Mascara shelf life when opened

Recently, I had a client bring her makeup bag into the salon for a makeup application lesson. She liked the makeup colors she had, but didn't really know how to apply them correctly. As I sorted through her makeup, I noticed her mascara looked a bit old. I asked her how old it was. She guessed it was about a year old. We tossed it. She purchased a new one.

Take a look in your makeup bag. Do you know how old your mascara is? Toss it if it's more than 3 months old.   

Mascara has a short shelf life compared to other makeup items. You must replace it about every 3 months.  Bacteria can accumulate easily in the mascara tube and cause eye irritation, even infection, when the contaminated mascara is applied to your lashes. 

Don't try to revive dried out mascara by adding water either. That can also increase the chances of germ contamination.

It's worth spending your money on fresh, safe mascara. You don't have to spend a lot for a decent mascara. There are good inexpensive mascaras that won't break the bank. Wet n Wild Mega Lengths Mascara is a great lengthen mascara that you can find right in your local drug store for under $3. It's one of my favorites.

Read more on opened makeup shelf life

Another mascara tip, don't pump the wand into the mascara tube. This pushes air into the tube drying out the mascara faster.

The makeup bag you see in the picture above is a Vera Bradley large ruffle cosmetic bag. It's big and has a plastic lining in it. It makes a great Christmas gift if you are looking for something girly. Happy shopping!

Have a Beautiful Day!

xo 
Jill

Find me on youtube:

youtube.com/user/juicybeautyword

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

The magnificent Seven Mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica. Look at the color of that water. It amazes me every time!

I needed a really good waterproof mascara for my Jamaica vacation, so I ordered a travel size Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara from Sephora to take with me.

I was a little hesitant after reading the reviews. A lot of people don't like it. Many say it's hard to remove, is sticky and smudges. I gave it a go anyway.

I like the packaging. It has what looks like droplets of water on it. Cute!

Is it waterproof?
Honestly, I don't know why this mascara gets bad reviews. You buy a waterproof mascara to be waterproof. This stuff stands up to water like nobody's business!!! Feel free to shower, splash in the pool and in the sea. 

This mascara isn't going to budge and it stayed nice and black all day without fading.

Is it hard to remove? 
You bet it is. It's waterproof! It takes time and work to get it all off. I find if I don't get it all off, the thin film of mascara left on the lashes causes the mascara to clump on the next day's application. Soap and water is not enough to get this mascara off. I like to use olive oil to remove waterproof mascara followed by a facial cleanser. I find oil breaks down the waxy waterproof ingredients really well. Coconut oil is another good oil to use for mascara removal.

Click here for tips on using olive oil as makeup remover

Does it smudge?
As for smudges, smears and running, I had zero. 

Is it sticky?
It's a little sticky for me before it's dry. It's also sticky during the removal process. 

Is it hard to apply?
I've worked with many mascaras. Some take patience to apply. People have said in their reviews that this mascara is difficult to apply and it clumps. Mascaras that are waxy can take longer to dry and stick lashes together easily. This is a waxy waterproof mascara. Use patience. Apply thin coats waiting a few minutes between coats. Pull the lashes straight from base to tips and don't wiggle the mascara wand to help prevent the lashes from sticking together. Use a lash comb or dry mascara spoolie to separate lashes that are stuck together while they are wet. 

This mascara dried fine for me even in the tropical Jamaican air and it didn't irritate my eyes at all.

Does it lengthen? 
It lengthened my lashes! Here are my lashes with two coats.

Do the lashes hold a curl? 
My lashes stayed beautifully curled, better than with most mascaras. The wetter they got, the less curl they had, but still, some curl remained. 

The brush.

The brush has an hourglass shape, which seems to be a kind of popular shape right now, to give coverage, add volume and lengthen. The brush worked fine for me.

I think this mascara is a fantastic waterproof mascara. The removal process would get on my nerves for everyday use, though. I will use it for vacation and on brides for sure. Everyone is different and has different mascara preferences. You have to try it for yourself to see how it works for you. Keep my application and removal tips in mind when you do try it. 

The full size mascara is $23.00 and the travel size is $12.00 at Sephora. I recommend purchasing the less expensive travel size to try, of course.

Ingredients:
Isododecane, Paraffin, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Beeswax/Cera Alba/ Cire d'Abeille, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Pentaerythrityl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Talc, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Copernicia Cerifera Cera/ Cire De Carnauba, Polybutene, Water/Aqua/Eau, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Hoya Lacunosa Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

Cruelty free!
Do you know what else is great about this product? Too Faced products are not tested on animals. Many brands including Maybelline, Covergirl and Lancome are tested on animals.

Here are some links to check your brands:

Beauty without Bunnies

Leaping Bunny

Beautypedia

Logical Harmony

Have a Beautiful Day!

xo

Jill

Milani Everyday Eyes Powder Eyeshadow Collection

Holiday time is upon us. That means it's time for looking your very best for all those parties and get togethers. You don't have to spend a lot of money to create a new holiday look. This nice little plum eye shadow palette from Milani caught my eye at my local CVS for $9.99. Luckily for me, it was on sale 40% off!

I couldn't pass it up. The colors look great in the palette but you never know how they are going to go on.
 Here they are on my medium beige skin.

From the top- 1: base, 2: contour, 3: lid, 4: crease, 5: specialty, 6: liner. There is a handy little application guide on the palette that you can follow if you want to. 

I always start my eye shadow application by priming my eyelids with Urban Decay Primer Potion. It's my secret for making any brand of eyeshadow wear well and look bolder and clearer in color. 

Click here for how to use Urban Decay Primer Potion!

The Review:
The shadows go on a little sheer but most of them will build up for a more intense color. I was expecting the crease color to look a little bolder on than it did, though. The shimmery lid color and specialty glitter color stay sheer. The shadows go on smooth and are very powdery so expect some fallout onto the under eye area during application. Be sure to tap your brush off before you apply the shadow or try using a sponge applicator for less fall out. The little brush that comes in the palette is just okay. I prefer using my favorite shadow brush or a sponge applicator. The shadow worn well throughout the day with very little fading and no creasing. The shadow did not irritate my eyes at all. It's a good product for the price. Here's how it looks on my eyes. (I didn't follow the application guide)

There are 6 Milani Everyday Shadow color palettes to choose from- 01 Must Have Neutrals, 02 Bare Necessities, 03 Smokey Essentials, 04 Plum Basics, 05 Earthy Elements, and 06 Vital Brights. All of the palettes have really nice colors.

Ingredients:
Mica (CI 77019), Talc, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Tin Oxide, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Poloxamer 338, Silica. +/- May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
*Ingredients may vary by shade.





Glitter Tip!
I love a glittery shadow but pretty much with any brand, Milani included, glitter ends up falling onto the face. Use a piece of tape wrapped around your finger to lift the unwanted glitter off of your skin.

You may also like Wet n Wild 10 Pan Studio Eye Shadow Palette. Click Here.

Have a Beautiful Day!

xo 
Jill

Find me on youtube:

youtube.com/user/juicybeautyword

Wet n Wild 10-Pan Studio Eyeshadow Palette

I am still preparing for my Jamaica trip. I decided I don't want to take my fancy, expensive eye shadow palettes with me. They are big and I worry about them cracking during the traveling. A small palette is what I need. This Wet n Wild Studio Palette in Coming in Latte looks perfect!

It's inexpensive, small and the colors look great. There are 10 colors in a variety of finishes. 

The light matte neutral color is good for highlighting the brow bone, there are 5 metallic shimmers, there is a soft matte taupe brown, a very pigmented matte brown, a matte brown with a hint of shimmer and a very pigmented black. The browns are perfect for filling in my brows so I don't have to worry about bringing brow color. Here is how the colors look on my medium beige skin.

The review:
The palette comes with a brush which isn't bad. I find the shadows go on smooth and the color is buildable. There is a bit of powdery fallout. They wear well on me but I always prime my eyelids with my favorite Urban Decay Primer Potion no matter what eyeshadow I use. I think it helps any eyeshadow wear well. I really like this Wet n Wild Palette. It's perfect to take on vacation and it's a great deal for just $6.99!

10-pan Studio Eyeshadow Ingredients:
Talc, Nylon-12, Dimethicone, Ethyl Macadamiate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polybutene, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glycerin, o-Cymen-5-ol, Tocopherol, Polyacrylamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, [+/- (MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR): Mica, Black 2/CI 77266, Carmine/CI 75470, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Manganese Violet/CI 77742, Red 40 Lake/CI 16035, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891] (0714) 

There's another Wet n Wild Studio Palette in shades of mauves and grays called QuartzCenter. The colors look nice in that palette too.  Find Wet n Wild products at drugstores and wetnwildbeauty.com

You may also like Milani Everyday Eyes Powder Eyeshadow Collection. Click here.

Have a Beautiful Day!

xo 
Jill

Find me on youtube:

youtube.com/user/juicybeautyword

Buxom Shimmer Shock Lipstick

It's time for my annual Jamaica vacation which means I am on the hunt for fun makeup items to take with me. One product I am always hunting for is a shimmer lipstick. Nice shimmers can be tough to find. Matte is the trend and it looks fabulous on full young lips, but the saturated flat color in a matte lipstick doesn't flatter smaller, thinner, older lips. Older lips (or anyone with small, thin lips) need the dimension and shine that a shimmer lipstick gives to reflect light and create the illusion of bigger, fuller lips. I'm not talking about that old fashioned heavy frost lipstick. I'm talking about a reflective shimmer. Plus, I love sexy lips shimmering in the sun on the beach! 

Sure, there are plenty of lips glosses out there that shimmer and shine, even plumping glosses, but they have a sticky feel and hair blowing in the Caribbean trade winds sticks to the lip gloss. I hate that! I discovered Buxom Shimmer Shock lipstick. 

I think it's just what I'm looking for! It's supposed to provide multi dimensional shimmer, color and shine in a light weight gel formula. 

Sounds perfect, right? I purchased Atomic Allure -magenta flash online from Sephora for $18.00.

It feels great on my lips! Not sticky at all. It has lots of shine and small flecks of glitter. The color is buildable. One coat is a sheer shimmer. Add more coats and the color becomes deeper. 

This is not a long wearing lipstick but the Atomic Allure seems to stain my lips a little bit which is okay with me. My lips are going to look shimmery sexy!!!

Atomic Allure Ingredients:

Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Polybutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dipentaerythrityl Pentaisononanoate, Synthetic Wax, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Lecithin, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Manganese Violet (Ci 77492), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140).

You can find Buxom Shimmer Shock Lipstick at Sephora and Ulta in their stores and online. 

xo

Jill

Have a Beautiful Day!

Find me on youtube:

youtube.com/user/juicybeautyword