Ask The Makeup Diva

For the last several months I have been on the hunt for a mascara, or two, that I love. I figured I should get out of my Maybelline Great Lash rut and try some newer products on the market.

My first stop was the Paul & Joe line because the sales girl wearing it had almost fake-looking eyelashes and I wanted to be just like her. Paul & Joe Mascara Duo ($26) comes with a volumizing and a lengthening side. The “Volume” side has this comb-like eyelash separator, longer on one side for the top lashes and a shorter side for the bottoms. The thick, creamy formula could be used on its own for fabulous lashes. The “Long” side has a more traditional mascara wand and the formula is totally different, with tons of little fibers in it. Put that on and welcome to your huge, thick, long lashes! Of course this isn’t for the person who needs every lash perfectly defined. If you add this much stuff to your eyelashes there’s bound to be a bit of clumping, but that was completely worth it to me for that amount of lash. The one warning is once this mascara dries, don’t try to separate your eyelashes - it’s too tough for that. Did I mention the fabulous color? I chose #02, because it was an auburn-ish brown, which looks amazing against my blue eyes, fair skin and brown hair. It wears very well and at the end of the day I am a happy camper with lashes that still look gorgeous. An extra perk is the packaging, which is so cute. This floral, aqua and peach colored beauty sits among my other boring black tubes of mascara, and brightens my whole drawer.

On the quest still for huge lashes, the folks at MAC told me I had to have Zoom Lash Mascara. This time I went for classic black. They warned me that it would be clumpy, but that was the “in” thing this season. Fully knowing that, I was very pleased with the way it made my somewhat thin lashes seems so bulky. The formula was pretty dry and I realize that I’d like it if it were a bit creamier. It seemed to run out fast, I think due to the dry formula. For $10 it’s really a lovely buy, lasted well during the day and I’d recommend this for anyone wanting dramatic lashes, maybe to recreate that 60’s mod look that’s so in right now.

After all the hype about Blinc Kiss Me Mascara, I had to give it a whirl. Their big thing is water-resistant “tubes” that coat your eyelashes, and don’t allow clumping. First, the name “Kiss Me” makes me think of lips and I keep wondering why they didn’t just leave it as “Blinc”. Enough of my marketing questioning, onto the review. This mascara’s net weight (.16oz) was quite a bit less than any of the others I’ve tried so far, and for $24, I’m not that excited. The wand leaves much to be desired. It’s too stumpy and puny for my taste. The black color is just fine, and it did make my eyelashes more defined, thicker and longer, but not to any degree that is worth getting excited about. It flaked more than any of the other mascaras I’ve tried. By the end of the day a lot of these little tubes were under my eye. Water-resistant somehow translates into “makeup remover resistant”, too. I found washing it off at the end of the day to be like an eyelash massacre on my face, with persistent little “tube” eyelashes stuck to me. Basically I can sum it up with, “Eh. Not so fantastic.”

Now heading to the drugstore, I picked up a L’Oreal Panoramic Curl. I keep seeing all these rave reviews for L’Oreal’s mascara line. I must say, I’ve been won over. This formula is only $6.99 (even less with a coupon) and is creamy and thick. The wand is slightly curved to help out the curling effect with lots of bristles to coat the lashes really well. One coat is wonderful and somewhat natural looking, two or more coats is a bonus of drama! It does have a bit of a clumping tendency after the first coat, but delivers fantastic results overall. I approve! I’m going to keep exploring L’Oreal mascara in the future.

Last but not least, I went looking for a basic mascara that I could wear on more casual days. I found it in Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara (the thickening formula). For $5.99 and at 0.4oz net weight, this is a bargain! One coat so nicely colors and “fluffs” my otherwise thin lashes. It’s wonderful for going to the gym, because I look like I have eyes on my face, but not like I’m trying too hard to impress that guy on the stair climber. Even if I keep layering it on, the formula is so smooth, there’s no clumping in sight and every lash is very well defined, yet still soft. It wears well throughout the day, though if I’ve done one coat, I apply a second on top before going out at night. This mascara feels nourishing on because it doesn’t have a dry, rigid feeling on the lashes. Finally, I really like the wand - it’s full and long enough to go over both top and bottom lashes nicely.

Here’s what I’ve started to do after my husband threatened to throw it all away! We all get about a million free cosmetic bags with our gift with purchases (GWPs) so, I have one that goes in my purse, one that sits in my car, one that is in the bathroom, and then on my vanity table. Then I have about four more - one with all lipsticks and glosses, one with eye shadows, one with pencils and one with foundations and other necessities. Then, when I want to switch what is in my car or in my purse, I just pull the necessary stuff from the cosmetic bags and put the others away. And, probably every year, I throw out some of the old stuff.

Another idea is to get a functional, plastic set of stackable drawers, which is nice for things like lipstick, gloss, pencils, and bodycare items. It looks relatively neat, and is a great clutter-buster. If you get the clear kind, you can see everything inside, and you could even label the fronts with what the contents are.

If you organize everything in a fun way, you could even treat it like shopping for new makeup every time you choose your products for the day!

The key to natural, believable bronzer is in the application, as much as in the actual formula and color of the bronzer. No matter which bronzer you select, it should be applied on your face where the sun would naturally “kiss” your skin. For example, along the bridge of your nose and on the apples of your cheeks and/or the top of your cheekbones. Powder bronzers are easily applied, but can get too dark too easily. One of the most natural bronzers around, I’ve found, is Smashbox’s Develop Compact Bronzer. It is a cream-to-powder formula, and it offers a smooth, matte finish. As an added bonus, the Smashbox bronzer contains an SPF of 20, to keep the harmful rays at bay! As with any makeup application, practice makes perfect. You’ll find what you like and what works for you.

Summertime is always tough on feet. They are exposed to the elements, and it’s just not the time when we are willing to hide out battle-worn feet in clunky, closed toed shoes! Summer is the time for light, strappy, and fun!! Your feet carry you around all day long, so pamper your two best friends and get them summer ready with the following pedicure routine.

Remove old polish with a gentle, non-acetone polish remover. It’s always best to use either cotton balls or cotton pads for polish removing - tissues shred too easily. Apply a cuticle removing cream to the nail beds, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. While the cuticle cream is doing its thing, begin buffing down those rough spots with the saving grace for all feet, a Diamancel foot file. I recently spent $48 on the Diamancel Tough Buffer, and let me tell you, it was worth every penny. Diamancel foot paddles are professional grade with diamond dust buffers and easy-grip rubber handles. They are a must in every girls summertime bag of tricks. After buffing and filing away all of the rough skin, take an orange stick and gently push back the cuticle on each toenail. Depending on how long it’s been since I had my last professional pedicure, I sometimes use a buffing block, and actually buff the surface of my toenails to minimize the ridges.

Now comes the relaxing part . . . put those hard-working peds of yours into a tub of warm water, with a wonderful foot soak dissolved in it (try Bliss’ Rosy Toes), and kick back for a while. After the soak, thoroughly dry your feet and apply a generous layer of foot cream (I love Bliss Spa’s Foot Patrol, and also Shea it Isn’t So from Bath and Body Works). Make sure to wipe all excess lotion off of your nail beds. A tiny bit of rubbing alcohol swiped across each nail will ensure that all the oils have been removed. Apply a ridge-filling base coat (try Opi Nail Envy), and then two coats of your polish of choice.

For summertime, it is completely appropriate to wear anything from a bright coral to a muted pale pink shade. Wear what makes you happy! Once your polish is dry, make sure to top it off with a good top coat to minimize chips and maximize wear (Seche Vite Fast Dry top coat is my favorite). Enjoy your new-found summer-ready feet!

The good news is that teen-driven cosmetics are becoming extremely popular in today’s cosmetic market, and there are so many great ways to compromise with your daughter when it comes to what she wants and what you think is best. The first thing I would suggest is the world of oh-so-fabulously harmless lip-gloss

Concealer can be such a great thing, but I agree that sometimes it does just cause a breakout to seem more apparent. I do feel that the most important thing is to treat the breakout properly and to speed up recovery by doing so. We have all been there though, and I know that there are times when you just want to cover them up and let them heal in the meantime. Just when we thought that wasn’t possible, there is a great line of products on the market called Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, a line that is considered “skin-care makeup”. They are truly wonderful and I feel they are extremely effective. I always say that it’s not worth putting something on your skin that doesn’t have beneficial properties to the long-term look and feel of your skin. Jane Iredale offers a mineral makeup that you apply as a foundation and it is packed with the most amazing ingredients, like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Willow Bark Extract, Chamomile, Calendula, and Seaweeds (Algin, Agar and Carrageenan). These ingredients will help your skin look more youthful, diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores, even out skin tone and the makeup adheres extremely well, so you don’t know you are wearing foundation. There are 10 tones to choose from, which ensures there is a perfect shade for every skin tone. This is key with foundation, and is where most people go wrong, and it can be a painfully two-toned experience. You can check out the full range of tones and products on janeiredale.com and select the shade that’s just right for you.

Let me tell you, it’s all about the proper bag-o-tricks for concealing dark under eye circles. Correcting and concealing this area with a natural look can be quite the task, but there are some phenomenal products on the market specifically for concealing this area, as the hue needed in this type of product is key. As you may have experienced, just masking the area can be somewhat of a disaster if you’re not equipped with the right tools. Concealer should be yellow toned and one shade lighter than your foundation. Bobbi Brown has a wonderful correcting concealer kit that even targets average dark circles right across to very dark under eye circles with different combinations depending on your skin tone. (Check out bobbibrown.com for the full reference chart of colors, approximately $35.)

Before you apply your concealer (or any other part of your beautifying process for that matter), you want to make sure you moisturize your face right before with a nice, light and nourishing day cream. This keeps skin dewy and moist, which will help concealer keep a creamy consistency when it is applied to your face, rather than “caking” as it can do if you aren’t properly moisturized.

Another industrial strength under eye concealer is Benefit Boi-ing. I have used this one many times and it truly does work. It’s quite light yet seems to really be absorbed into the skin and creates a beautiful finish. It is offered in three different shades, depending on your skin tone and is quite reasonably priced at $18 at Sephora.com.

There is one more concealer on the market that I would definitely recommend you trying. Paula Dorf offers her Total Camoflauge concealer that is quite effective and comes highly recommended. It is a simple duo and is offered in three different combinations, which keeps it simple when it comes time to deciding which is best for you ($20 at Sephora.com). I adore all things Paula Dorf and would most definitely suggest trying this one out.

Since it is all about the skin tone, you may want to shop around between these brands to see which line offers the closest to your skin tone. Once you find the perfect match, you will get even better and better with your application and learning the best method for your skin.

The great news is that since so many women suffer from this dilemma, most of the better cosmetic brands on the market have spent a lot of time researching the solution to this type of issue and with the products I have mentioned, they seem to have mastered the answer!

There are some great alternatives that are a great escape from the sometimes greasy and icky feel of lipstick. One of the greatest inventions (besides the television, telephone and Biore nose strips) is tinted lip balm. I feel it

Well, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath and remember that the wacky world of eye shadow, brushes and hue coordination does not have to be nearly as confusing as it may seem. There are some neat tricks and short cuts to creating beautiful peepers!

When it comes to picking colors, choose them based on your skin tone and hair color, rather than trying to match with your outfits. There really are no rules when it comes to this, you can pretty much choose any shades that you find complimentary to the look you

Stains are great for a natural, fresh-faced look while lasting through eating and drinking, and long days at work. These sheer colors are especially good for oily and combination skins, as they don’t contribute to breakouts. Moreover, lip tints won’t travel to your teeth, as traditional lipsticks often do.

The benefits are definitely worth the risks, but exercise caution here: Some of these products can be drying, as they may contain ingredients (such as intense dyes and alcohol) to cause your mouth to feel parched and its tissue to shrivel. Moreover, since some stains “set” quickly (accounting for the durability of color), follow the tips below to prevent a “clownlike” appearance. Accidental spills on clothing or carpeting can be difficult or impossible to remove.

Before applying a stain to your mouth, prep the area to slough off dead skin cells-especially if they’ve been neglected. Try Alchemy’s Lip Treatment Scrub ($15.00) to eliminate flakes and hydrate. English Ideas’ Lip Refine ($32.00) is a patented, comforting creme used at night to nourish and exfoliate (find both at Sephora.com). Another option is to gently massage your mouth with a soft-bristled toothbrush meant for infants or for a tasty, homemade treatment, a paste of brown sugar and water.

For best results with cheek tints, use an exfoliant on your face as well. After cleansing, follow with an excellent scrub. The four-ounce tub of Joey New York’s Pure Pores Crushed Almond and Honey Scrub is well worth its $28.00 price (online at Beauty.com or Sephora.com). Its gentle texture will reveal a clearer, more refined, softer complexion. A less expensive, effective, and delightfully-scented alternative is pH Beauty Lab’s Totally Juicy Apricot Pore Scrub (about $5.00 at most discount/drugstores). (”Quick fix” beauty tip: While using exfoliants on your face, work into dry hands, over arms, elbows, and shoulders to silken there as well.) Among its other benefits, moisturizer enables a cheek tint to slip on more easily, so make this your next step (then again, you’re already in the habit of using moisturizer regularly, right?). For a truly natural look, use stains before foundation, as a matte base can make spreading it difficult.

Now you’re ready! Application of stains with a lipbrush or sponge works more effectively than fingertips when possible, allowing for even coverage while preventing the product from remaining on your fingers. On cheeks, dab small amounts on the apples, moving upward and outward gently and swiftly. For greater color intensity, layer and repeat.

Enhance the benefits of a lip stain by beginning with a great, non-drying liner. CCB-Paris has a nearly goof-proof version, Expert Liquid Lip Lipliner (under $8.00 online at ccb-paris.com). This unique, no-drip, felt-tip pen allows precise application of long-lasting shades, while its water base helps keep your mouth moist. Benefit’s Lip and Cheek Tint is a dual-purpose favorite of many women, sold in one ruby shade to complement all skin tones; ingredients include real rose petals and glycerin to soothe ($26.00 at