The Mascara Addict

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There is an interesting saying that "the eyes alone can say much more than the lips." And I couldn't agree more. Whether blue, brown or green, our eyes can convey the strongest, non-verbal cues of thoughts and feelings. The act of flirting, especially for women, is relatively simple and easily possible  by just an alluring glance or a few, playful blinks of the eye. 

After many open, often comical conversations with my guy friends about women, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that even though men do notice a woman's body, it isn't the first thing that always stands out. Really? What could stand out more than a pair of boobs? More noticeable? A pair of beautiful eyes. A similar   conclusion was reached by researchers conducting a study for Murine, a major manufacturer of eye drops. Of the 1,000 men interviewed for the study, more than 70% agreed that regardless if they met a girl on a blind date or simply passed a woman on the street, the first thing they noticed about her was her "eyes" followed by "pretty smile and then, yes, a "nice body."

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Our Little Magic Beauty Wand

Inner beauty is, of course, a very important quality, but a little mascara never hurt anyone. And knowing the strong,yet sultry power our eyes can have on men, it's no surprise why mascara is possibly the most cherished beauty item in our cosmetic bag. Although women have always had a complicated relationship with makeup for years, our love for mascara has always been a simple, faithful one, blossoming at an early age. Besides lip gloss, it's one of the first makeup products our moms allow us to wear on "special" occasions.  Then, as grown-ups, mascara is something we end up wearing on "every" occasion.

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Time To Put On My Face

Regardless if I'm getting ready for work on a Monday morning or preparing for a Saturday night out with friends, my typical beauty routine is essentially the same. I always want my makeup to look pretty and stand out regardless what time of the day it is. So I apply foundation, blush, eyeliner lipstick, etc...but without mascara, my face still  looks unfinished. That's why it's the most crucial, finishing step for makeup perfection. I'm not ashamed to admit that, yes, I'm undoubtedly addicted! So...If I was to somehow be stranded on a tropical island far, far away, I would most certainly need food, fresh water and shelter to survive. However, having my precious mascara  along with a few other things with me would make my stay in paradise much more enjoyable:

1. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black!

2. Lots and Lots of Soap!

3. And Tom Cruise, of course...

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 Mascara Ingredients Are Simple
So why make things complicated? 

In 1917, the first packaged mascara was created by Eugene Rimmel for Maybelline using a blend of petroleum jelly and black coal dust. Since the creation of this revolutionary cake mascara, the core ingredients have changed but not significantly much over the last 50 years.The F.D.A. is of course now involved in regulating the basic standards of cosmetics.  But with the exception of some color additives and a few prohibited, toxic ingredients, every tube of mascara, regardless if it's $5 or $50, contains components of these 3 basic ingredients:

1. Wax - For Thickening

2. Pigments - For Color

3. Film Formers - For Coating

So honestly, knowing the true simplicity about the ingredients in mascara, do you really feel like wasting your time at a department store cosmetics counter, listening to  "beauty expert" yapping about the innovative ingredients and advanced science behind their mascara? Blah, blah blah... I didn't think so. So unless you're a muti-million dollar supermodel like Adrianna Lima, it's pointless to spend your money on over-priced mascara.

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1. Just because it's Brighter doesn't make it Better! 

It's quite fascinating that there are over 500 types of mascara produced today. Does the world truly need that many kinds? With so much competition and little room for ingredient improvement, cosmetic manufacturers have focused their attention on re-designing the packaging of mascara  to catch our attention. Instead of using  standard, boring black, mascara tubes are brightly colored in hues similar to neon sharpie markers. Sure, the colors definitely stand out on drugstore shelves, but pretty packaging doesn't always deliver pretty lashes. Well at least you can always spot this mascara at the bottom of your purse.

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2. The weirder the wand, the worst it may be!

I don't think I will  ever understand the science behind the new mascara wand shapes. They're impractical, comical, even ugly. If you look at the design of the mascara wand and can't understand it, you will more than likely struggle with using it. Lets be honest, women already have a hard enough time trying not to poke themselves in the eye while applying mascara  with a normal wand. These new, bizarre shapes will inevitably make the process more difficult and frustrating.  

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3.   The Mascara World is full of Big, Fat Liars

200% more volume? Really?

False advertising claims in the cosmetics industry are now more obvious than ever! Especially in television commercials and print ads for mascara. The ads are very misleading, over-exaggerated and show lashes on models that are virtually impossible to achieve with mascara alone.

Exhibit A: 

 "Volum' Express the Rocket" by Maybelline print ad which reads, "It's patented supersonic jumbo brush builds volume instantly, making lashes 8X's bigger!" Yes, the model's eyelashes are extremely impressive, full of volume and full of...Lash Inserts?" 

Investigators for the National Advertising Division found that most mascara ads were "literally false" because they were not an accurate depiction of what could be achieved by the mascara or special mascara brush alone. The N.A.D. enow requires that all mascara companies provide fine print at the bottom of the ad that the model was "styled with lash inserts."

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#1 Mascara on the Planet - 
"L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black"

Yes...it's that good!

I may not have an P.h.D in advanced Mascara Studies but, having used it for over 20 years, I've figured out which brand
is hands down the best on the market: "L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black." Ladies, it's time to stop wasting your money on expensive name brand mascara. I personally could never justify spending $50 on Chanel Mascara knowing it really isn't better. So head to your local drugstore, Ulta or Target, and pick one up (or two). The best part about Voluminious is that, for just less than $10 a tube, it is consistent at building big beautiful lashes.  You can thank me later!

Shhhh...The Secret To Big Lashes:
Lots and Lots of Coats

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but , regardless of  what  what people say, it  definitely takes more than "2 to 3 coats" of mascara to get your real volume in your lashes. I know that I use a lot of mascara but one day I  decided to count the actual number of coats. Allowing for a few occasional breaks to let the mascara dry, each eyeball got well over 100 coats!  I know that sounds crazy, excessive or a waste of time but I wholeheartedly disagree.  Taking the extra effort to layer your mascara will not only get you the  luscious lashes you want BUT it will also get you lots of beautiful compliments from both men and women alike.

Love,
Saima B.
xoxo
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