The 4 Best Mascaras You Can Buy at the Drugstore

As someone who has not paid for her own mascara in nearly 15 years (I know, right? Perks of being a beauty editor/writer...), please listen to me when I tell you: Drugstore mascaras are the very best. It's true! I'm not saying there aren't amazing expensive mascaras out there (there are!), but I can use literally anything I want and I always, always come back to the cheap stuff. These are the four I love best.

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1. L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Feline Mascara - This is my current favorite that I wear nearly every single day. I'm a longtime fan of the original L'Oreal Voluminous, but now I'm super into this one. It leaves my lashes long and fat (but not crazy-voluminous--perfect for every day) and also gently curled. Very sexy and flirty. LOVE.

2. Rimmel Wonderlash Mascara - I once tested about ten bajillion mascaras for a "best new mascaras" story at Brides. (I literally wore two different formulas--one on each eye--for weeks on end.) This was my absolute favorite at the time and definitely still ranks high for me. It's actually kind of similar to the Voluminous Feline. It's volume plus length that's very buildable, and it also leaves your lashes very defined with no clumps whatsoever.

3. CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara - It's very, very hard to find a good waterproof mascara, but I always come back to this one. It won't leave your lashes crunchy and it really lasts. 

4. Maybelline New York Volum' Express The Collossal Washable Mascara - Love this when I want tons of volume. (It's a great date-night/night-out mascara.) You can swipe on coat after coat and it never gets clumpy. So good!

Have you guys tried any of these? And do you have a drugstore favorite that's not on this list but should be? Tell me below! 

And if you want to read more about mascaras (because, really, WHO DOESN'T?!), check out these great pieces on mascaras for sensitive eyes, lengthening mascaras, red-carpet mascaras, and mascara kits.

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The Top 4 Beauty Products To Try Right Now

I see a ton of new beauty products, but some always stand out. Here's four that I'm especially loving right now:

Sonia Kashuk Knock Out Collection: Sonia Kashuk is one of my all-time favorite brands. Her products (and especially her brushes) are incredible--especially for the price. I seriously do not know how she does it. They are just as good as the expensive stuff, but they are sold at freaking Target. What's not to love about that? Her new collection is a collaboration with artist Dana Louise Kirkpatrick. It's so cute, it has a great, very empowering message, and most importantly, the products themselves are fantastic. My favorites: the 12-piece brush set (two brushes shown above), the smokey eye palette, the embossed highlighter, and this supercute tray.

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Prep & Shape Pro Kit: For the last few years, I've been very loyal to a certain high-end brow pencil, but this kit is giving it a run for its money. There's a wax, a powder, and two adorable little tools. And the whole thing is tiny--like less than half-your-palm tiny. Perfect for travel.

SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2: There are a small handful of skincare brands that my most trusted derm sources recommend again and again, and SkinCeuticals sits firmly at the top of that list. There is incredible research behind the products and the ingredients are top-notch. I'm really excited about their new launch: It delivers a whopping dose of lipids (which tend to plummet as we age) to hydrate, soften, and plump fine lines. 

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer: This little miracle is making my life these days. It's aptly named because, well, it's amazing. It's a very thick, highly-pigmented paste, so a little goes a long way. And oh man does it work. It covers zits in one tap and it positively murders dark circles. Seriously, if you have big-time under-eye circles (*raises hand*), this is for you. Also, awesome: It comes in 20 shades--from porcelain to super dark--which can't be said for most concealers out there, which tend to come in just light, medium, and...a slightly darker medium.

Have you guys tried any of these yet? What do you think? And what other beauty products are you obsessed with these days? I'd love to hear!

Beauty Secrets: Andrea Lavinthal

Andrea doesn't leave home without doing this.

Ok, let me just put it out there: I adore Andrea Lavinthal. We've moved in the same "beauty circles" for years now, and she's always been one of my very favorite people to run into at a work event. First off, she's smart and incredibly accomplished. She spent nine years as a beauty editor at Cosmo, went on to positions at UsWeekly.com and RealBeauty.com, and is now the Style and Beauty Director at People, where she oversees both print and digital. (Oh and just in case you aren't impressed yet, she has also co-authored three books: The Hookup Handbook, Friend or Frenemy?, and Your So-Called Life.) And of course, as any Bachelor fan can tell you, she is hilarious and absolutely kills it on Twitter. 

She also has really, really great hair.

So I'm super thrilled that she's here today sharing some of the awesome beauty tips she's picked up over her many, many years in the biz--all told with that signature @andilavs humor. Enjoy!

Let's jump right into your beauty routine. What's your favorite lip color? "I love bright colors on everyone but me, so I typically stick to beige-y-pink shades. I always joke that my favorite lip color is one that make me look like a sexy corpse. My favorites are: MAC Lipglass in C-Thru (I've been wearing this since 2002. It's a little sticky, but I love the semi-opaque pale beige color and the scent reminds me of vanilla frosting), Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Nude Kate (I'm such a huge fan of Charlotte's line. This is the perfect peachy-nude lipstick to pair with a smoky eye. Plus, it's the closest I'll ever get to looking like the woman who inspired it--Kate Moss); and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Satisfaction and Rouge Coco in Adrienne (just having a Chanel lipstick in my bag makes me feel like a glamorous grown-up. Satisfaction is a sheer warm peach color with a hint of shine and Adrienne is a creamy pale pink)."

Eye shadow shade? "My absolute favorite is the Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude palette. It's limited edition so you can't get it anymore, but I have a few of them stockpiled. Like the name implies, it's a mix of seven nude shades--some matte, some shimmery--with one midnight blue shadow that I use as liner. Most palettes have at least one orphan color that no one uses, but all of the shadows in this one are wearable. And I never apply shadow without Urban Decay Primer Potion. (I just started using the new Enigma version, which I love). I have naturally dark lids and it brightens them up and makes the shadow last longer."

Blush? "I love blush and often reapply it throughout the day, especially in the late afternoon when I have 'office face' (when your skin looks dull from lack of fresh air) and I need a hit of color. Lately I've been going for shimmery bronze shades, but I'll probably switch to brighter hues in the summer. At first I didn't think Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love would do anything for me since the colors are kind of muted, but I was so wrong. You're supposed to use the two shades to contour, but I just swirl them together and it creates the prettiest glow. I used to be so obsessed with Nars Orgasm that I didn't pay attention to the brand's other shades. Big mistake. Madly is this beautiful brownish pink with hints of gold shimmer, almost like a bronzer and Douceur is also a brownish pink but it's totally matte. I just discovered Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Jersey and I love it. It's gold flecks of gold shimmer and looks so pretty on the apples of the cheeks. On the rare occasion when I want to go all-out and use bronzer, blush, and highlighter, I use Urban Decay Naked Flushed in Strip. I love the pinky-mauve blush shade and the highlighter looks really great on cheekbones."


Foundation? "I wear tinted moisturizer or a BB or CC cream every day. They look best when stippled on with a BeautyBlender, but I have zero patience and usually end up just rubbing them on with my fingers. Then, I use concealer to cover up my under-eye circles and any zits. If I wear foundation, it's a sheer formula like Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. Chanel Les Beiges All-In-One Healthy Glow is really light, so you're not going to get much coverage, just some evening out of the skin tone and a nice dewy finish. I sometimes top it off with Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder. I swiped a sample tube of Philosophy No Reason to Hide Instant Skin-Perfecting Moisturizer from the launch event and have been using it ever since. It makes my skin look really smooth and even. I feel like I'm cheating when I use Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream because it has the same amount of coverage as most foundations. Whenever I wear it people comment on how great my skin looks."



Mascara? "I never leave the house without curling my lashes. Even if I have a 6 a.m. flight and have to leave my apartment at 4 a.m., I'll still curl them. I have three eyelash curlers at home and three at work (I only use Shu Uemura and Keyn Aucoin). I love to experiment with different mascaras and between my stash at the office and at home, I probably have, like, seven tubes open at any given time. But if I had to choose my top three, I'd say L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Effect for the longest lashes possible without falsies, Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes, which is like Maybelline Full n' Soft (a mascara MVP) on steroids, and Benefit They're Real, which lengthens, volumizes, and separates."

Hair products? "Despite its appearance, my hair is actually very fine. And since I'm a highlight and curling iron addict, it's also dry and damaged. I'm on an endless mission to find products that hydrate my hair without weighing it down. I wash with Phylia de M. Clean shampoo because it's really gentle and smells good. I have a bunch of conditioners and masks in my shower but after having dinner with celeb colorist Rita Hazan and admiring her long, shiny hair, I've been using her Weekly Remedy exclusively (she said it's transformed her hair and who wouldn't believe the woman who does Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Katy Perry?). It's a two-step process but only takes a few minutes. I towel-dry, then spray Phylia de M. ReConnect on the roots to encourage new growth. I let my hair air-dry about 80 percent, then I apply LiQWD The Perfect Wave, a gel-cream that smells like grape popsicles, and helps turn my frizzy curls into textured waves. Once my hair is completely dry, I use an Amika clipless iron to curl a few random pieces and spray everything with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray. I sleep with my hair in a high ponytail with a scrunchie. The next day I just shake it out and try not to mess with it too much, and the day after that I refresh it with Drybar Triple Sec spray."

Skin-care products? "I have a really hard time sticking to a skincare regimen which is bad since you need to give products like eight to twelve weeks to know if they're actually working. I always switch my face wash. Right now I'm using GlamGlow Thirstycleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser, which has the most amazing coconut scent. I'm always telling people to use a product with retinol in it since it's the gold standard of anti-aging ingredients so I'm practicing what I preach with Dr. Dennis Gross' Ferulic and Retinol line, which includes a serum, moisturizer, and eye cream. It's only been a month or so, but it seems promising. Once a week I'll use a Clarisonic and follow it up with one of my many Fresh face masks, which all smell incredible and leave my skin so soft."

Nail polish shade? "I'll probably get my beauty editor card revoked for saying this, but I'm not really into nail polish since my manicures chip within 24 hours no matter what I do. When I have to get my nails done, I stick to Essie Mademoiselle and Adore-a-Ball. I'll have a little bit more fun with my toes in the summer months and do everything from lavender to fuchsia."


Fragrance? "I don't wear perfume every day, but I always put it on before I go out at night. I wish I was one of those girls with a signature scent, but I tend to switch it up a lot. I love Prada Candy (I have a crazy sweet tooth so it's no surprise that this is one of my favorite scents), Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume (I can't describe this scent except to say it's different from anything I've ever smelled), Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess (I can't get enough of this coconut scent in the summer), anything by Fresh (they have the best fragrances), and Balenciaga B (it smells better in the bottle than it does on me, but for some reason I keep wearing it)."

What's your beauty look for a typical day? "'No makeup' makeup, so tinted moisturizer, blush, curled lashes with a few coats of mascara, and maybe some liner and brow powder."

For a night out? "The 'I don't know how to do a smoky eye' smoky eye. I define my eyes with my favorite Urban Decay 24/7 liner and smudge it out with a brush and add some shadow over it. Then I apply, like, six coats of mascara."

How long does it take you to get ready? "If I'm not washing my hair and this is a weekday, I can be done in under 10 minutes."

What's your best time-saving beauty tip? "Don't pick at zits and you won't have to spend a lot of time applying concealer. Not that I ever listen to that, but it's a good tip!"

Tell me something about your beauty routine that would surprise people. "I never use body lotion. I'm hopelessly devoted to Dove body wash, which is so moisturizing, I don't need lotion."

You've interviewed countless beauty pros over the years. Is there one tip that really stands out that you actually still use today? "Mally Roncal once told me to line my inner upper lash lines. It feels weird, but it makes your lashes look thicker."

You've met tons of celebs through your job. Who was the most impressive, beauty-wise? "Drew Barrymore could be a beauty editor. She just loves all things beauty and is totally hands-on with her line, Flower. When I met Jennifer Aniston at a Living Proof launch I asked her if she knew how to blow out her own hair and she seemed pretty fluent in all things that area."



Have you ever had a beauty disaster? "I went through an entire bottle of Sun-In on a family vacation when I was in sixth grade. I would spray it in my hair, then jump in the pool. My hair turned yellow, then orange, then green. It was awful. I finally went to the salon where they dyed my hair dark brown, then cut it from below my shoulders to right under my chin because the color wouldn't take evenly. I'm still mad at my mom for letting me talk her into buying it for me."

You always have the most amazing blowout. (And you know I love me a good blowout!) Do you get it done? DIY it? Talk to me. "I prefer to do it myself. I've had way too many blowouts where I ask for beachy waves and end up with prom curls. It's all about minimal volume at the roots, lots of volume and bend through the middle, and straight ends."



You do a lot of TV. What have you learned about the difference between TV makeup and real-life makeup? "I hate the way I look in TV makeup--it's so Real Housewives heavy. But I've learned that what looks crazy in person can look surprisingly good on TV. Still, it's hard to accept that I need that much foundation, concealer, and powder to look 'natural.'"

What's your favorite workout? "I don't work out. I'm so intimidated by the girls at places like SoulCycle. I try to tell myself that I get a good workout by walking around the city a lot, but my best friend said that would only count if I were a senior citizen."

Take a guess: How many beauty products do you have at home? "I asked my boyfriend and he said 10,000. It's probably more like 100, but considering I turned our linen closet into my personal beauty closet, I can see why he'd say that."

What do you think of Andrea's beauty routine? Are any of these products your favorites, too? Any you're dying to try now? Tell us below!

SHOP ANDREA'S FAVORITE MAKEUP AND FRAGRANCE

SHOP ANDREA'S FAVORITE SKINCARE, HAIRCARE, & NAIL PRODUCTS

Sneak Peek at the Brides Beauty Awards!

I'm so happy with the way the opener (that's what we call the first page of a section) turned out! 

A few of the makeup winners!

So I couldn't wait to give you guys a quick glimpse at something my team and I have been working on for the last few months: the Brides beauty awards! Yep, the Brides staff tested hundreds and hundreds of products to determine the very best of the best. We've got the top makeup, skincare, haircare, body products, nail polishes, and fragrance--all selected with brides in mind (but every single one is pretty darn awesome for anyone).

I've included a little peek, but if you want to check out the rest of the winners, be sure to pick up a copy of the just-hitting-the-stands April/May issue. And then tell me your beauty favorites below! I'd love to know.