BellaSugar

What Makes Mascara Waterproof?

BellaSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:00:53 -0800

With tons of mascara out there, both waterproof and not, I always assumed personal preference was the driving force behind purchases. I have a pal who purposely stocks a water-repellent tube during the cold months (and for sappy movie dates) whereas others wear only waterproof even on happy days. So, what's the big difference?

Well, as I embarked on my latest research mission, I hoped for an easy answer . . . but no dice. It seems likely that what makes makeup waterproof is the presence of fats, oils, or waxes, as all three of those are hydrophobic - that is, resistant to moisture. (It makes sense that cosmetic companies would keep exact mixtures a secret, as competitors would want to include whatever worked best.)

But speculation is never that satisfying for Detective Bella so next I set out to compare the ingredients of one of my favorite mascaras, Diorshow vs. Diorshow Waterproof. Get my results when you read more.

Tackling just the first five ingredients in each product, I found a few differences. In its top five ingredients alone, the waterproof version had three waxes (beeswax, candelilla wax, and carnauba wax), water, and isododecane, a mixture of highly branched isoparaffins. However, the regular Diorshow had only one wax in the top five (beeswax). In this case, speculation proves true: Wax helps this waterproof mascara stand the test of time.

Source

Doing Drugstore: Maybelline Define-A-Lash Waterproof Lengthening Mascara

BellaSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:00:02 -0700

"No clumps!" the green packaging for the new Maybelline Define-A-Lash Waterproof Lengthening Mascara shouted at me. Zero, zip, zilch, nada? That's a tall order as far as I'm concerned. I was skeptical, but intrigued enough by the grandiose claim to drop $7.50 and give it a shot.

The mascara comes in a sleek, futuristic green tube, and the wand is slightly curved. The wand has widely spaced, short bristles (which are supposedly what prevents the clumping) but it looks like something that couldn't possibly deposit a thick coat of color onto my lashes. But looks can be deceiving, and the reality is that it's ergonomically designed for each bristle to snuggle in between each of your lashes, resulting in a thorough and mostly nonclumpy application of color. The thinness of the wand also allowed me to reach the inner-corner lashes without poking myself in the eye.

To see some before and after shots, read more.

To really test out this no-clumps claim, I loaded my lashes with three coats. By the end, there were a few lashes sticking together, and maybe a few teensy clumps, but nothing compared to what I usually get with multiple coats of other mascaras. The trick is to go slowly and wiggle the brush to keep lashes separated. The best part was that I experienced no smudging or flaking at any point throughout the day. Keep in mind, if you have particularly sparse lashes, this is not the mascara for you because it doesn't do much to pump up the volume. But for those of you who want extra definition and a bit of length, I would suggest giving this one a shot. It's not online many places, but you can pick it up at Ulta.

Here's what it looks like on. The left is the eye with the mascara, on the right is my naked eye:

And here you can see on the left, my defined lashes! Have any of you tried this product? Let me know what you thought of it!

Beauty Marked! Waterproof Makeup

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:00:00 -0700

Just in time for Summer, I devoted our latest Beauty Mark It challenge to the myriad of waterproof makeup available nowadays. Not just the old-reliable mascara, but also eye shadows like this Lola Cosmetics SocialEyes Gel Eye Colour, plus liners, cheek colors, and foundations that stay put through Summer swims, sweat, and smudges. (To learn what a Beauty Mark is and how to make one, click here.)

Gruaig_rua and Mademoiselle totally rocked this challenge, finding everything from waterproof concealer to a lip gloss that's a favorite of models. And as Missmargot pointed out, waterproof makeup requires a good makeup remover.

I've assembled all of the waterprof makeup beauty marks in a handy widget, so you can just use the arrows on the upper right to scroll through the Beauty Marks! If you want to learn more about a product, just click on the link. Nice work, everyone!

Sunday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

How would you like to try one of the most talked-about mascaras ever? This is your opportunity, because each day this week our friends at Sephora have been adding a little luxe to your lifestyle by giving away the wildly popular DiorShow Mascara, along with two other premium makeup items from Christian Dior's cosmetics collection. Today's the last day, and if you're the lucky winner, you'll receive:

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

To enter, just take the quiz by 5 p.m. PDT today, and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to enter. So if you're not already one, register for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to TeamSugar for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Saturday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

How would you like to try one of the most talked-about mascaras ever? This is your opportunity, because each day this week our friends at Sephora are adding a little luxe to your lifestyle by giving away the wildly popular DiorShow Mascara, along with two other premium makeup items from Christian Dior's cosmetics collection. If you're the lucky winner, you'll receive:

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

Take the quiz

Friday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

Take the quiz

Thursday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

Take the quiz

Wednesday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

Take the quiz

Tuesday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

How would you like to try one of the most talked about mascaras ever? This is your opportunity, because each day this week our friends at Sephora are adding a little luxe to your lifestyle by giving away the wildly popular DiorShow Mascara, along with two other premium makeup items from Christian Dior's cosmetics collection. If you're the lucky winner, you'll receive:

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Addict Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

Take the quiz

Monday Giveaway! DiorShow Mascara, Iconic Waterproof Mascara, and Lip Polish

BellaSugar — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:30:00 -0700

DiorShow Mascara: A lengthening, thickening, and curling mascara.
Lip Polish: A moisturizing lip polish with a built-in primer included in the formulation.
Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara: A smudge-proof, lash-curling mascara.

Take the quiz