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.

Dr. Jart+ Beauty Balms.

With the recent onslaught of beauty balms, I have to wonder why they weren't introduced to us in the states much earlier. I for one, am wondering where they have been all my life.  Especially these beauties from Dr. Jart. Check out Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm and Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm.

First, let's take a moment to understand what a Beauty Balm is.

Beauty Balm "BB" is your skincare regimen in one tube, created by Dr. Jart. It moisturizes, protects, and corrects. No foundation needed. BB is your moisturizer, sunscreen and treatment serum, while hiding uneven skin tone so well that it minimizes the need for foundation or concealer. Skin looks smooth, perfect and natural.

I agree with that statement, but I would add in primer to the mix as well. The fact that I am not 16 anymore and have a very uneven skin tone, I need to tell you that these do not cut out the need for foundation on myself from the start. But it does minimize it.

Take a look at both of the Beauty Balms Dr. Jart has to offer and my opinions on each.

Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm - $32.00 at Sephora
This beauty balm is made with 50% water with Dr. Jart's Advanced Water Bead Technology which hydrates and maintains healthy moisture for a dewy, fresh look on the skin all day long. This contains an SPF 25, which is essential. This formula is also oil-free.

The shade is a light- light medium shade. In the winter, I could get away with using just this on the weekends, but it is too light for my skin right now. As I smooth it on my skin, I feel a burst of hydration, as the water that is encapsulated in the formula bursts onto skin. My skin instantly looks more even even and feels extremely hydrated.  The balm is light, but it feels heavier than a primer. There is no silicone primer feel to it, but the coverage and moisture seems to adhere to the skin making it a wonderful primer.  I do not need moisturizer when using this right now. As I am much more dry in the winter months, I would probably use a daytime moisturizer beneath this then, but realize that I do get very dry in the winter. The end result is a much more flawless look, with or without makeup.  I have been using this alone on no makeup days and I look much more refreshed. With makeup, like I said, the look is closer to flawless than ever.  I have to wear less product and work less at concealing my uneven skin tone, age spots and freckles.

Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm - $39.00 at Sephora
This beauty balm is an all in one triple function balm that contains advanced brightening and anti-aging properties. This one creates the ideal base for other makeup application as it conceals and perfects skin as it is applied. It contains a higher SPF of 45 and contains antioxidant bio-peptides and adenosine.

The color is lighter and brighter, if not whiter with a pink undertone to it than the Water Fuse. It is much too light for my skin and it sort of left a white cast under a darker foundation.  Not that this is a bad thing, my skin tone is just too dark for this one.

I thought I would like this one more than the Water Fuse balm as my major skin concerns involve aging and brightening. The formula feels great on my skin, but I crave the intense water burst I get from the Water Fuse formula and the shade is more suitable for me.

I would hope that now that Dr. Jart products are available in the US, that maybe they will branch out and make some darker shades.  I realize that these are specifically made for Asian skin in Asian cultures, where the goal is have the whitest, most flawless, porcelain-like skin tone.