Reader Confession – We love talking books annnnnd….eyelashes!

Makeup & Skincare Chat ➔ EYES (lashes):

Jenn: Loving all the make up talk; I have been struggling trying to find a new mascara since my go-to was discontinued. I have tried many and am just about ready to give up. So uh Amy I could use some help with that. 

Maryse: Yves St Laurent “Effet Faux Cils” Love it! I’m using Dior Show Blackout (I always fluctuate between the two). I’m always in for which mascara is someone’s holy grail, so let me know. I love trying news ones out. Mascara is a MUST for me and my see-through lashes.

Amy: Maryse! Big Fatty Mascara from Urban Decay…BAM! Instant falsies!!

Maryse: Need!! I love falsies! Especially in mascara form.

Amy: YSL EFC mascara is wonderful, and EFC Shocking in deep black is absolutely *perfect* with smokey eyes. Those two and Urban Decay Big Fatty mascara are staples for me! (Maryse got me hooked on the YSL mascara  )

Cheryl: Really needed a great mascara and can’t wait to try the one’s you both recommended. Thanks!! 

Cheryl: Maryse & Amy- Got the YSL EFC mascara. While at Sephora, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara was rec’d by 3 workers -who said liked better than YSL. Got both since Too Faced was a reward. Also Buxom lip gloss in Mai Tai- yummy orangey summer color. Now off to compare my mascaras. 

Cheryl: tried the 2 mascaras I just bought. Like YSL one, the Too Faced better than sex– not so much- “clumps”.

Amy: I appreciate the input about the Better Than Sex mascara…guess it wasn’t, huh? *snicker*  Oh, and Maryse – I ordered the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara…so excited!! How did UD Big Fatty work for you?

Maryse: Big Fatty will work fine. It takes me about two weeks with a new mascara for it to look right on me. It’s pretty “wet” still, which is the issue with brand new mascaras, but it most certainly makes some crazy thick lashes. Just requires extra care in the separating them. Soon the formula should dry out just enough for me. 

Amy: Mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is my go-to the majority of the time and is not too pricey. If you want to spend a little more, my other favorite is Yves St Laurent “Effet Faux Cils (thanks to a rec from Maryse a while back!). I use that one almost as often as the Better Than Sex mascara.

MARYSE MASCARA UPDATE – MY NEW HOLY GRAIL!!!:

Maryse: Hey I wanna talk about Mascara!!!!!! Okay so my favorite has always been Yves St Laurent “Effet Faux Cils” but OMG I was seeing this pharmacy cheapie mascara raved about non stop on my Facebook feed, and it looked like a copy of Too Faced or something… I can’t remember (I’m REALLY picky about mascara ’cause my lashes are naturally NOT lush and dark – more like transparent and meh) so anyway, I bought it.

I loved it right from the start. This is my new holy grail ➔ L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise (Blackest Black) I get the washable one. I’ve never been able to deal with waterproof.

Desireé: Lash Paradise is EVERYTHING. it’s my holy grail! The primer also works really well if you want super fat lashes!
The fiber XXL nt L’oreal is also fantastic, but requires some patience to build. Worth it, though!
If high end mascaras are your jam, try the Superhero Mascara by It Cosmetics!

Amy: OOH!! My makeup-loving friends…I went to Sephora this weekend and picked up the Urban Decay Troublemaker mascara. HOLY FREAKING MOLY!!!! I thought their Perversion mascara was fantastic, but THIS one is AMAZING!! Seriously, one swipe of the brush and it lived up to its promise of “super fat, super long” *snort* lashes. Now, the sex proof part? Errrrrr…didn’t try that out but I’m sure that lives up to its promise as well. 

Leslie M: Amy, have I been doing it wrong all these years? ‘Cause I gotta say, I’ve never have my eyelashes get mussed up during *ahem* “you know”. *waggles eyebrows and giggles*

Amy: Leslie…honey…EVERYONE should experience makeup-destroying sex in their lifetime. Oh boy, this conversation could go south quickly… *giggle*

Cheryl: And yes Amy, this book has a makeup-destroying sex! Hope she was wearing Troublemaker mascara.

“My mascara stained his chest, wet from my eyes watering, and I wiped it away with one thumb.”

Amy: *fans self* Nope Cheryl, she was most certainly NOT wearing Troublemaker mascara! *giggle*

Tasha J: Mascara. I hate buying mascara. I use it once or twice a year and throw it away and buy a new one every time the occasion arises to use it so I try to just get something cheap. If I ever decide to wear it more regularly, I will keep this one in my pocket too. Because mascara also overwhelms me.

Tasha J: I can’t decide between brown and black mascara (or brownish/black!) even though I already bought black. See? I swear something’s up with me. I can’t focus on anything but driving myself crazy.

Maryse: Tasha J… let me clear one thing up for you. Always black mascara. In fact, the BLACKEST BLACK. 

Amy: Oh my goodness, Tasha…no brown mascara. You want your lashes to stand out. Eye makeup without black lashes is like cake without frosting.

Maryse: P.S. I AM tempted to get the YSL Effet Faux Cils Mascara in burgundy. Supposedly that looks extremely black but when the light hits it, it becomes so pretty… so that would be my splurge. Or… was it YSL blue mascara that did that (super-black then… pretty in the light)? Hrmm… maybe I’ll get both!!

Amy: YES to burgundy mascara. It’s gorgeous! Black lashes with a hint of color, and I’m partial to burgundy and wine colors on the eyes anyways. The burgundy mascara works beautifully with neutral/light taupe eyeshadows.
On the burgundy mascara…just my little opinion, but the best ones look mostly black with just a hint of burgundy. Not the kind that makes people stare like, “huh?” but the kind that is subtle enough that it makes people do a double take and go “whoooooa!” Ya know?

Tasha J: Fine. No brown.  Honestly, I had no idea it was a bad thing! Lol. I’ve never even seen burgundy mascara. I will google it.
sidenote from Maryse: …speaking of blackest black mascara…

bev: As you know I fell down the kdrama rabbit hole which led to the k beauty rabbit hole. So I keep seeing Japanese mascara mentioned. Seriously, you or Amy need to try this cause I won’t.

Amy: bev, I’m not big on waterproof mascara, but it IS necessary at times so I’ll have to give that one a try.

Cheryl: Just found out my son’s girlfriend is going to Japan this summer as a study abroad. She knew about the mascara and said Japanese and Korean women are fanatical with their skin care and have the best products. *side note she is Filipino* She’s going to get me the mascara and some skin care products. Even said her brother was really into korean skin care products after dating a korean girl. Funny she was also wearing this jacket today and she said it was a K-Pop. *small world*

FALSE EYELASHES:

Cheryl: Amy, on a totally different subject, have you ever used fake eyelashes before and if so, do you have a how to video to rec or steps you use? Want to try for a dinner I’m going to tonight.

Amy: Here ya go, Cheryl… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-jigicP1Qvo I love her videos because she wears her eye makeup very, very similar to mine so I can always get new color combo ideas! Cheryl, just FYI…Red Cherry lashes are awesome, especially #43. I *always* have those on hand. 

Cheryl: Thanks so much Amy!!!! Hopefully I can do this…

Cheryl: Amy, used the video you rec’d.. All my friends loved the eyelashes and wanted me to forward the video to them. Loved the look!! Thanks again!! 

Maryse: MY Obsession: My new magnetic lashes. Cutting them into sections make them SO easy to apply, and I found some that are not obnoxiously thick or long. Just natural but better than my own.

Nay: Oh, Maryse–I’ve been meaning to ask you, what brand of magnetic eyelashes did you buy? There are bunches of them on Amazon, and I’d much rather get the ones you recommend than go by reviews that may or may not be real. And did you say you trimmed them down (or maybe cut them into sections?) to make them work better?

Maryse: I bought two different sets. I cut them up into sections (top and bottom) and only wear a couple of pieces for a natural effect on the top. Sometimes I mix the two different styles:

• Oh Beauty! Triple Magnetic Eyelashes <— I wear these the most. ON… they look the most natural.
• And these Ardells 110 Black.

Nay: Thanks, Maryse! I went ahead and ordered the Oh Beauty! ones and I’ll have them on Thursday! I’ll start with those and see how it goes.

Maryse: Nay, you’ll become a pro in NO time. One section at a time. ALSO… I’m still trying to master putting on two sections close to each other because the magnetic pull of the perfectly installed first section, pulls the next section I’m trying to install… right out of my fingers.
So then I end up with two-three layers of lashes on one section. LOL!!!! *sigh* I’m getting better at it. But with a nice wide section (piece), I can usually get away with only putting on one piece and it still look nice and full (but not crazy).

Maryse: ON NOOOOO!! I saw my most wonderful Oh Beauty! are no longer available. 🙁 SO BUMMED. Lucky they last awhile and I still have mine, but here are another couple of pairs that are similar that I may try next:

• Magnetic False Eyelashes-Ultra Thin 3D Fiber Reusable Best Fake Lashes Extension for Natural Look <— DEFINITELY THESE!! I like the lashes thinner and not so luxurious since I’m going for a fuller BUT NATURAL look for daytime…
• Triple magnetized eyelashes, 3D fiber lashes Natural look
• Oh!! And these interest me because of the varying styles (6 styles are light and feathery and 6 styles are heavy and glamorous). I think I would go with Style #27 and Style #32 and possibly style #38. All of these are very light… and I think I’ll start with #32 on my replacement order.

Maria: I LOVE Lash Boost!!!! It is your natural lashes, but longer and fuller! I’m OBSESSED!

Maryse: I want to try it SO bad but I’m afraid of changing my eyecolor…

Maria: I PROMISE you it won’t! Lots of my blue eyed friends have purchased it from me and it hasn’t changed their eye color!