Black 0.27 oz
$23.00
Geez, I feel like I should put up a disclaimer for this post! I got my hands on one of the newest mascaras by Too Faced thanks to my lovely friend Jennifer that I'ver been wanting to try out because of all the buzz surrounding it. It's one of those products that you either love it or hate it, but what got my attention was it's name. I'm talking about the Too Faced, um, (insert blushing face here!) Better Than Sex Mascara. Okay I said it, now moving on! Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Black 0.27 oz $23.00 Claiming to provide 1,944% more volume with only 2 coats, this mascara has really set its standards high and hails itself as an unbelievable mascara. It has a carbon black formula which provides dark, rich pigment and a large fiber brush that gives all around application. I tried to get some good before and after shots but just couldn't get decent pictures from my camera! But trust me, it wasn't that breathtaking of a difference! First off, let me say that yes, it did give great black pigmentation and give instant volume, though the 1,944% claim of bigger lashes is pretty far fetched! However, you must take your time with this mascara because it can clump up if you don't wait between coats to let the product set a bit. What I don't like about it is that it's not available in a waterproof form, which is a must for me and my sensitive eyes, but this is a personal preference. Can you find an equivalent at the drugstore for a fraction of the cost? Absolutely!! It's not a bad mascara, but it's not amazing, and spending $23 just seems a little outrageous to me. But I know that Too Faced is a brand that appeals to many and the risqué name may be alluring for some, just not for me. But try it out for yourself and see if it works for you! It does have pretty packaging though, and I'm a sucker for pretty makeup ;)
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I often get asked questions regarding how I got interested in makeup, when I started wearing makeup, products I like and recommend, and so on, and since I've been learning so much lately through writing this blog and being exposed to so many products and people in the makeup industry, I decided to answer some of these questions for all of you! So here we go! How old were you when you started wearing makeup? Well, this question has a two fold answer. I was 14 when I started wearing my friends makeup (which I don't recommend- germs can come in different forms, even from your BFF, just saying!) while I was at school and would wash my face before my mom got home. I know, what a rebel, right?! But it wasn't until I was 15 that my mom allowed me to wear makeup, which consisted of face powder, mascara and lipstick. I've made a lot of mistakes through the years with application and color choices, but that's a whole other story that could be a blog post on it's own!! How did you get into makeup? Having a mom who was always into makeup and keeping herself put together in both makeup and dress, I looked up to my mom and loved watching her put on her lipstick. I definitely credit my mother's influence in my love for lipsticks and the classic red lips and cat eye look! As an adult in my 20's, I would go to the MAC counters and loved watching the makeup artists apply makeup on others. I asked if I could just watch to take note of their techniques and product choices and they were more than happy to let me stick around ( although I don't know if it's the same today as it was 10 years ago, so if you want to do something like that, just ask nicely) I then found tutorials and product reviews on youtube and loved learning from celebrity makeup artists and other girls just like me who loved makeup and wanted to show others how to apply it and what products they would recommend. I would practice makeup application and play around with different colors and techniques to hone in on my love for makeup and the hidden talent that I didn't know I had. If you love something, just keep doing it and practice your skills, that's the only way you'll get beer and expand your knowledge! If you could only wear 5 products on your face what would they be? I threw this one in because I like to challenge myself when I'm pressed for time or when I want to narrow down my must have products in case of an emergency or when doing some light travel. Choosing 5 is really hard because I use around 10-12 products each time I do my makeup! But if I had to narrow it down, I would have to say my Dipbrow Eyebrow Pomade from Anastasia of Beverly Hills, my Maybelline Rewind concealer, my NYX Stay Matte Not Flat Powder Foundation, the Maybelline Colossal waterproof mascara, and a moisturizing lip tint balm. Gotta have my eyebrows on, so the pomade is a must! The concealer is creamy enough to sheer out on the face to even out skin tone and use more heavily on areas that need more coverage; the powder foundation would add additional coverage and set the concealer in place; the mascara would open up the eyes, and the lip tint balm would prevent chapped lips while giving a hint of color to the lips. Geez, that was hard! What is you favorite thing about makeup? The fact that I can find a product that I can apply on my face that can cover up any blemishes or imperfections and make me look more fresh and awake is a sure winner for me! We all need a pick me up once in a while when our skin is acting up or when that time of the month sneaks upon us and brings along some unfriendly pimples with it! I love how makeup can bring out your creativity- I can't paint or draw if my life depend on it, but when I use my brushes to apply my makeup, it's as if my face is the canvas and I'm creating a new painting every day. What does makeup mean to you? In a way, it relaxes me to put makeup on when it's been one of those days when things don't go as planned and the kiddos are just going from one disaster to another. Makeup is not necessarily a "means to an end"- I can happily go along with my day without any makeup on, and even, dare I say, go out in public bare faced! :) Although to be honest, it took me awhile to be comfortable in my own skin, but it's important to know that no amount of makeup will mask an ugly heart or cover up the insecurities I know we all feel from time to time. I try to have a heart full of joy, and makeup is a way for me to have fun and outwardly express the joy in my heart, knowing that I'm not using makeup to cover my face, but to enhance what's already there. There's nothing wrong with wearing lots of makeup or not wearing any at all, but what is wrong is to bash one person for one or the other. Don't think that someone who loves a full face of makeup is conceited or is trying to cover their face behind a mask of makeup, or think that the girl who doesn't wear any makeup would be better off if she did. Beauty is found in many forms :) What advice would you give someone who is just starting to use makeup? I'd definitely say, start slowly, then build up, especially to the younger teen girls. Don't cover up your face with so many unnecessary products unless you're hiding a blemish or scarring. Stick to the natural shape of your features- don't try to manipulate your features in a way they weren't supposed to go. Don't think that only high end makeup is good- drugstore makeup is often as good or even better, you just have to try out products and see what works for you (or just keep reading my blog for advice and product reviews to learn more!) What is the most common makeup "no-no"? Well this is a loaded question! I can think of many off the top of my head (which I admit I was guilty of in my teens years when I was beginning to experiment with makeup), but I'll narrow it down to two. The first is unblended eyeshadow. Kandee Johnson, a very well known beauty guru in the youtube community (who you should check out by the way!) put up this picture that someone made using her daughters picture. It's literally the face I makeup when I see someone who doesn't blend their eyeshadow: Ladies, please, I'm all about wearing dramatic eyeshadow and even wear up to 4 shadows at once, but do yourself a favor and take the extra step to blend them together!! It just ain't cute, plain and simple. To see some makeup tutorials where I demonstrate how important blending is, check out my youtube channel Roxanna Harris (Tales of a Beauty Maven) The second common mistake is not correctly color matching your foundation. I can understand how it can be frustrating when you hear words like "undertone" and "pink, yellow, or neutral" which can leave you wondering if you should have brought a dictionary with you to the store! Check out my post on finding the right shade for you: Never Wear the Wrong Foundation Color Again! However there is no reason why ladies should walk around looking like an oompa loompa with too dark and too orangey of a foundation thinking they're looking tanned with the "J Lo glow" because trust me, that's not what it looks like! Stick to your color then add warmth with a bronzer (lightly!!) to achieve a more natural glow to the face. I'm not pointing fingers or making fun, but just do yourself a favor and don't fall into these makeup no-no's-think of it as my friendly makeup public service announcement ;) High end or drugstore? This question has sadly brought many to be victims to what I like call the "brand wars". Some may only feel that more expensive makeup is the best because if it costs more, it should be better, right? Well, not necessarily. First off, let me start by saying that the brand of makeup you wear won't define you. Many brands have their loyal "cult" followers, and for good reasons too. There are high end brands that make exceptional products, however the makeup world is so much bigger than the makeup you see at the department store. I am a self proclaimed "drugstore diva"- it's the makeup I started out with as a teenager and have loved it ever since! Granted, I never had the money to try more expensive makeup- so while my friends were getting their first black MAC powder compact, I was still using my beloved cover girl compact. But for a couple of years now I have been able to try out many high end brands and see the quality and the prestige that are given to them, but also see how brand labeling can be misleading. Some makeup products are pretty basic in its ingredient list and use of application, such as eyeshadow or concealer. However slap on a designer label and the product is marked up 500% in its retail value. Compare that to a product with the same ingredients, packaging, and overall effect on the skin but at a lower price at the drugstore, and you see that many mainstream brand products are just as good if not better than their high end counterparts. My appeal to drugstore products and wanting to share my finds and application tips by using these products is to help the ordinary woman who wants to bring a little glam into their everyday routine without breaking the bank. Check out my essentials and bargain beauty pages for more info. Hope this post was insightful and fun to read! I enjoy sharing my makeup story and giving advice to others. Do you have any questions you'd like answered? Let me know in the comments section!!
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When I'm not spending way too much time getting ready or drooling over the newest beauty product, I'm a stay at home mom of a rambunctious 4 year old boy, a sweet baby girl we lovingly call "sissy", and a wife to my high school sweetheart. Archives
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