Gearing Up To Get Back In The Mascara Game...

L'Oreal Voluminous Fiber FX Mascara

 My lashes have been on Holiday for the last 5 months... Let me attest to the beautiful notion of waking up daily and looking more than human with lash extensions.  Out the door time gets nicked in half because being eye ready makes everything else a slap and a dash.

I promised myself that after returning from Fall Fashion Week in Paris, (shopping with my partner Anastasia for our store Mary Jane Denzer), I would take a long, long break.  Frankly, I don't know a soul who did not suffer serious damage to their lashes.  I'm hoping to come out unscathed, by using Latisse, to minimize the lash loss.

Years ago, I used Latisse when it first became a, "thing".  While I did grow massive lashes, I also suffered from dry, red, scratchy eyes, which mitigated the whole experience.  Smarter this time, I ditched the thick, unwieldy brushes that came with the prescription, for a very fine brush.  My theory is that those brushes, which could have white washed a barn, were depositing too much product. So far so good.

We shall see...

In the meanwhile, I have started researching mascaras again.  What immediately caught my eye was a new Voluminous Mascara from L'Oreal.  The original is a goodie and is supposedly beloved by Jennifer Aniston. (Call me silly, but I'm among the legions hoping for a Brad Pitt reunion...Frankly Angelina and Justin seem a better match than they were to Brad and Jenn, respectively. And you???)

What is very clever about the new Voluminous X Fiber, aside from the fibers for volume, is that one side comes with a black primer!!!  This my lovelies, is a stroke of genius.  I love me some primer, but have sometimes seen tell tale traces of white on my lashes.  This has got to be one of those moments where competitors, are smacking their foreheads for not having thought of black primer first.

Well done L'Oreal!

The NY Times Weighs in on the Best Drugstore Makeup Buys

Bloomberg/ Getty Image courtesy of the NY Times

Love, love, love, the more accessible beauty coverage at the "newspaper of record" these days.   I nearly keeled when I received a beauty alert this morning,  with an article by Tynan Sinks on her favorite drugstore beauty buys.

Welcome to our world!  Here's the link.  Shout out to my sister Loren, who told me months ago to check out NYX concealer.  It's her new Holy Grail.  Tynan feels the same way...

Naturally I dashed out to my closest CVS, STAT.  The NYX display was  sadly baron...Ulta will no doubt, be better supplied.

Anyway, worth a read and maybe a note or two.  I'll keep you posted on that concealer...provided I can find it.

xox,
DD

Everpro GrayAway Root Touch-Up Magnetic Powder

Everpro GrayAway Root Touch-Up Magnetic Powder
$9.99 to 12.99 at Drugstores Nationwide

Everpro's orginal Root Touch-Up Spray, was an ingenious and profitable, early entry into the temporary root cover up field. To this day, it is one of my most popular posts, with well over 100,000 views.  I have tried every spray on the market, including all the expensive ones, like Rita Hazan, and have loyally stuck with Gray Away's spray. Simply put, IMO it's the best.  Added bonus? It's cost effective.

I have been known to whip it out of my handbag and sweetly demand  ask, if I can demo it on family and friends whose skunk like parts, I cannot remove my eyes from.  (Done and said with love, of course...) Usually, that ends with said person, converted, hightailing it to CVS.

Review: Revlon Colorstay Gel Eyeliner

Revlon ColorStay Gel Eyeliner
$10.49

I'm not a fan of black eyeliner by day, but it's hard to deny the drama of how liquid black eyeliner looks at night, or maybe it's just that as of late, I am a bit smitten with the fabulously adorable Adele.

The problem with liquid liners, is that they can look harsh and dated.  As well, unless you have the steady hands of a neurosurgeon, it can be a nasty piece of business to apply. Traditional gel liners are an option, but no matter how deftly I dip the brush in the pot, I always end up with too much product and not enough eyelid to put it on.

I had made a note of Revlon ColorStay Gel Eyeliner, since it won a coveted Allure Best of Beauty Award in September of 2015. It is conveniently packaged, with the brush preloaded into the top of the applicator. Lovely to have it tidy and all in one unit; no need to rifle through 20 or so brushes in search of the one intended for eyelining.

Brill, actually...

Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Crayon

Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Crayon
$8.99 at Drug stores Nationwide

Oh this has been a brilliant week! Two amazing drug store finds in one week! First, Maybelline's Better Skin Super Stay Concealer and now Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Crayon.

Last month, I had received a well researched, exhaustive review of the best eyeliners by Reviews.com. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Crayon did not make the top 6, but their liquid eyeliner did. I went with their number one choice, Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide on Pencil.

My first outing was on a red eye to London and will attest to it's staying power, no question. What I quibble with, is the "glide" factor...that, not so much...

A Christmas Miracle; Maybelline Better Skin Super Stay Concealer

Maybelline Better Skin Super Stay Concealer
$8.99 (ish) available in 6 shades

If you eyeballed my concealer stash, you couldn't possibly think I needed another, but the truth is, my Tarte Maracula Creaseless Concealer, Cover FX, Amazing Concealer, Revlon Superstay and Garnier BB Cream for Eyes are all past their prime and have grown puttyish in texture. A purge was an order, but I needed a replacement stat.

What I hoped to find was something with a consistency lighter and more blendable than numbers 1,2, and 3, a better match for my skintone than 4 and more coverage then 5. Not to much to ask....donchathink???

For no particular reason, I selected Maybelline Better Skin Super Stay Concealer on a recent CVS run. The Light/Medium shade looked ideal for me; lighter than my foundation, but not so light as to create dreaded "raccoon eyes".  (For the record, I love "twofer" products, but the new trend that combines concealer and foundation in one makes no sense to me, whatsoevah.)

OMG this flawless concealer is fantastic! Let me count the way's I love Better Skin Super Stay Concealer:

1. Lightweight
2. Glides on
3. Perfect color
4. Doesn't crease
5. Doesn't budge
6. Remained clean; didn't attract a bit of liner or mascara

It also contains a somewhat toxic sounding "anti-oxidant" ACTYL C, that is supposed to "lighten dark circles, spots and imperfections in just 3 weeks."

We shall see....even if those claims can't be added to my list of loves I'm already enamored. 

Oh, and did I forget to mention it's a bargain??? Apparently, Christmas miracles really do happen...Merry Merry and you are very welcome :)

xox,

DD

L'Oreal Voluminous Superstar Mascara

L'Oreal Voluminous Superstar Mascara
$9-$13...depending

Longtime Lovelies, know I am always on the hunt for a spectacular drugstore mascara.   With so many launch spawns each year; Rimmel, Maybelline, CoverGirl as well as L'Oreal, all have at least 8 iterations of bump and plump to their lash brands, ya think it would be a no brainer.

I am currently a double devotee; Lancome Cils Booster XL Lash Primer followed by Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara it doesn't come cheaply.

We all know that L'oreal is Lancome's little stepsister, so I'm always hoping to find some remnant of the best of Lancome's product development in L'Oreals latest offerings. I purchased this thinking maybe I would luck out and find a twofer that would cost a quarter of the price.

So, did L'Oreal Voluminous Superstar Mascara, a two step mascara with a built in primer, meet or surpass my expectations???

Sort of...The primer is a winner, boosting lashes almost as perfectly as Lancome's Cil's Booster XL Lash Primer.  I was totally stoked...until I tried the mascara. I didn't mind that the brush is slimmer than Too Faced's, I find fat brushes difficult to maneuver, particularly in lash corners and on the bottoms.

What I did object to, was the thinner consistency and less than stellar results. Where was the lovely fan of lashes I had come to expect? Nowhere to be found, even with an extra coat.

Dang...

My Lancome primer is no longer prime (it does have a somewhat short shelf life,)  so I have been using the L'Oreal  Voluminous Superstar "step 1" primer with my new tube of Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and will continue to,until it runs out.

So, for less than half the price, will I purchase it again as my new primer, even though "step 2" will never even get cracked open??? It feels oddly wasteful, even though it's more cost effective.

TBD and of course, the search continues...(do chime in with any suggestions!) I'm all eyes...and ears.

xox,
DD

Review: Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
$7.99

I like gel eyeliner pencils.  Trish McEvoy's Intense Gel Eyeliner Pencil in midnight blue delivers beautiful results, but it's pricey ($28) and requires sharpening almost daily. Translation; it has a short shelf life.

I noticed Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner because it was advertised in a few of the mega September fashion issues, one of the rare times a year I actually purchase glossies anymore.  I made a mental note to try one, but had no luck finding them on any of my drugstore runs.

What the puck???

As I honed down to to the tale end of my last Trish Gel Eyeliner Pencil,  I was trying to figure out when I would visit Saks or Bloomingdales to replace it. I was also out of my HG lip gloss, Pur Minerals Chateau Kisses Lip-Plumping Lip Gloss in Glitzy, which required an Ulta run. On my way out, I decided to see if they might have Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in stock.

Review: Maybelline's The Falsies Push-Up Drama Mascara

Maybelline's The Falsies Push-Up Drama Mascara
$7.49 anywhere on the planet...$9.49 in Greenwich, Ct.

I know I'm like the proverbial dog chasing it's tail...I just keep hoping, upon hope, that one day, very soon,I will find my Holy Grail mascara. Not only will it add volume and length and neither flake nor smudge, but it will also be a cheap and cheerful find.

Thus, I couldn't resist picking up Maybelline's newest entry The Falsies Push-Up Drama Mascara whilst on my latest CVS run...

TotalBeauty's 9 Best Cream Blushes...and Mine!

TotalBeauty is one of my happy places.  Their beauty editors and writers are top notch, they publish DivaDebbi on their website and they compile results based on thousands of loyal readers detailed product reviews. As a result, they often put together Best and Worst Of slide shows, based on the aggregate ratings. I always end up taking notes.

This weekend they featured their 9 most highly rated cream blushes. While I was surprised that my HG cream blush, Makeup Forever High Definition Blush did not make the cut, I was delighted to see two cheap and cheerful entries; Revlon and NYX Cream Blush. I'm on the tail end of my third Makeup Forever HD Blush and I will definitely be trying one or the other based on their shade offerings.

Did your blush make the cut???

Flashback Friday: Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 Eyes & Lashes

$36 1 oz.

I recently bumped into my colleague Joe and his beautiful wife Lucille at Serafina's in East Hampton. It is always gratifying when people tell me, this product or that which, I reviewed, became a game changing favorite for them.

Lucille said, "I can't thank you enough for turning me on to Vichy Liftactiv Serum.  Just look at my lashes!!!" True enough, they were lovely, long and lush...

I originally ran out and purchased Vichy Liftactiv Serum, after reading that my blogger friend Jane Daly of Daly Beauty had such great success with it, she was forgoing mascara! (click here for the original post).

I too, had fantastic results without any of the habitual redness I inevitably develop with prolonged use of any lash enhancer I have ever used.

Micellar Water; What is it? And do you need it?

Bioderma Micellar Water
Europe's Leader in the Category
$19 USD

Simple' Micellar Water
$7.99

Two years ago, when I was in London visiting my dear childhood friend Nancy, she treated me to a magnificent whirlwind of cultural and culinary events, castle tours in the country side and of course our requisite shopping.

There we got down to recommending our absolute beauty must haves for each other to purchase.  I had never heard of Bioderma Micellar Water, but Nancy insisted it was one of those products that lives in the vanity of every self respecting woman in Europe and I needed it STAT. Oh-Kaaaaay...but can you tell me what it is and why I have to have it???

No.

Of course I bought it anyway.

 By definition:  

1. Micellar water is a skincare product that removes makeup and cleanses the skin, without the need for rinsing.

It took me nearly two years to use the entire bottle, partly because I still didn't completely understand how I was supposed to be using it.. Micellar water is far too gentle to be the only thing I use to remove my make up. As a toner, it doesn't have the requisite "ping" that makes me feel like another step actually happened. Mostly, I use it on a Q-tip to correct eye make up gaffes, or to gently refresh my skin if I am reapplying makeup from day to night.

So, as I hit the tail end of my bottle, was I going to replace it?  If Bioderma was my only option, at 3 times the price, probably not.  But I was doing an Ulta run,  (I can't believe I'm stalking yet another beauty emporium besides Sephora and CVS,) and spotted Simple's Micellar Water on sale for $6. 

Too good to pass up...

Can I tell the difference between the two??? Not a chance and  I use them exactly the same way. 

How about you?  Do you use Micellar Water?  Do you need it? Is it a case of the Emperor's new clothes? Is there any there, there???

Still not a clue.

I will be visiting Nancy again at the end of October.  I'm looking forward to spending time in the country house she and her husband have lovingly built, sheep and all, but if I know my Girl, there will be a tiny "Chemist's shop", somewhere, with something, " I absolutely, must have".

And have I will...and so may you.

Xo,

DD

P.S.  Nancy's marching orders:

You are wayyyy to funny!  Soak a cotton pad with the damm stuff!  Put it on your eye.  All the eye makeup.....  Every single bit of it.  Let the soaked cotton pad do the work.  Let it sit on the eye for a minute.  Then wipe.  It will handle anything you through at it! Oh. And don't forget...no rinsing! Ditto, the face makeup. 

I love you. 

Review: Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation

Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation
$11.99...or so

Am I the only woman on the planet who likes this foundation???  Possibly...I bought it on a whim because I had a $3 off coupon at CVS.  In addition to all day wear, Better Skin promises, well, better skin, after three weeks of use, specifically lightened  hyper pigmentation, that's freckles and age spots, in English.

I'll bite...I love the fact that makeup finally has some benefits to it besides make us look better.  I also wanted to experiment with trying a really dark shade, that would hopefully mimic from the get go, what I look like after tinted moisturizer and Stila's One Step Bronzer Mousse.

CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara

CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara
$6.99

I'm not 100% sure how CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara ended up in my Walgreen's basket. Maybe I was just disoriented, being in Walgreen's instead of CVS. I'm pretty certain the CoverGirl Queen line was created for women of color, but mascara is color blind, is it not?

What a lovely surprise this mascara is!  It reminds me a lot of CoverGirl's Lash Exact, a mascara I used for quite a long time. The down side was that it dried out quickly, the pluses, however, outweighed it; Clean, full lashes, zero flakes and budget friendly.  I can't be sure why we broke up...

Wondering about NYX Wonder Pencils?

NYX Wonder Pencil
$4.50

When it comes to beauty products, I love hearing about whatever my friends, relatives, colleagues, readers, and now instructors are swooning over.

Whenever possible, I attend Emma Swain's Saturday Mat Pilates class at Equinox Greenwich.  Not only is she fabulous teacher, whose "booty extravaganza" never fails to bring me to the brink of tears, her giddy, witty, repertoire makes the hour pass in a blink, thank God.

Somehow, after class last week we got onto the subject of beauty products and she quickly jotted down the web address for DivaDebbi. Emma is a fan of NYX Wonder Pencils. She pointed out, just how useful a point can be in the art and artifice of concealment.

Beauty Bargain Alert: NYX Eyleliner Pencils

NYX Retractable Eyeliner
$4.50 at drugstores nationwide

I had completely forgotten, in the midst of my eyeliner conundrum, that my good friend Jane had emailed me awhile back about her lucky find...NYX Retractable Eyeliners.

She swore they were not only good, but better, than the Bobbi Brown liners she had been using at a fraction of the price and loving them for their glideability and long wear.

Though available in 18 self sharpening shades, you will probably only find a fraction of them at the drugstore, but the ones available are the good old standby shades that most of us prefer anyway--black, dark brown, charcoal and navy.

Lush Brows for Less

Maybelline Brow Drama
$7.99

I was in CVS today to exchange some AA batteries for AAA's that I bought in error...naturally, my visit did not end there.

I was completely out of Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (how does that happen, seemingly overnight, with all self sharpening products???) I still have plenty of A.B.H. Dip Brow Pomade left, but I thought it would be nice to have a product with a built in brush, so I could travel with it in my makeup bag.

Anastasia Beverly Hills is not inexpensive, but she is is the brow guru.  I came very late to daily brow grooming, so I reasoned  go for the best, since I had a lot of catching up to do.

I happened first upon Maybelline's Brow Drama, "Sculpting Brow Mascara". I like that it is described as a tinted gel "mousse" already envisioning pumped up brows and the Soft Brown, one of three shades, (Dark Blonde and Dark Brown additionally) looked like a good match.

Sold...

Milani Eye Shadow Primer

Milani Eyeshadow Primer
$5.99 Drugstores Nationwide

Ugggh!!! Do I really need to add one more step to my already overburdened daily maquillage? I wanted the answer to be no, but I reasoned that if an eye shadow primer could truly make my eye makeup budge proof, I would save time on clean ups and touch ups.

Turned out I was right! I purchased Milani's Eyeshadow Primer on a whim, while on a CVS run.  The primer that stood in my mind as the must have, is made by Urban Decay, costs nearly 4x as much and would have required a trip to Sephora.

Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes Mascara

Maybelline's Falsies Big Eyes
$9.49

As long as I'm alive and kicking, I will forever be on the hunt for the perfect, cheap and cheerful drugstore mascara.  Every brand has 15 iterations of mascara, all claiming to among other things; lengthen, volumize, fan and not flake, clump or smudge...uh huh.

Pretty much, you might as well throw a dart and hope to get lucky.  I was a little more intrigued with Maybelline's Falsies Big Eyes Mascara because I liked the concept of a smaller brush and lighter formula for use on the lower lashes.

A few years back, Clinique created Bottom Lash Mascara, a separate mascara exclusively for lower lashes.  I purchased and promptly returned it.  All hype and and extra step to boot, but here Maybelline combined the two in one applicator, so the I decided to give this one a try.

The M's have it! Good news from the drugstore

Milani Liquid Eye Liner Pencil
$6.99

I have not had a great deal of luck with Milani products, but when I spotted their "Liquid Eye Liner Pencil", the name sounded intriguing.  I have an app on my iPhone for Makeup Alley a website that rates cosmetics, solely based on user reviews, so I decided to check it out.  Sure enough, it was very highly rated, some comparing it to MAC eye pencils...Good 'nuf for me.

I purchased it in brown, though the website does not reflect that it is actually a metallic brown, which I thought might be an interesting twist on an eye liner.

The consistency is softer than I imagined it would be, almost kohl like, but it does glide on well.  There is a about a 15 second smudge window before it sets.  It was darker than I imagined it would be, so I will probably opt for a thinner line next time. It absolutely did stay put all day, until I removed it.  For $6.99, this is a good find.

Onward...

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eye Shawdow
$6.99