Oh So Innocent!

Early this week, Lauren and I, ran into Walgreen's. Billy was home with the twins. And he called me, to ask me, to pick up a few things. Right after Lauren's dance practice, we stopped. The lines were crazy! And these are the times, when I'm grateful for my kids. My easy going, don't throw tantrum kids. :)

Eventually, they opened the register, in the Beauty section. And we headed that way. Lauren had been a doll! Carrying a card we picked up, some cough drops, and a pack of chapstick. The girl, didn't even ask for anything!

This Mommy, was feeling oh so guilty! You see, I was carry milk, bandaids, some chocolate for Billy, and 4 magazines. Of that stuff, only the first 3 were on our list. So I told Lauren, to pick something out. We had 2 people in front of us. So I wasn't worried.

What I hadn't noticed was, Lauren was eyeing the nail polish stash. All the gorgeous colors, lined up. Immediately, she went for this green nail polish.



Her reasoning, it was perfect for St. Patty's Day! Because she has to dance that day. And won't be wearing green the whole time. I think Lauren's worried about getting pinched. So we bought the nail polish. Mommy might have also picked up a new lipstick. :)

What I will say is, my girls LOVE nail polish. We actually have weekly "nail painting" nights! This week, we all went for "Innocent" nails.

2 things about this nail polish. I LOVE the color. It's not a crazy neon. But a nice, bright green. I also love the consistency of the polish. It's really easy to work with. Even with 2 little girls. 2 coats later, we were ready for St. Patty's Day! Between, that was 3 days ago. And there is no signs of chips! Best $2 nail polish, that I know of!

On a quick note, Happy Birthday Cari! We can't wait to celebrate with you. How exciting this day is. The beginning of you, becoming a real "woman." Happy 13th!

~Manders

A Splash of Summer Color

Do you remember, when I was blogging about my new nail polish? Well, I've slowly been making my way, through all 12 colors. :) And guess what. I have a new favorite! Meet Cherry, Cherry Bang, Bang!



This is definitely, my new favorite nail polish. Partially, because I want it to be warm again. I want to wear my Spring dresses. To see the flowers blooming. And I miss the warm weather.

There is something about Cherry, Cherry Bang, Bang! that just reminds me, of long summer days. Like all my other Sally Hansen nail polishes, the formula is amazing! 2 coats make for a strong and opaque color. That lasts for at least a week!

The color is a nice magenta. With a hint of fuchsia. It's not too bright. Nothing like a neon. Just a fun, summery color. I like this color so much, that I want to find a dress in this color too! What are your favorite colors for Spring and Summer?

~Manders

Back to the Fuchsia

Recently, I found Sally Hansen nail polish on a good buy. Actually, a GREAT buy! They were $4 a bottle. Plus, a buy one, get one half off deal. :) This makeup junkie was so excited! I picked up 12. I know, I have no self control! My favorite one, so far, is Back to the Fuchsia.



It's the most gorgeous pink color. With blue and purple undertones. It really is amazing on. Different from your normal pink color. The formula is a dream too! 2 coats makes for an opaque finish. This is one of those colors, that just makes me happy! What's your favorite Sally Hansen color?

~Manders

Illegal Length Mascara

I have to say, I'm a sucker for a new mascara. But a few weeks ago, even I surprised myself. Why? I'd been hearing a lot of stuff, about Maybelline's new mascara. So when my little box showed up, I was over the moon! What did I find inside? This little beauty...



I'm not a big "lengthening mascara," type of girl. No. I'm more about the volume! Give me some big lashes please. :) But when I'm doing makeup for clients, there is sometimes, a need for lengthening mascaras.

Illegal Length is not just your normal mascara. Nope! It has fibers in the formula. Which is supposed to help add length. Hmm. I wondered if this would really work. Or would I have fibers all over my face. I will say this, I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only did I try this mascara, I had my sister try it out too! This is much more "up her alley." She insists that her lashes are short. That I got the good lashes of the family! I don't believe her. I just use, many different mascaras, to get the look. A year or so ago, she was devastated, when Maybelline discontinued their lengthening mascara. No lie!

We both tried Illegal Lengths, for 2 or 3 weeks. And we were very surprised. First of all, those fibers, don't shed. Not one bit! I never have fallout. But they do add so much length! I don't worry about smudging, or raccoon eyes. The formula is pretty wet. Which allows for building up the lashes. Without turning into "spider eyes." I'm not a fan of clumpy looking eyelashes.

The wand is similar to that of the Falsies mascara. Except it's straight, not curved like the one in Falsies. The bristles are all angled in different directions. Which allows the wand to grab at your eyelashes. This is helpful during application. Because you can manipulate your eyelashes. Making them look as though, you've curled them. When you haven't!

Illegal Length is a really great buy for your money. It's a good mascara. Similar to many of the "High end" mascaras, currently going for $25 a tube! This is one of those products, that I didn't have too high of hopes for. But it has completely shocked me! In a GREAT way. I'll keep a tube for myself. For my bottom lashes. And you'll definitely find a tube in my case!

~Manders

Plum Eyeliner

One of my favorite trends for Spring is plum eyeliner. I've always liked the color with my brown eyes. I especially enjoy this look for daytime makeup. The plum eyeliner is definitely a softer look than black eyeliner. Which many people say is too harsh for their liking.

Many women can't "pull off" the darkness of black eyeliner during the day. But they want a bit more drama than brown eyeliner. Other women like to try different colors to add some fun to their makeup. I find that plum is a very happy compromise. It's a splash of color. With just the right amount of darkness for daytime. And for the brown eyed ladies, it really makes your eyes "pop!"

Some of my favorites are MAC's Prunella, Sephora's Wild Spirit, Bare Escentuals' Plum, Urban Decay's 1999, Make Up For Ever's Shimmering Plum 4L, and even Revlon's Blackberry. Revlon's Colorstay eyeliners are a nice "bang for your buck." Especially if you're on the fence about colored eyeliner. I'd definitely give it at try!

~Manders

Carbon Mess

I really wanted to love this mascara. I heard and read such good things about it. I bought 2 tubes. One for me to try. And one to try on Lola for the gigs.

My first impressions of this product were really good. I was excited. The brush is a good shape. Allowing you to get into the corner lashes. I like the way it's tapered. The brush is also a nice shape to prevent clumping. I initially purchased the waterproof formula. It's the formula I use for all mascaras.

The color was a deep and highly pigmented black. Much darker than most drugstore mascaras. The formula was also nice. Not watery or runny. But also not thick and clumpy. It applied easily. Didn't leave my lashes clumpy or weighed down. Things were looking good. My lashes had length, volume, and a deep black color.

But as the day wore on, I noticed the transfer of the product. Roughly 2 hours after I applied the mascara, I had raccoon eyes. I hadn't cried, had water splashed on me, or even gone outside. But the mascara was definitely running. I cleaned up my under eye area, and waited to see what would happen.

All day, every time I looked in the mirror, I had mascara transfer. Quite a bit of it. I don't have oily skin. And I've never experienced this before. I was honestly shocked at the mess on my face.

By dinner time, I couldn't take it anymore, I removed the mascara from my lashes. It came off very easily with a baby wipe. And this is the waterproof formula! For the following month, I let the product "dry." I thought that a drier product might result in a better product. But I got the same result when I tried to wear Carbon Black again.

I also tried this product on Lola. During a photo shoot. Again, it applied magically. This mascara has a way of making your eyelashes look amazing. Now Lola does have oily skin, and eyelids. So this was going to be a real test.

Sure enough, the product began running. This was an early morning shoot, outside. Meaning that it was cold. But the mascara transfer was horrible! You would have thought Lola was in a swimming pool. Or crying. After an hour, I removed it and went back to our reliable mascara.

But I wasn't done with this product. I gave Lola the tube, that I'd used at the photo shoot. I figured she could play around with it, and tell me what happened. After trying it out for a few weeks, she really hated it. She tried everything. Including layering it with another waterproof mascara. Nothing helped! I also went out and bought the regular formula. You know what, it was worse. I had horrible transfer.

I'm not sure if it was just Lola and I that had this problem. But it was horrible! The mascara seemed to melt off of our eyelashes and down our faces. This is a product that I would not recommend. Which saddens my heart. Because L'Oreal happens to be one of my favorite drugstore brands.

~Manders

*FTC: All items have been purchased by me. All my opinions are honest, and I'm not being paid to review these products.

Drugstore Makeup Guru

I have found a new YouTube guru, that I really enjoy watching. Marnie is really sweet. And I think really enjoy watching her videos. It's nice to see someone who doesn't have to have all the expensive makeup. She just enjoys makeup. And prefers drugstore stuff. It's a nice change of pace. A breath of fresh air. Love it!

If you are interested in drugstore products, Marnie is a great person to watch. And she is super sweet. I feel like she could be a great friend. You know, if we were neighbors or something. So I definitely would suggest that you watch Marnie's videos.

~Manders

Just Bitten

I've been reading lots of reviews for Revlon's Just Bitten. It's Revlon's new lipstain. And I've noticed how people either hate this product, or love it. I'm thinking, it has to do with the way in which it's being applies.

I wrote a post about Covergirl's Lipstain a while back. But I've also used Revlon's lipstain. I actually really enjoy this product as well. You get the perfect, "I just ate strawberries" look. You can also layer the product for a stronger color.

Like I said in my last post about lipstain, you need to prep your lips before application. I find this to be essential. If your lips are not in good condition, this product is not going to apply correctly.

One tip that I have is to condition your lips before hand. Try using a sugar scrub during your shower. Then your lips will be in good condition. The stain will go on more evenly, therefore, last longer.

Revlon's lipstain is a good product. Especially during the summer. When you don't want to be worry about touching up your makeup, or worrying about your favorite lipcolor melting in the heat.

~Manders

*FTC: All items have been purchased by me. All my opinions are honest, and I'm not being paid to review these products.

Lipcolor that Lasts

I always get questions about Lola's makeup. Mostly about the lasting power. Because she works long gigs. Many times, Lola has 4 or 5 costume changes, during 1 show. These are very long shows. Costume changes are less than 2 minutes. Not much time to touch up her makeup.

I rely on long lasting products. One of my favorite products is Covergirl's Outlast lipstain. It comes in a variety of colors. We've tried all of the shades available. They are all beautiful. And are relatively inexpensive. The most expensive I've seen one of these lipstains is $9. Also very easy to find.

I want to share a few tips about wearing a lipstain with you. First, make sure that your lips are exfoliated. And moisturized. Apply a lip balm 10-15 minutes before the lipstain. To ensure that it's completely dry. Before applying the lipstain, ensure that here are no other products on your lips. Like foundation, powder, or facial moisturizers. This will allow the lipstain to set completely.

The application is extremely easy. The marker makes for easy application. And very precise application. If you do happen to make an application mistake, quickly wipe away, before the product dries. If the product does set, use a Q-tip and makeup remover to clean up the mistake.

This is really one of my favorite products to use for Lola. Even for myself. I don't have much time to reapply my makeup with 3 small children. The only downfall to a lipstain is, that it's slightly drying. After the lipstain is completely dry, add a lip balm or clear lipgloss on top. Your lip color will last all day.

~Manders

*FTC: All items have been purchased by me. All my opinions are honest, and I'm not being paid to review these products.

Dollar Tree

After dropping Lauren and Maribel off at dance practice this morning, I decided to go to the Dollar Tree today. I just needed to waste some time while they had practice. I have always LOVED the dollar stores. When I was a kid, I would get so excited to go to the dollar store. Probably because we lived in a mountain community. And when we went to a larger town, I could buy a WHOLE BAG of stuff at the dollar store.

When the Dollar Tree Stores opened around here a few years ago, it just got worse. Because Dollar Tree is a little more high end when it comes to those dollar stores. They sell a lot of resale stuff from Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target. Yes, they do. I had a friend that worked there for a while.

Today, I spent a little over $100. And still don't know how that happened. I bought some small glass containers to use as candle holders. The same ones that you buy at Wal-Mart for $2-3. I also got a little carried away with the dish towels, pot holders, and oven mitts. But they were nice quality ones. That doesn't always happen. I also bought a ton of Fall decoration stuff. My parents are coming down to visit next week. And I thought mom and me could make some things. The ribbon alone was a steal at $1. Hobby Lobby has the same one for $12!!!

But it didn't end there. No it didn't! I got lost in the barrettes for Lauren. And ended up buying her $20 worth. I didn't forget about the G Girls. And spent another $10. Then I got lost in the books and coloring books. I don't buy Lauren toys there. Unless, I have seen the same ones at a store like Target. But books, yes I do. I bought her a bunch because she likes to read.

I also bought makeup. And before you say anything, it is the same stuff you would find at any drugstore. Today was Maybelline day. And I left with 6 mascaras, 5 shadow sticks, and 3 lipsticks. Did I need them? No. But it was a good buy. Things that I can use. It was nice that they were stocking as I was looking. Because the lady let me go through the stuff in the box. You just never know what you are going to find at the Dollar Tree!

~Manders

LashBlast Length Mascara

Here is a mascara that I was sent to test out. I have to say, it is a really good mascara. One that I am shocked is sold in a drugstore. This is CoverGirl's newest mascara. LashBlast Length, an Elasta-Nylon formula. They also claim that this is the longest brush that CoverGirl has had to date.

The brush is flexible. Yet provides great coverage without clumping. A HUGE plus for me! This is a rubber brush. But it gets all of your lashes. While making them longer in length. I have tried this mascara out for a few weeks now. It does not flake off or smudge off. It was clump free for application, and very easy to use.

But it does not hit the market until September. Sorry ladies! It will sell for around $7.50 a tube. And will come in 4 colors: Very Black, Black, Black Brown, and Brown. There will be the original and waterproof formulas as well.

This quickly has become one of my favorite mascaras. I cannot wait for it to hit the market. I think everyone will be very excited to try it out. And if you go to CoverGirl's website on August 17th, you might just be able to pick up a tube. They will be giving them away as a limited preview.

~Manders

*FTC: These items have been sent to me for review. All my opinions are honest, and I'm not being paid to review these products.

Pure Ice Nail Polish

Lola wears this white nail polish fairly often during the summer. For the last 2 summers, every few weeks, I see these gorgeous, white nails. I have searched high and low for the perfect white nail polish. Not a pearlized color. Not a white with hints of color, shimmer, or sparkle. Just a pure white color. I have missed it many times, and now have 5 bottles of "white" nail polish. But not one is the right white.

I finally broke down and asked Lola what brand her white nail polish is. To my surprise, it is Pure Ice. I found it at Wal-Mart today for under $2. I bought 5 colors and the clear coat. A girl has to love her a good deal when she finds one!

While it is not OPI, it is still a good nail polish. I put 2 coats on today and a clear coat. The formulation is smooth and dries rather quickly. It does not bubble, separate, peel off, or glop up. The white is nice and opaque. The perfect color for summertime. This is a great drugstore buy for just under $2.

~Manders

*FTC: All items have been purchased by me. All my opinions are honest, and I'm not being paid to review these products.

Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara

Being a MUA, I get tons and tons of products to experiment with. So does Lola. I think part of it is because I am her MUA and she is the entertainment industry. I figured, from time-to-time, I would share my thoughts about these products.

Between Lola and myself, we received 20 samples of Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Mascara. We each kept a tube and shared the others with friends of ours, that are also makeup lovers.

To start off with, the wand of the mascara has a small motor. Which is supposed to last 3 months. Clever if you think about it. You should replace your mascara every 3 months. This is just a friendly reminder from Maybelline. I used this mascara exclusively for 2 weeks. It wasn't the worst, wasn't the best. But an item that I would not purchase if I was wondering through my local drugstore.

To begin with, your entire eyeball vibrates when you are working with the base of your eyelashes. Not the best feeling in the world. But I got over it quickly. The vibrating wand is supposed to mimic the zig-zag motion that you should be using to apply mascara. You know, when you wiggle the wand, or even your head, to get deep into your eyelashes.

I just wasn't feeling this product. I tried it with the motor running, and without it running. I was still not happy. I tried to be. Because almost 2 years ago, I found another vibrating mascara that I LOVE! This one, not at all. Not even a little bit.

I don't think it was the wand, vibrating or not. Because it was decent. Although, I still wouldn't use it on a client. For fear they would freak out and the wand would end up in the person's eye. On the last day of my experiment, I cleaned off the mascara wand and used it with my Cover Girl Lash Blast. It worked better. I think it is the mascara formulation that I don't like. On one day of my experiment, I got stuck in a little drizzle. To only have my mascara crawling down my face. Raccoon eyes. It was a first for me. I had never, ever had that happen.

In the end, it is a good idea. But not something that I would recommend. The actual mascara formulation leaves so much to be desired. I would say to stick with your favorite mascara and learn how to use your mascara wand. Learn the art of the "wiggle" and don't be afraid to try new things. Even if they leave you disappointed.

~Manders

*FTC: These items have been sent to me for review. All my opinions are honest, and I'm not being paid to review these products.