The All-Time BEST Mascaras I've Ever Used

I'm an eyelash fanatic. The thicker, darker, longer they are, the better. I'm no stranger to false lashes, either, though for everyday I prefer the ease of simply using mascara. I've tried dozens of different types, some I've hated and some I've adored and continue to use over and over. I have a handful of favorites, and every time I run out of one, I go back and get a different one of those favorites.

The first mascara I ever used, and have always loved, is Definicils from Lancome ($24.50). I got hooked on this at 12 and never looked back. There's a reason it's been the #1 mascara in the world (THE WORLD! Out of thousands of types of mascara!). It has a long, narrow, stiff-bristled brush that separates lashes like you wouldn't believe, fanning them out so you can see every single little tiny hair. Definicils provides a more natural look than some of my other lash favorites, so I tend to save it for my days off from working at the makeup counter when I'm just running errands and don't have to look like a drag queen. Nonetheless, it's pretty amazing.

For a slightly more dramatic look, plus separation similar to Definicils, I love Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes ($29). With its unique ball-tip brush (that looks similar to some sort of archaic dungeon torture device) it grabs a hold of the tiny lashes on the inner corners of the eyes and easily makes the outer corner hairs look miles long. Neat!

A really nifty favorite of mine is Tarte's Bottoms Up mascara ($16), which is specifically designed for lower lashes. It has a little, tiny brush that is so simple to use on those hard-to-reach lower lashes, and the handle is pretty big, giving you lots of control. Totally cool, and totally worth paying $16 for mascara you're only using on half your eye because the payoff (huge looking eyes) is unreal.

I'm now heading back to the Lancome world (let's face it, they really have the best line of mascaras out there) to mention Oscillation mascara ($34). With a watch battery in the wand, it vibrates 7000 times a minute to wrap the lashes completely in mascara. It sounds a little ridiculous, I know, but once you try it, you're hooked. At least I was. This is the mascara I use on a daily basis for the most part because it gives me the most incredible, almost fake-looking lashes. It has a bendable, rubbery brush that thickens without clumping, separates, and lengthens unlike any other mascara I've ever used.

You'd think that I have dozens of mascaras to talk about, but the truth is, these four are what it boils down to for me. I've tried every mascara from many brands (Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, MAKEUP FOREVER, Nars, Urban Decay, Shiseido, Stila, Lorac, Too Faced, Benefit, Dior, Chanel) and I just have never been satisfied with any of them like I have with these four. What's your favorite? If I haven't tried it yet, I'm willing because I love some mascara!

Now Your Makeup Bag Can Go Green, Too

These days, everyone's coming out with new, inventive ways to 'go green' and offer environmentally-friendly products. A lot of people seem to be taking steps to try to leave a prettier carbon footprint on the planet, and I'm doing it, too. I use only all-natural household cleaners and dish detergents, as well as laundry detergents. I take shorter showers and use less toilet paper, and have even gone so far as to opt for recycled toilet paper (which my husband protests vehemently). Now I'm finding all these great makeup and skincare products that are natural and organic and come in eco-friendly packaging, which is outstanding. Now, Origins has been around for a while, proudly serving the world with all-natural products that are earth and animal friendly, but here are some great newer products that I've come across and had the great pleasure of trying (and LOVING!).

Carol's Daughter isn't exactly new, but it is a more recently popular brand that was started in a woman's own home kitchen in New York. Their Tui Herbal Shampoo for normal hair ($12.50) has chamomile, marigolds, guava, mango, and passion fruit and smells like a trip to Jamaica. It's sulfate-free, which means it gently cleanses your hair without stripping it of its essential natural oils.

Model Josie Maran has also launched her own line of cosmetics, skincare, and haircare products that are completely natural. I love her Bear Naked Makeup-Removing Wipes ($12/30) for multiple reasons: A) They're all-natural, with a blend of aloe vera, chamomile, cucumber, and vitamin E, B) you can stash them in your nightstand for those nights you head to bed without taking your makeup off, and C) a portion of every package sold will go to the Natural Resources Defense Council's Polar Bear SOS Initiative, helping fund protection for the endangered animals. Pretty awesome if you ask me. Plus, they're legit - they really do take off eye makeup, even water-resistant mascara. That's a sweet deal.

I've mentioned the Greek brand Korres before, and another of their products is a favorite of mine: Ginger & Vitamins Foundation SPF 10 ($28). It comes in a handy little squeezy tube made from recycled plastic, and provides a sheer to moderate coverage. It's packed with tons of vitamins to help slow down signs of aging and fresh ginger to tone the skin. It's my go-to foundation product for summer when I like something a little bit lighter with less coverage.

Nude Skincare is another brand that I've fallen for, head over heels. Their Deep Cleansing Mask ($52) is a mousse-textured mask that really gets into your pores and purges them of yucky impurities that make the skin break out and appear dull and lifeless. I use it once weekly and love how fresh and glowing my skin looks for days afterwards. It's all-natural, not animal tested, and its packaging is 100% recyclable. Plus, the box it comes in is plant-sourced and biodegradable. A+ for Nude Skincare!

Another favorite of mine from Nude Skincare is their Nude Lips Lip Balm ($14). It's an emollient balm that moisturizes and is super shiny, and smells like yummy Tahitian vanilla. With the cold, snowy weather we've had where I live lately, my lips seem to have had all their moisture sucked right out and Nude Lips helps replenish that, and makes any lipstick look pretty and gleaming.

As far as eyeshadows go, I'll be honest, finding natural ones that blend in easily hasn't been particularly easy. I adore Tarte's Flower Child Natural Eyeshadow Palette ($44). It features ten great shades, from creams and browns to blues and greens, plus a double-ended brush for easily application. Also, it has a double-ended eyeliner (also natural!) and a sample of their Natural Eye Primer. Excellent! The colors blend together easily, and actually have really outstanding color payoff.

Nvey Eco's Organic Lipstick ($28) features five pretty, easy-to-wear shades that have safflower, beeswax, vitamin E, and organic castor oil to soothe and moisturize lips while providing long-lasting color. I particularly like #355, which is a matte violet rose shade.

Last but not least, I'm loving Nuts Cream Perfume's Mimosa Bouquet ($12). It's packaged in sustainable, travel-friendly wood containers that you can just toss in your purse for an on-the-go pick-me-up. It's filler free, which means it doesn't have loads of alcohol like a liquid perfume does. Instead, the fragrance is housed in beeswax and sweet almond oil that actually help the fragrance stay on your skin longer. I like Mimosa Bouquet because it has notes of orange blossom, mimosa, gardenia, carnation, rose, vanilla Madagascar, and musk. Yum!

This is just a handful of the natural and/or organic products I've tried and loved. I really like how Sephora has a section on their website devoted specifically to these kinds of products, too, with great customer reviews on them. Any natural or organic favorites you have? Let me know!

Spring Color Collections!

Holy cow, I'm finally back! January proved to be a completely insane month for me to say the very, very least and I just didn't have any opportunities to make any new posts, but I'm back and ready to go. I'm so excited about all the great new Spring 2010 makeup looks, so that's going to be my focus for this post.

First off, Lancome's Spring collection, O My Rose!, is amazing. When I saw the pictures before it launched, I was a little skeptical as to whether or not it would end up being pretty. But once I saw it in person and got to play with the colors, I fell in LOVE. Coral and teal are always a good match-up, and while I'm still not crazy about the advertisement picture for the collection, I'm a big fan of O My Rose!.

The Ink Artliner in Teal Delight ($23.50 for the eyeliner, $20 for the brush) is unreal. It's a gel in a pot that's applied with a tiny brush that creates the most precise line, and you can smudge it out a little bit to soften it, too.

I'm also loving Michael Kors' new Very Hollywood Spring color collection exclusively with Estee Lauder. I've often always associated Estee Lauder with elderly women with pearls and accidentally-blue hair (I'm sorry! I can't help it!). This new collection of fresh, versatile, stylish colors is younger and very sophisticated.

One part of the collection has pretty pinks and rosy shades, while the other features soft neutrals, corals, and golds. Not every store is selling the special edition collection, but it can be found online at www.esteelauder.com .

This is the 'Bel-Air Beige' collection

This is the 'Rodeo Pinks' collection

MAKEUP FOREVER's Spring 2010 collection, Gold Icone, is an amazingly different take on Spring colors. There's often pinks, greens, and corals in Spring collections. Gold Icone is metallic gold and black, with neutral lips.

The standout product in the Gold Icone collection would definitely have to be the Metal Powder (price unknown), a loose powder eyeshadow that comes in four varying shades of gold, from light to darker. The Spring collection's products aren't available for purchase just yet in most places, but keep an eye out for it because it will be very soon.

I'm also liking Yves Saint Laurent's collection because it's soft with little pops of color that are very French chic. I love the Ombres 5 Lumieres eyeshadows in Parisian Sky ($56) - it has a collection of five matte and semi-sheen shades like a pale blue, a dusty gray-blue, a lavender, and a light and dark slightly plum duo. It's seen on the model for the advertisements, and I love how natural most of her face is with the little hint of blue on her eyes.

Those are really just four of the great new collections I've checked out. Laura Mercier, Guerlain, Givenchy, and Clinique all also have some great collections just waiting to be launched in the next couple of weeks. Givenchy will be launching a collection of sixteen single eyeshadow that have a really neat concept: in each compact of eyeshadow will be one color, but it will be in four blocks, each a different texture from matte to semi-pearly to very pearly to a shimmer. Neat! Those will be out soon, so keep an eye out for them.

I promise I won't put off another post so long! Expect something new in the next few days!