With all that’s going on right now, I am seriously fighting my desire to write social commentary. So instead I’ll write about… Lashes! I absolutely LOVE eyelashes! More than any other make-up trick, enhancement or product… well, except for brows, I am asked about lashes, the real and the falsies. Next to brows, the make-up application that I am completely fanatical about is eye lashes. When properly applied, lashes can look just as fabulous and dramatic as the falsies. But it starts with the right mascara. I don’t know this for sure, but I’m almost positive, and I would bet money, that most mascaras are made of the same stuff. Some have more of the “product” in that little tube while others don’t, but I am pretty convinced they are all the same. The difference you want to pay attention to is the brush. If you have short lashes or barely-there lashes, or for lengthening you’ll want to use a defining mascara, one that has a skinnier brush. If you want your lashes to appear thicker, you’ll need to use a mascara with a wider brush. And of course, one main rule of thumb when using is to always twist and pull the wand out, never pump. Pumping pumps more air into the tube and causes it to dry out faster.
I think I’ve just about tried every kind of mascara they have come out with. And I am so particular about my lashes that it can take me 10 minutes to get them just the way I like them. I don’t just quickly run the wand back and forth and side-to-side. Oh no, there is a detailed process. Not so much now as back in the day when I would use two, and some times three different kinds of mascaras to achieve my favorite lash look. I would start with a primer. A primer is a product that helps to thicken, lengthen, and condition your lashes, often times containing fibers and proteins. After all it is hair, right? These fibers and proteins add volume and creates a tacky substance so your mascara will adhere easily to it. Then I would apply my lengthening mascara, at least two coats, drying in between applications. And lastly, I’d follow up with the final two coats of the volumizing mascara. Now keep in mind, this was not cheap. These were Lancome products that I was paying $22.50 a piece for. So about $75.00, every three months, because of course, that’s how long you should keep your mascara before throwing it out. Yikes!!! I probably did that for two years. And yes, I got lots of compliments on them, but really? Lol!!! Since then I have settled on two brands that do the trick nicely for me. One is Loreal’s Carbon Black, found at Target, Walmart and any other drug store for about $6, and the other, Too Faced’s Better Than False Lashes Extreme Set (includes primer and mascara), for $35 at Ulta, for those times when I just want to splurge.
Now on to falsies. Man are these things popular. Everyone is wearing them it seems. Some have gone a little crazy with them though, as evidenced by the little black, furry, creature-looking things resting on eyelids, or eyelids that look like they need something to hold them up because the lashes are so thick and heavy… oh dear. I like high lash drama as much as the next girl, but I tend to save it for photo shoots and the like. I must say, over the last two years, I’ve become a tad bit addicted to the falsies for everyday wear. One, because it’s quicker for me to throw on a pair of strip lashes, than to go through my mascara routine. I’ve learned to apply them flawlessly, adding a level of polish to my look in two shakes, even when I’m not trying to be all done up. While I know the lash extension movement has swept Glamour Nation, I still prefer strip lashes. Lash extensions are not inexpensive. You have to be very careful with them or you’ll start to lose them, but otherwise they last about two to three weeks.I like being able to switch things up whenever I want, and honestly, knowing I’d probably become addicted to them too, I just can’t handle yet another beauty maintenance appointment or expense at this point in my life! #glamourgirlproblems. Sigh… one day, maybe? I also have to do a little more research as I’m not quite sure how the process and the products necessary for the application will affect my own, real lashes. So… for now I’ve made friends with Ardell and Kiss, Demi Wispies, my strip lash of choice. With just a beautiful brow, a nice lip and a great lash, fabulousness can meet anyone.
