Happy 40th Birthday Maybelline Great Lash!

Can you believe that Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara ($6.99) has stood the true test of time and has been front and center on the beauty shelves for 40 years now? I am sure it will be here 40 more years as every 1.7 seconds, another tube of Great Lash is sold. Wow. Well, Happy Birthday icon!

In celebration of its 40th Birthday, Maybelline has partnered with three celebrated fashion designers - Max Azria, Tracy Reese and Vivienne Tam - to create a limited edition collection.

This Maybelline limited edition collection is exclusively available at Target stores and online at Target.com.

M·A·C Opulash Optimum Black.

Who wants the most bold, black and eyelashes exceeding length and volume normally achieved with mascara? I do! I CANNOT apply false lashes for the life of me.  I have tried all types to no avail.  Thus, I stick with mascara.  I have a mascara for everyday, one for a smoky eye, colored mascara for special eye looks and then sometimes I need one for the super duper over the top lash look I love (which is more often than not). The latest mascara in my line up on my vanity is this new one from M·A·C. Meet M·A·C Opulash Optimum Black.
 

Something bolder, better, blacker, badder! The race is on to build the best Dramatic Volume and Curl ever. M·A·C Mascara is on the up, trending big, growing gargantuan – so here it is! M·A·C Opulash Optimum Black is your new way forward for a more impressive, imperious build, a more saturated black, with the vroom of extra-volumization, delivered dramatically with our most bodacious brush yet – it’s bigger than beyond! And Intense! Hence the extreme expansion and curl, formed from a blend of silica plates of mica and natural kaolin to thicken and grab each lash with every application, for an intense lay-down with succinctly sexy separation.

Resists flaking, smudging, and humidity, with multifunctional emollient ester flexibility, superior adhesion, and water-gel instant conditioning for even the most sensitive of eyes.  And it lasts 15 hours! The spotlight is on superlative style, state-of-the-art science, and the urge to merge the two....Opulash Optimum Black is the Bat-For-Lashes bomb!

The brush is huge! It takes a few tries to get used to such a large brush, but having tried so many before, it was not that difficult. Just be careful navigating around the corners of your eyes as to be sure not to poke them.  The formula is thick and lush and spreads evenly with just one coat. Two coats and wow - lashes are thick, with no clumps, of course.  I experienced all day wear with Opulash, with no smudging or flaking at all.

I love that one thing this mascara  (wonder if it's in the soon to be released MAC Holiday 2011 collection?) does is resists humidity! Those of us who spend any time in New England or summer in Florida (crazy, I know!) with the high levels of humidity, thank you for that quality alone.

M·A·C Opulash Optimum Black is for sale today at all M·A·C counters, stores and online at maccosmetics.com.  It retails for $15.00.

Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes Review.

 Hello Beautiful Makeup Search readers, I'm Cindy, editor of Prime Beauty, a beauty blog for women over 40 and in their prime! As an over 40 woman myself, I approach aging with an often irreverent sense of humor while on a quest to find the fountain of youth and my 'Holy Grail' products. Prime Beauty is packed with articles on skincare, makeup, product reviews, new product launches, makeup tips and tricks, and giveaways! In addition to looking good on the outside, I hope to encourage, inspire and celebrate women over 40!

When it comes to mascara, Lancôme takes the honors; Définicils is THE best selling luxury mascara in the WORLD. Lancôme puts a lot of time, effort and research into thier mascara formulas, and now their is a new addition to the mascara family--Hypnôse Doll Lashes ($25), designed to give wide- eyed doll-like lashes. I've been a fan of Lancôme mascaras for more years than I would like to admit. The obsession started with Définicils, then progressed to Hypnôse, then the Oscillation mascara, then Precious Cells. Naturally when I heard Lancôme had a new mascara, I HAD to have it!

I've been wearing Hypnôse Doll Lashes for a week straight and I still don't look like Daria Werbowy! Crap.  This new formula is unique in two ways:

• An innovative cone shaped brush to grab every lash--even in the corners
• A formula with nylon powders to sculpt and shape and a combination of hard and soft waxes volumize and curl while shaping polymers lengthen

I'm sure this will become a best seller, but I'm a bit disappointed. I really wanted to like this, I really, really did! I was hoping to get Twiggy lashes--and by that I mean Twiggy from the 60's--not 60 year old Twiggy. I expected über long length, great volume and almost spider-like lashes. I got some length and that's it--I actually get better length with Lancôme Precious Cells.

PROS:

• the formula is nice--not too wet so lashes don't clump together and not too dry so lashes don't clump together  :)
• good definition and separation of lashes

CONS:

• the cone shaped brush is hard to get used to--it is effective at grabbing those tiny lashes in the corners, the problem is it makes it harder to reach the rest of your lashes. You must hold the brush at the precise correct angle to get ALL your lashes and it takes some practice.  
• it has a scent I'm not a fan of. I honestly don't know why a mascara needs to have a scent.

There have been times that Doll Lashes has flaked on me-- but not all the time. I must keep better track because in all fairness, I have been having trouble with my allergies this summer, but I think it is worth mentioning.  

Overall: I guess I'm going to have to face the fact that nothing short of lash extensions is going to give me Twiggy lashes. Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes does a pretty nice job though! It has a nice formula, doesn't clump and gives some length. After using it for a week straight, I'm more adept at using the cone brush and am liking it better every day. The strong fragrance may be a turn off for some as well as the learning curve for the brush. If you are looking for lots of volume, you make want to look elsewhere--Hypnôse Drama is a good choice.

Be sure to check out Prime Beauty - A beauty resource for women 40 & over and in their Prime!

P.S.--If you find me wandering around the hills and valleys looking for my long lost youth, please point me in the direction of the nearest mall!