How does eyeliner work?

Originally quoted from The Beauty Isle Insider by
The Creators of The Beauty Brains

~Image from: Glasses Online Blog~

Eyeliners are formulated into two basic types: pencils and liquids. While the details vary, both types use the same basic ingredients.

Basic Ingredients

The base is the backbone of the formula. In the case of pencils, it's the waxy/greasy matrix that forms the core of the pencil; in the liquids it's the water/oil emulsion in which the rest of the ingredients are suspended.

Typical base ingredients includes waxes and oils, emollients (spreading agents) and, in the case of the liquid type, water and emulsifiers.

Colors

Colorants in eyeliners (and other cosmetics used around the eye) must be approved by the FDA (in the United States). Colorants that can be incorporated in products for other parts of the body aren't necessarily safe enough to be used around your eyes.

Typical colorants include iron oxides and ultramarine pigments. Carmine is another colorant you see from time to time. It's a red color made from crushed insect bodies.

Control Agents

These are added to eyeliner formulations to make sure the product meets specifications when it's manufactured and that it maintains high quality. These include chemicals that control the pH, or acid/base balance of the product, and that keep the product free of bacteria and mold. In some oil-based formulas, an antioxidant may be added to keep the waxes and oils from going rancid.

Typical control agents include tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E), used for its antioxidant properties, as well as citric acid, methylparaben and propylparaben.

Featured Ingredients

Several things can be added to eyeliners to make them more appealing to consumers. These ingredients don't change the way the product works or the way it looks, but marketers add them because women think they are helpful. For some reason, aloe vera is a popular featured ingredient.

There are two ways that understanding eyeliner ingredients could be helpful. Let's say your favorite eyeliner is being discontinued. If you know what kind of base ingredients to look for, you might be able to pick a replacement without having to try so many new products. On the flip side, if you're experiencing irritation or an allergic reaction to your eyeliner, you might be able to figure out what ingredients to stay away from when you shop for a new one.

The Color of Love

Originally quoted from The Beauty Isle Insider by
The Creators of The Beauty Brains

~Image from: MakeUp4All~

The color red has long been associated with St. Valentine's Day. It's the color of the blood that runs through our hearts, so it's not surprising that it's always been linked to love and passion.

We see the color of passion reflected all over fashion and cosmetics. Everyone has (or should have!) a sexy red lipstick or nail polish for special romantic occasions. These products and many others exist thanks to the miracle of modern chemistry which has give us colorants such as FD&C red #40 and D&C red #33.

Of course, we weren't always lucky enough to have such a rainbow of reds to choose from. Originally, red dye came from a more natural, yet more disgusting source: crushed insect bodies - the cochineal insect to be precise.

These bugs grow in certain varieties of cacti. They're hand-picked and immersed in hot water to kill them and to dissolve the waxy coating of their shells. The dead bugs are dried in the sun and then ground into a fine powder that can be used as dye for fabrics, foods and cosmetics.

Today, modern chemistry can synthetically create a wide variety of red dyes, so we don't have to rely on picking bugs off cacti to make our pucker look pretty. And that's just one more reason to be thankful to cosmetics chemists!

How Mascara Makes Lashes Look Lovely

Originally quoted from The Beauty Isle Insider by
The Creators of The Beauty Brains

~Image from: Makeup Geek~

What's in mascara and how does it work? Here's the science-y scoop.

History of Mascara

First, a quick bit of background. we know that mascaras have been around since at least 4000 BC because historical records show that Egyptians used charcoal and other minerals to darken their lashes and eyelids. In modern times, mascara first appeared in the form of a pressed cake that was applied by wetting a brush, rubbing it on the cake and then applying it to eyelashes. The cake consisted of a mixture of black pigments and soap chips.

The next innovation in mascara involved a lotion-like version of the soap cake that was packaged in a tube and squeezed onto a small brush to apply. Mascara as we know it today was created in the 1960s with the invention of a grooved brush that could apply a consistent amount of the pigment. This is the basic form that's still used today.

Common Ingredients

The primary ingredients in mascara are pigments — the chemicals that provide colors. Because U.S. federal regulations only allow certain colorants to be used in the area of the eye, only natural colors and inorganic pigments are used. Carbon black and iron oxide provides black, brown and red colors; ultramarine blue provides blue and green shades. These pigments are mixed together in a cosmetic base that is an emulsion of oils, waxes and water. For example of these waxy ingredients, let's look at the ingredients list from Maybelline Great Lash:

water, beeswax, ozokerite, shellac,
glyceryl stearate, triethanolamine,
propylene glycol, stearic acid, sorbitan
sesquioleate, methylparaben, quaternium-15,
quaternium-22, simethicone, butylparaben,
iron oxides (may contai), titanium dioxide
(may contain), ultramarine blue

The beexwax, ozokerite, stearic acid and shellac provide the main body of the mascara and give it it's waterproof and smudgeproof properties. Glyceryl stearate and triethanolamine are added to make sure the mascara can be washed off. The propylene glycol, sorbitan sesquioleate and simethicone, added as processing agents, help control the consistency of the product while methylparaben, quaternium-15, quaternium-22 and butylparaben are preservatives that keep the mascara free of "bugs". Finally, the iron oxides, titanium dioxide and ultramarine blue are the pigments.

How Mascara Works

This is really the simple part – when you stick the brush into the mascara tube and pull it out, a metering ring built into the orifice scrapes off the excess mascara so the brush has a controlled amount on it. When you brush your eyelashes, just the right amount gets delivered to each tiny hair fiber. The waxy nature of the mascara helps form a relatively thick coating that, due to the high wax concentration, is essentially waterproof. That's how a good mascara can resist smudging and bleeding. The result – your eyelashes get a nice splash of color and they look much plumper.

[Monthly: #14] Mascara Made Easy

Your lashes are the most natural ornaments of your eyes. Use them to your advantage!

~Image Source: Ngoisao~

When is it okay to wear silver mascara? Will a coat of cobalt blue clash with your pink eyeshadow? Is colored mascara funky or trashy? Here's the answers to your mascara must-know questions.

Here's how to choose the right color for every occasion.

Black Mascara: A standard basic that every girl should have in her make-up pouch. Black lashes go well with all colors, and every make-up trend possible. A must especially for formal or party make-up.

Green Mascara: Blue-green mascaras look great with aqua or mint eyeshadows, leaf-green mascaras are best used with lime, gold and olive shades. A good trick is to line the corners of the eyes with a maching liner.

Grey Mascara: Lovely with eye make-up in muted shades of pinks. mauves, lilacs and dove grey. Add pink blush and pale or neutral lips for that gorgeous Spring nymph look.

Blue Mascara: Blue mascara tends to pick out the matching tones in your outfit, and this works well most of the time. Best with matte eyeshadows in neutral shades of beige, cream or grey. Team with brown or nude blush, and buff or taupe lips.

Purple Mascara: Play down purple's brash attitude with heavier neutrals like deep brown and dark grey, or warm plum liner. Shift the emphasis away from lips by using a pale, neutral shade of beige.

Pink Mascara: The perfect accompaniment to pink lashes, is white eyeshadow (matte or perle). Take the white below the eyes too. Add a touch of perle or glitter white shadow below the eyes, a dash of pink blush and go for nude, glossy lips.

Brown Mascara: A good everyday alternative to harsh black. A must if you have had your hair lightened. Eyebrow pencils should follow the same rule.

Silver Mascara: Party girls should try loads of black eyeliner and eyeshadow, fringed by silver-coated lashes. Keep cheeks bare and lips just glossed over.

TIP: Colored mascaras throws your eyes into the spotlight instantly. Play down your cheek color with the lightest dusting of blush and keep lips pale and neutral.