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Tricks For Perfect Eye Makeup: Shadow Shields

March 10, 2012 by

Once upon a time in a magical place where unicorns make rainbows, Michelle Villanueva was hard at work coming up with an invention that would revolutionize the makeup industry. As the sole founder and CEO of this OMG-it-makes-so-much-sense-how-did-I-not-think-of-that?! product, she found a way for even the best makeup artists to save time in the creation of their look.

Michelle came up with SHADOW SHIELDS.

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Shadow Shields do exactly what the name implies – they shield your face from getting fallout all over the lower lid/lash line area. If you are new to the world of makeup, I would suggest running to your nearest Sephora or wherever they are sold (check the site above to verify locations) and stock pile them like they were gallons of water and you were preparing a fallout shelter.

Even the most seasoned of artists turn to these, using them in the creation of their fancy smoky eye at a variety of celebrity-infested events. Three small pieces of adhesive stand between you and the perfect eye makeup. Pull off the end pieces or go ahead and take all three off for a little extra staying power. This works so much better than a piece of tape or wasting beauty powder to protect you from fallout. I like to apply them, do my makeup, add my eyeliner, and then dispose of them – all the while creating the sharpest corners of my liner EVER!

NOTE: When you apply the product under your lower lash line, try to make it as close to the lash as possible. It will feel awkward at first, but before the first eye is complete, you will have forgotten they are there.

This saves time when you have to knock out 10 smokey eye looks and have very little time before a big event. This even works perfectly if you are a n00b, trying to figure out the ins and out of the makeup world, giving you the confidence you need to look amazing. I don’t know how I ever survived without them.

 

Disclaimer: This review contains a sample product sent to natashaneagle.com for consideration by PR. This site does not offer paid or guaranteed reviews, only honest opinions of the products tested. 

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Crest Professional White Strips

March 21, 2011 by

I’ve tried professional whitening kits you get from the dentist and do at home. I’ve tried the whitening stations they have in the mall. I’ve paid over a hundred dollars for the fast whitening that is “guaranteed” to whiten my teeth.

All of that is a waste after the discovery I made thanks to my local Target.

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Thanks to the endcap by my Target pharmacy, I was lured to the Crest 3D White system. I’d used the whitening strips before and they didn’t work for me at all. I’ve always used whitening toothpaste because of my love for coffee and tea, but the new packaging sucked me in.

First, I bought the toothpaste and the mouth wash. I didn’t buy the actual strips because I didn’t like the pre-packaged kit they had put together. Again, I was going on my prior experience of the white strips being worthless and slipping all over my teeth.

Almost immediately, I noticed my teeth feeling much cleaner than before and the mouth wash felt much lighter and foamier than any mouth wash I’d ever used. About three days later, I was back in Target (yes, I know I have issues!) and I checked out the whitening strips again. There was a variety of Crest White Strips to choose from and eventually, I chose the Professional White Strips with Advanced Seal.

Below is a demonstration of my use of the white strips. I bought the strongest version of the strips for approximately $49.99 USD. Considering how much I spent before, I was willing to spend this much to try something new.

Before White Strips

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My teeth had a yellow tinge to them, primarily from my over use of soda, coffee, and tea.

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The strips come in packets that include top and bottom. I immediately noticed the strips were thicker than the previous one’s I’d purchased.

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Apply top strip. Felt like applying glue to my teeth. Once the strip adhered to my teeth – it was there to stay. No slipping around.

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Apply bottom strips. Fold over teeth just as you did on top strip.

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Go about your normal scheduled programming for 30 minutes or so. You have to really work to peel the strips off when time has passed. This is a huge improvement over the kind I used in the past.

Less Than 20 Uses Later:

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Not too shabby. I wear lipsticks now that I’d never wear before. I plan on doing another month worth of strips in mid-April. I felt a little discomfort for a day or two and after that, I was fine.

Let me know what you use to whiten your teeth or if you use this brand as well.

music note While writing this, I was listening to “Hometown Glory” by Adele

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Batiste Dry Shampoo

October 23, 2010 by

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If you are a busy mom or someone that doesn’t have a lot of time to get ready in the mornings, you are going to want to try some batiste dry shampoo. This product have become a saving grace and necessity in my hair arsenal.

Introduced to the world of dry shampoo by Cibu, my life was changed the day I was able to skip the wash and spray my hair instead. However, due to problems with the packaging, Cibu’s dry shampoo had to be pulled from the shelves and my bliss was gone.

When I was introduced to batiste dry shampoo, I discovered not only does it smell great, your hair looks great. Coming in a multitude of fragrances, you not only get oil-free shine without washing your hair every day, you get whichever scent you want as if you were applying a body splash.

Whether you want light and fruity, floral, or sensual and perfume-y, there is a scent for everyone. To make it even better, now you can purchase batiste dry shampoo for colored hair.

Be sure you follow the directions so you don’t spray too close to your scalp. If you do a white powdery residue will appear. Work it from roots to tips with either your fingers or a natural bristle brush. The more you use it, the more accustomed you will become to positioning and spray time.

I received the original and the “blush” (floral scented) to review, but if you have Sally’s, I believe you can find these products there. If not, check out the link above for Amazon deals.

Save the water. Save you time. Look amazing.

Have you tried dry shampoo? Let me know what you think of it.

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Maybelline Falsies Mascara – Love to Hate it?

September 8, 2010 by

 

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I want to start off by saying I was impressed with the buildability this mascara had for my lashes. I found out about product from reviews I read on Luuux, which led me to videos on YouTube. There doesn’t seem to be an in between with this product. You either love it or hate it. I didn’t think twice about it because I have multiple mascaras that I adore…until I saw it on sale in Target. I figured, meh, why not?

Taking into consideration the issues people had with this mascara, I felt like I was educated enough to use this product and be successful. I think the end results were promising, but only with a few tricks.

Most people said this mascara was too wet – which is very true. The Twilight Volturi mascara is also really wet, making it more difficult to apply. The wetness did not make me happy, but I solved this problem by letting the wand sit out for about 30 seconds before applying it to my lashes. This cut down on the clump factor. By the time I worked on the lower lash line, the consistency was perfect.

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Again, trying to avoid the clump factor, I started at the root of my lashes and used the wand (which I LOVE), twisting it up VERY SLOWLY, until I reached the tip. If you take your time with this mascara, the results are what you want. If you don’t – well…you’ll look a hot mess. If you find that some of the lashes stick together then go back with a spooly and they should come apart with ease.

I could see my lashes looked much longer and fuller when the product was applied SLOWLY. There was a noticeable difference to the fullness of my lashes and I got compliments, believe it or not.

With all the wholesome goodness that comes with this spectacular price tag (less than $10 USD), I found removing this product to be a pain. If I touch my lashes, they feel like I’ve coated them with something on the same level as modeling clay. When I’m in the shower or washing my face in the sink, I like to take my nail and almost strip the mascara off the hair. It makes cleaning my face easier and I don’t come out looking like I was a starter for the Baltimore Ravens. With this product, not only does it not strip off the lash easily, I found it didn’t want to come off ever easy when my Yes to Tomatoes was introduced and would stick to my nails.

Overall, I would give this product 4 out of 5 or a B in terms of ease of usage. I will use this until it runs out because I love the end result, but you really have to take the time and apply it. This is NOT your grab and go mascara. I would definitely not recommend applying this stuff in the car! I’m used to my MAC Opulash or my YSL Faux Cilis that cost two to three times as this one. You get what you pay for.

music note While writing this, I was listening to “Don’t Stop Believin;” by Rachel & Finn (Glee: The Music Vol 1)

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