I'm not a makeup blog, but...

as a former makeup artist (is there such a thing?) and confessed makeup junkie, people are always asking me what I like and what I use. So since I'm here already, I think I will just mention a product or two once in a while if I think it's worth buying.

(This sort of post might make me lose the last of my male readership besides my dad, if the shoe thing didn't already, but these are topics I spend time thinking about, so there you are.)

I was in Neiman's the other day (they have the best cosmetics department in Union Square, IMHO) and finally spent some time in the Shu Uemura boutique. I was curious to see why a $25 pair of fake eyelashes is better than a $3 drugstore pair, and I have to say that in this instance, I'll now pay more for a better product.

If you are an eyelash enthusiast like me, you'll feel like a kid in a candy store at the Shu counter. There are so many styles to choose from, and you'll convince yourself that you need most of them. I bought three different pairs, the adhesive, and the super cool applicator that is curved to the lash line for an easy application.

The biggest difference I can see between these lashes and the cheapies is the way they're sewn onto the strip. The band holding the lashes is much more substantial, giving more support to the lashes and therefore an easier application. I think the band also makes the lashes hold up better, meaning that you can get more uses out of them, which brings the cost down if you look at them on a per-use basis.

You should brush them out with a dry mascara wand after each wear and gently remove the glue. Don't get them wet.

Happy winking!