Where to find: Sephora
Price: approx $30
Review: love it!
Kiss Me Mascara used to be a product only available in certain salons. My cousin first introduced me to it about 7 years ago. Kiss Me has gone on to become an instant hit with major women's magazines and a bestseller in the mascara department at Sephora. The formula is perfect for those looking to maximize their lack of eyelashes (all my asian sisters are saying 'amen' right now). Kiss Me uses fancy high-tech 'microtubule' technology that seriously coats the lashes in a waterproof formula. When you wash it off with warm water (no make-up remover needed!), it doesn't smudge like other mascaras; the mascara comes off literally in tiny tubes that almost make you think you've wiped your eyelashes away! Impressive.

The only downside to this product is that it's usually in the $30 range. Your lashes may thank you for the glam treatment, but for a product like mascara that needs replacement every 3 months, you'll have to justify to yourself if it's worth the splurge. I won't stop you ;)

Mascara does have a high turnover rate, so (usually) I can't really rationalize spending $30 on it when you'll have to throw it out in 3 months. Operative word - usually. But rest assured ladies, you can find great mascaras at your local drugstore...usually for under $10!

Maybelline's Lash Stylist
Price Range: ($8)
What It Promises: sculpts and thickens lashes up to 40%
Why I recommend it: The tiny little comb brush lets the mascara maximally glide onto your eyelashes. What I love about this brush is that even the small, finer hairs get defined.


Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara
Price Range: ($5)
What It Promises: conditions and thickens with a lash-doubling formula. No clumps and blobs. Available in washable and waterproof formulas.
Why I recommend it: The pink and green tube is highly celebrated throughout the beauty world. Many make-up artists swear by it and it definitely gets the job done.


L'oreal Voluminous
Price Range: ($10)
What it promises: Clump resistant formula that gives you up to 4x fuller lashes.
Why I recommend it: The big fluffy brush allows for a wide-eyed, full-volume come-hither lash look. Who doesn't love that?!




ARTIST TIP: If you find mascara just isn't doing it for you, maybe it's because you're lacking a good eyelash curler. For lashes that tend to grow straight and or downward, a good eyelash curler is an absolute prerequisite for mascara! See this thread for instant eye-opening eyelash curlers.

You don't have to dish out an arm and a leg for some of the best beauty tools out there: Q-tips that you can pick up from your local dollar store can have mutiple uses for your daily make-up application. These Q-tips are actually ideal for make-up application, as they have minimal cotton (which means the fuzzy bits cotton won't end up on your face--where they shouldn't be!). The lack of cotton also allows for more product transfer as it reduces the amount of product that is absorbed by the Q-tip. Plus, you can get a box of 400 for a $1.14!

The q-tips are perfect for:

• applying concealer
• straightening and refining lines after you've drawn on your eyeliner (see picture at right)
  
• perfecting line shapes after you've drawn on your brows
• cleaning up any runaway mascara on the face (Just be careful and wait until the mascara has dried! Use a tiny bit of make-up remover and swipe the q-tip away from the face on the problem area)
• blending lipliner
• keeping make-up sanitary (avoid double-dipping!)
  
• travelling (if you don't want to lug around brushes)

No sense in spending $5 on a box of 100 'cosmetic' q-tips at your local drugstore...try these dollar store Q-tips out, and for $1 (+ tax) a shot, you can't go wrong!

How do I make my lipstick last longer?

This is one of the most frequent questions (or complaints) that I hear from women that I work with. Most of the lip products that claim to have staying power tend to be more of a matte formula and dry out the lips. The result is that you have to touch up your lips anyway to keep them looking fresh. Try a couple of the tips below to help colour stay put (and stay great!) throughout the day:

(Pre-prep for the lips: Keep your lips soft and supple by moisturizing at least twice per day - once in the morning after you wash your face but before you apply your make-up, then again at night before bedtime. Try Kiehl's No. 1 Lip Balm.)

1. Prep the lips by using excess cream concealer/foundation and lightly pat it onto the lips. This gives the lipstick colour a base to hold onto.


2. Using a sharpened lip pencil, line the lips following the natural shape of the lips, lining only slightly inside or slightly outside the natural lip line. Now, blend the lipliner inward, using a brush. This will again act as a reinforcement for the lip colour being applied atop of it and prevent feathering/bleeding of the lip colour. Use a lipliner that either closely matches the lip colour you will be applying, or opt for a neutral toned lipliner to keep your colour in check.

3. Apply lipstick. I prefer to use a lip brush, as I find applying the lipstick tube directly on the lips leaves an excessive amount. A lip brush will give you greater control with the amount of product that gets applied. Remember, less is more and you can always start off lightly and then apply another layer as you desire! Take a one ply tissue and blot with the tissue in between the lips. Reapply the lip colour with a brush.

What type of lipstick do I choose?
Choose lipsticks that are 'satin' or 'creme' finishes to give lips a kissable look. You likely will have to touch it up at least once throughout the day, but at least it will not leave your lips raw when you try to remove it, as matte and other long-lasting lip products tend to do.

4. For some added glam, punch up the lips with a layer of gloss atop the lip colour. Choose glosses that have a bit of stick to them for some added staying power. Avoid glosses that are too sticky, as they tend to be a nuisance when your hair blows in the wind (and when you go to kiss that special someone).

Now, pucker up and you're set to go!

Here are some brands to try:
Lipstick
Make-up Forever - Try the Lacquered Lips collection. It lives up to its name.
MAC - An industry staple with undeniable colour and texture selection.
Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick - Just like the name...it's like butta, baby!

Lip Gloss
Lancome Juicy Tubes - A fan favourite with every colour of the rainbow (and flavour of a candy store!).
NARS - Orgasm. A follow-up to the popular blush of the same name - need I say more?

Price: under $10 Where to Find: any local drugstore
I had the opportunity to try out this lipstick with one of my bridal make-ups recently, and honestly, I am not the biggest fan of the product. I love the idea of make-up being long lasting (who doesn't?), but when it doesn't look good, then what's the point?

Outlast comes with two tubes that are used in conjunction. One tube holds the long-lasting lip colour; the other tube holds a clear lip moisturizer. You take the colour tube and using the wand applicator, you apply it similar to a lip gloss. It goes on and dries very much like a paint - once it's dry, you can't blend it or move it. Once this colour layer is dry, you take the moisturizer tube and apply it atop to give the lips some shine and much needed moisture. This moisturizer tube is also used to touch the lips up throughout the day (as you should not have to reapply the tube of colour! Hence the name outlast).

CG's Outlast will only work best for lips that have been exfoliated and über-moisturized. Otherwise, buyer beware - the formula will settle into all the fine lines of the lips and exaggerate any dry areas of the lips. The colour may be long lasting, but in doing so, a downside is that it is also a pain to take off. I had to use an oil-based make-up remover and some lip balm to wear the Outlast colour down, as the formula simply wasn't flattering my bride's lips. Once removed, you could see how the formula had made her lips raw and how some of the colour still wouldn't come off!

Who wouldn't love the promise of 16 hour make-up? We all would - if only it also promised to look good and (relatively) fresh for the claimed duration. The colour of CG's Oulast does indeed 'outlast', but the unflattering formula likely will not outlast our desire to touch up the lips anyway throughout the day.

photos courtesy of CG Outlast