Clarins

I was conducting “research” at a Nordie’s MAC counter a few weeks ago, playing with lipsticks and chatting with the gals who work there (They’re all so nice at the Corte Madera counter!), when I overheard a woman discussing her philosophy on makeup.

Ohhhh-kay. So maybe I was eavesdropping. 😉

The woman was looking for false lashes, and one of the makeup artists asked if she wanted a bold look or something more natural. Her response was something along the lines of, “If I’m gonna wear fall lashes, I want people to notice!” She wanted to go bold all the way! Otherwise, why bother?

“Hell, yeah,” I thought to myself, nodding in silent approval as I secretly swatched berry-colored lippies on the back of my hand. “I hear that!”

Having been in a smokey eye phase for a while, her take on makeup really resonated with me.

Of course, there’s a time and place to tone it down, too. Not every hallway is a catwalk, after all, and runway makeup isn’t always appropriate. Plus, some makeup lovers just don’t do bold.

When you don’t have a runway to strut, or you’re just looking to wear something noticeable, but not overwhelming, on your eyes, there’s the new Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Forest ($42).

Recently released for fall, the four-pan palette of powdered eyeshadows has a shimmmery golden khaki, a satiny taupe, a blackened khaki with the faintest flecks of golden glitter (SO CUTE) and a sheer, pale gold, any of which can be applied wet or dry, and still look great. Whatever suits yo’ fancy!

All four shadows, which range from sheer to medium coverage, have a lovely, soft reflective shimmer that catches the light juuust enough, so that you’re compelled to take a closer look.

It’s perfect for that watercolor effect — subtle, but you can definitely tell you’re wearing makeup.

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I gotta give credit to Clarins for getting straight to the point when they named new Be Long Mascara. Just one coat of this stuff on my fringe, and I’m yelling “My lashes be hella long!!” at the top of my lungs in the bathroom.

That’s usually how I know a mascara has crossed over from pretty good to great. 🙂

Be Long banishes jet lag even better than melatonin! You might not think that a three-hour time difference could throw off your sleeping schedule, but it totally can.

I look and feel tired…and over the years, after many mascara trials, I’ve learned that one of the easiest ways to look perkier/less exhausted is to apply a layer of a lengthening, curling mascara to your lashes.

Nothing fakes a bright, doe-eyed look like a little extra lash length and curl. I think the extra length and curl work even better for this than specialized lash volume/thickening mascaras.

And formulas that also separate and define every lash work even better. When the goal is looking less tired, I don’t want bundles of long, clumpy lashes (which, yeah, do have their time and place, like at night when I’m feeling a little artsy).

Be Long delivers the exceptional length, curl and separation that work together as a tonic for sleepy eyes.

I’m totally enamored with this stuff and how it stretches, grabs and defines even the shortest stubs. One coat after a quick curl from my Shu Uemura Lash Curler, and my fringe looks fabulously full and lifted all day, no flakes or smudges.

The brush, which picks up a perfect amount of product (no need to remove any excess by wiping it across a paper towel), must be the secret sauce. It gives each lash the special treatment, coating it individually from base to tip and combing through every hair without leaving behind any clumps or bumps.

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