The Imperfect Parent - Articles || Mother Magnetism

PUBLISHED April, 2007
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Mother Magnetism

Applying eyeliner, the shrinking pores myth, thicker lashes, and the Fifis!

by Kelly Reising

I am all thumbs when it comes to applying eyeliner. Any tips on how to get the perfectly defined eye? My line always comes out kind of crooked.

Applying eyeliner the right way takes a little practice. First, make sure you have a liner that isn’t dried out so that it goes on as smoothly as possible. You don’t want to pull or tug on your delicate eyelid skin. My favorite eyeliners are the gel-based ones that twist up so you don’t have to sharpen them. It saves time because you don’t ever have to dig around for a sharpener, plus they go on smoother than the regular wooden pencil-type eyeliners. When starting, you want to keep two things in mind.

One is that you don’t have to draw a continuous line. Even as a makeup artist, it’s hard for me to draw a straight line. Position the pencil as close to the lash line as possible and wiggle it back and forth, drawing little dots directly into your lashes. Then you can smudge it all together with a sponge tip or Q-tip. Most twist-up liners have a sponge tip especially for smudging at the other end of the liner.

The second thing is that you don’t want the line to be too bold and exact, especially for day wear. Eyeliner should define the eye and not look too obvious. No Cleopatra-like liquid liner for day either! If you are after a more natural look, you should stay away from using black. A soft plum, khaki, or brown is perfect, and looks like you aren’t trying too hard.

My pores are gigantic; please tell me how to make them smaller?

Sadly, you can’t change the actual size of your pores any more than you can change the size of your nose or ears. My favorite misconception about the face is that pores open and close. They don’t. They aren’t shutters. Warm or cool water will not make them open or close. I love reading about how you should splash your face with ice cold water after you wash it to "seal" pores. That makes absolutely zero sense. I even just read about a product that said when you use it, it will help to “relax pores”. Ha! I actually had to laugh out loud when I read that. What does that even mean? Are your pores so stressed out that they need a day at a spa? Silly.

The real deal with pores is that if they are dirty and clogged with oil and makeup, they are going to look bigger and obviously be more visible. When they're clean they naturally look smaller. So, my advice to those who say they have large pores is to get scrubbing. A good scrub used three times a week will dramatically rid dead skin from the surface of your face. Making your face smoother will cause your pores to appear smaller.

It seems like my lashes are getting thinner and thinner. I wish I could say the same thing for my thighs! How can I fatten up my lashes?

Depending on what kind of vitamins you take you might want to add a Biotin (Vitamin H) supplement. This is supposed to help with hair growth. In the meantime, there are great lash conditioning products out there in the beauty aisle. These help to bulk up the lashes so that when you put on mascara they appear fuller, more lush. Two of my favorites are Prescriptives Lash Conditioner ($15) and Lancôme Cils Booster ($20). You can also find lash primer right in your local drugstore. Revlon makes Lash Fantasy ($10) which has a primer on one end and mascara on the other. You can't beat a two in one product!

A Report from the Beauty frontlines:

The Fifi Awards exist because everything has to get an award, apparently. Has anyone ever heard of the Fifi awards? It sounds like some kind of prize they give out to French poodles, but it’s not for dogs, it's for fragrances. The Fifis are a huge deal within the industry, and the nominees for 2007 have just been announced. At the end of May the Fragrance Foundation will actually give out awards to the winners. Here are a few of the nominees in the Luxe (department store) category. Check to see if any of the fab fragrances below are on your vanity. If not, I have added what the top note in each fragrance is, so you can tell which ones might tickle your fragrance fancy. Cotton Candy anyone?

WOMEN’S Luxe Category:

• Armani Code for Women (woodsy fresh oriental) – Giorgio Armani Parfums
• Badgley Mischka (floral with red wild berries) – Elizabeth Arden
• Betsey Johnson Parfum (pear and grapefruit) – Colorful Licenses USA/Karis Group Ltd.
• Burberry London for Women (sparkling Clementine) – P&G Prestige Products, Inc./Burberry Fragrances
• Donna Karan Gold Eau de Parfum (warm amber and Casablanca lily) – Donna Karan Cosmetics
• Insolence (orange blossom and rose) – Guerlain
• Juicy Couture (pink passion fruit and watermelon, but it really smells like cotton candy) – Liz Claiborne Cosmetics
• Pure White Linen (red tulips) – Estée Lauder
• Stella in Two (amber and patchouli) – Stella McCartney Parfums
• Vera Wang Princess (pink guava and vanilla) – Coty Prestige

So head to your local department store and test out a few yourself to see which one deserves the coveted Fifi! Keep some coffee beans on hand to clean out your smelling senses between whiffs. I’m not really sure which is my favorite. It seems like after I had children, all perfumes just make me sneeze!