We actually had nice weather last weekend. And it’s happening again this weekend!! However, my family is vacationing in the Sierras, where it’s going to snow. In May. Yes, really. I’ve actually had to break out the serious sunscreen the past few days; but it’s been nice to have the warmer weather!
...because last week I took my photo, but didn’t get around to cropping or posting it. And then by the time I remembered, it was Wednesday - at which point I though, forget it, I’ll just post it next weekend!
During the past two weeks, I’ve been applying the lash serum twice daily to my upper lashes. I’m 3/4 of the way through the four-week period for getting fuller thicker lashes with this stuff…and I’m not really seeing fuller, thicker, or even more numerous lashes. They look a little bit longer than they did in week 0 when I took the baseline photo, but I don’t know if that’s just my natural lash growth cycle. I plan to keep using this product and tracking results for another three weeks - just to see what happens.
Wet n Wild’s Megalash Clinical Lash Serum claims: “In just 4 weeks, get longer, thicker, fuller-looking lashes!” Lashes have a growth cycle: individual lashes grow to a maximum length (pretty much dictated by one’s genetics, as it turns out), the lashes fall out, new lashes begin in their place, and the cycle starts over. This cycle lasts 30-45 days…in other words, four to six weeks.
I’ve been using Wet n Wild’s Megalash Clinical Lash Serum on my upper lashes nightly for one week. Since I’ve never tracked my lash growth cycle before, I figure that if I track my lashes’ appearance over seven weeks while using this product as directed, I might get an idea if these claims are just tied to the natural lash cycle, or if there’s really something to this product. (Remember: Latisse, the best-known eyelash growth product, works in mysterious ways. Literally. They don’t know how or why it works. So any other lash growth serums may be just so much marketing-and-a-prayer; but at least with this I didn’t have to get a prescription, and I spent less than $5.)
Everyday Minerals sells foundation, blush, color correctors, face colors and glow powders, bronzers, eyeshadows, eyeliners, lip colors, and brushes. Their loose-powder shadows and blushes are about on par with Ulta's loose-powder mineral makeup, in terms of pigmentation and adhesion. They also, as of early 2010, have a distinct site design and visual branding which garners mixed reviews. Additionally, some folks have had severe reactions to Everyday Minerals' products (EDM-relevant details further down the page, beneath the blue "why is this 'may contain' business so important to me?" text, YouTube video from a makeup artist and former EDM 'ambassador'). I am fortunate enough to have no skin sensitivity problems nor immune system problems, so have not personally experienced much in the way of rashes, breakouts, or other skin irritations while using Everyday Minerals' products...though I have had some minor problems with a few things, including one rather memorable instance.
I started buying from Everyday Minerals back in early 2008. I bought about four eyeshadows, and got several samples of their blushes and foundations. I tried six foundations, but was not happy with the color matches, consistency, or coverage - so I kept looking, and eventually found my foundation from another vendor. Everyday Minerals had inexpensive shadows, though, as well as a very good try-me-free program and a customizable "super kit" that allowed one to purchase a large number of samples for a lowered price. I placed another order in late 2009 for their mint color corrector and several more eyeshadows, and eventually ordered more of the eyeshadows in their mini size - a 10-gram jar, holding approximately 2.5 grams of product. I experienced no skin irritation, and was unaware of the upheavals going on among the EDM fanbase (I hadn't really frequented the now-deleted EDM customer forum - some information about what happened to it - but shortly after I placed my November 2009 order, the customizable super-kit was discontinued, their try-me-free program was aggressively streamlined, and the forum was deleted). By this time, I had about 12 fullsize eyeshadows, three blushes, and had started using (and was pleased with) the mint color corrector. I had absolutely no reactions to any of my products; but again, I'm fortunate enough not to have extreme chemical sensitivities, skin irritation issues, or even allergies (except to bee stings), so I'm not entirely surprised. I placed some orders with Everyday Minerals this past month with the intention of making "one last stop", buying as many of their eyeshadows in the being-phased-out mini size as possible (because I really prefer all my jar sizes to be matchy-matchy [I know, I'm weird]) and buying a few more of their blushes - because they looked kind of pretty, and because if Everyday Minerals changed the formulas once before and kind of forgot to tell their customer base, they might do it again. At any rate, this was my final pass through Everyday Minerals. I like the products that I got, but will not be buying from them for several reasons. I would also urge anyone else thinking of buying from Everyday Minerals to carefully check EDM's current list of ingredients, especially if you have any known allergies or chemical sensitivities.
This is a followup to another entry on my site, and a part of the indie-MMU repackaging kerfuffle.
Another web site is running another piece on Lime Crime, one of the makeup companies that consumers have recently cited as having several colors that are so very reminiscent of colored micas available from wholesalers (as in, when swatched side by side people can't tell the difference.) After a few of us stated, in the comments, what we found so particularly disagreeable about Lime Crime's behavior in this incident (seeming integrity, lack thereof), the person who wrote this follow-up interview asked us a hypothetical question:
"So let’s say for the sake of argument, Doe Deere says you know what you guys, I may have exaggerated when first marketing my product and for that I apologize from the bottom of my heart. What then? Would that change anyone’s mind?"*
EDIT Nov 13, 2009: There’s now a followup to this entry.
Teaching is a wonderful gift. The tutorials you created and posted have interested a lot of folks. And sharing love of bright color and sparkly things? Well, I’m hardly going to say that that’s a problem - take a look at my own collection, over 900 colors from several MMU vendors. You’ve done some things quite right, and quite well, and in a positive manner.
However.
(I started this post out as a list of Things MMU Companies Do That Annoy Me, but decided to take a positive tone.)
eyeshadow, shimmer, discontinued, Bare Escentuals, red, limited edition, cool, warm, brown, The SheSpace, purple, blue, Aromaleigh, green, sparkle, orange, yellow, lip color, sheen, nail color, neutral, matte, eyeliner, metallic, pearl, kit, grey, blush, Meow Cosmetics, one year eyecolor challenge, face color, Zoya, duochrome, collection, neutral-warm, creme, Everyday Minerals, Simply Naturals, Pure Luxe Cosmetics, sheer, white, MAC Cosmetics, black, warm-neutral, iridescent, cream shadow, brush, China Glaze, NYX Cosmetics, season: Summer, Morgana Cryptoria, neutral-cool, cool-warm, warm-cool, Shiro Cosmetics, Buxom, season: Fall, TKB Trading, cool-neutral, Concrete Minerals...
Sparklecrack Central is an individual's site. The author holds stock in no makeup companies, is officially affiliated with no forums or communities, and receives no renumeration for posts made here. Posts on this site are not commercial endorsements, but enthusiasm and a tiny bit of OCD. Product information contained on these pages is non-authoritative and provided for informational purposes only. All makeup company names, kit names, and color names are trademarks of their respective owners. All original site content, including photos, is free for non-commercial re-use with attribution (further details).
