Cute Makeup Tips

Back in October of 2008, Makeup Junkie tested and reviewed 10 must-have mascaras and we had a blast doing it! We've gone and tested more mascaras just in time for the hot, sweaty, summer season. If you've been searching for the perfect mascara and don't want to dish out a lot of money to do it, read on because we've got you covered! (Results may vary and can perform differently on everyone.)

Mascara: Stila Convertible Mascara
Rating: 9.5 winks
Price: $22 USD
Special Feature: Innovative polymer formula encases each lash with smudge-proof, water-resistant tubes. Double-ended brush: large brush volumizes and defines while thinner brush defines the lower and harder-to-reach lashes.
Smudge-factor: none!!
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: Definitely
Wand: Medium and thin brush
For: Gals who want everything out of a mascara with extra definition.
Overall: I've never tried any mascaras from Stila and was pleasantly surprised that this mascara performed so amazingly! You get it all plus it's one of the few mascaras that didn't smudge or smear after a long day at work. I would have given it a perfect 10, but washing the "mascara tubes" can get a little messy. Expect to invest an extra 5 minutes cleaning the tubes off.

Mascara: Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara
Rating: 6.5 winks
Price: $24 USD
Special Feature: Waterproof version of the cult classic, Dior Diorshow Mascara. Big fat wand for big fat lashes.
Smudge-factor: yes, very smudgy - boo!
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: extreme
Wand: Big fat brush
For: Gals who want big volume, dramatic lashes, and don't normally smudge.
Overall: I was sadly disappointed in this must-have cult fave. Big voluminous lashes - check. Smudgy-smeared mess - check! I figured the water-proof version would not smudge but I couldn't be anymore wrong. I really loved how dramatically long and full my lashes looked but hated the smeary mess it made throughout the day. I found the big fat brush quickly coated my lashes but it was hard not to get the mascara all over my lids. The icing on the cake - the high price tag. All in all, gals who don't have a problem with smearing will love the big faux lash effect but you can probably get the same effect for cheaper.

Mascara: Flirt! Lash-A-Delic in Groovy Blue
Rating: 8 winks
Price: $14 USD
Special Feature: Buildable colour and definition.
Smudge-factor: no
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: natural volume but buildable
Wand: medium wand
For: Gals who want electric colour and fun, bold lashes.
Overall: Love! Adding a bright colour on the lashes adds an element of surprise. It's unexpected and gives a fun twist on your everyday makeup. Groovy Blue is bold but really makes brown eyes pop! If wearing blue on its own is too bright for you, swipe this over your favourite black mascara to tone down the blue. You'll love the volume, lift, and definition this mascara gives you - and not to mention the hot pink packaging! Also available in Boogie Brown and Mod Black.

Mascara: Benefit BADgal Waterproof Mascara
Rating: 6.5 winks
Price: $19 USD
Special Feature: Waterproof version of the best-selling original, BADgal Mascara. Waterproof and smudge-proof formula that gives you the same voluminous effect as the original.
Smudge-factor: yes!
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: yes
Wand: medium wand not like the original fat brush
For: Gals who want lushes lashes while singin' in the rain. Good for those who don't have a problem with smudging.
Overall: Another mascara I had high hopes for. I definitely preferred this brush over the original one because it was easier to coat each lash without the mess. I also liked the lift and volume it gave. I did NOT like the smeary mess it made. It's not fun walking around thinking you look great only to discover hours later that you have mascara smeared all over your bottom lash line. I guess I'm just not one of the lucky ones who don't have smudging issues!


Mascara: CARGO blu_ray Mascara
Rating: 7 winks
Price: $20 USD
Special Feature: Comb-like brush allows for extra definition and a natural finish. Made for high-definition film.
Smudge-factor: a little
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: natural but buildable
Wand: comb-like wand
For: Gals who want extra definition and natural volume.
Overall: You can expect good lift and no clumping with this mascara. The comb-like brush also allows you to get right to the root and those hard-to-reach lashes. If you like a natural finish then this mascara is great, but if you want more volume you can add a few more coats. But if volume is what you want then just go with a volumizing mascara. The mascara smeared a little but surprisingly not as bad as the waterproof brands. While it gave good lift on first application, my lashes did start to droop throughout the day. Bottom line, for those who have naturally voluminous lashes and just want a natural finish and extra definition, then this mascara gets the job done.

Mascara: Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara
Rating: 7.5 winks
Price: $22 USD
Special Feature: A multi-effect volume mascara that is formulated with hard waxes and synthetic polymers. Creamy formula conditions lashes.
Smudge-factor: a little
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: yes
Wand: medium wand
For: Gals who love volume and want to reapply without the clumps.
Overall: I am a huge fan of Anastasia's brow line and was excited to try this mascara. The mascara gave instant volume and lift from the first swipe. I was able to reapply more mascara for extra volume without clumping. It smeared just a bit on the outer corner but nothing too noticeable. All in all, it's a good mascara but you can probably get the same results with a cheaper brand.


Mascara: CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe Mascara
Rating: 7 winks
Price: $8.99 CDN
Special Feature: Blackest-black formula, now tinted with luxe shimmers. Giant luxe brush helps blast lashes to their biggest, boldest and most beautifully shimmering.
Smudge-factor: a little
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: yes
Wand: fat wand
For: Gals who loved the original LashBlast mascara but want to give their eyes more attention with some shimma'.
Overall: I'm a huge fan of the original LashBlast waterproof formula, however, while it gives you the same big volume, I found the shimmer really subtle. What's the point of a shimmer mascara if you can barely see it? I applied a few more coats and was able to see it shimmer in the right light. It's kind of gimmicky but fun for perking up those lashes for a night time event.

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Stiletto
Rating: 6.5 winks
Price: $9.29 CDN
Special Feature: Elastic formula stretches lashes up to 70% visibly longer in one step. Pro Vitamin B-5 and silk protein strengthen and condition for hi-gloss black-patent shine.
Smudge-factor: a lot
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: yes
Volume: yes
Wand: wand is tapered at the end
For: Gals who want sky-high length and glossy shine.
Overall: This mascara gave good lift and length but nothing extreme compared to other lengthening mascaras. I found the length of my lashes to look the exact same compared to that of a volumizing mascara. I did like the wet glossy finish it gave my lashes but hated how much it smeared and smudged. The tapered brush made coating each lash really easy but overall didn't win me over.

Mascara: Kiehl's Marvelous Mineral Mascara
Rating: 7.5 winks
Price: $16.50 USD
Special Feature: Mineral pigments add natura rich colour. Anacia Senegal thickens for length and volume.
Smudge-factor: none
Clump-factor: none
Lengthening: natural
Volume: natural
Wand: medium
For: Gals who are looking for something all natural for the lashes in every way - natural finish and natural ingredients.
Overall: I like the natural ingredient factor, however, the finish was too natural for my almost non-existent lashes. This is great for the "no-makeup-makeup-look" when going to the gym when you just want a little definition. The volume is buildable but it took several coats before I was satisfied with the volume. At least there are no clumps! Amazingly, it did not smudge. Not sure if that has anything to do with the mineral pigment possibly working like a stain on the lashes.

Mascara: Lise Watier 24 Hrs Glam Mascara
Rating: 4.5 winks
Price: $20 CDN
Special Feature: Elastic polymer formula and Flexi-QueenTM brush surrounds each lash with 3D waterproof film for 24 hour glamourous look. Waterproof and resists sweat, humidity and tears.
Smudge-factor: none but it did flake
Clump-factor: very clumpy
Lengthening: yes
Volume: yes
Wand: medium
For: Gals who want glamourous volume all day and all night.
Overall: Do not attempt a 2nd coat if you want to avoid a clumpy, spidery-mess. It's no joke when they say it's elastic. When I applied a 2nd coat the elastic fibers stuck to each other. It was like stringy cheese! It would also pull some of the first coat off which was very annoying. When I attempted to comb the clumps out, I ended up taking the mascara off instead and had to reapply in some areas. There was no smudging but the mascara did flake a lot. While the lift and volume lasted all day, my lashes looked like a mess.

To view previous mascara reviews click Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and Round 4!

What's #1 on your mascara list? Have you tried any of these? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

Hayden Panettiere, actress and singer, has graced the cover of many magazines this year. Not only does she star in the popular series Heroes she is also the current face of fashion brand Candie's. She always looks gorgeous no matter what she’s up to and she’s definitely following the summer trend of natural, glowing makeup. Here’s how you can achieve a look like hers:


1. Face: Skip the foundation and go for something a little lighter like a tinted moisturizer. There are tons on the market but my fave right now is Dior’s HydrAction Deep Hydration Skin Tint. Not only does it even out skin tone and correct imperfections, it contains SPF 20 to help protect against the sun. Only problem, it comes in 4 shades which may make it difficult to find your perfect match. In that case, try Stila’s Sheer Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Oil Free, which is slightly sheerer but has a higher SPF, perfect for those of you who are sensitive to the sun.

2. Cheeks: For a pretty glow try NARS blush in Torrid, it’s very similar to the ever popular Orgasm but is a little more on the coral side and the gold flecks really stand out. Apply to the apples of your cheeks for that fresh, sun-kissed look.

3. Eyes: Using the new Lancome Brazilian Earth Colors palette, designed by top model Daria Werbowy (who is from Mississauga!), you can achieve a natural but defined eye. Apply the taupe shadow to the full lid and contour with the darkest brown in the crease, don’t go too high on the brow bone as this look is meant to be as natural as possible. Highlight the eyes with the shimmery yellow on the inner corners and on the bottom lash line for extra sparkle. Line the eyes with a dark liner, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Liner in Star Black or Pearly Brown are great options because they are water and sweat resistant. Last step is to apply a few coats of your fave mascara, Dior Diorshow Mascara always does the trick.

4. Lips: Finish off the look with a glossy gloss, try a champagne nude colour like Sephora Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss in Silver Toupe 17.

by Shiv

Designed for makeup artists working in high-definition film, Cargo has created The blu_ray Collection. Product description:

"These products are ideal for filming, photography, bridal makeup, special events and even everyday wear. The product features photochromatic pigments, optical blurring, hyaluronic spheres, ingredients which provide polish and coverage while looking natural."

The collection includes: blu_ray High Definition Mattifier, Pressed Powder, Blush/Highlighter, Mascara, and Gloss palette of 4. At Sephora you can purchase them separately or purchase the whole collection for $59 (CAD)!

If you are a makeup artist then you know how important it is to achieve flawless skin without piling a lot of product on. There are only handful of makeup lines that are specifically for HD film and Cargo is probably the first "consumer" brand that has come out with a collection of HD products. While Cargo may be the first to launch HD products at a consumer level, makeup lines have been refining their formulations over the years so achieving a flawless finish without a lot of makeup is nothing new. I'm curious to see the difference, if any, between Cargo's new line and non-HD makeup (apparently the line was sent to several artists working in high-def to make sure it would perform as it should). Seriously though, is it really necessary to have HD mascara and gloss? A lot of makeup artists anyways use a fine mascara comb to get rid of clumps and there are so many glosses with different formulations now. The shimmer in glosses isn't like way back in the day when the glitter particles were huge. I think I'd be more inclined to buy the whole line if Cargo had created a foundation because that's where the real difference would be. In television, thick pancake makeup is usually used to disguise imperfections and in HD tv is very noticeable.

If you're wondering about the future of HD, it's here to stay. According to an article on Canada.com, "unit sales of HD camcorders worldwide are expected to rocket fivefold to 11 million between now and 2011," according to market researcher IDC. If you think you won't be in HD anytime soon, your time will come soon enough! As much as I love watching the awesome colour quality of HD, I do not want to see my flaws in HD! lol If Cargo's line promises to do what it says, I'll be one happy consumer and makeup artist! I'm sure if the line does well they will keep adding more to the line. The collection may seem gimmicky but I'm all about products that make my skin look better and my job a lot easier! I'll hopefully test it out this week and if all goes well make a purchase! If anyone else tries the line I'd love to hear your feedback! Happy shopping!

Other lines that carry HD products:
Dior's High Definition Serum Foundation - coming out February
Kett Cosmetics
Colour Basis
Temptu
Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation

When you think of Mother's Day you think of flowers, a touching card and brunch right? My all-time favourite way of spoiling my mom when I was growing up was cleaning my room and the entire house. It's a nice thought (can you imagine what my room looked like the rest of the year??) but I'm pretty sure my mother would have enjoyed something a little more tangible that could possibly be found at say - a store! Don't get me wrong - she was always touched by our efforts of making the day special for her plus she never wanted us to spend money on her. I think every mother will tell their kids that but deep down they really want something spectacular (or maybe that's just what I want lol). This Mother's Day is very special for me and many of my friends that have had babies this year because we can officially celebrate it! All that fuss we used to make over our own mother's someone else will be doing the same for us! Oh how sweet it is!

If you want to stay on your mother's good side or want to make sure your significant other stays on your good side, here are some great yummy mummy gift ideas (I'd love to get) to show your love and appreciation. I think I'll have to pass this list on to my babes... ;)

1. For the mother who loves makeup and can't enough of it Sephora has a lot of great palettes like Nars' Artist Palette (#1 on my list!), Lorac's Picture Perfect palette which is a picture frame on the front and makeup palette on the inside (genius!), or Sephora's Summer Blockbuster Palette.

2. My mom has the smoothest skin I've ever seen on a woman of "wisdom". Skincare has always been an important part of her beauty regime and if you're mom is like mine she'll enjoy these wonderful skin care sets like Sephora's Sun Safety Kit which includes all the best sun products Sephora carries (a set I shall have to put on my list), Strivectin's 2 Step Mother's Day Set The Gift of Youth (who doesn't want to look younger?), or Philosphy's Skincare Essentials Kit which comes in their signature cosmetic bags.

3. When my brothers and I couldn't come up with something original we'd get my mom perfume. If your mother or you are a kid at heart and love sweet scented fragrances then Aquolina's Pink Sugar Luxury Set is the perfect choice. If timeless scents are more her style Dior J'Adore Gift Set or Bvlgari Pour Femme Gift Set are great classics. For the fruity and "delicious" DKNY's Be Delicious Mother's Day Coffret smells just like a yummy green apple or one of my favourites Fresh Sugar Lychee Gift Set. If she's a vanilla fiend like me all the Lavanila fragrances are sinfully wonderful. If she's a woman that loves exotic blends that remind her of a tropical island, try Island Michael Kors Hawaii. For the sensual and mysterious woman a favourite of mine has been Gucci Rush or Calvin Klein's Euphoria.

4. Do a spa day either at your favourite spa or something more cozy like at your home with a few other mothers! Have a girly day indulging in spa products like Bliss' Simply The "Zest" Lemon+Sage Spa-in-a-box, The Body Shop's Feet Treat Elite for those hardworking feet, or Cake Beauty's yummy scented Hand Treat Trio for those overworked hands.

5. If you really want to go over the top make a nice gift basket with all her favourite beauty products, music, books etc! Set up a mother's day brunch with her and her closet friends and have it catered. What a perfect way to spend the day!

There are many ways to make Mother's Day a special one so whatever you decide on give it your own twist and make it fabulous!