Top Three Waterproof Mascaras

Ever get tired of seeing raccoon eyes after applying your mascara only two hours ago? Do you worry about it running if you go to the beach or get in a pool? Well, cosmetic companies sense your pain and have provided a few solutions. Granted not every, waterproof mascara on the market is going to be effective. However, these three have gotten great reviews and I have tested them, myself.

Number one is DiorShow Black Out Waterproof Mascara. This is my favorite. It goes on thick, but once it’s on, it stays put. After applying, give it about 30 seconds to set, try not to blink. Once it’s set, I haven’t seen it smudge on me until maybe sixteen hours later. It’s a little pricy, but well worth it. Hint: find it cheaper on eBay.

Number two, Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Water Resistant Mascara is a little cheaper, less than ten bucks actually. It’s quite a bargain. I really like this mascara. In my experience; it doesn’t smudge for at least 8 hours. If you sleep in it (not recommended) you may wake up with those pesky raccoon eyes, but otherwise, it will stay put.

Number three is Maybelline Magnum Volum Express Waterproof Mascara. This is also cheap drugstore mascara, though it doesn’t deliver drugstore quality results. I find this product to actually do what it claims to. This mascara will actually give your lashes volume and length. Hint: As you are applying, wiggle the brush from side to side as you brush from the base to the tips for even coverage.

Cellulite: What Can Be Done About It?

Can anything get rid of the dreaded cottage cheese?



A friend of mine used to brag about her butt. She was fairly confident that it was her best feature. As she got older, she started to worry a bit that the “cottage cheese” had started to show up on her derriere. I never inspected it too closely, and didn’t worry all that much about it. And, according to a recent article I read from the LA Times, cellulite is a common occurrence in most women and is fairly difficult to eradicate.  



The article, which featured ads on the side advertising liposuction for $1195, contained a great deal of statistics about just common cellulite actually is. The writer goes into great depth about what exactly cellulite is; the story is not pretty and not for the faint of heart.

 From the LA Times:

"An article at Mayo Clinic.com explained that cellulite is caused by clumps of fat cells pushing up against the skin that are interspersed with fibrous cords connected to the muscle underneath. The cords pull the skin down in places and the fat bulges up in between, creating a dimpling effect."

That’s at least one reason to think about getting back on the treadmill. Not that it always helps. The writer concludes that exercise and diet change may or may not help decrease cellulite, but that it might decrease the appearance of cellulite.

Which is a great help to most women, I’m sure. To his credit, the writer actually did an informal survey in which most of the 100 respondents claimed that they hadn’t lost any cellulite from exercise, even when they had shed extra pounds.

The problem with the survey as I see it is that the women who tend to exercise the most are often the most critical of their bodies. Relying on their own opinions of their respective cellulite and body fat probably isn’t the most reliable method. So, he turned to the medical experts, who were also a little murky on the subject of cellulite; they seemed to cautiously recommend exercise as a way to decrease the appearance of cellulite.

But only cautiously.

There is dispute about whether or not liposuction will decrease or increase the appearance of liposuction, much to the chagrin to the entire female population of Las Angeles. The creams and other treatments haven’t yet been proven to be effective and other methods don’t necessarily work either.

Of course, the worse part in the entire story is when author James F. Spell reminds his readers that he is “just a guy” and that “guys don’t get cellulite.”

Thanks, James. I’m sure all your female readers are exceptionally happy to be reminded of that little fact. (Ladies, is it time to remind him that most women don’t go bald?)



 

Getting Waxing Done Under Difficult Circumstances

 

A few years ago, I came across a young relative's copy of Seventeen. The lead article had a story about what to do when you get your period at school. While most of us have overcome the embarrassment of getting our periods and buying feminine products in the stores, there are still a few topics that remain more or less embarrassing to discuss that involve what should be a woman’s normal cycle.

For example, what does a woman do when she is scheduled to go on a trip to Hawaii or some other tropical destination and is in need of a bikini wax while she is on her period?  This hasn’t happened to me yet, but it did happen to a friend of a friend recently who was getting ready for a trip to Mexico when Aunt Flo came early. 

 

She was embarrassed. Who wouldn’t be? But because she is an extremely brave individual, she was able to contact the salon where she prefers to get her waxing done to determine just how squeamish the waxers are about menstruation during a bikini wax. 

 

Her particular waxer was pretty upfront about the process. In the aesthetician’s line of work, you get to see pretty much everything. Up close and personal.

 

So, the woman’s waxer recommended that she wear a tampon and get creative with the dangling string. I’m not kidding. It sounds gross, but it was the truth. 

 

The woman was able to go to the salon on one of her light days and get an extended bikini wax; the waxer wasn’t all that interested in giving her a full Brazilian, so she didn’t “go there.”

 

After hearing this story, I checked around on the Internet and on the phone to see if this was a common occurrence or if the woman just had an extra-ordinarily accommodating waxer. And, believe it or not, most salons that I found online and by phone said that they  would accommodate women who absolutely need a wax for whatever reason, even when they are on their menstrual periods. 

 

Which is good news to women who prefer waxing to shaving. It’s not always easy to schedule vacation time around a menstrual cycle, especially when taking into account other preparations that may go into the vacation schedule in advance. Like packing and booking tickets. 

 

So, don’t worry if you find yourself bleeding right before a tropical vacation. You may be able to get yourself waxed after all if you just check around. 

Open Letter to Clinique: Your High Impact Mascara is Not Worthy of the Clinique Name

ATTN Shoppers: Do Not Buy This Mascara

Dear Clinique,

I’m writing an open letter to complain to you (and to the world) about the Clinique High Impact mascara, which is not inexpensive, is clumpy, and tends to run towards the Tammy Faye Bakker look when applied by anyone who is not a licensed cosmetologist.

The Clinique brand is usually associated with a clean image. (If in fact a make-up can truthfully be considered clean and healthy.) And in many ways, much of Clinique’s line actually represents this ideal image; most women who wear Clinique don’t look like circus clowns or drag queens. In most cases, women wearing the Clinique brand actually look tasteful, which isn’t exactly what I can say for some other make-up brands.



I’ve come to the inescapable conclusion that the exception to this is any woman who is wearing Clinique High Impact mascara, which is altogether too clumpy and distract a person from even the prettiest eyes. One look in the mirror on a wearer of Clinique High Impact mascara could severely scar someone for life; it’s even worse than the look of red-wine stained lips and teeth.

I can’t be the first person to complain about this mascara. And I am 100% positive that I will not be the last.

I’m not sure what I hope to get with this criticism. Better High Impact mascara options, maybe? A refund for the money I spent the last time? Free make-overs for the rest of my life?

All of the above?

Seriously, Clinique shouldn’t be selling mascara that is such a bad product. Probably the most tragic thing is that the mascara is not as good as some of the mascara offered by Cover Girl, which is a much more inexpensive brand. If you are offering high-priced products, you need to make the products worth the price. Times are tough in the economy and you are going to be competing with less expensive brands whether you like it or not.

Offering cheaper products at a higher prices may have worked in the past, but in today’s competitive economy, it won’t work. It doesn’t take much for a company to ruin its reputation, but offering sub-par products at premium prices is one of the surest ways to do it.

So, please, please, please stop selling crappy products. I am sure that the Clinique High Impact Mascara isn’t the only product that isn’t necessarily worthy of the Clinique name and I hope that there won’t be more coming.

Sincerely,

Me
 

No More Brazilian Blowouts for Me

I'm Going to Stick with Thermafuse Straight Myself.

 

After all the hoopla about my Brazilian blowout--the kind you get for the hair on your head, not the kind you get for down there--I’ve decided not to get another one. For whatever reason, my Brazilian blowout didn’t take. I was left with curly hair underneath straight hair, which is pretty much what I had before I had the privilege of inhaling formaldehyde. In the end, I was unsatisfied with the results.

Instead, I’m opting to use better hair products, which make it easier to keep my hair straight on the occasions when I feel the need to wear my hair down. I’m all about Thermafuse Straight smoothing balm. 

 

A little of the contents of the orange bottle goes a long way to making my hair smooth, shinier, and more manageable. And, like the Brazilian blowout, Thermafuse Straight smoothing balm works with heat, which means that it is actually protecting my hair as I blow it dry. The additional upside is, of course, that I don’t have to put my entire respiratory system in jeopardy for the sake of better hair days. 

 

The product isn’t the cheapest and it’s usually only found in specialty beauty stores like Ed Weiss, but it is well worth it. Other straightening products I’ve tried have left a residue in my hair and haven’t done anything to help condition it. Of course, that isn’t to say that there aren’t other products out there which can straighten hair, but I’m partial to this one. (And, no, unfortunately, I’m not receiving any Thermafuse products for free, although I would like to.)

 

Of course, I am the only one of the three people I know with Brazilian Blowouts who have been unsatisfied with their results. The other girls flip their hair to show me how healthy and shiny it is since receiving their Brazilian Blowouts and brag about how perfect their hair now always looks. 

 

I ignore them and think about how much money I am saving by NOT getting a Brazilian Blowout and also ponder the how and whys of why exactly my Brazilian Blowout didn’t work. Since the Thermafuse Straight works well enough for me, I’ll continue to save my money for more important things than my hair, like food, health care insurance, car insurance, and entertainment. 

 

How about the rest of you? Has anyone else been brave enough to go for a Brazilian Blowout? If so, how was your experience? Were you satisfied with the results or did you think the whole thing was overblown to begin with? 

Beauty Experiment #439: Brow Threading

Threading: Painful, but Effective

 

My friend and I did the unthinkable today and ventured inside the mall on one of Seattle’s twenty-three sunny days of the year so far. Once in, we started to wander with a friend and somehow ended up at a kiosk advertising brow shaping.

Since my brows were in need of a little maintenance, we decided to learn more about the kiosk’s services and almost ran when I learned what was offered: brow threading. Threading is the art of using thread that looks like dental floss (but is probably more like wire) to pull off unsightly facial hairs and is in theory less harmful to your skin than either waxing or plucking. 

 

It looked extremely painful, so I made my friend go first. 

 

Allison*--she would only let me use her bar name-- said that the entire four-and-a-half minute threading process didn’t hurt her at all. Of course, since she is currently on pain medication and is an extremely good bluffer, I didn’t trust her opinion at all. I wanted to call in someone else to get it done, but no one was available or brave enough, so I had to try it for myself.

 

The first rule of brow threading is:

 

It hurts. 

 

The second rule of brow threading is:

 

It hurts.

 

And the third and final rule of brow threading is:

 

Never trust the veracity of anyone ever who is on pain medication when they tell you that getting your brows threaded doesn't hurt. Because it does. 

 

It’s really difficult to describe the feeling of getting your brows threaded; I would liken it to having your brows combed by an extremely evil stepmother using a wire comb. Brow threading is also a slower process than waxing. 

 

But the results look better. The threading process does not leave little red marks above and beneath your eyebrows. My brows look cleaner and she didn’t need to clean them up further with plucking. The brow threading was enough to make turn me into a normal looking person instead of a woman with Frankenbrows. There wasn’t any residue left on my forehead from the waxing. 

 

All of which doesn’t mean that I let her thread the hair above my upper lip. Threading is painful and the more sensitive the area is, the more likely it is that you will have to resist an urge to run away from the kiosk (or salon) kicking and screaming. Getting my brows threaded was more than enough pain for me for the day, thank you very much.

 

 

 

The Botox Effect

Botox: Are facial expressions a thing of the past?

 

I found this today on an Internet site about longevity and had to ask myself more than once if I was reading a straight article or advertisement about the many splendors of Botox or if I was reading a satire that might have fit better as an advertisement in National Lampoon’s Mad Magazine back in the day. I couldn’t quite tell, so I’ll share a little bit of what I read and let you be the judge. 

 

This is the opening line from HERE and definitely caught my attention:

 

Rid your complexion of those pesky frown and expression lines from frowning, squinting, raising your eyebrows, and puckering your lips.

 

What audience is this particular Botox advertisement and website intended for? Is it really a site intended to tout the many benefits of Botox for poker players? Are facial expressions a thing of the past? Is it wrong to indicate how we feel through our faces? If this Botox advertisement is any indication, it’s easy to eliminate all of those “pesky” facial expressions from our faces in a safe and effective manner. What, you may ask, is Botox actually made of? Again, the same online advertisement has the answers to all of your most pressing questions about Botox, what Botox actually does, and what the origins of Botox are.

 

In effect, this SITE claims that Botox is a toxin and that the: 

 

The toxin is a substance that is made from these bacteria that has the effect of relaxing the muscles.

 

I don’t know about you, but to me, this explanation about Botox makes it sound almost as if Botox is little more than a toxic Ex-Lax for the face. Is Botox really something that we need injected into our faces every two to four months? Wouldn’t it be easier (and considerably more cost-effective in the long run) just to practice a permanent poker face for our public personas, appearances, and photographs? 

 

After the explanations on the website, there is what basically amounts to an informercial on the benefits of Botox. All of the women are in their forties and fifties and all report that the Botox treatment was short, but that it took a few days for the treatment to take effect. The funny about the “informercial” is that the women who supposedly received the treatment are most impressed that they still have the ability to use facial expressions and that they can even appear angry when it’s necessary. Fortunately, the women in question who appeared in the Botox informercial did not experience what is known in the medical community as the Nicole Kidman effect, which has given Botox and many of the doctors who perform Botox injections a bad name. 

 

 

The Mineral Hype

 

I keep hearing fuss about mineral makeup--how it's natural, the right kind of stuff to put on your face, as opposed to all those synthetic makeups out there in the world. I'm understandably skeptical of the cosmetics industry, especially considering even the minerals in brands like Bare Escentuals are synthetic, not mined from the earth and put in a package. "Mineral" formulas tend to contain many of the same ingredients as regular makeup products; they just contain fewer irritants. So they're good for sensitive skin, sure, but don't go expecting the salt of the earth to show up in your compact. The hype is just that--hype.

The New York Times and the Great Nail Polish Debate

Wild nail polish colors are hot, but is this really the most important news?

 

 

Summer is here, which means that many women will start paying more attention to beauty regimes that can go hidden in the winter; namely, more women will get pedicures and bikini waxes so they can safely show off their toes and not be embarrassed at the beach. According to the New York Times, “Nail polish is the new lipstick” and the current trend is towards more “wild colors.”

 

 

The NYT writer’s thesis is that nail polish represents a way for every woman to participate in the beauty and fashion industry without spending too much money; as she rightly points out, a Chanel handbag will cost a relative fortune, but Chanel lipstick won’t. She also observes that Americans continue to follow celebrity trends incessantly; recently, both Beyonce and Katy Perry have been noticed in the wide world of the gossip media for their unusual nails, at which point their fans copied their styles.

 

Of course, the bigger question is why the NYT is featuring an article—termed a “debate” in the article’s teaser—on its web site’s front page in the first place.

 

Predictably, many of the NYT commenters and readers were fairly critical of the article touting the virtues and benefits of nail polish. More than one said that nail polish was “tacky” and another said that “If the nail polish doesn’t look good on your fingers and toes, it doesn’t look that good on your fingers and toes.” Yet another commenter said that the new colors worn at work represent a “disintegration of taste and discretion in American society.”

 

The best comment—at least from my perspective—was from readers questioning why the New York Times would actually have a debate on nail polish at all. I have to admit that I totally agree. I don’t feel out of place writing about nail polish on this beauty blog because blog posts are by their very nature driven by the topic of the blog itself, but I don’t understand how or why the decision was made to prominently feature a hot debate on nail polish on the same page featuring an Op-Ed piece about NATO’s military action in Libya.

 

The fact that most of comments from readers didn’t center on the “great nail polish debate” itself shows that the article either shouldn’t have been published in the NYT or shouldn’t have been featured on the front page. Just as wild nail polish might detract from someone’s professionalism at the office, an article debating wild nail polish detracts from the real issues. 

More Men are Manscaping

Why Shouldn't Men Have to Groom a Bit More?

Manscaping, which refers to removal of a man’s body hair, is a constant topic of conversation behind closed doors. There are specialty manscaping salons and a lot of hideous-looking unwanted man hair now gets removed with razors and clippers in bathrooms across America.

 

“Honey, can you shave my back hair?” is a much more common question in the 21st century than the previous one and most good wives, girlfriends, and boyfriends will shave and pluck the back of their loved ones if they are asked.

 

Why the sudden urge for men to get rid of their extra chest hair, scraggly back hair, and too-long pubes? Askmen.com speculates that the upsurge in manscaping is a direct result of the upsurge in smooth, hairless men in pornos. Another possibility for the popularity of manscaping is that shaving pubic hair makes a man’s genitalia look larger, which is presumably every man’s dream.

 

Slate details several theories on why hairless chests are often preferred to hairy chests. Most of the ideas offered in Slate’s article on Anthony Weiner’s hairless chest revolve around the beauty of a smooth chest. In addition, the writer speculates that pecs on a smooth chest look larger and more toned. Only 20% of white men have naturally-occurring hairless chests, which leads the Slate writer to speculate that there is a “four in five chance” that Anthony Weiner shaves his chest or frequents a manscaping salon.

 

While some men may complain that chest hair is natural, so are leg and armpit hair on women. What makes men think that women prefer their hairy chests any more than men prefer hairy legs? Just because the standard is for women to shave their legs doesn’t mean that hairy men can’t opt for the occasional chest or back wax in the interest of upping their sexiness, does it?

 

Women are also critiqued for unsightly eyebrows and in this day and age, even Tom Cruise is no longer sporting a unibrow. It might be wise for more men to consider taking a trip to the salon to get their brows waxed because it is relatively inexpensive and shapes the eyes.

 

Of course, rigorous manscaping is not for everybody. And, it goes without saying that there are some who actually like running their fingers through a man’s chest hair carpet. Not many, admittedly, but there are some.

 

In the end, to manscape or not to manscape is a personal decision that should be discussed with your partner.

 

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