Soft vs Crisp Liners

Hallo!

About 2 months ago, I got an opportunity to interview a Bobbi Brown makeup artist from Thailand. We talked and talked and all of the sudden, he told me he would do my makeup. Now, I had on full makeup with foundation and everything. Yet, he took it off and redid my makeup with BB products. Then, he took a look at my eyeliners and he was like, "This is too harsh on you. Let me show you how to do soft liner!"

And then came this look. It has a soft grunge edge that I like and you totally don't see a line because I already smudged it out. One of these days, Imma buy a tripod and do a tutorial on this.

While soft liners are very feminine and nice, sharp, crisp liners are always modern. I got me a liquid liner from Maybelline that's really black and shiny. On top of that, it has incredible staying power. While it doesn't look much in the pictures, I had quite a thick line.

Now, for those of you who have problem with they staying power of your eyeliner, I have a small tip: it's called layering! For the sharp liner look, I didn't even use an eye shadow base at all. Yet, it stayed for hours and hours without even a smudge or a smear. And you wanna know why?

I lined my eyes with a waterproof pencil liner first.

Yes, that's the tip, sweetheart. I did that to give myself a guide before using my liquid liner. While pencil liner is easier to use and wipe away, the smudge/waterproof formula is actually a nice base for the liquid liner to hold on to. If you take as much time as you can on lining with a pencil, the later part is going to be very easy. On top of that, your lines will look incredibly black, which is an obvious result from layering a black liner on top of a black base.

Also, did you notice how long and dolly my lashes look? 100% real lashes, baby, with the help of mascaras, of course! I'll share a secret on another day.

Ciao, sweetheart!
Dao xoxo


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So You Think You Can Have Eyelash Extensions

Hi everyone,

As an Asian girl with sparse and straight eyelashes, I am constantly trying to improve my lash line. From hot lash curlers to volumizing mascaras to fiber extensions, I have done it all. But not until before Lunar New Year that I did manage to try the creme de la creme of eyelash beautification: eyelash extensions!

Now, I have heard people raving and ranting about this in both directions. One of the bloggers out there (Xiaxue) confessed to have done this many times over. From her experience, it is a time-saver, especially during the holiday seasons. And I have to admit that was the catch: LNY can be hell with endless trips all over the city. On top of that, I had to wake up really early and look decent for photos, too. The less time I had to spend on myself means more time I got to sleep. So off to the salon to get eyelash extensions I did.

Eyelash extensions in Vietnam range from $10-25 USD, depending on the type of false lashes and glue. The good glues tend to hold up better while the good lashes can be really thin and don't weigh your real lashes down. The place I did my eyelash extensions is in the neighborhood. I spent $17 for the initial application and $8 for the touch-up and that was without tips.

The process was painstakingly long and you can't see a thing. The lash extension lady put tape around my lower lash line to prevent glue from sticking to my skin. Then, she combed my lashes before applying false lashes to my real ones. Each strand is made either of silk or synthetic materials and they are very black. Since my lashes are short and thin, the lady applied 2-3 false lashes to each real one and the lengths are a tad longer than the real deal. I did not time the process but it was long and sometimes uncomfortable. Once she finished applying the lashes, I slowly opened my eyes.

And it burned!

The fume from the glue really hurt my eyes. I started to tear up a bit, which was a big no-no since she tried to leave the area as water-free as possible. She did some touch-ups to areas that looked sparse and off I went.

I believe those pictures were taken a few days after I did my eyelash extensions. The lady did a good job covering the scar on the lash line of my left eye (which is the right picture.) I was happy for a day or two.

But then, things began to fall apart. Lashes began to drop down like they're hot. Although the lady told me I could keep my extensions for up to 3 weeks, I saw about 50% lash loss after only 1 week!

I had to do a touch-up and I got ripped off for it!

Instead of the lady who did the first application, I was sent to a guy. This guy kept on complaining of how difficult it is to work around the scar on my lash line. Then, he wanted to take everything apart, which would make me spend fresh money on a new application again instead of a touch-up. Then, he even managed to complain of how oily my skin was (bitch, please!)

The touch-up usually costs $5. He charged me $8 because "Oh, your lashes were so difficult to work with!" I had to bite down and spend my hard-earned money, which was not that big of a problem had it not been gone hand in hand with his attitude.

The second time around, it was downright painful. I kept it for maybe another week and removed it all with baby oil. And concluded that I was ripped off because another place only charged $10 for the first application and the hair salon that I went charged the same price but they used better lashes that would not leave me feel a thing! On top of that, they guarantee the extensions to last to a month because their glues are better.

I felt like being duped. And on top of that, eyelash extensions can be a nuisance because:

• You can't wash your eyes with water because it will unglue the lashes
• You can't use mascaras, especially waterproof because it will unglue the lashes
• You have to keep eye makeup to the minimum because makeup removers will unglue the lashes
• You can't rub your eyes because it will unglue the lashes

In short, I was glad to remove those false lashes with baby oil and be done with it. Although I didn't experience real eyelash loss, it was an annoying feeling to have something unnatural on top of your lashes. 

Would I do it again? 

No. I'd rather stick to mascaras and false eyelashes.At least I don't have to listen to a guy who complains about everything and anything.

How about you? Have you done eyelash extensions?

With love,

Dao xoxo

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara is Crazy Good!

Hi everyone,

This turns out to be a Maybelline kind of week as I have 3 products I would like to review. I don't know since when did this makeup line has become good but I remember the old days when all I could afford were Maybelline mascaras. Full and Soft waterproof mascaras to be exact. While they were really cheap back then (less than 3 bucks circa 2003!), those Maybelline mascaras smudged!

Since I came to Vietnam, I haven't purchased a single mascara. I depended on friends and relatives to supply me with mascaras and I use them as sparingly as possible. My friend Christine from MacNunu took pity of my demise and sent me a care package full of makeup! She included The Falsies Volum' Express waterproof mascara and Lash Stiletto for me to try. I tweeted her to ask which one I should use first and she replied, "The purple one!"

Now, here's a thing about Asian bloggers: we know mascaras. As we have straight and short lashes, mascaras are our best friends. On top of that, we tend to have oily skin and Asia is full of humidity. Hence, I would take advice on waterproof mascaras from my fellow Asian beauty bloggers.

As Christine said the stuff was good, I busted open the purple mascara and gave it a test drive. The juice was really thin upon opening and reminded me of my favorite Japanese mascara called Heroine Make! And y'all know how insanely waterproof that mascara is. In fact, except for the banana boat shape wand, The Falsies is Heroine Make packed in a purple tube.

It is one baAad waterproof mascara! I've tried a lot of mascaras in my life and except for a few (Voluminous waterproof and Heroine Make), the rest tend to smudge after a certain amount of time. But this one is tough with a capital T! I wore it for 8-10 hours under deep heat and humidity but this thing refused to budge. It does not flake, it does not even move an inch. One tough cookie.

With that said, it's also difficult to remove. I use an oil base mascara remover to take it away from my lashes and I always have to do so twice. This is one clingy mascara, yo!

The wand is something I like: the banana/boat shape wand is flexible. At first, it was hard for me to control but after a while, it became second to nature. If I want curl, I would just leave the wand as is. However, if I want to push my lashes way up, I'd flip the wand concave side up and use it to push my lashes up high. Also, since the wand is big, I don't need to do the wiggle as I have enough coverage already. However, the formula tends to dry really fast and clumps when dried so I have to work it as fast as possible. The good thing is the mascara is very fluid.

My bare nekkid lashes

After 2 coats of The Falsies

Since I had to stop and take pictures in between coats (and the picture of my lashes after the first coat was blurry!), clumping happened. As I mentioned earlier, this mascara is buildable but you have to build it before it dries. However, the lengthening and curling power is mad, mad I'm telling you! The Falsies does live up to its name. My lashes are actually longer now than before but they are not noticeable without mascara. And this one takes it to the next level. Christine is right, this mascara is awesome!

Two funny digressions:

1. After receiving the care package, I went to interview someone at L'Oreal Vietnam and guess what I saw? A display of The Falsies mascara at the front office! Maybelline does have this mascara here in Vietnam and I could have bought it here. In fact, Maybelline Vietnam only has 2 or 3 types of mascaras here and this purple one is their best-seller.
2. I've noticed lots of my male friends have long and curly giraffe lashes. Like, why, why do some men have such beautiful lashes while us women need a gallon and a half of mascara a day to coax ours out?

That's all for now. Thank you, Christine, for sending me this awesome mascara! I really love it!

How about you? Have you tried Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express waterproof mascara?

With lots of mascara love,
Dao xoxo

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A Tiny Guide on MAC Mineralize Products for the Allergic

Hi everyone,

I have this weird unrequited love with MAC Mineralize products: I love them but I can't use them. After trying and owning Northern Lights, my first mineralize skin finish, for 3 days, I realized there was no way this relationship could work. Northern Lights was a LE product that was pigmented enough to be used as a blush. I could illuminate my cheeks like no other. But after a couple of minutes on my skin, I started feeling some tingling sensations.

I didn't know I am allergic to bismuth oxychloride. It turns out to be a somewhat common contact allergy caused by makeup. And for some reasons, some MAC mineralize products contain this ingredient but you have to look very closely in the "May Contain" section to spot it.

Years passed and one day, I went to an event and got 3 MAC Mineralize products as door prize. I scratched my head thinking, "What am I going to do with thee?" And then, I went home, put on a wad lot of primers before I applied the makeup. And voila, almost painless!

1. Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation

I have to admit I was crazy not to use a skin primer before applying it. But to my surprise, I didn't feel a thing, which means this product does not contain bismuth oxychloride. The one I got is in NC 25, which is a tad too dark for me.

The Mineralize Satinfinish foundation is definitely not a daytime foundation. The pearlize micro particles gives the skin a nice sheen, which is nice when you do photo shoots or have a romantic candlelit dinner. But for daytime, the particles are very visible. The coverage is good (medium to full and buildable) and if you use a stipple brush, you'll get that dreamy matte finish with a glow.

2. Mineralize Concealer

As you may know, I use this concealer as a highlighter and it does a pretty nice job. When it comes to concealers, if your skin is in the NC range, you should use an NW concealer to counter the darkness. The same thing for NW people. Since mine is an NC20 concealer and my skin is indeed also NC20, it only makes sense to use this concealer to highlight instead.

While the good news is the Mineralize Concealer has a rad wand that can reach into tiny crooks and crevices, the bad news is it also contains bismuth oxychloride. This means whoever is allergic to it (me, me, me!) is going to receive the tingling sensation. I do feel it whenever I skip the whole face primer and foundation thing to go straight to concealer. However, if I spackle my face well with primer, I don't feel it as badly and the tingling sensation does go away after a while.

3. Mineralize Eye Shadow

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Mineral Mode

MAC has 2 types of mineralize eye shadows: one that looks like Mineral Mode above with only 1 major color and lots of veins and another one that is a duo eye shadow (like Engaging here.) As far as I've known, the formulas of these mineralize eye shadows vary: one can be quite hard and has major fall outs while the other is as smooth as butter. They are almost always packed with pigments and the frosty finish is amazing!

However, the main concern is bismuth oxychloride and The Force is strong in this one. To be honest, the only way I can wear it is to apply a thick layer of eye shadow primer like a shield and make sure I don't apply anything on my lash line as well as avoid fall outs to touch my skin. Crazy, I know. But one touch of it and my eyes will start to water. This is a real shame because I do love mineralize/baked makeup because of aesthetic reason: they do look pretty in the pan.

4. Mineralize Skinfinish

(L-R): Mineralize Skinfinish in Northern Light and Parrot eyeshadow
Vintage LE in 2008!

You think I would blog about MAC mineralize products without mentioning the most famous item, don't you? Now you have it: I did own an MSF for a brief period of time (1 week) before realizing that tingling sensation was not normal. It was a heartfelt bid of adieu on my part to return Northern Light to the counter. It was perfect as a blush with all those gold veins! But for my own skin's sake, I had to do what was best for me.

There are two types of MSF and it's a bit confusing when you go to the store asking for one and receiving another. First of, there is the regular colorful MSF with veins like Northern Light. And then, you have Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, which is a powder for your face. It does give a very pretty glow-from-within look and I've seen a lot of makeup artists using it on people's skins. The MSF Natural does look amazing.

But again, bismuth oxychloride. Sometimes I wonder why pretty things can be so lethal.

To conclude: while Mineralize Satinfinish foundation is something everyone can use, the rest is not for those with bismuth oxychloride sensitivity. The mineralize range is extremely pretty in term of colors and finishes. I do wish MAC to reformulate this range to make it more usable to those who have sensitive skins and allergy to bismuth oxychloride.

My own personal conclusion: while I do love 'em, I can't use most of them. The ones I have are mostly gifts that I keep just for show :) They are too pretty (and expensive) to be in the trash.

That's all for now. How about you? Do you have any other experiences with MAC mineralize products?

With love,
Dao xoxo



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Stock 'Em Up!

Hi everyone,

In my last post, I told y'all that I ran out of eyelash glue. Yup, totally ran out, not a drop was given on that particular night when I needed lash glues the most. Only those who have been in the same boat can empathize me. But really, of all the makeup woes I have faced, this was the worst.

But fear no moar, boys and girls! The next day, I hit the street hard to hunt for some eyelash glues. And not only me got glue, me also got lashes \0/

The sales girl suggested me to try Marie Beauty Fashion Eye Cream, which is a creamy eyelash glue. Then, I was lemming over their vast selection of false eyelashes and decided to buy a box of MODEL 21 #35 falsies.

This eyelash glue is pretty nifty because it has a brush. If y'all watch Michelle Phan's YouTube channel, you know she also likes this kind of glue. It's an Asian kind of thing and it makes the glue application a whole lot easier.

It also comes with a stick to push the lashes into the lash line. It's pretty nifty and so far, I like the whole getup. The glue is actually decent and waterproof as well. On top of that, it's affordable and I'm happy to find something new.

And here are some pictures of MODEL 21 false lashes in #35. It's a Korean brand that's manufactured in Vietnam. Hence, the price is really cheap. In fact, a pair of falsies at Daiso costs more than this set of 10 pairs of falsies here.

Here's a close-up at the lashes.

I guess the reason it's cheap is because of the packaging. The lashes are stuck into a piece of cardboard by two double-sided tapes. There were no eyelash shapers at all. However, the quality of these lashes are phenomenal. They don't feel heavy at all! In fact, they feel a lot more comfortable than the pair of Ardell lashes I own. The comfort factor is en par with the Shisem lashes I have. So yup, I scored!

Then, I had to go crazy and double up them lashes like Oprah did. While it makes my lashes look longer, it also is a bit too long for my eyes. I may have to do some cuttings on these bad boys.

Double up lashes on top, regular #35 lashes at the bottom.
Did you notice the crazy volume it has after doubling up them lashes?

Yup, this is insane! I'm so happy to own these bad boys. I'll probably end up doing a giveaway some time this year and you'll bet that I'll throw in a 10-pack of false eyelashes. Seriously, that store has such a wide variety of lashes that I'm so tempted to sample them all.

That's all, folks! I hope you'll have a nice weekend!

Love,
Dao xoxo


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Summer Eyes + Beautiful Blogger Award

Hi everyone,

Summer is here and it comes with heat, rain, and humidity. This only means one thing: your makeup is going to melt! Nowadays, I keep my makeup to a bare minimum yet the products I use are hardcore enough to stand up against the heat.

I've always wanted to do an editorial style spread for my blog but I did not know how. Thankfully, Polyvore came to a rescue and here is my first spread. I hope you'll enjoy!

My picks:

1. Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner: came in a sleuth of colors, MUFE Aqua Liner is relatively new to the makeup scene, yet its staying power is quite astounding. I swatched the black eye liner at MUFE counter, walked around the mall, came back home, ate a meal and the swatch was still on my hand. Removing it, however, was quite easy. All I needed was soap and water.
2. L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof mascara: I have tried so, so, so many mascaras. Yet, the only brand that keeps me coming back is L'Oreal Voluminous. Their Carbon Black version is the darkest and thickest volumizing mascara I have ever seen from the drugstore side. And the waterproof property is quite astounding: you can sleep with this stuff on your lashes and it won't smudge on you. One pointer, though: use only 2 coats because 3 coats will make your lashes droop down like a sad doll.
3. Shu Uemura eyelash curler: you can get a more expensive eyelash curler but you won't get one as good in this price point. The Shu Uemura eyelash curler reached cult status so many moons ago that I don't even delve into the details. To me and many beauty enthusiasts out there, this is a must-have, period.
4. MAC paint pots: these are life-changing products to me. During the summer, I don't use a lot of eye shadows so a little bit of paint pots here and there would do. I especially love Bare Study and Rubenesque. They give enough pearlescent to my eyes without being too thick or blingy.
5. Make Up Forever Aqua Cream in Turquoise: nothing says "summer!" like turquoise and nothing screams "waterproof!" like MUFE Aqua Cream. I currently have a big crush on MUFE waterproof products. Not only are they sweat-proof and waterproof, they are also beautiful. The Aqua Creams are multi-functional: you can use them anywhere on your face and body, although a few colors are only specific for certain areas on your face.

Beautiful Blogger Award

Last week, Jordan from Jordy's Beauty Spot nominated me for the "Beautiful Blogger Award." Aw, thank you so much, darling!

Tell us how the idea of making a blog popped up and what makes you continue it?

I wanted to write something about beauty products for about a year or so before I started My Makeup Blog. I read beauty blogs about a year or so before that and one of my friends pushed me forward into opening this blog. At first, it was a lot of work and I had to learn everything by myself (still do, too!) But then, it became fun and it helped me through so many difficulties in my life, namely the thesis writing process and the job hunting pain. I got to make friends during the process and it has been a fun ride for me.

Describe a usual day in your life.

Since I just got a research position in a local university, I am still adapting to my new schedule. Right now, my day starts with me waking up and reading something from my Kindle Fire: the news, my multiple email accounts, Twitter, feed backs from this blog, and a few sites I frequent. That usually takes an hour. Then, I eat breakfast and go to work. Sometimes, I work at home while other days I travel. My schedule is quite dynamic right now. I usually exercise around 6pm for 1-1.5 hours before eating dinner. At night, I work a little bit, watch some TV, and read some books on Kindle Fire again. My day usually ends around midnight as I'm a night owl.

The best collaboration with a blogger.

I am lucky to have so many blogger friends and recently, I have quite a few guest blogging requests. All of them have been fun and I have to say it is my pleasure to collaborate with all of them

The worst collaboration with a blogger.


I have never had any bad experience with a blogger before. I think beauty bloggers are nice and supportive toward each other.

Describe what having a blog means to you.

This blog means a lot to me: it is not just a place where I get to showcase my love for makeup, beauty, skincare, and many other beauty-related topics but also my digital home. Of course, I got into trouble before when people in the scientific community found out that I am a beauty blogger and did not take me so seriously. However, I don't see being a beauty blogger as a problem to my science career as a lot of beauty topics are science related. I can use my scientific knowledge to educate my readers here and in print magazines as well. I guess I am a rare mix of science-beauty and this blog allows me to coalesce these two areas.

And now, here are my 5 nominees:

• Gio from Beautiful with Brains
• Trisha from Makeup Files
• M from Makeup Morsels :)
• Jennifer from JennySue Makeup
• Stephanie from Aquaheart's Obsessions

That's all for today, folks! I hope you'll have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Dao xoxo

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The Amazing 3W Clinic Lash Building Eyeliner

Hi everyone,

Lately, I've been focusing more on basic makeup items. Gone are the days when I could apply layers after layers of beautiful colors on my eyelids. Now, all I need are a good mascara and a few reliable eyeliners to complete my task.

Believe it or not, the Vietnamese makeup market is friendlier towards skincare. While there are Korean, Japanese, American, and French brands available, the prices for makeup are not that affordable. Since my MAC Fluidline is running low and my ELF black liner is not that awesome anymore, I set out to find a black waterproof eyeliner that has the intensity of Blacktrack without breaking the bank. With a touch of luck, I found 3W Clinic lash building eyeliner when I was browsing for nail polishes.

First of all, I was drawn toward the price since it was the cheapest liquid eyeliner available in that store. As I was about to purchase a different liner, the sales girl opened the tube and told me to take a look at the tip. "Look how skinny it is," she said, "This liner gives the crispest and thinnest line I've ever seen. You should get it."

Look how thin the brush is

I did a comparison with the tip of the pencil and it's even thinner. I know, amazing!

So I did, after doing a few lines on my hand to confirm that it lived up to my standard. As it is not the felt tip pen type, I was a bit weary. I mean, these brush liners are very hard to draw precise lines and they tend to skip or deposit the material unevenly. But not with the 3W liner. It is as crisp as daylight. If I want a thick line, I can put more pressure on the brush. If not, this liner will deposit a nice, thin line.

(L-R): 3W Clinic eyeliner with a lot of pressure and with light pressure, ELF eyeliner, MAC Blacktrack fluidline

 As you can see, the 3W Clinic liner has the intensity en par to Blacktrack. The ELF liner looks dull compared to the other two. However, the advantage the 3W liner has over the other two is the thickness: you can draw a really tiny thin line with the brush while the others cannot. For the last two days, I have been playing with it and I have created the perfect cat-eye liner that we all covet. It is sharp and it totally changes the shape of my eyes.

See what I mean? Angelina Jolie wishes she has this liner.

Although the name of this liner has "lash building" in it, I'm not sure if it can build any lashes since I only use it to line my eyes. The only negative thing I can say about this eyeliner is the durability. It is not built the same way as a Fluidline but so far, I don't have any smudges. It does not last as long on my eyelids without a primer (4 hours without and 6 with primer.) Still, I can't complain. As far as it goes, this is the best liquid eyeliner I've ever tried. I'm glad I bought this eyeliner and I hope to find it once I run out of this bottle I have (which will take a while, knowing how little I need per line.)

So, what do you think about this eyeliner? Have you tried one with a thin brush? Let me know about it, ok?

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I Can Haz Haul!

Hi everyone,

The last makeup purchase I did was somewhere in January. It felt like a million years ago since I bought makeup for myself. Living in Vietnam has its own perks but for a beauty blogger, it ain't fun. Too many skincare products and not enough makeup. And even for the makeup that I could find, they were so expensive. A MAC eye shadow costs $14.50 USD back in the States. It actually costs around $30 here, not the $19.50 international price we see on the MAC LE price list.

Not only I miss makeup, I miss drugstore makeup. Nothing is as awesome as finding nicely pigmented eye shadows on sale and I had a coupon. I don't get that kind of deal over here.

Recently, I found a shop that sells nail supplies near my place. Lucky me, it also has a variety of makeup. Not as expansive as the U.S drugstore but the quality is good and the price is right. You can't believe how happy I was when I hauled home a whole bunch of stuff.

Top row: Debby nail crackle nail polish, Nghia O'Beauty nail polishes in S030 (chocolate) and S019 (flesh tone), Sivanna baked eyeshadow, and Honey eye shadow trio
White eye shadow/liner pencil
Mabrook black eyeliner
Mabrook lip liner
A nail buffer

I was extremely happy to find this baked eye shadow (baked a shadow was a typo, I believe!)
Sivanna Colors is a Thai brand, btw

This pan is huge

And look how beautiful it is!
This eye shadow reminds me of something MAC produced in their first mineralized eye shadow collection ever. Look at the veins, so pretty!

The trio I bought is from Honey Professional, a Korean brand

The colors are shimmery and pigmented.
This trio reminds me of the Vincent Longo one I almost bought a while back.

Overall, I was happy with my haul. The nail polishes are also awesome and I am going to do separate reviews in the future. I'm just so happy that I get to have affordable makeup again. Right now, I'm eyeing on a baked blush that looks like one of those MSF from MAC. When I reach my 100 day fitness goal, I'm sure to take it home as a way to celebrate my success :)

Who says makeup doesn't have motivational power, huh?

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Rimmel London Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara: Nice Concept but...

Hi everyone,

Once upon a time in a cold land far, far away, I discovered a brand called Rimmel London. In order for me to get some of their makeup, I had to drive to a big Walmart near Anne Arundel mall. The other stores did not carry it. I got a kohl eyeliner, a mascara, and some doo-dads. And I was disappointed. While tooted as London's #1 makeup brand, the products at that time was not that good. The eyeliner and mascara smudged. The other stuff failed to impress me.

But that was a long time ago. Last year, Rimmel London did a major revamp and I fell in love again. In fact, I believe this brand produces some really neat and high-quality products with budget prices. Their Glam'Eyes mono eyeshadows are extremely silky and pigmented. Also, I love, love, love their lipsticks.

Like many ladies with stubby and sparse lashes out there, I want them all: I want the length, I want the curl, and I want the volume. Sadly, most mascaras out there only manage to perform one or two of the criteria. This leads me to using multiple mascaras at the same time. Usually, I would couple a volumizing mascara with a lengthening one. But my wallet screams.

When I saw this Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night mascara, I had to buy it. The kind folks at Rimmel answered to my prayer and released a mascara that has a length brush and a volume brush. Wow!

I was so giddy to take this mascara to the register, slap it down with a coupon and asked how much. It was about $6 or $7 with the coupon, which is not so bad. Besides, the mascara is black and pink and adorable.

Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night Defined Length/Intese Volume Mascara in Black

I came home, took some pictures, and applied the mascara on my eyes (more about this later.) I waited for it to knock my socks off. Well, I waited and waited and waited...

While I was waiting, I took some pictures to show you guys.

Here's the mascara on its own. Notice the caps. The pink one is for length and the black one is for volume.

Close-up at the caps.

75% more length and 12 times more volume? Wow!
However, I wonder where they got the number and what kind of experiments they did to produce them. Yes, the geek in me had to speak out.

Top cap for length, bottom cap for thickness.
This is the equivalence of an abstract on the mascara. Can't get shorter and sweeter than this.

Wanna know what happened next when I opened the mascara? Jump!

One Dollar Wonder: ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

Hi everyone,

In the land of budget makeup, E.L.F rules. I mean, who else can make decent $1 products like they do? When I discovered something I like from E.L.F, I tend to stock up just to give them away to friends. When they have sales, it's even more awesome. I used to get a whole bunch of things I need and then some. During this vicious cycle (ha!) I discovered the Waterproof Eyeliner Pen and I have never been happier. At $1, it is the blackest eyeliner pen out there. I'm so glad I put my money down and got the first one at Target. I've tried so many eyeliners before and this one is very easy to use.

E.L.F Waterproof Eyeliner Pen ($1)

Wanna know why I love it so much? Jump!

Hello, Mr. Brown!

Hi everyone,

A couple nights ago, I went through my stash of eyeliners and realized I have so many brown eyeliners! I mean, where did they all come from? I didn't remember when I got all of them. And where are my black eyeliners? Except Blacktrack and another pencil liquid eyeliner, I don't even have a black one in pencil form. Curiouser and curiouser, right?

But once I played with my brown liners, I realized why I have them. I truly love brown eyeliners. Truly, really, incredibly in love with them. Also, each of them are different from each other, which make them so interesting to me.

My brown eyeliner stash, all 5 of them (for now!)
(L-R): MAC Teddy, L'Oreal Extra-Intense liquid pencil eyeliner in Bronze, Essence Long Lasting eye pencil in Hot Chocolate, Victoria's Secret chubby eye stick in Bronzilliant, and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on eye pencil in Bourbon

 Wanna know why I love them so much? Jump!