Confusing Beauty Advice in 2012

So today I am adding a new dimension to my blog.  I saw this article from the New York Times that a friend posted on Facebook and I knew I just had to comment.  The article, titled "You Can Fall Out of Bed and Look Good" can be found here http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/fashion/imperfect-makeup-is-a-trend-for-2012.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&smid=fb-share&src=tp&adxnnlx=1326993157-qyCx35VYy3cLSlq6Gqhnzg.

It basically talks about how the trend for 2012 is "minimalist."  This is according to leading make up artists.  Wow!  Sounds like great news, right?  Terry Barber of MAC says "the look is 'coming home from the party' not 'going to the party'"  Of course, if I look like I'm coming home from the party when I'm going to the party, what the hell am I going to look like when I really am coming home from the party?!  They even have helpful tips from experts on things like achieving the "popsicle mouth."  This makes you mouth look as if you have been sucking on a popsicle.  I know I'm a radical thinker but, maybe to achieve the look you should just suck on a popsicle.

Now comes my favorite part.

“Lose the smoky eyes,” said Mr. Barber of MAC. For a fresh look, he suggests swiping brown mascara just on the roots of your eyelashes, then dotting a bit of brown pencil in between (he likes MAC Coffee eye pencil). This year, texture, like metallic or wet eyelids, is all the rage. The total effect, he said, is “modern pared-down glam rock.”



Ms. Hamlin agreed. “The smoky eye will never go out of style, but a different way to use it is to use the metallic tones,” she said. “It just makes it a little bit softer.”

Another updated option is to almost reverse the smoky eye by applying shadow and liner below the bottom lash line instead of on the lid, according to Ms. Warren.

So wait...do I lose the smoky eyes or keep them because they never go out of style?  Or do I do the smoky eye underneath going for that oh-so-sexy raccoon look?  And isn't "pared-down glam rock" an oxymoron?

The article goes on to talk about eyebrows (the heavier the make up, the lighter the brows.  So now I'm supposed to look like Pink from the Wall?) and hair.  Apparently you need to keep it messy but shiny.  And to do this, you have to not wash it so often.  Ummmm....k? 

So, the good news is, minimalism is in.  The bad news?  It's going to take a lot of time (and possibly money) to achieve this look.

The Mascara Wave #5 - FairyDrops Scandal Queen

I have to admit, the main reason I bought this sampler is because it included this mascara.  The full size is only available at Sephora.  It was developed by Japanese TV personality, Aya Yasuda.  It has a unique, semi-segmented brush that is patented in Japan.  It also contains fibers to help plump up your lashes. 

I feel like the brush is just a gimmick.  I don't find that it grabs any more lashes than some other wands.  However, I do like this mascara.  It gives a lot of volume without clumping lashes together too much.  It is probably more of a nighttime mascara since it gives a fairly dramatic look.  It doesn't bleed or smudge which is always one of my biggest complaints.  And the package is pretty cute.

Of course, the price is a bit of a deterrent ($24), as is the fact that you can only get it through Sephora.  However, if you are still looking for the perfect mascara to give you dark, plump lashes, I would give this a try.

Deal Alert!!  The sampler I bought at Sephora (Sephora Favorites Lashstash) is now down to $32.  It's 8 sample sizes, 2 full sizes, and a Clinique make up remover.

http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml;jsessionid=ZSHYVTD4X1HOACV0KSKBPIQ?brandId=FAIRYDROPS

Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for eyes

I received this deluxe sample from Sephora and have been using it for almost a month.  My biggest problem area for wrinkles is under my eyes.  Not even crows feet (nice name, right?) but where my dark circles are.  Unfortunately the dark circles do nothing to hide the wrinkles!  Anyway, I am going to make this one short.  I didn't notice any difference between this, which costs $60 for .5 ounces, than the 18 dollar Burt's Bees.  Actually, the only eye cream I ever found that made a difference (in dark circles at least) was Dr. Dennis Gross (formerly MD Skincare) Lift & Lighten eye cream.  Kojic acid was the lightening ingredient.  Unfortunately, they changed their formula and took out the kojic acid and it no longer helped.  Of course, past experience won't keep from trying the next new thing!

http://www.murad.com/eye-care/hydro-dynamic-ultimate-moisture-for-eyes.jsp

The Mascara Wave #4 - Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash

My mom always told me I was fickle and I guess she was right.  One day I am singing the praises of Make Up For Ever and three days later...well, not so much.  This mascara has a spiral brush with medium thickness.  I found that it clumped my eyelashes together somewhat.  It gave it a spiky, dramatic look.  That might be ok if you are on stage but not great for every day wear.  In addition to black and brown, it comes in green, purple and blue (put them altogether for that sexy bruised look).  However, for $22 I think you can do a lot better.

http://www.makeupforever.com/products/smoky-lash.html

Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer

I keep waiting for dark under eye circles to be "in" but so far, no luck.  Until then, I will keep using concealer to keep people from thinking I have two black eyes.  Luckily I discovered Lift Concealer by Make Up Forever.  This line was designed by French make up artist, Dany Sanz and, in addition to everyday consumer products, sells special effects and theatre make up.  It is still made in France and closely overseen by Sanz who also is the director of the Make Up For Ever academy in Paris.

This liquid concealer is the best I've found.  It goes on smoothly and doesn't look obvious.  My favorite thing is that you can add more later in the day if needed (say before a night out).  Every other concealer I've used looked garish when I would try to add another coat.  I can't say that I notice any particular lift (if I did, I'd be putting it on my boobs!) so, if bags are an area of concern, I'm not sure if it would help.  But I think it would definitely be worth a try.

The only complaint I have, and it is very small, is that the colors run in numeric order but not in shade order.  #3 is lighter than #2.  This led to me buying the wrong color the first time.  I still liked it even though it was a little too dark.  When I switched, I was completely hooked and this is now a staple in my make up bag.

http://www.makeupforever.com/products/complexion/lift-concealer.html

The Mascara Wave #3 - GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara

GOGO stands for Get One, Give One.  From the website:

"The GOGO Campaign: Get One, Give One Beauty for a cause. Josie Maran has teamed up with City of Hope, a leading cancer research, treatment, and education institution, to launch the Get One Give One Campaign. For each GOGO mascara purchased, Josie Maran Cosmetics will donate one mascara to a City of Hope cancer patient/survivor (up to 5,000 units). Thereafter, through Aug. 2012, $1.00 from the sale of each GOGO mascara will be donated to City of Hope's research, treatment, and education of women's cancers. Minimum donation of $25,000. With your purchase, you are helping women look better, feel better, and build self-esteem. Now isn't that beautiful?"

A cosmetics company with a conscience?  I wrote about Josie Maran's 100% argan oil which is the base of her line.  This sample mascara contains argan oil to help nourish your lashes.  Or so they say.  I won't find out because I don't think this one is a keeper.  The "patented Triple V Brush" was big and fairly thick.  The mascara went on smoothly but it didn't seem to maximize lash separation.  The formula stayed on fine and didn't run.  However, I don't think this is worth $22.  It is very middle of the road and you can find something that works as well for less than half the price in the drugstore.  Then again, this company does help cancer patients and women in Morocco who harvest the argan oil and that is something to consider.  Of course, you could always donate the money you save on the product to a charitable cause!

http://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/

John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Colour

Because I am a menace with hair color, every now and then I decide I don't need to color my hair.  After all, greys are a natural part of life, right?  Then I catch a glimpse of myself in certain lighting and, after the shock has worn off, I run out and buy some home hair color right away.  I am very interested in the new foam colors because I make such a mess.  I usually end up with it all over my bathroom, my ears, the back of my neck and my forearms.  But my last try with foam hair color did not go so well and although I never reviewed it, I tried the L'Oreal Sublime Mousse first.  The foam was thick but it didn't cover my greys at all.  Being the optimist that I am, I decided to try another brand.

The John Frieda is the only other one that is sold widely in drugstores.  I got mine at CVS and it was a little more expensive than L'Oreal or Clairol but I bet you could find it on sale for a better price.  You should always read the instructions and perform an allergy test (I don't but you should!).  The biggest difference in this is that you don't shake the developer and color to mix them.  You just gently tilt it from side to side.  The gloves that came with it were professional grade and went up an inch or two farther than the ones you usually get which was really nice.  However, the fact that they are black kind of made me feel like the Russian scientist getting ready to torture information out of a captured spy.  The foam was pretty thick and went on easily enough.  At first I felt like it wasn't saturating my hair but I was probably not applying it properly.  The directions on this step were very vague.  In the end it did cover all my hair although it didn't look as "foamy" as the picture in the instructions.  The smell was neutral.  I left it on for 30 minutes.  It rinsed out very quickly in the shower and I applied conditioner from the generous tube included.

The final result:  the color is very natural looking (sometimes with dark brown it looks black for the first few washings), it covered most of my greys (I've got some resistant little buggers right in front of my ears), and the smell of the conditioner is lovely.  I don't think it helped condition my hair but it didn't damage it either.  All in all, a nice (and except for one blob on my toilet seat), mess-free experience.  I will definitely use it again.

http://www.johnfrieda.com/en-US/homecolour/precision-foam-colour/