Posts with tag maybelline

If anyone deserves a little something to boost her up, it's a new mom. The long nights, interrupted sleep, and crazy hormones drag you down, and those dark circles would make anyone feel less than pretty.

Of course a crying baby means no time for elaborate makeup or beauty rituals. We have lots of friends with babies and they all say the same thing: "Love the baby, hate how tired I look! Help!"

We have just the thing: a 60 second quick kit with our best perk-you-up makeup secret weapons. So small it can fit in the corner of a baby bag, so portable you can pull it out in your car, at the airport or anywhere you need a quick confidence booster.

It's time again to replace our mascara, and once again we are struggling with the decision: drugstore or luxury?

Today's choice is between a return to the reliable and affordable Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black, under $5 everywhere, or upping the ante with a trip to Sephora for Dior Show Black Out Limited Edition, almost five times as expensive at $24?

Everyone knows that you should put out as much as you're comfortable spending on high quality base/concealer/face make up. But mascara is open to discussion. Some experts say buy cheap and often, others say that the only way to avoid Liza-like raccoon eyes (assuming you're not going for that look -- sometimes we are) is to splurge on a big name.

Which way do you sway?

Most of the time, we find ourselves asking one another what we use for wash our faces, moisturize, get ride of zits, erase fine lines. Very rarely do we ask the opposite question, "What do you not use?" Why would we? We don't need to know about something we'd never buy and try. Still, TotalBeauty put together a list of the 12 beauty products that earned the lowest ratings from their editors. I guess the best way to use this information is to watch out:

See which products you should avoid:

• Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss
  
• Revlon Tourmaline Ionic 1875 Watt Hairdryer
• Redken All Soft Gold Glimmer Perfecting Shine Treatment
• Murad Firm and Tone Serum
• NARS Body Glow
• Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara
• Skyn Iceland Arctic Face Mist
• Maybelline New York Define-a-Lash Mascara
• Lush Jungle Conditioner
• Sally Hansen Smooth Glow Stubble Reducing Moisturizer
• John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straight Answer Spray
• Molton Brown Naran Ji Fine Liquid Hand Wash ($23)

This week, I am doing a special series of Drugstore Beauty Queen posts -- Laying the Foundation.

Every woman has one, though it may be different for each woman. It's that one cosmetic -- whether it be lip gloss, blush, or mascara -- of which she will never find "The One." She will try a different brand, a different formula, a different shade every time, find it unsuitable, and try yet another one, only to be dismayed again.

For me, it's foundation. I swear I don't think I have purchased the same foundation twice. I try one, hate it, but use it until it's done because I can't bear to throw it away, then try something else. The only exception is a bottle of La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer and Foundation, but again, I didn't buy it a second time because who can actually afford to pay $165 for foundation?!?!

So this week, I will be sharing with you all my adventures through foundation (all drugstore, because I am convinced that there is a drugstore brand that will work) over the past two months. Do not worry. I do not wear that much makeup that I actually went through five bottles of foundation in two months. I just have five bottles of half-used foundation!

Today, it's Dream Matte Mousse by Maybelline, which runs about $8-9 in the drugstore. I have to hand it to Maybelline for their branding. The name "dream matte" alone made me want to buy it.