Mascara

Zoom Worthy Mascara that Thinks It’s Lash Growth Serum:
Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara

October 19, 2020 · Leave a Comment

In the way back, before remote working and video conferencing became the norm, we featured Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara. It is a vegan mascara containing lash growth peptides typically found only in eyelash growth serums. It also conditions lashes while you wear it. And it doesn’t flake! We don’t mind wearing mascara at home since we are also growing lusher, thicker lashes!!!

Need to be Zoom ready pronto? Proper makeup for remote working and video conferencing is tricky. While we have favored toned-down, neutral eye for video conferencing, we still require some mascara to look alert and like we haven’t just woken up.

But wearing mascara to work at home feels like a big commitment. We now appreciate Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara with a new set of eyes, so to speak. Read below a reboot of our original article to learn about this vegan goodie with lash growing peptides and natural lash enhancers.

The mascara tube is made from a form of sugar cane plastic.

ABOUT THIS MASCARA

Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara is a clean beauty makeup product that contains the lash growth peptides of a lash growth serum. It also has the conditioning factors of oils known for making hair, brows, and lashes look thick and lush.

And on top of that, it is actually a well-wearing, smooth application mascara in an adorable tube. It comes with a volumizing brush.

One coat for a lush but natural lash look, two coats for serious volume.

The mascara tube material is made from an eco-friendly bioresin sugarcane-based form of plastic! How innovative!

Regular Style Chicks readers know we are pretty fussy about mascaras. We are excited to find a vegan flake-free mascara that does lash growth serum double-duty!

A Mascara that thinks its’ a lash Serum

Lots of mascaras SAY they condition while you wear it. But Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara actually IS a lash growth product. It contains a special lash growth ingredient typically found in pricey lash growth serums. Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara contains Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, a combination peptide that helps lashes grow.

Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara is a mascara AND lash growth serum

Check out this natural yet effective ingredient list:

The Ingredients

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a combination peptide that helps lashes grow. It delivers Keratin proteins to eyelashes and eyebrows. Keratin, a building block of hair, makes lashes thicker and healthier. When lashes are healthy, they can grow longer. When nourished, lashes also look softer. Testing shows that this results in an increase in lash thickness and growth. Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 guides cell growth and growth factor secretion to thicken and enhance the appearance of lashes and eyebrows. This makes them look thicker and fuller.

Sweet Almond Oil conditions lashes

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet Almond Oil is a light oil, it contains proteins and vitamins A, B, D, and E. It provides protection and shines to even fine, lackluster lashes.

Sweet Almond Oil protects delicate lashes and combats brittleness. Brittleness a huge barrier to meaningful lash growth. Sweet Almond Oil also gives lashes a natural sheen.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E conditions dry and brittle lashes. Within a mascara formulation, it can condition the lash without clogging the lash root.

Rice Bran

Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax

Derived from Rice Bran, this provides both a mascara base and an emollient softening agent due to its natural fatty acids, squalene, and phospholipids profile. Because it has such a high melting point, it helps mascara not flake or smudge, yet it is not an eye irritant like Beeswax can be for sensitive eyes.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a natural humectant derived from plants. It helps lashes retain precious moisture and appear slightly plumper.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba Seeds

Jojoba Oil is an emollient, made of 98% monounsaturated fats so it can penetrate the hair follicle. Jojoba gives elasticity and softness to hair including eyelashes. Jojoba is also a carrier oil, increasing the efficacy of other active ingredients. It nourishes both the lash follicle root and smoothes damage to dry lash tips.

Triglyceride

Triglyceride is a fatty acid that moisturizes the lashes.

What it does NOT contain

Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara is free of:

silicone
petrochemicals
parabens
perfume
SLS
phthalates
animal ingredients
animal testing
synthetic colors
dyes

About the Brand

Mad Hippie makes skincare and beauty products. They believe in promoting not just aesthetic beauty but worldwide beauty in the local community and beyond. They give $1 of every online sale to conservation efforts.

Mad Hippie is committed to the belief in a brighter, better tomorrow.

Mad Hippie not only creates green cosmetics and skincare, but their entire production process is also geared toward a reduced carbon footprint. They use bioresin sugarcane tubes, they print with soy inks on FSC certified paper. Their even facility runs on alternative energy. Impressive!

WHERE TO FIND IT

Find the lash growing, vegan, flake-free Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara at https://www.madhippie.com/products/mascara

Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara

More Mad Hippie Products We Love

Mad Hippie Hydrating Mist

Skin Soothing, Easy Age Spot Fix Mad Hippie Hydrating Nutrient Mist

Mad Hippie Facial Sunscreen

Collagen Building Suncare Mad Hippie Facial Sunscreen

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Have any questions about Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara? The Style Chicks are here to answer them.

Leave a comment or email us at questions@stylechicks.com

ABOUT THIS POST

Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara was original submitted to Style Chicks for consideration purposes. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.

Tips & Tricks for Using Tarte Lights Camera LASHES 4-in-1 Mascara

August 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment

If carefully applied, Tarte Lights Camera LASHES 4-in-1 Mascara gives a Zooey Deschanel-twice-the-size-of-a-normal-eye kind of look. The lashes are defined, even from a few feet away. Clumping is minimal, but the tube dries out quickly, perhaps due to the cute but problematic leatherette packaging making it difficult to complete close the cap tightly. But it’s a solid mascara for a special event to have dramatic yet natural lashes. Here are our best tips and tricks for getting the most out of this cult-favorite mascara.

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is rich black mascara with full wand

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is the BLACKEST black: Â a rich black, creamy mascara

Tarte lights camera LASHES mascara has been around a few years, but I didn’t try it until recently as I was satisfied with my then-current-but-now-discontinued-mascara.

BEST USED FOR:

Natural, clump-free, highly defined lashes that create a big doe-eyed look.

This mascara, if applied carefully, gives long, defined lashes that stay clump-free and give a big-eyed look. It lasts the day with minimal fallout. It is not the biggest and lushest look when compared to mascaras like DiorShow or Benefit BadGal, but it does look the most natural yet defined lashes can look, in my opinion, making it suitable for daytime wear with light touchups for a more dramatic evening look. Good for a beguiling, defined eye that doesn’t look fake or like you are trying too hard, especially if you only apply one or two thin coats.

Features:

It is not sticky or itchy.
Look of a very wet mascara, but it dries rapidly
Didn’t clump, no smears or smudges on my eyelids
Vegan with conditioning ingredients like Olive Oil.
Paraben free.

APPLICATION TIPS & Tricks

Using a disposable wand and a lash comb gave a very defined look. Using a mascara fan brush and lash comb out afterward with a disposable wand gave a long, soft, wispy look. Two coats with a disposable wand, top lashes only, had a nice bombshell lash but not tacky or trashy look.
Lights Camera LASHES was a bit more difficult to apply to my bottom lashes with the brush that came in the tube, so I recommend disposable or lash comb for bottom lashes.
TIP: Some neutral to negative reviews I see of this Mascara are reviewers have piled it on pretty thick in multiple coats. I did a very basic one coat, I attempted to coat from lash to tip on each lash and only doing the second coat if I missed a lash or a lash pointed in a weird direction and needed to be set straight. This gives all the length without the clumping I see some people having with this mascara.
If you have experienced clumping with this mascara when applying several coats, or one thicker multi-coat, I’ve found that one thin coat gives the dark rich black color and the length without the clumping of multi-coats.

Tarte lights camera LASHES mascara

RESULTS

The mascara is very dark and applies relatively thinly almost always without clumps, but they still need a combing.

I like this mascara. As long as it is applied carefully, it looks great. It gives a Zooey Deschanel/New Girl/Jessica Daye twice the size of a normal eye kind of look. The lashes seem very defined even from a few feet away, yet the mascara is not so obvious as makeup, making the lashes noticeable, not the makeup.

Closeup of one coat on lower lashes

FALLOUT & WEAR

There is very light fall out, after a few hours I saw two or three black grains on my undereye area, my lashes didn’t have apparent flakes or areas the mascara wore off. Carry a q-tip to flick those away.

CAVEATS

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is not necessarily a good mascara for a quick daytime touch up unless you carry a lash comb with you, which I do. But I found it didn’t need to be touched up if done properly in the first application. I did have an issue with 4-5 lower outer lashes tend to stick together and they always need a thorough combing with a lash comb.

The mascara is not waterproof, but I found it to be long-wearing like a waterproof. The waterproof version is Tarte Lights Camera SPLASHES, which loses some of the consistency in my opinion, and seems to be to be not as rich black, but pretty close.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT Tarte’s Lights, Camera, LASHES

It dries out insanely fast, requiring a near constant re-purchase of mascara. It dries out within a few weeks, when plenty is left in the tube. I wouldn’t mind if I even got a good two months out of it, knowing I should replace my mascara every three, but at $23 for the full size, $10 for the mini, that is too expensive as effectively costs the same as a very high-end mascara such as Hourglass.

TIPS:

MAKE SURE THE CAP IS FULLY CLOSED. The tube comes in a leather-like, thicker snakeskin patterned packaging; this makes it harder to completely close the tube cap. Make sure to twist the cap on tightly, so your mascara does not dry out. When it is dry, it gets very flaky.
I keep this mascara in a zip lock baggie to keep it as airtight as possible.
I have resorted to cutting off the adorable packaging with a scissors or knife to get a better seal on the cap being closed. Underneath the pretty tube packaging is just a plain black tube.
After the first few uses, I put the mascara tube in a cup of hot water and let it sit for a few minutes to keep it smoother and less dried out before application
I always apply it with a disposable mascara wand or mascara fan brush

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara comes with pretty but problematic packaging.

WHERE TO BUY Tarte Lights Camera LASHES MASCARA

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES Mascara is available at TarteCosmetics, Ulta, and Sephora for $23, $10 for the mini, and the best deal is the TarteÂ Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler Duo, containing a Tarte eyelash curler and a mini Tarte Lights Camera LASHES for $18 (our recommended pick).

Tarte Picture Perfect EyeLash Curler Duo can be found at Ulta and TarteCosmetics.com for $18

What do you think of Tarte Lights Camera LASHES? Do you have a favorite mascara? Tell us in the comment section

Up Your Lash Game with Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer

January 18, 2017 · 2 Comments

Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer

Want tips on how to use the Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer? Look no further, here are our best tips, tricks and hacks. With a little practice, this tricky Primer will be giving you lush, bat-worthy lashes in no time!

URBAN DECAY SUBVERSION LASH PRIMER: WHAT IT DOES

A lash primer gives both some bulk to individual lashes and serves as a base coat, so mascara lasts longer and looks fresher with less fallout during the day.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Similar in construction and design to a regular mascara, the primer wand has lots of product on it when pulled out of the tube. It is opaque white in color. It is something like a thickened “White-Out” or “Liquid Paper,” but not as sticky or runny as an Elmer’s Glue-like consistency.

I initially didn’t expect it to bode well but thought better of it after some practice. It gives a full, fluttery lash without looking fake.

Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer gives lusher lashes

Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer is a base coat for lusher lashes

BEST USAGE TIPS

My best tip is to clean the brush wand off as much as you can before application to the lashes.

I use a disposable wand and dip it in the primer only once, and that may still need to be cleaned off by brushing the rows and tip of the dipped wand with a second clean wand to get the excess and clumps off.

APPLICATION:

Brush it on very thinly, straight from root to tip, NOT in a zig-zag horizontal motion like mascara, because lashes will lose definition and clump together.

Next, brush through the lashes with a dedicated clean spoolie, dry wand or a mascara fan brush to remove clumps and unevenness to the primer layer, because there are plenty of clumps, even if you are careful in applying. Don’t skip this step.

Get this primer coat as clean as possible. And take your time doing it. Let it dry.

Apply your mascara.

NOTE: At the risk of “Mascara heresy,” if you normally do 2-3 coats of mascara, you may wish to stop at one thin coat, at least on the bottom lashes. Assess between coats if you, in fact, need more mascara than one coat, because the primer makes lashes quite lush with very little mascara product.

CAUTIONS:
1) Since the primer is an opaque white, the lashes are left white. Make sure to coat each lash and not miss any, and check that your lashes are coated root to tip, and on the sides, as the primer shows through any uncoated areas and it looks like weird white spots on the lashes if a spot is missed.

2) Make sure to keep the cap on tight; it dries out faster than mascara.

3) If the product is too dry or too clumpy, put the closed tube in a mug of hot water to soften it, but only leave it in the water for less than two minutes, so it does not get too runny. This is a last resort trick to get a few more uses out of the primer.

4) Invest in cheap disposable mascara wands to apply the primer since the wand that comes with the primer gets pretty gunky fairly quickly.

SUMMARY

Urban Decay Perversion Primer gives the appearance of thicker lashes as well as providing a nice base to keep mascara looking fresh and lasting longer.

But it must be applied carefully and takes some practice; it is not for a quick flick of mascara before you head out the door kind of mascara application. But it does make lash look very lush.

My mascara lasts longer, looks fresher with fewer flakes during the day. It takes less mascara to get a thick, lush, fluttery lash. Once I got the hang of it, it’s worth the extra step to make lashes extra bat-worthy.

Find it at Urbandecay.com

MAC ZOOM LASH Mascara

January 5, 2017 · 8 Comments

MAC Cosmetics ZOOM LASH Mascara

SUMMARY: Â MAC ZOOM Lash is a volumizing mascara that sells for $18 for the full size and ZOOM Lash little MAC for $10, an airport-friendly, purse and travel size mini.

About ZOOM LASH Mascara

LOOK: Defining and Lengthening. Makes lashes pop without looking like fake lashes, could skip bottom eyeliner entirely and eyes/lashes will still appear defined.

WEAR: Without a cream or liquid foundation, I got about 5 hours of no fallout or smudges. With cream foundation, it lasted closer to 4.5 hours.

ZOOM LASH MASCARA DETAILS:

FEATURES: LENGTHENING, VOLUMIZING, DEFINING

COLOR: I got Zoom Black. The mini Zoom Lash mascara also comes in the shades beet, blue, green, plum, and gray.

WHAT MAKES MAC ZOOM LASH MASCARA SPECIAL?

The BRUSH. This is one of the selling points of the ZOOM LASH mascara, a special three-sided fiber brush geared towards lash separation, and the brush gets close to the lashline, so there is no tell-tale bare lash root and mascara starting line. The brush does exactly what it promises and gets right in close to the lash root. It looks like a regular brush, but it is not.

Examining the brush, you’ll notice a spiral binding like a coil at the base, it holds bristles snugly and makes deeper valleys between the bristled rows which allows the brush to get into spaces other brushes and mascara wands cannot.

MAC ZOOM LASH mascara brush features

THE PERFECT DREAM MASCARA WOULD…

The ideal mascara to me is both lengthening and volumizing, SO dark black, and to stay fresh without fall out. I prefer a thin consistency with no clumps but with major lash payout. Is that too much to ask? Sometimes. Here is how MAC ZOOM LASH stacked up:

PUTTING MAC ZOOM LASH TO THE TEST

IS IT DIFFICULT TO APPLY?
It is very easy; there is a quality versatile wand brush

IS IT SLOW OR FAST DRYING?
Dries quickly, especially for a strong statement mascara. There is no need to try to prevent yourself from blinking, so that you don’t smudge

CLUMPS/FLAKES: Light clumping upon application, easy to comb out with a mascara wand or lash comb. No clumping when applied with a mascara fan wand. MAC Cosmetics makes a good one. (Read more about the MAC Mascara fan brush in our recent recommendation review.)

IS THERE FLAKES AND FALLOUT? RACOON EYES?
After about five hours, it seemed to wear off somewhat and not look crisp, but I did not have raccoon eyes, it just sort of faded away without leaving large flakes on my undereye.

DOES IT HOLD AN EYELASH CURLER CURL AFTER APPLICATION?
Somewhat, I had some drooping of my lashes even after just one coat of ZOOM LASH, but not as much droop as other heavy hitters such as Benefit BadGal, Diorshow, Scandal Queen Fairy Drops or Fiberwig. The mascara does not feel heavy on the eye like some mascaras can.

BEST USE
Best used for shorter events such as having a photo taken or briefer encounters (i.e. meeting someone for coffee) to give major lash that is defined yet wispy

CONCLUSION

A solid mascara choice, especially if you favor using non-black mascara colors for a primary or secondary coat. Lashes are defined and separated for about 5 hours, but it does not last the full work or school day without a mid-day touch-up, and it requires a touch-up to complete re-do for going out after work. But a saving grace is that it is a buildable mascara that doesn’t get clumpy with multiple coats, so you don’t have to remove it, you can just reapply, and you won’t get mid-day raccoon eyes. So if touchups don’t bother you, MAC ZOOM LASH Mascara could be a good choice for full, long, defined lashes.

Find Mac Cosmetics Zoom Lash Mascara at MacCosmetics.com

Product Review: MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush

December 18, 2015 · Leave a Comment

MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush Review:Â 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

Thick Mascara quickly applied and combed in less than 30 seconds with MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush

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 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

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. Â 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, didnâ€™t have to de-clump much (although I see one clumpy spot on my lower lashes I could have fixed) and I didnâ€™t have to reapply at all during a 13 hour day. Â 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

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.
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.
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.
Repeat the same procedure with the lashes on the outer corner, applying in vertical strokes where necessary to catch all the lashes. Â Then proceed to do the same the inner corner lashes
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.
Do the other upper lashes of the other eye

BEGINNER’S TIP:Â 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

Assess if more product is needed on the fan brush before beginning lower lashes
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.
Clean off the fan and do a quick final comb through for any clumps from underneath the lashes.
Assess if you want another coat.
Clean your brush immediately (or at least later that day), because it will get stuck and gunky quickly.Â

Where to find the MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush

MAC Cosmetics Online, $20, free shipping & samples
AtÂ eBay, around $20 – $40
OnÂ Amazon, third party seller