Get Extreme Lashes Naturally with Talika Lipocils Expert.

I don't think I ever talked about my love for Talika's Lipocils, a naturally based eyelash enhancer. Let me sum it up to say that I used it for a few months late last year, noticed a major difference in the length and fullness in my lashes. So when the latest, new and improved version called Lipocils Expert arrived, I knew I had to try it out right away.

Not only did Lipocils Expert lengthen and fill in my lashes like before, my lashes are darker and more "hearty". Hearty as in thicker in individual lash and as in the amount. My lashes have seems to double in number. The need for multiple coats of mascara is just not there anymore. With most mascaras, one sweep over the top and bottom lashes make my lashes look, well extreme. Almost false-like. And it is all done with naturally plant derived actives.

Lipocils Expert will make a difference to your lashes in just a month. Doing so with no harsh medications or chemicals, thus it does not irritate in any way.

Talika says that Lipocils Expert is designed to:

Stimulate eyelash growth with botanical extracts like nettle, hamamelis, and apple

Increase lashes’ curling power with Polymers & silk proteins

Deepen the natural color of your lashes with Coleus Forskohlii

Protect lashes from sunlight and other environmental aggressors with Baobab leaf & sour orange extract

Re-enforce and protect eyelash root with anti-aging peptides

I am loving the applicator too. It has a sponge tip and mascara wand. First, you use the sponge tip to apply the serum to the base of lashes and then take the wand to brush it through lashes.

The $55 price tag is well worth it for those of us craving naturally longer, thicker lashes. Pick it up online at Talika.com or at retailers such as beauty.com, Dermadoctor, Blissworld or Sephora.

*Press sample(s) of the product(s) featured was provided by brand or brand representative for editorial consideration.

Make It Last All Day: My 5 Favorite Makeup Primers.

I am talking makeup here, my friends. Trying to have makeup stay put while making it look fresh all day is no easy task when using makeup alone. In case you have not heard, the answer to making it last all day is by using a primer. Primers are popping up from brands big and small, and not all are quite cracked up to what they should be. I have tested and tried my share of primers, and I am here to present you with the ones that have worked for me the best.

Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer - $25.00
I am a fan of Laura's Spackle Under Makeup Primer so when I saw a tinted version that can add a glow to my complexion, I had to buy it right away. This primer cools and soothes skin with Aloe Vera Gel, natural plant extracts and the powerful anti-oxidants, White Tea and Centella Asiatica. Choose from Champagne for an extra added pearly glow or Bronze for a touch of bronze color.

Purple Lab NYC Pearlesque Show Primer - $30.00
Pearlesque Show is a silicone-free primer, so if you are sensitive to silicones (dimethicone) this one will not bother you. Enriched with crushed pearls for a beautiful glow and other ingredients to not only smooth out skin to help makeup apply more evenly, it contains plumping peptides to help fill in lines and pores, any imperfections really. Other ingredients optically dfiffuse skin for a perfect looking finish. I love the soft scent too.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - $16.00
The travel sized version (in the most convenient sized tube!) of the famed Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer is my fave. It is a constant in my traveling makeup bag and I can always rely on it to get my face through the longest and most harsh conditions. This is a heavy duty primer, meaning that I think it contains the heaviest blend of silicones, and I have heard from some that this does irritate them. Photo Finish contains vitamins A & E, along with Green Tea and Grape Seed Extract work to perfect as it preps your canvas (your face).

Luminizing Face Primer by Sally Hansen - $9.99
This is from the Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy line, and is another silicone-free primer. Skin-smoothing cork oak and olive leaf nourish your skin and deliver improved radiance while micronized pearls help to create a glow. If you are on a budget and are new to the primer categories, start with this one and you will not be disappointed. Makeup glides on more smoothly and just looks better, as it lasts throughout the day when using.

Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer - $30.00
Laura Mercier is one to perfect the application of foundation, so when she created this primer, she took great care in making it work for all, especially those that are most sensitive or acne-prone. Oil-Free Foundation Primer is oil free and is a gel/cream hybrid that seems to sink into skin, not stay upon it as most primers do. Not to fret though, it does act as a barrier between the face and makeup, as this primer indeed keeps makeup looking its' best all day as powerful antioxidants of Vitamins A, C & E help to protect skin as it smoothes it out.

Did your favorite primer make my favorite list?

A Beautifully Bare Sensation from Lancôme.

During the hotter months of the year, I usually revert to tinted moisturizer for normal daytime use. There are plenty of those days though, that I need more coverage and longer wear. Finding a foundation to do just that has been quite difficult. Until now, that is.

Lancôme recently launched a wonderful new long wearing foundation that  feels like wearing nothing at all. Yes, it is a beautifully bare sensation and it is called Teint Idole Fresh Wear Foundation. It has a built in SPF of 15 too!

"This fresh formula in a convenient tube delivers weightless yet moderate coverage that instantly minimizes the look of pores and imperfections. The complexion remains flawless and shine-free from morning until night – for a full 18 hours – even under humidity and perspiration."

I say, hooray. It really is what I have been searching for in an all-day makeup. Only a small amount is needed for complete coverage too. I mean, the size of a small pea blends out perfectly over my entire face with either a foundation brush or sponge.

Lancôme celebrity makeup artist Sandy Litner explains her feeling for this new beauty: "Teint Idole Fresh Wear Foundation evens out the skin tone and then disappears, like you’re not wearing a foundation. Makeup should look effortless, especially in the casual summer months. Fresh Wear is perfect for this effortless look. It also happens to feel great on the skin.”

Teint Idole is available in a full range of 17 shades and retails for $32.00. Shop for it at your favorite Lancôme counter or online.

*Press sample(s) of the product(s) featured was provided by brand or brand representative for editorial consideration.