Question: What's one item of make-up I couldn't live without?

Duh. MASCARA. It's the one thing that I apply if I have to run out of the house super quick. If you follow me long enough you will learn that I am not going to pretend to be someone I am not. I don't buy super high end designer things. I don't enjoy buying one item when I know for the same price I could probably buy 5 somewhere else. I am very basic when it comes most things. I am a minimalist. Maybe too much of a minimalist. I don't buy what I don't need. I shop around for the "deal." I don't believe that name brand is better...although sometimes you do get what you pay for.

I am not going to act like I am some expert on applying makeup cause I'm not but I do know that mascara frames out your eyes and makes them POP! So what exactly do I look for in a good mascara?

First, no clumps! A mascara that clumps your eyelashes all together does not look natural and to be honest - looks cheap. And, the worst part is all day little pieces of mascara will fall in your eyes which can be very painful, especially if you wear contacts.

Second, length and volume. A mascara that not only coats your lashes but adds a little length and volume to them will add some drama to your overall look.

Third, separation. You want your mascara to separates your lashes and make them feathery looking.

I know you are dying to know how I get such amazing lashes. Well my go-to combination for the past few years has been Jane's MaxLash2 Mascara & Primer followed by Maybelline's Great Lash Volume Collection. Note that I only use the PRIMER part of the MaxLash. There are other brands out there that just sell a tube of primer but I love this particular primer. I am a BIG fan of using a PRIMER first. Yes, it's an extra step but oh so worth it. The Primer gives you intense volume, lengthens and conditions with Vitamin B. It prepares and coats your lashes for smoother mascara application (no clumping!). It is best to apply the primer then wait 10-30 seconds for the primer to dry before applying the mascara. This will keep the color of your mascara from looking diluted (i.e. gray instead of black).

Then I apply Maybelline's Great Lash Volume Collection in Blackest Black. I go back and forth depending on the season as to if I wear Waterproof or not. This mascara tops every beauty editor's list. It's the most popular mascara in the United States. Statistics show that one tube of Maybelline's Great Lash mascara is sold every 1.6 seconds in the US. I'm not one to fall into having the must haves or favorites but this one truly lives up to it's reviews.

Wah-la...lovely clump free, volume infused, feathery looking lashes all for $9.78!! Wait. What??? Yep, the MaxLash retails at Walgreens for $4.99 and the Great Lash for $4.79. Do you realize that's a $14.22 savings over the $24.00 tube of Dior's Mascara which was rated #1 on the Best of Sephora's List? What a joke. And sadly with the Dior tube you're not getting the Primer which personally is the SECRET to amazing lashes.