Mascara Madness-Aaron Ellerbrock, Richmond VA makeup artist

Where do you begin when you are looking for a mscara? Do you want to lengthen, define, darken, curl, thicken; do you want waterproof or non-waterproof; do you want a liquid, cake, or cream; do you want a black, brown, or another color? We could go on for days asking mascara questions!!

Mascara is one of the oldest beauty products ever invented. OK, well not exactly but as early as 4000 BC ancient Egypstians used a substance called kohl to darken their lashes, eyes, and brows. It wasn't until the 19th century that a chemist named Eugene Rimmel developed a modern day mascara using the newly invented petroleum jelly. And interestingly enough, not long after an American man named T. L. Williams developed a similar product for his sister Maybel. He then started a mail order business that grew into what we know as Maybelline!

Only you can decide which mascara is right for you, but you should definitely keep your eyes out for reviews and posts as they can help you in your search for the perfect mascara!

I thought I would give a quick review on some that I have tried. And FYI, all of these are the waterproof versions. First, my current favorite is L'Oreal Voluminious Million Lashes. It did a great job of defining the lashes. The lashes looked longer and fuller and had more curl to them after using this one. I will caution that it feels a little thicker on the eyes, but that is the price you pay for the "falsie" look. You certainly don't notice the feel after it dries down. Because it is a thicker mascara it does take a little more work to get it off, but again, that is not a bad thing. Also be careful to comb through so the lashes do not stick together; however I just recently read an article that Ginnifer Goodwin's makeup artist actually pinches a few of her lashes together to give a more false and spikey look when she is going "high fashion".

Next I tried Maybelline Colossal Volume mascara. My lashed did not look as long as they did with the L'Oreal. It did curl my lashes but again not as much as the L'Oreal. Of course, this formula is for volume and once again, they were not quite as full as they were with the L'Oreal. There was no smudging and this product did feel a little lighter; a little more natural. It was easy to get off and there was absolutely no clumping with this one. So maybe this is a little more daytime and the L'Oreal is more for night.

Probably should have gone with the iconic Cover Girl next, but I ended up trying the new Maybelline Rocket Volum'eExpress. Bottom line was it was very nice but still not as good as the L'Oreal in my opinion. I would rank it above the Colossal Volume in terms of fullness and lenght. It was a little thick for my taste but the brush was good at keeping the lashes separated as you apply. No clumping either.

The Rocket and the L'Oreal were both VERY waterproof. They were not going anywhere, so you definitely want to have a waterproof makeup remover to get these off! And you can usually get a buy one, get one 50% off at Walgreens and CVS so not a bad deal at all.

Let me know what your favorite is and we will do some more comparisons soon!

Long wear shadows...really??/review by BRIDEface Richmond makeup artist Aaron

Do They Really Last??

 

 

 

 

Today I thought we would take a look at some of the "drug store" eye makeup out there that claims to be "long wear". I picked up a couple of Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadows as well as the ColorStay Smoky Shadow Sticks. Now as many of you know, it is weird, but I put these on myself so I can review them first hand. This time I happened to do it while visiting my parents in Ohio, Needless to say my dad was kind of confused on what I was doing!!

I tested the Revlon products against some that were a bit more expensive. In this case it was Urban Decay's eyeshadow in Oil Slick and the Buxom Stay-There cream/gel shadows in Schnauzer and Saint Bernard. I basically created a smoky eye on each eye with these brands.

While the Revlon seemed like it was going to work very well, I found there were a couple of issues. First, the longevity was just not there. When I did just the powder shadows, or just the cream sticks, they did not last past a couple of hours. However, when I combined them (using the cream sticks first and then layering on the powder) the longevity was much longer. Another issue I found was that the color did not stay vibrant. I was quite pleased at the look of the pigment when I first applied, but then it just sort of seemed to become dull over the course of the evening. Finally, I was less than thrilled with the fact the product did not blend easily. You really need to work the product in to get a good smooth finish and if you don't it can look very "cakey". Once it dries you can't blend anymore (which is a good thing) but you have to make sure you are happy with the initial application.

The Urban Decay and Buxom products proved to be much better. The color stayed much more vibrant and true. My eye looked like it had true pigment even hours later. Again, the longevity was increased when I layed the products vs. using them individually. And of course they were much easier to blend. I loved the feel of the Buxom shadows. They are very "cushy" and easy to apply. I also liked how I could build the color by letting the creams dry for a minute and then putting another layer on.

My thought is that the Revlon is great for everyday wear. Although I don't think you can get 16 hours, you can certainly get by with these. However, if you are trying to get "fancy" for a dinner or an event, these just won't cut it. I feel you would be much happier pulling out the big dogs (like Schnauzer or Saint Bernard) for such occasions.

The Revlon powder shadows can be found for $6 to $8 and the sticks can be purchased from $7 to $9. However you can often pick up a buy one, get one 50% at Walgreens or CVS. The Urban Decay shadow and Buxom shadows can be picked up for $18 each at Sephora.

Happy Make-up Wearing!!

Easy Way to Glam Up Your Eyes/Richmond Makeup Artist Aaron Ellerbrock Review

Many of you know my relationship with Laura Mercier Cosmetics.They really do make some amazing products. But as with all lines, they have some things they do better than others. Mercier is known for primers and all types of foundation so I was a little wary when I heard they had Caviar Stick Eye Colours. The original caviar product was in a small compac,t similar to what their eye shadows come in. This was a product that was launched when I used to work for Mercier and I can honestly say I did not (and still don't) care for that product at all. I found that it dried out very quickly and then would often crumble when it was applied. It was also not very blendable and the texture was not soft, almost hard at times.

A couple of months ago, one of my clients and I were out shopping for new prodcuts for her to add to her collection and we stopped at the Laura counter. The Caviar Sticks had just launched and I thought I would play with one on her. We both fell in love immediately. There are several things about this product that make it a much better buy than the original caviar.

First and foremost is the texture. It is soft, blendable, and velvety. When you apply this product it glides right over the skin and never catches, even if the eye is on the dry side. Second is the packaging. Having it in a tube (that you twist as you need morre) keeps some air off the product. With the original caviar in the compact, air gets to the entire product every time you open it which I believe leads to it drying out. Thirdly, we have lots of color choices. There are beautiful greens, plums, blues, and of course standard gray, black and brown colors. It appears they also create some limited edition colors for some of their seasonal collections. Finally we come to application. You can use this product is so many ways!! You can apply directly with the stick for a thick eye liner that really makes a statement. You can put it all over the lid and blend with your finger or a brush for a quick all over color that stays put. These things really have good staying power. One friend said she still had it on after going kick boxing! You can also apply it with a thin brush or small smudge brush if you want to keep it close to the lash line.

There is a ton of pigment with these sticks so just know a little goes a long way. Also, because it is a cream it is not the easiest thing to blend over powder shadows. If you take your time and do it carefully it works just fine, but I think it blends best over cream shadows.

In any case, I really like the wearability and payoff that the Caviar Stick Eye Colours provide. So much so that I made a trade with an artist for 8 of them! At $24 a stick you might not want to spluge on quite as many but I have used them on several clients and everyone so far has raved about them. This is an easy way to take a simple and fresh daytime look into an ultra glam night look with the sweep of a single product! I like and think you will too! As always, please let me know what you think!!

Buxom smoky eye stick: product rave!

Meet my new favorite product-perfect pigmentation, terrific texture, and wonderfully waterproof. (take THAT, alliteration.) Gives you plenty of "play" time for smudging, but once it's dry, it's bulletproof.
I only purchased two shades (so far!), "two by four"(a black/brown) and "smokin' pistol" (black). I recommend applying with a small, dense,smudge brush, dragging in upward strokes from the upper lashline.You can wear alone or top with contrasting or matching powder eyeshadow.
Smokin' hot!

Mascara review; L'oreal Double Extend

Those who know me know I am a bit of a mascara whore; I will try just about everything new that comes out, especially if it is my favorite mascara brand, L'oreal. I love their Beauty Tubes, Voluminous (especially Carbon Black), classic Double Extend...but I digress.

I spied this beauty about a month ago and snapped it up. There are several color combos based on your eye color; the one pictured is for blue eyes. You do the black and then tip the ends with the sparkly copper. The effect is very noticable...it is probably a little too festive for daytime, but the glittery fringe is great for nighttime. Surely not a basic or a staple, but definitely fun for a lark.

new loot; creme shadows and liners

I have have to share a couple great finds with you-one a steal, the others prestige.

By now you may know my love of creme shadows and liners is bordering on obsession. My pallette of creme shadows is currently boasting over 35 shades.

Today I popped into MAC to restock; I love their skinny brow pencils and dazzleglasses.

(Now dazzleglass comes in a creamy formula as well)

They had a little colorstory with some creme crayons that were very enticing; I couldn't resist the dark inky plum. I am hoping I get an adventurous (or goth-?)bridesmaid this weekend to christen it. I also snatched up the sharkskin pencil in the shadestick-they rudely discontinued that several months ago, leaving me high and dry. Now it's back.They are very similar in color but if you are building a really dark eye these are so great.

Now for the steal. I got this tip from Mollie and didn't believe it at first. I am currently having a mad affair with Smashbox jetset creme eyeliner. It is super black, and is completely waterproof, even in the waterline. You gotta work fast with it though because it sets up really quickly.

Mol picked up wet & wild's new gel liner at Walgreen's and swore up and down it was as good as my Smashbox. Dubious, i invested the $4 and wow am I impressed. No smudging, and it has a bit more "play" time before it dries. Plus it's not that wimpy ashy "black" you see in most mass market black pigments. Now if only they could make the perfect navy...

Laura Mercier Indian Summer Collection

What a gorgeous new color story. I am so excited that Laura finally has lip stains, and they were overdue to have new eye colours.I am going to be picking up some freelance hours at the Mercier counter, which is fun for me because-it's my old stomping grounds, I adore her products, and I haven't really had time to play down there since last Christmas season.
If you wanna join me, I will be there:

Wed 8/1 ; 11-6 Thisday I will probably be doing one hour facials, so it is $75 redeemable in product. Nice way to refresh that (almost) end of the summer skin...their skincare products are really quite unique, really advanced technology.
Sun 8/5 12-5 Just doing makeup at the counter!
Mon 8/20 10-6 more of the same!

I know a lot of my brides (and MOB's) fall in love with the products and wind up being Mercier customers, so it's a good opportunity to sample an everyday face, as opposed to what I created for the wedding day; or to learn to do a smoky eye for evening. Just email me
nancy@brideface.com
or leave a comment on the blog to snag an appointment. Hope to catch up with some familiar faces!