THE SECRET TO BRIGHTER EYES

Well at last I've found them. For the past few years I've been intrigued by the mention in numerous articles of ROHTO eyedrops. Top models are quoted as saying that they are the secret to their bright eyed look. The drops can be counted on to do the trick no matter how they partied the night before. Just a couple of squirts make eyes whiter and brighter.
I have sensitive eyes, the kind that tend to be red around the rim whether I've partied or not. As I've gotten older they've gotten drier and become even more sensitive. They look like my mother's. She suffered from the same problem and was a big consumer of Visine
I scoured the shelves of several drug stores looking for them to no avail. A stop at Sephora was met with a horrified "We wouldn't sell anything that you actually put in your eyes." Further research found that ROHTO eye drops were manufactured in Japan and not available in the US. I stopped looking
Then one day when I was sorting out the available eye drops at my local pharmacy there they were, a standout in an attractive oval acrylic and green container. 5$ on the counter and they were mine.
And yes they do work. My eyes feel refreshed, they look clear, the whites a blue white with nary a speck of red. "Turn around bright eyes"

Cheers,
Barb

ABSOLUTE BEST BEAUTY BUY

I've been spending the summer in a place that knows not of Sephora or Saks and Walmart has become the sole source of my beauty fix. I've been pleasantly surprised by the extraordinary selection and the sometimes incredible buys I've found there.
They must have some sort of arrangement with mass market cosmetic manufacturers to bundle products together and offer them as specials. Just yesterday I found my current favorite mascara, Cover Girl's Lash Blast in very black packaged with their Perfect Point Plus Self Sharpening Eye Pencil,(charcoal and Eye Enhancers Shadow in french vanilla.
All items are full sized and the package comes in different color combos.
I usually pay around $7.00 for the mascara alone! The package was $9.99.
I may just have to add Walmart to my list of cosmetic sources year round!

AN ABSOLUTE HAVE TO HAVE



There we were in the dressing room after ballet class, repairing our makeup and egos and enthusing about the cute new male teacher. I for one was so enthused that I drew my eyeliner out of bounds ending with an unsightly smudge that stopped the conversation. Not to worry.

In a flash a produced my newest beauty purchase, Revlon's Makeup Eraser Pen.I removed the tip, targeted my mistake and in a second it was gone but the rest of my eye makeup was intact and there was no greasy or oily residue. I've had this product just a week and can't understand why no one has thought of it before. It has also come in handy when my lipstick, manages to escape my carefully drawn lip line. I like it so much that I've already purchased a second one to keep in my makeup drawer at home. Meanwhile, in the dressing room the new teacher was momentarily forgotten as my classmates marveled over my latest find.

Cheers,

Barb

BEACH CHEATS



There was a time when I never thought about makeup for the beach. Just a comb and some lipstick tucked into the pocket of my beach bag did the trick. Unfortunately those days are gone and being a woman whose face now craves makeup, the idea of showing up bare faced at the shore holds no appeal and few things are more incongruous than the sight of a fully made up woman surrounded by sunlight and sand. A hat and large sunglasses provide effective camouflage but what happens when you decide to go for a swim? In my case, once the glasses are off my under eye circles and uneven skin tone are spotlighted and my pale eyes are all but invisible without liner and mascara. Just lipstick no longer cuts it.
However technology keeps advancing and a trip to my favorite source of all things cosmetic left me with some solutions. Makeup For Ever makes a long lasting waterproof concealer that promises to cover scars and tattoos as well as facial discolorations and under eye circles. It is oil free, has a matte finish and a high concentration of pigment. It goes on smoothly and feels light.
I can't speak for its effectiveness on scars or tattoos but it does hide my pigmentation and under eye circles and most importantly stays put.
Sephora's waterproof kohl pencil liner goes on without any pull or tug and stays right in place without smudging throughout countless swims. It comes in blue or black. I picked the blue and found it makes my eyes appear brighter. In fact I like it so much that I find myself reaching for it even when I'm not headed for the beach.
As for mascara, I yet to find a waterproof one that can beat Maybelline New York VolumExpress Turbo. It's waterproof and smudge proof without leaving behind those annoying clumps and it only takes a few strokes to achieve the look of luxurious lashes.

Cheers,

Barb

WON'T YOU MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE?

Benefit, queen of the quick fix, has a new product with yet another catchy name. This one is a mascara, Bad Gal Blue. OK so it won't change your eye color but it will enhance it and, more importantly to me anyway, make the whites brighter.
Don't be put off by the bright blue color on the wand. Technology allows the blue shade which does not appear the same color when applied to the lashes, to optically brighten eye whites and enhances the lighter flecks in the iris. It can be applied alone or over black mascara to just the tips of the lashes.
I have sensitive eyes and the whites have never been as bright as I would have liked. Age hasn't helped. I've read about a product used by models for that purpose but have not been able to find it and tend to think it may be a perscription item
My problem became more acute not long ago when I made the mistake of taking ballet class sans eye makeup . Afterwards the teacher, a young Russian man took me aside, which in ballet class is a rare occurrence. I was jubilant. He must have finally noticed that my pirouettes had improved. In fact I rarely lost my balance half way through anymore.
"Are you Okay? he inquired.
" I'm fine," I answered,guessing he had missed those perfect pirouettes. "Why?'
" Well your eyes look sort of inflamed ."
Needless to say , Bad Gal Blue had my name on it and I snapped it up as soon as it appeared at my local Sephora. And yes the whites of my eyes do appear whiter though maybe not as white as I would like but then I'm still working on those pirouettes too.
Cheers,
Barb

The Best Eye Pencil

My arsenal of sharpened eye pencils stand at attention in a small ceramic cup. I'm a democratic purchaser and the mix includes Channel and Dior along with MAC and Bennefit as well as drug store brands like Cover Girl. I usually make my choices based on how a product looks on someone else, an ad that talks to me or a reasonably priced product(read cheap) when I'm trying to curtail my cosmetic budget.
I honestly don't remember how I found my current favorite Prestige Soft Blend Khol Eyeliner I think I wanted to try black as opposed to the gray or dark blue I usually wear and didn't want too spend much just in case I didn't like it.
I needn't have worried. This one is a KEEPER.The consistency is as soft as the name promises but unlike many soft pencils it doesn't wind up messy and smudged under your eyes. The line you draw is the one that will still be there hours later. I did like the black, but only for evening. My eyes are light as is my skin and the look was too stark for day. However they have a wide array of colors and Chamomile, a greenish gray, I had never seen in any line before is just perfect for me. Give Prestige Soft Blend Khol a try.
Cheers,
Barb