Who doesn't love that lush lash look that a pair of good falsies provides?! I'm fairly certain that (unless you're endowed with full lashes a la Brooke Shields) you wouldn't think twice about wearing falsies...if they weren't such a hassle to put on! Fortunately for me, the generous folks at Revlon felt sympathy for my skimpy lashes and sent five pairs of their Fantasy Lengths lashes my way to sample! :)

I'll be the first to admit that I'm great at applying them when it comes to other people (the vantage point and overall control are just better when your viewing from above someone else!), but when it comes to applying falsies on myself...well, patience is the key. So yes, I know your frustrations all too well - there's too many variables that can make things go awry...like a shaky hand, a glue that doesn't stick, your carefully applied eyeliner/eyeshadow being smudged by the glue...

Revlon Fantasy Lengths Eyelashes (Self-Adhesive)
Enter Revlon's Fantasy Lengths Self-Adhesive eyelashes. Now in theory, these self-adhesive lashes seem like a godsend! But how do they measure up?

I love the idea of the false eyelashes already having a built-in adhesive so that you don't have to fuss with the glue. With Revlon's self-adhesive falsies, I find you get one chance to get the application right. For instance, say you've applied the lashes and try to remove them to readjust its position, the adhesive tends to lose its stick and it just never feels as secure as when you first put them on. Thankfully, the package comes with a second adhesive so you can either try again, or save your efforts for another day!

I would recommend these lashes to a lash pro - as long as you can apply it directly at the base of the lashes on the first shot, then these babies are meant for you. For those of us (like me) that usually like (or need) to tweak the lashes around a bit more, looks like it's still the good old-fashioned method of add glue and then apply the false lash! In terms of how long the built-in adhesive lasts, it withstood my usual 16 hour day of errand running without falling off...and for a person with typically oily lids, lashes that stay in place for that long always score high in my books! Overall, I do like this product and the idea of it, but I just wish the box came with a person/robot to help me apply the lashes to myself! :)

Last word of warning - be careful when trying to curl your eyelashes after the self-adhesive falsies are on...the adhesive is still quite sticky so be careful not to use the eyelash curler too close to the base of the lash. (I know this sounds like common sense in hindsight, right? ...believe me, it's just better to learn from my example than to experience this one first-hand!)

Here are a couple of product shots of the different self-adhesive Revlon eyelashes I tried out. My favourite of the two was #99500 in "Intensifying" - my skimpy lashes need all the love they can get! :)

Revlon Fantasy Lengths Eyelashes (Regular)
Revlon also generously sent over some of their regular Fantasy Length falsies (without adhesive). My favourite of the non-adhesives was #91128 in "Lush" pictured directly below - again my lashes need all the volume boosting attention they can get! :)
#503 is also a beautiful set if you're looking for full, lush lashes:
#91127 is a good option for natural volume - just adds enough filler that people will think you're wearing a new mascara :)
The mini-glue included with these Fantasy Lengths falsies lasted well throughout the day and the lashes still felt secure once the day was done. Again, that's bonus points for any product that's able to contend with the challenge that are these oily lids of mine! I always like the idea of the mini-glue as a "just-in-case" - you can easily pop the mini-glue in your purse and tote it around with you, in case you need a lash touch-up. Lush lashes with a back-up plan. Love it. :)

Where to get your hands/lashes on these? So far, I haven't seen the non-adhesive here in the Toronto area (do share if you know!), but the adhesive falsies are available on well.ca for a super deal! All you do is point, click and select - well.ca ships to you free of charge (Canadian residents only!). Check out the site for more beauty deals!

I've saved this post to publish a day later...so as you're reading this, I'll be halfway through lovely bride-to-be Maricar's make-up for her and her bridal party! Check out some of the pics from our bridal trial this past weekend.
I'm excited about Maricar's look too...we're going for a full-on glam bride look with airbrush, smoky eyes and lush lashes! Can't wait to get Maricar and her ladies all dolled up! More pics to come (but for now I should probably sleep!) :)

Q: I have naturally prominent cheekbones which I would like to tone down. A lot of articles and videos out there are mostly focused on how to sculpt the cheekbones to make it pop. But in my case, I want it to appear more subtle and I can't seem to find any reference on how to do that. I wonder how you could achieve that? :)

-from YT, Toronto

A: First off, count your blessings - I'm sure you know that high, prominent cheekbones are considered an attractive attribute!! :) Those of us lacking prominent cheekbones spend plenty on products (and time!) trying to make our own cheekbones stand out...so, consider us all envious!

Ok, all envy aside, getting to your question...in order to "play down" your cheekbones, you have a couple of options:

1. Play up your other features to bring them 'forward' as well.
Add eyeliner to your top lashline, curl your lashes and add some mascara to make those eyes pop. Gloss the lips up with some shine to draw attention away from your cheekbones.

2. Add some blush.
I've heard this before where sometimes clients think they have "too much cheek". Although you may think it to have the opposite effect, applying blush can help to reduce a cheeky surface area. Depending on your skin tone, choose a peachy pink, soft pink or coral to complement your cheeks (as a reference, use the colour your cheeks turn when you're flushed).

3. If a blush is too bright for your liking, opt for a matte bronzer to accent the cheeks.
A deeper tone will create the illusion of this area of the face receding. Apply in this prescribed motion to avoid a streaky look (rather than a harsh contour, keep the bronzer soft and blended or else you'll end up drawing unwanted attention to the cheeks!)

Hope this helps, YT!

If you have a make-up related question you'd like to ask, shoot an email to me at rhia[at]artistrhi[dot]com. I look forward to hearing from you!

See the original post on Toronto Wedding Professionals - your e-source for all things wedding!

It's been a while (sorry!), but the latest Bridal Beauty post can now be found on the Toronto Wedding Professionals site. Now that an amazing wedding season is cooling down, I can focus again on blogging and sharing beauty tips! If you have a beauty-related question on a topic that I have yet to discuss, feel free to email me!

Wedding Picture Show | Carmina & Neal from Artäge Pictures on Vimeo.

Check out some awesome images of Carmina's wedding in September, courtesy of Steve from Artäge Pictures. I love the details (especially Carmina's dress!!), which were all class just like the lovely bride herself!

Congratulations Carmina and thank you for letting me take part in your Big Day. For more information on the photographers behind Carmina's wedding, be sure to check out Artäge Pictures!

It's hard to believe that 40 weddings are nearly behind me for 2009...just 3 more to go this year before we get started again in January - what an amazingly busy time!! Thanks to everyone for making this my biggest year yet. Can't wait to see what 2010 brings :)