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FOR THE FELLAS: SCENTS WOMEN WILL LOVE

There are two kinds of guys out there- the laid back guy and the metro guy. They both wake up every morning with VERY different routines. One will probably throw on a pair of Nike shorts and an old school tshirt. The other takes his time to iron his button down shirt and put on his tailored pants. One thing that both these guys have in common, laid back or metro, is that they put on their cologne before heading out the door.

The cologne a man wears says a lot about them. From the packaging to the brand, you can tell a lot about a man by their scent. I may not be a guy, but I do know what scents I love. After doing a study on male beauty products, I learned that men have strong brand loyalty towards their cologne. My advice to the guys out there is to find a scent that makes you stand out (this goes for the laid back guys out there as well!). If you’re out meeting a girl up, you don’t want to reek of the Curve cologne that 99% of the guys out there are wearing. Make a statement with your scent. Here are my picks for two colognes that women will LOVE and men don’t try enough:

CREED Green Irish Tweed:

The fragrance will run you around $270 at a luxury retailer, but you can find them for around $120. My recommendation is to go to a discount fragrance shop by you and ask them if they carry the cologne. From my experiences, most do. This way you can see the fragrance in person because sometimes the bottles sold online aren’t the real deal. You’re probably thinking in my head, “who has that much money to spend on cologne?!” and even if you did, “why is it worth so much?!” Here’s why…

The CREED dynasty of fragrances were founded in 1760 and have been named and worn by everyone from Hollywood stars, business legends, and political leaders. My personal fav is the scent Green Irish Tweed. It’s a quality scent that has been recently said to be worn by everyone from George Clooney to 50 Cent. Ladies, if you have an anniversary or birthday coming up for your man, get a gift that he will love and you’ll benefit from as well, buy your man CREED! To learn more about the history behind CREED, the key ingredients that make the product so luxurious, and to view the entire line (including cologne AND perfume), go to CREED Boutique.

Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme:

For those of you who saw the price of the CREED cologne and were over this posting, I highly recommend you try out YSL L’Homme! The price point is MUCH more reasonable, especially for the quality of the fragrance.The cologne is crisp but still has the masculine ingredients men are looking for. It can be worn from work to happy hour to dinner to a night out. Oh and might I add, girls will LOVE this scent! 

COMING SOON: The colognes above are both classics- two fragrances for year round usage. For the men out there looking for the newest fragrances that perfect for summer, stay tuned!

What’s YOUR fav. fragrance?!

OVERRATED VS. UNDERRATED: MASCARA EDITION

Being the makeup addict that I am, I have tried all sorts department store and drug store mascaras. I am def a sucker for a good marketing campaign.  L’Oreal Paris, CoverGirl, and Revlon have some great commercials and brand ambassadors that draw me to their product (I wonder if the celebs endorsing the products actually use them?). I’m also a sucker for glam packaging which most of the luxury mascaras dominate over the cheapo mascaras (YSL, how are you SO beautiful?). 

Although ads and packaging are fun and great, a mascaras quality is what truly matters. Everyone is generally looking for a mascara that 1)thickens 2)lengthens and 3)curls their lashes. Here is just a few I’ve tried and my thoughts:

• Clinique High Impact Mascara- The formula was WAY too dry for me.
• Maybelline Falsie- It clumps my lashes together and hard to get off.
• Maybelline Great Lash- This mascara is always in magazines as a celeb/beautician fav. and is also super affordable.
• MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash- You would think for a brand that was known to be dramatic, they would produce one quality mascara!
• L’Oreal Paris Voluminous- It used to be my fav. but I realized it clumped my lashes more than making them voluminous.
• Revlon Grow Luscious Waterproof- I am NOT a fan of waterproof mascaras.
• YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils- What perfect packaging right? The whole idea behind this mascara is the “fake lash” look but doesn’t do much for thickening of lashes and focuses on lengthening. I think it is way too expensive too!
• Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara- I tried it because a friend suggested it and didn’t think it gave me length or volume. All this mascara gave me was a headache because it wore off super fast!
• Lancome Hypnose-I’m a fan because it makes my lashes look even longer than they already are, but for the price? No thanks.
• Lancome Definicils-It separates lashes well, but I would use Hypnose before Definicil.

Everyone reacts to mascaras in different ways depending on the type of lashes they have. That being said, I think it’s important to describe my lash type before sharing my picks for most overrated and underrated products. I have long, thin lashes so when I am in search of a mascara I look for one that will make my lashes more voluminous. It’s important to pick a mascara that caters to YOUR individual lash needs and NOT just by what your friend or favorite celeb wears for the best results. 

OVERRATED: DIORSHOW BY CHRISTIAN DIOR

It’s not that I don’t think this is a good mascara, it’s just that I don’t think it is worth the price. DiorShow is more about showing off the Christian Dior brand name than anything. Also, the mascara dried out fairly quick within the tube (so annoying). Although this mascara doesn’t flake or smudge, I find it useless for lash thickening. All in all, this product has been way too hyped up by magazines and the world. I just don’t get/agree with the obsession. 

UNDERRATED: LASH BLAST BY COVERGIRL

Not in a million years did I think that I would find my fav. mascara from my local CVS. CoverGirl Lash Blast mascara perfectly separates my lashes, thickens them, and gives just the right amount of curl. It is SUPER affordable and doesn’t dry up easily. The formula is wet but not runny at the same time. It doesn’t smudge and is not a pain to get off. For those of you who have the same issue as me and need a mascara that will thicken your lashes without leaving any sort of clump, this is the one! P.S I’m not a fan of the waterproof version because it is much harder to get off. If you are trying this product for the first time, make sure to get the original one (NOT the waterproof) and see if it meets your needs.

COMING SOON: 5 MUST-KNOW TIPS WHEN APPLYING YOUR MASCARA

What mascara works for YOUR lash type? 

LOOK AIRBRUSHED: THE PERFECT FOUNDATION

I’m not personally a fan of foundation, especially on a daily basis. I think my powder gives me enough coverage (without looking caked on). That being said, there are some occasions where it’s fun to add a little more makeup on your face! I was in search for the perfect foundation. I wanted something that 1) was light 2) provided full coverage 3) matched my skin tone 4) made my skin look flawless/airbrushed. Here are a few that I went through: 

1. MAC Satin Finish 2. L’Oreal Paris True Match 3. Origins Stay Tuned 4. YSL Perfect Touch

When I worked at L’Oreal last summer in NYC, I got the opportunity to experiment with so many different brands and products that I had never tried before. That is when I came across my favorite foundation. Here it is: 

MY FOUNDATION OF CHOICE: GIORGIO ARMANI FACE FABRIC

This foundation feels like a mousse and blends unbelievably well with my skin. It feels SO light and easy to apply with your fingers. I know that’s probably against the makeup gurus rules, but I love using my fingers to apply makeup. It does what no brush can do for me (and is more affordable!). I love the matte finish, and the coverage is phenomenal. When I look at pictures of myself the nights I wear this foundation, I really do feel like I’ve been airbrushed. The downside of the product is that it is pricey, but because I only wear foundation on rare occasions, I still have the original bottle I got last summer in NYC! 

Do you wear foundation?

BOBBI MAKES THE BAGS GO AWAY: BEST CONCEALER

A problem area for many girls is dark circles or bags under their eye. Personally, the area around my eye is darker than the rest of my face. I have been in search for a great concealers. What I look for in a concealer is 1. coverage 2. glow 3. texture. I have extremely dry skin, so when I am in search for a good concealer, I prefer those that are liquidy and feel moisturizing (for those who have oily skin may prefer a stick). I have tried EVERY concealer out there. Here are a few:

1. YSL Touche Eclat 2. Lancôme Maquicomplet 3. Mac Select Cover-up 4. Mac Studio Finish

I would get disappointed because none would have all three things I was looking for. If it made the bottom of my eyes glow, it didn’t give full coverage or if it did give full coverage, it dried up my skin. I heard AMAZING things about YSL Touche Eclat and was ecstatic to try it. It wasn’t working for me, but I have heard others disagree with me. It has received great reviews (not to mention the packaging is perf).

Last summer when I was in NYC, a friend asked me to do her make up. Since our complexion was so different, I couldn’t use my make up on her so she brought hers. This is where I discovered my new favorite concealer. It gave her the most amazing glow (due to the loose powder attached on the bottom), coverage, and had the most creamy texture. I went to the mall THAT day to try it on myself, and I discovered they had different shades to match my complexion #truelove

MY CONCEALER OF CHOICE: BOBBI BROWN CREAMY CONCEALER KIT

UPDATE: THE PACKAGING FOR THIS PRODUCT HAS CHANGED BUT IT WORKS THE SAME WAY. IF YOU GO TO A BOBBI BROWN COUNTER AND THE CONCEALER LOOKS AS THOUGH IT DOES NOT HAVE THE ATTACHED POWDER, DON’T BE TRICKED. THE NEWLY PACKAGED VERSION IS ACTUALLY MORE PRACTICAL FOR THE GIRL ON THE GO!

Which concealer works best for you?