COVERGIRL Flamed Out Mascara Review.

I am a HUGE fan of COVERGIRL mascara. I have used just about every one that have, with my latest fave being LashBlast Clump Crusher Mascara. I have been using it daily since I tried it late last year. At night, I use it with another mascara for really bold - look at me - lashes. I almost didn't want to try their latest Flamed Out Mascara because I just love Clump Crusher so much, and didn't really have the need for another. But I've been hearing such good things that I just had to give it a try.

Flamed Out Mascara is very different in a big way - the brush. Just take a look at how different it looks. It is made with a thick nylon and wire brush with a little wedge, or indent in the middle. It was designed this way to more evenly coat lashes and deposit the mascara pigment all over lashes. By doing this, it helps to add a lot more volume to lashes, and helps them curl up and out at the same time.

Flamed Out is available in the following:

• Very Black Blaze
• Black Blaze
• Black/Brown Blaze
• Brown Blaze

I found that I need a good two coats with Flamed Out Mascara to get my lashes looking how I like them. To apply, I brush up, like normal. For the second coat, I sort of roll the wand up my lashes. This is easy to do because the little indent sort of hugs the lashes. My lashes look great all day while wearing. I experience no flaking, smudging, or clumping.

Will it replace my favorite Clump Crusher mascara? I like Flamed Out a lot and I am more than impressed with it. For an everyday low maintenance, light makeup look, I'll probably use Clump Crusher. But for anything else, it will be Flamed Out for sure. I am also going to try layering both Clump Crusher over Flamed Out for lots of volume when I want a more dramatic look.

COVERGIRL Flamed Out Mascara is available at your favorite drugstore and mass retailer now. It sells for about $5.99.

MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow.

One thing that can totally transform a look is the eyes. You can play them up, play them down, go natural or smoke them out. It is up to you. The one thing that you need is a great eye shadow. Eye shadow palettes are my favorite, so you can just choose one, then create and go. But there are so many to choose from. The latest palettes from MAC not only have a variety of shades in the colors that you want, but the formula is outstanding.

The Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow's are fully pigmented, with a super soft and silky - almost creamy feeling texture. Each palette contains 5 different, coordinated shades. You'll notice that the middle shade is the largest, which is super smart. You know there is always one shade in a palette that you use more than the rest, and MAC has already figured it out for you here.

It’s eye shadow innovation like you’ve never seen before. A versatile powder that brings out the pigment’s pure and true colour. The result is a glamorous, creamy and lightweight hybrid offering two distinctive effects: applied wet for a super saturation of colour that glistens with metallic brilliance, or dry for sheer coverage with a soft, sparkling finish. Six palettes feature five complementary shades that glide on and blend beautifully for infinite day-to-night looks: Pinkluxe, Bleuluxe, Pastelluxe, Greenluxe, Smokeluxe and Brownluxe.

The MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Palettes - $40.00

• Pastelluxe
• Greenluxe
• Brownluxe
• Smokeluxe
• Pinkluxe
• Bleuluxe

MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Brownluxe

MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Greenluxe

MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Pastelluxe

MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Smokeluxe

Shop for the MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Palettes at all MAC locations and online at maccosmetics.com.

Ban the Bumps: How to Get Rid of Bikini Bumps.

It's bikini season. If you notice what looks like pimples, bumps or in-grown hairs on the areas where you shave, you may have "bikini bumps" a.k.a. razor bumps. Doctors call this condition Pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. PFB is most common in sensitive areas, such as the bikini area.

Ban the Bumps: How to Get Rid of Bikini Bumps

What causes bikini bumps?

When you shave, you are actually sharpening the ends of the hair. Shaving makes it easy for the hairs to curve back into the skin as the little hairs retract into the hair follicle. The bumps that you see are caused by skin irritation and inflammation where the hair has re-entered the skin.

Prevent Bikini Bumps

There are several things you can do to help minimize razor bumps while shaving. Some doctors recommend using only electric shavers which don't give quite as close a shave, whereas the newer five blade razors give extra-close shaves that may make the hair more apt to re-enter the skin. If you do use a razor, be careful and remember these few tips to help ban the bumps.

• Wash with a moisturizing cleanser and warm water before shaving. This will help soften the hairs and help prevent a sharp edge that can enter the skin after shaving. I like Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash.
• Use a protective shave gel prior to shaving. Let it set on the warmed skin for a few minutes before you start to shave. I like Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel.
• Use a new, sharp razor to avoid uneven cutting. I like Venus & Olay Razor in Sugarberry.
• As you shave, avoid stretching the skin. Be sure to shave in the direction of hair growth to minimize irritation.
• After shaving, massage the area with a warm washcloth to help free the hairs from making it back into the skin.

How to Prevent Bikini Bumps

Get Rid of Bikini Bumps

So you have taken care to prevent the bikini bumps from happening, but you still have some bikini bumps that are painful and/or itchy. There are a few great products that are designed specifically to treat the bikini bumps.

• bliss Ingrown Eliminating Pads - These single-use wipes are made with alpha and beta hydroxy acids to treat the bumps, while green tea and oat extract soothe and smooth the skin.
• Bikini Zone Medicated Creme - This cream contains an analgesic to soothe away pain and irritation. It improves healing by speeding along new skin cells to replace the scraped ones, eliminating redness and razor burn. Lastly, it dries out the small, acne-like blemishes and exfoliates the skin to help prevent hair from curling back into the skin to form an ingrown hair bump in the first place. 
• DERMAdoctor KP Duty Body Scrub - This exfoliating scrub contains both a physical and chemical exfoliator to get those irritated hairs out of where they have ingrown. Not designed for bikini bumps, but another condition, I was in a pinch and had to get rid of my bikini bumps, and this scrub did the trick.

How to Treat Bikini Bumps

The few extra minutes that it takes to prep skin, shave properly, then soothe the skin will definitely help to keep the bikini bumps at bay. Take your time and be consistent. You'll soon forget the discomfort and the unsightly bikini bumps will be gone in no time.