RapidLash
Does RapidLash really give you long gorgeous lashes?
Yes.
I have tried the product for a few months now and not only do I notice a difference, but so does my husband.  He keeps asking me if I'm wearing fake lashes (Which I do wear sometimes).   I was skeptical, but it really is a product that works.  I was expecting them to look even thicker than they do, I guess I still have use for my false lashes.  I even have a pair of false lashes that are shorter than my real lashes- thanks to RapidLash. 
Bottom line, if you are thinking about getting lash extensions, spend the money on RapidLash instead.  I love my new real lashes!

Fake it gorgeous!

Ardell Fashion Lashes
J'adore false lashes!  I always feel prettier when I'm wearing my Ardell lashes.  They add volume and length and make my lashes look Va Va Vavoom! Don't be afraid.  They are under $5 a pair and they last a few weeks if you take care of them and are gentle.  So grab a pair and experiment. I have used the single lashes and find them too complicated, I like the strips.  They have dozens of styles to choose from. My favorites are 135 and babies. Find your favorites.

Tips for applying: 
1. Apply eye liner. This is easier and looks better if you do it before the lashes.  I put lashes on last, after all my makeup is complete.
2. Curl your natural lashes with an eyelash curler and apply mascara.  My favorite eyelash curler is 
Shu uemura.  This creates a shelf for the lashes, and applying mascara now makes it so you don't have to apply it to the false lashes- so you can reuse them.
3. Trim the lashes.  Place them on your eyes and see if they are too wide.  They're always too wide for me.  Trim them with scissors on the outer edge (the inner edge is shorter).
OR it's easiest to apply them if you cut the lashes into 3 segments and add them 1 at a time.   Does that make sense?
4. Apply a thin line of Eyelash adhesive (I also use Ardell brand adhesive).  I apply the glue to a paper and then run a toothpick it, then I run that over the lashes.  That helps it go on thinly.
5. Wait for the adhesive to become tacky, 30seconds or so.
6. Place the lashes on the eyelid as close as possible to the lashline.  I hold the lashes with tweezers. Press to secure to skin.  I like to tap it with the edge of my tweezers.

It sounds harder than it actually is.  It just takes practice.  I do think they feel a bit obnoxious for about an hour, after that I forget they are on.  Whether you wear false lashes or not, you are beautiful.  Everyone is beautiful in their own skin.  You just have to believe it.

What colors should I wear?

My sister-in-law asked me what colors look best on her.  That's a great question!  I think it's fun to wear every color of the rainbow, but I know that natural always looks best. When we wear colors in our skin tone we look better.

With the correct colors (in cosmetics and clothing):

• Your skin tone will appear radiant and glowing
• Your eyes will appear brighter and clearer
• Your hair will reflect highlights
• You will hear compliments - such as "You look great"!

With the wrong colors (in cosmetics and clothing) :

• Your skin tone will appear tired and drained
• Your eyes may appear shadowed, dark circles
• Even your teeth can appear with a slight yellow hue
• You will hear comments - such as "You look tired” "Do you feel OK?" 

How to tell your skin tone:   look at the underside of your arm. If your veins appear bluish you are cool toned, if they appear greenish you are warm toned. If your foundation is pink based you have cool undertones.  If it is yellow based you have warm undertones.
Neutrals look good on both tones.

Here are two color charts that should help you see what are considered cool or warm colors. 

                                                                         
Cool colors                                                                      Warm colors

The power of eye primer!

Before I begin a painting I like to paint my base color. Just as if you wanted to paint your walls, you start with a primer. I am a primer junkie! I never put on my eye makeup without first applying eye primer, unless it's an accident. Primer most definitely makes your eye makeup stay on better. It also helps the prevent the shadow from creasing and helps intensify the color. You can get much better results out of your cheap eye shadows if you first apply primer. I have two favorite brands that I can't decide which I like better. Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion. They have 3 different varieties, original, Eden, and Sin. Original is basically clear, Eden is a lovely Matte beige, and Sin is a shimmery champagne color. Two Faced Shadow Insurance is also amazing and I like the tube better than the wand of Urban Decay. Either Choice will blow you away! I promise you better longer lasting eye shadow if you use one of these primers. It's worth the money! Buy cheap eye shadows to make up for it.

A cheap decent alternative is ELF mineral eye primer $3.  You're shadow will stay on better with a primer. Think about it, you put it on in the morning and it's still there at night to take off. How nice is that. The shadow isn't as bright with the ELF brand, but it is still better than no primer or other junky alternatives. 



Bottom line- splurge a little and buy yourself an eye primer-you won't be sorry!

Prime Time!

7My gorgeous sisters-in-law were over today and were saying they wanted primer. I freaked out I was so excited to talk about it! You all know I'm obsessed with makeup and love talking about it any chance I get. So today's news is PRIMER!!! My favorite primer is Smashbox photo finish. The first time I tried this was with my sister and sister-in-law when I lived in San Francisco. They were visiting me alone with no parents! They were only 12 years old and so super cute! I love them! We went to Sephora and they had these little plastic containers sitting out, so we grabbed one and filled it with this magic potion and took it home as a lovely sample. Who knew then it would be my best friend.



I have tried several different brands of primer and this is my top pick! They have several to choose from. This and the Light are my favorites. The Light is better if you have oily skin. They also have one with SPF 15 that dries clear. They also have one that is a bronzer (haven't tried it, but how cool is that!) However, If you are acne prone I also like Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-acne treatment. It's very light weight and goes on nicely.

Why should you prime? Because it fills in all your pores and fine lines and makes your skin look better. It also helps mattify your skin so it's not so shiny oily looking. And . . . it helps your foundation stay put better. Shush . . . Don't tell my husband I wrote this, but he even put it on before family pictures. It's great to wear alone if you don't wear foundation and it's full of vitamins so it's good for your skin. Sephora says

"The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin, while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish." 

Count me in! 

For all you cheapies, you can use Monistat Anti Chafing Gel on your face and it does the same thing (without all the vitamins of course) Sounds strange, but it really works. Also I have used L'oreal Studio Secrets Professional Secret No.1 Magic Perfecting Base and it is really good too.

Next time I will talk about Eye primer! My sisters-in-law like that the best! They put their eye shadow on this morning and it was almost non-existent. I did likewise and had to scrub it off tonight.

No Sting!

Today I tried my new Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream spf 32. Why would I use it when I knew my eyes wouldn't see the sun? Because it's new! I love new things. I am so impressed! I wanted this because every sunblock I put on my eye lids causes my eyes to water constantly, not to mention the stinging and bloodshot eyes. It's amazing. No stinging, burning, watering, just bliss. It feels like a luxurious lotion. I'm a new convert after one try! I'll be putting this on my husband and children this summer. Hurray for sunshine! I hope it finds us soon.

Heaven at my door!

The most beautiful bell just rang- my door. I spied the UPS man and had high hopes of the package being my Sephora order. Da da da daaaaa! "My Makeup" I squealed in delight! I proceded to tear the package apart and admired it's contents. The proverb "Good things come in small packages" rings true. I got 13 sample products too! I'm ecstatic to try my new color palette. Such fun colors! I love ordering their products. Looking at the site is so fun. I get a high when I place the order, then I get to anticipate the glorious day when the doorbell rings and I get to hold the magnificent package in my hands. Now the fun part begins!

The eyebrows have it!

What is beauty? The idea has changed throughout time. L'oreal is creating a 5 volume book set called "100,000 Years of Beauty." It explores beauty through the ages, from prehistoric people to the modern age, and even a look into the future. I find this idea fascinating from an art history major perspective. This painting by Petrus Christus painted in 1470 exemplifies the beauty of that time. This woman's forehead, eyebrows and eyelashes have been plucked to raise her hairline and bare her neck, her face is totally hairless. Some pink on her cheeks and lips add  warmth to her pale face. As we look to art throughout time up to present day we discover that beauty has always been something women want to obtain, however the different ways beauty is manifested is always changing. We no longer pluck every hair from our face, instead we try to only pluck what is necessary to have beautifully sculpted brows.

I always end my makeup routine by doing my eyebrows. I don't like overly plucked brows. I love them bold and beautiful. Here's How:

1. The biggest mistake people make is to tweeze too much. Avoid overplucking as it can take months for brows to grow back. Here's a simple trick to remember: The space between your brows should be equal to, or a little wider than, your eyes. To find where your brow should go, take a long eyeshadow brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the side of your nose. Where the brush meets your brow is where your brow should begin.
2. To find the end of your brow, extend the brush diagonally from your nostril, following the outside edge of your eye toward the brow. Where the inside edge of the brush hits is where your brow should end.
3. The best brows have a slight arch. To find yours, hold the brush parallel to the outside edge of the colored part of your eye (the iris). Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of your brow should be.
4. You'll want to invest in a good pair of tweezers with a slanted edge. I like Anastasia's and Tweezerman, but they can be pricey. La Cross is a decent drugstore choice for about $6
5. Make sure to pluck hairs in the direction they grow. Don't grab too many hairs at a time. You can hold skin taut as you pluck.
6. It's a myth that brows should never be tweezed from above. You want both the bottoms and tops to be smooth. So be careful, but tweeze the top AND the bottom.
7. Stop every few hairs to step back and look at the job you're doing. If you overpluck, you're stuck. Unlike most hairs on your body, your brows won't always grow back once they're yanked.
Tips:

1. If your brows are sparse or spotty,like mine, you can fill them in by pressing a brown shadow into your brow. I like Anastasia powder. Her eyebrow kit is my favorite that contains everything you need, including tweezers. I've heard Chanel's Perfect Brow Compact is the ultimate brow shadow. I have seen Sonia Kashuk's eyebrow kit at Target which has 4 colors you should be able to mix for the right shade for around $10.
2. If you use a pencil to fill in sparse brows, apply with short, feathered strokes from the inside of the brow out. Then carefully rub brows with a brush or your fingertips to soften the effect.
3. Brow gel helps keep your brows in place all day. Or if you don't have gel, apply a dab of hairspray to your finger and use it to keep unruly hairs in place. Maybelline has a cheap brow gel, but it's not stiff enough. Anastasia's is the best but around $20. Essence has one that is stiff, but comes out of the tube very gloopy for $3. If anyone finds a cheap one that works as well as Anastasia's let me know, I'll buy it.