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Product Reviews

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How to Use a Mascara Fan Brush: What to Know

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MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush Review: An Ode to Mascara Fan Brushes and why you need one.

Why Use a Mascara Fan Brush?

A mascara fan brush seems like an unnecessary product since mascara generally comes with its own wand and lash tools exist to comb out clumps. I felt this way until I used a mascara fan brush myself. Here is why I love my MAC 205 mascara fan brush.

BACKSTORY I love dark, thick mascaras but they are difficult to apply well: I love dark blacker-than-black wet mascara but often these formulations are heavy and weigh lashes down too much to hold a good curl. They often are messy and clumpy on application and can flake.

So many mascaras I LOVE upon application like Fairy Drops Scandal Queen, Calvin Klein CK One, Hot Lashes Mascara, Dior DiorShow, even Benefit BadGal are SO dark and lovely and give my lashes OOMPH, but I must apply them too heavy handedly because my mascara looks way too obvious and fake no matter how much I clean off the wand before application. I like a thick lush lash, but somewhat natural looking. Or at least not multi-lash stuck together clumpy disasters.

While lash tools and combs are useful, they rarely give even application of mascara, and generally cannot create the look of individual lashes, combs generally leave at least some lashes stuck together.

SOLUTION: To solve this beauty dilemma, use a Mascara Fan Brush to de-clump and apply these lovely dark, thick, wet mascaras smoothly and clump-free for wispy, fluttery, long, dark THICK lashes – even coat the tiny lash.

Finding a Quality Mascara Fan Brush

There is a range of mascara fan brushes on the market from a basic drugstore beauty chain store fan brush to the $65 Barney’s Claudio Riaz Lash Touch Brush. A good quality mascara fan brush is the MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush for $20.

Mascara Fan Brushes can individually “paint” and coat each tiny or long lash separately for AMAZING definition of your lashline. Each lash stands out with no clumping yet appears naturally dark and long and thick.

About The MAC 205 Mascara Fan brush

Mac 205 Mascara Brush Fan

MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush

The MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush is frequently used by bridal makeup artists for a few reasons:

  • to create wispy lower lashes
  • to coat mascara onto to the top lashes for those lowered lid bridal photo shots
  • to better blend false and real lashes together with mascara application
  • to apply mascara to individual fake lashes without disturbing their placement
  • for all day, clump-free lashes that do not require touch-ups.

This brush is probably 40% smaller than competitor mascara fan brushes such as the Paula Dorf, and has tiny soft wispy guard bristles that make it easier to remove clumps and create feathery lashes.The MAC is:

  • Easier for those with the steady hands of a true makeup artist than a regular makeup fanatic like myself to use.
    MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush Bristles

    MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush Bristles

    But a little practice went a long way and now I can always get a good application the first time, which reduces the time I spend declumping and combing excess mascara upon application (but keep q-tips at the ready) and reduces how much reapplication or clean-up of mascara I do when touching up my makeup.

  • Notice the longer and shorter bristle lengths in the photo to the right. When using the MAC 205, try to load the mascara onto the shorter fan bristles, not the longer guard bristles. Do this by bending and holding the longer guard bristles away from the shorter bristles with your finger while only coating the short bristles with mascara. This way, you can apply the mascara with the short bristles and comb out clumps and direct the lashes with the longer bristles.

MASCARA FAN BRUSH LEARNING CURVE

Mascara Fan Brushes take a bit to get used to, mostly how to wiggle it into your lash line without being too heavy-handed to spread the product evenly. But once you get the technique down, it lasts for the day without touchups and goes much faster than traditional wand application and de-clumping. In the photo seen above, this was Calvin Klein CK One Mascara, a thick black mascara that stays put but is too heavy to apply directly from the tube. In this photo, I did a quick running-out-the-door-I-am-late, 30 seconds for both eyes, didn’t have to de-clump much (although I see one clumpy spot on my lower lashes I could have fixed) and I didn’t have to reapply at all during a 13 hour day. No real flaking during the day either or undereye cleanup. While the Mac Mascara fan brush can do a perfect application within a few minutes, this photo is a realistic every day quick use of a THICK BLACK mascara applied with the brush with some practice.

HOW TO USE A MASCARA FAN BRUSH

  1. Comb through your lashes with a clean lash brush spoolie or lash comb, especially if you have curly lashes or flat lying lashes. Curl lashes now if desired.
  2. Sweep the wand of your favorite over-the-top wet, dark mascara against the tip of your mascara fan brush to deposit enough mascara for one eye. Brush away any obvious clumps. Start with less than you think you need, you can always add more.
  3. Begin with your upper lashes and lightly touch the fan bristles horizontally to the center of the root lash line, depositing some product. Then wiggle it into the lash root and comb through in one stroke, gently pushing that color out along the length of the lashes, taking your time, lightly painting your lashes up and out. Comb through with a clean spoolie if you use too much product or have any lashes stuck together. You can also separate lashes any stuck together wiggling the brush vertically as well.
  4. Repeat the same procedure with the lashes on the outer corner, applying in vertical strokes where necessary to catch all the lashes. Then proceed to do the same the inner corner lashes
  5. Check your upper lashes for any clumps or stuck lashes, use a spoolie if needed or lash brush. If mascara got on the waterline unintentionally, clean up with a q-tip.
  6. Do the other upper lashes of the other eye

BEGINNER’S TIP: If you do not have a steady hand, hold the fan brush bristles close to the lash base, and slowly blink your lashes over and through the bristles to paint on the product.

HOW TO USE A MASCARA FAN BRUSH ON LOWER LASHES

  1. Assess if more product is needed on the fan brush before beginning lower lashes
  2. Use the apply-to-root technique described above, then wiggle it into the lash root and comb through in one stroke. Comb outside lashes outward, comb middle lashes straight down, and comb the inner lashes inward for the most natural, doe-eyed look.
  3. Clean off the fan and do a quick final comb through for any clumps from underneath the lashes.
  4. Assess if you want another coat.
  5. Clean your brush immediately (or at least later that day), because it will get stuck and gunky quickly.

Where to find the MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush

Product Review: Kurious Lip Tattoo

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If you follow Style Chicks at all, you know that we love, love, love lip stains. So after reading an article about new and fantastic Korean beauty products, we were thrilled when Kurious Mall sent us their Kurious Lip Tattoo lip stains to try out.

why it is special

Kurious Lip Tattoo isn’t your standard Lip Stain. The application process feels a whole lot more like a luxurious ritual than the usual 15 second application before I head out the door of other lip stains. Instead of just applying it like a lipgloss, like most lip stains, Lip Tattoo lets you take a breath in the morning and prepare yourself for the day, while adding a gorgeous color to your lips.

The Experience

The application process is this: apply a thick layer of the product out of the tube (basically the look of a Juicy Tube). I thought this would be a huge mess and I’d have to use a cotton swab to clean up around the edges, but it goes on quite precisely, and any goofs are easily cleaned up with a dab of your finger. And when I say a thick layer, I mean a THICK LAYER. After that, sit back for five minutes and relax.

So, I hope I’ve built a decent amount of anticipation up as to what you do when five minutes is up. Get ready:

You. Peel. It. Off.

Yup, not only does Kurious Lip Tattoo give you gorgeous color all day (and I mean all day), it also serves as an exfoliating lip mask. You lips are smooth, supple, and stained.

Now the peel off process: just rub a bit at the edge of your lip and it will start peeling off easily. It won’t hurt at all, in fact you don’t feel anything – and I’ve used it when my lips are pretty raw.

After peeling off the application layer, you will need to decide if you want to add their absolutely fabulous lip gloss or go for a matte, lightly stained look. I’d recommend using the gloss, mainly because I absolutely adore the clear gloss. Despite looking incredibly glittery in the tube, it really just looks clear when applied, and has a lovely bubble gum scent. It is light and not at all sticky (and I field tested it on a very windy day to see if hair would stick to it – not a strand got stuck.) Even if you are timid on lip color, the gloss doesn’t make the look over the top, in fact, it just adds a glint to your smile.

As you will see in the 5 different colors in the slideshow below, the colors are great. Even Passion Orange seems to make teeth appear whiter, which is impressive. There appears to be a blue-base to all the colors, which is great. While picking a favorite is like picking a favorite child, I’ll say this: Foxy Red reminds me of my favorite, long discontinued Body Shop red lip stain that was basically “my lips but better.” So I’m thrilled to find a replacement. If you are looking for a daytime red, this is it.

Where to Find It

Kurious Lip Tattoos are really impressive. Find them at KuriousMall.com for $18.00 in Foxy Red, Passion Orange, Sexy Pink, Shy Pink, and Vivid Wine.

And be sure to follow them on Twitter @KuriousMall for promotions! Currently they are running a special for 50% off Lip Tattoos which makes them an absolute steal!

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Product Review: Miracle Skin Transformer Lip Rewind

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My lips have been a bit wrinkly since I was 5. In pictures from a Disney World trip when I was 3, my lips were lineless and vibrantly red. I must have pursed my lips a LOT between the ages of 3 and 5.

That’s why I love Miracle Skin Transformer Lip Rewind Advanced Peptide Lip Treatment SPF20. It smoothes my lips and makes them incredibly soft and defined. I am really impressed with how plump it made my lips without stinging like a lot of lip plumpers. Just smooth and soothing. I tried it in Pink, which is a great everyday summer color.

Where to Find It

Find Miracle Skin Transformer Lip Rewind Advanced Peptide Lip Treatment SPF20 at Nordstrom.com.

Miracle Skin Transformer Lip Rewind

Miracle Skin Transformer Lip Rewind in Pink

5 Things to Know About Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray

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As more public places are anti-fragrance, it is difficult to find a hairspray that is suitable for the office. Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray is a scent-free option. Read about our experience.

5 Things to Know About Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray

Clinique, long-known for products suitable for those with sensitive skin and eyes, has a hairspray that manages to simultaneously pull off the five following beauty feats:

  1. Unscented . And when I say unscented, I mean not just devoid of a perfume-y top note scent masking the noxious smell of hairspray or alcohol, it is impressively devoid of detectible scent or odor in the bottle or when sprayed on my hair.
  2. Non-Aerosol. Irritating to the eyes and banned from many offices, aerosols are just not an option for some situations.
  3. A fine mist. My primary gripe against most non-aerosol hairsprays is when it sprays, it is in uneven spurts that completely miss some areas and soak others. This is a light, even coverage.
  4. Hold without buildup. A light to medium hold you can still brush through and not get gunky flakes or clumps of hair and stringy pieces. When combed out, hair looks like normal, clean hair, not dull, post-style stringiness.
  5. Hair is touchable after use. Not crunchy. Big bonus.

The Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray Experience

Like a covert beauty weapon, Clinique Non-Aerosol is my go-to hairspray for when I am not *SUPPOSED* to be wearing hairspray” like to the office, for outside events like picnics, or other low-key events.

I can’t say this would be my hairspray for a big event or night out, or if I was looking to tease in volume for a high pony tail or updo. For these styles a different spray would likely give longer and stronger hold. I also did not feel it particularly added any shine (or dullness as some sprays can do), but I suppose that is part of not being very detectible.

SUMMARY

Good go-to hairspray for the office or activities you are supposed to look polished and presentable, but not done-up – REALLY no scent.

Where to Find Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray

Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray is available at:
Clinique.com
Macys
Nordstrom
Clinique Non Aerosol Hairspray

Clinique Non Aerosol Hairspray

Product Review: Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection

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As soon as I heard about Urban Decay’s Mascara Resurrection, I was talking about it all the time. By the end of the day at work, my mascara tends to be dry and clumpy and I was really excited about a product that could, well, resurrect my mascara to it’s morning freshness.

I view this in the Apple Watch category of products: great concept, and hopefully will be improved in the future.

I picked it up as soon as it was released at Sephora and tried it out the next day after work. While I spent the time in the morning to separate my lashes, they had clumped a bit by the end of the day. So I was pretty game to try Mascara Resurrection.

It’s a good product, but I found a couple of issues that keeps it from being a fantastic product.

The Bad

First issue is the wand. For mascara or lash treatment products, a curved wand is usually a good thing. With Mascara Resurrection, the product tends to cling to either end of the curve and does not catch in the middle of the curve.

While the product is described as a liquid, it is more of a glycerine-y gel (glycerin is the third ingredient.) So instead of using the wand horizontally and catching the full lash fringe, I had to use the wand vertically, which isn’t terribly functional for the purpose, and the product ended up distributing in globs on my lashes instead of evenly.

When I tried it with straight disposable wand, it distributed evenly and did the job. So I hope Urban Decay includes a wand with a straight brush in the future to take advantage of the consistency of the formula.

My second issue really comes down to expectations. I guess I expected Mascara Resurrection to dissolve clumps with ease, but that is really the province of eye makeup remover, not a “freshen up” product. While clumps do dissolve with some brushing, they also get flakey if you aren’t thorough about removal. It didn’t refresh the mascara I had on, but rather provided a clean, silky base for me to reapply mascara without having to take my eye makeup completely off.

So those are my issues with Mascara Resurrection. If you go in armed with said facts, you’ll have more appreciation for what is a good product. Now that we’ve covered that, let’s move on to the good.

The Good

I like the fact that Mascara Resurrection allows me to brush out dried clumps and have a new base for mascara without disturbing my other eye makeup. If my eyeliner and concealer are still looking good, I’d rather just freshen up my lashes without starting over. Just make sure that you remove all the loosened mascara or else it will flake off onto your under eye.

It is also great to use to change the consistency of your mascara. I never have been particularly fond of high-gloss mascaras, but Mascara Resurrection provides the right balance of “sparkle in your eye” shine without looking wet. It also provides the right level of malleability to be able to safely recurl your lashes during the day, which is great.

We tend to only review products that really excite us on Style Chicks, so this might seem like a lot of negative for one of our reviews. The thing is, though, this product still excites me since Urban Decay tends to improve their packaging etc over time. So Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection is still a product I recommend – just make sure to get used to it before you bring it with you to a photo-op event, which as you know, is anywhere and everywhere these days.

Where to Find It

Find Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection at UrbanDecay.com for $16.00.

Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection

Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection

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