.:: CybeleSays ::.

When it comes to mascara, I don’t think I am the best tester as all of them pale in comparison to this one. I tried the last COVERGIRL mascara and I just couldn’t get with the handle. The formula? It was ok but flaked off pretty quickly. I don’t know what they put in this new Lashblast Fusion Mascara ($8.99 @ drugstore.com) but it scored pretty well! It’s built for volume and volume is what it gave with the help of small fibers. I again worry about the handle because it is taking me a few to the thicker than usual style they are hot on. The actual brush part that coats the lashes is also wider than most but we women can adapt! The bottom line is, if you need a budget-friendly mascara, this one will probably make you pretty happy. 

Disclosure: A sample of the item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

How do you apply your smoky? It’s totally become a beauty look staple so you better get it down. If you’ve done it for a while, you probably use a few different single shadows or duos but this new Black Smoke Eyeshadow Quad from ESTEE LAUDER’s Blacker than Black collection houses all the four perfect shades for a dark smoky look. $35 @ esteelauder.com.

Can’t quite get the technique down? Try COVERGIRL Smoky Shadow Blast in Onyx ($8.49 @ drugstore.com) has me tickled with delight. It’s so easy to make eyes smoky sexy with this stick – one side for all over the lid and the other to accent and smudge just so.

I’m the overdue-it-queen when it comes to any kind of blush – powder, cream, gel. I usually end up wiping half of it off. Such a waste! At least with COVERGIRL & OLAY Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush ($10.99 @   mass-market outlets) I feel like I am apply my usual of too much but I’m really not. This big glass pop top (with sponge under the cap) combines CoverGirl blush with Olay’s Regenerist Serum, so not only do you get a nice flush, your skin gets the vitamins, conditioners and anti-oxidants. And this one has a SPF 22! Choose from 4 shades: Plush Peach, Rich Cinnamon, Royal Plum and Lush Berry.

Stain on teeth = bad. Stain on lips = good. And COVERGIRL Outlast Lipstain = really good! There’s a certain stain out there that comes in a nail polish type bottle and the brush that applies the stain is thin and in my opinion, useless. While the brush is the right size for nails, it’s hard to have control over it to apply to lips and cheeks. I totally cannot understand why this has such a cult following. While I’ve always been a fan of stains, most of them just, well, suck. And marker ones like these seem to give you the best control but the ones I have tried in the past all always seemed dried out. Not these. The tips are simply wet with color! I am a fan of the bare lip feel so these are right up my alley. Out of the 10 shades, the darker ones seem to be more to my liking. Plum Pout, Coy Coral and Wild Berry Wink have been adorning my lips all week.

Even though these won’t hit stores until January, you can get one today, December 12 through 14 at select Bebe stores nationwide. Just spend $100 and you’ll get one of these coolio stains for free. See bebe.com for participating stores. $7.29 @ drugstores nationwide

OK, I’ve decided to stop being such a mascara snob. Kiss Me Mascara is one of the first products that started me on my beauty-writing journey back in 2001. And COVER GiRL’s new LashBlast Waterproof Mascara ($7.65 @ drugstore.com) is helping me overcome this problem. I’m usually not a fan of waterproof mascaras because most are so hard to remove at the end of the day. Not this one. Let’s talk about the lengthening this does and with just few coats! Usually I have to build and build the formula on my lashes to get something to happen with the girth or the length. Maybe it’s the cool orange bristles on the fat brush or the combination of the formula and the brush is what did it. Like the Spornette brush, it seems to space the bristles out a little more than usual. Whatever it is to make this mascara great, I am loving it. And if I have a weak moment, I can always apply the Kiss Me on top of this mascara.