You all know how much I love Dawn Eyes Cosmetics. I think my reviews, here, here, here, and here, speak for themselves :-) Now is a great time to treat yourself to some of the absolute best eyeshadows I have ever encountered.
Until Saturday, May 5th, at midnight, you'll be able to buy everything in the store for 50% off! (*except for items that were already 50% off)! I'm planning to pick up some of the Winnie the Pooh collection, some of the creamy Spearl Mattes, and a few of her stock shades. What will you be getting? Do tell!
I guess Miss K. finally caught some sun, because AL swatches of the new Moulin Rouge Collection are up! Here they are! Based on these, I may have to change some of the colors I initially wanted based on the descriptions only. If you're intrigued by the small photo below and want to enlarge it, just click on the photo to get to the original link. Happy shopping!
I have a review for you of the Winnie the Pooh Collection by
Dawn Eyes Cosmetics. Honestly, when I received these samples as a total surprise
from Dawn, my first thought was, “Ugh. too many yellows and grays/grayish
browns,” which are not good colors on me.
But, true to my oath, I dutifully tried them all and was
truly surprised that I really liked many of them and am planning to pick up some
full sizes during her current sale. Here we go! This collection speaks softly
but carries a big stick!
Colors Received (my take in italics): All in swatches
alphabetical order, from right to left and top to bottom, in the photos and
video. All swatches done over E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer. My favorites are
bolded as usual!
WtP Collection under natural light (you can really see the duochrome in Christopher Robin here!)
• Christopher
Robin: Peach-and-blue duochrome sporting lots of golden glitter I love, love, love this shade. This
duochrome is very gentle and doesn’t result in that “snakeskin” look that so
many brown- or blue-based/reddish duochromes end up looking like on my lids. I
was a little scared to try it, but it looked gorgeous. I’M DEFINITELY GETTING A
FS JAR OF THIS COLOR!
• Eeyore: Medium
grey matte base with a glowing pink overtone and sparkling blue glitter I didn’t see the pink overtone or blue glitter
in this color; it showed up mostly satin matte-ish grey on me. It turned out
better in the photos though; very sparkly. I WON’T BE PURCHASING THIS SHADE.
• Kanga and Roo:Taupe
brown with blue overtone and loaded with pink glitter I felt just “meh” about this shade. To me it wasn’t overloaded with
pink glitter at all. I couldn’t even capture it in the photos or videos It’s a
pretty taupe-ish color if you need one, but I don’t. L I WON’T BE PURCHASING THIS COLOR.
WtP Collection under incandescent light
• Owl: Shimmering
metallic copper tan drenched in copper and golden glitter Now we’re talking, Dawnie! Warm golden tan color; texture like a plushie
toy; and gleaming shimmer like there’s no tomorrow. This could become a staple
neutral for me. I WILL DEFINITELY BE GETTING A FS OF THIS SHADE!
• Piglet: Matte
beige base with strong fuchsia sheen and sparkling with purple gleams This color barely showed up on my pale skin
tone, and I could hardly see the fuchsia sheen and purple gleams at all. I’d
like to see a dark-skinned beauty do an EOTD with this color so I could see
what it is supposed to look like (I’m looking at you, Dinah “Raekwon” Hall!). UNFORTUNATELY, NOT A PURCHASE
• Pooh: Low-sheen
gold with a red-shift overtone and bright copper glitter in two tones This shade didn’t wow me either, mainly
because I can’t do reds at all (I never even wear that much red because it
brings out the natural ruddiness I have in my face, which, of course, I always
try to cover up). It also came out looking like Goldenrod Spearl Matte in the
photos, but in real life it’s not quite that dark. Also, you can see the red
shift slightly better in the video below. NOT A PURCHASE FOR ME
Better view of Eeyore glitters
• Rabbit: Pale
yellow with a pink overlay and brilliant golden glitter This color is right up my alley! The yellow is pale and sheer enough to
pass as a cream on me, which I prefer as a highlighter because white-based
highlighters are to stark on my skin. The pink overlay makes it a sweet duochrome,
and tiny gold glitters never hurt anyone as far as I know, LOL! DEFINITELY A FS
PURCHASE!
Rabbit glitters!
• Tigger: Shimmery
cream base with an orange overlay and bright copper sparks Oh, yeah, baby! Another sweet shade in the same family of Rabbit (to me
eyes anyway) but more of a lid color than a brow bone highlight. DEFINITELY A
FS PURCHASE!
Tigger glitters!
I'll close with a video swatchfest! Enjoy :-)
Would I Buy Again?
Yep, and I will do so in just a few days! As promised, Silk Naturals will be reviewed next.
____________________ Disclaimer: These sample were sent to me by the company owner, of her own free adult will, for promotional purposes!
. . . and vote for her to win a year's supply of Smashbox makeup! Her Makeup Alley screen name is LauraJean396, and here is where you can vote: http://apps.facebook.com/lights-camera-bb/profile/614. It's a clever, short video.
Of course, you can vote for someone else if you prefer. Cosmetic karma is cosmetic karma; it doesn't discriminate, LOL :-)
Hi everyone :-) Last week I had my first poll on the blog about what company you wanted me to test and review next. The winner was Silk Naturals (probably the closest to a dream store I've ever shopped at), so I'll get right to that. Tied were the following: Barry M., Black Rose, Brazen, My Pretty Zombie, Riche (currently closed; I believe she had a baby recently), and Lovelee Soaps (YOU TOTALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE SOAPS EVEN IF IT'S JUST FOR FUN!). Since I haven't done a bath and body review yet, I will probably do Lovelee Soaps after Silk Naturals. The rest will come in no particular order.
However, first you will have to read yet another Dawn Eyes review (and who the heck wouldn't want to do that?) for the Winnie the Pooh collection. I got the samples a while ago; the swatch photos have been taken and cropped; and the colors have been tested; all I have to do is write my "take" on the shadows. By the way, Dawn is planning another sale starting on Wednesday!
So stay tuned, dear readers, for DEC Winnie the Pooh, random favorite Silk Naturals colors (which make up a vast part of my nuetrals collection), and Lovelee Soaps! Thanks to everyone who voted on the poll and gave me some direction :-)
I leave you with a couple of photos of my "catalabras" (battery-operated candles, so no worries)!
Blanca, a rescue cat, lighting up her "kitty cup"
Buster, my elderly (17 yo!) cat napping on the couch
Aromaleigh is rolling some big dice! The new Moulin Rouge collection comprises 35 colors in shades and finishes to suit every taste bud you have! For those of you who are not familiar with the Moulin Rouge (French for "red mill" [there is a large red windmill on its roof]), it is originally a cabaret in France (the movie came much later) and the birthplace of the modern can-can dance. Opened on October 6, 1889, it was "originally introduced as a seductive dance by the courtesans who operated from the site, the can-can dance revue evolved into a form of entertainment of its own and led to the introduction of cabarets across Europe" (Wikipedia quote). The Moulin Rouge is associated with beautiful women and the gorgeous colors and textures of the their costumes.
What colors do you fancy? I'm eyeing full sizes of the following: Dentelle (French for "lace"), Crinoline, Blanche, Can-Can, Knickers, Frou-Frou, and Frisson
("chill")! You can get color descriptions at the link above; swatches to come soon. Miss K. comes up with the best collection themes, doesn't she? :-)
Hi everyone :-) You may not have noticed that I posted a poll on my blog (to the right of the page) almost a week ago asking what company I should test and review next (lots of choices). I currently have a half dozen votes, but I'd like to have more! There are 6 hours left on the poll. Won't you please cast a vote? Thanks.
Welcome to new follower bbfriendforever (aka Helen F.)! She's from the United Kingdom and is clearly a makeup loonie like the rest of us, LOL. Helen has a blog called BBFF* (*Beauty Best Friend Forever). Why not swing on by and check it out? She's got nice mix of EOTDs and product swatches as well as as a lovely photo of mountains in France where she was on skiing holiday fairly recently. It reminds me of my father's Swiss heritage and the times I spent vacationing in in Switzerland. Lots of good memories. Thanks for reminding me, Helen [which is also my mom's name, funny that] :-)
Mountains in France (Google photo)
Mountains in Switzerland (Google photo). See? Not so different: Both are craggy, pointy, and covered with snow!
Here are Helen's answers to my "desert-island" questions": (1) Describe yourself in three words and why? (2) What three foods do you like best and why? (3) What would be your three "desert-island" cosmetics and why (i.e., if you were stranded on a desert island, which three cosmetics (brand and type/name please) would you most want to have with you and why)?
1. I am sociable, smart, and a good friend because I like to talk; I make careful decisions; and I like to think that I am a good friend, but perhaps I'm not! It's like when I once asked a social worker friend if she thought I might actually be crazy (in reference to a particular situation at the time). She said, "If you can ask that question, you're not crazy." So, I'll bet you are indeed a god friend, Helen, because can ask yourself that question!
2. I love fruit, chocolate, and yoghurt. I eat all three foods every day, and they are all good for me. I eat all them, too, but not every day. However, the chocolate I could make into a three-meals-per-day habit, LOL!
3. Desert Island cosmetics? Mmmm . . . assuming it's a tropical island, then sun screen because I burn easily and like to protect my skin from the sun's harmful effects. The sun screens I use the most are from L'Oreal (just scroll down). Next is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream because it's so useful. Lastly, a bottle of Dr. Bronners liquid soap (the rose scent), again because it's a multi-use product, and I like to feel clean . . . !
Hmmm, I think we have a all-around healthy beauty blogger here. Thanks for sharing your answers, Helen, and we'll b e looking forward to your next blog post :-)
Did you know that you can whiten your teeth at least one shade using generic antiseptic oral mouth cleanser? The main tooth-whitening agent in may cleansers, carbamide peroxide (10%), is also found in many tooth-whitening products. I put about 10 drops of cleanser in my mouth after brushing at night, swish it around, and leave it in my mouth for as long as possible, usually 2 minutes before bedtime. It makes my teeth about one shade lighter and must be kept up, but it's simple and inexpensive to use. I use the one made by CVS, and at about $5.99 a bottle, it's definitely a cheaper, easier, and more discreet option than tooth-whitening trays if you don't need to do any serious whitening (for that you'll need a kit or a dentist). For the cleanser, just make sure you look for "carbamide peroxide 10%" (or more) on the list of active ingredients.
Last, I thought this list of Earth-friendly beauty products from Recyclebank was interesting. Off this list, and just at a glance, the two things I use are the Radius Intelligent toothbrush, which has replaceable heads, and Jason bath products. How about you? Do you use anything among these Earth-friendly product lists?
If you're not a Recylcebank member and want to be, you can go through my link here. It's a pretty cool way to learn about recycling and earn points toward valuable coupons and gift. I mainly go for Kashi coupons and magazine subscriptions, but they have a lot of stuff on there for redeeming points. Plus you'll get 10 free points just for signing up :-)
Oh, and please take my poll on the right about what you'd like me to test and review next.! Thanks :-)
I just realized that today marks the fifth month from when I started the Test It Up! challenge in November 2011 to help keep me on a cosmetic no-buy. I have had some slips, but I've tried to keep them to less than $10, and I record what I've tested each day. On lazy days, it's just usually two products. On a really good day, it might be four or five products off my list. If you want to have a looky-loo, here are both pages of the challenge:
I am eons away from using up these items, even the samples let alone the full-size jars, so I'll be splitting or quartering a lot of the jars for my blog sale (to come), so keep your eyes out!
I’ve already reviewed the Dawn Eyes Cosmetics Web site store, and since nothing major has changed sine then, I don’t have anything new to add. For most indies, I’ll cease reviewing the on-line store after one or two reviews (unless something changes) and go straight to the product review.
Pricing
Same as above. Still the same prices as in the original reviews. I did hear a rumor, though, that there might be a sale in early May 2012 :-)
TAT and Shipping
I received these samples from Dawn for review purpose, so TAT, etc, does not apply!
Product: 5 of 5 Stars
Caveat and Overall Review: I am just barely a matte liker (not lover). I have a tiny collection of neutral matte eyeshadows because sometimes that’s what I’m in the mood to wear or sometimes what the occasion calls for, but they comprise a very small portion of my collection. My heart lies in shimmer, sparkle, metallic, and shine. So, I was surprised that Dawn wanted my opinion of her new Spearl Mattes, but in alignment with my philosophy to never judge an eyeshadow without trying it first, I was game to test and review them.
I am not a matte aficionado by any means, but I found these mattes to be creamy and to have excellent pigmentation without chalkiness (all tried and swatched over UDPP). The bright colors she sent scared the pants off me, but I tried them anyway. I was right. Those colors almost universally looked like ass on my fair pink-toned complexion, but I loved many of the neutrals, some of the pastels (which I usually can’t pull off at all!), and even Cranberry, which was a very pleasant surprise on my hazel green eyes. I’m not going to review each color separately because (1) they’re mattes, LOL, and thus have no particular color or sparkle qualities to review and (2) the color name is exactly what you get. The only colors that varied from this are Dawn’s take on “taupe,” which to my eye both (Light Taupe and Dark Taupe) have a generous helping of deep burgundy/violet , not really a taupe-ish quality but extremely beautiful nevertheless. You can really see this in Dawn’s swatch photo below.
DEC Web site swatch of taupe Spearl Mattes
I actually appreciated this tweak from the usual taupe because I like twists and variations in my eyeshadows. Some of the colors I’m may "franken" together to make them more wearable for me, and some of the colors I’m going to repurchase as they are.
My swatch photos are not remotely good at all. I’m barely getting a handle on photographing sparkle, so the mattes really threw me for a loop. Imagine not having to chase the sun for reasonably good photos! I swatched only the neutrals I am fond of as well as a few of the bright colors so you can get a general idea of them. Please refer to the DEC Web site for much better swatch photos. As I usually so, I’ve bolded the shade names below that were my favorites and that I intend to purchase more of.
Colors Received, Swatched, and Photographed (right to left, top to bottom, in the order named below)
NEUTRAL SPEARL MATTES
Some neutral DEC Spearl Mattes under natural light
Texture of some neutral DEC Spearl Mattesunder natural light
• Cream
• Pastel Yellow
• Pastel Peach
• Beige
• Pastel Pink
• Cranberry
• Milk Chocolate
• Dark Brown
• Taupe
• Dark Taupe (directly under Taupe and in its own row)
BRIGHT SPEARL MATTES
Some DEC bright Spearl Mattes under natural light
• Goldenrod
• Orange
• Fuchsia
• Peach
• Yellow
Would I Buy Again?
Some? Yes. On the whole? No, but just because they have the unfortunate happenstance of being mattes. It’s not their fault. Mattes deserve love, too, right?
Overall Rating: 5 of 5 Stars :-) _______________ Disclaimer: I received these samples from the company owner for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Lord help me, but despite the fact that I said I wouldn't buy any more eyeshadow samples until I tested up everything I already have, I just bought 25 more samples at the fun Black Rose Minerals sale going on right now. With a shot at a 40%-off code (and I got it), how could I not?
Here are the deets:
This sale is for Saturday April 7th (officially at midnight Friday night PST).
The sale will be on first-come, first-serve basis.
There are a few ways to save.
1. There will be 10 40% off coupon codes available for your entire purchase. The coupon code is save40.
2. There will be 15 30% off coupons available for your entire purchase. The coupon code is save30.
3. There will be an unlimited amount of coupon codes for 15% off your entire purchase. The coupon code is save15.
One day sale! The sale ends at midnight PST on April 7th.
And here are the colors I got, some of which are sure to be reviewed:
EDIT 04/03/12: This was a good tip when I published it back in fall 2011, when my blog had few followers, so I think it bears republishing for all the gals who have come on board since then!
Item: Huggies Naturally Refreshing Green Tea and Cucumber Baby Wipes
What? Baby wipes on a beauty blog? Yep. I first read about them being used as facial wipes (i.e., to remove makeup) on Makeup Alley. I read several positive reviews on using Huggies wipes in this manner, and I was looking for some good (but not too expensive) wipes anyway, so I decided to give them a try.
I got 184 Huggies wipes (!) for about $7.99 ($7.99 for 184 wipes = $.04/wipe) at the Giant Food Store where I grocery shop, but I imagine that you could buy them just about anywhere. They didn't have them in the cute pop-up dispenser like other versions, but the green tea wipes were specifically recommended on MUA for make-up removal purposes, so I just got the refill pack.
The better (and cheaper) wipes!
Well, I'll tell ya: They work great for removing regular (not waterproof [WP]) makeup! I wear WP makeup only once in a while, so if you're a WP gal, you'll need something stronger. But these also work well for wiping away cleansing oil used to remove eye makeup without having to wash your face all over again :-) They have a nice, light fresh scent and leave my face feeling as smooth as a baby's buttockular area :-) In fact, I figured they'd have to be safe and gently beforehand because they are made for baby arses. They are also great for, er, personal cleansing.
If you're interested, here is some safety information about them from the Huggies Web site:
Product use: Skin/personal cleansing [Ha! See?]
Product description: Clear, colorless liquid with a pleasant odor on a white polypropylene/cellulose wipe. Emergency overview: May cause mild eye irritation. EU Classification (1999/45/EC): Not classified as a dangerous substance or
preparation. US OSHA Classification (29CFR1910.1200): Not hazardous Canadian WHMIS Classification: Not a controlled product.
Guess they're safe enough, ummmm, for a . . . baby, LOL :-) So, clean up, gals (and stay that way!)
____________________ Disclaimer: I purchased this product for my own use.
I deleted the part of the Facebook Web site store review since Femme Fatale Cosmetics' (FFC) new on-line store just went live :-) Please see the edit below.
EDIT 03/25/2012: Their new on-line store went live today! Woot! At first glance, it looks great. I don't have time to do a thorough review of it now though, but the layout is good; the product photos are good; and I like the font and, in general, how clean the site looks. For calculation of their final score in this review, I'll leave out the subscore for "The Web Site Itself" portion of review until I have a chance to actually interact with the new site.That way their result won’t be skewed.
Customer Service: 6 of 5 Stars!
Based on that, I almost didn’t try FFC, but curiosity urged me onward. I contacted them by posting on their FB wall, and they got right back to me. I was really impressed with their customer service. First, here’s the sale post I first responded to inquiring how to go about ordering from Australia and the currency exchange:
“Hey everyone . . . [Surprise] Sample Packs are a trio of eyeshadows at $2.50 (shipped free with our sample only order promo - note 2 packs per person) in random complimentary colours . . . Please note we have a $5 min purchase excluding shipping/insurance :)”
Here’s the rest of the post [condensed version] with my questions and their answers:
Femme Fatale: Hi Lisa. We have a maximum of 2 packs per person. I'll send you a quick email and we'll go from there.
Lisa: OK, I got your emails. I was ordering the 3 sets to try to meet your 5AUD minimum requirements. Let me go and try again . . .
Lisa: Oh, OK. On my conversion calculator it came up to something like $5.89, etc, etc, etc! Can you just reinstate the old order but with the number of sample packs changed to 2? Or do I have to place it all over again :-(
Femme Fatale: The order has been cancelled and refunded in full [and it was], so yes it does have to be placed again unfortunately. I know on your end with the currency conversion it may look like it's less or more than $5 but as our pricing is in AUD it adds up on our end :)
Lisa: OK, as long as you are sure that 5 USD will do it . . .
Femme Fatale: Haha yes, it will be fine. The currency conversion may mean you pay less or more than $5 in your own currency (depending on the conversion rate) but since all the products are in AUD once your payment is converted to AUD it adds up on my end as the exact product + shipping amount displayed during checkout in AUD. So the two sample packs at $2.50 will come through as $5AUD on my end, although it may only look like $4.50 (for example) on your end because of the currency conversion rate.
Femme Fatale: Hope that makes sense, it can seem a bit confusing where currency conversion becomes involved. But basically since the store pricing is in AUD, as long as the cart subtotal is $5AUD or over then that's fine, even if you end up paying $4.50USD (for example).
Now, when was the last time you had a lengthy, real-time, social-network exchange with any cosmetic company, either indie or mainstream? They are setting a good example for other companies (of all types) to aspire to.
Pricing: 5 of 5 Stars
Eyeshadow samples are $1.00 AUD each, and full-sized (FS) jars are $5.00 AUD each. They also carry Chroma Glow Blush and both empty 5- ($1.00 AUD) and 10-gram ($2.00 AUD) cosmetic jars as well as FFC stickers ($.15 AUD) to put on them.
EDIT 03/25/2012: Their sample price went up when the new store opened: Samples are now $1.10 each vs. $1.00. Still, not a bad deal at all considering that shipping of samples is free worldwide. I did not check the full-size prices and will get that on the next review (and there’s sure to be one).
TAT and Shipping: 5 of 5 Stars
Ordered: 02/21/12
Shipped: 02/24/12
TAT: 3 days
Shipping: FREE (although I chose to pay $1.00 for the optional insurance)
Actual shipping: $2.35AU
Shipping email: Yes
DC/tracking: No (foreign shipment)
Invoice: Yes
Packaging/presentation: Large mailing envelope
Sample packaging: The dreaded long zip-lock sample baggies enclosed in a slightly larger zip-lock baggie (3 samples per pack) [I would marry them if they converted to the shorter baggies!]
Extras: Yes (x 1)
Product: 6 (!) of 5 Stars (LOL)
Colors Ordered (shop description [my take in italics])
General note: I was totally stoked after the fact to find that most, if not all, of FFC’s colors are duochromes! Because I had ordered “surprise” sample packs, I could only state general shade preferences (i.e., pinks, neutrals, etc.). I didn’t read the color descriptions in the photo section at all. I’m really happy that they seem to specialize in duochromesduochrome aspect only shows up over PE or similar primer. As always, swatches are shown, left to right and top to bottom, on my hand in the same order as reviewed below. The swatch video was taken under natural lighting. Favorite colors are bolded below.
FFC swatches under natural light
• Archangel: Translucent yellow-toned ivory with subtle violet duochrome shimmer I love, love, love this as a highlight shade (like I need another highlight shade, LOL; I wish I had a third eye). It’s a well-blended, smooth duochrome. It looks cream-colored in the baggie but has a definite, yet soft, violet shift. I WOULD CONSIDER REPURCHASING THIS SHADE :-)
• Divinity: Pale pink with copper orange duochrome shine Yumminess in an eyeshadow, like gleamy bicolored sherbet that changes color depending on the slant of light. DEFINITELY A POSSIBLE REPURCHASE :-)
• Enchanted: Deep rose red/pink with soft pink duochrome shine Three grand slams right out of the ballpark into the stratosphere! I think this is my favorite lid shade of the bunch. Archangel is definitely too light to wear on my lids, and Divinity can really go either way depending on mode of application (i.e., wet or dry). I WOULD CONSIDER GETTING MORE OF THIS SHADE! :-)
FFC swatches under incandescent light
• Flare: Intense lime yellow/green duochrome shine on a coral red base This color was so bright, I really couldn’t pull it off, even with putting it on the outer lids with a more wearable color on the inner lids. While the description says “coral red,” I think it should be “red coral” because the emphasis is really on the red. And I didn’t really see the lime yellow/green duochrome in this, perhaps because the bright red scared me off? GORGEOUS DUOCHROME IF YOU CAN PULL OFF REDS, BUT NOT A REPURCHASE FOR ME :-(
• Haunt: Bold red duochrome shine over a deep midtone purple base Again, this color was too bold for my liking and casual lifestyle, but I know there are some ladies out there who would love it (I’m looking at you, Amanda, LOL, from The Eyes Have It) UNFORTUNATELYNOT A REPURCHASE :-(
• Shooting Stars (extra): Soft wisteria violet tinged with pink and a striking blue duochrome Although I liked both Shooting Stars and Space Cow (have you ever seen those calendars with cows being beamed up into space crafts?), I preferred Shooting Stars because it leaned more pink than blue, and pink is generally a better color on me NOT SURE THIS IS SPECIAL ENOUGH TO REPURCHASE :-|
• Space Cow: Soft lavender tinged with grey with a muted reddish pink shimmer Please see text above. NOT A REPURCHASE :-(
Would I Buy Again?
Yes, and I’m already planning another order. They just introduced some new shades I want to check out.
Overall Rating: of 5.5 of 5 Stars! (Look for a new score after I have time to review the new store) _______________ Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me, and all opinions are my own!
Just a short announcement from Aromaleigh's Facebook page:
MIDNIGHT25 Take 25% OFF store-wide now through 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time TONIGHT! This coupon code expires in 11 hours for EST, 14 hours for PST. Please share this fantastic savings code via twitter, FB, blogs, forums, etc! We really appreciate your support. ♥ ♥ ♥
I long ago discovered the usefulness of a lash comb (as long as I don't poke myself in the eye with it, which I have done on occasion) in separating my lashes and banishing mascara clumps after I apply mascara. Despite claims to the contrary (mainly on Makeup Alley), I don't believe there is such a thing as a Holy Grail mascara. I think one can come close and sideswipe one, but as with all things in life, there's always something: the mascara doesn't apply cleanly; it leaves clumps; it give you spider lashes; it dries out too fast; the list goes on and on.
To negate at least a couple of these problems, I started using a mascara comb. My first one had plastic "tines" and a brow brush on the other end. I found it unwieldy, so I switched to a Tweezerman Folding Ilash Comb. I bought two white ones at first, lost them both (d'uh), bought a clear one, lost that one (double d'uh), and am now using the Sonia Kashuk Lash Comb from Target, which is basically identical but comes in two versions: with and without a folding brow brush on the opposite end.
Tweezerman Ilash Comb
So, to the cleaning: Get an old toothbrush (or buy one for this purpose), wet it, soap it up a little bit, and run the dirty lash comb through the toothbrush bristles until all the mascara has transferred from the lash comb to the toothbrush. Soap the toothbrush up again to wash it, then rinse and let dry. Once it's clean and dry, and in between lash comb cleanings, I use the toothbrush to groom unruly brows. There you go!
On another note, I am behind on posting product reviews, and I apologize for that. Tax season is a bear for me. I don't file until April because I usually owe money, and this year I decided at the last minute that I need to find a CPA to do them for me because of certain life circumstances that have affected my taxes. I actually have a Femme Fatale review almost ready to go, and Dawn Eyes Cosmetics Spearl Matte Collection and Winnie the Pooh Collection waiting in the wings , so please bear with me!
How can you possibly NOT like a blog called "Cult of Taupe"? I have been an obsessive taupe eyeshadow collector in the past, and I do think that people who collect taupe eyeshadows are in a type of cult (although they don't knock on doors and try to convert you; taupe speaks for itself). I have known of many "taupierres" on Makeup Alley and have seen many, many photos of taupe eyeshadow porn :-)
Anyway, on to the contest. The winner will receive BOTH WnW collections "Flora" and Fauna"! How's that for quite a nice treat. You can enter here to enter.
GOOD LUCK!
The contest prizes purchased by the Cult of Taupe blogger herself!
