Are you scared of your eyelash curler?

I'm that girl who started curling her eyelashes years after everyone else... and then after some time, something happened (I should add that about five beloved eyelashes ended their too-short-lives when that "something" happened ;), I got scared and stopped curling my lashes. I tried a few "curling" mascaras as an alternative, but the results were just not good enough. So I decided to be brave, and now I'm back to my eyelash curler, which has never felt so loved!

I know for a fact that I'm not the only girl who has said no to beautifully curled lashes because of her "fear". So since I got over things and am right now blinking my eyes to show off my lush-lashy lashes (yes, I absolutely had to write that, hah!), I thought I'd share the few tips which helped me when I was healing from the "eyelash curler trauma"! Enjoy!

• Eyelash curlers simply look scary. That's a fact, we all know it, so get over it and don't let it scare you away. Maybe you could look for a pink one? :)
• Find the eyelash curler which suits your eye shape. Not all curlers are the same, your friend's favourite might be your worst bet, so ask around (you can usually get help at stores) and find your perfect match. And remember that the most expensive ones don't necessarily have to be the best!
• Never curl your lashes when you're in a hurry. Always make sure that you have plenty of time, and take all the time you need.
• Curl your lashes when you're alone, and make sure that nothing and nobody can surprise you when you're curling. I've heard some scary stories in which a person unexpectedly walks by and well... you know the story!
• Never curl your lashes with mascara on! It really, really increases the risk of you accidentally ripping off all your lashes.
• Curl with your eye closed (that is, if you're curling on your left eye, keep the left eye closed but the right one open so that you can see what you are doing). It seems to me that everybody curls their lashes with both of their eyes wide open, which I can't understand how is possible. Actually seeing the device in front of my eye freaks me out, which leads to me jerking away, and therefore again, increasing the risk of an accident.
• If curling your left eye, don't blink your right eye while you´re doing it. You could accidentally blink both eyes, which is a recipe for lash-loss!
• If your eyes are irritated, or they feel dry, don't even dream of curling your eyelashes. You could accidentally blink your eyes in the middle of curling your lashes.

That's it for the safety tips I've got for you, but for a more beautiful curl, read on ;)

• First, curl the roots of your lashes. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Then move your curler to the middle of your lashes, hold again for 3-5 seconds, and finally, curl the tips of your lashes. This method will give you very beautifully and completely curled lashes.
• Waterproof mascara usually tends to hold the curl a bit better throughout the day than a regular one, but keep in mind that waterproof formulas are usually harder to remove and can dehydrate your lashes, so don't use it every day!

I really hope this helped some of you! Really, I found out myself that there is nothing to be afraid of if you're just careful enough, and do things slowly, so don't be scared!

xox.

Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture from http://morningbounce.wordpress.com/

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” - Epicurus

Haul from Germany (part 4) - Brushes, tools and mascaras

We are slowly making our way through this huge haul, and now we are coming to the fun part! This part of the haul is all about brushes, tools and mascaras. Enjoy!

Starting from the left:

1) The first brush is simply HG! It is amazing! I had been looking for a good brush for contouring for so long, and was really going to buy the MAC one. Then, I stumbled upon this little sweetie, by a company called Fabiani. And you have no idea how nice this brush is! It is really soft and does not scratch my face, it has a comfy handle, it picks up product easily but not too easily... it is my new fave!

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2) The second brush is your basic foundation brush. It is nice and I really do like it and use it a lot, but it does not come close to the Fabiani one!

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3) The sponges are by Fabiani, and so is the eyelash curler. I'll start with the curler. I don't curl my eyelashes every day, but when I do, I like them to be perfectly curled. This curler does the job nicely. The thing I like the most about it, is that it came with two or three extra "pads", so even if they get dirty, you don't have to throw the curler away (even so, remember that it is really bad for your lashes to curl them after applying mascara. They can break or fall out. Try to curl before mascara ;)

I have not used the sponges yet, but I'm hoping that they will allow a sheer but nice coverage when used damp... I also really like the fact that they come in a sturdy box (nice for travelers).

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4) We'll go through the mascaras, starting from the left. First up is L'Oréal's Volume Million Lashes. It is a rather new one, and has a "wiper", which is supposed to stop the mascara from clumping. I do like this mascara, but somehow I would not use it for every day.

In the middle is quite possibly my HG mascara... it is the L'Oréal's Voluminous. I had heard such good things about this one, that I just had to buy it. And yes, it is very nice! Adds volume and length, and is one of the blackest mascaras I've ever tried! This is supposed to be a dupe for YSL's Faux Cils, but I haven't tried that one, so I can't tell you:)

The last mascara is Helena Rubinstein's Lash Queen. I have only used this one two or three times, so I have to wait and tell you more when I know more!

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If you want any product reviews on those, let me know in the comments!

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Yours,

Miss Diorista