Beauty Boyfriends: Mascara McConaughey

While I don't have a boyfriend of my own, I do have a strong support system of beauty products that I'm pretty sure get me just as... excited.  Fortunately, some of my favorite male celebrities offered to help me spread the good word as the weeks go on.  "Why am I not dating them you ask?"... "EWWW... we're BEST FRIENDS... he's like my brother"...  right.  Now on to the eyelashes...

It seems like every time that I shoot I end up on Amazon.com right after we wrap, ordering whatever new beauty product I learned about that day.  I feel lucky to be learning from the pros and it wouldn't be fair if I kept it all to myself now would it?

What I lack in hair on my head, I for some reason was rewarded with in eyelashes... And I'm not complaining.  The thing is, I am naturally a dirty blonde and therefore my eyelashes and eyebrows (and that's where we'll leave this discussion) are very light.  Mascara makes a huge difference for me and I've tried too many to count.  There are two winners but one has a clear advantage.

Runner Up goes to Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils

A friend turned me on to this mascara in high school.  A very wealthy friend.  It truly makes your eyelashes look fake but the price tag is a bit higher than I prefer at $30 a pop.  I've also noticed that it tends to dry out rather quickly so I was frequently purchasing a new tube, which started to add up.  If you don't mind splurging then I highly recommend it but otherwise I'll let you in on my little "not so" secret...

THE WINNER: Maybelline theCOLOSSAL Volum' Express

This has been my favored mascara choice for a couple of years now and I'm often seeing it in Makeup artist's kits at work.  It is sold in almost all drugstores for about $7 and usually lasts me for a few months!  I recommend the "Glam Black" color.  I don't recommend the Waterproof one... unless you are planning on competing in a wet T-shirt contest.  The regular formula works just fine but will also come off when you want it to.  The first couple applications can be a little too heavy but after that it is the perfect little miracle!  I have a whole transition process when I'm at the end of one tube and the start of another which involves dipping the older used brush in the new tube for a few applications.  It keeps the old tube going strong for a few more uses and helps avoid the over lacquering that can happen with a new tube.  I'm thrifty... what can I say!

But wait... there's more.  The way you apply mascara is just as important as the kind you use.  I've put together a video blog of my personal mascara tips, live from my Milwaukee hotel room...

Please Stop Asking This Question

(Originally published: November 4, 2010)

I hate when people ask me what kind of music I like.   If they ask me that initially, I know it’s not going to work out between us.   It is a sure fire way that you will be judged and placed accordingly.  It is similar but not directly related to someone asking your Astrological sign.  If you are someone that is going to judge our compatibility based on me being the “twin” and you are the “scorpion” (Is a scorpion a sign or is that Chinese New Year?) we clearly have different interests in life.

It’s not that I don’t like music.  Music is nice.  It is just that the question of asking what kind of music I like is so critical.  It’s up there with asking me which Hanson brother was hottest.  Can’t I just be honest and say my Pandora is still set to J-Kwon’s Tipsy and call it a day?

I don’t even know what this question means.  There are so many variations and ways to answer it.  What song do I most commonly enjoy karaokeing to?  What kind of music did I lose my virginity to?  What kind of music do I pretend to like to impress whatever person I am trying to impress?

This question is usually asked by someone who listens to some hip, underground, alternative group that no one listens to and frankly isn’t even good.  At work, I have made the conscious decision to never be the one whose laptop plays our 16-hour a day soundtrack in the office.  It’s a lot of pressure and god only know that with my luck my iTunes will get stuck on something like Dashboard Confessional.

I think people should listen to whatever music tickles them in that special way…

On that note I’d like to include a playlist that I like to live my life by and that you should probably listen to:

1. Bed Intruder Song- Antoine Dodsen  Bed Intruder Song
2. Cameltoe- FannyPack
3. Teardrops on My Guitar- T. Swift… because no matter how old you are you have sat and listened to this song and imagined the person in your life who caused all those teardrops that stained your new guitar… kidding… kind of
4. Teach Me How to Dougie- Cali Swag District
5. Milkshake- Kelis
6. That’s Not My Name- The Ting Tings… only because I used to pretend I was a Victoria’s Secret model in front of my mirror repeatedly to this song
7. Graduation (Friends Forever)- Vitamin C
8. Play- David Banner… The lyrics just always tug at my heartstrings
9. My Dick- Mickey Avalon…. This goes out to my friend Val…
10. The Theme Song to Full House
11. Blue (Da Ba Dee)- Eiffel 65
12. Summer Girls- LFO… I remember thinking this song was so cool cause it had the words “Abercrombie and Fitch” in it… I know you did too
13. Mambo #5- Lou Bega… I rewrote this song with lyrics about my cheerleading team in 6^th grade and performed it for everyone at practice.  So that’s comfortable.
14. Stay- Lisa Loeb
15. Who Let the Dogs Out- Baja Fresh Men
16. Empty Apartment- Yellowcard… I used to listen to this in high school when I wanted to pretend I was emo and had a lot of serious life issues to deal with.
17. Who’s That Girl- Eve… I liked to play this in my headphones while on family trips and pictured myself owning the Newport Beach sidewalks with paw print tattoos on my chest
18. Purple Pills-Eminem… Same scenario.  Family Road Trip.  Had no idea what it was about.
19. The Day I Fall in Love-  This is the song from Beethoven’s 2^nd when Ryce gets a ride from Taylor Devereaux in his convertible after school and she is so speechless she has to run up to her bedroom and collapse onto her bed with only Beethoven to console  her.
20. Trapped in the Closet- R. Kelly…

But seriously, what kind of music do you like??