by cate on August 2, 2010
I have been on the search for a good mascara for years now. In fact, that is one of the first posts I put on this blog and after a while I had to abandon my quest because I just tried too many mascaras and started getting confused about the details on each one. All I could remember was that I didn’t like a particular mascara but that wouldn’t help anyone.
Well, my luck finally turned around and I found 2 mascaras that I love. The first mascara I found via the Sephora Lash Stash I bought around Christmas. The Buxom mascara by Bare Escentuals. It is no longer included in the sampler but there are some new ones right now so I might put that kit on my Christmas list this year. The thing I like most about the Buxom Mascara is how the brush separates the lashes and is a nice black color. The only downside is that it isn’t waterproof so if you are having a bad Allergy day with watery eyes, this is not the mascara to wear that day. 
available from Sephora in Black and Blue for $18
My second favorite mascara right now is Maybelline’s Volum’ Express the Falsies Waterproof Mascara. Wow that is a long name for a tube of mascara. LOL They might need to shorten it a bit so people can remember it. Basically, last weekend I was left alone at home on a Friday night and headed over to Kroger after work for snacks and beer. Along the way to the checkout area, I passed the beauty aisle and decided I wanted to treat myself and I bought blue nail polish and then this mascara. I figured for $6 what did I have to lose. This is a great mascara. Very black, very pretty on. One thing that can be an issue is that this mascara is thick and can clump so you really have to make sure you are scraping off excess product on the side of the tube before you begin to apply. Then you really just need 1 swipe over the lashes, not multiples. What would be perfect is the brush from Buxom and then this waterproof formula.
available in Black and Brown at most drugstores ~$6
Trips to the salon use to be exciting but dreadful at the same time. I love walking in with flat, dull hair in need of a good cut and color and seeing the transformation take place. But… I would always hate the sales pitches at the end for products. I am a very simple person when it comes to my hair routine and I just don’t need a thousand products. I mean I am still on the same bottle of gel that I bought 4 years ago! I have been trying lately to improve my hair. Two years ago when I first became engaged, I went to the salon for a routine cut and color and my stylist introduced me to a weekly hydrating mask that has worked wonders for my hair. No pressure, no real sales pitch. Exactly what I needed.
So six months ago when he told me about Moroccan Oil and how it would transform my hair I went for it. It seemed simple enough. Wash my hair, comb it out, apply a little oil and then blow dry as normal. Nothing else was needed but I would see a dramatic difference in my hair. Makes you a little skeptical huh? Well, I am now a convert. I love Moroccan Oil – it is fabulous and leaves your hair shiny, soft, and healthy. You only apply a dime size amount to the ends of your hair because if you do the roots you will end up with a greasy mess and facial breakouts – not cool. Adding the Moroccan Oil to my normal routine along with eating a more healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and my vitamins I just can’t believe my hair. It is actually long again! How cool is that?! I never thought I’d see the day where I would want long hair and it would look good.
I did a little research on Moroccan Oil and I found that the oil is actually Argan Oil which is produced from the Argan tree which is native to Moroccan. This tree and its oil is valued for its cosmetic and medicinal properties. This tree dates back 1.6 million years to Tertiary Period and it lives for 200 years. Now that is a long life! There has been some worry about extinction of this tree but steps have been made and land set aside to keep these trees growing. Processing the oil from the kernels of the tree takes about 2 hours and it will last 18-24 months. The Moroccan oil found in hair products is not actually pure oil (hence the generic name Moroccan Oil vs. Argan Oil) as it is a mixture of a few silicates and the oil. The results are still the same but the price is a tad cheaper and it will last a little longer.
Another bonus about this oil is that it is helping women. How? Well all the argan oil produced today is being produced by a co-op of women. The profits from the sale are given to the women of the Berber tribe who work to establish an ecosystem reforestation project so that the supply of argan oil will not run out. The money is also providing access to healthcare and education to these women and supporting the entire community as a whole.
So to sum it up, if you haven’t tried Moroccan Oil yet run to a salon near you (Marbella Salon in Houston) and start with the small bottle of Moroccan Oil or the shampoo and conditioning products. You will not be sorry.
