Thursday 20 December 2007

Two mascaras to dance in

Lancôme Cils Design Pro

This stuff is remarkable. The price is rather startling, but its effect on my lashes is so good, and such an important feature of the look I'm trying to achieve, that it's worth the money. It's not labelled as waterproof, but I've subjected it to hours of energetic dancing in sweaty conditions, plus a few tears before bedtime (nothing major, just sentimental selfpitying stuff), and it's been perfectly unmoved. I've even absentmindedly slept in it, and not looked like a panda in the morning. This applies to both the 'define-and-lengthen' part and to the 'custom design lash effect,' which is a bit like painting in acrylics. I bought mine at the end of June, I generally wear it twice a week (just for dancing), and there's plenty left.

Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof

I have subjected this not just to dancing but to a proper hide-in-the-loos session of exhausted weeping, and it stuck to its post. Its effect on the lashes is just ordinary, but it's cheap and very reliable.

I also use this stuff:

L'Oréal Touche Magique liquid concealer

I use this as an undercoat on my eyelids, and it stops eyeliner doing the panda thing. It's cheap and readily available in a colour that matches my skin very well, and it comes in a rather well-designed pen-shaped package with an integral brush. I use very little eyeshadow, but it stops that moving too.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very useful. I find the age of the mascara as important as the brand. A claggy brush is hopeless.

For eyeshadow I love Stila. It sheds everywhere, but there is something charming about the end-of-the-evening look. Perhaps this indicates a secret love for the Courtney Love dishevelled look?

tangobaby said...

Oooh, Ms. Hedgehog,

You have been taken in by the Maybelline Marketing Cabal. Mention Great Lash in makeup artist circles and you will get venomous commentary on how it smears AND flakes. Unless they are making a superior product in the UK, I am going to have to disagree on that one. Maybelline does make two other mascaras that are worth tossing that pink and green tube for: Full 'N Soft and Lash Discovery with its cool little brush that is great for the lower lashes especially. Other good low-priced brands are the Rimmel Eye Magnifier and Boots Maximum Volume, imho.

If you want to try another higher priced mascara, give Lancome Hypnose a try. And I lust YSL Faux Cils.

Jo is correct. Mascaras at the MOST should be kept for three months, but I usually toss mine around 6 weeks. You can always blot the brush on a tissue, especially if its a new tube, so keep from applying too much product at once.

msHedgehog said...

Mine's not pink and green, oddly, it's pink and black. The contents could well be different. But the name is what it says on it. It can flake a little bit but it doesn't really smear. On the other hand, I don't use it much any more.

There's no way I'm going to throw something away that still works just as well as it always did, and was outrageously expensive. What's the point of buying it if you're not going to use it? The brushes are fine, and any germs on there are entirely what was on my lashes in the first place :)