Mascara Musings

If eyes really are the windows to the soul, then eyelashes must be the frames. I don't know about you gals, but I think bad mascara is like cheap exterior paint-- it ends up cracked, chipping and flaky.

(not good)

Ladies, ask yourself: how much money have you spent on your personal quest to find the perfect mascara? How gypped have you felt when, after having finally convinced yourself to spend an ungodly amount of $$$ on a designer mascara that promises to be "the one," you find it doesn't do much more than the cheapo drugstore brand you had to begin with? But you stick it out with the disappointing tube because hey, you spent a lot of money on it. You quietly cross said mascara off the list and vow to try a different brand next time.

I am happy to announce that I have ended my quest once and for all. Here are my top mascara picks as well as ones to avoid. Ladies, I hope this guide saves you some future coin.

To USE:
DiorShow mascara- at $24, it costs a pretty penny, but it WILL NOT disappoint. Totally worth all the hype (and the expense)! The mascara goes on thick but smooth, not clumpy at all. Your lashes don't smush together like with other thickening mascaras either. This was my go-to mascara for over two years, until I found...

Chanel Exceptionnel- at $28, the price is a doozy. I discovered this gem in the RB beauty closet and haven't looked back since. The brush is a six-sided hybrid of a regular, basic mascara brush and the new silicone-bristled versions popular today. It did not leave my lashes too goopy or too dried out, either.

Blinc Eyelash Primer- ($15) I never paid much attention to the eyelash conditioner hoopla because it seemed gimmicky. Truth be told, it still does. But I gave this primer a try under my regular mascara and noticed a big difference. It is enriched with vitamin E and helps create a barrier between lashes and the junk we put on them everyday. It goes on clear (other primers are white) and can be worn alone on light makeup days. Plus, the price is unpretentious.

To LOSE:
Estee Lauder mascara- ($18-21) skip this. Pretty packaging aside, it flaked after one or two hours and made my lashes dry.
Sue Devitt Micro Aquatic mascara- ($22) looked great when first applied, but it felt like it cemented my eyelashes together. I saw no difference between this and a good drugstore brand.
Fiberwig- ($24) cool concept, did build volume, but not worth the hype or the price. This should cost $14. If you're shelling out $$$ for this, opt for Dior or Chanel instead.

Do you have a tried and true favorite? I have to admit, I'm out of the loop when it come to drugstore brands. I hear Maybelline Great Lash Mascara is a terrific bargain buy that delivers. Leave your thoughts below.

xoxo

College English major?
Check.
Obsession with beauty and skincare products?
Check.
One year served as an Editorial Beauty Intern?
Check.
Magazine industry/economy failing on a massive scale?
Checkmate.

Hi, my name is Diana Balan and I'm fucked. Royally.

Welcome folks! Here's the deal: I used to be a beauty intern @ REDBOOK magazine. Best job experience of my life, hands down. I lucked out; My editors trusted me enough to send me to events and assigned me real projects and interviews (shout out to Crys and Cheryl!) Unlike most interns, I was not a gofer.

The editors I worked with loved me, ergo I assumed my post-grad job offer at Hearst (REDBOOK's parent company) was a done deal. eRRR, try again. When the time came for HR to assess my glowing exit review, they passed because of a company-wide hiring freeze. Not only did they not hire me, they went ahead and laid off 2 editors above me.

Fast forward one year. I'm currently pushing paper as a paralegal, not because I've discovered a new-found passion for law, but rather because the few editorial job offers I got paid sub-living salaries that would have put me on the street in no time. I couldn't afford to chase my dream job, I needed to make money to pay off that pesky college debt. So I sold out... temporarily.

Here's the thing: REDBOOK gave me an all-access pass to the holy grail-- a fully stocked beauty closet that brimmed with every skincare and beauty product imaginable. New bags arrived each day, chock full of the latest and greatest products. It might have been an unpaid internship, but the stockpile of free beauty loot at my fingertips was straight GOLD. I got to try 100s of makeup and skincare brands, learning which were worth the hype and which weren't, all at no cost.

I'm starting this blog to dish on everything I learned at REDBOOK. I picked up a bunch of tips from makeup pros and developed a keen knack for beauty products to use versus beauty products to lose. At worst, this blog will be something to keep me busy during my downtime at legal office XYZ. At best, it could be my saving grace and ticket back into the beauty biz.

Shall we?