edithloves: Fairydrops Scandal Queen

I'm about to do something I haven't done in years: buy the same mascara twice.   I'm picky, I'm demanding, and I have impossibly high expectations for mascara. 

It's sad really that my epic search for the perfect concoction has taken so long and all the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of dollars spent testing blends and wands that never quite fit the bill, but I'm pleased to say that I am running out of mascara and I can think of nothing else but the same little silver and pink tube of Fairydrops Scandal Queen.

photo courtesy of Sephora

So much has been said about this Japanese import, but I'd like a moment to wax poetic about the mascara that has concluded my years of research.  No, back up a bit.  Let me walk you briefly through my lash saga.

My eyelashes mirror my pin-straight hair in all aspects except that where my hair is dense and thick, my lashes are hopelessly sparse.  Sparse, stubborn, short and reluctant to curl.  Instead of framing the windows to my soul, they seem to shade them.  So, the minute I started shopping for my own mascara (as opposed to stealing from my mother whose beautiful, open lashes need only the slight prompting from drug store brands), I turned to department store beauty counters for my cure.  My first love was Lancome, of course.  The posh French brand has always appealed to me.  After a few years of heavy Lancome use, Definicils mostly, then Hypnose, I ventured out.

I tried...
- Dior DiorShow Iconic Extreme (Great mascara, hard to remove)
- Givenchy Phenom'Eyes (sadly, such a let down for me, both the 360 brush head and the formula)
- Imju (which has since changed to d.j.v beautenizer?) Fiberwig (lengthens but that's about it)
- Two Faced Lash Injection (doesn't hold a curl)
to name a few....  Like Goldilocks, I found everything lacking. 

Enter Fairydrops Scandal Queen: the brain child of Japanese TV personality Aya Yasuda with a patented brush that helps to fully coat the lashes.  Water resistant, sweat-resistant, formulated without sulfates, phlalates, GMOs, etc, this little tube is worth every dollar.  I have been wearing the mascara on my eyes for about 36 hours (I didn't wash my face last night, I was lazy), and it still holds a curl.  I use my Shu Uemura curler to crimp it, swipe on two or three layers and I'm good to go.  I can sweat, swim, and rub my eyes.  It doesn't irritate my contacts and it only comes off at night when I wash my eyes with warm soapy water.  And when it does finally relinquish its hold, it comes off in those lovely little tubes (like Fiberwig) and not a big raccoon smear.

LOVE.   Yes, let me emphasize that edithLOVES Fairydrops Scandal Queen.  After years of searching, my Japanese peepers have found their favorite mascara and I cannot be more satisfied. 

Hope my journey helps you just a bit.  What do you use? 

xo,
Edith

Simple Saludos

You know those stories that just make you want to cry? Make you feel like you should do something substantial with your life? Live out those dreams, thoughts that you've spent countless hours thinking "what if?" I was watching 60 minutes tonight with my husband (like the old people that we are) and I was truly inspired by the story of this woman who helped to incredibly transform the lives of troubled teens in NY. What if we stopped thinking "what if" for just one moment and pursued those dreams?

That's why I love this blog. It's our what if moment realized! What if we blogged about things we loved? Black natural hair, Asian hair, fashion, beauty. Amazing. Well, here it goes. You get to walk with us as we explore the topics near and dear to us, as some that just make us smile.

My journey to having black natural hair started early in my college career. I had contemplated this decision for almost a year. At the time, it seemed like such a provocative idea, to don my natural tresses. I had spent my entire formative suburban years trying to fit in with my white counterparts, begging my mom to give me a relaxer as soon as I wad old enough. Heavily affected by the subconscious struggle towards a eurocentric standard of beauty, I longed to feel accepted. But, at some moment, something clicked. To feel truly accepted, I had to love me! Love me just the way that I was created to be. It just took a few good friends (Edith) to support me, and I was on my way to beauty! I cut off all of my hair on a glorious trip to the city, and I haven't looked back since! So, this is my chance to finally talk about the journey, the joys and struggles, the amazing products, the hair do's and dont's. I've tried so much and have so much to share. Thanks for listening to our rambles!

Best,
Ruby

By Way of Hellos

There's something eternal about summer.  Whether it's the pervasive heat, the long days, the good timey feeling that we hope might last forever.  The same goes for winter; that inescapable thought that this snow and slush and bone chilling cold will never go away.  Autumn and Spring, however, are acutely fleeting.  We cherish every fallen leaf, every new bud.  Time is palpably finite.

All that said, it's HOT and while the September issues are hitting the stands with the promise of sweater season round the bend, all I can think about is summer.  And more summer.  And chopping off my hair.

I have that brand of Japanese hair that notoriously clogs sinks and ruins expensive vacuum cleaners.  The kind of hair that lies wonderfully flat and thick and shiny and feels like a wool blanket over my neck and shoulders in the heat.  Drawn up into a bun or a ponytail, it gives me headaches.

My hair has grown into its own kind of personal enemy; the love-hate relationship every woman seems to carry for her locks.  For minorities, I feel the paradoxical nature is amplified by personal and cultural expectations.  I feel burdened by this instant symbol of my Asian heritage displayed on my head, which turns the question 'to cut or not to cut?' into a introspective spiral.

Not to mention the ghosts of haircuts past that haunt me still.  My childhood mullet-esque chop, the time I saw The Babysitters Club movie and begged my mom to take me to Supercuts and get the Rachel Leigh Cook bob that turned out lopsided, the "I'm a cheap student" haircut from the Vidal Sassoon Academy where no matter what I asked for I was given the haircut they were learning at the time.  Two of my friends went at different times to the Academy and we all ended up (magically) with the exact same haircut.  Not pleasant.  Then there's the "old lady" haircut I seem to get whenever I do my bi-annual hair donation cut that never looks quite like the Sienna Miller shag pixie I imagined.  And of course, the DIY jobs in college that looked exactly like they were done in front of a poorly lit mirror with blunt scissors after watching All the Real Girls, no thanks to the hopelessly adorable Zooey Deschanel. 

I'm trying to teach myself that life is short and beauty is fleeting, so walk properly.  One foot rooted in the ground, while the other steps forward.  Yes, my hair is my glory and I am fiercely proud of my heritage, but a modern woman, a modern minority woman, should embrace the adventure of fashion and step out of the mold that was crafted by generations past.  Isn't that how you give your roots wings?

That said, I will get my hair cut soon.  And make a blog-day of it.

Yours,
Edith