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

Smashbox Burlesque Set

I've had a few friends ask me about the holiday collections that are coming out. One that I would not pass up, would be the Smashbox "Burlesque Set."



Especially if you've never tried Smashbox Cosmetics. This is a GREAT buy! And you get a little of everything. I personally have this case. And I'm a fan. It's a great buy, and you get to play with so much makeup! I'd say, add it to your "Santa Wish List."

~Manders

Packing

Yes, I'm packing. For a family of 5. And I don't know what to do. I feel very overwhelmed! How many suitcases is proper for 2 adults and 3 kids? I'm not sure. But I've already got 3 suitcases and 2 bags. I still haven't packed for Billy and I.

Um, that means all the clothes he needs for the shows. And all my makeup and hair stuff for Lola. Plus our regular clothes and toiletries. I feel like we're going to show up and all of our friends are going to look at us like we've lost it! But what do I do? We've got lots of needs.

Usually when we travel, Billy and I each have a bag of just work stuff. That's 2 bags of work gear! And I think I'm finally realizing that our twins need more luggage then the rest of the family. I just hope I get all the packing done on time. I think I have 5 days to finish.

I just hope I don't forget anything! I mean we need rails for the beds. You know, for our kids. And their toys. All sorts of clothes, diapers, etc. You know how that is. But when is too much, really too much? Did I mention that I need to take my breast pump too?

~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.

Lisa Makes Me Smile

I really enjoy watching Lisa's videos. She has such a soothing voice. And she is someone who really loves to take care of herself.

In a lot of ways, I'm like that too. I think half of being a good mother and wife, is being able to take some time out for yourself. You need to be happy and healthy before you can take care of screaming babies and hungry husbands. :)

Another thing I enjoy about Lisa, is that she is genuine. Not many of the big "gurus" on YouTube are that way. But Lisa is honest and sincere. I really do love that about her! Also, she has some wonderful ideas about makeup. It's making my shopping list a little lengthy. But there are some great recommendations. :)

~Manders

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

So Fun

As a MUA and makeup loves in general, I really enjoy fresh new makeup ideas. Fun things. Not necessarily your "every day" makeup. And I really enjoy this look by Sara.

To be honest, I really enjoy Sara's videos. I think she is a natural talent when it comes to makeup. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of myself. That might be why I enjoy her videos so much. But she is a lot of fun to watch. I really like her style.

~Manders

Audrey Hepburn

I can't lie, I haven't been feeling too glamorous lately. Until I seen Carly's new video. I know it's late. I'm in my pjs, covered in baby spit up. But I feel inspired to play with some makeup. You know, before my son wakes up for his midnight feeding. I just love this makeup look!

~Manders

Lauren's Makeup Chair

I'm a very lucky lady! Billy had Lola design my makeup room and bathroom, after Lauren was born. And we were still in TX. It's beautiful! And perfect. In every way. It's a bordeaux style room. Pink, black, and white. Gorgeous! With everything cute and girly.

She thought of everything. The vanity, the storage, comfy chairs, beautiful decor, the most beautiful color! It's amazing. And I've loved it for all these years. But now that Lauren is getting bigger, she likes being in there more and more. She likes to watch me get ready. And likes to watch when I work with Lola.

So I've been on a mission to find Lauren a chair. Something that matched the room. But was comfy for my little girl. And I found the perfect chair. When I was talking to Billy about this chair, he suggested that I buy a couple. H told me that he'd place the order. And he bought 6! 3 for my Makeup Room. And 3 for my closet.

There was a perfect space to put them in. And now, I can have my girls in my Makeup Room and my closet with me. And if my friends are over, and we're just hanging out, we have enough seating. And they are so comfy!

I know it might seem excessive. Especially at $200 a piece. But my Makeup Room is large. And so is my closet. Lauren and I enjoy playing in mommy's things. And when my friends come over, lots of times we just like to dress up. And have fun. So these chairs are going to be perfect!

~Manders

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.

I Want to Shop at MAC

I have been dreaming of the MAC store for a few days now. I want to go shop at the MAC store. The closest one to me is 3 hours away! And I probably won't get to it for another 2 weeks. If not longer! The MAC website leaves a lot to be desired. Since they changed it, I am not happy with it. I try to avoid it as much as possible. There is a MAC counter a little over an hour away. But it is not the same. And the MUA are not very pleasant to deal with. If I'm in a pinch, I go there. But right now, I would like to go to the MAC store. I can't wait until October, when I get to go to the MAC Pro-Store!

~Manders

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

Spontaneous Nail Polish

I've been looking for the perfect lavender color. Today, I picked up China Glaze in Spontaneous. It is a gorgeous color. Like all China Glaze colors, this has a good coverage. The formula is smooth and dries quickly and evenly. I polished my nails with 2 coats and a clear topcoat. No bubbles or smudges to be found. Just a beautiful opaque lavender color.

This product is also a good standing nail polish. I polished my nails around noon. I went on to clean the kitchen and the bathrooms. Really scrubbing things with no gloves. And I have done dishes twice. There is not a nick or a chip to be found on a single nail.

This is a good polish. I can see myself wearing it to a variety of events. The color is a sophisticated lavender with no sparkles, shimmer, or hints of other colors. I bought is at Sally Beauty for just over $3 with my beauty card. Which is another good purchase. For $5 you get a beauty card that is good for a year. You get a coupon for $5 the following month. And coupons and special offers all year long. Most, if not all products, are also cheaper with the card.

~Manders


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

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.

A Beautiful Wedding

We just got home. Billy is putting Lauren to sleep. She is so exhausted! And was happy for nap time today. As we all are! But yesterday was such an amazing day! Once I got to the suite that they had rented, I got organized. That is the key to a successful day! I remember that much from school and my training. I was 30 minutes early, and happy when 6 women showed up early. I got to setting hair in rollers. And by 10:30AM all the hair was done. Except the little girls. We decided it was best to wait until the last possible minute for them.

The women definitely had my heart. They were so excited when I pulled out the air-brush. The same way Lola and I had gotten excited when I first got it. The makeup was also very easy to do. Hispanic women have the most amazing skin. There complexions need very little help. And really, we were going for the natural, summery look. Lola worked on little girls while I perfected the bride. We were completely ready and dressed, out the door and in the cars 3 minutes early!

I don't think I have ever known of a wedding to be on-time. But these women were amazing. And everything was so super organized. I credit Lola for that. She never leaves any detail undone. Even the dresses were hung out on these gorgeous racks. The room looked beautiful. How many times can you say that?

They took pictures before and after the wedding. The guys were first. Then they were ushered into the church. The girls took a lot of beautiful pictures too. The ceremony was gorgeous! With mariachis and everything. The groom, a rather large guy, cried the entire time his bride walked down the aisle. It was too sweet! The guys wore mariachi suits instead of tuxedos. It was really pretty. After the ceremony, the large wedding party took pictures for about an hour and a half. They took pictures in a grassy area behind the church. It was filled with hills. And Nico has such imagination. He grouped them in small groups on various hills. Then went out and snapped a bunch of shots. The wider shots had all of these people, but it was so beautiful and simple. I wish I had one to post. It was just a neat idea!

The reception was dream-like. The tables were amazing! Lola had been helping them get everything together. And she has a good eye. Back in February, our Wal-Mart stopped selling fabric. Right before, they put everything on sale. And she had Amelia buy bolts of fabric in the colors of the wedding. She helped them make the table linens out of this fabric. Then they bought a bunch of white candles, all sizes and shapes. And the tables were decorated with candles, a couple of mirrors, and varying heights of glass vases with the flowers. The lightening of the hall was amazing. And with the candlelit, it was magical!

The food was so good too! And baby was cooperating last night. So I got to enjoy every last bite of food. The dessert plate was my favorite. And Lauren's too! The desserts were mini Mexican desserts. Simply love! The cake was gorgeous. It was a replica of the church they got married in. With lights and everything! WOW! And the gift at the end of the night. Prepare yourselves for this. Was a candy bar!!! A table with glass vases of various sizes and heights. Filled with candy in the colors of the wedding. We were each given a heart shaped tin to fill with our favorites.

But the best part of the night was the dance. Lauren danced the night away. She and Little M, M, Little S, Little A, and a bunch of little girls danced together. They were too adorable. Billy and I danced too! It reminded us of our wedding day. We ended up not leaving until the dance ended at 2AM. Then we went with some friends to IHOP for breakfast. It was a day that we never wanted to end.

Billy and I had so much fun! Our wedding and theirs couldn't be more different. We had a small wedding, 3 other couples besides ourselves. They had 20-25? Our wedding was small, intimate, and a country style wedding. Theirs was posh and overflowing with everything. But it was so nice. We have met many new friends that we will have for a lifetime!

All the best wishes for the Newlyweds!

~Manders

A Beautiful Day for a Wedding

Today is Amelia's wedding. I for one, am very excited! Lauren and I each got a new dress. Mine is white and strapless, with kelly green accents. I am going to wear emerald jewelry and some fun sandals. Lauren's dress is pink and green polka dots. She is very proud that she will match the wedding colors. Billy is wearing a nice suit with a tie to kinda match my dress.

I am really excited about the whole gig though. Not for the money. I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about finances. But I am excited about getting back to work. So much so, I couldn't sleep last night. Billy thought it was very cute. All my cases are packed. My brushes are ready to work some magic. Lola packed up all of her things too. She is funny like that. Lola has her own brushes and stuff for me to use just for her. :)

Now, I just have to wait. Billy is making breakfast. And Lauren is sleeping. We rented a room near where the reception is being held. For 2 reasons. There will be a place for Billy and Lauren to rest before the wedding while I am working. And so we don't have to drive the hour drive home at 1AM. It's all set.

I am just anxious. The group of woman are amazing. Everyone is so up beat and excited for the big day. In total, I will be working on 40 ladies, and I think it was 10 girls. I can't really remember now. I call it "pregnancy brain!" But it shouldn't be too tough. I will work on the moms, and grandmas first, then the bride, Lola, then the other women, and finally the girls. Lola has already offered to help me with the girls. And I am so grateful. But we should have plenty of time. We are meeting at 8AM and have to be ready for pictures at 1PM. I will do hair first, then makeup.

All of the bridal party is getting pretty much the same hairdo. Amelia picked out a nice summery up-do. The toughest one, will probably be Lola. She has such long hair. And Little S. Not for the hair, but for the scarf. But I am excited!

~Manders