The Best Mascaras for Natural Looking Lashes
Maybelline Full ‘n Soft ($7.00) is one of my favorite drugstore mascaras, and I used it for years before switching to MAC Plushlash. It’s consistent and pretty. You get exactly what it says — full, soft-looking lashes. I’d say this is on the far end of natural, just before it gets dramatic.
Clinique Long Pretty ($14.00) gives your lashes a subtle, natural lift and adds a little more black to your natural lash color. You can see it in action here.
Bobbi Brown Everything ($22.00) is perfect for everyday. In some ways, it epitomizes what you’d want in a very downplayed, natural mascara. It’s a soft black that doesn’t clump nor does it length/thicken your lashes much. It’s going to give you a slightly fuller lash, but it’s really just adding more color to your lashes.
To learn more about or purchase these mascaras, check out Drugstore.com
, Nordstrom.com
, Prescriptives, and Sephora.com
.
Don’t forget to check out our posts on: Best Mascaras — Thickening and Lengthening and Best Mascaras — Colored Mascaras.
The Best Mascaras for Colored Lashes
Benefit BADgal Plum ($19.00) will help warm up eyes! You can see me using it here. I definitely prefer plum over brown for more natural-looking lashes, too! BADgal is a reliable mascara formula that gives some length, average thickening, but it doesn’t clump up easily (which is always a huge plus in my book).
Urban Decay Big Fatty ($17.00) is available in several different shades–from Electric Blue to Purple Haze. Use colored mascaras to help bring out different colors in your eyes. Big Fatty has a larger-sized brush, so for those of you who aren’t used to it, you may find it a little difficult to adjust to at first. However, I’ve found UD’s colored mascaras to work better than the average one, so it’s worth trying out.
Laura Gellar Line & Define ($20.00) is more than a mascara, actually, with one side meant to line and the other side is a mascara wand. There are five shades available, with New Navy being my personal top pick as it really makes your eyes appear whiter.
Givenchy Eye Fly Lash Extender ($24.00) comes in a gorgeous indigo blue called Fly in Blue, as well as a fun violet shade called Fly in Violet. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it gets the job done well. I particularly like the lengthening it gives me.
YSL Everlong ($26.50) comes in lots of fun colors, and the brush is really spectacular. There are just so many bristles on this baby that it really helps coat every lash.
To learn more about or purchase these mascaras, check out Drugstore.com, Nordstrom.com, Prescriptives, and Sephora.com.
Don’t forget to check out our post on: Best Mascaras — Thickening and Lengthening.
What are your favorite colored mascaras?
The Best Mascaras for Thick, Dramatic Lashes
MAC Plushlash ($11.00) is my all-time favorite mascara. It’s exactly what it says: plush. I always get ultra black, thick lashes with this mascara. No matter how many mascaras I try, I always end up coming back to Plushlash. I think, ultimately, I might make the switch to Chanel Exceptionnel if it weren’t so pricey (and not 2.5x better than Plushlash). MAC’s Zoomlash is another good one, though I feel it’s a little more prone to clump, though it has the super black color I love.
Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes ($28.00) is one of those new-fangled mascaras, because it has a crazy mascara “wand” which looks more like a spiky ball. This works best without a primer, as when I used it with MAC’s Prep + Prime, I found it smudged.
Dior DiorShow Iconic ($27.00) beats out the original DiorShow for me, because Iconic doesn’t smudge or flake like DiorShow (the original) did for me. DiorShow is a classic mascara, known for its dramatic lengthening, thickening, and ultra rich pigmentation of black.
Lancome Oscillation ($34.00) is a moving mascara. Oscillation doesn’t come cheap, but it really does work well to give you long lashes without clumping them up. It does take several applications to get the hang of it, and you’ll have to figure out what technique works best for you. You can read my full review if you please.
Chanel Exceptionnel ($28.00) is a deliciously luxe formula that gives you incredibly dark, lush lashes with insane length. You can read my review and see how it looks!
CoverGirl Lash Exact ($8.00) is a mascara that really proved drugstore mascaras often are better than high end products. Good level of color richness in the black, plus lengthening and thickening to make your lashes that much more enviable. If you need more volume, check out Volume Exact. (Oh, and I’ve heard good things about LashBlast, though I haven’t personally tried it.)
To learn more about or purchase these mascaras, check out Drugstore.com, Nordstrom.com, Prescriptives, and Sephora.com.
What are your favorite mascaras for thick, dramatic lashes?
Marco Santini pictured on the right (in blue)
Marco Santini is the co-founder of Ion Studio, and he has been in the beauty industry since 1986 (that’s the year I was born!). Ion Studio recently opened up in 2008, and it is Manhattan’s first green salon–it used recycled and eco-friendly building materials and it is powered by wind.
“There is magic behind a good haircut,” says Marco of the switch. “Very few things can make a person feel as beautiful and confident, and I have yet to find something more rewarding than styling.”
Marco shared these awesome how-tos on getting the best curls at home for Temptalia readers:
Hair How-to: Waves
To create Botticelli waves, prep damp hair with a product like Davines Defining Texturizer to help hold the curl. Dry hair completely. Facing the mirror, hold a one inch medium-sized curling iron with the tip of the iron facing down. Take large sections and twist hair around the iron, rolling the sections of hair perfectly down to the end. Hold each section around the iron for 20 seconds. After each section, use a mild hairspray like Davines Defining Invisible Hairspray. When all of the sections are complete, use a soft brush to brush out the curls. This will soften curls, achieving a more natural wave.
Hair How-to: Spiral Curls
To create spiral curls, make sure to have hair pins close by. Separate hair in large sections from the hairline at the neck to the middle of the ear and from temple to temple. Hold the curling iron with the tip facing upwards towards your head, take a small piece of hair from one of the sections. Use the blade of the iron to hold the hair in place while you wrap each section around the iron. Let the hair set on the iron for 20 seconds. When it is done, keep the curl intact by pinning the section close to the scalp. Repeat this technique until all sections are complete. When you’re finished with all of the sections, remove the pins. Run your fingers through the tights spirals to loosen them up. Flip your head upside down while shaking the curls. This will add volume to the top and defined spiral curls throughout the head.
I thought I’d share some lessons I learned while traveling this past February to NYC. Some beauty related, some not so beauty related… but hopefully they’re either entertaining or helpful (maybe even both, if I’m lucky!).
Lesson #1: Pack Lighter
I am a master packer. Seriously! I do an incredible job of cramming everything I need into one carryon suitcase and one carryon “personal bag” (aka super large shoulder bag). I don’t like to check in my bags, because so many bags get lost, and I know makeup (especially MAC) is often stolen out of bags as they make their way from point A to point B. So if I can, I carryon! Both my carryons were quite heavy, which made lugging them up the jetway stairs kind of a drag, so definitely need to look into lessening the actual weight! I also packed more makeup than I used, and if I had been more forward-thinking… I would have realized I wouldn’t have needed all that makeup!
Lesson #2: Travel Size Everything
I actually would say I learned this lesson several trips ago, but I think it’s a good one to share nonetheless. Buy empty travel sized containers for all of your beauty products. Things like shampoo, conditioner, cleansers, toners, etc. often come in larger sizes than we actually need for our trip. For four days, I certainly didn’t need an entire 8 oz. bottle of cleanser! MAC came out with several travel sized containers a year or two ago, and I really love them. I frequently use them when I travel, so I can lessen the weight of what I take, plus the room they take up!
Lesson #3: Bring a Pillow
If you’re able to, bring a pillow on the plane. Whether it’s inflatable, a neckwrap, or a stuffed animal… BRING IT! Especially if you’re taking a red-eye. I didn’t think I would sleep on the plane, but I just might have dozed off for an hour or two had I had a pillow of some sort. On the way back, I used the hermit crab stuffed animal I bought at FAO Schwartz as a makeshift pillow and got an hour of shut-eye. Consider this a lesson learned!
Lesson #4: Re-Shape Your Body
Since it was Fashion Week, I wanted to slim down, but quite frankly, I suck at getting my fitness on. So, instead I cheated and wore Yummie Tummies underneath my sweaters. It was perfect, though, because I needed to layer with a tank top underneath anyway to add some warmth, but the shapewear kept my waistline looking a little more svelte! They’re comfy and not restricting at all; just feels like a tank top almost!
Lesson #5: Minty Fresh Mouth
Fashion Week is not for the fainthearted. It’s go, go, GO! the entire time you’re there. This translates into lots of treks to the nearest Starbucks for some delicious caffeine-infused concoction. Unfortunately, coffee-breath is not so happening when you’re meeting supermodel Heidi Klum. But neither is chewing gum a particularly sophisticated habit! Solution? SuperSmile Whitening Gum! Conveniently packaged in individually wrapped (like sealed entirely), I can toss a couple in my purse, a few in my camera bag, and some in my pocket. Very high in minty freshness, your mouth is no longer the coffee-shop-of-horrors within a few chews. I kept meaning to try their Quikee, but I only was able to pop in a piece of gum during my on-the-go travels.
Lesson #6: Less is More
I originally feared that I didn’t have enough events, meet-ups, etc. planned, but goodness gracious, I had just enough! Any more and I would have collapsed on the spot. So my new rule of thumb is plan, plan, plan for delays and impromptu opportunities along the way!
Lesson #7: Do Research Beforehand
I really wish I had done some more research regarding places to eat in NYC. I had wanted to get some amazing Italian food, but it didn’t really pan out. So next time… I will have it! But I know now that I need to get a list going and mark down the areas they’re located so I can refer to it on-the-go! (Also need to get some New York Cheesecake… hello!)
Lesson #8: Don’t Get Lost
This seems like an easy thing to say, but don’t get lost! Don’t get on the subway when you’re not a seasoned public transportationist! (Totally made that word up!) You’ll get lost and miss your event! Pay up and take a taxi!
Lesson #9: Plan to Blog
I planned different events and the like, but I didn’t plan time to blog. I just assumed I would have the time, and it turned out I really didn’t. Next time, I’m definitely going to set aside times to blog so I can do more blogging while I’m busy adventuring and it isn’t a bunch of posts all at once!
Lesson #10: Give More Kisses to Loved Ones
Gotta get in more lovin’ with the loved ones before I leave. Includes the boy, the familia, and the puppy!
Go ahead! Ask your questions–now’s the time to get product recommendations, comparisons, or just find out what my favorite moisturizer is. You can ask whatever your heart desires, and I’ll do my best to answer:) I’ll be keeping an eye out on this post so I can answer questions quickly aka today! 
Feel free to chime in with your answer to someone else’s question, too!
