December 2009 -

I love the OPI nail polish shade Lincoln Park after Dark, so I grabbed it in both the OPI Suede version (read my OPI Suede Lincoln Park After Dark review) and the Matte version. OPI says that because the suede and matte polishes do not wear as long to not use a base coat with them. Trust them on that! When I tested OPI Suede, I followed that advice and it wore very well. I forgot when I tried the OPI matte and it was chipping off less than 24 hours after I put it on! Not using a top coat it obvious–it would ruin the mattte or sude look.

In terms of appearance, I like the Lincoln Park After Dark matte version better than the suede. But I still prefer the regular polish over both of them. If you try the matte, experiment with doing a glossy tip. I think that gives the matte nail polish looks a better overall look. I also like using a mattifying top coat better than using the already matte nail polishes. It seems to wear longer and gives more flexibility, since you can wear your favorite polish shades either normally or matte that way.

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About the Author: Carleen Pruess Coulter

I have a new favorite mascara! I truly love this one! But unfortunately it isn’t the easiest to get. Arbonne is a Swedish multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells skin care products and cosmetics. I have seen folks rave about Arbonne. I have also seen some criticisms. In any event, I always wanted to do an Arbonne review, but never tried them because, frankly, I hate having to call a consultant and put up with the sales pitches just to buy a few cosmetics. As a customer, I simply am not a MLM fan. But then I found some Arbonne products online at Amazon.com (see link below) so I decided to give them a shot.

OK, so with that background, ARBONNE Virtual Illusion Dual Volume Mascara is a seriously great mascara! The mascara has two ends. One end is a seemingly standard mascara. The brush size is average, but the bristles are a bit further apart than seen with many brushes. It kind of reminds me of Maybelline Lash Stilletto, but I like the look from the Arbonne mascara better. The other end is a clear gel that is applied with a smaller rubberized brush. This plays nicely off of an old, but good, mascara application tip—apply one coat of one type of mascara, let dry, and then a second coat of another kind for the best look. Below are my lashes after application:

I found that the Arbonne mascara itself gave great length, gave some curl (something that I rarely find in a mascara, even the ones that claim to be curling), and was a lovely deep black (much blacker than the picture indicates). The only downside is that the mascara does come out a bit thick on the brush, so careful wiping to avoid clumps is an absolute necessity. Then, when the gel was applied, the color was enhanced, the lashes were better defined, and it lasted all day without changing in appearance and without a single smudge or flake, yet it removed very easily with plain old soap and water. Overall, my lashes look better with this mascara than they do with most others. I truly love this Arbonne mascara. Now I just hope it stays available on Amazon.com!

I also purchased a set of Arbonne skin care samples and some Arbonne hair care items at Amazon, and I will be reviewing them soon.