Steal and Swank: Mascara Edition

From now until the end of this year, I will be posting a new series of updates titled Steal and Swank. In this series I will bring you the best makeup "steals" and those which qualify as a bit more "swank," (i.e. pricey). All products that are featured have been tried-and-true by your favorite inconsistent blogger.
The first installation is mascara. I decided to feature mascara because it is my number one essential makeup item. I was wonderfully blessed with translucent eyelashes and eyebrows. Pair this with fair skin, freckles, and red hair, without mascara I look ill or "off." It's not a particularly good look. That said, I've had plenty of time to try out endless brands of mascaras.

Steal:
Maybelline Great Lash
$6
This should be a surprise to no one. Maybelline has easily one of the single best mascaras on the market. This age old formula is a classic and a staple for any makeup aficionado.
Great Lash doesn't flake, it goes on smoothly and without clumps, and it separates and defines. The pink and green tube a go-to for all of my makeup kits and I never want to be without it.

Swank:
Lancome Defincils
$27
Prior to this mascara I had never used Lancome products before. This is one situation that I can blame solely on advertising. Every Lancome ad I have ever seen in a magazine looks like it was assembled by a 14 year old who just pirated a trial copy of Photoshop online. The ad's are just atrocious. Last year, though, I received a sampler set of mascaras from Sephora (highly recommend this, they come out with one every year). A small bottle of Lancome was included. I held off on using it for a bit, as I was more interested in the tubes of Smashbox, Tarte, and Korres. When I finally broke it open, I was wildly impressed. The brush coats the lashes evenly, but leaves behind the blackest pigment. Lancome Defincils gave me dark, dramatic, and voluminous lashes, with minimal effort and no reapplication needed.

You can purchase these items here and here.

Know Your Prints

I try not to be obsessively particular when it comes to conversations about fashion. Everyone has their own likes, dislikes, trends to follow, and those to leave behind. I get it, do your own thing and own it. One point of conversation that is impossible difficult for me to not reign over is the mislabeling of prints. I'm not entirely sure why it bothers me...but it does. Gingham is not the same as plaid, and there is a difference between buffalo, tartan, and Glen. Houndstooth and herringbone look nothing alike and not all stripes are pinstripes. This is my crash course, offered free of charge, to help you all get it right.

Gingham is a linear crossover pattern that utilizes a single color, equal spacing, and equal width. Gingham is most commonly found during the spring and summer months, and is almost always on a button down shirt of some sort.

Not plaid.

Now for the plaids. Plaid is always a popular print because it comes in an insane amount of colors, sizes, and textiles.

First up is tartan plaid. Tartan plaid is what people traditionally associate with Celtic traditional clothing. It usually is made of wool (culturally and historically) and is in rich colors like navy, green, red, and black.

Tartan.

Next is glen plaid. Glen plaid is one of the most refined prints and in many ways can be utilized the same as a neutral. The lines in this print are minute and fine, so much so that TV broadcasters and journalists avoid the print at all costs due to how poorly it reads on video. It is difficult to find Glen plaid in colors that aren't some shade of grey, brown, or black (with a single line of red). Glen plaid is a great suit pattern that comes off as daring and dapper.

Glen.

Buffalo plaid wraps up the plaids. Think hunting and flannels. Buffalo plaid is like a pumped up gingham in the number of lines it uses. The patten is a linear criss cross, but the difference is the lines within the lines (Inception style). Macro lines are composed of diagonal micro lines (the picture makes more than this description). As I mentioned before, this print is traditionally found on flannel button downs and is one of the limited fashion items that has fashion and function (warmth and layering).

Buffalo.

Houndstooth had its moment a few years ago when it was on every imaginable fashion item. It quickly became played out, but it is no less a classic print. Houndstooth is characterized by uneven, alternating points that resemble....a hounds tooth. This print is almost always done with black and white textiles.

Houndstooth.

Then there is herringbone, named for its resemblance to an animal carcass. Herringbone is characterized by its chevron shaped lines that alternate in direction. It is consider a classic print and is a fabulous print for blazers. Herringbone doesn't come in a ton of color varieties, so classic earth tones are almost exclusively used.

Herringbone.

And last but not least, there are the stripes. Vertical and horizontal lines do actually have depth and should be appropriately distinguished (otherwise you will hurt their feelings). What I believe to be the most important stripe to distinguish from the others in the pinstripe. Pinstripes are an icon of gangster fashion and cliche banker suits. Pinstripes are as thin as they come (usually a single thread line) and are a go-to for suits and business wear.

Pinstripes.

And that is your crash course in oft-confused patterns. So, when you are picking out your airy button down to go with your daisy dukes, don't you dare call it plaid.

Smashbox Liquid Halo Foundation

It has been the better part of forever since I have posted. I've recently begun a new career and moved to a new city, so adjusting properly (and scoping out shopping prospects) has been paramount.

Over the past few months I have been in search of the perfect foundation. Usually I rely on BB cream to cover my face every day, but it just seemed as though it was no longer doing the trick. I wanted something more targeted and specific. So my search for the right foundation began.

It always seems that whenever I need to find a certain product, I can never meet my own standards. This goes for clothes, shoes, makeup, everything. The second something becomes a need and no longer just a want, virtually everything that meets my criteria magically disappears. Rough life, right? The same thing happened when I started my search for foundation. Hundred of brands and bottles available to me, yet none of them even come close to what I am looking for. Nothing matched my complexion, my undertones, or the consistency and coverage I needed. The backs of my hands had been smeared with seemingly every foundation there ever was.

This week it all became clear (or perhaps I should say flawlessly covered). Smashbox recently released a new line of foundations called Liquid Halo. The coverage is buildable, but not heavy. It blends perfectly and doesn't highlight any lines or blemishes. I found my fix. The bottle comes with a substantial price tag of $42, but it is simply one of those products that is worth it.

The lightest shade matched my skin perfectly and didn't make it appear yellow (I have very pink/red undertones). It didn't hide my freckles or emphasize them. It provided a smooth canvas that didn't look plastic or doll-like, and it was just so wearable.

Foundation is one of those products that is impossible to make general recommendations on. Every skin color, tone, and texture is different, and no brand has a corner on this market.

To help pick out the perfect foundation you need to establish your needs. This rule applies to all makeup and similar products as well. Is this something you will only wear for special occasions, or do you want a flawless, doll-like complexion every morning (and have the time to commit). Answering this question will lead you in to any number of different paths to pick the perfect foundation.

What type of skin do you have? I'm not talking about color, but skin issues or texture. Oily, dry, combination, acne prone, normal? Oily skin or acne prone skin should stick to lighter, oil free formulas. Those with dry skin should aim for hydrating formulas.

Next, what do you put your face through on a regular basis? Are you out in the elements regularly, because you need to up your SPF and select a foundation that is light and won't wear off as a result of weather or pollution variables. Are you under harsh lighting for long hours of they day? You may need to go through a long trial and error process to find a foundation that doesn't make you sickly or overdone under flourescent lights.

What are your habits? Do you fidget or touch your face frequently? Do you rub your eyes? Wear little or no makeup? Wear a lot of makeup? These questions should help direct you in terms of what type of coverage you need and what product consistency you should select. Powders are great for full coverage and covering up all manner of imperfections. That said, they can also be uncomfortable and make skin feel "tight" so slather on the moisturizer first. Liquids are incredibly versatile and come in a wide range of covers, from light and luminescent to thick and impenetrable.

Shade matching is the last piece of the puzzle and is entirely based on brand selection. I happen to be so pale I'm almost translucent, so under every circumstance (so far) I can pick up the lightest shad available by every brand. Ideally, when testing products, you want to use your face rather than the back of your hand or forearm. Obviously, this isn't always feasible unless you want to have technicolor cheek bones. There are really a bevy of shades available and don't settle until you find the right one. For women of color, Iman Cosmetics specializes in creating useable and blendable shades for complexions on the darker end of the spectrum. Most drugstore brands to not lend themselves well (without chemist level mixing and blending) to giving deep skin tones foundation options, so cosmetic brands that align themselves to specific markets have the best choices around.

Look for a product that essentially disappears when you rub it in to your skin (this means it matches). If you select one too light or too dark, your blending will be off (think of your ears and neck). Find a solution that doesn't fight with your skin, otherwise you will give yourself more problems to address. Make sure the product isn't settling in to, or highlighting, lines and blemishes. Don't buy anything that complicates any skin problems you may already have; it's not worth the battle. Sometimes it will be inexpensive, and sometimes it won't. If you are questioning price tags, refer to the first question I posed: what are your needs? If this isn't an every day product, then a $50 bottle of YSL foundation is only going to cause resentment. Many drugstore brands can do your face justice, just be cautious of trying them out in store since most don't have testers available.

As far as application, it is really a matter of comfort and precision. Clean fingers apply foundation just fine and cover relatively evenly. Sponges create a flawless look that is highly blendable. Brushes allow for targeted application (though it takes a bit more patience to get it right).

Ulta and Sephora are the best spots to try a load of foundations on in one place. Sephora has recently introduced an in-store complexion tester that measures your skin on several different levels, and selects the perfect product for you among all of the brands sold in store. The service, Color IQ gets rid of a lot of the guess work and is surprisingly accurate, but before you go in for the free service, remember you might be pressured in to buying something that doesn't mesh with your needs or price range.

If my recommendation sounds good enough to splurge on, you can buy Smashbox Liquid Halo here.

Things I Hate: Street Style

I find it next to impossible not to loathe street style. That's just how it is.

Dumb.

On the face of it, street style spits on the Prada pumps of the fashion industry. It throws immense amounts of shade on the notion that style and fashion must be prepackaged and trends are routinely prescribed to the masses like an antibiotic. For what it's worth, I find that aspect valuable. Unfortunately, street style, as it is now, has this nonsensical obsession with buying ridiculously overpriced and atrocious looking clothing and pairing it equally as awful accessories and shoes in an attempt to look more ridiculous than the person a tent ahead of you at fashion week.

Dumb.

Street style is looking weird for the sake of looking weird. In doing so, you solidify your spot on some pedantic New York Fashion Week style blog. It is a matter of finding 7 or more pieces that are unique, distinct, uncomfortable, and unmatched. In theory, this seems like the perfect way to express individual style. Unfortunately, it comes off as a guise for attention, like a "who can look the most inane" contest. 

Dumb.

I would liken modern day street style to Version Two of the original hipster. Before it was PBR, flannel shirts, and shitty music. Now it's clothes that don't fit properly and an inflated sense of ironic humor. The primary similarity being that both groups come with their own trust funds. 

Let's analyze one of these contemporary clusterfucks.

Dumb.

From top to bottom. 

A hat with ears like nubs. It's cutesy and juvenile, and screams "daddy issues."

Fox or rabbit fur coat. Announcing that money is no object, or at least that an ugly jacket is far more important than meals for three months. I think the assumed elegance of a fur coat was intended to negate the preschool cap.

From what I can tell her bottom is a Nike tennis skirt. It signals the aloofness or the upper class in New York City, and supports function and form.

Black tights, because shit's cold, yo'.

Finally, in a failed climax, high-top metallic sneakers. A nod to carefree youth and transcendence of cultural boundaries.

What this all amounts to is jack shit.

Dumb.

Street style is intended to look like the wearer spent minimal funds and effort to compile his or her choice outfit. In reality, we all know that the individual pieces of the outfit were incredibly pricey (because cost trumps style and quality) and an immense amount of time was put in to selecting the items which clashed the most. The outcome is still the same, rolling around on the closet floor with the lights off and calling the result wearable. 

Dumb.

Fashion and style are meant to be beautiful and individual. They are meant to be expressive yet artistic; something that is pleasant to the eye and communicates to observers. Street style just doesn't do that. It's not avant garde, it's just...atrocious. It is weird and ugly for the sake of being weird and ugly.

Dumb.

Lipstick Perfection

My love for lipstick has only been relatively recent. A few years ago the idea of wearing something on my lips that was not within a one or two shade range of my natural lip color was unheard of. There were simply too many things that could go wrong. Would it end up on my teeth? How do I know what type of shade is right? How do I know what finish I want? Is lip liner necessary? What about reapplication? I already have full lips, am I going to look like the clown in It? Just thinking about these things is stressful enough to make me want to put all of my makeup away. The easiest answer to all of these questions, I have discovered is: you'll figure it out.

I took the proverbial plunge one Christmas. My mother had purchased me some cosmetics from Sephora and because it was around a holiday, the package came with a ton of free samples (which are my favorite). One of these samples was a small lipstick tube from the brand Makeup Forever. When I opened the tube I was presented with the most florescent shade of pink I could imagine. I loved the color potential immediately, but had no idea of how or when to use it. I was only vaguely familiar with the brand. All I knew up to that point was that they did not retouch their models' makeup in print ad's. This was supposed to be a testament to the quality of their product.

The tube of lipstick sat in my makeup collection for at least a month before I finally broke it out. I knew that bright red lips always look stunning with a simple winged eye, so I assumed that hot pink would do just the same. I broke out the black liner and lipstick and decided just to wing it (ah, a pun). I had no lip liner or other materials to prep my mouth. Luckily the color went on precisely and looked fantastic with minimal effort from myself. Within a few moments the color dried to a matte finish and had not yet ended up on my teeth or skin. It just so happens that my first real experience with noticeable lip color was the best it could be. The color was shocking. The brand was fantastic. The wearability was spot-on. Shortly after my success with that tiny little sample, I started stocking up on all manner of shades. I collected a bevy of reds, oranges (yes, orange!), and pinks. I kept away from anything that could be labeled as natural or subtle and went for a raver-in-daylight look.

Lipstick is a terrifying product because there is so much potential for application to go awry. I would like to think at this point I have it all figured out. Follow these steps and you'll be set.

1. I always plan ahead so I know on what days I plan to wear lip color in order to coordinate with my chosen outfit. Because of this, I am able to prep my lips ahead of time. In the evening, just before bed, I slather on a metric ton of lip balm (usually Carmex). I try to get as much on my lips as possible so it will continue to absorb all night. In the morning I wipe off any excess and usually at least some dead skin that has loosened up as a result.

2. As I am getting ready in the morning I use a lip exfloliator to loosen up any last bits of loose lip skin (that just sounds awful). The brand Soap and Glory has a fantastic one called Mighty Mouth. One one end is a smooth lip balm and the other is a exfoliating balm. Used together, they prepare your lips to be the perfect canvas.

3. After exfoliating I add a thin layer of regular lip balm (anything works). It may seem like just an extra step, but some lip sticks can really dry out your lips throughout the day. Generally lip pigments don'e lend themselves well to layering with balms and thus, it is either one or the other. Therefore, I use a balm right before application to give myself as much moisture as possible before final application.

4. Now we get to the fun stuff. Wipe off the lip balm and any other residue that may be on your lips (I recommend brushing and flossing be finished before going forward). Make sure you are woking with a clean slate. Anything that is on your lips is going to mix with your choice of lipstick and this can mess with coloration or finish.

5. You can apply your lipstick with a brush or straight from the tube. If you have a steady enough hand, using a brush isn't necessary. I have used brushes before and didn't see any benefits one way or another. The only time I have found them absolutely necessary is when using any type of color that comes in a pot or squeeze tube. Start in the middle of your bottom lip, since that provides you with the most uninterrupted space (this allows you to ensure you are comfortable with the color). Smooth a thin layer all through the middle of your top and bottom lip. Slowly point and dot the pointiest end along the inner perimeter of your top and bottom lips. Avoid dragging the lipstick because it is easier to color outside the lines that way (which in this case isn't a cute move). Connect the dots you created and fill in any spaces.

6. Blot your lips using a Kleenex or other thin cloth that won't leave fibers on your lips. The blotting may seem dated, but it is what keeps your pearly whites white.

And there you go. Depending on what type of finish you select (creamy vs. matte, for example) reapplication throughout the day may be necessary. Matte lipsticks have the longest wearability but tend to dry out the lips the most. Creamy finishes need more frequent application, but won't leave you feeling parched at the end of the day.

As for picking out colors: do whatever the fuck you want. That's my philosophy at least. I have orange hair and wear neon orange lipstick because I'm fabulous and that's what I want to wear. I suggest you do the same. It is most important to make sure not that the color matches your skin tone, but that you are comfortable in the color.

I've encountered several great lipstick brands and would highly recommend the following: LimeCrime, Makeup Forever, and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.