Mascara Critique #'s 1, 2, 3 and 4

I bought a mascara sampler from Sephora and thought I'd tell you all what I think about them. After all, Keri says that companies will send you free product if you do stuff like this. ;o)

I first went through the kit of (what I thought were) 10 mascaras one per day. On the ninth day, I discovered the mascara was actually a pre-mascara lash builder, so I incorporated that into each try-out after that.

Going through the whole kit first, I was able to pull one right away as it flaked really badly on me - the DuWop Lash Venom. I don't know if makeups react the same on everyone, so your mileage may vary, but there was a lot of this mascara on my cheek apples halfway through the day. Gone! F.

The first week, I tried Anastasia Beverly Hills' Lash Lifting Mascara. I wore one coat for three days, then one day with the builder, then two coats on the last day. It's a fine mascara. Went on well, stayed there, big teddy bear brush. Nothing to write home about, but perfectly useable. C+.

The second week, I tried tarte's lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara. That made for some big fat lashes in one coat. I did four days of 1 coat, one day with the builder and one day with two coats (I usually only wear makeup during the workweek, but there was a memorial service to attend, so I squoze in an extra day). This goes on nicely and stays put. Know, too, that one of my criteria for mascara is whether I can easily wipe any extra off my lid after applying (I'm a little messy). These first two had no issues there. I know there are some coming up that are a little difficult to dab, but not those these two starters. A.

This past week, I used Sephora's Atomic Volume mascara. Awesome brush! Spikey all around so you're coating three sides of the lash while separating! No flaking at all. I did four days of one coat and one day with the builder. The single coat days were good - my lashes stood out individually and looked great - and the day with the builder was even better. Good stuff. A.

So far a couple of really good contenders to unseat my previous winner of Benefit Bad Gal Lash. I liked it a lot at first, but paired with some other products (probably my eye moisturizer), it flaked a little. Time to move on.

Sad Squirrel Story

I have had a few episodes in my life that were sad and tragic. This particular one still almost brings me to tears, though.

When I worked at the Springfield Library and Museums Association, my office was in what used to be a doctor's house, the Kilroy House. It was next to the Donahue House and on the corner of the Quadrangle. There were trees and shrubbery and a small amount of wildlife - not a lot as we were in the middle of a city. Anyhoo, a squirrel was killed by a vehicle in the driveway going by the Kilroy House. Sad.

A few days later, baby squirrels began to emerge from a brick pile they'd been living in. Their mother wasn't coming back with food and they had to brave the outside world in search of sustenance. I found the babies wandering around near the house. There were about half a dozen of them. They were very cute. I'd never seen baby squirrels before. It was the end of the day and I didn't think through how totally helpless these creatures were. I arranged them all at the base of a tree so they could climb to safety (stupid) and started for my car. One of them ran after me in his toddley way. I actually screeched and giggled and ran from him.

I've always wished that I had just paused for a moment there, right in that very moment, to think about things, to realize that this baby needed a mommy and it was coming after me for help. I didn't think anything of it. Stupid. Tragically stupid.

I'm bawling right now writing this. I came to work the next morning and went to the tree to see if they'd made their getaway. Of course they hadn't. They were all dead. Their heads and upper torsos had been eaten by whatever got them. I had made such a huge mistake.

I have a few regrets in my life. This is the one that still pains me to this day, that this little toddling baby squirrel chased after me for help and I squealed like a stupid schoolgirl and left him and his siblings to die.