Too Much To Do To Blog! (But There's Always SOMETHING to Try!)

This picture captures my current state of mind perfectly. "Oh, I have too much to do to blog about beauty!" Now, if I looked like this model, I somehow feel like I wouldn't have so much to do. Or like life would just be easier somehow. On the other hand, I just had a Hershey Bar dipped in Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter and that would probably make this woman vomit. So, I guess it's a toss up as to whose life I would rather have. Alas ... I haven't tried many different samples because I kind of needed to get rid of some of the old "stand-bys" that have been taking up room in my cute little clear plastic pots. But, I did manage to find two products on which I could report.

First up is an amazing DHC cream called DHC Extra Nighttime Moisturizer. I think when you've had a hard day or worn a lot of makeup and either situation made you just scrub the hell out of your face with an exfoliant that was too harsh or a washcloth that was clearly not Egyptian Cotton or just a really bad product, well ... it's time for this moisturizer. It was super light and soft, but did soak in well, with just the right amount of moisture left over to feel like your skin was going to get a good night's sleep. Also, despite the fact that I had zero sleep last night, I actually didn't have puffy eyes or dark circles. There are only two things this could be - the Ole Henriksen moisturizer that has glycolic acid in it or this moisturizer that seemed to protect my face all night. Lovin' it!

And, of course, I had to try one of the Sephora sample mascaras from the fun set I bought. Today was Lancome CILS Booster XL. I don't know what "CILS" stands for, but with how great this product is, who cares? It's (unfortunately) $21.50, but man does it do what it promises - "a super-enhancing mascara base". Now, the website says this product enhances the result of any Lancome mascara. In order to really make sure I wasn't trying two new product over one another, I used this base and then Dior Show Blackout. (I mean, why just Lancome products, right?) The wand completely separates, volumizes and coats every single eyelash in a white base. It was like what I would call "eyelash primer", which is what I am really looking for when I double up on my mascaras. Thus far, I think this is a definite must have. Whether you need volume, length, blackness, thickness, curl, etc., I think once you find the mascara that does that feature the best, use this as a base enhancer to get an even better result. It made the Dior Show blacker and just go on much more easily. The only other "con" is the fact that it's a bitch to get off at night, just like a waterproof version. However, I didn't use a good cleanser tonight, so that could have been part of the problem. So, let's make the review official:

Lancome CILS Booster XL ($21.50)

Pros: Totally does what it promises - prepares your lashes to enhance whatever mascara product you currently love or will soon be falling in love with.

Cons: Pricey (though the cheapest eyelash primer sold at Serphora) and difficult to remove. Kind of creepy to have white eyelashes for a few minutes too.

The Verdict: A must have. It's a perfect lash primer instead of having to double up two of your favorites (like one for volume and one for lengthening.