Makeup Brushes for the Middle Class - Part One

I cannot stress enough how important the right brushes are when you're applying makeup. Way back when, when relied on two random brushes and the sponge applicators that came in makeup packaging, I found it almost impossible to create the looks I wanted - even the standard three color (lid, crease, highlight) look pictured on Cover Girl packaging. I thought it was me, and found myself pretty frustrated at that!

However, now that I have the proper tools, I find that even pretty complex looks aren't quite so complex anymore. When you have the right brush for the right job, you find the brush does most of the work for you, and you can get that gorgeous blended look you see in pictures after only a few practice sessions. Not only that, but brushes are just so much more LUXE than those applicators, aren't they? The feel of a firm handle and silky bristles on your skin makes makeup application more fun, more sensual.

But, you say, what am I supposed to do when a drugstore brush feels like straw, and those MAC brushes can run $50 for a powder brush??? Should I suck it up, save, and get one brush every six months to a year until I have enough to do my face?

NO.

Do not even go near MAC for brushes. You are paying for the name, and that is not something that is worth your money. MAC wants you to think it is, but it is not. If you have the money and really want it, then go ahead, but I promise you you can get some great brushes that are just as good for a lot less. In fact, some great brushes are about $1.50. Don't believe me? Read on....

WHERE TO GET AFFORDABLE, QUALITY BRUSHES:

CROWN BRUSH - http://www.crownbrush.biz/

Crown is truly a gem. Their prices are amazing, and you get the same quality brushes you'd get from many other more expensive companies. In fact, it's possible that Crown is supplying those companies with wholesale brushes, and those companies are then putting their name on them and jacking up the price!

Crown has several lines of brushes, but in my opinion, the best are the Studio line and the Italian Badger line, followed by the Backstage line. The Studio line has the largest selection and has just about every brush a true artist would need. The Italian Badger line has fewer brushes in it, but the brushes are beautiful - mahogany colored handles and the lovely two-tone badger hair - in addition to highly functional. Prices in the Studio line range from, get this.. $1.20 for a mini smudger brush to $12.95 for the biggest, fluffiest powder brush (the one that MAC sells for $50). Prices in the Italian Badger line range from $1.49 for a brow/lash groomer to $15.95 for the biggest fluffy powder dome brush. Pretty amazing, huh?

Do not let the price fool you. These brushes are QUALITY. I got a set of Italian Badger brushes as a gift from my husband on my birthday, and they are incredible. I use most of them daily. I have touched MAC brushes in the store, and I would not trade my IB's for those brushes. They provide the same smooth application and the same control, and they take up product and hold it just as well. I also have a few brushes from the Studio line, and these are probably even more like MAC - they look like MAC, with the same black handles and silver ferrules (that metal part holding the bristles to the handle), they feel like MAC both in terms of softness and in the weight of the brush as you hold it, and most of all, they work like MAC.

Minimum order from Crown is $25 - but you will get enough brushes to do your entire face for that...and probably more.

COASTAL SCENTS - http://www.coastalscents.com/

This Florida company does a little bit of everything - they provide mineral makeup (nice stuff, by the way), micas and other colorants for making mineral makeup, bath products and scents, some outrageously popular makeup palettes that have a cult following on the Internet (and with good reason - I have two and they're awesome), and of course, incredibly good deals on makeup brushes. Many brushes are under $5, and they also often have brush sets that come in cases or brush rolls for easy storage and travel. They have a lovely looking synthetic hair brush set that I was considering buying as a backup set.... ;)

MICHAEL'S, REX ART, AND OTHER ART/CRAFT STORES - http://www.michaels.com/, http://www.rexart.com/, and others

Makeup is an art, so why not use artist's brushes? Good paint brushes make wonderful makeup brushes... I'm serious! As one of my favorite examples, Loew-Cornell makes a series of brushes called "Maxine's Mops." These come in different sizes, from a 1/4" brush head to a 1" brush head, and they are made of white natural hair. The head is firm and flat, great for packing on shadows across the lid. In fact, it is becoming widely known that the 3/8" sized Maxine's Mop is identical to the famed, coveted MAC 239 brush. Okay, so the handle is purple and slimmer than the MAC, but the brush head is exactly the same size (which is what matters) and texture, and besides, the Mop is usually around $2.... and the 239 is $24.50. Art stores usually have a great selection of other paint brushes - just head in there and touch them all to see what will work for you. As a hint, these stores often have a large selection of Taklon brushes, which are great for applying cream shadows or for applying your mineral shadows wet (foiling), but use your imagination ... you might find the perfect brush for getting into those places your other brushes won't go!

CVS - http://www.cvs.com/

Yep, I am including a drugstore on this list. That's because CVS sells a brand called "Essence of Beauty," and the brushes included in this collection are surprisingly...awesome. The smudger/crease brush has a cult following on the Internet. I don't have it yet, but I've touched one and it's a great brush. I do have a large powder brush, which I've had for, oh, I don't know, maybe 7 years... and it's still going strong. Soft, soft, soft... and no shedding, even when I wash it. They also have Boots brushes (a British brand sold in the US only at CVS), and Lumene brushes - although I don't know as much about the Lumene other than they look nice and are priced decently. These are definitely options to check out, especially since they are super easy to obtain - just head into your local CVS and grab one.

So, there you go... three options you can try for getting a great brush arsenal without spending your entire paycheck on them. But... now that you've got these brushes, you're going to want to keep them for a long time... so part two of Makeup Brushes for the Middle Class is going to be about caring for your brushes without spending a fortune on fancy schmancy brush cleaners and shampoos. Stay tuned!!!!

Finally - My Perfect Taupe!

It seems so silly, but yet so important -finding the perfect taupe eye color. It also sounds like it shouldn't be that hard - you go to the store, find one that says "taupe", pay, and go home happy.

But, at least for me, it hasn't worked that way at all. My search for the perfect taupe has been a series of hopeful anticipation and massive letdowns that has literally lasted years. I would look at taupes in the packaging at stores, thinking they were going to work, but upon application, the color was all wrong. I would read color descriptions online, confident that this would be the one, only to find out that Houston, we have a problem again.

Why was this so damn hard? It is because, I think, "taupe" doesn't really mean the same thing to everyone. Wikipedia agrees with me:

"Taupe refers to a dark grayish-brown color. The word "taupe" derives from the French name for the European Mole, Talpa europaea. Originally, this referred only to the average color of the French mole but like the colors pink and lavender, the name expanded (in the case of taupe beginning in the 1940s) to encompass a wide range of varying shades. It seems that this occurred because the color of the fur of the mole can itself exhibit a wide range of shades, from gray through yellowish, brownish, and even purplish.

Taupe is a vague, unscientific color term which may be used to refer to almost any grayish-brown, brownish-gray, or warm gray color. It often overlaps with tan and even people who use color professionally (such as designers and artists) frequently disagree as to what "taupe" means. There is no single, generally recognized authority for such terms."

And then check out how many hex codes there are for taupe (these are codes used to make colors show up in HTML/web page design):


And so this is exactly what I found as well. I had this perfectly balanced, specific color in mind - but there were so many versions of "taupe eye shadow" that it was next to impossible to find that one specific beauty I wanted. Some taupes were too brown, some too gray, and some leaned yuckily into muddy tan colors. Surprisingly, many taupes also appeared purple or plummy - these are lovely, as I loooooovvvvve purples, but when you are looking for taupe, a purple result is disappointing.

I realized that my perfect taupe was a nice balance of a fairly neutral brown, gray, and yes, purple. It would have a nice shimmer to it, because often matte taupes look like dirt on my eyelids, so perhaps a little silver should be thrown in. Whatever the color mix, though, I realized I probably wasn't going to find that one color, and I essentially gave up. Yes, I'd eye taupe colors when passing by, but my quest was suspended - no more incessant testing of the taupes!

And then one day, it happened.... completely by accident, I found my gorgeous, balanced, perfect taupe.


I had ordered samples of Meow Cosmetics' fall eye colors to try out (and swatch and review for you guys, which I will still do in another post very soon). In that collection is a color called "Claws-trophobic" and it is described as a "platinum taupe," excellent for a smoky eye. When I ordered the samples, the swatch online looked pretty, so I got it, but I didn't really think that it looked like that taupe.


The colors arrived, and I intended to do a fancy eye look with them the next morning. However, it so happened that I had an 8:30 am meeting that day and overslept, leaving me precious little time to get ready. Scratch the fancy look - grab a color that looks like it'll be easy and neutral, perfect for a rush job. I grabbed Claws-trophobic - in my bathroom lighting it had that brown/gray look with shimmer, and maybe a little purple to bring out my green eyes - slapped it on quickly with a little highlighter, liner, and mascara, and bailed for work.


Upon arrival at work, I dashed into the bathroom before my meeting. On my way out, I glanced in the mirror to check to make sure my makeup hadn't done anything funky.... and I stopped dead.


Leaning over the counter and examining my lids, I saw it. It was The Taupe. Perfectly balanced, the gray came out first, but as I turned the gray seamlessly turned to brown. Interestingly, the brown wasn't exactly the cool brown I thought My Taupe would have, but brown just ever so slightly over to the warm side of neutral. In different light over at the full length mirror, the shadow glowed with hints of purple and flashed with just the right amount of platinum shimmer overlay. It wasn't metallic, but it had that... I don't know... "ooomph"?

It lasted all day, just as lovely as when I put it on... I was so pleased I couldn't help but look in mirrors every chance I got. I found my perfect taupe!!

If anyone else is on a Taupe Quest and wants to try Claws-trophobic, it is available on Meow Cosmetics' Fall Splendor Palette page. It's just $1.oo for a very generous sample (and it's $10.25 for a full size jar - before you freak about that price, remember that Meow's eye colors come in packed-full 10 gram jars, rather than the 5 gram jars most mineral shadows come in).

Has anyone else ever had to quest for the perfect eye color? Did you find it?

PRODUCT REVIEW: Aromaleigh Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder

(Image from Aromaleigh.com)

Every now and then I come across a product that impresses me so much I feel like I have to shout that fact off the rooftops - a product that is not only a really cool concept, but actually works exactly the way it says it will.

Aromaleigh's Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder is one of those amazing products - and so I have selected it as the product that gets the inaugural review in my blog.

As someone who is always searching for that perfect, poreless, matte magazine-ad face, I have tried many foundations and many face powders - especially powders, since when I was younger I could get away with wearing just powder, no foundation. Nowadays, I want my powders to give that matte but not cakey finish, a poreless and airbrushed look, AND I want them to sop up the oil that occurs in my T-zone as a result of living in a hot, humid Southern state. In other words, I expect a LOT from my powder!

Apparently, so does everyone else - more and more companies are releasing makeup that is designed especially for high-definition photography, television and movies. This new media reveals every single flaw, so covering these little things becomes a major undertaking. CARGO, for instance, has a high-definition line out (available at Sephora). In addition, the cult fave company Make Up For Ever, known for its lasting performance makeup, released HD Microfinish Powder - a colorless, for-all-skin-tones 100% mineral silica powder promising to completely perfect the skin for high definition applications. People raved about it, and I desired it - but couldn't quite bring myself to pay $30 for just 0.35 oz of powder.

While I was trying to decide, I stumbled across Aromaleigh's website and saw their Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder. This powder is offered in the same 100% silica clear formula as MUFE's, but it is also available it a "translucent" beige-y shade that may work better for those with ethnic skin tones. If that isn't enough, it is available in "Peaches and Cream" (a peachy pink shade) and "English Rose" (a sheer dusty rose color) - these promise to add just the faintest hint of color to your complexion.

Because Aromaleigh offers sample baggies of all of these for $2.20 each, I jumped on the opportunity to try three of these luscious little powders - Clear, Peaches and Cream, and English Rose (I skipped the "translucent" since I'm pretty light-skinned). When my samples arrived, I discovered each baggie had enough product in it to do my face at least five times, maybe more. I immediately tried the clear... using a large powder dome brush, I took some powder up, wondered if I actually got any since the powder is really, truly clear and doesn't show up on the brush too much, and dusted my T-zone.....

POOF! Pores disappeared, shine disappeared, other imperfections disappeared! I stared incredulously at a smooth, almost-magazine ad face in the mirror. I couldn't stop looking at how smooth and lovely my skin looked. And guess what! Around lunchtime, my skin still looked that way! I touched up a little bit on my forehead and the bridge of my nose, but I'm a perfectionist - I probably didn't even need to do that. This powder is, in one word, incredible - and I don't say that about just anything.

What about the colored ones? Well - they work just the same. They also produce that absolutely flawless finish. They also add a little color - not a lot, but just a teensy hint. Enough to brighten up your skin if you're feeling a little bit tired or "off," and I have found that both colors will work on just about any skin tone. I have skin that is on the warm side, and both the rose and peach look lovely.

These powders are incredible. Did I say that already?? I bought the full size in Clear already, and I use it almost every day. Complete, utter product love!

And what is most incredible is the price - this contains the exact same ingredient as the MUFE version, but it is only $13.75 for the full size, which is in a 20 gram jar. That holds about 0.5 oz (volume) and 0.2 oz (weight). If you compare that to $30 for 0.35 oz from MUFE -- well, you can see why I, the lover and blogger of all good beauty deals, love this product even more. Plus, Aromaleigh has weekly sales, and this often comes up for 25% off in one of those sales... so you can often get it for even less.

So, the moral of this review is -- Aromaleigh's Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder is TRULY AWESOME. GO GET IT!!!

MEOW Cosmetics Introduces Their Fall Colors

(from meowcosmetics.com)

I don't know about everyone else, but I love the colors of fall. Yes, the foliage is incredible, but the makeup hues coming out this time of year are simply stunning. I've always loved deep olive greens, smoky browns, rich chocolate browns, burgundies, inky blues and purples - and I love the smoky looks you can make with them!

So I was obviously excited when my Meow Cosmetics newsletter arrived on Monday and it announced the launch of their Fall Palette -shown above. Looks pretty gorgeous to me!

The majority of the colors (the first seventeen above) are "IdealEyes" eye colors - in Meow-speak, that means they are pearlized, with some sparkle and a good amount of sheen (although the amount of each of those depends on the color). Looks like we've got gorgeous browns and burgundies, with a few interesting twists on both of these... as well as an on-trend deep navy called "Sabertooth" (second row, last eye shadow) and a super rich, inky blackish purple called "Heavy Petting" (third row down, third eye shadow from the left). Told you the color names could get interesting!

There is also one new CatEyes shadow called "Jynx. " The CatEyes line is Meow's matte line, and Jynx is a perfect dark charcoal color for creating those fall smoky eyes... it's up there in the picture too, the last swatch there on the bottom. Meow's mattes tend to be quite creamy and they apply smooth as butter, but it can take a bit of work to get the lighter colored ones to show up. However, I don't think that's going to be a problem at all with Jynx; looks like it's dripping with pigment and ready to play.

In addition, four new "Feliners" (loose mineral eye liners) have been created - including a bright white one that promises to be completely opaque. It's no small feat to get white minerals to be opaque, so some creative mixing probably went on here... but you can bet no nasty chemicals were added to this beautiful white kitty. Also making their debut are "Spaz," an olive/chocolate brown liner, "Kamikaze," which is a deep scarlet wine, and "Thunder," a pure black satin -- Meow's site describes Thunder as "Black. Black. Black. No undertones, nothing but....BLACK. Goes on creamy and smooth...for the Goth Diva in us all...."

Finally, Meow has introduced some new face colors as a part of the fall collection too. In order to balance out the deep, smoky sensuality of the eyes, the face colors are muted, soft, and girly pink. There are two Crystalline Cat all-over glow powders (Moonstone is pure pink and the other, Quartz, is a peachy pink), one Lush Blush (also in a pink hue), and - my must try of the face colors - one new Firefly blush in Illuminate (described as a caramel hue with cherry undertones, gold sparkle and gold sheen). The other Firefly blushes have been gorgeous - they are like a blush and highligher all in one - and I can't wait to try this one.

So, as you might guess.... I ordered samples of just about everything you see up there to review ;) As soon as I get them, I'll give you all the lowdown on these gorgeous deep colors.

However if you can't wait to get your paws on these, go ahead and slink over to Meow's Fall Palette page - all samples are $1, and full-size, packed-full 10 gram jars of eye shadows are $10.25. Blushes, face colors are priced as marked. However, you can save 10% on your entire order (even if your order consists of only samplees!!) if you use the coupon code CATSCANDYCORN - this code is only good until Sept. 18, though.

Above all, HAVE FUN!!!!!

One of Aromaleigh's "BIGGEST" Sales!!!

Ok, ladies, a quick late night blog, because I just had to tell someone about the sales going on over at Aromaleigh! Caution - these are HOT!

Aromaleigh, one of my favorite companies for eye shadow, is having some incredible sales on their eyeshadow color collections! Way back when AL started, the traditional "5 gram" loose eyeshadow jar was not available, so Kristen Bell began selling her gorgeous shadows in the larger 10 gram ones. As time went on, the 5 gram jars became available, and the newer shadow collections were packaged that way - thus leading to some products being in the 5's and others being sold in the 10's. However, now the company is transitioning completely to the 5 gram jars to be consistent. Perhaps that sounds a little sad, like you will be getting less when you buy - but true to form, Kristen is making it worth your while!!

She is now putting the 10 gram jars on sale, one collection every few days, for 50% OFF - that means you will get the gigantic 10 gram jars for about $4 each. This is unheard of - it is rare to find a 5 GRAM jar of shadow for $4, much less the big one!

Definitely head over there and have a look-see, as the colors are going quickly (because nobody can resist getting this crazy deal on their favorite colors). When you shop, make sure you check the dropdown menu for each collection - if the color you are interested in is NOT listed there, that means the 10 grammers are sold out in that shade. (It does not, however, mean the shade is gone for good - it will be returning almost immediately, just in the smaller packaging.)

Currently, this sale is going on for the Pure Eyes Frost collection, the Pure Eyes Matte collection, and the Carolina Summer Matte Collection. To show you how awesome these are, I am borrowing a few images from the Aromaleigh website (they are all Kristen's photography) to show you what the colors look like.....

The Pure Eyes Frost Collection

The Pure Eyes Matte Collection

The "Carolina Summer" Mattes

Remember, you will be getting a 10 gram jar size for just $4.13 - that's about the size of a Bare Escentuals shadow jar, but the color is much more intense. Happy shopping!!!!

**Oh, and remember to check out the coupons and deals page while you are at Aromaleigh; you can still use the coupon codes that are posted (a FREE eyeshadow, anyone??) with the sale prices!

Thoughts on Choosing Colors

As I applied my face from my jars this morning, I thought about makeup colors, and how we choose which ones to wear. I think a lot of us probably, at one point, read about or were told about being "cool" or "warm" or that they were a "spring" or "winter" or whatever. And at that point, we probably chose some colors and have stuck with them, varying a little within whatever color "family" we were defined as belonging to depending on whether it was day or night.



For many of us, we do that because it works pretty well, especially for eye colors. Even that redheaded vixen waving at you from the hot tub (that would be me) originally went with browns, golds, olive greens, and peaches most of the time, because the warm red hair and green eyes "dictated" it. (Foundation was another story - it has literally taken me twenty years to find the right color with that!) As for colors like blues, bright greens, pinks and purples -- I saw so many beautiful ones, but I was positive I could not wear them. I'd pick them up lovingly, watching them sparkle...and then put them back on the shelf with a sigh and head over to the browns yet again.



Then something happened when I hit my mid 30s - or, I guess I should say, a NUMBER of things happened when I hit my mid-30s. First of all, all those words I'd read over the years sort of congealed in my mind, and I finally paid attention to the concepts of color theory. Second, the self consciousness the developed in my teens and took most of my 20s to lessen finally went away, and I found that my I-do-what-I-want attitude now extended to my apppearance. I began testing things out - color theory suggested that purples and plums would make green eyes pop, so I began experimenting. And it's true! With the right plums on, my eyes are so green that putting in a green-colored contact lens makes no apparent difference! And the right plums do NOT clash with my hair, as I'd thought before.



And finally, I discovered Aromaleigh Cosmetics and its owner, Miss K - the sassy attitude and incredible colors this company has are just irresistible, especially since generous samples of just about everything Miss K makes can be purchased for around $1-$2. Aromaleigh's Rocks! Sonic Collections are so amazing, so bright, so... COOL that I had to buy samples of a few (okay, of a lot). And these days, you'll find me with chartreuse, or sky blue, or shimmering fuschia lids in addition to my more neutral palettes. By sampling things, I found a lot of colors that work for me... yes, there have been a few that really didn't work at all, but most have. With some good brushes for blending, a lot of colors can work, especially when paired with other colors.



The thing is, you can break the makeup rules. You don't have to stay in your "warm" or "cool" shades. You'd be surprised how often I find that a "cool" shade works for me. For example, today I wore some browns, but not the warm golden sort I exclusively owned before - these are browns with a cold grey undertone, like moon rocks or tree bark. The contrast between the cool grey undertones in these browns and my warmer coloring makes my eyes just pop.



My point is - if you love a color, wear it! Experiment and find a version of it that works for you - I'd say about 95% of the time you will find one. Don't be afraid to break the mold. Makeup is supposed to be fun, not this horrible drag chore you have to do every day. Makeup is art, and art is freedom. You can paint your self portrait, each and every day. Some days you can paint a demure girl or a very professional woman, but other days, let yourself paint that wild rockstar that is screaming to get out.



You'll thank yourself.

Sunday's Cheapie Tips

Today's suggestions for cheaper beauty alternatives are (drumroll please)....

1. Makeup Remover - Okay, makeup remover pads are great, and they seem cheap... Almay's are, I believe, 80 pads for around $5 to $6. However, I've discovered that Pampers Baby Wipes work just as well. Yep. Baby wipes! Not kidding. You can get something like 200 sheets for $6. You can also buy mega-packs of 700 for about $25. Think about that - that will last you close to two years if you use 1 wipe per day! And the thing is, because this is something families use often, these wipes go on sale regularly, so they are often even less expensive than this. Last time I bought them, I got about 500 for $8 at Walgreens!

These wipes swipe off makeup quickly and easily. The Baby Fresh ones (I use these) smell great - but if you are very sensitive, they do make a sensitive skin version that's unscented. The large size of the wipe allows you to make multiple passes over the eye area with a clean part, which I find is really good when removing a heavier, smoky eye - those little pads fill quickly and tend to smear makeup all over the face if there's a lot to remove, but the baby wipe picks it all up and sweeps it away. (The wipes are so large that you can even cut them in half and double your investment, if you want.)

The one thing that baby wipes have trouble with is waterproof mascara. However, there is a quick and easy solution to that. Grab a Q-tip, go into your kitchen, and dip that tip into some olive oil. Now, swipe the oil lightly over your lashes, wait a few seconds to let it penetrate the coats of mascara, and then use your baby wipe to clean up. Crisis averted! That's because, while the ingredients that make your mascara waterproof are insoluble in water, they ARE soluble in oil.

2. Lip Exfoliant - For those of us with super dry, flaky lips, exfoliation can really help. A lot of companies sell special lip exfoliants - I know that MAC sells a stick version, and Smashbox sells a small tube of creamy exfoliant for an investment of just... 18 bucks. Yikes!!! Yes, it has all sorts of good-for-you ingredients in it, but I really cannot bring myself to shell out such a crazy price for a product that is so .... easy to make at home.

After trying the other at-home methods (rub with a soft toothbrush or a washcloth) and finding that my lips were very irritated and sore afterwards, I decided to make something more soothing. Here's the recipe:

Grapeseed Oil

Sugar

Pour small amount of grapeseed oil into container. Add sugar until texture is thick enough to spread on lips, but not so thick with crystals that it will be irritating. Smooth mixture on lips. Let oil penetrate for a few minutes. Then, rub gently all over lips so that the sugar crystals will exfoliate your lips. Rinse off. If desired, allow a thin film of grapeseed oil to remain on lips (I do this), since grapeseed oil has been used for centuries as a moisturizer. It penetrates into skin better than other oils.

That's it! You can get grapeseed oil as well as other types of oils (jojoba, etc) at a store like Whole Foods or another natural product/health food store. A small bottle is usually about $4, and will last you a long, long time. I've had mine for six months and I've only used 1/4 of it. Grapeseed oil is, as mentioned, a great moisturizer and is loaded with antioxidants. If you like, you can put some essential oils in your grapeseed oil and use it as a body moisturizer. If you want to use this scented stuff on your lips, make sure that the essential oil is okay to use around the lips first. Anyway, you know where to get sugar, of course.

Oh, and guess what? Take a look at the ingredients on Smashbox's Emulsion Lip Exfoliant - grapeseed and jojoba oil are two major ingredients. So there!

3. Lash Primer - JUST SAY NO. These days, big, thick lashes are IT, and lash priming products are everywhere. These things supposedly coat the lashes and prepare them for mascara, resulting in longer, fatter lashes that last well into that late-night party. Again, I know that MAC makes one, and so does Smashbox. I had the opportunity to try the Smashbox primer when I got a free sample of it. Know where that thing is now? In a dump somewhere. When I put the Smashbox primer on my lashes, it didn't coat much...it just left white clumps in random places on the lashes. And when I went and put mascara on anyway, you can imagine the result.

So maybe other primers work better than that, but my feeling is they are really unnecessary. What I've found to be the best lash primer is my translucent finishing powder. When I am dusting on my powder after finishing foundation application, I dust the powder over closed lids and lashes in addition to the face. The finishing powder clings to the lashes and coats them evenly, giving my mascara something to stick to without spending any extra dough.

And the other thing you can do is go to the drugstore or go online, and get a pair of Ardell false lashes for $3.49. Some Ardell styles look super natural yet long and thick -- I've got a few I use to play up lashes, and after a few practice attempts, they are super easy to put on.

And that's all folks... you can look forward to more cheapie tips every Sunday!!