the brush again into the dark shadow without wetting it first. This will give you a super smudgey look on the bottom. I brush (WITH A VERY LIGHT HAND) a little of the eyeshadow underneath my bottom lashes on the outside corner only. Any more and you'll get too Night of the Living Dead.

6) Take a regular soft kohl pencil in a close-ish color and line your water line. That's the inner rim oof the bottom of your eye. If this makes you squeamish, skip it, but it'll give some incredible definition without giving crazy eyes.

7) Use a regular eyeshadow brush (the puffy one) to sweep a little of the darker shade of eyeshadow into the crease of your eye, keeping it lighter the closer you get to the inner corner of your eyelids, so the outer eyelid is darker and more dramatic.

(K, so you're looking for a graduation of color. The inside of the eyelid is lighter and it gets darker as it moves out for the smoky effect without being too severe. )

8) Finally, curl your eyelashes with my patented method (Three times: Once at the base, then in the middle, then at the tips) and apply two coats of brown or black mascara. You've got it, foxy lady!

(for daytime, go with brown mascara. For night time, a couple of coats of black will make your eyelashes look crazy long. I'm not even wearing falsies here!)

SO there she is... check out that smokiness without sluttiness! It's an art form, really.

Here's the finished product. Pssst little hint here; when doing a dramatic eye it helps to keep everything else neutral, and wearing your hair up brings attention to your awesome eyes.

Be kind, I totally did this at ten at night in my bathroom because I thought having a few photo examples would help you conquer it. My husband was yelling at me to go to bed. Yeah, you're welcome for that. PS you can totes see my bra. IT WAS LATE.

I know it seems like a lot of steps, but once you've nailed it you'll feel more comfortable with the process and create a pretty much ideal smoky eye to make the other moms jealous.

Play with color combos to get different looks. Gold and taupe is super hot, especially for blue eyes, and a navy/ turquoise combo is crazy awesome for brown eyes. You can do it! I have faith in you!

Faking a Full Night's Sleep

K, so this is much more about makeup than it is about fashion, but wouldn't you agree that they totally go hand in hand?

So, I had a rough night last night. You see, my husband is a very big Utah Jazz fan. And last night, they were losing. Badly. By 25 points. Except in the last THREE minutes they somehow ended up coming back, which means that I was coerced into staying up very late to watch them win. I was passed out on the couch for the last three minutes, which by basketball minutes actually means the last half hour (are all of the timeouts REALLY necessary?) So. I finally got to bed at midnight, only to be woken at six by my very chipper morning baby.

I am not one that functions well on little sleep. When I have a new baby I get that zombie look in my eyes. And while I can talk myself into being a morning person, it doesn't necessarily mean I really want to be one. I need my eight hours, thanks.

So, as I got ready this morning, I pulled out all of my makeup tricks to make me look fresh and awake, because SOMEHOW I deteriorate into a gremlin over night while my husband wakes up looking relatively the same as he did before he went to bed.

UNFAIR.

I think using makeup to make yourself look awake has much more to do with color than it does technique. Observe.


So I start with gold eyeshadow. Lots of gold eyeshadow. For daytime, a sheer liquid eyeshadow functions much better than a scary Studio 54 powder. I good daytime shadow should make your skin more glowy than it does gold-y, if that makes any sense. I put it all over my top lids, and then in the creases of my eyes, near the tear ducts. It brings a little light in the eyes, and it doesn't have that weird hooker-y effect that white eyeshadow can have in the same application. OMG, remember when all of the easy girls at school would wear white eyeliner? Memories. Anyhoo, this is a Creme Eyeshadow by Yves Rocher that I love.


Curling eyelashes are a MUST. Especially when you feel all droopy and tired. Remember to curl them three times, once at the base, then the middle and then the end. And I went all out and bought what was SUPPOSED to be a very snazzy eyelash curler, but I hated it. I end up using my $1 E.L.F. one every time. It's easily the best that I've tried. And hello!? ONE DOLLAR.


Finish with one coat of mascara. Yeah, you read right. Don't use eyeliner when you already have tired eyes. It just brings all of the attention to them and darkens them and is like "HEY! CHECK OUT MY PREMATURE AGING LINES!" If you're feeling naked without your eyeliner, just wiggle the mascara wand right at the base of your lashes and deposit some color there. Leave the bottom lashes bare, they'll get enough color just from your blinking. You don't want to close your eyes in, you want them to look open and bright. Also, I worship Diorshow mascara so that's what I use. But honestly, drugstore brands are usually just as good.


(Urban Decay)
Okay, onto the bronzer. Totally use foundation if you feel the need to, but I feel like when your skin is tired, foundation looks a lot better with a squirt (hee hee - funny word) of moisturizer mixed in. I always use bronzer since I pretty much look like death warmed over without it. When I apply bronzer, I use a "number three" technique I picked up from heaven knows wear. Starting at the middle of your forehead, draw a number three on the side of your face with the bronzer brush (use a fluffy brush, not the cheap crappy one that comes with the makeup) Does that make sense? So you hit your forehead, the top of your cheekbones and your chin with one swoop. Lovely.

A cheek tint is 100 percent the way to go on tired days. instead of looking cakey and powdery, it makes your skin look like it is radiating color. The trick is to choose a color that is psychotically bright in the tube. I use the one on the left, and I am very fair skinned (thanks, redhead mother). It looks like ridiculously pink, but it goes on very sheer, so you can layer up the intensity. And it smells really good! Anyhow, it's from Victoria Secret and I love. And you'll love looking all flushed and radiant.



(Stila)
Finally, top it off with a peachy lip gloss. It'll bring some light to your lips and peach is pretty much universally flattering because it allows your natural lip color to shine through. You'll look all kissable and lively.

It's basically a universal truth that if you've had children, you can basically kiss your long, luxurious nights goodbye. If I could go back and talk to my teenage self I'd be like "JAE! Go home and get some sleep! What are you doing staying up past two in the morning? One day you're going to be getting up for the third time by two and totally miss having a choice in the matter!"

But, even if the Jazz miraculously win a game and my son is pretending he's a rooster, I can *look* awake, even if I don't *feel* awake.

And on that note, I'm taking a nap.

PS: Sorry no Maternity Monday post. Jenna is pretty much almost done with her pregnancy, so I've invited another one of my hot preggo pals to write for you, and she'll start next week. Be excited!

Maternity Monday: It's all in the face.

In high school, I had perfect skin. We're talking maybe one small zit every few months. I didn't own concealer because I had nothing to conceal. It was awesome.

Then, I got pregnant. And my pores obviously hated me for it, because they exploded into raging, red pustules.

You know, acne is one of the great ironies of pregnancy. The fact you are "with child" should mean you've finally reached full-blown womanhood, yet your face looks like you're enduring the throes of puberty. Frustrating as all get-out, if you ask me.

Add the teenage pizza face phenomenon to the dark circles you've now got under your eyes from getting up nine times a night to pee, wrinkles from worrying, and a host of other skin problems that may have crept up on you (ruddiness, dryness, blackheads): it's pretty much a fool-proof recipe for low self-esteem. Which is the last thing you need as a pregnant woman.

So, what do you do about your complexion issues? Here are some tips that will help you achieve that elusive "maternal glow" everyone is always talking about (which I am convinced doesn't really exist without effort):

1) Start with good hygiene. You need to cleanse your face regularly to remove oil, dirt and build-up. Look for a cleanser that's non-drying and non-irritating. I use Aveeno Positively Radiant cleanser and I really love it. It contains natural ingredients and it's soap-free, oil-free, hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic (which means it won't irritate acne). Plus it smells great.

Also, avoid anything with scrubbing beads in it. You should exfoliate once in a while (perhaps weekly), but every time you wash your face is too often. It's going to cause more irritation and dryness than you had before. Your daily cleanser should be smooth and gentle.

For dryness, use a non-irritating moisturizer. If your face is super-dry and flaky, you'll want to use a heavier moisturizer. Otherwise, find something a little lighter. I use Lancome Primordiale Optimum, which even has SPF 15. So that's awesome, too. Some people swear by Mary Kay or Neutrogena.

If your acne is severe, you probably need to use a medicated face wash or ointment. Talk to a dermatologist about what is best. You don't have to suffer through pizza face just because you're pregnant.

2) Use concealer. Most of us grown women have wrinkles, bags under our eyes or ruddy areas on our faces. And that's OK. A good concealer can take care of them. It's amazing how a little concealer under your eyes will wake you right up. Like Botox, without the needle and weird paralysis. I also use concealer around my nose because I tend to get a little red there.

This article has a lot of good tips about using concealer.

Be careful not to use it on your blemishes, though. I know it's tempting to hide them, but they aren't going to get better if you cake them with make-up. Be patient while they heal.

3) Mascara is a must. Unless you have naturally dark, full lashes (lucky), you ought to use mascara. If applied correctly, it will enhance your beautiful eyes, making you look and feel amazing. I happen to own both waterproof and regular mascara. I use the waterproof one if I know I am going to be out and about all day, but I use regular mascara if I'm only going out in the evening. That way, I don't have to spend a ton of time and effort removing mascara I only wore for a few hours, since regular mascara is a lot easier than waterproof to take off.

4. Lip gloss. I know Jae loves a good lip gloss, and I do, too. Lip gloss is your secret weapon to looking hot even when you feel horrible. I heart Lancome's Juicy Tubes because they are super-shiny, stay on all day and come in a variety of fun colors. I have a more neutral one from Smashbox that I like as well. Neutrogena has some good ones that double as lip moisturizers, too. You don't have to spend a ton on lip gloss and you'll still reap the benefits of it. Pucker up!

5. Put some color into it! If your face seems pale and lifeless, liven it up with a little pink blush on the apples of your cheeks. Not too much, though, or you might look like an overdone news anchor. And trust me, I've seen my share of overdone news anchors (male and female alike).

Bronzer is fabulous if you want a more sun-kissed look -- just be careful not to apply too much or you'll look like a freaky victim of tanorexia. You're going for subtle glow, not radioactive.

So, that's it! Try these simple tips and see if you don't feel better about yourself. I guarantee you'll feel more confident.

Oh, also ... if you think there's no way you can do any of this make-up stuff on your own, find a friend or family member whose make-up looks great and ask them to help you. I am sure they'd be more than happy to! Or, if you're more of the anonymous type, head to the cosmetic section of your favorite department store. Most will do free make-overs and they'll show you how to achieve good results when you're applying your own make-up.

Eye Spy...

I am pretty sure there is no creature on this world more tired than a mom. Between getting up in the night and tossing and turning and feeling GUILTY when you take a nap (because your two year old may or may not be coloring on herself with permanent marker while you do so), mom's get literally no sleep. Maybe the only people who get less sleep are people who are on early morning TV shows. And that's their own fault.

Lately I've noticed that I've had tons of dark circles under my eyes, no doubt due tot he fact that my husband wakes up at 5:30 to get to class, and I CAN NEVER GET BACK TO SLEEP. It's horrible. So, I've added a few tips and tricks in my arsenal to make my eyes look wide awake and at least maintain some semblance of rest.

1) Dark circles: Cover circles with a yellow toned face pencil or cream. Even if you aren't a regular foundation user, you can just do the circles. Blend it well.

2) We all know the age-old secret of highlighter. White pencil is fine. Use it to dab in the innermost corners of your eyes to lighten them. You can smudge a little up right under your eyebrows too. Not too much, you'll look like a prostitute. Just enough to lift them up a little.

3) Mascara. I LOVE mascara. It is so easy to just throw some on, slick on the lipgloss and call it good. I don't have tons of time to fiddle with make up, but I always have time for mascara. It's literally two seconds. Make sure you curl your lashes first. My fool proof way to curl is this: Take the curler and curl your lashes three times each. Once at the very base of your lashes, once in the middle, and once at the tips. This way you get nice curvy lashes, and not the kind that stick straight up in the air. When they are curled, take your mascara wand, and do as I say! Put the wand super duper close to the lash line and wiggle back and forth a little. That's going to deposit some of the mascara at the line, and make your eyes more defined, much like eyeliner, but faster. Then sweep up. Repeat on both sides. I like a comb through afterwards, but it depends on the mascara you choose. Honestly, my favourite is my crappy Wet N Wild mascara I bought for like, $1.99

4) Now, you can totally be done at this point, but if you want eyeshadow too, here's my guide for eyeshadow for your eye color.
Brown: I would go with a navy color. I know blue eyeshadow conjures up images of bad '80's hair, but if you go with a very dark navy, you can pull off a smoky eye and make your brown eyes pop righto outta your head.
Green/Hazel: Choose a plummy purple. Again, I know we're all very happy and safe with our browns and greys, but try this and I promise you, it'll make your eyes look even more green.
Blue: This is me, so I am always messing around with colors. For blue, I like brown, but it needs to have a purple-y undertone to really contrast with your eyes. I even use a cranberry color I love because it cools down the blue in the eyes to make them stand out on the skin.
Moral of the story, CONTRAST yours eye color with your eyeshadow. Your eye color will pop, looking crisper and cleaner, and ultimately more awake.

And if you get a chance, will you take a nap for me today? Or let me know how to get permanent marker out of a couch?